King Willem-Alexander opens world’s largest sea lock 

King Willem-Alexander opened the largest sea lock in the world in IJmuiden earlier this week. With the push of a button, the Dutch king opened the replacement for the Noordersluis, built in 1929, which is no considered to be too small. He also informed the captain of the Bontrup Amsterdam, the first ship to pass through the lock, that the lock was open.

Amsterdam alderman Victor Everhardt, who handles the portfolio of economic issues for the city, said the new sea lock was of vital importance. "With the new lock, the port of Amsterdam is assured of access to the world's seas for the next hundred years,” Everhardt stated.

“Ships can now proceed to the Amsterdam port region at any time, regardless of ebb or flow. It also ensures the development of a circular hub for energy and raw materials."

The new sea lock had to provide space for ships which are constantly being made larger in size. At half a kilometer long, the lock’s construction started in mid-2016 and was completed last August.

Since then, the new lock has been extensively tested and emergency services have been trained.