ECT FastForward Issue 43

FAST FORWARD w i n te r 2 0 0 8

ISSUE

43

Grand Opening Euromax Terminal Information Key to Performance ECT City: New Name, Same Reliable Service

FIRST RAIL SHUTTLE EUROMAX

FAST FORWARD CONTENTS

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, Capelle a/d IJssel External coordination RWP, Voorburg chief editor EcT Rose Wiggers Europe container Terminals (EcT) Europe Container Terminals (ECT) is the largest and most advanced container terminal operator in Europe, handling almost three-quarters of all containers at the Port of Rotterdam.

ECT operates three deep-sea terminals here: the ECT Delta Terminal and the Euromax Terminal (together with the CKYH Alliance) on the Maasvlakte peninsula, close to the North Sea, and the ECT City Terminal in the Eemhaven close to the city centre. Currently, ECT is developing a network of inland terminals to facilitate better intermodal transport between Rotterdam and the European hinterland. In 2007, ECT handled 6.1 million TEU.

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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 a total of 292 berths in 47 ports, spanning 24 countries throughout Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. HPH also owns a number of transportationrelated service companies. In 2007, the HPH Group handled a combined throughput of 66.3 million TEU worldwide.

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No rights can be derived from this publication.

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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FROM OFFICIAL TO COMMERCIAL START Prior to the Euromax, the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal was also officially opened during a festive ceremony on the 5th of September. Six weeks later the new dedicated facilities for feeders and barges have opened commercially. Since then operations are being gradually expanded.

“INFORMATION KEY TO PERFORMANCE” An interview with management board members Wando Boevé and Jasper Hooykaas. En route to a healthy future, ECT is pursuing several approaches.

Proper data exchange with customers and logistical partners is essential in that respect.

NEW NAME, SAME RELIABLE SERVICE ECT City Terminal is the new official name for the ‘Home’, the deep-sea terminal where it all began for ECT more than 40 years ago. Its strategic location close to downtown Rotterdam and its flexible services provision mean it is still the terminal of choice for many customers today.

WINTER 2008 COLUMN

SUNSHINE & RAIN GRAND OPENING EUROMAX TERMINAL On the 5th of September, the Euromax Terminal was officially opened in the presence of about 1500 guests who were treated to a more than spectacular show.

Rotterdam’s mayor Ivo Opstelten played a central role in the opening ceremony: he literally plugged in the new terminal, connecting it to the electricity grid. “The Euromax Terminal is the culmination of the technical and operational experience that we in Rotterdam have accumulated with regard to container handling over the past forty years. This is pure quality!”

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NEWS EUROMAX: RIGHT ON SCHEDULE TOWARDS THE 1ST OF JANUARY 2009

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HAPAG-LLOYD AND TCT VENLO CONNECTED

BY RAIL

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DELTA REEFER CARE’S COOL SERVICE

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PORT-WIDE PILOT FOR NIGHT-TIME DRIVING

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MY ROTTERDAM

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LINK IN THE LOGISTICS CHAIN

In the presence of many guests, we were in the fortunate position to consecutively officially open the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal and – together with our partner CKYH Alliance – the Euromax Terminal on the 5th of September 2008.

It was a historic event: for the port, for our customers and, of course, for ECT itself. Now, the container sector in Rotterdam once again has plenty of room for growth. The opening on the 5th of September received a lot of attention, also from the international media. The only slight setback was the bad weather during the spectacular opening show.

This bad weather constitutes a logical link to the strong economic decline which has been occurring in the course of September. The credit crisis seems to have turned the world upside down. The logistics sector is also being hit hard and many companies are starting to feel the impact of the worsening market situation. The business of our customers, and with that our business as well, will indubitably be negatively affected. Everyone’s resilience will be thoroughly tested in the coming time. Nobody can predict the exact scope or duration of this economic downturn. What it all boils down to is confidence.

By deciding whether or not to spend their money, consumers are controlling the global economy.

It is up to ECT to pick up the challenge of offering our customers and logistical partners an even more efficient product in these times. One of the most recent actions to this extent was the introduction of mandatory electronic data exchange as of the 1st of October 2008. This measure was preceded by almost two years of comprehensive preparations and extensive communication with our customers and relations. And it is now paying off. Well began is indeed half done. We are not there yet, but especially also due to the strong increase in electronic data exchange, the performance of our terminals is clearly on the up. This benefits all the links in the logistics chain. A sincere word of thanks therefore to the many parties which have thought along with us over the recent period. In consideration of the vast numbers of containers passing through our deep-sea terminals, EDI is crucial for further boosting our service levels. Faxing, calling or worse… arriving unannounced at the terminal gate is simply no longer feasible in today’s often complex logistics chains.

A next milestone is the start of the commercial exploitation of the Euromax Terminal on the 1st of January 2009. The feature on page 7 of this magazine has more information on this subject. With the relocation of the CKYH Alliance to the new terminal in full swing, the renovation of the quay of the Delta Dedicated North Terminal (DDN) will commence this spring. It is a planned action which we will not cancel because of the current market slowdown.

Because bear in mind: no matter how bad the weather, there is always sunshine after the rain.

In addition, we can to some extent influence that weather ourselves. Especially in today’s less favourable economic climate, the ideal geographic location of Rotterdam in relation to both the North Sea and the hinterland can prove a decisive factor for shipping lines to opt for the ECT terminals more often. It is up to us to make sure that we have the capacity to seize that opportunity.

Jan Westerhoud President of ECT 3

NEWS

ECT is participating in Integrity, a new global project which is aimed at enhancing the door-to-door visibility of containers in optimally secured supply chains. To this extent, Integrity is developing a methodology which will both help the various links in the chain to improve the reliability and predictability of cargo flows and serve Customs organisations. The heart of the system is the so-called Shared Intermodal Container Information System (SICIS), which will initially be implemented on container level and later on cargo level as well. This coordinating IT system will comprise both own data and links to the data of providers in various segments of the supply chain.

The pilot version of SICIS which is now being developed, will be tested using seven different sample trade lanes between China and Europe. For this, 5000 containers will be fitted with electronic seals (e-seals). ­Participating in the pilot are container ­terminal operators in Yantian, Felixstowe and Rotterdam (ECT Delta), the logistics service providers DHL and Seacon Logistics, the shippers Xerox and A.S. Watson, the inland terminals DeCeTe Duisburg and TCT Venlo and the customs organisations of the Netherlands and the UK. In addition, there are close ties with other projects, such as the EU - China Customs SSTL-project (green lane).

By providing real-time insight into containers, parties in the supply chain can actively intervene in the case of any bottlenecks and for example shorten dwell times.

At the same time, a further optimisation of customs inspections is possible. A container which has already been scanned in China would no longer require such an inspection in the Netherlands.

Integrity is funded by the European ­Commission and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics in Bremen bears responsibility for the coordination. ECT is closely cooperating with the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Integrity project has started in June 2008 and will run until 2011. More information on www.isl.org/projects/integrity.

