Nautical annual figures 2024: Harbour Master focuses on speed limits around the Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam
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In 2024, the number of visits by incoming sea-going vessels in the port of Rotterdam fell slightly: from 27,886 to 27,617. However, the number of visiting inland vessels increased: from 89,183 to 91,356.
The number of collisions decreased from 157 to 148. Around 145 of those were minor accidents. However, three more serious accidents occurred, where a total of two people lost their lives. One person passed away after a fall caused by a loose hawser. The other victim lost their life when a scaffolding collapsed following a collision. The three grave accidents caused the Nautical Safety Index – the index that measures the level of safety – to drop from 7.5 to 6.1.
As a result, it is with mixed feelings that (State) Harbour Master René de Vries looks back on a year that was safe in general. ‘Those three serious accidents, as well as incidents involving passenger and recreational ships continue to demand our attention,’ says De Vries. It is the responsibility of the Harbour Master that the processing of shipping in the port of Rotterdam is done safely and smoothly.
Maximum speed zone around the Erasmusbrug
The collision in November 2024 between a water taxi and water bus – both means of public transport typical for the city of Rotterdam – once again emphasised the need for increased safety measures on the Nieuwe Maas in the area around the Erasmusbrug. ‘The area around the Erasmusbrug is one of the busiest nautical traffic areas on the Nieuwe Maas,’ says René de Vries.
‘For some time now, we have been advocating for concrete, additional measures to influence sailing behaviour in both recreational and passenger ships. One of these measures is a 20 km/h speed limit for all vessels around the Erasmusbrug. We recently discussed this with various parties involved, including the Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid).’
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will incorporate this measure, which was proposed by the Harbour Master, into legislation. This speed limit is expected to come into effect sometime in 2025. Other measures proposed by the Harbour Master include the imposition of a ban on crossing traffic in a zone around the Erasmusbrug, a starboard-side quay requirement and the endorsement of slow lanes, particularly for recreational ships. Discussions are still ongoing among the parties involved.
Further reduction of the risk of collisions between inland vessels and bridges
Inland vessels collided with the Willemsbrug twice in 2024. Both accidents involved an error of judgement on the part of the skipper. Although these incidents are merely considered minor accidents due to the limited extent of the damage and the fact that no injuries occurred, these types of collisions nevertheless receive a great deal of public attention, mainly because they occur in a densely populated urban area. Collisions involving bridges involve a certain level of risk, as long-term closures and damage to people, the environment and infrastructure can be severe. So far, the extent of damage has been quite limited, but that does not mean the risk isn’t still there.
Harbour Master René de Vries: ‘If we look at the incidents at hand, we see that the problem is not a question of whether the information may or may not have been correct – the nature of problem is different altogether. The information that was available is correct, and therefore was not the problem. This raises the question of whether skippers need more help and they themselves can also take additional measures.’
Although the Harbour Master of Rotterdam is not the manager of the bridges, he can certainly play a part in making skippers aware of any possible risks. The Harbour Master can use traffic control to proactively ask all passing ships whether they are aware of the height of their own ship and cargo, and that of the bridge.
De Vries: ‘A common mistake people tend to make is that they assume that the Willemsbrug and Erasmusbrug both have the same height. This is not true. The traffic control unit of the Harbour Master's Division can share such matters. In this way, we can contribute to raising awareness among skippers.’
We can also collaborate with all parties involved in the inland shipping sector in order to raise awareness through publications and on information days. The Harbour Master works together closely with both the Royal Dutch Inland Shipping Association (Koninklijke Binnenvaart Nederland) and the Platform Zero Incidents, all sharing the same goal: reducing risks near bridges.
Technology could also lend us a helping hand. There is a possibility that we can develop a warning system based on laser or lidar (3-D radar). The Harbour Master would welcome the opportunity to discuss such additional measures with all parties in the industry and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, known as Rijkswaterstaat.
Resilience of the port of Rotterdam increasingly important due to geopolitical threats
The Harbour Master's Division is responsible for the continuity and resilience of the processing of shipping operations and is the authority for port security in Rotterdam. Any failures or interruptions of this process may lead to social disruption, which is why the Harbour Master is working continuously on improving the port industrial complex’ physical resilience.
‘The challenges in this task are ever-increasing in a world that is becoming more unpredictable every day. ‘In order to mitigate and, where possible, prevent the shock effects geopolitical instability has on the port area, we work closely together with various partners,’ René de Vries emphasises. ‘Those partners includes nautical service providers, the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region (Veiligheidsregio), the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the NCTV (the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism) and the corporate community as a whole. It is of vital importance that we know each other well and that we see eye to eye on things.’
Digital resilience with FERM
De Vries also continues to advocate for the digital resilience of the port of Rotterdam. Digital attacks pose a growing risk to nautical and logistical processes in Dutch seaports. Due to the close interconnectedness of the various parties, cyber incidents affect the entire supply chain. ‘Cybersecurity is of paramount importance for the continuity and safety of our port. That is why I am pleased that 2024 saw the transformation of the FERM Foundation, at the time already active for the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk, into a national cybersecurity platform for the Dutch seaports that are united in the Seaports Trade Organisation (Branche Organisatie Zeehavens, BOZ).’
FERM was founded in 2021, with the aim of stimulating collaboration between companies in the port of Rotterdam in order to increase awareness among companies regarding cyber risks, and to become the world’s best port in terms of digital security. To ensure greater resilience against cyber incidents, port managers united under BOZ (Groningen Seaports, North Sea Port, Port of Rotterdam, Port of Moerdijk and Port of Amsterdam) will be working with local companies to ensure that the port ecosystem becomes more digitally resilient. De Vries also places greater emphasis on cybersecurity within his own organisation. For example, the Harbour Master is significantly increasing the number of cyber exercises.
Role of the Harbour Master in banning sanctioned cargo
In 2024, the Harbour Master also worked intensively with other parties to continue to keep banning sanctioned cargo from Russia from our port. A biweekly meeting is held under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, together with the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Rijkswaterstaat, Customs, the Coast Guard, and the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). Those meetings are used to jointly discuss cases and bottlenecks.
The Harbour Master's Division has a management role in coordinating the various parties and nautical service providers that are involved in the safe mooring of vessels at their scheduled berths in the port. In that process, it is the task of the Coast Guard and Customs to inform the Harbour Master about any vessels that have been identified as sanctioned ships. Vessels under the Russian flag are always considered sanctioned ships. Vessels under non-Russian flags with a previous port of call in Russia are classified as sanctioned ships if they are transporting Russian cargo that does not fall under exemption provisions (such as LNG).
If it is unclear whether the vessel is carrying sanctioned cargo, the Harbour Master will keep the vessel outside the port of Rotterdam until Customs determines whether or not the cargo is subject to sanction measures. Based on this advice, the vessel may still be granted permission to enter the port. In such cases, the Harbour Master's Division adheres to the sanction measures and the assessment of Customs and the Coast Guard.