Belgium’s Port of Antwerp is poised to benefit from improved access for large container vessels after the Dutch authorities give their approval for dredging of the Western Scheldt river to begin.
According to Antwerp Port Authority, work on deepening the Western Scheldt will start on 1 March, now that the Council of State in the Netherlands has given the go-ahead.
The Antwerp port community has welcomed the decision by the Council of State, saying it would guarantee maximum accessibility for the port in the future.
“This deepening of the navigation channel will enable Antwerp to defend its position as Europe’s second-largest port, in the face of competition from Rotterdam and Hamburg,” the Port Authority said in a statement.
The regulatory body said the benefits of the deeper channel would be reinforced by new upstream and downstream navigation regulations for the Western Scheldt, which were introduced by the Permanent Commission for Supervision of Scheldt Navigation in December 2009.
The new regulations, it said, would “permit the largest container ships to reach the port of Antwerp in a safe manner even more easily”.
For ships longer than 340 metres the draught will be increased from 13m to 14m. Ships shorter than this will be able to count on draughts up to 14.80m.
“The nautical accessibility of the port will be further improved by the deepening of the Scheldt,” said the Port Authority.
“Wider tide windows will be created for ships sailing upstream and downstream as soon as the work starts. Once it has been completed, seven out of ten ships that are currently tide-dependent will be able to reach the port of Antwerp without tide constraints.
“This improved access will enable Antwerp to defend its position as the second-largest port in Europe and thus to develop into the largest general cargo port.”
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