The history of Terneuzen is closely linked to developments in the port of Ghent, Belgium. The town of Ter Nose, now known as Terneuzen, came into existence around the year 1300. To read about the history of the port of Vlissingen, click on ‘Vlissingen’ at the top right of this page.

The Development of the Port of Ghent
In the 16th century, the Belgian city of Antwerp played a leading role in international trade. Not wanting to miss out on economic development, the city of Ghent sought to create a new connection with the Western Scheldt. The resulting canal, the Sassevaart, linked Ghent to the Braakman area. The construction of this new waterway also led to the establishment of the town of Sas van Ghent.

Because of ongoing land reclamation in the Braakman area, the Sassevaart canal slowly went out of use, becoming a neglected, muddy channel. To resist economic collapse, Ghent decided to dig a new canal that would connect it with the sea. This new canal between Ghent and Brugge was called the Brugse Vaart. In the second half of the eighteenth century Ghent thrived like never before. Increasing industrialisation gave rise to the need for a new connection with the sea. This new connection was sought towards the north.

The Canal Between Terneuzen and Sas van Ghent
King William I recognised the importance of Ghent and agreed to a new connection between Ghent and Terneuzen. The old Sassevaart was made deeper and wider. Between Sas van Gent and Terneuzen a 13-kilometre canal was dug. Because of the many ships and line services bound for Ghent, the canal had to be enlarged. After this was done, it had a depth of 6.5 metres. At the same time a number of inconvenient bends were adapted. At Sas van Ghent a new canal branch and a new lock were built.
 
Because of the increasing sizes of ships and the transition from sailboats to steamboats, things couldn’t remain the same for long. Belgium and the Netherlands together decided to build a new lock in Terneuzen and a new swing-bridge at Sluiskil. The lock is still in use today as a middle-lock. At Sas van Ghent a third canal branch was dug and an additional lock built. Also the entire canal was deepened, allowing passage to ships with an 8-metre draught.
     
Industry in Terneuzen
The development of the port of Terneuzen didn’t begin until after the construction of two railroads, the Ghent-Terneuzen (1869) and the Mechelen-Terneuzen (1871) lines. Because it was the final destination of both lines, the town of Terneuzen became an attractive location for all kinds of storage and transhipment activities. In this period, companies like the shipping and customs agency of De Meijer, NV De Hoop and the Terneuzense Scheepsbouw Maatschappij settled here.

In the meantime the industry in the harbours of Sluiskil and Sas van Ghent was also on the rise. Sas van Ghent, in fact, became the first industrialised town in Zeeland when in 1872 the Netherlands’ first sugar factory was built there. In 1912 a starch and glucose factory also settled there (now known as Cerestar). The Netherlands’ first coke factory established itself in Sluiskil.
After the Second World War the development of the harbour industry along the canal between Ghent and Terneuzen grew explosively under the influence of two specific factors. Firstly, Terneuzen was designated a ‘growth municipality’, which meant the town was granted subsidies for attracting new industry. Companies like Philips, Ovet, Elopak, Air Products and Broomchemie arrived in this period. The second cause of industrial acceleration was that the canal was widened and deepened and two new locks were built;one for inland ships and one for seagoing vessels. In the years that followed, the harbours along the canal, including the Zuiderkanaal Harbour, the Zevenaar Harbour and the Axel Plain Harbour, were made longer and more spacious. In 1975 the Massagoed Harbour was constructed and in 1978 the Braakman Harbour, which has an open connection with the Western Scheldt. Dow Benelux BV was the first to settle here.