Amsterdam Seaports no. 2 2012

AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM BEVERWIJK IJMUIDEN ZAANSTAD

SEAPORTS

Special Issue

Sea and river cruises

www.amports.nl

2012/nr2

Waterland Terminal builds on record 2011

Shipping company Spliethoff and USA Terminal join forces May 2012

1

2

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

Contents Special Issue

Sea and river cruises 5 7 9 10 11 16 18 20 22 24 27 28 31 33 35

13

Unprecedented number of cruises in Amsterdam Seaports News in brief News in brief

Amsterdam Seaports cruise sector homes in on sustainability As the cruise sector grows, so too do the environmental facilities on and around river and sea cruisers. Amsterdam Seaports is a frontrunner in the field at a national and international level.

DFDS Seaways enjoys a record 2011 Felison Cruise Terminal expands capacity at IJmuiden Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP) brings companies together Amsterdam cruises Mannes Boelen: Tireless ambassador for cruises

27

Major cruise lines enjoy calling at Amsterdam Seaports VCK Logistics: spider in the web Waterland Terminal builds on record 2011 Svitzer and Iskes: Partners more than competitors More vessels thanks to Amsterdam collaboration

IJmuiden port of departure and arrival for luxury yachts

Publisher: Amsterdam Ports Association De Ruijterkade 7, 1013 AA Amsterdam The Netherlands Telephone + 31 20 627 37 06 Fax +31 20 626 49 69 E-mail: amports@amports.nl Website: www.amports.nl

In 2011 the modern all-wheater terminal achieved a record transhipment of 1.7 million tons of general cargo (break bulk), a 20 percent increase on 2010. It also welcomed 645 seagoing vessels.

Cover photo: All together now‌ Sea and river cruise ships in the heart of Amsterdam. This photo was taken last year during the maiden call of ms AIDAsol, the thousandth cruise ship to dock at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. On the left you can see some of the 1350 river cruise vessels that the Dutch capital will welcome during the course of this year. Photo: Martin Hendriksen.

Koopman Car Terminal expands its capacity and activities

Colophon:

Waterland Terminal builds on record 2011

Managing director: Laura Keegstra Chief editor: Bart Stam Junior editor: Sam van den Brink Translation: Writewell Amsterdam: Andrew Rogers, Akke Pinkster, Damir Avdic Layout: FIZZ reclame+communications, Meppel (NL) Printed by: Ten Brink, Meppel (NL)

Advertisers: 36 32 04 12 32 12 12 30 08 02

www.amports.nl

Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP) Amports AYOP Forkliftcenter KVSA MegaBarging Oiltanking Amsterdam Port of Amsterdam Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) SGS

06 VCK Logistics 08 Waterland Terminal 34 Zeehaven IJmuiden NV

May 2012

3

4

May 2012 March 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

Unprecedented number of cruises in Amsterdam Seaports When I look out from my office at the Felison Terminal in IJmuiden, I see more and more cruise ships passing by. This is a very concrete reminder that the cruise business is genuinely booming in Amsterdam Seaports. Records in terms of river and sea cruise ships, passenger numbers and revenue are continuously being broken.

The grand opening of a second terminal on the IJmondhaven (IJmond harbour) here in IJmuiden was celebrated on 4 May. Since the removal of the sill at the Forteiland island locks in 2011, cruise ships of up to 295 metres can now berth here without problems. This was the justification for building the second terminal and the reason that IJmuiden will welcome some 40 cruise ships this year.

Things are going well in Amsterdam as well.

The city, which will celebrate the 400-year anniversary of its celebrated canal district in 2013, is of course a huge attraction for foreign guests. Almost all large cruise companies have

AMSTERDAM

added the Dutch capital – as well as IJmuiden – to their itineraries, and this year we are expecting almost 200 calls. It is encouraging to note that this now includes more turnaround than transit calls, i.e. most cruises now start and end here. This is extremely lucrative for both Amsterdam and the region, as a turnaround call delivers almost twice the revenue, namely some 610,000 euros each. Surveys show that passengers often arrive several days earlier, make day trips to nearby places such as Volendam or Haarlem, and spend extra money in museums and restaurants. Sea cruises delivered approximately 74 million euros to the region last year. River boats, 1350 of which will visit Amsterdam this year, account for nearly 70 million.

This increase has a downside, however, primarily in terms of infrastructure. Although PTA is an ultra-modern terminal, a second location in Amsterdam for sea cruise ships will eventually become inevitable, even with optimal cooperation with IJmuiden. River

cruises are also vulnerable to crowding in the spring, especially around the time the Keukenhof garden opens. Now that more and more luxury boats of 135 metres or more are arriving, the berths on each side of the Central Station often fill up fast, and, like for the sea cruise ships, it takes effort to accommodate the river boats elsewhere in the region.

Fortunately, Haarlem added four new berths in April.

Whatever the caveats, the cruise industry is booming. And this can be largely attributed to the excellent regional cooperation over the past ten years between nautical service providers, local authorities, cruise companies, tour operators and maritime service providers.

I am convinced they will jointly solve the capacity issues and that cruises will continue to visit our beautiful cities and ports for a long time to come.

Michiel A. Wijsmuller, Amports Chairman

AMSTERDAM BEVERWIJK IJMUIDEN ZAANSTAD

SEAPORTS

AMSTERDAM SEAPORTS

Official publication on behalf of the ports of Amsterdam, Beverwijk, IJmuiden and Zaandstad.

Published four times a year in English by Amsterdam Ports Association (E-mail: amports@amports.nl - www.amports.nl) Mor e a b o u t A m s t e r d a m P o r t s A s s o c i a t i o n a n d i t s 3 0 0 m e m b e r s : w w w. a m p o r t s . n l Special Issue

Sea and river cruises

w w w. a m p o r t s . n l

2012/nr2

Waterland Terminal builds on record 2011

Shipping company Spliethoff and USA Terminal join forces May 2012

1

www.amports.nl

May 2012 M arch

5

Port of Amsterdam +31 20 58 77 877 - info@vcklogistics.nl Port of Rotterdam +31 10 494 37 77 - info.ocean@vcklogistics.nl Amsterdam Airport Schiphol +31 20 65 49 100 - info.air@vcklogistics.nl Member of the VCKGROUP

www.vcklogistics.nl Amsterdam Seaports

NEWS IN BRIEF Impressive growth in cruises The cruise industry is going from strength to strength in the Amsterdam region, which includes the ports of Amsterdam and IJmuiden. The number of cruises alighting around the North Sea Canal has increased each year in the recent past. The promotional organisers Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP) anticipate a sharp rise in the number of cruise ships arriving at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) and the Felison Terminal in IJmuiden this year compared to 2011.

Although 2011 was already a record-breaking year for cruises to Amsterdam Seaports, the figures expected in 2012 are even more impressive. To date, 154 bookings have already been received for Amsterdam, of which 81 are turnarounds (i.e. cruises beginning or ending in Amsterdam), and 40 for IJmuiden.

In addition, there has been a noticeable rise in the demand for river cruises and motoryacht charters.

In 2011 alone, 1,330 vessels arrived in Amsterdam.

ACP expects to surpass even these impressive figures in 2012.

Dutch ports jointly attend Intermodal in São Paulo Four Dutch ports (Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Groningen and Zeeland) made a joint presentation at the Intermodal exhibition in São Paulo (Brazil), which took place from 10 to 12 April. Intermodal is the largest event in the Americas for logistics, cargo, transport and international trade.

By participating in the Intermodal exhibition, the Dutch ports showed the importance they attach to Brazil’s fast growing economy and its increasing need for international transport and logistics concepts. Dutch imports from Brazil consist largely of feed products, oilseeds and oleaginous fruits, meat products, vegetables, fruit, oil and iron ore. Some 40 million tons of export goods are shipped to the Netherlands via Dutch seaports every year.

Next to members of the four port authorities, the Dutch delegation comprised representatives of many port-related companies, such as the Spliethoff Group, BigLift, Forkliftcenter, BTS Business Telecom Solutions, World Wise Marine and the Maritime Academy of Amsterdam Seaports.

Iskes Towage & Salvage moves to IJmondhaven On Wednesday 7 March, Iskes Towage & Salvage inaugurated a new office building and business space in IJmondhaven (IJmond harbour; part of the port of IJmuiden). The mayor of Velsen (which IJmuiden is part of), Franc Weerwind, congratulated Iskes on its new home and called the family firm a model for a successful, innovative company. Next on the agenda was the christening of the newest tug Argus, which has a bollard pull of 63 tons.

One of the many advantages of the new office is that it gives operators an excellent view of incoming and outgoing vessels.

Amsterdam already has 1350 bookings for river cruise ships in 2012. Photo: Dick van den Berg

Ben Iskes started his towing business 44 years ago, initially from a home office. Thanks to rapid growth, the company was able to move in 2006 to the Haringhaven (Herring harbour), one of the three port basins of IJmuiden. A continuous growth in the number of vessels and personnel eventually led to an urgent need for more space and better storage and reception capabilities for Iskes.

Port of Amsterdam joins forces in India During a trade mission by the city of Amsterdam from 25 to 31 March in India, Port of Amsterdam signed a cooperation agreement with the Samsara Group, a major shipping agent with 54 offices in the country, which agreed to actively represent and promote Port of Amsterdam in India at the marketing and sales level.

The Samsara Group is a logistics group of international prominence. It is part of the Sharaf Group, a major multi-industrial conglomerate based in Dubai. Samsara is involved in activities including liner agencies, automobile logistics, chartering, inland container terminal operations and heavy cargo transport. It ships 1.2 million TEU containers each year, using its own trains to reach customers across the great expanses of the subcontinent. Joining forces with Samsara will allow the Port of Amsterdam to use India’s extensive network as well.

The management team of Iskes Towage & Salvage at their new office on the IJmondhaven. Photo: Ed Seeder

MORE ABOUT AMSTERDAM PORTS ASSOCIATION AND ITS 300 MEMBERS WWW.AMPORTS.NL www.amports.nl

May 2012

7

Will we stay dry today?

