CW+ Premium Content/CW Benelux

The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is following the example set in Antwerp, Belgium and testing out a blockchain-based application for processing containers. A pilot of the technology, from Belgian startup T-Mining, was carried out in Rotterdam during the summer after it had earlier been deployed in Antwerp. The Secure Container Release application replaces the current method of container handling using PIN codes, which has been susceptible to fraud, and all the associated risks. Every year, millions of containers are unloaded in the Port of Rotterdam and then continue to their final destination over land. Picking up these containers in the port is a complex process in which shipping companies, forwarders, carriers and terminals have to work closely together to ensure smooth and safe release. To be able to collect a container from the terminal, a lorry driver must have a valid right of release. This release is given by a shipping company, which passes it on to a freight forwarder, which in turn engages a carrier. Via the ...