Zeebrugge Expands Automotive Capacity

The port authority of Zeebrugge in Belgium has plans to expand its automotive capacity by an extra 156 hectares. This will be added to the 390 hectares currently in use for car logistics in the inner port.

In the short term, 28 hectares in the southwestern corner of the Southern Canal Dock will be ready for use. A 400 meter long quay wall for this area has been under construction since October 2015.

A further 58 hectares on the left bank of the Southern Canal Dock will be prepared for usage and a new quay wall of 1,070 meters will be constructed. 

Another 70 hectares at the Boudewijn Canal is also to be prepared and appointed to a port client, and a 1,130 meter quay wall will be built to allow the mooring of sea vessels.

In Zeebrugge, eight vehicle terminals are currently operated by five terminal operators. There are six pre-delivery and inspection centers, and there are 140,000 parking spaces. Last year’s record volume of 2.43 million units will probably be surpassed by nearly 20 percent, amounting to 2.8 million vehicles in 2016.

The port expects to reach a turnover of 3.4 million vehicles by 2020, when the new grounds will enter in use.