Stunning Pictures: The lock blew with a massive explosion (Ghent)

And months of preparation and laying explosives preceded the massive explosion on Wednesday afternoon. Middensluis, amid the three padlocks in the Terneuzen padlock complex, must make way for a new, larger padlock. The western pier wall, which was 12 meters below the surface of the water, was blown up in a controlled manner.

“The explosion had a greater impact than expected, and it caused a thunderous bang and a shock wave,” says Debbie Van Westende of New Sloughs Ternozen. “We just wanted to break the sidewalk wall and just expected a cloud of dust. The eastern wall is going to explode in April, so we may have to adjust the amount of explosives.”

Panama Canal

On September 30, the last ship passed through Middensluis, which has been in service for 113 years. The demolition of the lock is the last major step in the construction of the new lock, which began work in 2017. The lock is 427 meters long, 55 meters wide and 16.44 meters deep.

“It will be one of the largest locks in the world, built specifically for the Panama Canal,” says Johan Preslers of North Sea Port. “The new lock is necessary if you, as a port, wish to participate in shipping in Europe and the world, because seagoing ships are getting bigger and wider. In addition, Westsluis has so far been the only entrance to the port dedicated to sea ships.”

All marine vessels sailing to the North Sea port must pass through the lock complex. “Better maritime access is essential for further economic development and can attract new companies,” Presslers says.

dam gates from china

While demolition work is progressing on Terneuzen, parts of New Lock are on their way from China. Lock gates and bridges were loaded onto a transport ship at Pinglai Port between Beijing and Shanghai. The voyage began on March 18, and bypassed the Cape of Good Hope towards the Netherlands. The shipment is expected to arrive in Vlissingen at the end of May.

The first ship is scheduled to pass through the lock in 2023. The agreement between Flanders and the Netherlands on the sea lock was signed ten years ago. The construction will cost approximately one billion euros, of which Flanders and the North Sea port will pay about 625 and 92 million, respectively.