PORT OF ANTWERP IN MAASTRICHT
[BIZ/LOG: Maastricht, October 3] The Port of Antwerp is the gateway to Europe and it handles a 150 million tons. Each year there are more than 15,000 ocean-going ships and more than 65,000 river vessels coming to Antwerp. Antwerp is the third biggest container port in Europe after Rotterdam and Hamburg. The central location in north-western Europe makes Antwerp excellent for links with the European industrial and consumer centers. The sea harbor is an important link for international trade and has an enormous capacity. Antwerp is also a transport network. It’s in the Scheldt-Meuse-Rhine delta. This means that it’s not only linked to the inland waterways in Belgium with its 1,500km, but also to a pan-European network. With a total transport volume of more than 23 million tons in 2003, it’s also Europe’s rail port. On a normal working day, 250 freight trains are loaded and unloaded at the harbor. Each freight car has goods from Antwerp that are sent all over Europe. The Zaventem airport is one of Europe’s biggest airports and is 45 minutes drive from Antwerp. The Antwerp terminals adhere to the strong International Ship & Port Facility Security Code, and the port is regarded as a single customs area. This port of Antwerp is now casting its nets wider and was recently in Maastricht to view the Limburg options, and will clearly soon be developing its relations with Trilogi Port just across the border from South Limburg.
There is a vast increase in the number of containers being handled at European ports. Between 1990 and 2002 there was a rise of 7% and between 2003 to 2006 a rise of 10.9%, and this will continue to grow. In total in 2006, 35 million TEU were handled in European ports. As Rotterdam has reached its maximum capacity, people are looking at alternative ports for the growing flow of containers. Antwerp is one of the options and this has many advantages for southern Dutch companies — as a result of reduced travel time, costs and money can be saved. There is sufficient capacity and there are optimal hinterland connections. Above all, as far as time is concerned, handling containers from Antwerp is going to be much faster than Rotterdam. The travel time, waiting time and handling can save between nine and 14 hours in Antwerp.
http://www.portofantwerp.com/