Multilevel car parks at Antwerp Euroterminal (AET)

Multilevel car parks at AET in Antwerp Photos courtesy of AET ©

Antwerp Euroterminal (AET) is the largest multipurpose terminal in Europe, and it is located in the Antwerp port area in Belgium. The facility has been fully owned by the Italian Grimaldi Group since August 2022 and is Grimaldi’s main hub in Northern Europe. The terminal opened in 2001 and is home to RoRo and ConRo vessels of the Grimaldi Group, including its sub-brands Finnlines, Grimaldi Euromed, Grimaldi Deepsea, and Atlantic Container Line (ACL). The terminal specializes in different types of cargo and processes cars and other RoRo-units, breakbulk (such as tropical timber), containers, project cargo, and heavy lifts. The terminal welcomes both deep sea and short sea line services.

The terminal covers a surface of 149 ha and provides a quay length of 2.3 km. Limited with expansion in width and length, AET expanded in height through the opening of the first multilevel car park in 2022. The 7-story facility with a height of 19m offers space for 9,700 cars. About 8,400 solar panels have been installed on the roof, which can generate 3.8MWh at its peak. Parts two and three of the multilevel car park will be opened in early 2025, adding an extra terminal capacity for 12,500 cars spread over seven floors. Parts 1, ,2 and 3 combined expand the terminal’s RoRo capacity by 407,000 m² (+27%) on a surface area of just 45,000 m².

The ground floors are designed with a higher ceiling, allowing higher vehicles to be stored there and/or added value activities to be organized. The internal ramps of the car parks are heated to avoid slippery conditions under icy or snowy conditions. The parking garages are designed so that there is no cross traffic, which adds to terminal safety.

On the environmental front, AET provides full rainwater buffering and recuperation for carwash and container cleaning. More than 90% of the wash water is reused. The terminal also supports rainwater infiltration covering 368,750 m². To support the decarbonization in shipping and terminal operations, AET invests in a range of projects, including onshore power supply (OPS, two fixed connections operational as of 2026), in situ windmills, solar parks on top of the multilevel car pars, charging poles for electric vehicles, a battery energy storage system, an intelligent energy management system, the use of electric forklifts, and test setups for hydrogen propulsion of terminal equipment.

Construction of parts 2 and 3 adjacent to the existing part 1 Photo April 2024 courtesy of AET ©

Source: own compilation based on info provided by Antwerp Euroterminal (AET)