Cargill to establish new European Logistics Platform for malt

Cargill’s malt business has announced a partnership with Zuidnatie, a Belgian logistics service provider, to build a new logistics platform in the port of Antwerp. Set to open in August 2018, it will offer trans-shipment facilities and storage for up to 300,000 metric tons (MT) of barley and malt.

This new facility will allow Cargill to provide its global malt customers centralized services and increased overseas connectivity in one location. The facility will complement its existing European production footprint. Activities such as loading, handling, packaging, storage of both barley and malt, and containerization will all happen at this new platform in Antwerp. This allows Cargill to offer its customers even stronger end-to-end expertise, from sourcing barley to shipping quality malt to customers locally and worldwide.

Cargill’s malt business has a global footprint with 18 malting facilities (five in Europe) that connect all of the main barley growing regions of the world. This logistics platform will lift the export capabilities out of Europe to the next level, ensuring a strong supply of high quality malt from all our European origins – to local and global customers – and also to the growing emerging markets.

The strategic location at the port of Antwerp and its connectivity with inland waterways will also favour more sustainable barge transport over truck transport. “We are very enthusiastic about this potential and believe we could reach a 30 percent increase of our water transport to our European plants,” says Sabine Sagaert, Global Managing Director Malt at Cargill. “This strategic investment reinforces our commitment to deliver sustainable solutions across the whole value chain.”

Unlike traditional logistics platforms, the Cargill-Zuidnatie project is designed purposely for malt and barley. It uses the most recent conveying and loading and unloading technologies to create a distinctive value for its customers. It also enables Cargill to secure the highest quality product available and to comply with a broad range of customer requirements and meet the highest food safety standards.