Port of Antwerp is planning to deepen the quay wall of its Europa Terminal — operated by PSA Antwerp — to handle the largest container vessels.

In a statement, it said the current quay wall will be demolished and replaced with a new one.

With this deepening project, Port of Antwerp and PSA Antwerp said they are committed to making the "most sustainable" use of the existing space at the port.

To limit the operational impact, the terminal upgrades will be carried out in three phases to allow a large part of the terminal to remain in operations at all times.

The works are expected to start at the end of 2021.

16-meter draught

The Europa Terminal's current maximum draught for vessels that can moor at the quay wall is 13.5 metres. In order to also accommodate container shipping with larger dimensions, the depth of the terminal will be brought in line with the maximum draught of approximately 16 metres at the inlet.

The deepening project will also expand the current quay wall.

"PSA Antwerp is responsible for the renovation of the layout of the adjacent front quay, including new flooring and the installation of large container cranes. The quay wall will be equipped with all no-regret infrastructure measures to enable the implementation of shore power. An underwater dam will protect the nearby Galgenschoor nature reserve," Port of Antwerp said.

Longer-term growth prospects

“Containers are the most important segment at our port and a growth segment in the world, our yearly figures in 2020 prove this once again. And the trend towards more containers for transporting goods will only continue. This deepening is in line with our ambition to continue to grow as a port in a sustainable way and will contribute towards maintaining our position as a world port,” said Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp.

Jan Van Mossevelde, MD PSA Antwerp noted that the deepening project will allow Europa Terminal “to join the league of mega-vessel ready container terminals.”

“This major investment meets the needs of the major shipping alliances. When the works are completed, we'll be able to handle 2 megamax ships simultaneously at a brand new and innovative terminal,” he added.

Annick De Ridder, Port Alderman said the upgrades will ensure that Antwerp continues to position itself as a container port.