PSA Breakbulk launches first Project Cargo Ecosystem in the Port of Antwerp
PSA Breakbulk officially launched the Port of Antwerp’s first Project Cargo Ecosystem (PCE) in Belgium, according to the company's release. The opening event was attended by partners, clients, representatives of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and other stakeholders.
Being the first of its kind in the Port of Antwerp, the PCE is a one-stop shop breakbulk terminal facility located behind the locks on the south side of Churchill Dock. It offers infrastructure, equipment and value-added services for industrial partners to load and unload, store, package, consolidate and build- up their high-end project cargo within one dedicated location.
Since the establishment of the joint venture between PSA, Haeger & Schmidt Logistics and Felbermayr in 2021, PSA Breakbulk has invested millions of Euros in repurposing the facility at the Churchill dock into a fully-equipped heavy cargo facility.
With direct tide-free access to the sea and the hinterland, the PCE offers the infrastructure, equipment and space to load, unload, store and handle all types of project cargo. The terminal features a quay length of 550 meters, a draught of 13 meters and a 140,000 m2 yard.
Currently, it is equipped with Self- Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) with up to 40 axle lines to move heavy and bulky cargo around. A permanent heavy lift crane with a lifting capacity up to 750 tons was also recently installed, setting the record for having the highest quayside lifting capacity in the entire port. With sustainability being a key priority, PSA Breakbulk has also invested in electrifying its equipment and installing a wind turbine, targeted to be operational by 2025.
Strategically located near the NextGen District, the PCE is well-positioned to facilitate cargo flows requiring turnkey operations for the circular business in this area and to serve as marshalling and lay down areas for the petrochemical cluster in Antwerp.
Name-giving ceremony During the ceremony, PSA Breakbulk officially inaugurated its newly installed heavy lift crane at the PCE and revealed its new name “BIG FELB” after the joint venture partner Felbermayr that provided the crane. This name was selected from the many suggestions that guests made when registering for the event. Joris De Mondt, an operational supervisor at PSA Breakbulk, thought of the name and received a memento in appreciation.
PSA Breakbulk is a joint venture between the leading terminal operator PSA, the logistics services company Haeger & Schmidt Logistics and the heavy transport equipment specialist Felbermayr. It is one of the largest steel and general cargo terminal operators in the Port of Antwerp, with two deepsea terminals located on the Churchill dock: Churchill North Terminal (steel cargo) & Churchill South Terminal. PSA Breakbulk handles an average of 2 million tons of seagoing cargo annually for liner and semi-liner trade operators. Also for industrial groups, PSA Breakbulk is the ‘Terminal of Call‘ for breakbulk and general cargo.
Felbermayr belongs to the leading European heavy lift transportation and crane specialists headquartered in Wels, Austria. In total the group comprises 54 locations in 16 countries within Europe. This also includes subsidiaries and participations. In general the group is divided into three business units: Transport and Lifting technology, Building and Construction and Maritime Logistics Services. Felbermayr’s solely controlled subsidiary, Haeger & Schmidt Logistics (H&S), offers a comprehensive logistics portfolio.
Haeger & Schmidt Logistics, founded in 1887 in Antwerp and today headquartered in Duisburg (DE), is a leading logistics service provider focusing on sustainable transport concepts for container, steel products, heavy lift and project cargo along the Rhine corridor.
