FAST FORWARD SPRING 2007
ISSUE
38
40 YEARS OF CUSTOMER-ORIENTED SERVICE CAPACITY ROUND THE CORNER! ECT AND DHL GLOBAL FORWARDING
FAST FORWARD CONTENTS
ECT celebrates 40th Anniversary This year, ECT marks its 40th anniversary. More than enough reason for our photographer Eric Bakker to go in search for special images to illustrate the 2007 covers of Fast Forward. His starting point was the ‘number 40’. Quay crane no. 40 at the ECT Delta Terminal as such became the logical choice for the first cover.
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Colophon Fast Forward, a business-to-business publication of ECT, appears three times a year. Please contact our 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 Printing Drukkerij De Longte, Dordrecht External coordination RWP, Voorburg Chief editor ECT Rose Wiggers
No rights can be derived from this publication.
40 Years of Customer-oriented Service Europe Container Terminals (ECT) ECT is the largest and most advanced container terminal operator in Europe, handling almost two-third of all containers passing through the port of Rotterdam. The whole year round, customers can call at the ECT Delta Terminal on the Maasvlakte along the North Sea and at the ECT Home Terminal & ECT Hanno Terminal in the Eemhaven/Waalhaven area near the city centre 24 hours a day.
In 2007 ECT will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. In the first quarter however, there didn’t seem much to celebrate. Terminal operations were hampered by industrial actions, bad weather conditions and a temporary over-full stack at the ECT Delta Terminal. Nevertheless, management board members Wando Boevé and Jasper Hooykaas look forward to the rest of the year with confidence: “The whole company has a huge drive to optimize performance.”
ECT has also developed a network of inland terminals to facilitate better intermodal transport - barge, rail - between Rotterdam and the European hinterland. Currently, ECT operates terminals in Venlo (in the southeast of the Netherlands), Willebroek (Belgium) and Duisburg (Germany). All of ECT’s terminals - both in Rotterdam and beyond - are located at the crossroads of visible container flows and invisible information flows. ECT’s highly skilled staff is on standby 24 hours
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ECT Delta revises Cargo Cut-off Procedure
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Yangtze & Rhine
a day for its customers. ECT is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings Group (HPH), the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in 23 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. At present,
As of mid February, the ECT Delta Terminal has revised its cargo cut-off procedure. With the introduction of more stringent guidelines, ECT is laying the foundation for much more reliable levels of customer service.
HPH operates a total of 257 berths in 45 ports together with a number of transportation-related service companies.
P.O. Box 7385, 3000 HJ Rotterdam, the Netherlands T +31 (0) 181 278 278 | F +31 (0) 181 278 315 E info@ect.nl | W www.ect.nl
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No matter where in the world: inland shipping offers a wealth of advantages for efficiently transporting containers. Shanghai on the estuary of the Yangtze River and Rotterdam in the Rhine Delta are textbook examples of this and have a lot in common.
SPRING 2007 COLUMN Challenging the Future
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Keyrail’s Unique Offering
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ECT and DHL Global Forwarding
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From China to the European Consumer
From this summer, a new 160 km long freightonly rail line links Rotterdam port directly with Germany. This so-called Betuweroute will be operated by Keyrail. “We want to provide a top product. Our customers can rely on made-tomeasure service.”
As a major, globally operating forwarder, DHL handles gigantic volumes. DHL Global Forwarding’s Rotterdam office alone is responsible for over 100,000 TEU through the ECT terminals annually. The collaboration between the two parties is intensifying. “TCT Venlo needs to become a real hub for us.”
Chinese companies and forwarders are irreversibly penetrating Europe with their own products. But how can the Chinese optimize their European distribution network? “The right location for one’s European Distribution Centre spells the difference between success and failure.”
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Quickly on the Road with Cargo Card
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Capacity Round the Corner!
Starting this autumn, trucks will approach the ECT Delta Terminal via a new route. And there’s more. In the future, truck drivers whose arrival has been electronically pre-notified and who have their own Cargo Card will no longer need to get out of their cabins.
At the Maasvlakte, directly on the North Sea, ECT is constructing two new terminals: the ECT Euromax Terminal and the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal. The two terminals will come on stream in different phases from mid 2008.
On January the 2nd, as I was heading to my office for the first workday of 2007, I had a great feeling about the year ahead. 2007 marks ECT’s 40th anniversary: a milestone definitely worth celebrating. Much more important however was that all the preconditions seemed present to make rapid progress as regards our service and productivity. In December, we completed our 270-million-euro expansion programme at the ECT Delta Terminal; at the same time, the new computer system is running better and better and the creation of additional capacity through the construction of the Euromax Terminal and the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal is steadily progressing. The maritime sector however is governed by wholly unique dynamics. Bad weather, work-to-rule at Customs and a major towing service going on strike put the first three months of 2007 in a completely different perspective for Rotterdam. The port literally and figuratively had to sound the tocsin. In addition, we were faced with a stack temporarily filling up at the ECT Delta Terminal. In itself, these things can and do occur in ports all over the world. But this time, the pace at which events succeeded one another in Rotterdam was extraordinary. And bear in mind: it is not until the ‘storm has subsided’ that ECT begins to feel the full brunt of such occurrences. The influx of containers that then follows puts really tremendous pressure on our terminal capacity. Seasons come and seasons go. The bad weather has passed and statistically speaking industrial actions are a rare occasion in the Netherlands. The recent accumulation of labour conflicts seems as random as winning the jackpot in the National Lottery. This does not mean that we do not deeply regret the consequences of the afore-mentioned industrial actions. They diminish the reputation of Rotterdam as a good and reliable port. We as ECT do all we can to make sure they minimally impact the operations of our customers. What’s more, we have also resumed our efforts aimed at structurally raising the level of our service and productivity. The initiatives that I mentioned earlier are of great help in this respect. In addition, we have taken additional measures aimed at further increasing our reliability and set in motion new plans for an even better handling of trucks. 2007 is a memorable year for ECT. 40 years ago, we were at the cradle of Rotterdam’s container handling sector. All those years, we have time and again challenged the future. From a progressive vision, a stevedore that leads the way in terms of technology has sprouted. A company also that constantly renews itself. And rest assured: this will definitely not change. We will continue to anticipate any future challenges. First-rate service and productivity will be our top priorities for the coming years in this respect. Jan Westerhoud, President of ECT 3
NEWS
Inspection without Stopping
Frontrunner in the Battle against Climate Change Former US president Bill Clinton has invited Rotterdam to join the Clinton Climate Initiative, an alliance of 40 major cities all over the world that wants to substantially reduce CO2 emission levels. Rotterdam Mayor Ivo Opstelten in a reaction stated that he was very honoured by this invitation. “This is a highly important initiative.” The ambitions of the Clinton Climate Initiative fit in seamlessly with the port city’s own ambitions in this respect. Both nationally and internationally, Rotterdam wants to play a leading role when it comes to sustainable entrepreneurship and the reduction of CO2 emission levels. In 2025, CO2 emissions in the region must have been reduced by no less than 50 percent compared to 1990. Mayor Opstelten: “It is our ambition to be the ‘World Capital of CO2-free energy’ in 2025.”
