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Container Handling Ro-ro Tractors and Multi-Trailer Systems
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Growing demand for secondhand
16 Jan 2008
Although manufacturers such as MAFI concentrate on the market for newbuild ro-ro tractors, the company acknowledges that there is a growing demand for secondhand machines.
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Dual fuel drive
16 Jan 2008
A hybrid option for ro-ro tractors will offer a green gain for ports, as David Foxwell finds out
Bulk Handling Dust Suppression
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Port Hedland tackles dust head on
12 Dec 2007
A unique combination of factors gives Port Hedland one of the world’s worst dust problems.
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Dust-busters
12 Dec 2007
With ever stricter environmental legislation, dust is becoming public enemy no.1, as Stuart Pearcey explains
Container Handling RMGs
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Liebherr stays on track
05 Dec 2007
European crane manufacturer Liebherr had designed and supplied RMG cranes for over 30 years before developing its first RTG design in 1998.
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Scratch the surface
05 Dec 2007
There's a lot more to RMGs than meets the eye, not least a proven track record in container handling, as Alex Hughes discovers
Finance & Investment Port Leaders - Year in Review
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Money talks
05 Dec 2007
2007 promises to be remembered for the flood of new investor money into the sector but how long will it last, asks Mike Mundy
In Focus Great Yarmouth
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Putting the Great in Yarmouth
28 Nov 2007
Construction of Great Yarmouth’s new outer harbour is now well under way. Felicity Landon reports on the ambitions of East Port UK
Infrastructure Temporary Storage Solutions
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Testing the grade in Alaska
09 Jan 2008
It took a decade of searching before an Alaskan ship repair company could find a suitable building to house some of its dry docking facilities – but once it did, erection took only a fortnight.
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Moveable cash cows
09 Jan 2008
Sub-letting of temporary storage structures could prove and important revenue stream for wiley port operators. Stuart Pearcey explains
Insight & Opinion
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Back and forward
26 Dec 2007
Another year draws to a close leaving in its wake some memorable positives and negatives. The big positive has to be the business climate – we may currently be beginning to feel a slightly tougher environment but for the most part, this year has been another one of significant growth across all key sectors. Asia-Europe container trade has been a star performer maintaining strong double-digit growth and who would have thought that Asia-Middle East container trade would emerge as the world’s fastest growing container trade?
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Liner insight
19 Dec 2007
Just published by Dynamar B.V. is its Top 25 Container Liner Operators/Trading Profiles publication which is a must buy study for any organisation interested in these 25 entities who collectively move 80% of the world’s global container trade.
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Time to take stock
12 Dec 2007
Only relatively few ports and terminal operating groups have looked to a stock market listing as a way of raising cash to expand, but why? Invariably those that do take this route receive a fair amount of media attention and so perhaps it seems that there are more takers than there actually are.
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Fresh thinking from some worthy sources
05 Dec 2007
Last month, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) gathered a group of bankers and carriers in New York for an important Roundtable Conference on Port and Infrastructure Investment. Rather than showcasing the same tired talk about the same intractable problems, this conference provided a set of fresh perspectives.
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The economic beast that bites
28 Nov 2007
The human mind is an interesting thing. It can recognise economic facts, stare them in the face and then reach the conclusion that reality is not based on what we see.
Maintenance Dredging
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Dredging flexibility earmarked for the emerald isle
23 Jan 2008
A new concept dredger that combines a multi-purpose excavator arm with inert pumping capabilities has been earmarked for dredging operations at Fenit harbour, Co Kerry, Ireland.
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Wary of wildlife
23 Jan 2008
With most ports close to environmentally-sensitive and protected areas, failing to comply with the Habitats Directive can lead to serious delays to dredging projects and a significant increase in costs. Partik Wheater investigates
News Africa
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Algeria plans investment
13 Dec 2007
Algeria is to invest $10m in the development and expansion of its ports, with finance partially sourced from foreign companies. In all, 95% of foreign trade is handled by the country's ports.
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Dar es Salaam upgrade
12 Dec 2007
The government of Tanzania is to spend $112.8m in 2007-08 to improve facilities at Dar es Salaam port.
