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Distriport Waalwijk anticipating new harbour basin
For the edition 2019 of the magazine 'Logistiek Vastgoed Nederland 2019', publisher Jager Media interviewed our Director Real Estate Frank van Dijk. Below is the interview:
In Waalwijk the municipality, developers and logistics companies are eagerly looking forward to the construction of the new harbour basin next to the new Haven 8 industrial zone. Including the new terminal with two cranes along the 450-metre quay, by the end of next year Waalwijk should have reinforced its position as a logistics hotspot on the banks of the river Maas.
ProDelta Real Estate, as a developer and investor in logistics and industrial property, is enthusiastic about the port developments in Waalwijk. In anticipation of the construction of the modern harbour basin, the Rotterdam-based company has begun with the development of the new Distriport Waalwijk: a complex of approx. 70,000 m² of logistics property alongside the new, second distribution centre of bol.com in the Haven 8 industrial zone. Director Frank van Dijk says: 'The aim is to complete Distriport Waalwijk in two phases. The first 32,000 m² will be available by the end of this year'. ProDelta is already in talks with several logistics companies for the Distriport Waalwijk development, which will be gas-free and fully provided with solar panels.
Van Dijk explains that the choice for the new development in Waalwijk was not that difficult. Together with Tilburg, this municipality forms an important logistics hub in central Brabant, from where many consumers are served in the Benelux and France. 'The favourable geographical location and improved accessibility via motorway and water make Waalwijk an attractive business location for the logistics sector, including e-commerce businesses', says Van Dijk, who knows that there is no more room in this region for these kinds of large-scale developments.
An important benefit is that the new harbour basin at the site of the existing yacht marina will make the Waalwijk Haven 8 industrial zone accessible soon for large container vessels (class 5) as well, whereas in the existing harbour only class 3 vessels can moor. The central Brabant region does not yet have a harbour where larger container ships can transfer their cargo. Accessibility by road will also be given a boost with the construction of an intersection on the A59 adjacent to the industrial zone.
Position reinforced
According to the municipal executive of Waalwijk, the new harbour basin, costing € 30 million, will be seen as the central link in the region for the throughflow of goods from Rotterdam, Antwerp and the European hinterland. 'This will reinforce the position of Waalwijk and central Brabant as the second logistics hotspot of the Netherlands. In addition, the Haven 8 logistics zone is a major development that will meet the need for an efficient container port that is ready for the future. All this is positive for the economic development of the region, and so also for Waalwijk', according to the municipality.
The terminal in the harbour basin will initially handle the transhipment of approx. 70,000 to 80,000 TEU of cargo. Coupled with its autonomous growth, the municipality is ultimately counting on extra growth in the number of containers handled.
Harbour scan
In order to encourage goods transport by water, Waalwijk is introducing the 'digital harbour scan' that calculates per cargo what the costs of container transport are per vessel and what CO² emissions this produces. The municipality hopes with the harbour scan to attract and facilitate the small businesses in particular which don't have logistics management.
The European tender for the construction of the harbour has now started. The expectation is that during the last quarter (Q4) of 2020 the first container vessels will moor along the quay of the new terminal.
Features of Distriport Waalwijk
- New logistics complex that stands for quality, sustainability and flexibility.
- Located in the Haven 8 industrial zone alongside the future terminal.
- 69,299 m² of logistics space.
- 12,072 m² of mezzanine floor.
- 2,257 m² of office space.
- Clear stacking height of 12.2 metres.
- One loading dock per 666 m² of warehouse space.
- Option for compartmentation into a maximum of 8 units.
- BREEAM label Excellent (ambition is Outstanding).
- Completion in two phases.
- Completion of 1st phase in Q4 2019.
ProDelta Real Estate
For more than forty years ProDelta Real Estate has been active as developer and investor in logistics and industrial property. Its property portfolio consists of more than 440,000 m² of developments across 90 hectares of land. ProDelta's property activities focus on the delta of the port of Rotterdam, together with the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Gelderland.
