Introduction: The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Deltalinqs (the association of port industries) are afraid that the European Commission’s proposal to appoint an independent supervisor for ports in every Member State will lead to a lot of unnecessary procedures and delays.

Introduction: More activity on the way alongside container terminals
Maasvlakte 2 €150 million cheaper than estimated

Introduction: May 16, a ground breaking ceremony marked the start of the expansion of Oman International Container Terminal in Sohar. The construction will pave the way to increase its’ capacity from the current 800,000 TEU to 1,500,000 TEU towards the end of this year.

Introduction: The CLIP Container terminal at Swarzedz (near Poznan), Poland has joined InlandLinks. This brings the total number of terminals to 35: 27 in the Netherlands, 4 in Germany, 3 in Belgium and 1 in Poland. Swarzedz is directly connected to the Port of Rotterdam by a shuttle train running three times a week, operated by ERS Railways. As of June 11th 2013, the frequency of the shuttle connection will be extended to five departures per week and direction with direct calls of Rotterdam RSC as well as POF / Stena Line Terminal (Europoort). The terminal in Swarzedz is bimodal and has currently a capacity of  15,000 TEU a year. The terminal currently disposes of 1 rail track of  780 meters length to which will be soon added parallel track of 700 meters. The storage capacity amounts to 800 TEU on the 0.65 hectare site.

Introduction: Samskip Multimodal is increasing capacity on shortsea services connecting Rotterdam to Hull, United Kingdom, further reducing transit times. As of May 14 it replaced a 340 TEU vessel with a unit of 803 TEU on its Netherlands-UK services into Hull.

Introduction: ECT has expanded its recent order with ZPMC from five toe leven of the very largest quay cranes. All are destined for the ECT Delta Terminal. The new 50-metre high, semi-automatic cranes have a reach of 24 containers wide and will be commissioned from early. Furthermore, a tender for 64 new  automated  vehicles (AGV’s) is in its final stage.  

Introduction: At 109 million tonnes, throughput for the port of Rotterdam in the first quarter of 2013 was 1% lower than the same period last year. Looking at the different cargo types, handling decreased for agribulk (-11%), coal (-2%), crude oil (-7%), other liquid bulk (-2%), containers (-1%) and other general cargo (-20%). The handling of iron ore and scrap (+10%), other dry bulk (+14%), mineral oil products (+3%) and roll on/roll off (+1%) increased.

Introduction: The bunker sector has entered into close collaboration so that the quality and quantity of bunkering supplied in the port of Rotterdam can be better guaranteed. Parties also want to specify which substances (in certain concentrations) should not be permitted to occur in bunker oil. At the same time, the sector desires more transparency with traceable product flows and a more efficient bunkering process.

Introduction: Cosco sets an example for shipping
According to the Environmental Ship Index, the container ship Cosco Pride was the most sustainable vessel to call at the port of Rotterdam last year. Cosco Container Lines actually had five ships in Rotterdam’s top ten sustainable ships in 2012.

Introduction: At present demand for biomass in northwest Europe is about 44 million tons. And while Europe is still largely self-supporting, imports already amount to 4 million tons. International trade in biomass is mostly in the form of wood pellets. To assess the potential growth of wood pellets imports until the year 2030 the Copernicus Institute of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands carried out a study for the Port of Rotterdam. An important conclusion from this study is the fact that the demand for tradable wood pellets will grow to a maximum of 70 million tons in 2030. This means that Europe will become more and more dependent on imports from other regions like Canada, the United States, Brazil, Russia and the Ukraine. 

Introduction: Rotterdam – Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) and Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V. (Van Oord) deliver the first stage of Maasvlakte 2 to client Port of Rotterdam Authority on 17 April: on schedule, on budget and in accordance with the quality requirements specified. PUMA, the joint venture of the two contractors, started  the expansion of the port of Rotterdam five years ago. Today the realisation of 700 hectares of new industrial sites, 11 kilometres of seawall, 3.5 kilometres of quay wall, 24 kilometres of roads, 14 kilometres of rail and 560 hectares of port basin is a fact. 

Introduction: Today Shell puts two inland shipping tankers into use which run on LNG. The 110-metre long ships are ‘single fuel’: they only use one type of fuel, LNG. This not just a first for Shell in the Netherlands, but also for the inland shipping industry. From today the two tankers will sail between Rotterdam and Basel. The tankers are the next step towards more sustainable inland shipping. LNG is a significantly cleaner fuel than the traditional fuel oil or diesel.

