The delegation received an overview of the facilities and commercial development potential at Hunterston Port and Resource Centre (PARC) in North Ayrshire, which is owned and operated by Peel Ports.

The presentation was given at Peel Ports Group’s Scottish HQ at Robertson Street in Glasgow.

The aim of the visit was to equip DIT’s capital investment specialists with more knowledge about business opportunities in Scotland, strengthening the advice they provide to potential investors from the Americas, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Organised by DIT in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, the visit is part of a broader goal to attract overseas financial investment into infrastructure, real estate and venture capital projects across Scotland.

The meeting with Peel Ports was part of a two day visit to Scotland by DIT international investment staff in partnership with SDI looking at opportunities to support investment in Scotland. The UK government will continue to work in partnership with SDI to bring forward investment propositions.

Located on the Firth of Clyde, Hunterston Port and Resource Centre is a multi-modal centre for exporting, importing, processing and distributing a wide range of resources that support economic growth in Scotland, the UK and Europe.

The port estate combines a deep water facility, rail and motorway connections and 800 acres of development land, making it one of Scotland’s key economic hubs.

Douglas K. Coleman, programme director at Peel Ports said: “Our ambition is to see manufacturers, power generators, recyclers, importers and exporters come together at Hunterston PARC to create a model for industrial cooperation and innovation. This visit is an excellent chance for us to showcase the outstanding facilities and opportunities we have here, demonstrating that PARC is the West of Scotland’s natural choice for handling and processing resources.”

The order, with a value of approximately EUR 13 million, was booked in Cargotec’s 2017 second quarter intake, and includes an option for a further 40 units.

Virginia International Gateway (VIG) terminal, located along the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth, is operated by Virginia International Terminals LLC and under lease to Virginia Port Authority (VPA), which markets itself as The Port of Virginia, the fifth largest port in the USA. VIG has been operating three Kalmar hybrid shuttle carriers since August 2015. Their superior performance in terms of fuel consumption and emissions, as well as engine noise levels, was one of the key drivers behind this new order, together with Kalmar’s proven track record in automation-ready horizontal transport solutions. Furthermore, Kalmar provides VIG with support and servicing through a dedicated local team of technicians with many years of experience and a comprehensive local inventory of off-the-shelf parts.

Testing performed by VIG and Kalmar over more than two years on the three hybrid machines already operating at VIG has demonstrated a significantly improved total return on investment compared with conventional diesel-electric machines. The Kalmar hybrid shuttle carriers consume almost 40% less fuel than comparable diesel-electric machines and cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 50 tons per year per machine.

Rich Ceci, Senior Vice President, Technology and Projects for the Port Of Virginia, says: “Kalmar’s proven track record of on-time turnkey delivery and excellent local support and servicing, together with the outstanding performance of our existing Kalmar machines, were significant factors in our decision to place the order. Our hybrid shuttle carriers have already helped us achieve significant cost savings and emission reductions without compromising productivity.”

Tero Kokko, Senior Vice President, Automation and Projects, Kalmar, says: “We are very proud to be able to continue to help VIG increase their container-handling capacity while furthering their commitment to environmental values. This new order is a natural continuation of our strong relationship and demonstrates the value that customers place on reliable equipment backed up by world-class local support.”

“Our local Virginia based service team has gone beyond expectations to provide technical training and support for VIG’s technical staff and on their existing shuttle carrier fleet,” adds Troy Thompson, Vice President, Ports and Terminals, Americas at Kalmar.

A total of 648,287 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moved through the harbor in May, an increase of 1.2 percent compared to the same month a year ago. May 2016 volume was the second-highest May in the Port’s history behind May 2006.

Last month, Long Beach dockworkers handled 336,594 import containers, a 1.8 percent increase. Export containers were down 14.3 percent to 118,786 TEUs, while empties rose 12.6 percent to 192,908. Overall, it was the best month since September 2015.

“Last May was a great month, so we’re encouraged that we did even better this year,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “Our strong belief is that if we continue to build the most modern facilities of any port in the United States and provide the best service, the customers will come.”

The National Retail Federation has forecast steady growth in imports during the next few months as the peak season begins. For the calendar year to date, cargo traffic has risen 4.1 percent in Long Beach.

“The new alliances are making more efficient use of our terminals with their deployments,” said Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán. “Beyond that, the strong U.S. dollar is growing our imports, but not helping our exports. Still, we’re in line with our projections for the year, and the Port is in a strong position as we head into the peak season.”

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans¬-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.

The latest monthly cargo numbers can be found here.

More detailed cargo numbers are at www.polb.com/stats.

Media Contact: Lee Peterson, Port of Long Beach Media Relations Lead, (562) 283-7715 (office), (562) 519-2177 (cell), lee.peterson@polb.com.

Photo caption: SM Long Beach passes under the Gerald Desmond Bridge during a maiden call on April 30, 2017.