The cost of the Western Access to Waaslandhaven (WOW) project could rise from its initial estimate of €193.5 million to €230 million, according to an update presented by Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder to the Flemish government.
This was reported by port magazine Flows.
Reacting to the report, Minister De Ridder’s office stated on Monday that the update reflected price levels as of January 2025.
“In the note to the government, the real cost of all project components within the project decision was updated with full transparency,” the office noted. “This results in an increase to €230 million, of which €160 million would be borne by the Flemish Region.”
The much-needed expansion of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges has been in the planning stages for several years, with the ECA (Extra Container Capacity Antwerp) being the flagship component.
The WOW is a part of this expansion.
According to De Ridder’s office, the current task is to optimise the procurement phase to realign with the budget. “This is customary in large infrastructure projects,” the office added.
