Project emphasizes sustainability—reef designed to ensure biodiversity
HOCHTIEF is expanding the capacities of Rotterdam Harbor. The Authority of Europe’s biggest container port commissioned HOCHTIEF—together with Ballast Nedam and Van Oord—to extend the quay facilities of “Princess Amalia Harbor” by around 2.4 kilometers. The project, with a total volume of almost EUR 170 million, also includes dredging work and a pile-foundation craneway roughly 1.8 kilometers long for container cranes. The HOCHTIEF share in the total contract volume amounts to roughly EUR 70 million. The construction work is scheduled to begin in March and should be completed by mid 2024.
With the further expansion of the harbor basin “Princess Amalia Harbor”, which was built in 2015, Europe’s biggest container port is responding to the growing goods traffic. This will increase the harbor’s annual handling capacity by four million standard containers. The world’s biggest container ships can be loaded and unloaded at the new quay facilities.
Within the course of the order being placed the Port of Rotterdam Authority as client and the joint venture signed a joint ambition (“Veiligheidsambitie”), to underline the importance of sustainability and safety in the project. The joint venture headed by HOCHTIEF contributes towards a sustainable construction process, for instance by delivering construction materials by water or reducing emissions through using electric-powered equipment and environmentally friendly fuels. The quay facilities themselves also have environmentally friendly equipment: Two so-called underwater blocks act as an artificial reef, in order to stimulate biodiversity.
HOCHTIEF has realized numerous projects in harbor construction, for instance in Hamburg or Gdansk/Poland. The new project is a further step to consolidate the position on the Dutch market. “We are proud of realizing this demanding project together with our partners and the harbor company”, says Dirk Osthus, HOCHTIEF Managing Director in the Netherlands.