Maritime
2018 is record year for
Port of Antwerp
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018 looks set to be a record year for the Port of Antwerp
for the sixth time in a row, with growth in all types of
cargo and a recent wave of investments. This confirms the
port's attraction and further establishes its position as a
world-class player that is also home to the largest inte-
grated chemical cluster in Europe. Crucially it also assures
the continuity of the port's role as the main engine of the
Belgian economy. In 2019 the Port Authority will keep
to the same course, further building a sustainable future
for the port. In pursuit of this goal it is concentrating heavily on structural
solutions to challenges such as mobility, the energy transition, digitisation
and innovation.
Unparalleled growth in all segments
With expected growth of 5.1% compared with 2017, the earlier forecasts
of a 6th successive record year have been confirmed. The expected total
freight volume in 2018 comes to 235 million tonnes, a new record, with
unparalleled growth in all types of cargo. The large expansion in container
freight continues, reaching 130 million tonnes (up 5.8%) or 11 million TEU
(up 5.5%). Liquid and solid bulk for their part are up by respectively 4.5%
(to 76.5 million tonnes) and 5% (to 12.8 million tonnes), while breakbulk
has experienced growth of 1.8% (to 15.6 million tonnes).
Wave of investment confirms attraction of chemical cluster
In 2018 leading international players in the chemical industry includ-
ing among others Borealis, INEOS, Nippon, Sea-Mol and Oiltanking/AGT
brought a huge wave of investment to the port, amounting to more than
2 billion euros. Their choice of Antwerp further confirms the port's attrac-
tiveness for chemical companies, as the largest integrated chemical cluster
in Europe. Indeed it makes Antwerp even more attractive for them.
Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren declared: "With these excel-
lent growth figures and the recent surge of investment, in 2018 the port
has once more confirmed its role as the main engine of the Belgian econo-
my. Now we will continue on the same course as before, towards a sus-
tainable port of the future. But to keep growing in a sustainable way, we
together with the whole port community must strain every effort to meet
the challenges facing us today. The port of the future must have enough
capacity and be accessible, sustainable, smart and secure to remain attrac-
tive for investors."
Need for additional container capacity
While the new record year and the investment surge together confirm
the vitality of the port, they also confirm earlier forecasts that the max-
imum container capacity will very soon be reached so that additional
container handling capacity is urgently needed.
Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren outlined the situation: “We
are already far beyond the optimum capacity limits in the terminals below
the locks, with serious consequences for efficiency. We therefore contin-
ue to insist that additional container capacity below the locks is urgently
needed. The Port of Antwerp is doing very well, which is good news for the
economy. But it is also very important to keep up this impetus and to build
the necessary capacity as soon as possible. The most recent draft version
of the Preference Decree for creation of additional container capacity rep-
resents the last straight towards a breakthrough in this complex project.
We are therefore very pleased with the efforts by the Flemish adminis-
tration, and are glad to work constructively on further development of
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Alternative 9 which is now being considered. This alternative now has to
be further tweaked in nautical and operational terms in order to make it
sufficiently feasible and attractive for the economic operators while limit-
ing the environmental impact to the absolute minimum."
An accessible port: initiatives to promote the modal shift
With roadworks about to start on the Oosterweel interchange, structural
solutions to mobility problems in and around Antwerp are more urgent
than ever. The Antwerp Port Authority is facing up to its social responsi-
bilities in this area, collaborating with the rest of the port community to
develop structural solutions for reducing the pressure on mobility both for
freight and for private transport.
For freight transport the aim is to achieve a significant modal shift by
2030, reducing the proportion of freight that travels by road from 55% to
43%. The parallel aim is to double the proportion of rail transport, bringing
it to 15%. Railport – a joint initiative by Antwerp Port Authority, the Left
Bank Development Corporation and the industry associations essenscia
Vlaanderen and Voka Alfaport – assumed responsibility for this in 2018. In
the meantime constructive discussions are under way with Infrabel (rail
track operator) to develop a new operating model for rail infrastructure in
the port with a view to raising the flexibility and efficiency of rail transport.
The proportion of freight carried by barge is set to increase from the
already high level of 38% to 42%. Earlier this year the port community
signed a Container Barge Action Plan based on three main foundations,
namely collaborative scheduling of barge movements, consolidation of
container volumes and digitisation. The interplay of these various mea-
sures should make container barge transport more efficient, with conse-
quent benefits for all participants in the supply chain.The first pilot proj-
ects for centralised barge scheduling have led to positive reactions in the
market.
In another initiative the Port Authority has held workshops with other
members of the port community for night-time logistics, to make better
use of the existing facilities outside peak hours. The Night Logistics Action
Plan was set up in October with all the parties involved. After a test phase
in the first half of 2019 the aim is to begin operation by the summer, to
coincide with the start of the Oosterweel roadworks.
To remain accessible for the 60,000 employees in the port, the Port
Authority is working on various initiatives aimed at encouraging people to
leave their car at home and make use of sustainable alternatives. The Water
Bus and Bike Bus are good examples of promoting a sustainable modal
shift for commuter transport.
‘DeWaterbus’ plies on the Scheldt as an alternative means of transport
for those travelling to Antwerp from Hemiksem and Kruibeke. 396,972
people have made use of the service since it was introduced on 1 July
2017. In October this year the southern route was extended with a north-
ern section serving the port area. An eastern route to the Albert canal will
enter service at the beginning of 2019. In summer next year a first electric
Water Bus will be introduced, with the ambition of offering 100% electri-
cally-powered transport on the Albert canal after six months of operation.
This will be an absolute first.
With 77,541 passengers since it started in April this year the ‘Fiets Bus’
has also been a success. To offer an alternative for even more commuters
an interlinking system of commuter bus transport and collective electric
bikes is planned for the port area next year.