Port of Rotterdam and Van Oord raising land for ‘green’ companies

At Maasvlakte 2, 55ha of land is being reclaimed from the sea for companies that make renewable fuels and chemical products.

Marine engineering company Van Oord recently started with the project. The company is delivering a total of 5 million m3 of dredged sand onto the southern part of Prinses Alexiahaven.

According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the new land will be raised to six metres above New Amsterdam Water Level (NAP) by the end of July.

Next, the sand will have to settle for half a year before it can be built on. A layer of clay will be placed on top, after which grass will be sown to prevent the sand from being blown away.

Finnish company UPM is already making plans to establish its business here, and the Port Authority wants to make space available to other companies that make products from residual materials.

Concentrating these types of companies brings about a cluster of companies that can use the same infrastructure, including pipelines.

“The Port Authority handles the port space with the utmost care. At Maasvlakte 2, there is still space for expanding container handling and activities that fit in with the transition strategy of the port, such as green hydrogen production, landing of offshore wind power, and the production of renewable fuels,” Port of Rotterdam said in the release.

Space is available elsewhere in the port area, but these are mainly smaller sites. Additionally, various sites will be redeveloped in the course of time.