The Dutch winter of ’25–’26 will go down in the books as one with exceptionally heavy snowfall. It has been many years since Dutch roads saw such prolonged and heavy snowfall. The situation was further complicated by several days of freezing rain, pushing winter service teams to their limits.
The effective use of Nedmag's calcium chloride played an important role in keeping the roads snow free.
Especially during the first six weeks of 2026, hundreds of truckloads of calcium chloride left Nedmag’s premises. They were delivered to approximately 40 Rijkswaterstaat depots and to dozens of municipalities and provinces throughout the Netherlands. Beyond our home country, our calcium chloride is also applied in parts of Belgium and Germany. In Berlin, pure calcium chloride in prill form is used to keep roads clear of snow and ice.
A few frequently asked questions about winter road maintenance
Why don’t we use sand and grit, as they do in Scandinavia? This method is only effective in regions where snow remains on the roads throughout the entire winter. In the Netherlands, snowfall is often followed by thawing, which means that sand and grit are quickly displaced by traffic. For this reason, road salt is used instead. But why is calcium chloride added to it?
- Calcium chloride has a very low freezing point (approx. –50°C) and is therefore highly effective for de-icing at very low temperatures, either on its own or in combination with sodium chloride.
- Calcium chloride is highly hygroscopic, meaning it strongly attracts moisture, which helps to maintain the de-icing effect over a longer period of time.
- By adding liquid calcium chloride, the road salt adheres better to the road surface. This makes preventive spreading much more effective.
In short, the addition of calcium chloride makes road salt more effective and longer lasting, meaning roads require fewer treatments. This ultimately reduces environmental impact.
Berlijnse ziekenhuizen overbelast door gladheid, burgemeester onder vuur
Waarom strooien we in Nederland niet met zand of kleine steentjes, zoals in Scandinavië?