World Maritime News
WMNF 2019/11/28
IAPH president – Ports should focus on value over throughput
IAPH president Santiago Garcia-Mila said “The port’s mission should be creating value for the surrounding area, not just handling more tones and more boxes.” at the Smart Ports Summit in Barcelona. He said there was now a consensus that there were “excellent” ports that had smaller throughput. “If we create value and make our surrounding area more competitive, this economy will grow and we will grow. Cargo numbers will then be a consequence of what we do, not the rationale for it.” “Ports need to become real hubs of digitalization, where all stakeholders bring data together in digital platforms, allowing a far more efficient logistics supply chain and connectivity,” Mr. Garcia-Mila said.
Improved visibility – a key driver for smart port development
Francisco de los Santos, chief technology officer at Algeciras Port Authority told the Smart Ports Summit that just 6% of companies believed they had full visibility of their supply chains. Automation of ports due to increasing safety and efficiency demand, and the use of AI to make decisions faster with more complex variable were also changing the ports sector, he observed. But due to a lack of visibility and transparency, ports often become “black holes” in logistics chains, leading to longer waiting times, wasted resources and mistrust. By connecting the system to the terminal operating systems of terminal clients, the port is able to offer full visibility of estimated and real-time events for every port call process and this is now extended to include land-side operations to offer an end-to-end container value chain, he says.
Indonesia’s Kuala Tanjung adds Chinese partner to boost port development
Kuala Tanjung Port is looking to tap the Chinese market after signing a deal with Ningbo Port to provide direct shipping service. Kuala Tanjung International Hub Port and industrial estate operator Pelindo I have signed a Head of Agreement with Port of Rotterdam Authority and Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group, which operates Ningbo Port, to develop the port into a world-class port and industrial area. This includes initiating direct shipping between Kuala Tanjung Multi-purpose Terminal and Ningbo through network owned by Zhejiang Provincial Seaport. Kuala Tanjung’s next phase is the development of an industrial estate and the third and fourth phase will be hub port and urban area development. The Port of Rotterdam has been working with Pelindo I to develop Kuala Tanjung since at least 2015.
Abu Dhabi Ports to link with India’s digital freight portal
In a significant breakthrough for India’s digital transformation in supply chains, Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) has agreed to become the first global partner for an online port community system. The redesigned module -dubbed PCS1x- went live in December 2018, with implementation task assigned to the Indian Ports Association (IPA). The move follows an approach made by IPA to ADP for country-to-country collaboration by liking the PCS1x with the latter’s “Maqta Gateway”. Maersk believes the Port Community System (PCS) application will have a transformational impact on Indian supply chains if the network is made as comprehensive as possible. Maersk says there is a need to get PCS established in such a way that it can link to other international trade networks, such as TradeLens.
Belgium – Seven leading players sign cooperation agreement for the transport of hydrogen
Hydrogen is an important carrier for renewable energy to be used for electricity and heat production, for mobility, for fuel production and as a raw material for industrial production. Crucial in the viability of a hydrogen economy is the generation of sufficient renewable electricity for the production of hydrogen. Efficient and economic solutions for the import, transport and storage of hydrogen require specific expertise. That is why Deme, Engie, Exmar, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp, Port of Zeebrugge and WaterstofNet have signed a cooperation agreement to bring their expertise together in coordinated way and to take steps toward Belgian hydrogen economy.
Ports of Los Angeles and Copenhagen Malmö sign collaborative agreement
The Ports of Los Angeles and Copenhagen Malmö AB (CMP) have entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on sustainability and environmental issues. Officials from both ports signed the MOU at the Port of Los Angeles on 15 November. The MOU focuses on facilitating dialogue, information exchange and sharing of best practices. Key areas of cooperation include energy use and alternative energy source, advance clean marine terminal equipment technology, ocean-going vessels and drayage trucks, and involvement in global environmental associations and initiatives.
Read more: https://www.portoflosangeles.org/references/news_111819_copenhagen_mou
Shipping should shape its own path to decarbonization
The shipping industry has need to ramp up its decarbonization initiative amid unsettling political imperatives from Europe, The Lloyd’s List Hong Kong Innovation Forum 2019 was told. The pressing challenge for shipping to decarbonize is recognized by the industry, said Guy Platten, secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping. Using LNG as a transitional maritime fuel to help reduce emissions was brought up by the panelists. But to reach the 2050 GHG emissions reduction goal, shipping will need even cleaner fuels, although none of the current options, including hydrogen and ammonia, provides a “silver bullet” that can be produced at scale and in a sustainable way yet, argued Mr Platten. Bjorn Hojgaard, chief executive officer of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group and deputy chairman of Hong Kong Shipowner Association said that governments worldwide should cut the massive subsidies to fossil fuel producers to prompt switching to a carbon-neutral energy. The US and EU are estimated to give direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industry of about US$ 20 billion and US$ 50 billion each year, according to a recent study from Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
Read more: https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-fossil-fuel-subsidies-a-closer-look-at-tax-breaks-and-societal-costs https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1130068/Shipping-should-shape-its-own-path-to-decarbonisation
Strict competition rules delay moves to prevent cargo misdeclarations
Container fires are reaching a critical level and must be addressed. Current statistics show that serious fires -categorized as requiring external assistance- are occurring every 30 days, according to TT Club’s risk management director Peregrine Storrs-Fox. The statistics, however, do not take into account near-misses, he told the Lloyds’s List hazardous cargo forum in London. The reasons for the serious fires are largely mis-declared cargoes, either international or not, combined with a lack of adequate training or awareness regarding compatibility of different cargo types in holds. Cargoes are usually mis-declared to avoid extra freight charges, or to circumvent rules on carriage of dangerous goods, he said. Some solutions could be better sharing information about bad and rogue shippers or shipments, but a fear of strict competition rules and falling foul of antitrust regulations has been preventing container lines coming together to prevent the increasing incidence of mis-declared cargoes. The real problem was where shippers willingly hide the nature of their cargo, rather than genuine mistakes being made, according to Laurent Audaz, head of insurance and legal at MSC.
Read more: https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1129974/Misdeclared-cargoes-accounting-for-more-container-fires https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1130043/Competition-fears-delay-moves-to-prevent-cargo-misdeclarations