Pick up a newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch the news before you head into work. You may well be hard-pressed in all of these scenarios to find many ‘good news’ stories about the economy. It’s incredibly heartening, then, to note that things seem to be defiantly on the up in the forklift truck (FLT) market. Equally exciting, too, are the innovations in forklift design and technology. Put simply: the FLT market is genuinely exciting right now.

THE RECOVERY

Industry reports have noted that, at the end of August, the European Federation of Materials Handling (FEM) indicated how the continent’s industrial truck market was on its way to recovery. The forklift market showed particular strength, and although this doesn’t relate specifically to maritime or containerised trade, a 17% share of the transport and logistics market commanded by FLTs in 2010 compared favourably against the previous year’s 16%. In the UK, there was a near-50/50 balance between sales for warehouse trucks and counter-balance trucks (12,400 units for the former, 12,000 for the latter). The most notable increase in demand came from Germany and the UK, while Russia showed particularly strong signs of recovery in Eastern Europe. This year to date, FEM states that there are indications of a further increase in market demand in Europe, with 34% growth in Western Europe and 70% in Eastern Europe after the first half of 2011. Encouraging signs such as these have resulted in resellers and distributors such as the UK-based Barloworld Handling reporting good news. It recently announced that it was investing £3million (USD4.8 million) in 140 new diesel- and gas-powered Hyster forklifts for short-term hire. Barloworld states that, as the general market conditions have improved over the past year, a strong demand has returned for its short-term hire trucks. Barloworld has invested more than £12 million in new Hyster forklifts for its national short-term rental fleet over the past four years.   

A VISION OF COMFORT AND CLEANLINESS

Advancements in forklift design across the market have focused on familiar facets: enhanced driver ergonomics, reduced fuel emissions, improvements to maintenance processes. Put simply, everything possible to reduce operating costs and optimise efficiency. In November 2010, Hyster unveiled a new, ecologically enhanced, range of container handlers and forklift trucks above 16 tonnes lifting capacity. Included within this was the range of 25–32-tonne heavy-duty forklifts. The trucks now feature new Tier 4i/Stage IIIB low emission engines, offering fuel savings of up to 15%. The 25–32-tonne range was first launched in 2010 and comprises nine models, including three ultra-compact configurations with wheelbases of between 3.655 meters and 3.935 meters, for operations where space is limited.

Hyster showcased the improvement to the range at this year’s TOC Europe in June. The robust powertrain on the 25–32-tonne range is intended to provide increased dependability for long periods of peak power operation, with protection for the engine and the 3-speed transmission. The range is being manufactured with the new Cummins QSB 6.7 engine (up to 270hp, 210kW) at Hyster’s Big Trucks assembly line in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The engine employs a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), which varies the exhaust gas flow into the turbine wheel, delivering rapid boost at low engine rpm, and then maintains high boost at higher rpm independent of engine speed. To complement the addition of the Cummins engine technologies, Hyster has also introduced performance operation developments, including cooling on demand, rpm management and alternate engine idle speed, to help further reduce total fuel consumption. The trucks only provide maximum power on demand, when it is really needed, with load-sensing hydraulics that ‘feel’ the load weight that is lifted. For the forklift driver, the Hyster ‘Vista’ Operator Compartment offers “excellent comfort, outstanding ergonomics and a low noise level,” the manufacturer states. The cab is positioned at mid-height towards the front, and is designed to provide optimised all-round visibility. Operators can select either an ECO-eLo “fuel efficiency” or HiP “high performance” mode. The HiP mode is the normal operating mode, whereas the ECO-eLo mode reduces the maximum engine speed and optimises fuel efficiency. Hyster boasts that maintenance requirements on the trucks are kept to a minimum, with features such as oil-immersed brakes and increased service intervals contributing to lower overall operating costs. The tilting cab, which ensures easy access to key components, also makes servicing easier, it states.

