Antwerp Opens All-Weather Terminal

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Jun 2009

Antwerp Stevedoring International loaded breakbulk steel for Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB from its new all-weather terminal at the Port of Antwerp for the first time this week. The terminal can handle barges and vessels up to 9,500 deadweight tons in all weather. Loads can be transferred directly from ship to barge using a traveling overhead crane with a 50 metric ton capacity and a total reach of 45 meters, 27 over the water and 18 over the quay, according to a statement from the port. Other overhead traveling cranes can load goods of up to 36 metric tons to truck or rail, also out of the weather.
ASI has invested $40.8 million in the 300,000 square-meter terminal, including handling technology such as automatic coil grippers and vacuum spreaders. Final cost is expected to be about euro 45 million, including the costs of resurfacing, drainage, lighting, additional sheds, a cut-to-length line for cutting coils into sheets and other improvements.
ASI, a member of Wijngaard Natie, said in a statment that its target market is the European and global steel industry. Goods handled include coils, coil on skids, sheet steel, steel bars, wire rods, billets, hollow sections, tinplate, forgings, angle iron, sheet iron, pipes and concrete reinforcing rods. The company also handles project cargo.

Source: Journal of Commerce