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Japan invests in Mombasa
10 Dec 2007
The Japanese government has pledged $225m towards the development of the port of Mombasa. It said that it had been impressed by Kenya's economic growth and development.
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Mombasa congestion challenge
05 Dec 2007
Shipping lines have agreed to grant Mombasa port two months to bring down congestion levels or face the imposition of a monthly vessel delay surcharge. This will raise $17.9m, consisting of $200 levied per teu, as a means of recouping losses brought about by significant delays.
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Nigerian dockworkers take on Maersk
28 Nov 2007
Dockworkers belonging to the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria have commenced industrial action in protest over claimed anti-labour practices implemented by private-sector terminal operators.
News Americas
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Jacksonville box boost
09 Jan 2008
Mitsui OSL Lines' dedicated container terminal in the US port of Jacksonville is due to become operational in early 2009. It will be known as the TraPac Jacksonville terminal and will be operated by MOL via its TraPac Inc subsidiary as part of a concession granted in 2005.
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Tampa cement deal set
26 Dec 2007
Tampa Port Authority has signed a 40-year lease with Dominican Republic-based construction materials company Andino Cements. As part of the agreement, Andino will develop approximately 28 acres of Port Redwing’s 130 acres to import, store and distribute aggregate, cement and related products.
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Buenaventura bags funding
23 Dec 2007
In 2008, the Columbian port of Buenaventura will become the country's most important following an investment package of $70m. In all, $33m is to be invested in equipment and $30bn in infrastructure upgrades, among other things.
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West coast aims for 42.5m teu target
19 Dec 2007
The Californian ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are predicted to handle 42.5m teu by 2030.
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Iquique car jam
18 Dec 2007
The northern Chilean port of Iquique is struggling to cope with an increasing amount of new vehicles traffic imported by the users of the adjacent Free Zone. As a result, the port company, EPI, is to ask permission to undertake a southern extension of the port covering 4.5 hectares.
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CVRD port plan
14 Dec 2007
CVRD is considering construction of a new port at Ubu, in the state of Espírito Santo, some 65 km from the port of Tubarão, which serves the state capital Vitória. Tubarão is currently the world's largest iron or export facility, but is working beyond its engineered capacity.
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Major Santos development
12 Dec 2007
Ecorodovias, which manages the Sistema Anchieta-Imigrantes and Ecopátio facilities in Cubatão, has announced plans to build a cargo terminal in the port of Santos. This will handle containers and ethanol. The location of the terminal will be identified within the next few months.
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Traffic dip hits Manta
10 Dec 2007
Authorities in Ecuador have become worried by the drop-off in cargo handled at the port of Manta. In part, this is a result of labour unrest in the port, which is due to be upgraded by the new concessionaire Terminales Internacionales de Ecuador (Tide) over the next three years.
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Zebra buys Navis
08 Dec 2007
US company Zebra Technologies Corporation is to buy Navis Holdings in its entirety for $145m. The transaction is due to take place later this year.
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Stark capacity warning for Latin America
02 Dec 2007
A report issued by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal) has warned that the Brazilian port of Santos will have to double its capacity every four years in order to keep up with demand, while port capacity in the rest of Latin America will also have to double every five years simply to accommodate cargo traffic on offer.
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TWIC programme begins in earnest
28 Nov 2007
Ports across the US are rolling out the Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) for all individuals requiring unescorted access to secure or restricted areas.
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Master concession favoured for El Salvador
27 Nov 2007
Hugo Barrera, president of El Salvador's national ports authority, CEPA, has told Port Strategy that, of the 14 parties to show an interest in the country's ports privatisation programme, 85% favour a Master Concession. Signficantly, any concession could also include the national rail network.
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HPH loses out in Panama
24 Nov 2007
Panama's Supreme Court has rejected the legal challenge made by Panama Ports Company (PPC), part of the HPH group, aimed at preventing construction of a new mega-port at Farfán.
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New mega-port for São Paulo state
22 Nov 2007
A $3bn project to build a mega-port between the coastal cities of Peruíbe and Itanhaém in Brazil's São Paulo State has been put forward by entrepreneur Eike Batista, who controls the MMX mining company.
