Antwerp Port Authority has announced that it is taking a stake in the Beverdonk Container Terminal, the open access terminal along the bank of the Albert canal in Grobbendonk.
The purchase of a stake in Beverdonk is part of a Port Authority move to offer a neutral platform on the Albert canal for port users.
It is seen as a further emphasis on the Port Authority's hinterland policy, increasing the share of barge and rail transport in the modal split and giving the port 'greater clout' in the logistics chain, while taking traffic off the road and promoting inland waterway transport.
Starting with an annual capacity of 70,000 TEU, the Beverdonk Container Terminal can eventually be expanded to 300,000 TEU and will be operated as a transferium for freight being carried to or from the Port of Antwerp by barge.
According to the Port Authority, the terminal is expected to be operational by late 2011 or early 2012, and will be operated by DP World.
