PortNews 2025 Issue 2

YOUR STEVEDORE IN THE PORT OF GHENT

VOLUME 20 | EDITION 2 | MAY 2025

– ESTABLISHED IN 1338 –

C O V E R I N G T H E P O R T A R E A O F G H E N T, T E R N E U Z E N A N D V L I S S I N G E N

STUKWERKERS

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+31 (0) 118 48 30 00 Ritthemsestraat 500 4389PA Ritthem, Port 1010 sales-dsvl@damen.com

IN THIS ISSUE

42

12 20

32

16

04 North Sea Port – A sense of urgency 38 North Sea Port – Smarter, faster, and cheaper

09 North Sea Port – Europe’s top player 12 Messer Benelux – Chemistry in

41 Transport logistic 2025 –

Meet North Sea Port at transport logistic 2025!

the air

16 North Sea Port – All signals are

52 REGULARS 02 Events 03 Welcome John Dane 57 Port maps 60 Members 64 Publishers page

42 Eastman – Investing in your safety on the road

green

20 Mervielde – A new milestone

46 MG Real Estate – Designing the future

24 Smart Delta Resources – The spirit

50 North Sea Port – New pier for

28 Stora Enso – Circularity as

52 Belgian Pork Group – Where local

of collaboration

a core business

32 Dixtone – Building efficiency

greener cruise calls

craftmanship and innovation meet

ON THE COVER Last year, North Sea Port saw a 7% increase in breakbulk cargo handling. With a 15% share of the total cargo, North Sea Port is still the number one breakbulk port in Europe.

Read more on page 9. Image courtesy of Limit Fotografie.

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EVENTS

North Sea Port and Promotion Council North Sea Port will be in attendance at various events and trade shows.

Below you’ll find a snapshot of the upcoming events that might be of interest to you.

13-15 MAY

2025

19

BreakBulk Europe Rotterdam

JUNE

2025

Maritieme Haringparty Vlissingen

22-25

European Petro-

2025

Berlin

14-16

Transport & Logistics Antwerp

SEPTEMBER chemical Association

OCTOBER

2025

20-22 MAY

World Hydrogen Rotterdam

3

Nazomer

2025

Landlust, Nieuwdorp

30 - 2

Fruit Attraction Madrid

2025

SEPTEMBER Haventreffen

SEPT-OCT

2025

23

OCTOBER

2025

Haven en logistieke netwerkevent Ghent

2-5

JUNE

Transport Logistic Munich

24-25

European Commodi-

2025

Berlin

OCTOBER

1-2

Juice Summit Bruges

25-26

Offshore Energy

2025

SEPTEMBER ties Exchange

2025

NOVEMBER Amsterdam

2025

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Adaptability Welcome The first quarter of this year is already over, which means the period of spring fairs has begun. Logically, many companies, alongside North Sea Port and Promotion Council North Sea Port, are attending many of these fairs to present themselves to an international audience. Additionally, we have had two exciting and interesting Port and Logistics Network meetings with topical themes: AI and legislation. These were very well attended.

This beautiful magazine, for which I am writing this Welcome for the first time, is also an important tool to present the port area and the many companies who operate within it. As I browse through the various articles of the magazine, I am again amazed by the great diversity of activities that our port hosts.

In Vlissingen, Terneuzen, and Ghent, on an area of 9,100ha, there are many port, industrial, logistics, and supporting companies that collectively, and significantly, contribute to a strong cross-border industrial and logistics port cluster.

What also strikes me while reading is that the port continues to develop. And that is not without reason.

So much is happening in today’s world. Whether it is in the field of geopolitics, AI, legislation, or in the field of energy transition. Many factors play a role in the developments in our port and, conversely, the port can also contribute significantly to how these various developments can be addressed.

Over the years, the port area has continuously adapted to changing circumstances, and even now you see that various parties are working hard to remain futureproof. It is not the strongest or smartest organisations

that survive but those that can adapt best. Of course, companies come and go, and industries disappear to make way for new ones, but the common thread in all this remains the vision to position ourselves as a top European port and to do so in a sustainable and circular way, and with great added value to the regional economy.

With kind regards, John Dane, Chairman Promotion Council North Sea Port

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A sense of urgency Recently, North Sea Port, together with Smart Delta Resources (SDR), the Province of Zeeland, and other stakeholders, sent an urgent letter to the Dutch Government. The industry in Europe is under pressure and action is needed.

The industry and energy sectors play a crucial role within North Sea Port because of the supply of important products and the significant contribution to a sustainable energy supply in the Netherlands and Belgium. Engaging in a world market, the port authority and companies involved are dedicated to expand North Sea Port’s relevance at the local and European level.

In this light, sustainable development and green growth play an important role. Being a frontrunner, however, also means being faced with certain challenges. These challenges must be addressed not only by industrial actors themselves, but also by engaged governments at the local, national and European level.

Strong points “North Sea Port has many strong points that ensure that existing and new companies want to continue investing,” explains Isabelle Van Vooren, head of corporate affairs of North Sea Port. “Also, regarding the decarbonisation of their production and the development of sustainable energy supplies, the port has a strategic location in relation to the North Sea and the hinterland. It has the largest hydrogen cluster in the Benelux, and can make almost direct use of green energy

Isabelle Van Vooren, head of corporate affairs of North Sea Port.

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through the landing of export cables from various offshore wind farms off the Dutch coast. It also houses the only Dutch nuclear power plant. It is no coincidence that there are currently several concrete plans for the production of green energy and circular products in the port. In addition, many of the companies present are already making great efforts to operate sustainably, and they want to expand these efforts further in the coming years. At the moment, however, the industry within Europe is under pressure. Despite our good proposition, this also applies to the industry in North Sea Port, and without government intervention, companies, and thus thousands of jobs and economic security, are at stake.”

Enormous opportunities Isabelle Van Vooren continues, “A future-proof industry within North Sea Port is not only vital for the region, but it also offers enormous opportunities for the Netherlands, Belgium, and Europe. Here we can significantly reduce greenhouse gases, greatly improve the living environment (cleaner air, water, and soil), and lower the environmental footprint of our use of raw materials through increased circularity and process efficiency.

Zaïda Floren, advisor public affairs at SDR.

Recently, North Sea Port, together with Smart Delta Resources (SDR), the Province of Zeeland, and other stakeholders, handed over an urgent letter to the Dutch Government. From left to right: Jo-Annes de Bat (deputy of the Province of Zeeland), Henri Bontenbal (member of the Dutch parliament on behalf of CDA), Chris Stoffer (member of the Dutch parliament on behalf of SGP), Wytske Postma (member of the Dutch parliament on behalf of NSC), Joris Thijssen (member of the Dutch parliament on behalf of GL-PvdA) and Maarten den Dekker (board member/chief sustainability and digital officer of North Sea Port, and director of SDR).

At the same time, the complementary cluster in our port of energy, chemicals, food, fertilisers, refining, and steel, provides tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Our port and industrial cluster also act as an engine for innovation that accelerates the energy transition. Investments in research into and application of clean technologies here not only help the North Sea Port region, but they also contribute to industries in other regions in Europe. The activities in this industrial and port area generate approximately EUR 13 billion in added value annually, thereby also supporting Europe’s strategic autonomy by reducing dependence on foreign energy and raw materials.

Therefore, North Sea Port is a port-region where a lot is at stake when it comes to supporting investments by the industry.

It is not for nothing that we are lobbying various governments strongly. We are doing this together with local and regional governments in our dialogue towards the Dutch, Flemish, and Belgian governments. And together we also find our way to the European Union because decision-making and regulations there are crucial to achieving ambitions and keeping the industry in the ports future-proof and competitive.”

Dutch lobby Regarding the Dutch lobby, North Sea Port is working, among others, with SDR. In this, energy- and raw material-intensive companies in the Flemish-Dutch Schelde-Delta region have joined forces within a unique cross-border collaboration of industry, port, knowledge institutions, grid operators, and governments. Zaïda Floren is public affairs advisor at SDR

Image courtesy of Dow.

The basic industry and energy sector play a crucial role within North Sea Port.

and, together with her colleague advisor Marijn Padberg, has a coordinating role for the lobby from the Flemish-Dutch Schelde-Delta region towards the Dutch government. “If we let the industry disappear,” she explains, “there is nothing left to decarbonise. Moreover, the industry is the foundation for Zeeland’s future towards 2050. With decisive policy, The Hague can make a difference for competitiveness and decarbonisation, in the spirit of the Clean Industrial Deal. Breakthroughs are needed – before 2030 and in the long term. From a broad coalition of companies (both employers and employees), ports, PortNews I 5

Many of the companies present are already making great efforts to operate sustainably.

Image courtesy of ArcelorMittal (Gent).

Dutch companies are confronted with a tangle of policy initiatives, while policy certainty is essential to unlock investments.

Solid business case

Martijn Padberg, public affairs advisor at Smart Delta Resources and director public affairs at Public Matters.

Martijn Padberg explains these key points, “Firstly, investing starts with a solid business case. International companies only choose to start or keep investing in our region if the investment climate is competitive. However, at this point in the energy and resources transition, ambitious climate policies are not supported by so-called green business cases. Additionally, companies are waiting on national energy infrastructure in order to electrify their production processes and are waiting on more clarity on national hydrogen transport infrastructure.

Our message is clear, the cabinet must realise an alternative financing system for investments in electricity infrastructure and harmonise grid tariffs with neighbouring countries. In addition, a market should be created for clean, ‘locally’ produced products and energy by stimulating market demand at the end of the value chain.”

Energy infrastructure governments, educational and knowledge institutions, and social organisations, we recently explained what is needed to unlock investment decisions and maintain the industry in Zeeland and North Sea Port with a letter which we handed over to members of the Dutch parliament in The Hague. This letter mentioned several key points on which government action is requested.”

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“Without certainty of timely available and robust energy infrastructure, companies will not make investment decisions,” adds Zaïda Floren. “Currently, grid congestion is significantly slowing down the energy transition, and companies have limited certainty on when new connections to the energy grid will be available. The focus must therefore be on implementation and acceleration: invest with vision and courage in the infrastructure.

We see a sense of urgency now in the Dutch Government and national politics. This is not only about strengthening the electricity grid or supplying sustainable electricity through nuclear and wind energy but also about the timely construction of hydrogen and CO2 infrastructure. Both are essential to get the hydrogen market off the ground. It is important that the Dutch Government, together with the grid operators, provides more clarity on the timelines, risks and division of costs, thereby offering more certainty to ‘first-movers’ and the market.”

Permits Zaïda Floren continues, “Nitrogen is another bottleneck for the energy transition and industrial decarbonisation. We therefore also lobby for regulations that give room for projects, that ultimately reduce emissions, to prevent them getting stranded in the permitting phase due to temporary emissions during construction. The complex and slow permitting procedures increase uncertainty and hinder progress. At the same time, we must not lose sight of the end goal of CO2 reduction.

Industry can only contribute to the CO2 reduction targets if permits become more certain. The Dutch Ministerial Committee for Economy and Nature Restoration must come up with a concrete plan that offers organisations perspective and guarantees nature restoration in the short term.”

Policy certainties Finally, Martijn Padberg mentions the last key point from the letter. “Dutch companies are confronted with a tangle of policy initiatives, while policy certainty is essential to unlock investments. Besides choices around grid tariffs and nitrogen, the implementation of European regulations plays a key role.

The Netherlands is a front runner in implementing EU rules but must guard against an unequal European playing field and must focus on setting realistic goals. Companies need clear, consistent, and predictable policy to invest in decarbonisation and green growth. Therefore, predictable, multi-year policy that provides certainty well beyond 2030 is required. This will help companies to continue investing in the industry and the energy transition.”

Spring decision-making “The spring decision-making of the Dutch Government is a crucial moment to ensure that Zeeland remains a strong, sustainable industrial region,” continues Zaïda Floren. “That is why this letter has now been drafted and presented by the broad coalition of social organisations, all of which endorse this call because of the significant impact of a better investment climate on broad prosperity, decarbonisation, and the local environment. We are having discussions with governments to work together on concrete measures for the future of the industry and the region. Our call to the Dutch Government does not stand alone. Other parties and regions, such as VNO/NCW, Chemelot, Port of Amsterdam, and Port of Rotterdam, are also raising the alarm with the Dutch Government because Europe’s, and thus these parties’, competitiveness is at stake.”

Flemish lobby As mentioned earlier, the lobby of North Sea Port as a cross border port is not solely focused on the Netherlands. Stefaan De Weireld is the public affairs advisor at North Sea Port who leads the lobby of North Sea Port towards the Belgian and Flemish authorities. “As a port, we also face challenges in Belgium and Flanders to secure investments. Industrial policies are mainly a Flemish matter, while a sustainable and

Stefaan De Weireld, advisor public affairs at North Sea Port.

affordable secured energy supply also depends on the Federal Government’s policies. Since February this year, there has been a new Federal Government and since October 2024 a new Flemish Government. It is favourable for us that the same political parties are seated in both governments because this makes cooperation between government and industry easier and more coherent. Before elections, we prepared a memorandum that was sent to the various political parties, in which we made our interests and challenges known.

Subsequently, the necessary conversations took place. After the elections, informal discussions with policy makers covered various strategic projects for us, such as the optimisation of the Gent-Terneuzen Canal, the North-C Circular project, a new environmental plan around Zelzate that allows new rail, road and pipeline infrastructure, and so on.” Stefaan De Weireld continues, “In Belgium and Flanders it is also an important goal to help companies that want to keep investing to move forward. For instance, it also involves affordable sustainable energy. Currently, preparatory work is being done on the Princess Elisabeth energy island off the Belgian coast, and also North Sea Port wants to have part of the wind energy generated in the North Sea. The questions that arise here are how much energy will the port need? and how can supply of this energy be affordably secured in time? The latter is hindered by difficult environmental procedures.”

Green hydrogen Stefaan De Weireld continues, “Nuclear energy can also be a part of the solution for the supply of sufficient sustainable energy. Important federal decisions have been made about keeping existing nuclear power plants open longer and investigating new, small modular nuclear reactors. Just like PortNews I 7

Many processes simply take too long, and we just don’t have that time right now.

