MOL Chemical Tankers is teaming up with SEA-Invest to invest in construction of a tank terminal for liquid chemicals in the Delwaide dock. In the meantime, Antwerp Railhouse is building trimodal warehouses for breakbulk in the Churchill dock, while the Port Authority continues to seek a suitable investor for the Churchill site.
Mol Chemical Tankers teams up with SEA-Invest to build a tank storage farm
The Japanese group Mol Chemical Tankers, a member of the Japanese Mitsui OSK Lines, is partnering with the SEA-Invest port group to build a tank storage terminal in the port of Antwerp (see also CruiseMapper). The joint venture Sea-Mol is being set up for this purpose with an investment budget of 300 to 400 million euros. The new investment is expected to generate 100 jobs directly.
The tank terminal will be located on a 45 hectare site in the Delwaide dock. This is only part of the concession area for which the Port Authority issued a Request for Proposals in 2018. A shortlist of six candidates was selected, one of them being Sea-Mol. Discussions with the latter were started with a view to making a concession agreement, while talks with the five others are ongoing aimed at making the best possible use of the remaining area.
“Our port continues to be very attractive for potential investors. There are various other large investment projects in the pipeline for which we hope to receive confirmation in the very near future,” Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said.
Conti7, Zuidnatie and Edmond Van Dyck invest in trimodal warehouses
Meanwhile, in the Churchill dock Antwerp Railhouse has begun construction of two waterfront warehouses for breakbulk, with direct rail access. Conti7, Zuidnatie and Edmond Van Dyck & Sons are partnering up for this investment.
One of the warehouses will be equipped with an automatic portal crane with magnets that can lift up to 40 tonnes, to be used on a dedicated basis for storage, handling and distribution of steel products. This warehouse will be ready by around the end of the year, while the second will follow in March 2019. The latter will be able to serve for among other things cross-dock operations and as a container freight station. The site will have full trimodal access, enabling customers to choose either rail or barge transport.
Port Authority extends RfP deadline for Churchill site
In November 2017 the Port Authority issued an international Request for Proposals aimed at potential investors for the Churchill Industrial Zone, the former Opel site in the Churchill dock. It has now been decided to extend the deadline for proposals by another six months. The Port Authority wishes to attract investors in manufacturing or process industries that will help to achieve the port's sustainability ambitions.
Source: Port of Antwerp