In Antwerp, the closure of the GM plant makes a huge site available for re-development, while in Rotterdam, one of the refineries (currently owned by Q8) is up for sale, writes Peter de Langen, co-director of PortEconomics in his viewpoint- published in his Port Strategy column as ‘The Analyst’.
For the latter, one scenario is a buyer will transform the refinery into a terminal for bulk cargoes. These cases from the two largest European ports show that both industrial and logistics facilities have a life-cycle. Similar closures of large scale sites in ports have occurred in Groningen, Teesside and Wilhemshafen, to name a few. These closures create re-development challenges for ports.
Compared with new greenfield developments, re-development at the end of the life cycle is more complicated. Outdated infrastructure or industrial sites often remain underused and/or derelict for long periods of time.
Read the interesting Analyst’s viewpoint @the Port Strategy website
