Vlissingen-Oost

Vlissingen-Oost (or Sloegebied ) is a harbor and industrial zone which was arranged in the east of the port city of Flessingue. The territory appeared between 1961 and 1964 during the damming up of the Zuid-Sloe, reason for which one calls it often also Sloegebied (the “Territory of Sloe”). The ports of the city are now regarded as the third port of the Netherlands.

Birth

Towards 1955, the Shipyard De Schelde de Flessingue sought the possibility of building a building site of repair out of deep water in Zuid-Sloe. With the access existing to the grounds of the heart of the city thanks to locks, the company could not face the growth of world navigation any more. This need combined with preexistent plans of empoldering of Zuid-Sloe, plans which knew fresh impulse after the floods of 1953. At the same time, the province of Zealand wished to create an port area and industrial, without for that of the cultivable grounds are sacrificed.

The first part of the territory was arranged between 1961 and 1964. In 1961, one started by dredging the principal channel, current Sloehaven. End 1962, the construction of the banks was completed and the piers were finished in the current of 1963. The grounds were raised and the basin and the quays were arranged.

During a three days visit in the area of the Delta, the queen Juliana inaugurated on September 2nd, 1964 Sloehaven, officially called Vlissingen-Oost since then.

Surface

Vlissingen-Oost extends on approximately: 2200 Hectare S.

Administration

The Western part is located on the territory of the commune of Flessingue while the oriental party is on that of the commune of Borsele. In 1971, the territory was placed under the control of the Harbor authority of Flessingue, founded this year. The communes, the province and the State collaborated within this common structure. January 1st, 1998, the Harbor authority of Flessingue amalgamated with that of Terneuzen to form a new structure, Zealand Seaports: only the surrounding communes and the province of Zealand take share there.

Activities

Inter alia activities, it there with basic industry and offshore, the refining of the Oil, the storage and the transshipment in particular of fruits, metals, of wood, ores and energy production.

Some known companies installed with Vlissingen-Oost:

the aluminum producer Pechiney;
the chemical group Hoechst (divided meanwhile into more small firms, among which Thermphos);
the building site of Scheldepoort repair;
a refinery of Total;
the Nuclear plant of Borssele;
company COVRA (storage of the radioactive waste).

Connections

The ports of Vlissingen-Oost are in direct connection with the the Western Scheldt, and also with the the North Sea and Antwerp.

A railway line of goods (the Sloelijn ) links the harbor region with the Zeeuwse Lijn (the “Line zélandaise”) towards Roosendaal. Currently, a new way is electrified.

The N62 road connects the port on the one hand to Goes and the highway A58, and on the other hand in Terneuzen and Ghent via the Tunnel of the Western Scheldt. By N254, there is also a junction towards Middelbourg and Flessingue.

Future

Since the ports are out of deep water, of the plans exist to build on the maritime face the Westerschelde Container Final (WTC). The Container ships being increasingly larger, they could discharge in Vlissingen-Oost rather than in the wearing of Antwerp, which are not joined any more by the largest ships, water being less deep. These plans met much resistance because the WCT could have caused many harmful effects and have deteriorated the environment. The original plan was adapted: the terminal smaller than will be envisaged initially.

External bond

Port off Zeeland - Terneuzen & Vlissingen

Sources

H. Wieringa, F.J. Sprenger, “Het Sloehavenproject” in Land in toilets. Overkoepelend orgaan COp het gebied van of Waterstaat in daarbij betrokken landbouw in industry 8 (1964), n° 5a (special edition September 2nd, 1964), pp. 8-29
H. Arnoldus, Vijftig jaar NV Haven van Vlissingen 1934-1984 , Flessingue, 1984, pp. 77-91,
E. Hamelink, “Geschiedenis van of havens van Terneuzen in Vlissingen” in A.M.J of Kraker (ED.), De Westerschelde. Een toilets zonder weerga , Kloosterzande, 2002, pp. 65-68,

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