Maasvlakte News

Van Oord’s cutter suction dredger Biesbosch and trailing suction hopper dredger Vox Apolonia are teaming up to dredge the Prinses Amaliahaven located on Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.A consortium of Van Oord, HOCHTIEF and Ballast Nedam has constructed 2.4 kilometres of new quay wall. The new quays are being dredged to a depth of more than 20 metres below sea level. This development means that the Port of Rotterdam Authority is ensuring an expansion of container capacity in Rotterdam.In total 1…

Dutch manufacturer Huisman has entered the port and logistics market with the order for series of automated stacking cranes (ACSs) from Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT).The ACSs will serve for the efficient handling and buffering of containers. The cranes feature a fully automated process for handling and buffering containers, providing a solution for enhanced operational efficiency, required for 24/7 operational time.The diversification in port automation underscores Huisman's…

A.P. Moller - Maersk's container terminal operating arm APM Terminals announced the expansion of its Maasvlakte II terminal in Rotterdam, increasing the terminal's capacity by approx. 2 million TEU The project involves a site of approximately 47.5 hectares with 1,000 meters of deep-sea quay. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is now constructing the new quay walls, which will be completed by mid-2024. The new section is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.APM Terminals opened at Maasvlakte II in 2015 as a fully automated facility with zero carbon emissions.

Australian oil and gas company Woodside Energy said Monday it had delivered an LNG cargo to Europe on board the Woodside Rees Withers LNG carrier from Australia’s North West Shelf. The cargo of approximately 75,000 tonnes of LNG (100 million cubic meters of natural gas) was delivered on November 27, 2022, to Uniper Global Commodities SE (Uniper) at the Gate Terminal located on Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherladns. Woodside said the cargo would contribute to natural gas supply in Northwest and Central Europe. Woodside Executive Vice President Marketing & Trading Mark Abbotsford said the company was "pleased to have concluded the trade…

The Port of Rotterdam has blazed a path for ports globally in terms of automation, digitalization and decarbonization. As he enters the final year of his tenure, Allard Castelein, CEO, Port of Rotterdam, says there is still much work to do.While many global organizations are adept at ‘talking the talk’, the Port of Rotterdam stands out as ‘walking the walk’ in regards to real investment and innovation in robotics, digitalization and infrastructure improvements to facilitate the efficient, effective transfer of ship’s cargo for distribution globally.

The volume of total cargo throughput in the port of Rotterdam was 0.8% higher in the first half of the year (233.5 million tonnes) than in the same period in 2021 (231.6 million tonnes). In many segments, the war in Ukraine led to significant changes. For example, imports of both LNG and coal rose very sharply as an alternative to reduced European imports of Russian gas by pipeline. The throughput of crude oil increased, with oil products falling off. Throughput of iron ore, agricultural…

Shell has made the final investment decision for Holland Hydrogen I, which, when completed in 2025, will be Europe's largest renewable hydrogen plant. The plant will be powered by electricity produced from an offshore wind farm in the Dutch section of the North Sea.Shell said Wednesday that the200MW electrolyser would be built on the Tweede Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam and will produce up to 60,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day.The renewable  power for the electrolyser will come from the offshore wind farm  Hollandse Kust (noord)…

Dutch marine services company Boskalis has delivered the Hollandse Kust Zuid Beta substation topside to Tennet in the Netherlands after a long journey from Dubai, where it was built.This is the second High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) offshore transformer station topside, built by Petrofac and Drydocks World Dubai for the Dutch-German transmission grid operator TenneT.The 700 MW Beta topside weighs 3,950 tonnes. It was shipped to the Dutch North Sea aboard Boskalis' Mighty Servant 3 heavy lift and transportation vessel.

TenneT's investigation has shown that there is no major damage to the HKZ Beta jacket in the Dutch North Sea which was hit by a drifting bulk carrier in a storm in January. This means that the 3,950t topside can be installed on the jacket as planned, forming part of the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) grid connection that connects the offshore wind farm zone to the Dutch mainland at the Maasvlakte. The wind farm is being built by Vattenfall. The incidentOn Monday, January 31, the freighter Julietta D.

