General
A century ago a small fishery port was created on the mouth of the North Sea Canal to enable Dutch sailing luggers to bring their catches ashore. In 1989 this state owned port was privatised and the new port management Zeehaven IJmuiden NV started an intensive renovation and new building programme. The past ten years the old fish auction, impractical sheds and quays were replaced by modern accommodation, the port basins were deepened and a ferry terminal was built. The old port came to life again and is blooming now. The revival resulted in land shortage. Now a new port basin is under construction. The port management concentrates on the handling of fresh fish, deep-frozen fish and fish products, meat, and is preparing port sites for short sea trade traffic. Zeehaven IJmuiden maintains close cooperation with other fish auctions in Norway, Belgium and France.
Zeehaven IJmuiden has emerged as a major continental fish market for trawlers from many North Sea and Atlantic countries. The new fish auction hall serves a large number of international fish traders. About one third of all Dutch fish imports is traded via this auction. A remote computer auction system enables traders to buy direct from their offices anywhere in Europe.
The port basins have been deepened to thirty feet (ten metres) as ever-larger trawlers and fish factory ships call at IJmuiden. Wholesalers, exporters and cold store operators have come to value the auction for its variety of supply and speedy dispatch via the region's excellent links with the hinterland. Deep frozen products are handled and stored in many warehouses throughout the entire region. There are five cold store operators and their total frozen storage capacity is expanding steadily.
Between the lower North Sea breakwater a 50 acres new port site is constructed. The new third harbour is a cargo ferry terminal for short sea traffic to England, while warehouses will be built for the storage of deep frozen cargoes, such as fish, packed at sea. It has a 700-metre quay and 11 metres water depth.
The Danish ferry operator DFDS Seaways maintains a daily ferry service for passengers and freight to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northern England, carrying 500.000 passengers annually. The ferries call at the new Felison Terminal, in which building also a number of offices are housed. One of them is the Wijsmuller port towage group, active in many ports worldwide.
The south embankment of the harbour mouth near of the Felison Terminal has been reconstructed and now accommodates cruise vessels for short calls.
Zeehaven IJmuiden is well located for short sea operations as it is located directly on the North Sea coast, while it has excellent hinterland connections by road, rail and inland waterway. The Port authority of IJmuiden and Great Yarmouth have agreed on attracting a daily freight ferry service between both ports.
On the North bank, outside the sea locks, the steel works Corus, partner of the Anglo-Dutch Corus Group, has its blast furnaces and steel production plants. Bulk carriers are discharging ore and coal at deep-water quays for ships drafting up to 56 foot (about 175.000 tonne dwt). In the wide harbour mouth outside the locks a mooring facility for large bulk carriers, consisting of two large steel tubes placed 150 metres from each other, is available. Here deep drafting bulk carriers are partially discharged into inland barges by floating cranes. As soon as the ship's draft has been diminished to 45 feet, the maximum allowed draft to pass through the locks, the vessel proceeds to the Amsterdam bulk handling terminals.
Ever since the exploration and production of small oil and gas fields under the North Sea bed started, IJmuiden has been a centre for offshore supply and technical activities.
Harbours
| Harbour |
quay length(m.) |
draft(m.) |
| Harbours of IJmuiden and Velsen |
|
| - Zeehaven IJmuiden |
4350 |
7-10 |
| - Felison Terminal |
|
9 |
| - Vissershaven |
|
9-10 |
| - Haringhaven |
|
7-10 |
| - Cruise quay |
|
8.5 |
| - IJmondhaven |
|
11 |
|
|
|
| Corus Staal BV |
|
|
| - Outer harbour quay no.1 |
414 |
9,0/10.80 * |
| - Outer harbour quay no.2 ** |
550 |
16.5 |
| - Outer harbour quay no.3 |
250 |
11.0 |
| - Inner harbour no.3 |
212 |
6.50 |
|
|
|
* resp. west quay and east quay
**bulk terminal |
|
|
Port authority IJmuiden
Zeehaven IJmuiden NV
P.O.Box 541
1970 AM IJmuiden
Tel: 0255-547000
Fax: 0255-547050
Telex: 35236
Web: www.zeehaven.nl |
Corus Staal BV (NEBAM)
P.O.Box 512
1970 AM IJmuiden
Tel: 0251-496414
Fax: 0251-470396
E-mail: nebam@nebam.nl |
| E-mail: havendienst@zeehaven.nl |
|
Velserkom
PO Box 23
1970 AA IJmuiden