Introduction: The intra-European container traffic in Northern Europe, which amounted to around 9 million TEU last year, will continue to increase. Most growth is expected in the Baltic region.
The Dutch consultancy Dynamar predicts that around 9.7 million containers will be transported (+7.8%) by 2015 (excluding the Mediterranean Sea).

Introduction: According to the latest Global Port Tracker report, Rotterdam will be the strongest growing container port in Northern Europe this year.

Introduction: On April 5 2013 Shtandart and Port of Rotterdam Authority signed the land transfer agreement. 

Introduction: After completion of the new train loading/unloading station at Botlek Tank Terminal on 1 April, the first train was loaded the very next day. Around 1,000 tonnes of biodiesel destined for a refinery in Bavaria (Germany) was transferred from one of the storage tanks to a 16-wagon block train.

Introduction: Cargill and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have reached agreement on expanding the current site in the Botlek area by 28,000m2.

Introduction: Huntsman is investing $135m (€104m) into its world-scale methyl di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI) production facilities in Geismar, Louisiana, and Rotterdam. At the Rotterdam facility, Huntsman plans to commission a new MDI splitter and downstream specialties manufacturing unit that the company said will enable it to serve customers with next-generation polyurethane products for automobiles, adhesives, coatings and other applications. The unit, designed to handle globally sourced MDI precursor, will be operational by the end of March.

Introduction: The facilities for handling and storing crude oil in the port of Rotterdam are being further expanded. At Shell Europoort, the jetty has been adapted to handle ships with an even deeper draught. Following the Maasvlakte Oil Terminal (MOT), where three new tanks went into use at the end of 2011, Maatschap Europoort Terminal (MET) is now also expanding its tank capacity. The extra tank capacity is not particularly related to an increase in supply, but gives the refineries greater flexibility, which makes them more competitive. As the extraction/production of North Sea oil is declining, crude oil will be brought in from still other areas in the future. These different types will be blended to specifications at MET.

Introduction: In the future, inland vessels will be allocated time slots for handling at the terminals and depots in the port of Rotterdam, and the number of containers per call will be increased by bundling. In addition, the performance of the chain and individual links will be measured. These are the three pillars of Nextlogic, which is tackling the inefficiencies in inland container shipping, such as long waiting times and unpredictable schedules, with a port-wide, integrated solution. Better utilisation of the infrastructure also facilitates growth and contributes towards an increase in the use of inland shipping. Nextlogic is working towards a large-scale practical trial, which is due to start at the end of 2013.

Introduction: The DP World container terminals in Germersheim (Germany) and Beverdonk (Belgium) joined InlandLinks. This brings the total number of terminals to 33: 26 in the Netherlands, 4 in Germany and 3 in Belgium (*). At present, parent company DP World of the two inland terminals is constructing the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) container terminal at the Second Maasvlakte. The other participants in RWG are the shipping lines Mitsui OSK, NOL, Hyundai and CMA CGM. The terminal is scheduled to be commercially operational in Autumn 2014. It is designed to enable large amounts of hinterland transport by inland vessel and rail.

Introduction: European Bulk Services (E.B.S.)  is to build a 65,000 m3 storage shed at its Europoort Terminal for a major client which wants to use the terminal as an agri-hub.

Introduction: Antwerp/Rotterdam, 14 March 2013 – The ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam are home to two of the largest industrial clusters in Europe, and pipelines are of vital importance for the companies operating there. One year ago the respective port authorities announced that they would collaborate in studying the possibilities of further developing pipeline connections between the two ports. Since then they have mapped out a route and drawn up a joint cost estimate for building a set of pipelines running in parallel. In the near future the port authorities will use these results to draw up a joint business proposal for submission to potential investors and users in their respective ports. 

Introduction: The North Sea Jazz festival will continue to be held in Rotterdam for at least another period of five years. North Sea Jazz, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority signed an agreement to this effect. One aspect of the renewed collaboration is that as of 2013, the name of the festival will be changed to ‘Port of Rotterdam North Sea Jazz Festival’.

Introduction: In Rotterdam, Europe’s main port for the handling, storage and production of biofuels, the throughput of these products increased in 2012 by 24% to 5.9 million tonnes compared to 2011. This can mainly be attributed to biodiesel; its import and export volumes both increased, by a total of 1.5 million tonnes. In contrast, the throughput of ethanol dropped by 17% to 1.4 million tonnes and that of ETBE dropped by 8% to 0.6 million tonnes.

