BELGIUM | Port of Antwerp

[MVL318]

competitive position in Europe
Market share of the four main container ports, on basis
of figures for the nine ports in the Hamburg-Le Havre range (ports of Antwerp, Amsterdam, Bremen,
Dunkirk, Hamburg, Ghent, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge, and estimates for Le Havre.)

[MVL318]

wind farm expansion

During the past year (2004) the first two wind turbines were built to the North of the Zandvliet lock. The Port Authority has signed a contract with Vleemo for a wind farm with at least 38 turbines. (an investment of 100 million euros.)
The first two wind turbines with a capacity of 2 MW each have been supplying ‘green electricity’ to the grid since September 2004. The planning permission process for the next eight wind turbines started during the course of the past year. The project will bring some 90 MW of generating capacity to the port area.
This wind power project in the port of Antwerp will generate enough electricity to supply the needs of some 74,000 homes. The wind power capacity in Flanders will be trippled.

[MVL318]

cargo volume expands by more than 5 percent

During the first six months of this year the port of Antwerp handled 79,445,607 tonnes of cargo, an increase of 5.1 percent compared with the same period last year.

Container cargo expanded by 6.1 percent. 36.7 million tonnes of goods carried by container during the past six months. Expressed in TEU, the volume was 3.1 million TEU.
June was a record month, with a container volume of more than 550,000 TEU for the first time in any one month.

[MVL318]

Deurganck dock has opened!!!

Wednesday 6 july the dock finally opened, the first ship has been handled!

The Deurganck dock has a length of 2.6 km and a width of 450 m, with a total mooring length of 5 km, and is able to handle the latest generation of container ships with ease.

At this moment only one side of the finished part is operational, this can been seen on the video's, follow the links on the bottom

Once all the terminals in the new dock are operational it will handle an annual volume of more than 7 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container volume). In fact the opening of the Deurganck dock will more than double the container handling capacity of Antwerp: the volume handled last year was just over 6 million TEU or 68 million tonnes.

The entire West side of the Deurganck dock will form the Deurganck Terminal, operated by PSA Hesse-Noord Natie. The total quay length of the Deurganck Terminal is 2,750 m, with a total area of around 200 ha.
The Antwerp Gateway Terminal for its part covers the entire East side of the Deurganck dock. Once it is fully operational it will have a total quay length of 2,470 m and a total area of 126 ha.

Direct employment on the two terminals in the Deurganck dock will thus be around 3,000 people at full operation

On the following site you can find a video, first click on the link, then click on "Vandaag wordt het dok plechtig geopend" beneath the word "video"
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...x.html?video_2
here's another video, click on the word "plechtig geopend"
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...x.html?video_2

[MVL318]

40th anniversary celebrations of Bayer’s Antwerp company

Last year Bayer MaterialScience, which employs 18,000 people at 40 production sites around the globe, posted total sales of EUR 8.6 billion and an operating result of EUR 641 million. “Bayer Antwerpen alone accounts for some 10 percent of total sales.
In 2004 Bayer Antwerpen’s nearly 1,000 employees produced 1.1 million tons of raw materials and intermediates for plastics production and the company posted sales of about EUR 1 billion.



BAYER will invest a further EUR 60 million in Antwerp in 2005 and 2006.

[MVL318]

Cargo volume has grown by 5.7 per cent

In the first nine months of 2005 the port of Antwerp handled nearly 120 million tonnes of cargo,this is an increase of 5.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Also the container-volume grew

The container volume between January and September amounted to 55.8 million tonnes, up 8.6 per cent on the previous year. In terms of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) this represents an increase of 5.8 per cent, to 4.8 million TEU.

[MVL318]

Saefthinghedock

The Deurganck dock promises further growth in the port’s container activities for the following years. (probably until 2012)
Some people are already thinking to built the Saefthinghe-dock, a container dock even bigger then the Deurganckdock. The dock would be 550 metres width and the quay-length would be at least 3km at both sides.



As you can see, the Saefthinghedock will run straight through a village called Doel, I can assure you that they are not very happy with this possible new dock.

[MVL318]

Antwerp, the chemical port

Antwerp is the largest petrochemical complex in Europe and worldwide second only to Houston, Texas. This is one of the findings of a survey, based on an analysis of 39 chemicals. Houston is the biggest producer for 24 of these 39 products. Antwerp is clearly in second position. On the other hand, Antwerp produces a much wider variety of chemical products, leaving even Houston behind it.
Antwerp has a central position in Western Europe, offering an excellent access to the major European industrial centres and to potential consumers. More then 130 million clients, representing 47 % of the total of the European purchasing power, are serviceable within a 500 km radius.



No less than ten of the world’s top 20 chemical producers have selected Antwerp as one of their main locations. More than 300 chemicals are produced in Antwerp.


Belgium is just a little country, it represents only 2.7% of the EU-population and 3.2% of the EU GPD. However, the Belgian industry covers more then 8% of the European turnover in this sector and accounts for 17% of Europeans exports of chemical products.

