World port city
The port of Antwerp is a world port. It is the 11th largest port in the world and the 2nd largest port in Europe.
Antwerp is Europe's most central seaport. Sea-going vessels can transport goods 80 kilometres inland, into the heart of Europe. This means transport via the Port of Antwerp to European customers and factories is not only quick and cheap, it is also very ecological. It means less road transport, which is an important consideration for many manufacturers.
Big choice of world-wide connections
For many European companies, the Port of Antwerp is the link with other continents, and for many companies in the farthest corners of the world it is the gateway to Europe. The Port of Antwerp has more than 500 direct destinations all over the world. No less than 300 are called at every week! The Port of Antwerp is able to transport any freight. And the other way round!
"60% of EU purchasing power within a radius of 500 km"
Excellent hinterland connections
All product types can be safely and quickly transported from or to the European hinterland. Often, there are even several possibilities. Thanks to this wide and high-quality offer of rail transport, road transport, barges and pipes, products get to their destination efficiently and on time.
Private companies in the port area continue to invest in the most modern storage areas and machines to load and discharge goods as quickly and efficiently as possible. There are fully automated warehouses and some terminals have unmanned cranes that load and discharge containers. Another good example is the All Weather Terminal. Under a huge roof, freight can be discharged or loaded in all weather conditions.
“The accessibility of the port by different modes of transport, such as sea transport, barge transport, road and rail, thanks to an excellent infrastructure is undoubtedly a major strategic advantage. However for the chemical industry a well-developed pipeline network is as important.”
Wouter De Geest
Chief Managing Director, BASF Antwerpen NV
The port of Antwerp´s success story.
The Antwerp port has an excellent infrastructure for receiving all types of transports and goods. Moreover, absolutely no other port is so centrally located in Europe as Antwerp, which makes transport to the consumers easier, more sustainable, more efficient and consequently less expensive.
- Unique location: 60% of EU purchasing power in a radius of 500 km.
- “Extended Gateways”, which improve port-inland connections, to all corners of Europe.
- Well-developed multimodality with water, rail, and road connections, as well as pipelines.
- Very high productivity.
- Available space: the Port Authority (Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf) grants concessions across nearly 4000 hectares of land and quays.
- 550 hectares of specialised, indoor storage space.
- Comprehensive logistics services.
- Growth in renewable energy supply.
- Continuous investments in expansion and modernisation.
Port of Antwerp: A succesful mixture
Whether your business requires goods, exports them or both, our logistical solutions, partnerships & platforms are capable of delivering a Just In Time supply-chain for your business.
Enhanced digital solutions
Your business is in safe hands thanks to a digital service offering which includes:
- Cargo- & vessel tracking
- Route-planning & best easy overview of transport-mode to use (rail, shipping, pipeline or trucks)
- Vessel booking
- Document administration
Omnichannel supply chain offering
The port of Antwerp is not only linked to the Scheldt, but can also transport goods over water via e.g. the Albert Canal, the Scheldt-Rhine Connection and the Scheldt-Seine Connection. Over these rivers and canals, inland navigation vessels can transport large quantities of goods at the same time. For example, all of the products that you find in Colruyt stores travel via inland navigation vessels to a central warehouse saving costs on expensive road-transport.
Next to this, the port area is directly connected to all major European countries by rail and has an extensive network of pipelines (more than 1 000 km within the port area) to transport liquids to other local destinations or even abroad.
Expertise in every sector
The Port Authority, terminals and their logistic partners offer a broad array of services. Furthermore they can offer you tailor-made expertise for the following sectors:
- Oil & Chemicals
- Building Materials
- Industrial Minetals
- Project Cargo
Antwerp: the central hub
Investing in the Port Area
The Port Authority of Antwerp (Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf) offers potential investors in the port a whole range of services:
- Taxation: advice on subsidies, taxes or tax deduction systems, such as the notional interest deduction or rulings.
- Available parcels.
- Support in adhering to the SHEQ (safety, health, environment and quality) regulations.
- Available workforce: summary of working conditions and labour cost, the social climate, opportunities for expats (housing, taxes, education, residence and work permits) and information on how employment, temping and selection agencies work.
- Licences: information and guidance in completing the licensing process associated with an investment.
- Networking: help getting in contact with potential customers, suppliers and partners.
Check investment sites
Looking for the ideal spot to invest in the Port area? You can: