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Annual report: Port of Amsterdam, put in a strong showing in 2007

15 May 2008

The 2007 annual report of the Port of Amsterdam has now come out. Entitled “Make it Yours!”, this publication is building on the port’s eye-catching “tattoo campaign” launched last year. The annual report sheds light on all the major port-related developments seen in 2007. In addition, the annual report looks ahead to the future, in which the to-be-built second sea lock in IJmuiden will figure prominently. The publication also contains interviews with entrepreneurs and local residents giving their personal views.

And port keeps up brisk pace in first quarter of 2008

Hans Gerson, CEO of the Port of Haven Amsterdam, is very happy with the results achieved in 2007 and also with the annual report. He says, ”The publication looks attractive and is a pleasant read. As part of our promotional tattoo campaign, I even had my photo taken while sporting a playful tattoo. Needless to say it was a fake.”

“On a more serious note, in the coming years, the port will focus heavily on more intensive and efficient use of the existing industrial sites. But husbanding its available space will not slow down the port. Far from it. We expect to see an annual growth of 5% in the years ahead. That means that the cargo throughput in the Port of Amsterdam will double by 2020 and reach 125 million metric tons. For that to happen, central government must give the green light for the second sea lock in IJmuiden in the near future.”

Alderman Freek Ossel echoes the sentiment expressed by the Port’s CEO, saying, “The companies based in the Port of Amsterdam are creating many jobs, and local government is doing its utmost to meet that demand. A case in point is the Port & Logistics College in West Amsterdam, created in 2007. Each years, this training course will produce about 500 skilled workers for the port and the whole logistics sector.”

“I expect that the number of jobs in the port will continue to rise in the coming years. That applies to employees handling the growing volumes of incoming and outgoing cargo and those doing other work in the port area. The economic boom in the port is of great benefit to Amsterdam, which is also home to an equally flourishing international airport with lots of industry around it. And as a nice bonus, in 2007, the Port of Amsterdam made a tidy profit – over EUR 46 million – which will flow into the city coffers in its entirety.”

First quarter of 2008

Amsterdam Port Area
In the new year, the whole Amsterdam Port Area (Ports of Amsterdam, Velsen/IJmuiden, Beverwijk and Zaanstad) has managed to maintain its momentum. In the first quarter of 2008, the cargo throughput in the Amsterdam Port Area reached 22.5 million metric tons – up by 2.7% in comparison to the same period the year before, when the figure was 21.8 million tons. The turnover of oil products (the fastest-growing segment) rose from 5.9 million tons to 6.8 million tons. But the turnover of coal fell by 12.4% from 5.8 million tons to 5.1 million tons.

Port of Amsterdam
Things are going even better in the Port of Amsterdam. In the first quarter of 2008, the cargo throughput in the Port of Amsterdam alone was 18.1 million metric tons – up by 7.6% in comparison to the same period in the year before, when the figure was 16.8 million tons. The turnover of oil products jumped by 16.9% from 5.9 million tons to 6.8 million tons. Even more impressive, the turnover in the ro-ro sector skyrocketed by 43.3%.

More information?

Available online and in print

You can now leaf through the English-language annual report online or download the document. If you wish to receive a copy of the printed version in English, please send an email to communicatie@portofamsterdam.nl.