News from around the globe

PACECO Group contributes to expansion and capacity increase at Yilport Gavle and Yilport Liscont

As part of the final expansion phase of theYilport Gävle terminal, PACECO GROUP (MITSUI E&S Engineering, PACECO Corp. and PACECO MOMENTUM) recently delivered three highly efficient and environmentally-friendly STS Portainer® cranes.The state-of-the-art cranes, manufactured at MITSUI E&S Engineering ’ s Oita (Japan) facility, were delivered fully erected toYilport Gävle Container Terminal (Sweden). Another four similar cranes, which will expand the production capacity of theYilport Liscont Container Terminal (Portugal), recently departed fully erected from the facilities in Oita, with arrival scheduled for the end of the year.

SC Ports’ capacity benefits retailers during record October

South Carolina Ports had a record October for containers, marking the eighth consecutive month of record volumes at the Port of Charleston. SC Ports moved 234,923 TEUs at Wando Welch, North Charleston and Hugh K. Leatherman terminals in October, a 9% increase year-over-year. Fiscal-year-to-date, SC Ports has handled 919,440 TEUs, up 15% from the same time a year ago. Retail imports continue to drive sustained cargo growth as consumers buy more home goods.

Volumes creep up in September at Port of NewYork and New Jersey

For the first time in more than 13 months, cargo volume at the Port of NewYork and New Jersey rose at a slower pace in September. Total volume for September accounted for 724,418 TEUs (400,179 lifts), a 0.5% increase from the previous September ’ s 720,969 TEUs (399,803 lifts), bringing the 2021 total through September to 6,659,082TEUs (3,694,087 lifts). The port had been experiencing more than a year of unprecedented double-digit monthly growth in cargo activity.While the number of vessel calls in the month of September was consistent with previous months, there was a notable decrease in vessels with a capacity of 9,000 TEUs or more that called the port that month. Imports were 379,190 TEUs versus 374,649TEUs (207,778 lifts) in September 2020, a 1.2% increase. Exports decreased 12.9% in September 2021 compared to September 2020, totaling 99,893 TEUs versus 114,690 TEUs (62,926 lifts) the previous year.

Port of Felixstowe makes major decarbonisation investment

Coinciding with COP26 in Glasgow, Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has announced a major investment in new equipment to help decarbonise its operations.The UK’ s largest container port has placed orders for 48 battery-powered terminal tractors and 17 zero-emission Remote controlled Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes (ReARTGs).The new two-wheel drive tractor units, to be supplied by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd (ZPMC), will be the first electric tractors at the UK’ s largest container port. ZPMC are working with their partner Shacman to develop the battery-powered tractor units.The ReARTGs, which will be fitted with the latest semi-automation technology, will be supplied by Konecranes Finland. Commenting on the investment, Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said: “This order represents the latest part of our plan to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. In total, replacing 48 diesel-powered tractor units and 17 conventional RTGs with new electrical equipment will save 6,662 tonnes of CO2 and 59.38 tonnes of NOx emissions every year.We have reduced our carbon footprint by 30% since 2015.That has been achieved through a range of measures including the first phase of our programme to phase out diesel-powered yard cranes. These latest acquisitions will help drive further substantial reductions in the future and help us to reach our target of a further 20% reduction over the next 5 years. ”

Fuel switch cuts greenhouse gases at Port of Long Beach

SSA Marine (SSA), which operates three container terminals at the Port of Long Beach, has become the first terminal operator at the port to transition its fossil-fuelled cargo-handling equipment fleet to renewable diesel fuel.The move is expected to achieve a 68% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across SSA’ s Long Beach terminals.The change involves more than 230 pieces of equipment across the company ’ s Long Beach terminals. SSA voluntarily converted its fuelling to support the goals of the Clean Air Action Plan, which calls for greenhouse gas emissions to be 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. “Cutting these emissions would not be possible without the leadership shown by partners like SSA Marine, ” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “SSA’ s vision and hard work in making their operations cleaner shows the goods movement industry the way to a greener future. ” “We know people look to the Port of Long Beach and our partners to set an example when it comes to sustainability, ” said Long Beach Harbour Commission President Steven Neal. “This is what can be done immediately to reduce greenhouse gases while new technologies are developed to reach our ultimate goal of zero emissions.Thank you to SSA for this transformation. ” Renewable diesel has the same chemical energy as traditional diesel fuel but is synthesised from sources such as animal fat from food wastes, used cooking oil and soybean oil. In addition to its portwide renewable fuel transition, SSA is working on other initiatives to transition its cargo-handling fleet to zero emissions by 2030.At Pier J, the company recently completed a demonstration of two battery-electric top handlers, and is converting nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes into fully electric. Six are already in operation.The remaining three will be converted by early 2022. In mid-2022, SSA’ s terminal at Pier C will deploy 33 zero-emission yard tractors with supporting infrastructure. SSA also operates a terminal at Pier A.

