Initial capacity for a new shortsea/feeder container terminal in Gent is put at 150,000 TEU/year
A joint venture of Manuport (in which BBI recently acquired a majority stake) and Finland’s Container Finance is to set up a multi-user shortsea/feeder container terminal in Gent, at the corner of the Kluizendok and the sea canal (Zeecanaal Gent-Terneuzen).
Ghent Container Terminal (GCT) will occupy 7.6 hectares with a quay length of 470m and capacity, based on (two) harbour mobile cranes and a reach stacker yard operation, is slated at 150,000 TEU. Initial investment is put at E6M and it is hoped to begin operations before the end of this year, with Containerships set to start a twice/week service to Helsinki or Saint Petersburg.
There are also opportunities for container barge services (Kortrijk, ZP Terneuzen, Zeebrugge) and the terminal should be connected to the rail network by 2010. Looking ahead a few years, the terminal will also be in a good position for container traffic on the new Seine-Nord Canal, which is looking increasingly likely to go ahead.
GCT has an option on an adjacent parcel occupying 8.2 hectares with an additional 285m of quay. If exercised, that could eventually take capacity to 300,000 TEU/year.
Privately-run Container Finance has a stake in both Containerships and Multi-Link Terminals, in which Eimskip and Russia’s N-Trans (formerly known as Severstaltrans) are respectively involved (see WorldCargo News, December 2007 p26 for N-Trans/MLT tie-up).
Manuport Group is mainly active in bulk handling and logistics in Antwerp and Gent as well as inland container feedering and repositioning within and between ports. BBI’s other port and logistics assets in Flanders are Westerlund group and WCT Meerhout
