NOS News•today, 12:30
Rijkswaterstaat has started installing six large pumps in a new pumping station in the Afsluitdijk. The pumps are almost 12 meters high and weigh 90 tons. They must ensure better drainage of water from the IJsselmeer to the Wadden Sea.
Rijkswaterstaat calls installing the pumps precision work. Hoisting is only possible if the wind is not too strong. Space is also limited. When placing the pumps in the concrete of the pumping station, there is a clearance of 8 millimeters.
The pumps were built in Spain and transported to the Robbenplaat by ship. They arrived there last week. To get them in the right place, Rijkswaterstaat uses a floating crane and a remote-controlled platform on wheels.
Against flooding
The pumping station must prevent flooding. According to Rijkswaterstaat, more and more water is flowing from rivers to the IJsselmeer. That has to be removed and the old drain sluices cannot handle that.
They can also only move water to the Wadden Sea if the water level there is lower than in the IJsselmeer. With rising sea levels, it is expected that there will be less discharge in the future.
The new pumps do not have that problem and can drain 275,000 liters of water per second. This means that an Olympic swimming pool is filled in 9 seconds. This makes the pumping station one of the largest in Europe.
Rijkswaterstaat expects that the job, which can be followed via webcams, will take about two weeks.
