Port of Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s entire port and industrial complex covers 10,500 hectares and stretches out 40 kilometers in length; from the city to the Maasvlakte along the Nieuwe Waterweg canal.

Rotterdam's central position at the heart of a single European market of 450 million consumers means that the most important economic and industrial centers can be reached in less than a day. The same of course also applies the other way round. Rotterdam is the number one port in Europe for both imports and exports. Every year the port handles more than 350 million tonnes of cargo.

The port is perfectly geared to simultaneously handling chemicals, ore, liquid bulk, dry bulk, vehicles, general cargo, cold cargoes, foodstuffs and containers. The region is home to a comprehensive range of companies specializing in handling, storage, transport, industrial processing and auxiliary services. An exceptional concentration of facilities, know-how and experience in this one single area gives the best possible guarantee for optimum service levels and customized solutions.

Rotterdam is the mainport of European container transport. With an average of about 6.5 million TEU passing through the port each year, Rotterdam by far outstrips all the other ports in Europe.

Rotterdam owes its position as European container mainport to a vast number of factors, such as:

• excellent accessibility, also for the most recent generations of container ships; nautical safety;
• dedicated terminal facilities, both on the landside and the waterside;
• European transport hub function;
• Excellent hinterland connections, especially via inland vessel, short sea/feeder and rail; for more information click Transport
• possibilities for expansion and setting up new operations;
• fast turnaround times;
• attractive location for bunkering, among other things as a result of competitive tariffs

Feeder services are integrated with intercontinental deep sea traffic

The port has no draft limitations and can accommodate both current and future larger-scale container vessels, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Many deep sea shipping lines opt for Rotterdam as their first and / or last port of call in Europe. And use it as their feedering hub for the UK, the Baltic and the Iberian peninsula. Efficient interfaces with all important modalities ensure efficient hinterland transport.

European distribution

The port is more than just a link in the logistics chain. The intercontinental services of almost all of the major mega-carriers include Rotterdam. For many shipping companies, Rotterdam is both the first and last port of call in Europe. In addition, Rotterdam offers a tailor-made approach for all containerized cargo. Whether it’s pre-transport and post-transport, the handling of Customs formalities or the processing of cargo in the Distriparks…a comprehensive range of specialized government bodies and service providers facilitates your product.

Reefer containers

Increasing volumes of fresh fruit, vegetables and fruit juices are being transhipped in containers. This means that reefer containers filled with fruit, vegetables and fruit juices always reach their final destination in the fastest and most efficient way possible.Rotterdam has roughly 3,500 reefer points, which is more than 40% of the total capacity of the ports in North-western Europe.

New top location for containers

With Maasvlakte 2, the port of Rotterdam will in the near future offer companies a new top location at the heart of the European market. The land reclamation scheme entails roughly 1000 hectares net of new company sites and has among other things been earmarked for container-related activities. With the construction of Maasvlakte 2, the surface area of the current port and industrial complex will increase by 20 percent. This means that the capacity for the handling of containers in the port area will triple. And this space is urgently needed: the handling of containers alone last year increased by 16 percent from 7.1 million TEU (2003) to 8.2 million TEU (2004).

The construction of Maasvlakte 2 will enable Rotterdam to in coming decades maintain and further expand its leading position in Europe. With Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam offers first-rate facilities for the handling of shipping traffic, good safety levels and excellent hinterland connections with a wide choice of lines and service providers.

Transport & connections

More than 500 scheduled sailings a week connect Rotterdam to over 1,000 ports worldwide. The port terminals are directly situated on the deep waters of the North Sea. In terms of depth and accessibility, the port is unrivalled. A standard water depth of 78 feet (24 meters) means even the largest ships can safely enter and leave the port, unhindered by locks, narrow access channels, tides or other obstacles.

All destinations in Europe can quickly and easily be reached from Rotterdam. Cargo can be transported by truck, train, inland shipping, coastal shipping/feeder (shortsea /feeder), air and - for liquid bulk - pipeline. Rotterdam offers the perfect mode of transport for each type of cargo, each volume, each speed and each tariff. Rotterdam simply is the intermodal European transport center.

Sea shipping

With 30,000 seagoing vessels and 130,000 inland vessels visiting each year, the port of Rotterdam is characterized by dense shipping traffic. Within the port area, the total number of ship movements amounts to some 400,000 annually.