The Port of Rotterdam has urged the Dutch government to address capacity issues on the electricity grid and stalled permit processes or risk losing its leading position in the global port economy.
The call came in a letter, written by the province of South Holland and the city of Rotterdam along with economic partners such as the Port of Rotterdam Authority, which in late January announced closer cooperation with the nearby Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
The signatories call for swift measures to safeguard the port and industry, which they describe as “the engine of the Dutch economy.”
“It is five minutes to midnight; immediate actions are necessary to ensure that the Netherlands and the Port of Rotterdam remain among the leading industrial nations,” the letter states.
Rotterdam Port Alderman Robert Simons stressed the urgency of the situation. “This is no longer a warning, it’s all hands on deck,” he said. Without rapid and decisive government action, the Netherlands risks losing its leading position in the global port economy, Simons warned.
South Holland and Rotterdam fear that major companies will leave the Netherlands if solutions are not found quickly. Such companies wish to invest in sustainability, but the country is somewhat at a standstill, the letter notes.
It advocates prioritising the port in electricity grid upgrades so as to resolve network congestion.
It also calls on the government to invest in CO2 storage and come up with a plan to significantly reduce nitrogen deposits, so that permits may be issued once again.
Additionally, the port and its partners request that network tariffs be aligned with those of neighbouring countries to create a “level playing field.”
