The Port of Antwerp is expanding its representation in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) with two new port representatives: Robert Giraud and Hans Königs. Together with Dr. Dieter Lindenblatt they complete Antwerp’s team of German representatives. With these new port representatives, the Port Authority stresses North Rhine-Westphalia’s importance for Antwerp. The region is located in the natural hinterland of the port, which makes it a strategic trading partner of the Scheldt harbour.
Dr. Dieter Lindenblatt, Robert Giraud and Hans Königs
Robert Giraud will map out the needs of German companies through one-to-one account management and explore client-oriented solutions. Early on in his career he worked for various transport and forwarding companies, among other places in the port of Antwerp. During the past 12 years, he was economic representative of Flanders in Chicago, Budapest and Cologne.
Hans Königs will be responsible for strategic dossiers and political contacts in the field of inland waterway transport, rail and infrastructure development between the two regions. His experience with general infrastructure projects concerning transport of goods and people, and cross-border train routes such as the Iron Rhine, Brabant route and Betuwelijn also make him the perfect port representative.
Intermodal transport between the two regions
Via the Rhine-Scheldt connection about three quarters of the goods between NRW and Antwerp are transported by inland waterway vessel. For the smooth handling of inland waterway vessels the Port Authority has in recent years invested in powerful planning systems such as the Barge Traffic System (BTS3). The Port Authority is investigating whether BTS3 can also be used in German inland ports.
The railway offers a great deal of opportunities for growth. Therefore, the port of Antwerp together with the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce has drawn up a roadmap for redefining the investment priorities in the rail infrastructure between the West Ports and North Rhine-Westphalia. The broad principle being an increase in capacity on the railway lines between Aachen and Monchengladbach on the one hand and between Aachen and Duren on the other hand. The maximum capacity would then be reached in 2015.
The ports of Antwerp and Duisburg renewed last year, by way of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), their previous agreements aimed at intensifying intermodal transport between the two regions. The Port Authority took a minority stake of 15% in the intermodal rail connection between Duisburg and Antwerp. Both ports also work together on the railway connection Antwerp-Duisburg-Vienna.
The reactivation of the Iron Rhine remains a priority in the longer term. The Port Authority hopes for rapid progress in this matter.
Meanwhile, in the port of Antwerp substantial progress is being made with the new railway tunnel ‘Liefkenshoek’. All civil engineering works have been completed, and the track-laying, signalling systems and the installation of overhead lines are in full swing. As from September 2014, the tunnel will offer a second railway link between the Left and Right Bank with a capacity of 109 trains per day.
With these initiatives, the Port Authority aspires to a shift of the transport flows to and from the port of Antwerp in favour of inland waterways and rail, so as to connect with the hinterland in a reliable and sustainable way.
Antwerp seaport of North Rhine-Westphalia
With 190.8 million tonnes being handled, of which 102 million tonnes of containers (2013), Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe. Half of the German container traffic to Antwerp originates from North Rhine-Westphalia. The port of Antwerp is therefore a real ‘Rhine port’. Besides containers, steel and the chemical products form the main categories.The presence of many German petrochemical multinationals in the port of Antwerp has a lot to do with this. In 2013 some German chemical giants including BASF, Evonik Degussa and Lanxess, announced several millions of investments.
For more information:
Annik Dirkx
Antwerp Port Authority
Tel: +32 3 205 23 09
Email: annik.dirkx@portofantwerp.com
www.portofantwerp.com
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