A Letter of Intent (LOI) was jointly signed by the port authorities of Duisburg (Germany) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) for the renewal and extension of their cooperation agreements dating back to 2020.
In addition to the existing agreements related to the optimisation of logistical connections, the cooperation will be expanded with initiatives in the field of digitisation and energy transition.
Every year more than one million TEU of containers are exchanged between the two logistics hubs, with almost a third of them already being shipped by rail.
Digitisation and data exchange would further enhance the role that this sustainable mode of transport plays.
The LOI, signed by Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, and Allard Castelein, CEO of Port of Rotterdam, aims to create the most digital and sustainable port-inland hub connection in the world by linking Duisburg’s ‘Rail Freight Data Hub’ initiative with Rotterdam’s ‘Rail Connected’.
The LOI also includes agreements to explore the possibility of connecting the port community systems Portbase (Rotterdam) to the RheinPorts Information System (Duisburg).
Regarding the energy transition, both ports would like to explore if they can jointly undertake the development of hydrogen hubs. Rotterdam as the future “hydrogen gateway” to Europe and duisport as the hub for Germany.
“We are facing major challenges that we will overcome together much faster, more efficiently and more intelligently”, Bangen noted. “Particularly in the areas of digitalisation and the energy transition, it is important to work together and share our knowledge and expertise”.
“Digitisation and energy transition are as important to duisport’s strategy as they are to our own. We believe in the power of collaboration with likeminded organisations,” said Castelein.