Rotterdam Customs has recently installed nuclear detection gates at all relevant locations in the port. This makes it very easy to inspect each container for radioactive radiation. Of course, the ECT Delta Terminal (12 gates in total) and ECT City Terminals (8 gates in total) have also been fitted with these devices. All containers entering or leaving the terminals on the landside will from now on first need to pass through such an inspection gate. In the case of regular containers, the driver will not notice this at all. He only needs to slightly slow down at the gate. Should the detection gate however pick up an abnormality, then the central command post of Customs will be notified automatically. There, Customs officers will determine the nature of the alarm. After all, some goods naturally contain harmless levels of radioactivity. In all other cases, Customs will take the container in question aside and manually measure it on the outside. Should a heightened level of radioactivity be detected, then special radiation experts of the Dutch government will be deployed to open the container. The newly installed detection gates in no way interfere with the logistics process. Only ‘suspect’ containers are slightly delayed. This however is compensated by the fact that the supply chain has become much safer. In the worst case, a container could after all be used for the transport of so-called dirty bombs. Fortunately, such excesses have as of yet not been encountered. So far, only less serious offences were detected, such as a shipment of handbags with clasps in which cobalt had been used and an empty container with sand that contained traces of radioactivity.
Safer without Doors! Containers come in many shapes and sizes. A doorless container however is a completely new concept. The company Cakeboxx in Portland, USA is behind this idea. The main aim of the ‘closed box’ is to further boost security levels in the logistics chain. The starting point is simple. The doorless container is a normal container, but without any doors. For the loading of these containers, a forklift truck or straddle carrier removes the top structure of the box. What remains is a floor-base that can be loaded from all sides at the same time. Once this has been done, the forklift truck or straddle carrier simply puts the top structure back in place again. This in effect makes it impossible for anyone to access the cargo during the voyage. It simply doesn’t get any safer than that. The top structure is not removed again until the final destination has been reached. There, the cargo is discharged as efficiently as it was loaded. For Customs, it is also very easy to inspect a container. Once the top structure has been removed, all the cargo is clearly visible. Cakeboxx first introduced the concept of the doorless container during a major trade show in Hamburg, Germany at the end of last year. More information www.cakeboxx.com 4
Illu
NEWS
ECT Ready for Worldwide Container Tracking ECT recently became a full link in the worldwide container tracking network that is being developed by Savi Networks (a joint venture of Hutchison Port Holdings and Lockheed Martin) and works on the basis of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). If forwarders or shippers fit containers with these RFID tags, the boxes can be tracked during their entire journey. Leading terminals in Asia (Pusan, Yantian), the USA (Virginia, Georgia, Long Beach and other west coast ports) and Europe (Felixstowe, Tilbury and now also Rotterdam) have extensively been equipped with RFID readers for this purpose. At the ECT Delta Terminal, the readers have been installed on all deep-sea, inland barge and rail cranes and at all inbound and outbound truck lanes. The moment a container with an RFID tag passes such a reader, the tag is automatically read. The information is then sent to the central server of Savi Networks in realtime. From here, the obtained data is made available to the customers. They will be exactly informed of how the trip of their container is progressing. Depending on the type, an RFID tag can also serve as an electronic seal. Should a container with such a tag be opened without authorisation, then the RFID readers at the terminal will immediately detect this. Certain tag types can in addi-
tion be used to measure the temperature inside a container, detect gas etc. The commercial usage of RFID tags for containers is still in its infancy. However, supply chain management is becoming increasingly more refined and important. Protection against theft and terrorism will also continue to be a major issue all over the world. Equipping containers with RFID tags can therefore yield substantial advantages in relation to Customs. Interest in Savi Networks’ worldwide container tracking system will without a doubt rapidly increase. ECT is ready for the RFID tag. The RFID reader infrastructure installed at the ECT terminals is fully compliant with the soon-to-be-introduced ISO 18185 standard for electronic bolt seals. ISO 18185 is now in the final stage of the standardization process.
A Real Boyhood Dream‌
Right in the heart of downtown Rotterdam, a real boyhood dream recently came to life: Railz Miniworld, the largest model railway in the Netherlands. The trains here run through highly detailed, typically Dutch landscapes, such as the coast, the polders and modern urban areas. The model railway brims with dynamism. In addition, day regularly turns to night and vice versa, resulting in outstanding light effects. Both the port and ECT are prominently featured in the new attraction. The container terminal in fact constitutes one of the most spectacular parts of the model railway. The mini-world shows all the dynamics of the ECT operations: from quay crane to automated stack, from Automated Guided Vehicle to straddle carrier and much more. Railz Miniworld initially covers 200 m2, but the aim is to expand this to 800 m2. The initiators ultimately want to draw 250,000 visitors a year. More information: www.railzminiworld.com
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NEWS
Dedicated between Duisburg and Delta
New at Home In the first months of 2007 the ECT Home Terminal welcomed three new deep-sea services. Since early January ZIM Lines and Evergreen subsidiary Italia Marittima are calling at the city terminal as part of their joint transatlantic service sailing between Europe and the east coast of the USA. The weekly service comprises four vessels with capacity ranging from 1850 to 3000 TEU. The Marseille Star (photo) is one of the quartet. In Europe the vessels call at Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Liverpool, before crossing the ocean bound for New York, Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah. Also since January the ECT Home Terminal has been visited by the EPIC 2 service operated by CMA CGM (four ships), Hamburg Süd and Hapag Lloyd (one ship each); slot charterers are McAndrews and ANL. The EPIC 2 service provides a weekly connection between Europe and India and Pakistan. As the suffix ‘2’ suggests, the participating shipping lines already have another service in this trade. The EPIC 2 doubles the number of sailings (see also At the Helm on page 7). The third newcomer to the ECT Home Terminal is the NEMO service of CMA CGM, run jointly with DAL; slot charterers are Delmas and ANL. Since mid-March the NEMO service has connected North West Europe with Australia and New Zealand via the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion and Mauritius. The return trip runs via Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. A round-trip takes 91 days.
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One of Rotterdam’s main unique selling points is the ease of transporting large numbers of containers via the river Rhine to deep into Germany. All parties in the logistics chain are continually working on the further improvement of this product. A major advantage can be gained by cutting the number of terminals a barge has to call at in the seaport. At present inland ships have to load and unload at various locations. If there is a delay at one of these terminals, then there is a good chance of a domino effect. For this reason a dedicated barge has been sailing between DeCeTe Duisburg - ECT’s inland terminal in the German Ruhr region - and the ECT Delta Terminal for a number of months now. The Fixut Maris (photo) has a capacity of 268 TEU and calls at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam at fixed
times every three days. There the ship will load and unload at a single terminal whenever possible, before returning to Germany directly. Maurice Ruygers Vaillant, operations manager of DeCeTe Duisburg: “We offer the reliability of a regular bus service, and our sailing timetable is sacred. The ECT Delta, DeCeTe and operator Rhinecontainer have all made a commitment in this respect. We won’t wait around for that one container that’s running late. That can always go with the next barge.” The market is beginning to recognise the added value of the service. The volumes on board the Fixut Maris are increasing rapidly. Alongside the DeCeTe - ECT Delta dedicated connection, another barge operated by the German inland terminal serves the ECT City Terminal and all the remaining terminals in Rotterdam port twice a week.
