Kiel Port Prize honours Mibau’s Jos van der Meer
The Port of Kiel awarded its annual Port Prize (September 8th) to Jos van der Meer, Managing Director of Mibau Baustoffhandel GmbH.
Mibau has been in Kiel since 1999 and utilises the Scheerhafen, located at the exit from the Kiel Canal, as its handling and storage hub. In its first year of operation in 2000 the firm delivered about 150,000 tons of crushed stone of various categories. Last year the volume of building materials handled passed the 360,000 ton mark for the first time.
More than 10 million tons of stone of different sizes are produced each year in the Norwegian quarries of Mibau. Bulk carriers transport it from there to different handling terminals in northern Europe. Boasting discharge capacities of up to 3,000 tons an hour, as much as 31,000 tons of stone can be offloaded in the shortest possible time. The bulk cargo from the ships’ holds is discharged directly by means of pivotable conveyor belts of up to 85 metres in length – a process which considerably reduces berthing times in port. Because of its very low noise and dust levels this unloading system is also particularly eco-friendly. Using cargo holds of diverse types, ships can transport as many as seven different stone sizes simultaneously.
The open storage area at the Scheerhafen was extended some 25% by the PORT OF KIEL in 2013. Since then 10,325 m² of storage in addition to quayside and transport areas have been available to Mibau.
The Port of Kiel
Kiel is one of the most versatile port locations on the Baltic coast. Terminal facilities for passenger and cargo ships of almost every kind and size are located around the Kiel Fiord. Kiel is an important ferry port with connections to Scandinavia, the Baltic region and Russia. It is also one of northern Europe’s leading cruise shipping ports and plays an important role as a regional supplier of both breakbulk and bulk goods. Ferry services are the backbone of port activity, accounting for about 80% of Kiel’s overall handling of 6.2 million tons in 2015. At the same time, a passenger handling volume of more than two million travellers underscores the significance of sea tourism and the port’s capability in that sector. Its geographic location and hinterland rail and road links make the port just as attractive for both cargo handling and passenger services. As for its regional supply function, Kiel handled more than a million tons of bulk cargo last year. Commodities in this sector included agricultural products like grain, feedstuffs and oils, building materials such as crushed stone, or fuels like mineral oils, pellets and coal.
