Flows Magazine mei 2015 - Breakbulk by Flows

Editie 1 - Mei 2015

M A G A Z I N E

Facelift voor Europese vrachtwagens

Top three are moving closer together again

THEMA: BREAKBULK

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EDITORIAAL In perspectief

W STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

ereldwijd zijn goederenstromen voortdurend in beweging. Op onze redactie zien we dagelijks een enorme nieuwsstroom, waaruit we de informatie filteren die voor onze lezers nuttig kan zijn. Verschillende dossiers zijn de voorbije maanden erg vaak in het nieuws geweest. Ik denk bijvoorbeeld aan de geplande kilometerheffing, waarover soms dagelijks iets nieuws te melden was. De eerste ecocombi is ook nog maar aan het proefrijden, of de eerste zelfrijdende truck verschijnt al aan de (buitenlandse) horizon. We schreven de voorbije maanden ook af en toe over onbemande vliegtuigjes (drones) die nuttig logistiek werk kunnen verrichten, en in de scheepvaart is er intussen ook al sprake van onbemande vaartuigen. Voorlopig worden schepen echter vooral groter. Het woord ‘recordschip’ valt erg vaak en er zijn nu al containerschepen met een nominale capaciteit van 21.100 teu in aanbouw. In dit eerste nummer van Flows Magazine staan we stil bij die schaalvergroting in de lijnvaart.

“Nieuwe Europese regelgeving lijkt soms ver af, maar velen onder ons krijgen er in de praktijk mee te maken” Het is onze bedoeling om voortaan meerdere keren per jaar in Flows Magazine onderwerpen in perspectief te plaatsen waarover vaak in het kort bericht wordt. In elk nummer zal ook één thema centraal staan. Deze keer gaat misschien proportioneel gezien wel erg veel aandacht uit naar het thema breakbulk, maar dat is traditioneel dan ook ‘core business’ voor onze community. Omdat dit magazine ook verspreid zal worden tijdens de tiende editie van de beurs Breakbulk Europe in Antwerpen, wordt dit katern uitzonderlijk in de taal van Shakespeare gepubliceerd. Iets wat de voorbije maanden ook in onze logistieke en transportsector heeft geleefd, was de toekomst van het spoorvervoer in België. Nu NMBS Logistics een nieuwe aandeelhouder heeft gevonden, is het verheugend te zien dat er onmiddellijk initiatieven genomen worden in het voor de staalindustrie, de chemie en uiteraard ook voor de havens zo belangrijke verspreid vervoer. Als redactioneel team volgen we op de eerste rij welke nieuwe wetgeving er in de maak is. Het valt op hoeveel er intussen al op Europees niveau beslist wordt. Vaak lijkt dat allemaal nog ver af, maar met sommige nieuwe regels krijgen velen onder ons in de praktijk te maken. In dit magazine hebben we het alvast over de facelift die de vrachtwagens zullen ondergaan. De scheepvaart in Noord-Europa werd begin dit jaar geconfronteerd met strengere emissienormen. Hoe ingrijpend die zijn, kwamen enkele grote rederijen vertellen op een Flows Event dat we daarover organiseerden. Behalve ons digitale nieuwsplatform, de dagelijkse eFlows en dit magazine zijn Flows Events een andere manier om informatie te laten doorstromen, waarbij u actief mee in debat kan gaan.

TRANSPORT

B Logistics en Xpedys lanceren in Europees verspreid vervoer B Logistics doet voor de productie van de Le Havre Xpress een beroep op de Franse spooroperator OSR France.

Na de lancering van de Swiss Xpress begin maart hebben spooroperator B Logistics en intermodaal operator Xpedys de voorbije maand nog eens vijf verbindingen over kortere en langere afstand opgestart in het verspreid vervoer in Europa. KOEN HEINEN

aast de Slovakia Xpress, de Austria Xpress en de Le Havre Xpress van B Logistics, lanceerde Xpedys de Rotterdam Shuttle en de Kรถln Shuttle. Ceo Geert Pauwels van B Logistics had bij de lancering van de Swiss Xpress al laten verstaan dat dit een nieuwe start betekende voor de spooroperator met de focus op klanten en groei. Met de nieuwe producten wordt dit extra in de verf gezet.

DRIE EXTRA XPRESSVERBINDINGEN

De Slovakia Xpress, die sinds eind april Antwerpen met

Bratislava verbindt, maakt twee roundtrips per week. In geval van bijkomende volumes kunnen optioneel nog drie roundtrips extra toegevoegd worden. De transittijd bedraagt 32 uur. Volgens B Logistics is deze conventionele verbinding belangrijk voor breakbulk lading van zowel de staal- als de chemiesector. De belangrijkste klant, die mee aan de basis ligt van de lancering van de verbinding, is dan ook actief in de staalindustrie. B Logistics werkt hiervoor samen met de tractieleveranciers LTE en ZSSK Cargo. De Austria Xpress, die gelijktijdig werd gelanceerd, loopt tussen Antwerpen en Wenen op basis van drie roundtrips

per week plus twee optioneel in geval van bijkomende volumes. De transittijd bedraagt 30 uur. Deze Xpress-verbinding neemt zowel conventionele als intermodale lading mee. Voor de tractie doet B Logistics een beroep op tractieleverancier LTE. De Le Havre Xpress tussen Antwerpen en de Noord-Franse zeehaven maakt vier roundtrips per week met een optionele roundtrip in geval van bijkomende volumes. In dit geval gaat het om een dag A-dag B verbinding voor conventionele lading. Voor de midden april opgestarte dienst doet B Logistics een beroep op de Franse spooroperator OSR France

TRANSPORT

vijf extra verbindingen TWEE EXTRA SHUTTLE VERBINDINGEN

Intermodaal operator Xpedys is midden april gestart met een Rotterdam Shuttle op basis van drie roundtrips per week. In geval van bijkomende volumes kunnen ook hier optioneel twee extra roundtrips voorzien worden. De shuttle voor zowel conventionele als intermodale lading, verbindt de hinterlands van Antwerpen en Rotterdam met Oostenrijk, Spanje, Frankrijk, Hongarije, Zweden en Zwitserland. Het gaat om een co-productie tussen Xpedys en Locon Benelux.

De Köln Shuttle, die door Xpedys op 23 april werd opgestart, maakt vijf roundtrips per week en heeft een transittijd van 5,5 uur. Deze verbinding is voornamelijk tot stand gekomen op vraag van belangrijke spelers uit de chemie en neemt zowel conventionele als intermodale lading mee. Voor de last mile wordt beroep gedaan op private partners. “De kortere bestemmingen Rotterdam, Le Havre en Keulen fungeren als feeder naar Antwerpen waar ze aansluiten op het grote netwerk naar verdere bestemmingen”, verduidelijkt B Logistics.

De eerder gelanceerde Swiss Xpress tussen de haven van Antwerpen en het Zwitserse Basel in samenwerking met SBB Cargo, rijdt driemaal per week in elke richting en verbindt alle spooraangesloten sites in België met die in Zwitserland, waar SBB Cargo instaat voor de feedering. Met deze vijf extra verbindingen in het verspreid vervoer is de kous nog niet af. Er zitten nog bijkomende bestemmingen in de pijplijn. Pauwels had begin maart al aangekondigd dat de onderneming wil blijven investeren in het verspreid vervoer, dat belangrijk is voor de industrie in België.

