Europe

GijonPort Authority has approved a modified expansion plan and has agreed toask the European Union for ¢ 135m ($195.9m) to part finance costoverruns, which are forecast to reach ¢ 216m ($313.4m).

In2007, Valencia Port Authority invested more than ¢ 128m ($185.7m) ininfrastructure upgrades and it plans to spend a further ¢ 150m ($217.7m)on average a year for the next two years.

TheItalian government has approved a project covering the development ofthe port of Civitavecchia, which involves finance of ¢ 71.5m ($103.8m).Work includes construction of an additional 400 metres of quay and thebuilding of…

Polands Port of Gdynia is restructuringto dispose of non-core units, including a number of terminals.

The new container terminal development at the Italian port of Vado Ligure appears to now be in doubt.

Piraeus Port Authority has agreed to put out to concession for 30 years Berths 2 and 3, which are dedicated to container handling operations. These have backup land of 690,000 sq m.…

A traffic management plan in place on roadsleading to the UKs Port of Felixstowe to combat port-inducedcongestion has been revised.

CMACGM is to invest ¢ 130m ($188.6m) in expanding the Malta Freeportcontainer terminal, which the group first acquired in 2004. This willboost throughput from 1.9m teu to 3m teu.

TheBulgarian port of Varna is to build a new container terminal through ajoint venture including municipal authorities in Varna. Private sectorinvolvement in the ¢ 90m ($130.6m) will be restricted to 30%. Work…

The EuropeanInvestment Bank has granted a ¢ 900m ($1.3bn) loan to the Port ofRotterdam to finance infrastructure expansion. The financing contractfor the first ¢ 100m ($145m) has already been signed.

Netherlands-basedsoftware provider TBA has successfully concluded the first phase of testing ofEuromax terminals automated cargo handling equipment fleet. After the trial,TBAs automated fleet management system TEAMS was able to remotely control themovement…

Polands Baltic Container Terminal hasupgraded its terminal operating system to improve efficiency. The new TideworksSystem replaces BCTs old system, which was installed in the late 1990s.

UkrainesPrivat Group has finalised plans for the countrys largest independent privatecontainer terminal, International Container Terminal Peresyp. Covering 62 haand with 1,300 metres of quay wall, construction of the terminal - sited nextto…

The UKs Port of Tilbury is seeking toharness wind power in a bid to cut carbon emissions and power consumption. Ithas submitted a planning application to Thurrock Council for the development ofits…

Dragados-SPL has begun the final phase construction work at its new ¢ 50m ($74.3m) dry bulk terminal in the port of Santander. Start-up traffic this year is expected to be 1.5m tonnes,…

Germanys Eurogate and Russias National Container Company (NCC) haveforged a North-European alliance to improve prospects for their respectivecontainer terminals in Ust-Luga and Wilhelmshaven.

Marseilles-Fosis offering reduced 2008 port dues to container lines that push increasedvolumes through the French port.