FAST FORWARD spring 2 0 1 2
ISSUE
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‘THE BEST PLACE IN ROTTERDAM’ DESTINATION GERMANY RELIABILITY IN PROGRESS
MAKING THE CONNECTION
FAST FORWARD CONTENTS
Colophon Fast Forward, a business-to-business publication of ECT, appears three times a year. Please contact our
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Communications Department with any questions or suggestions you may have regarding the contents. Copy Rob Schoemaker, Rob Wilken (editor-in-chief) Translation Niall Martin, Dean Harte Photography Eric Bakker (unless stated otherwise) Layout Ontwerpwerk, The Hague External coordination and printing RWP, Voorburg Chief editor ECT Rose Wiggers Europe Container Terminals (ECT) Europe Container Terminals (ECT) is the leading and most advanced container terminal operator in Europe, handling most of the containers at the port of Rotterdam. ECT operates three deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam: the ECT Delta Terminal and the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam (together with CKYH - the Green Alliance) on the Maasvlakte peninsula, close to the North Sea, and the ECT City Terminal in the Eemhaven close to the city centre. Through its European Gateway Services ECT offers customers a variety of services to facilitate the optimal flow of containers between the deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam and the direct European hinterland. In 2011, ECT handled 7.5 million TEU. ECT is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL). HPH is the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in 52 ports, spanning 26 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa,
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Europe, the Americas and Australia. HPH also owns a number of transportation-related service companies. In 2011, the HPH Group handled a combined throughput of 75 million TEU worldwide. No rights can be derived from this publication.
P.O. Box 7385, 3000 HJ Rotterdam, the Netherlands T +31 (0) 181 278 278 E info@ect.nl | W www.ect.nl E egsinfo@ect.nl W www.europeangatewayservices.com
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‘The Best Place in Rotterdam’ Deep-sea shipping line MSC just keeps on growing. As a result the family-owned Swiss company is transporting more and more containers via Rotterdam. Thanks to the characteristic MSC boxes, the northern side of the ECT Delta Terminal is gradually becoming a sea of yellow.
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Destination Germany
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Melons by Barge
Alongside DeCeTe in Duisburg and Neuss Trimodal (since late 2011), also Container Terminal Dortmund has now become one of ECT’s extended gates in the Ruhr region. What’s more, since the end of April 2012 there’s a direct rail service between Rotterdam and the southern part of Germany (to Nuremberg).
Working in close cooperation, trading company Frankort & Koning, logistics service provider CSI and inland terminal TCT Venlo managed to in a short time shift a substantial flow of reefer containers with melons from the road to inland shipping. “It’s all about reliability.”
spring 2012
COLUMN
Ready for Consolidation Reliability in Progress ECT continuously strives to improve the processes at its terminals in order to offer customers a better service. That is not an empty promise. The Euromax Terminal Rotterdam, for example, is structurally improving using the globally known Lean Six Sigma method.
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News People make the Difference
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Low-grade Feedstock, High-grade Logistics
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The Four Criteria for Optimal Transport
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Dedicated to Barges and Feeders
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Filling in the Black Holes
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Me and My Vessel
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Sustainable ECT
More than ever, the market is in motion. The current wave of consolidations amongst shipping lines, in which new alliances are formed and existing co-operations further intensified, is creating a fundamentally different playing field. How this will impact daily practice is hard to predict at this point; the latest groupings are simply too recent. Each party still has to find its role in these new relationships. One thing that is for certain though is that Rotterdam, and ECT in particular, have an outstanding position to optimally serve the consolidating parties, both in terms of capacity and service. In no other European port can fully laden Ultra Large Container Carriers (ULCCs) so easily enter the port at any moment and in all conditions. The operations at ECT are next fully geared to consistently handle the vast call sizes of these vessels in a fast, efficient and safe manner. We have invested considerably in this in recent years and will unabatedly continue to do so in the future. These investments do not just target the sea side. Since the introduction of European Gateway Services in 2010, our customers can benefit from a growing number of extended gates throughout Western Europe which are high frequent connected with our deep-sea terminals by rail and barge. Supported by the positive response from the market, we are rapidly expanding this network. The recent, cooperation-based addition of inland terminals Neuss Trimodal and Container Terminal Dortmund and the launch of a first rail shuttle between Rotterdam and Nuremberg in Southern Germany are striking examples (also see pages 18 - 19, ed). More expansions will definitely follow. The move towards further consolidation amongst deep-sea shipping lines, including an on-going increase in call sizes, constitutes an important motivation for us to continue developing our European Gateway Services product. For an optimally accessible Europe in the future, a further increase in the efficiency and sustainability of container logistics is highly necessary. The truck is and will remain an essential mode of transport in this complex challenge as well. Each container has its own requirements in terms of the speed and flexibility of hinterland transport. As ECT, we offer that. Our strategy is geared to using the train and barge if possible, the truck when necessary. The new buzzword of synchromodality is not an empty slogan for us. We make things work. At ECT, quality improvement for the customer is a continuous process.
Jan Westerhoud President of ECT
Fast Forward is also available as an app on your iPad. It can be dowloaded free of charge in the Apple App Store.
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NEWS
Read Fast Forward on your iPad, including Loads of Extra’s This Fast Forward no. 53 is also available as an app for the iPad, including lots of extra features. In short videos you can see the route melons travel from TCT Venlo’s barge terminal to the Frankort & Koning coldstore, the efficiency of the operation at the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal and you can take a tour around the newest addition to the Hamburg Süd fleet, the Santa Teresa. Don’t have the Fast Forward app for iPad yet? Download it free of charge in the Apple App store.