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SHIPPING

Carriers voeren tempo in schaalvergrotingsrace op In de eerste maanden van dit jaar werden er alweer zoveel megacontainerschepen besteld, dat het vooruitzicht op een lijnvaart zonder overcapaciteit weer heel veraf lijkt. Sommige carriers hebben al expliciet gezegd dat ze hebben leren leven met overcapaciteit. Snijden in de kosten is voor hen de enige optie om te overleven. STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

at de carriers alsmaar grotere schepen willen om hun slotkosten te drukken, is niks nieuws onder de zon. Wel nieuw is het feit dat ze steeds minder lang wachten om marktleider Maersk Line te volgen wanneer die een nieuwe stap zet. Die Deense rederij nam in juni 2013 de ‘Maersk McKinney Møller’ (18.340 teu) in de vaart als eerste van een reeks van twintig Triple E-schepen, waarvan de oplevering nog tot september loopt. In een reactie daarop arriveerden begin dit jaar in Noord-Europa al de ‘CSCL Globe’ (19.100 teu) en ‘MSC Oscar’ (19.224 teu) als eerste recordschepen uit reeksen die voor China Shipping (vijf eenheden) en MSC (twintig) in aanbouw zijn. Ook UASC neemt in het eerste semester de ‘Barzan’ (18.800 teu) als eerste uit een reeks van zes in de vaart. Alle grote carriers hebben zich in allianties verenigd om hun containerreuzen te kunnen vullen mdat ze ese en dat ze niet kunnen achterblijven, wordt nu per rederijgroep afgesproken wie

De ‘MSC Oscar’ (19.224 teu) is momenteel - op papier althans het grootste containerschip ter wereld. als eerste een volgende stap zet. Binnen de CKYHE Alliance zijn Yang Ming en “K” Line in de Far East trade nog maar net begonnen aan de vervanging van schepen van 8.200 tot 9.500 teu door nieuwbouw van 14.000 teu, maar dat weerhield Evergreen er niet van om alvast als eerste lid van die alliantie elf schepen van 18.000 teu (of zelfs 20.000 teu volgens de Japanse scheepsbouwer Imabari) te bestellen. Cosco zal dat voorbeeld volgen. Binnen de G6 Alliance nam Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) eind februari het initiatief met een order voor zes eenheden van 20.150 teu. OOCL volgde een maand later met een bestelling bij Samsung Heavy Industries van zes recordschepen van 21.100 teu. De voorlopig grootste schepen voor de Ocean Three Alliance (drie van 20.600 teu), werden in april door CMA CGM in de Filippijnen besteld. Al deze schepen hebben dezelfde afmetingen als de Triple E’s van Maersk, maar zullen de containers zowel in de ruimen als bovendeks hoger stapelen. Hun grotere capaciteit geldt dus eigen-

lijk vooral voor zeer lichte of lege containers. Volgens de Boston Consulting Group zou het uitstaande orderboek eigenlijk gehalveerd moeten worden om alle overcapaciteit tegen 2019 weg te werken. De consultant weet dat dit niet realistisch is, omdat de rederijen de schepen in de eerste plaats laten bouwen voor de schaalvoordelen die ze opleveren. OOCL gaf dat na de plaatsing van de bestelling voor zes recordschepen (met opties op nog eens zes) ook grif toe. De lijnvaart is volgens de rederij uit Hongkong een vrije markt met veel onderlinge concurrentie. Als het goed gaat bestellen de rederijen schepen om hun marktaandeel te vergroten, en wanneer het slecht gaat hebben ze grotere schepen nodig om de kosten te verlagen. OOCL heeft aanvaard dat overcapaciteit een ‘permanent probleem’ is. Dat overaanbod wordt vooral problematisch wanneer de groei van het ladingaanbod enkele jaren na elkaar teleurstelt, zoals nu het geval is.

BREAKBULK

May 2015 - 1st Edition

T H E M E

EDITORIAL Specialist work

STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

ased on the statistics, conventional breakbulk transhipment seems to be a shrinking business. Considering the labour intensive nature of this traffi , this is not good news for the orts, es e iall ntwer as Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest breakbulk port. here are, however, two im ortant o servations to e made in this res e t he first is that a ortion of the traffi has moved from reak ulk terminals to warehouses or other terminals t is intriguing to see the kind of imaginative techniques that are being used to fa ilitate the stuffing or stri ing of ontainers with t i al reak ulk argo su h as long pipes or large steel plates. Much of the breakbulk cargo therefore has not disappeared, ut is now in luded in the ontainer statisti s his a lies in arti ular also for fruit traffi ontainer arriers eating into the argo of traditional reefer arriers is not ne essaril a ad thing n some ases the refrigerated ontainers are arried arge from the ontainer to the fruit terminal where the are dis harged for su se uent storage in a refrigerated warehouse his means that the argo is handled at two terminals, et it a ears onl as in the statisti s

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a breakbulk port the focus is increasingly on handling costsâ&#x20AC;? esides, it is not onl the ontainer arriers that want to load reak ulk argo on their not om letel filled vessels, e it out of gauge or not he ar arriers, too, for whi h the ar trans ort on some navigation routes is mainl a one wa traffi , are eager to fill their garage de ks with reak ulk on afi rom the outside, all ure ar and ru k arriers look alike, ut some are e ui ed on the inside with hoista le de ks and are s e iall designed to trans ort large roje t argo volumes se ond o servation in relation to the de line in onventional argo transhi ment is the fa t that om etition among the orts has in reased, as will e ome a arent in this reak ulk s e ial a h loss of a large ustomer has a dual e e t here is not onl the a tual loss of argo, ut also the o ortunit for the om etitor to rove itself and to a roa h other ustomers with a new referen e oreover, we should not lose sight of the situation in whi h man arriers find themselves he om etition with ontainer shi ing om anies and also dr ulk arriers is utting ressure on their in ome and for e them to ut osts in all areas or a reak ulk ort where a great deal of e ertise and highl skilled do k workers are resent, this means that the fo us is in reasingl on handling osts, whi h de end in art on the e i ilit with whi h the work in the ort is organised he e erien e of the do k workers remains, of ourse, a strong asset, e ause it remains s e ialist work he terminals, too, have egun to s e ialise and are investing also in new ranes and other e ui ment, making the ort stronger in the most literal sense of the word

CONTENTS Fleet for transport of project cargo continues to grow

Antwerp can still claim status of leading breakbulk port for steel

Top three are moving closer together again

The number of conventional ships being scrapped still exceeds the number of new multipurpose new uildings entering into the eet An exception are ships that are specially built for the transport of (heavy) project cargo. It is precisely in this market that the low oil prices will have an impact on the volumes.

Last year some 10m tonnes of steel were discharged and loaded in the Port of Antwerp. This volume still consists for 70% of breakbulk, although steel is increasingly transported in containers. Antwerp can thus upholds its leadership position as the number one breakbulk port. Prospects are also positive.

Is Rotterdam staging a comeback in the breakbulk and conventional cargo sector? Last year the Dutch mainport succeeded in narrowing the gap with leaders Antwerp and Zeeland Seaports. Antwerp held on to the number 1 spot, but saw volumes in this important niche fall to an historical low. Main rival Zeeland Seaports also recorded a decline.

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Antwerp stevedores are battling against the receding tide

ar tra c in le is ports grows faster than the European average

The sky is clearing for abÂ nor al load transport

How do terminals and operators view the developments in the breakbulk sector? Do they expect any improvement in 2015? Does the Antwerp breakbulk sector need further consolidation? Flows put these questions to a number of market players. The remarkable conclusion is that they continue to invest in effi ient e ui ment

Two Flemish ports appear in the top 5 of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest vehicle handling ports. Zeebrugge is again irting with the num er one s ot and was by far the fastest growing vehicle handling port last year.

Only a few years ago, it was all gloom and doom in the Belgian abnormal load transport sector. The public administration was said to be too rigid and slow, regionalisation would only add to the administrative burden, access to the ports was in some cases problematic, and so on. Apparently all these things are now history.

COLOFON PUBLISHER

Havenkoepel vzw, Brouwersvliet 33, bus 8, 2000 Antwerpen www.flows.be

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Stefan Verberckmoes

EDITORS

Koen Heinen Jean-Louis Vandevoorde Philippe Van Dooren ar el hoeters

LAY-OUT

Chantal De Clerck

SALES

Luc Corremans

stefan.verberckmoes@flows.be koen.heinen@flows.be jean.louis.vandevoorde@flows be philippe.vandooren@flows.be mar el s hoeters ows e chantal.declerck@portplus.be luc.corremans@portplus.be

BREAKBULK

Fleet for transport of project cargo continues to grow The number of conventional ships being scrapped still exceeds the number of new multipurpose newuildings entering into the eet An exception are ships that are specially built for the transport of heav roje t argo t is re isel in this market that the low oil prices will have an im a t on the volumes STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

ens of consultants monitor worldwide container traffi and anal se in detail all market developments and the results posted arriers igures and forecasts about the breakbulk market and the onventional eet, however, are s ar e n the latest Multipurpose Shipping Market eview and ore aster, rewr Maritime Research predicts an annual growth in cargo volumes of for the eriod owever, this ear and in earl , growth would e

less s a result of the lower oil ri es, the num er of investments in oil and gas extraction roje ts is e e ted to dro , which will have an impact on demand for transport of pipes and roje t argo he energ sector has traditionally been a major customer of project arriers he fall in oil ri es, ou led with growing demand and a diminishing eet should e good news for the multipurpose shiping se tor owever, it a ears that the i side of lower unker

