Circular City Ports - Workbook 1, Circular initiatives in the Delta

City-port context of North Sea Port
Trans-regional corridor port initiator of biobased
economies
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1 Description of location in relation to other (sea/)
ports
The North Sea Port is based on the fusion of two important
ports, Zeeland Seaports and Port of Ghent,
which happened at the end of 2017 and is a good
example of economical beneficial collaborations
between different ports. The port is both an important
industrial zone with many multinational companies
as well as a crucial logistical platform with
good hinterland connections. The proximity of three
important highways, the presence of good railway
connections on each quay and the connection of
the port with the main European inland waterways
makes the port an important player on all sorts of
goods.
2 Description of current activities
The industrial activity in the North Sea port is counting
for 60% if the added value. Many global leaders
in steel, automotive, chemical, agribulk and bio-energy
industry are based along the 35 km long canal.
The focal point of the port is shifting towards the
more bio-based products, since they are now the
number one bio-port of Europe with the largest production
of bioethanol and biodiesel production.
3 Description demographic/socio-economic
dynamics.
In total the port gives direct employment to almost
100 000 jobs of which 43% direct. Each year this
numbers keeps rising or stays stabile. Also investments
are hitting each year new records. The fusion
of the two ports has made a good economic climate,
where each year these numbers will keep rising.
The presence of the University of Ghent, which is
an important research institute for bio-based technology,
plays a leading role in the implementation of
more bio-based economies.
4 Why, and in what way is circularity looked at?
The bio-based industry is a crucial motive for further
development in the North Sea Port. Many biobased
platforms use this aspect to implement their
economies in the port or to establish new incentives.
Together with the presence of the University
of Ghent, many platforms search for research & development,
training, creation of new jobs… in this
certain sector. Together with this, the industrial
symbiosis in the port is rising, since both bio based
and non-bio based multinational companies see the
benefit of collaboration via smart linking.
Another important characterization of the north sea
port, could be defined by a wide presence of many
recycling companies, which are focused mostly on
the re-manufacturing of raw materials coming from
different sources, as building demolition and dismantling
of ships, but also recuperating the city
waste. Also in this branch of the port is possible to
see the willing to have a more sustainable and conscious
relation with the waste, but also with the environment,
trying to research in different innovative
ways to collaborate, recycle and reuse.
5 Who gives substance to this, which partnerships/programmes/initiatives
are made?
Over the years, many bio-based platforms started,
evolved and launched new initiatives. Biopark
Terneuzen and Flanders Biobase Valley (first Ghent
Bio-energy Valley, later Ghent Bio-economy Valley)
were the initiators of Bio Base Europe, which is a
leading platform in the research&development and
training in the bio-based economy.
Many waste recycling companies are based along
the canal, ranging from ship demolishing to ‘circular
demolition’... Some of these aim for an implementation
in a more industrial symbiosis
6 Is there already a discourse around cityports?
(Yes/no) Who is behind it and what are the ambitions/motives?
In Ghent, there is no real ambition about city ports.
Since the Oude Dokken is converted to solely a residential
program with no thought about any economical
function, new sites need to be found. Defining
concrete areas which can be labeled and used as
city ports is difficult, since the whole of the North
Sea Port can be seen as a long canal, at which several
cityports are potentially located: Sas Van Gent,
Terneuzen…