Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2022)

Interview | Allard Castelein, CEO, Port of Rotterdam 2022 SHIPPING & PORT ANNUAL

Image courtesy Port of Rotterdam Authority/ © Eric Bakke

While the war in Ukraine and resultant energy insecurity is gies, but at its bare essence there is much the same.

the headline, there remain other challenges to Castelein and “If you look out of the window, it still is a port,” said his team – and in fact to port facilities globally – including Castelein. “We still have the vessels coming in. We still have rampant in? ation and the threat of a recession. the industries that have a presence and the activities in the “Since the outbreak of the war, we have seen a shift in terminal facilities that deliver service to Northwest Europe.” various volumes, but if you add all the pluses and deduct all That’s the exterior, and Castelein says that the Port of the minuses, the half year results were about the same as last Rotterdam’s investment in tradition equipment, hardware, year’s,” said Castelein. But the increasing level of sanctions dredging, security and physical infrastructure is ongoing and makes the second half of 2022 and beyond a bit less clear. signi? cant. But “what’s under the hood” of the port looks sig- “Coal, oil, oil products, potentially gas, LNG … each and ev- ni? cantly different.

ery one of them used to have an important Russia dimension; Eight years ago when he started in his post, Castelein said some 20 to 30% of the energy volumes were originated in that two major disruptions “premised on digitization and energy

Russia. Now, that is coming to a full stop over time with the transition” were coming fast, and “[we decided] we would em- exception of LNG. And some of the volumes will be substi- brace those disruptions as opportunities rather than as threats.” tuted from other sources. But altogether, that’s 62 million tons The manifestation of these “opportunities” essentially trans- of trade volume with Russia (lost). There’s no trade volume formed the organization to its core. “As a company, we have with Russia anymore, and that’s some 8% of our total con- changed dramatically from our prior position as a custodian tainer volumes at a Russian destination or origin.” of the facilities, the premises and the ports,” said Castelein, “We’ve become a very active and proactive business devel-

One Port’s Threat is another Port’s Opportunity oper, entrepreneur, investor, and co-creator of the various so-

The world was a signi? cantly different place when Castelein lutions in energy transition [as well as] the digital domain.” took the helm at the Port of Rotterdam in 2014, with the si- With the destination clear, the port embraced and embarked multaneous evolution of markets, economies and technolo- upon several avenues and initiatives “to digitize the logistics 34 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2022

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