Export and Import made Easy via the Web Two useful electronic services make exporting and importing via ECT’s deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam easier and more reliable. For export, shippers and forwarders can profit from the ECS services (Export Control System services) offered by Portbase, the organisation behind Rotterdam port’s overarching Port Community System. By submitting five basic items of information about their shipment via the web-based ECS services immediately after sending their export declaration, companies give ECT a flying start in preparing the handling of the export containers concerned. ECT can take the appropriate action towards Customs as soon as the cargo arrives. This smoothes the cargo’s connection to the ship, particularly if Customs want to inspect a container first. Customs authorities stipulate that paper documentation must still travel with the cargo, but correct use of the ECS services means hard copies of the documents aren’t needed for delivering the containers to ECT. What’s more, the ECS services allow participants to track their containers in the port online, from the time of arrival at the terminal up to and including the departure of the sea-going ship. Jan Molenaar, Operations Manager at ECT’s Gate & Administration Desk: “Previously the port represented a kind of black hole for exporters. Now a company can track every container in almost real time, which means they can intervene immediately if necessary.” 4
Apart from ECT, the ECS services offer many more customs-related advantages, the most important being a watertight validation of export declarations, so eliminating any VAT problems at a later stage. Participating in the ECS services is very easy and for shippers and forwarders it’s completely free of charge. In its quest to provide a good service, the port community as a whole bears the user costs. See the website www.exportcontrolsystem.eu for all the information you need to link up to the service. Web makes Release of Import Containers Easy On the import side, shipping lines, fowarders and transport companies can easily deregister their containers with Customs using the Import Documentation service on ECT’s website. Thanks to agreements between
ECT and Customs, the containers are automatically released in the terminal system. That means a driver can pick up a container direct, without additional paperwork and for the greater part without any further Customs involvement. More than 80 percent of ECT’s customers on the landside are already reaping the benefits of the system. Molenaar: “And we would now like to persuade the remaining fifteen to twenty percent of our customers of the added value this offers as well. Companies are able to free themselves from a lot of red tape; that way they can operate far more efficiently. The Import Documentation web service is available to all ECT’s business contacts who have proper authorisation to the secure part of our website.” More information is available via ECT’s Gate & Administration Desk, telephone +31 (0) 181 2785 04.
NEWS
More Trains on Betuweroute Rail transport on the Betuweroute freight railway line, which directly c onnects Rotterdam with Germany since 2007, has increased by more than 30 percent in 2011. Currently, 450 to 500 trains a week use the rail link which offers ample room for further growth. The Betuweroute starts right at ECT’s doorstep at the Maasvlakte. It takes the trains about two hours to reach Germany from Rotterdam.
New Crane Rail Terminal East
First LNG-powered Bunker Vessel
Photo Deen
The nautical services providers in Rotterdam port, too, are developing countless initiatives for greening their operations. A European first is the port’s first bunker vessel that runs 80 percent on Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). The Argonon, measuring 110 metres from bow to stern, is the brainchild of inland shipping operator Gerard Deen, who was honoured with the Port Man of the Year 2011 award in recognition of his pioneering efforts. The Argonon is a real green revolution. Using LNG rather than gas oil cuts the ship’s carbon dioxide emissions by half. “The way forward is not the cheapest carrier transporting, but the cleanest,” says Deen. The Argonon has since become a regular guest at the ECT Terminals for bunkering sea-going vessels.
At the Rail Terminal East on the ECT Delta Terminal a brand-new rail crane has been taken into operation, built by Konecranes in Finland. This Rail Mounted Gantry Crane has a span of 32 metres, a hoist height of 10.5 metres and a capacity of 40 tonnes under the spreader. Its active load control system incorporates anti-sway in all directions and ensures that containers can always be easily manoeuvred into position above the trains. The new rail crane replaces an old one that had reached the end of its useful life. Thanks to the new rail crane ECT expects to further improve its services on the four rail tracks of the Rail Terminal East.
Fresh Produce by Barge to Northern Bank The ECT City Terminal is an important link in the worldwide logistics for fresh and perishable cargoes. Many deep-sea shipping lines call at the terminal weekly to discharge large numbers of reefer containers, mostly from South America. These cargoes sub sequently find their way via importers and others throughout the whole of Europe (see also the feature on pages 20 - 21). One such importer is Total Produce, located in Rotterdam on the northern bank of the river. As the crow flies that’s just a few kilometres away from ECT City Terminal’s location on the southern side of the port, and until recently that made trucks the preferred mode of transport for bridging the distance between the two. Even for such short distances inland shipping, however has since proved itself to be an attractive alternative. Total Produce has initiated an inland barge service that will call at the ECT
City Terminal at fixed times early on Thursday and Friday mornings to pick up the reefer containers and deliver them to the quayside location of the importer on the opposite riverbank, discharging them with an onboard crane. As a result Total Produce can work far more efficiently. At the beginning of the day all the containers are available at the warehouse. The barge service has put an end to a constant flow of arriving and departing trucks throughout the day. What’s more, the importer is now in a position to handle the fresh cargoes in any desired order, depending on customer priorities. For the ECT City Terminal, the agreement with Total Produce on deploying inland barges represents one of the ways of eliminating the peaks in the pick-up of reefer containers on the landside, so boosting a smooth cargo throughput.
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NEWS
TCT Venlo Terminal AEO-certified by Customs With a brief celebratory ceremony on the 30th of March 2012, ECT’s inland terminal TCT Venlo was officially awarded the status of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) by Customs. AEO is the European Customs standard and is comparable for example to the C-TPAT status in the US. AEO-certified companies are in compliance with strict Customs requirements; consequently TCT Venlo enjoys more favourable conditions like for instance fewer administrative and physical inspections. The ECT Delta Terminal and the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam already acquired the AEO status in 2011.
Customs introduces Train Scan
The Travel Planner for your Inland Transport
Photo Dutch Customs
In early 2012 Dutch Customs opened the world’s fastest train scan on the Maasvlakte. The high-tech scan has been integrated into the existing railway line, so that the logistics process isn’t h ampered in any way. Trains from inland Europe bound for one of the large container terminals can pass the scan at a speed of 60 km an hour. Even then the X-ray scan can still generate high-quality images of the contents of a container. Elsewhere in the world, train scans work up to a speed of 30 km at most. Dutch Customs will only remove boxes out of the logistics process for a more detailed inspection if warranted by the scan images of the containers on the moving train. This new way of working offers major advantages for businesses. Until recently, export containers travelling by rail that were selected by Customs for a scan inspection had to be transported by truck to and from the regular customs scan after having arrived at the terminal. Now that’s no longer necessary, companies are set to save at least €100 per container, Customs say.
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Just as easily as you plan your own private rail journeys via internet, you can now arrange your European inland transport optimally using the Transport Planner on the www.europeangatewayservices.com website. Simply indicate the desired inland terminal or final destination, including the preferred arrival or departure time for your cargo, and the Transport Planner will give you an overview of all the transport options. You can then request a quote direct from European Gateway Services. It’s as easy as that. The Transport Planner can be used for both import cargoes from Rotterdam and export cargoes from any European location bound for ECT’s deep-sea terminals.
People make the Difference
ECT’s staff have already been meeting the needs of customers for 45 years. In this series they reveal their drive.
Koen den Hartigh, waterside coordinator DMT (the former Delta Dedicated North Terminal) Koen (54) has been active in container handling his entire working life, and joined ECT in 1995. As a waterside coordinator he’s the link between planning and control inside the terminal office and the operations outside.
