Throughput in the port of Rotterdam fell by 1.7 per cent in 2025. This brought total throughput to 428.4 million tonnes. The largest decline of 6.5 per cent occurred in the dry bulk segment. Activity improved in the second half of the year, but investment in industry remains under pressure, particularly in chemicals and renewable fuels.
The liquid bulk segment saw a decline of 1.5 per cent. Container throughput showed growth of 3.1 per cent in TEU, reaching 14.2 million TEU. In terms of tonnage, container throughput decreased by 0.2 per cent.
The Port Authority reported stable financial results, with revenue up 6.6 per cent to EUR 940.4 million and EBITDA rising 3.6 per cent to EUR 583.6 million. Net profit fell to EUR 266 million due to higher depreciation and a one-off impairment. Investments totalled EUR 291.4 million.
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Lagging investments
In the second half of the year, signs of recovery were visible in all segments. Concerns about the lagging investment in industry by the business community remain high. Over the past twelve months, a number of chemical companies announced plans to close their factories in Rotterdam, and investments in new and ongoing projects have been halted, primarily in renewable fuels.
The measures taken by the government in 2025 are positive, but insufficient to level the playing field in the Netherlands with that in Europe. Additionally, competition from countries such as China remains evident.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘We look back on a challenging year, in which chemical and logistics companies in our port were under considerable pressure and European industry was affected by increasing global competition. All this took place against a backdrop of further escalating geopolitical tensions. It is precisely under such circumstances that a well-functioning port remains essential to the prosperity, economic development and strategic relevance of the Netherlands and Europe. A continued focus on resilience, agility and intensive cooperation at national and European level is crucial in this regard – both for the supply chain and for industry.’
Electrolysers, carbon capture and hydrogen network
Although the Port of Rotterdam Authority is aiming for a 55 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that this target will be achieved in the port and industrial complex, as is the case nationally. The Port Authority therefore continues to work with companies to accelerate the reduction and is making every effort to encourage and support them.
Despite uncertainty, major energy-transition projects progressed. Air Liquide began building a 200 MW green hydrogen plant on the Maasvlakte, while Shell’s Holland Hydrogen I electrolyser is due online in 2026. The Porthos carbon capture project and the national hydrogen network are nearing completion.
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Public-private cooperation
At the end of 2025, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority presented the Port Vision 2050. Developed with the national government, Deltalinqs and the Province of South Holland, it sets out ambitions to make Rotterdam the most competitive, sustainable and resilient port in Europe by 2050 — safe, innovative and vital to the economy, strategic autonomy and the living environment. Achieving this will require strong public-private cooperation and a solid investment climate.
Since 2021, the Port Authority has allocated EUR 1 million annually to projects improving the living environment around the port. Due to strong demand, the Port Environment Fund has been extended to 2030, with the yearly budget increased to EUR 1.5 million.
Also read: Port of Rotterdam launches 2050 Port Vision
Shore power and Portlantis
In 2025, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port Authority adopted a new strategy to expand shore power in the port through 2035. To engage the public, the Port Authority invested in the Portlantis experience centre, which opened in March and has already welcomed thousands of visitors, including more than 13,000 schoolchildren, mainly from the Rotterdam region.
Through a partnership with the Youth Education Fund, the Port Authority also supports children in Rotterdam South growing up in poverty. In 2025, it provided around 15,000 instances of assistance, including educational materials, cultural and sports activities, laptops and bicycles.
Safety and resilience
The port of Rotterdam is Europe’s key logistics hub. In light of the changing security landscape, defence logistics may take on a larger role. A 15-hectare site on the Maasvlakte has therefore been reserved for a terminal under the National Space for Defence Programme, and amphibious exercises may be held on its beaches.
Amid rising geopolitical tensions, cyber-attacks and drones are increasingly used for sabotage, espionage and smuggling. The digital threat remains significant, prompting the Port Authority to work closely with other Dutch seaports to strengthen the resilience of critical digital systems.
Reports of unidentified drones over European infrastructure have heightened vigilance in the port area. Managing low airspace is a priority, with major steps taken by 2025. In 2026, the first phase towards a fully operational U-Space airspace will begin, allowing drone flights only under strict rules and digital supervision. The Port Authority is also investing in technology to detect unwanted drones at an early stage.