Introduction:

• Net result grows by 17% to €228 million
• Investments at highest level with €626 million
• Dividend of €86 million

The net result of the Port of Rotterdam Authority for 2012 was almost €228 million. Compared to the net result of 2011, this represents an increase of nearly € 33 million (+17%). This is a result of more lease income as well as additional port dues. The operating expenses dropped slightly due to effective cost control. Chief Financial Officer Paul Smits: ‘These figures imply we can continue to fully invest in our port area. This is very important for the mainport development in the long-term. At the same time it offers the opportunity to increase dividend to our shareholders. At the end of last year we had already agreed with the customers to reduce port dues to below the level of 2008. Hence everyone benefits by the positive development.’

Introduction: The container terminal at the Port of Genk (Belgium) has joined InlandLinks. This brings the total number of terminals to 32: 26 in the Netherlands, 3 in Germany and 2 in Belgium. The terminal in Genk is trimodal and has a capacity, on the water side, of 80,000 TEU a year. The quay has a length of 2000 metres. There is a twice-weekly inland shipping connection with Rotterdam. There is room to store 5000 TEU on the 40-hectare site, 7 hectares of which is container terminal. The Port of Genk also handles and stores general cargo and bulk cargo.

Introduction: On february 28, European Bulk Services (EBS) started the construction of a new storage shed at the Laurenshaven terminal . The concrete building, with a net volume of 30,000m3, is scheduled to enter service in September 2013. By significantly expanding the storage capacity within reach of gantry cranes, it will increase the versatility of the Laurenshaven terminal, raise efficiency and will be more environment-friendly. The building will require an investment of some €5 million.

Introduction: The number of sea-going ships arriving in the port of Rotterdam decreased further in 2012. Increased scale, crisis and fewer ferry service departures reduced the number of arrivals by 2,347 to 32,057 ship visits. In 2008, 36,415 sea-going ships still arrived. Despite the decline, throughput in 2012 increased by 1.7 per cent to 442 million tonnes. This emerged from the presentation of the nautical figures given by Harbour Master René de Vries of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

Introduction: In 2012, Rotterdam Foreign Investment Agency realized as many as 28 international investment projects.. As already in 2011, most of the projects come from Asia and a quarter of these originate from China. Most of these investment projects are connected to the port, but also the medical and the creative sectors have welcomed new arrivals.

Introduction: Rotterdam continues to be popular with international companies. In 2012 as many as 28 international companies have chosen to set up operations in Rotterdam after facilitation by the Rotterdam Investment Agency. According to the Agency's report ‘Verantwoording 2012 en ambities 2013’ ('Responsibilities of 2012 and Ambitions for 2013') the enterprises expect to create 1900 jobs and invest around 193 million Euros within the next three years. 

Introduction: H&S Container Line is to launch a rail service between Rotterdam and the terminal on the Rhine in Kehl, Germany, opposite Strasbourg. The service, the 'Black Forest Express', will offer two departures a week in both directions, starting on 1 March. In Rotterdam, calls will be made at the ECT Delta, APMT, Euromax (all Maasvlakte) and RSC (Waalhaven/Eemhaven) terminals.

Introduction: The Netherlands continues to hold its attraction for foreign companies. In 2012 the NFIA, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, supported 170 investment projects from abroad with a total value of more than EUR 930 million. These projects involve 5,166 jobs. This was revealed in the annual results of the NFIA.

Introduction:

Introduction: Rotterdam will be the first port in the world to reward ocean-going LNG tankers which possess the Green Award certificate. The Port Authority will give these ships 6% discount on port dues when they arrive in Rotterdam. LNG tankers have arrived in Rotterdam since the opening of the Gate terminal in 2011.