Louise De Tremerie, policy advisor for European affairs at North Sea Port.

in the Netherlands, the development of a hydrogen market remains an important energy policy objective, but in Belgium, the original green ambitions are under discussion due to the low interest from industry as the production of green hydrogen in Europe is still too expensive. This requires measures from our government. There are currently plans in Ghent for the production of large volumes of low carbon hydrogen, where the released CO2 will be captured and transported for storage in empty gas fields. Both federal and Flemish governments support such initiatives, and our lobby is partly aimed at constantly reminding them of this and to move on to concrete derisking financial support. North Sea Port often collaborates with other stakeholders in Flanders. For instance, for the optimisation of the Gent-Terneuzen Canal, this includes Arcelor Mittal as this company benefits from better accessibility to the canal. In addition, both parties collaborate on the further greening of the port in the North-C Circular project. This is an industrial estate on the right bank of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal in Ghent, that needs to be developed for businesses focusing on circular activities, mainly within the scrap and steel value chain.” Stefaan De Weireld concludes, “The Flemish and Federal Government agreements demonstrate a sense of urgency to ensure that North Sea Port and the companies in it play an important role in preserving a strong, competitive European industry. However, plans must be translated into actions.”

European lobby At the European level, North Sea Port, along with other stakeholders, has also set up a strong lobby. One of the drivers of this is Louise De Tremerie, policy advisor for European affairs at North Sea Port. She explains, “One of my tasks in 8 I PortNews

representing our port’s interests in Brussels is to continuously share the information that North Sea Port gathers from companies in the port area with Brussels. It is important that we keep conveying what these companies need to remain futureproof. Additionally, I regularly receive delegations from Brussels in our port and tell our story in the various European sector organisations of which we are members. Ultimately, I also keep reminding our Dutch and Belgian members of the European Parliament of the priorities for us and the port business. Over the past few years, we have brought a sense or urgency forward to Europe. Often we did this together with other parties.

For instance, in February 2024, we were one of the signatories of the Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal.

73 business leaders from seventeen sectors then handed this declaration to Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. This Antwerp Declaration calls for a European Industrial Deal and safeguarding of quality jobs in Europe. We also, for example, jointly wrote a public letter with Port of Rotterdam, Port of Hamburg and Port of Antwerp to the EU to emphasise our concerns once again. The fact that such actions, amongst many others, are not in vain is evident from the fact that the European Commission published the Clean Industrial Deal in February this year. This is a comprehensive action plan to support the competitiveness and resilience of the European industry. It contains concrete measures to make decarbonisation a driver of growth for the European industry.

This includes lowering energy prices, creating high-quality jobs, and creating the conditions under which companies can thrive and ultimately achieve a stronger and less dependent Europe.”

Flexibility Louise De Tremerie continues, “The earlier mentioned Clean Industrial Deal is really an important response from Europe to strengthen its position also for geopolitical challenges. This includes safety, strategic autonomy, and critical raw materials.

The problem we face in Europe is that we started reacting too late. Europe is also in principle a supporter of free trade.

Measures that hinder this are generally not popular, but it is now essential that Europe deals with this less naively.” Louise De Tremerie concludes, “What is also an ongoing challenge is that European measures always have to be translated into national policy. It is important that these member states get some flexibility in implementing this. But apart from this, the ball is also in the court of the national governments, including those of the Netherlands and Belgium, to use the available instruments quickly and decisively. Many processes simply take too long, and we just don’t have that time right now.”

I. NORTHSEAPORT.COM

Europe’s top player

Traditionally, North Sea Port has been an important actor in the loading and unloading of forest products, especially cellulose and paper.

Image courtesy of North Sea Port / Tom D’haenens.

Last year, North Sea Port saw a 7% increase in breakbulk cargo handling. With a 15% share of the total cargo, North Sea Port is still the number one breakbulk port in Europe.

We speak with Marcel Pater, commercial manager of North Sea Port, in the run-up to Breakbulk Europe, which takes place from May 13 to 15 in Rotterdam, and where North Sea Port will of course be present with a prominent stand.

Leading players “In North Sea Port, many leading breakbulk players are located,” explains Marcel Pater. “There are a number of logistic PortNews I 9

Breakbulk.indd 9

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Another specific example of project cargo in North Sea Port is the decommissioning of offshore oil & gas installations and offshore wind turbines.

service providers responsible for the handling, storage and distribution of a wide range of products such as steel coils, steel plates, paper, wood, cellulose, and project cargo. And of course, North Sea Port accommodates industrial companies who are depending on the breakbulk logistic supply chain. For example the production of jackets, bridges, substations and a variety of machinery and installations needs dedicated project cargo infrastructure.”

Cellulose Marcel Pater continues, “Traditionally, our port has been an important actor in the loading and unloading of forest products, especially cellulose and paper. Verbrugge Terminals runs a large scale cellulose terminal like a supermarket and supplies the paper industry with a broad range of cellulose types. Large

breakbulk cargo volumes are being delivered by general cargo vessels, mainly from South America. The distribution to the end users by all modes of transport, including shortsea and inland barging, also takes place as breakbulk cargo. Although paper for writing and reading is further declining in volume, the paper markets for packaging and tissues remain high.”

Project cargo “The balance between containerised cargo and breakbulk is always dynamic, mainly depending on price and vulnerability of cargo”, Marcel Pater explains. “The past decade has shown a specific growth in heavy and voluminous project cargo that does not fit into a container at all and needs to be handled as loose pieces. The rise of offshore wind farms, for example, has shown a steady project cargo flow for more than a decade.

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Development of sea going breakbulk and project cargo volumes at North Sea Port.

The specialised terminals mainly serve as storage and transit locations for components produced elsewhere, such as foundations, turbines, blades, transition pieces, as well as components and machinery for installation vessels, cable laying vessels, etc. The relatively high added value contributes significantly to the regional economy.”

Regional production ”Recent geopolitical developments have shown that priority needs to be given to European autonomy and securing the production capacity of European industries,” Marcel Pater states, “and this certainly offers opportunities for the companies within North Sea Port. It will have an effect on the balance between raw materials and (semi) finished goods, in other words: bulk and breakbulk. The steel making industry in Europe for example has been a strategic asset for centuries, serving the defence industry. Future warfare will not only focus on drones, IT, AI and sophisticated command systems, but will also be dependent on the production of heavy machines.”

Image courtesy of Limit Fotografie.

The rise of offshore wind farms, for example, has shown a steady project cargo flow for more than a decade.

installations is slowly but surely evolving, and some wind farms will also reach the end of their lifespan over time.”

Reverse movement

Breakbulk Europe

During the past 20 years North Sea Port, especially the Vlissingen and Terneuzen parts, underwent a shift from an industrial port to a logistics port. According to Marcel Pater, this development might reverse again. “Slowly but surely, you will see more production in our port again. A good example is the arrival of Smulders in Vlissingen, a company that assembles steel components to large scale foundations for the offshore industry.”

All in all, breakbulk and project cargo will continue to play an important role for various companies within North Sea Port, strengthening the port’s position as Europe’s top player. On the one hand, as a producer, and on the other hand, as a logistics service provider. “Would you like to know more about North Sea Port’s position? Be sure to visit our stand 2K30-L31, during the Breakbulk Europe exhibition. Various logistics parties from our port will be present there to explain their services. You are most welcome,” says Marcel Pater.

Decommissioning Another specific example of project cargo in North Sea Port is the decommissioning of offshore oil & gas installations and offshore wind turbines. “The decommissioning of offshore installations is not about handling large volumes at high speed, but has to be performed in a sophisticated way,” explains Marcel Pater. Decommissioning industry needs experts as these installations often contain complex materials that must be separated thoroughly in order to reuse them as feedstock in other industries. These cargo streams will steadily grow the coming years, as the decommissioning of offshore oil & gas

more information

North Sea Port Marcel Pater commercial manager T. +31 6 3034 6342 E. marcel.pater@northseaport.com I. NORTHSEAPORT.COM

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Messer is the world‘s largest privately owned specialist for industrial, medical and speciality gases.

All images courtesy of Messer Benelux.

Chemistry in the air Messer Group has announced its plans to invest 60 million euros in an air separation plant at North Sea Port. The new state-of-the-art installation will produce oxygen, nitrogen and argon for the food industry, healthcare, and several other industrial applications.

The investment marks an important step in strengthening the company’s presence in the Benelux, and enables Messer to further develop sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for its customers.

A locally anchored family business Messer Group was founded in 1898 in Frankfurt as a manufacturer of acetylene, which was primarily used for lighting applications. Over the years, the company has expanded its activities within Europe and beyond. Today, Messer is the world‘s largest privately owned specialist for industrial, medical and speciality gases.

“Adolf Messer started in 1898 with the production of acetylene out of calcium carbide,” says Annett Beier, managing director of Messer Benelux. “These materials were used primarily for lighting, but afterwards the same materials were also used for welding and cutting. Soon, oxygen production was added for these applications, and the business has grown ever since.

The company is still family-owned, with Stefan Messer, now chairman of the Supervisory Board, as the third generation.

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Both his son and his son-in-law work for the company in the upper management, and the large investment the family made in 2019 in Linde – where they acquired significant parts of Linde’s US business and operations – further demonstrates the family’s motivation to stay in the business. Despite this expansion towards the Americas, Messer has always made it clear that it is and will remain a European company. Messer is active in almost every European country and is always strongly anchored locally. Regional capability is very important, it is part of Messer’s DNA. That is one of the incentives behind the new air separation plant at North Sea Port: to be able to supply the growing market in the Benelux locally.”

“This company structure also makes our organisation a very dynamic one,” adds Yves Flamand, production director at Messer Benelux. “On the one hand, we can respond very

quickly to the market and the demands of our customers thanks to the local factor. On the other hand, we have the confidence and investment capabilities of a large multinational organisation. So, we have the best of both worlds. Especially since Messer’s investment in North Sea Port demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to, and confidence in, the Benelux market.”

Investing in North Sea Port “Messer Benelux currently does not have its own air separation plant,” Annett Beier says. “This means that we rely on Messer in Germany for most of the supply to our filling plants in Zwijndrecht (Belgium) and Moerdijk (the Netherlands). This limits our capacity to grow and is not efficient from an ecological point of view. Due to its strategic location, North Sea Port was chosen as the ideal location for an air separation plant dedicated to the Benelux. This air separation unit will extract oxygen, nitrogen, and argon from the air through a cooling and purification process. These gases will then be liquified and further distributed to customers and to our filling plants, where the liquid products are made gaseous again and compressed in gas cylinders.”

“To put it in perspective, 1l of liquid product is, depending on the type of gas, the equivalent of 700l of gas,” Yves Flamand explains. “That is why we liquify our gases for transport and storage. Furthermore, the air separation plant will enable us to supply our large consumers in the industry directly with liquefied gas in bulk. This is important, as we notice a rapid growth in the demand for industrial gases, especially now, with the energy transition. Some processes require these gases for a green transition, which is why we need the additional capacity of the new air separation plant.”

“The production capacity of the new air separation unit will be

Annett Beier, managing director of Messer Benelux.

Yves Flamand, production director at Messer Benelux.

good for twenty trucks per day,” Annett Beier adds. Although the exact timing is still a bit uncertain since we must await the environmental permit, we hope to have the new facility operational about fifteen to eighteen months after obtaining permission to build it.

“Additionally, Messer Benelux already has operations at North Sea Port, as one of our two CO2 plants is located on the terrain of Alco Bio Fuel in Ghent,” she explains. “This plant collects and purifies CO2 from industrial processes so that it can be reused for different applications, ranging from the bubbles in your water or beer to freezing applications and other industrial processes.

Both plants, bECO2 in Zwijndrecht and GreenCO2 in Ghent, are joint ventures. The first is a joint venture with IJsfabriek Strombeek. GreenCO2 is a collaboration between bECO2 and Alco Bio Fuel.”

Messer Benelux’ filling plant in Zwijndrecht (Belgium).

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The new air separation plant at North Sea Port then, is the important next step in the green transition. and Hyoffgreen, is Belgium’s first 25MW green hydrogen plant.

Construction started earlier this year, and the installation should be operational by the end of 2026.

“The new air separation plant at North Sea Port then, is the important next step in the green transition. Firstly, because pure oxygen is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions of natural gas combustions. At the moment, a lot of companies still use plain air to induce natural gas combustion. However, if you use oxygen instead of air, you will need less natural gas, and the combustion will be cleaner because you will also reduce the additional NOx (nitric oxide) emissions. The purer the oxygen component, the less NOx emissions you have. Combine this with the green hydrogen we can supply from our Zeebruggeinstallation, and we can offer an overall green concept to our customers because of course green hydrogen and oxygen produce no CO2 emissions.

“Furthermore, we have designed the new air separator to produce our gases as ecologically as possible. Aside from sourcing a certain amount of green energy, we have also avoided the need for water from the canal for our cooling processes, for instance. This of course means a larger investment, but it is also a significant step in sustainable production both for us and for our customers.”

A wide range of applications The quality monitoring and certification of medical gases is very elaborate as it needs to comply with healthcare regulations.

The food industry requires various gas mixtures to freeze food or pack and preserve food.

Investing in sustainability “Sustainability is indeed another important incentive of the investment,” Yves Flamand states, “as the new air separation plant fits into a broader company-wide mission of providing sustainable solutions for our customers. For Messer Benelux, we already have the CO2 plants and of course the Hyoffwind project in Zeebrugge for the production of green hydrogen. The Hyoffwind project, the result of a joint venture with Virya Energy 14 I PortNews

The gases the new air separation plant will produce are meant for a wide variety of applications in healthcare, the food industry, the chemical industry, and manufacturing, as Yves Flamand explains. “The nice thing about our business is that our gases are used literally everywhere. In chemistry, they might be used to create molecules or the building blocks of molecules. Liquid nitrogen, with its incredible cooling energy, might be used to freeze vegetables but can also be used in healthcare to freeze warts, for instance. Argon is a gas that is commonly used in laboratories and analysing equipment but is also used in high percentages for welding and cutting purposes. In fact, a lot of our gases may be used both for welding and in manufacturing, either to create an oxygen-rich environment for combustion processes or the opposite: to create a safe, low-oxygen area.

