The ECT Delta Terminal receives some of the largest container ships in the world. To ensure that in terms of nautical accessibility, it continues to meet the requirements of the next generation of container ships, a 500-metre stretch of the Amazonehaven port basin at Maasvlakte will be deepened from 16.65 metres to 17.45 metres. This project, commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority in partnership with Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT), is expected to be completed in the second half of November 2020.

Important first step

This first step will already yield a significant improvement in the short term.

Once work on the project has been rounded off, the Port Authority and ECT will evaluate whether it is possible to deepen a larger section of the Amazonehaven basin. The partners intend to realise a comparable depth for at least two additional berths, each of which is 500 metres long.

Emile Hoogsteden, Vice President Commercial at the Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘Rotterdam is favourably situated on the North Sea coast and offers unrivalled water depths, strong hinterland connections and a high level of digitalisation. That’s why many intercontinental scheduled container services include Rotterdam as both their first and last port of call in Europe. Shipping lines are always striving for new economies of scale, since this enables them to offer more competitive transport rates. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is happy to facilitate this trend on behalf of shipping companies and deep sea terminals, to ensure that Rotterdam maintains its status as Europe’s most attractive port of call.’

Leo Ruijs, CEO of ECT: ‘We continuously invest in the ECT Delta Terminal – both to remain future-proof and so we can keep offering our clients an optimal range of services. The deepening of the Amazonehaven basin forms an important element in this programme as it will further strengthen our competitive edge.’

Project schedule

The project will start with preparatory work in week 40. After this, the contractor will dredge three berths along the southern quay wall. Parties expect to round off deepening activities in week 47.