Port of Antwerp Plans Another Giant Tidal Dock

Belgium’s Port of Antwerp is planning to build another large tidal dock, this time on the right bank of the Scheldt river, which could potentially add further 11 million TEUs to the port’s annual container handling capacity.

The Port of Antwerp recorded a 9.5% growth in container volumes in the first three months of 2015, compared to the same period in the record-breaking 2014.

With that in mind, the Port Authority has predicted that the port will need additional container handling capacity by 2021, and has started making preparations for the new Saeftinghe dock.

The Port of Antwerp has a development area of more than 1,000 hectares available on the left bank which is expected to enter operation in phases. The Port Authority plans for the first phase of the Saeftinghe dock to be operational as of 2021, with 1,400 m of quay and a minimum capacity of 5.1 million TEUs. The costs for this first phase of the dock are estimated at EUR 660 million (USD 751.5m).

“The Port Authority aims for controlled expansion of capacity,” said Luc Arnouts, Chief Commercial Officer of the Port Authority.

“This means in practice that we have to keep a very close watch on the market, and not simply throw more capacity onto the market if there is no demand for it. We were already prepared to offer the Saeftinghe Development Area on the market in 2008, but in view of the timing – right on the edge of the worldwide economic crisis – we put the project on hold.” 

The proposed dock will match the new Deurgang dock, situated on the left bank of the Scheldt, which is due to become operational in 2016.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) will transfer its operations from the Delwaide dock on the right bank area of the port to the new Deurgang by early 2016.

Once MSC transfers its operations to the left bank, the 150 hectares of the freed Delwaide dock will be used by the Saudi Arabian company Energy Recovery Systems (ERS), which will set up a new production unit for “green” ammonia and urea, representing an investment of EUR 3.7 billion.