Throughput in the port of Rotterdam fell by 1.7% in 2025. This brought total throughput to 428.4 million tons. The largest decline of 6.5% occurred in the dry bulk segment. The liquid bulk segment saw a decline of 1.5%. Container throughput showed growth of 3.1% in TEU, reaching 14.2 million TEU. In terms of tonnage, container throughput decreased by 0.2%.
In the second half of the year, signs of recovery were visible in all segments. Concerns about the lagging investment in industry by the business community remain high. Over the past twelve months, a number of chemical companies announced plans to close their factories in Rotterdam, and investments in new and ongoing projects have been halted, primarily in renewable fuels. The measures taken by the government in 2025 are positive, but insufficient to level the playing field in the Netherlands with that in Europe. Additionally, competition from countries such as China remains evident. The Port Authority’s financial results remained stable. The Port Authority’s investments amounted to €291.4 million.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority: “We look back on a challenging year, in which chemical and logistics companies in our port were under considerable pressure and European industry was affected by increasing global competition. All this took place against a backdrop of further escalating geopolitical tensions. It is precisely under such circumstances that a well-functioning port remains essential to the prosperity, economic development and strategic relevance of the Netherlands and Europe. A continued focus on resilience, agility and intensive cooperation at national and European level is crucial in this regard – both for the supply chain and for industry.”
Making port and industry more sustainable
Although the Port of Rotterdam Authority is aiming for a 55% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that this target will be achieved in the port and industrial complex, as is the case nationally. The Port Authority therefore continues to work with companies to accelerate the reduction and is making every effort to encourage and support them. In 2025, a large number of sustainability projects were launched and continued. Air Liquide has commenced construction of a plant for the production of green hydrogen. The hydrogen plant will have a capacity of 200 MW and is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2027. The Air Liquide factory will be the second elektrolyser on the Maasvlakte. Shell’s elektrolyser, Holland Hydrogen I, will be commissioned at the end of 2026. The construction of the Porthos CCS project is now in its final phase. The installation of the 20-kilometre offshore pipeline has been completed. Porthos is expected to be operational by the end of 2026. The construction of the hydrogen network is also progressing steadily. The final section of the 32-kilometre hydrogen pipeline has been welded together. The final phase consists of preparations for commissioning. The network will ultimately connect the major industrial regions in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
City and port
At the end of 2025, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority published the Port Vision 2050. The vision, drawn up in collaboration with the government, Deltalinqs and the province of South Holland, outlines a Rotterdam port that will be the most competitive, sustainable and resilient in Europe by 2050. A port that is safe, innovative and of great value to the economy, strategic autonomy and the living environment. To achieve this, intensive public-private cooperation and a strong investment climate will be crucial in the coming years.
Since 2021, the Port Authority has made €1 million available annually for projects that contribute to improving the quality of the living environment in the immediate vicinity of the port area. Due to its popularity, the Port Environment Fund has been extended until 2030 and the annual contribution will be increased to €1.5 million.
The use of shore power also has a positive impact on the quality of the living environment, nature and the environment. In 2025, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Port Authority drew up a new strategy for the expansion of shore power in the port in the period up to 2035.
In order to introduce the general public to the port in an interactive way, the Port Authority has invested in the Portlantis port experience centre. Portlantis opened in March and has since welcomed many visitors, including more than 13,000 schoolchildren, most of whom came from the Rotterdam region. Through a partnership with the Youth Education Fund, the Port Authority aims to increase the development opportunities of children in Rotterdam South who are growing up in poverty. In 2025, the Port Authority provided help to children some 15,000 times by supporting primary school pupils with educational materials, cultural and sporting activities, laptops and bicycles, for example.
Safety and resilience
The port of Rotterdam plays an important role as Europe’s logistics hub. As a result of the changed security situation in the world, defence logistics may play a greater role in the port. For the port of Rotterdam, this means that a 15-hectare site on the Maasvlakte has been reserved for a terminal as part of the National Space for Defence Programme. Furthermore, amphibious exercises may take place on the beaches of the Maasvlakte.
In times of rising geopolitical tensions, cyber-attacks and drones are increasingly being used for undesirable and disruptive activities, such as sabotage, espionage or smuggling. The digital threat remains as significant as ever, which is why the Port Authority works structurally with Dutch seaports of national importance to strengthen the resilience of crucial digital processes. Reports of unknown drones flying over critical infrastructure in Europe and the Netherlands are also leading to increased vigilance in the port industrial complex. Careful planning of the low airspace is an important part of this. Significant steps were taken towards this goal by 2025. In 2026, the first phase of the development towards a fully U‑Space airspace will commence, in which drone flights will only be permitted under clear rules and with digital support. In addition to this regulation, the Port Authority is investing in technology to detect unwanted drones in a timely manner.
Investments and financials
The Port of Rotterdam Authority has had a stable financial year. The Port Authority’s revenues rose by 6.6% to €940.4 million. The 4.5% increase in contract revenues is mainly due to indexation and a balance of various new and expiring contracts. Port dues rose by 7.9% in 2025. This is mainly due to indexation and a changed tariff structure and discounts.
Operating expenses increased by €38.3 million. This is mainly due to an increase of €13.6 million in personnel costs and €15.6 million in operating expenses. Personnel costs have increased due to the latest collective bargaining agreement changes. Operating costs increased partly due to changes in the IT activation policy in 2025. This is leading to an increase in operating costs and a decrease in investments. Additionally, the prices of many contracts with suppliers are higher due to indexation.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increased by 3.6% to €583.6 million. This amount is the yardstick for the Port Authority’s capacity to continue investing in the development of the port industrial complex through its own balance sheet.
