Despite a slight decline in total cargo throughput, 2023 was a year of success for the Port of Rotterdam which is making significant strides in becoming more sustainable.
Last year saw major investment decisions that are contributing to making the port and the logistics chain to and from Rotterdam greener. The financial results were stable with revenues rising by 1.9% to €841.5 million year-on-year. This puts the port authority in a position to commit to further investments for a future-resilient port in the years to come as well.
Total cargo throughput in the Port of Rotterdam amounted to 438.8 million tonnes in 2023, 6.1% less compared to 467.4 million tonnes seen in 2022. The fall was mainly seen in coal throughput, containers and other dry bulk. Throughput rose in the agribulk, iron ore & scrap, and LNG segments. The decline was due to the ongoing geopolitical unrest, low economic growth and high inflation, as explained by the port authority.
“2023 saw ongoing geopolitical unrest, low economic growth due to higher interest rates and faltering global trade, all of which had a logical effect on throughput in the port of Rotterdam,” Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, commented.
“However, the year also saw many major investment decisions and milestones in the transition to a sustainable port. We made the final investment decision for the construction of the CO2 transport and storage project, Porthos. Construction work also began on the national hydrogen network in the port of Rotterdam. And we celebrated a number of significant developments in the logistics segment this year, such as the announcement of the expansions of the APMT and RWG container terminals, and the opening of the CER. All these developments will take us a step closer to a successful and future-resilient port and industrial complex.”
Progress on the energy transition
The definitive investment decision was made for Porthos in mid-October 2023. The Porthos system for the transport and storage of CO2 consists of an onshore pipeline running from Botlek through the port area to a compressor station on the Maasvlakte. From the compressor station, the CO2 pipeline goes to empty gas fields under the bed of the North Sea.