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Photo Roy Borghouts

ECT Frontrunner in Integrity

Start construction Maasvlakte 2 On the first of September construction started for Maasvlakte 2, the new port area of Rotterdam being built in the North Sea by spraying up sand to create artificial land. With the touch of a button, Rotterdam’s mayor Ivo Opstelten gave the signal that work could begin. The work is scheduled for completion in 2013, when the first vessel should be able to moor at Maasvlakte 2.

ECT, too, is one of the prospective residents. The Euromax Terminal, currently still in the start-up phase (see features page 7 - 9) will be able to expand on the reclaimed land with an additional 1800 metres of quay. The total Maasvlakte 2 project requires an investment of some three ­billion euro’s. More information on www.maasvlakte2.com.

Short Cut in Port Since September container trains in the Rotterdam port can make use of the ­so-called ‘short circuit route’ (Kortsluitroute).

This short cut of four kilometres runs directly alongside the A15 motorway and offers through trains to and from the Maasvlakte the possibility of avoiding the Waalhaven South rail yard. This makes for a faster journey and at the same time reduces noise pollution in the suburbs on the southern outskirts of Rotterdam.

The new short cut forms part of the Port Railway Line of 48 kilometres which in turn functions as the beginning and the end of the Betuweroute. This dedicated freight-only railway line links the port of Rotterdam directly with Germany. The Betuweroute is one of the first railway lines in Europe that has been equipped with ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System), the latest standard in railway safety. Another unique

feature is the 25 kV power supply. The rail network elsewhere in the Netherlands is limited to 1500 volts. In order to ensure a seamless whole from the Maasvlakte to Germany, the Port Railway Line will be ­converted to the ERTMS safety system and a power supply of 25 kV in the coming year.

NEWS

In late September the new Euromax Terminal that ECT operates in partnership with the CKYH Alliance gained its first dedicated rail shuttle service linking it to the hinterland.

Traction supplier on this service to TCT Venlo, ECT’s inland terminal on the GermanDutch border, is Veolia. The new rail shuttle calls at the Euromax Terminal every ­Tuesday, and when there is enough cargo, also on Wednesdays. With increasing volumes at the new deep-sea terminal, the aim is to move to a daily service as quickly as possible.

The Euromax has its own rail terminal with six tracks of 750 metres and two rail cranes.

Located in the most northwestern point of the port, the rail terminal forms the start of the Betuweroute. This freight-only rail link connecting Rotterdam directly with Germany opened in 2007 and provides numerous opportunities for the further growth of rail transport. Euromax’s first rail shuttle to TCT Venlo, however, runs along the more southerly Brabantroute.

Rotterdam has gained a spectacular new attraction: the Rotterdam Port Experience. In the centre of Rotterdam, at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge, visitors can experience the port in an inter­ active way. Utilizing the very latest technology and audio visual equipment, the Rotterdam Port Experience is an unforgettable encounter for young and old which defies description on paper. On entering, there’s an immense photo-floor of the port, surrounded by various information displays. Then the real experience begins: a lift takes you to the virtual 200th floor of Rotterdam’s tallest building which offers spectacular views of the port and city below.

Just as you’re trying to take it all in, you’re asked to embark for a breath-taking trip round the port in a sloop, finishing in a container village. Naturally ECT is also featured here. By scanning the containers you discover what cargoes they hold, you can load and offload, find out about the various professions in the port or make your own film while suspended from a crane or waterskiing behind a boat... And there’s lots, lots more! The Rotterdam Port Experience is open seven days a week. More information on www.rotterdamportexperience.nl.

Photo Rotterdam Port Experience

First Euromax Rail Shuttle

Experience the Port

New at the ECT City Terminal In late November the first vessel plying the new SAFRAN service between Northern Europe and South America’s east coast docked for handling at the ECT City Terminal.

The new service will be operated by six ships with a capacity of 2800 TEU, five of which belong to CMA CGM and one to Maruba.

All vessels have a large number of reefer plugs, thereby allowing the shipping lines to take advantage of the increasing volumes of Argentinian and Brazilian refrigerated cargoes to Europe. The vessels consecutively call at Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Salvador de Bahia or Suape (every other week), Santos, Buenos Aires, ­Montevideo, Rio Grande, Itajaí, Paranagua, Rio de Janiero, Tangier and back again to Rotterdam.

The ECT City Terminal expects to welcome another new scheduled service in the north-south trade in mid-January next year.

This new service will be operated jointly by CMA CGM, Hamburg Süd and Hapag-Lloyd, and will link Northern Europe via the ­Caribbean and the Panama Canal to South America’s west coast. The three shipping lines will be deploying eight ships with a capacity of 1700 to 2000 TEU. The service runs between Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Port of Spain, La Guairá, Puerto Cabello, Willemstad, Cartagena, Manzanillo (Panama), Guayaquil, Manzanillo (Panama), Cartagena and Caucedo, before crossing the ocean once more for Rotterdam.

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NEWS

ECT wins First Port Community Award On the 5th of November, ECT was the winner of the very first Port Community Award.

This new port award will from now on be awarded annually to the company in ­Rotterdam that makes the most optimum use of the coordinating Port Community System for port-wide information exchange.

Chairman of the jury professor Jo van Nunen of the Erasmus University Rotterdam referred to ECT as the company that over a prolonged period of time had contributed the most to the fact that the Port Community System is now firmly rooted and undeniably of strategic importance to a successful future of the Rotterdam port. Due to its central role in the logistics chain, ECT in addition is responsible for generating the most messages through the Port Community System.

In the final of the first Port Community Award, ECT was up against container ­shipping line Hamburg Süd, inland barge operator Danser Container Line and freight forwarder VAT Logistics.

First Commercial Feeder at DBF In anticipation of the regular handling of feeders which will commence in December 2008, the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal (DBF) already conducted a commercial trial with this mode of transport in mid November.

The feeder in question was the ‘Flinter ­Carrier’, which moored at the terminal to discharge 100 containers. More on the DBF in the feature on pages 10 - 11.

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ECT continues Pilot Night-time Driving

Depending on the number of containers, properly pre-notified drivers calling at the ECT terminals between 22.00 and 04.00 hours are assured of a maximum stay time of between 45 and 75 minutes. This pilot, which was initiated by ECT in March 2008, is still in full swing. According to operations manager Jan Molenaar of the ECT Delta Terminal, it however is by far still not busy enough at night. “Transporters have all sorts of reasons why they are only marginally participating. They wait and see what others do; we still need to get the ball really rolling.”

Molenaar sees that in other sectors, such as the supplying of supermarkets and car dealerships, much better use is already made of the nightly hours. “Apparently, reliability is even more important there. In view of the traffic density on the motorways during the day it must however be possible in the container sector to easily recuperate such an investment as well.”

See also the feature at page 22.

E-invoicing to start in 2009 ECT will introduce electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) in the first quarter of 2009. From then on, the annual stream of 130,000 invoices will be dispatched digitally. The same applies to the appendices attached to these invoices - often dozens of pages in length. “Every move we make with a container amounts to an invoice item, so go figure what this means when you’re handling some six million containers a year,” says Patrick Pastoor, ECT’s Financial Accounting & Control Manager. “Each year that adds up to a batch of around 800,000 sheets of paper.” The new digital invoicing system is practical for everyone. “It will save a mountain of paper and clients will be able to process invoices directly in their own ­in-house computer network. That will save them a lot of work. And indeed, more and

more customers are requesting it.” An inhouse computer network is not a requirement for e-invoicing however. Companies only need to have internet access, an e-mail account and Excel to easily process digital invoices.

