Not only draught and safety are important at a terminal, you cannot lose sight of infrastructure and ​ efficient use of space on the quay. Port of Antwerp-Bruges increased the bollard capacity of four bollards at PSA Antwerp’s ​ Noordzee Terminal from 150 tonnes to seven new 250-tonne bollards to minimize lost space between two vessels. Dynamic mooring analysis also showed that the increasingly larger ships mooring there had a risk of overloading the old bollards. The new bollards were commissioned at the end of December.

From 5,000 to 24,000 TEU

About 26 years ago, the Noordzee Terminal was commissioned. Most ships then had a capacity of about 5,000 TEU. In the meantime, the quay wall was deepened by three meters to accommodate the ever-increasing draft of the approaching ships. To make the best use of the quay length, all kinds of technical interventions were carried out over the years. The new bollards are the final finishing touch to allow multiple 24,000 TEU ships to dock in the most efficient way possible, with as little lost space, from now on.