MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

The port complex of Bruges-Zeebrugge offers several main assets, which will allow freight volume to develop further in the years to come, namely:

• the favourable geographical position:
  • on the coast of the North Sea, the busiest sea in the world;
  • central in relation to other North Sea ports;
  • within a short distance of Great Britain;
  • close to the major, densely populated and industrialised cities;
• excellent nautical accessibility with a deep water draught in the entrance fairways and along the quays;
• good road and rail connections to all countries of Continental Europe;
• several daily liner services to Great Britain and to other ports in northern and southeren Europe, Zeebrugge being the cross-roads for traffic in all directions;
• a network of intercontinental and intra-European container services;
• modern port equipment, recently established, which meets all the expectations of modern shipping and handling techniques;
• a large potential of skilled labour achieving high productivity.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PORT OF BRUGES-ZEEBRUGGE

Zeebrugge, the seaport of Bruges, started playing a role on the international level in the mid sixties. The advent of roll-on/roll-off, the containerisation and the increase in scale of the ships proved the acute neccesity of a deepwater port on the Belgian coastline. As a result the Belgian Government approved the large-scale expansion of de port of Zeebrugge.

These works wer carried out between 1972 and 1985 en included the construction of an outer port with 2 long breakwaters (more than 4 kms long), a large sea lock (500 m long, 57 m wide, 18.5m deep) and a completely new inner port. In July 1985 the new seaport was officially inaugurated by King Baudouin I.

As a result of this new infrastructure cargo throughput in Zeebrugge has risen spectacularly. In 1970, 9 million tons were handled and 5,000 ships called at the port; in 2009 this amounted to 45 million tons and  10,000 ships. The port assures a direct employment for 10,000 people; the indirect employment is estimated at 30,000.

In the last 15 years Zeebrugge has become a multifaceted port for the handling of a wide range of cargo: unit loads (trailers and containers), new cars, conventional general cargo, 'high & heavy' cargoes, dry and liquid bulk cargoes and natural gas. From a pure transit port Zeebrugge has gradually evolved into a centre for European distribution.

PRESENT FUNCTIONS OF THE PORT OF BRUGES-ZEEBRUGGE

The port of Bruges-Zeebrugge plays an important role in several fields, the most important of which are :

• intense ro-ro traffic between the Continent, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Southern Europe;
• European hub port for the automotive industry;
• container port with an excellent nautical accessibility for + 14,000 TEU ships;
• import of Liquified Natural Gas and energy products;
• handling, storage and distribution of perishables and other agricultural products;
• handling of conventional general cargo and 'high & heavy' cargoes; 
• passenger transport;
• organisation of the European distribution via an intricate network of hinterland connections.

Zeebrugge is :

• a multi-purpose port
• a fast port
• a deepwater port (accessible for ships drawing 55 feet, this is 16.75 m)
• a strategically located port
• a reliable port with a high productivity.