On Thursday 1st of August 2013 00:00 UTC (02:00 local time) the routeing system in the Dutch part of the North Sea will change extensively.
The Dutch part of the North Sea is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Moreover, it is now also being used more and more intensively for other purposes, such as wind energy, nature protection and sand extraction. In order to keep the waterways safe for maritime traffic and to ensure a more efficient use of the available space, it has been decided to adapt the shipping routes.
What is to change?
The new shipping routes come into effect at midnight UTC (2 a.m. local time) on 1st August 2013. The main changes are:
a new Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) − already in force in Rotterdam − will be introduced in the approaches to IJmuiden. This will ensure that vessels sailing in opposite directions have their own sea lanes.
the routes will be located farther from the coast
the routes will intersect each other less often
anchorage areas will be relocated or abolished
the space around objects (platforms, etc.) will be configured differently