Antwerp Port Authority has announced the completion of dredging work to deepen the Scheldt estuary, a move that it describes as providing a 'significant boost' to the Flemish economy.
According to the Port newsletter, completion of the work permits tide-independent navigation by ships with a draught of up to 13.10m, at a cost of €100m shared between Belgium and the Netherlands.
Dredging began in the Dutch part of the estuary during February last year, with work on the Belgian side completed in 2009,
'The economic importance of the deepening work cannot be over-emphasised,' the Port Authority said. 'There is very sharp competition among ports around the world, and more and more ships with capacities of 10,000 TEU are coming into operation.
'In Antwerp too, vessels of as much as 14,000 TEU call several times per week. If the Port of Antwerp is to maintain its competitive position then it is essential for these ships to be able to call without difficulty.'
Ships with a draught of up to 13.10m are now able to sail up-river and down-river at any time, yielding significant advantages, and the tide windows are now extended for larger vessels, allowing them to pass in a single tide.