In Europe’s largest All Weather Terminal transferring vulnerable products like steel, timber and paper no longer depends on dry weather conditions.

Visit our updated website www.waterlandterminal.com and request our brochure or make an appointment for a visit.

There's no obligation!

Stevedore and Terminal operator Westpoort 5079 - Elbaweg 10 1044 AD Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 20 44 80 620 E kantoor@waterlandterminal.nl W www.waterlandterminal.com

600 metres (1,971 feet) of quay, 12 to 30 metres wide / max. weight: 30 ton cranes Just 25 km (14 nautical miles) from open sea to Amsterdam Draft: 10 metres Two computer-steered gangways that can be smoothly and flexibly connected to nearly any cruise ship Excellent technical facilities for refuelling and provisioning.

Ideal starting point for both the Baltic and arctic routes as for City Cruises Very fast turnaround procedure ISPS-certified / IMO no. 0253 Security (system) to be requested in advance via shipping agent / scanning equipment not a standard accessory!

Tug boats via Svitzer Wijsmuller Tides: none Pilot: compulsory 4 connection points for fiberoptic cable in both gangways

Piet Heinkade 27 1019 BR AMSTERDAM T +31 (0)20 509 10 00 info@ptamsterdam.com www.ptamsterdam.com

The perfect port of call

8

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

NEWS IN BRIEF More Grimaldi vessels

Grimaldi Lines has restructured its Central Express Service (CEX) to West Africa by adding two Con/Ro vessels to make a fleet of eight vessels and accepting containers in Rotterdam for transhipment to Antwerp on the CEX service. This means more seagoing vessels to the USA Terminal in Amsterdam.

The revised CEX service will consist of two different loops. Loop 1 will be ensured by five vessels from Hamburg, Tilbury (UK), Amsterdam and Antwerp to Cotonou (Benin), Lagos (Nigeria) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast) with a six-day frequency. In loop 2, three vessels will travel from Hamburg, Amsterdam, Tilbury and Antwerp to Lagos, Lomé (Togo) and Tema (Ghana) with a 12day frequency. The agent for Grimaldi Lines in the Netherlands is Broekman Motorships BV.

Amsterdam Seaports makes good impression at Seatrade 2012 Several members of the promotional organisation Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP), including Port of Amsterdam, participated in the Holland stand at the Seatrade Conference (13-15 March) in Miami. Seatrade is the leading international exhibition for sea cruises. During the exhibition, the city of Amsterdam received the award of Best Destination Experience from the cruise magazine Insight.

During the traditional ACP breakfast, sponsored by Port of Amsterdam, more than 40 representatives from sea and river cruise related businesses listened with interest to General Director Dertje Meijer of Port of Amsterdam. She covered topics such as the 200 or so sea cruise ships and 1350 river cruise ships passing through Amsterdam Seaports this year, the intensive cooperation between Amsterdam and IJmuiden, and the growing activities in the field of river cruises.

New orders Niron Staal

NironStaal in the Port of Amsterdam recently secured orders for advanced equipment in dredging and offshore worth approximately two million euro. These orders further illustrate the company’s belief that there will be continued demand for its specialty of machining large objects, its high tensile steel (S690) welding competences and its attractive facilities. The orders were placed by VOSTA LMG, Subsea7, Bibby Offshore, IHC Handling Systems and an undisclosed party in the offshore industry.

Trains to Argentina by freighter

A highly unusual transport was seen in the port of Amsterdam in early April. Fifteen Dutch trains boarded the 153-metre freighter BBC Ostfriesland for a journey of several weeks to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trains were placed in special cradles designed by the Amsterdam port company Pronk Multiservice on behalf of Multi Marine, shipping agency for BBC Chartering in the Benelux.

The freighter BBC Ostfriesland is equipped with its own crane to hoist on board the trains, which together weighed some 540 tons. Transport management was ensured by Robison Group, an Argentine logistics provider that organised safe arrival in Buenos Aires.

Mannes Boelen (Port of Amsterdam), Dertje Meijer (Port of Amsterdam) and René Kouwenberg (PTA), at the Seatrade exhibition in Miami.

First seagoing vessel with Beverwijk as home port The MS Contender heralds Abeko Marine’s arrival in the dredging industry.

The company – based in the Port of Beverwijk, part of Amsterdam Seaports – converted a coaster to a trailing suction hopper dredger with a capacity of 2,734 m³. The dredger will clean silt, sand and gravel in shallow coastal waters, mainly along the Dutch, German and English coasts, as well as in West Africa. As soon as the refit is complete, the newly converted vessel will clean some 800,000 to one million tonnes silt from outside the locks of Wilhelmshaven in Germany.

Abeko Marine, founded in 1972, carries out stevedoring operations in Beverwijk and Velsen-Noord. It also takes care of internal logistics for the coal transhipment company OBA in Amsterdam, leases out machinery, and is responsible for storage and transhipment at Tata Steel in IJmuiden. (WM)

Hoisting the trains onboard the freighter BBC Ostfriesland. Photo: Ed Seeder

MS Contender docked at Abeko. Photo: Willem Moojen

MORE ABOUT AMSTERDAM PORTS ASSOCIATION AND ITS 300 MEMBERS WWW.AMPORTS.NL www.amports.nl

May 2012

9

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES Over 560,000 passengers between IJmuiden and Newcastle

DFDS Seaways enjoys a record 2011

D

FDS Seaways transported a record of 562,000 passengers between IJmuiden and Newcastle in 2011. “We aim to grow to 600,000 travellers a year,” says managing director Teun Wim Leene.

By Jan van den Berg

Princess Seaways is one of the two sister ships responsible for the daily DFDS Seaways ferry route between IJmuiden and Newcastle. Photo: Dick van den Berg

DFDS Seaways’ passengers are German, while the Dutch make up 38 per cent and the British 41 per cent.

Meanwhile, DFDS Seaways is constantly seeking ways to tap into new markets. “We are always on the lookout for opportunities. For instance, we have been offering mini cruises and holiday packages for many years. A few years ago we introduced travel to the home football games of Newcastle United and Sunderland. This has been a success – last year alone we sold 8,000 of these trips.”

A fragile economic climate is not generally CONCERT TRIPS There are more possible variations on this theme – for example, the new concert trips. favourable to tourism and transport. It “There are artists on tour who visit Newcastle but not the Netherlands. We have offered is therefore all the more remarkable that trips to a Lionel Ritchie concert in Newcastle, for example.”

DFDS Seaways carried more passengers and cargo between IJmuiden and Newcastle One thing that helps with product development is that DFDS Seaways is both a shipping in 2011 than the previous year. “This is company and a travel agent. “In addition to crossings, we also offer comprehensive really quite impressive,” adds Teun Wim packages, accommodation and car tours. By highlighting this on our Leene. “We have done website we attract people who want more than just a crossing, and increase considerably better than “We have done passenger numbers in the process. Our competitors do this rarely if at all.” other companies who sail considerably better between the Netherlands than other companies HEADING FOR THE 600,000 MARK and UK.” who sail between the Leene foresees further growth in the coming years. “Our goal is to reach an annual figure of 600,000 passengers within a few years. I cannot be sure In the mid-2000s DFDS Netherlands and UK.” when this will be realised – while we have grown considerably since 2008, Seaways was transporting the increase has levelled off a little lately.” half a million passengers per year. The number subsequently There is a limit to the growth in cargo transport, explains Leene. “During most of the fell slightly, before growing again to year, we have more than enough cargo capacity. But in the summer months, the car decks over 500,000 by 2009. There has been are filled with passenger cars. It can be difficult to provide room for carriers throughout further growth in 2010 and 2011, while the year. Smart use of space goes a long way, however, and we have become very creative the transport of trucks and trailers also in this.” increased slightly last year.

10

STRONG GERMAN ECONOMY

LARGER VESSELS

Leene has no conclusive explanation for this growth. “Maybe people are going on holiday closer to home. But then, if this was the case, it would also have benefitted our competitors. One factor that certainly plays a role is the current strength of the German economy.” Seventeen per cent of

Since DFDS Seaways started sailing between IJmuiden and Newcastle in 1995, its vessels have regularly been replaced by larger ones. The current King Seaways and Princess Seaways transport 1620 and 1460 passengers, respectively. Leene expects that this capacity will be sufficient to transfer 600,000 passengers per year. “If we ever need to go above this we will take another good look at our fleet,” he concludes.

May 2012

www.dfdsseaways.nl

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

Felison Cruise Terminal expands capacity at IJmuiden

By Jan van den Berg “Ours is a huge growth market,” says Erik Schuffel – and, as managing director for the Dutch subsidiary of the Italian cruise company MSC, he should know. “Last year, the cruise market in the Netherlands grew by 31 per cent. There will be steep growth this year too.” This is most visible in Amsterdam – some 85 per cent of cruise ships coming to the Netherlands in 2012 have the capital city as a destination.

T

he number of sea cruise vessels mooring at Amsterdam Seaports has grown spectacularly in recent years. The new Felison Cruise Terminal in IJmuiden offers additional possibilities to accommodate them.

metres in length. After the channel for cruise ships was deepened in April 2011, however, larger cruise ships up to 295 metres could enter the IJmondhaven (IJmond Harbour, a section of the port of IJmuiden). MSC and KVSA carried out a trial with the handling of a large cruise ship as far back as 2007. “It went well, although there were restrictions,” the KVSA managing director says. “For instance, there isn’t enough space to allow 295-metre vessels to manoeuvre into and out of the IJmondhaven safely in all circumstances. Moreover, there was no sufficiently large terminal. At the time, we solved this issue with a tent as a temporary facility.”

The channel has now been widened and deepened, and the new Felison Cruise Terminal was opened with a fanfare on Friday 4 May, just in time for the first call of an MSC cruise ship (MSC Opera) in IJmuiden. “MSC had indicated its intention to make some 20 calls every year in IJmuiden if a good terminal was available,” Baud says. “This commitment informed our decision to build the new Felison Cruise Terminal. And with good results – MSC will make 22 calls in IJmuiden this season and another 17 are already on the agenda for 2013.”

