The Netherlands has completed the 32-km reinforcement and modernisation of the Afsluitdijk after commissioning a new pumping station and discharge sluices at Den Oever, increasing water discharge capacity by 45%, according to a Van Oord statement.
Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Vincent Karremans officially commissioned the facilities on 1 October 2026.
Construction consortium Levvel, comprising Van Oord, BAM and Rebel, carried out the project for Rijkswaterstaat. The works included raising and reinforcing the flood defence, building storm surge barriers at Den Oever and Kornwerderzand and creating an opening at Kornwerderzand for the Fish Migration River between the Wadden Sea and Lake IJsselmeer.
The new pumping station has six pumps with a combined capacity of 275 cubic metres per second. Gravity discharge remains the preferred method when sea levels permit, while the pumps remove excess water when discharge through the sluices is not possible.
“We live in a new reality: rising sea levels and more extreme rainfall are changing the battle the Netherlands has fought against water for centuries. Ninety-four years after the completion of the Afsluitdijk, we are once again making history. In every respect, the Afsluitdijk is an icon of innovative water management. Together, we are ensuring that the Netherlands remains safe, now and in the future,” Karremans said.
The commissioning coincides with the start of the Dutch storm season. Work is continuing on the Vlietermonument, bridge replacements at Den Oever and Kornwerderzand and life-extension maintenance on the historic discharge sluices dating from 1932.
Additional discharge capacity will be needed from around 2045 as sea levels rise. The 1932 sluices at Kornwerderzand and Den Oever have reached the end of their technical lifespan, with expansion of discharge capacity identified as the first step before greater reliance on pumping over the longer term.
Van Oord N.V. is a Dutch family-owned international marine contractor active in marine infrastructure, coastal protection and energy projects.
Royal BAM Group nv is a Dutch public limited construction and property development company serving public and private-sector clients.
Rebel Group B.V. is a Netherlands-headquartered group of independent advisory businesses active in strategy, finance, project development and investment.