Of course, we have dedicated product lines for separate industries, since other storage and quality parameters may apply depending on the sector for which the gas is used.”

“Indeed,” Annett Beier agrees, “the molecules don’t change, but the internal processes and monitoring do change. Various quality standards exist, for example for the medical and industrial markets as well as for higher-purity oxygen required in certain sectors. Furthermore, the quality monitoring and certification of medical gases is far more extensive than any other quality standards as it needs to comply with healthcare regulations. In the same way, gases for the food industry are handled and batched completely differently than those for industrial applications. It is very diversified, but that’s what makes it interesting in the end. And with our new installation in North Sea Port, we will be ready for the growth and green transition in all these various industries.”

I. MESSER.BE

Big in Breakbulk Together. Smarter.

northseaport.com PortNews I 15

All signals are green The energy transition has begun, and North Sea Port aims to create a CO2 neutral port.

In this transition, green hydrogen will play a significant role.

The demand for green hydrogen from companies in the port area will increase in the coming years. By combining the production and import of green hydrogen, North Sea Port has the potential to grow from the largest hydrogen hub in the Benelux to the largest in Europe.

Various initiatives “North Sea Port is actively working on developing a fully sustainable hydrogen network,” says Peter Geertse, commercial manager at North Sea Port. “In the coming years, the demand for (green) hydrogen from companies will only increase.

Currently, a lot of hydrogen is produced and consumed in our port. This is still so-called grey hydrogen, produced from

natural gas, a process that emits CO2. North Sea Port aims for climate neutrality by 2050. Therefore, hydrogen production must also be sustainable.” Peter Geertse continues, “To produce sustainable hydrogen, natural gas will be replaced with green electricity in the production process. Through electrolysis, so-called green hydrogen is produced without CO2 emissions. Several initiatives have now been launched to build factories that will produce green hydrogen. At the moment, we are talking about approximately 500MW of projects, but the expectation is that this can be quickly scaled up to an installed capacity of approximately 2GW in 2030. A significant portion of the necessary green electricity will be supplied via underground cables from wind farms in the North Sea. Currently, this involves

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Image courtesy of Gasunie.

Image courtesy of Fluxys.

North Sea Port is located on important hydrogen connections in Belgium (Fluxys) and the Netherlands (Gasunie).

about 1.5GW of electricity, and this will expand further in the future with approximately 6.3 GW from Belgian and Dutch wind farms.”

Import The high demand for green hydrogen cannot be met solely through production in the port area. Much will need to be imported. The potential for green and blue hydrogen imports via North Sea Port is currently estimated at 1.2Mt per year by 2035. “To meet the high demand for green hydrogen, imports are also necessary,” explains Peter Geertse. “This can be done in various ways. One of them could be through green ammonia.

Ammonia can be stored in tanks as a liquid and cracked back to hydrogen. This can be transported by a hydrogen pipeline system to its final receivers. It can also be used as an energy

source, bunker fuel and as a basis for fertilisers and chemicals.

The port already has storage tanks that can be used for ammonia storage, and new initiatives are also being developed here. An alternative for green hydrogen is blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is also made from natural gas, however in this case, the CO2 is captured and stored in North Sea oil and gas fields (carbon capture and storage; CCS).”

Barriers According to Peter Geertse, there are many plans, but in practice, there are various obstacles that significantly hinder these developments. “Within our port, and not just for electrolysers, many plans are under development. And various barriers slow down these plans. Think of the nitrogen emission issues, the congestion on the electricity grid, and water

LBC Terminals recently became the owner of Evolution Terminals in Vlissingen.

Clean ammonia will be imported and stored at their terminal, after which it will be cracked into green hydrogen and transported to the market by pipelines.

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In the coming years, the demand for (green) hydrogen from companies, such as Yara Sluiskil will only increase. To produce sustainable hydrogen, natural gas will be replaced with green electricity in the production process.

shortages. Also, the high costs for green electricity connections are slowing down the electrolyser developments. All these kinds of obstacles require North Sea Port to adopt a different way of thinking and working. There is enough demand from companies in the market looking to establish themselves here, and existing companies are still willing to invest. It is up to us to help companies as much as possible to find answers to the various challenges.” Peter Geertse continues, “Due to its central location, regional demand, and future availability of green electricity from offshore wind, North Sea Port can become a real hydrogen hub. North Sea Port is located on important hydrogen connections in Belgium – the Zeebrugge-Antwerp axis – and the Netherlands – the Rotterdam-Chemelot axis. By building a cross-border network, the European interior is also reached.” A concrete threat to the hydrogen plans in this regard is the delay of the Delta-Rhine corridor. This is a network of pipelines from Rotterdam to the German hinterland. “The Delta-Rhine corridor was initially supposed to be ready around 2028,” explains Peter Geertse, “but now it looks like it will be 2032. North Sea Port will not be directly affected by this, as we will also be connected via the Fluxys network on the Zeebrugge-Antwerp axis from the Ghent part of the port from 2029 and from there to other locations in the far hinterland. Additionally, we recently signed an agreement to transport green hydrogen carriers such as ammonia by inland vessel to the ports of Duisburg and Wesel, to feed the Ruhr area. This so-called floating pipeline concept shows that there are more ways to sustainably transport green hydrogen. Nevertheless, setbacks can cause companies to hesitate to invest.” According to Peter Geertse, the fact that green hydrogen is still very expensive compared to grey and blue hydrogen, also plays a role. “The price of green hydrogen is high compared to grey and blue hydrogen. To make

Also Vesta Terminals is converting its terminal for import of hydrogen carriers such as ammonia.

North Sea Port participates in World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition.

North Sea Port at World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition in Rotterdam North Sea Port will again participate in the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition, which will take place at Rotterdam Ahoy from May 21 to 22. You are welcome to visit stand A98.

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Wind Farm off the Dutch coast. Additionally, TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with other suppliers to feed their refineries in Northwestern Europe. In Ghent, Engie and Equinor are collaborating to develop a 1GW blue hydrogen plant, using natural gas and CCS to avoid CO2 emissions. Another good example of a company that is willing to invest forward is LBC Tank Terminals. This company recently became the owner of Evolution Terminals in Vlissingen and started an open season to attract launching customers. Clean ammonia will be imported and stored at their terminal, after which it will be cracked into green hydrogen and transported to the market by pipelines (see also PortNews 20.1 page 18). Also Vesta Terminals is converting its terminal for import of hydrogen carriers such as ammonia. Other tank terminal operators in our port are considering similar developments.”

VoltH2 wants to build an electrolyser in both Terneuzen and Vlissingen.

production more profitable and thus increase volumes, the sector cannot do without subsidies. Fortunately, this message has now reached national and European governments. But the congestion on the power grid also poses a risk for electrolysers that want to use green electricity supplied from the sea.

However, we are right at the front of the offshore wind locations, so green electricity can be directly utilised.”

Sticking out the neck “The risks and challenges mean that companies need to stick their necks out to ensure sufficient volume so that prices can drop,” explains Peter Geertse. “Fortunately, we have several parties in our port that are willing to invest. They realise that the first investments will also attract the first customers, often through long-term contracts. For example, there is VoltH2, which wants to build an electrolyser in both Terneuzen and Vlissingen. This has already been mentioned several times in this magazine. But recently, TotalEnergies also announced that they, in collaboration with Air Liquide, will build a 250MW electrolyser at their Zeeland Refinery site. Green electricity will be supplied for this from TotalEnergies OranjeWind Offshore

Anchoring Overall, all signals are green for the development of green and blue hydrogen at North Sea Port, allowing the port to grow into a hydrogen hub on a European scale. “With the plans for green and blue hydrogen production and storage, we are not only contributing to a more sustainable world, but it also ensures sustainable anchoring of employment and added value for our region. It is no coincidence that we, as a port company, are fully committed to supporting these projects. And as far as we are concerned, we are always open for new opportunities and investments,” says Peter Geertse.

more information

North Sea Port Peter Geertse, commercial manager E. peter.geertse@northseaport.com I. NORTHSEAPORT.COM

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All images courtesy of Mervielde.

Mervielde’s new stainless steel tanks are good for a combined storage capacity of 16 million litres: a significant expansion of the existing infrastructure.

A new milestone On Saturday, 5 April 2025, family business Mervielde achieved a new milestone in the expansion of its activities at North Sea Port with the installation of eight brandnew storage tanks on the company’s Seveso site in Rieme. With a combined storage capacity of 16 million litres, these eight shore tanks mark a significant step in the further development and growth of Mervielde’s logistics activities.

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Patrick Mervielde, managing director of Mervielde.

A local family business Logistics provider Mervielde was founded by Cyriel Mervielde in 1945 in Waterland-Oudeman, a rural Belgian village near the Dutch border and the current North Sea Port area. Over the years, the company became specialised in the transport and storage of liquids and moved to North Sea Port. This year marks the next milestone in Mervielde’s history as the company significantly expands its storage capacity, strengthening its position in the port whilst celebrating its 80th anniversary.

“My grandfather Cyriel founded this company right after the war, transporting dairy products by horse and cart,” says Patrick Mervielde, managing director of Mervielde. “The first truck was soon bought and from there the company steadily grew, adding

more trucks when my father and his brothers joined the firm. In the seventies, they moved the company to Rieme in North Sea Port, where our headquarters are still located today. At about the same time, my father and uncles began specialising in the transport of liquids in tankers. Shortly after, the tank cleaning activities were added. This was a logical step back then because they had to clean their road tankers to switch from one product to another.”

Modern tank cleaning facility “Today we offer tank cleaning services to third parties as well,” Patrick Mervielde adds. “We have three cleaning lanes dedicated to non-food products and two cleaning lanes certified PortNews I 21

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After the successful delivery of the tanks to Mervielde’s Seveso site in Rieme, the installation will first be tested and is expected to be fully operational within a few months.

The new shore tanks were built in Antwerp and brought by pontoon to Mervielde’s site in North Sea Port.

for food products. Each of our lanes has five cleaning heads and is equipped with collective fall protection.”

Tank storage and value-added services “About ten years ago we decided to broaden our horizon,” Patrick Mervielde continues. “Since we noticed an increasing demand for flexible storage solutions from our customers, especially for small batches, we started with the storage and handling of the liquids in addition to our transport activities.

At first, this was in relatively small fixed tanks as well as tank containers. As the demand for our storage activities steadily

grew, we started needing more space. In 2019 we bought an additional terrain at the Kuhlmannlaan in Ghent, dedicated to the expansion of these logistics activities. In 2021, our first storage facility on this new site was built per Seveso guidelines, enabling us to store both non-hazardous and hazardous substances here. At that time, we built our first four larger shore tanks. And since we often store products that solidify, we built a heating installation for tank containers.

“In the second step, we built a value-added-service warehouse where we can fill drums, IBCs and small packages with liquids.

The other way around also works as we can transfer the content of smaller packages into larger containers. If necessary we use our heating chamber to heat drums and IBCs containing solidified or viscous products. In addition, we also offer filtering or mixing products. And our road tankers are equipped with a fluid control unit, if needed.

New shore tanks The installation of the eight new shore tanks on 5 April now marks a third major step in the expansion of Mervielde’s storage activities, as the new stainless steel tanks are good for a combined storage capacity of 16 million litres: a significant expansion of the existing infrastructure. The tanks were built in Antwerp and brought by pontoon to Mervielde’s site in North Sea Port. The installation will now first be tested and is expected to be fully operational within a few months. However,

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for all kinds of liquids and are thus cleaned after every delivery to be able to transport other products. The tankers of Transport Van Heesvelde on the other hand, are dedicated to one single product. This is usually because cleaning is not possible or sufficient, for instance for printing inks, or because the product requires specific properties of the tank, such as hightemperature or high-corrosive fluids.”

Tailor-made logistics solutions “We are much more than a transport company. We strive to provide tailor-made logistics solutions for our customer’s logistics processes. We are available 24/7 for our customers, to assist them with any logistical problems. This might be a production problem, for instance, which requires swift action to get the affected batch out of their installations into a tank container, either on their premises or on our site. We are always on standby so as not to lose valuable time when emergencies occur. We work closely together with our customers, which is why we remain committed to our local customers here at North Sea Port: it’s about being able to act swiftly when our customers face logistical challenges. This local anchorage not only enables us to act quickly but also provides flexibility. This is, in fact, what set us apart early on: not only our transportstorage combination but also the service we provide, our efficiency and our flexibility in short-term or long-term storage solutions.”

Sustainability, quality and employeewellbeing

the added storage capacity is already dedicated to Mervielde’s neighbours, as Patrick Mervielde explains.

“As our site at the Kuhlmannlaan is right next to Oleon on the one side, and Fuji Oil Europe on the other, cooperation with these two major production plants was logical. Six tanks of the eight are commissioned by Oleon. These have a volume of 2.5 million litres each, a height of 18m and a width of 14m. The other two shore tanks are intended for Fuji Oil Europe and are dedicated to food products only. These two shore tanks have a capacity of 460,000l each.

“The liquids for storage will be delivered both by barge and by truck. The trucks will be discharged directly on our site by our staff, whereas the barges will be discharged at Oleon’s quay by their staff into a pipeline that is connected directly to Oleon’s dedicated tanks on our site. Of course, in reverse movement, the liquids can be easily transferred to Oleon when they need them. At this moment we will operate as such because our site is still separated from the water by a road. Luckily, there are plans to divert this road, the N474, after which our Seveso site will be water-bound. That is still in the future, of course, but this will create several other possibilities for Mervielde’s multimodal logistics services.”

