On Thursday 5 May, the first spade went into the ground for the new 800-metre-long quay at Quarleshaven in East Vlissingen. The new quay at Bulk Terminal Zeeland will replace the old quay that is being demolished. This will allow the company to expand its operations, while Shipyard Reimerswaal's quay will also be extended in length.
"North Sea Port is investing a full EUR 40 million in new port infrastructure with the new quay in the Sloe area”, says Daan Schalck, CEO of North Sea Port. Part of the quay will also be made accessible and prepared for potential customers who want to establish operations at Quarleskade. Mr Schalck, “This represents an efficient use of our port infrastructure.”
A consortium made up of Werkendam-based hydraulic engineers Hakkers and De Klerk will be responsible for the construction of the new quay, which will be ready by late 2024. The total length of the quay on the south side of Quarleshaven will be 1,200m. The transhipment company Bulk Terminal Zeeland will see its quay extended from 250m to 440m in length. This will provide more space for the transhipment of dry bulk such as wood pellets, gypsum, raw materials for the steel industry, organic agricultural products and boulders for reinforcing offshore wind turbines. The new quay will also connect to Shipyard Reimerswaal’s terminal, which will acquire an additional 40m of quayside once it is complete. As a result, the ship maintenance and repair company will have a total of 425m of quayside.
The construction of the new quay will also free up an additional 10ha of land for allocation to Bulk Terminal Zeeland. And there is still enough space between the terminal and Shipyard Reimerswaal for a new company to use. A quay for different vessel types
Various types of seagoing vessels will be able to moor at the new quay, for example project cargo vessels, heavy-lift vessels, bulk carriers, fruit carriers and tankers with a draught of up to 12.5m, as well as inland vessels. There is potential to increase the water depth by 2m at a later date. The quay will be reinforced and made suitable for loads of up to 5t per square metre.
Hein van Laar, Commercial Director of Hakkers BV notes, “Following on from previous successful projects in Vlissingen, Hakkers and De Klerk are very proud to deliver this new project for North Sea Port. It demonstrates our strengths as a construction and hydraulic engineering partnership with all the necessary disciplines in-house."
