With the replacement of an outer gate of the Noordersluis, Rijkswaterstaat is carrying out the first major project in autumn 2025 within the Basic Maintenance Contract (BOC) Noordzeekanaal. Such major maintenance is called a special.
The gate replacement marks the start of the realization phase of a ten-year collaboration between Rijkswaterstaat and the SAEM combination (BAM Infra Netherlands and SPIE Netherlands).
Maintenance of a crucial link for shipping
The work started on 30 October 2025. The closure of the Noordersluis as a result lasts until 28 November 2025. The gate replacement concerns regular, planned maintenance: we are essentially swapping the gate.
We remove it and refurbish and preserve it so that the gate is available for the next replacement. This ensures there is always a spare gate available.
Refurbishment and preservation
Normally, a gate replacement takes one to two days. For this closure, a long closure of four weeks was chosen, during which we also carry out major maintenance on two other components of the Noordersluis.
These were the refurbishment and preservation of six sewer sluices and the major maintenance of the bulkhead gate of the gate dock. Due to the long closure of the Noordersluis, the Sea Lock is now used to the fullest for locking.
Complex operation
The challenge of this project is that it involves a long closure during which you depend on the availability of the other locks. During the closure, we want to cause as little inconvenience as possible to shipping.
In the case of the Noordersluis, the Middle Lock and Sea Lock IJmuiden are the alternatives. And let us not forget that the Noordersluis is part of the primary flood defense. This also requires attention.
Use of sea lock and controlling salinization
We are researching the effects of the salt dam. This period, in which we only use the Sea Lock, is a good opportunity for that. We want to gain more insight into the consequences of (more frequent) locking with the Sea Lock in relation to the use of the salt dam.
BOC Noordzeekanaal: a new way of working together
The BOC Noordzeekanaal covers the area from the harbor dams at IJmuiden to the Buiten-IJ in Amsterdam. It is the first two-phase contract for Asset Management that Rijkswaterstaat has concluded on this scale.
In the first phase, the maintenance needs were determined together with SAEM and risks and processes were mapped out. Since September 2025, the realization phase has started: for the next ten years, SAEM will take care of the basic maintenance of the objects in and around the Noordzeekanaal.
Stronger together
“This is the first major work we are carrying out through the Basic Maintenance Contract (BOC) of the Noordzeekanaal,” says Ronald Vliegenthart, asset manager at Rijkswaterstaat West Netherlands North.
“I am proud of the cooperation with PPO and the partners within SAEM. These activities show how we move from preparing together to executing work, and ensure improvement in reliable and future-proof locks.”
Sustainable and reliable management
The joint development plans on themes such as Asset Management, Cooperation, Sustainability, Safety and Environment provide a solid basis for future-proof maintenance.
“With these first activities within the BOC, Rijkswaterstaat, BAM and SPIE take an important step in sustainable and reliable management of the infrastructure on and around the Noordzeekanaal,” concludes Joost Kruis, project manager of SAEM.
About the Noordersluis
The Noordersluis was completed in 1929 and is 400 m long, 50 m wide and 15 m deep. The Noordersluis is, after the Sea Lock IJmuiden, the largest lock of the lock complex in IJmuiden.