AD Ports Group records strong revenue forYTD September 2021

AD Ports Group announced its financial results for the nine months ended September 30,2021, reporting revenue growth of 22% year-on-year to AED 2.791 billion (USD 760 million) compared with AED 2.295 billion (USD 625m) in the same period last year, driven by volume growth, business diversification and new partnerships.General cargo volumes rose to 37 million metric tonnes in year-to-date September 2021, up from 22 million metric tonnes in the same period in 2020 while industrial zones leased about 2.7 million sq. metres of land in this period, reflecting the wider global recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, although some supply chain issues remain. Container throughput grew to 2.47 million TEUs in the first nine months of 2021, up from 2.42 million TEUs in the same period in 2020, despite the ongoing supply constraints faced in the global shipping and container market.

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Asia

* Shipping lines Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Hapag-Lloyd will suspended feeder services in the South of China until after Chinese NewYear 2022.The suspension has been caused by the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for ship crews plying between South China and Hong Kong upon their return from the Chinese NewYear 2022 holiday. “Due to the COVID-19 quarantine requirements for the crews of the coastal feeders running between South China and Hong Kong waters, feeder operators announced their services will be suspended for a minimum of six weeks prior to Lunar NewYear 2022, which is 1-5 February 2022, ” ONE stated in a recent customer advisory. * Busan New Container Terminal (BCNT) currently operates a fleet of 36 Konecranes Noell sprinter carriers and is ordering six more to support a growing business. Like their predecessors, the sprinter carriers on order will have a critical role in transporting containers between the quayside and the container yard. Five of the units on order were booked in June and one in September of 2021. The order will be delivered by June 2022. The carriers on order will be the first Stage V compliant container handling machines in the port of Busan.They will be equipped with eco-efficient, diesel-electric drives, fulfilling the EU StageV emission standard, which will help BNCT meet its low-carbon operating targets. Mynung-gil Jeon, General Manager of BNCT, said: “We received our first carriers in 2012 and have come to appreciate their reliability, efficiency, and strong local service support. We look forward to receiving the new ones. ” The six on order are of the type NSC 424 E, lifting containers 1-over-1 high.They are highly versatile, maneuverable, speedy machines. * International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) handled a consolidated volume of 8,266,621 TEUs in the first nine months of 2021, 11% more than the 7,426,307 TEUs handled in the same period in 2020.The rise in volume was primarily due to volume growth and improvement in trade activities as economies continue to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, and new shipping lines and services at certain terminals. For the quarter ended September 30, 2021, total consolidated throughput was seven percent higher at 2,807,098 TEUs compared to 2,626,542 TEUs in 2020. * The giant cargo ship Ever Given that blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March has been repaired in east China ’ s coastal city of Qingdao.The ship loaded 5,147 TEUs resuming operations after over a month of repair in Qingdao.The ship will proceed to Shanghai and Ningbo to load goods before leaving for Europe, with a stopover in Malaysia.This journey will mark her first cargo voyage after repair.The Ever Given, with a length of nearly 400 meters, has a capacity of 20,388 TEUs. She is owned by a Japanese company and operated by Evergreen Marine Corp. based in China ’ s Taiwan.The ship ran aground in the Suez Canal on March 23 and jammed global shipping traffic until refloated on March 29. She was sent to Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. for repair on Oct. 4.