1,000,000 Electronic Messages a Month In December of last year, Rotterdam’s Port Community System for the first time ever processed one million electronic messages in a single month. Thanks to this highly user-friendly system, all the different parties in the port can now very easily exchange data with one another. This applies to both the communication between companies and government bodies (customs declarations, for example) and the exchange of data between companies among themselves (such as the pre-notification of containers at ECT). The Port Community System has rapidly developed over the last couple of years. Compared to its competitors, the port used to seriously lag behind in this field. To change this, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the port business community and Customs together established Port infolink in August 2002. This organisation has since then been continuously further expanding and finetuning the Port Community System. In January 2004, companies were able to send a message via the Port Community System for the first time. And today, more than one million messages a month are already being sent. Port infolink currently offers participating companies fourteen practical services with which they can optimise their electronic communications. ECT is an important participant as well. To emphasize this, ECT’s Director of Marketing & Sales Wando Boevé joined Port infolink’s Supervisory Board on the first of January 2007.
AT T H E H E L M
Name Country of birth Captain of Career
Nautical qualities Rotterdam Current sailing schedule
Specifications ship
Zeljko Pulic (36) Croatia The CMA CGM Aegean (chartered by CMA CGM, ship manager E.R. Schiffahrt), which sails in the new EPIC 2 (Europe Pakistan India Consortium 2) service. “Sailing has been in my blood for many generations. When I was just fourteen, I started sailing aboard ocean-going vessels as a deck boy during the summer holidays. After graduating from the maritime college in Dubrovnik, I became Chief Officer in 1996. I joined E.R. Schiffahrt in 2000 and since that time I have been sailing aboard 5762-8204 TEU vessels. Currently, I have command of the CMA CGM Aegean.” “Rotterdam is Rotterdam. Never any problems. It is a textbook example of efficiency, whether I call at the ECT Delta Terminal or the ECT Home Terminal.” “Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre, Alexandria (Egypt), Karachi (Pakistan), Mundra, Nhova Sheva (India), Malta. A round trip takes 42 days. The EPIC 2 is a new joint service maintained by six similar vessels of Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg Süd and CMA CGM. In addition to the existing EPIC service, the new loop has been adding 2800 TEU weekly to this trade since December 2006. EPIC 2 is already a huge success; our capacity is always fully utilized. This represents the increasing importance of Pakistan/India as an export market.” Crew 20 men; length 201.5 metres; width 32.25 metres; draft 12.2 metres; height 56 metres; service speed 21.5 knots; gross tonnage 30,280; capacity 2825 TEU; reefer plugs 215.
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The ECT Delta Terminal now disposes of a crane for every 95 metres of quay.
ECT continues to Invest
In 2007 ECT will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. In the first quarter however,
40 Years of Custom
Terminal operations were hampered by
capacity (see box page 10), equipment and also most emphatically in staff. “We’re looking to take on a further 150 operational staff before the summer,” says Hooykaas. “That’s in addition to the 300 newcomers who’ve joined ECT over the last two years.”
industrial actions, bad weather conditions
More Flexibility
there didn’t seem much to celebrate.
year with confidence: “The whole company
All the extra personnel taken on since June 30, 2004 are now working to a new timetable, which offers ECT more flexibility. Boevé: “We are not in command of the oceangoing vessels. The work isn’t spread evenly over the week, and weather conditions and delays lead to extra peaks and troughs in the workload. Once the vessel moors however, every customer always expects 100 percent service. We have to be able to cope with that. Due in part to the new timetable we can deploy our resources in the best way possible.”
has a huge drive to optimize performance.”
A Hectic Start
and a temporary over-full stack at the ECT Delta Terminal. Nevertheless, management board members Wando Boevé and Jasper Hooykaas look forward to the rest of the
“Thanks to our expansion programme the ECT Delta Terminal now disposes of a crane for every 95 metres of quay. That means that vessels can be handled using four or five cranes at a time - depending on stowage of course,” says Director of Operations & Technical Services, Jasper Hooykaas and Director Marketing & Sales, Wando Boevé. What’s more, ECT keeps on investing heavily in terminal 8
Both of the directors agree that 2007 got off to a hectic start. Bad weather conditions, customs working to rule, an over-full stack at the ECT Delta Terminal and tugboat strikes all hampered terminal operations. In most instances it was simply a case of force majeure, “but rightly or wrongly, the customer will always judge on performance. As a company we have to demonstrate that these were exceptional occurrences. Everything is geared to that. Our current investment in equipment and personnel speaks volumes in that respect.”
er-oriented Service Revised Cargo Cut-off Procedure A new regulation which will help to boost productivity at the ECT Delta Terminal, is the revised cargo cut-off procedure (see also feature on page 11) introduced in midFebruary this year. Fourteen hours prior to a ship’s expected time of arrival (ETA), shipping companies must have submitted their definite loading list. Six hours before the ship’s ETA, all containers should be physically present. This enables ECT to proceed full steam ahead with discharging and loading the minute the ship is at the quay. Boevé concedes that the local shipping lines’ offices in particular had some difficulties adjusting to the new regulation. They are no longer able to add containers right up to the last minute. “But, on the other hand, we have now created the conditions for delivering a far better quality and a more reliable service. A ship can leave on time, and, with the tight sailing schedules of the shipping lines, that’s a major bonus.”
Full Stack An unexpected complication last February was a temporary filling up of the stack at the ECT Delta Terminal. The cause of this is still not entirely clear. Boevé: “It could have been an advance warning of a total, structural gridlock of the European transport system. The fact is that at the beginning of 2007 we had about the same volume at the ECT Delta Terminal as at the beginning of 2006, when we still handled P&O Nedlloyd and two additional services of the Grand Alliance. So that’s not the problem. But the dwell
time of the container is now a lot longer. Whatever the case, we’re looking into what exactly is going on in the market.” In the meantime, ECT has taken measures. The reception of empty containers was temporarily suspended. Hooykaas: “Empties are our only way of exercising control, as obviously we can’t turn back full containers. But let there be no misunderstanding: despite media reports to the contrary, the shipping lines have been able to load their empty containers on board whenever they wanted. There was more than enough supply in the stacks. Boevé adds: “The stack is now back in order. We are talking with our customers about a further regulation. Once the supply of empty containers in the stack drops below a certain level, then it can be topped up. But empties don’t have to be present at the terminal ten days before a ship’s arrival.” In addition to the regulation of empty containers in the stack, ECT is also looking at other alternatives for creating more flexibility at peak times. Additional space for the storage of empty containers will probably be created at the Rail Terminal West on the other side of the road of the ECT Delta Terminal.
