ROTTERdaM WORLD-CLASS pORt

The gateway to Northwest Europe. That’s one way of looking at Rotterdam. Literally everything passes through the port of Rotterdam.

Rotterdamworld-classport

The gateway to Northwest Europe. That’s one way of looking at Rotterdam. Literally everything passes through the port of Rotterdam. From apples to cars, and from computers to the raw materials for the chemical industry.

Rotterdam owes its position to its location on the Rhine estuary. Goods find their way, by water or land, to some 500 million Europe-ans. By inland vessel, truck, train, pipeline or coaster. The port of Rotterdam covers an area of 42 kilometres, from the centre of the city to the North Sea. Some of the port basins are so deep that the largest of ships, with a draught of up to 24 metres, can call there. As there are no locks, they can quickly berth.

Rotterdam is more than a transit port. It is also a vast industrial complex. A great deal of goods are processed into other products in Rotterdam. Oil is refined, synthetics are produced, containers are stripped and cargo packages assembled, fruit is packed in the

quantities required by the wholesaler, et cetera. The goods and services produced in the port and industrial complex have a total economic added value in the region of € 11 billion per year.

Many people work in the port itself or for companies which are involved with the port in one way or another. From tug boat crews to ICT specialists who write computer programs to ensure smooth traffic flows. From oil traders to suppliers of ship’s equipment. From those who build the cranes used to unload ships to those who do the catering for party boats and cruise ships. From lorry drivers to process engineers in the chemical industry. All told, some 90,000 Dutch people work in the port.

The port also puts money in the coffers in another way: the Port Authority, as manager of the port, contributes some 85 million of its profits annually to its shareholders, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Dutch state.

Some 90,000 Dutch people work in the port.

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LIQUId BULK, OIL aNd CHEMICaLSOil tankers often unload their crude oil at the Maasvlakte Oil Terminal. From there, the oil is transported by pipeline to five refineries in the Europoort and the Botlek. It is then made into all kinds of oil products and raw materials for the chemical industry, which are transported to the hinterland by pipeline, inland vessel, rail or tanker. Kerosene for aircraft, for example, goes by pipeline to European airports suchs as Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Brussels (Belgium) and Frankfurt (Germany). Coasters transport large quantities of oil and chemical products to overseas ports, for example in England, Spain and Sweden. Chemical companies in Rotterdam are specialised in producing large quantities of semi-manufactured goods. These are used elsewhere to make the end products consumers find in the shops: from plastic utensils to paint.

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dISTRIBUTION PaRKSThere are numerous distribution centers in the port of Rotterdam, such as in the Distriparks Botlek, Eemhaven and Maasvlakte. In huge warehouses, such divers products as sports shoes, chips and car tyres are stored temporarily, packed and made ready for dispatch, as specified by the retail trade. Items of household equipment are fitted with the right plugs and instructions for the country for which they are destined. From the distribution centres, the goods are further distributed all over Europe, by train, truck, seagoing and inland vessel.

COaL aNd ORESIn the Europoort, the Botlek and on the Maasvlakte, coal and ores are handled. Iron ore is transported mainly to the Ruhr area in Germany. There it is made into steel for the German car industry, for example. By far most coal finds its way to Dutch and German power stations. A large number of coal mines in Germany have been closed in recent years. As a result, this important fuel for power stations is now sourced from such countries as South Africa, Canada and Australia, and shipped via Rotterdam.

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FOOdMore and more food (fruit, vegetables, meet, fish) is transported in reefer containers and handled at the general container terminals. In the whole port, various companies are specialized in the storage and handling of food. They therefore have large cold stores. From here, for example mangos from Brazil, grapes from South Africa, apples from Chile, steaks from Argentina and fish from Iceland find their way to the shops in a large part of Western Europe. In the Fruitport area on the north bank of the river reefer vessels dedicated to fruit, vegetables and juices can moor. Thanks to the incoming trade from overseas, the shops are stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables all year round.

CONTaINERSA container is a standard ‘loading box’ for mixed cargo. Virtually everything that fits into a container is actually transported by container. From computers to frozen fish. A large container ship can carry over 18,000 containers. Containers fit exactly onto a truck or freight wagon. Inland vessels account for about half of the transport to and from the hinterland. In the distribution centres products are stored temporarily, packed and made ready for dispatch, as specified by the retail trade: items of household equipment are fitted with the right plugs and instructions for the country for which they are destined.

EXPERIENCE THE PORT FOR YOURSELFThe port of Rotterdam has enough to offer when it comes to experiences and recreation. See, hear, smell and feel the port from close quarters. Although the swinging cranes some-times reminiscent of an amusement park, the port is a serious matter. Experiencing the port is both exciting and relaxing. You can get overwhelmed by the (un)loading of vessels, while a few kilometers away in a quiet natural area protected plants can be admired. And in FutureLand, the information center on Maasvlakte 2, you get to know everything about this newest part of the Netherlands. Then move on to the Maasvlakte beach. You can also use the cycling network for a trip through the port. In some parts in the port there are signs on which you can read (or listen on your smartphone) about what you see around. See the map on portofrotter-dam.com, get on your cycling shoes and experience the port!