Sathies Saktoe, employee planning and control DMT Sathies (26) came to work for ECT three years ago, immediately after finishing his higher vocational training (HBO) course in Logistics and Technical Transportation Engineering. At DMT he manages the planning of the vessels and directs the operation.
Why is ECT the best choice for the customer? Koen: “ECT has a proven consistently good product. We offer the quality that the customer expects for the handling of his vessels. The figures speak for themselves.” Sathies: “ECT has the experience and offers the customer certainty. What’s more, we’re continually improving our operations. Here at DMT for example, we’ll shortly be adding another extra quay crane suitable for handling Ultra Large Container Carriers.” Do you maintain direct ties with the customer? Sathies: “I’m in constant touch with our customer MSC, liaising about vessel windows and the containers that have to be discharged and loaded. It’s crucial that the customer is always well-informed; their vessels have to make the connections with the following ports.” Koen: “I don’t speak to customers personally, but I do always have
extensive contact with the crew of a visiting ship. We do our utmost to make sure that each ship is optimally handled. At the end of the day it’s all about ensuring that we on the quay safely and securely execute as many moves as possible. That way both the shipping line and ECT are happy.” How do customers show their appreciation for what you do? Sathies: “MSC is transporting more and more containers via DMT. So we must be doing something right! And terminal management also pass on customer satisfaction to us.” Koen: “That MSC continues to increase the number of scheduled services calling here feels like a reward for our efforts.” How do you pull together? Sathies: “Teamwork is very important. You complement each other. Your equipment’s worth nothing without communication. Koen has loads of experience on the quay and knows
more about the technical side, I’m more active on the organisational side.” Koen: “Of course both Sathies and I are part of a bigger team. But apart from that: if something that has been thought up in the office turns out differently in practice outside, I can turn to Sathies straight away. Then he can inform the customer and take the appropriate action, so that operations continue in the best possible way. The contact between inside and outside is essential.” Does the customer pose any other challenges? Koen: “MSC ships a lot of reefer cargo. That’s why we’ve recently quickly increased the number of reefer connections on the terminal. So bring on the reefer cargo, is what I say!” Sathies: “The more requirements a customer has, the more we can do for them. ECT is always ready to go.”
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‘The Best Place in Rotterdam’ Deep-sea shipping line MSC just keeps on growing. As a result the family-owned Swiss company is transporting more and more containers via Rotterdam. Thanks to the characteristic MSC boxes, the northern side of the ECT Delta Terminal is gradually becoming a sea of yellow.
“Currently sixteen of our scheduled services are calling at Rotterdam. In addition we offer another two services in conjunction with CMA CGM,” says Managing Director Theo van Ravesteyn of MSC Netherlands. Almost all these vessels are handled at the former Delta Dedicated North Terminal, which since has been renamed DMT, thanks to MSC’s high-level presence. “The best place in Rotterdam,” says the experienced ship broker. “Coming from the North Sea it’s just a single bend and then backwards for our vessels into the Europahaven harbour. It is an excellent terminal anyway, with nine cranes and a terminal floor that has recently been completely redone. Excellent employees too; the workers here have a close involvement with the MSC family. Over the past few years the services provision at ECT has noticeably improved. Things that weren’t possible before now get done. In that sense ECT and MSC have grown closer to one another. The only thing that took some getting used to was the automated operation. For us that requires a bit more preparation than in the case of conventional handling using straddle carriers and suchlike.”
Flexibility is Crucial Van Ravesteyn realises that MSC is a demanding customer. “We have a large number of ships, lots of services and we aim to respond quickly to any changes in the market or altered circumstances. It’s one of our company’s greatest strengths and it gives us a big advantage over competitors 88
operating in alliances, with all the red tape involved. Therefore we expect the same kind of flexibility from our stevedore. Only once our vessels bound for northern Europe have reached the English Channel do we decide whether they should call at the ports in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. That decision partly depends on local conditions, like the weather or whether there’s a strike somewhere. For that reason we don’t want our terminal windows set in stone.”
Skilled Ship Broker The rapid growth in MSC shipping traffic to Rotterdam has meant big changes for MSC Nederland and Theo van Ravesteyn. “We were already a major player in Rotterdam, but effectively functioning as a sort of ‘dry ship broker’. We numbered only one or two direct calls a week, with the majority of the cargo with a Rotterdam bill of lading effectively being handled at the MSC Home Terminal in Antwerp,” Van Ravesteyn explains. “Barges, trains and trucks transported the containers to and fro.” This system still works to everyone’s satisfaction, the Managing Director emphasises. There are numerous scheduled MSC services that don’t call at Rotterdam direct. “The MSC Home Terminal in Antwerp however is operating at maximum capacity; that’s why Rotterdam has come to play a bigger role. It’s definitely an add-on for us, not a replacement, MSC keeps on growing. For us at MSC Netherlands it means that we
Theo van Ravesteyn: “What it’s all about is operating a ship as profitable as possible.”
can now practise ship brokerage in all its facets. We’ve rapidly boosted staff numbers. With that, we’ve instituted fully-fledged Operations and Transhipment departments.”
Size and Profitability The MSC vessels calling at Rotterdam are of various sizes. The most striking are the Ultra Large Container Carriers (ULCCs) of the ‘Beatrice class’, which measure 366 metres in length and 51 metres wide and boast a capacity of almost 15,000 TEU. “In the foreseeable future MSC will be taking another few dozen of these giants into operation,” says Van Ravesteyn. “The challenge is ensuring an optimal occupation.” For him, the fact that the competition has 18,000 TEU vessels on order is not an issue. “We’re not talking about Ajax versus Feyenoord (two strongly competitive Dutch football teams, ed.) here. What it’s all about is operating a ship as profitable as possible.”
Room for Growth In any case, Van Ravesteyn sees plenty of room for growth. “There’s still plenty of conventional transported cargo that can easily go into containers. Take bulk products such as soya, grain, flour and suchlike. Increasingly commodities will make the switch to containers. These steel boxes have so many advantages. Think of the price stability versus bulk transport, for example. But I could name another dozen advantages just like that.” Almost philosophically he
wonders aloud whether the container will ever undergo radical changes or be forced to make way for something else. “Since the container was first introduced in the Fifties, the basic concept of a metal box has effectively always stayed the same. Where in the world are the engineering geniuses who are going to come up with something really innovative?”
