Zeebrugge Port: An European Distribution
www.shippingchina.com 2009-06-03 09:28:56
The financial storm causes great turbulence to the world economy. However, this severe situation opens a new window for Sino-EU trade. As two crucial polars of the world economy, China and EU cooperate in finance, trade, shipment and logistics.
Belgium Zeebrugge Port Commercial Function tries to help China enterprises solve the concrete problems rising from port transport and aims to build up a business network connecting supply and demand of China and EU interested parties. This event tries to offer some solutions for China-EU cooperation to achieve mutual understanding, cooperation and win-win.
Zeebrugge Port of Belgium does not only perform as the largest automotive hub port in Europe but is also dedicated to build itself to be the world cargo transhipment hub and is developing to be one of the top class container ports. Located on the North Sea Coast in Flanders, it boasts deep-water ports and highly-efficient terminal facilities. Four roads and one railway connect it with European hinterland. Now Zeebrugge Port has approximately 20 departures per day to the United Kingdom.
As the most fast-growing ports between Hamburg and Le Havre, Zeebugge Port has the advanced infrastructure to accommodate ro/ro vessels and container vessels. Zeebrugge Port is s multi-functional port handling traditional cargoes, automotives, high and heavy cargo, dry and liquid bulk cargo and natural gas and providing series of logistic solutions.
2 million cars a year
One million trucks and trailers pass through Zeebrugge every year. Zeebrugge is a prominent intra-European roll-on/roll-off port. 90 % of the cargo (trucks, trailers …) is unaccompanied transport / the driver does not embark.
Zeebrugge is without interruption the largest car handling port in the world, with an annual handling volume of more than 2,000,000 units.
Located at the heart of many car production units in Western-Europa. We Zeebrugge Port is serving a market of 8,000,000 vehicles.
Zeebrugge port is involved in car logistics, meaning that numerable car makes are prepared or adapted in Zeebrugge prior to delivery to the local markets. Space and added value are ‘shifted’ from the car manufacturers to the port. Hence, Zeebrugge houses many car centers which are involved in pre delivery and inspection, car processing, vehicle holding, post production option and direct dealer delivery. Almost 1,000 highly skilled people are involved in the automotive sector in Zeebrugge, guaranteeing the highest productivity! Zeebrugge handles no less than 7,000 cars/ha/year. Car-makers using the port include Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Citroën, Peugeot, Rover, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Vauxhall, Renault, Suzuki and Mitsubishi, for example.
A major ro-ro center
Zeebrugge is a major European port for unaccompanied roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) traffic. Fourteen different UK ports are served with altogether up to 20 departures a day. Other services include line sailings to Scandinavia and countries in southern Europe, such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Morocco. The port is equipped with 23 berths for roro vessels which together have a loading and discharging capacity of 3,500 lorries per 24 hours: in total nearly 1 million a year.
From paper to fruit juice
The facilities installed by some enterprises at Zeebrugge Port include StoraEnso’s distribution terminal, which distribute 2 millions paper per year and distribute newspaper-used paper in a special-made train. BridgeStone’s European distribution center is another grand facility in Zeebrugge Port. Located in Zeebrugge Port’s Distribution Park, its capacity reaches 5 million tyres per year. SeaPark organizes its world distribution of agricultural machines. New Zealand Zespri makes full use of Zeebrugge Port’s fruit terminal. Tropicana’s newly established fruit juice plant in Zeebrugge Port is its largest manufacturing sector in Europe. Citrosuco in Brazil supply large quantity of orange Juice through Zeebrugge Port.
Distribution zones
The investment in Zeebrugge Port continues its investment in development of ro-ro and container transport and provides complementary zones for logistics services. In Port area, many companies offer a package of services including storage, value-added service and final delivery. Zeebrugge Port is opening a new 110 ha distribution area to logistics providers and shippers. This premier location will benefit from custom bonded policy which regulates that the payment of import tax can be delayed until cargo delivery.
