Marine extraction of aggregates will provide essential materials for the extension of the Netherland's Port of Rotterdam

From the depths

Enlargement of Rotterdam Harbour in the Netherlands will call for one of the largest marine aggregates extraction sites in Europe. Ad Stolk from the Netherlands' Rijkswaterstaat (Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management) reports

Marine aggregates form a vital source of sand for many construction markets in Europe, but in the Netherlands much of the material extracted is not used for concrete production. The Netherlands' current annual 42 million tonnes extraction is mainly used for coastal nourishment and fill but a new project is set to increase this total significantly.
Excavation work on one of the latest marine aggregates projects in the Netherlands will not only allow a new development to go ahead, it will also provide the material to create the land it needs. The project is an extension of Rotterdam's harbour to provide both new dockside area and also a larger deep draft area to allow large ships to use the new facilities.
The enlargement of the new harbour area, which is known as Maasvlakte 2, will include reclamation of 20 km² which is needed. Half of this area will be used for harbour related activities such as container terminals, distribution of goods and chemical industries. All of these activities need a deep water harbour and excavation of the material to reclaim the dockside area will create a 20m deep draft for the harbour. The other half of the reclaimed land will be used for dykes, access roads and harbour basins......