Considering the fact that 1/3 of Belgian chemical industry is located within the port, Antwerp plays an important role an the European market.



Antwerp has a capacity of 1,960,000 tonnes of ethylene per year, this is 9.2% of the total European capacity. Also 11.8% of the total European propylene output is generated in Antwerp.

Western European chemical industry grew from 26 million tonnes per year in 1976 to 64 million tonnes per year in 2000, Antwerp’s market share increased from 14% to 17% in the same period.



When you have liquids, you need some storage room.

In Antwerp, the tank storage providers offer a complete range of tanks (for the storage of bulk liquids and gasses) ranging from 10m³ to 50,000m³. There are stainless steel tanks, refrigerated or heated tanks, carbon steel vessels,…..



The total tank storage capacity in Antwerp is more than 3.6 million m³, spread over 1,474 storage tanks. The capacity of the stainless steel tanks totals 164,147 m³ making Antwerp
market leader worldwide for this type of sophisticated tanks.

[MVL318]

How it all started...

A little history about the port (and the city)

part 1: ...-1400

…-1000
People were already living in the bend of the River Scheldt as long ago as theGallo-Roman period (2nd and 3rd centuries A.D.). Around 970 Antwerp became a border town of the German empire. The border was the River Scheldt and the County of Flanders lay across the river.

~~~~

1300-1356
A first economic boom followed in the first half of the fourteenth century. Antwerp became the most important trading and financial centre in Western Europe; its reputation was based largely on its seaport and its wool market. But in 1356 the city was annexed to the County of Flanders and lost many of its privileges.



~~~~

1400
Some fifty years later the political and economic tide turned again and the run-up to the Golden Age began, during which Antwerp developed into a world class metropolis at every level: almost like a sixteenth- century Manhattan. For almost a hundred years Antwerp remained the commercial capital of northern Europe, until the religious and political events of the 1560s and 1570s intervened ......

to be continued..

[MVL318]

How it all started...

A little history about the port (and the city)

part 2: 1400-1700

...
The Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule toppled the commercial dominance of Antwerp and the southern provinces. Within just a few years of the Fall of Antwerp (1585), scores of merchants and mostly Calvinist craftsmen fled the south for the relative security of the Northern Netherlands.

1585-1648
IN 1585 Antwerp was conquered by Spain and became under the rule of the spanish king Philip II, the northern Netherlands closed of the Scheldt with some devastating results for Antwerp, the port of Antwerp faded away. Scores of merchants and mostly Calvinist craftsmen fled the south for the relative security of the Northern Netherlands, of the city's 100 000 inhabitants in 1570, by 1590 no more than about 40 000 remained. Yet the city continued to flourish culturally until the mid- seventeenth century with painters like Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens and Teniers.




~~~~

1648
After the peace in 1648, the Scheldt remained closed to traffic and the metropolis became a provincial town. The Netherlands biggest fear was that the port of Antwerp would be re-established to fast, and would become a direct concurent to Amsterdam (not Rotterdam).

~~~~

1700
Under Austrian rule (1715 - 1792) Joseph II tried to free the river by military force, but the plan backfired.




to be continued...

[MVL318]

How it all started...

A little history about the port (and the city)

part 3: 1795-1900

1795-1815
IT lasted until 1795, when the French occupants succeeded in opening the river again. Unfortunate there was a new problem: the ships encountered an English blockade. This was hardly surprising since Napoleon thought of the Port of Antwerp as 'a pistol aimed at the heart of England'.
As a result only two ships visited Antwerp in the year 1798, the following year there didn’t arrived a single ship, in 1800 twenty-eight ships arrived and in 1803 even thousand and three nevertheless the British blokade.


Napoleon Bonaparte instructed to built a naval base and some new docks: “Le petit Bassin” (Bonapartedok) in 1811 and “Le grand bassin” (Willemdok) in 1813, also the Bonapartsluis was being built, the beginnings of todays port. (1792 - 1815)


~~~~

1815-1863
After the fall of Napoleon at Waterloo (1815), a short-lived reunification with the Northern Netherlands and an equally short period of prosperity followed, which ended with the Belgian Revolution (1830) and once again the closure of the River Scheldt. It was reopened, this time definitively, in 1863.


~~~~

1900
Apart from interruptions during the two world wars (in WW2 partly destroyed by the V-bombs, not only the port also the city), Antwerp experienced steady economic growth in the 20th Century. In 1993 Antwerp experienced a new cultural high point and international prestige, Antwerp was nominated Cultural Capital of Europe: European recognition for a wealth of historical and contemporary aspects.


to be continued... (1990-present)

[MVL318]

How it all started...

