ROTTERDAM WORLD-CLASS PORT - Port of Rotterdam

CONTAINERSA container is a standard ‘loading box’ for mixed cargo. Virtually everything that fits intoa container is actually transported by container. From computers to frozen fish. Containersfit exactly onto a truck or freight wagon. Inland vessels account for about half of thetransport to and from the hinterland. A large container ship can carry over 10,000containers. Distribution activities are carried out at three port sites, referred to as‘distriparks’. Products are also stored temporarily, packed and made ready for dispatch,as specified by the retail trade: items of household equipment are fitted with the rightplugs and instructions for the country for which they are destined.

Rotterdam PortExperiencePort of RotterdamAuthorityFRUITThe Merwehaven (Fruitport) is where ships carrying fruit, vegetables and fruitjuices moor. The companies in this area are specialised in the storage andhandling of food. They therefore have large cold stores. From here, kiwis fromNew Zealand, grapes from South Africa and apples from Chile find their wayto the shops in a large par t of Western Europe. Thanks to the incoming tradefrom overseas, the shops are stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables all yearround.

EXPERIENCE THE PORT FOR YOURSELFThe port of Rotterdam has enough to offer when it comes to experiences andrecreation. See, hear, smell and feel the port from close quarters. To enableyou to experience the port for yourself, the Port Authority has produced threevaried cycle routes. The cyclist is guided from Willemsplein (starting pointof Spido harbour cruises) via Wilhelminapier, Katendrecht and Sluisjesdijkto the garden village of Heijplaat. And from the Rozenburg-Maassluis ferry,via the Maeslantkering towards the work platforms in Europoort. And finally,almost the whole of the Maasvlakte can be explored by bike.In order to experience the grandeur in a spectacular and immediate way,there is the public attraction ‘Rotterdam Port Experience’, in the heart of the city,under the Erasmus Bridge. And in FutureLand, the information centre forMaasvlakte 2, the public can experience the construction of Maasvlakte 2in all kinds of different ways. With all these activities, the Port Authority wantsto bring the port closer to the public.FROM OUDE HAVEN TO MAASVLAKTE 2For centuries, Rotterdam has been a central point in the transportationof goods and persons. Until the end of the 19th century, the port activitiesconcentrate on the northern banks of the New Maas. Many names in the citycentre are a reminder of this, such as Oude Haven (Old Port) and Wijnhaven(Wine Port). From the mid-1800s, there was rapid economic growth, as a resultof the Industrial Revolution. New port basins were dug on the western side of

the city and on the southern banks. Not only cargo found their way to andfrom Rotterdam, but hundreds of thousands of European emigrants alsoboarded ships here, bound for America. In the 1950s and ’60s, the Botlekand Europoort were built. This extended the port and industrial area right upto the North Sea. In the 1970s, the Maasvlakte was constructed in the sea.Maasvlakte 2 will soon follow, providing space for the container sector andchemical industry to develop.PORT OF ROTTERDAM AUTHORITY. ACTIVE FOR THE WHOLE PORT.The Port of Rotterdam Authority is the company that, together with 1200committed colleagues, works to strengthen the competitive position of the portof Rotterdam. The port of today and tomorrow. An accessible and sustainablePort of Rotterdam, which can continue to grow, is very much in the interestsof all (inter)national enterprises active here. The Port Authority therefore offerseverything necessary for the speedy and safe transit of raw materials andgoods, has an eye for the environment in which people work and live in the portand invests continually in existing and new port areas, such as Maasvlakte 2.For example, our commercial and nautical staff collaborate with our civilengineers, economists, project managers, ICT specialists, lawyers and HRMstaff to develop a world-class port.Some 34,000 seagoing vessels and 133,000 inland vessels call at the portof Rotterdam every year. The traffic on the river and 65 kilometres out to seais monitored and guided by radar. The system can be compared to air trafficcontrol. On the water, patrol boats, carrying fire-fighting and other equipment,keep an eye on things. For 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also aPort Authority Inspection department, which carefully monitors the transportof dangerous substances. Safety and concern for the environment are ofparamount importance in the port.

THE PORT IN FIGURES• Some 34,000 seagoing vessels a year call at the port of Rotterdam, as do133,000 inland vessels.• All told, some 86,000 (source: National Ports Council, 2006) Dutch people workin the port.• Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. Yearly 420 million tonnes of cargois handled.• Rotterdam’s port and industrial area is 40 kilometres long, including theconstruction (started in September 2008) of Maasvlakte 2.• 100 million tonnes of crude oil a year passes through the port. That is enoughto fill Feyenoord’s football stadium 65 times.• With the 10 million TEU (unit measurement) containers handled annually inRotterdam you could circle the globe.• The most westerly part of the port can accommodate the very largest seagoingvessels. These have a draught of up to 24 metres, which equals an 8-storeyblock of flats.• One of the biggest ships calling at Rotterdam is the ‘Berge Stahl’, which is360 metres long (three and a half football fields) and 65 metres wide. The shipcarries iron ore and sails between Brazil and Rotterdam.• Rotterdam is the most important European port for imports of coal, the fuelused in many Dutch and German power stations.• Every day, some 200 trucks leave Rotterdam laden with fresh fruit andvegetables, which arrived by seagoing vessel, destined for every cornerof Europe.• One in every two Europeans drinks fruit juice that entered via Rotterdam.• From Rotterdam, 270,000 American, European, Japanese and Korean carsa year find their way to dealers throughout Europe.

Port of Rotterdam AuthorityThe aim of the Port of Rotterdam Authority is to enhance the port of Rotterdam’s competitiveposition as a logistics hub and world-class industrial complex. Not only in terms of size,but also quality. The core tasks of the Port Authority are to develop, manage and run the portin a sustainable way and to maintain a speedy and safe service for shipping.Facts and figures for the Port Authority and the port of Rotterdam:Port Authority: 1200 employees, turnover approx. € 450 million.Port area: approx. 10,500 ha (5,000 ha of which commercial sites, 3,500 ha water and 2,000 harail lines, roads, service corridors and greenery). The length of the port area is approx. 40 km.Direct employment: over 70,000 jobs.Goods throughput: over 400 million tonnes of goods per annum.Shipping: approx. 34,000 ocean-going vessels and 133,000 inland vessels per annum.Text Corporate Communication Strategy, Havenbedrijf Rotterdamwww.portofrotterdam.comContact +31 (0)10 252 10 10, info@portofrotterdam.comPhotography Freek van Arkel, Eric Bakker en Aeroview, RotterdamDesign Smidswater Printing OBT, Schiedam Augustus 2009