The second High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) offshore transformer station topside, delivered by Petrofac and Drydocks World Dubai for the Dutch-German transmission grid operator TenneT, has set sail from the fabrication facility in the UAE, Petrofac said Monday.The 700 MW Beta topside weighs 3,950-tonne. It is being shipped to the Dutch North Sea aboard Boskalis' Mighty Servant 3 heavy lift and transportation vessel. The topside will form part of the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) grid connection that connects the offshore wind farm zone to the Dutch mainland at the Maasvlakte.

The intermodal service provider European Gateway Services (EGS) offers network of connections between all deepsea terminals Maasvlakte Rotterdam with Nuremberg in Netharlands.The Rotterdam - Nuremberg rail shuttle is now already calling at all the deepsea terminals at the Maasvlakte (1 and 2).Three times a week, EGS provides a rail connection between Rotterdam and Nuremberg in the state of Bavaria and vice versa. In view of the success of this connection and an increase in the number of requests, RWG will also be directly served as of the 1st of February.By doing so, EGS is responding to the wishes of shippers, forwarders and shipping companies…

The 1.3 Million cbm HES Hartel Tank Terminal, a project of HES International, has been completed on schedule.The HHTT Consortium, comprising Van Hattum and Blankevoort (Koninklijke VolkerWessels), Mobilis (TBI) and Boskalis Nederland, has handed over the construction site to its client, the Port of Rotterdam Authority. This contract involved a total amount of over EUR 100 million.The HHTT Consortium started constructing this challenging project on Maasvlakte in December 2017.The project comprises the construction of a 1,200-metre-long deep-sea quay wall and the connection of the new quay to the existing quay, a quay wall over a length of 1,000 metres for five inland vessels, complete with shore power, and a 350-metre jetty with four berths.

Belgium-based Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV (DEME) said that its installation vessel ‘Innovation’ will set sail to the Belgian North Sea with the first load of 58 turbine foundations and transition pieces for installation at the SeaMade offshore wind farm.Currently the first monopiles and transition pieces are being loaded at SIF Holdings' Maasvlakte terminal in Rotterdam.With a 487 MW capacity SeaMade is the largest offshore wind farm in Belgium. SeaMade stands for a combination of two offshore wind projects, previously known as Mermaid (235 MW) and Seastar (252 MW).DEME’s scope includes the installation of the 58 foundations and all inter-array cables, the installation of two offshore substations and the 220 kV submarine high voltage cable installation.

The APM Terminals Maasvlakte II’s new rail service between the Rotterdam terminal and Venlo, a key logistics hub on the Dutch-German border has been a huge success so far, claimed the port operator.APM Terminals said that following the success of the initial five-times-per-week service, plans are already in place to scale this up to 14 times per week over the coming weeks. Venlo, a key logistics hotspot, was identified as an opportunity for the terminal following a gravity analysis involving key customers. A gravity analysis simplifies the paths taken by cargo through the terminal, and helps identify opportunities to improve efficiency in the logistics chain.Venlo stood out as it is ideally located for servicing distribution centers of major retailers such as C&A…

The first World Ports Climate Action Program (WPCAP) congress will take place in Rotterdam next May. The starting signal for the WPCAP was given in September 2018 at the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s initiative.Eleven leading European and American ports have now become affiliated with WPCAP: Antwerp, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Le Havre, Barcelona, Gothenburg, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver and New York & New Jersey. The ports are working on plans to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping and ports and improve air quality.In the coming spring they will take stock of what has been achieved and will share the results with interested ports, the shipping sector and authorities (port cities and national governments). Agreements will then also need to be made about the follow-up.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced that it has participated in ‘Noah’s Train’ as part of the Rail Freight Forward (RFF) initiative, a collaborative effort to cut freight transport emissions by 30% by 2030.The longest mobile work of art and ambassador of the RFF initiative, Noah’s Train, is an initiative launched by several European railway companies to promote freight transport by rail. Gathered in the Rail Freight Forward coalition, they defend a common goal: reducing the environmental impact of freight transport in Europe.The colourful train with 19 painted wagons arrived at APMT terminal on Rotterdam Maasvlakte following a tour of Katowice…

