More than 100 ships pass daily through the lock system in Brunsbüttel, which consists of the small and the large locks, each with two lock chambers. The large lock has been in operation since 1914 and, after this long period of service, must now be renovated.
To ensure the performance capability of the Kiel Canal, the first step is the construction of a fifth lock chamber. After completion, the existing large lock will be renovated.
The new lock chamber is currently being built in the area between the two existing locks, on the so-called lock island. With a usable length of around 330 meters – 20 meters longer than the previous large lock chambers – it will allow larger ships to pass through in the future.
Challenges of the construction project
One of the greatest challenges is the location of the construction site on an island. Personnel, machinery, and materials all have to be transported by water.
During the construction of the lock chamber and the redesign of the forebay, approximately 1.6 million cubic meters of excavation material will be moved, which will be transported by barges over the Kiel Canal to a disposal site 11 kilometers away.
The construction work is carried out while the locks remain in operation. This means the locks must be available day and night for shipping traffic.
Additionally, since the lock system is part of the dike line in Schleswig-Holstein’s west coast, the flood protection and maintenance of the flood protection facilities must be ensured at all times