The Port of Rotterdam saluted the last ever containership to dock at its oldest terminal recently, due to the terminal being unable to accommodate the largest class of mega-ships.
The terminal became unable to cope with the increase in scale in container shipping, due to today’s mega-ships being 400 metres long and 60 metres wide.
As a result of the strain in handling this increase in volumes, ECT will now switch cargo-handling in the Eemhaven to its two much larger and more modern terminals on the Maasvlakte (Delta terminal and Euromax).
In a World Maritime News article, Leo Ruijs, CEO of ECT, said: “The closure of the ECT City Terminal constitutes the end of an era. As a pioneer in the field of container handling, ECT has made history here. This is where container handling in Rotterdam started and matured.
“Ever-larger vessels constantly require deeper and deeper ports and more modern facilities. At our ECT Delta Terminal and Euromax Terminal Rotterdam, situated directly on the North Sea, we are able to meet that demand and we are constantly investing there.”
The ECT site, covering 65 ha, will retain its port-related use. The Port Authority has plans to redevelop the site for use by businesses in the vicinity, as well as for new activities. It expects to be making further announcements about this in the coming months.
