Wider Kornwerderzand lock and rail terminal top the wish list of Port of Zwolle

The throughput at the ports of Port of Zwolle rose last year. Port director Jeroen van den Ende expects growth in the coming years. He dreams of a new rail terminal in collaboration with the Dutch Defence Ministry — and a wider lock at Kornwerderzand, which would turn Port of Zwolle into a major seaport. But will those dreams become reality?

Van den Ende is clearly proud of the eleventh edition of the Zwolle Port Dinner. A record 160 visitors — entrepreneurs, civil servants and administrators from the region — take their seats at a three-course dinner by invitation. They network and exchange business cards. "This is where it happens," says a chartered accountant as the starter is served.

Port of Zwolle is the shared port authority of three municipalities and three inland ports: Zwolle, Meppel and Kampen. Three important inland ports for businesses in the region. Last year, a total of 7 million tonnes of bulk goods were handled here, roughly 900,000 tonnes more than the year before. Container throughput also grew, from 121,000 to 138,000 TEU.

Professionalising

"We're pleased with it," says port director Van den Ende. "It's a considerable increase. At the start of last year things were still a bit sluggish, but later it picked up. Businesses are doing well at the moment." The inland ports are growing and Port of Zwolle, as a port authority, needs to "professionalise." New staff are being taken on to manage nautical services in the area.

As in previous years, the port authority sought new partnerships with other ports in the Netherlands to build logistics corridors. Together they can ensure that freight reaches the hinterland quickly via the rivers. It was no coincidence that port director Paul Dirix of Port of Moerdijk was also present, and that director Cas König of North Sea Port gave a speech on growth.

Where the port is, there is prosperity

Stronger together — that is the idea. But Port of Zwolle's greatest ambition is to become more than an inland port. For over ten years, plans have been in the air to widen the lock at Kornwerderzand. This would allow not only inland vessels but also seagoing ships to reach the ports around Zwolle — suddenly making those ports accessible by sea, an enormous boost for businesses in the region. "Because where is prosperity? Where the port is," König stated.

The plans around Kornwerderzand remain complicated, however, as was discussed during the dinner. The cabinet last year finally set aside €375 million to bridge the high and rising costs of the complex construction project. The question is still whether that will be enough. "A lot of money is available, but costs have also risen. An important issue is the salinisation of the IJsselmeer — a solution still needs to be found for that," says Van den Ende. A decision on the project's schedule will follow later this year.

Terminal with Defence

The lock is one of the two items at the top of port director Van den Ende's agenda. The other is the possible arrival of a rail terminal in the Zwolle region, on which the port authority is in talks with the Defence Ministry. Defence may be interested in investing in such a terminal for military mobility. If that terminal were also made available for the freight transport of businesses, everyone would benefit — that is the idea.

"The concept of 'dual use', bringing civil and military logistics together, is relatively new. Defence used to handle these matters largely on its own, but we live in a new world. We need to find the right forms together." Whether and when the terminal will materialise, Van den Ende cannot confirm. "These are not straightforward talks."

Scania takes the prize

Scania is one of the businesses in the region that would welcome the rail connection. The truck manufacturer has several sites and more than 800 employees in the area. Director René Brill of Scania Logistics Netherlands is present on Tuesday not only to dine, but also to accept an award. The company receives the Haven Award 2025, according to the jury in recognition of the many investments Scania makes in the region, including training programmes for people who are distanced from the labour market.