Discovery Channel features ‘Port of Rotterdam’ in ‘How Do They Do It?’

How do they expand the Port of Rotterdam? Watch the video and they’ll show you how they do it.

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How do they expand the Port of Rotterdam?

The Port of Rotterdam is already Europe’s biggest port, but the Maasvlakte 2 expansion will triple its container capacity in one bold stroke. Stretching 3 miles beyond the former coastline, Maasvlakte 2 will be as large as Midtown and Downtown Manhattan combined.

To manufacture 5000 acres of new land, the port called up the same fleet of dredging ships that built Dubai’s palm islands – and then more than doubled its size to 10 ships, making this the biggest hydro-engineering project ever.

Since 2008, the fleet has been working around the clock, vacuuming sand from the bottom of the North Sea and rainbowing it onto the seabed to create new land. Our team will be on both the ships and the brand new islands, as crews hurry to move 13 billion cubic feet of sand, dig 10 miles of shipping channels and create 8 miles of sea wall and sand dunes.

Source: Discovery Channel: “How Do They Do It?” season 5, Episode 18