Jacques Vandermeiren News

Port of Antwerp-Bruges and CMB.TECH have announced a world first: the Hydrotug 1, the first hydrogen-powered tugboat, is ready for operation in the Antwerp port area.The Hydrotug 1 is the first tugboat in the world to be powered by combustion engines that burn hydrogen in combination with traditional fuel. It is the first vessel that uses the BeHydro V12 dual fuel medium speed engines – each providing 2MW – with the latest EU Stage V emissions aftertreatment.With these engines…

The first hydrogen-powered tug worldwide is equipped with SCHOTTEL propulsion systems. The vessel, which will be among the cleanest of the fleet of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, has recently been launched by the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Armon and will enter operations at the Belgian port in early 2023.Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said, “With the Hydrotug, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is making an important step in the transition to a sustainable, CO2-neutral port.

The Port of Antwerp is adapting to losing shipping trade with Russia and its merger with the neighboring Port of Zeebrugge is set to boost overall volumes in coming years, the group's chief executive said on Thursday.Global shipping companies including leading container lines have cut business ties with Russia due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions. While food and medical shipments are still allowed, overall exports to Russia have been hit…

At the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) on climate change, the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Montreal have signed a cooperation agreement to support the creation of the first green shipping corridor in the North Atlantic.Through this agreement, the two ports pledge to mobilize their respective public- and private-sector partners alike in the assessment, identification, development and adoption of shared or complementary solutions and infrastructures. Together, they intend…

The Port of Antwerp recorded a year-on-year rise in the volume of cargo handled for the first seven months of 2021, even though disruptions caused by COVID-19 and Britain's departure from the European Union have depressed trade elsewhere, officials said.Countries have tightened entry requirements in response to successive waves of the pandemic, leading ports to become backed up and preventing seafarers from changing over with colleagues onboard ships for many months.Separately…

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel was christened in the Port of Antwerp on March 23.The new vessel, named FlexFueler 002, was built by Dutch shipbuilder Kooiman Marine for owners gas infrastructure group Fluxys and LNG supplier Titan LNG, and it will ensure that ships can refuel with LNG anywhere in the port. It will operate from its permanent moorings at quay 526/528 and supply LNG throughout the port and the Western Scheldt.It is the third vessel to join Titan LNG’s expanding infrastructure in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region…

The Port of Antwerp has seen significant growth for the seventh year in a row, with freight volume up 1.3% to 238 million tonnes. Although some segments are under pressure, the port says it is making progress both economically and in sustainability and mobility.Container freight, in particular, gained market share (up from 27.5% to 28.2%), while the dry bulk segment for its part saw its total volume expand by 3.4%.In breakbulk on the other hand, with steel as the main product, the consequences of turbulence in world were clearly felt, resulting in an overall contraction of 13%.In the liquid bulk segment too the volume was down, by 4.4%…

The total freight volume handled by Port of Antwerp rose from January through September 2019 by 1.1% compared with the same period last year. The container volume (in TEU) was up by as much as 6.4%.However the slowdown in the world economy reduced the growth rate of more volatile trade flows such as conventional break-bulk, liquid bulk and vehicles. On the other hand the volume of dry bulk such as scrap metal, minerals and coal soared by 9.5%, further propelling the overall freight growth for Port of Antwerp.With growth of 5.7% container freight is by far the largest category in the port of Antwerp. This growth can mainly be seen in the transshipment of containers, but the container volume is also expanding as a result of more imports and exports.

Europe's second-largest seaport Port of Antwerp has ordered construction of a tug powered by hydrogen, the first in the world.The unique "Hydrotug" is driven by combustion engines that burn hydrogen in combination with diesel. The motors also comply with the very strictest standard, the EU Stage V, making them the lowest-rated for emissions on the market.The Belgium-based port operator said that this ultra-low-emission tug is being built by Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB), a pioneer in the field of hydrogen power for shipping. With this world first Antwerp is making an important step in the transition to a sustainable, CO2-neutral port.By lending support to this promising technology Port of Antwerp hopes that the shipping industry will follow.

Antwerp and Rotterdam Port Authorities asked new European Commission (EC) and Parliament to focus on the economic significance of ports.The energy transition and digitization are the two strategic challenges facing large industrial ports. The European Union can offer port authorities and industrial clusters important incentives to achieve the transition toward the CO2-neutral ports of the future.That is why Antwerp and Rotterdam Port Authorities have taken the initiative to organize a joint event for European policy makers, with contributions from experts from the world of science, industry and logistics.‘The Added Value of Ports’ event takes place in Brussels on Wednesday, 11 September 2019.

With expected growth of 5.1% compared with last year, 2018 looks set to be a record year for the Port of Antwerp for the sixth time in a row."In 2019 the Port Authority will keep to the same course, further building a sustainable future for the port. In pursuit of this goal it is concentrating heavily on structural solutions to challenges such as mobility, the energy transition, digitisation and innovation," said a press release from the port authority.The expected total freight volume in 2018 comes to 235 million tonnes, a new record, with unparalleled growth in all types of cargo. The large expansion in container freight continues, reaching 130 million tonnes (up 5.8%) or 11 million TEU (up 5.5%).

