Federal Government Invests 630 Million Euros in New Locks in Northern Germany

Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer and Lower Saxony’s Minister of Transport Dr. Bernd Althusmann have decided to invest in new locks. The 630 million euros will flow into new locks in Rodde in North Rhine-Westphalia and Venhaus in Lower Saxony.

Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer

Even though times change, one thing remains constant: the importance of the DEK for the economy, transport, and especially for the people of the region. Once a conveyor for coal transport, today a guarantor for climate protection. To ensure that it continues to meet this importance in the future, we are currently investing 630 million euros in the expansion and maintenance of the canal.

Minister Althusmann

We will continue to advocate for the swift construction of all five locks on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Those who want to relieve roads must strengthen railways and waterways. Our goal is continuous navigability for large motor cargo ships in the northern German waterway network and good accessibility of the seaports in the Dutch-Lower Saxony Ems-Dollart area. The sufficient bridge height for double-decker container ships is becoming increasingly important. We are increasing capacities in inland shipping not only through longer and wider locks but also through taller ships.

Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia – Dr. Hendrik Schulte

The goal of the state government is to shift more goods to ships. Intact waterways are a prerequisite for efficient inland shipping. The construction of locks on the Dortmund-Ems Canal makes an important contribution. Now it is crucial to maintain momentum. North Rhine-Westphalia is advocating for an action plan for waterways that structures and accelerates the projects. This is how we make progress.

President of the General Directorate for Waterways and Shipping – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Heinrich Witte

Future-oriented lock sizes with as many standardized construction elements as possible, such as lock gates, are the right step into the future of the DEK. The advantages are obvious: planning efforts are reduced, and the maintenance of the lock facilities is significantly facilitated. This also accelerates the implementation of complex large projects in hydraulic engineering and sets new standards. The DEK is to be navigated continuously in the future by modern large motor cargo ships up to 135 meters in length. The replacement construction of the locks in future-proof dimensions will create the necessary conditions for this. The lock Gleesen is already under construction, and the replacement construction for two others, Bevergern and Hesselte, is imminent. The project is expected to be completed by 2033. Without the total of five lock replacements, the DEK northern route would no longer be reliably navigable for cargo shipping in the future.www.bmvi.de
Photo: © 2020 Waterways and Shipping Office Rheine / Caption: Lock Venhaus