‘We aim to respond quickly to any changes in the market’ Sustainability pays off An unmistakeable new trend that definitely is to stay though in the container sector is the emphasis on sustainability. “MSC sets great store by responsible care,” says Van Ravesteyn. “Every attention is paid to sustainability in the ships it commissions to be built. We are convinced that this pays off in the long term. Thinking green can certainly help generate a good bottom line. There’s customer demand for it. With minimal carbon emissions as a shipping line you will be able to stand out. But we also work together actively with the customer to find solutions aimed at reducing his carbon footprint. For example, by making maximum use of inland shipping, by avoiding empty truck journeys and by using extended gates.”
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Lean Six Sigma combines two different quality improvement methodologies. Lean strives for efficient operations by preventing time and materials from being wasted (everything that the customer does not want to pay for), Six Sigma represents the desire to offer the customer a continuously improving, consistent quality service with minimal deviations. Both methods were originally used in major process industries such as those of Toyota (Lean) and Motorola and General Electric (Six Sigma). Nowadays, Lean Six Sigma is commonly used in all layers of trade and industry, up to and including banks and hospitals.
DMAIC Method In its efforts to continually improve service and performance, ECT has been benefiting from the added value of the Lean Six Sigma approach for some years now. The Euromax Terminal Rotterdam in particular constituted the ideal starting point for this. After its launch in 2008, ECT’s most recent terminal (in cooperation with CKYH - the Green Alliance) offered plenty of room for potential performance improvement. What really mattered though was finding a way to implement this in the right manner. Through the DMAIC method, Six Sigma offers a structural framework for this which, when properly implemented, consistently results in smart (Lean) improvement options. DMAIC is synonymous with five successive steps which need to be completed in each improvement project: Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (see box). Moreover, a DMAIC project always has a limited duration and is carried out by a multidisciplinary team. A sponsor from the operational department guarantees the implementability in daily practice. Each process step is also concluded with a so-called toll gate with sponsor and project leader to assess whether the specific project is still on the right track and to make adjustments if necessary.
Continuous Flow of Improvement Projects Over the last two years, almost 30 multidisciplinary teams have gone to work at the Euromax Terminal on concrete, structural improvement projects in conformity with the DMAIC approach. About a third has by now been completed. One of the most eye-catching successes is the current 10
Through the efforts of a DMAIC team, the use of the automated second trolley on the quay cranes at the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam has now become commonplace. For the customer, this leads to a significant higher performance.
Reliability in Progress ECT continuously strives to improve the processes at its terminals in order to offer customers a better service. That is not an empty promise. The Euromax Terminal Rotterdam, for example, is structurally improving using the globally known Lean Six Sigma method.
large-scale use of the automated second trolley on the quay cranes. This second trolley is used to move containers between the stacker platform on the crane and the Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) behind and vice versa. As a result, the crane operator does not need to worry about this whatsoever and can fully focus on discharging and loading the ship. In the start-up phase of the Euromax Terminal, the second trolley had many hitches. Through the efforts of a DMAIC team, its use has however now become commonplace. For the customer, this leads to a significant higher performance. Other improvement projects up till now have for example focused on the flow of AGVs behind the cranes, landside handling, crane productivity on barges, damage reduction, ship planning and the start-up of an unloading/loading operation. The ambition is to launch ten to fifteen new DMAIC projects every year.
Broader Framework At the Euromax Terminal, the DMAIC method has been embedded within a broader Business Process Management framework which also comprises Performance Management, Enterprise Process Management, Continuous Improvement and Compliance & Risk Management. The aim of Performance Management is to formulate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all facets of the organisation, making it possible to always objectively measure the extent to which goals set are actually realised in real life. Enterprise Process Management focuses on defining processes, procedures and instructions as the basis for achieving a uniform way of working for the entire organisation. After all, five different shifts are involved to keep the Euromax Terminal operational 24/7. Continuous Improvement is aimed at ensuring that
the many good ideas which often abound in the workplace always end up in the right place so that the organisation can optimally benefit from them. In conclusion, Compliance & Risk Management relates to the laws, rules and standards that the terminal must meet.
Challenge for Entire Organisation The success of Lean Six Sigma and, in a broader sense, the Business Process Management framework stands or falls with the involvement of the entire organisation. Administrative and outside operations must be well integrated and work together. Therefore, various layers of the organisation are structurally involved in the regular Business Process Management consultations at the Euromax Terminal. DMAIC teams are inherently multidisciplinary, comprising members from, for example, the Technical Maintenance Department, ICT, Logistics Development, Operations, etc. Due to the chosen method, employees see that their input actually matters. That stimulates people to really think along and makes improving the terminal a living process.
Ongoing Process With its structural approach to improvements, the Euromax Terminal has achieved a lot in a short period of time. The other ECT terminals and their customers learn from and benefit from this as well; in other learning pathways, the same of course also holds true the other way around. Improving is a continuous process anyway. In a highly competitive market, ECT is committed to always offer the customer a better and better performance.
DMAIC Define the project and keep the scope limited. Measure the current performance and establish the target to be reached. Analyse the areas which can be fine-tuned to improve the output. Improve by developing and implementing the best improvement option(s). Control the effect by measuring and ensure continuity by embedding it.
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Low-grade Feedstock, High-grade Logistics Peute Recycling in Dordrecht is a world player in waste paper. With a volume of more than 40,000 40-foot containers a year, the company is one of the port of Rotterdam’s leading exporters. In optimizing its logistics the company aims at an ever-greater deployment of inland shipping and intelligent management of empty containers. Managing Director John van den Heuvel: “That’s why we’re looking to utilise an eight hectare site alongside Moerdijk Container Terminals between now and 2014.”
Peute Recycling is active throughout almost the whole of Europe, buying up waste paper on a contract basis. Huge volumes of waste paper from government authorities, print works, distribution centres etc. find their way from far and wide to the company’s production site in Dordrecht, a medium-large city to the south east of Rotterdam. Here the waste paper is processed when necessary and the various qualities are sorted partly automatically and partly by hand before being compacted into bales of around 1000 kilograms and shipped in containers to customers all over the world. It’s their raw material for manufacturing new paper and packaging materials. John van den Heuvel: “We’re one of the biggest independent players in paper recycling in Europe and Asia. In 2011 we processed 1.3 million tonnes of waste paper. Around 70 percent of that goes to Asia, where China is the biggest buyer. We have our own sales office there. That way we have the entire recycling chain from A to Z in hand. Together with our economies of scale that makes us extremely competitive.”
