Gent port (port code: BEGNE) is a large port in Belgium. It is linked to the North Sea via the Western Scheldt and to international sea routes by an artificial canal, which has no tides or currents.
The port consists of a total of 3,291 hectares, divided into 511 hectares of water surface, (canal and docks) and 2,780 hectares of land. It has up-to-date facilities including newly built warehouses and modern cranes. During the last ten years the port has seen an expansion of its seaborne cargo handling, while at the same time a diversification in its traffic flow has occurred.
The port handles approximately 27,000,000t of cargo and 35,900TEU annually. Principal commodities handled are break bulk, such as paper and cellulose, timber and tree logs, iron and steel, cereals and derivatives, cars, trucks and spare parts.
The types of vessels regularly calling at this port are cargo vessels, accounting for about 58%, and tankers, taking up around 28.5%. The maximum length of the vessels recorded to having entered this port is 270 meters. The maximum draught is 14.4 meters. The maximum deadweight is 92,475t.