Annual Report 2006

coal
In 2006, coal throughput in
Amsterdam Ports rose by over
3% to 19.6 million tons, whereas
coal throughput in Port of
Amsterdam slightly decreased
by 2% to 12.3 million tons.
Amsterdam Ports are now the
second-biggest coal port in
Europe, after Rotterdam. Most
the coal used in Western Europe
is not mined locally, but is imported.
Coal exports – particularly
to Germany – are expected
to continue growing.
For this purpose, two coal terminals
in the Port of Amsterdam
have expanded substantially.
Almost 10 hectares – on the last
available plot of land on the old
Ford site in the Westhaven – have
been added to the coal terminal
operated by OBA. Moreover,
LBH/Rietlanden built an ultramodern
coal terminal on a
30-hectare site in the Afrikahaven.
At the end of 2006, this coal
terminal became operational and
began serving coal-carrying
ships. To prevent dust nuisance,
the new coal terminal has been
equipped with a dust-monitoring
system, which is new to
Amsterdam (also see page 42).
In the Port of Amsterdam, coal
is not only transshipped and
transported to the hinterland.
About 1.5 million tons of it is
used locally – for the Dutch
energy supply. Using a conveyor
belt, this amount of coal goes
directly from OBA to the power
plant in the Hemhavens. The
Hemweg Power Plant, as it is
called, produces 1,200 megawatts
of electricity and serves
about 1 million households in
Greater Amsterdam.
As a fuel, coal is very much in
development, becoming an
ever-cleaner fuel thanks to the
use of clean-coal technology
(gasification). To reduce carbon
emissions, research is being
conducted into subterranean
CO2 storage. There are still
abundant supplies of coal
around the world.
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
Transshipment coal Port of Amsterdam
(x 1,000 ton)
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
2