Bringing stones to Rotterdam

In total, 5 million tonnes of new stone are needed. A further 2 million tonnes of stone from the existing Maasvlakte sea defences will be recycled. The PUMA contractors’ consortium built a special docking area for the stones on the western side of the Yangtzehaven on the existing Maasvlakte. The bulk carriers loaded with stones moor here on poles and then the cargo of 90,000 tonnes of rubble is unloaded within 36 hours via a conveyor belt. While the ship is busy collecting a new shipment of stones, the rubble is taken to a sieving installation, by means of large dumpers. The storage site is about 1.5km from where the hard sea defences (‘dyke’) for Maasvlakte 2 will be built this spring. For safety’s sake, a temporary viaduct will be built over Europaweg in the coming months, between the storage site and the new hard sea defences. The stones are an essential part of these hard sea defences. It will be 3.5km long and be built on the northwest side of Maasvlakte 2, where the waves are most powerful.