Introduction: The financial position of the Port Authority develops better than expected
Next month, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will transfer €290 million to the Dutch State. This is eight years ahead of the schedule planned in 2005. In 2005, the Dutch State, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port Authority agreed that the Port Authority would receive a total amount of €726 million from the Dutch State in 2011 and 2012 as a contribution towards the construction of Maasvlakte 2, and that the Port Authority would pay a similar amount by means of extra dividend to the Dutch State, spread out over a number of years, as of 2021. In addition to this one-off repayment of €290 million, the Port Authority will structurally increase the annual dividend to the Municipality by around €13.3 million and to the Dutch State by around €5.5 million. Paul Smits, Chief Financial Officer of the Port Authority: “The financial position of the Port Authority is developing better than forecasted. This is partly due to fact that the Maasvlakte 2 project is costing less than forecasted. There have been virtually no setbacks during its construction. Last year we entered into discussion with both our shareholders. In consultation, we changed the agreements from 2005 and this allows us to spread our cash outflows over a longer period. That is more favourable for us. At the same time we are meeting the request of the shareholders to raise the dividend in the short term. On balance we pay the same amount in dividend in the end.”

Introduction: The capacity of tank terminal Vopak Vlaardingen is to be expanded by around 90,000 m3. 85 tanks were demolished on the Western side of the terminal last year. They will be replaced by 52 new tanks. The demolished tanks had a capacity of 50,000 m3, whereas the new storage tanks have a capacity of 140,000 m3. 

Introduction: More investment in connections to the Western ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Zeebrugge: this is what Die Grünen advocates. Die Grünen are the Greens party in the Bundestag, the German parliament.

Introduction: Grid manager Stedin is investing almost half a billion euros in the construction, improvement and replacement of gas and electricity grids in 2013. The most important expansions in the power grid take place in the port of Rotterdam area, the islands of the province of Zuid-Holland and in the province of Utrecht. 

Introduction: Bulk Stevedoring Rotterdam and Van Uden Stevedoring are merging to become BSR-Van Uden Stevedoring. The combination has terminals in Rotterdam and Moerdijk with a total of five shore cranes, two floating cranes, eight hectares of land and 1500 m of quay.  

Introduction: Last Saturday, the carrier ‘Hoogvliet’ for oversized cargo was launched at Cruise Terminal Rotterdam. It will be deployed in European waters by a business alliance of which the main participants are Hartel Shipping and Hudig & Veder.
They choose the limited partnership (LP) structure to invest in a series of four carriers to be deployed in parcel service for the oversized cargo industry to carry smaller volume project cargo. For cost effective reasons those involved have chosen for relatively lower tonnage vessels. In short: the vessels fill a niche in the market.

Introduction: Air Liquide will invest €65 million in a new carbon monoxide production unit in the Port of Rotterdam, to be located next to the company’s existing facilities. The plant, which will be commissioned in the first half of 2015, will double Air Liquide’s carbon monoxide production capacity in the port area. This additional carbon monoxide will also help meet new needs of Air Liquide’s customers in the port.

Introduction: The Netherlands profits more from the trade with the United Kingdom than from exports to its main trading partners Belgium and Germany.

Introduction: In Venlo a service point has opened for the storage, cleaning and inspection of reefer containers. In this way the Venlo region is anticipating the rise of the reefer container in the frozen and refrigerated transport sector.

Introduction: The European Commission is setting aside € 2.1 billion to equip 139 seaports and inland ports with LNG bunker stations by 2025. The plan forms part of the new EU strategy for clean fuels.

Introduction: For the Minister for Transport of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Michael Groschek, extension of the rail connection with the Netherlands is a spearhead of his future policy. “We see Rotterdam as our seaport, the Dutch see Duisburg as their inland port”, stresses Groschek.

Introduction: During January, Dutch exporters sold more, mainly outside Europe. As a result, industrial activity increased slightly, balanced against the poor domestic demand, after three months of shrinkage. This is apparent from the monthly survey held by the Dutch Association for Purchasing Management (NEVI) published on 1 February. This index, which serves as a reliable indicator for the economic situation, was at 50.2 last month, therefore just above the value of 50 which indicates the tilting point between shrinkage and growth.

Introduction: The realisation of Rotterdam Cool Port (phase 1) has reached an advanced stage. The parties in Rotterdam Cool Port (Kloosterboer, Europe Container Terminals (ECT) and the Port of Rotterdam) expect to formalise agreements before May 2013. This puts the project at the starting line, meaning that construction can begin this year, as planned.

Introduction: Last year less fuel was supplied to shipping in the port of Rotterdam. Bunker volume fell from 12.2 to 10.9 million tonnes. Fuel oil accounted for the great majority of this; 10.3 million tonnes compared to 11.6 million tonnes in 2011. Gas oil bunkering increased slightly; from 530,000 to 550,000 tonnes. The Port of Rotterdam Authority attributes the decline as a whole to the more efficient way of sailing adopted by shipping (‘super slow steaming’).

