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In Focus: Stowaways
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Foreign bodies
16 Apr 2008
Stowaways pose a significant threat to port security and should not be overlooked, as Felicity Landon discovers
Area Survey: Germany & Poland
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Staying power
09 Apr 2008
Polish and German ports are vying for Northern European business but with so much to go around it seems no one will lose out. Stuart Pearcey reports
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Upgrade to unlock Bremerhaven car potential
09 Apr 2008
A major bottleneck to continued expansion of car handling at Bremerhaven will be removed by 2010 with the completion of a €223m ($339m) project to upgrade the 110-year-old Kaiserschleuse lock.
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Gas win for Świnoujście
09 Apr 2008
A new liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal is to be built at the Polish port of Świnoujście at a cost of €350m ($523.4m), and is expected to be commissioned in 2011.
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Gdynia works to enhance port
09 Apr 2008
The Polish port of Gdynia is to invest about €170m ($258.6m) between now and 2010 on a series of five enhancement schemes.
Bulk Handling: Cement
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Setting the pace
16 Apr 2008
Money from vigourous cement demand continues to pour in for ports happy to handle this needy minor bulk, as Stuart Pearcey reports
Container Handling: RTGs and Spreaders
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Capacity spread
09 Apr 2008
Tandem lifts have come of age and both small and large terminals can now justify the benefits of multi-lifts. Alex Hughes reports
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Counting the cents
09 Apr 2008
Could variable speed generators be the RTG cost-saving measure they appear to be? Alex Hughes investigates
Finance & Investment: Major Port Bankers
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The money men
30 Apr 2008
There's real cash to be had for sound port developments; and on reasonable terms too, as Alex Hughes discovers
In Focus: Floating Bulk Handling Cranes
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A viable container solution?
02 Apr 2008
Mario Terenzio, formerly of CoeClerici Logistics, remains one of the stalwarts of the floating crane handling sector with a string of successes in the bulk market. Now plying his trade as chief executive of Genoa-based Logmarin Advisors, he is now examining the potential of the container sector.
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Set adrift
02 Apr 2008
Innovation is the watchword for equipment designers purveying a new generation of floating crane solutions to port executives, as Mike King discovers
Insight & Opinion
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Labour reform: the direct route gets the vote
30 Apr 2008
It is interesting to note that the privatisation of the Port of Izmir, Turkey has been temporarily suspended after a legal challenge by a union that it is contrary to the public interest. The thought springs to mind as to why government hadn’t got this aspect covered before the launch of the privatisation process and the subsequent award of the concession to Hutchison Port Holdings and its partners EIB and Global Investment Holding.
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Cutting ties
23 Apr 2008
The time for the establishment of "independent port regulators" is, in our view, most definitely upon us. With the promise of objective rulings on port tariffs, handling charges and other key aspects of the price/service equation, port authorities that find it difficult to let go will be restrained.
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Dealing with a severe case of the bends
16 Apr 2008
A particularly tricky operation at a port - we had better withhold its identity - was beginning to get a reputation as akin to a ride on the wall of death. Drivers of straddle carriers were required to negotiate a ramp and manoeuvre into a 90 degree turn. They tended to take it at such speed as to flip over the carrier, often damaging the vehicle and putting their own lives in danger.
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Weakening vitals as slowdown hits docks
09 Apr 2008
An old aphorism teaches that measuring trade flows and shipping rates are a way to take the pulse of an industrial economy. As we are reminded with daily declines in stock market indicators and decreases in employment, the patient has not been doing so well lately. In New York, for example, anecdotal evidence, bolstered by a limited sampling of hard data on box movements, suggests that container movements are down compared with similar periods a year earlier.
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Port reform and the art of privatisation
02 Apr 2008
At a recent maritime and logistics conference in Israel, (Port2Port) the Israeli ports of Haifa and Ashdod were heavily represented, as was the Port of Aqaba, Jordan, and the subject of port reform and privatisation was high on the agenda.