E-invoicing isn’t new. Large businesses in other sectors have been invoicing clients in this way for some considerable time now.

Pastoor: “For customers it’s also helpful that should they have any queries about an invoice they can simply press the e-mail button. One no longer has to phone, to fax copies and so on and so forth. That’s all a thing of the past. We even provide our customers with a digital archive in which they can retrieve submitted invoices any time, any place.”

Right on Schedule towards the 1st of January 2009

The commercial exploitation of the Euromax Terminal will commence as of the 1st of January 2009.

The gradual taking-into-operation of phase 1 of this new deep-sea terminal of ECT and the CKYH Alliance is right on schedule, says Jan Waas, the ECT management board member responsible for the project. Two of the eight CKYH services are currently already being handled at the Euromax Terminal, the third will follow before the end of the year. In the meantime, new equipment is still arriving.

With the exception of a one-day interruption for the spectacular official opening ceremony (see pages 8 - 9), the second half of 2008 has been and will be fully dedicated to the gradual coming on stream of the Euromax Terminal. As of the 1st of January 2009, the new deep-sea terminal in the north-westerly corner of the Maasvlakte will actually commence commercial operations. En route to this, the terminal is increasingly handling greater volumes. Jan Waas: “On the 22nd of July, the first CKYH liner service was relocated from another ECT terminal to here. The moment these volumes were handled to our satisfaction, a second service was added. A third service will follow in mid December.” This implies that five more CKYH services are on the horizon. “In January, the fourth will arrive and this will continue until mid-2009, when all the CKYH volumes will run through the Euromax Terminal.”

Fine-tuning “All the basic essentials of the Euromax Terminal are by now operational,” continues Waas. “In addition to the discharging and loading of deep-sea vessels, this also means operations pertaining to feeders, barges, trains and trucks, Customs and the customs scan process, invoicing, EDI, Internet, etc. What it boils down to now is fine-

tuning all of these processes. Of course, the performance of the terminal has not yet reached its final stage.” This is also exactly what the six-month test period is meant for. “It is especially through the handling of substantial volumes that we can unearth flaws which would not surface in any test lab. Step by step, we are able to realize further improvements.”

Software Stable The heart of the Euromax is the ­terminal operating system, which interfaces with all the automatic equipment. Waas has ascertained with some contentment that the software is functioning stably: “Version 5 has just been released. As a result, the terminal is now also suitable for twin-lifting (loading/discharging two 20-foot containers at the same time, ed) and twin carrying. Release 6 will follow in December. From then on, we will be able to start using the second trolley of the deep-sea quay cranes.” The fully automated second trolley moves a container between the stacker platform at sixteen metres high in the backreach of the crane and the AGVs which take care of the transport to and from the stack. This leads to a shorter main crane cycle, which benefits ­productivity. Release 6 will however not be the final one. “For next year, two more software releases with further improvements have been scheduled.”

New Quay Cranes On the 1st of January 2009, the Euromax Terminal will commercially come on stream on 600 metres of quay with 6 deep-sea quay cranes and 2 feeder/ barge cranes. In line with the planning, phase 1 of the Euromax Terminal will be fully operational halfway through 2009. That means 1500 metres of quay with a water depth of 16.65 metres, 12 deep-sea quay cranes and 4 feeder/ barge cranes, which combined account for an annual handling capacity of 2.3 million TEU. The remaining equipment necessary for this is gradually coming in. Waas: “Feeder/barge cranes 3 and 4 have just arrived; deepsea quay cranes 7 and 8 are expected around the turn of the year. After that, quay cranes 9 up to 12 will arrive in pairs every ten weeks.”

Phase 2 Under Way In the meantime, a future phase 2 of the Euromax Terminal is now also starting to take shape. The civil works for another 300 metres of quay and 17 stacking lanes have been contracted out, meaning the contractor can get to work. Waas concludes: “The moment the volume development makes this necessary, we will also start ordering the related terminal equipment.”

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On the 5th of September, the Euromax Terminal was officially opened in the presence of about 1500 guests who were treated to a more than spectacular show. Rotterdam’s mayor Ivo Opstelten played a central role in the opening ceremony: he literally plugged in the new terminal, connecting it to the electricity grid. “The Euromax Terminal is the culmination of the technical and operational experience that we in Rotterdam have accumulated with regard to container handling over the past forty years. This is pure quality!”

The Euromax Terminal aims to set a new standard in ­container handling. ECT therefore went all-out for the ­official opening of the terminal, which will be operated in partnership with the CKYH Alliance (Cosco, “K” Line, Yang Ming, Hanjin Shipping). On the quay, a large marquee with an adjoining theatre were erected. All this took place against the impressive backdrop of the eight Euromax quay cranes currently present at the terminal and four gigantic container vessels, one from each of the CKYH partners.

President Jan Westerhoud spoke on behalf of host ECT, ­followed by Hutchison Port Holdings’ Group (HPH) Managing Director John Meredith. In his speech, Meredith emphasised the high ambitions that were at the heart of the construction of the Euromax Terminal. “We started this project three years ago with a clear vision to develop a state-of-the-art terminal which would set a new benchmark in efficient and sustainable container operations, both in Europe and around the world.”

Speeches

Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority Hans Smits and mayor Opstelten next underlined the ­significance of the new terminal for the entire port. Smits: “The Euromax Terminal forms a bridge to Maasvlakte 2

The official programme commenced in the marquee with speeches from the many stakeholders who played a role in the realisation of the Euromax project. Needless to say

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grand opening Euromax Terminal

(the land reclamation project of the Rotterdam port in the North Sea, ed.), a link between today and the near future.

Euromax’s quay wall will be extended on Maasvlakte 2.

The terminal can continue to grow on the newly created land.”

After that, the partners of the CKYH Alliance explained the significance of the Euromax Terminal in relation to the future growth of their respective companies. Successively, Capt. Wei Jiafu, President and CEO of Cosco Group, Hiroyuki Maekawa, President and CEO of “K” Line, Robert Ho, President of Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation and YoungMin Kim, Senior Executive Vice-President & COO of Hanjin Shipping took to the stage. Capt. Wei Jiafu: “The Euromax Terminal raises the cooperation within the CKYH Alliance to a higher level.”

Breathtaking Show Following the speeches, the actual opening ceremony was performed at the adjoining open-air theatre, which was fittingly constructed from containers. Each behind their own desks, ECT, HPH and the members of the CKYH Alliance

gave their go-ahead for the opening via a joystick. Mayor Opstelten then had the honour of connecting the terminal to the electricity grid. This also constituted the starting sign for a breath-taking and highly varied show with lots of fireworks and performances by the Tap Dogs from Australia and the extreme theatre company KitonB from Italy. The new Euromax quay cranes and automated guided vehicles were also part of this unique show.

