North Sea Port marks first year of New Lock in Terneuzen

On 11 October, it was one year since His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, officially opened the New Lock in Terneuzen. The next phase is now approaching: trial operations with 38-metre-wide commercial vessels on the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal.

King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe performed the official opening ceremony together from – how could it be otherwise – a ship. It was, most certainly, a historic moment, as it was the first time the New Lock had accommodated a seagoing vessel. With the departure of the M/V Bregaglia, some 240 metres long and 38 metres wide, on its way to ArcelorMittal, the New Lock was officially taken into use.

The joint opening by the kings underscored the transnational significance of the New Lock in Terneuzen. Vessels that can navigate the Panama Canal can also pass through the New Lock. This world-class lock strengthens the position of North Sea Port as a leading logistics hub and maritime gateway to Europe. The New Lock improves access to and from the North Sea, the Western Scheldt and the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal. In so doing, North Sea Port is strengthening the international shipping corridor between Rotterdam and Paris and responding to the growth in global maritime trade.

This second sea lock, located next to the West Lock for maritime navigation, will also allow North Sea Port to guarantee permanent maritime access to the port area beyond the lock. This means an alternative will be available during maintenance on a sea lock, for example, assuring deliveries to businesses at all times. It also represents an increase in the capacity of the North Sea locks: more ships can now pass through the three locks at the same time, reducing waiting times for maritime and inland vessels. The East Lock, the third lock in the complex, will remain important for the passage of inland vessels.

The New Lock will generate new economic activities and employment in the Zeelandic-Flanders and Flanders regions, and in and around the Canal Zone. Besides vessels passing through the complex heading for the hinterland or the North Sea, the lock complex is an important access route for road traffic. It is also part of the region's primary flood defence and water management systems.

After the opening, technical modifications were still needed, for example to the bridges. The first trials were then held in the New Lock in May 2025. Under controlled conditions, pilots, tugs, skippers and operators gained experience in operating the lock, guiding ships through the lock chamber and working on the lock platform. The trials went well, which meant the New Lock was able to be commissioned safely and efficiently on 1 August.

The opening of the New Lock in Terneuzen is not an end point but the beginning of further economic development of the North Sea Port cross-border port area.

"Moreover, the New Lock Terneuzen helps future-proof access to all the docks in North Sea Port. Over the next few years, within the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission, Flanders and the Netherlands will discuss how to improve the nautical accessibility of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal for larger vessels, in order to maximise the opportunities for shipping created by the lock”, according to the communiqué of the Flemish-Dutch summit held in Ghent on 1 April 2025.

North Sea Port makes no secret of the fact that it would very much like to see, in the near future, a deeper canal with a draught for ships of 14.5 to 15 metres to the bulk cargo port in Terneuzen. That is about two kilometres beyond the lock and the deepening work is technically feasible in the short term. Ocean-going vessels would then no longer need to lighter on the Western Scheldt to pass through the New Lock but could do so more cheaply and safely at the port. The port authority also looks forward to 43-metre-wide vessels sailing from the New Lock to

Kluizendok and Rodenhuizedok in Ghent at a later date. For a ship of this kind carrying dry or liquid bulk, that would mean several hundreds of thousands of euros in cost savings.

Later this year, the first trials involving 38-metre-wide, commercial vessels will begin on the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, with cargo on board to unload at a quay. Needless to say, we are in talks with all the stakeholders in the Netherlands and Flanders to this end.

The New Lock was commissioned by the Flemish Scheldt Committee (VNSC), a partnership between the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works. The construction of the New Lock began in 2017 within the existing lock complex at Terneuzen, in the North Sea Port port area. The Middle Lock, in use since 1910, gave way to the New Lock.

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