“This does not mean that the vessels themselves all need to sail through to Amsterdam, however,” adds Frans Baud, managing director of KVSA, which operates a terminal for cruise ships and ferries in IJmuiden. “Staying in IJmuiden, without passing through the locks to sail to Amsterdam through the North Sea Canal, saves a cruise operator at least five hours.

This translates into more time for passengers to “MSC had already indicated spend ashore.”

wanting to make some 20 calls per year in IJmuiden if there was an adequate terminal."

KVSA has been operating around this concept for more than a decade. And since the opening of the new Felison Cruise Terminal in IJmuiden, cruise ships have at their disposal a location with all the latest facilities.

MORE SPACE

TWO DOCKS The new Felison Cruise Terminal is located between two docks at the end of the IJmondhaven. One of the docks can accommodate vessels of up to 295 metres. “This is enough for the vast majority of cruise ships,” Baud explains. The other dock is suitable for vessels up to 260 metres. The terminal itself has a floor area of 1,600 m². “It primarily serves for passenger baggage handling and any customs formalities,” Baud concludes.

MORE THAN 60,000 PASSENGERS Baud expects the two Felison terminals in IJmuiden to welcome more than 60,000 cruise passengers this year. He is confident that sufficient capacity is in place to absorb the strong growth anticipated in the years ahead.

The dock at the existing Felison Terminal accommodated only cruise ships up to 210

www.kvsa.nl www.felisonterminal.nl

The proud KVSA managing director Frans Baud in front of the new Felison Cruise Terminal under construction. Photo: Ed Seeder.

www.amports.nl

May 2012

11

Office Elst Industrieweg-Oost 16 6662 NE Elst Phone: +31 (0)88-1011206 Fax: +31 (0)88-1011208 E-mail: info@megabarging.nl Office Amsterdam Ruijgoordweg 100 1047 HM Amsterdam Phone: +31 (0)20-4801400 Fax: +31 (0)20-3347571 E-mail: info@megabarging.nl

www.MegaBarging.nl

Quality in logistics 12

May 2012

Rachel Caruana Logistics Manager, Oiltanking Malta

We Can, We Care Oiltanking Malta ́ s central location in the Mediterrane-

continuous coordination with her customers, ship agents

an, close to the international shipping lanes, allows for

and local authorities. Since starting 20 years ago, as

efficient distribution to the Mediterranean countries and

Oiltanking Malta’s first employee, Rachel has been ensu-

for leverage on arbitrage opportunities going east and

ring this excellent service. She continues to do so with

west. Rachel Caruana strives to efficiently schedule the

the same positive attitude as on her first day – simply

average 850 vessels that call on her berths each year by

because she cares.

Your reliable storage partner for liquid bulk.

Admiralitaetstrasse 55 | D-20459 Hamburg Germany Tel. +49-40-370990 0 | Fax +49-40-37099 499 | www.oiltanking.com

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

Amsterdam Seaports cruise sector homes in on sustainability

Making a clean sweep

Xxx

Several vessels from recycling company Bek & Verburg, including crane vessel Invotis II, collect waste from cruise ships (mainly domestic and small chemical waste). Photo: Bek & Verburg

By René Didde “This building has golden Green Key certification,” says René Kouwenberg as the director of Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) leads the way on the escalators that are currently switched off. “It’s a quiet day today so it would be a shame to keep them running.”

The terminal is of course a bustling place the moment an ocean cruiser discharges around 2,000 people for a day in Amsterdam, the Keukenhof or the Zaanse Schans. This year the port will be visited by 154 cruise vessels and around 300,000 people will disembark at PTA. There they will find energy-saving LED lighting and an eco-friendly climate control system that runs on underground thermal storage systems. “PTA was the first to feature such technologies on the IJ banks 12 years ago,” Kouwenberg adds with pride.

A

s the cruise sector grows, so too do the environmental facilities on and around river and sea cruisers. Amsterdam Seaports is a frontrunner in the field at a national and international level. Domestic waste is separated and residual waste compressed into fuel briquettes. What’s more, river cruisers have access to shore power after mooring, while an increasing number of vessels use low sulphur diesel fuels.

PTA ensures that large ocean cruisers moor with their engines aft. “This results in less noise and odour pollution for the local residents as the vessel generator supplies power,” Kouwenberg explains. And the PTA director is looking forward to the future options for supplying such vessels with shore power. “This is already the case in many American harbour cities like Los Angeles and Seattle, and ships are being adapted accordingly.”

ENVIRONMENTALLY-AWARE SECTOR According to PTA the cruising sector is very aware of issues such as the environment and sustainability. “They realise that the sea is their bread and butter,” says Kouwenberg.

“Many vessels have their own water purification systems that discharge water which is cleaner than the seawater itself.” From purchasing healthy and sustainably produced food and low sulphur fuel to ensuring passengers do not throw plastic overboard and avoiding

www.amports.nl

May 2012

13

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

SUPPLIERS After receiving an order from an agent, a company like maritime supplier Waterboot Van den Bovenkamp, with facilities in Zaandam and Amsterdam, will sail to the cruise vessel in question.

“We then pump 50,000 to 300,000 litres of drinking water onboard,” says director Dave van den Bovenkamp.

And there are other tasks handled by his company. “If desired, we can also analyse the water onboard and do legionella tests. We also sell water disinfectants.”

The boatmen of the Koperen Ploeg are called to connect the hawsers of the cruise vessels to the bollards and mooring posts. “We also collect socalled Annex 5 waste - domestic and small chemical waste such as empty paint tins,” says chairman Mike Schotte. The crews of cruise vessels increasingly separate waste into paper, glass, plastic, organic (mainly fruit and vegetable waste) and residual waste.

These waste flows are hoisted off board

in containers or big bags to keels and pontoons. “We then transport the waste to our company where it is lifted on shore with a shore crane,” Schotte explains.

Once on land, the waste is handled by processing company ICOVA. “We transport it to our special port reception system where it is processed into fuel briquettes that mainly consist of combustible elements like paper and plastic,” says Cor Gerritsen of ICOVA. The residual waste is processed by the Ecopower separation system.

“It’s amazing how much useable waste we still find,” Gerritsen continues. The separated glass, paper, metal and plastic is recycled.

At the moment the briquettes are sold to a Swedish client who uses them for district heating. “We would prefer selling them to a company around the corner, like the Hemweg power plant from Nuon in the Amsterdam port area, but this is a multi-year contract,” says Gerritsen. His company and the Koperen Ploeg joined forces in the Mokum Mariteam Amsterdam transport initiative. ‘Cargo through the Canal’ is the slogan, but the electric vessel can just as easily moor alongside inland vessels and river cruisers to collect their waste.

Bek & Verburg is also involved in collecting domestic waste from vessels, both in Rotterdam and Amsterdam Seaports. “Our 22 vessels run on low sulphur diesel fuel and the emissions are reheated,” explains director Daan van Mullem. Just like the Koperen Ploeg and ICOVA, Bek & Verburg collects small chemical waste such as batteries or TL lamps in addition to domestic waste. The company also removes used frying oil so long as it is stored in drums.

full speed sailing, shipping companies are already investing in the environment Kouwenberg believes.

Not far from PTA and also in the centre of Amsterdam, Paul Pot, project manager of the Port of Amsterdam, agrees. “If cruise vessels can prove that they use low sulphur diesel instead of the heavy bunker oil that is usually blended with chemicals, we give them a reduction on their port duty,” he says in the Havengebouw building, home to various organisations including the Port of Amsterdam.

Shore power for seagoing vessels remains an expensive solution that goes hand in hand with a lot of technical uncertainties, as is shown in a feasibility study commissioned by the port authorities.

The breakthrough has already been seen for river cruisers, however. Port of Amsterdam and the adjacent municipality of Zaanstad are actively equipping all berths with silent and emission-free units 14

May 2012

that supply shore power to moored vessels. But it was no easy feat. “It wasn’t technically complex per se to have the transformers and facilities for high voltage on land meet the standards,” says Pot. “The problem was that vessels don’t have earth leakage on board.

A small short circuit in the onboard electrical network would immediately shut down the shore power.”

Even more complex were the meetings with the various Amsterdam districts about transformer sheds and power units. “The spatial planning department, the building inspectors, the power companies: Everybody had their own opinion on how these shore power units should look like. Moreover, the transformer sheds had to be placed as far out of sight as possible.

Eventually all parties agreed on a narrow, rectangular unit with six connections for inland shipping berths and two for river cruisers. For now it involves a total of 180 to 200 units. Around 1350 river cruises will call at Amsterdam this year.

GREEN POWER ON BOARD Cruise vessels consume a great deal of electricity. “These vessels are becoming ever more luxurious, with facilities such as air conditioning, refrigerators and televisions in each cabin,” says Pot. There are also communal fitness areas, cinemas and obviously bars and restaurant facilities. “Passengers sleep and eat on board. Once a generator switches on, it produces sounds and emissions that keep local residents awake and can even annoy the passengers on board.”

Shore power in Amsterdam Seaports uses so-called green power, purchased from energy

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

Amsterdam alderman Freek Ossel and Janine van Oosten, harbourmaster of Port of Amsterdam, commission the first shore power units for inland and river cruise vessels in February 2011. Photo: Evert Bruinekool.

company Elektrabel. In fact this power may be produced locally: The Amsterdam port area currently has a capacity of 65 megawatt in wind turbines. “We want to grow to 100 MW and are currently looking into utilising the remaining 35 MW ourselves,”” says Pot. “Connecting the wind power in the port to the facilities for shore power would further strengthen the sustainable image of Amsterdam.”

SHIPPING COMPANIES INVEST Shipping companies also feel strongly about the environment, as is shown by policy documents from MSC. This Italian company has obtained various certified hallmarks regarding onboard sustainability and has been contributing to reducing pollution in the Venice lagoon by using low sulphur fuel in its vessels for three years. “Saving energy on board is another issue,” says MSC marketing manager Daniëlle Groot. “Lights switch off automatically when cabins are empty and the air conditioning automatically stops when windows are open.”

