The Port of Rotterdam Authority is to build three new public lay-by berths for coastal container shipping on the Maasvlakte.
Since the beginning of this year, the ro/ro dolphins of the Rhenus terminal have been used intensively for this purpose. With throughput of almost 12 million standard containers (TEU), Rotterdam is the largest container port in Europe. During the first six months, coastal shipping handled 2 million TEU containers here. A lot of coastal shipping calls at several container terminals in Rotterdam and sometimes has to wait between calls.
Two lay-by berths will be created at dolphins in the continuation of the Rhenus terminal in de Europahaven (port number 8235). The third new lay-by berth will be at the dolphins at a short distance from the GDF-SUEZ quay in the Beer Canal (port number 8025).
The Port Authority has launched the tender procedure. It involves, among other things, soil protection and 25-metre long steel piles with a diameter of up to a maximum 2 metres. The new lay-by berths will be ready in 2013.
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Source: portofrotterdam, September 26, 2012; Image: Maasvlakte 2