Port Réunion handled 6,017 million tonnes of goods in 2021, figure up 13% compared to 2020, during which the health crisis had a strong impact on maritime traffic. The Grand Port Maritime then recorded traffic of only 5,3 million tonnes. Traffic in imported bulk liquids has seen significant growth (+17%), reflecting the resumption of electricity production from heavy fuel oil by the Port power station and that of fuel consumption (road and kerosene) after the sharp reduction in travel in 2020. Solid bulk traffic increases by 3%, at almost 1,2 million tonnes, with a 12% decline in sugar exports (85,400 tonnes). Containerized traffic, main component of Port Réunion’s activity, experienced a 7% growth in number of “boxes” (392,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalents) and 13% in tonnage (3,77 million tonnes). The increase in tonnage reaches 16% for full container entries, excluding transshipment. Explication : in a context of exploding freight rates, shippers fill containers to the maximum, prices being established by the “box” rather than by weight. The 2021 statistics also show an increase of 13% in empty container releases., which cluttered the platforms of Port Réunion for many months from the end of 2020. Their decongestion seems to be underway. Finally, vehicle traffic, mainly composed of imports, jumped 38% last year.