* MICCO Logistics, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, has acquired 31 tipper trucks as part of their effort to offer broader integrated logistics support to the UAE’ s construction and metals manufacturing sectors.The trucks will join MICCO’ s existing ground fleet of 400 plus vehicles that currently service a number of different industry sectors.The new tipper fleet has a combined transport capacity of over 2,300 metric tonnes and is capable of moving material and supplies between ports, factories, and different development sites across Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE. The latest acquisition aims to further diversify the range of services offered by AD Ports Group and enables MICCO to support increased customer demand. * ZIM has generated its highest ever quarterly net income of USD1.46 billion and adjusted EBITDA of USD2.08 billion. Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO, stated, “We are very proud of ZIM’ s significant accomplishments since our IPO earlier this year.The company ’ s continued outstanding performance is a direct result of our team ’ s strong execution and success proactively capitalising on both the highly attractive market and our differentiated approach.The exceptional results we generated in the third quarter, reflect our highest ever quarterly revenues, adjusted EBITDA, net profit and operating cash flow. Importantly, we have once again delivered industry-leading margins, outperforming the sector ’ s average. ”

* Terminal San Giorgio S.r.l. (TSG) has ordered an eco-efficient Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 mobile harbour crane for its terminal in Genoa, Italy. Booked recently in November 2021, it is the very first Generation 6 crane to go to Italy. It will be delivered in June 2022. Established in 2006,TSG has become the largest multipurpose terminal in Genoa, the busiest port in Italy. It is equipped to handle all kinds of freight including containers, breakbulk, project cargo, yachts,

Middle East Europe

steel, and Ro-Ro. Part of the Autosped/Gavio Group, a leading Italian logistics company, the terminal includes a number of intermodal rail and road connections to destinations around the country. “We already operate two Generation 5 Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour cranes in Genoa, and they ’ ve always performed above and beyond our expectations, so we ’ re proud to be the first customer in Italy to order a new Generation 6.With its improved performance and additional features, we can ’t wait to see how it handles containers and project cargo at our terminal, ” * A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) has omitted the Port of Felixstowe from its AE7 service due to “ exceptional” waiting times.The move comes as the shipping line aims to improve schedule reliability on its Far East Asia to North Europe network.The omission will last up until March 2022 and affected Felixstowe volumes will be routed on a shuttle service fromWilhelmshaven. “As the situation evolves daily, we are working closely with all involved stakeholders in the local supply chain to help mitigate the situation. Ongoing contingency plans will always be made with the objective of minimising supply chain delays and alleviating the impact on our customers ’ businesses, ” said Maersk in a statement. * ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has announced the launch of ZIM Indian Subcontinent - East Mediterranean Service (ZMI), a new and improved service connecting the Indian subcontinent and the East Mediterranean. ZMI will deploy 4X4,250 TEU vessels on this new line on the following route: Mundra - Nhava Sheva - Colombo Haifa - Mersin - Istanbul - Mundra. ZMI is due to commence operations in January 2022, replacing the current ZIE and ZII services. Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO noted: “We continue to expand the scope of our services and use our agility to provide new and improved solutions that will benefit our customers for the long run, while strengthening our position in this important trade. ” * Liebherr will be supplying Euroports Germany with an all-electric portal crane next year.All crane movements of the pioneering machine will be carried out by means of emission-free electric motors. With this sustainable investment, Euroports is increasing the handling capacity of its bulk terminal at Rostock’ s overseas port. In the summer of 2022, Liebherr will deliver an all-electric LPS 420 E. “We want to further strengthen the handling performance at our bulk terminal. In the coming year, we are not only investing in a new crane to be even more efficient, but we also want to make our contribution to sustainability, ” says Karsten Lentz Managing Director of the Euroports Germany Group.The all-electric gantry crane is designed for ports and terminals with electric infrastructure.All crane movements such as luffing, lifting, slewing and travelling movements are carried out by means of emission-free electric motors and are therefore not hydraulic.With an outreach of up to 48 metres, ships up to Post-Panamax class can be served.The LPS 420 E has a maximum lifting capacity of up to 124 tonnes and impresses with several decisive technical advantages. Euroports is one of the largest port infrastructure companies in Europe. Every year, it handles more than 60 million tonnes of bulk goods, general cargo, containers and liquid goods.This is made possible by over 32 terminals and logistics platforms strategically located on the most important trade routes in Europe and China.

