International Car Operators has signed a concession agreement with the Port of Zeebrugge for a 54-hectare expansion of the Bastenaken car terminal.
The new terminal will have a surface of 200 hectares (totaling about 300 hectares in Zeebrugge) with a key wall allowing up to 16 vessels to operate simultaneously. This expansion will also aim at connecting the existing Hanze-terminal with the Bastenaken-terminal, enabling traffic arriving at the terminal to enter via a single newly constructed gate building located adjacent to the A11 motor way.
With the expansion, volume growth, its dedicated staff and the terminals unique location, ICO upholds its status as a world leading car handling terminal. Added to continued volume growth, ICO Managing Director Marc Adriansens states that focus is also on creating a “Green” terminal.
With solar panels in place and ongoing installation of led lighting, 2019 will see the erection of up to 12 windmills.
Whilst supplying clean electricity to the local community, power will be used to supply a planned considerable number of electrical loading stations in light of the increase in electrical private car sales.
Electricity will also be required to charge all future electrically powered terminal handling equipment. Our goal is to offer power (cold ironing) to all vessels berthing at the ICO terminals, enabling hips to shut down their engines completely during port operations.
In a digitalized world we focus on further developing our state of the art Terminal Operating System, which is aimed at benefiting customers and optimizing operational standards and efficiency in the ICO terminal.
Our goal and wish is for ICO to be a “Flag Ship” terminal, highlights Svein Steimler, Chairman of ICO and President/CEO, NYK Group Europe Limited. With some 1250 employees, ICO is a notable company for the families of the local community surrounding our terminals. The continued growth and expansion combined with digitalization of a “Green” state of the art terminal is very much in line with our group strategy.