The Belgian cities of Antwerp and Bruges have reached an agreement to merge their respective ports, marking the start of a unification process that is expected to take a year to finalise. Once completed, the ports will operate under the name Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Photo: Port of Antwerp
Port authorities say the merger will strengthen both their positions within the global supply chain, continue their course towards sustainable growth, and create more resilience to future challenges.
The ambition is for Port of Antwerp-Bruges to become the world's first port to reconcile economy, people and climate.
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The merger is set to provide a significant boost to the ports' position in the global supply chain. A joint press release by the port authorities of the two cities said the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will: will become the most important container port (157 million tonnes/year), one of the largest breakbulk ports and the largest port for the transhipment of vehicles in Europe."
The authorities say it will also account for more than 15% of Europe’s transited liquid natural gas, retain its position as Europe's most important chemical hub, and become the largest port for cruise ships in the Benelux region.
It is estimated the merged ports will have a total combined transit capacity of 278 million tonnes per year.
The reasoning behind the merger is to provide an economic boost to both cities as well as the Flanders region.
As part of the joint plan, the two ports have defined three strategic priorities – sustainable growth, resilience and leadership in the energy and digital transition.
The statement released by the port authorities said that the two merging ports will play to their individual strengths. Antwerp specialises in the handling and storage of containers, breakbulk and chemical products, while Zeebrugge is a major port for RoRo traffic, container handling and the transhipment of liquid natural gas. Authorities say that working more closely together will enable the consolidation of sustainable growth.
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The ports are currently working on creating a unified organisational structure with a promise that transparent, long-term agreements will be made with regard to the leadership and management of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Unification of the two ports will also enable management to respond more effectively to new technological and social developments, such as the energy transition, interconnectivity and digitalisation.
"Combining the industrial cluster in Antwerp and Zeebrugge's location on the coast will create a unique opportunity to address the future energy challenges in Flanders and the wider region. As such, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will take up a leading position as an import hub for green hydrogen and will play an active and pioneering role in the hydrogen economy," said the statement, adding that it will continue to reduce its carbon footprint and look at carbon capture and storage technology.
The plans are still subject to approval by competition authorities, with the aim of completing the transition later in the year.
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Annick De Ridder, port alderman and chair of the board of directors of the Antwerp Port Authority said: “We are proud of this historic agreement, which seals a long-awaited unification. By joining forces, we are on the way to becoming Europe's global port. This will make us even more attractive to our existing customers, to new investors and to all other potential stakeholders."
Dirk De fauw, mayor of Bruges and chair of Zeebrugge Port Authority said: “Zeebrugge is the world’s largest automotive hub, a leading RoRo port and an experienced, state-of-the-art natural gas hub. By combining our own strengths... we will be able to do more and do it better. We will achieve this in the interests of and in consideration of our shared port operations, our city and our region."
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