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title : Port of Antwerp is losing new container traffic to Rotterdam |
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Port of Antwerp is losing new container traffic to Rotterdam
According to the Port of Rotterdam, the port of Antwerp is straining under its own growth. Container throughout has increased by approximately 14% annually in recent years, but for several months now the port has been unable to cope with any more containers.
(7/14/2004)
The port of Antwerp¡¯s quays are full, and there is a shortage of trained port workers, particularly drivers to transport the containers to a terminal. As a result, large numbers of containers are being diverted to Rotterdam.
According to Flemish financial daily De Tijd, Antwerp could be losing between 10,000 and 12,000 containers a week to Rotterdam. Neither the port authority nor its major transhipment companies will confirm that figure, however.
But Frank Kho, head of the Containers Division of Hesse-Noordnatie, one of the biggest firms at the port, confirms that Antwerp is overflowing: ¡°With the growth in our shipping business, we are unable to operate some services through Antwerp at the moment. But a loss of 10,000 containers a week seems to me more like the worst conceivable scenario than reality.¡±
Reactions in Rotterdam, too, are cautious. Container transhipment business ECT grew by 23% during the first five months of this year, compared with just 8% in the same period of 2003. ¡°We haven't stolen any clients from Antwerp,¡± says operations director Jan Gelderland. ¡°Our growth is coming primarily from established services from the Far East.¡±
Antwerp grew much faster than Rotterdam between 1998 and 2003, but now the situation has been reversed. In Antwerp, however, the growing pains are viewed as temporary. Logistical restrictions are not slowing down the increasing scale of container throughput. According to the port authority, that grew by 14.1% during the first five months of this year.
Frank Kho in Antwerp notes that Hesse-Noordnatie has invested ¢æ500 million in additional capacity. The new Deurganckdok will be operational by the end of 2005, which should ease capacity problems.
Rotterdam is also experiencing growing pains, albeit not as serious as those in Antwerp. ECT desperately needs new staff. This year alone it wants to take on a hundred new people. And the container transhipment firm is accelerating its investment of ¢æ270 million in expanding the capacity of the Delta terminal in the Maasvlakte port area.
from :Author: Newsdesk / eyefortransport.com
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