Transport “We operate both as Mervielde and Transport Van Heesvelde,” Patrick Mervielde says. “Our Mervielde road tankers are used

“As a family-owned and run company, a warm atmosphere with attention to the wellbeing of our employees is in our DNA,” Patrick Mervielde states. “Quality and the pursuit of excellence for our customers is one of our core values, but at the same time, we place high importance on the happiness of our employees. We achieve excellence only as a team, together with our 240 employees, or co-workers, as we like to think of them. At Mervielde we say, ‘that’s how we flow!’

“Sustainability is the third pillar of this flow,” he adds. “We were one of the first companies to participate in the Voka Charter Sustainable Entrepreneurship, nearly 22 years ago, and we keep on doing everything in our power to operate as much as possible in an ecological way. An example, as of 2013 we use only rainwater to wash the exterior of our road tankers.

We collect this ourselves in a cistern on our site that can contain 1,000m³ of rainwater. Last year we started using HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) where possible, which amounts to a reduction of 90% of CO2 emissions in comparison to the regular B7 Diesel. We are also investigating the possibility of electrifying our fleet, now that electric trucks are finally allowed for ADR-transport. The ADR legislation was only recently adapted, enabling us to move forward with the energy transition. And of course, we aim to hop aboard the multimodal shift once our site is water-bound. We will also publish an ESG report (environmental, social, governance), even though we are not required to do so by the European Union legislation.

This strengthens our commitment to enhance sustainable operations and to keep on investigating possibilities to improve our company. In short, we keep looking for the right balance between the welfare of our people, our environmental impact and our dedication to quality and excellent customer service.

That’s how we flow!”

I. MERVIELDE.BE

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The spirit of collaboration Cross-border cooperation in the transition to clean hydrogen in the Schelde-Delta region

Smart Delta Resources (SDR) has its work cut out in the years ahead. The organisation is a cross border collaboration comprised of governmental and industrial stakeholders on both sides of the DutchBelgian border, working towards a climateneutral Schelde Delta Region by 2050.

To succeed in an ambition on this scale requires the involvement of industry, authorities both local and national, knowledge institutes and the port. To that end, SDR is facilitating intense cooperation, as well as acting as a conduit for ideas and advice, providing clarity on the way forward.

Industrial symbiosis SDR’s work began, explains program manager hydrogen, electricity and energy infrastructure Rens Hamelink, at a challenging time for industry. Companies were increasingly required to tackle issues of sustainability while trying to remain competitive in a difficult market.

“The collaboration began in 2014. At that time, regional industry was getting to grips with growing calls for sustainable performance, while struggling to compete internationally.

All images courtesy of Smart Delta Resources.

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The Schelde-Delta region: an ideal location for cross-border industrial collaboration.

The stakeholders in our region realised that they were in a unique position. We have a very diverse cluster here. There are companies from all different sectors. This is not the case in other industrial clusters that tend to specialise in one industry or another. Because of this diversity, there is less competition, and it is easier for companies to collaborate with one another.

“By working together, they saw they were able to reduce the costs of raw materials and increase competitiveness – one company’s waste is another company’s resource – while giving a boost to circularity at the same time.”

Delta Programmes Initially, circularity was SDR’s primary focus. Over time, however, it became clear that there was also a need to tackle climate-related issues and CO2 reduction. To help companies

make a success of their wide-ranging green initiatives, SDR has developed a series of programmes – which it refers to as Deltas. Presently, the organisation is coordinating five such programmes.

Of these, the Spark Delta is focused on securing a supply of green electricity for regional industry. The Carbon Connect Delta has the ambition to develop the capture, transport and storage of regionally produced carbon. The Heat Delta looks at the potential for using residual heat, and the Circular Delta maintains SDR’s initial focus on circularity.

The Hydrogen Delta, which is the focus of this article, aims to make industry more sustainable by paving the way for the transition from grey to blue, and then green hydrogen.

“Our industrial cluster has a lot of hydrogen production in use today. With the hydrogen used here, for example to produce

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SDR program manager hydrogen, electricity and energy infrastructure Rens Hamelink.

fertiliser, refine oil and in the chemical sector, the region is the biggest hydrogen consumer in the Benelux,” Rens Hamelink says.

The issue here is that the hydrogen used presently is grey hydrogen, produced with natural gas. With this, comes emissions.

“The production of 1kg of grey hydrogen results in 9kg of CO2 emissions. This brings with it the challenge – how do we decarbonise production? With our industry using hydrogen on this large scale, the potential to reduce emissions by using decarbonised hydrogen is significant before we even begin to consider the possibilities to reduce emissions in the maritime and other heavy mobility operations in the region.”

Shades of hydrogen There are, he says, three routes to consider.

“One route is the production of blue hydrogen. With this, you still use natural gas to produce the hydrogen, but you capture the CO2 created and store it underground. There are a few projects already underway in both Belgium and the Netherlands.

“Another route is to produce green hydrogen via a process

We have a very diverse cluster here.

Because of this, there is less competition, and it is easier for companies to collaborate with one another. of electrolysis. With this, you have no CO2 emissions. The complexity arises because, while the value chain of grey hydrogen is pretty short, you need completely new value chains for both blue and green hydrogen.”

To demonstrate, he gives the example of green hydrogen. To produce this, you need a source of green electricity – such as an offshore wind farm. The energy then needs to be brought ashore and converted into hydrogen before being transported to users.

“It’s a very complex, and costly procedure and, at the end of it, you have a product that is considerably more expensive than grey hydrogen. For companies, it equals a loss of competitiveness, and, as such, it is not currently viable.”

Another route, Rens Hamelink explains, is to import green

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Smart Delta Resources is working towards climate neutrality by 2050.

hydrogen from other areas where the costs of production are lower. This also, is not without its challenges.

“There is certainly a role for North Sea Port to play in the import of green hydrogen. However, transporting it takes a lot of energy and that also results in high costs. It is easier to convert the hydrogen to ammonia and transport this to the region. On arrival, this can either be used as it is or converted back to hydrogen. The safety concerns around ammonia, however, also add a layer of complexity.”

Seeking balance In weighing up these three options, SDR believes that a mix is necessary – particularly at the present time.

“In our opinion, you need to find a balance. We don’t want to import all our hydrogen, for example. Given current geopolitical considerations, strategic autonomy is growing in importance and it’s not the idea to increase dependence on other countries.

Blue hydrogen can certainly play an important role in the short term. In fact, there are a number of projects in development in North Sea Port now, and we expect to see blue hydrogen playing a crucial role up to 2030-2035. At the same time, however, we need to stimulate green hydrogen projects.

Ultimately, this is the direction we want to go in. And, in order to be able to scale up over time, we need to make a start now.”

What lies ahead?

Rens Hamelink says a level playing field is required in Europe if companies are going to be able to transition to clean hydrogen while maintaining their ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Ultimately, he says, companies also require a clear picture of the road ahead if they are to be able to invest in the development of clean hydrogen projects.

“The policies surrounding hydrogen are being developed now so we don’t yet know what we are looking at, and this is causing insecurity in the market. As Belgium and the

Netherlands, we need to develop the right policies – those that are consistent and that provide clarity and predictability.

One route forward, he says, is the use of green hydrogen in the refineries for the production of petrol or diesel for vehicles.

“This is a market where we can project higher costs. The price at the pump for the consumer will increase a little, but not by too much. With this, you have a mechanism to cover the premium for the production of green hydrogen. Something similar could be done with steel production, providing the option for companies purchasing steel to pay a premium as a means of offsetting some of their carbon production.”

Ample opportunities While further clarity is required and many challenges lie head, there are also reasons for optimism. And, Rens Hamelink states, this is certainly the case in North Sea Port.

“There are a lot of opportunities in our port and in our region.

For one thing, we have the availability of green electrons. There are a lot of offshore wind projects being developed now that are being connected to North Sea Port. We also have future connections to CO2 infrastructure required for blue hydrogen production.

“Crucially, there is space here for the future development of projects, which is important once we start to move towards green hydrogen production. Besides the production opportunities, North Sea Port is well positioned for the import of hydrogen. We enjoy open access to the sea here and there are facilities for storage both existing and in development.

“And of course, as we’ve already seen, there are companies here from throughout the value chain who are open to collaborating with one another. Collectively, we have all we need to overcome the challenges before us. I think if we can help these businesses in the right way, there is every chance for us, together, to scale up the hydrogen economy in the region.”

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Aerial view of Stora Enso’s Langerbrugge Mill at North Sea Port.

Circularity as a core business The merger of Swedish STORA and Finnish Enso Oyj in 1998 formed the basis of a company that is today one of the most significant private forest owners worldwide, and the leading provider of wood-based renewable products in packaging, biomaterials and wooden construction. The company has since long been at the forefront of the circular bioeconomy in a continuous effort to contribute to a more sustainable society. A case in point is Stora Enso’s Langerbrugge Mill at North Sea Port, a plant that truly made circularity its core business.

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STORA & Enso Although the merger between STORA and Enso occurred as recently as 1998, both companies had a remarkably long history in their respective homelands. STORA goes back as early as 1288 with documented copper mining. The company sold its mining and metal activities in the 1970s, to focus solely on forest products such as wood, pulp and paper. Enso Oyj, on the other hand, was founded in 1872 as a sawmill firm that became Finland’s largest forestry company. Ever since the merger, the company has focused on the creation of innovative renewable materials for products in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction.

Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill – better known locally as Langerbrugge papierfabriek as it has been an established business in Ghent since 1932 – is one of Stora Enso’s recycling hubs, where paper for recycling (waste paper) is turned into paper for magazines and standard newsprint. Although this is a circular activity in itself, Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill goes to great lengths to make every process involved energy-efficient and sustainable, every step of the way, as Kristof Persyn, finance and purchasing manager at Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill explains. “We have two biomass-fueled CHP (combined heat and power) power plants on-site, which produce enough energy to cover 100% of our need for steam and – combined with our three wind turbines – 80% of our electricity needs. We treat both our fresh water supply and our wastewater. And, as feedstock for our paper production, we exclusively use 100% recycled fibre, which we sort and create here as well. In fact, we process over 1 million tonnes of waste each year, both for material and energetic valorisation.”

From waste to feedstock: sorting is step one

All images courtesy of Stora Enso.

Kristof Persyn, finance and purchasing manager at Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill.

“The feedstock for our paper production is 100% paper for recycling,” Kristof Persyn says. “This starts as your common, household paper waste; the cardboard box you put outside your front door, filled with old magazines, advertising publications, and packaging from online shopping, for example.

We have direct partnerships with several partners, such as intermunicipal organisations or Fost Plus, to get this paper waste to our site. Once here, the waste paper is first sorted. We have two high-tech, fully automated sorting lines to separate the brown paper (cardboard) from the white paper. The cardboard is then sold to local packaging industries, and the white paper is recycled here to become feedstock for magazine and newsprint paper. Our two sorting lines have the capacity to handle up to 400,000t of paper waste annually: about 200,000t of white paper fraction and 200,000 tons of cardboard.

“However,” he adds, “since we process around 650,000t of recycled fibre each year, this sorting capacity is not nearly enough to cover our demand for white paper waste. We therefore also buy white paper waste from several external sorting plants throughout Belgium and the Netherlands. You can safely say that we recycle the vast majority of waste paper from Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, combined with parts of the UK and Germany. We sort everything close enough to our mill in North Sea Port, but to sort waste from further away implies a lot of additional transport: we would use only about half of these flows and have to re-sell the cardboard.

That’s neither cost-efficient nor sustainable. For this reason, we have established partnerships with other sorting plants further away that also separate white and brown paper fractions, and ship the white fraction to Langerbrugge mill. In doing so, we PortNews I 29

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Stora Enso Langerbrugge’s two on-site CHP power plants combined with its three wind turbines produce enough energy to cover 100% of its need for steam and 80% of its electricity needs.

transform local waste locally into a highly valuable end product whilst at the same time reducing the ecological footprint of transporting the waste before being processed.”

De-inking and end of waste “All white paper fractions, both those we bought externally and those we sorted here, need to be cleansed to avoid spots in the end product,” Kristof Persyn continues. “First, all impurities are removed: staples, plastics, all non-paper fractions. After that, the paper is de-inked. Incidentally, our installation here in Ghent is the only de-inking installation in Belgium and the largest de-inking plant in Europe. It is only after this de-inking process that one reaches the status of end-of-waste: the pulp we end up with is the equivalent of the fibres made from wood.

These cleansed, recycled fibres can now be used to create new paper.”

The world’s most productive newsprint line “We have two paper lines on our site,” Kristof Persyn says.

“The first one is dedicated to uncoated magazine paper, and the second one, our flagship, is the 10.4m wide newsprint line. This incredible machine operates at a speed of 120km/h, fully continuously, day and night, weekends and holidays.

Altogether we have the capacity to produce 540,000t of recycled newsprint and recycled magazine paper annually, which exceeds 10% of the demand for newsprint paper in Europe. Our finishing line ensures we deliver the paper reels in accordance with the customer’s desired dimensions and wraps our product to protect it during customer transport.

“Our customers are mostly printing companies based locally in Western Europe. Germany is an important market for us,

Over 80% of all paper waste in Europe is recycled, the highest recycling rate in the world. Furthermore, paper-based packaging has a significantly higher recycling rate than any other packaging material.

but also France, the Benelux, and the United Kingdom. Stora Enso strives to valorise locally, and at Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill we of course have the added advantages of our location at North Sea Port. We benefit greatly from this excellent geographical location, with optimal connections to the European road network, the European railway network and of course the harbour. In this respect, we are ready for the modal shift.”

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We have the capacity to produce 540,000t of recycled newsprint and recycled magazine paper annually, which exceeds 10% of the demand for newsprint paper in Europe.

Stora Enso has committed itself to ambitious climate goals,as we want to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and have a net zero carbon emission ambition by 2040 for the entire Stora Enso Group.

