Deurganckdoksluis

Need

 Why a second lock in Waasland Port?

Waasland Port is already accessible via a lock : the Kallo Lock. However, this has been in operation since 1979 and no longer caters for present-day needs. The new lock will enable the Flemish Region and the Antwerp Port Authority to guarantee access to the docks on the left bank of the Scheldt.
A lock allows ships to travel from the Scheldt with its tidal activity to the port docks, where the water level is always as high. Here you will find further details about how a lock operates.

Larger and deeper draught vessels
The lock is larger than the present Kallo Lock and will therefore allow for the maximum utilisation of Waasland Port. The new lock is not only wider and longer than the Kallo Lock but a lot deeper.

Easy flow of traffic
As a result of the steady growth in the level of activities at Waasland Port – including highly frequented roll-on roll-off terminals and investments in new tank terminals – the Kallo Lock is reaching the limits of its capacity. Ship operators and ship's agents have warned for some years already that the waiting times now sometimes experienced at Kallo Lock have reached the limits of what is acceptable.

Reliability
A second lock on the left bank of the Scheldt offers the Port of Antwerp reliability when the Kallo Lock is not accessible for maritime traffic. Maintenance or repair work will not create any problems as vessels may enter and leave Waasland Port via the second lock.
Hence the Port of Antwerp is always sure that the docks on the left bank of the Scheldt are effectively accessible. On the right bank there are no fewer than six locks in the Port of Antwerp, whereas the left bank now boasts only one.