The spectacular opening of the Euromax Terminal will indubitably stick in the minds of most of those who were present for a long time to come. But in the end, of course, it is all about performance. ECT President Jan Westerhoud has no doubts whatsoever in that respect. “These new facilities will enable ECT and the CKYH Alliance to meet the growing demand for deep-sea container handling capacity in Northwest Europe. The location will provide our CKYH partners with a strategically strong home base in the heart of Europe.”

From left to right Jan Westerhoud, John Meredith, Hans Smits, Capt. Wei Jiafu, Hiroyuki Maekawa, Robert Ho and Young-Min Kim.

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Delta Barge Feeder Terminal

From Official to Commercial Start Prior to the Euromax, the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal was also officially opened during a festive ceremony on September 5, 2008. Six weeks later the new dedicated facilities for feeders and barges have opened commercially. The first regular barge offloaded its containers on October 21, and since then operations at the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal are being gradually expanded. The second and third wide span gantry cranes are expected to begin operating this December.

The opening ceremony on September 5 could hardly have been held at a more suitable location. Guests for the official opening of the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal were received aboard the Ocean Diva, a party ship similar in size to a large inland shipping vessel. After speeches by ECT President Jan Westerhoud and Chief Operating Officer AndrĂŠ Toet of the Rotterdam Port Authority, Toet had the honour of taking up the megaphone to order the symbolic offloading of the first container from a Unifeeder feeder vessel and loading this box on board a vessel of Danser Container Line. It was the starting signal for a short spectacular show on and around the three wide span gantry cranes which form the heart of the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal. From the water the guests had a fantastic view of a mix of music, dance, fireworks and special effects. Numerous national flags emphasised the hub function of the new terminal.

Jack of all Trades The Delta Barge Feeder Terminal is located at the tip of the Maasvlakte’s Delta peninsula, flanked on either side by the Delta Dedicated North Terminal and the Delta Dedicated East Terminal. On the quay, with a depth of 10.65 metres and a length of 840 metres, stand three wide span gantry cranes to service both feeders and inland barges on the sea side as well as the Multi-Trailer Systems that fetch and deliver the containers on the land side. Between and behind the crane legs the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal also has its own stack, enabling ECT to have the containers ready and waiting even before the vessel has arrived. The handling capacity will initially amount to some 300,000 feeder and barge moves a year (480,000 TEU).

Phased Operational Opening This capacity will not become available overnight, however.

The Delta Barge Feeder Terminal will be taken into operation 10

Slowly but surely ECT is expanding the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal into a full swing operation.

in phases. After the official opening on September 5, ECT immediately resumed full speed ahead with testing cranes, training staff and setting up the organisation. Operations manager Theo van Zijll: “The philosophy behind the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal is completely new within ECT. It’s halfway between a sea and a land operation. Finetuning the organisation of it will take some time. It’s the first time that we’re working with this type of crane, the logistics process in relation to pre-stacking is different, etc. We have to get used to things, both indoors with regard to operations management as outdoors on the quay.”

21 october Commercial launch Meanwhile the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal has been operating commercially for some time now, albeit initially with just a single crane. Barge operator Wanssum’s ‘Cunado’ started the ball rolling on 21 October 2008, and was quickly followed by other inland shipping vessels. Over the first few days the terminal only offloaded barges - a conscious decision, according to supervisor Aad Taapken, who monitored the preparations and the initial handling. “Offloading is a good deal more straightforward. When you’re putting the crane to the real test for the first time, you don’t want to make it any more difficult than necessary.” Apart from a few minor teething problems, Taapken was more than satisfied with how things went. “As a result from October 24 we started to load containers as well.”

Second and Third Cranes Slowly but surely ECT is expanding the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal into a full swing operation. If all goes according to plan, the second wide span gantry crane will come on line in the first half of December with the third scheduled to become operational later the same month. In early December, moreover, the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal is

expecting to regularly start handling feeder ships. From that moment on the terminal will really be living up to its name.

“The largest feeder ships currently in operation of 1500 TEU can soon look forward to efficient handling here,” says operations manager Theo van Zijll. “A last step is that during the first quarter of 2009 all three of the cranes will each have to be taken out of service in turn for a month for modifications, but after that we expect to be able to operate at full capacity.”

More leeway “Both the feeders and the barges will gain more leeway to operate,” says commercial executive Florian Vreeburg.

“If the marine terminals berth program is tight, then the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal offers a logical alternative.

Given the increasing size of deep-sea vessels and the concomitant container numbers, it’s clear that the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal will be meeting a need.”

value added already Proven “In its very brief history the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal has already demonstrated its added value on at least one occasion,” Van Zijll concludes. “The IJsselstad inland barge that serves as a dedicated shuttle between the Delta peninsula and CTVrede - Steinweg’s inland terminal in Amsterdam looked to run into delays, but by diverting the vessel to the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal it was avoided falling behind.”

See also the news item at page 6.

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Management Board Members Jasper Hooykaas and Wando Boevé:

“ Information Key to Performance” Jasper Hooykaas: “We are handling more TEUs on the same number of hectares.”

“In the eyes of many outsiders, ECT is a stevedore before anything else. This of course is true, but that is only part of the story. ECT is also increasingly becoming an intermodal player,” say Wando Boevé and Jasper Hooykaas. “We operate at the crossroads of deep-sea, feeder, rail, inland barge and road transport. Our focus is geared to both the sea side and the land side. To ensure that containers flow through our terminals as optimally as possible, we are increasingly directing our efforts to the hinterland and the European feeder ports. That benefits all parties involved. In the case of incoming volumes, containers must be moved to the hinterland as fast as possible; outbound containers need to be supplied just-in-time”

More through the same Factory In order to efficiently direct the increasingly larger container volumes across the marine terminals, ECT has recently introduced several measures. Examples are the implementation of a Cargo Opening Time and Cargo Closing Time for the delivery of containers for the deep-sea vessel and various efforts aimed at limiting the number of ‘long stayers’ in the stack.

As a result of a multitude of minor and major measures and initiatives, ECT’s performance is developing positively, ascertain Boevé and Hooykaas. “There of course is still plenty of room for improvement, but we are successful in adequately directing the higher volumes through the same ‘factory’.

We are handling more TEUs on the same number of hectares.

Needless to say this pleases us. And our customers as well, as we have noticed. But like we said before: there is always room for improvement.”

Sense of Urgency Both board members agree that one of the most crucial factors in this respect is the timely availability of correct advance information. Advance information means ECT knows what to expect, enabling the company to properly anticipate ­situations. Since the 1st of October 2008, it has been ­mandatory for trucks, trains and inland barges calling at the ECT terminals to electronically provide advance information about the containers which are to be delivered or picked up. As of the 1st of December, the same rule will apply to the feeder sector. “This obligation follows on two

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“The official openings of the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal and the Euromax Terminal were unique moments for ECT, the CKYH and our other customers.” Management board members Wando Boevé (Marketing & Sales) and Jasper Hooykaas (Operations & Human Resources) are pleased with this new capacity. En route to a healthy future, ECT is however pursuing several approaches. Making optimum use of the existing facilities is at least as important. Proper data exchange with customers and logistical partners is essential in that respect.

years of preparation. Time which we have used to extensively consult with our customers and logistical partners.” Boevé and Hooykaas understand all too well that it is not always easy for them to provide ECT with the information it requires.

