The visit was part of IPC's policy to widen its ties with the international ports community. Mr. Delwaide visited the port of Haifa and its special project – Hacarmel, a $300 M project
Mr. Leo Baron Delwaide, president of the Antwerp port Authority and deputy mayor of the city of Antwerp, visited Israel last week as a guest of Israel Ports Development & Assets Company Ltd. (IPC).
The Port of Antwerp handles more than 160 million tonnes of cargo per year (55% incoming and 45% outgoing traffic). During the first six months of this year the port of Antwerp handled more than 83 million tonnes of cargo - the figure represents an increase of 5% in comparison with the first half of 2005. The growth was stronger on the export side, which was up by 7.1%. This volume makes Antwerp the second largest port in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.
Shlomo Brieman CEO of Israel Ports Development & Assets Company said that the visit was part of IPC's policy to widen its ties with the international ports community.
Mr. Delwaide met Mr. Gideon Siterman, director general of the Ministry of Transport, had visited Haifa port Hacarmel Project - a $300 million project which includes the construction of a 700m. container terminal with waterside depth of 15.5m.
The new terminal will be equipped with super post-Panamax cranes and rail mounted container stacking cranes. The terminal is expected to handle its first vessel in late 2008