Konecranes also used one of this year’s conferences – CeMAT 2011 in May – to present a comprehensive range of new features on its heavy-duty forklift trucks and reachstackers (RS).The RS and FLT range is comprised of machines with a lifting capacity between 10–65 tonnes, with paramount concerns in the design being “maximum efficiency, economy and safety in container goods handling.” Among the new features on the Konecranes range of forklifts are ECO-driving, a new control system offering fuel savings of up to 40%, the NearGuard system, which alerts the driver to the danger of collision with pre-defined obstacles, and the tyre pressure monitoring and warning system. Cargotec’s latest development in the forklift market came in the form of its DCG90-180 range of Kalmar lift trucks. These FLTs, which were also showcased at CeMAT 2011, feature the new ‘G’ generation of counterbalance equipment. The trucks have loading capacities ranging from 9–18 tonnes, and Cargotec states that they will deliver improvements in fuel efficiency, safety, serviceability and ergonomics, while reducing environmental impact. Following the lead of these forklifts, the benefits of the DCG90-180 range will be gradually phased in across the entirety of Kalmar’s counterbalance fleet. The G generation has been under development for three years, including a trial phase of rigorous testing. Maintenance lifetime savings are a major facet of the DCG90-180 forklifts’ benefits. The trucks are designed to keep driver productivity high while maintaining low operational costs, offering “improved synchronicity” between the driver’s work and the truck itself. New electric and hydraulic systems on the range result in quicker response, higher lifting speed, increased control, and reduced fuel emissions. In ergonomic and visibility terms, the range’s EGO cabin is markedly different to its predecessor, with major upgrades designed to improve driver comfort, productivity, efficiency and safety. The cabin boasts a combination of a side-tilting steering wheel, comfort pedals, a rotatable and fully integrated Kalmar seat, and complete climate control. It features a spacious new open design and curved front and rear windows that provide the operator with greater views diagonally, forwards and backwards. High capacity wipers offer more than 90% surface coverage of the front window, and roof wipers have been brought in to offer optimised visibility and safety, even under incredibly adverse weather conditions. A solid safety cage construction with profiled beams to eliminate blind spots improves health and safety, while noise levels can be reduced through the use of variable pumps and a temperature-controlled cooling fan that only runs when required. Service accessibility on the range is of premium importance, with the electric cabinet positioned to offer fast and easy access. All hydraulic oil filters can be reached from above at one location. All check points for daily inspection are directly accessible at ground level on the side of the truck and service intervals for the 9–18 tonne range are scheduled after 500 hours of operation. The G generation counterbalance equipment also offers a new electronic steering system and human-machine interface (HMI), providing the same set-up, irrespective of the Kalmar vehicle you operate. This intuitive design makes it easier for new drivers to famili
arise themselves with the trucks, while enhancing the work of experienced operators, Cargotec states. The DCG90-180 range features a new cooling system to optimise machine uptime. It employs two new Tier 4i/Stage IIIB emissions-compliant Volvo and Cummins diesel engines. These cut particulate emissions by 90%, as well as reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by half, states the manufacturer. Both also improve fuel efficiency whilst maintaining operational reliability, durability and performance by delivering maximum power and torque at low rpm.

AN UNMOVABLE FORCE

Forklifts are an ever-present concern for the manufacturers of the cargo-handling lift machines that service maritime trade. In these times of somewhat staggered economic recovery, it is significant that reports from the market for this staple machine of global commerce are positive. It is equally important that the companies that deliver these machines to our ports around the globe have a very clear focus on consistently further enhancing their operating capabilities. In a world where bleak news is so often at the forefront of discourse, such good news stories are always welcome.

