Port of Rotterdam, Europe's busiest container port, saw its throughput rise 5.8% in the first six months of 2021 to 231.6 million tonnes compared with the same period last year.

Nonetheless, despite the increase, the port noted that throughput volume has not yet recovered from last year's coronavirus' dip.

In the first half of the year, there was primarily an increase in incoming and outgoing flows of iron ore, coal, and containers, it said.

“It is encouraging to see that the total throughput volume is increasing quarter on quarter. However, this does not mean that the port of Rotterdam has already made up entirely for last year's corona dip,” commented 
Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

“The Port Authority's financial results were satisfactory. They allow us to continue investing in the port of the future, in the transition to cleaner energy, and in good accessibility so that we can help our clients bring more cargo to Rotterdam,” he added.

Positive drivers cited for H2

Port of Rotterdam said the economy is picking up, as is world trade. Thus is could boost volumes at the gateway for the rest of the year.

“These are positive drivers of further recovery in the throughput volume in the port of Rotterdam. At the same time, there are challenges and uncertainties, particularly with respect to the future development of the pandemic,” the gateway noted in a statement.

“On balance, we expect throughput volume growth to continue in the second half of 2021,” it added.

Energy transition programs

Port of Rotterdam noted that it has made “significant advances” in the energy transition during the past half-year. For example, it cited the announcement of the Dutch government of € 2 billion for the four companies that want to capture and store CO₂ for the Porthos project.

Rotterdam noted that starting in 2024, carbon dioxide will be stored in that project for the first time in the Netherlands on a large scale in empty gas fields under the North Sea.

Meanwhile, the port is also looking at energy transition to hydrogen. It said a series of projects are in progress involving large-scale local production, imports of hydrogen from overseas, and application in the transport sector and industry.