Estuary container shipping is growing in Zeebrugge. PortConnect, which offers container transport between Zeebrugge and Antwerp, has added the ‘Polybotes’ and the ‘Euroports’ to its estuary shipping fleet, strengthening the connection between Zeebrugge and neighbouring ports, according to the company's release.
Over the last months, the Polybotes (200 TEU), initially used by PortConnect for the inland transport of roro cargo, has been retrofitted for container transport. The ‘m/v Euroports’ (400 TEU) will also be joining PortConnect’s estuary fleet services. The ship sailed nine years for the Sogestran Group on the Seine between Rouen and the Port 2000 of Le Havre. After a week in Antwerp, where the Euroports will be prepared for its new crew, it will set sail to Zeebrugge.
In total, this will add an extra capacity of 600 TEU and flexibility to PortConnect’s estuary services. Estuary shipping is part of Zeebrugge’s strategy to reach a more sustainable modal split. The volumes handled in Zeebrugge using this way of transport rose by 4.2% in 2020 (2.322.500 tons).
