International sea-going goods traffic in Rotterdam port fell by 2.2% to 232.8 million tonnes in the first six months of 2018, the port authority said in a statement on Friday.

Throughput in the key container trade rose by 5.9% in the period, but there was a substantial decline in the handling of fossil fuels reflecting the energy transition in northern Europe. Shipments of crude oil fell by 7.6%, while coal throughput dropped by 11.9%, partly as a result of the planned closure of coal-fired power plants.

Rotterdam’s market share in the Hamburg-Le Havre range of continental ports edged up to 31.2% in the first quarter of 2018 from 30.9% in the year-earlier period. Not all ports in the range have reported first half figures  as yet so the comparison applies only to the first quarter.

The port authority said LNG and biomass were growth sectors, with throughput volumes more than doubling in the first half year.

The financial position of the port authority was stable in the first half of 2018. Revenue from port dues fell off slightly but rental and leasehold income from land in the port area increased slightly. Pre-tax revenues were virtually unchanged at €126.1m.