The Port of Rotterdam announced that it achieved a throughput of 240.7 million tonnes in the first six months of 2019, an increase of 3.4% in comparison to 208’s first six months. The growth was due to increased import and transhipment volumes.
CEO Allard Castelein commented
Throughput in the port is doing well, particularly in the strategically important container market segment. The financial results of the Port Authority are good. We can therefore continue to invest in the port, in physical infrastructure and in digital solutions for trade and logistics.
The highlights of the port’s evolution the first six months are:
- Total throughput of 240.7 million tonnes;
- Increase in container throughput to 7.5 million TEU;
- 4.0% moderate increase in revenue of the Port of Rotterdam Authority to € 357.8 million;
- 7.0% clear increase in operating result to € 134.8 million;
- Ongoing high investments in infrastructure;
Also, the Port of Rotterdam saw progress in the energy transition sector by participating in the Porthos project for the storage of CO2 in depleted gas fields under the North Sea. Meanwhile, the port recently presented the H-Vision study focusing on explore the large-scale production and application of blue hydrogen in the Rotterdam industrial area.
Moreover, the port’s infrastructure remained high at 177.1 million euros. The Authority is actively collaborating on the enhancement of reliability in the logistics chain. The first step was driven for the Container Exchange Route in May. The port is constructing the Theemsweg route to alleviate capacity bottleneck.
In addition, based on the port’s report for the first half of 2019, the Authority is following the path of digitalization, as the Container 42 departed the port for a two-year trip around the world, marking a milestone for the port by providing real-time information.
The Port saw a 2.8% increase in the crude oil, and 94% in LNG market segments. Yet, the mineral oil products and agribulk market segments experienced a 5.8% and a 7.2% decrease, respectively.
Overall, the Port’s CEO, Allard Castelein stated
In the macroeconomic field, relations between the world’s major trading blocs remain strained. There is also ongoing uncertainty about the introduction of trade tariffs post-Brexit. Both developments are rendering the prospects for the further growth of world trade uncertain. Given the global uncertainties mentioned here, the Port of Rotterdam Authority expects a slight weakening of the growth in cargo throughput in the second half of 2019.