Posted on October 20, 2025
Rotterdam, the Netherlands – This summer, the Tiel-Waardenburg dyke reinforcement project achieved an impressive milestone: more than 100,000 operating hours with electric equipment. From trucks and cranes to shovels and sheet piles, an average of 45 electric machines are operating on the construction site daily. This has already resulted in a CO₂ reduction of over 4,600 tonnes. This is expected to increase to 7,600 tonnes by the time of completion.
The Mekante Diek consortium, consisting of Van Oord, Dura Vermeer and Ploegam, is carrying out the dyke reinforcement project on behalf of Rivierenland Water Board. This is the first dyke reinforcement project in the Netherlands to make such extensive use of electrical equipment. The machines and batteries are charged at WattHub, a specially developed charging plaza at Geldermalsen, with 90% of the energy coming from sustainable sources.
This project will achieve a carbon emissions reduction of almost 50,000 tonnes. This is the equivalent of driving 33 million kilometres by car. This was made possible by the use of electrical equipment, circular materials and technologies with a low carbon footprint. The benefits extend beyond just a reduction in emissions and also include reuse and reduction of materials and designing for the future. ‘Rather than a step, this is a leap forward,’ says Koen van der Kroon, Tiel-Waardenburg project manager at Rivierenland Water Board.
‘Together, we have achieved something here that few would have thought possible only 5 years ago. This is proof that guts, perseverance and collaboration can truly make a difference. Working with electrical equipment at this scale required pioneering efforts, but it resulted in valuable lessons and structural innovation. For example, we are participating in pilots involving innovative technologies within the project, such as KitePower, and are registering materials in Madaster, to facilitate easy reuse of the materials used.’
Jules Janssen, project director at Mekante Diek