According to Groot, these measures result in energy savings of 30 percent.

comments. “And we decided not to install solar panels at our new terminal in the IJmondhaven (IJmond Harbour) as it would take 35 years before the costs would have been recovered, while they have a lifespan of only 15 years.”

Research has shown the potential of powering ferries with relatively sustainable LNG fuel (liquefied natural gas). A more concrete example of sustainability is the new passenger terminal in the IJmondhaven in IJmuiden, opened on 4 May. This is entirely in line with the cradle-to-cradle concept says Baud: “The building is made of steel, which means we can also use it as a shed. What’s more, after the lifespan of the building has passed, the entire building can be converted into scrap for melting into new iron by the nearby Tata Steel company.”

“Connecting the wind power in the port to the facilities for shore power would further strengthen the sustainable image of Amsterdam.”

Modern ocean cruisers have a 1500 m3 water purification system that filters waste water in five steps and purifies it chemically and organically. This allows the crew to discharge the water into sea without placing marine life at risk.

Director Frans Baud of shipping agent KVSA, owner of the Felison Terminal, has also noticed the improving environmental facilities onboard cruise vessels in IJmuiden.

“However, shore power is a bridge too far for ocean cruisers at the moment,” he

www.amports.nl

May 2012

15

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP) brings companies together

“We are there for everyone” ACP-chairman Hans Gerson (second left) listens attentively to a crew member during a tour of AIDAsol. Photo: Martin Hendriksen

A

fter a short stint as the alderman for transport (20092010), former director of the port of Amsterdam Hans Gerson is now also in charge of the non-profit foundation Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP). ACP vigorously champions the interests of cruise companies not just in Amsterdam, but in the entire North Sea Canal area (Amsterdam Seaports).

For sea cruises this involves IJmuiden and Amsterdam, while river cruises extend the scope of the activities from Haarlem and Zaandam all the way to the IJsselmeer Lake.

By Rob Schoemaker It is Thursday 5 April. The ferry between Central Station and Amsterdam North has to pause while the German cruise ship AidaLuna glides majestically toward the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA).

The giant vessels with their impressive superstructures are the last truly visible remainder of seaport activity in the centre of Amsterdam.

16

May 2012

“It remains an awesome sight, although it is no longer out of the ordinary,” Hans Gerson says ten minutes later in his office in Amsterdam North, “This year we expect a record number of more than 150 ships, which for the first time ever will mostly be turnaround calls – i.e. with Amsterdam as beginning and end point. In fact, in high season – which means from April to September – we often have more than one per day.”

CAPACITY EXPANSION In a single breath, Gerson highlights a number of subjects – first, the success of Amsterdam as an international cruise port, second, the fact that the current infrastructure is starting to reach the limits of its capacity. “At least these are luxury problems,” the ACP president says. “Amsterdam could, for instance, expand capacity in IJmuiden (40 bookings in 2012), where a new branch of the Felison Terminal opened very recently (see page 19) in the IJmondhaven [IJmond harbour]. Another way to deal with capacity limitations is to extend the cruise season.”

The fast-growing river cruises, Gerson adds, are also struggling with a shortage of berths in Amsterdam. “The solution is to offer new trips in the region with berths in neighbouring cities such as Zaandam and Haarlem, or Hoorn and Enkhuizen, two towns on the IJsselmeer Lake.”

CRUISES MATTER The cruise industry in Amsterdam has matured over the last decade. “In my early days as director of the Port of Amsterdam [Gerson was director between 2000 and 2009, ed.], the

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

cruise industry was not counted in the larger picture of tourism in Amsterdam,” Gerson explains. “The primary variable was the low number of overnight stays.

“But times have changed. River and sea cruises, plus the daily DFDS Seaways ferry from IJmuiden to Newcastle in the UK, now account for one million passengers every year.

Thanks to the increase in turnaround calls, the number of cruise-related stays in the city has risen dramatically.”

MORE DUTCH ON BOARD “Another factor is the fact that cruises are becoming increasingly popular among the Dutch, my wife and I included,” Gerson adds. “However, Dutch people still book less than half as many cruises as the Germans and the Brits.”

The Dutch Cruise Council is an organisation that has succeeded in convincing more Dutch people to go on a sea or river cruise. The latter is an important argument for companies to use Amsterdam, which is conveniently located on the edge of the Baltic Sea sailing region, as a home or turnaround port. Another possibility is to extend the cruise season by offering city trips towards the south in the winter months. Amsterdam is generally considered to be an ideal embarkation port for Germans and Belgians: Being ‘neighbours,’ they can easily drive there or comfortably take the train. For other countries, the wide range of connections at Schiphol Airport makes Amsterdam a great gateway as well.

“This growth in cruises has not gone unnoticed in the Amsterdam tourist industry,” the ACP president points out. “Hotels have seen the number of cruise-related bookings rise in conjunction with the increase in turnaround calls, and cultural institutions are receiving more visitors. Accordingly, ACP has been able to welcome many new participants from this sector over the last year. As well as hotels, other examples include the Keukenhof flower garden, Het Concertgebouw (Concert Hall), and museums such as the Van Gogh Museum.”

in Velsen, and the treasurer Raymond van der Storm is a cruise operator. “At the Seatrade, the most important cruise show in Miami, where all the Dutch players in the cruise sector occupy a stand together, ACP always organises a breakfast for guests,” Gerson says. “ACP takes the lead and anyone who wishes to participate can do so. That’s how we work!”

RIVER CRUISES “River cruises are growing even faster than sea cruises and are also very much within ACP’s field,” Gerson continues. “Although the target groups and companies are different, there is still synergy between the two sectors. Both sea and river cruises are based around the same tourist attractions and tour operators, for instance. And both are clear growth markets, where all kinds of new travel products can be developed, and the challenge is to use – and, when necessary, expand – the space available.

A second cruise terminal in Amsterdam, especially for turnaround vessels – whether for sea or river cruises – might well be constructed if there is a real need for it.” www.amsterdamcruiseport.nl

INDEPENDENT PLATFORM The role of ACP is to promote cruises and to provide an independent platform for all parties involved in the cruise industry, including competitors. “We are there for everyone,” Gerson underlines. “We stimulate synergies and foster the realisation among all parties that cooperation leaves everyone better off. We are not really a lobby organisation though.

We don’t need to be as everyone has an interest in a flourishing cruise industry.”

The daily management of ACP is therefore composed of networkers par excellence: The chairman is a former port director, the secretary Jacques Joosten is a highly placed official

AMSTERDAM CRUISE PORT (ACP) The founding fathers of ACP include Amports, Port of Amsterdam, the municipality of Velsen (which comprises the port of IJmuiden), the regional business association ORAM, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), Felison Terminal IJmuiden, the Chamber of Commerce, and VCK Logistics. ACP also has donors and some fifty other participants. The seven new members include renowned cultural and tourist institutions such as Het Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, as well as the Keukenhof flower garden.

Hans Gerson strikes the gong at the Amsterdam stock exchange to mark the arrival of the thousandth cruise ship. Photo: NYSE Euronext

www.amports.nl

May 2012

17

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES For every age, lifestyle and budget

Amsterdam cruises

A

msterdam Seaports is increasing its profile in the cruise ship industry with more vessels calling at the Dutch capital than ever. In 2012 over half had Amsterdam as a turnaround port – i.e. as a beginning or end destination. “The city, the port and Passenger Terminal Amsterdam are clearly doing something right,” says PTA managing director René Kouwenberg.

Passenger Amsterdam (PTA) received AmsterdamTerminal alderman Freek Ossel (left)has andalready managing director more than 160 bookings for 2013.

Photo: Reinder during Weidijk René Kouwenberg raise the glass of champagne celebrations for the 10th birthday of Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) in November 2010. Photo: PTA

By Rob Schoemaker A huge clog was recently delivered to the lower hall of Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, located in the city centre.

“This will be set next to two statues of cows in the arrivals corridor, where more than 300,000 cruise passengers are set to disembark this year. It may be a little cheesy, but this will soon be the most photographed clog in the Netherlands,” managing director René Kouwenberg says with satisfaction.

There is very little else corny about PTA. Kouwenberg runs a highly efficient company that repeatedly coordinates extremely time-critical operations in a companies, we need to work within tight sailing schedules. Time is absolutely relatively limited space. It serves as a critical to cruises, and delays are unacceptable. During a cruise call, for instance, a crucial link between shipping agents, vessel can be in port for just six hours, and any delay will reduce this already short who deal with technical issues (the time available for excursions in the city. During a turnaround call, delays can even cruise ship, the crew and nautical lead to passengers missing flights.” service providers), and the tour operators, who take care This is why Kouwenberg is so pleased with the plans for a new of the passengers. And "The strength of larger sea lock in IJmuiden, which will be in place in five years or with 150 cruise ships expected in Amsterdam Amsterdam as a cruise so and will improve access to the North Sea Canal as well as the city of Amsterdam. “The likelihood of delays at the locks will be this year, and more than destination is quite reduced. Furthermore, the trend is for cruise ships to become larger 160 bookings already simply the city itself." and larger, and we wouldn’t want to miss out on any calls from received for 2013, PTA is future mega vessels.” on a roll.

18

TIGHT SCHEDULES

EXTENDED SEASON

“The strength of Amsterdam as a cruise destination is quite simply the city itself.” Kouwenberg explains.

“To complement this attraction, the businesses in the port do their utmost to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

If we wish to bring in and retain cruise

These are just some of the reasons why Amsterdam is doing so well as a cruise destination. But there are others: The cruise industry worldwide, and in north-west Europe in particular, is on an upwards trajectory. Amsterdam Seaports is right on the edge of the Baltic sailing region, is very well connected to the rest of the world via Schiphol Airport, and is centrally placed with respect to surrounding European countries. “We recently set up an Atlantic Alliance with a number of partner ports,” Kouwenberg says. “The cruising season in the Baltic Sea runs from April to October,

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

after which it gets too cold. By offering southbound cruises all the way to Lisbon, we can extend our cruising season. From the Atlantic sailing areas, passengers can visit many major European cities within eight to ten days. The coastline between Saint Petersburg and Lisbon houses the highest concentration of global cities in the world, with Amsterdam at its centre.”

