Monday 13 October 08 - 12:29
 

Bevis Marks

  • Soft times a-coming

    01 Sep 2005

    All of sudden, if you are a port operator or a port authority, the international insurance market located in London has the welcome mat out for you. In addition to the TT Club, there are market segmenters at work aiming at different parts of the whole. If you are a capital intensive waterfront operation with a large amount of property at risk, the consortium at Lloyd's known as Wavelength will happily take your risk for a price. 

Bulk Handling Dry-bulk Terminal Economics

  • Slowing - but not by much

    01 Sep 2005

    This year, according to the latest update to Global Insight's World Trade Model, total world (international) trade will climb by 4.1%, slower than last year's 5.0% and even slower than the "record" growth of 6.2% in 2003. Total tonnage this year will hit more than 8.7 billion metric tons. 

  • 'Trust Me' pays off

    01 Sep 2005

    Whilst forecasters warn dry-bulk volume growth is expected to slow - though not just yet - on opposite sides of the world terminal operators are working with their partners to streamline supply chains. Kevin Chinnery and Nick Elliott report. 

  • Look to the supply chain

    01 Sep 2005

    The Europees Massagoed Overslagbedrijf (EMO) terminal at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam is the largest dry bulk terminal in Europe specialising in the discharge and storage of iron ore and coal. Handling over 35m tons annually, EMO feeds into the supply chains of Europe's steel and electricity industries. Around one third of all its coal imports are destined for Germany. 

Close-up Byron Hock

  • Getting the basics right

    01 Sep 2005

    You can't have a successful marketing strategy if your core product isn't right. As a quasistate agency, the GPA is one of the state's largest public employers, directly employing more than 900 people. However, the GPA, together with private sector, port-related operations, account for more than 295,000 jobs state-wide, some US$35 billion revenue contribution to the state, and income exceeding US$10.8 billion annually. Savannah is home to the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind on the US East and Gulf coasts, while Brunswick has emerged as one of the top five auto ports in the US. 

  • The Solution Provider

    01 Sep 2005

    Byron Hock is director of Trade Development for the Georgia Ports Authority. In speaking with him Nick Elliott discovers what makes for a successful marketing strategy. 

Container Handling Quay Crane Upgrades

  • Biting the Bullet

    01 Sep 2005

    If your quay cranes aren't big enough to handle new generation containerships, it may be time to replace them - but there are alternatives. Benedict Young investigates two very different approaches to resolving what can be a mammoth predicament. 

  • The pros and cons

    01 Sep 2005

    Assessing the benefits of modifying ship-toshore cranes is far from an exact science. It is unlikely that modernising an older crane will match the performance of a new unit but it will certainly improve productivity and extend the working life. Although each crane is likely to have to be out of service for at least a month to complete a regeneration project, this is far quicker than ordering new units which can typically take up to two years. 

Navigation & Security Vts/ais

  • The Two-Edged Sword

    01 Sep 2005

    Advocates of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) believe its integration with Vessel Traffic Systems (VTS) can make ports safer and offer a commercial advantage. Others disagree as David Foxwell explains. 

  • Belligerent Nations?

    01 Sep 2005

    Another alternative being examined could see regional or continental chains of linked VTS systems exchanging data originally derived from AIS that would not require ships to transmit data once they had entered such a chain. 

Neo-bulk Handling Scrap

  • Asian Market potential 'enormous'

    01 Sep 2005

    Alex Hughes talks to scrap metal terminal operators in Europe and the US discovering that while prospects for the trade are excellent there are inherent risks in handling the commodity. 

  • China forcing up prices

    01 Sep 2005

    Demand from China, notes spokesperson Fernando Azpiri, is very definitely impacting on price which affects the ability of importers in Spain to source scrap abroad at a price they are willing to pay. 

News Americas

  • IMPITUBA GETS UPLIFT

    01 Sep 2005

    Libra Terminais, the Brazilian container terminal operator with dockside facilities in Rio de Janeiro and Santos, has added a third concession. 

  • BELEM PRIVATISATION TIMETABLED

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • Letter to the Editor

    01 Sep 2005

    Dear Sir I have just read the article "Country Report West Coast Canada" by Michael Rosenfeld in your June edition. The article states that the engineering for the development of the Fairview Terminal in Prince Rupert is being undertaken by Moffat & Nichol. This is not correct. Moffat & Nichol has undertaken the terminal planning on behalf of Maher Terminals. The detailed engineering is being completed for the Port of Prince Rupert by Westmar Consultants Inc. 

  • Well - is it going to fit?

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • DECISION TIME AT PORT OF SPAIN

    01 Sep 2005

    Bids are now being considered for a five-year management contract to operate Port of Spain's container terminal. 

