Port of Wilmington boasts particular expertise in project cargo traffic
The Port of Wilmington, Delaware is a full-service deepwater
port and marine terminal handling over 400 vessels per year
with an annual import/export cargo tonnage of nearly 5mt
(million tonnes). Today, Delaware’s port is the busiest terminal
on the Delaware River. Located at the confluence of the
Delaware and Christina Rivers, 65 miles from the Atlantic Ocean,
the port is owned and operated by the Diamond State Port
Corporation (DSPC), a corporate entity of the State of
Delaware. Since it was founded in 1923, the Port of Wilmington
has been a major mid-Atlantic import/export gateway for a wide
variety of maritime cargoes and trade.
Recently, the Port of Wilmington’s Deputy Executive Director
Tom Keefer took the time to talk to DCI about the port’s
involvement in dry bulk cargo, breakbulk and project cargo.
DRY BULKTom Keefer explained that, in terms of dry bulk cargo, the Port
of Wilmington handles in the region of 1mt a year. Dry bulk
commodities include chemical-grade salt, road salt, speciality
ores, petroleum coke (petcoke) and speciality chemicals.
The port provides the dock space and the cranes needed to
carry out the unloading operation. The cargo is then taken off
the dock, and stored adjacent to the port, in facilities owned by
Port Contractors, Inc. and ICS (Intercontinental Services of
Delaware LLC). Both companies store and manage dry cargo
inventories, and then distribute the cargo from their own facilities.
BREAKBULKThe Port of Wilmington handles a variety of breakbulk cargo. It
is the largest gateway in the USA for imports of perishable cargo
(and is particularly noted for its handling of large quantities of
tropical fruit and deciduous fruit). It also handles ferrous scrap;
wire rod and coils; rebar; steel sheets and coils; steel plate; bulb
flats; structural beams; and slabs. Forest products — mainly
sawn timber in bundles — also regularly pass through the port.
The port also deals with a considerable volume of paper,
including paper rolls, newsprint, magazine stock and liner board.
PROJECT CARGOProject cargo is regularly handled at Wilmington. It includes
notably wind turbine components (see picture above),
generators, components for oil refinery work — there are six oil
refineries on the Delaware River that regularly need to bring in
parts, including cracking towers and distillers.
One project of which the Port of Wilmington is justifiably
proud is its handling of the rocket booster core for the Orbital
Sciences Corporation’s Taurus II rocket programme (please see
box on p23) to resupply the International Space Station.
Another project, which involved moving a methanol plant
from Delaware to Trinidad and Tobago, demonstrated
Wilmington’s importance in the logistics supply chain. For this
contract, a methanol plant was disassembled, shipped on trucks
and barged to the Port of Wilmington, and loaded directly onto
project ships. Smaller pieces of the plant were loaded onto
vessels using ships’ gear or shore cranes.
This project was particularly notable, as it was an excellent
example of the close relationship that the Port of Wilmington
enjoys with the Delaware Department of Transportation
(DelDOT) as well as with the Department of Safety and
Homeland Security (DSHS). DelDOT is responsible for issuing
permits to carry oversize cargo over the roads, while DSHS
provides police escorts. These two organizations are extremely
efficient, and work well with the Port of Wilmington. The
relationship is one of the reasons that Wilmington is able to
offer an efficient service transporting wind turbine components
to and from the port; the local trucking companies also enjoy
excellent co-operation with the state police.
CARGO VOLUMESKeefer told DCI that there is always some fluctuation in the
annual cargo throughput at the port, though the base volume
remains broadly similar. Environmental factors can have a
significant effect on cargo throughput; the recent harsh winters,
for example, have led to a surge in the total amount of road salt.
Shipments of scrap have been satisfactory, though the drop in
the scrap market price has meant that there has been less
demand than the port had anticipated. Other factors that affect
cargo volumes include: a more competitive market; the overall
global economy; transportation costs; and climatic conditions.
The bulk and breakbulk markets have both been adversely
affected by the global economic downturn, with its resultant fall
in housebuilding. As a result, volumes of lumber and rebar have
fallen drastically; lumber has effectively disappeared from the
Port of Wilmington, while rebar is only occasionally handled,
though Keefer says he expects this to pick up in the future.
The boom in steel over the past decade has meant that a
considerable quantity still goes through the port, though the
contraction of the automobile market has meant that
Wilmington has not been able to take the opportunity to
increase its volumes. One of the port’s customers continues to
offer the port a reliable base of business in its imports of wire
rod. The seasonal closure of the Great Lakes between
December and March each year means that the Port of
Wilmington has a reliable winter steel programme each year,
which includes high-quality tensile strength steel used for truck
beds, bulldozer shovels, crane manufacturers and so forth.
BERTHING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENTThe Port of Wilmington has seven general cargo berths on the
Christina River and one on the Delaware river. Of these, six
berths are suitable for breakbulk and project cargo, and five are
able to handle dry bulk. The terminal is operated by the
Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC), and there are two
independent stevedoring companies that load and unload the
cargo; their responsibilities begin and end at the ship’s tackle.
The Port of Wilmington has two multipurpose gantry cranes
(one manufactured by Kocks, one by ZPMC, with a maximum
lifting capacity of 75 tonnes and 50 tonnes respectively) for
berths 1–4. These are capable of handling project cargo,
depending on how the vessel is stowed. Other equipment
includes a 100-tonne mobile crane and mobile equipment such
as forklifts.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND CONNECTIONSThe Port of Wilmington’s is favourably located, just a quarter of
a mile from the north/south interstate which travels from Maine
to Florida and 30 miles from the east/west highway system.