  Gordon Feller reports

The lack of state vision meant that legal and regulatory frameworks did not develop as fast as logistics and transportation providers would have liked. “Our major problem is licensing. The market is over-regulated in that respect,” says Hussam Leheta, Chairman and Executive Director of Egytrans Holding, a transportation and logistics conglomerate. “Each activity we perform needs approvals from different government entities, and some need approvals from more than one entity.” According to Leheta, the licensing process became more difficult during the past 10 years for no obvious reasons. Mohamed A Hashish, Vice Chairman of Egyptian International Shipping, notes that there were security concerns and anyone seeking to expand or enter the business needs to go through a “pinhole,” meaning “facilitation payments.” “This is a major reason why foreign investors shied away,” he says. Aside from such under-the-table transactions, the bureaucracy was a serious impediment, according to Sherif Helmy, CI-Capital Senior Vice President.  Projects would take twice as much time to get done in Egypt as they would anywhere else, he says. George Wadie is Managing Director of Damco Egypt, the logistics arm of AP-Moller Group with 280 offices globally, which operates a cargo terminal in East Port Said. He sees an important role for the new government. “We need better legislation to govern inland transport, especially land transport, as well as to address the quality of service and training of people,” he says. Gihan Rashad, line shipping manager for Gulf Agency Company, a Swedish shipping firm, says part of the problem is the erratic implementation of regulations. “I had a client who would always use Alexandria seaport because the shipment is processed faster than other seaports in Egypt,” she says. “We have sufficient regulations. We just need to implement them properly.”  

Logistics in Egypt can be divided into three main categories: seaports and related services such as scheduling, docking, cargo storage and maintenance; inland transport, which is divided to land (93 percent), rail (6 percent) and river (1 percent); and the Suez Canal, which brought in LE 25.3 billion in FY2009/10, or about 3.2 percent of GDP. The rest of the transportation industry generated LE 35.3 billion in goods and services, or 4.1 percent of GDP, according to the Central Bank. Logistics and transportation represent 11.3 percent of total Egyptian investments, and government companies comprise 48 percent of the logistics and transportation industry. Large scale foreign investments are still new to a sector that in many ways is still in its infancy. “Companies have entered the market only in the past 10 years with the opening up of the Egyptian economy, globalisation and an increase of trade traffic,” says Wadie. “Actual investment in the necessary infrastructure began 15 years ago.” This open market has allowed investments by Dubai World in the Port of El-Sokhna, Hong Kong-based Hutchison in Alexandria and AP Moller Maersk in East Port Said, and smaller Italian investments in Damietta’s seaport. Several domestic companies have also grown as a result of this economic openness. Egytrans Holding is unique in Egypt in that it provides complete supply chain services from freight management and packaging through distribution. Egyptian International Shipping, which operates vessels between Asia – primarily Japan – and Egypt, diversified to provide shipping agency services when the market opened up in 1998. By nature, the logistics and transportation market structure is fragmented. “I can’t talk about the transport and logistics sector without separating it into industries. Some are consolidated, such as container storage, others are highly fragmented like shipping agencies,” says Helmy, of CI-Capital. Looking at the logistics and transportation sector as a whole, there are less than 20 large-scale providers per service and hundreds of niche providers, which are difficult to count. “Someone can own a warehouse and rent it,” says Rashad. “There is no operational structure, process or procedure.”  Such fragmentation makes it difficult to determine and compare loading and discharging rates. “It is also causing services to be very basic,” says Rashad. “The more consolidated the market, the easier it will be for large-scale companies to offer better services, expand services and standardise them across the country,” says Wadie. lf market consolidation is to occur, it will require foreign investment. “There is a large investment potential because the existing level of services is very basic, whether it is port services or inland transportation,” says Rashad. The government would have to be the main facilitator because of security considerations and the huge expense involved. “Shipping is a massive industry all over the world. But these investments are not seen. Container ships could cost $500 million, bulk ships $70 million,” says Hashish. “These ships are like mobile cities, their needs are endless.” Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are seen as a good investment promotion tool, and many logistics experts say investors would be comfortable with having the government commit to a project by being a partner. However, Hashish believes that having a special mechanism for PPP is not necessary. “Let everyone work alone, then if the circumstances dictate that the government needs to work with the private sector, then it should be under standard laws of partnership, it doesn’t need special legislation,” he says. Leheta has reservations, “This [PPP success] will really depend on the policies of the permanent government. The key is to let investors work and not intervene all the time. Overall, the PPP program is designed for large investments like logistics and transportation,” he says.

