The contract for the renovation of the Krammer lock complex has been awarded by Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, to the ZEEKR joint venture. ZEEKR is a joint venture between BESIX as the main contractor and its partners BESIX Unitec, Croonwolter&dros, Demako, Iemants, and Bosch Rexroth. With this renovation, Rijkswaterstaat is making the Krammer locks future-proof again. The rebuilding will begin in 2025 and is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
Not only will the renovation of the Krammer locks make the locks future-proof, it will also make them more modern, faster, more sustainable, and fish-friendlier. The project will include the renovation of drive motors, floodgates, moving components, and electrical installations, as well as the provision of a system to provide remote control of the lock. The most remarkable components of the project are the new air-bubble freshwater-saltwater separation in the push locks and the addition of a sluice gate.
A sound approach
The rebuilding of the Krammer locks was awarded to the ZEEKR joint venture between main contractor BESIX and its partners BESIX Unitec, Croonwolter&dros, Demako, Iemants, and Bosch Rexroth. The contract was awarded for an amount of €417 million.
Rijkswaterstaat Director-General Martin Wijnen said: “Rijkswaterstaat is dealing here with a dated infrastructure and this means that the maintenance task is a major one. The successfully tendered renovation of the Krammer locks is therefore an excellent step in the right direction to get all that work done. We are very happy about this, not least because of the great importance of the Krammer locks.”
BESIX Project Director Dieter Behaeghel said: “We are very pleased that we can start this gigantic job together with Rijkswaterstaat. The rebuilding of this impressive complex is an integral task in which safety, availability, sustainability, and reliability are of prime importance. ZEEKR’s strength is found in its people: together with our partners we have the right people on board to make this multi-faceted project a success.”
Project Manager Henk van den Bosch said: “ZEEKR’s offer includes a sound approach and smart and robust planning. Careful attention has also been paid to nuisance abatement and its coordination with the users of the Krammer locks. With the proposal, BESIX has shown that it has the experience, knowledge, and skills to carry out the renovation and modernisation of the Krammer lock complex. I am looking forward to the cooperation.”
Renovation electrical renovations
Within the ZEEKR joint venture, BESIX Unitec and Croonwolter&dros are responsible for the full scope of the aspect Electricity and Industrial Automation. United in the EnVastKrammersluizen (EVK) partnership, they will replace nearly all electrical installations of the Krammers locks, including the entire power supply. To this regard, a significant reduction in energy consumption is paramount to make the complex more sustainable. In addition, the entire control system will be replaced, making the entire lock complex remotely operable from the Neeltje Jans control house.
Importance of the Krammer locks
The Krammer locks are located on the border of the Dutch provinces of Brabant, Zeeland, and South Holland, near Bruinisse. Some 60,000 vessels pass through the locks every year. Therefore, the locks are of great importance for maritime flow on the Rotterdam-Antwerp-Ghent international corridor.
The Krammer lock complex is located in the Philipsdam, one of the 13 Delta Works that protects the southwest of the Netherlands from high water from the sea. It was completed in 1987, and after 35 years required extensive renovation. Many components of the locks have reached the end of their service life and have to be replaced, overhauled, or modernised.
Challenging maintenance
Rijkswaterstaat is dealing with a major maintenance task. Many locks, bridges, roads, and underpasses were built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Over the years, they have been subject to intensive use by ever more and ever heavier traffic, and must therefore be replaced or rebuilt. The agency is therefore investing heavily in major road and waterway maintenance in the coming years.