Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Total transshipment in the Amsterdam port region reached almost 75 million tonnes in 2005, which is 2.3% up on 2004. Amsterdam accounts for 53.8 million tonnes, almost 2 million more than the previous year. This growth is due largely to the quantity of oil products, sand, gravel, minerals and fertilizers transshipped. The number of containers also rose sharply. Total transshipment is set to increase even further in 2006.

Port alderman Mark van der Horst: ‘The port is of great value to Amsterdam. Directly and indirectly, it provides around 37,000 jobs in the region and the financial results for 2005 were approximately € 21 million. I anticipate unprecedented growth in container transshipment for 2006. Two lines of the Grand Alliance are going to call at Ceres Amsterdam and a weekly scheduled service to South America will probably start in spring 2006. As a result, the number of containers will rise by 300,000 per annum. This is also good for employment.’

Cargo transshipment
In the port of Amsterdam, 3.7% more tonnes of cargo were transshipped than in 2004. This growth is due primarily to the 17%-plus increase in the transshipment of oil products last year. Transshipment figures for sand, gravel and minerals increased by almost 12% and for fertilizers by almost 19%. Also, over 3.1 million tonnes of general cargo were transshipped in 2005, which represents more than a 50% increase. Highest growth in general cargo was achieved by containers. Despite a fall in the transport of cocoa last year, almost 21% more containers were transshipped. The number of TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit) increased in 2005 from almost 52,000 to over 65,000. A little less coal was transshipped than last year. Due to the mild winter, high coal prices and competition from other ports, coal transshipment fell by 5.6%.

Investments
The infrastructure in and around the port area was improved in 2005. Over € 27 million was invested in port infrastructure, buildings and sites. The main investments made last year in infrastructure involved the transformer station in Ruigoord, the expansion of the quay at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), extension of the quay and redesign of the former Ford site and the Velserweg – Westpoortweg connection. In addition to these investments in infrastructure, over € 8 million’s worth of sites were purchased and € 2 million repurchased. The return on the total invested capital increased in 2005 by half of one percent, to 6.5%. The desired return is 7.5%. This percentage will be achieved once a number of hefty investments made in the past start to pay off.