BREAKBULK

sul hur unkers he modules arrived by ship from Spain and were discharged at ABES at the ifth ar our o k and then transported by road to their final destination hese arts weigh up to nearly thousand tonnes, and the largest ones have dimensions of and m allenius ilhelmsen ogi sti s is also e e ting a at market this ear omared to his shi ing company whose large vehicle carriers also transport large uantities of stati argo including much ‘high and heavy’ argo, does, however, e e t regional differen es he area is erforming well and we e e t this to ontinue e see signifi ant rodu tion capacity being developed in the and arti ularl in e i o,

a ross industries , said rge i o od gaard, i e resident e ounts, at the end of last ear, when asked for his foreasts for “Growth in South America has een at h as of late, ut successful reforms in Brazil should contribute to driving a recovery with positive implications for the entire region he European economy is not where it should e here are some u sides, ut it is a sluggish market and we do not expect major reover in im orts in uropean exports on the other hand are uite strong e e ts also the ntra sian trade to i k u , es e iall on the a k of infrastructure projects and manufacturing capacity additions in outh ast sia his will drive demand for machiner , rail ars, onstru tion

▲

prices is a global decline in oil and gas investment roje ts There have already been reports of fewer project cargoes available for the multipurpose eet to arr as roje t investment has started to slow , sa s usan atwa , ead nal st at rewr The Antwerp Port Authority is also factoring in a temporary dip in the project cargo sector owever, roje ts will e postponed but not cancelled as large amounts of oil will, until further noti e, e re uired to kee the world e onom a oat The local industry provides the port of Antwerp with an inoming stream of roje t argo A recent spectacular example is the shipping of large modules for Total’s Optara proje t otal is e anding its a a city for the production of low-

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BREAKBULK

TOP 10 MULTIPURPOSE OPERATORS BY DEADWEIGHT CAPACITY Rank

Operator

Existing fleet wt (number of ships)

hartering

On order wt (number of ships)

os ol

Thorco

Spliethoff

Swire

ustral sia ine

hi ol rok

8. 9. 10.

ntermarine i kmers inie

, ,

Source: Dynamar, april 2015

e ui ment and ower generation units roje t argo is, however, only a part of the breakbulk market lo all , there is a sta le demand for machinery and machine tools because they need to e re la ed on a regular asis

COMPETITION or shi ing om anies not only the size of the cargo volume but also the price level matters his se ond as e t is a major source of dissatisfa tion of the arriers ust as farmers tend to complain about the weather, shi owners are always eager to point out that tari s should refera l ea little higher he limited amount of finan ial results that are released by specialised breakbulk arriers does rove, however, that their in ome is insuffi ient The sector is especially hit by the competition of the container and dr ulk arriers s a result of the obvious overcapacity of container and dry bulk vessels, the latter are also after conventional or out-of-gauge argo ontainer shi s that annot e om letel filled do not mind sa rifi ing some s a e to allow outsize cargo to be carried along

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The outlook for the multipurpose sector will be largely determined by developments within the container and bulk markets and how far they will en roa h on general, reak ulk and roje t argo, sa s atwa , rewr or some ommodities the container carriers have already succeeded in securing a large ortion of the market his a plies in particular to the reefer trade, whi h, a ording to rew r , is set to further e and etween and Refrigerated capacity on container carriers is expected to rise er ent , from million foot slots in to million slots in , rewr sa s i t five er ent of reefer trade is currently transported on container carriers and that figure is oised to e and further as specialized carriers - and air carriers - watch their market shares erode Of the large specialized reefer arriers, eatrade seems to be the only one prepared to invest in new tonnage on a large s ale e ause ontainerisation of fruit traffi a ears to be irreversible and the shipping company does not want to be ro ed of all of its traffi , it has ordered two , vessels

to be used for the transport of refrigerated ontainers Not only the conventional reefer fleet, ut the entire multi ur ose eet ontinues to shrink or the advan ed vessels of roje t arriers alone, an average eet growth of er annum to end is e e ted n an u date of the o of shipping companies with the greatest multipurpose tonnage in dwt a a it , ut h onsultant namar also noti ed that the capacity of the ten largest arriers has de reased s of early April 2015 they deployed a eet of shi s with a total deadweight of million tons The ships had an average age of ears om ared to the assessment of ril , this constitutes a reduction of nearly 10% compared to the 449 vessel/ , , dwt o eet then he num er three alone, hor o, saw its eet diminish in one ear from hundred vessels million dwt to units , dwt he urrent ranking is led hartering he hinese os ol is, however, oised to regain this position because it has a etter filled order ook The ranking also includes a number of regular line operators that all at the ort of ntwer , su h as hi ol rok , and i kmers inie Ship owners operating large ships carrying not only breakulk ut also dr ulk or ars, as well as semi-submersible vessels, are not in luded in this ranking because their large bulk or ro/ro capacity would result in a distorted picture being obtained hese are arriers su h as ednav, rieg tar, ear ulk and the large ar arriers The capacity of on-board cranes on board multipurpose vessels has increased sharply in re ent ears or the o arriers, the average total lifting a a it er shi is tonnes arket leader hartering has an average of tonnes ts vessels an handle loads of and even tonnes

ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

ge t in touch +32 (0)3 360 55 00

logistics@gosselingroup.eu

www.gosselingroup.eu

BREAKBULK

nt erp can still clai s brea bul port for steel Last year some 10m tonnes of steel were discharged and loaded in the Port of Antwerp. This volume still consists for 70% of breakbulk, although steel is increasingly transported in containers. Antwerp can thus upholds its leadership position as the number one breakbulk port. Prospects are also positive. KOEN HEINEN

ast year Antwerp handled over 6.5m tonnes of iron and steel as conventional cargo, compared to 6.2m tonnes in 2013. Of this volume, almost 2.8m tonnes were imports and 3.7m tonnes were exports. “While we can still claim to be the number one breakbulk port, more and more steel is being containerised. Steel is even being cut to size in order to fit into the ontainers his is actually a structural shift,” says Wim Dillen, Senior Business Development Manager of the Antwerp Port Authority. “In the port’s operational plan there is a strong focus on added value. One of the strengths of the Port of Antwerp is that many containers are still eing stu ed here, so that the composition of the cargo, which may be made u of di erent kinds of steel, can still be changed at the last minute at the request of the customer. That’s added value,” says Dillen. In the meantime, ro/ro is being introduced in steel traffi n the eft ank, for

example, steel is already being handled with afi trailers

2014 Volumes increased slightly last year. “Steel is not doing too badly. The continued growth in steel volumes is remarkable because we not have a captive industry. However, all big players from the sector have their steel transit via the Port of Antwerp. One reason for this is our inland location. Another key strength is the large number of conventional line services. We have 220 conventional calls per month, whereas Rotterdam, which comes in second place, has only 40. Also the knowledge that is available here, remains a major asset,” says Dillen.

IMPORT/EXPORT In the import/export balance, import is gaining in importance. Imports from China in particular are experiencing strong growth. India, Finland, Russia and South Korea round out the to five for im orts via

the Port of Antwerp. Together they exported 10% more steel last year than the year before. China alone represented a growth of 31%. Some 800,000 tonnes of steel in containers were imported from China via Antwerp. “This makes Antwerp the largest import port for steel in the range,” stresses Dillen.

PROSPECTS “With some 800m tonnes, China accounts for about half of total world crude steel production. There is, however, overproduction. In the US, there is already a trend towards curtailing steel imports from China by stricter regulations, but also Europe is

thinking in this direction. While Europe may well try to curb those imports, Dillen believes that we can still expect strong Chinese imports both this year and the next. Steel imports from Russia are also set to increase as a result of the ruble’s collapse. Forecasts of world steel demand indicate that Europe is the leading market, with stronger growth in demand, compared to Asia. On the export side too, Antwerp can look back on a strong 2014. As suggested by the figures, there is still more steel being exported than imported via the Port of Antwerp. “Exports are mainly destined to the NAFTA countries. Especially the volumes for the US,

BREAKBULK

tatus of leading Canada and Mexico went up. The U.S. economy is doing well and this is re e ted in investments in infrastructure and in the housing construction and automotive industries. All these sectors use much steel. Furthermore, the Port of Antwerp is well positioned on the transatlantic link. It’s therefore logical that this export goes via Antwerp,” explains Dillen. hese effi ient onne tions provide us with export volumes from Germany, Northern France and even Austria.” Export volumes for 2015 already exceed those of last year. “The conventional volume to the NAFTA countries already accounted for 1.7m tonnes, but it remains to be seen whether this will last. The low oil prices could adversely a e t the e onom , whi h is investing heavily in shale gas extraction projects. Despite these favourable prospects, Antwerp seeks to promote itself even more as a steel port. Dillen: “We have been focusing on this in recent

years and today we can reap the enefits he industr is grateful for our e orts

INVESTMENTS To allow the Port to consolidate its position as leading steel port, both the private sector and the Antwerp Port Authority invest heavily in equipment and infrastructure. Today the Port has also seven steel service centers, whi h o er a num er of added value activities, all using state-of-the-art technology. Substantial investments are also made in training of the personnel. This means less damage and fewer accidents, and eventually lower costs and no delays.