The port is well-served by rail companies: Norfolk Southern
and CSXT are active at the port. The port is able to store up to
40 railcars, and has its own small tracked vehicle, the
‘Trackmobile’, so that it is not dependent on the railroads for
shunting wagons.
Its location, and the above-mentioned good relationships it
enjoys with governmental agencies enables it to work to the
benefit of its customers.
WAREHOUSINGThere is 250,000ft2 of dry warehouse space that is used to
house cargo that needs to be stored indoors, such as cold rolled
coils and paper rolls. On top of that, there is an area of 33 acres
of improved or semi-improved land that is used to store
outdoor cargo.
The Port of Wilmington has its own proprietary inventory
management system E-Port, which interfaces easily with other
systems such as Papinet. Keefer is proud to say that he has not
yet come across a system that does not easily interface with
Wilmington’s, and port customers have reported that it is the
best system they have used throughout the whole of the USA.
The system can be applied to all types of cargo, from
automobiles to steel slabs; its flexibility is what makes it easily
adaptable to shippers’ proprietary systems.
CUSTOMSWilmington has both Customs and Border Protection offices
based at the port, as well as US Department of Agriculture
officers. The port is Customs-Trade Partnership Against
Terrorism (C-TPAT)-certified.
Wilmington’s project cargo is ‘out of this world’
On 23 November 2010, the Port of Wilmington offloaded the
first of six to twelve first-stage core structures for the Taurus®
II rocket that is being developed by Orbital Sciences
Corporation, one of the world’s leading space technology
companies. These 100ft-long and 15ft-wide cores originate in
the Ukraine and will be trucked from the port to the Wallop
Island, VA launch site on a custom-built heavy-duty trailer.
Orbital’s Taurus II space launch vehicle is a medium-class
launcher that will be used to conduct resupply missions to
the International Space Station, as well as a launcher for civil
government, defence and intelligence, and commercial
satellites.
“Handling Orbital’s rocket booster cores is a great
compliment to the Port of Wilmington and the State of
Delaware. It underscores our excellent location and
infrastructure, as well as our logistical expertise,” said
Diamond State Port Corporation Executive Director, Gene
Bailey. “Furthermore, the fact that Delaware’s Departments of
Transportation and Safety and Homeland Security have been
very accommodating in facilitating truck permitting and police
and utilities escorts for such complex movement of cargo has
been very helpful to our customers,” he added.
The movement of this high-value piece was complex
because the core unit was discharged off a uniquely
configured stern ramp ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) ship that
required special mooring arrangements. In addition, the unit
was driven on a custom-made truck, which is challenging to
manoeuvre along public roadways.
In preparation for the discharge, Orbital conducted a
successful data collection test transport run in June 2010
driving a booster mock-up from the Port to the Wallops
Island, VA launch facility.
Forth Ports PLC plays vital role in supply chains and logistics across the UK
The ports business is central to Forth Port PLC’s activities and is
a rich source of opportunity for growth, based on a commitment
to looking beyond traditional port services of loading and
discharge and playing an increasingly important role in
customers’ supply chains and logistics operations. Forth Ports
operates seven ports — six in Scotland (Grangemouth, Leith,
Dundee, Rosyth, Burntisland, Methil) and the Port of Tilbury in
London — and is the largest ports company listed on the
London Stock Exchange.
The Port of Grangemouth is Scotland’s largest port and the
country’s largest container terminal. It also has fully serviced
cargo handling facilities and is a major hub for liquid bulks, forest
products, steel and dry bulks. The port has an unrivalled
location with rail and adjacent motorway connections to over
70% of the Scotland’s population make it an ideal logistics and
distribution hub. The port’s rail-linked distribution centre has full
warehousing services, backed up by a fully integrated stock
control system.
The Port of Leith is the largest enclosed deepwater port in
Scotland and has the capability to handle Handymax ships up to
50,000dwt. It offers a full stevedoring and cargo handling service
with excellent rail and road connections into central Scotland.
Storage is available in modern, secure, single span transit sheds
or in surfaced open compounds. Covered storage totalling
14,000m2 is situated close to the quayside and weighbridges for
dry cargo storage. Leith has a long association with grain and
animal feeds. Cereals are discharged for the Scottish whisky
industry for distillation and flour milling. Leith handles in excess
of 1.82mt (million tonnes) of a wide variety of bulks including
cement, coal, iron ore, aggregates and fertilizers.
The Port of Dundee handles a wide range of general and
bulk cargoes including grain, wood pulp and fertilizer. The port
specializes in oil and gas offshore support.
The Port of Rosyth has Scotland’s only direct ro-ro link with
mainland Europe. Four sailings per week link Scotland with
Forth Ports PLC plays vital role in supply chains and logistics across the UK
Zeebrugge. Forth Ports also operates three smaller specialist
ports on the Fife coast at Burntisland, Methil and Kirkcaldy.
