At the end of the nineteenth century the Belgian government decided to construct a new port at the coast of the North Sea.

On 1 June 1894 the Belgian government, the city of Bruges and Messrs. L. Coiseau and J. Cousin concluded an agreement in which the conditions regarding the construction and management of the new port were stipulated. This new port would consist of 3 different parts :

• an outer port on the Belgian coast;
  this place was called "Zeebrugge", i.e. "Bruges-by-the-sea";
• a sea canal from the outer port to Bruges
• an inner port in Bruges itself, situated north of town.

This agreement was approved and ratified by Parliament on 11 September 1895; the Royal Decree was published in The Belgian Law Gazette of 13 September 1895.

The works for the construction of the port were executed by a company which, within 3 months after the conclusion of the agreement by Parliament, was founded by Messrs. L. Coiseau and J. Cousin.
This company was founded on 25 November 1895 under the name of "Compagnie des Installations maritimes de Bruges", today "Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeevaartinrichtingen" or M.B.Z.

The capital of this company was subscribed for 50 % by the city of Bruges; the rest by Messrs. L. Coiseau, J. Cousin and other private persons.

The construction of the port was carried out by M.B.Z., which was also granted the concession for the management and exploitation of the new port complex.

The works started in 1896 and were completed in 1905.