Posted on February 25, 2021
The Port of Rotterdam Authority has selected contractors for the construction of new quays in the Princess Amalia Harbour as part of its container throughput expansion investment.
Following a European tender process, the port authority has awarded the construction of some 2.4km of quays and earth-retaining walls in the Princess Amalia Harbour to the HOCHTIEF, Ballast Nedam and Van Oord contractor consortium. Further development of the harbour located on Maasvlakte II is expected to increase annual throughput capacity in the Port of Rotterdam by 4m TEU. The potential additional container traffic of 4m TEU is equivalent to an increase in capacity of about 28% over the 2020 annual total.
“Particularly because of e-commerce, container volumes are increasing sharply,” explains Boudewijn Siemons, chief operating officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “That will continue for the time being. To further strengthen our leading position as Europe’s largest container port, we are now responding to this development by investing in the further expansion of the Princess Amalia Harbour. This is an investment that will boost the competitive position of our customers and of Rotterdam.”
Facilitating terminal development
Container terminals APM Terminals and RWG are already active in the Princess Amalia Harbour, with 1,500m and 1,700m of quay respectively. The construction of new deep-sea and inland shipping quays will allow the terminal operators to develop the other sites around this harbour. The project also includes the construction of a 160m waiting area for general use by inland shipping vessels.
The new building work will be on either side of the harbour, which is approximately 2.5km long. This total will include 1,825m of deep-sea quay, 160m of inland shipping quay and 360 metres of soil-retaining walls. Barring 725m, this means that the entire harbour basin, which went into use in 2015, will be enclosed. The completion of the first 500m of quay wall is expected in late 2022. The final part of the project will be completed no more than eighteen months later.
The quays will be fitted with a wide range of sensors to monitor forces and any deformation. In addition, ECOncrete blocks will be used at two locations to act as artificial reefs and encourage biodiversity below the water.
