The New Lock project will provide better access and smoother flow from the Western Scheldt to the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal and beyond. The New Lock will generate new economic activities in both the Zeeland Flanders region and the Flemish region; these economic activities will also contribute to additional employment.
The arrival of the New Lock will make it possible for large seagoing vessels to sail through the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal up to the port of Ghent. Apart from the fact that larger seagoing vessels can sail through, the capacity of the locks will also be increased. As a result, the waiting time for inland vessels is expected to decrease.
Clients for the New Lock project
The ‘’De Nieuwe Sluis’’ project is commissioned by the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission, and contractor combination Sassevaart is responsible for carrying out the construction of De Nieuwe Sluis. The project will be completed in 2023. Safety and as little disruption as possible are paramount during the construction of The New Lock.
The dimensions of The New Lock will be as large as the locks in the Panama Canal, namely 427 meters long, 55 meters wide and 16.44 meters deep. The lock is expected to accommodate large ocean-going vessels up to 366 meters long, 49 meters wide and 15 meters deep.
Coupling pontoon and split hopper barge for the construction of The New Lock
The very first step for the development of The New Lock was to blow up the west wall of the Middensluis in Terneuzen, which was done on 23 March. Subsequently, our client Lek Sloopwerken set to work on the further demolition of the Middensluis.
Baars delivered a newly configured coupling pontoon Shannon which is certified for inland shipping (CBB). The dimensions of this backhoe pontoon are 46.76 metres long, 14.63 metres wide and 2,89 metres deep and it has a maximum loading capacity of 453 tonnes. The coupling pontoon has two heavy-duty square spud poles and a walking spudleg, making it possible to move the backhoe barge 10 meters via the winch system without the need for a pusher. By means of a stability calculation, there is approval for the use of a Liebherr crane R980 of 240 tons.
In addition to the coupling pontoon, a B802 split hopper barge of 850 m3 is also used. The splitting barge will be used to remove the disused headland to make it a new part of the waterway in the Schelde. In addition to the removal of the tongue of land, the split hopper barge is also used to recover demolition material from the lock.
Backhoe pontoon and split hopper barge are the multifunctional solution of Baars
The combination of the backhoe pontoon and the split barge trough is a multifunctional solution by Baars that can be used for various assignments. In this case, it is used for the large dredging works during the construction of a lock, but this can also be done during the construction of, for example, tunnels or terminals and other large-scale works. In addition to supplying the coupling pontoon and split barge, Baars also helps with the transport and, if possible, with arranging the crew. This ensures that we are a one stop shop for your dredging job.
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