Waterborne traffic 2021
In terms of clean waterway traffic – goods loaded and unloaded in Brussels – 2021 is the best year since the creation of the regional Port of Brussels company in 1993. With almost 5.5 million tonnes, port activity has never been so dynamic for almost thirty years and is up 10% on the previous year. The overall traffic shows an increase of 7% to reach 7.1 million tonnes, a result tempered by the slight drop in transit traffic (-3%) which amounts to 1.66 million tonnes for 2021. It should be noted that this drop in transit traffic can be explained in part by the closure of the Ronquières inclined plane for a month and a half.
Waterway traffic has a significant environmental impact since it represents, over the whole of 2021, a saving of 664 000 lorries in and around Brussels, 103 000 tonnes less of C02 in the atmosphere and 26 million euros in external costs (costs that are not compensated for or paid for by those who generate them). Waterborne freight traffic is thus clearly in line with the Brussels government’s climate objectives, namely carbon neutrality by 2050. As transport is one of the main emitters of greenhouse gases in the Brussels Region, action on logistics is an essential lever for decarbonising Brussels.
More info on the website of Port of Brussels: https://port.brussels/en/node/1184
