Monday 8 September 08 - 08:40
 

Bevis Marks

  • WMD: This Applies To You

    01 Oct 2004

    Clerks in the letters of credit departments of leading trade finance banks have just begun to notice that during 2004, the usual cargo insurance clauses have begun appearing with a so-called RACE exclusion, that is to say that claims arising out of Radiological Emissions, Chemical, Biochemical or Electromagnetic Causes are excluded. This exclusion was introduced across the board by re-insurers and applies to everyone, marine, non-marine, cargo, hulls, marine liabilities - it applies to everyone and is just part of the new world post-911. 

Bulk Handling Brazil

Close-up David Appleton

  • NICHE PORTS MORE FEEDERS AND BETTER DIALOGUE

    01 Oct 2004

    Are European ports and terminal operators doing enough to meet the burgeoning demand for berth capacity created by the China trade boom and the increase in container traffic to which it is contributing? 

  • INDUSTRY'S PROFILE NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE

    01 Oct 2004

    "If we don't raise the flag nothing will happen, " insists Appleton. "Our industry hasn't so far adequately drawn attention to the question of port capacity, and other important issues. The industry's profile isn't where it should be in the public domain. From what I've seen, media attention is more focused on the competitive aspects of what carriers and terminals are doing, than the operational issues. So you find that stories about the EU Commission's attention to the conference system has more prominence than that of its transport policy. 

Country Survey Atlantic France

Dredging Maintenance Contracting

  • DO-IT-YOURSELF OR OUTSOURCE?

    01 Oct 2004

    Should ports with a continuous need for maintenance dredging automatically outsource the work to a contractor? At what point does the do-it-yourself solution make sense? Alex Hughes investigates. 

Manpower & Training

  • Labour shortages cause logjams in LA/LB

    01 Oct 2004

    The surge in trade coupled with a shortage of longshore and Union Pacific Railroad workers continued to slow vessel and cargo traffic at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. 

  • Loyola's last stand

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • New training centre launched

    01 Oct 2004

    Skills South Training and Resources (STR) has been launched to provide specialist training including forklift, crane, stowing and driving, to companies in the UK. STR aims to become the UK's leading training and resource company in its field within two years on the back of significant investment by the company's holding company - Southampton Cargo Handling PLC (SCH). The STR training centre is fully equipped and prides itself in its use of the latest training techniques. 

News Americas

  • ...as HPH prepares to develop Punta Colonet

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • MAERSK PULLS OUT OF MANZANILLO..

    01 Oct 2004

    Maersk Sealand has officially pulled out of Manzanillo, instead transferring its regional box traffic to Lazaro Cardenas which currently receives calls also from APL and CP Ships. 

  • ZPMCs for Evergreen at Tacoma

    01 Oct 2004

    Four new ZPMC quay cranes have been delivered to the Pierce County Terminal at Tacoma, with a fifth to arrive shortly. The cranes arrived fully assembled by one of ZPMC's own heavy lift vessels. 

  • Suape's capacity to double

    01 Oct 2004

    Tecon Suape, S.A. (TSSA), ICTSI's Brazilian unit operating Suape Container Terminal (SCT) in Pernambuco, has ordered two new post-Panamax quay cranes and to RTGs from ZPMC. 

  • ..WHILE VALPARAISO TO ADD LOGISTICS ZONE..

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • .. WHILE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES AT OTHER MEXICAN PORTS

    01 Oct 2004

    The Chinese Zhe Jiang consortium has announced that it is to invest in a new distribution development at the port of Progreso, from where containers will be rotated out to markets in both the US and the Caribbean. The project to build the new zone is being headed by Grupo Balam 2004 and Plataforma Logistica de Zaragaoza (Plaza), which aim to initially sink $20m into new facilities, with a 400ha site to be developed for warehousing and logistics over the medium to long term. 

  • GO AHEAD GIVEN FOR ANTOFAGASTA PORT WORKS..

    01 Oct 2004

    Chile's national environmental board Conama has given the go-ahead for a $12m package of works at the northern port of Antofagasta. 

