Protecting a European Sea Lock Fabricated in China

Published : 3-Dec-2023

PPG's Arjan van Vliet highlights the intricate challenges of coating the Nieuwe Sluis sea lock at Terneuzen, near the Belgium-Netherlands border.

Next year, a new sea lock, the Nieuwe Sluis, will open at Terneuzen, the Netherlands, near the border with Belgium.

The current locks are causing a bottleneck for shipping and the new facility, built at a cost of around €1bn, will improve access to the ports of Ghent (Belgium) and Terneuzen, and smooth the path of shipping between the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

The owner of the sea lock is the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission, and construction was carried out by the Aannemerscombinatie Sassevaart, a joint venture of contractors BAM Infra, Stadsbader Contractors, DEME and van Laere NV. The facility posed a unique coatings challenge, not only for the technical requirements of corrosion protection and colour stability, but also because it was fabricated in a Chinese yard with the sections then being shipped to the site in Terneuzen.

"We needed to provide highly durable coating systems to protect the new lock against the very demanding saltwater environment and in addition provide a long-lasting topcoat with excellent colour and gloss retention," explains van Vliet. "With construction in China managed from the Benelux region, the project faced several engineering, procedural and logistical challenges. These all required effective coordination and communication to ensure the project's successful execution."

Highly resilient coating system

For the lock's bridges, PPG provided a highly resilient coating system composed of PPG SIGMAZINC® 109 HS primer, PPG SIGMACOVER® 410 general-purpose epoxy buildcoat, and PPG SIGMADUR® 550 topcoat, a glossy, acrylic polyurethane finish. The lock gates received two layers of PPG SIGMASHIELD® 880 multipurpose, surface-tolerant epoxy and a PPG Sigmadur 550 finish on the splash zone and exposed parts of the gates.

"The durable PPG Sigmadur 550 highgloss topcoat has excellent colour and gloss retention properties and is resistant to atmospheric exposure conditions," says van Vliet. "It is ideally suited to harsh environments where aesthetic appearance is also important. The PPG Sigmashield 880 coating is specifically designed for offshore splash zones with superior resistance to abrasion, impact, corrosion and seawater, prolonging service life and protecting assets in some of the world's most severe environments."

"We needed to provide highly durable coating systems to protect the new lock against the very demanding saltwater environment and in addition provide a long-lasting topcoat with excellent colour and gloss retention."

Cross-border support

PPG's integrated, cross-border technical support with direct contacts in Benelux and China helped to ensure that the complex project went smoothly. Through close collaboration with the subcontractor, PPG achieved quality assurance and monitored the application process of the products. This comprehensive support ensured that the coatings were applied correctly and in accordance with the specified requirements. The company also benefited from its recent experience at the OpenIJ sea lock project in the Netherlands.

"Thanks to that experience gained on the OpenIJ lock in IJmuiden, we provided Sassevaart with the support and expertise to overcome any challenges faced during the Nieuwe Sluis project," says van Vliet. "The customer also benefited from our expertise in corrosion protection in China, Belgium and the Netherlands."

Extended protection

In addition to the aesthetic appearance of the new lock, the bridges and lock gates will be protected against the harsh climatic conditions in Terneuzen for an extended period. PPG provides a coating quality guarantee of up to seven years after the project's completion by the Chinese subcontractor. As evidence of the system's durability, the subcontractor has demonstrated the performance of the PPG Sigmadur 550 coating through exhaustive testing."We are very pleased to have contributed to the accomplishment of this essential lock development, which will enhance the safety and efficiency of water transport in the region," says van Vliet. "Our teams across the globe worked hard to overcome the challenges during application and deliver a high-quality result."

Originally published in PCE International.