Preparations for the renovation of the Krammer locks
In June 2019, Rijkswaterstaat announced that it had awarded the contract for preparing the renovation of the Krammer locks in Zeeland to engineering firm Witteveen+Bos. The Krammer lock complex consists of four locks that connect the Eastern Scheldt and the Volkerak-Zoommeer for shipping purposes while separating the salt and fresh water of the respective waterbodies. More than 30 years after its construction, the complex is in need of major maintenance.
Witteveen+Bos’s advice on this project – whose aim is to ensure the locks are demonstrably reliable, available, safe, and maintainable, and comply with current legislation and regulations – covers the fields of mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial automation, and sustainability. During the tender process, Witteveen+Bos scored highest on price/quality ratio, particularly with respect to knowledge preservation, organisation and information, and integration. We are employing task posters which will be kept up to date throughout the project and provide a visual overview while also offering specific insights.
Witteveen+Bos is working on several innovations for this project – for example, replacing the existing fresh–salt water separation system in the pushtow navigation locks with a pneumatic barrier. This new system should result in lower maintenance costs, lower energy consumption, and a faster passage. We are also looking at the operation (dynamic behaviour) of the yacht locks, and making proposals to improve control operation. Finally, we are investigating opportunities to generate tidal and solar energy at the lock complex.
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