A detailed hydrodynamic model for the port of Zeebrugge: a numerical tool as part of an integral approach for accessibility and safety studies

The port of Zeebrugge is the second largest harbour in Belgium, and the fastest growing of the region. To improve the accessibility of the port, a lot of efforts are already taken by the Flemish Government in deepening the navigation channel and outer port (CDNB). Thanks to these intensive dredging activities, ships with a draught up to sixteen meters can enter the port during eight to ten hours a day. However, due to its dimensions and high flood flows, the ship channel and the port entrance are characterised by high cross currents during high water, and safety is no longer guaranteed. Therefore, the inbound sailing window for large container ships and liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG) is restricted to a couple of hours a day.