The shipping platform

Location: Delfzijl is located SE of Eemshaven near the mouth of the river Ems and the main North Sea shipping routes. General overview: The port consists of a tidal outer and non-tidal Inner Harbour. The Outer Harbour is divided into 3 communicating basins, Handelshaven, Damsterhaven and Zeehavenkanaal and is approached by way of a broad fairway, the Zeechavenkanaal. The Inner Harbour consists of Oosterhornhaven, Farmsumerhaven and Eemskanaal. The link between the Outer and Inner Harbour is formed by the provincial sea locks. The presence of a mud layer in the port of Delfzijl in the Netherlands implicates a major restriction to the nautical accessibility of the port. Handelshaven is accessed via the 6km long Zeehavenkanaal. The north side of this canal consists of a breakwater, where 14 of Delfzijl’s total of 19 wind turbines generate green energy. To its south there are various loading and unloading facilities for the purpose of transhipping chemical products or raw materials for the chemical industry. The port is essentially a chemical port but the following cargoes are handled: Agricultural products, food, solid fuel, petroleum, ores, metals, raw minerals, fertiliser and chemical products. Traffic figures: Approx 1,100 vessels, 4,800,000t of cargo and 7,000 passengers are handled annually. Load line zone: North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31. Max size: Largest vessel handled: "El Pampero" LOA 242m, 75,585DWT. Vessels with draught of 9 m can enter the harbour at HW, depth of inner basins is 5 m.