  • ..and Port Everglades follows the trend

    01 Oct 2004

    Port Everglades set a record among the nation's top 15 container ports for the calendar year through July with a 22% increase in containerised cargo from 2003 to 2004. "Our container business has grown dramatically due in part to the effective marketing of our increased container handling capacity, " said port director Ken Krauter. 

  • 10% rise for New York and New Jersey traffic..

    01 Oct 2004

    The port complex has increased its first half year traffic by 10% over 2003 with Asia continuing to drive the increase in containerised cargo. 630,000 TEUs to and from Asia were handled in the port during the first half of 2004, accounting for 42% of the port's total market. Last year, Asia surpassed Europe as the port's leading trading partner. In the month of June alone, containerised imports from the Far East were up 32%. Latin American traffic was up 19% in the first half whilst overall, the port's intermodal rail traffic increased 27%. In value terms the port handled $55 billion of cargo in the first six months of 2004. 

  • Mexico hots up competition for US boxes..

    01 Oct 2004

    A recently released report in the US warns that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could potentially see 50% of their imported containers switch to alternative facilities in neighbouring Mexico, with Lazara Cardenas viewed as the main threat. Indeed, last year's dock workers' strike on the US West Coast, plus ongoing delays, prompted US retail giants Wal-Mart Stores and Costco Wholesale to trial alternative outlets in order to minimise disruption to imported goods. 

News Asia & Rest Of World

  • BMT helps plan world's biggest coal port

    01 Oct 2004

    Plans for the expansion of the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal in Queensland, to make it the world's largest coal port, have been produced with the help of BMT Maritime Consultants, a subsidiary of British Maritime Technology (BMT). 

  • CSXWT BIDDING UNDERWAY

    01 Oct 2004

    Seven parties have expressed interest to CSXWT's lead bank, Citigroup in the second round of bidding for the company's portfolio. Parent company CSX Corp wants to sell the business as a single entity although it has terminal operations across four continents. Offers are to be submitted by midNovember and a successful bidder is expected to be announced by year end. 

  • NIGERIA TO BUILD THREE PORTS

    01 Oct 2004

    Nigeria's Federal government has given permission for the construction of two seaports and one river port costing a combined $1.1bn. 

  • YICT improves truck entry/exit process

    01 Oct 2004

    Port Community Cards (PCC) has been introduced for truck drivers to access Customs' electronic gatehouse at Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) and Shenzhen Customs. Using infrared technology, the card can automatically verify container data with the information stored in the Customs' computer system. Beyond enhancing container management for shipping lines, the initiative also minimises the amount of time trucks spend at the terminal's gatehouses. 

  • SUPER POSTPANAMAX FOR PTP

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • Majors move further into China

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • $570M FOR SRI LANKA

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • MADAGASCAR GOES FOR PPP

    01 Oct 2004

    Madagascar has hired the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to advise on the structuring and implementation of a PPP for the container terminal of the country's largest port, Toamasina.The port handles 1.5m tons a year including around 92,000 TEU's. 

  • KPA invests $25m in IT at Mombasa

    01 Oct 2004

    Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is investing heavily in upgrading both the leading import-export port of Mombasa and the socalled Northern Corridor which links it with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo. 

  • DPI looks to Vallarpadam

    01 Oct 2004

    India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given the nod to Dubai Ports International (DPI) to take over management of the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal (RGCT) at the port of Kochi (Cochin) on the understanding that it goes ahead with construction of a proposed new transhipment terminal at Vallarpadam as soon as possible. Under the initial 30-year concession agreement, DPI will commence operations at RGCT for a period not exceeding ten years. However, if traffic at that terminal reaches 400,000TEUs, it will be incumbent on the concessionaire to switch operations to a greenfield site at Vallarpadam. If, after eight years and three months, traffic has not reached the agreed figure, DPI would be allowed to walk away from the contract after ten years. 