The Port of Tilbury is London’s major port of over 344
hectares providing fast, modern distribution services. It is a
diverse, multi-commodity and multi-modal port with links to all
major global markets. Serving the UK’s market for forest
products, general cargo, cars, grain and other bulks, the port
offers customers deep sea and short sea services including ro-ro
and ferries plus excellent transport links to and from the capital
and across the south east and beyond
Two major dry bulk specialists have their own stevedoring
operations within the port — CEMEX and Stema Shipping. In
2009, CEMEX built a bespoke £49 million, 1.2mt cement grinding
and blending plant at the port which takes advantage of Tilbury’s
excellent position and connectivity in the South East. The plant
is located directly on the quayside with the ability to handle
ships of up to 30,000 tonnes. Stema’s operation at Tilbury
handles over 300,000 tonnes of sand, gravel and aggregates from
its own coastal quarry.
Tilbury is also home to the first automated high bay facility
specifically built for paper. The Enterprise Distribution Centre
was built in 2005 at a cost of £38 million and has the capacity to
handle over 800,000 tonnes of paper a year. The complex was
built around the unique Stora Enso Cargo Unit (SECU) with a
maximum load of 85 tonnes — three times larger than a
standard 40-foot container. Tilbury’s location is complementary
to the needs of the company’s distribution network.
Tilbury’s Grain Terminal is one of the UK’s largest in the UK
with the facility to handle exports of wheat, barley, beans and
rapeseed as well and imports of wheat, maize and soyabeans.
Panamax vessels can be handled at the terminal’s berth and
shoreside facilities include 120,000 tonnes or storage in 200
separate silos for product segregation. Tilbury is also a key port
for handling animal feeds and agricultural bulks which, together
with grain, has volumes in excess of 1.3mt per year.
Grangemouth delivers for glass business
The first consignment of soda ash has arrived in the Port of Grangemouth for
the local production of glass whisky bottles.
Three thousand tonnes of the specialist powder arrived on the Antiguaflagged
bulk carrier, Maria Schepers, from the Port of Derince in Turkey.
Soda ash is a key ingredient in glass manufacture and this load was handled
on behalf of supply chain specialist Newport Industries which wanted to take
advantage of the proximity of Grangemouth to the final delivery point in
Alloa.
Nik Scott-Gray, business development manager of Forth Ports PLC said:
“Our warehouse facility at Grangemouth is well placed
for local businesses to order materials that they cannot store on their own
premises. We work closely with our customers to fit in with their schedules
and deliver just-in-time to keep production going. Customers also benefit
from lower costs and a greener supply chain.”
Commenting on the arrival, Raj Patel, managing director of Newport
Industries said: “Not only does the location of Grangemouth, just over the
River Forth from Alloa, reduce the truck journeys from other large ports, but
the large warehousing facility at the port ensures that we get the soda ash
when we need it.”
Bulk and breakbulk at the Port of Los Angeles
The US Port of Los Angeles in California is a large, multipurpose
facility that handles a huge variety of cargo —
including automobiles, containers and liquid bulk as well as dry
bulk and breakbulk. It is also home to a total of 17 marinas
containing 3,701 recreational boat slips, and is also a major
passenger and ferry terminal.
In terms of dry bulk, the port offers two major facilities. On its
berths 165–166, operated by US Borax Inc, it handles
industrial borates. This is the only privately held facility at the
port, and it transfers cargo to vessels at a rate of up to
1,000tph (metric tonnes per hour) and offers a product
storage capacity of 350,000 tonnes. It covers a total land area
of seven acres. The berth is 670ft long with an operational
height of 14.2ft. Water depth is 37ft.
Berths 210–211, operated by SA Recycling, handle all
grades of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals. The land area
is 26.7 acres, and total berth length (two berths) is 1,500ft,
with an operational height of 13.7ft. The water depth is 35ft.
The terminal has a metal shear and shredder on site, and
there are near-dock rail facilities.
Breakbulk is a major cargo at the Port of Los Angeles, and
there are three facilities where this is handled. At berths 49–53,
which is operated by the port, steel is the major cargo. The land
area here is 24 acres, and the total berth length (two berths) is
2,100ft. Operational height is 14ft to 14.6ft, and water depth
ranges from 35ft to 51ft. There is on-dock rail access. The terminal
serves the company Pasha.
On berth 54–55, operated by Stevedoring Services of
America (SSA), fruit is the cargo handled.
At berths 174–181, operated by Pasha, the cargo handled
is again steel. The land area is 40 acres, and the total berth
length (three berths) is 3,300ft, with an operational height of
11.2ft to 15ft. The water depth is 35–45ft, and the terminal is
served by three 40-tonne-capacity cranes. There are also
covered on-dock warehouses with a 235,000ft2 transit shed
capacity and a specialized on-dock rail service for steel.
With 13 acres (five hectares) of warehousing facilities that
extend along 1,720 feet of berth length, Port of Los Angeles
warehouses feature rail accessibility and storage convenience
for a host of shipping lines.
Jol Consultancy — representing ports in Italy and beyond
Dutch native Frans Jol is a major presence in the shipping
industry, having worked with major companies in the industry
since the tender age of 16. For a full, in-depth profile, please see
pp36–37 of the October 2010 issue of DCI.
Jol is now using his extensive experience to serve a wide
range of clients through the consultancy business that he has
founded — Jolconsultancy.
Jolconsultancy’s clients are wide-ranging and include the
following general cargo and bulk cargo terminals:
- Solacem: Torre Annunziata, Italy;
- Intergroup: Gaeta and Civitavecchia, Italy
- Lorenzini & C. Srl : Livorno, Italy
- Camorani: Salerno, Taranto, Italy
- Gallozzi: Salerno, Italy
- Compagnia Portuale Srl di Monfalcone, Italy
- Burke Shipping Group: Ireland, all ports
- Forlog – RCT, Willebroek, Belgium.