Forerunner in sustainable energy “Stora Enso has committed itself to ambitious climate goals,” Kristof Persyn states, “as we want to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and have a net zero carbon emission ambition by 2040 for the entire Stora Enso Group. These are not empty goals. Not only is Stora Enso at the forefront of a circular bioeconomy, but we are also very proud to be a forerunner in sustainable energy. At Langerbrugge Mill, we moved away from fossil fuels in 2010 with our two on-site CPH (combined heat and power) power plants, operated by Stora Enso. Both power plants are fueled with a focus on Waste to Energy. The waste that is incinerated consists of sludge from our de-inking installation, waste wood that cannot serve any other purpose, industrial waste and sewage sludge. The output from our power plants is sufficient to provide 100% of our need for steam and, since the installation of our three on-site wind turbines, 80% of our need for electricity.

“Additionally, the heat generated by our boilers is not only applied to dry our end paper product because, as of 2016, we export heat to Volvo Cars through an industrial heating network

as well. This was another important step in our ambition to maximise energy efficiency. For Volvo Cars this means 15,000t lower CO2 emissions. To close the loop, we sort the boiler ashes and sell the vast majority as a byproduct used, for example, in road stabilisation works.

“Furthermore, we have our on-site water treatment plant, where we both treat fresh water needed for our paper machines and filter the wastewater coming back out of the paper machines. We filter about 16,000m3 each day, which is the equivalent of the wastewater of 150,000 people. All these installations combined make for a closed ecological loop with the highest possible energy efficiency. Additionally, Stora Enso is investigating the possibility of creating a testliner paper machine here at Langerbrugge, since the demand for recycled packaging is increasing. And, due to its beneficial location in North Sea Port, Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill is a strategically important recycling hub for the Western European market.”

Join the renewable materials company!

“At Stora Enso Langerbrugge Mill, we currently have several vacancies for people wanting to join us in our mission for a better climate,” Kristof Persyn says. “We are searching for several profiles: operators willing to work in a five-shift system for our paper machines, technical profiles for our mechanical or electric department, and many more. Anyone interested can take a look at our dedicated job site: jobs.storaensolangerbrugge.com. Come join our enthusiastic team!”

I. STORAENSO.COM I. JOBS.STORAENSO-LANGERBRUGGE.COM

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Building efficiency Dixstone’s unique approach towards a sustainable energy sector The activities at the Dixstone shipyard in the Vlissingen East area of North Sea Port are a familiar sight to many people in Zeeland. On the horizon of the former island of South Beveland, the legs of the jack-up platforms on which the company is continually working are often to be seen punctuating the skyline – an impressive testament to the complex operations taking place.

At Dixstone, most jobs are carried out using sea and land rigs. As part of its mission, Dixstone leads in recycling by transforming traditional rigs into more versatile and mobile units to meet modern demands. This shift is exemplified by projects like Petrodec’s ERDA, which now plays a crucial role in decommissioning activities in the North Sea.

Integrated solutions specialist Dixstone is an affiliate of Perenco, a family-owned oil and gas operator active in fourteen countries globally and employing 7,800 people. Perenco, an exploration and production company, is specialised in marginal and mature field development.

For its part, Dixstone is a specialist in integrated solutions, responding to the need of the oil and gas industry and beyond.

Headquartered in Hoofddorp in the Province of North Holland, the company operates shipyards in Vlissingen, Gabon and Dubai. It is active in ten countries around the world and employs 2,000 people. Working within the group are personnel from over 77 nationalities.

Efficiency & stability

Dixstone's projects form a familiar backdrop to the Zeeuwse landscape.

As yard manager, Camille Fresser is responsible for overseeing all activities at Dixstone’s Vlissingen yard, ensuring that the site operates efficiently, safely and in line with strategic goals.

His key areas of focus encompass everything from facilities management to safety and compliance and from operational efficiency to workforce coordination.

“Over the years, our group has observed that, whenever there is a crisis in oil and gas prices, a lot of the majors and the large PortNews I 33

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Yard manager Camille Fresser and project construction manager David Demet.

support companies face financial difficulties. It’s a business with peaks and troughs, and to deal with that we started to look for a way to create more stability,” he explains.

Overseeing the Vlissingen operation together with Camille Fresser is his colleague, project construction manager David Demet. His role is to ensure that all projects at the yard are delivered on time, on budget and according to the highest technical standards.

Joining in the discussion, he adds, “The answer to this challenge was to create a new service, one independent of the market and its fluctuations – “It is at this point, he says, that Dixstone comes in.”

Broad portfolio The services the company provides are diverse. Dixstone’s scope of work covers four main activities. These include construction, which is carried out at its three shipyards. The company is also involved in drilling, operating seven rigs, and other offshore support activities.

Dixstone also operates a marine arm, with a 30-strong fleet featuring anchor-handling, heavy lift, pipe-laying, dive support and multi cat vessels, as well as tugs. And, Its iconic brand Petrodec, at the time of writing building a six leg unit to carry out decommissioning in the North Sea with improved efficiency and lower emissions.

Within the construction arm of the organisation alone, Dixstone is responsible for a diverse range of projects. These include FSO/FPSO conversion, preparation of supply vessels for pipe laying and walk-to-work scope, drydocking services, the repurposing of drilling rigs into production platforms or conversion to new tools like those used by Petrodec in its

On its latest project, the yard has installed around 2,000t new equipment.

decommissioning operations, and the transportation of assets around the world.

“All of the engineering work – conceptual, basic and detailed – is performed in-house, together with the procurement and construction activities with a focus on quality,” says David Demet.

A further focus is safety. Together with partners Holland Shipyards, JCS and Draaicentrum, Dixstone has launched

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This is a very unique and strategic location. There are not many ports in Europe wide and deep enough for the scope of work we are undertaking.

the Together Towards Safety campaign at the Vlissingen yard.

The joint safety programme emphasises the shared HSE goals of the companies and their commitment to providing a safer workplace.

Ideally located in North Sea Port The Dixstone yard in Vlissingen serves as a hub for the company’s construction and conversion projects, as well as a port facility for Dixstone’s marine activities. The location in North Sea Port is, the two colleagues agree, ideal for the Dixstone operation.

Camille Fresser explains saying, “This is a very unique and strategic location. There are not many ports in Europe wide and deep enough for the scope of work we are undertaking.”

The yard features a 183-metre long quay set in water with a depth of 14 metres – ideal for working on jack-up platforms – as well as ample space for jacket storage, enabling the company to run projects in parallel.

It boasts workshops, warehouses and a production hall that Dixstone shares with Holland Shipyards, JCS Vlissingen and Draaicentrum.

David Demet adds, “As part of our scope of work we are required to transport our platforms – some of them weighing in the region of 10,000 tons. Here in North Sea Port, the large semi-submersible vessels are easily able to enter to load the platforms, after which they have direct access to the sea.

“Besides this, in the port we have access to a broad network consisting of all the companies we need to undertake our projects.”

Sustainable approach The Dixstone business model, Camille Fresser explains, is based on the company’s vision for a more sustainable energy industry.

“A lot of oil companies talk about sustainability. We do it. We are a family company, with a long-term view. Our owners have a strong belief in the importance of a sustainable operation. Our approach is a pragmatic, realistic one.

“We’d all like to see a move to renewable energies, but it’s not going to happen overnight. As the transition unfolds, over the coming years, there remains a place for oil and gas in our energy mix. Our aim is to make sure that any production taking place now and in the future is as efficient as possible, with the lowest possible carbon footprint.”

Platform recycling Dixstone takes two main routes to achieving this goal. One is the design of a new generation of platforms and vessels with recognised ESG performance. Additionally, Dixstone aims to ensure the efficient use of energy in all of its operations.

In the first instance, Dixstone’s approach is to reuse and recycle

Dixstone supports diverse projects in North Sea Port, many of them focused on increasing sustainability.

as much existing material as possible. David Demet says, “Instead of making a new platform from scratch we are using old drilling rigs that we bought that were not working any more.

We are taking platforms that were set to be scrapped and, by renewing them, we give them a new lease of life for the coming 15-20 years.”

These projects typically follow a three step process, Camille Fresser explains.

“First we undertake the decommissioning of the existing equipment not required for our operations, then we check the integrity of the platform and carry out any necessary repairs, and then we move on to the construction process.”

A fit-for-purpose solution “Basically,” rejoins David Demet, “we make the platform flat – a blank canvas for us to create a new solution, entirely fit-forpurpose. This provides us with the opportunity to repurpose anything that can be reused, at the same time as increasing the efficiency for the future.”

An example of this philosophy in action is the Tchendo 2, a Mobile Offshore Production Platform Dixstone constructed for the Tchendo field in the Congo Republic. Following its conversion, the platform uses gas from the production process to power turbo generators, producing 30MW electricity, supplying energy to the field and considerably reducing gas flaring.

The platform was delivered in the Netherlands in October 2023, after which Dixstone transported it to the Congo Republic, installing it in 92m water.

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Dixstone employs over 2,000 people from many nationalities.

Responsible use of energy More recently, the yard has been undertaking another example of such a project – the Kombi 2. Work began in January 2023 and the platform is scheduled to depart in September this year.

Camille Fresser explains, “Our group operates a field in the Congo, the Kombi field, formerly operated by an oil major.

Currently, the platform there, the Kombi 1 is treating the water associated with oil production and flaring the gas.

“Part of the efforts of our group to increase sustainability is to use the associated gas. The Kombi 2 will undertake water treatment and will also use the secondary energy offered by the gas to supply the entire field with electricity.”

This large project has seen Dixstone remove approximately 2,500t of equipment, including the drilling package, cantilever and old cranes.

Following this, the yard installed in the region of 2,000t new equipment including two 6mw turbo generators that will deliver 12MW of electricity to the field – again reducing gas flaring – as well as oil/water treatment with four separators and hydro cyclone with a weight of 50t.

The project has also involved installation of over 50km electrical cable, and 70t piping for the interconnection of the different equipment.

As this edition of PortNews goes to press, the project is drawing to a close.

“We are in the final phase of the project,” David Demet says.

“All of the equipment is now on board, and we are in the process of finalising the electrics and the piping. The aim is for the platform to depart for Congo in September this year and

We are in a good position – both literally, here in North Sea Port, and figuratively in terms of our future prospects. to begin producing sometime early in 2026. At the present time, this is the main focus of my department.”

Once completed, Dixstone will oversee transportation of Kombi 2 to the Congo Republic and its installation in 86m of water.

Planning for the future When that project ends, the next one will begin. The platform is already on location in North Sea Port, awaiting the moment its conversion to a Mobile Compression Unit will begin. The project is scheduled for delivery in 2027, when it will supply gas to a liquification plant in Gabon.

In fact, one of the results of the stability that the company has managed to create, is long-term outlook, concludes Camille Fresser.

“We have a port that enables us to undertake large projects, we have a network of companies that can helps us and we have projects lined up for the next 20 years. We are in a good position – both literally, here in North Sea Port, and figuratively in terms of our future prospects.”

I. DIXSTONE.COM

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Smarter, faster, and cheaper This year, twenty companies will participate in the North Sea Port stand at the transport logistic fair in Munich. This impressive number shows how versatile the port is in terms of transport and logistics services and solutions.

want to share more about this in Munich with transport logistic visitors, the largest international fair in this field. But for our port, it’s not just about the possibilities in terms of transport by road, rail, inland waterway, sea, and pipeline. Of course, these are relevant for transporting products, in any form, to and from our ports easily, but there is much more that makes our port an ideal hub for transport and storage.”

Attractive hub “In the previous issue of PortNews (see PortNews 20.1, page 9, North Sea Port: the multimodal port), we extensively covered the multimodal capabilities that the North Sea Port offers,” says Jean Ruinard, commercial manager at North Sea Port. “We

As a port, North Sea Port has much to offer in terms of transshipment. The multimodal connections and good facilities play a major role in this, according to Jean Ruinard. “Of course, our port has multimodal connections and various accessible and modern transshipment facilities. But other aspects are also

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Image courtesy of North Sea Port/Tom D'haenens.

Sustainable shore power facilities are increasingly being provided along the quays.

North Sea Port has multimodal connections and various accessible and modern transshipment facilities.

Image courtesy of North Sea Port/Tom D'haenens.

that already exists in Antwerp and Rotterdam will only increase as a result. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get container loads quickly and on time to the hinterland from there. Currently, the time slots for large container ships are often not met, resulting in delays and ships not being unloaded. And as is well known, waiting costs a lot of money in shipping, and to limit waiting times, less sustainable transport by truck to the hinterland is often resorted to. Increasingly, the terminals in our ports offer a solution by receiving containers from Rotterdam and Antwerp. These containers then go to the hinterland by inland waterways from our ports. It is good to know that, due to the location of North Sea Port, this hinterland extends both to the east, towards Germany and beyond, and to the south, towards Belgium, France, and beyond. Transshipment companies in Vlissingen, Terneuzen, and Ghent play a role in this. By relieving Rotterdam and Antwerp in this way, we help them maintain their competitive position compared to other European container ports, such as those in Germany and the Mediterranean.”

Good facilities relevant. Think, for example, of the supportive parties that are also important for making logistics processes run smoothly and quickly, such as the various renowned shipping agents and other service providers that ensure a fast and efficient logistics process. All these good facilities mean the port is increasingly seen as an important European hub.”

Solution for congestion “As an example,” continues Jean Ruinard, “I would like to mention that we are increasingly playing a role in container transshipment as a port. Although we do not aspire to become a container port, we do help with the congestion problems in the surrounding container ports. A significant growth in container transshipment is expected until 2037. The congestion

Apart from connections and companies, there are more aspects that make North Sea Port an attractive logistics hub. It also involves the facilities that make working in the port pleasant.

Think, for example, of the kilometres-long network of safe and easily accessible quays for sea ships and barges. Sustainable shore power facilities are increasingly being provided along the quays. This is, according to Jean Ruinard, not only good for the ecological footprint, but because ships no longer need to use diesel generators when docked, noise pollution for the surrounding area is also reduced. To optimise the logistics and storage processes in the port, cooperation is also often sought, because the easier it is for shipping companies and other parties to transport goods to and from our port, the more attractive it becomes as a hub. “Shore power is PortNews I 39

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becoming increasingly important for inland shipping and also for sea shipping,” explains Jean Ruinard. “And to make it easy for vessels, standardising the shore power connections is important. We try to anticipate this in consultation with other ports so that it becomes much easier for vessels to use shore power in our port. For example, we agreed with Port of Gothenburg to install equivalent shore power facilities.