VARIETY Another relevant factor is the fact that Dutch people have now discovered cruises as a comfortable, safe and exciting way to travel. “It took some time, but Dutch people now see that the former, worn out image of cruise passengers – rich elderly Americans – has greatly evolved lately,” Kouwenberg says. “The average age on board is now 49, and the trips are shorter at an average of 8.3 days, which makes them ideal for second or third holidays. The variety in offers and prices is also increasing.

There is a company and a vessel catering to every age, every lifestyle, every budget.

And once people get a taste for it …”

MORE TURNAROUNDS This year, the number of turnaround calls – with a company choosing Amsterdam as a departure or final destination port – was higher than the number of cruise calls. “This is a first,” Kouwenberg says with satisfaction. Turnaround calls bring considerably more work as well as more income to the city, the nautical service providers and PTA. “Where a cruise call brings in an average turnover of € 400,000 to the harbour and the port businesses, a turnaround call will easily contribute more than € 600,000,” the managing director continues. “In addition, 20 per cent of passengers will tend to arrive earlier or leave later. This explains why more and more hotels are becoming members of the promotional organisation Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP).”

According to René Kouwenberg, a turnaround call requires a similar level of organisation as a minor military operation. All passengers, their luggage, and lots of crew members need to embark and disembark several times. This, in turn, requires timely transfers to and from airports and hotels. In the case of passengers from non-Schengen countries, a flexible cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (border police) is crucial if, say, two thousand passports need to be stamped in a reasonable time – agents of the Marechaussee will often come onboard already at the locks in IJmuiden. And by contenting themselves with random tests based on risk profiles during disembarkation, customs officials also help to make the process smoother.

APPROACHING CAPACITY PTA will continue to invest in its terminal in facilities such as Wi-Fi connections and improved safety. They are currently working on a second bus terminal for transfers (parking and suitcase handling) and excursion departures. The flip side of this success is that they are starting to approach the limits of the current dock capacity. “Although we are not exactly in a great investment climate right now, a second cruise terminal will be built in Amsterdam if the number of calls continues to increase like this,” Kouwenberg says. “Fortunately, we have an excellent cooperation with the Felison Terminal, which is located just before the locks in IJmuiden, and intend to work even closer together over the coming year. The current wave of expansion is nowhere near over, especially as the larger Amsterdam museums are set to open again soon. And as for the longer term, we know that there is massive interest in emerging markets – especially the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) – to discover Europe by cruise ship.” www.ptamsterdam.com

MAIDEN CALLS PASSENGER TERMINAL AMSTERDAM IN 2012: Star Flyer

Bremen

AIDAmar

AIDA Cruises

Rijndam

Holland America Line (HAL)

Celebrity Reflection Celebrity Cruises

René Kouwenberg (PTA) presents a welcome gift to AIDAsol captain Detlef Harms. Photo: Martin Hendriksen

www.amports.nl

May 2012

19

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES Mannes Boelen: Tireless ambassador for cruises

“Amsterdam Seaports has a strong international reputation”

Commercial manager Mannes Boelen (Port of Amsterdam) on the balcony of the Havengebouw (Harbour Building) while behind him the cruise ship AIDAluna heads for Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. Photo: Ed Seeder

By Bart Stam

20

A

lthough he reached the distinguished age of 65 last year, Mannes Boelen has no plans to retire. On the contrary: As commercial manager of the Port of Amsterdam he has dedicated himself to promoting sea and river cruises in the North Sea Canal.

It is now more than a decade ago since Mannes Boelen started working at the Port of Amsterdam as commercial manager. In 2006 sea cruises were added to his duties in addition to containers and mixed cargo. “I entered a whole new world,” says Boelen. “While the nautical aspects of cruise vessels are not that different to container vessels or bulk carriers, coming from the shipping industry I had no experience with tour operators, hotels or the hospitality sector. I have come to see the cruise industry as a fascinating world with substantial growth opportunities, especially in an internationally oriented city such as Amsterdam.”

calls in 2002 to 151 this year. Together with IJmuiden, also part of Amsterdam Seaports, we are approaching a total of 200 calls.”

A major reason for this success, according to Boelen, is the establishment of the ultra-modern PTA terminal as well as the excellent regional cooperation between nautical and tourist companies and organisations. “With nearly 200 calls we are among the top ten largest cruise ports in Europe. Further investments could allow the region to attract around 300 calls in 2014. The potential is even greater, perhaps even 500 calls or more.”

However, these types of numbers would result in capacity challenges. “We can only welcome 500 cruise vessels when we have sufficient terminal capacity and a new sea lock,” says the commercial manager of the Port of Amsterdam. “This is the only way that the largest cruise vessels, such as the Oasis of the Seas, could sail on to Amsterdam.”

EXCELLENT COOPERATION

SECOND TERMINAL

At the turn of the millennium, sea and river cruises on the North Sea Canal were still in their infancy. “PTA (Passenger Terminal Amsterdam) had just opened but Amsterdam had clearly yet to become an international cruise port. This also applied to river cruises of which around 470 called at Amsterdam in that time. Compare that to the 1330 calls in 2011. Sea cruises have also enjoyed a spectacular increase: From 70

Mannes Boelen believes that Amsterdam will need a second terminal for sea cruises within a few years. “The Coenhaven (Coen Harbour), alongside the Amsterdam ring road, is the most likely choice, but the earliest possibilities aren’t until 2014 or 2015, when the construction of the second traffic tunnel under the North Sea Canal has been concluded. Once the new motorway through the Amsterdam port has also been finished, any second terminal would be even more accessible from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. This is essential for turn-around calls where Amsterdam is the initial and final destination.”

May 2012

BETTER DISTRIBUTION Over the coming years, Amsterdam and IJmuiden will therefore need to optimise

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

their use of the existing infrastructure. The new Felison Cruise Terminal, opened in May, gives shipping companies extra possibilities to divert to IJmuiden.

Another option is a better distribution of the vessels over the calendar year.

“Previously cruise vessels only called in springtime or in the summer, but since 2011 we have at least one call every month of the year.” Boelen also mentions investments at the terminals, such as an extra bus terminal in a new building adjacent to the PTA.

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION

company Viking in Amsterdam on 21 March. “Viking is an important company to the city,” explains Boelen: “Around 80 percent of the passengers are American tourists who wish to discover Europe via the Rhine and the Danube.”

But like sea cruises, river cruises are also experiencing growing crowds at the 39 berths. “Especially in spring, at Easter or during the opening of the Keukenhof flower exhibition. Good cooperation with neighbouring municipalities allows us to accommodate the vessels elsewhere, but it is becoming increasingly difficult.”

Boelen is an enthusiastic supporter of joint international promotion of the North Sea Canal for sea and river cruises, for example at Seatrade Miami, the world’s leading trade event for the sector. “There is a good chance that a major non-Dutch shipping company will be calling in Amsterdam in 2015 with a new 350-metre cruise vessel on specific days on a weekly basis. The negotiations are currently in full swing.”

Moreover, it is no secret that the longest cruise vessel ever, Royal Caribbean’s brandnew 320-metre long, 36-metre wide Celebrity Reflection, is due to call at Amsterdam in October.

ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT Looking at the annual planning it becomes apparent that nearly all major shipping In conclusion, Mannes Boelen companies visit Amsterdam Seaports, with an emphasis on Carnival – with underlines the major economic subsidiaries such as HAL, Costa, Cunard, AIDA and Princess - Royal Caribbean importance of sea (which includes Celebrity Cruises) and the Star Cruise Group. and river cruises The independent Italian shipping company MSC Cruises also "We stimulate synergies and in the Amsterdam makes various calls to both Amsterdam and IJmuiden. region. “Sea cruises According to Boelen this indicates that the major shipping foster the realisation among all provide the region companies have well and truly discovered Amsterdam. parties that cooperation leaves with an income of “Although the city is actually situated too far north for cruises to everyone better off." almost 75 million Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, we are geographically euros, partly as a well located for short city trips to, for example, London, result of the increasing number of turnHamburg or Paris. And, obviously, for the Baltic States and the Norwegian fjords.” around calls. Each turn-around results RIVER CRUISE PROMOTION in no less than 610,000 euros, thanks Amsterdam is also significantly increasing its activities in the field of river cruises. In to extra passenger spending in hotels February a delegation from Amsterdam visited major river cruise companies in Basel and the hospitality sector. River cruises and Strasbourg that often call at the Dutch capital, such as Viking, AmaWaterways, provide around 68 million euros. It is a Scylla and CroisiEurope. Boelen “These are important missions as the number of fascinating sector that I aim to remain river cruises in Amsterdam has experienced considerable growth in the past ten active in for a long time to come!” years, from 470 to 1330 calls a year.”

A good example was the christening of four luxury river cruisers from shipping www.portofamsterdam.nl

Mannes Boelen: "We can only welcome 500 cruise vessels when we have sufficient terminal capacity and a new sea lock.” Photo: Ed Seeder

www.amports.nl

May 2012

21

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES Major cruise lines enjoy calling at Amsterdam Seaports

Rembrandt, Van Gogh and superior service

S

ome 1350 river cruise ships and 194 sea cruise ships will visit the North Sea Canal area this year. How do the major cruise organisers see the port cities of Amsterdam, IJmuiden and Zaanstad as tourist and maritime destinations? Amsterdam Seaports asked the four major companies involved in river and sea cruises.

By Karel van der Weide

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL The American company Royal Caribbean, founded in 1968, is based in Miami and has undergone several mergers over the years. Today, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd operates 40 ships, including 32 under the core brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises Club. The company covers the whole gamut of the cruise segment and carries some 18 million passengers a year.

