On May 8, 2025, the test voyages through the New Lock Terneuzen will begin. On that day, the inland vessel ‘Marlea’ will pass through the lock. The passage of the Marlea is the first in a series of test voyages that will be carried out in the coming weeks. This marks another important milestone for this enormous construction project.
The nautical parties (boatmen, skippers, pilots, towing services, and operators) want to gain experience under controlled conditions in operating the New Lock, navigating and guiding the vessels through the lock chamber, and working on the lock plateau.
Different Lengths
The test voyages will start with vessels up to 110 m in length. Then, vessels up to 150 m will follow. In addition to the dimensions, the number of vessels that can be locked simultaneously will also increase.
After the first test voyages with smaller vessels, test voyages with larger vessels will follow. Finally, ocean-going vessels up to 265 m long, 37 m wide, and 12.5 m deep will be included.
If the test voyages for these different types of vessels are satisfactorily completed, the lock can be fully utilized. This is expected to happen during the summer.
New Lock
The New Lock is 427 m long, 55 m wide, and 16.44 m deep. The lock is suitable for vessels up to 366 m long, 49 m wide, and 14.5 m deep. The New Lock is built within the existing lock complex in Terneuzen, in the North Sea Port area.
Access and Flow
The New Lock ensures better access and smoother flow for shipping coming from the North Sea and the Western Scheldt to the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal and beyond.
The lock is part of the shipping route between Rotterdam and Paris. The number of vessels using the North Sea locks, the lock complex in Terneuzen, is increasing. The size of the vessels is also growing.
The New Lock is as large as the new locks in the Panama Canal and is thus prepared for the globally increasing scale of shipping.