Recycling Plastics Alongside paper, Peute Recycling also processes plastics. “It’s a completely different market from waste paper, and much more complex too,” says John van den Heuvel. “But it means we are able to offer our customers a total package.”
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Van den Heuvel sees strong market growth. Both in China and the rest of Asia the demand for waste paper is rising continuously. On the one hand this demand is fuelled by these countries’ continuing export growth, on the other it’s driven by the ongoing rise in living standards in their own economies. “Based on our volumes in the first two months of this year, we again expect a growth of some ten percent in 2012,” Van den Heuvel predicts.
Fewer Kilometres Each day, from six in the morning to ten o’clock at night, hundreds of trucks call at Peute Recycling’s production plant in Dordrecht to deliver waste paper or to pick up the processed product. Van den Heuvel: “In 2011 we exported around 40,000 40-foot containers via Rotterdam port. That’s around 150 containers a day.” In its operations the company is emphatically looking to switch to more intelligent logistics. “What we saw was that fully-loaded containers with all kinds of goods come in to Rotterdam, are then shipped inland and discharged, after which the empty containers go back to Rotterdam,” the Managing Director explains. “And then it was our turn to go and fetch these containers from there in order to fill them on our premises before sending them back to Rotterdam again. That meant that one and the same container was needlessly travelling up and down the busy A15-motorway at least twice.” To put an end to this Peute Recycling is increasingly switching to use inland terminals such as Moerdijk Container Terminals (MCT), an extended
“We have to dance if the music’s playing.”
gate in ECT’s European Gateway Services network, fifteen kilometres out of Dordrecht. “It makes quite a difference whether you have to drive 15 kilometres back and forth to fetch an empty container and drop off a full one, or twice 80 kilometres, which is the distance we have to travel to reach the container terminals on Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte,” says Van den Heuvel. “Added to that the turnaround times of trucks at the inland terminals are of course a lot faster. Subsequently the containers travel by barge to Rotterdam.”
Full In, Full Out Crucial to the change Peute Recycling aims to make in its logistics is the willingness of the deep-sea shipping lines to make their empty containers available to the company at inland locations such as MCT in Moerdijk instead of just in Rotterdam. Van den Heuvel notes that a growing number of shipping lines are prepared to do so and are taking concrete steps to make the necessary changes. “Countless full containers are emptied every day at the various European distribution centres in the Moerdijk industrial park anyway,” he says. “We’re keen to fill them again with waste paper. Full in, full out: that’s what we’re aiming for; it presents added value for all those involved.” With that in mind Peute Recycling has recently been meeting with the Moerdijk Port Authority. “We’ve been able to obtain a site of eight hectares flanking MCT. Between now and 2014 we’ll be concentrating part of our paper processing there, but above all we’re looking to use the site to optimise our logistics. We want
to start shipping all our export containers to Rotterdam via inland barge. Currently we are talking with our future neighbour MCT and ECT’s European Gateway Services on how we can work together to create the best possible synergies.”
Sustainable and Economical Compared with road transport, switching fully to inland shipping will lead to a 62 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a study commissioned by Peute Recycling shows. At the same time the switch will generate significant cost savings. “But our top priority is that our logistics always run like clockwork,” Van den Heuvel emphasises. “In our business it’s crucial that we are always able to act fast. We have to dance if the music’s playing, otherwise the business will dry up. In the waste paper business it’s all about speed, efficiency and flexibility.”
MCT MCT is one of the extended gates in the rapidly growing European Gateway Services network of ECT. The trimodal inland terminal in Moerdijk is connected with the deep-sea terminals on the Maasvlakte twice a day by barge. More information: www.europeangatewayservices.com.
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The Four Criteria for Optimal Transport “What it all comes down to is that cargo always reaches the customer in the most efficient, safe and sustainable manner and on time. These four criteria must time and again be determining for the choice of transport,” says Alexander Sakkers, chairman of the Dutch Association for Transport and Logistics TLN. He foresees a future in which truck, train and barge harmoniously function alongside one another. “However, we are opposed to a forced modal shift.”
“Entrepreneurs in road transport and logistics are accustomed to working hard without complaining. In many cases, traditional family companies - sometimes fourth generation - are involved whose family members life revolve around their businesses. A very vibrant sector also, with a continuous drive for innovation to increasingly make operations more efficient and sustainable.” As former mayor of Eindhoven in the southern Netherlands, Alexander Sakkers is clearly content with his current role as the advocate of about 6000 large and small dynamic companies. Since 2007, he has been passionately combating the image of road transporters as major sources of environmental pollution and traffic jams. “Just look at how much the equipment has improved over the last decade. Today’s diesel engines cannot be compared to the ones of ten year ago. The sector keeps on innovating, that’s really a top priority. For example, we are actively involved in the development of hybrid vehicles, the use of LNG as an alternative fuel, etc, etc. And as regards those traffic jams: only a very small percentage is actually caused by trucks. The fact that trucks are specifically mentioned on the radio in those cases - never passenger cars, mind you continues to damage our image.” Sakkers much prefers to emphasise the positive impact of road transport on society. “We are talking about professionals who, despite mounting obstacles and rising costs, are doing a hell of a job to always get all the goods which we need in our daily lives to their destination on time.”
and further evolve as a manager of global cargo flows. As the gateway to Europe, Rotterdam of courses plays an important role in this. What matters next is that cargo always reaches the customer on time and in the most efficient, safe and sustainable manner possible. These four criteria should time and again be determining for the choice of transport. This means that cargo which should be moved by road is moved by road and what can be moved by rail and via river travels by train and barge. So if a container is urgently needed in Germany’s Ruhr area from Rotterdam, the truck is used; if time is not of the essence, then train and barge are the designated modes of transport. Based on the four aforementioned criteria - efficiency, safety, sustainability and on time - all the links in the logistics chain must join together to further develop that process. We however are against a forced modal shift as imposed by the Port of Rotterdam Authority on the future users of Maasvlakte 2 (Rotterdam’s new port area in the North Sea, ed). The market must be able to function properly. Again: the four criteria are leading for always selecting the best transport option. The government should not interfere with this.”
‘ECT is taking the lead to actually put synchromodal transport into practice’
Higher-level Logistics Sakkers very much welcomes the initiative by the Dutch government together with the business community and knowledge institutions to make the Netherlands the global leader in logistics. In the so-called top sector policy of the government, logistics is one of the nine spearheads. “The Netherlands must take the lead in knowledge development 14
According to Sakkers, a subject which however does warrant government interference is the realisation of a 24-hour economy. The ‘8 o’ clock syndrome’ where everyone wants to be supplied at the same time in the morning is partially attributable to environmental zones and time windows
√ Efficiency √ Safety √ Sustainability √ On Time established by (local) governments. “We are more than happy to operate in the quiet hours, but both the government and our customers must make it possible for us to do so. This is a chain-wide issue in which we need to work together.”