INLAND

TRANSPORT The steel is transported from and to the port mostly by barge. “Inland navigation plays a very important role. The ‘Antwerp FOB 51 condi-

tions’ for deliveries from barge to liners were crucial in the development of Antwerp as steel port for inland navigation. However, the FOB 51 needs to be modernised. It’s also important that we make the FOB 51 better known by the new generation,” emphasises Dillen. Also for rail, Antwerp has always been known as a steel port. “Because of the uncertainty in relation to services, including the ‘last mile’, steel companies are asking us to do something about it. We therefore wish NMBS Logistics every success with its new shareholder.

CONFIRMATION With an annual volume of 2m tonnes intended for export only, ArcelorMittal Logistics is the leading player in the ntwer steel traffi o executive William Moyersoen onfirms the s e ial osition of Antwerp, which also ena les it to o er solutions for

smaller volumes. Despite the shutdown of s e ifi hases in the Liege steel production, the output of the Liege steel industry is increasing, according to Moyersoen. He believes volumes will remain high. ArcelorMittal Logistics acts as in-house forwarder for the group of the same name throughout Europe. Its total steel traffi re resents a out 12.5m tonnes. Another major steel forwarder is RKE, with an annual volume of over 1 million tonnes. The company has a 50% interest in the Coil Terminal at quay 504, which serves as hub for RKE is also active at other terminals. Coils are mainly destined to North America. Other steel products for the automotive sector are shipped to North Africa. Guy Verschaeren, Managing Director of RKE says Antwerp’s main strengths as a steel port are the availability of specialised knowledge and its unique network of scheduled services.

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op t ree Â toget er a Is Rotterdam staging a comeback in the breakbulk and conventional cargo sector? Last year the Dutch mainport succeeded in narrowing the gap with leaders Antwerp and Zeeland Seaports. Antwerp held on to the number 1 spot, but saw volumes in this important niche fall to an historical low. Main rival Zeeland Seaports also recorded a decline. L

Last year t e total brea bul and conventional cargo volu e in t e un ir otterda range as slig tly up again but re ained belo tonnes

ÂŠ Antwerp Port Authority

BREAKBULK

are oving closer gain

of almost 779m tonnes in 2011. his was first of all due to the new personal record for both Rotterdam (444.7m tonnes) and Antwerp (199m tonnes). However, also the better performance of Dunkirk (47.1m tonnes) and Zeeland Seaports (35.1m tonnes) compared to 2013 contributed to the highest end result ever. Zeebrugge (42.5m tonnes) and Ghent (25.9) did not quite reach the level of the previous year, but the decline was almost negligible.

MORE CONTAINERS AND RO/RO argo traffi followed a similar trend, setting a new record with 334m tonnes. Growth, however, was stronger as the six ports recorded a 5.2% increase compared to 2013 (327m tonnes). This growth was fuelled primarily by containers and ro/ro. Container volumes went up again by 5%, reaching a new peak just below 260m tonnes. In 2008

▲

ast year, the six major seaports in the minirange which extends from Dunkirk to Rotterdam, saw their combined maritime traffi volume in rease to more than 794 million tonnes. With this 2.3% increase on 2013 (when they achieved a total volume of almost 777m tonnes), they topped their combined total of 771m tonnes in 2008 for the fourth year in a row. They even broke the previous group record

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BREAKBULK

EVOLUTION OF MARITIME TRAFFIC OF CONVENTIONAL CARGO/BREAKBULK IN ANTWERP

cumulative total in mil. ton. as a % of own total traffic

20,80

18,45

16,84

17,04

17,54

17,82

18,37

19,80

16,94

10,45

11,13

12,70

10,89

9,88

15,9

14,1

12,8

11,9

11,5

11,1

11,0

10,8

8,9

6,6

6,2

6,8

5,9

5,3

5,0

EVOLUTION OF MARITIME TRAFFIC OF CONVENTIONAL CARGO/BREAKBULK IN ZEELAND SEAPORTS

cumulative total in mil. ton.

3,08

3,57

3,79

5,33

5,25

5,64

6,17

6,76

7,61

5,67

7,35

7,79

8,33

7,94

7,74

as a % of own total traffic

12,4

14,1

14,2

19,0

17,5

18,5

20,4

22,9

19,7

22,3

21,9

24,8

24,0

22,1

EVOLUTION OF MARITIME TRAFFIC OF CONVENTIONAL CARGO/BREAKBULK IN ROTTERDAM

cumulative total in mil. ton. as a % of own total traffic

8,75

8,10

7,24

8,19

8,81

8,51

9,79

9,45

7,29

5,95

6,94

5,87

4,72

6,04

2,7

2,6

2,2

2,5

2,3

2,6

2,3

1,7

1,5

1,6

1,3

1,1

1,4

the counter stopped at 232m tonnes. o ro traffi in the unkirk Rotterdam mini-range also put in a strong performance: ending 7.3% higher than in 2013, at almost 55m tonnes, a new was high was achieved in this sector as well. The previous record set in 2007 (52.1 million tonnes) was pulverised.

SLIGHTLY MORE BREAKBULK

The contribution of breakbulk was less spectacular. In the mini-

162

range, more breakbulk and conventional cargo was loaded or discharged than the year before, with the cumulated total growing by 2.3% from 28.5 million tonnes in 2013 to 29.1 million tonnes, but this was nowhere near a new record. The sector had experienced a terrible 2013 in terms of volume which dropped to 28.5m tonnes. Only 2009, when the crisis was at its peak, had a level lower than in the previous decades been recorded, with 26.1m tonnes. Because the sector grew by the same percentage as the to-

tal traffi volume, the share of conventional/breakbulk in the range total stagnated at 3.7% (whereas that of containers rose again to 32.7% and that of ro/ro amounted to 6.9%). Even more remarkable were the o asionall heft u tuations in the di erent orts that resulted in a partial redistribution of the market shares.

SYMBOLIC MILESTONE FOR ANTWERP 2013 was not a particularly good year for Antwerp. The Port of Antwerp can still claim the lead, but the erosion of breakbulk cargoes continued unabated, reaching a symbolic milestone: for the first time in man de ades the Antwerp result in the sector fell below the 10m t mark. In 2013 it had stayed just above this mark with 10.1m tonnes, but last year the Belgian mainport achieved only 9.9m tonnes (or no more than 5% of its total maritime traffi volume n the Antwerp quays and terminals still handled 20.8m tonnes conventional and breakbulk cargo (ac-

BREAKBULK

NO GROWTH FOR ZEELAND SEAPORTS ver the ast fifteen ears, Zeeland Seaports was the port that enefited the most attracting a whole range of forest product cargoes. Both Zeeland ports have steadily climbed to the second place on the breakbulk podium, thereby overtaking their big brother Rotterdam - no mean feat for a port having two giants as neighbours. After steep growth from 2000 (3.1m tonnes and 12% of the own total) to 2012 (8.3m tonnes and 25% of the cargo handled), the Zeeland motor began to sputter. fter a first de line in to 7.9m tonnes (24% of the total maritime traffi volume , last ear the breakbulk total in Vlissingen

and Terneuzen again fell to 7.7m tonnes (22%). The 2% decrease compared to 2013 was in the same order as that in Antwerp, so that the gap between both remained virtually unchanged. However, Zeeland Seaports also had to give up market share in the DunkirkRotterdam range and settle for 26.6% as compared to 27.9% in 2013. In 2000 this was still over 8%. Early this year, however, the Zeeland port complex achieved a signifi ant ommer ial su ess by attracting Chiquita as a new customer in Vlissingen.

ROTTERDAM STAGES COMEBACK

While number one Antwerp and number two Zeeland

â&#x2013;˛

counting for 16% of the total). In the heydays before the crisis, in 2007 the sector still came close to that figure with m tonnes (then representing 11% of the total). Seven years later, however, only half of that remains. This is obviously the result of structural factors such as the continued ontainerisation of s e ifi types of goods. Some conventional cargoes are still routed via Antwerp where they are containerised and eventually counted as TEU and container tonnage. On the other hand, the Port of ntwer has lost signifi ant market share throughout this period: from 55% in 2000 to 34% in 2014. In 2013 this was still over 35%. This means that proportionally more traffi has gone to the other ports from the range.

