(With video) The doors for the new sea lock at IJmuiden, the Netherlands, have left South Korea by ship.
The doors are expected to arrive in the Netherlands in two months' time. A total of three doors are transported; two operational lock doors and one spare door. The doors are 72 metres wide, 24 metres high, 11 metres wide and weigh 2900 tonnes. They are transported on their sides by Boskalis' Talisman, a semi-submersible heavy transport vessel. As the ship is 45 metres wide, the doors protrude from the ship's sides.
IJmuiden's New Sea Lock
In 2016, works began on the world's largest sea lock at IJmuiden, to be able to accommodate the ever larger ships visiting the area. Independent of the tide, the new lock will provide access to the ports and companies along the Noordzeekanaal (North Sea Canal). The new lock will be 500 metres long, 70 metres wide and 18 metres deep.
The project is a cooperation between the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Noord-Holland province, the Municipality of Amsterdam, the Port of Amsterdam and the Municipality of Velsen. The consortium OpenIJ was contracted by the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) to build the new sea lock.
Delays in Construction
Whereas the lock was supposed to be ready in 2019, this summer, the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, announced the sea lock will be completed 27 months later. The date will consequently be moved to no later than the end of January 2022.
The delay was said to not have any consequences for shipping traffic to and from the ports of the North Sea Canal because the existing Noordersluis lock will remain operational longer. This does mean, however, that ships too large for the Noordersluis, will not be able to call at the port of Amsterdam.
Watch a video about the new sea lock below.