News Asia
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Baosteel ups Yangtze capacity
24 Dec 2007
China's largest steel maker, Baosteel, is to double the capacity of Majishan port, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River. The expansion will encompass new berths capable of accommodating vessels up to 300,000 dwt, boosting capacity from 26m tonnes to 50m tonnes/year.
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Maersk ICD plan
20 Dec 2007
Maersk has put forward plans to build an inland container depot near the port of Chittagong as a means of reducing congestion at the seaport. The facility, which will cover 100,000 sq m, will cost $20m to build.
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Kerala five-port project
18 Dec 2007
The Indian state government of Kerala is to develop five more ports in addition to the proposed Vizinjam container transhipment terminal. A consultant for the process is currently being sought.
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India-Myanmar collaboration
17 Dec 2007
India is collaborating with partners in Myanmar to build the new gas handling port of Kaladan close to the city of Sittwe. India will supply investment of $103m.
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Cosco committed to ports
16 Dec 2007
Chinese shipping line Cosco, the world's largest dry bulk shipper, has confirmed its commitment to investment in ports and terminals in both China and overseas. Terminals in Hong Kong, Singapore, Egypt and Belgium are already earmarked for investment.
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HPH beats off competition for Pakistan concession
14 Dec 2007
Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) has emerged as the winner for a concession in the first phase of the Pakistan Deep Water Container Port.
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Colombo attracts the big hitters
08 Dec 2007
Four bids have been lodged for the 35-year concession to operate the new container terminal in the port of Colombo, which will have a proposed handling capacity of 2.4m teu.
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Busan and Trieste tie-up
30 Nov 2007
Busan Port Authority has signed an agreement with Trieste Port Authority to “facilitate mutual development by strengthening exchanges and cooperation”.
News Australasia
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Geraldton ups ore handling
22 Dec 2007
Geraldton's iron ore export capability has stepped up with the arrival of a new high-capacity iron ore shiploader. Capacity will move from 3.5m tonnes of iron ore per annum to 12m.
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Botany extends hours
20 Dec 2007
Heavy truck congestion at Port Botany has prompted P&O Trans Australia to further extend its operating hours. POTA says it is up to road transport operators to make use of its 24-hour weekday operating hours.
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Discussion documents released
17 Dec 2007
Public consultation is being sought on three maritime documents released by New Zealand’s Ministry of Transport - a draft sea freight strategy, Port and Harbour and Safety Navigation Management discussion, and discussion on four international maritime environmental conventions/protocols.
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Queensland tightens rations to beat congestion
13 Dec 2007
Queensland coal producers will be subject to further exports rationing after Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal received interim authorisation to extend the terminal's queue management system.
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Port merger talk resurfaces
09 Dec 2007
Speculation has arisen that “low-level” merger talks have commenced between Lyttelton Port of Christchurch and Port Otago, although both parties remain tight-lipped to the media.
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Auckland stalemate
06 Dec 2007
New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority has been asked to resolve the collective employment agreement impasse between Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union of New Zealand, that recently saw five strike notices issued in just over a month.
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Three's no crowd for Victoria
04 Dec 2007
The Victorian Government must work towards allowing a third container stevedore to operate in the state, according to the Essential Services Commission draft Review of Port Planning.
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Melbourne owners on the offensive
03 Dec 2007
Shipowner representative body Shipping Australia has rejected a shipper argument that exporters would not benefit from Melbourne channel deepening and so should avoid helping pay for it.
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Union eyes LPD directors' fee hike
30 Nov 2007
A proposal to increase the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch directors’ fee pool by almost 11% has sparked the interest of local port worker unions.
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HPH denies Auckland approach
28 Nov 2007
Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) did not recently make a formal bid for a stake in Ports of Auckland, Auckland Regional Holdings (ARH) chairperson Judith Bassett has said.
News Europe
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Humber VTS upgrade
28 Dec 2007
Kongsberg Norcontrol IT has completed an extensive £1.1m upgrade to the UK’s Humber Estuary vessel tracking system (VTS). Kongsberg was commissioned by Associated British Ports Hull & Goole to ensure safety of navigation as shipping traffic in the region increases year-on-year.
