The Antwerp Port Authority and ENGIE have signed a 30-year concession agreement for the development of an Alternative Energy Hub at Quays 526 and 528 in the Port of Antwerp.

The Alternative Energy Hub will consist of a bunker and filling station with liquefied natural gas (LNG) for inland navigation and road transport. The site will also feature a compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station and rapid chargers for electric vehicles.

With the development of the Alternative Energy Hub, the Port of Antwerp and ENGIE are taking a major step forward in the energy transition and promoting sustainable energy consumption in the transport sector. The concession takes effect on 1 October 2016 and the first phase of the hub will be operational by the end of 2017.

Antwerp, in Belgium, is already the biggest port area in the world. Over the centuries, the area grew to exactly 12,068 hectares, or about 20,000 football fields. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt. The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. The inland location means that the port of Antwerp enjoys a more central location in Europe than the majority of North Sea ports. Antwerp's docks are connected to the hinterland by rail, waterway and road.