ECT and Kloosterboer unveil Rotterdam Cool Port
The Port of Rotterdam Authority, Europe Container Terminals (ECT), Europe’s largest container handler, and Dutch-based logistics firm Kloosterboer have revealed plans of a new intermodal hub for the transhipment and storage of refrigerated and frozen products in Rotterdam, Port Technology reports.
The three companies unveiled the project at the Fresh Corridor conference “Verslogistiek in beweging” (Fresh logistics on the move) yesterday.
Rotterdam Cool Port will be built at Prins Willem Alexanderhaven on part of the current ECT City Terminal. Construction could begin as early as September next year, with the facility operational in late 2014.
The new facility will focus on the transhipment and storage of temperature-controlled cargo such as fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. At the existing ECT City Terminal, a cold and frozen storage facility and a cross-docking facility for rapid and efficient transit operations will be built and integrated into the existing transhipment process.
Quality checks and inspections will be performed directly at the terminal and services will be offered, such as pre-trip inspections and the return of an empty container.
In a statement, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said that the aim for Rotterdam Cool Port is for it to become the hub for temperature-controlled products heading for destinations in Europe.