Turkey’s Ekol Logistics and Transuniverse Forwarding from Belgium are teaming up to construct a 40 ha multimodal facility at Kluizendok in Ghent, part of North Sea Port.
10 ha has been allocated for a cross-docking platform, 20 ha for a rail terminal and 10 ha for a ro-ro terminal.
Transuniverse Forwarding currently operates a cross-dock centre in Ghent for its shipments to and from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In this transhipment building, shipments are brought together and divided between trucks or intermodal containers.
Due to strong growth in recent years, the current 8,000 sq m has become insufficient, said Transuniverse, adding that the new transhipment building will be operational by the end of 2021.
The ro-ro terminal, meanwhile, will be operated by a third party.
Frank Adins, chairman of Transuniverse Forwarding Group, said: “The growth opportunities for cargo transhipment between Ghent and the UK are considerable. Brexit is expected to cause major congestion in the Channel ports. This will create opportunities to organise transport by ship to more northernly ports in the UK, in conjunction with rail connections to and from the European hinterland.”
The letter of intent, signed by Ekol Logistics, Transuniverse Forwarding and North Sea Port, are in line with the port’s objectives to develop Kluizendok into a multimodal logistics hub.
