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Insight and Opinion
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR?
Political statements made in Barbados suggest a main Caribbean transshipment role for Barbados but market realities suggest otherwise.
Politicising port investments
COMMENT: Should local politicians be made accountable for the decisions made by their regional ports? It is an interesting question which is currently being debated in New Zealand, where all ports have either majority or 100% regional council ownership, often through a holding company, writes Dave MacIntyre.
Could a third stevedore reduce long-term competition in Sydney?
As Port Botany''s third terminal expansion project moves into its dredging phase, debate about the potential flow-on effects of introducing a third stevedore into the Sydney container scene has taken some interesting turns.
Dave MacIntyre Opinion Piece
Just how hard it is for port executives to plan ahead and get traction for major new development, in an era when environmental concerns are paramount?
MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES… …The Shipping Bubble is Bound to Burst
COMMENT: An unprecedented increase in shipping profi tability has generated a newbuilding bubble that ports may not be prepared for, writes Ben Hackett.
GLOBALISATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN REMAIN AT RISK
COMMENT: Ports struggle with congestions, carriers with lack of capacity and countries with more COVID-19. The pressure is not letting up, writes Ben Hackett.
NEW PORT PERFORMANCE INDEX - GOOD TRY BUT WRONG
COMMENT: The World Bank and IHS/Markit Container Port Performance Index is well off the mark and does not reflect reality, writes Ben Hackett.
Security that's fit for purpose
Ports and terminals are increasingly being drawn into the purview of private maritime security companies, as such contractors seek to strengthen their links with the insurance market.
Baby steps on energy strategies
All the leading ports groups seem to have got the message that they need to manage energy consumption on sustainability principles, but action is still in its infancy.
Insurance comfort for the bottom line
At first glance, the prospects of keeping their insurance spend at current levels might seem slim for executives in the ports and terminals industry; the recent series of high-profile natural catastrophes could encourage underwriters to seek dearer premiums at renewals.
Setting robust joint venture terms
HFW’s Craig Grant discusses the key considerations from a private company perspective when entering into a joint venture
Balancing purchasing risks and rewards
HFW’s Joseph Botham outlines the key considerations from a private company perspective when buying a port or a terminal.
Keep calm and carry on
COMMENT: When faced with an explosion incident – perhaps during cargo loading or discharge operations – calmness is vital for effective co-ordination. Given there will, inevitably, be competing commercial interests, formulating a purposeful, strategic approach is key, writes Wole Olufunwa.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION BUILDS BRIGHT SPOTS
COMMENT: Amidst a continuing flow of bad news about COVID-19 in the maritime business, with mariners stuck aboard vessels, bright spots have emerged along the East, West and Gulf coasts, in the U.S. ports, writes Barry Parker.
HOME DEPOT TAKES TO THE WATER
COMMENT: The debate in Washington, D.C. over “infrastructure”- however you define it, is continuing, writes Barry Parker.
NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL
COMMENT: USA infrastructure has endured yet another crisis, with the outage of the Colonial Pipeline, a major artery for moving refined products from refineries (in the US Gulf Coast) to consumers in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, writes Barry Parker.
THE VOLUME: REVENUE RELATIONSHIP
COMMENT: One might think that the revenues of port development companies (PDCs) are primarily driven by the volumes handled in the port, writes Peter de Langen.
THE UNEVEN COMMERCIAL POWER RELATIONSHIP
COMMENT: For all the right reasons, a lot of attention among port developers, policy makers and regulators is focused on the competition in the terminal and shipping markets and risks of the emergence of dominant positions, for instance due to vertical integration, writes Peter de Langen.
EMERGING GLOBAL MARKET FOR STORING AND UTILISING CARBON
COMMENT: A stream of recent announcements suggests that a global market for storing and utilising carbon is emerging, writes Peter de Langen.
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR?
Political statements made in Barbados suggest a main Caribbean transshipment role for Barbados but market realities suggest otherwise.
DARWIN’S CHINA OWNERSHIP UNDER REVIEW
The port of Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia has been sucked into the ongoing dispute between China and Australia.
VALENCIA: BALANCE SECURED
New container terminal development in Valencia appears to have struck the right balance in a challenging environmental situation.
Calling on the youth of today
Erasmus’ Maurice Jansen sees value in young professional networks taking the stage in ports around the world
Be part of disruption or be disrupted
Cargotec’s Dr Tero Hottinen explains why ports need a finger of the pulse of disruptive technology
Be ‘people smart’ when automating
Royal HaskoningDHV’s (RHDHV) Bob Post explains how to address one of the biggest barriers to automation of brownfield terminals
SMARTER SCIENCE-BASED EMISSION TARGETS
COMMENT: With the G7 having finished building sandcastles in Cornwall, UK and the world jetting into Glasgow for COP26 on the November horizon, the media is awash with talk of climate change and the incredible challenge ahead, writes Charles Haine.
A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
COMMENT: The environmental media has been awash with news that shipping giant Maersk is aiming to launch its first ‘carbon neutral’ cargo liner vessel, writes Charles Haine.
CLIMATE CHANGE: NEW PLANS AND RULES
COMMENT: On the day the UK Government formally announced a ten-point Climate Action Plan, the mainstream TV news headliner was the investigation into a royal TV interview that took place 25 years ago, followed by consternation about how families may not be able to meet-up at Christmas during a pandemic, ...
