The Dutch cabinet has selected a 15-hectare plot in the northwest corner of Maasvlakte 2 as the preferred location for a new Ministry of Defence terminal in the Port of Rotterdam, according to the company’s statement.
The terminal is intended for the transhipment and transit of military cargo, including equipment and ammunition, and is part of the government’s national program space for defence (NPRD). The port authority says NATO agreements allow such cargo to be transported to and from the Netherlands even when the final destination is outside the country, with onward movement by road, rail and inland shipping, and that a rail connection will be required at the new terminal.
The port authority says no ammunition storage will be built at the site, and that the Ministry of Defence will continue to use the ports of Vlissingen and Eemshaven for military transports.
Defence is also seeking an option to conduct occasional amphibious exercises at Maasvlakte 2 focused on practising the landing of personnel and equipment, with the port authority saying defence aims to practise such operations at four locations across the Netherlands.
Construction, including the quay wall, rail connection and other facilities, is expected to take several years.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority is an unlisted public limited company (N.V.), with shares held by the Municipality of Rotterdam (about 70%) and the Dutch state (about 30%).