Port of Antwerp-Bruges has looked back on a year of challenges following geopolitical tensions, the energy crisis, and ongoing disruptions in supply chains.
Throughput for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges was down 0.7% year-on-year to 286.9m tons (291.5m tonnes) of cargo.
Despite this, the port has seen new investments and projects throughout 2022 across the two port platforms.
Dry bulk throughput increased by 13.8% and the liquid bulk segment grew by 10%. This was primarily due to a 61.3% increase in demand for LNG as an alternative to natural gas via pipelines from Russia.
There was also a growth in LPG, gasoline, diesel/fuel oil and naphtha.
Looking ahead to 2023, the merger of the Antwerp and Zeebrugge port will allow added value and resilience to both platforms as prominent platforms in Europe.
The hydrogen strategy to make the port a European hydrogen hub for the import, local production, and throughput of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers will be further refined in 2023.
Also, the completion of the first part of the NextGen District is due to be completed soon, with the first spade going into the ground in 2023. As part of the Port Authority’s ‘greening’ of its fleet, the Hydrotug and Methatug, the world’s first hydrogen and methanol-fuelled tugs, are making an appearance.
The Digital Twin will be deployed on both platforms in 2023 to further build a smart, safe, and smooth-operated port.
Annick De Ridder, the vice-mayor of the City of Antwerp and president of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, says: ‘The merger is proving its added value in practice. We are confident that in 2023 we can continue to focus on sustainable economic growth; certainly, thanks to the many investments announced by our companies. In this way, our port is and will remain the economic engine of Flanders.’
Jacques Vanermeiran, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, says: ‘Together with our partners and thanks to financial support, such as the important European funding of €500m for the Antwerp and Kairois projects, we can live up to our pioneering role and realise climate impact that reaches far beyond the port’s borders.’
