Double record for port of Antwerp

The port of Antwerp is on course to handle more than 200 million tonnes of freight this year for the first time ever. And in container transhipment too a new record has been set, with more than 9 million TEU being handled. In comparison with last year nearly 8% more containers will be transhipped.
From 2004 to 2015 the freight volume expanded by 50 million tonnes, thus confirming Antwerp’s position as the second-largest port in Europe. The third round of deepening of the Scheldt quickly brought results, with the record for the largest container carrier ever to visit the port being regularly broken. The conversion of former breakbulk sites into tank storage sites also paid off, with the volume of liquid bulk handled in the port growing rapidly.
There has been a huge amount of investment in the port of Antwerp over the past decade, not only by private companies at national and international level but also by public bodies. Wise investment brings rewarding results, not least for the government which seeks to make the best use of the public funds at its disposal. The figures are there for all to see: with added value of nearly 10 billion euros and creating direct and indirect employment for more than 150,000 people Antwerp offers the Flemish government a high return on investment.
According to current forecasts Antwerp will need new container handling capacity by 2020-2021, and so the Port Authority is making urgent preparations for the first phase of a new tidal dock with associated terminal capacity on the Left bank of the Scheldt.
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