Strategic Platform on Logistics Sakkers is closely involved in developing the desired direction of Dutch logistics in the future. He is vicechairman of the Strategic Platform on Logistics in which representatives of the business community, knowledge institutions and government advise the Dutch government on the steps necessary to actually elevate Dutch logistics to the proposed top level. ECT’s Director of Marketing and Sales Wando Boevé is also a member. “ECT plays an active and important role. It takes the lead to actually bring the concept of synchromodal transport into practice.”
Continuous Growth for Road Transport The road transport sector will not be negatively impacted by a future in which all modes of transport equally function alongside one another, is Sakkers’ conviction. “The current economic crisis means times are hard across the board. All predictions however indicate that cargo transport in Europe will still grow by 50 percent in the next fifteen to twenty years. To make this possible, all modes of transport will have to be optimally utilised. Our market share will drop relatively, but in absolute terms road transport will continue to show strong growth. Bear in mind: at the beginning and end of a rail or inland barge connection, a truck is required in most cases. To replace retiring drivers and accommodate growth, we expect that from 2015, the Netherlands alone will need at least 40,000 new truck drivers. We are therefore faced with the major challenge of enthusing young people for our sector.”
“In absolute terms road transport will continue to show strong growth. At the beginning and end of a rail or inland barge connection, a truck is required in most cases.”
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On this Friday morning in early spring the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal (DBF) is in full swing. The deep-sea quays are quite crowded and so ECT’s ship planners have opted to direct the feeder BG Rotterdam to the DBF quay for handling, along with a string of barges. In addition the feeder India can use the quay as a provisional lay-by before its turn at the Delta Dedicated West Terminal.
a hitch. Meanwhile a second wide span gantry crane busies itself with the inland barges. A quartet of barges will berth one after the other, each discharging and loading several dozen containers. Unlike the routine during deep-sea operations, the wide span gantry cranes move steadily to and fro along the length of the ship as they work, so ensuring the vessel remains well-balanced at all times.
The BG Rotterdam is moored at the DBF for the discharging and loading of more than 100 containers. A cargo for which the vessel would otherwise have had to have called at all three of the deep-sea terminals at the ECT Delta. Now all these operations are handled by one of the DBF’s three wide span gantry cranes. The crane team maintains continuous contact with the control room to ensure it all goes without
Efficient Delivery and Dispatch on the Landside The delivery and dispatch of containers on the landside is done efficiently at the DBF using Multi Trailer Systems (MTS’s), each having a capacity for five 40-foot containers. Coming from the deep-sea stacks these trains on rubber wheels wait in a buffer zone behind the DBF before being driven under the DBF cranes by a special driver. Once the
Dedicated to Barges and Feeders Every week more than 100 feeders and some 350 inland barges call at the ECT Delta Terminal. The basic rule is that all these vessels are handled as quickly and efficiently as possible at the deep-sea quay where their cargoes are required. But if there’s no berth available at the desired time, then the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal at the head of the ECT Delta complex offers an attractive alternative.
crane driver has emptied the MTS or has loaded it up, the MTS driver takes it back and exchanges it for a new one. Discharged containers are taken by MTS via the buffer zone behind the DBF back to the deep-sea stack. In this way the operations at DBF continue without interruption, functioning as a vital link in ECT’s optimal service provision to all its customers.
Watch the Video You can watch a short video on the efficient operation at the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal with the Fast Forward app for iPad, which is now available as a free download in the Apple App Store. 17
European Gateway Services is expanding
Destination Germany European Gateway Services is becoming an increasingly attractive option for cargoes bound for or coming from Germany. Alongside DeCeTe in Duisburg and Neuss Trimodal (since late 2011), also Container Terminal Dortmund has now become one of ECT’s extended gates in the Ruhr region. What’s more, since the end of April 2012 there’s a direct rail service between Rotterdam and the southern part of Germany (to Nuremberg).
where it will always be available at the appointed time. Because Rotterdam is the preferred first port of call in Europe for many deep-sea shipping lines, shipping cargoes via Rotterdam generates considerable time savings. The services provided by European Gateway Services will further enhance that. Immediately after being discharged at ECT’s deep-sea terminals, containers can travel onwards under our direction by train or barge. The entire process is in the hands of a single party, which makes it highly efficient.”
Better and Simpler
Container Terminal Dortmund (CTD) Container Terminal Dortmund is a trimodal inland terminal with a floor area of 90,000 square metres, storage for 6000 TEU, three container cranes, a total rail length of 1800 metres and a barge quay of 450 metres. CTD handled some 175,000 cargo units in 2011. The terminal offers its customers an all-in service, including all the necessary facilities for reefers, an empty depot, maintenance and repair, etc.
Thanks to the addition of Container Terminal Dortmund (CTD), which joined the European Gateway Services network officially on 8 February 2012, ECT can now offer its customers a third extended gate in the German Ruhr region, alongside DeCeTe Duisburg and Neuss Trimodal. The trimodal inland terminal in Dortmund – the Ruhr region’s biggest city – was already handling a lot of ‘Rotterdam cargo’, partly via a daily rail link with ECT’s deep-sea terminals on the Maasvlakte. Ham: “European Gateway Services will boost the quality of that transportation even further and makes it easier for the customer. For example, with the soon to be introduced possibility of cross-border transport without customs documents. A major convenience for the customer, who will only have to complete customs formalities once the cargo arrives at CTD. We expect that east-west cargo flows will grow further in both directions as a result.”
First Train to Nuremberg
“Through our subsidiary European Gateway Services we’re making inland transport for companies between Rotterdam and Germany as easy as possible,” ECT’s General Manager Business Development Paul Ham explains. “The only thing they need to do is to book their container at our central booking desk. We then go on to ensure that the container is reliably and sustainably shipped to the German hinterland 18
An entirely new market for Rotterdam and ECT is Nuremberg in the southern German state of Bavaria. This region boasts some 27 million consumers within a 200 kilometre radius. Thanks to its central location, the city of Nuremberg also acts as an important link between Eastern and Western Europe. Under the aegis of European Gateway Services and rail company TX Logistik, a first direct rail container connection between Rotterdam and Nuremburg started operations in late April 2012. In the start-up phase the rail
service is offering three departures a week in both directions, suitable for both deep-sea and continental cargoes. As such the train calls in Rotterdam at both the Maasvlakte terminals and in the Waal-/Eemhaven. The handling in Nuremberg takes place at the TriCon inland terminal, which will also develop itself gradually into an extended gate. All additional services provision is available here on site: pre-transport and post-transport, storage for full containers, empty depot, reefer service, customs handling and so on. Ham: “With this rail connection we aim to offer companies in the Nuremberg region an attractive alternative to their current transportation, which runs almost entirely via Germany’s northern ports. Given that Rotterdam is the first port of call in Europe for many shipping lines, the new rail link can easily reduce lead times by two days.”
