Germany’s Hochtief, Dutch engineer Ballast Nedam and maritime contractor Van Oord have been awarded a €170m contract to expand Rotterdam’s Princess Amalia Harbour.
The harour was completed in 2015 and is Europe’s largest container port. The expansion will increase its annual handling capacity by 4 million standard containers.
Work on the project includes creating a 1.8km-long pile-foundation craneway for container cranes, 1,825m of deep-sea quays, 160m of inland shipping quay, 360m of earth-retaining walls and a 160m waiting area for general use by inland shipping vessels.
Sustainable construction techniques will be prioritised, such as transporting construction materials by water, using electric-powered equipment and installing underwater blocks to act as an artificial reef.
Mark van der Hoeven, Van Oord Netherlands’ director, said: "We are paying special attention to reducing emissions during the execution, for instance by using hydrotreated vegetable oil. This fuel has a carbon reduction of 89% compared with diesel and has lower emissions of particulates, nitrogen and sulphur.
"By deploying equipment powered by this oil as well as electric construction equipment, we are working fully in line with the Port Authority’s ambitions to significantly reduce harmful emissions."
Work on the project is due to begin in March 2021 and be completed by mid-2024.
Image courtesy of Van Oord