This allows vessels on this route to use one type of shore power connection. This makes it much easier for the vessels.

Another good example are the complicated administration and documentation needed in international transport. By connecting our systems to Portbase, everything becomes much easier because data only needs to be entered in one place.”

Recognition “North Sea Port is still a relatively young name, created after the merger of Port of Ghent and Zeeland Seaports in 2018, so there is still a lack of good brand recognition. However, the port authority is working hard to address this,” explains Jean Ruinard. “We do this by participating in fairs and inviting companies from the port as partners at our stand. Together with our participating partners, we can then showcase what we have to offer. We also regularly invite parties to our port for this purpose. In our conversations, we sometimes still have to explain who we are, but by continuously explaining the possibilities our port offers and which well-known international parties are established in our ports, we increasingly manage to attract the interest of companies. This often leads to success. Just think of the various project developers who have discovered our port, such as Heylen Warehouses, DHG, and recently Panattoni.”

Support Jean Ruinard continues, “Apart from promoting our port we also support the companies here wherever possible to improve our role as a hub. For this, we often seek cooperation, for example with Zeeland Connect. This has resulted in the Schelde Barge Corridor, an inland waterway connection between our port and that of Antwerp-Bruges, which has removed a lot of freight from the road. Additionally, we try to promote cooperation within our port. Sometimes companies located next to each other do not even know what each other are doing. Our role in this is to listen to the needs of the various companies and then bring them into contact with each other wherever possible. We are convinced that as a relatively small top port – number nine in Europe in terms of transshipment and number three in terms of added value – we can operate smarter, faster, and often cheaper than competing ports by working together and bundling cargo.

Come and see for yourself and talk to us in Munich (see also page 41, Meet North Sea Port at transport logistic 2025), we look forward to welcoming you!”

more information

North Sea Port Jean Ruinard, commercial manager E. jean.ruinard@northseaport.com I. NORTHSEAPORT.COM

North Sea Port offers excellent multimodal hinterland connections.

Image courtesy of North Sea Port/Tom D'haenens.

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Meet North Sea Port at transport logistic 2025!

Image courtesy of Messe München.

From 2 to 5 June, the international trade fair ‘transport logistic’ will once again take place in Munich. This event is regarded as the leading platform for international networking in the logistics industry.

Naturally, North Sea Port will also be present with a large number of companies from the port area.

Every two years, the most important key players in the industry come to Munich. Exhibitors from all over the world present their latest products, services, and innovations at transport logistic. The varied conference programme is dedicated to the key issues of the logistics industry, offers insights into current topics, innovations, and trends, and provides answers to the questions of our time. Visitors can attend a wide range of events, presentations, and high-calibre discussions. Parallel to the conference, exhibitors from all around the globe present their latest products and solutions in twelve halls and at

transport logistic 2025 in details Date: Venue: Opening hours:

2 - 5 June Mess München, Messegelände, 81823, Munich, Germany Monday, 2 June: 09:30-18:00h Tuesday, 3 June: 09:30-18:00h Wednesday, 4 June: : 09:30-18:00h Thursday, 5 June: : 09:30-16:00h

two outdoor areas. The entire industry is present at the fair.

Everything is about logistics, mobility, IT, and supply chain management.

North Sea Port, host to many companies This year, North Sea Port again will be host to an impressive range of international companies and organisations. You can visit them at booth B3-212.

Companies present at the North Sea Port booth are (as known on 11 April 2025):

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Certus Rail Solutions Danser Group Eutraco Heylen Warehouses Lalemant Lineas Maaskade Bevrachters Masterbulk Mervielde NWM Europe Ovet Promotion Council North Sea Port PTC Groep Royal Wagenborg Agencies Stukwerkers Havenbedrijf Supermaritime Netherlands Swagemakers Intermodal Transport Tailormade Logistics Transuniverse Forwarding Vertraco Shipping

I. TRANSPORTLOGISTIC.DE/EN/TRADE-FAIR/

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Investing in your safety on the road All images courtesy of Eastman.

Eastman has announced a significant investment in its hub in North Sea Port, as the company will build an additional production line for interlayer films used in safety glass for cars and construction. This additional production line will enable Eastman to produce cutting-edge interlayer films that will meet the increasingly complex demands of the automotive industry and support the latest technologies such as head-up displays.

Eastman, Tennessee Eastman is a multinational headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee (US). The company was founded in 1920 as Eastman Kodak by George Eastman, who wanted an independent supply of chemicals for his photographic processes. Since then, the company has continuously expanded its areas of expertise. Today, Eastman is one of the largest speciality materials companies in the world, employing over 14,000 people worldwide. It has stood the test of time, precisely because of the company’s willingness to re-invent

itself, says Sabine Ketsman, division president films at Eastman.

“Eastman focuses strongly on innovation,” she says, “and innovation as well as diversification of core activities are key ingredients to success in our field. For instance, one of Eastman’s original core activities was providing raw materials for Kodak’s photographic cameras. With the digitalisation of photography, this product market has nearly disappeared.

So, Eastman had to reposition and re-invent itself, which they have done through organic growth and investments as well as acquisitions such as Solutia in 2012 and Taminco in

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Sabine Ketsman, division president films at Eastman.

The additional production line will enable Eastman to produce cutting-edge interlayer films that will meet the increasingly complex demands of the automotive industry and support the latest technologies such as head-up displays.

2014. These acquisitions fit perfectly into Eastman’s vision: enhancing the quality of life in a material way. The ‘material’ in this sentence stands for actual materials, Eastman’s chemical products, but also for material in the other sense, as in: enhancing the quality of life in a substantial, fundamental or even essential way. That’s why Eastman specialises mostly in finished goods (materials) rather than feedstock or additives.

Although Eastman’s core activities today are very diverse and split into several separate product divisions, it all comes down to a broad spectrum of products that each have a big influence on day-to-day life.”

Eastman Ghent South “Eastman’s activities in Belgium are concentrated in one hub at North Sea Port,” Sabine Ketsman says. “We have the manufacturing plant Ghent South, which specialises in interlayer films. Then we have another manufacturing plant in Wondelgem, Ghent North, which focuses primarily on home care products, personal care products and water treatment.

Furthermore, we have our European Technology Center in Zwijnaarde, Eastman’s research and development centre for Europe. And, last but not least, we have an office location in Merelbeke. Although these four locations have very different core activities, we do consider them one hub.

“The investment concerns the manufacturing plant Eastman Ghent South, where construction for a new extrusion line for interlayer films has started,” she explains. “This site has a long history with the production of interlayer films for safety glass, as the company saw life as early as 1903 when French chemist Edouard Benedictus created shatterproof glass. The name Saflex – which is still used today for Eastman’s interlayer films – was trademarked in 1940 and production in Ghent started in 1961. The production site, which later became part of Solutia, was acquired by Eastman in 2012. With this acquisition, Eastman broadened its horizons with a new product line, but it was not an entirely new market for Eastman as the Films Division was created complementary to other activities already linked to the automotive and construction industries, such as coatings. Eastman already had a broad portfolio of endproducts for these markets, therefore the interlayer films were a logical extension of Eastman’s product range and activities for the automotive and construction industries. At the same time, this expansion enabled Eastman to go further in the sustainable innovation of this product portfolio.”

Films for the automotive industry Although the premium interlayer foils indeed enable head-up display technology in car windows, the applications of these films are much broader and fit into a much wider demand for safety and innovation from the car industry, as Sabine Ketsman explains.

“The primary application of all our films has always been the structural safety of the glass,” she says. “But as the needs and demands of the automotive industry become more complex, so must our films. Think about the design of new electric vehicles, for example. The glass surface of these cars is much larger than traditional to create a sense of space. This results in larger windshields, panoramic roofs, and also more curves in the glass. And it’s not just electric cars, either, as we see that the design of petrol-engine cars tends to follow this more PortNews I 43

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Head-up displays project dashboard data on the windshield, enabling the driver to always keep their eyes on the road. This technology is becoming increasingly complex, with augmented reality and enhanced depth perception requiring an equal increase in the performance of the interlayer films in the windshield.

fluid-shaped trend. This means that even on the level of basic structural safety, our films must be more advanced than before.

After all, it’s much easier to guarantee the safety of a small, rectangular window than that of a large, curved windshield.

“But safety encompasses more than structure,” she adds.

“When it comes to road safety, the requirements for the glass surfaces become even more complex. This is of course where the head-up display comes in, which projects dashboard data on the windshield, enabling the driver to always keep their eyes on the road. This technology is becoming increasingly complex, with augmented reality and enhanced depth perception requiring an equal increase in the performance of the interlayer films in the windshield. But there’s more. Lane assistance or adaptive cruise control, for instance – where your car keeps a fixed distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you – are made possible through sensors and signals that the car receives and uses to determine the relative speed, the position of your car and the distance to the other vehicle. So it is very important that these signals can pass through the glass! Without our interlayer films, the glass would simply be much too thick to let any signal pass through. Even 4G or 5G signals would not pass through. That is why our films must be signal-friendly: guaranteeing the structural safety of the glass whilst allowing all sorts of signals to pass through the glass unaffected.

“Thirdly, there’s an increased demand for solar protection and acoustic insulation for electric cars. Solar protection, and thermal insulation, are all about optimising battery life. The car’s climate control will not need to work as hard when the vehicle is well insulated, which benefits the car’s autonomy. Acoustic insulation is necessary for electric vehicles because of the silent engine: because the engine is much quieter, the driver is much more likely to be irritated by sounds and noises made by the tyres on the tarmac or the wind displacement around the car.

“To summarise, we have three major elements – new car designs with a larger glass surface, driver assistance technologies, and insulation for electric vehicles – that call for innovative solutions that support all this complexity. We therefore offer a great variety of interlayer films, often bilayer or

The LiteCarbon films deliver the same safety qualities as Eastman’s other films for architectural purposes but guarantee architects and designers a low-carbon footprint product.

trilayer to combine a specific set of properties. Nevertheless, the ever-evolving automotive industry and the complexity, imply a high level of customised work. Our films are often customised for specific car models, which is why we need to stay in close contact with the automobile industry’s OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Even though our direct customers are usually laminators - the companies that incorporate our films into the glass – our contacts with the automotive sector are paramount to be able to respond to new requirements or designs from the car manufacturers.”

Films for construction and architecture “Aside from the films designed for the automotive sector, we also produce interlayers for construction,” Sabine Ketsman adds. “After all, both residential and commercial buildings require much the same properties of their glass surfaces as cars do: safety and structural integrity, thermal and acoustic insulation. On top of this, we notice that glass surfaces in architecture are becoming much larger too, both for family homes and in towering architectural designs, so we face much of the same complexities as we do with automotive films. There are differences though, as we have some speciality products

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for architectural applications. Think about special colouring options for instance, for airports or commercial buildings. Or our special FlySafe films, which prevent bird collisions. Architecture remains an important market for us, and because our new production line in Ghent South will focus on premium foils for the automotive industry, we will gain possibilities on the existing three lines to innovate in architectural features as well.”

The new production line “At this moment the three extrusion lines at Eastman Ghent South are primarily used for the production of interlayer films with safety and acoustic features,” Sabine Ketsman explains.

“The new production line will enable us to start producing high-performance, premium films that combine solar and colouring properties with the technology to support headup displays and developments of the automotive industry.

Eastman already manufactures these premium interlayer films in China and Mexico, but so far, we have no extrusion installation for premium films in Europe. This means we must import them from our other locations for the European market.

That is just not sustainable or efficient, which is one of the reasons why Eastman is investing in this new production line in Ghent. Another reason is the increased demand for these premium products: without a new extrusion line, Eastman’s global production capacity would not be sufficient to meet the expected market demand of the coming years. We had to invest somewhere, and North Sea Port was the most logical choice to create regional capability within Europe. The location of our manufacturing plant Eastman Ghent South at North Sea Port is just ideal from a logistics point of view. We have strong local partnerships with forwarding and transport companies here, as we often require specialised transport for our films.

“Furthermore,” she adds, “the choice to invest in the Ghent hub was also made because of the talent pool available in North Sea Port. The new extrusion line will create around 50 new jobs in the area. We expect the new production line to be operational in the second half of 2026, so we will start hiring shortly, as the internal training is quite substantial. It takes about a year

of internal training to operate the line for a basic product, and two to three years to become a fully experienced operator of our extrusion lines. Additionally, we’re searching for other profiles such as technical staff for our control room, as the extrusion process needs to be monitored constantly.”

Sustainable at heart A company that produces bird-friendly interlayers and interlayers for thermal insulation can be called sustainable at heart, but Eastman goes much further than that, as Sabine Ketsman explains.

“Eastman is strongly committed to circularity,” she states. “For Eastman Ghent South this encompasses, amongst other things, the recycling of trims – cut-offs and leftovers of the interlayer films – not only from our manufacturing plant but from our customers as well. These trims are used to create our LiteCarbon films.

This interlayer film delivers the same safety qualities as our other films for architectural purposes but guarantees architects and designers a low-carbon footprint product. We are currently looking into the possibilities to create a similar low-carbon product for the automotive industry and are simultaneously investigating how we can use these reclaimed trims in all our products, as we could go even further then.

“Sustainability is also one of the incentives behind the investment in Ghent,” Sabine Ketsman adds. “Regional capability is not solely about efficiency and geopolitics, but about your ecological footprint as well. A sustainable production combined with a nonsustainable shipping policy would be counterproductive at best.

That’s why we want to service the European market as much as possible from within Europe. Incidentally, Eastman also produces resin, the feedstock for the interlayer films, at locations close to the manufacturers of the films. For Ghent, this is Eastman’s resin plant in Antwerp. Wherever we do need external suppliers, we work closely with them on sustainable strategies. After all, sustainability is also a part of enhancing the quality of life in a material way for our consumers.”

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The new extrusion line in North Sea Port will create around 50 new jobs in the area. As the new production line is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026, Eastman will start hiring shortly.