FROM OUdE HavEN TO MaaSvLaKTE 2For centuries, Rotterdam has been a central point in the transportation of goods and persons. Until the end of the 19th century, the port activities concentrated on the northern banks of the New Maas. Many names in the city centre are a reminder of this, such as Oude Haven (Old Port) and Wijnhaven (Wine Port). From the mid-1800s, there was rapid economic growth, as a result of the Industrial Revolution. New port basins were dug on the western side of the city and on the southern banks. Not only cargo found their way to and from Rotterdam, but hundreds of thousands of European emigrants also boarded ships here, bound for America. In the 1950s and ’60s, the Botlek and Europoort were built. This extended the port and industrial area right up to the North Sea. In the 1970s, the Maasvlakte was constructed in the sea. Maasvlakte 2 provides space for the container sector and (bio)chemical industry to develop.

PORT OF ROTTERdaM aUTHORITY. aCTIvE FOR THE WHOLE PORTThe Port of Rotterdam Authority strengthens the competitive position of the port of Rotterdam. The port of today and tomorrow. An accessible and sustainable Port of Rotterdam, which can continue to grow, is very much in the interests of all (inter)national enterprises active here. The Port Authority therefore offers everything necessary for the speedy and safe transit of raw materials and goods, has an eye for the environment in which people work and live in the port and invests continually in existing and new port areas, such as Maasvlakte 2. For example, our commercial and nautical staff collaborate with our civil engineers, economists, project

managers, ICT specialists, lawyers and HRM staff to develop a world-class port.

Some 32,000 seagoing vessels and 87,000 inland vessels call at the port of Rotterdam every year. The traffic on the river and 65 kilometres out to sea is monitored and guided by radar. The system can be compared to air traffic control. On the water, patrol boats, carrying fire-fighting and other equipment, keep an eye on things. For 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also a Port Authority Inspection department, which carefully monitors the transport of dangerous substances. Safety and concern for the environment are of paramount importance in the port.

Safety and concern for the environment are of paramount importance in the port.

The portin figures

• Some 32,000 seagoing vessels a year call at the port of Rotterdam, as do 87,000 inland vessels.

• All told, some 90,000 Dutch people work in the port (source: Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2011).

• Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. Yearly almost 440 million tonnes of cargo is handled.

• Rotterdam’s port and industrial area is 120 square kilometers, including Maasvlakte 2.Only Maasvlakte 2 measures 3,000 football fields.

• 100 million tonnes of crude oil a year passes through the port. That is enough to fill Feyenoord’s football stadium 65 times.

• Of the amount of steel every day passing through the port of Rotterdam, you can make about 11,000 cars.

• With the 12 million TEU (unit measure-ment) containers handled annually in Rotterdam you could circle the globe. The biggest ship can ship 18,000 containers and that is a queue from the Maasvlakte to Amsterdam (about 108 km).

• The most westerly part of the port can accommodate the very largest seagoing vessels. These have a draught of up to 24 metres, which equals an 8-storey block of flats.

• One of the biggest ships calling at Rotterdam is the ‘Berge Stahl’, which is 360 metres long (three and a half football fields) and 65 metres wide. The ship carries iron ore and sails between Brazil and Rotterdam.

• Rotterdam is the most important European port for imports of coal, the fuel used in many Dutch and German power stations.

• Every day, some 200 trucks leave Rotterdam laden with fresh fruit and vegetables, which arrived by seagoing vessel, destined for every corner of Europe.

• There is a total of 125 kilometers of bike paths in the port, just as much as the distance between the port and the German border. The paths are connected to the national cycling network of the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB).

TexT Corporate CommuniCat ions, Havenbedrijf rotterdam

www.porTofroTTerdam.com

conTacT 010 252 10 10, info@portofrotterdam.Com

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PORT OF ROTTERdaM aUTHORITYThe aim of the Port of Rotterdam Authority is to enhance the port of Rotterdam’s competitive position as a logistics hub and world-class industrial complex. Not only in terms of size, but also quality. The core tasks of het Port Authority are to develop, manage and run the port in a sustainable way and to maintain a speedy and safe service for shipping.

FaCTS aNd FIgURESPort Authority: 1200 employeesTurnover: approx. € 600 million.Port area: approx. 12,500 acres (6,000 acres of which commercial sites, 6,500 acres water and rail lines, roads and pipeline zones). The port was extended by Maasvlakte 2 with 20%.The length of the port area is approx. 42 km.Direct employment: over 90,000 jobs.Goods throughput: over 440 (2012) million tonnes of goods a year.Shipping: approx. 32,000 ocean-going vessels and 87,000 inland vessels per annum.

The portin figures

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