40 years of handling coal at the BTW in Wilhelmshaven under the Rhenus flag

The first bulk carrier with coal on board docked at the Bulk Terminal Wilhelmshaven (BTW), which is operated by Rhenus Midgard, in April 1976. The facility has handled more than 60 million tonnes of coal for local power stations and consignees further inland since this premiere four decades ago. The long-standing terminal for handling bulk commodities was able to unload the largest amount of coal so far in 2015 – 3.65 million tonnes. The complex, which used to be known as the Niedersachsenbrücke, was modernised and extended between 2008 and 2013 in order to be equipped for the future.

“Handling coal is an important mainstay for Rhenus Midgard’s business in Wilhelmshaven. Again and again, we’ve managed to create the conditions to ensure that vessels are unloaded quickly and reliably. The extension work completed during the last few years has created one of the most efficient coal terminals in Europe,” says Matthias Schrell, Managing Director of Rhenus Midgard in Wilhelmshaven, summarising developments to mark the jubilee.

The BTW is the only facility in Germany that is able to handle fully laden Capesize vessels with a load-carrying capacity of up to 250,000 tonnes and a draught of 18.50. The equipment there also includes Europe’s most modern wagon loading unit with a loading capacity of 2,000 tonnes per hour; its technology ensures that the load factor in the wagons is higher than 99 percent.

“Using the extended and modernised equipment that has been installed, we’re aiming to gradually increase the annual record handling figure of 3.65 million tonnes, which was achieved at the site in 2015. Our next goal is to move towards an annual volume of five million tonnes. Looking even further into the future, it will be possible to handle double this figure at the BTW,” says Matthias Schrell emphatically, as he looks forward to the next few years at the terminal in Wilhelmshaven.