Antwerp-Bruges advances Left Bank Container Cluster

On 7 July, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges announced that the Flemish Government had approved the draft project decision for the Left Bank Container Cluster (CCL – Containercluster Linkerscheldeoever) on 29 May. The approval marks a key milestone in the Extra Container Handling Capacity Antwerp (ECA) project, which aims to prepare the port for continued growth in container traffic.

ECA is a joint initiative of the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Left Bank Development Corporation (Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever). The project is expected to increase Antwerp’s container handling capacity by 7m TEU per year.

Johan Klaps, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “We are pleased that this major step forward has been taken. Around the world, an increasing share of goods is transported in containers. Demand for container handling also continues to grow in Antwerp. Without additional capacity, cargo volumes – and the economic activity that comes with them – risk shifting to competing ports. The Left Bank Container Cluster will enable us to continue handling growing container volumes efficiently and secure the future of the port.”

Second Tidal Dock

The Left Bank Container Cluster forms the core of the ECA project. Its main element is the construction of a Second Tidal Dock for container vessels, adjacent to the existing Deurganck Dock. The new container terminals will be linked to the Three Docks logistics area, which will provide space for container logistics operations. The project also includes a landscaped buffer to separate the port infrastructure from the surrounding polders and the village of Doel.

Other elements of the project include:

• filling in the Northern Cut Dock to create a new container terminal;
• constructing a marshalling yard for container freight trains;
• relocating high-voltage power lines;
• developing the De Bieshoek industrial and logistics zone; and
• creating two new nature areas in Doelpolder South and Prosperpolder South.

According to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the project is designed to balance economic growth with environmental and community interests. “A landscaped buffer zone featuring a high earth berm will separate the new infrastructure from nearby residential and rural areas, helping to reduce noise and light pollution. The container terminals will use the latest technologies to operate more quietly and with zero local emissions. Inland navigation and rail transport will account for a larger share of hinterland transport, while the remaining truck traffic will be routed away from nearby villages,” the port said.

Next steps

A public consultation will run from 12 June to 10 August 2026. Once the consultation has concluded, the draft project decision may be revised to reflect the feedback received. It will then be submitted to the Council of State for advice before the Flemish Government can adopt the project decision definitively.