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

City-port context of Brussels
Inland ‘metropolitan’ port - the region as the
framework for transition?
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1 Description of location in relation to other
(sea/) ports
Thanks to its exceptional accessibility for an inland
port, the Port of Brussels, located on the Antwerp-
Brussels-Charleroi canal, enjoys the status of a seaport.
It is very well located in the heart of European
rail, airport and motorway networks. It is an efficient
multimodal platform that plays an essential role as
a supply and redistribution centre; first for the city/
region of Brussels itself, and for its hinterland and
economic network along the canal.
2 Description of current activities
In the port of Brussels, we see as main functioning,
activity around logistics that work on the scale of
the city, region, hinterland and in relation with the
port of Antwerp. In the port we see the management
of waste coming from the city and the region
(demolition waste, metal scrap) to be shipped to recycling
sites inside the port, along the canal and to
Antwerp, and in the same time, the port is providing
the city with goods, building material (concrete,...).
The port of Brussels also manages the TIR Logistics
Centre, a vast warehousing complex located in the
immediate vicinity of the city centre, demonstrating
its strategic involvement in the field of logistics.
3 Description demographic/socio-economic
dynamics.
The Port is home to more or less 360 differentiated
companies that generate 12,000 jobs, including
5,645 direct jobs on the port site. The economic activity
linked to the Port represents more than 4 billion
€ in turnover.
Brussels as a city is growing rapidly with a high demand
for new housing. With the deployment of the
Plan Canal a position has been taken to develop this
zone with respect to the existing economic activities.
The Port of Brussels, through its jobs, its added
value and its involvement in supplying the region,
remains a leading regional economic hub and a sector
that promotes growth and employment for the
Brussels-Capital Region. Although the Plan Canal
provides a workable and welcome framework for
development, a clear vision how the different scales
and economic networks relate to each other is absent
in the vision.
4 Why, and in what way is circularity looked at?
The Port of Brussels aims to promote waterborne
transport (the most environmentally friendly mode
of transport), develop employment, combat global
warming and improve urban distribution.
In this sense, innovative and sustainable logistics
projects are widely promoted. Indeed, for the land
located along the canal, the Port imposes on its
customers the use of the waterway for their activity.
Preferential rates are thus granted to customers according
to the tonnages transported by waterway.
Conversely, penalties may also be imposed on customers
who do not respect their inland waterway
transport commitments
5 Who gives substance to this, which partnerships/programmes/initiatives
are made?
Programmes such as the PREC (Regional Programme
in Circular Economy) or the be.circular calls for projects
which encourage the transformation of a linear
economy into a circular economy within the Brussels-
Capital Region as well as the financial resources
made available, show a real interest on the part of
urban actors in these issues. The main canvassers
have developed around logistics (Citydepot, construction
village, setting up logistics platforms along
the canal...), the creation of industrial synergies (free
Irisphere service...) or innovation and research platforms
(the Recy-K sorting and reuse platform, the
Greenbizz incubator platform...)
6 Is there already a discourse around cityports?
(Yes/no) Who is behind it and what are the ambitions/motives?
In the zone of the Plan Canal we can distinguish 3
zones; an inner-city urban fabric with no relation to
the water, the city ports around Biestebroeck and
Vergotedock and the more industrial/logistical port
to the north.
For the city port of Vergotedock, the ambition has
been made clear to develop this zone in function of
a more urban circular economy. For example the site
of A.Stevens, a metal recycling company, is looked
at to develop towards a more mixed program with
ateliers and preservation of the logistical function it
has now.