Antwerp Port invests €1.6bn

The ambitious long term plan was recently presented to the board of directors by port alderman Marc Van Peel and CEO Eddy Bruyninckx. It had originally been drawn up the previous month by the management, but modifications were made as a result of changes to the so-called ‘Oosterweel’ plan.

The Oosterweel plan forms part of a new masterplan for Antwerp and includes new roads, additional tram and light rail projects, footpaths, and initiatives to promote barge and rail transport.

The port authority will invest the €1.6bn in a variety of projects including expansion of the Verrebroek dock, the Saeftinghe Development Area, and various port facilities.

The money will also be invested in construction of a second lock on the left bank of the River Scheldt. This work will start next summer, Antwerp Port Authority having recently launched a formal tendering process.

Money will also be spent on dock renovation and investment, maintenance of roads and bridges, modifications to the canal dock, modifications to the Waasland canal and what the port called ‘cleaning up of the dock bottoms’. The port will also acquire a new suction dredging barge, new tugboats, dumb barges and a pusher barge and invest in new dock mounted cranes and mobile cranes.