All-weather terminal at ArcelorMittal in North Sea Port will keep 25,000 trucks off the road
The very first covered loading quay ‘All-Weather Terminal’ in North Sea Port has been taken into operation. The new terminal in Ghent will be used primarily for the storage and shipment of ArcelorMittal Belgium’s finished steel rolls, the company said in its release.
From now on, the All-Weather Terminal (AWT) – which will supplement ArcelorMittal Belgium's existing general cargo quay on the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal – will make it possible for this activity to go on around the clock, regardless of the weather conditions. The greater shipment capacity per vessel will eliminate the need for 25,000 truck transport movements annually, making the AWT a hefty investment in more sustainable logistics.
The AWT has a 200-metre-long covered quay wall, a 25-metre-wide dock and a volume of 30 metres above the waterline. This makes it possible for ships with a cargo capacity of up to 10,000 metric tons to moor at the new quay. The pre-sorting zone is equipped with two automated travelling cranes. There are also two telescopic cranes for loading and unloading the ships.
In addition, the terminal includes a warehouse (240 metres long and 60 metres wide) with a storage capacity of 60,000 metric tons, two rails connected to the quay area and three fully-automated travelling cranes for unloading, sorting and loading material. What sets this AWT apart is that ArcelorMittal Belgium has automated the entire logistical process – from unloading the truck to loading the ship.
The very first AWT in Ghent is making it possible to bundle goods flows even more efficiently, offering businesses greater logistical possibilities. In the past, high-quality steel could only be loaded in dry weather. The AWT will make it possible for this activity to go on around the clock, regardless of the weather conditions.
The new terminal is owned by AWT GENT NV, which was established by the Flemish investment company PMV and the investment fund EPICo. The terminal was designed and constructed at the behest of AWT GENT, which will oversee its maintenance and operation as well. The warehouse is intended not only to provide logistics services to ArcelorMittal Ghent, but to other clients as well. Twenty per cent of the 60,000 metric tons of storage capacity can also be used to handle other materials and general goods/cargo.
The contract was signed in mid-June 2018. The construction proceeded according to plan and the terminal has now been taken into operation.