The throughput in the Port of Rotterdam shrank by 0.7% in 2024. This reduced the total throughput to 435.8 million tons compared to 438.8 million tons in the previous year. The slight decrease in total volumes is mainly due to the lower throughput of coal and crude oil. Growth occurred in the container segment. As a result of rising consumer spending, throughput increased by 2.8% to 13.8 million TEU. Throughput also increased in the segments of iron ore and scrap, mineral oil products, and other dry bulk goods.
CEO Boudewijn Siemons: "Last year, we entered turbulent international waters as a stable port. Geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts impacted the global economy, leading to market uncertainty. Economic growth in Europe lagged behind other regions, which is reflected in the throughput and corporate investments at the Port of Rotterdam."
Establishment of a National Cybersecurity Platform
At the same time, the port authority is investing in its infrastructure to future-proof the port. For instance, construction of the CO2 transport and storage project Porthos has begun. Additionally, the Port of Rotterdam Authority invested in the digital resilience of the port through the establishment of a national cybersecurity platform and the continuation of the implementation of the Secure Chain.
Energy and Resource Transition
Construction of the CO2 transport and storage project Porthos began in the second half of the year with the erection of the compressor station. Starting in 2026, captured CO2 will be pressurized there and then transported to a depleted gas field under the North Sea seabed. The construction of the hydrogen pipeline through the port and Shell's hydrogen plant is also in full swing. Furthermore, new contracts for the use of shore power with the container terminals on Maasvlakte were concluded this year. Meanwhile, the shore power facility for the Cruise Terminal Rotterdam was completed, which will be operational after the test phase in spring 2025.
There is now also clarity about the construction of the Delta Rhine Corridors (DRC). While a four-year delay for the development of hydrogen and CO2 pipelines was announced at the beginning of last year, the responsible parties decided at the end of 2024 to prioritize these modalities. The hydrogen pipeline is now set to be completed in 2031/2032, and the CO2 pipeline in 2032/2033.
Digitization and Resilience
In 2024, progress was made in improving the resilience of the port and logistics chain over Rotterdam. Cyber threats to ports are increasing daily. Cyber incidents affect the entire supply chain, as the various parties are closely interconnected. To counter this better, the operators that are part of the industry organization Seaports (BOZ) (Groningen Seaports, North Sea Port, Port of Rotterdam, Port of Moerdijk, and Port of Amsterdam) have decided to collaborate with companies in their regions to make the port ecosystem digitally more resilient. The Ferm Foundation, which is already active for the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk, will be transformed into a national cybersecurity platform for the Dutch seaports united in BOZ.
In the fight against drug-related crime, the Port of Rotterdam Authority supports the implementation of the Secure Chain. This public-private partnership aims to make logistics chains digitally more resilient against crime and theft. The essence of the Secure Chain is that the parties in this chain explicitly identify the next link in the supply chain. Through the Secure Chain, it is no longer possible to unlawfully pick up a container at the terminal. All major shipping companies and container terminals now work through the Secure Chain, and since its introduction, more than 630,000 import containers have been processed in this improved manner at the Port of Rotterdam. In February 2025, the last trade areas, Asia and Oceania, will be added.
Dry Bulk
The handling of dry bulk increased by 0.8% compared to the same period last year. The increase is mainly attributed to the higher handling of iron ore and scrap. This segment rose by 5.7% to 29.7 million t, due to a slight increase in steel production in Germany, the restocking of inventories in the first half of the year, and the increase in re-exports of iron ore.
The "Other Dry Bulk" segment (industrial minerals, non-ferrous ores, fertilizers, salt, etc.) also recorded growth of 21.5%. This is remarkable as industrial production is still under pressure and demand for raw materials is stagnating. The growth in this segment is a response to the sharp decline in 2023 and relates more to the restocking of inventories than structural growth in demand.
Coal handling was reduced by 18% due to the low demand for energy coal for power generation. The demand for energy coal declined due to the competition from gas, whose price has fallen, and renewable energies.
Liquid Bulk
The liquid bulk segment decreased by 2.7% to 200 million t. The handling of crude oil was reduced by 4.5% to 97.8 million t due to maintenance in Rotterdam and the hinterland. 0.8% more mineral products were handled. This is attributed to increased trade in heavy fuel oil and higher demand for kerosene. The handling of diesel decreased due to lower demand.
The handling of LNG dropped 5.3%. As in the rest of Europe, imports declined due to high inventory levels. The handling of other liquid bulk goods decreased by 2.2%, mainly due to a reduction in the handling of renewable energy carriers. Among other things, exports to Sweden declined because the blending quota for biofuels is lower there.
Containers and Breakbulk
In 2024, container handling in tonnes increased by 2.5% to 133.4 million t and by 2.8% to 13.8 million TEU. The growth in the container segment is due to increased European consumption. The indexing of wages and declining inflation led to an increase in disposable income and a higher demand for consumer goods and food.
The breakbulk segment recorded a decrease of 3.7%. Roll-on/Roll-off traffic (RoRo) remained stable due to a strong fourth quarter with the deployment of new services and larger ships. Other breakbulk decreased by 10% as less steel and non-ferrous products were handled due to lower demand from European industry and sanctions against Russian aluminum.
Investments and Finance
The financial situation of the Port of Rotterdam Authority allowed an increase in gross investments by 11% to 320.6 million euros. Investments in traditional facilities such as quay walls and jetties, in the infrastructure for the energy transition, as well as in innovation and digitization, are considered essential by the company to keep the port attractive as a logistics hub and business location. In 2024, the largest investments went to further construction of quay walls for the expansion of the container terminals in the Prinses Amalia Harbour (42.5 million euros), the construction of the CO2 transport and storage project Porthos (39.4 million euros), the widening of the Yangtze canal (22.5 million euros), and the design of the port experience center Portlantis (12.8 million euros).
The Port of Rotterdam Authority had a strong business year. Revenues increased by 4.8% to 882.0 million euros. At the same time, operating costs rose by 8.7% to 318.5 million euros. This increase in costs was caused by an indexing of wage costs and increased operating costs for the maintenance and administration of the port.
Overall, operating profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization on tangible and intangible assets (Ebitda) increased by 2.7% to 563.5 million euros. Net profit increased by 40.2 million euros to 273.7 million euros. The main shares of revenue were generated from income from leasing land and port fees.
Income from land leasing increased by 41.6 million euros to 508.6 million euros due to new contracts, price adjustments, or the extension of existing contracts. Revenues from port fees decreased by 0.9% to 336.5 million euros in 2024. This development reflects a negative price effect, due to the higher calls from tanker and container ships. Because of the longer shipping route around the Cape of Good Hope, fewer ships sail to Europe, but they carry more cargo.