World's largest container ship the MSC Gülsün arrived yesterday (August 03) at the APMT 2 terminal quay in the Rotterdam harbour and will remain there until Thursday afternoon.The vessel, 400 meters long and with a beam of 62 meters, has a 23,756-TEU (twenty-foot standard containers) capacity, making it the world’s largest container ship.MSC Gülsün is the first container ship capable of transporting 24 containers side by side across the breadth of its hull. The OOCL HongKong, taken into operation two years ago, was the largest containership until now, with a capacity of 21,413 TEU."Increased scale in container shipping is good for the Port of Rotterdam’s competitive position…

World’s largest container ship MSC Gülsün will visit port of Rotterdam. The ship will be calling on the APMT2 terminal at Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam on Tuesday, 3 September, between 2 and 3 p.m.With a length of 400 meters and a width of 62 meters, this vessel has a capacity of 23,756 TEU (20-foot standard containers), making it the largest container ship in the world.MSC Gülsün is the first vessel of its kind that can transport 24 containers side by side across the breadth of its hull.Until recently, the 21,413-TEU OOCL HongKong, which was taken into service two years ago, ranked as the world’s largest container ship.MSC Gulsun is 400 meter long and 61.5 meter wide ship can carry 23,756 standard containers (TEU), including 2,000 refrigerated containers.

The Port of Rotterdam has announced the establishment of the Rotterdam Food Hub, strengthening its position as Western Europe’s biggest transit port for agricultural, horticultural and fishery products.Part of this strategy is the establishment of the Rotterdam Food Hub at Calandkanaal, at the entrance to Maasvlakte. The 60-hectare industrial site is being prepared to offer optimal facilities for ‘agrofood’ sector companies.Land allocation discussions taking place with interested parties for over half of the 60-hectare industrial site near Maasvlakte.Population growth and increasing prosperity, particularly in emerging economies, have resulted in ‘agrofood’ becoming a growth market.

The largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam has reported a new transhipment record for the first six months of 2019 - 240.7 million tonnes, or a 3.4% increase compared to 2018.The offshore sector also made a significant contribution to the maritime activity. 440 offshore vessels, ranging from crane vessels to jack up rigs and from heavy cargo vessels to work/repair vessels, have entered the Maasmond in the past six months.The number of about 75 monthly 'port calls' by vessels for the offshore sector is likely to continue to grow in the second half of the year.Activities in the field of offshore wind are increasing sharply and there is also a slight increase in the field of oil & gas.Traffic to and from Sif Maasvlakte…

The heavy-lift vessel Black Marlin will arrive in the Port of Rotterdam on Monday 12 August.This semi-submersible vessel departed on Monday, 17th June Shanghai, on deck with eighteen Concordia Damen inland shipping vessel hulls and a Damen Crane Barge 6324.The 18 hulls were constructed in China for delivery to Concordia Damen in Werkendam.The Black Marlin will berth on the Rotterdam/Maasvlakte inland lake, after which Boskalis will submerge the Black Marlin at dolphins 90-91 on Wednesday 14 August.The pontoons carrying the 18 hulls will then be towed to Waalhaven. The hulls will start being unloaded on 20 August; a task that will take seven working days.Bonn en Mees will unload the hulls using three floating sheerlegs.

GE Renewable Energy has generated first power from its 12MW Haliade-X prototype - the world's largest and most powerful wind turbine - located at Maasvlakte, the Port of Rotterdam.According to GE, local teams will now proceed with the testing phase, during which different types of measurements will be performed to obtain a Type Certificate for the Haliade-X in 2020.John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said “This first kWh is a critical achievement for our whole team, bringing to fruition our vision and all the hard work put in place. Innovation is part of GE’s DNA, and having successfully powered the world’s first 12 MW wind turbine, this illustrates it perfectly.

The world’s largest wind turbine, Haliade-X, is being tested on Maasvlakte at Port of Rotterdam. This ‘test rig’ was realised via innovative cross-pollination between the American GE Renewable Energy, Sif Netherlands and Pondera Consult.Huge 107-meter-long blades have recently started rotating on Maasvlakte. These are part of the Haliade-X12 MW, the world’s most powerful wind turbine.It is 260 meters high and has a 12-megawatt capacity, sufficient to generate energy to supply electricity to some 16,000 households in the region. As comparison: the wind turbine next to Van Brienenoordbrug has a maximum 3-megawatt capacity.Sif Netherlands is building the foundations for offshore wind farms on the 62-hectare site on Pieter van Vollenhovenweg.