  • NIGERIA TO CONDUCT STUDY TOUR IN ADVANCE OF PORT CONCESSIONS

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • HPH developing terminals in Laem Chabang and Shanghai

    01 Oct 2004

    HPH has been awarded a 30-year concession to build and operate six terminals at Laem Chabang which will have a total quay length of 3,250 metres with depth alongside of 16 metres. In 2003 Laem Chabang recorded 3.4m TEUs. 

  • BIDS IN FOR TANGIERS

    01 Oct 2004

    CMA CGM, Evergreen, P&O Ports and APM Terminals have all submitted bids for the concession to run the new 800m long container terminal being built at the Moroccan port of Tangiers. 

  • JNPT rethinks container berth privatisation

    01 Oct 2004

    Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has revealed that its earlier proposal to invite in private operators to convert an existing shallow berth currently used for new vehicles traffic to work with container handling is being rethought. JNPT chairman, Ravi Budhiraja noted, "Nothing has yet been finalised. We are going through various options." 

  • TRANSNET BOARD FIRED

    01 Oct 2004

    The management board of Transnet, South Africa's state-ownedtransport organisation, was replaced recently after losses of $940m reported for the year. Transnet is responsible, amongst other sectors, for South Africa's ports and South African Airways which is technically insolvent. The main reason for the record loss was a massive hedging loss by South African Airways. 

  • NEW EMIRATES BOX FACILITY

    01 Oct 2004

    Kuwait's KGL has been awarded a 21-year BOT contract to develop a new container terminal at the UAE port of Saqr, in Ras Al Khaimah. 

News Environment & Regulation

  • Casella measures noise at Dover

    01 Oct 2004

    Passengers, terminal staff and residents are benefiting from the port's noise policies. 

  • ..and BP too

    01 Oct 2004

    The Long Beach Board of Harbour Commissioners and British Petroleum have agreed to a historic voluntary air quality improvement project that will allow BP vessels to cold iron - shut down their engines and plug into dockside electricity. 

  • Arnie vetoes air pollution bill?

    01 Oct 2004

    California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have required the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to severely curb their air pollution. 

  • ..but Californians are still serious about it ?

    01 Oct 2004

    To reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, a group of terminal operators has announced a plan for all 13 Long Beach and Los Angeles port container cargo terminals to phase in truck gates at night and weekends. The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association's extended hours plan, which includes an initial $20/TEU traffic mitigation fee, will be administered by a privatesector entity called PierPass Inc. Revenue from the fees will offset the $150m annual cost of opening off-hour gates. 

News Europe

  • NEW TANK TERMINAL FOR EUROPOORT

    01 Oct 2004

    Euro Tank Terminal (ETT) has started construction of a new tank terminal for mineral oils at Rotterdam. 

  • Spanish ports rank fourth in Europe

    01 Oct 2004

    A recent report identified Spain as Europe's fourth most important country in terms of port traffic. While the UK attracts 18% of the combined 3.05 billion tonnes handled by the Continent's ports, Spain occupies a credible fourth place behind both Italy and Holland with an 11% share. In terms of individual ports, Rotterdam tops the league, followed by Antwerp, Hamburg, Marseilles and Le Havre, with Algeciras, in 14th place, Spain's leading port. 

  • Cork calls for investment

    01 Oct 2004

    Dermot O'Mahoney, chairman, Port of Cork Company, referring to the port's 2002 strategic development plan, says an investment of €350m is required if the port is to stay in business. "I know that the Port of Cork situation is replicated in each of the major ports on the island (of Ireland). 

  • NEW CRANE FOR FELIXSTOWE

    01 Oct 2004

    Felixstowe has taken delivery of another STS quay crane from ZPMC, part of an order for ten RTGs and three quay cranes. The new crane will be amongst the largest in the port capable of handling containers stowed 22-wide and will be equipped with twin-lift capability and heavy lift capacity of 85 tonnes. 

  • Amsterdam's coal transhipments business on the up

    01 Oct 2004

    A 31-acre site is to be developed at Amsterdam including two deepsea quays, 300 metres each, to increase capacity for storage and transhipment of coal which has seen big increases over the past five years: Germany no longer extracts coal but imports it via Amsterdam from Australia, South Africa, Colombia and Russia. The first half of 2004 showed an increase of 25% over last year and is expected to exceed 19m tons by year end. 

