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High-ranking representatives from duisport and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges have signed a long-term cooperation agreement. duisport CEO Markus Bangen and Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, sealed the extensive partnership in the presence of Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon.
(Duisburg/Antwerp) North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport, Oliver Krischer, as well as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Antwerp and Chairwoman of the Board of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Annick De Ridder, attended the event along with Josef Hovenjürgen, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Digitalization of North Rhine-Westphalia.
At the core of the agreement is the expansion of cooperation in the areas of energy transition, rail and hinterland connections, and port infrastructure. All three areas are of outstanding importance for the reliable supply of industry and the stabilization of supply chains between Germany and Belgium as well as within Europe.
Import and Storage of Hydrogen
The European energy system will increasingly focus on sustainable energy sources, with green hydrogen carriers playing a crucial role. The development of solutions for the import, storage, and distribution of green hydrogen in various forms is therefore one of the most important strategic pillars of cooperation between the two ports. The goal is to establish an international supply chain for hydrogen, in which both partners develop into central hydrogen hubs for Europe.
To achieve this goal, duisport and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges plan to establish a high-frequency rail shuttle in addition to planned pipeline connections and to establish rail as a “rolling pipeline.” The expansion of the hinterland network, the promotion of sustainable multimodal transport connections, and the continuous shift towards environmentally friendly transport modes are essential for realizing the energy transition.
As both ports aim for climate neutrality by 2050, the development of environmentally friendly port handling equipment is also part of the joint agreement.
Ports as Leading Logistics and Industrial Centers
For duisport, cooperation with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is another important step in expanding its future network. Similar agreements have already been made with the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam in May and June of this year.
“Our ports play a key role in their regions as leading logistics and industrial centers and are already interconnected through various multimodal connections. In light of the current global challenges, it is only consistent that we sustainably strengthen our European partner network and work even more closely together,” says duisport CEO Markus Bangen.
An Ambitious Plan
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “To realize the ambitious plan of becoming a climate-neutral continent, we must guarantee the European industry reliable and secure access to renewable energy sources. The import, transfer, and distribution of green molecules require short, medium, and long-term solutions. The development of a robust multimodal supply system is fundamental to effecting the transition. We are pleased that duisport and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges are joining forces for this purpose.”
Photo: © Andreas Endermann / Image Caption (l.r.): Josef Hovenjürgen, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Digitalization of North Rhine-Westphalia, duisport CEO Markus Bangen, Deputy Mayor of the City of Antwerp and Chairwoman of the Board of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Annick De Ridder, Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon, Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and Oliver Krischer, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport.