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Mixed messages
02 Apr 2008
Maybe we can give ourselves a pat on the back? Last month our Post Script page discussed the container handling facility privatising process underway in the Greek ports of
News Africa
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Transnet heads for Kalmar
27 Apr 2008
South Africa’s Transnet and Kalmar have extended their partnership to tackle South Africa’s growing container volumes through the order, by Transnet, of 22 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) for use at the country's newest development at the Port of Ngqura.
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WCO wants African ports privatisation
14 Apr 2008
Michel Danet, secretary general of the World Customs Organisation, speaking recently in Africa, recommended that the continent’s seaports be privatised so that they can meet international standards and cope with big changes currently sweeping the industry.
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CFM 'mistreatment' accusation
10 Apr 2008
CFM, the company that owns ports and rail companies in Mozambique, has been accused of violating workers rights following massive redundancies in recent years.
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New cranes for Mombassa
08 Apr 2008
Mombassa Port has issued a tender in respect of seven new gantry cranes.
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Weight of heavy investment
05 Apr 2008
APM Terminals has so far invested $136m in expansion and modernisation of the container terminal at the Nigerian port of Apapa.
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APM under the cosh in Apapa
02 Apr 2008
The APM Terminals facility at Apapa in Nigeria has been accused of various shortcomings by the Lagos-based legal firm Vin Osakwe & Co, which has sent a petition to the federal government in complaint.
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Mombassa ends Dar transit cargo
02 Apr 2008
Mombassa Port has temporarily stopped handling transhipment cargo bound for Dar es Salaam in an attempt to reduce congestion at the Kenyan port.
News Americas
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Valparaiso RTGs
29 Apr 2008
Terminal Pacifico Sur, in the Chilean port of Valparaiso, is taking delivery of the 12 rubber-tyred gantry cranes it ordered in 2005. These cost the company $1.3m each and can stack five boxes high and seven wide.
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Kalmar Tacoma order
27 Apr 2008
Kalmar Industries has won an order from the Port of Tacoma on the US West Coast for the supply of seven CSC 340 straddle carriers to be delivered in October for the Port's on-dock intermodal rail operations.
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Uruguay dredge partner
27 Apr 2008
Uruguay is seeking international cooperation to enable the Martín García Channel, which gives access to the port of Nueva Palmira, to be maintained at a depth of 32 feet. It also wants dredging to commence on the Uruguay river as far as Fray Bentos to achieve a minimum 26 feet draught.
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JV for NO terminal
26 Apr 2008
MSC and Ceres Gulf Inc have put together a joint-venture, New Orleans Terminals LLC, to manage the first phase of the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. This facility is currently operated by Ceres Gulf.
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T2 to be complete in July
25 Apr 2008
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Rio Tinto’s Uruguay connection
22 Apr 2008
The Rio Tinto mining company is to build a port in western Uruguay where it will dispatch iron ore from mines at Corumbá, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This will require investment of $205m.
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Major dry bulk investment at Buenaventura
19 Apr 2008
Colombia's National Concessions Institute (Inco) has authorised Sociedad Cemas SA to invest $13.6m in the port of Buenaventura.
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New Lázaro terminal
18 Apr 2008
Lázaro Cárdenas Port Authority has issued a tender in respect of a terminal handling new vehicles. The terminal will cover an area of 400,000 sq m and have a quay 509 m in length. The concession will be for 20 years with an option for 10 additional years beyond that.
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Liebherr captures South American dream
17 Apr 2008
Since opening a sales office in Brazil five years ago, crane manufacturer Liebherr claims to have boosted the mobile harbour crane (MHCs) population in the country from five to 22.
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Boston throughput record
15 Apr 2008
The port of Boston set a new throughput record for containers in 2007. This sector increased 10.1% to 220,341 teu.
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Santa Fe on the move
13 Apr 2008
The Argentinian port of Santa Fe has been given a $25m loan, which will be used to relocate existing port facilities to the right bank of the Paraná River.
