Multimodal port
Modal split
As a multimodal port, North Sea Port distributes the goods that enter the port from all over the world via inland shipping, rail, pipelines and motorways to the European hinterland and beyond. For companies, multimodality – connection to all these transport networks and the ability to use the most appropriate transport mode for each transport movement – is a very important asset.
North Sea Port is committed to a 'modal shift' towards rail, inland waterway and pipeline in order to further reduce the congestion and CO2 emissions associated with road transport. As an industrial port with a relatively large market share in inland navigation and rail transport, especially inland navigation, the most recent figures show that the modal split in North Sea Port makes an important contribution to achieving sustainability objectives.
Inland shipping
North Sea Port is located at a junction of European inland waterways, which fan out in the direction of the Netherlands and Belgium, towards Germany in the east and southwards to France. Over 60% of all transport between the port and its hinterland is conducted via inland shipping. This unique position makes North Sea Port a true hub for transporting goods over inland waterways by barge – and a sustainable and efficient alternative to road transport. An extremely wide range of goods are transported by rivers and canals. There is a growing market for parties that ‘bundle’ containers before they are transported on to other ports by barge.
Road transport
North Sea Port is located at the junction of the most important European motorways: the E17 (which runs north-south) and the E40 (east-west). Excellent motorway links around the port area provide access to quays and industrial sites. Over a quarter of hinterland traffic is now moved by truck. We want to reduce this share even further in the near term.
Rail
Many wharves and industrial sites have their own tracks and sidings. And North Sea Port is also connected to the European rail network. Rail transport offers an attractive alternative to road transport. At present, 7 million tonnes of goods are transported by rail every year at North Sea Port, accounting for 10% of hinterland transport.
Pipelines
Some 15 to 16 million tons of products are transported by pipeline in North Sea Port alone each year. Studies are underway to see how we can further increase transport by pipeline and so provide another alternative to road transport.
Terminals with regular liner services
For seagoing ships, North Sea Port offers permanent liner services to Central and South America, along with services to nearly the entire Mediterranean region and European coast for the shortsea sector. There are numerous inland shipping and rail connections as well, including a permanent rail connection between North Sea Port and China. North Sea Port has a number of multimodal terminals to serve these modalities.
A list of the regular liner services and multimodal terminals in North Sea Port can be found via the link below.
EU Corridors
North Sea Port is ideally located in Western Europe. The port is situated on a number of well-known transport corridors within the European Union: the North Sea-Rhine-Mediterranean corridor (from Ireland to the south of France) and the North Sea-Baltic corridor.