Major Rotation To further optimize the performance of the ECT Delta Terminal, also a major rotation of clients took place early this year. Many shipping lines have been allocated a new location. “The new set-up is based on the interrelationships 9
Jasper Hooykaas (l) and Wando Boevé: “Even more than previously, the inland terminals are an integral part of our landside organisation.”
between customers. This means we can minimise internal transport and feeders will be handled at a single terminal as much as possible. Overall this translates into better utilisation of our total capacity.” Since the reshuffle, the CKYH alliance (comprising Cosco, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin) has become a customer of the Delta Dedicated North Terminal. The vessels of the Grand Alliance (HapagLloyd, NYK, OOCL, MISC), The New World Alliance (APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, MOL) and MSC now berth at the Delta Dedicated East Terminal, while China Shipping, CMA CGM and Evergreen are handled on the Delta Dedicated West Terminal.
“Continued Success” Although sometimes overshadowed by their big brother on the M th Maasvlakte, l kt th the ECT Cit City Terminal T i l meanwhile hil carries i on regardless. This spring it welcomed three new services (see the news item on page 6). “The City Terminal is doing a good job,” say Hooykaas and Boevé. “In terms of both volume and productivity it is performing well. The company’s two-pillar strategy is a continued success.” Both directors are aware that specific customers prefer to see their ships handled close to the city (i.e. the European market). In addition the City Terminal gives the company the flexibility to deal with new strings, which would like to be handled at the ECT Delta Terminal but for which there isn’t always immediate space. The ECT City Terminal offers an attractive - temporary - alternative.
Integrated Hinterland Towards the hinterland, the ECT-owned inland terminals in Venlo in the South-East Netherlands (TCT Venlo), Willebroek, Belgium (TCT Belgium) and Duisburg, Germany (DeCeTe) play an increasingly important role in the company strategy. Customers who want to avoid the busyness of the port can deliver and fetch their containers there with ease. Boevé and Hooykaas: “Even more than previously, the inland terminals are an integral part of our landside organisation.” Trains and barges are moving the containers quickly to and from the hinterland. Electronic information exchange ensures that arrival, departure and operations are seamlessly attuned to one another.
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Apart from that, the congestion in the seaport as regards truck handling is primarily an issue only during peak hours, Boevé emphasises. In the evening and night a lot of capacity is unutilised. “A former fellow director always used to say ‘the money’s there waiting to be picked up, particularly late at night’ and he was absolutely right. At ECT we’re open 24 hours a day and seven days a week both on the sea and the landside. The same applies to the empty depots and Customs. There’s plenty of opportunity to spread the delivery and fetching of containers to and from the seaport over the whole day.” Boevé does sense that companies are gradually shifting to this approach.
A Worthy Anniversary Year Hooykaas and Boevé are convinced that, in the course of 2007, ECT will profit from the massive inward investments, the additional measures that have been introduced and the newly recruited personnel. “We want to celebrate our fortieth birthday properly. The whole company is determined to optimise performance.”
New Terminals Operational Mid-2008 ECT will be creating lots of new capacity over the coming years. Construction of the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal (DBF) and the ECT Euromax Terminal is progressing steadily. Boevé and Hooykaas expect that the DBF will be phased into operations in mid 2008. “We want to make a good start. And that will determine the actual starting date.” The same applies to the ECT Euromax Terminal. Halfway through 2007 ECT will begin a pilot plant. “Then we will take a year to give thorough tests to the equipment and systems together with our staff. We will start with handling a couple of containers and then gradually larger and larger volumes. Nobody stands to benefit from an over hasty start. All the processes have to be fine-tuned and integrated with one another.” ECT has signed a memorandum of understanding with the CKYH-alliance about the future exploitation of the Euromax Terminal. See pages 22-23 for more news about the construction of the ECT Euromax Terminal and the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal.
ECT Delta revises Cargo Cut-off Procedure As of mid February, the ECT Delta Terminal has revised its cargo cut-off procedure. With the introduction of more stringent guidelines, ECT is laying the foundation for much more reliable levels of customer service.
The vessels that call at the ECT Delta Terminal are constantly getting larger. Nowadays, a capacity of 8000 TEU or up is the rule rather than the exception. The call sizes are proportionally going up as well. Until recently, approx. 2000 moves was the standard, but today 4000 moves is increasingly becoming the norm. At the same time, the container lines are attaching more and more importance to their ships keeping to their sailing schedules.
add containers to the loading list and deliver them to the terminal. A flexibility that at first glance seemed very customer friendly, but in fact increasingly stood in the way of optimum planning and operations. Due to the ongoing process of scaling-up, properly preparing discharging and loading operations simply requires more time. In addition, the ECT Delta Terminal was awarded the RTO status by Customs in May of last year. This means a container will not be released until all the documents are in order. Only then will it be possible for ECT to plan this box. And that also requires extra attention.
The cargo cut-off procedure applies to all the customers of the ECT Delta Terminal.
Twin Lifting and Dual Cycling Thanks to the cargo cut-off procedure, the ECT Delta Terminal has already completed the operational planning process the moment a vessel moors alongside the quay. Discharging and loading can immediately commence, and simultaneously as well. The added value of principles such as twin lifting (lifting two 20-foot containers at the same time) and dual cycling (both loading and discharging in a single crane movement) fully comes to its right.
Revised Procedure The ECT Delta Terminal does everything possible to meet the requirements of its customers. The former arrangements pertaining to the delivery of containers however stood in the way of this. While a ship was already being handled, customers could still
New Cargo Cut-off Procedure ECT Delta Terminal 14 hours prior to ETA definite loading list available for ECT; 6 hours prior to ETA all the containers that are to be loaded physically present at the terminal.
All in all, the ECT Delta Terminal has decided to introduce a revised cargo cut-off procedure as of mid February 2007. With this, ECT has created the time necessary to optimally prepare for the arrival of each vessel. From now on, shipping companies are expected to have submitted their definite loading list no later than fourteen hours prior to the expected time of arrival (ETA) of a sea-going vessel. Six hours before the ETA, the actual containers must also be physically present at the terminal. If this is not the case, then these boxes will be cancelled for the departure in question. Late arrivals are still possible, but only via a special procedure.
To the Benefit of the Customer The ECT Delta Terminal acknowledges that the new procedures required an adjusted method of working, especially of the customers’ local offices. The fact that shipping lines can count on a more reliable service (with higher productivity levels) however more than makes up for this. ECT in its turn has more stable operations and more overview on the quay. Together ECT and the shipping lines reap the benefits of a more reliable berth planning, which aids vessel schedule integrity. This ultimately accumulates in an improved utilisation of capacity, which will in the end result in a ‘new’ flexibility to the benefit of the customer.