In the dry bulk market, Frans Jol also helps Verstegen Grabs
(which supplies grabs for bulk handing) and LogSys (which offers
software that specializes in bulk handling). He has taken the
time to talk to DCI and to give details on some of the above
ports and terminals.
SOLACEM ATTORRE ANNUNZIATASolacem SpA (part of the Rocco Group) is an integrated
harbour logistics company that has been operating at Torre
Annunziata since 1967. It specializes in the handling of grain and
flour, and also retails these in South Italy and around the
Mediterranean basin. Within the port, the company owns
20,000m2 and has extended the space it holds in concession by a
further 3,000m2 set aside for the handling of large cargoes that
do not need indoor covering. Over the years, Solacem has
diversified the range of its activities. It won its licence for grain
storage in 1967; in 2001 it received its flour-storage licence; and
in 2009 it was awarded a licence to unload, store and transport
iron metals, pulp, fertilizers, food products and other goods.
Solacem now manages a great deal of the total traffic at Torre
Annunziata, operating with the Italian branches of leading
multinationals in the cereals and agro-industrial sectors, as well
as with Italian and foreign companies in the metallurgical and
logistic sectors. The company is exclusively responsible for
managing the Eastern Pier (260m long, 40m wide, 8.6m draught).
The harbour logistics platform includes: silos that are 40m or
50m high, 900-tonne capacity, comprising 32 starbeans, with a
total capacity of 600tph (tonnes per hour); three sheds with
seven metallic refrigerator-cooled compartments in a total area
of 6,500m2, ideal to store goods including flour, pulp, copper, fruit
and more; and a completely enclosed open area under video
surveillance, for storing and handling goods including iron and
steel products, non-ferrous metals, timber etc.
All areas conceded to Solacem are directly linked to the
Eastern Pier, and all operations are carried out using 40-tonnecapacity
cranes and forklift trucks of various capacities. Solacem
uses highly sophisticated software for discharging the vessels,
loading and controlling the silos and loading the trucks to the
maximum allowed weight .
INTERGROUP: GAETA AND CIVITAVECCHIA (PORT OF ROME),
ITALYLogistics company ‘intergroup’ has been in business since 1986.
It offers the global management of goods for its customers,
including services such as national and international transports,
marine terminals (it operates in Gaeta and Rome’s seaports),
packaging, warehousing, project cargo handling (such as windmill
components), ferries, ro-ro and cruises. It also offers packaging,
labelling, Customs and VAT services, intermodal services and
outsourcing of logistics services.
Among major companies that intergroup has worked with
are: Basf, P&G, Barilla, Henkel, Italcementi, Unilever, Acciona,
Vestas, Caronte & Tourist, Tirrenia, Cristal Co, Edf Man, and many
more). Today the group has a direct staff of 90, and it handles
more than 4mt (million tonnes) of cargo per year.
GaetaA wide range of stevedoring services are available at Gaeta,
which has high-tech equipment as well as trustworthy and
efficient staff.
Civitavecchia terminal
intergroup is also active at the Civitavecchia terminal in the Port
of Rome, using its own equipment and staff. Activities there
include daily ro-ro and passenger services.
Within Civitavecchia, intergroup operates its Distriport, a
20,000m2 facility within the port, 200m from berth no.23. It is
connected to the railway, less than 1km from the country’s
major highway, where the company can handle and store
containers, special cargo, packages, vehicles, and trailers. In this
area, other services are available, including: packaging, assembling,
quality control, labelling and degasification of containers.
WAREHOUSINGThe Gaeta warehouse specializes in intermodal services for
goods deposited in a foreign state and/or denationalized; VAT
and excise are suspended.
As a port warehouse, it offers temporary storage and transit
functions for goods subject to embarkation and disembarkation
operations.
The Formia warehouse specializes in integrated logistics
services for goods arriving by sea and by road. It supplies global
management services for finished products, from production to
the final destination, including packaging and further processing.
It is situated 4km from Formia’s harbour and 7km from Gaeta’s
harbour.
The Sessa Aurunca warehouse covers an area of about 6
hectares and is dedicated mainly to the logistics of coal products,
supplied just-in-time from this distribution point to major
cement factories in central/southern Italy, including Colacem,
Sacci, Italcementi, Cementir. It can store 110,000 tonnes of coal.
The food terminal warehouse is one of the newest and most
technologically advanced in Italy. It has been designed from the
outset solely for the warehousing and handling of agri-food
products and therefore satisfies all regulatory requirements.
The Frosinone warehouse is part of a modern rail terminal
situated in the central part of Italy and connected with the most
important intermodal infrastructures. It has also 40,000m
2 of
storage and handling area and 7,000m2 of warehouses.
PROJECT CARGOFrom 2002, intergroup has become specialized in the handling of
project cargo, especially windmill components. It has great
expertise in logistics, transport and sea port issues.
LORENZINI COMPANY, LIVORNO PORT, ITALY
The Lorenzini Company, based in Livorno Port in Italy, is located
in Leghorn on the Addis Abeba Docks. It was created as a
private entity in 1979 and, over the years, has grown significantly.
Starting with a dedicated area of just 1,000m2 in 1985, it now has
92,000m
2.
