Port of Rotterdam

Strong Recovery in Port of Rotterdam

03.05.2010 | Deskman: Marcel Dröttboom

Throughput in the Port of Rotterdam has increased sharply. (Picture: Nasa)

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Throughput in the Port of Rotterdam has increased sharply. In the first quarter of this year, 107 million tonnes of goods were handled, 14 percent more than in the same period of 2009. Significant growth for dry bulk cargos, except agribulks and coal.

Most types of goods were up: iron ore and scrap (+ 77 percent), other dry bulk (+ 32 percent), mineral oil products (+30 percent), containers (+21 percent), other liquid bulk (+ 7 percent), roll on/roll off (+8 percent). Throughput figures for agribulk (- 32 percent) and coal were down (-17 percent) and those for other general cargo and crude oil remained virtually unchanged. Hans Smits, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO: “The recovery in comparison with 2009 is very marked, but I prefer to compare it to 2008. That was a top year and up to now we are getting close to it. I’m remaining non-committal though because consumers are still reserved and governments are making massive cuts. The growth will level off. The question is, will the port be able to make up for last year’s 8 percent decline this year in one go.”

Dry Bulk Cargo

Regarding dry bulks, the increase in imports of iron ore, to 9.4 million tonnes, runs parallel to the increasing utilisation of blast furnace capacity. This year, that is expected to end up at 80 percent. Alongside this, there is sure to be a loss of over 2 million tonnes per year, due to the closure of a blast furnace in Liege. The handling of coke coal is increasing, parallel to that of ore. Demand for coal for energy production increased less sharply than anticipated. Throughput figures for other dry bulk (minerals, construction materials, biomass) rose by almost a third, to 2.8 million tonnes. Demand from the chemical industry and the metal industry is clearly picking up, whilst the construction sector continues to lag behind. Agribulk was down by a third, for both incoming and outgoing trade: 1.5 million tonnes. This harvest year, there has been less need for raw produce from overseas. In addition to this, a temporary disruption of soya imports from Argentina was solved with rapeseed from Europe.

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