The new “Food Hub” is set to cover over 38 hectares: Europe’s largest seaport, Rotterdam, is working with partners to expand the infrastructure to cope with the growing volume of agricultural and food flows.
In the Europort area, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Swiss property developer Necron and the port logistics provider PTP Group are planning to jointly develop a 38-hectare logistics facility for the storage and handling of chilled and frozen food.
According to plans published today, this will involve the construction of a new quay wall, several warehouses and terminal facilities. The project also includes its own energy supply. To this end, the parties have signed a so-called “allocation agreement”. The Dutch port hub aims to consolidate its position as a “key gateway for chilled and frozen food into the European market”.
For the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the project is part of the further development of the Rotterdam Food Hub as a logistics hub for agricultural and food products. To this end, the authority is having a quay wall over 500 metres long and a breakwater constructed to protect the berths from swell and ship-generated waves.
The plan specifically covers four building plots. On two of these, the Swiss Necron Group is constructing two cold stores – Necron Food Park I & II – in several phases, with a total area of around 145,000 m². The facilities are aimed at cold store operators and are intended to meet “the growing demand for efficient and scalable cold chain solutions” in Europe.
On the third plot, in the southern part of the Rotterdam Food Hub, Necron is building an energy centre: it will supply the terminal and cold stores with electricity from the outset and enable immediate commissioning, it is said. Gerard van Liempt, CEO of the Necron Group, said: “Our experience with food and cold chain projects enables us to commence large-scale and efficient operations at this site immediately.”
Logistics provider PTP Group is developing a 73,000 m² terminal on the fourth plot on the Caland Canal. It features three berths for ocean-going and inland vessels, a waiting area, and the necessary logistics and infrastructure facilities for efficient water-side cargo handling. Among other things, the terminal will serve cold stores and additional freight flows and improve multimodal access to the entire area. Furthermore, PTP will be one of the tenants of the Necron Group’s cold stores.
Guillermo Misiano, CEO of the PTP Group, emphasised what he sees as the operational significance of the development: “We are creating a direct link between the quay, storage and transport. This enables more intensive use of maritime and inland waterway transport and shortens lead times in the handling of agricultural and food flows.”
Over the coming months, the parties intend to work out the technical details and apply for the necessary permits. The final investment decisions are expected to be made by the Necron Group, the PTP Group and the Port of Rotterdam Authority in early 2027.
The Rotterdam Food Hub
The Rotterdam Food Hub is located on the ‘Kop van de Beer’ site in the western Europoort area, at the entrance to the Maasvlakte. The site is being developed for companies in the agri-food sector and will have a direct quay connection for the efficient handling of chilled and frozen cargo, particularly from South America. The concept of the Rotterdam Food Hub is based on the ‘Security by Design’ principle, whereby the layout and operations at the terminal are designed in close collaboration with customs.