Net profit fell by €7.8 million to €266.0 million due to higher depreciation and a one-off impairment charge of €13 million relating to customer-specific assets.
The Port Authority invested €291.4 million in 2025. That is 9% less than in the same period last year. This is partly due to a change in the processing of automation costs and a one-off acquisition of nitrogen rights in 2024.
Due to new dividend agreements between the Port Authority and its shareholders, the dividend payout in 2025 will amount to €186.2 million. This payment amounts to 70% of the net result. The Port Authority and the shareholders have agreed that the dividend capacity depends on the planned investments and the financial position of the Port Authority.
Throughput
Dry bulk
The throughput of dry bulk fell by 6.5% in 2025. The throughput of iron ore and scrap decreased by 11.5%. Iron ore volumes in particular fell sharply as the competitive position of the European steel industry remains under pressure from high energy and CO₂ prices and cheap imports. Coal throughput fell by 8.7% to 17.3 million tonnes. This decline can be attributed to a sharp drop in demand for coking coal due to the weak position of European steel production. The transit of energy coal increased in the first half of the year due to too little wind and high electricity demand. Coal-fired power stations in the Netherlands and Germany consequently operated for longer hours. In the second half of the year, less coal was used for electricity generation, due to higher yields from renewable energy sources and falling gas prices. The throughput of agribulk increased by 6.3%. Volumes were particularly strong in the first half of 2025. This growth is linked to the commissioning of a new dry bulk terminal in Rotterdam. The throughput of other dry bulk fell slightly by 1.6% to 12 million tonnes. Industrial production was under pressure, particularly in the first half of the year, leading to a decline in demand for raw materials. There was a slight upturn in the second half of the year.
Liquid bulk
The throughput of liquid bulk showed a slight decrease of 1.5%. Crude oil throughput increased by 3.4% to 101.2 million tonnes. Refining margins in North-West Europe increased during the year, leading to an increase in crude oil supplies. The throughput of mineral oil products decreased by 12.6%. After a poor first half-year, throughput increased in the second half-year, especially in the last quarter. Oil products were mostly in backwardation and arbitrage opportunities were few and far between.
LNG throughput increased by 15.1% to 13.0 million tonnes. The main reason was that gas reserves in Europe needed to be replenished more than in 2024.
The throughput of other liquid bulk decreased by 1.1 million tonnes to 34.3 million tonnes (-3.1%). This is mainly due to a significant decline in the throughput of chemical products, including methanol. The throughput of both ethanol and SAF increased. Biodiesel throughput also showed signs of recovery in the second half of the year.
Containers and breakbulk
Container throughput increased by 3.1% in TEU to 14.2 million TEU. In terms of tonnage, throughput decreased by 0.2%. Throughput fluctuated due to poor weather conditions and strikes at the beginning and end of the year.
The growth in TEU can be explained by the 9.3% increase in import volumes from Asia. In the second half of the year, imports rose more sharply than in the first half. More import containers, lower export volumes due to the deteriorating European competitive position and the decline in transhipment have led to more throughput of empty containers. Throughput to and from North America also continued to increase in the second half of the year, resulting in growth of 13.6%. Changes in the alliance structure of shipping companies have led to an increase in the number of services. Due to congestion in the handling of containers at the quays, a significant amount of throughput volume has been diverted to other ports. This segment shows a decrease of 15.9% in TEU. Shortsea volumes have remained stable.
RoRo throughput increased by 0.9% to 25.6 million tons. Volumes to and from the United Kingdom are growing at a limited rate due to low economic growth in this important market. Other breakbulk increased by 4.6% to 6.1 million tons. The increase in throughput is due to higher throughput of steel products, the delivery of offshore wind foundations, steel pipes for the Porthos project and an increase in aluminium, which is being sold more to companies in Europe due to import tariffs in the United States.
Port Authority advocates consistent, long-term policy to stimulate investment climate
In recent years, the Port Authority has worked hard, together with governing bodies, grid operators and businesses, to improve the playing field for Dutch industry in relation to neighbouring countries. Initial steps have been taken: the plastic levy has been scrapped, the Indirect Cost Compensation ETS (IKC ETS) scheme has been reinstated, the Dutch CO₂ levy on top of the European ETS has been suspended, and a decision has been made on the correction factor for renewable hydrogen in refineries.
However, major bottlenecks remain, such as nitrogen issues, grid congestion, high energy costs and higher grid tariffs compared to neighbouring countries.
The new coalition agreement demonstrates that the coalition parties are committed to addressing these urgent issues, which are essential to the Netherlands’ competitiveness, future earning capacity and strategic relevance. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is keen to work with the new government as soon as possible on the concrete elaboration and implementation of the necessary measures. For example, the coalition parties’ commitment to bespoke solutions for clusters to make industry more sustainable.
The Netherlands benefits from investments in the future and from consistent, long-term policies that encourage companies to invest in sustainability. This is crucial for a healthy economy and, therefore, for the prosperity and resilience of the Netherlands. In addition to its own investments in the port of Rotterdam, the Port Authority will continue to commit itself to ensuring the availability of sufficient resources for strategic industrial policy and infrastructure, such as the renewal and maintenance of roads, railways and waterways.
Source: Port Of Rotterdam