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Panama Canal forecasts revenue increase
12 Apr 2008
The Panama Canal is forecasting continuing growth for fiscal 2008, despite the economic problems currently faced by US.
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Two new Chilean ports
11 Apr 2008
Seven bids have been received for the privatisation of the Chilean ports of Chacao and Punta Coronel, with 15 companies represented overall. Work is expected to commence in the second half of 2008 for slated completion in the second half of 2009.
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MTC eyes Mexican terminal
09 Apr 2008
Marine Terminals Corporation, the biggest operator of ports on the US west coast, has declared an interest in bidding for the second container terminal at the Mexican port of Lázaro Cárdenas.
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Paita privatisation ‘no’
07 Apr 2008
Local members of Parliament in Peru have called on the government to invest urgently in the port of Paita, which has a key export function. Local authorities have also put together a committee to oppose privatisation of the facility.
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Peruvian privatisation plan unveiled
05 Apr 2008
Peru's Transport and Communications Minister, Verónica Zavala, has announced that the ports of Pisco, Pucallpa, Iquitos and Paita will be offered for concessions between July and September this year. The government will provide matching investment in both Pucallpa and Iquitos, she said.
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PSA turns down Farfán
04 Apr 2008
PSA, which is building the new Panamanian port of Rodman, has written to the government to advise that it will not be bidding in the tender for a second port to be built at Farfán.
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Savannah touts sustainability
04 Apr 2008
Georgia Ports Authority has announced that an upgrade to one of its container berths at the Port of Savannah is now complete, with installation of electrified refrigerated cargo racks, and transfer of GPA’s 17 ship-to-shore cranes to electric power.
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PANYNJ shatters throughput records
02 Apr 2008
The Port of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) broke past throughput records in 2007 with 4% cargo growth, an improvement on other major US ports which declined or grew less than 1% in the same period, according to PANYNJ statistics.
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Mexico five-port plan too little, too late
18 Mar 2008
As part of a $2bn investment programme, Mexico has confirmed plans to build five new ports in 2007-2012 to add to the existing 16 major hubs.
News Asia
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PSA Calcutta stake
25 Apr 2008
PSA India has signed an agreement with ABG Infralogistics and its subsidiary ABG Kolkata Container Terminal to take a 49% stake in ABG Kolkata Container Terminal.
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Coal cluster at Hebei
24 Apr 2008
The northern Chinese province of Hebei is to develop a cluster of three ports - Qinhuangdao, Tangshan and Huangyi - over the next three years, which will become the world's largest combined coal export facility. Qinhuangdao exported more than 200m tonnes of coal last year.
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Five bid for Vizinjam
20 Apr 2008
Five consortia have submitted bids for the 30-year concession to build and manage a container terminal at the Indian port of Vizinjam, situated on the country's east coast.
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Taiwan Power orders coal unloaders
19 Apr 2008
Two Siwertell screw unloaders, each designed to discharge coal at 2,200t/h, have been ordered from the MacGregor Group for the Ta-Lin Power Station in Taiwan. Favoured over traditional bucket chain and wheel constructions, the ships that they will unload will be in the range of 80,000 dwt to 150,000 dwt.
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Deepening the Yangtze
18 Apr 2008
A 32-kilometre section on the upper Yangtze River close to the Three Gorges reservoir is to be cleared of rock reefs to enable deep draught vessels to access the port of Chongqing. Work, which is expected to be completed before August, will enable 10,000 dwt vessels to access the port.
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Little progress on Bengal deep-sea port
17 Apr 2008
India's Union Shipping Ministry is reported to be struggling to find a consultant to prepare a detailed project report for the construction of a deep seaport on the coast of Bengal.
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PSA box traffic system first
16 Apr 2008
PSA International has introduced the first Containerised Traffic System (CTS) in Asia at its facility at Pasir Panjang terminal in the Port of Singapore.
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Tideworks Asian debut
15 Apr 2008
Software developer Tideworks has opened a regional office in Singapore to better serve its growing Asian clientele.