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Global cargo flows continue to show rapid growth. This also has consequences for pre- and post-transport. With the number of containers constantly on the up, ensuring a good traffic flow is increasingly becoming more complex. Unless the unique advantages of a river can be utilised, that is. No matter where in the world: inland shipping offers a wealth of advantages for efficiently transporting containers. Shanghai on the estuary of the Yangtze River and Rotterdam in the Rhine Delta are textbook examples of this and have a lot in common.
The Great Similarities between Yangtze & Rhine The 6380-kilometre Yangtze River cuts right through China from west to east and is the longest river in Asia. Almost 3000 kilometres of the Yangtze is easily navigable. Each year, almost a billion tons of cargo is moved. Trade and industry have concentrated around the river. Although the so-called Yangtze Economic Belt only covers 20 percent of China’s land surface, it accounts for 41 percent of the country’s Gross National Product. On the estuary of the Yangtze is Shanghai: world port number 1. On the other side of the world, the Rhine River and Rotterdam could safely be considered the European equivalents to the Yangtze and Shanghai. The Rhine is 1320 kilometres long and opens up Europe deep into Germany’s industrial heartland. The connecting of the Danube to the Rhine via the Rhine-Main-Danube Channel in 1992 in addition created one large waterway from one side of Europe to the other. On the estuary of the Rhine, Rotterdam has for decades been Europe’s most important port.
China and the Netherlands Together Despite the rapid growth of China’s economy, Europe - and especially the Netherlands - still has a large head start when it comes to the development of a modern inland shipping sector. China however is sparing no effort to raise and improve shipping traffic on the Yangtze River. In the 11th Five Year Plan of the Chinese Government (2005 - 2010),
Go West China’s industrial areas are mainly located in the coastal provinces. The Chinese government however is now also strongly stimulating the further development of the inland. Due to the low costs of labour, foreign
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industries are highly interested in setting up operations in inland China. Providing the internal logistics are in order, of course. The further development of the Yangtze River can play an important role in this.
investments in infrastructure have been further intensified. The country aims to make optimum use of the vast potential the river has to offer. Against this backdrop, China and the Netherlands together staged the four-day International Yangtze Inland Shipping Forum in Wuhan (1200 kilometres inland, 9 million inhabitants) in early 2007. At the heart was a memorandum of understanding for mutual cooperation in the fields of inland shipping, terminal development, logistics, hazardous cargo, transport safety and various other subjects, that both countries signed in November 2005.
Huge Success With 350 participants, 100 of which represented Dutch companies and organisations, the International Yangtze Inland Shipping Forum could be considered a huge success. “The quality of the participants was very high,” says Jan Buiter, managing director of Cosco Container Lines Netherlands and China expert pur sang. Chairman of the Sino Netherlands Platform for port development, transport and civil engineering Bram Westerduin was closely involved in the organisation of the Forum. “China aspires to further optimise inland shipping on the Yangtze River. For that, they gladly want to make use of the substantial amount of knowledge available in the Netherlands. The Forum was organised in such a manner that the Chinese outlined their challenges in relation to the Yangtze and the Dutch companies and organisations reacted to this.” Cooperation seems possible in many different areas. The most concrete of these is the realisation of a European-style integral River Information Services system. Although the Yangtze is purely a Chinese river, it flows through nine different provinces that are highly autonomous and have their own (Customs) rules. Buiter: “Shipping traffic on the Yangtze is not harmonised. In the case of a calamity, we in Europe for example know exactly how many people are
Paul Ham: “In the end, we
Jan Buiter: “A good hinterland
Bram Westerduin: “The Dutch government and
are one single logistics chain.”
strategy is crucial.”
business community must continuously keep on investing in good relations with China.”
aboard and which hazardous substances the vessel is carrying. This is not yet the case in China.” Westerduin adds: “This is why they want the Netherlands to assist them in drawing up a master plan for the Chinese situation and setting up a number of demonstration projects.”
scale enter the European market with their own brands. They are of course looking for the right channels to get these products to the European consumer in the best possible manner.”
Investing in Relations Rapid Development Hinterland Strategy Paul Ham, manager business development at ECT, also attended the Forum and the exploration of the Yangtze hinterland that followed. “As ECT, we are developing a European hinterland strategy in which we aim to extend the gates of our terminals to the hinterland. It is interesting to see how China addresses this. In the end, we are one single logistics chain.” Ham can only conclude that, just like in many other fields, China is not wasting any time whatsoever. “In Europe, we can definitely learn something from China in this respect. Investments are huge. The Shanghai International Port Group by now already has participations in at least six terminals on the Yangtze, Cosco in four. Several parties are clearly building up their positions. The same of course also occurs in Europe, along the Rhine. Take our very own DeCeTe inland terminal in Duisburg, Germany, for example.” Buiter confirms that a good hinterland strategy is also crucial to Rotterdam. “Within three years, Chinese companies will on a large
Westerduin emphasises that a successful follow-up to the International Yangtze Inland Shipping Forum to a great extent depends on the willingness of the Dutch government and businesses to continuously keep on investing in good relations with China. Buiter confirms this strategy and points to Rotterdam’s own approach regarding the promotion of the port. “You need to show yourself. With a small team from Rotterdam, we regularly organise road shows throughout the whole of China. At such occasions, we openly and honestly explain the benefits of transport via Rotterdam to shipping companies, forwarders and shippers. We do not sweep any problems under the carpet; we do however tell them what we are doing to solve them.” This approach works perfectly, as Buiter has experienced. “Recently, we for example went to Ningbo. Once again, we explained the proven fact that in many cases, it is cheaper and more efficient to move cargo bound for Germany via Rotterdam instead of Hamburg. After this visit, we noticed a clear increase in the number of containers from Ningbo.” 13
New Freight-only Rail Line links Rotterdam with Germany
Keyrail’s Unique Offering
Betuweroute sets the Standard The direction and security of trains travelling on the Betuweroute is regulated via the new European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). In this the Netherlands has taken the lead. The system is intended to become the European standard in the years to come. Due to its innovative character ERTMS is being extensively tested. Currently the builders of the railway line are in the middle of conducting the final tests.
From this summer, a new 160 km long freight-only rail line links Rotterdam port directly with Germany. The starting and end points of this so-called Betuweroute are situated right outside the door of the ECT Delta Terminal. The rail track will be operated by Keyrail. “We want to provide a top product. Our customers can rely on made-to-measure service.”
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Photo: Henk-Jan Kamerbeek
In just a few months the Netherlands will offer the world a unique new infrastructure for transporting goods by rail. Around a decade of construction work and an investment of more than 4.5 billion euro will culminate in the so-called Betuweroute opening this summer. From then European container transporters will have all they could wish for trains that 24/7 cover the 160 kilometers from Rotterdam port to Germany without any hindrance. The Betuweroute will create unprecedented extra capacity, unhindered by passenger trains.
