Rotterdam Port (Maasvlakte 2 project)

Objective

To aggressively expand the Port of Rotterdam’s container-handling and heavy industrial capacity, allowing the world's largest ultra-large container vessels to dock 24/7 without being restricted by tidal windows. It provides the foundational land area required for highly automated, low-emission global logistics hubs and Europe’s emerging green-hydrogen import infrastructure.

Description

2,000-hectare deep-water artificial peninsula reclaimed from the North Sea, featuring deep-sea quays with drafts up to 20 meters, fully automated container terminals equipped with battery-powered Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), and a 17-kilometer closed internal road network.

History

The core construction phase was managed by the PUMA joint venture, which utilized over 240 million cubic meters of sand dredged from the sea floor to reclaim 2,000 hectares of land. To withstand severe Atlantic storms, engineers built a massive 11-kilometre seawall using innovative "Building with Nature" principles. The outer sea defenses were finalized in 2012, and the first automated commercial container terminals became operational by 2015

Finance