Port of Amsterdam handles a record 86.3 Mt

The port’s throughput in 2019 was 6% up on the figure for 2018. Together with the other Amerstam ports in the North Sea Canal Area, traffic came to 105 Mt, compared to 101.8 Mt in 2018

Traffic at IJmuiden fell by 7.9% to 17.2 Mt, while Beverwijk and Zaanstad saw volume stabilise at 0.7 Mt and 0.2 Mt respectively.

The record set in the port of Amsterdam proper is primarily attributable to an 18% increase in throughput of energy products, such as coal, to 15.5 Mt, compared to 13.1 Mt in 2018. The increase in coal handling can be attributed to market conditions, which led to strong growth in exports to non-traditional markets such as Asia and the Black Sea region.

This growth is not expected to be structural. The closure of the Amsterdam Hemweg power plant 8 in December resulted in the cancellation of a large coal transaction.

Throughput of oil products rose in 2019 to 50 Mt, compared to 47.4 Mt in 2018, due to favourable conditions in the petrol market, while throughput of chemical products and construction materials rose by 3.4% and 2.4%, respectively.

Agri cargo flow fell by 5% to 7.9 Mt and general cargo fell by 35% compared to 2018, although other dry bulk increased by 6% to 33.6 Mt, and container and ro-ro traffic increased increased by 12% and 17% respectively.

A total of 20-ha of land was leased out in 2019, compared to 43-ha in 2018. Large parcels of land were leased out to Granuband along with the 5.7-ha DC at the Conakryweg. Port of Amsterdam also purchased a further 6-ha lot in HoogTij in 2019, having purchased 10-ha in 2016.

Source: WorldCargo News