Introduction: Businesses on the Maasvlakte are going to start training lateral entrants to fill the vacancies for technical staff in particular. The first class will begin in May. The so-called TechAcademy Maasvlakte is an MBO-level (upper secondary vocational education) course that also focuses on the over-45s without work experience in the port.

Introduction: Today, 28 January, is the first day of a week-long promotion trip through Japan by representatives of the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and President and CEO of the Port Authority, Hans Smits are leading the delegation. There are two parallel programmes: one emphasising shipping companies, shippers and freight forwarders and one targeting maritime services, chemicals, bio-based raw materials and LNG as fuel for sea-going vessels.

Introduction: Throughput levels in the Port of Sohar have surged across all cargo types during 2012. Total cargo volumes handled by the port soared 51% to reach 43,936,193 freight registered tons (FRT) in 2012, from 29,134,240 FRT a year earlier. Vessel traffic jumped 29% to 1,918 calls, against 1,487 vessel movements a year earlier. 

Introduction: ‘Change Your Perspective’
The Port of Rotterdam Authority starts a new campaign which aims to strengthen the brand ‘Port of Rotterdam’ around the world.  The pay-off ‘Change Your Perspective’ will position Rotterdam as a ground breaking port, in order to emphasise the added value of the port for existing and potential customers worldwide. The new campaign was kicked off by new chairman Steven Lak during the annual dinner of Deltalinqs, the employers’ organisation of the Port of Rotterdam. It is the first time that the Port of Rotterdam will be positioned as a clear brand for the entire port area.

Introduction: The Rhein-Waal Container Terminal in Emmerich and Neuss Intermodal Terminal in Neuss have joined InlandLinks.

Introduction: Europart, a German distributor of business vehicle parts and workshop supplies, will soon be opening its first Dutch branch in the port of Rotterdam. It will be a logistics hub as well as a retail outlet. Major European clients already present in Rotterdam collaborated closely on the decision to establish a branch here.

Introduction: The German Alba Group expects the acquisition of Reukema Balkan to help it boost its position as one of the 10 largest scrap metal suppliers in Turkey. The company already supplies the Turkish market with its deep-sea terminal in Dordrecht at the Port of Rotterdam.

Introduction: EMO’s new 85-tonne unloader, the largest of its kind in the world, is now fully operational in the Missisippihaven. The unloader, fabricated entirely in Europe, strengthens the terminal’s unloading capacity by 10 million tonnes per year, thereby massively improving the efficiency and service provided.

Introduction: Shipping company CMA CGM, together with partner Fesco-ESF, has added the port of Ust-Luga to its Loop D sailing timetable, giving the port of Rotterdam a direct connection with this new Russian port. The service will be used partly to tranship cargo from the Far East to Russia with the FAL7 (Lion) service via the port of Rotterdam. Rotterdam receives three feeder services to Saint Petersburg (B, C and D) from CMA CGM and Fesco-ESF. Loop C also stops in Tallinn on its way to Russia.

Introduction: Cobelfret starts a container service between Rotterdam and Leixoes through its subsidiary shipping company CLdN. It will start on 11 January 2013, providing a 700 TEU ship which sails every Tuesday from the Cobelfret terminal in the Botlek.

Introduction: IMS is increasing the frequency of its rail service for containers between Veendam and Rotterdam from three to five trips per week in both directions. The increase in frequency, starting on 2 January, was made possible through cooperation with DB Schenker Rail.

Introduction: Port of Rotterdam throughput grows 1.7%
Despite the ailing economy, freight throughput in the port of Rotterdam grew by 1.7% in 2012. A total of 442 million tonnes of cargo went through the port.

Introduction: The largest container ship in the world, the CMA-CGM Marco Polo, arrived for the first time in the port of Rotterdam on the night of Saturday 15 December. The ship has a capacity of 16,000 TEU (20-foot container units) and was loaded and unloaded at ECT Delta Terminal on the Maasvlakte. The ship, 396 metres long, 54 metres wide, draught 16 metres, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in South Korea.

Introduction: The tomato ketchup of HJ Heinz for the European market will be transported between Elst and Rotterdam by barge from January onwards. Currently, the containers with the end product still go to Rotterdam by road. From there, they go by short sea ship to the country of destination.

Introduction: European Gateway Services has launched the EGS E-GATE App. Users can find information with it about containers, sea-going ships, feeders, inland vessels and trains which are present at ECT’s terminals in the port of Rotterdam.

