The total cargo throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges amounted to 68.7 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, a decrease of 4.5% compared to the same period last year. This decrease is the result of the still complex geopolitical and macroeconomic context, which has led to a decline in the container segment and important shifts in goods flows. In order to continue to respond to this as a world port, the port, together with existing and new pioneers, is fully committed to sustainable growth.
Operational challenges at the container terminals and congestion have slowly eased since the third quarter of 2022. Economic uncertainty and inflation caused a global slowdown in container shipping demand and the cancellation of sailings, especially those from the Far East. Together with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which caused the Russian-related traffic in the first three months of 2023 to be two thirds lower than in the same period last year, this results in a drop in container throughput of 6.6% in tonnes and 5 . 7% in TEU, compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Throughput volumes of conventional breakbulk are in line with the pre-covid period, but down 19.8% compared to a very strong first quarter in 2022, when a strong post-covid recovery resulted in high throughput figures. The slowing economy is accompanied by a drop in demand for steel. This resulted in a 21.9% drop in steel throughput, both incoming and outgoing.
The dry bulk segment decreased by 7.3%. This is mainly due to the decrease in fertilizers, the largest product group within dry bulk. Although the production of fertilizers has increased again since March due to the fall in energy prices, the total throughput of fertilizers still fell by 26.4% during the first quarter. The continuing high demand for coal for energy generation translates into throughput that is almost three times higher than in the same period last year. The throughput of sand and gravel is also increasing (+9.3%).
The liquid bulk segment recorded a growth of 0.5%. In addition to an increase in the throughput of LNG (+23.3%), partly as an alternative to natural gas via pipelines from Russia, there is also growth in the throughput of diesel, fuel oil and energy gases. Chemical throughput is picking up compared to the last quarter of 2022, when high energy prices resulted in lower production or production stoppages, but still remains 21.3% below the record of the first quarter of last year.
Roll -on/roll-off traffic remains the global status quo, but there is a revival in the new car segment. In the first quarter of 2023, 904,901 new cars were imported and exported, an increase of 7.2% compared to 2022. The throughput of all transport material grew by 4.3%, while unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) showed a decrease (-2.4%.) The part of these volumes related to the United Kingdom fell by 5.6% in the first quarter, while traffic to and from Ireland increased by 14.2%.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges is and will remain the largest car port in the world. In total, the terminals cover an area of more than 400 hectares with a parking capacity of 210,000 units. Cars from all major brands in the automotive sector pass by and for many brands, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the intercontinental and European hub.
Zeebrugge welcomed 29 cruise ships in the first 3 months of 2023 . Efforts to spread cruise tourism throughout the year thus set a new first quarter record.
In the first quarter, 4,946 seagoing vessels called at the port, a decrease of 3.6%. The total gross tonnage of these ships grew by 3.8%.
Continuing role as a world port: merged port attractive for investors
Several investments in the first months of 2023 proved that the port, which merged a year ago, is attractive to investors from the Netherlands and abroad. For example, a fourth company was announced for NextGen District, the hotspot for the circular economy in the heart of the Antwerp port site, where the first sod will hit the ground this year. In addition, global player Vopak, a Dutch tank storage company, will sustainably redevelop the former Gunvor site in Antwerp. For example, the company, together with Port of Antwerp-Bruges, will focus on joint development/implementation in function of renewable energy. This is another important step towards a climate-neutral economy.
High-performance infrastructure and extra container capacity remain a priority in order to continue to play at the top level of world ports. For example, the modernization and deepening of the Europa Terminal, which has now started, will ensure that the latest generation of megaships can continue to call at the Europa Terminal. The fact that the trend towards larger container ships is continuing will become clear in the coming weeks as records are successively broken with the calls of the MSC Tessa (24,116 TEU), the OCCL Spain (24,188 TEU) and the MSC Loreto (24,346 TEU).