Dedicated Operator Because of its unique character the Betuweroute has been afforded its own operator: Keyrail. This joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam, the Port of Amsterdam and ProRail (which manages the rest of the Dutch rail infrastructure) officially came into force on January 1st this year. Keyrail is responsible for attracting cargo, sharing out capacity, traffic control and maintenance of the new railway link. The new company has big ambitions. “We want to provide a top product. Our customers can rely on madeto-measure service,” say Keyrail directors Cees Tommel and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma.
Streamlined Process Keyrail shoulders responsibility for the total Betuweroute, from the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam right up until the German border. “Anyone can buy capacity with us,” say the two directors, “for both the short and the long term. Clients pay us a fee per kilometre (2007: 1.15 euros, ed.). That’s no different from the situation now on the rail network.” The big difference is that Keyrail is in a position to offer a far better service. While goods trains on the existing network frequently have to be shunted onto the sidelines to allow passenger trains through, on the Betuweroute they will be able to journey non-stop. Tommel and Sjoerdsma: “Our biggest challenges are posed by the connections from
the Rotterdam terminals onto the Betuweroute and again at the other end of the country where it links up with Germany. We are currently in talks both with the parties in Rotterdam and with the operator of the German rail network DB Netz to streamline these processes. We want as few surprises as possible. If, for example, a train hasn’t got a timeslot in Germany, then we will look for alternatives en route. Departure means non-stop travel. No stationary trains will be allowed on the eastern part of the Betuweroute.” Through the offices of the Dutch government agreements have also been forged with Germany for extending capacity on the German side of the border. At Emmerich a third rail track is to be made available into the German hinterland.
A Gradual Start to Operations The Betuweroute will open this summer. But it won’t be full steam ahead from the start. Capacity will be built up gradually. Tommel and Sjoerdsma give two reasons for this: “On the one hand there are sure to be a few small teething problems that need to be solved. Secondly, trains on the Betuweroute are to be driven and secured by means of the new European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The locomotives need to be adapted accordingly and this all requires quite heavy investment. Market parties are currently adapting their rolling stock and we expect that by this summer five railway companies will together have a total of ten locs ready. Later in the year the number of suitable locomotives will gradually increase to about seventy. We aim to have the Betuweroute completely in operation before December 1. In the first instance we’re looking to grow to a capacity of approx. fifty trains a day. But of course the capacity is far greater.”
New Type of Customer Keyrail’s most obvious customers are the traditional railway companies, whose locomotives pull the freight wagons. In the wake of European transport liberalization such traction suppliers are rapidly increasing in number. In addition Tommel and Sjoerdsma see a new potential client group: large-scale shippers and forwarders. They too, can purchase slots from Keyrail directly. “In such cases parties must contract their own traction supplier. As an independent party allotting capacity we cannot play a role in that area,” the directors explain.
Market Oriented
Cees Tommel (l) and
Keyrail is focused on the market. A striking example is the maintenance of the freight-only link. “Transport comes first. Clients will hardly be hindered by sections being taken out of service. We will make flexible agreements with the maintenance contractor.” What’s more, together with ProRail, Keyrail offers its clients One Stop Shop Netherlands: a single point to apply for all rail routes in the Netherlands. Tommel and Sjoerdsma: “With that we are of course aiming for about 80 percent of all east-west rail cargoes eventually being directed along ‘our’ Betuweroute.”
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma: “Departure means
More information: www.keyrail.nl and www.betuweroute.nl
non-stop travel.”
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ECT and DHL Global Forwar team up in the Hinterland
As a major, globally operating forwarder, DHL handles gigantic volumes, on land as well as overseas. DHL Global Forwarding’s Rotterdam office alone is responsible for over 100,000 TEU through the ECT terminals annually. The collaboration between the two parties is intensifying. “TCT Venlo needs to become a real hub for us.” The list of clients is impressive. Dimitri Maaten, Inland Logistics Transport Manager for DHL Global Forwarding, reels off a long list of household names for which his company organises the worldwide transport and distribution. Maaten’s department is responsible for the handling of ‘DHL containers’ in the Benelux seaports and those of northwest France (Dunkirk), as well as organising their transport to and from the hinterland. “We handle over 100,000 TEU annually via the ECT terminals. And that’s not counting the containers sent by our colleagues from DHL Global Forwarding in Germany.”
Intermodal where Possible For transports between Rotterdam and the hinterland DHL Global Forwarding opts for intermodal solutions whenever possible. “We currently move around 40 percent via inland shipping and rail; our ambition is to boost that to 60 or 70 percent,” Maaten says. He is an enthusiastic proponent of intermodally transporting containers onto an inland hub immediately after they’ve arrived in port. “That way we circumvent the flurry of activity in the port and the traffic 16
jams on the motorways. The use of an inland hub greatly reduces the risk of delays. Which means we become far more reliable in our deliveries.”
Use of TCT Venlo The focus on inland hubs also forms the basis of a close collaboration with ECT. In the southeastern Netherlands close to the German border, the stevedore operates its own TCT Venlo inland terminal. One of DHL’s clients has a major distribution centre located only 20 kilometres away. “We’ve made an capacity agreement with ECT enabling us to use their rail shuttle for the transport of our ‘Venlo’ containers from the seaport,” says Maaten. The shuttle train plies the route between Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte and TCT Venlo three times daily. In peak season DHL’s client racks up some 30 to 40 containers a day.
Intensified Cooperation This way of working suits DHL Global Forwarding very well. So much so, in fact, that DHL has made agreements with ECT to transport even more cargoes via TCT Venlo.
ding
DHL DHL is the global market leader in international express, overland transport and air freight. It is also the world’s number one in ocean freight and contract logistics. DHL’s international network links more than 220 countries worldwide. The company employs around 285.000 staff, active in five different divisions. One of those divisions is DHL Global Forwarding. DHL is 100 percent owned by Deutsche Post World Net.
Maaten: “It needs to become a real hub for us. Our German DHL colleagues are with us on this. What we’re aiming for is that we transport all containers bound for the border region onto TCT Venlo immediately after they arrive in port. From Venlo the goods are distributed onwards.” For this reason the Inland Logistics Transport Manager welcomes TCT Venlo’s imminent expansion to include its own inland shipping terminal. “That will enable intermodal connections with Venlo from other container terminals in Rotterdam alongside those on the Maasvlakte.” Maaten is also keen to work with ECT elsewhere in the hinterland. “We at DHL are for example looking at Duisburg in Germany, where ECT already has its own inland terminal. And should ECT be considering inland terminals in other regions, then we’re certainly willing to think along. By, for example, analyzing the potential volumes in a particular region. Or by linking ECT to our sister organisation, DHL Solutions, which operates European distribution centres for a large number of major companies.”
IT Connections In order to further streamline their mutual cooperation, ECT and DHL also plan to link up their IT systems. Prior electronic information would allow ECT to pre-stack DHL containers bound for the hinterland after they’ve been unloaded from the seagoing vessel, or to transport them direct to the rail terminal. “ECT is to indicate what kind of information it precisely needs. Subsequently we’ll look at
what we’re able to give. I don’t expect any problems. DHL is very advanced in its use of IT.”