Introduction: The volume of Dutch export of cargo was 6% higher in October than a year ago. This puts the export growth above that of the preceding four months. The volume of import likewise grew by 6% in October. This growth is also higher than that for the months June to September.

Introduction: Air Liquide is participating in the realisation of a hydrogen filling station in Rotterdam for cars, buses and trucks with fuel cells. The station will have a distribution capacity of 50 full tanks per day. You can drive 500 to 600 kilometres on a full tank. The station will be up and running at the end of 2013.

Introduction: Terminal operator ECT recently ordered an additional five new quay cranes of the very largest kind with ZPMC to improve its customer services further. The rapid scaling up of container shipping constitutes an extra driver in that respect.

Introduction: Every year, Bavaria shifts the transport of a good 1,400 containers from the road to inland shipping. The beer brewery uses the container terminal in Veghel. Bavaria already uses 20-foot and 40-foot containers to transport some of its beer, but now it is adding 45-foot containers. The brewer uses them for the European short sea destinations.

Introduction: From 1 December 2012, large container ships will be able to pass each other when entering and leaving the port of Rotterdam. The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management widened the Maasgeul for this purpose by a good 250 metres. Sea-going ships with a draught of more than 14.4 metres can only enter or leave the port of Rotterdam via this navigation channel.

Introduction: The Netherlands has been proclaimed the most globalised country in the world in the second edition of DHL’s Global Connectedness Index. Just like in 2010, the Netherlands was the most internationally connected country in the world in 2011, according to standards of trade flows, capital, information and people.

Introduction: The business sector is following the progress of the construction of the third rail track on the Emmerich-Oberhausen stretch – the extension of the Dutch Betuwe Route – with great anxiety. On 20 November 2012, in Duisburg, the Dutch-German Chamber of Commerce (DNHK) in The Hague, the Niederrhein CCI (IHK) and the LogistikCluster NRW made an urgent call on the project partners – German federal government, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state government and Deutsche Bahn AG – to come up with a final financing agreement no later than next spring.

Introduction: The construction of Maasvlakte 2 is still on schedule and the first phase is close to completion. After the ‘back door’ was closed on 11 July 2012, contractor PUMA (Boskalis and Van Oord) will open the ‘front door’ next weekend. That is when the Yangtzehaven cut-through will start. The temporary inland lake that was created on Maasvlakte 2 will disappear so that the new port will soon be accessible to the ships which need to moor at the APM Terminals Maasvlakte II (AMPT MVII) and the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) terminal in 2014. Both container terminals are hard at work with the construction on their freshly reclaimed land.

Introduction: Last major sub-project for the construction of Maasvlakte 2 initiated To make Maasvlakte 2 accessible to shipping, the PUMA contracting consortium (Boskalis and Van Oord) has started excavation of the temporary dam between the Yangtzehaven and the Maasvlakte 2 ports. The contractor will leverage the water’s force for the very last part. This coming weekend the dam between the Yangtzehaven and Maasvlakte 2 will be lowered at low tide. When the flood tide returns, the rising waters will flow across the dam into the Maasvlakte 2. The expectation is that the flooding waters will wash away a great deal of sand and will ultimately breach the dam. This will speed up the rate at which the breach develops and the rates of flow will eventually decrease.

Introduction: The Port of Rotterdam Authority and employers’ organisation Deltalinqs have called on the Dutch government to seek a maximum European contribution to the hinterland connections which are so important for the Netherlands. In the European Union budget negotiations it is of the utmost importance that the Dutch government insists on the modernization of the EU budget, by reducing agricultural and cohesion budgets in favour of investments. The Chairman of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Hans Smits, and the Chairman of Deltalinqs, Wim van Sluis, stated this today in an open letter to the government.

Introduction: Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics sails every Thursday from the port of Rotterdam to Stockholm and Saint Petersburg.

Introduction: The MCS container terminal in Leeuwarden and the winding hole for 110-metre ships at the junction of the Zwette and Van Harinxma canals (map) have been opened officially.

Introduction: Despite the currently weak market for container transport by rail, operators Transfracht, TX Logistik and Kombiverkehr expressed their positive opinion on the market development in Rotterdam in the German transport trade journal Verkehrsrundschau. As regards the background to this matter, it is not unlikely that preparations are underway for the moment when the new container terminals of APMT and Rotterdam World Gateway on Maasvlakte 2 are put into operation.

