02-Sep-2014

Today, ECT handled the 150 millionth TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit, the unit of measure for containers) in Rotterdam since its inception in 1967. With that, ECT is the first container terminal operator in Europe to achieve this remarkable milestone. 150 million TEU equals a line of containers more than 900,000 kilometres long. Or: from here to the moon and back, and then a few times around the world.

ECT handled the very first container in the Eemhaven in 1967; this port area near the city centre is now known as the ECT City Terminal. Nowadays, the focus of container handling has however shifted to the Maasvlakte, where ECT already pioneered the concept of the automated terminal at the ECT Delta Terminal in the last century. In 2008, the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam was added at the Maasvlakte. The ECT Delta Terminal and the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam are capable of accommodating the largest ships in the world.

Jan Westerhoud, president of ECT: “To me, the milestone of 150 million TEU symbolises the power of teamwork: between our employees who organise the unloading and loading 24/7 and with our customers who have been placing their trust in ECT for almost 50 years.”

ECT is continuously investing, especially in relation to the rapidly continuing scaling-up in the container shipping sector. A major investment programme is underway at the ECT Delta Terminal which among other things comprises new quay cranes, hybrid Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASCs). The Amazonhaven port basin was recently widened at the south side of the ECT Delta Terminal, allowing ECT to receive the very largest ships here in virtually all conditions as well.