Stevedore - Forwarder Relations The cooperation between DHL and ECT is a new departure, Maaten confirms. After all, the forwarder is not officially the stevedore’s client, the shipping lines are. But the increasing activity on the terminals and the congestion of the onward transport axes means that DHL can no longer stay on the sidelines. “We have to work together in finding solutions for transporting containers as fast as possible to and from the hinterland. That’s why it’s good that ECT increasingly sees us as a partner.”
Five Competence Centres for Western Europe DHL Global Forwarding serves western Europe via five competence centres (Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) that work together closely. Dimitri Maaten: “If a truck belonging to our German DHL colleagues empties in Rotterdam, then we ensure that it departs with a full container. Vice versa the same holds true if we for example have a delivery for Dusseldorf. That way we keep transport movements to a minimum. DHL’s ITsystem allows for an optimal exchange.”
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DSV Solutions DSV Solutions is a Danish logistics service provider with 1.4 million m2 storage capacity throughout Europe, of which 350,000 m2 in the Benelux. DSV Solutions specialises in logistics service provision for high-tech and medical equipment. Sales Director Cees Fonteijn (photo) is based at DSV Solutions’ branch in Moerdijk, near Rotterdam. At this location, the company has 125,000 m2 storage capacity and 350 staff.
China is no longer simply the workshop of the world. Chinese companies and forwarders are irreversibly penetrating world markets with their own products even a market as complex as Europe. But how can the Chinese optimize their European distribution network? “The right location for one’s European Distribution Centre spells the difference between success and failure.”
Distribution via the Netherlands is often Faster and more Cost-effective
From China to the Heart of the European Consumer Via companies such as Huawei (telecoms), PGE (computer accessories) and ZTE (telecoms) China is slowly but surely beginning to export more of its own products. And that’s only the start. Exports over the coming decade are expected to match the explosive growth booked by Korean and Taiwanese companies over the past fifteen years. Cees Fonteijn, sales director of Denmark’s DSV Solutions, one of Europe’s largest logistics service providers: “For the Chinese, Europe is far away. Just as Europeans can’t instantly call up an image of the geography and logistics of China, the same holds true for Chinese producers and exporters. Chinese exporters often automatically send their cargo to a port in the country for which their goods are bound. Without considering whether this is the best route in terms of overall cost. And naturally the shipping line isn’t bothered in which North European port it unloads a container. For example: many Chinese cargoes destined for Germany are automatically sent to Hamburg. But in most cases it would be faster and more cost-effective to send these cargoes via Rotterdam. And that’s not all: many people in China don’t even realise that despite being in the Netherlands, Rotterdam is actually Germany’s biggest port. The transport connections from Rotterdam to large parts of Germany (roughly the line to the south of Hanover) and the rest of Europe are far better and cheaper than from Hamburg, and, in the case of transhipment to Scandinavia, they are at least as favourable.”
Decisive Criteria Furthermore, the choice of port is intimately bound up with the location of a company’s European Distribution Centre (EDC). Once that decision has been made then there’s hardly any going back. Fonteijn: “The right location for one’s European Distribution Centre spells the difference between success and failure.” Fortunately Chinese exporters don’t have to start from scratch. They can benefit from the extensive experience of Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and American companies in the European market. Most of these companies have based their EDCs in the Netherlands. Such decisions aren’t solely
based on the Netherlands’ strategic location, as Fonteijn explains. “For many well-regarded multinationals the decisive factors were the total cost package, available inland connections, quality of logistic service provision, the fiscal climate (see box), the century-old expertise in distribution, and, last but not least, the fact that the port of Rotterdam is the first port of call in Europe for most container services. Cargo always gets to the end user earlier.”
One or Two Chances “For newcomers to the European market the organisation of the logistics is of the utmost importance,” Fonteijn emphasises. “Their brand and products are unknown in Europe and are frequently second or third choice. Quality and price are taken as given, but service is considered to be decisive. If the delivery isn’t right or not on time, then as a newcomer, you get one or two chances but after that you can forget it.”
Logistics Trends Developments in logistics never stop, says Fonteijn. “A number of trends are going to be important in the near future. On the one hand we will see rising fuel prices and increased congestion, on the other hand, the market is demanding ever shorter delivery times. At present 95 percent of all companies still serve the market from a single European Distribution Centre. As a result of the trends just mentioned it however will be less and less beneficial to work from just one such point. Naturally, customers will still be served within 24 hours, but that will require express deliveries, which are more expensive.” For this reason Fonteijn foresees the establishment of regional distribution centres, which in turn will be served from a central cross-docking centre. All the full container loads will come to such cross-docking centres where they will be unloaded, sorted and where value-added activities will take place such as making them country and client specific. “Such European cross-docking centres will obviously be built in the vicinity of the port of entry. Just as with an EDC the two will be closely interconnected.”
Five Reasons for European Distribution from the Netherlands
Favourable Tax Ruling
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
For import cargoes arriving in the European Union via the Netherlands, it is possible to transfer the VAT to the end-user. While the tax forms do have to be filled in, the payments may be deferred. Within Europe this is a uniquely favourable ruling.
Location, location, location Rotterdam often first European port of call Quality and quantity of hinterland connections Quality of logistics service provision Favourable fiscal rulings
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New Routing for Trucks at ECT Delta Terminal
Quickly on the Road with Cargo Card Starting this autumn, trucks will approach the ECT Delta Terminal via a new route. And there’s more. In the next couple of years, the terminal procedures will also gradually change. In the future, truck drivers whose arrival has been electronically pre-notified and who have their own Cargo Card will no longer need to get out of their cabins. For drivers without a Cargo Card, the pick-up and delivery of containers will however become much more complicated.
In 2020, no less than 30,000 trucks a week are expected at the ECT Delta Terminal; twice as much as is currently the case. In order to properly handle this vast flow, the project ‘Roadmap Pre-gate’ was initiated in 2006. In different phases, ECT wants to substantially boost truck handling capacity and further streamline service levels.
Alterations in Full Swing The first phases of ‘Roadmap Pre-gate’ are already clearly visible at the ECT Delta Terminal. At the pre-gate area, a lot of work is underway on the adjustment of the infrastructure. From this autumn, trucks will enter the pre-gate area of the terminal via the entrance that is currently still reserved for passenger vehicles. Access is granted via the Cargo Card. About 95 percent of all the truck drivers that call at the ECT Delta Terminal already have such an identification card that works on the basis of hand recognition. At the gate, the driver holds the card up to the reader, after which he can directly proceed to the parking lot of the reception building. This is where he takes care of all the necessary formalities. Any driver arriving at the gate without a Cargo
Changes for Truck Drivers at the ECT Delta Terminal AUTUMN 2007 > new approach route operational > Cargo Card necessary for access to pre-gate area > Cargo Card replaces current terrain card
END 2007 / EARLY 2008 > first trials with one-stop-processing; drivers no longer need to exit their cabins 2008 > further implementation one-stop-processing
Card will first need to park his truck in order to purchase a temporary card inside the security building. Only then will he be able to proceed to the reception building.