“This information is often buried deeper within the logistics chain, where the sense of urgency has not always fully ­registered yet. Not all shippers realise that a lack of information at ECT also negatively impacts their own performance and/or costs.”

Wando Boevé: “Not all shippers realise that a lack of information at ECT also negatively impacts their own performance and costs.”

DBF as an Example The new Delta Barge Feeder Terminal (DBF) could become a pre-eminent example of the added value of advance information. The coming on stream of this dedicated ­terminal for feeders and inland barges is in full swing (see feature pages 10 - 11) and offers both modes of transport the extra handling capacity which everyone has been eagerly anticipating. Boevé and Hooykaas: “The hardware is in position. The concept we want to implement here however goes much further. Before a vessel actually arrives at the DBF, we already want to pre-stack containers for loading there. It is also our ambition to directly tranship containers to the feeder or inland barge while the deep-sea vessel is still alongside the quay. Proper advance information however is crucial in this respect. Without this advance information, there is nothing we can do.”

Creative with Windows The same has in fact already applied to the daily operations at the marine terminals for much longer. A mere 30 percent of deep-sea vessels arrive at the ECT terminals within their allocated windows. An insolvable problem, say Boevé and Hooykaas. “With weather conditions constantly changing, one day behind schedule in a 56-day round trip is actually an excellent performance for shipping lines. It is up to us do deal with this given fact. It is a game which we will need to play with one another; a game which can however only be played on the basis of timely and correct information.

In this way, we can make sure that the ship can still moor alongside the quay time and again. If necessary by notifying a vessel in advance to reduce the sailing speed; this can save a shipping line considerable amounts of fuel and prevents frustration when, upon arrival, it turns out that the quay is already occupied.”

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“ What we as ECT need to do is plain and simple: make sure that we consistently provide a better product.”

Vast Increase Boevé and Hooykaas can understand that the actions of ECT - currently for mandatory electronic data exchange, for example - sometimes lead to irritations in the market.

“That is the fate of a market leader. We take our responsibility by optimally making use of our limited capacity and, with that, of the limited capacity of the Rotterdam port.

And we definitely make a point of looking before we leap in that respect. As much as possible, we consult with all parties involved and invest a lot of time in reaching consensus.

As regards the exchange of information, we are now reaping the benefits of this in the form of a vast increase in the number of electronic pre-notifications and a qualitatively better logistics process. Again: this is not just for the benefit of ECT. A concrete advantage for hinterland transporters for example is that they immediately receive feedback after their pre-notification about the actual availability of a ­container at our terminals.”

More Plans ECT has even more plans to further optimise the degree of capacity utilization by means of electronic data exchange.

“We also want to make electronic pre-notification mandatory for the delivery and pick-up of empty containers. If a transporter comes to collect an empty container, we would in addition like to be able to load according to specifications.

In this scenario, the transport company notifies us beforehand about the shipping line and the type of container.

The moment he arrives, we then retrieve an empty container from the stack which meets the stated specifications and which is the easiest for us to collect. This will put an end

14

to us constantly needing to break down the entire stack.

In addition, we are thinking about the introduction of a truck appointment system. This means that road transporters can only access the terminal within a previously agreed upon timeslot, which will allow the flow to further improve.”

Different Mindset What the two board members especially want to communicate is that anticipating growing container volumes entails more than just adding additional capacity. A different mindset is needed as well. “With the introduction of ships of more than 13,000 TEU, among other things call sizes, peak loads and with that the required berth productivity at our terminals will only increase. That simply asks for a different approach. Advance information is one of the key elements in that respect.”

Opportunities for Hinterland The fast conveyance of containers to and from the hinterland is crucial as well. The extended gate concept is one of the measures introduced by ECT to achieve this. In this concept, containers are moved by train and inland barge to an inland terminal immediately upon arrival at the marine terminal; the customs formalities are then dealt with at this inland terminal close to the final destination. This could be one of ECT’s own inland terminals (TCT Venlo, DeCeTe Duisburg, TCT Belgium), but also one of the two inland hubs which ECT agreed to cooperate with earlier this year: CTVrede - Steinweg in Amsterdam and CCT in Moerdijk.

Boevé and Hooykaas: “As far as the hinterland is concerned, there are many more opportunities to make smarter and

more efficient use of the capacity. Take night-time driving, for example. After eight ‘o clock in the evening, there are hardly any trucks at our terminals. There are many opportunities here (also see article page 22, ed). We are open round the clock, but beyond that the 24-hour economy is not yet of real significance in the Netherlands and Europe. Everyone sees this, it is relatively simple to change it, but not enough is happening in this respect.” Another option for making more optimum use of the capacity is working with push barges on the water side. “Whenever there isn’t a vessel underneath a crane, we could put a push barge there and load it. A push tug can then take the barges in convoy to a point in the hinterland from where the cargo is further distributed.” Implementing this in practice however is proving difficult and there are still various bottlenecks which need to be tackled. The same factually applies to rail.

“The productivity at our rail terminals has significantly improved as well. Our rail product currently exceeds market expectations. Many rail operators however leave their trains parked for too long after they have been discharged and loaded. In addition, there are no or hardly any trains running on the Port Railway Line on Saturday and Sunday. That is simply not of these times anymore.” Both board members have placed their hope on Keyrail, the party responsible for exploiting the Betuweroute cargo railway line which directly connects Rotterdam to Germany. “They have taken the lead in a project geared to chain management on the Port Railway Line. In the future, there will only be two types of trains in the port: trains which are discharging and loading and trains which are moving. Waiting trains which are blocking the operational process will become a thing of the past.”

Unique Moment In addition to all these agreements related to process improvement, ECT is of course also continuously working on physical expansion. The Delta Barge Feeder Terminal is already on stream and the gradual bringing into operation of the Euromax Terminal for partner CKYH is also steadily progressing. The target date for the commercial exploitation of the Euromax Terminal is the 1st of January 2009. Boevé and Hooykaas: “The official opening on the 5th of September was a unique moment - not just for the CKYH Alliance and ECT, but for all our other customers as well. In the imminent future, other shipping lines will benefit from the capacity which will become available at the ECT Delta Terminal because of the relocation of the CKYH Alliance.” Before that, the quay of the Delta Dedicated North Terminal (DDN) will however be thoroughly renovated. “When this will commence depends on the relocation of the CKYH Alliance. We expect to make a start with the terminal renovation in the spring of 2009. Expectations are that the DDN will be fully up to standard and ready for accommodating additional volumes again at the end of 2009.”

Of course, both members of the management board are fully aware of the fact that the current economic situation is far from optimal. Making predictions as to how this will affect the container sector however proves difficult. Time will tell how volumes will develop in the coming time. “What we as ECT need to do is plain and simple: make sure that we consistently provide a better product.”

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Many clients of the ECT City Terminal are active in plying the north-south routes between Europe and South America.