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “These results show that, as a world port, we are at the center of the ongoing challenges posed by the geopolitical and macroeconomic context. But despite these disappointing figures, the outlook for 2023 remains positive. Falling energy prices, improving Chinese economy and signs that the liner shipping market is also picking up again are reasons to have confidence in the future. Moreover, thanks to the complementarity of both port platforms, we can better respond to shifts in the flow of goods.”
Annick De Ridder, port alderman of the City of Antwerp and chairman of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “Together with the companies present in our port, but also with new pioneers who bring a lot of jobs to our port, such as at NextGen District , we will continue to focus on sustainable growth. In addition, investments in strategic infrastructure such as the modernization of the Europa Terminal are essential to ensure our position as a world port and to fulfill our role as the economic engine of Flanders. The merger makes us much more resilient to challenges together, and we are therefore convinced that we will soon be able to present good growth figures again.Filling the many vacancies is a major challenge.”
Dirk De fauw, mayor of the city of Bruges and vice-chairman of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “ Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the world player for the automotive sector. This position will only strengthen given the investments in extra capacity by both existing operators and new players who choose our port as a base from which to conquer the European market. I am therefore confident that we will be able to show growth here again in 2023. Furthermore, the efforts to spread cruise tourism better over the whole year have been successful. This is confirmed by the record number of cruise ships that called at Zeebrugge this first quarter. In the less busy winter months, cruise tourism is a blessing for the tourist fabric in Bruges, Blankenberge, Brussels, Ghent, Ypres and Antwerp.”
The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
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A new step in the decarbonisation of the Port of Valencia and its firm commitment to be an emission neutral site by 2030. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has put out to tender the drafting and execution of the works for the electrical connection to ships for the Transversal Costa-MSC quay. This is the first electrification or Onshore Power Supply (OPS) project to be carried out by Valenciaport in the Valencian precinct.
The APV is thus initiating the procedure for the award of the contract for the drafting and execution of the project for the installation of electrical connections for ships and the maintenance of the same at the Transversal de Costa quay. To this end, Valenciaport has jointly launched the drafting of the construction project, the execution of its works and the maintenance of the installations in the same procedure for an amount of 12,468,626.8 euros (VAT included).
Onshore Power Supply (OPS) electrification infrastructures have been consolidated as a very useful tool for the decarbonisation of ports, as this system avoids the use of auxiliary engines of ships when they are docked in the enclosures. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions – due to the use of electricity that eliminates the consumption of fossil fuels used in these auxiliary engines – and stops the emission of particles and polluting gases.
This OPS initiative in the Port of Valencia will be carried out in parallel with the works on the new electrical substation – a second substation is also planned – which was put out to tender last month with a base budget of around 11 million euros and a completion period of 24 months. This infrastructure will be responsible for supplying green energy to the first OPS electrification project of the Transversal de Costa-MSC quay.
In this regard, Joan Calabuig, president of Valenciaport, stressed that “these are just two examples of real projects in the execution phase that confirm the firm commitment that Valenciaport is making to achieve the goal of being a zero-emissions port by 2030, twenty years ahead of the European Green Pact. It is a commitment to sustainability and to the society of our environment that is supported by initiatives such as the electrification of the docks, the use of hydrogen in port operations, the installation of photovoltaic plants or the commitment to intermodality with the railway. We are committed to sustainable growth that reinforces our position as a port of reference in the Mediterranean”.
Project included in the Next Generation Funds
The joint contracting of the preparation of the project and the execution of the corresponding works in the same procedure is carried out in response to the fact that there are no references in Europe compatible with the ISO/IEC/IEEE 80005 standard and in Spain there is currently no previous experience of OPS projects in operation with the characteristics of the pilot project defined by the Port Authority of Valencia. The combination of the individual components required for this type of installation (transformers, protection cells, disconnectors, frequency converters, etc.) with infrastructures for supplying electricity to ships requires specific projects, with technically complex solutions that have to be designed specifically for each location. In addition, and given that the execution of the construction project is subsidised by the European Union’s Next Generation funds and the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the joint tender is the only way to meet the established deadlines, since if two separate contracts were launched, the one for the execution of the construction project could not be launched until the one for the drafting of the construction project had been awarded, which would mean that the work would be completed beyond the deadline for the execution of the works to meet the target set by Europe.
MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
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The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation GCMD and MOL announced the signing of a five-year Impact Partnership agreement. On the same day, both parties held a signing ceremony at the GCMD office in Singapore.
Decarbonisation in the maritime industry is a challenge that needs to be achieved through accelerating collaboration and increasing investment by shipping companies, their customers, ports, energy suppliers and public sector actors. As an Impact Partner of GCMD, MOL will utilise its expertise developed over their long history and make various contributions and collaborations through its participation in GCMD’s projects, including providing access to vessels, operating data and evaluation reports so that internal learnings can be shared publicly and used for future trials.
MOL is one of the world’s leaders in the maritime industry and has been leading worldwide discussions on achieving decarbonisation. The carbon budget concept imposes a ceiling to the cumulative amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that can be emitted globally in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2050. Intermediate targets to reduce emissions, in addition to a net-zero target, are necessary. While plans are in place to adopt low or zero emissions vessels in the future, it is important to deploy measures to reduce emissions now. Such measures include the use of low-carbon and transition fuels that are available today, and deploying energy savings devices onboard vessels. MOL will bring its extensive capabilities and experience to bear as it joins GCMD and existing partners to accelerate international shipping’s decarbonisation.
Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “We are proud to have MOL, one of the leading shipowners in Japan, come onboard as an Impact Partner. We are excited to tap on MOL’s track record in developing technical energy efficiency measures to broaden our perspective as we scope an initiative to help increase industry adoption of measures that can increase fuel efficiency of ships.”
Toshiaki Tanaka, Representative Director, Executive Vice President Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of MOL, said: “We are very pleased to be a partner of one of the most important global coalitions. We will make our biggest effort to contribute and accelerate progress towards the net zero future in maritime industry, together with GCMD and all its partners.”
About the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) was set up on 1 August 2021 as a non-profit organisation. Our strategic partners include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP, BW Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Foundation Det Norske Veritas, Ocean Network Express, Seatrium, bp, Hapag-Lloyd and NYK. Beyond the strategic partners, GCMD has brought on board 15 partners that engage at the centre level, in addition to more than 80 partners that engage at the project level.
Strategically located in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub and second largest container port, GCMD aims to help the industry eliminate GHG emissions by shaping standards for future fuels, piloting low-carbon solutions in an end-to-end manner under real-world operations conditions, financing first-of-a-kind projects, and fostering collaboration across sectors.
Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
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Aiming to further enhance service quality and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian sub-continent, Wan Hai Lines has established its India new office in Kolkata in July 2023. Contact details for the new office are as follows: WAN HAI LINES (INDIA) PVT. LTD 3rd Floor, Block C, Apeejay House, 15 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700016 TEL: 91-33-4450 4500 According to the 2023 Foreign Trade Policy announced by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s export trade volume will reach 2 trillion US dollars in 2030.
Therefore, benefiting from government policy incentives and the shifting trend of the global supply chain, India’s status in global manufacturing and international trade is increasing, which is conducive to maintaining long-term high economic growth. And the proportion of global exports has increased significantly. In addition, the continuous economic stimulus policy will help revitalize the domestic economy, and domestic demand is expected to increase significantly. Therefore, Wan Hai is optimistic about India’s future import and export situation. And also through the establishment of a new office to improve the overall operating efficiency.
Wan Hai India Kolkata office held a grand opening reception in the evening of 27th July. During the banquet, there were many important customers & guests. The Kolkata Port Authority, Kolkata terminal operators, feeder operators and important local customers were invited to send representatives to attend the meeting to express their blessings to Wan Hai’s opening of the Kolkata market. At present, Wan Hai has six owned offices in India, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, and Vizag, Delhi and the sixth office Kolkata office. In addition to directly providing river port services, it will also simultaneously strengthen service links between India and neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bhutan. It is expected to pursue customer first through continuous expansion in the future and sustainable business philosophy.
