Despite a year full of geopolitical challenges and economic uncertainties, the port on the left bank of the Scheldt has once again proven its resilience and strategic importance in 2024. With an impressive 6.6% increase in maritime traffic and a total cargo throughput of 114.7 million tons, the port on the left bank of the Scheldt is clearly demonstrating its resilience as part of the port of Antwerp.
Need for additional capacity
A major driver of this growth is container traffic. A total of 8,586,269 TEUs were handled, up 6.1% from 2023, which equates to 99.3 million tons of goods. These figures once again underscore the importance of the container terminals at the Deurganck dock, which are currently operating at their maximum capacity. This once again emphasises the urgent need for the realisation of the complex project 'Extra Container Capacity Antwerp' (ECA), which the Flemish government, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever (MLSO) are working on with their partners.
The port on the left bank of the Scheldt remains a high-performing pillar within the broader port of Antwerp-Bruges, which handled a total of 278 million tons of goods (+2.3% compared to 2023). In 2024, by far the majority of goods in the port on the left bank of the Scheldt were unloaded and loaded via containers. The share of containers within the overall freight traffic in the port on the left bank of the Scheldt remained almost the same last year (86.5%) and as much as 67% of the overall container traffic of the port of Antwerp-Bruges was handled in the port on the left bank of the Scheldt.
Demand for sites continues to exceed supply
For the first time in years, MLSO was once again able to make a large site available for a new concession. Again, we found that demand for concession sites far exceeds the supply. Creating additional space for internal expansion within the current boundaries of the port by means of spatial projects and creating nature offsets therefore remain a priority. As a network organisation, MLSO remains committed to providing space for future-oriented business, sustainable development and economic added value – while taking our surrounding villages into consideration.
Boudewijn Vlegels, Chairperson of the Executive Board of MLSO.
The inhabitants of the surrounding villages know MLSO as a partner of Havenland (recently renamed Havenwereld), of the Border Park Groot Saeftinghe and of #EenHartvoorWaas, but they are certainly also familiar with it as a result of its social projects, for which, since the start in 2022, MLSO has already paid out more than 6 million euros in its role as financier (or co-financier).
In 2024 and thanks to its strong cooperation with various partners, MLSO was able to start and realise several projects that have provided a direct added value for the companies in the port on the left bank of the Scheldt or for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. For example, the works for ECLUSE II got under way in 2024. By constructing a tunnel under the Scheldt, the ECLUSE industrial steam network is being extended to the right bank of the Scheldt.
Financially stable
In 2024, MLSO achieved profits amounting to 9.5 million euros. In addition to allocating a significant portion of those profits to the reserves, MLSO is paying a dividend of 2,878,774.16 euros for the 2024 financial year. That amount is in line with previous years. The economic benefit for shareholders therefore remains the same.
You can read the full annual report here.