Belgians move towards expansion

The ports of Flanders (Belgium) are ready for expansion. Total area of free port territories makes 10 mln sq m and they are to be actively developed.

The world’s second largest port Antwerp has 2,500 acres (over 1,000 hectares) for development, Zeebrugge - 1,250 acres (505 hectares), Ghent – 1,000 acres (over 400 hectares), Oostende - 400 acres (over 160 hectares).

Those vast territories of port Antwerp are supposed to accommodate newly created facilities for handling of different cargoes, logistics terminals and industrial enterprises. Port territory is to be expanded and dockage facilities are to be built in Zeebrugge while Ghent is to accommodate distribution centers and industrial facilities. All this is supported by 5 mln sq m of storage area.

Nowadays Belgium is in active search of investors for the development of the above territories. It should be note that competitiveness of Flanders’ port infrastructure is high indeed – the region numbers four large deepwater ports located not far from each other (80 km) which are capable of accepting and handling almost any volumes of any cargo. 

Availability of industrial enterprises and distribution centers at the port territories as well as multimodal transportation system providing for deliveries to the majority of destinations in Europe within 24 hours make Flanders a universal hub for product flow and sale. Enhancement of the efficiency of Flanders’ supply chains is the direction the country plans to support in development of its port infrastructure.

At the same time, absence of complicated administrative and customs procedures and application of an efficient one-stop principle and a system of different tax deductions and bonuses amidst the financial crisis may become additional competitive advantages of Belgian ports.

However, the global financial crisis is the time when we cannot expect large-scale inflow of investors even in so investment-attractive region though as the crises leaves the program of new territory development and optimization of supply chains within port territory may add competitiveness to the ports of Flanders. In this context the experience of Belgian colleagues, especially in the sphere of forming industrial port zones and introduction of one-stop principle, could prove quite useful for Russia.

It should be also noted that cargo turnover between Antwerp and Russia totaled 10.2 million tonnes in 2008, which accounts for slightly over 5% of the port’s total throughput. In the reported period, the port handled 5.3 million tonnes of oil products and other liquid bulk cargo, 200,000 containers, 1.9 million tonnes of coal, coke and fertilizers.

Regular services are also arranged for transportation of containerized and other cargoes between Ghent and St. Petersburg, Archangelsk and Murmansk. Ghent also handles dry loose cargo for trading Russian steel plates in Europe.

Vitali Chernov