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European ports to end 2016 with record freight

CONTRARY to expectations that the Brexit referendum in June would adversely affect European trade, cargo volumes were evenly split between the first and second halves of the year.

In a sign of the continuing strength of exports to and from Britain during 2016, P&O Ferries have announced that it handled more freight units at its principal continental hub at Zeebrugge than in any year since it began operations from the Belgian port in 1966, reported the UK's Handy Shipping Guide.

The ferry group handled 420,000 freight units at Zeebrugge last year, surpassing the previous record of 398,650, which was set in 2015, by more than five per cent.

From its Zeebrugge hub, P&O Ferries operates services across the North Sea to Tilbury, Hull and Teesport. It also operates incoming rail services from Central and Eastern Europe.

The terminal was enlarged by 14 hectares at the end of last year, so that it now comprises a fourth berth and significantly enhanced rail infrastructure which will almost double annual capacity to 700,000 freight units.

Said P&O Ferries managing director Janette Bell: "This robust performance shows that structural demand from continental exporters to Britain is continuing to increase and that our hub at Zeebrugge is the key gateway."

Meanwhile, the Port of Antwerp will close out 2016 with an expected record volume of more than 214 million tonnes of freight handled. For its part shipping container volume has risen above 10 million TEU for the first time in the history of the port.

Liquid bulk is also showing year-on-year expansion with an estimated volume of just under 70 million tonnes. However both conventional breakbulk and dry bulk sectors are down, primarily due to reduced demand for coal and ore in Europe and containerisation of items such as fruit.

Container volume up 4.1 per cent the and ended the year at 118 million tonnes.

In terms of the number of containers, this represents 10.05 million TEU, an increase of 4.2 per cent. Antwerp attributes this increase to an expansion of its market share at the expense of competitors like Hamburg and Rotterdam.

In Sweden, a new record has been set for the number of containers transported to the Container Terminal at Frihamnen, Port of Stockholm. At the beginning of December 2016 Ports of Stockholm had shipped 54,000 TEU as compared to the previous record set at Frihamnen of just over 51,000 TEU in 2015.

Henrik Widerstahl, deputy managing director and head of marketing at Ports of Stockholm said: "It is extremely positive that the number of containers has increased at Frihamnen as we are simultaneously building a new freight port that in the future will account for a major portion of the supply of goods to the rapidly growing Stockholm region."

Ports of Stockholm is currently building the new port to the south of Stockholm, the Stockholm Norvik Port, which is anticipated to open in 2020 and will have a draught of 16.5 metres (maximum for the Baltic).