Will ferry services restart as Port of Ostend returns to profit?

For the first time in a decade, a cargo ship from the UK entered the port of Ostend last January. On board there were lots of cars. Car transport is one of the niches that the port wants to focus on alongside its involvement in the offshore energy industry and fishing.

Even before the creation of Belgium in 1830, ships sailed between Ostend and Dover ferrying passengers and carrying the mail. In the beginning, sailing ships were involved in this traffic. Over the years, this grew into a major industry with ferry crossings transporting cars, freight and passengers operated by the state-owned shipping company RMT.

In 1997, after the opening of the Channel tunnel, the state-owned company went bankrupt when the Belgian government decided no longer to cover the losses. In 2013, another cross-Channel operator Trans Europa Ferries also went bust. Since then there has been no regular motorised connection between Ostend and the UK. In 2021, ferry services from the Flemish port of Zeebrugge also stopped operating.

Wind farms bring employment after the demise of the ferry industry

Following the bankruptcy of Trans Europa Ferries, the port experienced hard times. Despite its focus on gravel and sand shipments, services for ships involved in wind farm construction and fishing, the port made a loss.

"Then, last January, a first ship transporting cars returned to Ostend," says port alderwoman Charlotte Verkeyn. "We had started soliciting companies in the hope of bringing our port back into the spotlight, and that already seems to be paying off. We are going to try to grow in coming years. Space and quays are already starting to fill up."

The port made a pretax profit of 2.1 million euros last year. That is the best result since 1998.

The Port of Ostend is at least 15 times smaller than the port of Antwerp, which has now merged with Zeebrugge. "Our trump card is that we own all the infrastructure and services as well as the coordination of port workers. We can provide faster and better services to customers," Ms Verkeyn underlines.

During the first new crossing to the UK in January, some migrants tried to climb onto the ship but were immediately detained. The port is secure but not hermetically sealed. "The migrants were picked up before they got onto the ship," says Ms Verkeyn. "Cameras and better security have been deployed."

Cruise ships offer new potential

It is not yet clear whether regular ferry services between Ostend and the UK will return. "I think many people want it to happen and this is also the port’s dream" says Ms Verkeyn.

Recently the port objected to the construction of a new windfarm off the coast of Dunkirk (France), precisely because it would interfere with shipping routes between Belgium and the UK. "We are discussing passenger services with the shipping companies, and we have been close to agreement a few times, but risks are involved," Ms Verkeyn underlines.

According to the alderwoman, while there is still a market for freight, passenger services seem saturated. Since the 1990s the Eurostar rail service has been operating between London and Brussels several times a day. Ferry services still run between Calais and Dunkirk (both France) and Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and the UK.

In addition to ferry links, the port of Ostend also wants to concentrate on cruise ships. Last year, seven cruise ships docked at the port. One more than a year earlier. This year, 10 cruise ships are expected in the port: smaller, luxury cruise ships could be the future.