Port of Antwerp-Bruges looks back with satisfaction 1 year after the merger

New projects confirm unified port's appeal and ensure challenging future

ANTWERP: Port of AntwerpBruges will be blowing out one candle on 22 April The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge decided last year to proceed under a single banner, resulting in an exciting synergy But how does that manifest and what does themergermeannow,oneyearlater?

The merger of the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge last year profoundly reshaped the Western European maritime landscape. The brand-new, unified port did not hide its ambitions. 'We aim to become a world port that reconciles economy, people and climate,' it said. New investments and projects confirm the attractiveness of the unified port –thisbeingdespitetoday'sdifficultgeopoliticalcontext.

The unification significantly accelerated the already existing innovation and energy ambitions of both port authorities. After all, an increase in scale brings with it greater political and economic clout. This is how Port of Antwerp-Brugesispositioningitselftodayasamajorplayer in the import, local production, processing and throughput ofgreenhydrogenandhydrogencarriers(suchasammonia and methanol) to the hinterland. Some concrete hydrogen projectsarenowreadytoberolledout.

Over the past year, Port of Antwerp-Bruges has increasingly emerged as a crucial link in the international logistics chain. Today, for example, 15% of the total supply of LNG and natural gas to Europe arrives via the Zeebrugge port platform. One year earlier, this was about 8%. This makes Port of Antwerp-Bruges one of the main access routes for gas to the European hinterland. In terms of energy supply and transition, the merged port intends to continueitspioneeringroleinthefuture.

The integration process for transforming the various digital applications into a single system is well underway. Geographical data from the Zeebrugge platform has since been integrated into the Digital Twin (a virtual copy of the port), and real-time data (e.g. air quality sensors) has also beenlinkedtoit.

Containervolumes

The fact that the ports can complement one another where necessary is reflected, among other things, in the shift of container volumes from Antwerp to Zeebrugge. Because Antwerp was at its limit in terms of container capacity last year, companies were able to divert to the

Zeebrugge platform for their container handling

So container volumes can now be spread across two platforms – a win-win for both Port of Antwerp-Bruges andthelogisticsplayers.

Non-stopprocess

Both port platforms share some common challenges that they are now addressing together Take, for example, the current shortages in the job market. Port of AntwerpB r u g e s r e c e n t l y l a u n c h e d t h e j o b s s i t e www.havenjobs.com. By including vacancies from both A n t w e r p a n d Z e e b r u g g e p o r t a u t h o r i t i e s , the website reaches a broad Flemish audience. This expanded geographical reach gives a huge boost to the competitivenessandattractivenessoftheportauthoritiesin thejobmarket.

After one year, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is still in transition and evaluating its processes and systems nonstop. A merger is a long-term project and involves some major challenges – technical, operational and human. Port of Antwerp-Bruges can look back, as well as forward, with satisfaction. The port platforms – and especially the people behind them – have joined forces, helped shape the mergerstoryandmadeithappen.

Annick De Ridder, Port Alderwoman of the City of Antwerp and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: 'Our merged port is a world port that is ensuring sustainable growth and economic prosperity. It harbours great ambitions, while facing great challenges Those challenges we successfully faced together in the 'birth year' with resilience and agility Meanwhile, the merger of the highly complementary port platformsisprovingitsaddedvalueinpractice.Ourmerged port is the economic engine of Flanders. And that engine keeps running thanks to all the hard work of all the employees, both on the Antwerp and Zeebrugge port platforms.'

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Port of AntwerpBruges: 'After one year, we are not only one port Today,oneyearlater,Ialsoseeintheworkplaceeverydayhow we have grown into one cohesive management and one cohesive team The fact that we thus form one port together, whichisalsoholdingstrongingeopoliticallyandeconomically challenging times and during the energy crisis, can also count on a great deal of international resonance '