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MISC dedicated to PTP
11 Apr 2008
MISC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Port of Tanjung Pelepas to create a joint-venture to manage a dedicated container terminal at the port.
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Rotterdam delivers Indian view
10 Apr 2008
India should develop large-scale industrial and logistic clusters and encourage more private investment, a recent report on Indian ports prepared by the port of Rotterdam has found.
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Korean and Chinese ports to cooperate
06 Apr 2008
Busan Port Authority (BPA) in Korea has established cooperative ties through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dafeng Port, located in China’s Jiangsu Province.
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Dalian IPO mooted
19 Mar 2008
Dalian Port Company Ltd is considering the possibility of an initial public offering in 2009 to finance capacity expansion involving the construction of 12 additional oil storage tanks with a combined capacity of up to 1.2m tonnes.
News Australasia
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Auckland’s regal sale
30 Apr 2008
Ports of Auckland has said it could potentially sell Queens Wharf with sufficient notice and an appropriate sale price and reinvest in alternative facilities for shipping lines currently use the wharf.
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Melbourne consolidates assets
29 Apr 2008
Melbourne's Westgate Ports is to consolidate its Interport Services arm in the company's main Victoria Dock facility. The consolidation is a straight transfer from the 93,000 sq m Yarraville location, which is now being leased.
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Asciano hit by losses
26 Apr 2008
Asciano Australia's biggest ports and rail company, the Asciano group, lost A$71m (US$66.3m) after tax for the half year to December 31.
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Taranaki gas aims
24 Apr 2008
Gasbridge is to seek resource consent to build a NZ$600 million LNG import terminal at Port Taranaki, should any future shortage in New Zealand’s natural gas supply emerge.
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Accolade for Newcastle boss
18 Apr 2008
The man who led the team that re-floated the Pasha Bulker at Newcastle in Australia has been named the town’s citizen of the year.
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LPC gets deep
17 Apr 2008
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Cavotec boost
15 Apr 2008
Cavotec MSL Holdings has achieved a comparable 8.7% rise in after-tax profit to NZ$14 million dollars and 16.9% increase in revenue to NZ$247.3 million for the calendar year to December 31.
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Westport future in jeopardy
14 Apr 2008
Holcim New Zealand has been granted all consents sought to operate a cement plant and associated quarries and pits at Weston near Oamaru.
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Portland takes control
12 Apr 2008
The Port of Portland is to take control of its tug, pilot and lines boat operations. The acquisition is seen as ensuring local interests are safeguarded against acquisition by a larger operator which could be tempted to relocate the modern vessels elsewhere.
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LPC targets incidents
11 Apr 2008
An inhouse-developed training programme has significantly reduced lost time incidents (LTIs) at Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC). Intended to break automated habits and increase overall awareness, the programme has seen the port go 127 days with just one recordable LTI.
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Welcome cash boost for Adelaide
10 Apr 2008
DP World Adelaide has earmarked A$35m (US$32.7m) to be invested in the upgrade of its facilities in the port.
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Survival fight for Westland
08 Apr 2008
New Zealand’s Port Westland is urgently drafting a new business plan to ensure its viability in light of losing out on the lucrative West Coast Coal Consortium deal.
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Coalition against Lyttelton sell-off
02 Apr 2008
Christchurch City Holdings (CCHL) acquisition of 75% of Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) has alarmed the local Keep Our Port Public (KOPP) coalition.
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Dalrymple delays sting BBI
18 Mar 2008
Babcock and Brown Infrastructure (BBI), owner of the giant Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) in northern Queensland, reported a net loss of A$14.6m (US$13.6m) in the six months ending December 31, compared with a profit of A$23.4m (US$21.9m) for the same period last year.
News Europe
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Bulgarian hubs secure terminal finance
29 Apr 2008
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has agreed to a loan of €238m ($364.4m) to finance the construction of two terminals at the ports of Bourgas and Varna. Construction will be completed by 2015.
