Hansweert lock complex upgrades to smart wireless lighting with AirGlow

The Hansweert lock complex, a vital link between the Western Scheldt and the Canal through Zuid-Beveland, sees around 40,000 vessels pass through each year, averaging over one hundred per day. As one of the busiest inland shipping hubs in the Netherlands, reliable and safe lighting is critical for maritime traffic as well as lock operators and maintenance teams working around the clock.

Until recently, the site relied on low-pressure sodium fixtures from the 1990s. After more than thirty years, these lights had exceeded their technical lifespan. Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch government agency responsible for water management, sought to modernize the installation with energy-efficient LED lighting that offered improved visibility, flexible dimming and intelligent management.

With no existing control cabling and strict security requirements, the project demanded a fully wireless solution. In collaboration with the project lighting designer and Rijkswaterstaat’s security team, multiple testing phases were conducted, including a real-life setup that allowed lock operators to experience the system’s performance and reliability firsthand.

LRS Solutions supplied and implemented a wireless dimming and control system for the 54 light poles surrounding the lock complex, using LumenRadio’s AirGlow.

Each LED fixture is equipped with its own AirGlow unit, easily connected via the standard Zhaga Book-18 socket. Thanks to the self-healing, self-organizing mesh network, all fixtures communicate automatically with each other, without any control wiring. This ensures a stable and reliable wireless connection at all times.

The result is a system that enables individual or group control of lighting, allowing operators to dim, manage and monitor fixtures with ease. This has significantly reduced energy consumption, while noticeably improving safety and visibility on the premises.

This project highlights how AirGlow can deliver robust, wireless lighting control for critical infrastructure, combining reliability, flexibility and efficiency.