New sea lock in IJmuiden makes Amsterdam more accessible
Design, nautical and hydrological advice for the world's largest sea lock
PROJECT STORY
The challenge
The Noordersluis lock in IJmuiden was due to be replaced after almost a hundred years, and the accessibility of the port of Amsterdam harbor was to be improved.
The solution
Construction of a new sea lock at the entrance of the North Sea Canal. Arcadis is involved in drawing up the final design, providing nautical and hydrological advice and deploying the shipping simulation software SHIP-Navigator.
The impact
The new passage at IJmuiden replaces the Noordersluis from 1929 and, thanks to its generous dimensions, can also grant the largest seagoing vessels access to the port of Amsterdam.
399
meter-long
(cruise) ships
(cruise) ships
125
million ton trans-shipment capacity
500
meter-long
sea lock
sea lock
The challenge
The Noordersluis in IJmuiden was due to be replaced after almost a hundred years. Not only because the material used was outdated, but also because the current lock restricted access to the port of Amsterdam. A larger passage therefore had to be created, resulting in a plan for the world's largest sea lock.
The solution
Contractor consortium OpenIJ built the new sea lock at the entrance to the North Sea Canal on behalf of the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management. The consortium, comprised of BAM-PGGM, VolkerWessels and DIF, was responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the new sea lock. Arcadis was involved in the lock design and provided nautical and hydrological advice. We also compiled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations to calculate the currents for the lock gates.
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Safe passage in and out of the neighboring Noordersluis lock also had to be investigated for the construction phase of the new sea lock and for its future operation. This study was completed with the help of shipping simulation software SHIP-Navigator, which Arcadis and the other parties involved used to analyze potential nautical risks. Real-time maneuvering simulations were then carried out, with pilot services present to explain the strategy and towing assistance. The simulation produced a clear picture of the maneuvering procedures, bottlenecks, nautical risks, and possible measures. Together, these measures guarantee that ship traffic can move safely and smoothly during construction and when the new lock is completed.
The new sea lock is part of the Directorate's lock program, which brings together several lock projects to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience. Arcadis is also involved in the design of the new lock in Terneuzen.
The impact
The new sea lock is 70 meters wide, 500 meters long and 18 meters deep, making it the largest in the world. In addition, the lock is tide-independent and can therefore be used at any time of day. The lock has been open to ships since 2022 after a six-year construction process. Thanks to this generously sized point of passage, the Port of Amsterdam will be much more accessible, and its trans-shipment capacity will grow from 90 million to 125 million tons per year, an important boost for the economy in the region and throughout the country.