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BREAKBULK

are of ports in total tra c of conventional cargo brea bul in un ir otterda range

Antwerp Zeebrugge Ghent Dunkirk Rotterdam Zeeland Seaports Belgian Seaports

Seaports both recorded losses, number three Rotterdam fared far better. The Port of Rotterdam jumped up by no less than 28% from 4.7 to 6m tonnes. Rotterdam thus managed to pull up its market share in the mini-range from 17% to 20%, although it still remains below that of 2000 (23%, with 8.8m tonnes). The positive results for 2014 may also be read as a recovery. In the breakbulk sector, 2013 had been a remarkable low for Rotterdam. In that year, the Dutch mainport had to let go of the leading group, but now it has battled itself back into the market. The gap with its Zeeland competitors that had emerged in 2013, has been halved. Compared with the other ports in the mini-range, however, reak ulk is far less signifi ant for Rotterdam, as it represented only 1.4% of the total in 2014 (compared to 2.7% in 2000).

GHENT HOLDING UP Ghent displays more stability in the battle for breakbulk. Last year, the Flemish port managed

164

a half percentage point increase with 3.2m tonnes, allowing it to record a volume of more 3m tonnes for the fifth ear in a row The share in the portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own total thus continues to hover around 12%. Its market share within the mini-range amounts to 11%. This is more than the 8% of 2000, when Ghent recorded a breakbulk volume of just above 3m tonnes.

ZEEBRUGGE GOING DOWN

Zeebrugge experienced a sharp decline in breakbulk in 2014. The volume handled fell from 1.7 to 1.2 million tonnes. Breakbulk accounted for only 2.8% in the portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end total. Due to the delay incurred, the new Verbrugge terminal only became operational by the end of the year and was unable to reverse the receding tide. For Zeebrugge, however, 2013 had been a record year in the sector, and today the Belgian coastal port is still above the level recorded in 2000 (1m tonnes). his is also re e ted in a market

share of 4%, compared to 2.6% in 2000.

DUNKIRK GOING UP Dunkirk may have been on the rise, but the increase looks far more pronounced in percentage terms (+22%) than in volume terms (from 0.9 to 1.1 million tonnes). Breakbulk accounted for 2.3% of the northern French portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volume. In 2000 this was still 3.2% with 1.5m tonnes. The market share remained unchanged at 3.8% with respect to 2000.

LOW TIDE FOR FLEMISH PORTS After several years of improvement, the total market share of the Flemish ports as compared to that of their competitors in the mini-range fell again from 52.4% in 2013 to 48.9%. In 2000 they still accounted for 65%, with Antwerp alone achieving 55%. In other words, not only is the breakbulk pie getting smaller, the Flemish ports are, proportionally speaking, also getting a smaller slice.

Antwerp Forwarders feel at home in all breakbulk markets Founded in 1905, the Association for Forwarding, Logistics and Freight Interests in Antwerp, abbreviated as VEA, has for 110 years represented the interests of Antwerp forwarders and by extension those of the Port of Antwerp. It feels at home in all markets and also has a long tradition in offering the most versatile services for breakbulk cargo. Obviously, Antwerp forwarders play a key role in these activities. Shipping breakbulk invariably requires a product-speciﬁc approach and the can-do mentality and the specialist experience of the many forwarders operating at the Port allow breakbulk cargoes to be shipped with unmatched expertise and an eye for detail. The Antwerp forwarders provide various services with high added value tailored to the customer’s needs. There are, for example, steel service centres for steel handling and cutting, vehicle processing centres for auto customisation and repair, and numerous added value services for fruit, wood and project cargo such as supply management, order picking, quality control, packaging and storage. Goods are directly prepared for the end customer which saves considerably on transport and handling costs. Within VEA, a Breakbulk Commission is currently being started up, under the direction of Frank De Fyn (ArcelorMittal Logistics Belgium). The aim of this commission is to bring together expertise within the forwarding sector and also to joint forces with, among others, the breakbulk specialists at the Antwerp Port Authority. (GHA). Topics that will be discussed within the commission include automation, port labour, the ‘Antwerp Conditions ‘51’, regular liner shipping services, shortsea, IT standardisation, etc. The main objective is to involve the members in the operation of these commissions and thereby creating active participation. One example is the active participation in an APCS (Antwerp Port Community System) automation project, which creates, through a joint IT platform, a uniform way of working for forwarders, shipping agents, stevedores and customs services. This automated breakbulk module will enhance productivity and ﬁnally consign the traditional ‘paper’ way of working to the wastepaper bin of history.

KNOW-HOW AND EXPERTISE This policy of active participation is also brought to bear on the next generation, for the VEA Youngsters will be playing a prominent role in this Breakbulk Commission. Quality, experience and ﬂexibility are crucial in providing customers with solutions customised to meet their increasingly demanding requirements. The highly skilled labour force in the breakbulk sector ensures an extremely high level of productivity and enable the search for creative and innovative solutions. This is why it is vital to continue to invest in knowledge transfer. The VEA Youngsters undertake not only to actively participate in this VEA Committee, but also to share their knowledge and experience with students of various university colleges. In this context, they regularly organise guest lectures for Logistics Management students and have also set up a sponsorship scheme for lastyear students of the Karel De Grote Hogeschool with a view to involving them in daily port operations already during their studies. On the occasion of the Breakbulk Trade Fair in Antwerp, the VEA Youngsters will take a delegation of Indian ‘Young Potentials’ on a tour through the port and strengthen contacts at a Breakbulk Party. On May 19, the VEA Logistics Commission is organising a port tour for interested VEA members, including a visit to a conventional terminal, thus enabling members to raise their voice within the breakbulk sector.

www.vea-antwerpen.be

BREAKBULK

nt erp stevedor against t e recedi How do terminals and operators view the developments in the breakbulk sector? Do they expect any improvement in 2015? Does the Antwerp breakbulk sector need further consolidation? Flows put these questions to a number of market players. The remarkable conclusion is that the ontinue to invest in effi ient equipment. JEAN-LOUIS VANDEVOORDE

arcel Dubourg, CEO of Zuidnatie, can only note the overall downward trend. “Our steel export to Central America has gone up, but all other traffi s showed a redominantly declining trend, which, at most, has now been stabilised to some extent,” is his analysis. “The shipowners, too, are bemoaning the low volumes in Europe.” He sees several reasons for the new de line in reak ulk traffi in Antwerp. European anti-dumping measures, for example, have curbed the import of Chinese steel. Rotterdam has positioned itself into the market in a ‘very aggressive way’, thanks to, among other things, its oating sheerleg whi h allows it to handle extremely heavy parts of up to 1,500t. Today an in reasing amount of traffi is conducted directly between continents (Asia and South America

166

or Africa, for example), whereas before Antwerp was often used as an intermediate station. Wijngaard Natie Terminals, too, did not record any increase in traffi e have maintained our regular customers and traffi s, ut oth in oming and outgoing volumes have declined. Each company in the logistics chain has been forced to make ut a ks, whi h was re e ted, for example, in the reduction of strategic stocks by our customers,” says general manager Dirk Mondelaers. “Furthermore, steel prices are still not at an acceptable level, so that every link in the chain is coming under pressure.” At NHS, by contrast, commercial director Ardian Lekaj is able to report growth. “Overall, our operations have gone up ten percent compared to 2014.” He thinks this is primarily due to the fact that NHS essentially operates

in markets where the economy is growing, such as North and South America and Africa. Marinvests has witnessed the decline, especially in its services to North Africa, where a number of countries are still struggling with the aftermath of the Arab Spring. The situation for Congo is slightly better. “We’re holding up, but it is by no means evident,” explains director Nicolas Goovaerts.

IMPROVEMENT? Will 2015 bring any improvement? Marcel Dubourg thinks it is possible. For this he is looking at Iran in particular, and the agreement apparently being prepared that would put an end to the sanctions against that country. This could spell good news for project cargo in particular. However, such a trend will not become apparent until the sec-

BREAKBULK

es are battling ng tide tainer shipowners are increasingly focusing on the breakbulk market. As a result, we receive large cargoes of iron and steel (coils, sheets, steel bars, etc.), mainly from the Far East. Also for breakbulk cargo (cases, crates, high & heavy, etc.) container shipowners are making great e orts to secure their piece of the pie.” Ardian Lekaj also points to the constant geopolitical uncertainty

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– what about Russia, the Middle East...? – and the impact of lower oil prices on major investment projects. “There is great unrest in the world and that is bearing down on the economy.” A weaker euro is giving the European economy an extra boost, but also the commercial director of NHS is adamant that competition in the sector is and will remain extremely tough.