* Congress has passed a bipartisan Infrastructure Bill with USD11.6 billion in additional funding for the US Army Corps of Engineers.The funds will be for construction projects, including USD2.55 billion for storm damage reduction projects, flood risk management projects, and shore protection projects, and USD2.5 billion for inland waterway projects.The bill also gives the Army Corps USD4 billion for operation and maintenance projects spread from FY22-24, with USD626 million required to be spent within 90 days of bill enactment to dredge federal navigation projects and repair damages to projects caused by natural disasters. * The Northwest Seaport Alliance handled a total of 313,430 TEUs, an increase of 5.6% compared to October 2020. Full imports grew 7.2%, while full exports decreased 9.8%. Year-to-date volumes improved 14.7% to 3,116,785TEUs,with full imports growing 20.7% and full exports declining 11.2%. Domestic volumes grew 9% vs.YTD 2020.Alaska volumes saw a 5.6% increase while Hawaii volumes grew 25.1%.With regards breakbulk,YTD October 2021 cargo volumes grew 30.5% to 305,805 metric tonnes.Auto volumes were 135,973 units, up 11.7%. * SSA Marine announced its subsidiary, SSA Atlantic, LLC, has been recognised as the 2021 JAXUSA International Company of theYear Award for its container terminal operations enhancements to the Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) in Florida.The award is presented by PNC Bank and honours global businesses that have made a significant impact on the international front in the Northeast Florida economy. “SSA Marine is honoured to receive the JAXUSA International Company of the Year Award, recognising our contributions to support the growth of the Jacksonville community, ” said Frank McBride,Vice President of Florida operations at SSA Marine. “Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, and Jacksonville is Florida ’ s fastest-growing city.As such, we acknowledge the importance of revamping the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal as a state-of-the-art facility that can scale operations and accommodate the port’ s future needs. ”Working together with JAXPORT, SSA Marine has been a pivotal business leader in the region. Most notably, its contributions to the expansion of the port and the ongoing modernisation of the marine terminal on Blount Island have helped reinforce Northeast Florida as an international business hub. * Cargo volumes are surging this autumn at The Port ofVirginia as the port processed more than 318,000 TEUs in October and in doing so set a new single- month volume record. October was the third consecutive month of TEU volumes in excess of 305,000 units.

“This is a strong run of volume and our operation, the team behind it and our labour partners are performing at a very high level, ” said Stephen Edwards, Executive Director of theVirginia Port Authority. “We are handling record volumes with no congestion issues. The productivity at our berths, gates and rail ramps is exceptional right now and we are delivering real value to our customers and the cargo owners choosingThe Port ofVirginia. ” Loaded imports and exports are helping drive the surge. Since August, the port has processed 444,600-loaded importTEUs, which is an increase of 19% when compared with last year; export loads totalled 254,600 TEUs, an increase of nearly 9%.With two reporting months left in 2021, the port’ s TEU volume is 2.9 million TEUs, an increase of 633,403 units (+28%) vs. the same period last year. * “The US Army Corps of Engineers will receive USD11.6 billion for construction projects, including USD2.55 billion for storm damage reduction projects, flood risk management projects, and shore protection projects, and USD2.5 billion for inland waterway projects.The bill also gives the Army Corps USD4 billion for operation and maintenance projects spread from FY22-24, with USD626 million required to be spent within 90 days of bill enactment to dredge federal navigation projects and repair damages to projects caused by natural disasters. ”

North America

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1. It is full steam ahead for freight handling at Port of Kapellskär. The figures for the first nine months of this year show a freight rise of 18% compared to the same period last year. 2. Henry Kearns, from Baltimore in the US, celebrated Halloween by dressing up as Mr Trash Wheel - a water wheel that collects trash from Baltimore’s Inner Harbour which was installed in May 2014. 3. On 9th November, Port of Gdańsk won the ESPO Award 2021 in recognition of its role in the recovery of the city and the local community. The award was handed out by Walter Goetz, Head of Cabinet of Adina Vălean, the Commissioner for Transport, during the traditional ceremony and dinner. 4. ICTSI has been helping the Philippine government in its pandemic recovery efforts. In collaboration with the government and private sector, the company has purchased vaccines and facilitated rollouts, built quarantine and testing facilities, supported programmes on hunger alleviation, and assisted health care workers. 5. At the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) on climate change, the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Montreal signed a cooperation agreement to support the creation of the first green shipping corridor in the North Atlantic. 6. Hapag-Lloyd’s AL3 European container service recently made its first call at JAXPORT. It is temporarily calling Jacksonville to avoid congestion.

