Dunkirk looks back on 2018 with joy
The port of Dunkirk, which recently presented its 2018 results in Lille (France), was delighted with last year’s figures and its achievements from 2013 until now.
The port's 2018 throughput came in at 51.6 million t, 3% higher year-on-year, and overshot the strategic 50 million t threshold. General cargo and cross-channel traffic were the only traffic sectors that shrank by 2% y-o-y to 20.2 million t and 4% to 596,000 freight units, respectively. Container traffic grew by 13% to the new peak of 422,000 teu.
Solid bulk volumes rose by 5% to 25.9 million t - with ore traffic setting a new record, liquid bulk grew by 8% to 5.5 million t, driven by more LNG traffic. Last year, LNG shot up by 56% to 1.22 million t in imports and exports, due to the fact that the second largest LNG facility in a Northern European port is in Dunkirk.
In addition to a number of ongoing projects such as the extension of the Flanders Terminal quay to a length of 500 m, the settlement of twelve new firms in 2018 and the development of the two greenfield zones, Dunkerque Logistique Internationale and Zones Grandes Industries, the port is also preparing for Brexit repercussions in March.
The port is currently investing EUR 3.5 million in emergency measures for customs and consolidation facilities. CEO Stéphane Raison told the ITJ that plans for further action, according to different possible scenarios, are on the drawing board. (kd)