The Botlek Plan

After World War II, Rotterdam faced the challenge of expanding and modernizing its port. In 1947, the Botlek Plan was introduced, aiming to develop a new port and industrial area west of the Oude Maas, between the Scheur and the A15. The plan included the construction of harbors and industrial sites suitable for the increasingly larger seagoing vessels.

Implementation of the plan began in 1954 and continued until 1960. During this period, the Third Petroleum Harbor, the Welplaat Harbor, and the Chemical Harbor were constructed. The area was designed to accommodate tankers up to 65,000 tons with a draft of 12 meters, allowing Rotterdam to adapt to the scale increase in shipping.

The Botlek developed into an important center for the petrochemical industry and tank storage. Dow Chemical was one of the first companies to establish itself in the area, followed by the shipyard of Cornelis Verolme. By 1960, all available land had been allocated, highlighting the need for further port expansion, which eventually led to the development of the Europoort area.