When built, the terminal will be situated at the mouth of the Sloehaven channel, in North Sea Port, and is directly accessible from the North Sea without the need to transit locks and sluices or to navigate inland canals. The adjoining Western Scheldt River connects the Terminal to the Port of Antwerp and to Ghent and Terneuzen also in North Sea Port, as well as to the European inland waterways. Due to innovative design and ensuring full compliance with all the latest regulations and guidelines including PGS 29 safety legislation, Evolution is planning the multi-permitting of all storage tanks to accommodate a wide range of bulk liquid product classes so that future customers may have the ability to switch product types in response to changes in downstream market dynamics. Alongside the more traditional model of long-term storage contracts, the terminal could also offer capacity under shorter-term commitments, providing suitable customers with super-flexible tank rental agreements.
Evolution has secured sufficient land-area under the terms of the Long Lease Agreement that provides for future expansion potential to over 800,000m3 of storage capacity under the proposed designs. In this regard, the company will also explore potentially synergistic relationships with existing industrial tenants within the port for the provision of local storage capacity that could be accessed via a dedicated pipeline, subject to obtaining relevant planning approvals. "We are delighted to have signed a Long Lease Agreement with North Sea Port and to immediately commence the permitting process for this exciting venture”, says Arron Smyth, Director. “The deep-water North Sea Port in Vlissingen is an excellent location within the ARA region (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) for a liquid bulk terminal. Through the delivery of this project, we are simultaneously focused on creating local employment opportunity and generating local contractor engagement during these economically challenging times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Evolution Terminals plans to make permit applications in early 2021 with first operations expected by 2023.
Daan Schalck, North Sea Port’s CEO, says: “We are really delighted with this new investment in our port at a top-class location in Vlissingen, centrally situated in Western Europe at the border of the North Sea and the access to the port area. There, we can accommodate vessels having the biggest draught of 17 metres at a future-proof terminal for the storage of liquid goods of the future.”
