Bart Leenders From our Patron Member, Neste has been elected as the 41st Port Man of the Year. He owes his election to a series of investments by Neste in Rotterdam.
Since 2011, Neste has a refinery on the Maasvlakte where it produces renewable fuels. Leenders, Vice President Production Renewable Products at Neste, was involved in a number of important investments in Rotterdam. At the end of last year, Neste took over ‘neighbour’ Bunge for €258 million. The Finnish company is also investing €190 million in the refinery to produce sustainable aviation fuel. Furthermore, Neste is planning to build a second refinery in Rotterdam. This will involve an investment of €1.5 billion.
WIDER INTERESTS
For the Port Man/Woman of the Year Foundation, Leenders’ commitment to the wider interests of the port of Rotterdam was also a consideration. On the board of Deltalinqs, he represents the renewables sector and he is also chairman of the Dutch Association for Sustainable Biofuels (NVDB).
Normally, the award is presented on the second Monday of the new year. Because of the corona crisis, this has been postponed to the second Monday in April: 11 April.