Antwerp construction continues

STANDIC STILL BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION • DUTCH TANK STORAGE COMPANY STANDIC IS BUILDING A NEW CHEMICAL STORAGE TERMINAL IN ANTWERP, DOUBLING ITS TOTAL CAPACITY

STANDIC, A MEMBER of the family-owned Hametha group, is building a new storage terminal in the 5th Haven dock in the Port of Antwerp with an initial capacity of around 95 000 m³ and a potential total capacity of some 245 000 m³. This will add to its existing terminal in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, and effectively double its available capacity. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Standic reports that it is continuing construction according to schedule and the first phase of the new Antwerp site will be put into operation in the first half of 2021.

The state-of-the-art facility, involving a capital investment of some €200m, will be fully automated with built-in sustainability features such as onshore power for ships moored at the terminal, to meet the requirements of customers.

“Port of Antwerp is known as one of the largest maritime clusters in the world, which is why we chose it for our expansion,” says Hametha’s managing director Ronald Ooms. “We aim to build on our success with chemical storage and further expand it. In Antwerp we will be able to further develop in the niche market of more specialised chemicals and serve our customers from all over the world.”

AIMING FOR A NICHE The new Antwerp terminal, like the existing Dordrecht facility, will focus on niche chemical markets and the distribution of chemical products. The tanks will range in size from 500 m³ to 3,500 m³. The Dordrecht terminal offers 230,500 m³ of storage capacity in 163 tanks of varying types and sizes.

Large chemical tankers will be able to reach the Antwerp terminal easily thanks to the favourable draught, which will be between 11.45 and 14 meters in that part of the port. In addition to its accessibility by water – both by sea and by inland waterway – the location is also very favourable for rail transport. With two long rail tracks and three loading stations, Standic Antwerp will be able to handle multiple block trains after completion of the entire project.

“The new Standic terminal will further boost the synergy between the various industrial companies in the port, thus helping to make logistic operations and processes even more cost-efficient,” says William Demoor, customer relations manager at Port of Antwerp. “Furthermore, the location is ideal for multimodal access, a key factor for sustainable distribution of chemicals.” www.standic.com