Amsterdam goes greener with rail and ethanol

Storage and logistics provider GPS Group, whose subsidiary GPS Amsterdam operates a storage and blending facility for gasoline and biofuels at the Port of Amsterdam, will develop a rail handing system as well as dedicated ethanol storage for downstream energy company VARO Energy. VARO also operates a facility at the port for blending and storing oil products.

Eric Arnold, CEO at GPS, said: “This is an important investment that will open up a whole range of new possibilities to support both our client’s and our own further expansion plans, especially in the important focus area of ESG, where we aim to continue to identify more environmentally friendly logistics alternatives for our clients and sustainable business cases in growth segments such as biofuels and gases.”

The new railway line and ethanol storage tanks are set to connect to 17 Class 1 tanks in the port, the world’s largest trading and blending hub for gasoline and its components.

The eco-friendly rail project will see the storage and blending facilities of GPS connect with the main railway system of The Netherlands and Europe. It will provide greater flexibility to the supply chain of VARO and an important transport alternative to respond to variations of the Rhine’s water levels.