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Responsibility links with opportunity for CSOs
22 Apr 2008
There is no doubt that port security is a growing concern. However, findings by the recent SSR Personnel corporate salary survey, although not specific to the marine industry, show that at the Chief Security Officers’ (CSO) level there is still a broad anomaly in responsibility from one organisation to another.
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Medcenter Mediterranean number one
19 Apr 2008
Medcenter Container Terminal at the Italian port of Gioia Tauro reported a 9.2% hike in throughput last year to 3.44m teu, making it the Mediterranean's most important container transhipment hub.
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Kotka stacking capacity lifted
18 Apr 2008
Finnish port operator Steveco Oy aims to expand its container handling capacity at the Port of Kotka with a new order for 10 straddle carriers from Kalmar. The new ESC440W machines will be capable of stacking one container higher than those currently employed at the Mussalo Container Terminal.
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Capacity shortfall to cripple North European ports
16 Apr 2008
The European ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp and Bremerhaven must urgently develop their infrastructure to accommodate rapidly rising traffic, or risk a loss of business, a study by HypoVereinsbank has urged.
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Eurogate on a roll
16 Apr 2008
In 2007, the Eurogate group handled a combined 13.87m teu, which was 10.6% higher than the previous year. Bremerhaven and Hamburg saw traffic rise by 12% to 7.8m teu; Contship Italia reported an 8.8% hike to 5.82m teu.
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Albania port proposal
10 Apr 2008
The government of Albania has received a €500m ($765.6m) proposal to build a new container port at Vlora. This was put forward by an Anglo-Swiss company, Zumax, which also proposes to build a surrounding industrial estate. At present, all Albanian container traffic is channelled through the port of Durres, some 29 kilometres from Tirana.
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Van Oord comes home to Rotterdam
09 Apr 2008
Van Oord has signed the contract for the Maasvlakte 2 port expansion project in Rotterdam - which means the company will show off its capabilities at home after land reclamation projects in places like Dubai.
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TT Club limits crane exposure
09 Apr 2008
Substantial insurance claims loom following accidents at two UK ports this year, but the exposure of the major mutual insurer TT Club will be limited to $1m in each case. Reinsurers will have to meet claims above the club's standard claims retention.
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Crisis deepens at Genova
05 Apr 2008
Trade unions representing road haulage companies in Genova, Italy, are taking out a class action against PSA International, claiming damages in excess of €5m ($7.7m) because of the decision to temporarily stop the movement of export containers from Voltri Terminal Europa (VTE).
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BMT forges ports presence
02 Apr 2008
UK-headquartered marine and energy technology solutions group BMT is stepping up its presence in the ports sector, chief executive Peter French made clear as he unveiled financial results including 3% growth in operating profits in 2007 to £4.3m, and a 12% rise in turnover.
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Noble Denton success
02 Apr 2008
Noble Denton Group, the global offshore and marine consulting firm, has joined an elite group of British businesses to secure a place in this year’s UK Sunday Times Deloitte Buyout Track 100 list.
News Middle East
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Bahrain to triple throughput
28 Apr 2008
Bahrain’s new Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman container port is expected to at least triple box traffic in the country within five years of commencing operations. It will replace Mina Salman as the main gateway port for containers. The new facility will have 15 m of draught and be able to accommodate vessels of up to 8,000 teu.
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Gulftainer continues overseas expansion
13 Apr 2008
United Arab Emirates-based terminal operator Gulftainer is currently negotiating with authorities in both Turkey and India with a view to assuming managerial responsibilities of maritime assets. Both container and general cargo traffic is reportedly being considered.
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Haifa upgrades to 24-hour working
08 Apr 2008
Haifa Port Company Ltd commenced 24-hour working as from February, effectively doubling the amount of time the terminal is open. The pilot programme is aimed at reducing congestion, with up to 300 containers shifting from daytime to night time handling.
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Israel port ranking blow
07 Apr 2008
A World Bank study has found that Israeli facilities lack efficiency compared with those in other countries, ranking them 33 out of 150.
