Amsterdam Port Area full steam ahead.

[proud_ionian]

Source: Hellenic Shipping News/Infrasite

In the first six months of 2007, cargo throughput in the Amsterdam Port Area grew more rapidly than business in all other ports in Northwestern Europe. In the first half of 2007, the amount of goods handled by the Amsterdam Port Area was 47.7 million metric tons -

up by 9.2 percent in comparison to the same period last year, when the volume was 43.6 million tons. The strong growth occurred in particular in the transshipment of coal and containers.

The Amsterdam Port Area consists of the Ports of Amsterdam, IJmuiden/Velsen, Beverwijk and Zaanstad. The growth of 9.2 percent achieved in the first 6 months of 2007 means that this port region was able to keep up momentum. (The growth in the first quarter was 8 percent.)

In the first half of 2007, imports grew by 15.1 percent to 35.9 million tons. But exports decreased by 5.2 percent to 11.8 million tons. The existing imbalance increased because of the booming coal and container sectors, which are traditionally more import-oriented. Coal transshipment grew by 47.3 percent from 10.2 to 15 million tons. Container transshipment rose by 29.9 percent from 1.4 to 1.8 million tons. Measured in TEUs, container transshipment went up by 32.8 percent from 135,000 to 180,015 TEUs.

Thanks to this solid performance, the Amsterdam Port Area has increased its market share in Northwestern Europe and now accounts for over 7.5 percent. As a result, the Amsterdam Port Area has a firmer hold on the No. 4 position in the Hamburg-Le Havre range of ports. Within the Amsterdam Port Area; the Port of Amsterdam and the Port IJmuiden/Velsen are by far the biggest players. Let us first take a look at the Port of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

In the first half of 2007, cargo throughput in the Port of Amsterdam increased by 6 percent from 31.2 to 33.1 million tons. (In the first quarter of 2007, cargo throughput grew by 19.7 percent.) Imports increased by 8.3 percent to 22.9 million tons, while exports went up by 1.1 percent to 10.1 million tons.

To negotiate the lock complex at IJmuiden, deep-draft bulk carriers bound for Amsterdam unload part of their cargo onto smaller vessels known as lighters. If this cargo -1.4 million tons - is included, Amsterdam's total cargo throughput increased by 6.7 percent from 32.3 to 34.5 million tons.

Oil

The transshipment of oil products grew by 1.8 percent from 11.9 to 12.1 million tons. Imports were 5.5 million tons, while exports were 6.6 million tons. As was the case in the first half of 2006, imports and exports remained stable. Further growth will occur as soon as extra capacity becomes available at the existing container terminals.

Coal

The transshipment of coal jumped by 20.8 percent to 8 million tons. This was particularly due to imports, which rose by 23.4 percent to 7.1 million tons. And the increase in imports was largely attributable to the coal companies OBA and Rietlanden, which expanded their facilities in Amsterdam. Increasing demand for coal on the part of Germany power plants is the main driver behind the booming coal business.

Containers

The transshipment of containers increased by 21.7 percent from 1.4 to 1.7 million tons. Expressed in TEUs, the transshipment of containers rose by 32.8 percent from 135,000 to 180,015 TEUs. This growth shows that the Ceres Paragon terminal is a great success. Within the same shipping services, the vessels are becoming ever bigger and include 8,000-TEU ships. Moreover, the container ships being deployed are carrying greater incoming and outgoing loads (better capacity utilization).

Bigger ships and better capacity utilization

The number of loaded ships that called at the Port of Amsterdam in the first half of 2007 was 2,816. This is a slight drop of 2.9 percent in comparison to the first 6 months of 2006. How can that be, given Amsterdam's upward trend? Ships going through the lock complex are getting bigger and are also making better use of their cargo-carrying capacity.

Hans Gerson - Executive Director and CEO of the Port of Amsterdam - is very pleased with the port's performance, "The Port of Amsterdam continues to make a strong showing and has now become an indispensable part of the whole Dutch logistics infrastructure." He expects the Amsterdam Port Area - so the entire 4-port region - to handle more than 90 million tons of cargo over the whole of 2007.

IJmuiden

In the first half of 2007, cargo throughput in the Port of IJmuiden grew by 17.5 percent from 12.2 to 14.3 million tons. Imports increased by 30.3 percent from 9.8 to 12.8 million tons. At the same time, exports decreased by 37.2 percent from 2.3 to 1.5 million tons. The transshipment of coals went up by 96.4 percent from 3.6 to 7.1 million tons. This was caused by a strategic change in production at the local Corus steel plant driven by the oil and coal prices. The transshipment of ore increased by 3.7 percent, while that of fertilizers rose by 13.4 percent.

Beverwijk

Cargo throughput in the Port of Beverwijk went up by 31.1 percent from 0.19 to 0.25 million tons. This is chiefly thanks to new customers that are shipping especially fertilizers to England and Scotland, as well as new port facilities such as new cranes, which have reduced turnaround times for large ships, many of which are carrying scrap metal.

Zaanstad

Cargo throughput at the Port of Zaanstad dropped by 21 percent from 0.11 to 0.09 million tons. Reduced timber imports were the main factor.