HORSES FOR COURSES

Mott MacDonald, together with Libyan consultants, are planning an expansion to the port at Sirte, 460 km east of Tripoli.

The aim of the project is to provide the region with an international seaport in conjunction with the continuing development of the town as a major commercial city. The development could include container, liquid and dry bulk and ro-ro berths, plus a passenger and cruise terminal, all with associated storage, infrastructure and buildings. The programme will also include an extension to the existing breakwater.

"When comparing say European with African projects one has to apply and respect others' cultural sensitivities steering someone away from the more grandiose schemes to something that realises their aspirations for employment in the area.

"We need to show some humility, " he adds. "As Europeans we tend to switch into realistic/sceptical mode and the danger of that is we don't see it from the other person's point of view. But on the other hand if countries like Bangladesh want to participate in the world garment trade, and they are receiving feeder calls from Singapore or Pelapas, then they have no option but to try and handle these feeder vessels in some way. The developed world is imposing these transport systems on them that they are not geared up for.

"Checking existing capacities against trade projections and deciding what to do about the gap, if any. That would be a common thread through all projects involving growing ports, " says Martin Mannion, associate director at Halcrow and heavily involved in the ferry port of Dover's master plan. "In the case of Dover, the port has to decide between its ferry business and other opportunities. But even with a container terminal it's still a matter of balancing capacity with demand.

"Trade and traffic forecasts take into account recent and future trends in imports/exports, key port users' experiences, businesses served by the port, competition and restrictions - both on shipping and inland logistics.

"Port capacity assessment includes navigation constraints, berths, storage areas, handling equipment, port working practices and transport systems. The ship design determines the size and cost of port facilities as it drives channel design, berth length and depth and equipment type.

"To appraise options, we must consider the capital and operating costs, operating revenues, return on investment, economic impact, modal split, environmental impact and risk assessment.

Mannion cites Brunei where the firm is involved in port strategy studies tgo assist in diversification from oil and gas into containers, cruise, etc. In Aden they are considering not just the port but the wider case of the city's development.

GETTING MORE OUT OF WHAT YOU HAVE A common feature of all consultants' work is optimising existing facilities, though Mott MacDonald's Vincent Crockett points out this is more pronounced in Europe and the US.

"For environmental as well as economic reasons, " says Martin Mannion, "ports are often looking to maximise their existing facilities to get the best out of the terminal. So planning can mean just changing the existing terminal within its own boundaries, through changes in layout, since in many cases it is difficult to secure new development sites or expand across sensitive residential areas."

Scott Wilson associate, Steve Hutchinson agrees: "A primary driver is trying to get more out of what you already have. There's quite a lot of remodelling in terms of terminal layout and deepening of existing facilities which has always been a tricky exercise. If you increase the dredged depth by four metres that will have quite an effect on the existing quay wall, if it is relying on that as a passive resistance to overturning. Coming up with solutions can be quite challenging.

"Trying to squeeze more productivity out of an existing facility makes more economic sense than building anew. We look at changing the operating pattern within a port, straddle carriers instead of RTGs or RMGs instead of RTGs and playing around with layouts to see if we do it this way whether we can get more out of it."

Ports will get concerned about their ability to accommodate the next big ship, " continues Mannion.

"So berth depth becomes an issue since deepening a berth might upset the stability of the quay wall.

Can it be deepened? What's the cost? Then there's the approach channel. In Dover's case where there are many berths and many ships manoeuvering to and from those berths, there is a limit.

Decisions must be taken on whether it is worth investing in expanding the channel or maximising the existing channel. What is the capacity of the channel? So there are many strands to capacity."

"Our role is to act on a neutral basis to provide the most accurate information, " says Thomas Funk, a software specialist at HPC Hamburg Port Consulting.

"Today budgets are lower, there are more rules and generally assignments have shorter running times. The scope is much more specialised, the requirements are more detailed and the consultant will work on that specific project. The broader, overall project is nice to get but is becoming more and more scarce.

"And today what is becoming more important is the utilisation of new software. A new container crane may cost ?5m for example but you can find sophisticated software solutions. Such solutions will better support your existing equipment and may avert the need to purchase new equipment.

"If you have a utilisation rate of 75-80%, to improve that to 90% across say 10 pieces of equipment, then there are good savings to be had. And of course this is also related to peak times and customer related services, to minimising dwell times and so on.

But if these improvements are not homogenous and synchronised, then by clearing one bottleneck you may just create another.

GET THAT HOMOGENOUS EFFECT "With the right software you can get that homogenous effect, improve ship and truck turnaround times and reduce container dwell times in order that the available space is properly utilised. Then there may be no need for new infrastructure or equipment."

Funk identifies another important role on equipment procurement:

to evaluate technical specifications, set up contracts, follow-up, coordinate and arrange shipping and installation. "If it is a project that involves, for example, 30 or 40 new RMGs and 12 quayside cranes, such a procurement becomes hard to handle with a staff of just two or three port engineers." Here also there are interesting software solutions on the maintenance side: registering breakdowns, establishing proactive maintenance cycles, statistical reporting and analysis.

Richard Marks, director at Royal Haskoning, highlights the consultation process: "Public consultation is becoming more and more an issue and unless you get that right the project will be delayed. Certainly within the EU that applies to all developments but some governments seem to have a more streamlined inquiry process than others.

"And we have become much more conscious of the impact of our plan. For example we are very conscious that the lighting of these terminals has to be designed in such a way that that there is no overspill into the surrounding residential areas." Traffic impact is another major issue: "Once you get involved in environmental impact studies then you are looking at a 10mile radius beyond the port itself."

Another prominent issue for Marks is ship emissions. "Traditionally ships have burnt poor quality fuel and this is no longer acceptable in many ports. So shipowners are having to consider exhaust gas scrubbers or switching to fuels with lower emissions. Certainly part of the impact statement we produce includes ship emissions. " Marks picks up on another aspect of the consultant's role:

automation. "The extent of electronic documentation is increasing.

We now have automatic vacuum mooring systems and there's no reason why the linkspan cannot be operated automatically or from the ship. On container terminals automation is now becoming more practical. A number of the container terminal projects we are involved in are designed for automation or future automation. It's not so easy on a ferry terminal with drive-on traffic but for unaccompanied traffic automation will become more important in the longer-term. So we can reduce manning levels considerably but existing ports are often reluctant to delve into this sensitive area."

"The terminal operators are the ones who are driving the business, " says Scott Wilson's Steve Hutchinson. "But in terms of construction, the environment is an ever increasing consideration and concern to everyone: builders, operators and port authorities alike.

We do a lot more work where an operator is looking to purchase a port or a facility within a port. In such cases we get involved in having a look at it, coming up with a few ideas how to make it work more efficiently or expand it, and looking at that early stage involvement which hopefully from our point of view will lead to them making a bid and winning it, and us getting more work out of it."

As to the choice of consultant: "The operator will decide which consultant is most familiar with the port and end up going to them.

Scott Wilson is traditionally strong in Hong Kong having, together with Maunsell, tackled CT8 and 9 and the river trade terminal. But currently their big contract is a major remodelling and redevelopment project in Colombo. "It's a complete expansion and efficiency project so we're looking at everything, " he says. "One team looks at the expansion side and another at how the port authority can manage itself more efficiently."