Exports as well The General Manager sees huge opportunities on the Rotterdam - Nuremberg route for not only import cargo but for export shipments as well. For a wide range of sectors the Nuremberg region is a major production location. “By booking through European Gateway Services, a company is assured that its export cargo in Nuremberg already has a virtual place on board the deep-sea ship,” Ham says. “Another advantage is that Rotterdam is also increasingly becoming shipping lines’ last port of call in Europe. As a result companies can deliver their export cargoes later, while the
terminal handling charges in Rotterdam are relatively modest. What’s more, Portbase’s overarching Port Community System in the Rotterdam port offers shippers and forwarders a useful service (ECS services, ed.) that makes exporting via the Netherlands even more easy. And the Netherlands is already well known for its attractive tax and customs conditions for imports and exports.”
More Locations ECT is eyeing more locations in Germany to further expand its European Gateway Services network. Ham: “Germany is an important market. We’re actively looking at hot spots that attract large cargo flows. The idea is then to seek attractive partners to help realise an extended gate, including a high frequency rail connection or inland shipping link to Rotterdam. In this way we aim to gradually expand the network. And not just in Germany.”
Easy booking Booking containers on the daily rail service to Dortmund or the new rail service to Nuremberg is quickly and easily done via European Gateway Services’ Central Booking Desk: tel. +31 (0)181 278195, e-mail egsinfo@ect.nl
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(From left to right) Paul Schreurs, Marc Stubenitsky and Martijn van den Berg: “We have found that the desired delivery time at the cold store is easier to maintain.”
Frankort & Koning is a fast-growing trading company in fruit and vegetables. “Europe is our market,” say Martijn van den Berg (Marketing) and Paul Schreurs (Quality Assurance) of the company which is based in Venlo on the Dutch-German border. “We supply supermarkets in various countries with Dutch produce such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, but also increasingly with fruits from overseas such as citruses, papayas, mangoes and melons. We are one of the larger importers of melons in Europe, with Brazil being the leading supplier. During the season, we receive several thousands of reefer containers with all sorts of melon varieties from there via the port of Rotterdam.”
Barge Trial Until recently, all these reefer containers were automatically moved by truck from Rotterdam to Venlo. Van den Berg and Schreurs: “We simply told our logistics service provider CSI which containers we were expecting in Rotterdam and when we needed them to be available at the cold store in Venlo and they took care of the rest.” A fine system in itself as far as Frankort & Koning was concerned. Together with CSI and the inland terminal TCT Venlo, the company however still decided to press on with a trial in which part of the cargo was moved from Rotterdam to Venlo by barge. The transport of a first consignment of ten reefer containers in early 2012 proved so successful that for the remainder of the peak season some 30 containers a week were moved across the distance of 180 kilometres this way.
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Smooth Flow The deep-sea vessel of Hamburg Süd in question moors at the ECT City Terminal in Rotterdam every Wednesday. During the melon season, Frankort & Koning had any containers with priority directly moved by truck; the containers which were not time-critical waited in Rotterdam. “The barge of Danser Containerline which already maintains a regular connection between Rotterdam and Venlo as part of European Gateway Services took on board a substantial number of those boxes at the ECT City Terminal every Sunday evening,” explains TCT Venlo’s Managing Director Marc Stubenitsky. “At 06.00 hours on Monday morning, that ship is always right here alongside our quay in Venlo. In the order specified by Frankort & Koning, we next used our terminal tractors to move the containers to one of their cold stores in Fresh Park Venlo, which is not even ten minutes away.”
‘We gladly want to profile ourselves with sustainability’ The barge that covers the route Rotterdam – Venlo is of course fitted with enough reefer plugs to constantly keep the contents of the containers at the right temperature. Frankort & Koning however could decide for itself whether a reefer needed to be connected (and pay for this). “Each melon variety has its own requirements. A watermelon for
The Sweet Taste of Success
Melons by Barge Working in close cooperation, trading company Frankort & Koning, logistics service provider CSI and inland terminal TCT Venlo managed to in a short time shift a substantial flow of reefer containers with melons from the road to inland shipping. “It’s all about reliability.”
example is best kept at a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius. In normal Dutch winter temperatures, connection to the electricity grid is really not necessary for the maximum of 24 hours that the container spends en route from Rotterdam to our cold store. Last February, the outside temperature however dropped to minus twenty degrees Celsius – that was a whole different story, of course.”
able to come to very good agreements with Hamburg Süd for this project,” say Van den Berg, Schreurs and Stubenitsky. “Instead of Monday, we were allowed to return the containers on Wednesday without additional retention costs. That still gave the shipping line time to load them again aboard the South America-bound vessel. Without that agreement, using inland shipping in this way would not have been possible.”
Clear Advantages
Opportunities for the Future
Frankort & Koning is very positive about the use of inland shipping. “It’s all about reliability. We have found that the desired delivery time at the cold store is easier to maintain. After all, the inland terminal is a mere stone’s throw away. Trucks driving from Rotterdam always run the risk of becoming stuck in traffic. This means you have a team waiting in the cold store for nothing. Delays furthermore cause an accumulation of trucks at your loading docks.” Van den Berg and Schreurs also mention sustainability as an important argument. “Something which we gladly want to profile ourselves with.” At the same time, costs remain very important for the trading company as well. “Pennies really matter in our sector. To stand out, you need to be smarter and better than your competitors. However, no one will pay you a penny more for this.”
All parties involved hope for similar agreements with other shipping lines in the future. Frankort & Koning is definitely interested in using barges for various kinds of fresh produce. TCT Venlo’s Marc Stubenitsky: “In collaboration with Fresh Corridor (the national project for a modal shift for fresh produce, ed), we want to encourage other parties in the fresh produce sector to also make the switch to inland shipping. Our aim is to start using a dedicated inland barge in the distant future. Rail offers opportunities as well. After all, there are four rail shuttles a day departing from the Maasvlakte to Venlo. To any extent, plenty is happening in Venlo in terms of fresh produce.”
