Rotterdam is one of the world's most important junctions when
it comes to cargo traffic. Every year, over 300 million tonnes
of goods are handled here. Located on the North Sea - the busiest
sea route in the world - this Dutch port serves a European hinterland
of about 380 million consumers. The huge cargo flows result
in advantages of scale for both carriers and shippers.
The port of Rotterdam covers an area of 40 kilometres, from
the center of the city to the North Sea. The port and industrial
area covers 10,500 hectares (26,000 acres). Around 30,000
seagoing vessels and 130,000 inland vessels arrive in the
port every year. Rotterdam is the home port and port of call
for around 500 shipping lines that maintain regular services
to 1,000 ports. Rotterdam is Europe's most important port
for oil & chemicals, containers, iron ore, coal, food
and metals.
75 foot
Via the Eurogeul (Euro-channel) in the North Sea, ships with
a draft of up to 75 foot can enter the port fully loaded. This
means that they can carry between 300 and 350 thousand tons
of crude oil, iron ore or coal in one go. The largest container
ships, capable of carrying 7,000 TEUs or more, can also enter
Rotterdam completely unrestricted. Because there are no locks
in the port, it only takes ships 1 to 2 hours to reach their
berths in the western port area from the pilot station before
the port entrance.
Center for transport, trade and industry
The intensive concentration of goods flows has given mainport
Rotterdam a clear role as a center. All major shipping companies
are represented here, either directly or via an agent. British/Dutch
P&O Nedlloyd has its head office in Rotterdam. Other shipping
companies, such as, for example, Maersk/Sea-Land, have centers
from where they organize all their inland transport to the
northwest European hinterland. For this purpose, Rotterdam
offers a great concentration of haulers, inland shipping companies
and rail carriers. But European trade has also concentrated
itself in Rotterdam; the presence of the only European auction
for imported citrus fruits and the numerous 'Trade & Distribution
Centers' of various Asian countries are good examples. Read
more on PortCargo and PortTransport.
But the most noticeable concentration of activity in Rotterdam
is that of industry, in particular in the field of chemicals
and petrochemicals. For these industries, the goods flows
to Rotterdam are a must. A number of multinationals such as
Lyondell have their most important or only European industrial
complex here, where products are manufactured for the whole
of Europe or even the whole world. Read more on PortIndustry.
Specialized ports
Characteristic of a mainport like Rotterdam is that all kinds
of different goods flows come together. These various types
of goods, such as oil, ores and coal, or fruit and dry bulk,
roll-on/roll-off and containers are usually handled by specialized
companies. These companies are established in specific parts
of the port, so that Rotterdam is characterized by a collection
of specialized ports. Read more on PortCargo and PortTransport.
Liquid bulk
Crude oil, oil products and liquid chemicals account for almost
half of the total throughput in Rotterdam. Important receivers
and consignors of this liquid bulk are the five refineries
and the chemical industry in the port area.
The relatively cheap supply of crude oil in VLCCs (very large
crude carriers) forms the basis of Rotterdam's petrochemical
industry. Most crude oil is discharged on the Maasvlakte (at
the MOT) and is then transported onwards via pipeline, sometimes
following storage.
Over 20 multinationals have branches in the industrial area.
Most chemical semi-manufactured products find their way to
the hinterland by pipeline. A total of one-third of all liquid
bulk leaves the port by pipeline. For the handling of crude
oil, oil products and chemicals, Rotterdam has a number of
specialized tank terminals; not only can ships and lorries
load and discharge there, but stocks of chemicals are also
stored for the owner and supplied on demand. They have a joint
capacity in excess of more than 30 million m3.
Dry bulk
The German steel industry transports almost all of its iron
ore via Rotterdam. Costs are relatively low due to the large-scale
trade into the port by means of huge bulk ships and the large-scale
outbound over the Rhine via lighters. The German steel companies
have their own EECV terminal in Rotterdam Europoort, where
the majority of the ore arriving in Rotterdam is transshipped.
The rest goes through the EMO terminal on the Maasvlakte.
Coal is only shipped in via the EMO terminal, roughly 50%
is bound for the domestic market; the other half mainly goes
to England and Germany. In addition to ores and coal, Rotterdam
also handles considerable amounts of agribulk: grain and crude
animal feed but also other dry bulk such as phosphates for
the fertilizer industry. They are the specialty of European
Bulk Services, which has terminals in the Botlek area and
in Europoort.
Food port
In Rotterdam, some 30 million tonnes of food are transshipped,
60% of which is destined for consumption in the European hinterland.
In addition to agricultural raw materials, beverages, meat,
fish, preserves and grain products, fruit, vegetables and
fruit juices are also handled in Rotterdam. Handling of the
last three products is concentrated in Rotterdam Fruitport,
located in the Vierhavens-/Merwehaven area on the north bank.
Containers
Rotterdam is a major container port in Europe. An increasing
proportion of container throughput takes place on the Maasvlakte,
where stevedoring company ECT operates three terminals. Mearsk/Sealand
is the fourth terminal. These four terminals are part of several
'dedicated' terminals, in which private investors, the municipality
and the government have invested a total of more than 2 billion
guilders.
Its situation close to the sea and its accessibility for
very large container ships makes the Maasvlakte an ideal location
for the sea-sea distribution of containers and the establishment
of centers for large-scale distribution. Many container services
therefore include Rotterdam as one of the few European ports
of call and serve the other ports with feeder ships.
Apart from the Maasvlakte, containers are also transshipped
in the Waalhaven/Eemhaven area, where short-sea activities
are concentrated.
Hinterland connections
Goods bound for the hinterland can leave the port by river,
rail, road, pipeline or sea. For large quantities of bulk
goods, transport via the Rhine, which flows into the sea at
Rotterdam, is ideal. But inland shipping is also a good alternative
for containers. With the use of shuttle trains, rail's modest
stake in container transport is growing. Many chemicals are
also carried by rail. Bulk chemicals leave Rotterdam by pipeline,
as does part of the crude oil coming into the port from overseas.
Chemical products and semi-manufactured products, containers
and food and food-related products, for instance, are transported
by trucks. Read more on PortTransport.
Throughput Port of
Rotterdam
January – December 2001 and 2002*
| |
2001
January - December |
2002*
January - December |
Difference
% |
| INCOMING AND OUTGOING |
|
|
|
| Agribulk |
11 274 |
9 442 |
-16,3 |
| Ores and scrap |
37 950 |
40 506 |
6,7 |
| Coal |
24 753 |
23 751 |
-4,0 |
| Other dry bulk goods |
10 482 |
9 730 |
-7,2 |
| Subtotal dry bulk goods |
84 460 |
83 429 |
-1,2 |
| |
|
|
|
| Crude oil |
97 918 |
96 280 |
-1,7 |
| Mineral oil products / petcoke |
27 924 |
35 050 |
25,5 |
| Other liquid bulk goods |
25 105 |
24 595 |
-2,0 |
| Subtotal liquid bulk goods |
150 947 |
155 925 |
3,3 |
| |
|
|
|
| Total bulk goods |
235 406 |
239 354 |
1,7 |
| |
|
|
|
| Roll on / Roll off |
8 999 |
9 669 |
7,4 |
| Containers / flats |
62 194 |
65 849 |
5,9 |
| Other general cargo, lash |
8 104 |
7 235 |
-10,7 |
| Total general cargo |
79 298 |
82 753 |
4,4 |
| |
|
|
|
| TOTAL THROUGHPUT |
314 704 |
322 107 |
2,4 |
|
* Provisional figure |