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First non-stop trip between China and Port of Montreal

For the first time in its history, the Port of Montreal, Canada, recently welcomed a container ship straight from China, without cargo trans-shipment in the Mediterranean. Chartered by freight forwarder Fracht FWO, the Happy Rover docked on 14 November at Racine Terminal, operated by Montreal Gateways Terminal Partnership (MGTP), to unload its containers. Connected worldwide to over 140 countries, the Port of Montreal has a growing trade relationship with Asia, which now accounts for more than 30% of its cargo volumes, usually handled through trans-shipment in the Mediterranean.This is great news for consumers and businesses, who in recent months have gone through a number of unforeseen events in global supply chains,and are seriously concerned about shortages over the holiday season.A direct, non-stop link between Asia and Montreal provides an optimal solution in terms of supply chain fluidity and efficiency, benefitting from quick access to the Port of Montreal’ s infrastructure and the performance of its intermodal network directly connected to the rail and road networks.

PortMiami, USA, posted a record fiscal year 2021 with throughput up 17.6% compared to the same period in the previous financial year to 1.25 millionTEUs making calendar year 2021 the busiest in its history. Despite strong growth, the port did not have any detained vessels, delays or congestion.The terminal has kept critical cargo flowing even with ongoing supply chain disruptions and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Record volumes for PortMiami

Oakland bucks congestion trend on West Coast

The Port of Oakland has revealed that total cargo volume declined 20% in October 2021 compared to the same period the year prior. During the month, import volumes dropped 14% while exports were down 27% compared to same period in 2020. For the first ten months of 2021, total cargo volume at the port is up nearly 2%, while import volume has increased 8%. Oakland cites the large reduction in volumes in October on declining vessel traffic, as 43% fewer ships stopped at the port than in the same period in 2020. This is demonstrated as some carriers have diverted many ships to Asia due to severe delays in Southern Californian ports, in turn bypassing Oakland as well.The port has highlighted that it has no congestion and said additional service calls would be more than welcomed by exporters. Previously, Danny Wan, Executive Director of the port called for increased collaboration and solutions from all levels of government to repair the US supply chain. He also suggested more federal funding is needed in California as ports along the West Coast were underfunded by comparison relative to their degree of national economic importance and jobs generation.

Port of Portland expects to set record for shipping containers

The container port of Portland is operating smoothly even as supply chain disruptions cause cargo ships to back up at other US harbours.The port is set for a record-breaking year with at least 36,700 containers expected to cross the docks at the International Marine Terminal across 2021.That’ s a fivefold increase from 2013 when Icelandic shipping company Eimskip opened its headquarters in Portland. “We came here with a vision and mission that was shared by the state. It has exceeded all expectations throughout the organisation, ” stated Andrew Haines, ExecutiveVice President of Eimskip ’ s North America division. Eimskip, the port’ s only container company, intends to boost trade further by increasing the size of cargo vessels traveling to Portland. The company ’ s ships call on Portland once a week, the end of a line that includes stops in Atlantic Canada and Iceland, and connections to northern Europe and Asia.As Oregon ’ s largest port, the facility ships over 11 million tonnes of cargo a year, including grain, minerals, forest products and autos. Everything from agricultural products to household goods can be shipped by container. Cargo from the Pacific Northwest is often bound for Asia, while incoming goods are moved by truck and rail to customers across the region.

Second-busiest October achieved at Long Beach

Limited capacity at marine terminals hampered imports at the Port of Long Beach recently, although volumes were still strong enough to mark the port’ s second-busiest October amid an ongoing transition to extended operating hours. Long Beach moved 789,716TEUs, down 2.1% from the port’ s strongest October on record, achieved in 2020. Imports decreased 4.3% to 385,000 TEUs, while exports increased 6.6% to 122,214TEUs. The port has moved 7,884,565 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2021, up 21% from the same period in 2020.

Konecranes delivers 10,000th lift truck

In November,The Absolut Company accepted delivery of a Flow Drive Konecranes reachstacker for their operations in the south of Sweden.This particular machine is a milestone in Konecranes history, as it is the ten thousandth lift truck to roll off the production line. The ten thousandth truck is a SMV 4632 TC5, a sturdy 46-tonne machine able to stack up to 5 containers high. It features the OPTIMA cabin and a range of safety features.

COSCO signs Tianjin Container Terminal JV agreement

COSCO Shipping Ports Limited (COSCO) and China ShippingTerminal Development Co. (CSTD) have signed the Tianjin Container Terminal (TCT) JointVenture (JV) Agreement. Located in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Circle,TCT holds a favourable geographical advantage and is highly competitive in the Bohai Rim area.The agreements will seeTCT perform the business registration procedures for the JV Agreement and Articles as soon as possible in order to complete all conditions precedent of the acquisition.The acquisition will see COSCO hold 45% of the equity interests in TCT, while CSTD will hold 6%.

