The Port of Rotterdam has been reserved in making comment on a pending lawsuit it''s facing – but the furor of media coverage surrounding the recent summons by Europe Container Terminals (ECT) has forced it to break its silence.
ECT has recently filed a lawsuit against the port authority to the tune of US $1.2 billion. It is concerned that the port is in danger of running into overcapacity, largely due to the new Maasvlakte 2 expansion.
ECT is demanding that it has to fund no more channel widening works and that the expansion is delayed. If these demands are not met, it wants damages of around EUR 900 million by way of compensation.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority has issued a statement saying: “The demands were and are unreasonable and are incompatible with that which the Port Authority has to do.”
The Maasvlakte 2 expansion project includes the construction of two new terminals, one for APM Terminals and one for the Rotterdam World Gateway Consortium - led by DP World. This will bring total capacity at the port to 8.5 million teu.
ECT currently own over half the capacity at Rotterdam.
The port says that ECT is free to make cooperative agreements now and that it was previously free to participate in the open procedure for the issue of the terminals at Maasvlakte 2.
The Port adds: “The Port Authority will not and cannot protect businesses against market forces.”