▲

ond year half, according to the CEO of Zuidnatie. “All the rest is just a matter of conjecture.” Dirk Mondelaers is slightly more hopeful. “We have recorded growth in the first three months In addition, we have been able to extend some important contracts and sign a number of new ones. However, he does not expect any immediate easing of the pressure on the sector. “Con-

BREAKBULK

FLEXIBILITY A constant matter of concern for many stevedores is the absence of reform of port labour. otterdam has enefited from its more e i le ort labour system,” says Dubourg. “They don’t have the rigid system that we still know and that’s dragging us down like a millstone. We have to account for the heavy costs associated with it. nvesting in effi ient e ui ment then remains the only option. Zuidnatie and Katoen Natie have done so, for example by investing in 200t mobile cranes, which in tandem can handle a double weight. “This has a positive impact on our operations, it allows us handle increasingly larger project cargoes and also enefits the ualit of our service,” says Dubourg. Wijngaard Natie has also been active. The stevedore was the first in the ort of ntwer to invest in a 50t hydraulic crane with automatic attachment system for quick loading and discharging of coils. “Handling safet is in reased signifi antl and productivity is substantially higher,” explains Mondelaers. “In addition, we keep focusing our e orts on added value and are continually looking for new technologies to make our operations still more effi ient, ost e e tive and safer.” NHS makes a similar statement. “Thinking along with the ustomer and ensuring e i ilit

168

by making the right investments, that’s what it’s all about,” says Lekaj.

CONSOLIDATING... In this context, is there a need for further consolidation? Marcel Dubourg does not lose any sleep on the investments made by other Antwerp stevedores or on the competition of players in neighbouring ports. “Antwerp is Antwerp. If the port as a whole gains in strength, this can only be a good thing,” he says with res e t to the first oint a h ort has its s e ifi strengths It’s up to us to arm ourselves against that. We’ve also bought new and bigger cranes and continue to upgrade our terminals,” he says in relation to the second point. “But if the tonnages in Europe keep falling, this will inevitably have consequences for everyone,” he immediately adds. That is why he thinks consolidation is e e tivel needed to improve Antwerp’s position. ersonall , onsider it a necessity. It could contribute to strengthening our position in the future.” In 2012 Zuidnatie itself made a substantial contribution to the consolidation process by taking over the installations and activities of orld reak ulk It was preceded by, amongst others, Katoen Natie which absorbed stevedore ABES, and ova atie and ntwer which bundled their breakbulk operations in NHS.

… OR SPECIALISING? But not everyone is convinced. “Whereas every stevedore used to provide all possible services, today we see more and more specialists,” reacts Dirk Mondelaers. “Wijngaard Natie works directly for steel producers, traders and logisti s firms with fi ed traffi s ogether with these customers, total packages are designed where the handling of high quality steel in our All Weather Terminal, for instance, is combined with storage in temperature and humidity controlled warehouses.” Lekaj prefers the term cooperation and does not think consolidation is all that evident. He is more or less on the same wavelength as Mondelaers. “What’s important is to be stable and to convey a clear message to your customers.” Nicolas Goovaerts of Marinvests thinks consolidation may even present a danger. “If less competition leads to higher rates, ntwer might find onsolidation to be quite counterproductive. Rival ports will not hesitate to take advantage of this. For breakbulk remains a fragile sector,” he says. Cooperation strikes him as a better idea, but “abiding by agreements is diffi ult in times of famine.’ He considers it especially important that the quality of service is not neglected, which could happen if stevedores trim down their human resources in order to make ends meet.

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ar tra c in le is por t e European average Two Flemish ports appear in the top 5 of Europe’s largest vehicle handling ports. ee rugge is again irting with the number one spot and was by far the fastest growing vehicle handling port last year. STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

n the ranking of Europe’s forty largest vehicle handling ports, as published each year by Finished Vehicle Logistics, Zeebrugge again occupied the first osition, e ause initially it looked like Bremerhaven would be handling

just short of 2.2 million cars last year. Eventually the counter for 2014 in the northern German port stopped at 2,269,512 million cars, which is more than the 2,200,422 cars that were loaded or discharged in Zeebrugge last

year. The 13.2% growth in the Belgian coastal port was, however, signifi antly greater than the 4.2% growth in Bremerhaven. Zeebrugge owes this sharp increase to its hub function for, amongst others, the UK and Scandinavian markets. It also continued to upgrade its ro/ro capacity, for example by expanding ICO’s Hanze Terminal to 12 ha. The fact that Bremerhaven just managed to remain Europe’s largest vehicle handling port is due to the export of German cars. Bremerhaven shares this export with Emden, where Volkswagen is based. With over 1.3 million cars handled (+6.6%), the

port of Emden was Europe’s third largest vehicle handling port last year.

FOURTH PLACE With 805,765 cars handled, the port of Antwerp should, in principle, be in fourth position, but Finished ehi le ogisti s ut it in fifth place, because the results of all Humber ports are added together. In 2014 Grimsby, Immingham and Killingholme combined handled 974,500 cars (+2.6%). The size of the UK market is evident from the fact that four UK ports (port areas) make it into

FESTIVE EVENT IN ZEEBRUGGE

Last year only 23 new car carriers entered into servi e, ringing the total eet to units (April of the current year). There are still 59 Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC) under construction. What is remarkable is that mainly neo-panamax vessels are being built in response to the widening of the Panama Canal. The dimensions of car carriers was thus far actually limited by the length of the berths in Japan (200 m) and the width of the locks on the Panama Canal. Because larger locks are scheduled to go into operation in Panama in April of next year, shipping lines s er opylae as c ristened in t e port of eebrugge are placing orders for 200m long car carriers with a neo-panamax width of 36.5 to 38 m. Höegh Autoliners has the largest units (capacity of 8,500 ceu) under construction. Shipping lines like NYK and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics already sent post-Panamax tonnage to Zeebrugge. In March the coastal ort even served as de or for the festive hristening of the hermo lae , a first new uild vessel of , eu in a series of eight.

20 6

BREAKBULK

ts gro s faster t an the European top 10. The Humber ports are followed by Southampton in sixth place (790,000 cars), Tyne in eighth place (619,000 cars), and the London port cluster with Dagenham ord , ur eet and il ur (586,348 cars). After 5.9% growth in 2014, Antwerp saw a small de line in ar traffi during the first uarter of this ear The prospects, however, remain favourable, also because the Port of Antwerp has attra ted new traffi

from Fiat Chrysler which was previously routed via Amsterdam and Bremerhaven he traffi involves an annual volume of 60,000 cars that are transported from Mexico and Baltimore by Höegh Autoliners and Grimaldi. For Grimaldi this new traffi was a om anied the launch of a triangular service from the Mediterranean area to the US with return via Antwerp. For this service, the Italian shipping line will order five ar arriers with

a capacity of 7,000 ceu (car e uivalent unit

AVERAGE With growth of 5.9%, Antwerp slightly outperformed the European average last year. If we count Russia and Turkey as part of Europe, a total of 17.08 million cars were shipped into or out of the port. The 4.8% increase with respect to 2013 is in line with the rise in car sales in 2014 (+5.6%). However, the picture varies

from port to port. Ports like Le Havre or Piraeus handled respectively 16.9% and 20% fewer cars last year. raffi an also e relocated. Daimler, for example, has concrete plans to export German cars to China via Livorno or Koper, because the transit time is 7 to 9 days shorter compared to the current routing via Bremerhaven. The port of Valencia will benefit from the losure of ord Genk, following the decision to step up production in the Spanish port.

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e s y is clearing for ab Only a few years ago, it was all gloom and doom in the Belgian abnormal load transport sector. The public administration was said to be too rigid and slow, regionalisation would only add to the administrative burden, access to the ports was in some cases problematic, and so on. Apparently all these things are now history. PHILIPPE VAN DOOREN

t would be an exaggeration to say that all problems in the sector have been solved. Not only in Belgium, but also in neighbouring countries, the de-industrialisation of Europe puts the sector at

a disadvantage. The wind energy industry has slightly tempered the fall in demand, but there is less work, so that competition remains intense. In recent years, the Dutch abnormal load transport op-

erators have apparently extended their market share in Belgium. “But the tide is turning,” says Eric Hufkens, managing director of ADM Team Heavy Weight based in Westerlo and president of the Abnormal Load Transport committee within the professional organisation ‘UPTR’. He cites as one of the reasons for this the fact that Belgian firms a ear to e more e ible. “And above all: our people - also the drivers - think along with the customer.”

