Port of Antwerp and PSA Antwerp upgrade Europa Terminal as part of sustainable growth

To enable Europa Terminal to handle the largest container vessels, Port of Antwerp is planning to deepen the quay wall of this terminal in dialogue with PSA Antwerp, the operator of the terminal. To this end, the current quay wall will be completely demolished and replaced by a new one. In order to limit the operational impact, the works will be carried out in three phases. With this deepening project, Port of Antwerp and PSA Antwerp confirm their ambition to make the best and most sustainable use of the existing space at the port.

16-meter draught

The Europa Terminal was put into operation in 1990 as the first tidal container terminal at the port of Antwerp. The current maximum draught for vessels that can moor at the quay wall is 13.5 metres. In order to also accommodate container shipping with larger dimensions, the depth of the terminal will be brought in line with the maximum draught of approximately 16 metres at inlet.

Works in three phases

Extensive maritime works will be necessary to achieve this deepening. The current quay wall, with a length of almost 1200 metres, needs to be completely demolished. PSA Antwerp is responsible for the renovation of the layout of the adjacent front quay, including new flooring and the installation of large container cranes. The quay wall will be equipped with all no-regret infrastructure measures to enable implementation of shore power. An underwater dam will protect the nearby Galgenschoor nature reserve.

In order to limit the operational impact, the works will be carried out in three phases.This allows a large part of the terminal to remain in operations at all times, while another part of the capacity is diverted to PSA’s Noordzee Terminal. The works are expected to start at the end of 2021.

Sustainable growth

As the engine of the Belgian economy, the port of Antwerp is evolving along with social and global developments. To continue playing at the top level of world ports, the port must be able to offer extra container capacity to its customers. To this end, the port is permanently working on both expansion, such as with the ECA project, and the optimisation of the existing capacity. The renovation of Europa Terminal is an important step in the further development of a sustainable port.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp: “Containers are the most important segment at our port and a growth segment in the world, our yearly figures in 2020 prove this once again. And the trend towards more containers for transporting goods will only continue. This deepening is in line with our ambition to continue to grow as a port in a sustainable way and will contribute towards maintaining our position as a world port.”

Jan Van Mossevelde, MD PSA Antwerp: “Thanks to this deepening, the Europa Terminal will join the league of mega-vessel ready container terminals. This major investment meets the needs of the major shipping alliances. When the works are completed, we'll be able to handle 2 megamax ships simultaneously at a brand new and innovative terminal.”

Annick De Ridder, Port Alderman: “For our worldwide economic position and the prosperity of current and future generations, it's essential that we can continue to receive the largest container ships. With this investment, we are building the port of the future. Only in this way world players will continue to choose our port as the gateway to Europe and can we continue to position ourselves as a container port.”