Three quarters of conventional/breakbulk freight is carried in containers. Antwerp plays a leading role here: maritime container handling in the port is growing at an annual rate of between 10 and 15%, and the port ranks 14th in the world for container freight.

One important advantage of the port of Antwerp is the presence of leading specialist container terminals, both on the Scheldt and in the docks. Large investments in infrastructure and the construction of a tidal dock with high-tech container terminals guarantee consolidation of the present market position and further development of the port. In 2007 the port of Antwerp handled 94.5 million tonnes of containers (8 million TEU).

The port actually lies some 80 km from the North Sea. This inland location offers a significant advantage for those seeking to control costs and serve the market efficiently: when the goods arrive in the port of Antwerp they are already closer to the customer, thus reducing the costs of onward transport by truck, train or barge.

Hamburg too is situated quite far inland. This location is an important advantage: between them the seaports of Antwerp and Hamburg have seen their market share in North-West Europe rise from 35.1% in 1990 to 48.1% in 2006. During this period the port of Antwerp has experienced the fastest growth in container handling in North-West Europe.

The Deurganck dock, the new tidal container dock on the left bank of the Scheldt, has been operational since 2005, doubling the port’s container handling capacity. Once the Deurganck dock is fully operational it will be able to handle 7 million TEU annually with its width of 450 m and its quay length of 5.3 km. The entire West side of the Deurganck dock is operated by PSA HNN. This freight handling company has equipped its Deurganck Terminal according to the classic concept, with container cranes in combination with straddle carriers. In addition it is equipped with all necessary facilities for handling trucks, trains and barges.

The Antwerp Gateway terminal on the East quay of the Deurganck dock is managed by DP World. This company is working on a trial project in which straddle carriers are replaced by RMG technology, with the containers being stacked fully automatically.

The existing Delwaide dock on the right bank of the Scheldt has been fully renovated, following the setting up of the MSC Home Terminal on the South side of the dock. In 2008 the terminal has expanded with 440 meters at the north side of the Delwaide dock. With a quay length of 2.9 km the terminal is able to handle a large number of ships simultaneously, served by 21 ship-to-shore cranes and 124 straddle carriers.

The MSC Home Terminal for its part is able to handle 4.1 million TEU per year. The terminal, in which the freight handling company PSA HNN and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are partners, functions as the European hub for the MSC services. With more than 1400 calls per year MSC is by far the largest shipping line in the port of Antwerp.

Meanwhile the two container terminals on the Scheldt, the Noordzee terminal and the Europa terminal (both held by PSA HNN), are operating at full stretch. These are the two oldest tidal terminals in the port, having been in use since 1990 and 1996 respectively. Together they offer a container capacity of 3.7 million TEU.

These two terminals on the Scheldt were until recently the mainstays of container handling in Antwerp. With the renovation of the Delwaide dock and the expansion of the Deurganck dock, the port of Antwerp demonstrates that it is able to react flexibly and efficiently to the market demand for capacity.