For over ten years, Lorenzini’s activities have been focused on
Darsena 1 in Livorna Port, and it is continually gaining more and
more national and international shipping companies as clients.
The company is ISO9001–2001 accredited. It offers a 24/7
service year-round, enabling fast and efficient services in
loading/unloading of ro-ro, lo-lo of all types of goods, including
forest products, general cargo, heavy lifts, rolling cargoes and
containers.
For operational management, administration, accounting and
communications, the company uses specific computerized system
software. The systems is constantly updated by qualified staff
using the most sophisticated computer technologies. Messages
used by the terminal are in an international standard form and
data exchanges are performed according to international
standards, based on United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UN/ECE) directives. Standard messages managed by the
terminal are: for operating vessels, BAPLIE and COARRI; and for
the operating terminal, CODECO.
Lorenzini has a wide range of equipment on the terminal,
including forklifts (handling goods from 4 to 25 tonnes) and four
mobile harbour cranes (one Gottwald HMK 300 and three
models from Fantuzzi Reggiane — the MHC 115, MHC 130 and
MHC 5130).
CAMORANI: SALERNO, TARANTO, ITALYThe Camorani family has been in the maritime business for
decades, with its earliest activity in the ‘Furio’ workshop taking
place in 1920. Over the years, new parts of the company were
devoted to shipbuilding, ownership and chartering of vessels and
general shipping.
Back in his youth, in 1966, Giuseppe Camorani followed his
passion for the sailor’s way of life and boarded a Liberty ship
going from Vasto to Rotterdam. Even while aboard he carried
on his studies, and can now boast over 40 years of disparate
maritime and mercantile experience. He is now a steady and
inexhaustible source of knowledge for his sons, partners and
assistants.
Today, the Camorani Shipping Group is a modern company
with a thorough, qualified network. It offers services in: maritime
shipping agency; rent and brokerage; stevedoring; project cargo
handling; customs formalities; LCL and FCL container handling;
trucking/haulage; ‘door-to-door’ delivery; cargo insurance; trading;
travel and tourism; warehousing; storage; packing; crating; and
distribution.
GALLOZZI: SALERNO, ITALYSalerno Cargo Service (SCS), part of the Gallozzi Group, was
specifically created to handle any non-containerized cargo which
is handled by its sister company Salerno Container Terminal.
SCS is able to handle breakbulk, general cargo, steel and
heavy lift and project cargoes. It offers services in logistics,
stevedoring and warehousing. It has a port area of 2.2km;
stacking area of 10,000m2; covered warehousing of 3,000m2; and
offers a maximum draught of 10.25m. Among the equipment is
has is a mobile workshop; one mobile M&R van; five goosenecks
and several slings; lifting equipment for heavy cargo and steel
pieces; five cranes with maximum lifting capacities of 100 tonnes;
six tug masters and ten trailers and ten forklifts.
It operates year round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
COMPAGNIA PORTUALE S.R.L. DI MONFALCONE, ITALYAnother Italian company represented by Jolconsultancy — via
the agreement with A. Maneschi to help the whole Group
including Sisam, ToDelta, Capital Logistic — is Compagnia
Portuale S.R.L. di Monfalcone (CPM).
CPM benefits from the advantageous geographical location of
Monfalcone, which is strategically situated for many commercial
trades. Multimodal transport is available, with nearby roads and
railways available for onward transportation of goods. The port
is about 1km from the A4 (Venice to Trieste) motorway, and the
A23 (Palmanova–Udine–Austria) is also nearby.
Rail connections are good. The port has its own railway
siding with a non-electrified line which is directly connected to
the Monfalcone railway station, from where the Venice–Trieste
and Udine–Tarvisio lines start.
Monfalcone also has other powerful logistical infrastructures,
including the Ronchi dei Legionari airport and the intermodal
hub Interporto di Cervignano del Friuli with has a large railway
junction.
Monfalcone handles a wide variety of goods, including iron
ore, clay, coal, various bulk minerals, cement, grain, cellulose and
cars.
Monfalcone has a draught of approximately 12m, which means
that it is able to handle various ship sizes carrying heavy tonnage.
Equipment at the port enables the handling of a variety of
goods, and includes cranes, diggers, tractors and electric
locomotives.
Storage is possible in public and private warehouses either as
temporary storage or as bonded warehousing. There is covered
warehousing on the quay for transit goods. Free zones are
available for the development of new projects.
There are two pneumatic towers for loading and unloading of
cereals and bulk meal, with maximum capacities of 200tph,
connected to silos. The silos are also linked to the rail line, with
a 120m link with a carrying capacity of 70,000 tonnes.
BURKE SHIPPING GROUP: IRELANDBurke Shipping Group is the principal operating subsidiary of the
Doyle Group. It is a privately owned total shipping service
provider, which has been operating in Ireland since 1886.
In terms of marine services, Burke offers: terminal operations;
stevedoring; ship repair; tug hire; and harbour services. Its
shipping services include: ships’ agency; liner agency; and cruise
agency. Its logistics services are: ship chartering; forwarding;
project cargo; distribution; and transport and major
infrastructure project solutions.
In the last year, Burke has handled a total of 5,050 ship calls
as a ships’ agent: 3,000 at Dublin; 1,600 at Cork; 250 at Foynes;
100 at Belfast; and 100 at Waterford. Its agency services are
nationwide in Ireland.
