Society

An initiative of BASF, Hupac and IFB

Investment of circa 29 million euro with support from Flemish Government and European Regional Development Fund (EFRO)

10 kilometres less traffic-jam a day and CO2 reduction with at least 30.000 ton/year

At least 40 new logistic jobs

Today, 10 March 2009, the works symbolically started for the building of a new multimodal terminal (rail-road) that will be operational in 2010, in the northern part of the harbour of Antwerp, on the grounds of BASF Antwerp. Flemish Prime Minister Kris Peeters and vice- Prime Minister Dirk Van Mechelen underscored with their presence the importance of this new multimodal terminal in the harbour of Antwerp.

The multimodal terminal is an initiative of the largest chemical establishment, BASF Antwerp NV, of the Swiss intermodal operator Hupac and of IFB, a subsidiary company of the NMBS. It concerns an investment of nearly 29 million euro, and at least 40 logistic jobs will be created. The operations of the terminal will be outsourced to an external operator for which the bidding is active at the moment.

With this new multimodal terminal, the partners want to anticipate a shortage of intermodal rail infrastructure in the harbour of Antwerp. With the multimodal terminal they want to avoid an impending congestion on the road. At the same time the transport costs and the environmental impact are reduced, and the transport safety is increased.

The new terminal, a joint venture that received the name Combinant NV, will bring yearly over 150.000 container transfers from the road to the rail. That is a daily saving of 10 kilometres traffic jam and a yearly reduction of as much as 30.000 ton CO2 emissions.

The multimodal terminal – that is open for third parties – will take the container transport off the road and bring it by composite trains to the hinterland. It is going to be a new platform in the European logistic network and will anticipate the impending traffic black spot in and around the harbour of Antwerp. Because of the location, the new multimodal terminal is easy accessible for container transport from the harbour of Antwerp and from the North of the Netherlands.

Because of the strategic location, the teamwork between several partners and the accessibility of the terminal for third parties, the project received also support from the Flemish government and the European Regional Development Fund (EFRO). The support of Flanders and Europe consists about 30% of the investment costs.

The terminal itself has a surface area of 1 km on 100 m (circa 20 football fields), 5 train rails, 3 large portal cranes and can handle from 10 to 12 trains a day. All kind of containers, delivered by both private and public carriers, will be handled.