Port of Antwerp-Bruges has introduced the new Ketenis free truck parking facility, which has 280 parking spaces and will also host fast chargers for electric trucks in the near future.
After truck parking Goordijk (210 spaces) on the right bank of the Scheldt, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is now opening the free parking Ketenis on the left bank of the Scheldt with 280 parking spaces.
The truck parking is fenced, lit and equipped with camera surveillance, Wi-Fi and sanitary facilities. Snacks and drinks are available from vending machines.
The new parking is close to the current and future container terminals on the Left Bank of the Scheldt. This opens up the option of using the parking facility in the future as daytime waiting parking for trucks that are too early for their appointment at the terminal.
The total investment is about €10 million, of which about €2 million is European support within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). A significant part of this investment has gone toward the remediation of the site.
Preparations for charging infrastructure were put in during the build.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges, meanwhile, is in the process of licensing Ketenis and Goordijk parking facilities. The licensee will operate the parking and provide fast chargers (300kW) for electric trucks: at least 10 at Ketenis and at least five at Goordijk.
Preparatory works for a truck parking also started in Zeebrugge's inner port. It will also have charging infrastructure for electric trucks. This will create a green corridor for road transport between the two port areas.
Annick De Ridder, Vice-Mayor of the City of Antwerp and President of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said, "This new truck parking is excellently located near the current and future container terminals on the Left Bank of the Scheldt. Parking Ketenis will provide better comfort of and greater safety for truck drivers. Moreover, thanks to its electric loading capacity, this parking will become an essential link in electric truck transport between the port platforms of Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Our port is the economic engine of Flanders. The more sustainable that engine runs, the better."