Burke also handles a great deal of breakbulk cargo, totalling
2.6mt in the last year — 1mt at Dublin, 850,000 tonnes at Cork,
640,000 tonnes at Foynes and 160,000 tonnes at Waterford.
Project cargo is also a significant part of the company’s
responsibility. In the last year, it has dealt with 575 turbines —
150 at Dublin, 150 at Cork, 200 at Foynes and 75 at Belfast.
Burke is also responsible for a total of 930,000ft2 of
warehousing — 350,000ft2 at Dublin, 350,000ft2 at Cork,
200,000ft2 and 30,000ft2 at Belfast.
The Burke Shipping Group has offices in Belfast, Dublin Port,
Waterford, Cork, Cobh, Fenit, Foynes and Limerick.
Burke offers tailored, integrated shipping solutions to match
the specific needs of its customers, and boasts over 100 years of
industry experience. The company is committed to service
excellence and strict adherence to best practice in health and
safety — it has external safety and quality system auditors.
FORLOG – RCT, WILLEBROEK, BELGIUM.Forlog is a specialist in freight forwarding, warehousing, custom
brokerage and integrated logistics. It offers integrated logistic
solutions and order tracking and tracing through its web
application. All documents related to a customer’s shipments are
available via the web application, as well as an online ‘freight rates
system’ and a ‘stock management system’.
R.C.T. Stevedoring loads and unloads vessels ranging in size
from 5,000dwt to 10,000dwt. It also deals with trucks (handling
both pallets and bulk); and breakbulk cargo. It offers a significant
amount of warehousing — 30,000m2 of covered warehouses, and
40,000m2 of outside storage. R.C.T. specializes in forest
products, metals and ore, construction materials, steel and
aluminium products and general cargo.
Forward planning is integral to the success of port stockyards
Quintiq, a fast-growing advanced planning and scheduling
company has a global footprint in supporting bulk terminals to
cope with the planning complexities that are inherent to dry
cargo terminal operations.
The specifics of bulk port handling facilities from a planning
perspective lead to a range of complex requirements due to the
different mechanisms for handling of the different types of cargo
which can be handled. An example of this is materials which are
freely stockpiled in yards and the different approaches required
to move different configurations on the ships.
Quintiq Pty Ltd in Australia, for example, has implemented
planning and scheduling solutions at two coal port terminals on
the east coast of Australia in the last two years. These solutions
address the following key problem areas.
- providing visibility of planning and scheduling across the supply chain, from immediately assessing yard changes and their impact on upstream and downstream operations to allowing re-planning to improve throughput;
- planning of yards with restricted growth by ensuring that the product is in the yard and assembled ready for just-in-time shipment;
- utilizing the yard planning to determine the upstream rail and road requirements to align supply with the shipping and yard demand;
- managing the complexity of yard configurations for machines with multiple machines loading single ships, clearing of stockpiles to completion, through loading to ships, stockpile separation and machine clash avoidance.
“Bulk ports’ unique characteristics require the ability to
specifically take into consideration the different business rules
and constraints of these yards, which are very different from
traditional production planning and logistics planning solution
capabilities. Quintiq’s unique modelling and configuration
capabilities enabled these port operators to achieve
improvements in throughput,” says Phil Duff, director of Quintiq
Pty Ltd.
Taking actual feedback from stockpile reclaiming and
projecting forward any changes immediately redefines the end of
shiploading jobs and subsequent sailing times. This also
determines changes in terms of machine availability at the
stockyard and planning for future jobs, or automatically
replanning future jobs in the stockyard, and assessing the impact.
Whilst traditional logistics planning and production planning
have been solved in many cases through the use of Advanced
Planning Systems, the flexibility in planning yards with such
different layouts, configurations, constraints and business rules
enables port operators and bulk handling facility operators to
really start to optimize the throughput of their operations.
Breakbulk and project cargoes handled by the Virginia Port Authority
The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) handles a variety of breakbulk
and project cargo. In terms of breakbulk, it deals with
consignments from rubber to steel to machine tools. Over the
past few years, project cargo has predominantly consisted of
large power-generation equipment. In 2009, VPA handled a total
of 228,905 tonnes of breakbulk, rising to 253,854 in 2010.
Tonnages and cargo types fluctuate year on year, driven
principally by the economy, pricing and access to the market and
customers.
VPA’s dedicated breakbulk and project cargo facility is the
Newport News Marine Terminal (NNMT), and is owned by the
VPA and operated by Virginia International Terminals Inc., the
VPA’s privately-held terminal operating company.
NNMT has 3,480 linear feet of berth space that is served by
four cranes. The biggest of these units is capable of handling 50
long tonnes. The terminal sits on 40 feet of water.
The ship-to-shore labour is handled by the International
Longshoremen’s Association, a union commonly known as the
ILA. Ship-to-shore labour at all of the VPA’s terminals is handled
by ILA labour. VPA has all the necessary equipment to handle
breakbulk and project cargo and, at NNMT, also has the ability
to discharge cargo directly to railcars.
FACILITIES AND ONWARD TRANSPORTATIONNNMT is a 140-acre terminal that has 853,000ft2 (79,246m2) of
multi-use warehouse area. Most of the warehouse space is
leased to customers and there are plans now to develop another
on-dock warehouse based on demand.
US Customs has an office in the market/port and its officers
are at all of the VPA terminals. Additionally, there are customs
house brokers throughout the region.