New Name, Same Piet Hein Horstmeier assumed his new post of general manager of the ECT City Terminal last Summer. The conventional ECT City Terminal represents a new challenge for him after his previous position at the fully-automated ECT Delta. Horstmeier has quickly become attuned to the rapid dynamics: “At the ECT City Terminal it is a constant coming and going of liner services,” he remarks. A major factor in this continuous relocation process is the deployment of larger vessels of 8000 TEU or more, for which the ECT Delta Terminal is far better equipped. But each time a liner service is leaving there are newcomers to fill the breach (see news item page 5).

Strong in North-south Traffic Many clients of the ECT City Terminal are active in plying the north-south routes between Europe and South America.

“For us it’s an advantage that the ships in this trade are unlikely to exceed 6000 TEU,” says Horstmeier. “South American ports in particular have too many draught ­limitations to make that possible.” A factor of far greater importance for these shipping lines is the location of the ECT City Terminal. Huge volumes of fruit and meat reefer cargo from South America come into Rotterdam port, for which many of the buyers are located just a stone’s throw from the ECT City Terminal. “The majority of the cargoes 16

at our terminal are bound for destinations within a radius of 60 to 65 kilometres. Just ten kilometres away there’s a huge fruit and vegetable auction. On the other side of the river - a good 15 kilometres drive - you have Rotterdam Fruitport. And in addition the ECT City Terminal is used intensively for reefer transshipment.” Horstmeier believes that the number of reefer containers passing through the ECT City Terminal will continue to rise strongly - providing all the more reason to respond to the demand.

“We’re currently busy increasing the number of reefer plugs from 1100 to 1360.” By dint of careful planning and relocation, additional capacity for this has been created within the existing terminal area.

Reshuffling Complete In future reefers could also be stacked in layers of three instead of the current two, Horstmeier says. That’s because capacity on the ECT City Terminal is limited. As part of a larger reshuffle in the Waalhaven and Eemhaven harbour basins during the past few years, the terminal continually had to move up slightly. According to the general manager, the recent transfer of a limited number of hectares to the neighbouring Rail Service Center Rotterdam marks the completion of this process. “Now it’s up to us to utilize the current lay-out as effectively as possible.” In the past that has

ECT City Terminal is the new official name for the ‘Home’, the deep-sea terminal where it all began for ECT more than 40 years ago. Its strategic location close to downtown Rotterdam and its flexible services provision mean it is still the terminal of choice for many customers today. With an annual handling of more than one million TEU the ECT City Terminal is anything but a minor player on the European stage. The terminal is continuing to further perfect its services provision under its new general manager Piet Hein Horstmeier, for example with the recent expansion of the number of reefer plugs by almost 20 percent.

Piet Hein Horstmeier: “We’re currently busy increasing the number of reefer plugs from 1100 to 1360.”

Reliable Service also always been the case, he hastens to add. “Our operations team here seems to like nothing better than to ring the changes.” It’s typical for the flexible attitude at the ECT City Terminal. Clients benefit from it - both the large(r) players in north-south traffic as the innumerable smaller shipping lines. “Partly because we are a conventional terminal with lots of manpower we’re in a position to offer a really tailormade service,” says Horstmeier. “And of course the scale of operations is smaller. A call size of 600 to 800 containers here counts as big, while at the ECT Delta Terminal it’s more like a feeder, in a manner of speaking. Here we’re in a position to respond to changes immediately. The type of vessels mooring up to the quay are also a lot more work.

For example, they might have on-board cranes that you have to work around.”

24 hours a Day Due to the relatively short distances involved for much of the ECT City Terminal’s hinterland traffic, the modality most frequently deployed is road. “Around 60 percent of the containers are fetched and delivered by truck,” Horstmeier says. “On Mondays, in particular, activity is at a peak. That’s when trucks come to fetch the reefers offloaded at the weekend by the major deep-sea vessels on the north-south routes.” As elsewhere, this means many

trucks reporting at the gate at the same time, even though the ECT City Terminal is also open 24 hours a day on the land side. The other 40 percent of hinterland traffic mainly goes by inland shipping. “We have a dedicated inland ­shipping crane operating 24/7. To ensure an optimal capacity utilization of this crane, we operate a dynamic timetable.

Each inland barge is allocated a slot in advance indicating when it will be welcome at the quay. If it fails to make this slot, then it’s automatically shifted to a later time. That way we can keep the crane operating at optimal capacity.”

Ongoing Improvements To handle the ‘big stuff’ the ECT City Terminal is equipped with eight deep-sea cranes, accounting for some 680,000 deep-sea/feeder moves a year, equal to some 1.1 million TEU. “Here, too, we’re constantly looking to optimize our ­operations. Crane 9 has just undergone a complete midlife conversion and crane 8 is due to get one over the coming year,” Horstmeier explains. “In addition we’re poised to replace a number of straddle carriers. The new eco-versions that will be introduced will generate fuel savings of some 20 percent.”

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hapag-lloyd and TCT venlo Many years ago the rotterdam branch of hapag-lloyd was one of the first shipping lines to benefit from the rail facilities at TCT venlo, ECT’s inland terminal on the Dutch-german border. in a smoothly operating team effort between ECT, shipping line and customers, import containers always arrive at their destination just-intime. The dispatch of return cargoes comprised mostly of empties, operates just as smoothly.

For many decades Hapag-Lloyd has been a major presence in Rotterdam. The shipping line’s Rotterdam office (200 staff) in the Waalhaven services the European hinterland with the provision of combined barge and truck transport, trucking and rail transport. Accounting for just two percent of the total the latter amounts to a relatively small but smoothrunning activity, says Albert Thissen, Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd Nederland. The rail terminal at TCT Venlo (see box) on the Dutch-German border plays a prominent role in this. “Our client MeadWestvaco, for example, was one of the first to use TCT Venlo. The American cardboard manufacturer set up its European Distribution Centre right next door to the rail terminal in 1990. In view of the increasing congestion, the company showed remarkable foresight.

And even back then the environment already amounted to a key factor for them.”

Just-in-Time After being offloaded at the quay of the ECT Delta Terminal many containers of Hapag-Lloyd customers bound for the Venlo region travel by rail shuttle to TCT Venlo. From here deliveries take place just-in-time by truck to the customer.

“It’s child’s play,” says Thissen. “The advantage TCT Venlo offers our clients is also that they can reduce their own storage capacity to a minimum.”

From Chanel Packaging to Sixpacks MeadWestvaco is a US manufacturer of high-grade cardboard. Since 1990 its European Distribution Centre (EDC) has been situated in Venlo on the DutchGerman border. Bert Cremers of MeadWestvaco: “Not only did the city of Venlo offer favourable incentives for locating here, the location is also highly strategic. Another major factor influencing our decision both from a logistics and an environmental point of view was the opportunity to use rail transport.

Our European Distribution Centre has an open connection to the rail terminal at TCT Venlo, which we also use as a storage facility. The barge terminal that TCT Venlo is to offer from end 2009 will certainly offer new possibilities, but we still have to look at that more closely. After all, the barge terminal will require additional road transport, while we are situated right next to TCT Venlo’s rail terminal. The bottom line is that we want the containers from Rotterdam on the terminal as fast as possible. There are plans afoot to route all MeadWestvaco’s European cardboard imports via Venlo - around 2700 containers annually. You could say that rail transport has proved its worth.”

