More Capacity, More Possibilities – Rotterdam goes all-in on Plot C2
The port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport, has further cemented its role as a key gateway for imports in recent years. This has led to persistently high demand for container storage space, particularly for dangerous goods.
In order to keep pace with this development, work began on the fifth expansion of the terminal in Rotterdam at the start of 2024.
The extension was carried out on previously unused land on the northeastern side of the terminal and encompasses additional storage capacity of over 1,000 TEU over an area of 1.7 hectares. A filling station was also built to enable the terminal vehicles and reach stackers to be refuelled with sustainable HVO fuel.
Following the construction of Plot A in 2006 and Plots B, C1 and D in 2015, the most recent extension is called Plot C2. For the construction of Plot C2, 22,000 cubic metres of earth were moved, 930 cubic metres of cement processed and 800,000 stones laid to prepare the areas for the use of reach stackers. The sewers are designed so that they can be used as certified retention basins for dangerous goods in an emergency. An unexpected challenge was the protection of seagulls, which led to months of delays. As the birds are under special protection in the Netherlands, construction work was interrupted again and again. We hope that they enjoyed their time with us – and that they will not return. We certainly won’t miss them.
The C2 terminal extension was successfully handed over to the local workforce in December 2024. Following completion, Bertschi now has a total storage capacity of 7,300 TEU in Rotterdam, of which 2,200 TEU are reserved specifically for dangerous goods.
In addition to bonded storage, the expanded infrastructure offers further critical advantages: containers can be heated with steam, electricity or hot water as required to safely store temperature-sensitive products. The terminal also has a direct rail and sea connection, which enables seamless intermodal shipping by ship, rail and truck. These versatile transport options make the terminal a high-performance hub for the chemical industry and international transshipment of goods.
We believe that this latest expansion step – together with the existing infrastructure – will further strengthen our position as an integrated partner for storage and import concepts and open up new opportunities for growth.
