Plans for e-methanol factory in Antwerp terminated

By | 2024 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments

The planned e-methanol factory in Port of Antwerp-Bruges will not be built. Despite receiving 1 million euros in subsidies from Flanders and the involvement of major players such as INEOS, Fluxys, and Engie, the green fuel for ships is too expensive and not attractive to shipping companies. Energy prices have risen due to the war in Ukraine and increasing geopolitical instability, further raising the costs of sustainable methanol. After extensive research, it has been concluded that customers are not willing to pay the higher price.

Source: Powertomethanolanantwerp.com

Airbus renews its transatlantic fleet with lower-emission ships

By | 2023 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments

Airbus will renew the entire fleet of chartered vessels that transport aircraft subassemblies between production facilities in Europe and the United States with three modern, low-emission roll-on/roll-off vessels, supported by wind-assisted propulsion.

Airbus has commissioned shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build, own and operate these new, highly efficient vessels that will enter into service from 2026.

Continued economic instability impacts Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ throughput figures, but Ro-Ro is stable

By | 2023 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments
  • Ro-Ro traffic remains unchanged (0.9%).
  • Throughput of transport equipment grew by 8.9% thanks to growth in the throughput of new cars (+12.6%) to 2.67 million units.
  • 7 million tons of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) was shipped on RoRo vessels (-1.4%).
  • The portion of this cargo related to Ireland grew by 18.5%, while traffic to and from the UK fell (-3.8%).

Port of Antwerp-Bruges stable in 2022 Unaccompanied roro cargo successful

By | 2023 Newsletter week 2 | No Comments

2022 was a year of challenges for Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Geopolitical tensions, the energy crisis and ongoing disruptions in supply chains made their presence felt.

The challenges were most palpable in container traffic. Container throughput fell 8.6% in tons and 5.2% in TEUs in 2022, compared with a strong 2021, back to pre-pandemic levels.

Total roro traffic (including PCTC traffic) saw an increase of 6.5%.

More than 3.26 million new cars were handled in 2022, an annualised growth of 10.5%. Throughput of ‘high & heavy’ rolling stock increased by 9.6%, while throughput of used cars and trucks decreased by 13.2% and 17% respectively.

Unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) grew 10.0%, a significant portion of which was related to the United Kingdom (+4.9%) and Ireland (+35%).

Port of Antwerp-Bruges: slight growth despite ongoing challenges

By | 2022 Newsletter week 42 | No Comments
  • After nine months, the total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 217.4 million tonnes, a slight increase of 0.8% compared to the same period last year.
  • Despite the negative impact of the geopolitical and macroeconomic context, all cargo flows are recording growth, with the exception of the container segment, which remains under pressure.
  • RoRo traffic saw an increase of 8.1%.
  • Throughput of new cars increased 8.5%, mainly due to strong arrivals from China.
  • Unaccompanied roro cargo (excluding containers) grew by 13%.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges: slight growth in the first half of the year

By | 2022 Newsletter week 29 | No Comments
  • The total throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges was 147.2 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, an increase of 1.4% compared to the same period last year.
  • Given the current geopolitical and macroeconomic context, this slight growth, despite a decline in the container segment due to ongoing global congestion problems, confirms its strengthened position as a unified port.
  • Container throughput is down 9.8% in tonnes and 6.2% in TEU compared to a strong first half in 2021. With globally disrupted container liner shipping, vessel delays and high volumes of import cargo, the container trade continues to face operational challenges. Moreover, the throughput of containers related to Russia decreased by 39% due to the conflict in Ukraine.
  • Conventional general cargo grew strongly by 22%.
  • Roro traffic saw an increase of 8.9%. RoRo traffic to the United Kingdom and Ireland shows significant growth, with 3.8 million tonnes and 0.6 million tonnes respectively, up 6.8% and 47%. The number of new and used cars shows a slight growth of 2.5% and 1.7%, while the number of trucks decreased by 19%.