PERMIT

APPLICATIONS For quite some time there were many complaints in Belgium about the slow rate at which permits were issued by the federal go-

vernment. But the introduction of WebTeuv has put an end to that. This application provides an automated management system for the application for and issue of abnormal load transport permits. When it was launched a few years ago, it provide such a success with users that it was nominated by Agoria for the e-Gov Awards. Since then, however, the abnormal load transport has been regionalised. This resulted in the previous Federal Public Service for Abnormal Load Transport being split up into three regional services. It was feared that this would have a negative impact on the service. Explanatory note: since July 1, 2014, a number of

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nor al load transport tact for the application for permits until 31 December he e e tive transfer took place on January 1, 2015. Many operators were fearful of this fragmentation because it could mean that the application for a transport through the whole of Belgium would result in three times as much administrative work. This, however, has not been the case. Also in the new system the carrier can apply for a permit via the existing application, WebTeuv, on the basis of a single document for the whole Belgian territory.

To submit an application via the application, however, the user has to be registered. Registration is done quickly: an application is onfirmed within two working days by an e-mail containing the user’s login and password. The application can then be submitted via WebTeuv. This application also allows the carrier to manage its permit applications from A to Z. “In practice, the permits are e e tivel issued within two to maximum three days. This applies to most transports within the network of fi ed itineraries whi h were

laid down in the RD of June 2010 and can vary according to the total dimensions and the weight of the transport). In case of deviations, e.g. as regards roads or axle loads, additional permit(s) need to be applied for and this may take a little longer. But that is also normal”, says Hufkens.

FEES The regionalisation has also left the fees intact. They are the same as those that applied in 2014. They are based on the RD of 2 June 2010 and, for Wallonia,

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powers relating to road trans ort and traffi safet have been devolved from the federal Belgian State to the three Regions (Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels). This is a result of the implementation of the 6th State Reform. Abnormal load transport is one of the powers that were devolved. The regionalisation of abnormal load transport only e ame e e tive on anuary 1, 2015. To guarantee the continuity of the federal service, the FPS Mobility and Transport (Abnormal Load Transport Service) had remained the point of con-

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on the decision of 29 November 2012. Here, too, the regionalisation has not had an negative e e t

ESCORT The escort regulations, by contrast, have remained at the federal level. These regulations stipulate that an escort is required when the width exceeds 3.5 metres. Since a number of years escorts have been provided by rivate firms that have to e ertified ertifi ation is still carried out by the Vigilis Service of the FPS Internal airs “This is still a cause of resentment, but carriers have learnt to live with it. I no longer hear our members complain about it,” says Isabelle De Maegt, spokesperson of the Febetra truckers federation. The resentment is not about the fact that escort firms need to e ertified, but because escort comes under the private security sector pursuant to the law of June 2010. “This means that our people receive a training that is too generic, resulting in loss of time and money.

MOTORWAYS In most European countries, abnormal load tran-

sports on motorways are permitted, or even encouraged. In Belgium, by contrast, this is prohibited if the combination weighs more than 44 tonnes. Such transports must be routed over the prescribed itineraries, which sometimes pass through urban areas or whose characteristics are often not suitable for outsized or heavy load transports. There are also complaints about roundabouts. They are the biggest problem: they are often not adapted and in some cases impassa le to traffi According to De Maegt, there is hope that regionalisation can also solve this problem. “The regions are now responsible for managing both roads and abnormal load transports. It should therefore be possible to amend the rules governing the use of motorways by abnormal load transport. Sadly, so far we have not picked up any signals that Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels are working on it. Nothing much is happening in this area.”

ACCESS In the past there were also quite a few complaints regarding the accessibility of the Port

WHAT IS ‘ABNORMAL LOAD’? In Belgium, an ‘abnormal load’ is any vehicle that because of its construction or because of the indivisible load that it carries, exceeds at least one of the following dimensions. In that case a permit is required: Lengt • Single vehicle: 12 m; • Tractor + trailer: 16.50 m; • Truck + trailer: 18.75 m • Width: 2.55 m • Height: 4.00 m • Overhang at the rear: 3.00 m eig t • A permit is also required if the weight exceeds 44 tonnes in the ase of a le onfigurations • In Belgium there are four abnormal load transport categories: ategor length u to m, width u to m, and no increased weight. For these vehicles a continuous permit for up to 5 years can be issued. ategor u to tonnes, m long and m wide. ategor u to tonnes ategor all vehi les a ove m long, m wide and heavier than 120 tonnes. For a total weight of more than 44 tonnes and a height of more than 4.30 m, motorways may not be used. For a width of more than 3.5 m an escort is required. of Antwerp for abnormal load transport. “A little while ago there was in e e t a ro lem with orders anning traffi on two-lane roads. This was the result of new regulations

that had not paid enough attention to the sector. But his has now been sorted out and last year the relevant roads were deleted from the list,” says De Maegt.

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Zwavelnormen hebben grote impact op scheepvaartsector Bijna drie maanden na de invoering van de strengere normen voor zwavelemissies was het Flows Event ‘Hoe groen wordt ons zeevervoer?’ het uitgelezen platform om een eerste evaluatie te maken. STEFAN VERBERCKMOES

allenius ilhelmsen ogistics, Maersk, Stena, DFDS of a ag lo d zi h aange sloten bij de Trident Alliance, die als enige doel heeft te ijveren voor een strikte controle op het respecteren van de emissienormen. Op het Flows Event vertelde aul rianou van rimaldi uit a els hoe deze Italiaanse rederij de zaken heeft aangepakt. Voor de meeste lijndiensten is de roro-carrier overgeschakeld op het bunkeren van zwavelarme dieselolie. Voor de twintig roro-schepen van de dochter Finnlines die bijna voortdurend in SECA’s actief zijn, werd voor de installatie van scrubbers gekozen. De aanschaf daarvan vergt samen met een aantal technische ingrepen om het brandstofverbruik te beperken, een investering van maar liefst 70 miljoen euro. Finnlines probeert die kosten door te rekenen via een toeslag, maar dat stoot volgens rianou o veel negatieve reacties van de klanten. Een prijsstijging kan ook een ‘reverse modal shift’ van shortsea naar

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m te voldoen aan de nieuwe emissienormen in Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA) die per 1 januari 2015 van kracht werden, hebben de carriers in principe vier opties. De eerste is overschakelen o randsto en zoals of methanol, wat een zeer beperkt aantal carriers al deed. Optie twee is de installatie van scrubbers (rookgasreinigers) die de zwaveldeeltjes met water uit de uitlaatgassen ‘wassen’. De derde en voorlopig meest gekozen optie is het inslaan van zwavelarme bunkerolie, die echter veel duurder is dan de traditionele bunkers. De rederijen kunnen er in principe ook voor kiezen om niets te doen en een boete te betalen wanneer ze worden betrapt op een overtreding. In sommige landen zijn die boetes overigens zo laag, dat ze niet opwegen tegen de extra kosten die de rederijen zouden moeten maken om de nieuwe normen na te leven. Precies daarom hebben enkele grote carriers als