Reverse Logistics Another important component in the successful deployment of inland shipping is properly arranging the reverse logistics. The deep-sea shipping lines want their valuable empty reefer containers back in the port as soon as possible. “We were
Watch the video You can watch a short video of the route between the inland terminal TCT Venlo and the cold store of Frankort & Koning on the Fast Forward app for the iPad which can be downloaded in the Apple App Store for free right now.
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Filling in the Black Holes
It’s a nightmare for every shipper, freight forwarder, insurer and authority. Containers that disappear without a trace or are opened illegally, containers that arrive at indiscriminate times or with rotting contents. But thanks to StellarTrak’s easy-to-use tags, tracking and tracing has become available to everyone. It’s now being used on all five continents.
Worldwide, astronomical sums of money are lost every year due to criminal or inexpert container handling. Shippers, freight forwarders, terminals, insurers, customs authorities and of course the end receivers have a huge stake in minimising supply chain risk. But the reality is that containers are left unguarded for a large part of their journey - effectively falling into a black hole. The parties involved however needn’t stay in the dark. LoadStar, a fully-owned subsidiary of the HPH Group, has set up StellarTrak, a system using GPS technology and the cellular phone network that enables real-time cargo monitoring all over the world. It’s simple and reliable.
‘They’re able to plan better’ Easy-to-use Tags StellarTrak issues customers with a tag that they can easily affix to the cargo (such as a container) themselves. Using GPS, the tag continuously sends information to the StellarTrak server. Customers can next log onto a secure 22
visibility platform on this server via their desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone. They can then get a real-time view of the container’s location, as well as of environmental and other factors such as temperature, humidity, shock or illegal opening. When the container reaches its destination - having travelled either part or all of its journey, say from factory gate to port, or between continents - the tag is taken off by the customer and can either be used again or handed in to one of LoadStar’s partner companies. A tag is capable of relaying information for around 90 days. Neil Smith, CEO at LoadStar: “The system works very well. GPS is a proven technology, as is cellular technology. Our customers can choose between different levels of service, but our basic service - depending of course on the length of the journey needn’t cost more than a few tens of dollars. Our prices are so competitive thanks to our excellent contracts with cellular providers, our own low-cost development of the tracking devices and software and our global network of sales and support.”
Hold on the Supply Chain The cargo tracked with StellarTrak is typically high value, high risk or temperature/humidity/shock sensitive. Smith: “If a container is left standing for days in the boiling hot sun, for example, it could spoil the quality of the contents and so harm the reputation of the producer and the seller. But if the cargo has been tagged, the damaged goods can be removed from the supply chain at an earlier stage and not only when they reach the end user. Of course the security and quality of cargoes are important just think of the insurance premiums but just as important is that our customers get more of a grip on the supply chain. They’re able to plan better.” Tagged containers are also more likely to be earmarked for so-called ‘green lane’ processing through Customs, for StellarTrak provides a wealth of information on which customs authorities can base their decision.
See also www.loadstarglobal.com
ME AND MY VESSEL Shipping line Hamburg Süd christened its Santa Teresa, a container carrier with a total capacity of 7100 TEU, in the heart of Rotterdam at the end of March 2012. German national Torsten Peisker (39) is the proud captain of this ship, that is notable for its relatively shallow maximum draft of 13.5 metres.
If I want to brag about this vessel, I say... “It’s wonderful sailing with new ships like this one - they keep getting better and they are also very specialised. Our shipping line, Hamburg Süd, traditionally focuses on the South America trade and has its ships built specifically for that: more reefer plugs (1600) and a shallow draft of 13.5 metres, which means we can call at more South American ports fully loaded.” Most exciting experience ever at sea “On my first ever sea voyage, with the German navy, I was excitingly sea-sick! Following my time in the navy I went to the maritime academy before switching to container shipping as an
officer in 2001. I’ve been with Hamburg Süd since 2008. Actually, every day is exciting, every day is different - even if it’s just the weather. Of course North Atlantic storms can be very extreme, but really the most exciting thing about this job is that you continually have to adjust.” Why captain is the best job in the world? “Because I’m the captain! (laughs) Although I became a captain quite young, it’s still a long route you have to travel before you can command your own ship. The advantage of such a long period of training is that you get the time to observe other people’s command styles, and to decide which style suits you best. I found out early
Santa Teresa The Santa Teresa was built in Korea in 2011 and is one of a series of ten Santa sister ships. Flag Liberia Length 299.9 metres width 42.8 metres Max draft 13.5 metres TEU-capacity 7100 Reefer plugs 1600 Crew 24 men: German captain, Polish officers, Kiribati crew Loop SAEC service: Rotterdam, Tilbury, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Santos, Montevideo, Rio Grande, Itapoa, Santos, Tanger, Rotterdam.
that I wasn’t going to adopt a straight forward military authoritarian style. I always listen to what my officers have to say. I don’t always respond straight away, but I do think about it. I make my own decisions but I like teamwork.” Rotterdam and ECT? “No problem port, no problem terminal (the ECT City Terminal, ed), only three hours sailing on the river. And excellent and efficient bunker facilities.”
Watch the Video! See more of the Santa Teresa on the free Fast Forward app for the iPad which you can download in the Apple App Store.
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Sustainable ECT Examples of ECT’s Initiatives for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
A factor 2 less energy consumption
ECT Cranes act as Power Generators Both the quay cranes and the Automated Stacking Cranes at the ECT deep-sea terminals require substantial electricity to lift a container. As soon as the hoisting is slowed down or the container is lowered, the hoisting motor h owever factually changes into a generator which actually produces energy. Granted, some loss occurs, but the kWh meter definitely runs backwards. Power which can next be used for the other engines on the crane or fed back into the electricity grid. Almost all of ECT’s 200 cranes have already been functioning according to this principle long before Lean and Green became an international trend. The proven method reduces the energy consumption of the cranes at the ECT terminals by more than a factor two.
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Supercaps The return principle does not apply to diesel-powered equipment such as straddle carriers and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). The energy released there, for example during braking, simply vanishes into the air. ECT however is currently testing the use of supercaps for AGVs. These smart batteries store energy which would otherwise be wasted and release it again when necessary. The same principle as is used in today’s hybrid passenger cars. This means that in the future, when an AGV is moving heavy loads, the supercap can swing into action for creating the extra necessary power. At present, the supercap technology is still expensive; mainstream use however is only a matter of time. ECT will be ready for it.