Left Bank Development Corporation News

Traffic flows between the Belgian port of Antwerp and the hinterland market in Hungary and Austria are increasing continuously. In order to meet the growing demand, the Antwerp Port Authority is promoting the expansion of hinterland connections, especially by rail.Two regular rail connections to Hungary have been established since 2015 and rail services to Austria have been expanded from one to currently three.At a port event held near Vienna on 27 September, leading representatives of the Antwerp port industry provided information on the further development of these transports with Austria and Hungary. 200 guests from both countries followed the invitation of the Antwerp Port Authority.Hungary and Austria are an attractive but highly competitive market for the northern…

Railport Antwerp, a joint initiative by Antwerp Port Authority, the Left Bank Development Corporation and the industry associations Essenscia Vlaanderen and VOKA-Alfaport, is to expand its activities. The company will actively serve rail transport in the port, including intermodal container transport, with the aim of doubling the proportion of rail transport in the port of Antwerp over the next few years. An important step in this process is the appointment of Nils van Vliet as CEO. "Nils van Vliet takes over as CEO of Railport Antwerp as of 1 July 2018," said a press release from the company. Nils has already made a name for himself in the rail sector: in 2004 he joined the first Belgian private rail company DLC (now Crossrail Benelux)…

Belgium, in the Antwerp port area on the left bank of the Scheldt. In the first phase 15 wind turbines will be erected, enough to supply 35,000 Flemish households with green electricity. The ultimate ambition is to build anything from 40 to 50 turbines. Flemish Energy minister Annemie Turtelboom, Beveren mayor Marc Van de Vijver and Antwerp port alderman Marc Van Peel officially launched this sustainable investment project yesterday, auguring a fair wind for the future on the breezy left bank of the Antwerp port area. The first 15 turbines are due to be handed over at the end of October. Antwerp Port Authority and the Left Bank Development…

The Antwerp port area is one of the most important habitats for European endangered species. No fewer than 90 protected species of plant and animal live within the port area. Furthermore, a significant proportion of these plants and animals are specific to ports, being dependent for their continued existence in Flanders on habitats that typically occur in and around ports. When protected species are found within the Antwerp port area it is forbidden for economic activities to threaten their continued existence. However, such a requirement is liable to create legal uncertainty for companies. In order to find a sustainable solution to this situation, a Species Protection Programme for the port of Antwerp has been developed over the past few years.