It is concerning that BP, following Shell, has announced the halt of the construction of a SAF plant for sustainable aviation fuel in Rotterdam. See: Once again, a major investment in the Port of Rotterdam is cancelled: after Shell, BP also stops its new plant | National | AD.nl (opens in new window)
Port alderman Robert Simons and provincial executive Arne Weverling of the Province of South Holland warn that the exodus of investments and companies in the Port of Rotterdam is continuing at an increasingly alarming pace. They are calling on the cabinet and the House of Representatives to intervene quickly.
This news follows a series of setbacks for the port. For instance, BP recently decided to invest in the production of green hydrogen in Spain and Germany, causing the planned electrolyser in Rotterdam to be cancelled. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical also announced last week that it is halting the construction of its plant, while ExxonMobil is suspending investments in a plastic recycling project. Earlier this year, Gunvor, Tronox, LyondellBasell, Westlake, and Indorama also paused their production. Together, these developments illustrate an increasingly concerning trend of investment and business degradation in the Port of Rotterdam.
Port alderman Simons: “The deindustrialization of the Netherlands is accelerating at an alarming pace with far-reaching consequences for our future prosperity and earning capacity. The cabinet must now truly take decisive, structural measures, instead of small steps. There is still talk in The Hague about a proposal from the Rotterdam port community that could make a difference, but we can no longer afford delays.”
Provincial executive Arne Weverling: “The Netherlands is losing out in Europe in terms of investment climate. High electricity costs, grid congestion, and complex regulations make it increasingly difficult for companies to invest here profitably and sustainably. Meanwhile, they are massively opting for countries where the conditions are better and the national government is more supportive. The result? Companies and jobs disappear, innovations are delayed, and the port is slowly becoming a relic of former glory; an open-air museum of what once was. This is not just an industrial problem. It poses a threat to the financing of our prosperity and our welfare state.”
Simons and Weverling emphasize that the departure of companies not only affects employment but also the strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe.
Both officials therefore call for more speed and additional measures to keep Rotterdam and South Holland attractive for investments and to improve the investment climate for innovative companies. For instance, net rates must be structurally lowered, and more urgency must be applied to the nitrogen approach.
