Nieuwe zeesluis voor België en Nederland krijgt steun van de EU (en)

A preparatory study to analyse the construction of a sea lock in the Dutch city of Terneuzen will be partly funded by the EU via the TEN-T Programme. The project, which will receive almost €4 million in support, will tackle the capacity problem which is currently affecting the Terneuzen lock complex.

The aim of the project, which was selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Annual Call, is to analyse all aspects related to the construction, management and maintenance of a new maritime lock in the city of Terneuzen, The Netherlands. The canal linking Terneuzen with Gent in Belgium is a major shipping connection for both the maritime and inland navigation sectors. It has an overall length of 32 km: 15.4 km on Belgian territory and 16.6 km in The Netherlands and is part of the "Inland Waterway Seine-Scheldt" (TEN-T Priority Project 30), connecting the French inland waterway network with the Belgian, Dutch and German ones.

Presently the lock complex suffers from capacity issues, which would be tackled via the construction of a brand new maritime lock. The lock is already the subject of an agreement between governments signed in early 2012.

The co-funded studies will look at various technical solutions regarding the construction of the lock, legal issues and preparatory work concerning tendering.

The project is set to be completed by the end of 2014.

For more information, please consult the project's page!

Press Release in French - .doc (41.5 KB)

Press Release in Dutch - .doc (41 KB)