Introduction: The Huelva-Rotterdam line, run by the Iberian Alveis-Shipping company, will resume, it is scheduled to start on November 28, although the final date will depend on the citrus campaign. Because  the citrus season is late, another possible date is December 5.

Introduction: Oil Company Argos is the first European company to introduce sustainable certified sugarcane ethanol on the European market. Together with Solidaridad Argos welcomed the first shipment of Bonsucro verified ethanol from Brazil in the Port of Rotterdam. Argos will use the best in class ethanol as sustainable bio component in the process of blending transportation fuels.

Introduction: Today, 15 November, Maastank and the Port of Rotterdam Authority signed the contract for the expansion of the current site in the Botlek, from 17,000 m2 to 21,500 m2. This will enable Maastank to enlarge the specialised tank storage of vegetable oils from 40,000 m3 to 90,000 m3 in the coming years. Today Fluvia also christened its latest inland tanker for mineral oil, the Piz Roseg (2,700 tonnes), at the Maastank jetty.

Introduction: Last weekend, the Port of Rotterdam Authority concluded the fourteen-day Port Management Programme which it organised for the third time. Twenty-two professionals from international partners from countries including China, Qatar, Brazil and Oman gained insight into all aspects of the Rotterdam port management through the programme.

Introduction: On 7 November 2012, Bernard Muller received the Boeganker award from the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Hans Smits, President and CEO presented him with the award for his services to the port of Rotterdam and the bunkering and tank sector in particular.

Introduction:

•  Port of Rotterdam Authority gives massive discount for fourth year in a row
•  2013 discount higher than 2012
•  € 5 million to stimulate sustainability projects in port

Introduction: Maritime industry leaders from Oman will head to Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM) 2012 next month as the country’s key northern Port of Sohar confidently moves ahead with its ambitious expansion plans. With investments exceeding $14 billion and one of the largest port development projects in the world, the port of Sohar, along with the Sohar Free Zone, have teamed up in a bid to promote business opportunities as both facilities undergo expansion, with the port facility a hub for chemical trading. “Sohar Port has benefited from increased fiscal support from an Oman government, keen to capitalise on the country’s strategic location and the potential economic windfall that could realise, including a boost for Omani employment,” said Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade.

Introduction: Cargo throughput in the Port of Rotterdam increased by 1.7% to 333 million tonnes during the first nine months of 2012. Growth can be attributed completely to exports: incoming cargo was stable (0%), while outgoing cargo rose 7%. Throughput of crude oil (+6%), mineral oil products (+13%), other liquid bulk (+5%), containers (+2%) and roll on/roll off (+2%) increased. Less agribulk (-15%), iron ore and scrap (-16%), coal (-5%), other dry bulk (-8%), LNG (-6%) and other general cargo (-24%) was loaded and unloaded. Dry bulk handling decreased by 11% to 58 million tonnes and liquid bulk handling increased by 9% to 161 million tonnes.

Introduction: The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) and Green Award Foundation nautical environmental certificates will be joining forces. In the future, the foundation will take the results of ESI on board in its own evaluation and in return, it will check the emissions of ‘Green Award ships’ on behalf of ESI during the annual audit.

Introduction: The Stuttgarter Container Terminal (SCT) in Baden-Württemberg is the first German hinterland terminal that joined the quality mark InlandLinks. The terminal is connected with the port of Rotterdam by very regular barge and rail services. In 2011, STC handled just over 82,000 TEU and 39,000 TEU in the first six months of 2012. Some 70% of the volume is train related and 30% is transported by barge (*).  

Introduction: Europe needs to invest in improvements in European infrastructure to ensure economic growth. This is the opinion of a number of CEOs from European companies, including Hans Smits, Port of Rotterdam Authority. To this end, today, 24 October, they are signing a manifesto with the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, calling on European government leaders to maintain an infrastructure budget of €50 billion. Investing in infrastructure means investing in economic growth and in the competitive strength of Europe and of Rotterdam.

Introduction: Nine inland ports on the Upper Rhine have decided to join forces. It concerns the ports of Strasbourg, Kehl, Colmar, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Karlsruhe and Rheinports Basel-Mulhouse-Weil. The cooperation between inland ports from three different countries is a first for Europe. They have also been included by the European Commission in the TEN-T-programme, as an important link in the Rotterdam-Genoa corridor. The ports represent a fifth of bulk and a third of container transport on the Rhine.

