Ronald Paul News

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.

The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority celebrated the completion of the deepening of the Nieuwe Waterweg and Botlek on Thursday (October 03).One of the busiest waterways in the Netherlands has been deepened by a metre and a half across a distance of 25 kilometres, said a press note from the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands.The ceremonial opening of the deepened Nieuwe Waterweg and Botlek was performed by Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure & Water Management) and Ronald Paul, the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s Chief Operating Officer.The opening included a spectacular nautical salute together with vessels from contractors Van der Kamp and Boskalis…

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.

Five participants will be taking part in a pilot project in Port of Rotterdam Authority  which will focus on mobile shore-based power solutions for sea-going vessels.The project was established by the municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the participants in the project are: ENGIE Ventures & Integrated Solutions BV; PON Power & its subsidiaries; Aggreko Benelux; Mobiele Stroom BV and JP Energy Systems.The project will focus on various mobile shore-based power solutions for sea-going vessels, said a press note.Shore-based power has been compulsory for ships docking at Rotterdam’s more than 500 inland berths for years.

The port of Rotterdam could recently boast a European first: a ship bunkered LNG (liquefied natural gas) while transhipping containers at the same time.The largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands said in a press release that this major step in the sector-wide acceptance of LNG as a transport fuel for shipping was taken by Containerships Nord.The procedure, known as simultaneous bunkering, allows ships to significantly cut their port call times. The operation took place at the RST terminal at Prins Willem Alexanderhaven in Rotterdam. The LNG was supplied by Shell.The Port of Rotterdam Authority helps to facilitate simultaneous bunkering.

Dutch dredging specialist Van Oord said LNG-powered crane vessel, Werkendam started work on its first project this week.The world’s first LNG-powered crane vessel is carrying out maintenance work in the port of Rotterdam, Van Oord said in a press release.Port of Rotterdam Authority, is pleased with this initial deployment: "We are encouraging the transition from fuel oil to LNG as a fuel for shipping. It is good that operational ships are taking the lead," says Ronald Paul, COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.The Werkendam is also the first Van Oord vessel to run entirely on LNG. With a storage tank on the aft deck, the Werkendam can store enough LNG to sail and operate for fourteen days without refuelling.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority considers it vital that the North Sea Consultation works towards a North Sea Agreement in the coming six months. This consultation is investigating where on the North Sea the challenges regarding food, energy and nature can be combined and where choices will need to be made.The Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) is initiator of this consultation. The consultation concluded on 23 April, after which an in-depth meeting will be held with the representatives on 8 May.“The North Sea is not only our front yard, it is an essential element of the Port of Rotterdam and of all the Dutch sea ports. For Rotterdam, this starts 57 kilometres outside the coast, at the entrance of the Eurogeul.

Port of Rotterdam Authority said that NEPTUNES - a new quality mark - aims to offer ports the opportunity to reward quieter shipping.NEPTUNES is a project organisation of eleven ports established two years ago by the Port of Rotterdam Authority to reduce shipping noise, said a statement from the port.The IAPH Environmental Ship Index for sustainable shipping has also expressed an interest in this label, it added.NEPTUNES stands for Noise Exploration Program To Understand Noise Emitted by Seagoing Ships. During the conference, the project organisation presented a guide full of recommendations for measures, classification and reduction of noise emissions by vessels when berthed in ports.In addition to Rotterdam…

In order to prepare the Port of Rotterdam Authority for the arrival of autonomous navigation, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has converted a patrol vessel into a floating lab that collects data, including about the vessel’s operation and power.By making these data available to the business community and education, further research can be conducted into the introduction of autonomous navigation and the Port of Rotterdam can make further preparations for this.The first partnership for data exchange from the floating lab has now been signed with Captain AI. They are adding artificial intelligence to the data, which enables computers to be trained as artificial captains to navigate independently through the port.Ronald Paul…

Port of Rotterdam Authority has welcome initiatives from companies including BCTN, Kramer and Waalhaven Group for more efficient transportation of containers between the Port of Rotterdam deepsea terminals and the hinterland.BCTN is bundling freight in Alblasserdam from its eight terminals in the Netherlands and Belgium in order to offer point-to-point services to the deepsea terminals on Maasvlakte.Kramer and Waalhaven Group are bundling cargo at their own terminals in Rotterdam and offer clients daily point-to-point services between the Waal and Eemhaven and the deepsea terminals on Maasvlakte. The deepsea terminals are also offering new services in the port…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is developing five permanent berths for barges on the Maas side of the Eiland van Brienenoord.The location has been an anchorage for barges for many years, but the new berths will improve safety on the river, according Ronald Paul, COO from the Port of Rotterdam Authority.Ronald said: "Barges are so large and heavy that they can break free when they are anchored. That happened sometimes with the tide changes. We don’t want that. The berthing facilities were realised in close consultation with various barge operators."There is space for five barges per berthing location. That means there would be 25 barges. The central berths are for barges from 76.5 to 90 metres, the outer two for barges from 90 to 110 metres.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is to replace a section of the slopes stretching over more than 9 kilometres that have been contaminated by the Bow Jubail oil spill.The Port Authority announced earlier that the damage resulting from the oil spill is estimated at around 80 million euros. The Port Authority will recover this damage from Odfjell, owner of the leaking Bow Jubail.“We will do everything in our power to recover these damages. Society here cannot be left to pay for this,” Port Authority COO Ronald Paul says.The last restrictions on shipping caused by the water pollution were lifted a month ago. Quay walls, jetties, buoys and poles can in general be cleaned…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has had a swarm of bees placed on the Maasvlakte in the verge next to the Stenen Baakplein. In this section of the Honey Highway, ten thousand bees will soon be collecting pollen and nectar. The goal of this initiative is the conservation of the original Dutch honey bee by reintroducing it to this region. The Honey Highway is now in full bloom. The flowers - planted last year by primary school children from Brielle - can be admired by motorists driving past on the A15. If they look in the other direction, they can enjoy a view of a flower bed several kilometres long. The flower bed features flowers such as the Evening Primrose and Viper’s Bugloss that sprouted up spontaneously along the pipeline corridors.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority will be constructing 16 tide pools along the north side of Calandkanaal. These pools will be realised by embedding raw concrete basins in the banks of the waterway. The design of these tide pools, manufactured by ECOncrete, ensures that water is retained for a longer time in the pools during low tide. This turns the temporary pools into miniature ecosystems, which often occur naturally in rocky coastal zones but are largely absent in modern ports. “These so-called ecomodules fit in with the Port Authority’s ambition to increase the biodiversity and habitat options of organisms in the port area, which can help to further improve the local fish stocks and water quality,” says Port Authority COO Ronald Paul.

Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management and Ronald Paul (COO Port of Rotterdam Authority) gave the official go-ahead for the deepening of the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Botlek. Rijkswaterstaat and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have joined forces to ensure that sea-going vessels with a draught of 15 metres can also reach the Botlek port. The initiation of the project took place in FutureLand, the information centre about the port of Rotterdam on the Maasvlakte. There, an exhibition will also be inaugurated today on this sizeable project, which represents an important improvement for the accessibility of the Botlek and the competitive position of the port of Rotterdam.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has started constructing the infrastructure for the Container Exchange Route (CER). The CER will link the deepsea container terminals, empty depots, rail terminals and distribution companies at Maasvlakte. The goal of this project is to reduce exchange costs between the various companies and further improve connections with the European hinterland. Ronald Paul, Chief Operating Officer at the Port Authority said: "The CER offers the opportunity to combine container streams, which means that trains, inland vessels and feeder vessels no longer need to go to the different terminals. With the CER, the Port Authority is introducing a completely new, advanced and unique system. The construction of the concrete road is part of the Container Exchange Route project.

The renovated Stena Line Terminal at Europoort is officially taken into operation. As well as upgrading the existing berth, the terminal was expanded with a second berth to handle roll-on/roll-off vessels. The expansion means that Stena Line is prepared for the anticipated further increase in freight volumes between Rotterdam and the United Kingdom. The renovated quay with two berths comprises a total of 212 metres. “We are delighted with the new quay and the doubling of the berths,” said Annika Hult, Trade Director of Stena Line Noordzee. Annika added: “We firmly believe in Europoort’s future as a strong freight hub on the North Sea. The number of departures has increased in recent years, and ship capacity has also increased.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority signed agreements with two contractors relating to what is known as the port’s dry infrastructure. One contract covers maintenance of the roads in the port and the other maintenance of the green spaces. Following a tendering procedure, Van Gelder emerged as the best choice for the road infrastructure. The green spaces will be maintained by BTL. Both contracts run for two years and an express wish has been made for them to be extended by eight years. The combined sum of the contracts comes to over 14 million euros for the first two years. The port of Rotterdam is managed by Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority wants a new multi-fuel bunkering station for refuelling with LNG and other cleaner fuels. The anticipated location of the bunkering station is Krabbegors/Duivelseiland at Dordrecht Inland Seaport. The Port of Rotterdam Authority and PitPoint.LNG have therefore signed a declaration of intent regarding a joint investigation into the construction of such a multi-fuel bunkering station. “As operator of Europe’s largest port, the Port Authority sees the establishment of a multi-fuel bunkering station as fitting in with its policy of pioneering European energy transition. It will help us stimulate the replacement of fuel oil by LNG as the fuel for shipping”, says Ronald Paul, COO at the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is going to redirect approximately 4km of the port (or first) section of the Betuwe Route. As a result, the railway line will no longer run over the Caland Bridge, so that shipping and rail traffic will cease to get in each other’s way from 2020 onwards. It will also bring an end to the noise nuisance caused by the rail track near the village of Rozenburg. Construction of the new route will cost around €275 million. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment is contributing over €100 million…

The construction of Maasvlakte 2 has been recognized by the award of the prof. dr. ir. J.F. Agema prize, which is awarded every five years to an innovative marine engineering work that was designed or constructed by a Dutch party. The prize, the initiative of the KIVI (Royal Institute of Engineers), goes to the entire team of client, designer and contractor, which in this case includes the Port of Rotterdam Authority and contractors Van Oord and Boskalis, as part of the PUMA consortium. The winner was announced on November 10 during the Waterbouwdag (Water Management Day) 2015 in Rotterdam.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge participated in a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering focus group discussion on 14 and 17 October, held in conjunction with the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2014. Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “As an alternative fuel, the shipping industry is looking to LNG as a cleaner marine fuel to meet international regulations. Given the international nature of shipping, we are excited to work with the Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge, to harmonise the global LNG bunkering standards.

The largest port in Europe & the largest port in Scandinavia, sign an alliance to push availability of LNG as maritime fuel. The Port of Rotterdam and the Port of Gothenburg both located within the SECA area in northern Europe where stricter rules governing sulphur in maritime fuel are due to be introduced in 2015 aim is to have infrastructure for LNG bunkering available once the sulphur regulations come into effect. LNG offers substantial environmental benefits. Sulphur and particle emissions would be reduced to almost zero…