so far it is about half-full. The area was formerly used for recreational activities such as kite surfing, and the Slufterbeach nearby was also used as nude beach. Since 2010 the road that ran around the Slufter has been closed to public traffic. Power station A power station located in the area is run by Uniper. It is a coal-fired power station generating 1040 megawatts. It dates from 1988, but there are plans for a new plant on the same location. Connections There are direct rail links to elsewhere in Europe, especially Germany. The rivers Rhine and Maas enter the sea next to it. This creates good connections for rivergoing vessels. The A15 motorway, which runs into Germany, ends on the Maasvlakte. The Maasvlakte is also the starting point of the Betuweroute freight railway to Germany. Maasvlakte 2 An extension, Maasvlakte 2, was begun in 2008. Maasvlakte 2 will cover 1000 hectares net of industrial sites, located directly on deep water. This new part of the Maasvlakte opened in 2013. To accommodate larger container ships the Maasgeul, which is the channel in the North Sea providing deep-water access to the Rotterdam area, has to be widened to over 800 metres. References External links Maasvlakte 2 Google Earth view of the Maasvlakte Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Port of Rotterdam