In the anniversary edition of our magazine ’10 years of Flows’, we gave companies in the maritime and logistics sector a chance to put themselves in the spotlight. You can read a contribution from Port of Antwerp-Bruges with Antwerp port alderman Annick De Ridder and mayor of Bruges Dirk De fauw.
Looking back over the past two years, what was the absolute highlight for you?
Annick De Ridder: (ADR) “Without a doubt, the merger of our ports, over a year and a half ago. And more specifically, the proof in practice that this merger that has thoroughly redrawn the Western European maritime landscape not only works well in practice, but also proves its incredible added value.”
Dirk De fauw (DDf): “I fully concur with that. Thanks to the two complementary platforms Antwerp and Zeebrugge, we have significantly strengthened our position in the international logistics chain and as one of the main gateways to Europe.”
What are you particularly proud of?
ADR: “Our port is the economic engine of Flanders. Last year, despite major challenges, that engine not only held up well thanks to all the employees giving their best, but also picked up speed at the same time. It’s great to see port companies making important major investments, whether maritime, logistics or in industry. Nice examples enough with INEOS, Borealis, BASF, Covestro, Evonik, Total Energies …”
DDf: “Or think of hydrogen, an essential link in a sustainable and robust energy system. And the combination of Antwerp’s position as the world’s second largest petrochemical cluster and Zeebrugge’s coastal position offers a unique opportunity to become the hydrogen hub of Western Europe. The hydrogen plant built by the HyoffWind consortium in Zeebrugge, which will convert renewable energy into green hydrogen by 2025, will play a vital role in this.”
Looking ahead, what are the key challenges?
ADR: “The port provides 165,000 direct and indirect jobs. These are all challenging jobs, which help shape the future. Not only Port of Antwerp-Bruges, but also the many companies active in our unified port have a lot of vacancies. The web platform ‘havenjobs.com’ bundles all those vacancies from both platforms. In my opinion, not enough attention can be drawn to this. Come and work in our port! Because a job in the port, where the future is being shaped and where companies are investing in a sustainable future, is something else.”
DDf: “Accessibility also remains a major challenge. The Oosterweel project in Antwerp will provide a huge boost to the accessibility of our port. At the same time, this project is also important for Zeebrugge: the temporary construction dock for the Scheldt tunnel is in the port of Zeebrugge and numerous Flemish companies are involved. Once the tunnel elements have left for Antwerp, a new quay wall will remain here, which the port will use to further develop port activities. In this way, we strengthen the position of our port and anchor local employment. Some challenges require creative solutions. Like the planned parking towers in Zeebrugge that can create the extra capacity we need to remain the world’s number one car port and accommodate the new players our port is attracting.”
