Groningen Seaports has brought 2022 to a successful conclusion. It was announced at the New Year’s reception that the port authority expects a profit of 17.5 million euros. This is mainly thanks to the record number of land allocations: 18 were completed. The profit forecast is considerably higher than last year, which ended with a profit of 6 million euros. This year’s turnover totals 58 million euros, 4 million more than in 2021. A total of 37.4 hectares of land was allocated to businesses in 2022, slightly more than the previous year. Favourable transhipment figures, which remained stable at over 13 million tonnes compared to 2021, also contribute to Groningen Seaports’ expected profits.

A memorable year
Groningen Seaports looks back on 2022 as a good and successful year. Given the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the company, it can safely be described as memorable. A floating LNG terminal was installed in Eemshaven in record time to become independent of Russian natural gas as soon as possible. “We started preparations for the LNG facility in March last year, and the terminal was operational by early September. Never before has a gas project of this magnitude been completed so quickly anywhere in the world. We are proud to have achieved this so quickly with our various partners. It took a lot of courage to get so much done so quickly. We are also pleased to play a role in Europe’s energy supply security in this way,” said CEO Cas König.

Land is scarce
Last year, in addition to the arrival of the LNG terminal, there were many land allotments. A total of 37.4 hectares of land has been allotted: about 21.6 hectares have been sold and 15.8 leased. Few plots now remain in both the port of Delfzijl and Eemshaven. König: “Last year, we had already noticed that land was becoming scarcer, and this trend has continued over the past year. The sites in our ports are much sought after!”

Plenty of developments
Besides land allocations, much has happened concerning the infrastructure and site preparation. Last year, for example, Groningen Seaports started the development of the Oosterhorn-Zuid industrial estate, the area south of the Oosterhorn canal. Meanwhile, a lot of work is being done at the Heveskes industrial estate, where the site is being raised, and Avantium is already making good progress with building its facility. Eemshaven has also seen several other developments, such as the start of TKF’s cable factory to produce cables for offshore wind turbines.

Ecoports certificate
Groningen Seaports was also presented with the Ecoports certificate for the eighth time during the New Year’s reception. This is a global quality mark for sustainable seaports that make progress with their environmental performance every two years. This makes Groningen Seaports the world’s first port authority to have received the certificate eight times. König is delighted with this distinction: “Sustainability is in our DNA. We are aware that we are located on the most beautiful nature reserve in the Netherlands, and we consider this in our operations. Social responsibility is a fundamental principle in our activities. Economy and ecology go hand in hand.”

Outlook
Groningen Seaports sees a bright 2023 ahead. It will continue on its chosen path with green growth at its foundation. It is also working to make the existing industry more sustainable. Achieving these goals, however, takes courage. “It is important to give new, innovative companies a chance and invest upfront in infrastructure. We must have the courage to pick up the pace together. That way, we can raise the ports to an even higher level. This is perfectly illustrated by the arrival of the LNG terminal last year,” König concludes.

LNG terminal located in Eemshaven