APM Terminals Maasvlakte II has celebrated the official start of the expansion of its terminal. Once completed, the capacity of the container terminal in the Port of Rotterdam will be doubled.
The expansion is realised in close cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the CareGo consortium. This will make the terminal not only the largest, but also the most efficient and sustainable automatic APM Terminals operator in Europe.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘Today we celebrate an important milestone in the 25-year cooperation between APM Terminals and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. I am proud of the dedication and flexibility of the teams from both organisations in designing and realising this state-of-the-art terminal. APM Terminals has played and will continue to play an important role in the development of the container segment at the Port of Rotterdam. Investments such as this are crucial to ensure that the port remains attractive as a business location and maintains its position as a reliable and resilient container hub in Northwest Europe. In times of geopolitical turmoil, this is vital for security of supply and employment in the Netherlands and Europe.’
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Challenging assignment
The celebration, attended by representatives of APM Terminals, the Port of Rotterdam Authority and CareGo, highlighted the intensive preparations, the intense collaborations and the major challenges overcome to reach this point. Eight people directly involved jointly performed the symbolic first ground movement, by placing a spade in the ground.
‘Building a fully automated container terminal of this scale in such a short time frame is a challenging, yet wonderful assignment,’ says Sander Lindemans, Project Director, CareGo. ‘The new terminal is both highly sustainable and innovative. Dura Vermeer, GMB en ABB, the participating companies in the construction consortium, have proven that they can handle a project of this magnitude.’
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Electrified sustainable infrastructure
The expansion of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II includes the construction of 51 hectares of container terminal land, with 1000 metres of deep-sea quay, truck and rail transfer zones and the latest generation of Automatic Terminal Trucks. Thanks to developments such as emission-free Automated Guided Vehicles and fully electrified sustainable infrastructure, the terminal is ready for the future.
Harold Kunst, Managing Director of APM Terminals MVII, emphasises: ‘This expansion allows us to continue to handle the high-capacity demand from our customers in a fast and reliable manner while setting new standards in sustainability and efficiency. None of this would be possible without the dedication and commitment of our employees, the loyalty of our customers and the confidence of our shareholders.’
The first phase of the expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Picture: From left to right – Harold Kunst (APMT), Haydi Galvez (ABB), Jack Craig (APMT), Harbert van der Wildt (Dura Vermeer), Boudewijn Siemons (Port of Rotterdam Authority), Edwin van der Poel (GMB), Hans Jongejan (APMT) en Mark Nolet (APMT) (photo by APMT).
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