  • US government takes on waterfront mafia

    01 Sep 2005

    The mafia's port interests may have been immortalised in On The Waterfront, but the US government doesn't find the real thing entertaining. With a view to reclaiming the docks from the mob, officials have filed suit against the International Longshoremen's Association, naming both union top brass and organised crime bosses. 

  • GRAIN TERMINAL ON TRACK

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • What went wrong?

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • THE HONDURAN WHISTLE-BLOWER

    01 Sep 2005

    A local businessman in Honduras has revealed that the government is trying to force the national parliament to allow two groups based in El Salvador and Mexico to take over the running of the country's ports. 

  • Santos the winner in federal handout

    01 Sep 2005

    Brazil's seven largest ports will receive US$263m of federal investment in infrastructure this year. The money is earmarked to finance improvements to road and rail links, deepen the draught in access channels, build new access roads and acquire new equipment. Those ports benefiting will be Rio Grande, Itajai, Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos, Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro and Vitoria. 

  • PierPass controversy

    01 Sep 2005

    The off-peak PierPass programme designed to shift Los Angeles and Long Beach port cargo operations to nights and Saturdays has commenced, but the controversy promises to rage on. Residents living near the ports are concerned about night-time noise and pollution, while smaller exporters in particular fear the scheme's impact on their profits - and truckers complain that they will lose out, with salary, safety and quality time with their families all compromised. 

  • Libra in crisis negotiations with Codesp

    01 Sep 2005

     

News Asia & Rest Of World

  • DPA TOOLS UP FOR 14,000TEU SHIPS

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • BENIN NEGOTIATES WITH DPI

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • Singapore uses bond issue to grow

    01 Sep 2005

    A US$302m bond issued by PSA Singapore Terminals' operator the PSA Corporation, is expected to raise capital expenditure for expansion plans and refinance an Augustmaturing US$500m bond. 

  • TRINCOMALEE IN THREE-PHASE DEVELOPMENT

    01 Sep 2005

    Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has announced a three-part strategy to redevelop South Asia's largest natural harbour at Trincomalee. Available land will be divided into three distinct zones. One of these will be used for leisure development while a second is earmarked for use as an industrial park, providing space for warehouses, oil tanks and other port activities. The third will be required to re-house families evicted from other port land. 

  • Chinese ports not over-doing capacity

    01 Sep 2005

    China's Communications Minister Zhang Chunxian has rejected suggestions that the country's major port expansion programme will create a capacity glut. He noted that the building programme would simply meet future demand whilst easing congestion at existing facilities. He also noted that some ports cannot be upgraded and therefore new ports would have to be built given that the country is expected to be handling anything up to 140m TEUs by 2010, effectively double today's volumes. 

  • JNPT now handling 50% of Indian box traffic

    01 Sep 2005

    Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) reports that it now handles more than 50% of India's container trade. However, construction of the third container terminal and plans to build a fourth mean the JNPT is also due to become a major regional hub. 

  • Auckland Ports acquired by ARH

    01 Sep 2005

    Ports of Auckland is to return to full public ownership following the US$117.5m takeover bid of Auckland Regional Holdings (ARH) surpassing 90% acceptance. As a consequence, the statutory entity of the Auckland Regional Council can now enforce compulsory acquisition of the outstanding 10% shareholding of New Zealand's largest port company. 

  • Shanghai selects investor short-list

    01 Sep 2005

    Shanghai Port Authority has drawn up a shortlist of companies interested in investing in its Yangshan Port development. Those selected from the original list of more than 20 companies include Hutchison Port Holdings, Cosco Pacific, P&O Ports, APM Terminals and Modern Terminals/China Shipping. 

  • DPI CRACKS DOWN ON UNETHICAL PRACTICES AT KOCHI

    01 Sep 2005

    The Indian subsidiary of DPI, India Gateway Terminal, which is operating the container terminal at Kochi port, is taking legal action against alleged unethical practices which include bribery. A worker accused of accepting bribes from a clearing agent has already been suspended. 

  • Five bid for Busan expansion

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • ETHIOPIA SEEKS PORT AT BERBERA

    01 Sep 2005

    Officials from the landlocked state of Ethiopia have begun negotiations with the government of Somaliland regarding the use of its Red Sea port of Berbera. 

News Environment & Regulation

  • RSPB swoops on Bathside

    01 Sep 2005

    The UK government's go-ahead for a deepsea container port at London Gateway (Shellhaven) on the Thames should mean that Bathside Bay is reprieved, the RSPB says. 

  • Royal Haskoning to carry out Teesport EIA

    01 Sep 2005

    PD Ports has appointed Royal Haskoning to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its proposed deepsea terminal at Teesport, including the preparation of a construction and engineering report on the brownfield site. 

