On February 10th while working the 6328 TEU capacity MSC Geneva, 206 moves per hour (MPH) were achieved while handling 1,980 containers, representing 44 crane moves per hour (MPH), surpassing the previous record of 35 crane MPH set in January.
A joint venture between APM Terminals and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), BTP began operations in November 2013, and handled 1.14 million TEUs in 2015, growing its volume by 35% over 2014 levels in its first full-year of operation, to become the largest container terminal at the Port of Santos. Santos is South America’s busiest container port, with over 3.7 million TEUs handled in 2015. Brazilian ports handled a combined total of 9.1 million TEUs in 2015, representing approximately 29% of the Brazilian trade (Brazilian Ministry of Ports).
“Consistency in excellence is our priority, including safety performance, operations, and customer service,” said BTP CEO Antonio Passaro.
Brazil is a becoming an increasingly important market for global containerized trade for the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network; with particular growth in commodities such as frozen poultry and soybeans, despite the current economic downturn. The Brazilian government has projected a quadrupling of exports by 2030, and has announced a USD $50 billion infrastructure investment plan (at current exchange rates) that will include almost USD $10 billion in port construction and upgrades to accommodate this anticipated trade growth driven by a population of 205 million people, the largest market in Latin America.
APM Terminals also owns and operates APM Terminals Itajaí in Brazil’s second-largest port complex, and has a 75% share in APM Terminals Pecém, in northern Brazil. APM Terminals Itajaí is currently negotiating a lease extension, and APM Terminals Pecém is undergoing an upgrade in preparation for the delivery of two new STS cranes for use on larger vessels following the
opening of the expanded Panama Canal locks.
Growing its business by improving productivity is a priority for BTP: “Agility in delivering services, along with a streamlining of bureaucracy, are crucial factors for the recovery of national economic growth and to ensure Brazilian competitiveness globally. We at BTP have been seeking to innovate; along internal initiatives, we will combine our efforts to achieve Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification, which will reflect BTP’s higher level of reliability and agility in cargo handling” stated BTP COO João Mendes.
AEO is an internationally recognized quality mark granted by the Custom Union. The certificate indicates that the company’s role in the international supply chain is secure and its customs controls and procedures are efficient and compliant.
“Our vision is to achieve international standards of port operations, in order to elevate the Port of Santos to a global standard in productivity,” said Mendes.