There are no stevedore-run/operated terminals in the region,
but Ceres Marine Terminals Inc., CP&O, LLC and Universal
Maritime Services all provide stevedoring services in this market.
NNMT is in an excellent Mid-Atlantic location that is
positioned within a day’s drive of two-third of the nation’s
population. The terminal has 42,720ft (13,021m) of direct rail
access provided by CSX, one the Eastern US’s two Class I rail
carriers. There is roadway access to Interstates 64 and 664 and
US Route 17. Interstate 95, the East’s primary north-south
corridor is about 2 hours drive from the terminal.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS AT THE PORTThe VPA will benefit from two business developments that will
bring more cargo to the port. VPA’s operating company, Virginia
International Terminals Inc., has signed a seven-year contract
extension with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), a
Norway-based carrier focused on project cargoes. The
extension carries the VPA’s relationship with WWL through
2017; the company’s vessels call at NNMT. The primary cargoes
will be machine tools from Japan, natural rubber from Indonesia
and Nissan automobiles.
Currently, vessels in WWL’s Far East Service call at NNMT
several times a month. At NNMT the carrier has access to a
modern 124,000ft2 warehouse for rubber storage; two berth
options for its vessels with deeper-draughts; quick turnaround
for truckers; and easy interstate access. In 2007, the VPA and
WWL signed a long-term contract carrying the relationship
through 2012.
In a separate development, a new barge service, operated by
Columbia Coastal Transport, is being launched to link the ports
of Virginia and Philadelphia. The 13-week trial was launched in
September to see if there is enough business to sustain the
service. The barge will be moving military cargo from
Philadelphia to Virginia. This is the first barge service to operate
between Virginia and Philadelphia. Columbia Coastal barges has
been moving cargo between the ports of Virginia and Baltimore
for years.
Brake’s J. Müller Group offers intelligent service and logistics solutions
For decades, the port of Brake and the J. Müller subsidiaries J.
Müller AGRI Terminal and J. Müller Breakbulk Terminal have been
among the leading cargo handling centres in Europe. Another
J. Müller subsidiary in Brake, LOGISTIK SERVICES, operates the
largest sulphur solidification and handling plant in Europe. Two
Procor and Rotoform systems are available for the solidification
of liquid sulphur, and one of the company’s specialities is solid
sulphur handling in FIBCs.
The port of Brake in Germany continues to expand at a
dynamic pace. In August 2009, Niedersachsen Ports, the port
infrastructure company of the Federal Land of Lower Saxony,
completed the first port expansion phase, ‘Niedersachsenkai’,
which provided an additional quay length of 270 metres and a
further 30 hectares of storage space. Niedersachsenkai is
simultaneously being developed as an offshore terminal for the
wind energy industry and will be able to cope with weights of up
to 1,000 tonnes per load unit. The second stage, which will
create a further 180 metres of quay length and space for a
second mega-vessel, is scheduled for completion in the third
quarter of 2011. The planning approval procedures for
deepening the Lower Weser from 12.20 to 12.80 metres are
already under way and the project is expected to be completed
by the end of 2011. Modern Handymax and small Panamax
vessels will then be able to sail the entire 26km long route from
the North Sea to Brake fully laden.
Thanks to terminals specializing in AGRI and BREAKBULK,
Brake can offer not only excellent cargo handling facilities, but
also a number of value-added services for the customers of the
J. Müller Group.
J. Müller Agri Terminal is Germany’s largest port for the
import of feedstuffs and is a high-performance port-terminal
company on the River Weser. The specialized terminal operation
in Brake is optimally equipped for handling high-value goods. As
a midsize family business, the company has been focusing on the
careful and protective handling of its customers’ goods since the
company was founded in 1821.
J. Müller Agri Terminal owns one of the largest silo complexes
in Europe. Located close to the Oldenburger Münsterland,
Europe’s largest compound feed area, the Port of Brake is ideally
suited for the handling and storage of grains, feedstuffs, oilseeds,
fertilizer, legumes, renewable natural resources, biomass
products, sugar, food-related products and other agricultural
goods. 360,000 tonnes of storage capacity (silos and flat stores)
enable ‘just-in-time’ delivery, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Several shore cranes and flat stores are available for handling
fertilizers.
Before cargo is unloaded, a visual check is carried out and a
sample taken by J. Müller Agri Terminal representatives. The
samples are analysed at the company’s own laboratory. The
parameters for these analyses are set out in the control
schedules drawn up for incoming cargoes. Considerable
quantities of the imported consignments are loaded onto river
barges and motor coasters as well as railway wagons and trucks.
A load compartment inspection is performed before any
consignment is transferred to a barge or a seagoing vessel. A
variety of criteria are checked in the course of this inspection.
Loading can only begin after the load compartment has been
given the all-clear. J. Müller Agri Terminal is certified for the
handling and storage of organic products.
In addition to its traditional handling and storage business,
J. Müller Agri Terminal can offer its customers efficient solutions
for forwarding by truck, railcar, ocean vessel, coaster and river
barge from one single source. GMP-certified barge operators
and partner companies form the basis of a logistics service that
is tailored to fulfil the customer’s requirements. Moreover, it also
handles documentation and customs clearance on request.
J. Müller BREAKBULK Terminal handles iron and steel, project,
heavy cargo and wind turbines as well as forest products. A
range of logistics services for the on- and offshore sectors of the
sunrise wind industry markets has been a firm element of the
service portfolio for many years.
