28 February 2014
This month we are visiting the Port of Ghent. Under the motto "Large enough to cope, small enough to care", the Port of Ghent has survived the economic crisis pretty well. The port is working on different projects, so reasons enough to learn more about this Belgian port.
Can you present the port of Ghent in a nutshell?
The port of Ghent is a middle sized seaport in Belgium with 26 million tonnes of seaborne cargo and 22 million tonnes of inland navigation traffic. We are specialised in dry and liquid bulk (grain, vegetable oils, building materials, coal & iron ore, petroleum products, wood pellets, biofuels...). Furthermore, the port is a centre for production and logistics located close to the consumer markets (automotive, paper industry, bio-energy, ro/ro and containers). We are accessible via the Western Scheldt and the Terneuzen lock (Panamax type). Our inland location is one of our assets when looking at the connection with the hinterland: France, the Netherlands and Germany. The new Kluizendock is surrounded by 660 hectares, which is available for mainly distribution and logistics.
What are the port’s vision and strategic objectives for the coming years?
Our mission is to create prosperity and growth in a sustainable way by further developing the seaport into a multimodal logistics platform. Attracting more regular liner shipping and developing the inland navigation container segment are some of our priorities, together with the further accommodation of the existing industries and logistic sector. Our ‘front door’ project, the construction of a new sea lock of the ‘New Panamax type’ in Terneuzen is extremely important for the competitiveness of our existing industries. In order to attract liner shipping, the existence of a second sea lock provides more certainty. The building of the lock will start in 2017 and will costs 930 million Euros. It will be financed by Flanders (the largest part), the Netherlands and the Port of Ghent. The lock will be finalised by 2021.
In December last year, the new TEN-T policy framework was finalised. Ports are central in the new policy. Core ports will have to work on greening their hinterland links? What does that mean for Ghent? Do you see the new policy as a challenge or an opportunity?
It was a challenge for the port of Ghent to be included as a core port in the core network corridors! This gives us the opportunity to succeed in implementing our strategic plan and our mission. We are working on the set up of container barge services with the ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge and we have a regular train service to Mortara in Italy. All these destinations are on the North Sea-Med and Rhine-Alpine corridors.
During the penultimate TEN-T call, we submitted a project on inland navigation infrastructure (6 smaller infrastructures) and were selected. During one of the next calls, we will submit the lock project in Terneuzen. We are confident that our strategy is on the right track!
The port of Ghent is looking beyond the national borders. Could you explain how the port of Ghent is cooperating with Zeeland Seaports?
The Ports of Terneuzen and Ghent are integrating their port information systems into one IT-system, which will be used by ships and companies for their mooring and unmooring information. This central management of the port information system is a step forward towards the joint cross-border nautical management, which is being developed around the management and operation of the new large sea lock in Terneuzen, which will be finalised by 2021. Ships that sail into or depart from the Port of Ghent or the ports in Vlissingen and Terneuzen must report this electronically. This is done using a digital port information system, which in turn guarantees the smooth management of ships.
You know that the societal integration of ports is high on ESPO’s agenda. Is it also high on Ghent’s agenda?
Of course it is! A proof of which is our 3 participations in the ESPO award on Societal Integration of Ports. During the first edition of the Award, we ended up second and got a ‘special mention’ with our project ‘Ghent-Terneuzen canal zone’, which shows how, with all stakeholders, we work together to develop the Canal Zone. We participated a second time, in 2011, together with all Flemish ports and presented ‘Flanders Port Area’ as an example of cooperation ‘where possible’. In last year’s edition, which had Heritage as theme, we presented the newly bought ‘House of the Free Skippers’, one of the oldest remains of a landmark in medieval Ghent. Today, it’s a listed monument located in the historical centre of Ghent. After its renovation, the Port House will be opened to the public with a permanent interactive exhibition space, meeting rooms and areas for flexible workstations in order to represent the port and the Ghent Port Company in the centre of the city, where it all started.
In May, ESPO is holding its annual conference in Gothenburg. Is Ghent already registered for this conference?
Since the port of Ghent is a regular attendee at ESPO conferences, we are of course already registered. This year is a special edition for us, as the conference takes place in Gothenburg. The port of Ghent has a regular shortsea liner service with Gothenburg, which is operated by DFDS Seaways. With a frequency of 5 times a week, this ro/ro service is the exchange between Volvo cars produced in Ghent and Sweden. In addition, shortsea liner service transports trucks, trailers and ro/ro with as destination the Swedish market. In fact, Sweden is the number one trading partner of the port of Ghent.
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