Introduction: In the first six months since increasing its frequency, the Stuttgart-Rotterdam rail shuttle transported more than 10,000 TEU. According to operator Stuttgarter Container Terminal (SCT), this meant that it achieved capacity utilisation of almost 85%. The export trains from Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) did particularly well. The cargo to and from the region consists of automotive materials, chemicals, scrap, electronics, tyres, paper and other industrial goods. Thanks partly to the positive development of the shuttle, SCT wants to further strengthen its relationship with the port of Rotterdam.

Introduction: From 3 November 2012 to 13 January 2013, the Nederlands Fotomuseum will present the exhibition entitled Marie-José Jongerius: Lunar Landscapes - Maasvlakte 2. In this work, the Dutch photographer has recorded the development of Maasvlakte 2, the extension project of the port of Rotterdam, in an intriguing way. During the past year, she aimed her large-format camera at the new landscape in the night-time. This produced largeformat hotographic images with an enigmatic beauty.

Introduction: The largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam, and the largest port in Scandinavia, the Port of Gothenburg, have entered a new alliance. The aim is to speed up the establishment of liquefied natural gas as a maritime fuel.

Introduction: European Gateway Services, the ECT subsidiary, and TX Logistik this week launched a second service to southern Germany. After Nuremberg, they will now also serve Munich. From Rotterdam, there will be three trains a week to the southern German city.

Introduction: The province of Gelderland is granting a € 460,000 subsidy for the construction of a container terminal on the Medel industrial estate in Tiel. In the future, up to 80,000 containers a year will have to be handled at the new terminal. A sizeable proportion of these will contain temperature-controlled cargo. The terminal is one of the sub-projects of Fresh Corridor. A few weeks ago, the municipality of Tiel received € 900,000 from the state for an access road to the terminal.

Introduction: Under the name ‘The Sustainable Corridor’, Pernis Combi Terminal (PCT), Kamps Transport and Customs Solutions & Improvements (CSI) today (4 October) launched a new inland shipping service within the port area. Neele Logistics in Pernis is the first customer.

Introduction: Kloosterboer, Europe Container Terminals (ECT) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority want to join forces in setting up Rotterdam Cool Port. The planned location for this intermodal hub for the transhipment and storage of refrigerated and frozen products is the Prins Willem Alexanderhaven on part of the current ECT City Terminal. Construction could begin in September 2013 and it could be fully operational just over a year later. The three companies are announcing this today during the Fresh Corridor conference “Verslogistiek in beweging” (Fresh logistics on the move).

Introduction: The Alpherium in Alphen a/d Rijn is the most recent and 25th hinterland terminal to be awarded the InlandLinks certification mark. The Combi Terminal Twente was found to be the highest scoring terminal in the network following the second annual round of audits. This will be announced today by Donald Baan, business manager Logistics at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, during the conference ‘Get a taste of InlandLinks’ in Hengelo. The conference is being organised to mark the opening of the extension to the Combi Terminal Twente. Within a few months, the first German hinterland terminals will also become affiliated and a start will be made, together with users, on the development of new functions geared towards supply chain efficiency.

Introduction: On 25 September 2012, the Dutch Minister of Security and Justice, Ivo Opstelten, officially opened Truckparking Rotterdam. This took place at the Waalhaven Truck Parking Area on the Beatrix de Rijkstraat, where 124 parking places are available. Truckparking Rotterdam includes another two secure parking areas in the Botlek - at the Distripark and at Restaurant de Punt, each with 85 parking places.

Introduction: Today, 25 September, construction started on a new building for Cargotec Netherlands at Pier 4. The business is currently still located on the Maashaven. The new office building will house around 150 workers and has a surface area of 3,500 square metres. It is due to be completed by the start of 2014. In addition, a workshop of a good 6,000 square metres is under construction for products of the various Cargotec brands such as Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor.

Introduction: The Port of Rotterdam Authority is to build three new public lay-by berths for coastal container shipping on the Maasvlakte. Since the beginning of this year, the ro/ro dolphins of the Rhenus terminal have been used intensively for this purpose. With throughput of almost 12 million standard containers (TEU), Rotterdam is the largest container port in Europe. During the first six months, coastal shipping handled 2 million TEU containers here. A lot of coastal shipping calls at several container terminals in Rotterdam and sometimes has to wait between calls.