Kramer Group to set up cold store facility and launch barge shuttle at Rotterdam

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Rotterdam is to gain a reefer service centre and barge shuttle service at the former ECT City Terminal on the left bank of the river Nieuwe Maas.

Rotterdam Port Authority CEO Allard Castelein and Kramer Group chief André Kramer yesterday signed an agreement for the facility at the Cool Port at the Waal-/Eemhaven area, which connects with railways, waterways and motorways.

Kramer Group will launch a barge shuttle service between its Rotterdam Container Terminal at Maasvlakte and the new facilities at Cool Port, a 5.5 hectare terminal for cold storage and deep frozen food.

The reefer centre will take up a major part of the site and use about 200 metres of quay for the barge service. The Rotterdam Port Authority will construct the quay.

Kramer Group spokesman Ted Holleman told The Coolstar that the agreement would create new opportunities for the Rotterdam Container Terminal, situated in between ECT and APMT at Maasvlakte Twee.

“As it is, we get growing business from Rotterdam World Gate terminal and APMT, but trucks coming from these terminals still have to use the public road to exchange of containers,” he said.

“The new reefer centre provides the opportunity to set up a shuttle service of fully loaded reefers from the Rotterdam Container Terminal to the reefer service centre. We can offer shipping lines [the chance] to pick up the empty containers at that location.”

At the Kramer City Terminal, Kramer branch businesses Seamark Reefer Service and AM-Solutions will render additional services for reefers.

Mr Holleman said the outlook for new business was promising. Kramer expects to handle 8000,000 containers annually for Total Produce, which has dedicated facilities, and from horticultural businesses in the Hook of Holland area.