Cargo continues to move at Port Houston

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority have acknowledged the unprecedented challenges that increased demand in the supply chain has created, but “ people show up every day working together to keep cargo moving. ” In a report to the Port Commission, Executive Director Roger Guenther said that Houston is not immune to the challenges that ports across the nation are experiencing, as retailers rebuild their inventory to meet high demand. He noted that Houston docks are full, and the average ship waits about 60 hours before calling the port. However, Port Houston has been able to mitigate significant impacts on truck-turn times despite the increase in historic cargo volumes. Guenther said that since January, the International Longshoremen ’ s Association has been able to increase the numbers of people working ships on both the day and night shifts. Guenther said he expects “the inherent continued growth of cargo at a rapid pace after the pandemic, ” and plans are to sustain the accelerated investment in infrastructure.The Port Commission has approved a more than USD2 million purchase of 16 energy-efficient yard tractors for the container yards, and up to USD400 million bond issuance to support the Houston Ship Channel widening and deepening programme.

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future 2021: sparks innovation through collaboration

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future 2021 returned to the Port of Barcelona for the third consecutive year, bringing together ports and stakeholders to answer pressing topics facing ports and cities and to address how ports can become smarter, faster, and reduce their carbon footprint.The two-day event tackled innovation in ports through the SMART (Sustainability, Multimodal,Agility, Resilience, and Transparency) philosophy. Through SMART, the seven ports and partnering stakeholders highlighted best practice use cases from their teams, as well as participated in challenging discussion on a wealth of topics. Emerging technologies including 5G,AI and machine learning, drone technology, and HyperPort technology programmes were just a small section of the incredible number of solutions demonstrated by the ports.A continuous theme throughout the event highlighted how port-city collaboration was crucial to answer key questions on the energy transition, creating a sustainable Blue Economy for the future, and digitalising processes to improve operations and reduce the sector ’ s carbon footprint.

Port of Hamburg sees good seaborne cargo handling result for first nine months

In the first nine months of 2021, at 95.8 million tonnes the Port of Hamburg, Germany, achieved a 2.9% increase in seaborne cargo throughput. Bulk cargo advanced especially strongly, being 6.1% ahead at 29.7 million tonnes. Totalling 66.1 million tonnes, in the first three quarters general cargo throughput was a modest 1.6% ahead.The upward trend was also maintained on container handling.A total of 6.5 million TEUs were hoisted across the quay walls of Hamburg ’ s container terminals, a 2.4% gain. Despite this positive throughput trend, the Port of Hamburg was not yet able to fully overhaul last year ’ s downturn caused by the COVID pandemic.Axel Mattern and Ingo Egloff, HHM Port of Hamburg Marketing ’ s Joint CEOs, are therefore especially pleased that pre- and post-voyage railborne container transport set a new record at 2.1 millionTEUs which represents an 8.3% increase at 709,000TEUs compared to the same period in the previous year.

Chinese firms selected for Sri Lanka Colombo Port terminal expansion

The Sri Lankan national cabinet has chosen a Chinese construction firm for development of the second phase of the container terminal at Colombo Port.The contract was awarded to the Sri Lankan-based Access Engineering and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for construction of the second phase of the East Container Terminal (ECT). In 2019 the governments of Sri Lanka, India, and Japan had previously struck a deal to develop the ECT at the container hub; however the deal was scrapped in February following disagreement on terms of the deal.The national cabinet meeting held on 23 November approved the proposal from CHEC for Phase II of the ECT out of three bids.

Eurotransit orders Konecranes RMGs for new intermodal terminal in Kazakhstan

Eurotransit Group of Companies (Eurotransit) in Kazakhstan has ordered two Konecranes rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes for its new intermodal terminal under construction in Dostyk, near the border with China.The order was booked in August and the cranes will be delivered in Q4 2022.

The machines will have a railspan of 32m and serve 6 train tracks, lifting containers 1-over-2.They will be equipped with an intuitive GUI, with extra visibility provided by video cameras on the spreader and under the trolley.They will also be equipped with the Konecranes DGPS Skew Control System, and the smart features Autopositioning and Auto-TOS Reporting.

ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes delivered to Wando Welch Terminal

South Carolina Ports has welcomed two ship-to-shore cranes to Wando Welch Terminal, completing its fleet of 15 new ship-to-shore cranes with 155 feet of lift height. “Our new fleet of impressive ship-to-shore cranes enables SC Ports to handle three 14,000-TEU container ships at one time at Wando Welch Terminal, ” SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome said. “Combined with the additional berth at the new Hugh K.Leatherman Terminal, SC Ports can now seamlessly handle four 14,000-TEU container ships simultaneously. ” SC Ports has invested more than USD2 billion in port infrastructure in recent years, including USD500 million to modernise Wando Welch. Enhancements include: 15 ship-to-shore cranes and a stronger wharf to handle the biggest ships calling the US East Coast; 65 rubber-tyred gantry cranes to efficiently work the expansive container yard; and a total of 2.4 million TEUs of annual throughput capacity to handle growing volumes. The STS cranes, produced by ZPMC, arrived in Charleston Harbour recently aboard Zhen Hua 35.The cranes offer 155 feet of lift height above the wharf deck and 212 feet of outreach, capable of extending over 24 boxes wide on a container ship. “After years of planning by our engineering and maintenance teams, we are very excited to welcome the final cranes that complete our new fleet atWandoWelch, ” SC Ports COO Barbara Melvin.

Stockholm fairway smart buoy powered by solar energy

A unique solar-powered smart buoy is being tested in the Stockholm fairway.As part of the Intelligent Sea EU project, Ports of Stockholm is testing smart navigational markers, among other things for improved efficiency of service and maintenance.The navigational markers will be more sustainable and also withstand severe icy weather conditions.The new buoy is the fifth smart navigational marker in a series, and the last to be tested by Ports of Stockholm as part of the project - run by Finnish company Arctia-Meritaito together with Ports of Stockholm and the Port of Naantali as project partners.Arctia-Meritaito has developed the fairway buoy, and similar buoys have previously been installed at Stockholm Norvik Port.The difference is that the buoy in the Stockholm fairway has been equipped with solar cells for charging the buoy ’ s batteries.Together with its twin at Naantali, the buoy is currently unique. Its construction and technology are designed to withstand severe weather conditions.The solar cells are integrated into the buoy and the batteries are specially constructed to be resilient to icy winters.The rechargeable batteries are more sustainable, with an operational lifetime of between 7-10 years, in comparison to the current normal one-year lifetime.The batteries therefore need to be replaced much less frequently.The buoy is equipped for remote monitoring of its batteries, solar panel, light signal and position.This makes both service and maintenance more efficient, as the number of times a service vessel needs to be sent out are fewer, which also reduces emissions. The EU Intelligent Sea Project runs until 2022 and is funded by an EU grant from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

SOUTHAMPTON’SSOUTHAMPTON’S BRIGHTBRIGHT NEWNEW FUTUREFUTURE

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The Port of Southampton is booming according to Alastair Welch, Regional Director,Associated British Ports (ABP). “The port is critical for the UK both today and increasingly into the future ” .The port is the UK’ s second biggest import port for containers with a throughput of 1.5millionTEUs annually, but crucially it is considered to be the most productive and effective.Southampton is Europe ’ s biggest cruise turnaround port. “We are dominant in the cruise sector and our aim is to continue to invest to maintain our position as ships change, ” boasts Welch.

With Fawley Refinery, the UK’ s biggest oil refinery and chemical processing plant and the UK’ s centre for multi-purpose vehicles that are made in the UK and distributed worldwide through the hub in the port, it seems the Port of Southampton is in rude health. During the worst of the global pandemic the Port of Southampton, unlike many others,stayed open and kept going 24/7 throughout the Covid crisis.At one point in 2020 Southampton was the only port in the world that was accepting all ships and turned nobody away. “I think it is something that is right to recognise the work we did with Port Health, Public Health England, NHS and the wider port community ” , says Welch.

In common with virtually all ports globally the Port of Southampton needs more facilities and infrastructure improvements but to accommodate these, extra space is needed. “Space is a challenge. Ships are growing, particularly cruise ships including P&Os Iona (184,089 gross tons) which started operations in June 2021 from Southampton. “The challenge we have as ships get bigger is that larger ships means more passengers,more passengers means more stores, more stores means more space. As ships get larger the port ultimately needs to find more space and space,right now,is finite. ” Alastair Welch has also seen a corresponding growth in the size of container shipping using the port. “Container ships are also growing larger, on average 24,000 TEU capacity, or roughly, twice the size of the UK’ s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. In the old days you may have taken 500 - 1000 boxes off a ship, what we see going forward is the possibilty of taking 4, 5 or 6000 boxes off a ship which in turn again means we need more space. ”

