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

City-port context of Rotterdam
‘Open’ mainport - re-shufflement as tool
for making (local) value chains across
different milieus
147
1 Description of location in relation to other
(sea/) ports
The port of Rotterdam is the largest port of Europe,
and it stretches over a surface of nearly 40 km. the
port of Rotterdam is in close relation to Dordrecht,
which represent a big potentiality for connections
with a vast inland network of waterways
2 Description of current activities
The activity taking place in the port of Rotterdam are
especially related to container transshipment and
transport. Furthermore, the second mayor activity
present in the port is related to the chemical industry,
in close relation with the port of Antwerp.
3 Description demographic/socio-economic dynamics.
The demographic growth of the city is increasing
the housing demand. This phenomenon is putting
under risk some of the port areas close to the city.
At the same time, at the policy level, there is not
much facilitation and regulation regarding the transition
toward a more circular economy for the port.
4 Why, and in what way is circularity looked at?
Rotterdam has a large industry lobby at the table
that is difficult to move, the transition to a more circular
economy is read as paying for the transition to
industrial symbiosisThe port of Rotterdam strives
to transform its current petrochemical sector into
a sustainable industry that recycles materials and
greatly reduces CO2 emissions. The port already
has a large cluster of recycling and bio-based materials
and raw materials production. By offering “plug
and play” infrastructure for new locations and for the
development of new production processes, it has a
facility in “Plant One” for the rapid implementation
of pilot and demonstration projects. In addition, it
stimulates start-ups in various ways and the interaction
of these start-ups with established companies.
In four transition scenarios that she has drawn
up, she shows how, together with other transition
paths, such as waste-to-chemicals, CO2 storage,
and renewable energy, the bio-based industry can
make the port almost completely circular in 2050.
5 Who gives substance to this, which partnerships/programmes/initiatives
are made?
The overcapacity in bio-fuels can be compared with
the excessive waste incineration capacity in the
Netherlands. The incinerators run below their optimum
and sometimes even loss-making. As long
as that situation continues, the market is primarily
interested in filling that gap, and not in achieving
high-quality (re) use of waste or biomass. The stalemate
that these yields becomes a new concern for
the government, which then seeks to mitigate industrial
suffering with subsidy and trade instruments.
6 Is there already a discourse around cityports?
(Yes/no) Who is behind it and what are the ambitions/motives?
In 2011, a vision for the city port of Rotterdam was
built by the port authority in collaboration with the
municipality of Rotterdam. With the city ports, and
specifically RDM and the Makers District, a route
has been chosen to better facilitate makers, they do
this primarily from a kind of growth process in which
“innovative” makers are given a platform to grow.
(not much programming or concrete infrastructure
work; on the other hand, development of M4H + will
come with some new building codes, legislation)