Here we look at the achievements of two bulk ports on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The Port of Antwerp, like its competitors, reported a significant loss of dry bulk volumes in 2009, mainly in major bulk (iron ore & coal) due to a massive and never before seen idling of European steel mills. In minor bulk, it was the fertiliser business which suffered the most. However, the Belgian port resolutely stayed in the offensive by taking a number of strategic decisions, enabling it not only to secure restoration of volumes, but even allow for future growth. First, an agreement for deepening of the River Scheldt was reached between Belgian and Dutch authorities, making it possible to remain accessible for the largest type vessels. Antwerp is happy to be able to announce that these works will be finalised before the end of this year, but already allows the bulk of positive impact to be realised as from mid-2010. Furthermore, on the pretext ‘Never waste a good crisis,’ a joint project called ‘Total plan for a competitive port’ was set up between the private sector and port. It resulted in the re-engineering of the raw materials supply chain of major bulk and guarantees that Antwerp will remain a viable alternative in the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam range for full cape-size vessels in years to come. Secondly, within the port, ongoing investments in both infra- and superstructure will secure Antwerp’s competitiveness; a principal green light for a second lock to the Left-bank area had already been given by the Flemish Authorities before summer recess, but only a couple of weeks ago, the Board approved a long-term financial plan of no less than Euro 1.6 billion to be invested in the coming 15 years, while at the same time it decided to freeze port dues for 2011 to the level of 2010. On top of that, several private operators continue to invest in renewal and/or expansion of their terminals. An excellent example of the latter is malt-producer Boortmalt who finalised earlier this year an important investment programme in additional production and storage capacity in the Port of Antwerp, and now secures close to 50% of export of the total European malt-production through the port. Moreover, special attention has been paid to reduce fine dust emissions during bulk-handling, by moving sensitive volumes from open to covered areas, or increasing use of dust control sprinkling systems. But these initiatives are not limited to the ‘hardware’ alone, specific training programmes will ensure that Antwerp’s highly reputed labour-force will keep their leading edge in specialised and safe dry bulk-material handling. Last but not least, no effort has been spared to expand Antwerp’s hinterland by improving accessibility by rail, road, barge and short-sea at highly competitive prices and even participating/co-investing in hinterland hubs. Antwerp is confident that its excellent central inland location will increasingly prove its worth during the next decades. It goes without saying that, with a justified demand for sustainability from both community and business, the eco-friendly nature of a river port compared to an ocean port becomes an important trump card. The port of Antwerp strongly believes that the recent global crisis, which basically forced all industries to rethink their supply chains and focus on cost-control, strict cash-flow-management and flexibility to match supply with demand, will create opportunities on a longer term basis. No longer is a port considered a mere transfer-point of cargo, it has become a vital link within complex supply chains: those ports that can best meet the crying needs of shippers by offering complete supply chain solutions, will undoubtedly be the ports of the future. Especially in the dry bulk domain, the Port of Antwerp together with its stakeholders is committed to offer such solutions: their continuous investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and people, together with a firm and permanent embedment in both fore- and hinterland, are the best guarantees for a sustainable, bright future.
Port of Sept-Iles
Although not as large as the Port of Antwerp, the bulk orientated Port of Sept-Iles has similar ambitions as its counterpart. Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Iles is one of North America’s leading iron ore ports and in 2011 will become Canada’s second largest in terms of expected annual volume handled, with over 35 million tonnes. At the beginning of this year, the port announced the signing of rate agreements with Labrador Iron Mines Limited (LIM) and New Millenium Capital Corporation (NML), clearing the way for direct shipping iron ore (DSO) to the Pointe-Noire port facilities.”These two new agreements will have a major impact on the port’s growth and development since they will eventually represent a combined total of an additional 7 million tonnes when operations are in full swing a few years from now,” stated Port of Sept-Iles CEO Pierre Gagnon. The two companies are currently starting to exploit iron deposits in Schefferville and Labrador. “These two agreements, along with the one signed in October 2009 with Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd (CLM), demonstrate how fast the iron industry is growing on the North Shore and in northern Quebec and Labrador. The Port of Sept-Iles is proud to be a part of that development and to work closely with these new mining companies to help them carry out their projects,” stated Port of Sept-Iles Chair of the Board Carol Soucy. In July, the first shipment of 165,225 metric tonnes of iron ore belonging to CLM left port bound for China aboard the Navios Aurora. This marks a new maritime destination, joining the other international destinations that account for over 85% of port traffic. This first shipment is destined exclusively for CLM’s Chinese partner Wisco, located in Wuhan in the province of Hubei. In the last few days, CLM has begun operating its new land-based storage facilities and an innovative ship-loading system that uses CSL’s Atlantic Superior self-unloading shuttle to load ships anchored in the Bay of Sept-Iles. “With an initial shipping capacity of 8 million tonnes by late 2010, which will grow to 16 million tonnes following the expansion of their activities at Bloom Lake in late 2012, CLM is set to play a key role at the Port of Sept-Iles. The company is one of our major partners, and we want to provide them with the support and services they need for future growth,” said Soucy. But the port has not stopped since July and in September Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper visited to launch the second phase of the project to increase the Relance Terminal’s capacity. The terminal’s main client is Aluminerie Alouette and a grant of USD7 million or 50% of the project costs was awarded through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund for the rehabilitation or construction of infrastructure. This announcement took place during a ceremony to mark the inauguration of the large concrete silo number 8, part of the initial USD30 million-project. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, was also present, as were Aluminerie Alouette representatives and other dignitaries from the Sept-Îles region. Phase 2 of the project to increase La Relance Terminal’s capacity represents a total investment of USD14 million and the money will go into optimising the largest aluminum industry port terminal in the Americas. The project principally involves the construction of a logistical centre for aluminum management, improvements to docking systems, an increase in electrical capacity, and the establishment of a new service building for terminal security. These investments will accommodate the growing needs of terminal users, particularly Aluminerie Alouette.
For the port of Sept-Iles, the completion of this second optimisation phase and current investments ensures it can remain competitive and protect its international position as it tackles future challenges – similar to the actions of the Port of Antwerp.