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Sweden presents top ten
23 Dec 2007
A report commissioned by the Swedish government has delivered a top ten list of ports that should be prioritised for state investment.
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Lisbon traffic up
18 Dec 2007
Traffic at the port of Lisbon increased by 11.6% to 10.4m tonnes in the first three quarters of 2007. Container throughput increased by 10% and dry bulk tonnage by 16.6%. River traffic was up 57.2%.
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Russia to expand port capacity
18 Dec 2007
Russia Transport Minister Igor Levitin has revealed plans to build a new port at Nakhodka, near Vladivostok, capable of handling 5m teu/year.
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Mitsui partners bulk liquid project
17 Dec 2007
Mitsui, Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC), and Rubis Terminal have teamed up in the Port of Antwerp to construct a new bulk liquid chemical terminal.
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New owners take on Georgia terminal
12 Dec 2007
International Container Terminal Services’ (ICTSI) Georgian arm has taken over the operation and management of Batumi Container Terminal under a 48-year lease.
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London dredging programme kicks off
11 Dec 2007
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is poised to begin its biggest dredging project for 40 years at a cost of £1.5m.
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MSC extended gate plea
08 Dec 2007
Road haulage companies operating at the port of Valencia have asked Mediterranean Shipping Company terminal to bring forward gate opening times by two hours. This would bring them into line with other terminals in the port.
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Exxtor to double handling capacity
07 Dec 2007
Associated British Ports’ has committed £4.5m to boost container handling at the Port of Immingham’s Exxtor terminal.
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Sines pushes ahead with expansion
06 Dec 2007
Five consortia have reportedly bid for the contracts to expand the Terminal XXI container handling facility at the Portuguese port of Sines.
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HHLA secures funding cash
05 Dec 2007
HHLA, the Hamburg port operator, has floated 30% of its equity and raised €1.17bn ($1.7bn), which will go towards funding expansion.
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Barcelona prepares for El Prat II
02 Dec 2007
Barcelona port authority is to issue a concession for phase two development of its new Prat quay.
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Storm surge puts ports on alert
28 Nov 2007
The storm surge that headed down the North Sea early in November had port authorities on high alert – and gave the Port of Rotterdam and the Dutch government the opportunity to test out the Maeslant Barrier under pressure.
News Middle East
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Maersk marks TICT first
16 Dec 2007
Maersk was the first shipping line to make use of the new ICTSI's Tartous International Container Terminal in Syria. Investment of $37m is being made in the terminal, which is equipped with two Liebherr mobile harbour cranes.
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Port Rashid sized out of the Gulf
16 Dec 2007
Part of Dubai's Port Rashid may be forced to close at the end of next year because of its inability to accommodate the largest containerships currently operating in the Gulf.
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Rotterdam mulls Oman investment
14 Dec 2007
The Port of Rotterdam is considering investing €170m ($240m) for the expansion of Sohar port in Oman even as it extends its own facilities to accommodate increased traffic from Asia.
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Khalifa contracts confirmed
14 Dec 2007
Abu Dhabi Ports has signed a $1.5bn contract with an international consortium to undertake the first phase construction of Khalifa port. Work will consist of excavating 47m cu m of sand, the construction of 3.2 km of walls and platforms and the creation of a 7.3 km breakwater.
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DPW dips into Egypt
08 Dec 2007
DP World has paid $670m for a 90% stake in ECHCO, the majority shareholder in Egypt’s Sokhna Port Development Company. The remaining 10% of the equity is held by Amiral Holdings.
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DP World commits to IPO
28 Nov 2007
DP World is to undertake an initial public offering in which it intends to float 20% of its capital, which will be made available to global institutional investors, Gulf Cooperation Countries' nationals and United Arab Emirates' residents.
News Products & Services
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'Ready Box’ offers ultimate storage flexibility
28 Dec 2007
Temporary building manufacturer Spaciotempo has introduced a ‘Ready Box’ range, offering easily retractable protection in industrial applications.
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Shipping stays dry
26 Dec 2007
A new desiccant that turns moisture trapped in shipping containers into gel rather than a liquid, can protect cargo from moisture damage for up to eight weeks, the manufacturers claim.