Globally pre-pandemic export in the automotive market was a growth sector for ABP Southampton as Alastair Welch explains: “Capacity in the port is roughly 56,000 units on the port at any one time. Right now, we ’ re at capacity because manufacturers are working hard to export, and we ’ ve got a good volume going out the port, and we ’ re slightly ahead of where we were pre-pandemic. ” The Port of Southampton is not about to rest on its laurels and enjoys the status as the United Kingdom ’ s second busiest port.The future

Main photo and inset: Aerial shots of Port of Southampton Headshot: Alastair Welch, Regional Director, ABP (Photos courtesy ABP)

plans for the development of the port have several key elements to consider, one of the most important being the sustainability of the business, environment and a corresponding reduction in pollution and emission of carbon.

“We live in a city, we work in the city, and we want to make sure things improve. The challenge is now how we improve. The challenge is now how we accelerate air quality improvements. By the end of 2021 the majority of the power we consume in the port will be generated within the port with solar panels.The vast majority of our port fleet are now all electric and my hope is that by the end of the year all the fleet will be. We also have around 70 power points for our staff within the port to make sure they can charge their cars for free because we want to help them to have electric vehicles. We have invested strongly in new port vessels which are much more fuel efficient. ” Welch also announced that a new fleet of pilot boats will be arriving within the next 18 months which will use about 25% less fuel. “The port own and operate the UK’ s inland rail terminal near Birmingham to help support pushing more boxes by rail and we look after that from Southampton.We have the highest proportion of boxes that leave the port via rail of any port in the UK.We ’ re increasingly turning our fleet to electric whether they ’ re straddle carriers or forklifts.Then there is shore power. One of the units will cost the Port of Southampton around £8.5million to install and will be operational by the end of 2021. ”

Southampton has a clear vision of what it expects the port to look like in 2050.Welch states that from a container point of view, they see an increasing number of containers coming into the UK and are not sure if there will be a leveling out - but Welch says “ certainly we ’ll see the average number of boxes per ship continue to increase. ” ABP Southampton have a fairly straightforward plan for the immediate future.With regard to containers Welch confirms there will be support for the continued ability of the port to serve the largest and most efficient container ships in the world. He sees capacity as being critical, but believes the current site will see container growth.

“We currently have two cruise terminals in the Eastern Docks and two in the Western Docks.We ’ re building a new cruise terminal in the Western Docks, and we see future growth concentrating on the Western Docks which is closer to the Railway Station and main arterial roads. If we have more space being taken up by containers, around the Container Terminal and more space being taken up by cruise in the Western Dock, we need to plan very carefully for what we can do with automotive.There ’ s a finite amount of space we can create with multi-deck car parks. For the long term we ’ re looking to see if we can move some of our automotive capacity across the water - we have around 700 acres of port land within the current port and about 1000 acres of land across the water. Nothing will happen in the near future, what we are doing is looking at the case for and the logic for migrating some activity aggressively across the water over time. ”

Freeport Status

Southampton ABP’ s successful Freeport bid has freed up financial, political and societal capital that will be crucial in future developments within the port. “Within the Freeport this is early days and the Chancellor announced that the Solent Freeport bid had been successful. In fact, that means we ’ ve got through the first gateway.There ’ s now a lot of work to do to get that formally confirmed,hopefully later in 2021. ”

The Port of Southampton is working with partners including Fawley Waterside, Exxon, Solent Gateway Team, Portsmouth Port and all the local authorities to look at the case for exploring how the port can accelerate planned activity and planned investment in the Freeport area to see how if can bring benefits but not just for the organisations that work within it, but to the wider area.

“One of the areas we ’ re going to focus on is the near future, relevant to us, in Southampton is the Redbridge Site.We have around £100 million of capital spend inflight which we ’ll complete in 2021.We ’ re heavily investing in infrastructure because we have a strong view and we ’ re recruiting heavily too.We ’ re committed to investing in our people too from apprentice graduate trainees.We are a growth organisation. ”

Going forward into the second quarter of the 21st century Alastair Welch believes the port will be well placed to deal with future storms on the horizon. His viewpoint is buoyed by the community support the Port of Southampton garners from local residents. “The city supports the port, and the port supports the city, but we have to really understand the port is the UK’ s gateway to the world - but it needs more space, ” concludes Welch.