Wubbo Ockels, Royal Haskoning, BAM, Van Oord, Eneco, Lievense and Rabobank are the Natuurlijk Afsluitdijk consortium. ‘We’re happy with the steering group’s decision and the evaluations by the College van Rijksadvies, the Innovation Platform and the Afsluitdijk Advisory Committee, and we’re going to develop our plans over the coming months. Our objective is to launch a specific, achievable and affordable proposal for a public private partnership. We see the Afsluitdijk as an icon of water management, sustainable development in energy, storage, mobility and innovation, and a structural social link to the North,’ says Professor Wubbo J. Ockels, the man behind the consortium.

Aside from the improvement to safety, the important criteria in the assessment were the integration of landscape, nature and technology, innovation, the guarantee of sustainability, climate proofing and economic strengthening of the dyke and the integrated approach. The integrated plan for the Natuurlijk Afsluitdijk presents opportunities for sustainable energy production and storage, for aquaculture, recreation, new mobility and a link to the northern regions via the ‘North Sea Line’. The plan for this ‘Innovation Area’ could mean a continual incentive and challenge. The Advisory Committee thinks that ‘the Natuurlijk Afsluitdijk consortium’s vision contains a number of surprising and inspiring elements’. The consortium will be making use of the next few months to work out and underpin the cost specifications and the coherence of the vision. The vision for the area and the spatial value of the monumental Afsluitdijk will form part of this.

By order of the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works’ State Secretary Tineke Huizinga, the Directorate-General of Waterways and Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat) is collaborating with the provinces of Friesland and North Holland on the future investigation into the Afsluitdijk. In the investigation, which started last year, ideas and possibilities are being sought for a new use for the Afsluitdijk. The detailed proposals will lead to a recommendation which will be presented to the State Secretary early next year.

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