Since its launch in June 2024, the initiative by SGS and A Drone Logistics Company (ADLC) has completed more than 500 flights, transporting samples between industrial players such as BASF and the SGS laboratory at Polderdijkweg. The fixed-wing drones can carry up to 15 kilograms over distances of up to 50 kilometers.
By adopting drone deliveries, our Antwerp terminal is now the third company in the port to benefit from this service, joining BASF and Vopak. The technology reduces transport times by up to six times compared to road delivery and lowers CO₂ emissions by as much as 80%.
For Odfjell and for the wider chemical industry, this supports faster turnaround of laboratory analysis and improves quayside efficiency—both essential to safe and reliable supply chain operations.
After successful pilot projects with BASF, ADLC expanded its operations in April to include drone flights across the Scheldt to Vopak Terminal Linkeroever. With a recent €2.08 million seed funding round, supported by Galactic Beacon Ventures, LRM, and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, ADLC is preparing for international rollout in Europe, Asia, and West Africa.
The partnership with ADLC and SGS demonstrates Odfjell’s commitment to advancing technologies that improve efficiency and contribute to decarbonization. The introduction of drone transport at Noord Natie Odfjell Antwerp Terminal marks another step toward smarter, safer, and more sustainable operations.
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