CONTAINER PORT DEVELOPMENT
PRIORITY PORT PROJECTS Felicity Landon reports on a cross-section of key container port investments and developments underway in the Middle East, Africa and Asia
8 Hutchison Ports is developing a new two million TEU capacity container terminal at Abu Qir, Egypt with total investment put at US$730m
There is no arguing with the fact that COVID-19 has brought extraordinary upheaval in the world of shipping. First it was blanked sailings and falling volumes. Then it was huge demand, with volumes bouncing back, shortages of containers, and associated delays and congestion. Ports, as ever, have been in the fallout zone – coping with the cargo extremes while finding ways to operate in a Covid-safe way, often with depleted workforces. Yantian stands out as a case study; the port suffered a month-long partial shutdown because of a COVID-19 outbreak amongst the workforce and finally returned to normal operations towards the end of June. And yet, in its first-half results, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust reported that YICT’s throughput to the end of June was 21% above last year’s. In the first half of 2021, throughput at HPHT Kwai Tsing and YICT benefited from a global economic rebound from the COVID-19 downturn, particularly for outbound cargoes to the USA and Europe. Against this background, numerous port investment projects are still progressing across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, particularly as major operators seek to build on their presence in key markets. A cross-section of key, operator driven, projects are highlighted below: ASIA - THAILAND: LAEM CHABANG Terminal D, Phase 1 is now fully operational with 1000 metres of operational berth, six super-post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes and 20 RTG cranes, all being operated electrically using remote control technology. Hutchison Ports Thailand is now progressing with the completion of the remaining phases of Terminal D. Construction of the final 700 metres of berth was completed earlier this year, and plans for the construction of the remaining phases of yard and the deployment of remaining cranes are now underway, explains a spokesman. On completion, Terminal D will have a capacity of
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approximately 3.5m TEU and will be one of the first container terminals in the world fully operated by ship-to-shore and RTG cranes that are all remotely controlled. “The use of such technology has improved overall accuracy and safety, and has significantly reduced the level of carbon emissions. Terminal D has just been awarded the ISO14001 certification for environmental management. We are also seeing gradual improvements to berth productivity,” the spokesman explains. Hutchison has been piloting six automated, driverless trucks at Terminal D so as to ascertain whether full-scale deployment is technically and operationally feasible. “In addition, we are rolling out a programme of the digitalising of our landside processes at Terminal D and also at our other terminals at Laem Chabang. This includes the automation of our gate procedures to become paperless, with the driver holding a pre-cleared card which can be swiped in a machine at the gate which our terminal operating system will immediately recognise. RFID technology will identify the truck as the driver takes it to the appropriate stack in the yard to discharge or collect the container. We have also implemented a system of issuing electronic invoices to our customers which has significantly reduced paper usage and are now rolling out an electronic payment system and, working with our major shipping line customers, an electronic delivery order system for more efficient container collection by consignees. “We are rolling out a digital platform to integrate and control the entire scope of our terminal operations including yard and gate operations, overall operations monitoring and equipment utilisation. All current and future ship-to-shore cranes and rubber tyred yard cranes are being and will be operated using remote control technology.” MIDDLE EAST – EGYPT: ABU QIR Hutchison Ports signed an agreement with the Egyptian Navy in 2020 for the development and operation of a two
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