  • MARSEILLES MAINTAINS BOX GROWTH

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • Malta Freeport goes to CMA CGM

    01 Oct 2004

    The long drawn-out privatisation process at Malta Freeport has finally been concluded with CMA CGM taking a 30-year concession from the government for $421m. P&O Ports will manage the Freeport which will be operated as a common user facility. 

  • ROTTERDAM TO GROW BY A FIFTH

    01 Oct 2004

    Rotterdam is forecasting a 20% increase in port related land use over the next 15 years. 

  • EXPANSION WILL BOOST SHORTSEA

    01 Oct 2004

    Rotterdam Shortsea Terminal (RST) expects throughput to grow considerably this year. 

  • Loans guarantee scandal escalates

    01 Oct 2004

     

News Focus Container Port

  • CARRIER-STEVEDORE PARTNERSHIPS MARK INDUSTRY GROWTH

    01 Oct 2004

    Drewry Shipping Consultants has released its latest port sector report, "Annual Review of Global Container Terminal Operators 2004". The most significant effect on the league of global operators, according to Drewry, has been the increase in carrier-stevedore partnership arrangements. 

News Products & Systems

  • BMH Marine strike in Far East

    01 Oct 2004

    BMH Marine has secured orders worth $30m during the summer from customers in Taiwan, India and Singapore for continuous unloading and loading equipment. 

  • Tideworks acquires Sonu Software . . .

    01 Oct 2004

    Terminal management and planning software provider, Tideworks, has acquired Sonu Software Solutions. Based in Rotterdam, Sonu is known for its coverage of the conventional cargo and warehousing sector which Tideworks says will complement its existing product line. 

  • Trellex fenders for Kristiansand

    01 Oct 2004

    Two very different types of vessel can now be berthed in comfort at Kristiansand with a new fender installation from Trellex Fender. A new catamaran has joined the existing ferries that operate from Kristiansand to Kiel and Hirtshals in Denmark. 

  • Portals for Immingham

    01 Oct 2004

    Gottwald has received an order for two HSK 360 EG four-rope grab portal harbour cranes for a new coal-handling facility from ABP at Immingham. The order is part of ABP's largestever investment in a terminal development: the £44.5m extension of the Humber International Terminal at Immingham with the creation of a new coal-handling facility and the construction of a second deepwater berth to serve the UK's electricitygenerating industry. 

  • Multibeam echosounders detect sunken objects

    01 Oct 2004

    SeaBat Multibeam echosounders are becoming essential equipment for port survey activity, says John Fraser, business development manager at Reson Offshore. 

  • Kalmar lifts Alimak

    01 Oct 2004

    Orders for 25 Alimak SE-L access lifts for container cranes have been placed by Kalmar for port installations in Rotterdam and Antwerp. 

  • . . . and KCI Konecranes, SMV

    01 Oct 2004

    KCI Konecranes is to acquire SMV Lifttrucks of Sweden whose product range consists of heavy-duty reachstackers and forklift trucks with lifting capacities of 10 to 60 tons. 

  • Remote control system for MHCs and PHCs

    01 Oct 2004

    Gottwald has introduced a remote control system for both its HMK mobile and HSK portal harbour cranes, developed with HBCradiomatic. Equipped with an LCD screen, hard buttons and joysticks, the system packs all crane functions in a handy, robust, weatherproof unit. The control elements are identical to those found on the operating console in the crane's tower cabin meaning that practically no additional learning is required. 

  • Portek

    01 Oct 2004

     

  • MHC orders buoyant

    01 Oct 2004

    Liebherr-Werk Nenzing expects 2004 to be an excellent year for mobile harbour crane sales with orders expected to exceed 60 against a budgeted target of 50. The EU followed by the Far East are Liebherr's strongest markets but countrywise, India comes top taking eight machines during the first eight months of the year followed by Spain and France with six MHCs each and Turkey with four. 