Dry bulk
Dry bulk throughput fell by 6.5 per cent in 2025. Iron ore and scrap volumes dropped 11.5 per cent, reflecting the weak competitive position of the European steel industry amid high energy and CO2 costs and cheap imports. Coal throughput declined 8.7 per cent to 17.3 million tonnes, mainly due to lower demand for coking coal. Energy coal volumes rose in the first half of the year because of low wind output and high power demand, but fell in the second half as renewable generation increased and gas prices declined.
Agribulk throughput grew 6.3 per cent, driven by the opening of a new dry bulk terminal and strong first-half volumes. Other dry bulk decreased slightly by 1.6 per cent to 12 million tonnes, as industrial production – and thus raw material demand – was under pressure, particularly early in the year, before a modest recovery later on.
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Liquid bulk
Liquid bulk throughput fell slightly by 1.5 per cent in 2025. Crude oil rose 3.4 per cent to 101.2 million tonnes, supported by higher refining margins in North-West Europe, while mineral oil products dropped 12.6 per cent, recovering somewhat in the second half of the year amid limited arbitrage opportunities. LNG throughput grew 15.1 per cent to 13.0 million tonnes, reflecting the need to replenish European gas reserves.
Other liquid bulk declined 3.1 per cent to 34.3 million tonnes, mainly due to lower chemical product volumes, including methanol. Ethanol and SAF throughput increased, and biodiesel showed signs of recovery in the latter half of the year.
Containers and breakbulk
Container throughput increased by 3.1 per cent in TEU to 14.2 million TEU. In terms of tonnage, throughput decreased by 0.2 per cent. Throughput fluctuated due to poor weather conditions and strikes at the beginning and end of the year. The growth in TEU can be explained by the 9.3 per cent increase in import volumes from Asia. In the second half of the year, imports rose more sharply than in the first half. More import containers, lower export volumes due to the deteriorating European competitive position and the decline in transhipment have led to more throughput of empty containers.
Throughput to and from North America also continued to increase in the second half of the year, resulting in growth of 13.6 per cent. Changes in the alliance structure of shipping companies have led to an increase in the number of services. Due to congestion in the handling of containers at the quays, a significant amount of throughput volume has been diverted to other ports. This segment shows a decrease of 15.9 per cent in TEU. Short-sea volumes have remained stable.
RoRo throughput increased by 0.9 per cent to 25.6 million tonnes. Volumes to and from the United Kingdom are growing at a limited rate due to low economic growth in this important market. Other breakbulk increased by 4.6 per cent to 6.1 million tonnes. The increase in throughput is due to higher throughput of steel products, the delivery of offshore wind foundations, steel pipes for the Porthos project and an increase in aluminium, which is being sold more to companies in Europe due to import tariffs in the United States.
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Consistent, long-term policy needed
In recent years, the Port Authority has worked hard, together with governing bodies, grid operators and businesses, to improve the playing field for Dutch industry in relation to neighbouring countries. Initial steps have been taken: the plastic levy has been scrapped, the Indirect Cost Compensation ETS (IKC ETS) scheme has been reinstated, the Dutch CO2 levy on top of the European ETS has been suspended, and a decision has been made on the correction factor for renewable hydrogen in refineries.
However, major bottlenecks remain, such as nitrogen issues, grid congestion, high energy costs and higher grid tariffs compared to neighbouring countries.
The new coalition agreement demonstrates that the coalition parties are committed to addressing these urgent issues, which are essential to the Netherlands’ competitiveness, future earning capacity and strategic relevance. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is keen to work with the new government as soon as possible on the concrete elaboration and implementation of the necessary measures. For example, the coalition parties’ commitment to bespoke solutions for clusters to make industry more sustainable.
The Netherlands benefits from investments in the future and from consistent, long-term policies that encourage companies to invest in sustainability. This is crucial for a healthy economy and, therefore, for the prosperity and resilience of the Netherlands, states the Port Authority. In addition to own investments in the port of Rotterdam, the Port Authority will continue to commit itself to ensuring the availability of sufficient resources for strategic industrial policy and infrastructure, such as the renewal and maintenance of roads, railways and waterways.
Picture: Emplacement South in the Port of Rotterdam (photo by Martens Multimedia).