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Designing the future All images courtesy of MG Real Estate.

As MG Real Estate celebrates its 25th anniversary, it is building its largest project to date in North Sea Port: MG Park Big Bear at Kluizendok, a 200,000m² state-of-the-art logistics hub that sets a new benchmark for sustainable development. While the company is widely recognised in the Ghent region for its iconic MG Tower, the tallest office tower in Flanders, its ongoing ambition is firmly anchored in North Sea Port, where it continues to shape the future of logistics in Europe.

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Charles Vanderstraeten, business development manager logistics & industrial at MG Real Estate

MG Park Big Bear is MG Real Estate’s largest logistics hub to date, a 200,000m² carbon-neutral site at Kluizendok in North Sea Port.

MG Real Estate’s story starts at North Sea Port MG Real Estate is a leading real estate development and investment company specialised in the development of large logistics centres, warehouses, and state-of-the-art office buildings, as well as the demolition and de-pollution of brownfield sites. When Ignace De Paepe, president of MG Real Estate, founded the company 25 years ago, he already had decades of experience in earthworks and dredging activities, as Charles Vanderstraeten, business development manager logistics & industrial at MG Real Estate explains,

“Ignace De Paepe was put in charge of his family’s business, the De Paepe Group, in 1985. The company specialised in groundworks and concrete works. His first major project in Belgium was the demolition of the Texaco refinery in Ghent.

With 250ha of contaminated soil, this was an unprecedented challenge in remediation. The project involved the treatment of three contaminated landfills, asbestos removal, plant decontamination, and the remediation of heavily polluted soil. After recycling 120,000t of scrap metal, including exotic nonferrous metals, the site was transformed into one of the largest logistics hubs in North Sea Port.

“Redeveloping brownfields remains one of our core activities today,” he adds. “However, at that time the company focused solely on demolition and remediation. The development story began a few years later when Ignace De Paepe bought his first brownfield in Mechelen, Belgium whilst developing office buildings for Wolter Kluwers and De Lijn. This brownfield site, the 59,000m² Ragheno site, is still in development today as it is set to become a new urban district, combining residential areas with retail, offices, a central park and a marina. The office buildings Ignace De Paepe constructed for Wolters Kluwers and De Lijn still stand today.

“The first major logistics project Ignace De Paepe undertook was for the InBev brewery in De Pinte (Ghent). After that, more prestigious projects on complex polluted sites followed. After developing several more projects in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the company began its Nordic expansion ten years ago, with several ambitious projects in Denmark and Sweden. Three years ago, in 2022, we crossed the border towards France for the logistics project MG Park Calais. Our Big Bear project at the Kluizendok in North Sea Port means we are once again working in our home base, with the development of a 200,000m² terrain for Logent.”

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The name Big Bear has a special meaning, as it refers to the big scissors Ignace De Paepe recycled for his demolition activities. It weighs nearly 31t and is the largest of its kind worldwide.

MG Park Big Bear.

MG Park Big Bear “The first ground was broken on the Big Bear terrain in the spring of 2024,” Charles Vanderstraeten says. “The site has been split into two parts, with 87,000m² is still under development, while construction of a new state-of-the-art 113,000m² warehouse has already been completed. 63,000m² of this warehouse is dedicated to Eutraco, and 50,000m² is intended for Logent, the logistics partner of Volvo Cars. The site had to be water-bound to be able to receive containers by barge, and the location of MG Park Big Bear is of course ideal due to the trimodality of the site – with road, rail and water connections – and its important strategic location in North Sea Port. But the design of the Big Bear warehouse is also truly a showpiece of intelligent and sustainable design. The carbonneutral warehouse is equipped with the latest technological gadgets such as a high bay system that ensures goods get on and off the racks automatically. The building is fully futureproof, not only because of cutting-edge technology but from an ecological point of view as well. Take for instance the huge solar roof, of which the renewable energy will of course be used primarily to supply the building with electricity and heating, but which is also expected to generate sufficient excess to supply large consumers elsewhere in Flanders.

“The name Big Bear also has a special meaning to us, as it refers to the big shears Ignace De Paepe recycled for his demolition activities. It weighs nearly 31t and is the largest of its kind worldwide. Because the warehouse at Kluizendok is the largest project MG Real Estate has undertaken to date, we thought it only fitting to name it after these iconic shears.”

MG Park Big Bear’s design has MG Real Estate’s unique look and touch, such as the distinctive black and white contrast.

The carbon-neutral warehouse is equipped with the latest technological gadgets such as a high bay system that ensures goods get on and off the racks automatically.

MG Park Fredericia in Denmark is another example of MG Real Estate’s vibrant and sustainable logistics hotspots.

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The MG Tower in Ghent, built for KBC, is the tallest office tower in Flanders and a landmark in the Ghent skyline.

High-speed construction and Nordic expansion “In March 2025, not even a year after construction began, Logent received the keys to their new 50,000m² location in MG Park Big Bear. This serves to demonstrate the high-speed quality of our builds, which is one of our trademark features.

In fact, our very first project in Denmark was a warehouse for FedEx in Copenhagen, located right next to the airport.

The build had to be completed within six months. Ignace De Paepe took on the challenge, but under the special condition that he would be allowed to build “the Belgian way”: not only using prefab elements to speed up construction but Belgian work ethic as well. After all, he only had six months to build 9,500m²! He brought over a Belgian workforce to collaborate with the Danish team to meet the deadline. It was completed on time, built to special aviation-specific standards, and is still in use today. The project became a benchmark for our way of working in the Nordic market. We turned the logistics world upside down there, especially in terms of introducing high-rise buildings. Today, our Nordic expansion has established us in major two cross-country ports; Copenhagen – Malmö Port and North Sea Port.

“Today, we are present in seven countries across Europe,” Charles Vanderstraeten states. “Focussing strongly on the development of cutting-edge logistics sites. One of our strengths is our ability to develop both greenfield and brownfield sites, offering tailored solutions for every single project. Thanks to our subsidiary MG Demolition, we also take on remediation projects on behalf of our clients, dismantling

and decontaminating sites without redevelopment. We have decades of experience in site remediation and approach each one with the utmost respect for the environment. Our mission is to minimise and where possible eliminate environmental impact during demolition and remediation. Our waste recycling strategies ensure that hazardous and chemical waste is managed sustainably, with full traceability, in accordance with EU regulations. Our goal is to rehabilitate historically polluted sites and convert them into the foundation for tomorrow’s thriving spaces.”

Sustainable design “Sustainability is a key element in everything we do,” he says.

“For the Big Bear site we are aiming for a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Excellent certificate – an international certification system that assesses the quality and sustainability of new. In Luxembourg, we are developing MG Park Bettembourg, which is set to meet the BREEAM Outstanding standards, the highest in the sector.

We are always looking for the most suitable energy solution, select optimal locations with multimodal transport and strive to create a sustainable environment for employees, with attractive dining areas, for instance, green spaces, and as much natural light as possible. We always listen to our customers and tailor our design to their needs, but we also maintain our distinct MG Real Estate look and feel. No grey boxes or boring buildings for us: we like to go above and beyond.”

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New pier for greener cruise calls All images courtesy of Jean-Louis Vandevoorde.

With the dedicated pier at the Grootdok, river cruises bound for Ghent can now call at North Sea Port in a way that better suits their needs. The new pier is equipped with shore power, enhancing the sustainability of cruise operations by allowing the ships to turn off their engines, cutting emissions and noise.

North Sea Port is a familiar destination for river cruise ships. In recent years, a growing number of them have brought visitors to Ghent for day trips to explore the history, beauties and niceties of the Flemish art cities. Last year, North Sea Port recorded no less than 400 calls by river cruise ships, with at times up to seven units in port at the same moment. Some 55,000 tourists, mostly Dutch and German, came in by boat last year.

Until now, the port lacked dedicated infrastructure to accommodate these vessels. In Ghent, they moored at the Rigakaai in the Grootdok, often sitting three side by side alongside the quay. These days are gone.

Safety and security In March, at the head of the Grootdok, the southernmost tip of North Sea Port, the port inaugurated a brand new landing pier where cruise ships will now be directed and will receive a fully adapted infrastructural welcome. The jetty itself is 85m long and 6m wide. To safely moor and secure the generally longer ships, four mooring piles have been installed in the prolongation of the pier. It can receive up to four vessels simultaneously, two on each side. Four river cruise boats is now the new maximum in Ghent.

Construction started in May last year. Most of the work was carried out from the water to minimise disruption to the surrounding area and limit the impact on activities at the Grootdok. The project was executed by the Dutch building company Van der Straaten Aannemingsbedrijf.

The total investment needed amounted to EUR 2.7 million.

For its realisation, North Sea Port could count on the financial support of the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works, and the City of Ghent. The port also benefited from a contribution of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport through its BENEFIC programme for the development of charging and refuelling infrastructure for alternative fuels for transport.

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Port and Tourism alderwoman Sofie Bracke cutting the inaugural ribbon, assisted by captain Marcel Witjes and North Sea Port’s COO Peter Van Parys.

Cruise ship Amavenita was the first to dock at the new jetty.

With this investment, North Sea Port strengthens its position as a sustainable port in Europe.

Added advantage The European contribution was obtained because the new pier comes with an added advantage. It is equipped with four shore power units, allowing the cruise ships to turn off their diesel engines while in port. This translates into a double gain, significantly reducing emissions of CO2, fine particles, nitrogen, and sulphur on the one hand, and eliminating the noise pollution generated by the ships’ engines, on the other.

With the commissioning of the new pier, new regulations also apply in the Ghent section of North Sea Port, says Peter Van Parys, COO of North Sea Port: “River cruise ships are now required to connect to shore power.”

“And no more roaring engines at the Rigakaai,” Sofie Bracke, vice-president of North Sea Port and alderwoman for the port and tourism in Ghent, stressed. “With this investment,

North Sea Port strengthens its position as a sustainable port in Europe,” they both underlined.

The positive impact will be felt. Each river cruise ship that connects to shore power, saves about 1.2t of CO2. Over the course of a cruise season in Ghent, with around 400 registered river cruises, this amounts to a reduction of about 500t of CO2 emissions.

First ship The first vessel to dock at the new pier was the 135m long and 11.5m wide Amavenita from the Swiss group Rivertech, a major player in the European river cruise business with its 620 employees, a fleet of 40 ships sailing 19 rivers, and 1,750 cruises per year. The Amavenita was built in 2014, flies the Swiss flag (Basel is its home port) and has a capacity of 164 passengers. It holds a Silver Green Award for its high safety and environmental standards.

For this visit, it carried 146 American tourists to Ghent. “This is a perfect installation for our type of ship,” commented captain Marcel Witjes. “We will most likely increase the frequency of our calls in Ghent.”

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Where local craftmanship and innovation meet Family business Belgian Pork Group was struck by disaster in June 2021 when a rampant fire destroyed subsidiary Locks at North Sea Port. The company decided to rebuild the site and warehouse, and from the ashes rose an innovative, energy-efficient, and fully automated freezing and storage facility.

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Glenn Desimpel, Locks’ plant manager & export manager at Belgian Pork Group

taken into service in April 2024, the company now manages the entire pork-processing chain in-house, says Glenn Desimpel, Locks’ plant manager & export manager at Belgian Pork Group.

“Building a new freezing and storage facility on the Locks’ terrain in Ghent was a very logical step for Belgian Pork Group,” he explains. “Before our new facility was taken into service, more than half of our deep-frozen volumes were stored externally. Not only was it inefficient to keep paying a third party for storage and handling costs when we had this large terrain here in North Sea Port, but it also provided us with a unique opportunity to invest in cutting-edge automated freezing solutions, such as the plate freezer in our production area.”

Cutting-edge technology

Locks’ high-rise fully-automated storage freezer has an altitude of 32m and maintains a constant temperature of -25°C.

Belgian Pork Group Meat processing company Belgian Pork Group was originally founded in Westrozebeke, West-Vlaanderen in 1966. Over the years, the company grew into the largest butchery and cutting group for high-quality pork in Belgium, with 1,600 employees and a network of eight locations throughout the country, each with its own focus and area of expertise. With the completion of the new warehouse in the Skaldenstraat in Ghent, which was

“Our new high-rise freezer for storage is quite impressive indeed,” Glenn Desimpel says. “It has an altitude of 32m and maintains a constant temperature of -25°C. The ten storage levels of the high-rise have a storage capacity of 9,000t and are fully automated; no forklift trucks are driving around in it and no people are present – or required. An efficient system of conveyor belts, lifts and shuttles operates the entire high-rise storage freezer. When deep-frozen packaged products arrive from our other locations for storage, the only human handling involved would be unloading the truck by forklift and putting the product on the conveyor belt. However, most of the meat in our storage is deep-frozen here at our site in Ghent, with our ultramodern, cutting-edge shock freezer and the six new plate freezers.

“Our shock freezer handles about 600t of packed pork each week. These are all sorts of cut and cardboard-packed products from our other locations, such as tenderloins, chops, bacon, and many more. The shock freezer deep-freezes these products for 24 to 48 hours, to a core temperature of -18°C. When this is done, our robot line palletises the frozen packed products as they exit the freezer and then sends the pallets to the high-rise. This all happens fully automatically, without the involvement of an operator.

“The six plate freezers produce around 200t each week. These blocks of meat are chiefly meant for our industrial clients, who require a high level of uniformity for their installations. Think of PortNews I 53

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An efficient system of conveyor belts, lifts and shuttles operates the entire high-rise.

Exporting to a variety of customers

Belgian Pork Group’s blocks of meat are in very high demand in the food industry, as this manner of freezing and storing is a giant leap forward in efficiency. The blocks are all the same size and weight, which means manufacturers can process large amounts in one run.

liver for pâtés, for instance. The meat blocks are made with fresh meats delivered to us by our other facilities. These fresh meats are pressed into fixed-size blocks and deep-frozen into solid plates, which are immediately palletised and transferred to our high-rise storage freezer, again fully automatically.