Royal Caribbean plans 25 calls in Amsterdam Seaports this year: Nine by Royal Caribbean, ten by Celebrity and six by Azamara. And the number of passengers is growing thanks to an increase in both the size of boats and the frequency of calls – Celebrity Cruises will expand the number of calls in 2013 to 11.

In Amsterdam, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises use the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) exclusively. Here they enjoy the privileges of home port status (departure and arrival), which allows passenger flows to be better regulated. Even so, the company is also looking for alternatives which would allow it to offer the same

Erik Schuffel (MSC Cruises The Netherlands).

Photo: Reinder Weidijk

22

May 2012

facilities at each port. Celebrity Reflection, for instance, which carries up to 2500 passengers, will make her maiden call at the new Felison Cruise Terminal in IJmuiden, while Reflection also alights at PTA. Adam Sharp, Port Operations Manager for the UK, Northern Europe and India at RCCL (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) in London, is very pleased with the cooperation with Amsterdam Seaports.

Meeting him at the annual Seatrade fair in Miami, he gives some good feedback on Amsterdam’s enormous appeal to North American passengers. Sharp considers the scarcity of berths in Northern Europe as a general regional problem which must eventually be solved. “You can make reservations for berths years in advance only to be overtaken by events later. Within Europe, Amsterdam is in an excellent location to serve the Baltic and Scandinavia in particular, although there are also cruises going to the UK, France and Spain.”

RIVER ADVICE The Swiss company River Advice has been around for eight years and has a special position in the river cruise segment. Unlike tour operators that organise cruises, River Advice takes care of infrastructure, management and operations. This can be in direct cooperation with river cruise companies or by partnering with an investor looking to successfully utilise a particular vessel.

River Advice takes care of accommodation, catering, nautical management, supervision of construction vessels, accounting, finance and insurance. The company has 1150 employees, manages and operates 32 vessels, and defines its sailing plans in cooperation with ten tour operators. River Advice has offices in Basel and Zug (both in Switzerland) and Limassol (Cyprus) and generates 800,000 overnight stays per year.

Louise Sweers is River Advice’s manager for Itineraries, Locks & Docks. She is very positive about the cooperation with Amsterdam, including the harbour masters and the non-profit foundation Amsterdam Cruise Port (ACP). “Amsterdam is uniquely famous,

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

and sells this image in a way that others simply cannot match. There are issues with berths everywhere, but these can be avoided with early planning. Anyone who is still looking for a spot in 2013 after June 2012 is just too late, and that’s a fact.”

While Sweers acknowledges issues with parking and coaches, she underlines that every great historical city struggles with this and also mentions positive developments such as the new bus terminal underneath Museumplein, in proximity to the Amsterdam Concert Hall and the Rijksmuseum. In the long run, a new landing place near the Coentunnel could also be an option. She refers to the German city Passau, where a new facility was built outside the city centre. “It is not necessary that every river cruise ship always moors right behind the Central Station,” Sweers points out.

IJmuiden is easily accessible and has plenty of affordable parking space.

In Amsterdam, the public transport to the cruise terminal consists of a single tram line, which, apparently, is in danger of being cancelled. On the other hand, Amsterdam will always be Amsterdam.”

The Dutch have begun discovering cruises in recent years – in 2011, the Dutch cruise market increased by around 31 per cent. The economic downturn, combined with the grounding of Costa Concordia, has led to stagnation, however. This is why MSC is using major promotions – such as letting children under 18 travel for free – to attract more customers.

Adam Sharp (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) Photo: RCCL

AMA WATERWAYS

With a fleet of nine ships, the American company AmaWaterways MSC CRUISES offers luxury river cruises in Europe, MSC cruise ships criss-cross virtually the Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia. entire world, and the company is market The economic downturn has left leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa the company largely unscathed, and Brazil. Its 11 boats carried 1.3 million and AmaWaterways is going passengers last year. through a period of The Italian company is substantial growth.

Marco van Ingen (AmaWaterways) set to christen its 12th New routes are being “Within Europe, Photo: Bart Stam ship, the MSC Divina, opened in the South Amsterdam is in an in Marseille on 25 American and Asian excellent location May. There are 12,000 markets. people working for MSC to serve the Baltic worldwide, including 13 With 150 annual and Scandinavia in employed in the Dutch calls, Amsterdam is a particular” office in Hoofddorp major destination for (near Amsterdam AmaWaterways.

Its Schiphol Airport) under vessels occasionally the leadership of managing director Erik moor in neighbouring towns such Schuffel. as Haarlem and Zaandam. On average, they spend two and a half MSC has 36 departures planned for the days in the Dutch capital exploring Netherlands in 2012: Fourteen from the city and the hinterland. From Louise Sweers (River Advice). Photo: River Advice Amsterdam and 22 from IJmuiden. These Amsterdam, the company provides will be operated by MSC Opera and MSC further links both to nearby Lirica, vessels with a capacity of 2200 destinations in Belgium and/or to more distant places such as Budapest and Istanbul. passengers and a length of 250 metres each. On Friday 4 May, MSC Opera had AmaWaterways ships usually find a spot at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam or on its maiden call in IJmuiden to mark either sides of the Central Station (east or west along De Ruyterkade quay). Nonetheless, the opening of the new Felison Cruise Marco van Ingen, in charge of European operations at AmaWaterways, points out that Terminal. the number of berths is limited and other facilities also have room for improvement.

Naturally, it is not inconvenient for the cruise industry that the city is not amenable to The year 2013 will see 18 departures by tour coaches – cruise passengers, after all, like excursions – and the parking situation MSC ships from both Amsterdam and in Amsterdam is far from ideal. Van Ingen is, however, positive regarding shore power IJmuiden. According to Schuffel there is supplies. He sees the latter developments as encouraging due to the higher oil prices, still talk of capacity expansion since MSC so long as a universal system is applied.

Magnifica, a 293-metre vessel with space for 3200 passengers, will also be visiting According to Van Ingen, AmaWaterways is currently busy expanding its operations in the Dutch capital. A special feature of Amsterdam. As soon as a new vessel – such as, most recently, AmaDolce – enters service, this cruise ship is her outdoor pool with a the company immediately checks whether the city can be included in its route. movable roof. www.msccruises.nl www.royalcaribbean.com/home.do www.riveradvice.com www.amawaterways.com

Erik Schuffel sees both advantages and disadvantages to IJmuiden and Amsterdam: “Unlike Amsterdam,

www.amports.nl

May 2012

23

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

VCK Logistics

Spider in the web

P

ampering passengers is the raison d’étre of the cruise industry, and shipping agents play a crucial role in this. “We plan for the boat’s arrival at its destination two years in advance,” says Jan van den Akker of VCK Logistics.

By Rob Schoemaker “The terminal, the tour operator, the agent and the handler: These are the primary players in the process,” explains Jan van den Akker, cruise specialist at VCK Logistics in Amsterdam. “While the tour operator takes care of the passengers, we as agents focus on operational issues such as supplies, repairs and crew. We are also responsible for the logistics of arrivals and departures. All parties have to align everything they do with each other very precisely or the planning goes out the window. And this is simply not an option with such a time-critical sector.”

The agent or ship broker arranges everything required for a smooth call at a port on behalf of the company. The crucial aspect is good organisation – for the cruise industry, delays are unacceptable. “Containers do not complain, passengers do,” Van den Akker says. “And it’s only natural that they should: What is the point of a city visit if there is no time for an excursion?”

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT “In practice, we deal with the next cruise ship as soon as the previous one has left port,” Van den Akker continues. “But we see the berth reservation of the vessel come in two years in advance, accurate to the minute! As an agent, we manage all the information about the vessel through our captain’s room. The information is also organised within Portbase, the joint port community system of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

“We are the spider in the web. As soon as there is an anomaly, it is our job to report this to the relevant parties and then find solutions. The nautical sector (port authority) of the Port of Amsterdam manages the arrival of the cruise ship, the pilots, the planning of locks, the tugs and the boatmen. We send information on anything that might potentially cause delays to the cruise ship in a timely fashion.

Once the boat arrives at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam in the centre of Amsterdam, we coordinate things like bunkering, discharge of waste, loading of drinking water and repairs. If there are no specific issues, as with most cruise calls, we immediately notify the pilots and other nautical service providers for the departure at the end of the afternoon.

24

a hotel or Schiphol airport, while some 2300 new passengers can be arriving at the national airport on the same day. If a cruise ship is scheduled to depart at 17.00, say, and a flight delay causes a substantial portion of the crew to land at Schiphol Airport at 16.00, important decisions must be made together with the right people. How far is the next port and what will the flipside be?

“We are also always dealing with changes to the crew. For safety reasons, crew members are replaced in phases, never all at once. This means getting the new people from their hotels and dropping off the previous crew at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. If the last port is in a non-Schengen country, we work with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (border police). We also make sure that the store list of food, drink and smoking items gets to the customs.”

Baggage can also miss a flight and arrive too late, which means the suitcases have to be sent after their owners by courier. “Sometimes we need to exert a little pressure to get them to arrive on time,” Van den Akker adds. “The passengers’ enjoyment on their holiday is our primary concern.”

EXTRA WORK DURING TURNAROUND CALLS

PRIORITY IN THE LOCKS

Handling and service provision are much more complex during a turnaround call.

All passengers and many crew members have to disembark with their luggage to go to

The cruise ships themselves seldom experience any malfunctions as they are

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

SEA AND RIVER CRUISES

VCK Logistics handles luggage, spare parts and food for cruise ships, including MSC Lirica, at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA).

Photo: Dick van den Berg

in excellent condition and all systems have double or triple redundancy.

Amsterdam is doing very well as a cruise destination. While the locks in IJmuiden represent an interruption during arrival, the passage is also an attraction for spectators on shore as well as passengers. At any rate, an additional sea lock at the gateway to the North Sea would be more than welcome. Van den Akker finds it remarkable that the cruise traffic does not have priority over other traffic in the Noordersluis, the largest lock at IJmuiden. “Although they take them into account, you can’t really say they have priority.”