  • Clean-up craft devours cars

    01 Sep 2005

    A scheme to clean up the UK's River Tyne has celebrated the launch of two new vessels. Local children were tasked with finding a name for the larger debris collection vessel and the winning students chose the name "Clearwater". 

  • Hong Kong plans on hold

    01 Sep 2005

    Hong Kong legislators say environmental damage might occur if a container terminal is built off Tai O and would contravene the principle of nature conservation stated in the Concept Plan for Lantau Island. The project will have to wait for the results of an ecological study which will take at least two years. Two locations are being considered, near Tai O on northwest Lantau or southwestern Tsing Yi Island. 

News Europe

  • C'EST CERES CERES

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • Tangier-Med not a threat - we hope

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • CONTAINER MILLIONAIRES HAVE CLOSE RACE

    01 Sep 2005

    The UK may be top of the Rotterdam container customer throughput league table, but China is snapping at its heels. 

  • EUROGATE EXPANSION IS GO

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • London Gateway almost there

    01 Sep 2005

    P&O's £1.5bn plans for a new terminal near London have at last been given a tentative thumbs-up by the government, provoking a predictable scramble for attention among other port development promoters. The plans intend to alleviate Britain's chronic container capacity headache, and to eventually create 16,500 jobs. 

  • LA CORUNA GETS ITS OUTER HARBOUR

    01 Sep 2005

    The Spanish cabinet has reserved 708ha of land for the construction of the Outer Harbour at La Coruna. Work will consist of the construction of a dyke 3.36km long and a contra-dyke 579 metres long. Within this protected area, transversal quay 921 metres in length will be built, alongside which draught will vary between 16 metres and 22 metres. Backup land will consist of an area of 143.5 hectares, of which 91 hectares will be infilled. Road access to the side will be via the Sabon industrial estate. 

  • UK PORTS' STRONG FIRST HALF BUT . . .

    01 Sep 2005

    Associated British Ports and Forth Ports both report buoyant performance for the first half of this year, bolstered by property sales and cargo volume growth. 

  • Deurganckdock opens - finally

    01 Sep 2005

    After a decade of hopes and plans, Antwerp has officially opened the Deurganckdock, intending to relieve northwest European port congestion. The dock adds 1.4m TEUs of capacity to the market, and Antwerp's capacity is expected to eventually double. 

  • PSA moves on Mersin

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • Congestion: this will get you home at least

    01 Sep 2005

    The UK's Freight Transport Association together with six other maritime and logistics associations, have published a Best Practice Guide which describes how each party involved in the movement of goods could help reduce the problem of port congestion. 

News Products & Systems

  • Gottwald supplies Varna and Antwerp

    01 Sep 2005

    Gottwald has recently delivered its first MHC to Bulgaria. The 100-ton HMK 300 E, Gottwald's current bestseller, will be operated as a container crane at Varna. 

  • Gantry cranes

    01 Sep 2005

    The third of five gantry cranes was taken ashore at berth 1 of the Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg from ZPMC's ZHEN HUA 8. ZPMC ensured the 1,800 ton giant was pulled onto the quay wall when the water level was at its highest. 

  • Consens brings fresh thinking to strad market

    01 Sep 2005

    Consens' straddle carrier range will be launched early next year and its new machines trialled at terminals in Europe and the US at the end of this year. The company, formed by former FantuzziNoell staff including Bjorn Riechers as Consens' managing director, will focus on developing its strad carrier range initially but has other concepts on the drawing board including a complete rethink of the shuttle carrier and its optimum role on the terminal. 

  • BCT GOES SHOPPING

    01 Sep 2005

    Kalmar will supply four RTGs to Baltic Container Terminal in Gdynia. 

  • Navis/APL get results

    01 Sep 2005

    APL Kaoshiung recently set a new productivity record at the port loading and discharging an average of 164 containers per hour over 21 hours from a single vessel. This record exceeds the port's standard of 55 containers per berth hour by 198%. 

  • Hull and Goole upwardly mobile

    01 Sep 2005

    ABP's two north Humberside ports have each ordered a Liebherr LHM 320 MHC, primarily for container handling. Both are equipped with automatic telescopic spreader. They also include Liebherr's economy software for optimised fuel consumption as well as a second cabin on the slewing platform offering the same features as the tower cabin. 

  • Trailer positioning system for New York

    01 Sep 2005

    Four super post-Panamax cranes recently delivered to New York Container Terminal (NYCT) by Liebherr Container Cranes feature an ultramodern trailer positioning system (TPS). 

  • Feeding Belfast livestock

    01 Sep 2005

    Redler, the bulk materials handling specialist, is to undertake the mechanical and electrical design and construction elements of a new 75,000 tonne animal feed store planned to be built within the port of Belfast. 