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Albert Thissen

connected by rail good Communications “Everything depends on good communications. For example, our client MeadWestvaco also maintains direct contact with ECT,” Thissen continues. “They pass on the order of priority of the containers to TCT Venlo themselves. That way TCT Venlo can take this information into account when allocating cargoes to the trains and stacking on the inland terminal.

That’s absolutely a benefit generated by working together.

The lines between ECT, Hapag-Lloyd and MeadWestvaco are so short that we can sort out any potential problems almost as quickly as they arise. Quite simply, it works very well.”

import and Export Thissen: “Taken together, some 2600 40-footers and 600 20-footers travel to TCT Venlo annually by rail. On the return journey to Rotterdam most of the containers are empty, currently some 1400 a year. TCT Venlo is given a large amount of leeway to plan return transports itself - as long as our containers are back in port within a specified time span.

From there the empties are for the most part repositioned

to the Far East, where they are in great demand. As everyone knows, you can generate significant cost savings through an efficient repositioning.”

More Choice From end-2009 TCT Venlo will also have a barge terminal at its disposal. Thissen sees this as a significant added value, even though the barge and rail terminal will be situated some 1.5 kilometres apart. “We will have more options at our disposal, enabling us to choose the right modality based on the moment our clients want their containers. In addition to just-in-time, the cost aspect is key here. Transport by barge plus a little extra trucking can eventually end up costing less than rail only. But for a client like MeadWestvaco, situated literally right next to the rail terminal, that obviously doesn’t hold true. For them, just-in-time is a priority.

For empties, too, the barge can be an option, and not only for transports to Rotterdam. Using inland barges we can also send empties into the German hinterland if required.”

TCT venlo: Several Trains a Day to rotterdam TCT Venlo (Trimodal Container Terminal Venlo) was founded by ECT in 1982.

The inland terminal is strategically situated in the Venlo region - the Netherlands’ third logistical hub - and just a stone’s throw from the German Ruhr region.

TCT Venlo is connected with the ECT terminals on Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte via a rail shuttle with several departures a day. From end 2009 TCT Venlo will also operate an inland shipping terminal.

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Delta Reefer Care’s Cool Service

Ton van Ravesteijn: “Our added value is that we offer a single point of entry for all shipping lines and that our specialists are present 24/7.”

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Transhipment moments always hold a certain degree of risk, especially as regards the vulnerable cargo which is moved in reefer containers. During their stay at the terminals, ECT therefore always contracts out the care for reefers to a specialist: Delta Reefer Care. “We guarantee that while the reefer is at the terminal, the shipping line, cargo owner and ECT do not have to worry about a single thing.”

For more than ten years now, ECT has already been ­contracting out the care for full reefers at its deep-sea ­terminals to Delta Reefer Care, a joint venture between ECT and reefer maintenance specialist Smith Holland.

Manager Ton van Ravesteijn of Delta Reefer Care: “At the time, ECT listened well to the wishes of the shipping lines when it decided to contract out reefer care to a real specialist.

And that is what we are. Delta Reefer Care combines the hardware and software systems of ECT with the technological know-how of Smith Holland. We guarantee that while the reefer is at the terminal, the shipping line, cargo owner and ECT do not need to worry about the valuable cargo. With about 75 employees, we currently handle approximately 200,000 reefers at the ECT Delta (3250 reefer connections), the ECT City (1360) and, since recently, the Euromax Terminal (1850).”

Specialised Work At the ECT terminals, engineers of Delta Reefer Care ­constantly see to it that the reefers are properly connected to and disconnected from the terminal electricity grid an essential task. At the same time, the temperature setting on the reefer is compared to the information provided by the shipping line beforehand. Any deviations in this respect are immediately reported to the shipping line through the coordinator of Delta Reefer Care. The engineer can also determine whether temperature deviations have occurred in the recent past. In addition, the engineer always carries out a visual and technical inspection. Is everything ­functioning accordingly, is there any oil or Freon leaking?

If something is wrong, then the shipping line can either have the repair carried out by Delta Reefer Care or bring in an ‘own’ repair shop. Minor repairs such as replacing a plug or cable are in fact almost always carried out by Delta Reefer Care. Furthermore, Delta Reefer Care keeps on eye on the temperature the entire time the reefer is at the terminal.

24/7 Van Ravesteijn: “Our added value is that we offer a single point of entry for all shipping lines and that our specialists are present 24/7. In addition, our engineers are skilled to such an extent that they can do more than just carry out repairs; they are also capable of properly analysing any problems and clearly communicating their findings.

The message that a red light is blinking is virtually useless to a customer; he wants to know exactly what is going on.”

According to the manager, this level of professionalism does not come about just like that. The basic reefer service training alone takes several months. This is followed by training courses which teach staff all the ins and outs of

refrigeration technology and electricity. Furthermore, they attend courses on new technological developments, which are offered by the three leading reefer suppliers – Carrier, Thermo King and Daikin. “We have noticed that good personnel is a highly sought after commodity,” says Van Ravesteijn.

Any Terminal, Any Job “We constantly remind our staff of the importance of staying alert. Customers have benefited from that pro-active attitude on more than one occasion. We also train our people to be multifunctional within our organisation. They must be able to carry out any reefer job at any terminal. That makes their jobs more interesting and it makes planning easier as well.” Of course, the reefer sector is keeping up with the current trend of scaling-up which is taking place in transport. Vessels are growing larger, have more reefer points and are increasingly working with standardised systems.

The information systems surrounding reefer containers are also developing rapidly. A growing number of reefers currently have a so-called slave modem through which all sorts of information about, for example, the temperature can be communicated in real-time, among other things to the computer of Delta Reefer Care. It is also possible to adjust the temperature from a distance. Van Ravesteijn: “Along those lines, it is now also already possible to initiate the ripening process of certain types of fruits and vegetables during the sea voyage so that the products can be moved to the shop shelves just-in-time upon arrival. But we as Delta Reefer Care have nothing to do with that. Our main responsibility is making sure that the reefers at the terminals are at the required temperature. Always.”

Essential to Global Logistics The cool/freeze container or reefer is essential to the global transport of temperature-sensitive cargo. Especially food - meat, fish, dairy products, potato products and fruit - is involved, but also flower bulbs, certain chemicals and blood plasma. Each product has its own ideal temperature and its own vulnerabilities should the temperature becomes too high or too low.

The heavier products are moved in 20-footers, the lighter ones in increasingly more common 40-footers. The latter is the equivalent of about 150 household refrigerators.

The hart of the reefer is the cooling machine, which either draws electricity from an external source or temporarily generates its own power by means of a generator (gen set). The cooling machine has to function properly at all times. That is why sea-going vessels always have engineers and spare parts aboard. At the terminal, the terminal operator bears responsibly for the reefer.

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Port-wide Pilot for Night-time Driving Since March of this year, ECT has been executing a pilot regarding the guaranteed night-time handling of trucks.

A port-wide initiative must now take night riding to the next level. Rob Bagchus, director of Deltalinqs: “Shifting transport activities to the quieter hours of the day is truly essential to ensure a continuous good circulation of road traffic.”

