In 2023, port manager Groningen Seaports saw profits decline. At the same time, the Groningen ports recorded a transhipment record.
The deteriorating investment climate in the Netherlands was detrimental to Groningen Seaports. There is interest in a plot, last year 46.6 hectares of land were allocated.
Financing is a challenge
But companies are less likely to make a decision about actual location, says CEO Cas König. “Financing is a challenge for companies due to high construction costs, limited energy availability and high interest rates.”
This means that Seaports expects a profit of 5.5 million in 2023. Significantly less than a year earlier when the port authority recorded a plus of 17.5 million.
Jubilee year with peaks and valleys
During the New Year’s meeting of Groningen Seaports, CEO König looked back on an eventful year for the port authority on Thursday. In 2023, Groningen celebrated Seaports the fiftieth anniversary .
2023 was also the year in which Holland Norway Lines went bankrupt. Eemshaven also attracted attention in 2023 because the port functioned as a temporary shelter for the fire-affected Fremantle Highway. The fear at Seaports was that the arrival of the damaged ship would cause damage in the port. That fear turned out to be unfounded.
Against the background of all these vicissitudes, Groningen Seaports also recorded a record. The LNG terminal, which opened in September 2022, operated for a full calendar year. The 68 ships that delivered LNG to Eemshaven gave the port authority a transshipment record: 14 million tons.
Newcomers in the port
The Chemport Innovation Center provided the backdrop for the New Year’s meeting. The center wants to offer space to startups that are ready for the next step. One such company is Uppact, which converts difficult-to-recycle plastics and textiles into recyclable building materials.
Another newcomer in Delfzijl is Sustainable Fuel Plant (SFP). The company produces installations for the production of sustainable energy on a five-hectare site.
Despite the economic headwind, König says he is entering the new year with good courage. “Interest in our land remains high, the circular and biobased economy continues to advance. Partly because of this combination, we expect to be able to make new company announcements this year.”