Even More Prominent Role for Cargo Card Shortly following the introduction of the Cargo Card as the access card to the pre-gate area, it will have an even more important role to play at the ECT Delta Terminal when it also replaces the current ‘terrain card’. At present, drivers are issued such a terrain card at the front desk to facilitate their round trip across the terminal. In the near future however, the driver will identify himself and/or his trip at each process point (gate in/out, inspection gate in/out, landside interchange points, Customs) by means of his own personal Cargo Card.
Faster due to Automatic Inspection Gate Another important improvement in the terminal handling of trucks focuses on container inspection. For some time now, truck drivers have been passing through an automatic inspection gate en route from the reception building to the terminal. Currently, this is still a stand-alone operation. This autumn, a link-up will however take place with the traditional inspection gate which the truck needs to pass through next. From then on, the main task of the ECT employee here will be to verify whether the automatic inspection gate has functioned properly. Trucks can quickly continue their way. Only two things still need to be done manually: inspecting the container seal and checking whether an empty container is really empty. What’s more, directly adjacent to the inspection gate, the number of separate lanes for trucks with an empty chassis will be doubled. These trucks do not need to unnecessarily pass through the inspection gate.
5 4
3
2
1
The New Pre-gate Area of the ECT Delta Terminal - Autumn 2007 Artist impression: Andrew Brady
One-Stop-Processing Parallel to all these changes, the ECT Delta Terminal and the road transporters will together be working throughout 2007 to further expand and improve the electronic prenotification of containers. The ultimate ambition here is that trucking companies will be able to check in containers from behind their own desk (remote check in). Such a leap in quality also constitutes the first step towards the ultimate goal of one-stop-processing. Around the turn of the year, ECT hopes to conduct the first pilot with this. A truck driver that has been properly prenotified on time and has his own Cargo Card will no longer need to exit his cabin. At the entrance of the pre-gate area, he identifies himself by means of the Cargo Card. The terminal operating system will then check whether the trip is complete and correct. If this is the case, then the truck driver can directly proceed to the inspection gate and the terminal. ECT hopes to handle increasingly more transporters via onestop-processing in the course of 2008. For drivers, this would mean substantial time savings.
Secondary Goals The primary goal of the Roadmap Pre-gate project is to make the ECT Delta Terminal ready for the growing
1 New entrance to pre-gate area for trucks 2 Parking space for truckers that first need to purchase a temporary access card 3 Reception building 4 Automatic inspection gate 55 Manned inspection gate
number of trucks expected in the future. In addition, the new access rules will also ensure that the terminal is in compliance with more stringent Customs requirements (RTO) and the regulations of the ISPS code. From the autumn of 2007, ECT’s reception building will be within the gates of the terminal complex; only authorised visitors will be able to enter.
Promotion Cargo Card As mentioned earlier, about 95 percent of all the drivers that call at the ECT Delta Terminal already have a Cargo Card. In the run-up to the new procedures, ECT will try to reach and convince the remaining five percent of drivers of the importance of having an own card. With the Cargo Card, the pickup and delivery of containers at the ECT Delta Terminal will become increasingly easier. For a driver without a Cargo Card, the opposite unfortunately holds true. 21
At the Maasvlakte, directly on the North Sea, ECT is constructing two new terminals: the ECT Euromax Terminal and the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal. In each 2007 edition of Fast Forward, we will extensively focus on how the construction progresses. The two terminals will come on stream in different phases from mid 2008.
Capacity Round the Corner!
Delta Barge Feeder Terminal Phase 1 Size (hectares) Quay wall (in metres) Capacity (in TEU) Wide span gantry cranes Water depth (in metres)
7.5 800 300,000 3 10 - 11
Delta Barge Feeder Terminal On the northernmost tip of the Delta peninsula, construction is in full swing on the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal (DBF). This new dedicated terminal for the handling of feeders and inland barges will be wedged between the Delta Dedicated North Terminal and the Delta Dedicated East Terminal. To make the new DBF Terminal possible, 800 metres of sheet piling was first constructed 75 metres off the shore, in the water. Inside this area, about 700,000 m3 of sand was deposited. This is how the new terminal site was created.
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From the northern side of the future DBF Terminal, work is now hard underway on the construction of 800 metres of quay wall, the laying of cables and pipes, the paving of the terrain and the lay-out of the site. ECT will take the DBF Terminal into operation in various phases. Phase one comprises three wide span gantry cranes. These are expected at ECT in March 2008 and can be up and running two months later. The wide span gantry cranes will handle both the barges and feeders on the seaside and the trucks and Multi Trailer Systems waiting on the landside. Stacking will occur between the legs of the crane.
ECT Euromax Terminal Phase 1 Size (hectares) Quay wall (in metres) Capacity (in TEU) Quay cranes Barge/feeder cranes Terminal chassis
84 1500 2,300,000 12 4 124
Forklifts Rail cranes Automated Guided Vehicles Automated Rail Mounted Gantry cranes Terminal tractors Reach stackers
6 2 96 58 18 3
ECT Euromax Terminal The ECT Euromax Terminal is springing up on the northern side of the Maasvlakte. Work is in full swing on all aspects of this new deep-sea terminal in the Yangtzehaven: the construction of the quay wall (900 metres already completed), the lay-out of the terminal site, the creation of on-dock rail facilities and the realisation of the different buildings and other infrastructure. Rapid progress is also being made with the dredging of the port basin. The depth along the quay will be 19.60 metres. At present, three deep-sea quay cranes with a reach of 23 containers wide, a barge/feeder crane and a rail crane
are already present at the Euromax Terminal, as are 28 Automated Rail Mounted Gantry cranes for the stack operations and 24 Automated Guided Vehicles. The project organisation is working hard to intensively test all this equipment. The initial aim of this was to make sure that the equipment properly functioned. But by now, more and more so-called integration tests have been initiated. The focus here is on verifying whether all the different equipment and the new computer system are smoothly interacting with one another.
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Home is where the Heart is This year, ECT marks its 40th anniversary. It was on the 31st of August 1967 that the container stevedore handled its first ship, the Atlantic Span of shipping company ACL (top photo), at a brand-new own terminal on the northern side of the Prinses Margriethaven (part of the Eemhaven). In 1967, ECT had one single quay crane, a couple of wooden cabins for management and staff, a few trucks and one side-loader. That year, the container stevedore handled a total of 9440 containers.
Today, 40 years later, the Prinses Margriethaven no longer exists. The port basin has been filled in. ECT however is still prominently present in the Eemhaven. On the western side of this city port, the ECT Home Terminal is in full swing day and night. Where the Atlantic Span had a modest capacity of ‘only’ 700 TEU back in 1967, the ECT Home Terminal nowadays regularly handles many ships that can easily carry eight to nine times as much.