Inland navigation, river port in Liege
Situated 230 kilometers from the North Sea coast, Liege is the largest inland port in Belgium and the third largest in Europe (21 million tons in 2017 year) after Paris and Duisburg. This port, created in the 1937 year, provides a logistics base for the largest seaports of Europe.
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Port Liege is not a compact object. It covers an area of 370 hectares, and it comprises 32 port areas scattered along the river Meuse and Albert Canal. Its main advantage is the excellent location in the center of the world's largest navigable network: the Rhine-Schelde-Meuse basin (20 000 km). Thanks to this, it offers easy access to the main ports of Europe:
Port of Antwerp (129 km) through the Albert Canal (immersion 3,40 m) - travel time 14 h.
Port of Roterdam (250 km) through the Julian Canal (immersion 2,80 m) and Meuse - travel time 24 h.
Dunkirk port through the east-west corridor - travel time 48 h.
Port of Roterdam (250 km) through the Julian Canal (immersion 2,80 m) and Meuse - travel time 24 h.
Dunkirk port through the east-west corridor - travel time 48 h.
The recent opening of the Rhine-Main-Danube route enabled vessels to travel through the West European network, making it easier for ship owners to access Eastern Europe.
An additional advantage of the Port of Liege is the proximity of the widely developed road and rail network as well as the eighth largest freight airport in Europe. Port Liege is ideal for loading, unloading and storing a wide range of goods: building materials, ores, bulk goods, chemicals, steel, and recently, thanks to the development of three-modal logistics, also containers.
An additional advantage of the Port of Liege is the proximity of the widely developed road and rail network as well as the eighth largest freight airport in Europe. Port Liege is ideal for loading, unloading and storing a wide range of goods: building materials, ores, bulk goods, chemicals, steel, and recently, thanks to the development of three-modal logistics, also containers.
Annually, the Liege port reloads 60 thousands of containers. Current investments are aimed at achieving the level of 200 thous. containers. One barge transports 106 or 156 containers. The success of river transport contributes to reducing the number of vans on the roads. 16 million tons of goods transported on the barges corresponds to the tonnage transported by 800 thous. vans.