HES Rotterdam Coal Terminal
| This article is part of the Global Coal Terminals Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
| Please visit Global Energy Monitor to download the dataset |
| Sub-articles: |
| Related-articles: |
HES Rotterdam Coal Terminal, known until April 2025 as the Europees Massagoed-Overslagbedrijf (HES Rotterdam), is a dry bulk import terminal for coal and iron ore on the Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The terminal is the largest coal terminal at the Port of Rotterdam, which in turn is the largest handler of coal imports in Europe.
Location
The map below shows the location of the HES Coal Terminal at the Port of Rotterdam. Vessels can be loaded at the west or south edges of the storage yard.[1]
Background
HES Rotterdam on the Maasvlakte is one of the largest dry bulk terminals in Europe with an annual capacity of 60 million tonnes. It is owned by HES.[2]. The terminal was commissioned in 1974, with several major expansions completed since. The terminal's cargo handling peaked in 2008 at 37 million tonnes. Along with power stations in the Dutch and German hinterland, the HES Rotterdam terminal provides coal directly for two power stations at the Port of Rotterdam, one owned by Riverstone Holdings, located directly to the east of the HES Rotterdam Terminal, and one owned by Uniper, located just north of the terminal.[3]
The HES Rotterdam Terminal and the smaller EECV Terminal provide the majority of the Port of Rotterdam's coal-handling capacity. 17.3 million tonnes of coal were handled in the port of Rotterdam in 2020, a 44% decline from the 30.7 million tonnes handled in 2015. Of all the coal that enters the port, around 10% remains in the Netherlands, where it is fired in power plants. The remaining 90% is destined for Germany. Some 60% of this coal is used by German steel industry; the other 40% is fired in the country’s power plants.[4]
In 2017, the Rotterdam City Council passed a nonbinding resolution to ban coal throughput at the Port of Rotterdam. However, The original contract between HES Rotterdam and the Port gave HES Rotterdam the option to unilaterally extend its lease. In 2018, HES Rotterdam extended its lease at the port for another 25 years.[5]
During the first two months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the port imported 388,000 tonnes of coal from Russia, according to a report by CREA.[6]
Coal throughput across the Port of Rotterdam fell 8.7% to 17.3 million tonnes in 2025, mainly because European steelmakers needed less coking coal.[7]
Project Details
- Operator: HES International[8]
- Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Annual Capacity (Tonnes): 60 million
- Status: Operating
- Start Year: 1974
- Type: Mainly coal imports
- Sources of coal:
Resources
References
- ↑ Import-Oriented Dry Bulk Terminal: EMO Rotterdam, Port Economics, Management and Policy, Accessed Oct. 2021
- ↑ Services, EMO, Accessed Oct. 2021
- ↑ History, EMO, Accessed Oct. 2021
- ↑ Coal, Port of Rotterdam, Accessed Oct. 2021
- ↑ Nog 25 jaar steenkool via Rotterdamse haven, NOS, Feb. 21, 2018
- ↑ Financing Putinʼs war on Europe: Fossil fuel imports from Russia in the first two months of the invasion, CREA, May 17, 2022
- ↑ "Port of Rotterdam throughput declined in 2025". SWZ Maritime. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ "Dit is het belangrijkste steenkoolbedrijf van Nederland, maar het ontbreekt op ieder CO2-lijstje - Follow the Money - Platform voor onderzoeksjournalistiek". www.ftm.nl. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
