Harbour

Rotterdam, situated near deep waters and easily accessible from both the North Sea and the mainland, was in an ideal position to become the world’s largest harbour.

When we talk about Rotterdam’s harbour, we’re not just referring to a basic harbour; it encompasses the entire collection of harbours and docks within the city and along the coastline. The city harbours, which have been around the longest, cater to small ships that transport goods to the heart of Europe via the rivers.

The increasing demand for international transportation requested larger ports and deeper waters. This led to the development of the Europoort complex. The expansion of Europoort began in 1957, resulting in extensive harbour facilities and industrial areas between Rotterdam and the North Sea. New basins, sand deposits, and reclaimed land were used to create spaces for oil ports, storage terminals, and power plants.

The longest harbour is the 8th Petroleumhaven, located off the Dutch coast. This is where oil tankers are unloaded. The Maasvlakte oil terminal houses various oil companies and large storage tanks with a capacity of millions of liters.

Another significant area of the harbour is the Mississippihaven, which houses a large terminal for loading and unloading minerals. The EECV terminal, situated along the Caland Canal, can accommodate the largest grain cargo vessels and provide maintenance services.

Europoort’s region is the busiest area for cargo movement in Europe. The immense terminals here primarily handle minerals and coal. The Maasvlakte power plant supplies the required energy for the entire industrial area.

In addition to industrial materials, containerized goods play a vital role in the harbour. The majority of containers are transferred to the Europe Combined Terminal (ECT), where automated cranes and computerized trucks efficiently manage the operations.

Rotterdam’s reputation as Europoort (Gateway to Europe) is well-deserved, given the substantial volume of goods, exceeding 300 million cubic tons per year, passing through its harbour.

Among the city’s ports, the most charming ones include: Delfshaven, Oudehaven, Parkhaven, Leuvehaven, Entrepothaven, Rijnhaven y Veerhaven.