The project to deepen the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway and the Botlek area at the Port of Rotterdam has been officially completed, allowing Europe’s largest port to accommodate ever-larger ocean-going vessels.

One of the busiest waterways in the Netherlands has been deepened by a meter and a half across a distance of 25 kilometers.

The EUR 70 million (USD 76.9 million) undertaking was kicked off in March 2018 with the aim of allowing vessels with a depth of 15 meters to access Rotterdam port’s Botlek area.

“Big, bigger, biggest. We’re talking here about the Aframax, Suezmax and Panamax, mammoth vessels that sail cheaper, more sustainably and safer,” Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Infrastructure & Water Management Minister, commented.

“In the port sector, big is not only a matter of honor, but it’s also a condition for survival in today’s cut-throat competitive world. That is certainly true for the port of Rotterdam.” 

“Port Authority investments are eliciting a wide range of port business sector investments. This confirms our aim to continue to strengthen existing port industry, while also working hard to develop entirely new activities, for instance by investing in the energy transition and digitization,” Ronald Paul, the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s Chief Operating Officer, added.