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Partrac simplifies dredging demands
26 Dec 2007
Ports can now be instantly alerted on dredging needs with Partrac’s environmental monitoring buoys.
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RAM telescope fixed on Antwerp
21 Dec 2007
RAM Spreaders’ new telescopic mobile harbour crane spreader, incorporating weight-saving features for maximum crane lifting capacity, has entered into service at the Port of Antwerp.
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Liebherr cranes in demand
17 Dec 2007
Liebherr has completed delivery of two megamax container cranes to Cerescorp Company’s Halifax Terminal in Nova Scotia, Canada, just as it confirmed a contract for the supply of an additional two super post panamax container cranes for the Ports of Durban and Elizabeth, South Africa.
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Cavotec runway sale
13 Dec 2007
Cavotec MSL has sold crane runway design and manufacture specialist Gantrex to Belgian Gantry Group for an undisclosed sum.
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Rostima appoints Malaysia CEO
11 Dec 2007
Port labour specialist Rostima has appointed of Lawrence M Sunderam to spearhead the company’s growing Asia team.
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Castrol launches biodegradable lubes
30 Nov 2007
Castrol Marine has launched the world’s first comprehensive range of biodegradable marine lubricants to help shipping companies reduce their environmental footprint and protect the world’s oceans and ports.
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Campaign launched to reduce ship pollution in ports
30 Nov 2007
Oil spills of the Prestige and Exxon Valdez proportions are guaranteed to splash across the front pages of most newspapers around the world but oil leakage from ships’ machinery is insignificant to warrant such coverage – or so you might think.
Port Development European Short-sea/Feeder Market and Terminals
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How to cash in on MoS drive
30 Jan 2008
So what kind of port infrastructure is needed to attract Motorways of the Sea (MoS) services?
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Driving on untested motorways
30 Jan 2008
On September 26, the Dutch shipping line Transfennica inaugurated an MoS service between the Belgian port of Zeebrugge and Bilbao, in Northern Spain. According to operations manager Karel van Zijl, it took about six months of negotiating prior to the launch of the service. This, he explains, was due in part to the fact that Bilbao was entirely new to this form of short sea link, although Zeebrugge had a wealth of experience on which to draw.
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Keep on truckin?
30 Jan 2008
The pained first steps of a European Union project to encourage more traffic off the roads has so far failed to impress. Alex Hughes investigates
Port Profile Long Beach/Los Angeles
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Still time to shine on the West Coast
19 Dec 2007
While the past couple of years have been “varied” for volumes into Southern California ports, and this year has been rather flat, the longer-term forecast is put at 6 growth a year in the region’s ports, according to Halcrow’s Stacey Jones.
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Clean growth
19 Dec 2007
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach take their environmental responsibilities very seriously, as Felicity Landon finds out
Regional Feature US West Coast
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Stockton ploughs ahead with dredging plans
28 Nov 2007
The Port of Stockton, which handled 3.23m tonnes of imports and 528,238 tonnes of exports last year, continues to pursue governmental and environmental permissions for a project to dredge to 35 feet the seven berths at its West Complex facility, formerly the US naval facility on Rough & Ready Island.
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Record month for Portland
28 Nov 2007
September was a record month for the port of Portland, with 1.28m tonnes of cargo moving in and out of its terminals. Much of this was dry bulks – 960,000 tonnes, divided between grain, potash and soda ash.
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TWIC roll out cautiously welcomed
28 Nov 2007
The Transport Workers ID programme (TWIC) is one of the latest in a series of security measures being absorbed by US ports. Being rolled out in phases around the country, it is designed to protect secured areas by requiring all unescorted personnel to have been pre-screened and deemed not a terrorism risk.
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Tacoma offers unsung 'alternative'
28 Nov 2007
The Port of Tacoma believes it is well placed to provide an alternative to the ports of Southern California for the growing volumes of imports heading inland.
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A balancing act
28 Nov 2007
Ports along the US West Coast are all expecting further substantial increases in Asian imports, but as Felicity Landon reports, there is a balance to be struck with the increasing pressures of environmental and security issues
