Euroports, provider of maritime supply-chain solutions, is pleased to announce that it has finished the expansion and further improvement of its dedicated sugar terminal, TA518 in Antwerp, on schedule and just in time for the first delivery trains of the 2017 – 2018 sugar season, which started last week. Its commitment to excellence in ensuring food safety and the quality of processes and products at the terminal has also enabled it to secure International Food Standard (IFS) certification.

The improvements include:

  • new truck-unloading pits and a railcar-unloading station, which have been designed to ensure that sugar is handled in accordance with the highest safety and quality requirements

  • state-of-the-art incremental handling equipment

  • new screening, metal-detection and filtration features on our equipment, which help ensure the

    quality of sugar as it moves through the terminal

  • the implementation of the best technology and procedures, which help ensure that best practices

    are deployed throughout the terminal

The company has expanded the terminal and redesigned parts of the facility. The new truck-unloading pits

and the railcar-unloading station have increased the terminal’s outbound, and doubled its inbound, capacities. The capacity of the container-bagging machinery has doubled, and the overall throughput capacity of the terminal is now 635,000,000 kilograms per annum, thus making it the largest facility of its kind in Europe. The facility also has an accredited laboratory for quality-control testing, and boasts state-of-the- art IT systems that can, among other things, be used to track products. Together, these improvements mean enhanced safety, higher efficiency, and improved quality. 

Charles Menkhorst, Group CEO of Euroports, noted: “The expansion and improvements in this terminal are a clear testament to the commitment of our shareholders to Euroports and the sugar industry it serves. Moreover, in view of the strong industry demand, Euroports will be making further investments in its Antwerp sugar terminal, thereby increasing its total capacity by another 20% for the 2018 – 2019 sugar season.”

Euroports is also pleased to announce that the sugar terminal, TA 518, has been awarded the International Food Standard (IFS) certification by ISACERT, an ISO/IEC 17065 accredited body. The certification recognises excellence in ensuring food safety and the quality of processes and products, and constitutes official recognition of the company’s expertise in handling and storing white sugar for human consumption.

The company’s Industry Director for Sugar, Frank Geldhof, said he is pleased with this recognition of excellence: “We started our IFS journey two years ago. The full facility and all working procedures have been reviewed in detail and adjusted where necessary to secure a best-in-class approach. We are delighted to have been awarded this important certification, and we will continue to look for ways to enhance the level of services we offer our customers.”

About Euroports

One of the largest port infrastructure companies in Europe, Euroports develops, operates and manages global maritime supply-chain solutions for numerous international customers in various industry sectors. Each year it handles more than 50 million tonnes of bulk, breakbulk, liquid and containerised goods. The company's mission is to be the partner of choice in delivering the highest-quality solutions to customers in our target industry sectors.