Katoen Natie has prolonged its contract to ship AB InBev‘s beers through the port of Antwerp for five years. In two years’ time, the world’s largest beer terminal should double to four billion bottles of beer per year.
Export to North America
The terminal mostly handles Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe shipments to North America, while it imports Corona beer. On a daily basis, about 175 trucks and 185 containers are processed, partially with so-called supertrucks, which it introduced in 2015.
For the next few years, the collaboration has lofty goals: annually, it ships two billion bottles of beer per year, but it hopes to reach three billion next year and four billion the year after that. To support that growth, CEO Huts hopes to gain access to additional lease grounds at the Delwaidedok. Right now, he has access to 10 hectares, but the company already revealed it was willing to invest 98 million euro in new warehouses.
Antwerp’s port alderman Marc Van Peel said the city would take a decision about the possible expansion of the lease soon.