News Security

  • ABP warns children

    01 Sep 2005

     

  • Thomas E. Falknor 24 March 1944 - 10 August 2005

    01 Sep 2005

    Ask Thomas 'To m ' Falknor a serious question and in all probability you would receive a playful answer. Humour was one of his strong points as was his humanity, ability to command respect and astute business brain which he deployed to such good effect in the international world of container shipping and ports. 

  • Security training on screen

    01 Sep 2005

    Videotel Marine International in conjunction with the IMO and a number of port security authorities, has produced an interactive, computer-based training course which could form the basis of official Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) accreditation, as called for under the ISPS Code. 

  • MATRA trialled at ports amidst lax security reports

    01 Sep 2005

    Six UK ports are to be the subject of a new security review. The project is part of the Multi Agency Threat and Risk Assessment (MATRA), a government initiative to cut the risk of crime and terrorism in airports. It has been reported that the study was prompted by concern that despite ISPS compliance, ports lacked co-ordination and clear lines of responsibility in their security programmes. 

  • New scanner for Banjul

    01 Sep 2005

    The Gambian Government has signed up with Scanning Systems for the installation and operation of scanners in Banjul. 

  • ADT installs system for Cork

    01 Sep 2005

    ADT has provided an integrated security system at Cork to help satisfy the requirements of the ISPS Code. CCTV technology enables access control from a central point. Access gates to berths can be opened and closed remotely using information passed along fibre optic cables to the control centre. 

  • Cargo scam warning

    01 Sep 2005

     

Port Planning Environment

  • Issues to be addressed

    01 Sep 2005

    An EIA will consider a range of issues, including: Noise, dust and light pollution: Neighbours of ports are likely to be affected by various forms of pollution, so it is essential that mitigation measures are developed. For example, the visual aspects of the new operations should be assessed and suitable solutions such as appropriate lighting schemes developed. 

  • Understanding the Impact

    01 Sep 2005

    The relationship between ports and their surrounding social and ecological environments is often a matter of heated debate. Sian John discusses how to smooth the path. 

Port Profile Santos

Post Script

  • It's about Pizzazz

    01 Sep 2005

    Then move to the Mediterranean. You have to hand it to the Italians. They know all about pizzazz - or is it brio ? that boldness, vigour, style and flamboyance. Whilst polite but pedestrian port execs elsewhere in Europe are doggedly struggling through the turgid swamp of directives, decrees, dictates and derogations, our Italian brothers and sisters are squabbling in public over that perfectly legitimate, though very Italian question: what should our ports actually look like? 

  • African Promises, Italian Pizzazz and British Playing Fields

    01 Sep 2005

    Take three scenarios: Africa, Italy, the UK. 

Security Isps Code Review

  • Is it working?

    01 Sep 2005

    Following the 9/11 attacks, the IMO went into a frenzy of unprecedented activity. Chris Austen analyses the upshot of all this on the ports sector. 

  • A huge and ambitious global undertaking

    01 Sep 2005

    Notwithstanding a rather gloomy picture, we must remember that it is still early days. The implementation of the ISPS Code has been a huge and ambitious global undertaking and we are all learning as we go along. 

The Economist

Trade Review Chilled Produce

  • Cooling it

    01 Sep 2005

    Alex Hughes turns to the southwest of England and South Africa to discover what makes for a successful chilled fruit terminal operation. 

  • Quality code welcomed

    01 Sep 2005

    The proposed open industry standard, the 360 Quality Code, recently put forward by reefer carriers LauritzenCool, Seatrade and NYK Reefer, is wholly supported by Simon Bird and the port of Bristol. While he acknowledges this will inevitably add some degree of cost both to the port and to the shipping lines involved, this will not be especially onerous, he believes. "Pushing and raising quality throughout the system is what those involved in the handling of chilled products should all be aspiring to," he insists. 

Viewpoint

  • You cannot be serious!

    01 Sep 2005

    You would think that after at least ten years of full-on port privatisation that countries wishing to attract new investors, and the investors themselves, would know how to get it right. Two recent events, however, suggest otherwise. 

West Africa Regional Survey

  • Privatisation proceeds apace

    01 Sep 2005

    Steve Cameron reports on terminals, transport and trade. And you can't have the first two if you don't sort out the latter. 

  • Trade not aid

    01 Sep 2005

    This year Africa has hardly been out of the spotlight with the G8 summit in Scotland, Live 8 concerts around the world and the UK's Commission for Africa, all focusing on solving the continent's difficulties. Whilst the results on debt relief and the potential reduction of trade barriers have been heralded by some as big steps forward, once the African dust has settled what does it all actually mean? 

Motorship