The port of Antwerp is expected to have handled a total freight volume of 190.6 million tonnes over the year as a whole. This represents an increase of 3.5 per cent compared to 2012 when the volume came to 184.1 million tonnes, making 2013 a new record year for Antwerp.

The previous record dates from 2008, the last year before the global financial crisis. The main driving force behind the growth in volume was liquid bulk, with the container volume being slightly down as a result of the continuing recession. The definitive figures are expected this month.

"Liquid bulk has given our port a particularly strong boost," declared Port Authority CEO, Mr Eddy Bruyninckx. "These freight volume results have been achieved thanks to investments by a number of large players over the past few years. They are also the best proof that conversion of former break-bulk areas into tank storage facilities has paid off for our port. When it comes to containers, the stagnating economy continues to weigh on the figures, but this situation applies practically throughout the Hamburg-Le Havre range. In the case of dry bulk, there has been a significant decrease in the volume of coal compared to last year. This development is due to the closure of a number of blast furnaces in the hinterland, which will continue to affect the figures for dry bulk."

Containers & break-bulk: The container volume has dropped slightly, both in tonnes and in the number of containers. In terms of TEUs, the number of containers handled was down slightly (by 0.7 per cent) to 8,572,345 TEUs. In terms of tonnage, the drop was 1.7 per cent, with the total volume expected to be 102.2 million tonnes after 12 months. On the other hand, the prospects are positive thanks to the recent announcement of the P3 Network (an alliance of the three largest container shipping companies in the world: Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM), with Antwerp winning market share in the Far East and consolidating its position as the market leader on other trade routes. In the meantime, the decision by MSC to concentrate its activities in Antwerp also offers prospects for significant growth in container handling.

The RoRo volume has declined by 5 per cent to 4,557,389 tonnes, although the number of cars actually rose by 5.1 per cent to 1,302,885. Conventional break-bulk also contracted during the course of the year, by 6.8 per cent, with the final figure expected to be 10,150,631 tonnes. However, the significance of conventional break-bulk for the port cannot be simply reduced to the number of tonnes handled, as many break-bulk players in the central and southern areas of the port have been investing in handling facilities, resulting in significant added value above and beyond the classic break-bulk activities.

Dry bulk: The volume of dry bulk fell by 26.8 per cent to 13,984,279 tonnes. The contraction was due mainly to coal imports, in a mirror image of the situation in the Dutch ports. The failure to build a coal-fired power station in Antwerp has been to the disadvantage of the port, as trade has shifted to other ports that do have one or more coal-fired power stations and so are able to achieve critical mass.

Seagoing ships: During the past 12 months, the number of seagoing ships calling at the port of Antwerp was 14,207, a decrease of 2.4 per cent compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the tonnage rose by 3.8 per cent to 330,459,546 GT. The number of Ultra-Large Containerships of 10,000 TEUs or more is expected to be 197 this year, exactly 30 more than the previous year. The growth has been particularly significant in the category of 13,000+ TEU vessels, with no fewer than 31 of these giant container carriers calling at the port. Moreover, the test call by the Mary Maersk in mid-October demonstrated that Antwerp is perfectly accessible to vessels in the 18,000+ TEU category, a release stressed.