Bunker World reported that Europe's biggest port has seen a 14.8% YoY recovery in cargo throughput for the first half of 2010 and is on track to return to 2008 volumes after throughput shrank in 2009.

The Dutch port of Rotterdam handled 213 million tonnes of cargo in H1 2010, as outgoing trade rose by 15% to 62 million tonnes and incoming by 14.7% to 150 million tonnes.

Most types of cargo throughput increased, although not agri bulk and coal. The Port of Rotterdam Authority reported a particularly sharp increase in ores and scrap, up by 150%. Container throughput rose by 18% to 5.4 million TEU.

Mr Hans Smits CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority said that "Rotterdam is benefiting greatly from the upturn in world trade, especially that involving China and Germany. Total throughput is now more or less back to the 2008 level. The growth sectors of the past six months were containers and iron ore, and also mineral oil products in the first quarter. For the year as a whole, the increase is expected to be in the region of 10%".

The port saw the total for dry bulk increase by 45% to 42 million tonnes, driven to a large extent by the 150% explosion in transshipment of ores and scrap to almost 21 million tonnes.

The port authority said demand for industrial raw materials in the EU has increased rapidly and strongly, boosted by the German automotive and machine industry. It said demand from the construction sector was lagging behind.

Total throughput of liquid bulk was up 5% from the year ago volumes at 104 million tonnes as both crude oil and oil product throughput increased. Imports of crude oil rose by almost 3% to 50 million tonnes which it said was a better result than could have been expected on the basis of the moderate refining margin for Northwest Europe.

Throughput of mineral oil products increased by 8%, to over 38 million tonnes, while other liquid bulk (chemical basic products, vegetable oils and fats, fruit juices) was 7% up, to almost 16 million tonnes. New tank capacity in the Europoort boosted imports of bioethanol.

The general cargo sector expanded by 9 million tonnes or 16% in H1 to 66 million. Both incoming and outgoing containers rose by double figures, the Port of Rotterdam Authority noted. It said trade with Asia, in particular China, and Europe, especially the Baltic area, were the driving forces in boosting container traffic. It also noted a substantial increase in container trade between Rotterdam and Great Britain, due to the tentative recovery of the British economy.

(Sourced from www.bunkerworld.com)