As part of its new strategy focused on sustainability, the Dutch Port of Amsterdam is moving towards scaling back the transshipment of coal by 2030.
In 2016, the port’s transshipment volumes already fell by 7.5% to 16 million tons. What is more, the transshipment of coal is expected to fall by 29% over the next five years.
“The transformation in the energy landscape is unmistakable and will result in the phasing-out of coal from the energy mix,” the Port of Amsterdam said.
The storage and transshipment of fossil transport fuels such as petrol and kerosene will initially continue to expand during the transition period. These international cargo flows will remain key activities for the port because no alternatives are available yet, according to the Port of Amsterdam.
Another objective of the Strategic Plan 2017-2021 is further intensification, with local businesses being challenged to use their land more efficiently and increasing activity per square meter.
In late 2016, the port became the co-owner of a wind farm based in the Afrikahaven area and by 2020, the port expects to be home to a 100,000 square meter solar array.
The North Sea Canal Area transhipped approximately 96.5 million tons of goods in 2016, with the Port of Amsterdam accounting for approximately 79 million tons of this amount.