“The busiest moments for the delivery and pick-up of road containers at Rotterdam’s terminals to a great extent coincide with the rush hours of daily commuter traffic,” says Rob Bagchus.

The director of Deltalinqs, the port and industries’ association in Rotterdam, regularly sees traffic on the port motor­ way A15 grinding to a halt. And that while there is more than enough room on that very same motorway between 19.00 hours and 05.00 hours. “We therefore strive for a better utilization of capacity, especially also during the ­so-called ‘empty hours’. The ambition is to reduce rush hour traffic by twenty percent.” To this extent, Deltalinqs and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have initiated the program Accessible Port (‘Bereikbare Haven’). The portwide pilot with night-time driving is one of the many projects.

Entire Logistics Chain At the initiative of Deltalinqs, the entire logistics chain is participating in the project group for the port-wide pilot: EVO represents the shippers, Fenex the freight forwarders, TLN the road 22

hauliers, the VRC the shipbrokers and agents and ECT joins in as the largest container stevedore in Rotterdam.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, the coordinating regional road manager (‘Verkeersonderneming’) and the Ministry of Transport, who has adopted the project, are represented as well.

Bagchus: “Initiating a pilot in ­conjunction with the entire chain will offer us insight into any bottlenecks and allows us to resolve them. We want to know exactly what it takes to make night-time driving successful.

The round-the-clock opening of the container terminal is just one aspect.

Road hauliers must also be able to deliver the cargo elsewhere. Secure parking places en route could also prove a stimulating factor.”

Pilot can commence Early 2009 In practice, the pilot ambition is ­currently focusing on finding companies which are actually willing to break through their fixed patterns by shifting cargo flows to the nightly hours, including more flexible opening times of their distribution centres.

Bagchus: “At the moment, we are approaching potential participants.

This requires more energy than ­initially anticipated. The good news however is that the major shippers are already moving a significant ­percentage of their cargo flows by rail and inland shipping. We are therefore talking to shippers and forwarders which are slightly smaller. We expect clarity from them at the end of 2008, meaning the port-wide pilot can ­actually commence in early 2009.”

That the pilot has to be initiated is beyond question as far as Bagchus is concerned. “With container volumes on the up and the road works which have been planned on the A15 motorway in the port between 2009 and 2015, night-time driving is really crucial to ensure a durable, optimum circu­ lation of road traffic. The pilot will make the advantages visible to all the links in the chain.”

Also see the news item on page 6 for more information on ECT’s current pilot.

MY ROTTERDAM NAME CAPT. CHARNG-SHYANG LIN (CHARLES LIN) COMES FROM TAIPEI, TAIWAN PROFESSION DEPUTY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT THE EUROPEAN OPERATION CENTRE OF EVERGREEN LINE IN ROTTERDAM SINCE MAY 2006 LIVES IN SCHIEDAM, A VERY TRANQUIL LITTLE TOWN DIRECTLY NEXT TO ROTTERDAM, ON THE NORTHERN BANK OF THE RIVER AND FAMOUS FOR ITS DUTCH GIN

The global character of the container sector brings many foreign shipping company representatives to Rotterdam.

How do they experience living and working here?

The automated terminal concept is amazing My favourite spot in rotterdam From a professional point of view: the ECT Delta Terminal. The automated concept is amazing. on the weekend, i often go to hook of holland, the seaside town on the northern bank of the entrance to the rotterdam port. i like to sit there with a cup of coffee and watch all Evergreen ships sail past. if the weather is good, i also have a splendid view of the cranes of the ECT Delta Terminal.

The main difference between Rotterdam and my hometown I love the living climate here. Another striking difference is the large number of motor bikes in Taipei; in Rotterdam, you see much more bicycles. The region is also much greener.

Favourite neighbourhood I like the Kop van Zuid district; it offers splendid views of the old port of Rotterdam.

I often take the captains of Evergreen ships to the Kop van Zuid for lunch or diner at Hotel New York.

Favourite restaurant For western-style food: La Cocotte next to my office in the suburb of Hoogvliet. For real Chinese food like it is back home,

I go to Tai-Wu on the Mauritsweg just down the road from Rotterdam Central Station.

Favourite bar The outdoor cafe shops along the coastline of Hook van Holland.

Favourite shop For gifts for my family in Taiwan, I go to the De Bijenkorf department store in downtown Rotterdam. They have everything there.

Must-see or must-do in Rotterdam The small village of Kinderdijk: not just for the nineteen windmills, but also because you can perfectly see how the Dutch have created land from water and combat flooding.

There is a saying in my country: ‘God created man, the Dutch created land’.

Favourite sporting event Watching snooker on Eurosport TV. Especially when Marco Fu from Hong Kong or Tian Pengfei from mainland China are playing.

Typically Rotterdam People are very friendly. In my apartment complex, for example, everyone says good morning and holds open the door for you, even if you are still ten metres away. In addition, Rotterdammers are very direct, clearly voice their opinion; I like that. It gives you the opportunity to directly address problems.

Hard to get used to The urinals are too high for most Asian people, and I’m not kidding. What I also find difficult to get used to are the many bicyclists, especially in the morning when I’m heading to my office in the dark.

They come from all directions.

What I miss in Rotterdam In Taiwan I did a lot of outdoor swimming. Such pools however are hard to find here.

My ‘secret’ tip After a busy day at the office, letting go of your work is not easy. My secret tip is twenty minutes of Tai Chi. It balances your body and mind and helps to clear your head.

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LINK IN THE LOGISTICS CHAIN Bill Dijkstra (54), the netherlands, captain of motor tank vessel victoria, one of the four lubricant bunker vessels of the verenigde Tankrederij.

Captain Bill Dijkstra (m) with skipper Wilco (l) and seaman Ricky (r).

“Why do so many shipping lines bunker in Rotterdam? Not just because of the low price, but also because of the quality, the reliability and the administrative services which we provide: our operations are fully automated.

To shipping lines and stevedores, it is of great importance that we consistently deliver our products within the lay time of the sea-going vessel. In addition to bunker oil in various qualities and quantities - often between 3000 and 10,000 tonnes - we also supply an even greater variety of lube oils for all the moving parts of ships’ and other engines. The Victoria has a capacity of 1370 tonnes for lubricants in 13 separate tanks; generally speaking, this is sufficient for 50 sea-going vessels.

We are currently in the middle of pumping 15 tonnes of generator oil aboard the CMA CGM Carmen; in addition to this, we are delivering barrels of specialized oils and fats.

Delivering lube oil is much more complicated than bunker oil because on some days we have

to serve no less than five ships within their lay times. An important part of my job as a captain is puzzling over how to make sure that we can supply all the ships in time within Rotterdam’s extensive port area. I constantly need to react to unexpected occurrences: vessels arriving behind schedule or delays which occur because valves will not open or because narrow pipes aboard the ship lead to longer pumping times.

‘Safe and clean are essential’ Our industry is increasingly becoming more professional: larger and faster double-hulled vessels, automation, improved procedures.

Safe and clean are essential. That is why skipper Wilco (18) and seaman Ricky (16) always connect our pipes to the vessel themselves. We do all we can to make bunkering safe, fast and justin-time. To make our operations as well-oiled as possible…”