The North Sea Port announced that a temporary channel was officially opened on 6 May. The ‘Captain Rooibos channel’ aims to conduct shipping traffic to and from the main channel between Ghent and Terneuzen.
The channel will make it possible to continue using the Middensluis lock for a while longer while the new lock in Terneuzen (the Nieuwe Sluis) is being built. This is considered significant to the operation of North Sea Port as a maritime gateway.
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The contractors’ consortium Sassevart came up with this temporary passageway as a way to limit the shipping sector’s inconvenience due to of the construction. Their idea will make it possible to continue using the Middensluis lock until mid-2021 instead of mid-2019.
Ships in North Sea Port have been able to use the temporary channel since 4 May. The barge Lurona was the first vessel to transit the Captain Rooibos channel. The channel can accommodate vessels up to 105 meters, a breadth of 9.5 meters and a draught of 3 meters.
Ships with a draught deeper than 3 meters will need to use the Oostsluis lock. The depth of this lock has been increased from 4.30 to 4.80 meters.