A little history about the port (and the city)

part 4: nowadays


2000
Nowadays Antwerp is the second largest largest chemical port in the world and also the second largest port in Europe. But Antwerp does also have some other features
· the Rubens' city par excellence (Rubens is a famous painter)
· the world diamond centre : More than 40% of industrial diamonds, 85% of rough diamonds and 50% of the world's cut diamonds are traded here, representing an annual turnover of 26 billion USD.
· a city of fashion designers and fashion trendsetters
· a world port and City-on-the-River
· the 1993 Cultural Capital of Europe
· a bustling Burgundian city, convivial and chockfull of atmosphere
· a real shoppers' paradise
· A film -, concert and theatre city
· a gallery of protected monuments and cityscapes
· a welcoming and multicultural metropolis
· a cruise port: only 300 metres from the city centre




~~~~

Some facts from today’s port:
Quay length------------------------- ------129,8 km
Surface port and and industrial area---------13,455 ha
Water surface without the Scheldt-----------2,103 ha
Industrial Surfaces--------------------------3,674 ha
Shoe-length--------------------------------127,8 km
Useful Shore-length-------------------------127,2 km
Length roads--------------------------------276,5 km
Length railroad------------------------------960 km
Covered stock capacity-------------- --------480 ha
Tank storage and distribution companies------2,950,017 m³
Tank storage petroleum refinery------ --------6,865,536 m³
Tank storage LPG----------------------------287,573 m³
Electric Quay cranes-------------------------207

Some filled-in docks in the southern part of the city, nowadays the port is situated in the northern part, expansions as the Deurganckdok are only possible at the other side of the river.

[MVL318]

Docks in the southern part of the city

In my last post, I've talked about some docks that were filled in after the port moved to the north. Here is a picture that shows the docks shortly before they were filled in.



to compare, nowadays it looks like this:

[MVL318]

Pictures of the deurganckdock

These images were made in July and August, not very recent but it gives an impression. Nowadays the first part of the dock is already fully operational.

[Nemo]

Hoi Hoi. pictures of the Deurganckdok. Thanks!

[MVL318]

Deepening of the Scheldt

Today (the 21st of December 2005) the Flemish and Dutch governments signed four new treaties. One of the important agreements concerns the deepening of the Scheldt which links Antwerp to the North Sea.

Once the deepening work has been completed, ships with draughts of up to 13,1 metres (43ft) will be able to use the port of Antwerp without having to take account of ebb and flow tides. This is very important for the growing container ships heading towards Antwerp.

The other treaties deal with nature management, the traffic management and a better protection against floods.

The cost of the work is estimated at 250 million euros. Flanders will pay 80% of the bill with the Dutch government paying the remaining 20%.
A further 200 million euros will be spent on nature reserves in the immediate area of the estuary.

Work will commerce before the end of 2007.

[MVL318]

A review of 2005

-In 2005 nearly 160 million tonnes of cargo were handled in the port of Antwerp, a growth of almost 5%. The past ten years the amount of cargo passing through the port of Antwerp has expanded by nearly 50%.

-In July the Deurganck container dock was officially opened. Due to this there was a growth in the container volume from 68 to more than 74 million tonnes, an increase of 9%. The port of Antwerp handled around 6.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) last year, an increase of 7% on the previous year. Since 2000 the container volume has risen by 68%. The influence of the Deurganckdock (the biggest tidal dock in the world!!!!) will be mostly seen in the following years.

-The overall volume of conventional/breakbulk cargo remained more or less stable.

-The ro/ro volume decreased to 3.6 million tonnes. (-5%)

-More than 26 million tonnes of dry bulk were loaded and unloaded in the port of Antwerp last year, a decrease of 3%. While the coal volume expanded by 30% in 2004, it contracted by 6% in 2005. On the other hand, imports of sand and gravel almost doubled as a result of construction of the Deurganck dock. Nearly 800,000 tonnes of gravel were used for terminal construction.

-The total volume of liquid bulk rose by nearly 5% to 37 million tonnes.

-Last year the number of seagoing ships was around 15,200 (down 1%). However, the ships were bigger, the total tonnage was up by 4%, just as in 2004.

[snot]

Wow, thanks for the detailed documentation! Very interesting!

[MVL318]

Next Monday demonstration in Strasbourg.

At Monday, work at the Belgian seaports will been set down due to a strike, some 1500 Belgian port workers will head towards Strasbourg.

It will be a major demonstration against “Port Package 2”.
- it will the position of protected port-work
- it will make self-dispatchment for crews on ships possible


@snot
thanks, I will try to keep this thread up to date, now and then I will give some additional information about the port and the city.

[MVL318]

“Het eilandje” (translation: ~ small island)

The oldest part of the port is called “het eilandje”, and came into existence in the 16th century, it consists of mainly two docks: the Bonapartedock and the Willemdock. In the following years this will become one of the most city-improvements areas in Antwerp.



Some of the projects:
- a red star line museum, about emigration to America through Antwerp.
- Mas- museum, about the history of Antwerp.
- Their will be built 5 tower blocks (± 50 metres high)
- Offices, lofts, a bib, …
- ……..

The following weeks I will try to give more information and pictures about these projects in one of the oldest places of the port.