Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest port, is expanding its capacity to handle coal shipments to meet “sharply” higher demand for the fuel in Europe in the next few years, according to Karel Peters, a business manager at the hub, Bloomberg reports. The port, which handles 60 percent of seaborne coal to Europe, will receive 27 million metric tons of coal this year, up from 24 million tons last year, Peters said by phone. The port is investing 50 million euros ($72 million) to expand its coal capacity to 42 million tons by 2018, he said.
“We expect coal imports in Europe to increase sharply over the coming years,” Peters said. “Europe will need more coal as a result of the closure of coal mines and increasing demands from Germany.”
Germany, Europe’s largest consumer of the fuel, is scheduled to close its eight remaining coal mines by 2018. It is also trying to reduce the use of nuclear power after explosions in Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex because of the March 11 earthquake.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said in June she will replace Germany’s 17 reactors with a combination of renewable sources and fossil-fuel-based power plants. The German government is preparing to exit nuclear generation by 2022.
The port is adding more space to its coal terminals, according to Peters. Last year, it expanded the space of EMO, the largest coal terminal, by 25 hectares (61.78 acres), he said. This year it will enlarge the other two coal terminals, and overall coal storage capacity will increase by 47 hectares, Peters said.
“We expect coal imports in Europe to increase sharply over the coming years,” Peters said. “Europe will need more coal as a result of the closure of coal mines and increasing demands from Germany.”
Germany, Europe’s largest consumer of the fuel, is scheduled to close its eight remaining coal mines by 2018. It is also trying to reduce the use of nuclear power after explosions in Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex because of the March 11 earthquake.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said in June she will replace Germany’s 17 reactors with a combination of renewable sources and fossil-fuel-based power plants. The German government is preparing to exit nuclear generation by 2022.
The port is adding more space to its coal terminals, according to Peters. Last year, it expanded the space of EMO, the largest coal terminal, by 25 hectares (61.78 acres), he said. This year it will enlarge the other two coal terminals, and overall coal storage capacity will increase by 47 hectares, Peters said.