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Available sites
Antwerp is a “landlord port”: the Port Authority owns or manages the sites within the port area, under the terms of the Port Decree of 2 March 1999. Specifically, this means that the Port Authority’s Property department manages some 37,500,000 m² of space. On this page, companies that want to set up within the port of Antwerp will find among other things the general conditions for concessions in the port area, a list of current applications, a list of the available sites and concessions and the procedure for granting a concession.
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1. Concession procedure
If a concession site becomes available, this is announced in the trade press and on this website. At the same time, information is gathered on potential candidates, including not only those that apply of their own accord but also other potential candidates who might be interested.
An application dossier containing a description of the site with the characteristics of the site and the conditions attached to it is posted on the website and if required is sent to the candidate.
Candidates apply by submitting a project proposal. This is done by filling in an information sheet. Important aspects that are taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to award a concession – or who to award it to – include the port-related nature of the activity, the use that will be made of the site, the amount that will be invested, the number of jobs created etc.
On the basis of these project proposals the most suitable candidate is selected and is granted the concession, provided the project meets the conditions imposed and is approved by the management committee and the board of directors.
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2. Concession periods
The main factor for determining the period of the concession agreement for backquay sites is the amount of the investment. The period of the concession depends on the ratio of the investment to the area: the higher the investment per square metre, the longer the period that will be granted.
The maximum concession period is 40 years for port-related, freight-generating activities and 30 years for port-related service activities.
Investments in immovable infrastructure on quayside concessions are generally relatively lower than those on backquay sites. This means that indiscriminate application of the investment criteria would lead to quayside concessions being shorter than backquay concessions. For this reason, a number of other criteria are taken into account when setting the period of quayside concessions. These include among others:
• whether the project generates specialised employment;
• whether the project creates added value;
• which specific activities are to be carried out (freight-generating, services, industrial, or other);
• whether efficient use is made of the space.
• …
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3. Tariffs
The tariffs for particular concessions are set by Antwerp Port Authority on the basis of three parameters:
• In the first instance the location of the concession site is taken into account, with a distinction being made between quays and backquays. The tariff charged for quayside concessions is generally lower than for backquay concessions.
• The condition of the surface is also taken into account, with a distinction between made between hard-surfaced and unsurfaced sites. Clearly, a higher tariff is charged for hard-surface sites or quays than for unsurfaced sites/quays.
• The last parameter is the nature of the activities planned. A lower tariff is charged for activities that can be considered as freight-generating than for those that do not generate freight.
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4. Permitted activities
The activities listed below are permitted within the port area:
b) Freight-generating activities: activities concerned with storage, handling and distribution of goods carried into or out of the port in a seagoing ship. The freight categories are:
- conventional/breakbulk: coils, big bags, bagged goods, palletised goods, fruit, ferrous, non-ferrous etc.
- containers
- ro/ro: rolling stock, cars etc.
- dry bulk: sand, gravel, coal, cement etc.
- liquid bulk: oil, petroleum etc.
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b) Service activities: services provided to companies that carry out freight-generating activities. Examples include:
- rental, repair and maintenance of forklifts, trailers and other port equipment
- ships’ stores
- container repair
- cleaning work on/in ships, cleaning of tank containers and petrochemical tanks
- collection of waste oil and bilge water from ships
- trailer transport
- forwarding/agency activities
- bunkering activities
- ship repair
- commercial paintwork
c) Industrial activities, i.e. manufacturing activities. Examples include: car assembly, petrochemical activities, refining of petroleum substances, etc.
d) Other activities: activities directly related to the shipping industry (e.g. truck centre, showroom, laboratories for analysis of samples, and social activities such as seamen’s missions, soup kitchens, assistance to seamen etc.).
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Applicants for a concession must fill in the following information sheet: INFORMATION SHEET FOR CONCESSION APPLICANTS 1. General information on the applicant Name of company Shareholders Directors Contact person Is the company listed on a stock exchange? If so, where? To be included as attachments: annual accounts for the last two years (both for the company itself and for the group to which it belongs) Bank details (account number and branch) 2. Project details Clear, specific description of the activity or activities which it is proposed to carry out on the concession site: - production (chemicals/petrochemicals/other) - storage or transhipment (IMDG/non-IMDG materials) - type of storage: o tanks o warehouses o containers o open air
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- If the activity involves storage or transhipment of IMDG materials, the class to which the dangerous goods belong: o explosives o gases o flammable substances o toxic substances o radioactive substances o oxidising substances (If a concession for more than one year is required, then the other questions below in this chapter must also be answered) Planned investment (technical and financial details to be attached) Expected number of jobs that will be created Whether the planned activity will give rise to emissions of: - odour - dust - noise Expected method of carrying the goods to and from the concession (by road, rail or water) and the quantities for each mode. Expected traffic density for each mode. Are specific permits required for the planned activities? If so, which? Does the company already have these permits?
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3. Concession site How large does the concession site have to be? Specify the area required, and explain how efficient use will be made of it. What is the preferred location of the site? Is direct access to the water absolutely necessary? If so, which type of quay wall is required? What is the required period of the concession? (The requested period will be judged according to the criteria applied by Antwerp Port Authority.) Are there any special requirements for access to the concession or access to certain modes of transport?
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Definitions Further explanations of the terminology used will be found under the following definitions: Antwerp port area: the ports and their dependencies located on the left and right banks of the Scheldt estuary on the territory of the city of Antwerp and the municipalities of Beveren and Zwijndrecht (Port Decree of 2 March 1999, art. 1 °5). Antwerp Port Authority: owner and/or operator of the public and private domain within Antwerp port area, and grantor of concessions in this port area. Backquay or ground: an area located behind the quay. Concession fee: fee charged to a concession-holder for making private use of a concession. Concession period: the period for which a concession-holder is given permission to make use of part of the public or private domain in the port area, owned or managed by Antwerp Port Authority, for private purposes. Concession-holder: the natural or artificial person to whom a concession is granted for carrying out activities that are directly or indirectly port-related. Covered storage: an open, closed or partially closed covered storage area owned by Antwerp Port Authority and located on a quay area. Domain concession: an administrative contract under which Antwerp Port Authority grants permission to a natural or artificial person to make use of its public or private domain for private use; the permission is essentially temporary and presupposes the payment of a fee. (hereinafter referred to as “the concession”) Port area: any seaport within the Flemish Region which together with its dependencies forms a spatial, economic or functional whole (Port Decree of 2 March 1999, art. 1 °4). Port dependency: part of the public or private domain for which a concession is granted; this may be a quay, a covered storage space, a warehouse, a building or part thereof, or a backquay. Quay area (heretofore and hereinafter also referred to as “quay”): area between the water and the first public road behind the water. Warehouse: an open, enclosed or partially enclosed covered storage area owned by Antwerp Port Authority and located on a backquay area.
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©2008 Haven van Antwerpen
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