In recent years, various steps have been taken in the Scheldt region to accommodate ever larger container ships. At the end of 2023, we achieved a record draught of 16 metres in the port of Antwerp. Two years later, a new milestone was reached in the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal: the bulk carrier PIAVIA is 38 metres wide, 229 metres long and has a draught of 12.2 metres. Never before has a loaded ship with this width sailed to Ghent.
From virtual to actual reality
Since 2023, the Joint Nautical Management (GNB) has been conducting extensive studies in collaboration with the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission (VNSC), North Sea Port and the Flemish and Dutch pilotage services. In nautical simulations of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, for example, pilots steered the ship in a simulated environment with realistic conditions such as wind and different water levels and bottom profiles. Several test voyages took place as well.
The trial run of the PIAVIA made the step from theory towards practical application. We wanted to understand the behaviour of a large, heavily laden ship in real conditions in order to ensure that future transits would be safe and efficient. This is another reason why the New Lock was built to accommodate ships that can also sail through the Panama Canal.
In time, seagoing vessels won’t always need to lighten part of their cargo on the Western Scheldt before entering the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal. The New Lock will thus improve the international accessibility of the ports on and beyond the canal.
On the bridge of PIAVIA
Representatives of the GNB were present on the ship's bridge on 29 December. Together with their partners, they monitored the behaviour of the PIAVIA. DAB Loodswezen installed four RTK GPS antennas on the ship to measure its position in six degrees of freedom. Flanders Hydraulics also monitored all rudder and propeller movements. This data is essential for analysing parameters such as speed, keel clearance and the ship's draught.
In the coming weeks, Flanders Hydraulics will process all the data to obtain a complete picture of the ship's behaviour. This analysis will not only support optimisations of the canal, but will also help to validate simulation models in full-mission bridge simulators.