Start of Calandkanaal trial

Today, 6 April, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will be starting on a new trial in the Europoort’s Calandkanaal fairway. This project will focus on vessels – in many cases oil tankers – that tranship cargo at dolphins 82, 83 and 84 along the Rozenburg Peninsula. The trial needs to clarify whether it makes sense to increase the maximum permitted draught for ships leaving this area. Research shows that departing vessels with a draught of 21.8 metres could safely navigate this area. At present, the maximum permitted draught is 21.5 metres.

Deep-draught vessels have to adhere to fixed time windows. Thanks to new software applications, these windows can be calculated according to tighter margins – increasing the timeframe for deep-draught vessels to safely depart the area. A possible increase in the maximum permitted draught from 21.5 to 21.8 metres would be in line with the Port Authority’s policy to raise efficiency in shipping traffic with the aid of digitalisation. If the trial proves a success, the Port Authority plans to adapt the maximum permitted draught in other areas along Calandkanaal.