Terval was founded in 1981 on Monsin Island in Liege. Its initial vocation was to develop slag heaps (which inspired the company’s name).
In the first half of the 1980s, Dirk Schmidt-Holzmann and Benoît Blondiau joined forces in the context of the closure of the European coal mines.
At the time, many industrialists were equipped with coal-fired boilers or furnaces and needed new alternatives for their supplies.
Terval has responded to this demand by developing the processing and distribution of imported coal (from South Africa in particular).
Thanks to its advantageous location, Terval has become an ideal partner for manufacturers. Located at less than forty-eight hours sailing time from the ports of the ARA zone (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp), Terval avoids the high handling, storage and product preparation costs of these large sea ports.
Over the years, the company has made continuous investments to equip itself with a first-class tool for screening, crushing, mixing, homogenizing and washing coal.
In addition, the proximity of Germany and France and the river connection to both countries allow Terval to work with a very wide range of customers.
At the end of the 1990s, Terval set up a subsidiary in France to further expand its range of activities by increasing its presence in a number of major French ports.
Terval not only markets steam coal, but also anthracite, petroleum coke and, later, micronized coal.
As a long-standing partner of the cement industry, Terval has also specialised in the marketing and preparation of calcium sulphates and iron oxides.
At the end of 2019, aware of the challenges of the ecological transition, Terval continues to invest in its terminal by acquiring new annexed land and building new hangars to enable it to extend over 15 hectares and to have 25,000 m² of covered storage space.
New investments also provide the company with a highly efficient train loading station, enabling it to once again become a leading tri-modal logistics platform.
For the 2020s, Terval’s new challenge is to accelerate the diversification of its energy portfolio by developing the biomass and wood markets in particular.
