The port of Duisburg will get a new terminal, which is to become the largest inland terminal of Europe. It will cover an area of ​​220,000 square metres and should be completed by 2022. This was announced by Duisport, operator of the port of Duisburg.

The construction of the terminal will cost 100 million euros. The money is raised by Duisport, shipping company Cosco, Dutch inland shipping group HTS and Swiss rail operator Hupac. The last two companies participate for 20 per cent in the project, while Cosco and Duisport each participate for 30 per cent.

Coal Island

The Duisburg Gateway Terminal, as the new facility will be called, will be located on the Coal Island of the German port. The throughput of coal has been on a decline for some time, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming years. Due to this the island gets a different function.

A total area of ​​240,000 square metres has been reserved for the project, of which the terminal swallows 220,000 square metres. The remaining space is for warehouses. There will be six cranes, twelve rail freight platforms of 730 metres each, five loading zones, three berths for barges and an area of ​​60,000 square metres for container storage.

850,000 teu

In the long term, the four initiators hope for an annual throughput of 850,000 TEU. Among other things, this must be supplied and transported by no fewer than one hundred trains a week to and from China via the New Silk Road. In addition, train traffic to Southern and Eastern Europe is pushing the volumes.

According to Duisport, 30 per cent of train traffic between Europe and China is already routed through Duisburg. Currently, between 35 and 40 trains run between the German port and various destinations in China every week.