“Our plated meat is in very high demand in the food industry,” Glenn Desimpel adds. “This manner of freezing and storing is a giant leap forward in efficiency. The blocks are all the same size and weight – depending on the type of meat between 20 and 25kg – which means manufacturers can process large amounts in one run, requiring less fiddling with the installation’s settings.

There is also less handling involved as no foils or cardboard need to be removed. Additionally, our pallets are also more efficient for transport, as they are always the same size and as straight as a die. Our facility in Moorslede, D’Hulster, already had two of these plate freezers, but couldn’t keep up with the demand of our industry customers, which is why we installed six more here in North Sea Port.”

The eight companies of Belgian Pork Group process around 420,00t of pork annually, both for the national and international markets. “We currently ship to over 50 countries around the globe,” Glenn Desimpel says. “We ship to customers in South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia, for instance, but also within the EU and of course nationally within Belgium. Our customer base is very diverse, from retail to catering and from restaurants and local butchers to the food industry. Everyone who wants to enjoy highquality Belgian pork can rely on us.

“Here in Ghent, we load both trucks and containers. Transport within Belgium and the EU is done mostly by trucks, whereas containers are used for transport overseas. Currently, these containers are shipped through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, being brought there by road transport, but we intend to hop on board the modal shift and switch to barging through the container terminals here at North Sea Port. We are working together with our forwarding partner to start this up shortly. Over time we want all our containers shipped through North Sea Port’s container terminals, as this will create more flexibility for us.”

In-house expertise Belgian Pork Group has its own road transport company for export within the EU and transport within Belgium, as Glenn Desimpel explains. “Most of the road transport within Belgium is handled by our in-house company Carnitrans. However, as we also export by road throughout Europe, we do have to work with external partners as well. Usually, these are drivers from our partners who use our trailers. Mind you, these are companies that we have worked with for years. It is of the utmost importance to us that all our drivers act according to the values and quality standards of Belgian Pork Group. This is why we only work with local partners with whom we have established a bond of trust.

“It is for much the same reason – being able to guarantee quality

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and efficiency – that we strive to organise all activities linked to our core business ourselves, in-house. For instance, we handle all customs declarations, import duties, and required permits ourselves. Instead of relying on an external customs agency, we bring the know-how and expertise in-house. It is more efficient, and it is a way to ensure the quality of our services since we don’t have to depend on third parties. This is why we are also very proud to have our own accredited laboratory in Westrozebeke, where our experienced staff performs daily analyses to guarantee food safety. Additionally, we also handle the purification of our wastewater, as part of our sustainability goals.”

Investments for sustainability “At Belgian Pork Group we are continuously looking to improve our processes to guarantee an energy-efficient, sustainable pork production in every step of the logistics chain,” Glenn Desimpel states. “For the new Locks’ site, this is reflected, amongst others, in investments such as 2,000 solar panels, charging stations for electric cars, and a water treatment plant that purifies our cleaning water before discharge. We also heat our water with residual heat from our cooling installations. Other Belgian Pork Group locations have made similar investments, and we are also continuously improving our waste flows. For instance, we produce by-products for the pet food industry such as bone meal and fats. All possible measures that can be taken to protect the environment, we take. Respect for the environment is an intrinsic part of our Taste & Welfare quality label.”

The frozen blocks of meat are palletised fully-automatically by a robot line.

Taste & Welfare “Belgian Pork Group has created the quality label Taste & Welfare Guaranteed to ensure transparency and quality for our farmers, customers, stakeholders and end-consumers alike,” Glenn Desimpel explains. “This label encompasses the values that we stand for and invest in; people, planet, pig and product. Planet stands of course for sustainability, which not only encompasses our aforementioned efforts for sustainability but those of our suppliers – the pig farmers – as well. Product is about taste and quality: the measures we take to ensure the highest quality and superior taste of our products for the consumer. We want to be 100% transparent about the quality and origin of our products, which is why we invest a great deal in traceability. Every end-product we sell can be traced back to the location that processed it and to the farm from where the animal came.

“We are very proud of our local Belgian quality, which is why we only work with local suppliers that embrace our Taste & Welfare standards and are located as close to one of our four slaughterhouse locations as possible. Our suppliers have to be located within a small radius around the abattoir, not only to ensure quality and traceability, but also to keep the transport route of the animals as short as possible for the welfare of the pigs. Animal welfare – the Pigs part of Taste & Welfare – is of the utmost importance to us. Not only our suppliers but also Belgian Pork Group invest greatly in the health and welfare of the pigs. We have, for instance, invested in a fully automatic camera system that watches over the stables 24/7 and uses artificial intelligence to ensure animal welfare is respected. It’s all about respect for the animal, but of course also for the farmers, which brings us to the fourth pillar: People. People are the soul of our company. Not only the farmers of course, but our employees as well. Their enthusiasm and dedication enable us to maintain these high quality standards and we must do everything we can to ensure their wellbeing.

“Mind you, these four pillars are not just some random company

Glenn Desimpel’s pork recipe – pork cheek stew – can be found at https://www.belgianporkgroup.com/nl/stoofpotje-vanvarkenswangen-met-frietjes-gemarineerde-tomaten-glenn-desimpel.

values on paper, we actively and continuously seek to improve ourselves in these four areas. We organise info sessions and workshops, we invite guest speakers… A very tangible result of these efforts – and one I’m particularly proud of – is our Belgian Pork Group cookbook.”

Belgian Pork Group cookbook “Since we have more than 51 nationalities working for Belgian Pork Group, the idea arose to gather pork recipes from various people and cultures,” Glenn Desimpel says. “A taste of the world, as it were. The response was huge! We ended up publishing a beautiful book with recipes and stories from 25 of our colleagues, as a gift to our customers, employees and stakeholders. The book is not sold publicly, but anyone curious can check out our website tasteandwelfare.com as all recipes are available there. Bon appetit!”

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North Sea Port: Ghent North Sea Port: Ghent

Zeekanaal Ghent - Terneuzen: The depth of water in the canal is 13.5 there are nodepth currents or tides.

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12.5 metres. All the docks have direct access to the canal.

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• • Grootdok, Noorddok, Middendok and Zuiddok: Grootdok, Noorddok, Middendok and Zuiddok: Total lengthofof6,855 6,855 metres.

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8.5 metres Width: Grootdok: metres Width: Grootdok: 150150 metres Noorddok: 200 metres Noorddok: 200 metres Middendok: metres Middendok: 250250 metres Zuiddok: 220 metres Zuiddok: 220 metres

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Western Scheldt Braakmanhaven

• Terneuzen Zijkanaal A

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channel •Ghent-Terneuzen Noorderkanaalhaven: North(Kanaalzone) quay: 170 metres; • Noorderkanaalhaven: North quay: 170 metres; South quay: 192 metres.

South quay: 192 metres.

• Zuiderkanaalhaven: North quay: 225 metres; • Zuiderkanaalhaven: North quay: 225 metres; South quay: 230 metres.

South quay: 230 metres.

• Massagoedhaven: 978 metres. metres.

•• Massagoedhaven: Zevenaarhaven:978 North quay: 421 metres and • Zevenaarhaven: North quay:259 421metres. metres and 555 metres; South quay: 555 metres; South quay: 259 metres.

• Axelse Vlaktehaven: 290 metres.

Vlaktehaven: 290 metres.

•• Axelse Autrichehaven: 850 metres.

• Autrichehaven: 850 metres.

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• Middelburg

Lewedorp • • Nieuw- en Sint Joosland

Bijleveldhaven Westhofhaven

• Oost-Souburg

Quarleshaven Sloehaven

• Vlissingen • Ritthem

Van Citterskanaal

Buitenhaven Kaloothaven

Westerschelde

• Nieuwdorp

Scaldiahaven ’s-Heerenhoek •

Van Cittershaven

• Borssele

North Sea Port: Vlissingen port area Vlissingen North Sea Port: Vlissingen

•• Sloehaven: Sloehaven: Suitable alI kinds of transshipment including LPGchemical and Suitable forfor alI kinds of transshipment including LPG and bulk chemical bulk 920 metres of quay.

Cobelfret RoRo jetties: Four berths.

• 920 Sloehaven: Suitable for alI kinds of transshipment including LPG and chemical bulkmetres 920 metres of quay. Cobelfret RoRo jetties: Four berths. of quay.

•• Bijleveldhaven: Bijleveldhaven: metres ofRoRo quay.

North bank ismetres 300 metres bulk 920 metres 1,980 of 1,980 quay.

Cobelfret jetties: Four berths. metres of quay.

North bank is 300 long. long.

Can accommodate largest reefer vessels.

•• Bijleveldhaven: Bijleveldhaven: 1,980 metres of quay.

North bank is 300 metres long. vessels.

Westhofhaven: 475 metres of of quay.

Can accommodate 1,980 metres quay.

North bank is 300largest metresreefer long.

•• Westhofhaven: Westhofhaven: 475 metres of quay.

Can accommodate large offshore 475 metres of quay.

Can accommodate largest reefer vessels.

East side jetty for discharging peat and general cargo quay. vessels.

East side jetty for discharging peat and general cargo quay.

Kaloothaven: 1,130 Two accommodate jetties on southlargest bank, one forvessels.

• Westhofhaven: 475 metres of quay. Can reefer •• East Kaloothaven: metres of quay.

Kaloothaven: metres of peat quay.

Twogeneral jetties on south bank, one for inland barges. side jetty 1,130 for1,130 discharging and cargo quay.

•• Scaldiahaven: Scaldiahaven: Over 1,700 metres of quay. sidebyused

by Verbrugge for inland barges. Over 1,700 metres of quay.

SouthSouth side used Verbrugge for handling and storage of cellulose and metals.

Transverse quay is 250 metres •• Kaloothaven: Scaldiahaven: Over 1,700 metres of quay.

South side used by Verbrugge for handling and storage of cellulose and metals. quayone is 250 long.

1,130 metres of quay.

Two jettiesTransverse on south bank, formetres inland barges. long. handling and storage of cellulose andfor metals. is 250 0n metres • Van Citterskanaal/haven: Six jetties inlandTransverse vessels andquay coasters. southlong.

••• Scaldiahaven: VanCitterskanaal/haven: Citterskanaal/haven: Six 200 jetties for inland and Van Six jetties for inland vessels and coasters.

0n storage south bank, 275 metres. northmetres bank, metres.

Heerema quay: 230coasters. metres and of Over0n1,700 of quay.

South sidevessels used handling and 0n south bank, 275 metres.

0n north bank, 200 metres.

Heerema quay: bank, 275 metres.

0n north bank, 200 metres.

Heerema quay: 230 metres and 220 metres. cellulose and metals. Transverse quay is 250 metres long.

230 metres and 220 metres.

220 metres.

• Quarleshaven: Extension of Sloehaven to NNE, 315 metres of quay. Set of two ••• Van Quarleshaven: Extension of Sloehaven to NNE, 315 metres ofEast quay.

Setbank, of Qu arleshaven: Extension of 315 metres of quay: quay.

Set two mooring buoys on east bank with a span ofNNE, 320 metres.

Zalco bank, Citterskanaal/haven: SixSloehaven jetties fortoinland vessels and coasters.

0n of south two mooring buoys on east bank with a span of 320 metres.

Zalco quay: mooring buoys on east bank with a span of 320 metres.

Zalco quay: East bank, length of 1500n metres.

Vopak200 Terminal VIissingen: LPGand jetties.

275 metres. north bank, metres.

Quay: 230Four metres 220 metres.

East bank, ofVopak 150 metres.

Vopak Terminal VIissingen: LPG jetties. length ofRefinery 150length metres.

Terminal VIissingen: Four LPG jetties.Four • Zeeland Pier: Located on Western Scheldt.

Accommodates tankers up ••• Qu Zeeland Refinery Pier: Located on Western Scheldt.

Accommodates Zeeland Refinery Pier: Located on Western Scheldt.

Accommodates tankers up to 100,000 dwt with maximum LOA of 280 arleshaven: Extension of Sloehaven to metres.

NNE, 315 metres of quay. Set of twotankers mooring up to 100,000 dwt with maximum LOA of 280 metres. to 100,000 dwt with maximum LOA of 280 metres.

• buoys Buitenhaven: outside system with direct access to sea, 300 metres on east Located bank with a spanlock of 320 metres.

•• Buitenhaven: Located outside lock system with direct access sea, Located lock system with direct access to sea, 300 metres ofBuitenhaven: quay. Northern basinoutside has area for coasters and Iighters.

Vesta alsoto operates 300 metres of quay.

Northern basin has area for coasters and Iighters.

Vestaup of quay.

Northern basin has area for coasters and Iighters.

Vesta also operates an oil jetty for tankers.

• Zeeland Refinery Pier: Located on Westernscheldt River. Accommodates tankers also operates an oil jetty for tankers. an oil jetty for tankers. to 100,000 dwt with maximum LOA of 280 metres.

Tern

• Noorder South qu

• Zuiderk South qu

• Massag

• Zevenaa 555 met

Zeeland Refinery Pier

• Axelse V

• Autriche

Braakm

Braakman directly on for seagoin

• Buitenhaven: Located outside lock system with direct access to sea, 300 metres of quay. Northern basin has area for coasters and Iighters. Vesta also operates an oil jetty for tankers.

56 I PortNews

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PortNews I 59

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60 I PortNews

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VOLUME 20 | EDITION 2 | MAY 2025

– ESTABLISHED IN 1338 –

C O V E R I N G T H E P O R T A R E A O F G H E N T, T E R N E U Z E N A N D V L I S S I N G E N

STUKWERKERS

CONTACT US Port Arthurlaan 40 B-9000 Gent, Belgium +32 9 251 25 45 WWW.STUKWERKERS.COM

COMPANY BRIEF • Located in North Sea Port, Ghent, Belgium • 5 km of quay length • 600,000m2 storage, of which 100,000m2 on dock warehousing • Congestion free access (deep sea, inland waterways, rail, highways)

INDUSTRIES – Project & General cargo – Steel – Forestry – Dry Bulk – Containers – Automotive

SERVICES – Stevedoring – Warehousing – Agency – Customs – Forwarding meet | connect | promote