Handling iron and steel products has always played a central
role at the port of Brake. At both the ‘old port’ and the new
Niedersachenkai, J. Müller BREAKBULK offers ideal conditions
for import and export, with highly specialized facilities for
handling highly sensitive girders, coated pipes, long rails as well as
heavy coils and slabs. Niedersachsenkai has optimum handling
structures for the steel and project cargo sector.
Forestry products – and in particular pulp and sawn timber –
are another core business sector at the Port of Brake, where up
to 165,000m2 of covered storage area are available for pulp and
wood products. The sawn timber and other wood products are
landed, stored and handled at the logistics centre, a modern
complex with 95,000m2 of covered storage and almost half as
much outdoor storage area. The port’s excellent connections to
the German rail network mean that the goods can be delivered
to pulp consignees in Germany in roughly 24 hours. More than
70% of all pulp transports are handled by rail and more than 50
per cent of all timber deliveries are intended for export.
SERVICE & LOGISTICS FOR THE WIND INDUSTRYAmongst other things, the newly constructed Niedersachsenkai
is used for handling wind farm components and project cargo.
Wind energy is a key export factor in Brake and the current
expansion of the offshore terminal also includes a new 140-
tonne mobile crane for Niedersachenkai. Structural elements
such as rotor blades, generators, tower segments, internal and
external components account for a high share of cargoes. These
exports are headed for destinations all over the world, such as
Ireland, Italy, Turkey, the USA and the Far East.
NEW ENERGIES NEED INTELLIGENT LOGISTICS SOLUTIONSThe company is systematically expanding its service portfolio in
the wind energy logistics sector to offer customers tailor-made
logistics solutions for products relating to all aspects of ‘wind’:
this begins with highly efficient parts logistics, includes a range of
value-added services to optimize the flow of goods, and extends
all the way through to service and maintenance. J. Müller offers
businesses in the wind industry sector options which enable
them to achieve lasting reductions in the costs of their quality
and logistics activities.
The service spectrum of the J. Müller Group encompasses
the entire logistics chain. The J. Müller Brake Logistics Centre
has both covered and outdoor storage areas which are suitable
for highly versatile use, ranging from component production to
the development of modern warehousing solutions which can
optimize storage procedures and production processes.
There are sites available right beside the heavy goods
terminal for companies wishing to set up business here in Brake,
thus enabling optimum handling of wind turbine components up
to 1,000 tonnes, whether for national and international on- and
offshore wind farm projects or supply chain solutions as part of
international procurement concepts.
Medium-sized ports operator makes a big splash in the market
Medium-sized companies must do a bit more than their larger
competitors if they are going not only to stay in the market, but
also to expand in a healthy long-term way.
Brunsbüttel is a small town in the North of Germany, located
at the lower Elbe just at the entrance to the Kiel Canal and to
the North Sea. Very few people would know Brunsbüttel but of
course they all know Hamburg.
The managing director of Brunsbüttel Ports, Frank Schnabel,
noticed this some time ago and, since then, he has worked on
developing co-operative agreements to place Brunsbüttel in the
market. Together with the Lower Elbe Ports of Cuxhaven,
Gluckstadt, Hamburg, and Stade the ‘Hafenkooperation
Unterelbe’ was founded in 2009. Since that time, the agreement
has worked successfully in areas including port development,
nautical issues, marketing and port policies.
In 2007, the management at Brunsbüttel celebrated the start
of a 20-year contract with Aurubis AG in Hamburg. It has taken
over the complete logistics for the company with its deliveries of
copper concentrate, and even operates a terminal at Aurubis AG
in Hamburg. This project gained European and even worldwide
approval.
Another co-operative agreement that was initiated and driven
by Schnabel took effect when the market for wind energy
became popular. Some publicly owned ports developed
specialized locations to handle components for offshore wind
power stations, and the Ports of Schleswig-Holstein seemed to
lose out. To mitigate against that, Brunsbüttel Ports and area
business development company ‘egeb’ ordered a study to look
into the potential of handling these components locally; results
showed that there is indeed significant potential. The entity
Ports North Sea Schleswig-Holstein was born, and began
operations, supported by the government of Schleswig-Holstein.
Nine ports in the area have created a concept offering a onestop
complete solution for builders and operators of offshore
wind farms. There are assembly, supply and service ports
covering all demands for the offshore energy industry. Currently,
a total of 90 blades are being shipped via Brunsbüttel to the
offshore wind farm ‘Ormonde’ in the Irish Sea for Repower
systems. So progress is coming on nicely.
As a result of his initiative in the areas of co-operation and
promotion of the location for offshore wind energy, this year
Schnabel received the National logistics award ‘LEO’ in the
category ‘future-maker’. He was the only winner heading a
medium-sized privately owned company next to all the big
players!
Brunsbüttel Ports is part of the SCHRAMM group, an ownerrun
strategic alliance of individual companies specializing in all
important areas of the maritime industry. All of the companies
in the group are established, owner-run businesses with several
years of experience and long-standing customer relationships:
sound, performance-oriented and with a clear ‘hands-on’
mentality. Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH operates the ports at
Brunsbüttel (Elbehafen [universal port], Ostermoor [liquid and
general cargo] and Oilport [liquid goods]), the Port at
Gluckstadt and a terminal at Aurubis AG, Hamburg with
extended customer focus and logistical competence, safety and
reliability.