Fourth Lock of Lanaye

Joint efforts to reach the target

BESIX delivered the Fourth Lock of Lanaye, a monumental infrastructure project connecting the Albert Canal and the Meuse River at the Belgian-Dutch border. As the largest civil engineering project in Wallonia in a decade, the lock enhances inland navigation, supports international freight transport, and integrates advanced hydraulic and environmental technologies - all while preserving the surrounding Natura 2000 ecosystem.

Project overview

Located at the crossroads of Belgium and the Netherlands, the Fourth Lock of Lanaye was designed to eliminate a major bottleneck in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. Commissioned to improve inland shipping and accommodate vessels up to 9,000 tonnes, the lock measures 225 metres long, 25 metres wide, and spans a 14-metre drop. Officially inaugurated by King Philip I of Belgium on 13 November 2015, the lock now serves as a vital link between the Belgo-French waterways and the European hinterland.

Scope of the works

BESIX was responsible for:

Constructing the lock chamber with 3-metre thick concrete walls and a reinforced raft
Building lateral aqueducts (6 x 6 m), a drainage system, and a 200-metre bridge
Installing a pumping station and a hydroelectric plant
Developing a control centre, quay walls, and several kilometres of access roads
Managing demolition, piling, and site redevelopment
Coordinating logistics for over 1.3 million m³ of excavation and 200,000 m³ of concrete pouring

The project also included the installation of eight 10-tonne pumps and five turbines to manage water levels and generate green energy.

Highlights

Hydraulic innovation: Eight high-capacity pumps (4,500 kW total) transfer 61,200 m³ of water per hour to maintain hydraulic balance between the Meuse and Albert Canal. In reverse, five turbines generate 2.3 MW of renewable energy during high rainfall.
Sustainable construction: BESIX reused gravel excavated from the Meuse riverbed as aggregate for concrete, saving 55,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
Engineering precision: A 1,000-tonne steel bridge was installed without disrupting ongoing construction, using mobile formworks to complete the deck while work continued below.
Environmental standards: Located in a Natura 2000 zone, the project adhered to strict ecological standards.
Logistics: A dedicated on-site batching plant and local cement sourcing minimized transport emissions and improved efficiency.

For almost 5 years, several hundreds of workers and engineers called Lanaye their home. They included different subcontractors, many nationalities and countless specialized skills. Planning and orchestrating a project this big is never easy. But we made it happen, and everyone can be proud of the achievement.