Throughput port of Rotterdam virtually unchanged in 1H24
Published by Oliver Kleinschmidt,
Assistant Editor
Dry Bulk,
Cargo throughput in the port of Rotterdam remained virtually unchanged in 1H24 compared to the same period in 2023. Cargo throughput reached 220.0 million t. This is 0.3% lower than in the same period in 2023 (220.7 million t). The decline was mainly due to less handling of coal, crude oil, and other liquid bulk.
In contrast, throughput of iron ore and scrap, other dry bulk, mineral-oil products, and containers increased. Container throughput increased by 4.2% (in tonnage) and 2.2% (in TEUs) due to increasing consumer demand and an early peak season.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority stated: “After a period of economic uncertainty, we see demand for raw materials and consumer products starting to increase. This led to growth in container throughput in the first half of the year. Whether that trend will continue in other segments will depend partly on the pace of the European industry’s recovery in the coming months. In the meantime, we are holding a steady course and continue to invest in and implement projects to make the energy and raw materials transitions a success and further improve the infrastructure of the port and industrial complex.”
Dry bulk handling increased by 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024. The increase is mainly driven by higher throughput volumes of iron ore and scrap. This segment increased by 12.6% to 14.6 million t due to higher steel and iron production in Germany in 1H24. Throughput of coal decreased by 2.4 million t (-19.7%) due to low demand for thermal coal for power generation. Solar and wind are increasingly used as renewable sources for power generation. Throughput of coking coal also fell, despite the increase in steel production in Germany. Due to sufficient stock accumulation last year, supply decreased in 1H24.
Throughput of agribulk decreased by 1.2 million t due to low demand for soybeans as a result of certain processes moving to the US. Other dry bulk (raw materials for various industrial applications and the construction sector) shows an increase. The throughput figures for agribulk (-19.3%) and other dry bulk (80.7%) show large deviations compared to 2023. Due to a correction in 2023 to an erroneous declaration in the seaport dues system in 2022, these figures show a distorted picture. Without the correction, agribulk shows a decrease of 5.1% and other dry bulk shows an increase of 20.7%.
A slight increase in throughput is expected for 2024 as a whole. Increased container volumes are a harbinger of this. Furthermore, accumulated stocks in other segments have been run down and European industrial production appears to be picking up cautiously on the back of lower energy prices.
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Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/ports-terminals/19072024/throughput-port-of-rotterdam-virtually-unchanged-in-1h24/
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