Zespri for 20 Years / Clean Port / Auto Eco / a Kiss Every Wednesday / Wood on the Catwalk / North Sea Fish CONNECT #3 / 3
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A young seaport has become a major port, connecting the world to Europe. Annual magazine of the Seaport of Bruges / 2017 zespri for 20 years / clean port / auto eco / a kiss every wednesday / wood on the catwalk / north sea fish CONNECT #3 / 3 coming home 20 17 Annual magazine of the Seaport of Bruges: Zeebrugge Zeebrugge, the seaport of Bruges, is one of the world’s foremost roll-on/roll-off ports, where nearly 40 million tons of goods are transshipped annually. The coastal port is also a container port. A new container service was recently launched from New Zealand and Peru. The offering of both intra- European and intercontinental services is what makes Zeebrugge such an important access port to the European markets. Zeebrugge also focuses on the transshipment of conventional cargo, liquefied natural gas, cruises and – not in the least – the handling of new cars and “high & heavy” loads. Handling 2.8 million units on an annual basis, the coastal port is one of the main car-handling ports in the world. The coastal port is also developing as a food cluster. As a non-industrial or “clean” port, Zeebrugge is the ideal location for COVER IMAGE combining perishable food cargoes. The LNG bunker ship ENGIE ZEEBRUGGE arrived at its home port of Zeebrugge on Saturday, 1 April. The world’s first seagoing LNG bunker ship is owned The port also offers almost 20 intra-European ferry services to destinations in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, by ENGIE, Mitsubishi Corporation, NYK Line and Fluxys. She was built at the Baltic region, Russia and Southern Europe. The extensive range of ferry services and intercontinental Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co’s Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, container services, together with an inland waterway, railway and road network, make Zeebrugge an ideal South Korea. As Zeebrugge is the ship’s home port, it was christened location to establish distribution centres. Zeebrugge is therefore more than just a maritime crossroads; the ENGIE ZEEBRUGGE. The ship can carry 5,000 cubic metres of LNG and North Sea port has grown into an ultramodern logistics platform completely at the service of the European delivers LNG for use as marine fuel from Zeebrugge to ships that and intercontinental markets. are active in Northern Europe. The bunker ship’s first customers are two brand-new LNG-powered car carriers owned by UECC (United European Car Carriers): the AUTO ECO and AUTO ENERGY. ENGIE ZEEBRUGGE fills up on LNG at the Fluxys LNG terminal in Zeebrugge. CONNECT #3 / 5 content Around Highlights A kiss every Wood on the table of 2016 Wednesday the catwalk _ The Port of Zeebrugge is alive _The most important events in _ Every Wednesday, Zeebrugge _ What can you use a tree for? At and kicking. Investments are Zeebrugge of the past year are welcomes the AIDAprima; the StoraEnso, they ask this question opening the way to new growth highlighted. In 2016 Zeebrugge ship with the red lips painted on every day. Even stronger: it is and container transport is consolidated its leading position her bow. This ship is unique for a calling, an ambition and a picking up again. Three as the largest car-handling port many reasons! vision. leading players and the Port’s in the world. _08 _12 _14 _21 CEO discuss their views on the opportunities and challenges for the future. Zespris at the port Clean Port of The LNG-fuelled Facts and for 20 years Zeebrugge AUTO ECO figures _ Every year, around 1.2 million _ The seaport of Bruges is located _ The AUTO ECO is the very first The magazine conveys the most _24 _34 _38 _48 kiwis are unloaded, stored, in a coastal area, but not within car carrier in the world fuelled important figures relating to packaged and prepared for ship- direct proximity of heavy indus- by environmentally-friendly Zeebrugge in 2016 in a graphi- ping all across Northern Europe tries. A coastal port, with clean liquid natural gas. As the LNG cally attractive layout! at the Belgian New Fruit Wharf air, is an ideal location for the tanks are located inside the ship, (BNFW) in Zeebrugge. handling and processing of food only the flues reveal that this is a cargoes. very special ship. CONNECT #3 / 7 prologue We stay ‘Connected.’ RENAAT LANDUYT & JOACHIM COENS It is with great pride that we present the world’s first seagoing LNG bunker ship, nies are expanding; in terms of terminals third edition of Connect, the annual ENGIE Zeebrugge, has come home to our and/or services; the paper industry is fully magazine of the Seaport of Bruges. coastal port. Additionally, employment reorienting itself. And that’s not even all! at the port has increased considerably to We hope that the many photo presenta- accommodate the car and general goods All ingredients are there to regard the fu- tions and informative articles will capture sectors – Zeebrugge is consolidating its ture of our seaport with greater ambition your interest. By definition, a port is a position as a world-class car-handling than ever. direct gateway to a continually chang- port, the Complex Project ‘Improving ing world. We want to stay ‘Connected’ Nautical Accessibility to the Inner Port of We hope that Connect 3 will further your with you. Zeebrugge’ – read second sea lock – was interest in our seaport! launched by the Flemish government, the ■ This year was marked by numerous Ocean Alliance was established, which developments: kiwis from New Zealand triggered the relaunch of Zeebrugge deep- Renaat Landuyt, are now being delivered in containers, sea container traffic, and the coastal port Chairman of the Board of Directors of MBZ LNG as a marine fuel has become a is strengthening its hold on the United Joachim Coens, reality with the commissioning of the Kingdom & Ireland, Scandinavia and CEO of MBZ AUTO ECO, the AUTO ENERGY and Southern Europe thanks to the launch of the cruise ship AIDAprima, and the various triangular services. Port compa- CONNECT #3 / 9 import Zespri has been a permanent fix in Zeebrugge for 20 years Every year, around 1.2 million kiwis inland port in 1985. Previously, a large “We store our kiwis in are unloaded, stored, packaged and group of individual exporters shipped the healthy sea air.” distributed all across Northern Europe their kiwis via this port. The name Zespri at the Belgian New Fruit Wharf (BNFW) was launched in 1997. “The first reefer in Zeebrugge. This has made the coastal ship with a cargo of kiwis was handled at port the European gateway for the the BNFW in 1985. The conditions at this Zespri kiwifruit. Until this year, the terminal were good even then,” recalls fruit was always shipped as conven- Philip Marechal, Operations Manager for tional cargo on refrigerated ships, but Europe. “In those days, Antwerp did not recently they were containerised. receive many containers yet. This port on the Scheldt River focused primarily on the “We have always considered Zeebrugge USA.” The Port of Zeebrugge developed as our largest port in Northern Europe,” along with the times and more refrigerat- says Bert Barmans, Managing Director of ed storage space soon became available. Zespri International Europe. “There are The input for more production and the several reason for this. On the one hand, ambition to provide optimum quality is it ties in with our philosophy of extended something we have always been able to at 130,000 pallets. Our supply volume collaboration with the same partners. On appreciate.” depends on the harvest. Our kiwis are a the other hand, we are highly satisfied natural product. The activities that we are with the quality of the services and the Its location close to the sea and the limited undertaking in Zeebrugge are, however, possibilities offered by the port.” presence of heavy industry ensure that expanding. We are making optimal use kiwis stored in Zeebrugge are kept under of the possibility of subjecting our kiwis HIS TORY healthy air conditions. “The port is also to quality control, and custom-packaging well-positioned for delivery to France and them for the consumer market. A notable Zeebrugge and kiwis share a long history. the UK”, explains Barmans. “The volume advantage is that we can do this in spe- Kiwis have been unloaded here as far that we handle in Zeebrugge on an annual cially adapted climate conditions without back as at the opening of Zeebrugge’s basis has remained largely unchanged having to move the product about very far.” CONNECT #3 / 11 “We attach great value to TRAINING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ly grown variant, Zespri Organic, should training and educating also be included in this list.” the employees who handle Zespri’s activities provide employment In the meantime, Zespri intends to con- for around 200 workers during the tinue to focus on the development of its Zespri also continues to innovate with re- our kiwis.” supply season, which lasts from May products in New Zealand. “We continue gard to shipment. As from the 2017 season, to November. “We attach great value to invest in our products, from their kiwis are shipped in reefer containers from to training and educating the employ- cultivation onwards,” explains marketing the ports in Nelson, Napier and Tauranga. ees who handle our kiwis,” confirms manager Nele Moorthamers. “We focus Zespri is the driving force behind the new Barmans. “This allows us to supply a on the taste by optimising the cultivation container line that supplies primarily food consistent standard of quality. Despite process. In this, we carry out thorough products from New Zealand and Peru. the seasonal nature of our operations, we research into pinpointing the optimum Although a few logistics adjustments had can successfully build up expertise with harvesting moment or the circumstanc- to be made in New Zealand to accommo- a view to achieving our envisioned high es under which the fruit grows best.