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Carmel port construction confusion
02 Apr 2008
Dredging work on Israel's Carmel port that was halted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection has not delayed development plans of the port, according to Israel Port Company.
News Products & Services
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Banking on intelligent stowage
20 Apr 2008
Total Soft Bank (TSB), the Korean-based port and maritime logistics solution provider, has developed an automated stowage planning system in response to “rapidly changing industry circumstances”, including the increasing size of both vessels and containers.
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Cavotec celebrates Scandinavia first
18 Apr 2008
Cavotec MSL has netted its first Scandinavian contract with an order for four MoorMaster 400 automated mooring units from Denmark-based Nordic Ferry Services.
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'Cell-level' detection for Oakland
17 Apr 2008
SSA Terminals has deployed a position detection system (PDS) in its US Oakland International Container Terminal.
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Kiwi Canadian customs
16 Apr 2008
Christchurch’s Syft Technologies is to supply up to five Voice200 SIFT-MS units to the Canada Border Services Agency. The units are designed to help protect border services officers and port workers from exposure to volatile chemicals sometimes found in containers.
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Busan puts environment first
15 Apr 2008
Korea's Busan Port Authority (BPA) is embracing green living with a move to convert oil-powered cranes to electricity to reduce costs, emissions and noise pollution.
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Resource management for the masses
11 Apr 2008
Rotterdam-based software developer ARL Consulting has released a planning tool for marine terminals to keep track of multiple resources on shore and at sea.
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Kalmar proves popular in the East
10 Apr 2008
Kalmar is celebrating a raft of new orders from Asia, cementing its position on the continent.
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Asia strategy pays out for BMT
09 Apr 2008
A drive to expand in the high growth economies of China and India has paid off for consultant BMT with the company turning a 12% increase in turnover for 2007.
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Saigon terminal goes hybrid
07 Apr 2008
Hybrid drive systems have been ordered for 13 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) destined for the Saigon Premier Container Terminal in Vietnam.
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Security venture improves automated options
06 Apr 2008
Optical character recognition-specialist Hi-Tech Solutions (HTS) and port automation provider Dalosy Industrial Systems (DIS) have teamed up to provide a Europe with "innovative solutions for port security, container handling", and automatic license plate reading.
Port Profile: Buenaventura
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Buenaventura bubble
23 Apr 2008
Colombian port lynchpin has had more than it's fair share of man-made and natural disruptions, as Rob Ward discovers
Port Services: Tugs and Workboats
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Green 'tugnology' all the rage
23 Apr 2008
In common with several other towage companies Svitzer is running an EcoTug project with the aim of ensuring that the company maintains a strong position as an environmentally sustainable service provider and is working towards contributing to a cleaner, safer and healthier environment. This is being achieved by examining current operations and tug designs and looking for long term step changes in operational practices and technology.
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Benefits of boom
23 Apr 2008
Ports are welcoming the unexpected benefits of the current tug building boom, as Jack Gaston finds out
Regional Feature: South America
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Private or public?
02 Apr 2008
Opinions are mixed in Brazil over government plans to privatise the port authorities of all but the leading ports in the South American country, as Rob Ward finds out
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Carnival time
02 Apr 2008
The early arrival of Hamburg Sud's 'Rio' has South American ports in a giddy dance. Rob Ward reports
Manpower & Training: Terminal Personnel Resources
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Training for the masses
30 Apr 2008
When the northeast England port of Blyth announced that it was to open a training centre that would be offering external training, “the rush was incredible”, says Martin Lawlor, chief executive of the Port of Blyth.
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Going for gold
30 Apr 2008
DP World has recently introduced “GOLD” – its Global Organisational Leadership Development programme, to support its growth strategy. “We aim to recruit up to 50 high potential candidates to GOLD, who will commit to a continuing global career path,” says Simon Hall, DP World’s corporate communications manager for Europe and North Africa.
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Hitting the target
30 Apr 2008
As the global skills shortage continues to bite, the onus is on employers to “sell” themselves to win over potential employees. Felicity Landon reports