MOBILE PRINTERS The advantage of the sea locks is that there is no tide, making the provisioning of these cruise ships easier and, therefore, faster. Cruise ships of this size need around 25 trucks of

supplies. Furthermore, Schiphol is right around the corner and there are few cruise terminals in the world which are so close to a city centre as the PTA. This means that passengers can, for instance, go for a morning tour through the Amsterdam canals, return on board to eat, and then spend the afternoon wandering through the city.

There are also no complaints about the cooperativeness of the Dutch customs and border police. The border police even carry mobile printers to make visas on the go.

PIRANHA ON BOARD “It is crew issues that take up most of our time,” continues Van den Akker. “Often the crew will consist of 800 to 1000 people who always require something: An optician, medical tests, etc. We are the contact point for everything. A boat once arrived at eight o'clock and I was requested to see the captain at ten minutes past eight. It turned out that, during their journey from Brazil, they had found a piranha while cleaning a cooling water filter. The fish was now swimming in an aquarium in the captain’s quarters. They had tried everything – roast beef, lettuce, a live mouse – but the piranha had eaten nothing for two weeks and the captain was at his wit’s end. I searched high and low for advice and finally found a specialist aquarium store in Amsterdam that could help. These kinds of crazy things happen sometimes, which means the work is never boring and monotonous. In fact, there is never a dull moment.” www.vcklogistics.nl

www.amports.nl

May 2012

25

COMPANY PROFILE

Loading trains for the Russian railways at Waterland Terminal. Photo: Ed Seeder

26

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

COMPANY PROFILE

Waterland Terminal builds on record 2011

Investing in expansion

W

aterland Terminal is a major part of Amsterdam Seaports. In 2011 the modern all-weather terminal achieved a record transhipment of 1.7 million tons of general cargo (break bulk), a 20 percent increase on 2010. It also welcomed 645 seagoing vessels. And as well as general cargo, the RoRo activities for Nissan and Höegh Autoliners involved an impressive 220,000 cars. All of which fully justifies the construction of two new warehouses of 6000 m2.

By Sam van den Brink The success of Waterland Terminal is in the details, according to director René Finson. “We have flexible employees who are available day and night for loading and unloading goods. Logistics have to be seamlessly organised as Waterland Terminal aims to work quickly and efficiently. We also try to anticipate opportunities which will place us ahead of the competition.”

NEW WAREHOUSES Waterland Terminal is certainly not resting on its laurels after a highly successful 2011. The stevedore company is still in development and working on various expansions. “In November 2011 we started construction of two new warehouses that were recently taken into use,” says Finson. “They are a new steel warehouse with a 40-ton overhead crane and a multifunctional warehouse for the weatherproof storage of various goods.”

Terminal will be able to repeat the feat in 2012. The two new warehouses and the extra goods tracks should help. Finson believes that Waterland Terminal will also have to address the trend at short-sea companies (traditionally with clients in Western Europe) to increasingly export steel and paper to the Far East in containers. The terminal therefore recently started to offer facilities for stuffing and stripping containers.

Although the company has done this in the past, it is a new activity that mainly involves larger volumes.

RUSSIAN TRAINS According to René Finson, Waterland Terminal is a real transit terminal.

Another promising project for The three covered halls are each 27 metres wide, so that, depending on Waterland Terminal is the transport the size, an inland vessel and a seagoing vessel of up to 10,000 tons can of Siemens trains for the high-speed be placed side by side. This enables the easy and fast transhipment of lines of the goods from one vessel to the other. The quay and Russian railway. warehouses accommodate general cargo, such as These trains are metals (steel, aluminium, zinc) and forestry products "We have flexible employees who transported by including cellulose, paper rolls and sawn wood. This inland vessel general cargo is not kept at the terminal for more are available day and night for from Krefeld than a week and is transhipped to goods trains and loading and unloading goods" (Germany) to trucks for transportation to clients. the Waterland Terminal in In addition to the construction of the new Amsterdam. Then the stevedore warehouses, Waterland Terminal is also set to have a better connection to company will ensure as a logistic the cargo rail network of the Amsterdam port. René Finson: “We will be services provider that the trains installing a switch to enable an extra track on the outside of our covered are transhipped to seagoing vessels expedition space. This will allow us to (un)load vulnerable products such which will take them to Russia. “This as cellulose and paper in a covered area and tranship an extra 100,000 to is a challenging and exciting project,” 150,000 tons of paper a year.”

Finson concludes.

STUFFING AND STRIPPING CONTAINERS

After such good results in 2011 it remains to be seen whether Waterland

www.amports.nl

www.waterlandterminal.nl

May 2012

27

NAUTICAL SERVICES

Svitzer and Iskes: Partners more than competitors

O

ne is part of a Danish multinational transport concern, the other a typical family business.

Although theoretically competitors, Svitzer and Iskes Tugs have the same interest: An optimal flow of shipping at IJmuiden, where they are both based. This double interview with managing directors Peter Rondhuis of Svitzer and Ronald Vergouwen of Iskes focuses on issues of mutual cooperation and competition.

By Pieter van Hove Until 2001, Iskes and what was then known as Wijsmuller were family businesses based in IJmuiden. Wijsmuller has already existed for almost a century (it was founded in 1906), and Iskes for more than 30 years. Eleven years ago (2001), Wijsmuller was taken over by the international concern Svitzer, which, in turn, is part of the Danish transport giant Maersk.

Today, Svitzer has activities in 78 countries worldwide.

IJmuiden houses the main office for the company’s global storage services. This is also where port tug services for continental Europe and the Mediterranean, which includes the ports of Amsterdam and Lisbon, are coordinated. Another activity based here is the transportation of bulky objects on the oceans.

Ben Iskes founded his tugboat business Iskes in 1968, more than 40 years ago. One of his first tugs was Triton, a 150 hp vessel from 1949. His company expanded rapidly, especially "The cooperation between over the last few Svitzer and Iskes goes years, partly thanks deeper than just consulting to the construction of two wind farms each other in case of off the coast of understaffing."

IJmuiden.

PREVENTING INCIDENTS The preceding years have seen Svitzer’s storage department complete a change of course, with a new emphasis on preventing incidents at sea. In the Netherlands, the company has a contract with the Coast Guard, for which the sea tug Ievoli Black is made available within 15 minutes 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

28

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

Iskes is currently still involved in the maintenance of these wind farms. The IJmuiden-based tugboat business expects to get lots of new work in the future as new wind farms are constructed. Some time ago, the company signed a long-term offshore contract with the builders of

NAUTICAL SERVICES

Peter Rondhuis (Svitzer, left) and Ronald Vergouwen (Iskes) in the port of IJmuiden: “If we’re ever short of tugboats we can always turn to eachother.”

Photos: Reinder Weidijk

the London Array wind farm in the Thames estuary, which will be the largest installation of this type in the world. The two strongest tugboats in Iskes’ fleet, Ginger and Brent, both of which have a bollard pull of 83 tons, will be continuously involved in this assignment until the end of 2012.

Iskes operates 12 vessels in total.

The Svitzer branch in IJmuiden has nine vessels. The company operates more than 600 tugboats worldwide, however, which means that it can quickly increase its capacity in the North Sea Canal as required.

JOINT BID

many players and therefore a great deal of competition.” The concern sees growth opportunities in other markets, such as the offshore industry, port tug services and assistance at liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Svitzer recently signed a contract for an LNG terminal in Angola, for instance.

The cooperation between Svitzer and Iskes goes deeper than just consulting each other in case of understaffing. The two companies submitted a joint tender for the transport of tunnel pieces for the construction of the Second Coen Tunnel in Amsterdam, which is set to expand road traffic capacity under the North Sea Canal. “Although we did not win the tender it speaks volumes for our joint ambition,” says Rondhuis.

NO MERGER Despite their close cooperation, there is no question of one company taking over the other. “The Netherlands Competition Authority would never approve a merger as it would create a monopoly,” Ronald Vergouwen explains. “And anyway competition keeps your sharp,” Rondhuis adds. “It’s like playing in the Premier League: You want opponents who can give as good as they get.”

Offshore wind farms are not Svitzer’s top priority. “This is a side activity for us,” Rondhuis states. “There are

www.svitzer.com www.iskestugs.com

www.amports.nl

May 2012

29

PORT OF AMSTERDAM MAKE IT YOURS

As Europe’s 4th busiest port, the Port of Amsterdam is a hub for large flows of international transport. The North Sea Canal Area (ports of Amsterdam, Zaandam, IJmuiden and Beverwijk) handles 92 million tons of cargo annually.

The strategic and central location in Europe makes the port easy to reach and ensures excellent connections by land, rail ánd water to all the major European markets. The Port of Amsterdam helps you to find the best possible solution to your supply chain needs.

The Port of Amsterdam seeks to be a smart port with sustainable growth being its key ambition. Growth ensuring jobs and incomes, growth allowing the port to make clever use of the available space; growth without damaging the quality of the water, soil and air. These are Port of Amsterdam’s ambitions based on intensive cooperation with partners in the business community, city and region.

Please contact: Tel: +31 (0)20 523 4560 E-mail: cargo@portofamsterdam.nl www.portofamsterdam.nl Follow @havenamsterdam on Twitter LinkedIn: Port of Amsterdam Network

30

May 2012

Port of Amsterdam launched the first Port App: arrival and departures times always close at hand.

Download the Iamport app at the App Store

Amsterdam Seaports

GENERAL CARGO Shipping company Spliethoff and USA Terminal join forces

More vessels thanks to Amsterdam collaboration

T

By Klaas Geert Bakker

wo companies in the Amsterdam port have joined forces to attract more vessels and cargo to Amsterdam Seaports. United Stevedores Amsterdam (USA), part of the Ter Haak Group, and shipping company Spliethoff have already welcomed five vessels to the multi-purpose terminal, processing general and project cargo such as pipes, sheet piling, wood, mast segments and bulk.

Contact between the two companies was established a year-and-a-half ago at a trade event. “Both firms are from Amsterdam Seaports and share the same mentality,” says Julian Jansen, commercial manager at USA. “It was a logical step to look into cooperation possibilities and after a period of consultation we have succeeded.”