Throughput continues to register growth in the Port of Antwerp. After record semi-annual figures, the total throughput after nine months stands at 177,026,550 tonnes – a sharp 6% increase compared with the same period last year.A press release from the company said that with these results, the port seems to be on track for the sixth record year in a row. The recent wave of investments moreover confirms the port’s appeal and reaffirms its role as a world player.Container traffic registered robust growth yet again, up by 7.1%  (98,436,773 tonnes) compared with the first nine months of 2017. In terms of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)…

Belgian port Antwerp said that throughput continues to register growth in the port. After record semi-annual figures, the total throughput after nine months stands at 177,026,550 tonnes – a sharp 6% increase compared with the same period last year.With these results, the port seems to be on track for the sixth record year in a row. The recent wave of investments moreover confirms the port’s appeal and reaffirms its role as a world player.Maritime throughput continues to grow. Container traffic registered robust growth yet again, up by 7.1%  (98,436,773 tonnes) compared with the first nine months of 2017. In terms of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)…

The Austrian petrochemical company Borealis has announced that it is to build a new production plant on its existing site in Kallo, in the Antwerp port area.According to a press release, the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant will use the very latest technology in terms of sustainable production and energy efficiency. With this initiative the port of Antwerp confirms and reinforces its role as the largest chemical cluster in Europe.The intention to build a new PDH plant to convert propane into propylene has been known for some time. The propylene in turn can be used to make polypropylene, a plastic with many applications which is employed in among others the car industry.Borealis has now decided to build this new plant at the existing Borealis production site in Kallo.

Samskip is launching a new shortsea service connecting Antwerp and Hull, in an expansion of its continent-UK multimodal network that also sees it debut at Belgium’s largest port.The intermodal logistics company  said in a press release that the initial schedule offers a twice weekly short sea container service, with its first departure from Antwerp on the 12th October.The service will be operated by a 508TEU capacity vessel, sailing from ATO's multimodal terminal on Tuesday and Saturday and ABP Port of Hull on Thursday and Monday.This new connection is in addition to Samskip's existing shortsea services connecting Rotterdam with Tilbury, Hull and Grangemouth (eight per week) and the recent three times weekly Amsterdam-Hull service.

The climate target of getting Belgian CO2 emissions 35% lower by 2030 is a formidable challenge. In this context Antwerp Port Authority and gas infrastructure operator Fluxys believe strongly that carbon capture, storage and reuse by industry is an important weapon in the fight against climate change. They are therefore teaming up to take further practical steps that will help give shape to the energy transition. In the first phase, Antwerp Port Authority and Fluxys are studying the feasibility of solutions for capturing CO2 from industry in the port, transporting it by pipeline or ship and finally re-using or storing it. If the results of the feasibility study are positive then the aim is to jointly promote practical projects.

After a record first three months the port of Antwerp has also had an excellent second quarter with May as the best month ever. During the first six months of the year the port handled 118,648,143 tonnes of freight, a sharp increase of 6.5% compared with the same period last year. The main driver continues to be container freight which experienced further rapid growth of 8.2% compared with the first six months of 2017. The strong freight figures for the first quarter continued unabated in the second quarter. The container volume for its part rose by 8.2% to 66,298,043 tonnes. In TEU this indicates an increase to 5,567,905 TEU (up 8.3%). May was an all-time record month, with the port of Antwerp handling a peak container volume of more than 1 million TEU.

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)…

The Japanese group MOL Chemical Tankers is coming to the port of Antwerp. Together with the port group SEA-Invest it is to invest some 300 to 400 million euros in construction of a tank storage terminal for liquid chemicals. This is yet more confirmation of the port's power of attraction for big investors.Mol Chemical Tankers, a member of the Japanese group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, will team up with SEA-Invest to build a tank storage terminal in the port of Antwerp. The Sea-Mol joint venture has been set up for this purpose, for which it will invest some 300 to 400 million euros. The new investment is expected to create 100 direct jobs.The tank terminal will be located on a 45 hectare site in the Delwaide dock.

Seven ports have now elevated the Paris Agreement Climate Goal to the top of their agendas to keep global warming well below 2°C.With their World Ports Climate Action Program announced, the port authorities of Hamburg, Barcelona, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver and Rotterdam will collaborate in refining and developing tools to facilitate reduction of CO2 emissions from maritime transport.The Port Authority organisations call upon the shipping industry and other ports to join the commitment to deliver on the Paris Agreement and to work together on actions that yield measurable results.Allard Castelein President & Chief Executive Officer of  Port of Rotterdam said: “The Paris Agreement has set a clear target: we need to limit global warming to well below 2°C.

The UK is the third-largest maritime trading partner for the port of Antwerp. In order to be fully prepared for Brexit the Port Authority is taking various initiatives including the appointment of a new representative for the UK and Ireland. Justin Atkin has assumed this role as of 1 September 2018.With an annual freight volume of around 15 million tonnes the UK is the port of Antwerp's largest maritime trading partner after the USA and Russia. Antwerp is also ideally situated as an investment location close to the European centres of decision-making, and as the gateway to Europe from where the continent can be served quickly and efficiently…

The EU working party responsible for advising the EU Brexit negotiators paid a visit to the port of Antwerp on Monday 28 May. The working party is made up of representatives of the 27 EU countries, the European Commission and the European Council. During their visit to the Border Inspection Post and the Antwerp Gateway Terminal the European diplomats learned about the various procedures involved in importing and exporting goods in and out of the European Union. The aim of the visit was to find out the practical implications of the various Brexit scenarios. Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO van het Havenbedrijf Antwerpen said: "The UK is an extremely important market for the port of Antwerp, generating an annual freight volume of more than 14 tonnes.

The Antwerp Port Authority aims to create the necessary conditions to supply onshore power for seagoing ships in the port. In order to realize this ambition, it will sign two agreements on Friday, 23 March, during the World Ports Sustainabaility Program-event in Antwerp. The first agreement will receive the signatures from the Port Authority and Alfaport-VOKA, the representative of the private port community whose support is essential for the project to succeed. Under the second agreement, the names of the Port Authority and 5 technical partners will end up making their expertise available to enable onshore power for seagoing vessels in the port area to be realized in the short term. These are Techelec, Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens and Actemium.