The Dutch tank storage company Standic, a member of the family-owned Hametha group, is to build a new chemical storage terminal in Antwerp, doubling its capacity, the Port of Antwerp says in a press release. In addition to its current terminal in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Standic plans a new storage terminal in the 5th Harbor dock in the Port of Antwerp with an initial capacity of around 95,000 m³ and a potential total capacity of some 230,000 m³. The first completion is planned for the first quarter of 2021, in full compliance with the latest environmental requirements.
The state-of-the-art facility will be fully automated, with built-in sustainability features such as onshore power for ships moored at the terminal, to meet the requirements of the customer.
"Port of Antwerp is known as one of the largest maritime clusters in the world, which is why we chose it for our expansion," says Hametha managing director Ronald Ooms."We aim to build on our success with chemical storage and further expand it. In Antwerp we will be able to further develop in the niche market of more specialised chemicals and serve our customers from all over the world."
The capital investment for the new storage terminal is around 200 million euros. Like the terminal in the Netherlands, the focus will be on niche chemical markets and distribution of chemical products. The size of the storage tanks varies from 500 to 3500 m3.
With the new terminal Standic is contributing to the sustainable development of the Antwerp port platform, one of the key elements in Port of Antwerp's business plan. Large chemical tankers will be able to reach the terminal easily thanks to the favourable depth in the port. In addition to its accessibility by water – both by sea and by inland waterway – the location is also very favourable for rail transport.
"The new Standic terminal will further boost the synergy between the various industrial companies in the port, thus helping to make logistic operations and processes even more cost-efficient," says William Demoor, customer relations manager at Port of Antwerp. "Furthermore the location is ideal for multimodal access, a key factor for sustainable distribution of chemicals."
With 230,500 m³ of storage capacity and 163 tanks of nearly every type and size, Standic is theindependent expert in the field of tank storage of liquids in the Netherlands. It facilitates the storage of chemical products, bio-fuels and raw materials for lubricants, in large and small quantities, in stainless steel and mild steel storage tanks.