USA TERMINAL

Spliethoff also sees many practical benefits in the collaboration with USA Terminal. “Our technical service is located in Amsterdam, for example, which means that our people don’t have to drive 200 kilometres to get to a vessel in the port of Antwerp,” Spliethoff’s manager operations Klaas van Opzeeland explains.

The USA Terminal of the Ter Haak Group (200,000 m2) is one of the few multi-purpose terminals in Europe. USA processes all types of cargo, such as bulk, general cargo, bagged goods, project cargo, containers and RoRo.

SPLIETHOFF GROUP The Spliethoff Group, with its head office in Amsterdam, is a leading Dutch shipping company. Consisting of over 100 multipurpose, heavy cargo and RoRo vessels, its fleet transports all types of dry cargo that cannot be shipped in containers.

Rather than operating line services, Spliethoff is a shipping company that is involved with cargo as senior manager Hayo Jansen explains. “We had a client that wanted to load in Amsterdam, so we started asking other clients whether it was an option for them too.

The first vessel arrived in December 2011, the fifth in March this year. We are taking it on a day to day basis, but continue to actively pursue more cargo for Amsterdam.”

TRUST MATTERS Loading in Amsterdam is not just a commercial decision, says Hayo Jansen: “Of course the numbers have to add up, but we also see ourselves as a true Amsterdam company.”

The USA Terminal is pleased with this enthusiasm and commitment says Julian Jansen: “Our terminal is ideal for Spliethoff’s multi-purpose vessels. We can handle all types of cargo and also arrange storage and transhipment. There is a mutual trust between the two companies as we are extremely flexible and do not work with fixed agreements.”

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS It is not only USA and Spliethoff that are pleased with the partnership - clients are enthusiastic as well. Klaas van Opzeeland: “There were a few clients who were very keen to load in Amsterdam Seaports as its geographical location offers cost benefits. Other clients are also positive about the services we and USA Terminal offer. For most companies it is irrelevant where they load, as long as the process goes quickly, smoothly and efficiently.”

Both Spliethoff and USA hope to continue the successful cooperation, which means that the shipping company will continue to actively pursue cargo for Amsterdam and that USA will ensure that this cargo is loaded on board as quickly and efficiently as possible. www.terhaakgroup.com www.spliethoff.nl

A team from Spliethoff and the Ter Haak Group at the USA Terminal, in front of a Spliethoff multipurpose ship, with Julian Jansen (second right) and Klaas van Opzeeland (second left) in the middle. Photo: Reinder Weidijk

www.amports.nl

May 2012

31

Providing Royal Service for more than 130 years SHiP RePoRting ship signalling services real time ship position data historical overviews tailor made web interfaces

SteVedoRing lolo and roro cargo handling turn-key project solutions cruise luggage handling

SHiP AgenCy liner and tramp services chartering and protecting agents specialist in reefer cargoes, offshore (oil and wind) and handling of roro, ferry and cruise vessels

tAlly And ContRol specialized refrigerated cargo tally

FoRwARding world wide air, sea, rail and road transports

KVSA van Halverhout & Zwart en Zurm端hlen B.V. P.O. Box 504, 1970 AM, Sluisplein 55, 1975 AG IJmuiden, The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)255 545 454, Fax. +31 (0)255 510 068, www.kvsa.nl

32

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

Royal Service

providing

COMPANY PROFILE/RORO

Koopman Car Terminal expands its capacity and activities

B

ased in the port of Amsterdam, Koopman Car Terminal (KCT) provides a range of international logistics activities, including receiving passenger cars, loading and unloading trains and trailers, and dewaxing, washing and preparing cars for delivery.

Despite the recession, the company has managed to grow and is expecting a bumper year.

By Noor Backers Koopman Car Terminal (KCT) is part of the family-owned Koopman Logistics Group and Alain Bresseleers has been managing director since July 2011.

Before starting its terminal activities in 2004, KCT focused primarily on servicing its mother company’s car transport activities. “The expansion of our service provision is seamlessly linked to KCT’s capacities and opportunities,” Bresseleers says. “The volume has expanded in recent years and the number of employees at the Koopman Logistics Group has risen to more than 700.”

COMPLEMENTARY LOGISTICS SERVICES At its secure car terminal in Amsterdam, KCT stores and transfers passenger cars for companies such as Nissan, Seat and Volkswagen. The vehicles arrive on large cargo vessels, after which they are distributed directly to dealers in the Benelux, Germany and Switzerland. For distribution to places further afield, such as central and eastern Europe, the cars are transported onwards by train.

Good cooperation with Waterland Terminal – which takes care of the loading and unloading of cargo vessels – and Höegh Autoliners/ Nissan Carrier Europe guarantees reliability.

Some 480 units a day set out to destinations in the Netherlands and abroad to ensure the transport of cars and other goods from KCT. “In addition to transport we offer various complementary logistics services,” Bresseleers explains. “It is important for us to offer customers a comprehensive tailor-made package.”

GROWTH DESPITE THE RECESSION The company has some 350,000 m2 of facilities at its disposal, where as many as 800 cars are loaded on a busy day. Between 600 and 3000 cars are unloaded every day and up to 17,500 cars can be parked on the terrain at one time. “In 2004 we processed 70,000 in and outgoing cars. By 2009 this had grown to 142,200 and in 2010 167,000. While the majority comes from Nissan, we also work for Volkswagen, Seat, Audi, BMW, Ford, Volvo, Smart, Renault and other manufacturers. We trust that we will be able to further extend the contract with Nissan for several years in 2012.”

ELECTRIC CARS In addition to these core activities, the company also aims to develop alternative, eco-friendly business opportunities. The assembly and delivery of the E-zone electric car is a good example of this, with KCT initially entering a cooperative agreement with the manufacturer CT&T Europe for this purpose. As the European branch of CT&T has been declared bankrupt, KCT is in negotiations with CT&T International in South Korea about the possibility to assemble 10,000 cars per year.

Koopman is also looking at energy consumption throughout its facilities. “Since we wish to be a both green and profitable automotive company, we take initiatives ourselves instead of responding to future regulations,” Bresseleers concludes. www.koopman.nl

Two car carriers pass by each other at the 800-metre dock at Koopman Car Terminal. Photo: Koopman Car Terminal

www.amports.nl

May 2012

33

34

May 2012

Amsterdam Seaports

SPECIAL TRANSPORT Sevenstar, world leader in yacht transport

IJmuiden, port of departure and arrival for luxury yachts

T

he vessels of Amsterdam shipping company Spliethoff regularly call at IJmuiden to load or unload seagoing motor or sailyachts.

Sevenstar Yacht Transport, a Spliethoff subsidiary, arranges every aspect of these special transports.

By Willem Moojen It has become increasingly common for owners of luxury superyachts to choose a distant holiday destination and have their yacht transported there by cargo vessel. This saves on the expense and time of long crossings while allowing crew members to avoid bad weather at sea. And there are plenty of other reasons to have a yachts shipped over the oceans.

Owners from the US, for example, may want to explore the European waters with a relatively small yacht, for which Seaport Marina in IJmuiden is a great starting point. From this location, yachts can sail the North Sea or call at surrounding ports. The hinterland is easily accessible as well via the North

Sea Canal, rivers and channels. And vice versa, the exotic waters and rivers on other continents are easy to reach from the Netherlands.

SEVENSTAR MARKET LEADER While shipping company Spliethoff transported its first yacht as a lucrative extra cargo in 1973, it only became a major activity after the takeover of the Northern Dutch shipping company Zevenster in 1999. This company was specialised in the transport of seagoing yachts across Europe.

In 1985 Zevenster had taken over the coaster Waddenzee from another Dutch shipping company called Noordlijn, which had gone bankrupt. Two years later it started organising line services for yacht transport between Harlingen (a port city in the north of the Netherlands) and Scandinavia, and between Amsterdam and Mallorca. Later it added Italy, Croatia and Florida to its destinations.

In late 1996 Zevenster made the crossing to Florida by chartering deck space on cargo vessels from various shipping companies, including Spliethoff. The company faced a new challenge in 1997 when it converted a vessel to ship sail and motoryachts to Southern France via the inland waterways.

After Spliethoff took over Zevenster in 1999, it sold the coaster Waddenzee and changed its name into Sevenstar Yacht Transport. Spliethoff then developed a global network for the transport of seagoing yachts. This was the start of what would become a major line of business within special transport, in which Sevenstar is now market leader.

GLOBAL TRANSPORT All types of Spliethoff vessels (the shipping company owns 52 vessels and manages three, ranging from 8,000 to 18,000 tons) can be used to transport yachts. In general Sevenstar ships large sailyachts on the decks. The company arranges worldwide transports, including to and from Brazil, the Caribbean, the USA, Australia, Singapore, China, South Korea and Europe. The owners usually have their yachts sailed to the port for shipment, although occasionally they are delivered on flatbed trailers.

Sailyachts are transported with the mast still on. Sevenstar ensures that they are safely lashed down and secured in so-called cradles. In some cases owners can sail alongside their yacht on the same vessel. The company ships an average of 1200 yachts a year. www.spliethoff.com www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com

Transport of a yacht onboard a Spliethoff vessel. Photo: Willem Moojen

www.amports.nl

May 2012

35

Amsterdam area, your dream destination for sea and river cruises!

• A dynamic, warm and historical cosmopolitan city • A magical mix of world class art & museums • A shopper’s paradise • The famous canal district on UNESCO World Heritage List • Three modern cruise terminals • Bustling Schiphol International Airport • Located near the North Sea and the River Rhine

Situated in North Holland, a province defined by • Ideal river cruise facilities • A boundless coastline • Picturesque villages • Bulb fields, windmills and so much more...

Amsterdam Cruise Port Several authorities and businesses work together at Amsterdam Cruise Port to offer a package of shipping and tourist services to provide the best possible service for your cruise call!

Want to know more? www.amsterdamcruise.nl - info@amsterdamcruise.nl - +31 (0)20 5512557