Gosselin to become official consolidation hub for inland navigation

Starting on February 1, 2020, containers sailing to and from the Port of Antwerp via the Albert Canal will be consolidated at the Gosselin terminal on the Albert Canal. From there, they will be loaded in groups of at least 20 containers onto a barge and transported to one of the deep sea terminals. This new working method is being implemented on the recommendation of and in cooperation with the Antwerp Port Authority and the Flemish Region authorities.

“We are 100% ready,” says Marc Smet, CEO of Gosselin Group. “Last year we expanded our terminal by adding 20,000 m², putting us in the ideal position to handle the extra volume.
 
From the Antwerp Port Authority press release:
 
Since 2018, the Antwerp Port Authority and the Flemish Government have designated consolidation hubs at various navigational corridors leading to the port. The goal is to support inland container transport by bundling volumes.

Effective February 1, 2020, the Gosselin Container Terminal in Deurne started serving as an additional hub in this support program. Inland navigation operators will also be able to bundle volumes here for a transfer charge of five Euros. The consolidation hubs will then make the arrangements for transport from and to the maritime terminals for a fixed transport rate per hub.

Bundling volumes is one of the mainstays of the inland container transport action plan, the goal of which is to increase the call sizes for inland vessels at the maritime terminals thus optimizing handling. Bundling volumes is possible via partnerships with other operators or by exchanging containers in the hinterland, via the above hubs or in another fashion.

About Gosselin Logistics

Gosselin Logistics is a leading provider of logistics services. With activities ranging from shipping, forwarding and warehouse storage to customs formalities Gosselin Logistics can offer its customers a constant supply chain. Heavy-Gosselin is a division of Gosselin Logistics specialized in industrial projects. 

Gosselin Logistics is a division of the Gosselin Group that has its headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1930 and employs a staff of 800 that generates more than 270 million Euros in turnover.