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wegvervoer op gang brengen, zoals de Finse rederij al voelde op de korte route d nia elsinki De voorzitter van de Trident Alliance, Roger Strevens die bij Wallenius Wilhelmsen ogisti s als vi e resident bevoegd is voor alle milieuzaken, onderstreepte tijdens het Flows Event in kasteel Den Brandt in Wilrijk hoe ingrijpend de nieuwe zwavelnormen voor de scheepvaartsector zijn. Ze gelden immers niet alleen voor nieuwe schepen, maar voor de ganse bestaande vloot. Van brandstof veranderen heeft voor carriers zeer grote gevolgen, niet in het minst finan ieel oor de autos he en van schommelt de extra kost per schip in SECA’s bijvoorbeeld tussen de 10.000 en 20.000 dollar per dag. Bunkerkosten vertegenwoordigen 40 tot 60% van de totale exploitatiekosten van schepen. Controles zijn dus erg belangrijk omdat het om enorme bedragen gaat. Wanneer rederijen vals spelen, is er volgens Strevens e e tief s rake van on urrentievervalsing. Hij stelde enkele pertinente vragen, waaronder die wie er straks in internationale wateren gaat controleren en welke instantie dan bevoegd zal zijn om te sanctioneren. In België wordt de controle uitgevoerd door de federale overheid. Chris-

tophe Swolfs van de FOD Mobiliteit maakte duidelijk dat ons land op dat vlak één van de voortrekkers binnen Europa is. Zo zal het vliegtuigje dat nu al wordt ingezet om boven het Kanaal en de oordzee olievervuiling o te s oren, met een sni er worden uitgerust om varende s he en te esnu e len ederland heeft alvast gevraagd om ook dat toestel beroep te mogen doen. Voor de installatie van een vaste sni er aan wal heeft de FOD Mobiliteit dit jaar nog geen udget eder land is wel van plan om zo’n sniffer langs de Westerschelde op te stellen in Hansweert. Wat de Belgische overheidsdienst nu wel al doet, is via de bunkerdocumenten controleren welke brandstof de schepen aan boord hebben. In de Vlaamse havens worden ook af en toe stalen van de bunkers genomen ter anal se n de eerste maanden van dit jaar bleek gemiddeld 1 op 25 schepen niet in orde te zijn. Op overtredingen op de zwavelnormen staan in ons land zware stra en ie kunnen oplopen tot maximaal 6 miljoen euro voor de rederij, 150.000 euro voor de kapitein en 60.000 euro voor elke andere betrokken s hee soffi ier wolfs verduidelijkt dat deze criminele sancties dezelfde zijn voor alle overtredingen

De boetes behoren tot de hoogste in Europa. Het Event werd afgesloten met een pittig panelgesprek waarbij o.a. vertegenwoordigers van ro ter am le, de European Shippers’ Coun-

cil betrokken werden, omdat verladers nu ow ul hur Surcharges aangerekend krijgen amens rederszij de namen directeurs van MSC Belgium, DFDS en Fast ines deel

Voor meer info over de events, inschrijvingen en sponsoring kan contact opnemen met: Véronique Dedecker, Flows Event Manager +32 486 046 450 - veronique.dedecker@portplus.be

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MAN heeft in 2012 een conceptvoertuig ontwikkeld dat al aangeeft in welke richting de vorm van de trucks zal evolueren. De nieuwe voertuigen zullen veiliger en tot 8 à 10% zuiniger zijn.

Facelift voor Europese vrachtwagens Vermoedelijk vanaf 2022 zullen op de Europese wegen trucks rondrijden die er ingrijpend anders uit zullen zien dan de huidige ‘baksteenvormige’ vrachtwagens. De richtlijn hiervoor is in het voorjaar door zowel het Europees Parlement als door de Europese Raad goedgekeurd.

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PHILIPPE VAN DOOREN

e herziening van de regels over maten en gewichten voor vrachtwagens was één van de meest ingrijpende en moeilijkste Europese transportdossiers van de afgelopen jaren. Dankzij de aanpassing van de fameuze richtlijn 96/53 kunnen vrachtwagenconstructeurs voertuigen ontwerpen die veiliger en aerodynamischer worden.

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Vooraan mag de cabine ‘spitser’ worden waardoor minder luchtweerstand ontstaat. Die extra ‘neus’ laat ook toe om een betere kreukelzone te voorzien, wat de verkeersveiligheid ten goede komt. Ook achteraan zullen de trucks verlengd mogen worden om bijvoorbeeld uitschuifbare of inkla are a s te voorzien, wat ook weer tot betere aerodynamische prestaties zal leiden. Volgens verschillende studies zullen al die aanpassingen het brandstofverbruik met minstens 8% doen dalen.

EERST TYPEGOEDKEURING

De vernieuwde trucks zullen eerst een typegoedkeuring moeten krijgen, alvorens ze in het verkeer gebracht mogen worden. De Europese Commissie moet nu de teksten voor deze typegoedkeuringen uitschrijven. De nieuwe cabines zullen drie jaar nadat de typegoedkeuring is vastgelegd, toegelaten worden. Dat vergt een aanpassing van de richtlijn 2007/46. “Vermoedelijk zal de Europese Commissie in de loop van 2016 een voorstel formuleren. Dat moet op zijn beurt door de Europese Raad en de Europese Commissie goedgekeurd worden, wat wellicht minstens twee jaar in beslag zal nemen. In het beste geval mogen de nieuwe trucks vanaf 2021 in het verkeer gebracht worden, maar 2022 lijkt meer realistisch”, verklaarde een woordvoerster van de Europese Raad aan Flows. De uitrustingen voor de achterkant van de trucks zullen toegelaten worden van zodra de technische en operationele eisen zijn aangenomen en de aangepaste teksten rond de typegoedkeuring zijn verschenen. Dat wordt vermoedelijk 2018 of 2019.

45’ CONTAINERS Dankzij de goedkeuring door de Raad worden ook andere as-

pecten van richtlijn 96/53 gewijzigd. - Om de toepassing van alternatieve randsto en en aandrij vingen te stimuleren, mag het maximaal toegelaten gewicht van een vrachtwagen met een ton verhoogd worden om het gewicht van de uitrustingen (batterijen, hybride systemen, speciale tanks,…) te compenseren. - Containers die in het intermodaal vervoer gebruikt worden, krijgen een afwijking van 15 centimeter op de maximale lengte, zodat 45’ containers zonder vooraan afgeschuinde hoeken toegelaten worden. Ook wordt 44 ton de nieuwe gewichtslimiet voor die containers, op voorwaarde dat de trekker drie assen heeft. Heeft hij er maar twee, zoals in België gangbaar is, dan is de limiet 42 ton. - De lidstaten moeten specifieke maatregelen nemen om overlading te bestrijden. Dat zal onder andere gebeuren met weegsystemen die op de vrachtwagens worden gemonteerd en die van op afstand ‘gelezen’ kunnen worden door overheidsdiensten. Hierop was kritiek ontstaan omdat dergelijke sensoren (nog) niet accuraat

genoeg zijn. Die weegsystemen zullen daarom zes jaar na de inwerkingtreding van de richtlijn van toepassing zijn.

ECOCOMBI’S: STATUS QUO

De regels inzake ecocombi’s worden niet gewijzigd. Oorspronkelijk wou toenmalig Transportcommissaris Siim Kallas de regels in verband met grensoverschrijdende verkeer formeel defini ren at voornemen stuitte echter op enorm veel weerstand in het Europees Parlement en was overigens één van de redenen waarom het dossier zo moeilijk werd. Uiteindelijk heeft de Commissie ingebonden en werd dit aspect uit de richtlijnaanpassing teruggetrokken. Dat betekent dat de regels blijven zoals ze zijn. Lidstaten mogen zo langere trucks op hun territorium blijven toelaten, zolang dit de internationale concurrentie niet merkelijk verstoort. Grensoverschrijdende inzet van ecocombi’s is daardoor noch expliciet toegelaten, noch verboden. De lidstaten mogen hierover bilaterale akkoorden sluiten.

INHOUD

COLOFON

2 UITGEVER B Logistics en Xpedys lanceren vijf extra verbindingen in Europees verspreid vervoer Na de lancering van de Swiss Xpress begin maart hebben spooroperator B Logistics en intermodaal operator Xpedys de voorbije maand nog eens vijf verbindingen over kortere en langere afstand opgestart in het verspreid vervoer in Europa.

Havenkoepel vzw Brouwersvliet 33 – bus 8 2000 Antwerpen www.flows.be

HOOFDREDACTEUR Stefan Verberckmoes

REDACTIE Koen Heinen Jean-Louis Vandevoorde Philippe Van Dooren ar el

hoeters

Carriers voeren tempo in schaalvergrotingsrace op In de eerste maanden van dit jaar werden er alweer zoveel mega-containerschepen besteld, dat het vooruitzicht op een lijnvaart zonder overcapaciteit weer heel veraf lijkt.

stefan.verberckmoes@flows.be +32 3 455 99 56

koen.heinen@flows.be +32 486 02 43 24 jean.louis.vandevoorde@flows be +32 491 25 30 76 philippe.vandooren@flows.be +32 3 454 15 53 mar el s hoeters ows e +32 486 751 555

OPMAAK Chantal De Clerck

chantal.declerck@portplus.be

ADVERTENTIES

Facelift voor Europese vrachtwagens Vermoedelijk vanaf 2022 zullen op de Europese wegen trucks rondrijden die er ingrijpend anders uit zullen zien dan de huidige ‘baksteenvormige’ vrachtwagens.

Luc Corremans

luc.corremans@portplus.be +32 486 123 129

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