News Safety & Security

  • Operation Safe Commerce gets thumbs-up

    01 Oct 2004

    US Senator Patty Murray has declared the test phase of Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) a "resounding" success. 

  • How secure is your PIN asks TT Club

    01 Oct 2004

    It's a question that worries us all as we struggle to control our banking and credit card transactions in these days of chips and, particularly, Personal Identification Numbers, or PINs. But in fact, warns the transport insurance provider TT Club, we should be even more worried about the security issues surrounding ships and PINs. 

  • PMSI WINS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT FOR FREETOWN SCANNER

    01 Oct 2004

    PMSi, is to install and operate a scanner at the port of Freetown, Sierra Leone to scan all containers entering and exiting the country's main port. PMSi has a ten-year concession agreement for the scanner on a BOT basis. 

  • AUSTRALIANS UP SECURITY SPEND

    01 Oct 2004

    The Australian government will spend a further US$71.08m on expanding its existing CCTV network at national ports. At present, some 32 ports have CCTV coverage. 

  • ICTSI opens dangerous cargo facility at MICT

    01 Oct 2004

    ICTSI has opened a control facility for dangerous cargo at its Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) to reinforce compliance with the ISPS Code and the US Container Security Initiative (CSI). 

  • The next target..

    01 Oct 2004

    "After 9/11 we were getting intelligence briefings saying the next attack may well not be an airline - it may be a vessel. So you have the potential for a vessel carrying a large amount of explosives to be physically sailed up a river and blown up." David Wilson-Le-Moine from Thales Security Systems explains how the threat of terrorism was made apparent to the maritime industry. 

Port Development Waterfront Gentrification

  • THE CAPPUCCINO CONUNDRUM

    01 Oct 2004

    Melbourne's Pier 35 with its nautical architecture housing a restaurant, retail and office accommodation, provides visual interest to the city's waterfront scene. Commercial port operations meet the cafe crowd and yachting fraternity downstream of the emerging high-rise apartment precinct at Docklands, a phenomenon termed the "Cappuccinoisation" of Australia's port by Australian Transport Minister Carl Scully. Norma Aplin reports. 

Regional Survey West Africa

  • THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON THE PRIVATISATION PROCESS

    01 Oct 2004

    Why is the Nigerian port concessioning process so important for Africa? Because whatever the outcome, its success or failure will affect the international market's perception of privatisation projects in Africa in general. Furthermore, it will provide a benchmark that will influence Nigeria's own future privatisation process. Steve Cameron reports on this and other initiatives throughout the region. 

Special Report Motorways Of The Sea

Terminal Performance Spreaders

  • THE SHARP END

    01 Oct 2004

    Prolific innovation is helping to maintain strong competition between spreader manufacturers. Benedict Young explores the latest product developments which promise to enhance terminal operations. 

Terminal Performance Terminal Tractors

  • NUDGING OUT THE ROAD TRUCK

    01 Oct 2004

    Terminal tractors are consolidating their position as the logical choice for moving boxes and trailers around, edging the clumsier road truck out - particularly nowadays in Asia - and showing no great concern over the potential threat from alternative machines. In its march towards supremacy however, significant advances are also being made on the environmental front, as Nick Elliott discovers. 

Terminal Performance Wireless Communications

  • WIFI COVERS THE WATERFRONT

    01 Oct 2004

    Figures about just how many ports and harbours already make use of wireless data communications in one form or another are hard to come by, but leading WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) providers suggest that 15-20% of ports now use it in some shape or form, and that the numbers of users Is growing rapidly. David Foxwell investigates. 

Viewpoint

  • LET'S TALK

    01 Oct 2004

    In the BBC Radio 4's Something Understood programme, Sir Mark Tully examines some of the larger questions of life by taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through the thoughts, ideas and works of the great thinkers, theologians, poets and composers. It brings in examples from Eastern philosophy as well as the Western world. Tully himself was the BBC's India correspondent for 22 years. 

Port Security 1/2 October.