The Port of Rotterdam is taking action to deal with Suez congestion

A great flow of ships may erupt now that the blockage of the Suez Canal has been lifted. In order to counteract the expected ship tsunami, the Harbor Master of the Port of Rotterdam Authority has given instructions to all shipping companies in Rotterdam on how they will handle the congestion “post Suez”. For example, container ships are allowed to anchor closer to the place where the pilots board.

The first curdled container ship from the Suez Canal will arrive in Rotterdam on Wednesday afternoon, the port authority says. According to a spokesperson for the port authority, the situation in the anchorage areas is also changing to enable container ships to be helped more quickly. For example, container ships may, when busy, moor in anchorage areas where normally only tankers are moored. There is also consultation with the coast guard to see whether additional anchorage areas can be set up that are closer to the port.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority does not expect major problems to arise. Normally, the port receives an average of eighty sea-going vessels per day. That will probably be about 10 percent more from Wednesday or Thursday. In Rotterdam, according to a spokesperson, it often happens that more ships than usual are arriving, for example as a result of extreme weather conditions.

In addition, the port authority indicates that the deepsea container terminals are open 24/7, although this is often not the case with recipients of containers. The port authority is therefore appealing to the companies to also open 24/7, in order to handle ships more effectively.