July 02, 2013 [Expatica] - Three years after the Ghent port group Sea-Invest signed a deal with Glencore, the world’s biggest commodities dealer, to build a new tank storage terminal in the Antwerp harbour, prominent members of the Antwerp city council, the port authority and the Flemish government were present at the inauguration on the 27th of June.
Port alderman Marc Van Peel, Flemish public works minister Hilde Crevits CD&V, and Bekaert and Sea-Tank president Paul Buysse praised each other in their speeches European Commissioner Karel De Gucht, mayor Bart De Wever and port director Eddy Bruynickx were also among them.
Philippe Van de Vyvere, CEO of Sea-Invest, referred to the 250 million euro investment and 51/49 joint venture with partner Glencore as a new “milestone” for his tank storage affiliate Sea-Tank.
Van de Vyvere transformed the 28-hectare terminal at quay 510 into a fully automated, working tank storage facility with 40 huge storage tanks and a 100-metre long landing.
From here Glencore will dispatch its petroleum products biofuel, kerosene and diesel to all four corners of the globe; some on Sea-Invest’s 28 coastal ships and some on 150 000-ton tankers.
Despite this serious investment only 45 jobs will be created. The Sea-Tank terminal is the Swiss Glencore’s biggest terminal in the world.
The Glencore terminal is a crucial step in the internationalization of Sea-Tank. Owner Van der Vyvere, who built up his Sea-Invest group to the biggest storage company for coal, ore, fertilizers and fruit in Europe in a matter of two decades, only entered the handling and storage arena referred to as wet bulk nine years ago.
Meanwhile Sea-Tank terminals have been set up in Bordeaux, Rouen and Antwerp (Quay 316-318, Quay 254-316, Quay 405-415). Three years ago Van de Vyvere opened a massive terminal at a cost of 125 million euros for the French Total in the Antwerp harbour, with expansion plans at an additional 75 million euros already scheduled for the middle of next year.
“During the past six years our Sea-Tank investments totalled an estimated 750 million euros,” says Van de Vyvere. Together with Glencore Seavest has also a project in the pipeline in Ivory Coast. Sea-Tank currently has a total storage capacity of 2.1 million cubic metres at seven terminals in four ports.
And Total plans to add another 375 000 cubic metres next year. He praised the decision-making power of the Antwerp port authority in his investment dossier. His two Antwerp tanker storage terminals each generate an estimated 1 million tons of shipment and oil products a month.
Sea-Invest is a network of 50 companies active in the handling and transhipment of fruit Belgian New Fruit Wharf, petroleum products, ores and coal, cars, tanker shipping, fruit juice and chocolate Daskalidés. The group, which is also active in logistics, expedition and insurance, has a turnover in the region of 1 billion euros and employs a staff of 5 600 in 25 harbours.
