Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch contracting authority for PPP infrastructure projects, has awarded the concession for the Limmel Lock PPP project on the Juliana Canal in southern Netherlands.

The project has been awarded to a consortium composed by BESIX, Rebel and Egemin.

The Limmel Lock project is the first project of the PPP sea locks programme in the Netherlands. It is also the first dike in the world to be developed and operated thought a PPP scheme.

The Juliana canal is an important navigational route between Limmel (near Maastricht) and Maasbracht. As a result of broadening and deepening of the canal, larger barges will be able to use this route in the future. In order to give these larger barges access to the Juliana canal, the Limmel lock will be replaced by a new lock. The current lock does not meet the demands of modern large barges using the Dutch canals.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance and management (DBFM) basis. The contract period is 30 years.

The total project investment is estimated at €60 million (US$74 million).

Construction works are expected to begin by mid 2015. The project is scheduled to be operational by 2018.

We have recently reported about four PPP projects that have reached financial close in the Netherlands:

• A9 Gaasperdammerweg (Holendrecht - Diemen) PPP road project
• Utrecht RIVM and MEB social PPP project
• Widening of the A12 motorway through a PPP project
• Renewal of the Rijnstraat 8 building through PPP