Stable throughput in Port of Rotterdam

According to provisional figures, goods throughput in the port of Rotterdam will end 2013 at the same level as 2012: 442 million t. Dry bulk shipments, including coal and iron ore, were the top performers for throughput at the port. These dry bulks have made significant gains on the top performer for 2012, which was crude oil.

Hans Smits, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO, said: “Things are exactly the reverse of last year. Where in 2012 crude oil and oil products provided growth, they have failed this year. Now, coal, ore and scrap and agribulk in particular have increased. Container throughput is down slightly. The main reason for the lack of growth is the continuing economic slump. In the past three years, throughput has increased by 1%, but that isn’t on the cards this year, despite the fact that the H2 of the year was better than the first.”

Smits said that total throughput in Rotterdam would increase by 1 – 1.5% in 2014, as the new container terminal on Maasvlakte 2 becomes operational.

Since January 2013, the sea port of Dordrecht (with a throughput of approximately 3 million tpa) has been operated by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Dordrecht throughput has therefore been included in Rotterdam’s throughput figures for the first time this year.

Coal throughput at Rotterdam has benefited from the decline in German coal mining and, in particular, the higher demand for coal. This was caused by the low price of coal, the testing of new coal-fired power plants on the Maasvlakte and the start of a new coal-fired power plant in Lünen, Germany. Total coal throughput was 30 million t for the year – a rise of 17.1%. 

Edited from various sources by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/handling/19122013/stable_throughput_in_port_of_rotterdam_369/