Finding an effective solution

A more effective solution with a huge impact might be a one-stop government shop to serve existing and new investors. Currently, the sector deals with ministries of Transport, and Trade and Industry, and sometimes security agencies and the military. “The majority of our problems are [related to] ministerial decrees, so it will only take the minister to decide to make it simpler for us,” says Leheta. He also suggests a central booking office for inland transportation.  “A major problem we face, in land transportation in particular, is that the return trip is usually empty. This means double the cost,” he explains. Rashad hints that having all forms of transportation under a single ministry is a formidable task, and that it would be better to divide up responsibilities among several ministries.
To properly develop this sector, the government will have to do more than facilitate licenses and eradicate corruption. “There has to be an integrated master plan led by the Ministry of Transport and involving other related ministries,” says Leheta. This master plan would eliminate overlapping jurisdictions. “This was the reason why a master plan did not exist. There was a joint committee to facilitate transport and trade, but it was frozen in 2005,” he adds. Inland transportation will require serious investment in roads, railroad tracks, river depots and barges. “There haven’t been a lot of viable opportunities offered by the government,” says Wadie. And that has caused an imbalance. “Notice that land transport is the most expensive and risky in terms of delay, pollution and possibility of damage. Yet it is 93 percent of transportation flow,” explains Helmy.  Wadie believes it is cheaper to invest in land transport because its infrastructure already exists, and that developing river and rail transport will require massive investments. “The key is to develop roads based on logistics and cargo needs [rather than for personal mobility]. So a highway between Borg El Arab industrial area and Alexandria Port would have priority over the highway connecting Shoubra with Sixth October City,” he says. “When the cost of trucking starts to increase beyond that of rail and river transport, then we wil
l start looking at these two alternatives.” However, everyone agrees there is a dire need for improvements in truck maintenance and the quality of drivers. For Hashish, river transport will have a significant impact. “Looking at Cairo, good river transportation could move a million people a day, and those boats could be solar powered like in Germany,” he says. The increasing flow of goods and omnipresent traffic jams will invariably lead logistics and transportation companies to consider rail or river investments, such as Citadel Capital’s investment in wheat barges and a river port 20km north of Cairo. According to Helmy, ideally river transport would account for 5 to 6 percent of inland transportation and railroads 10-20 percent.  

Egypt as a port hub

Maritime transport will invariably see more activity as nearly 40 percent of global oil transfer and 15 percent of trade traffic pass through the Suez Canal, and Egypt’s seaports handle 90 percent of imports and exports. As much as 50 percent of international shipping is container shipping and that accounts for 60 to 70 of commercial cargo, says Hashish. He sees Egypt’s largely undeveloped 2,000km coastline as a huge asset. “The vision is Egypt as a port hub,” he says. “Foreign investors, in general, like mega-projects such as port management,” says Leheta, and only three of Egypt’s 40 ports have international operators. There are other less expensive investment opportunities in providing ship-related services such as food, laundry, supplies, cleaning and maintenance, and general and specialised warehouses. “The best place in the world to do a crew change, for example, is the Suez Canal, yet ships prefer to do it elsewhere because of rigid security and bureaucratic complications,” says Hashish. “The Suez Canal in general needs more investments. The government has been treating it as passage, not an investment magnet.”   Rashad fails to understand why the plot of land east of East Port Said Port operated by AP Moller-Maersk is still not used as a logistics and transportation hub five years after the port was opened. “All logistics services and transportation to inside Egypt are currently done in old Port Said,” she says. “This is extremely inefficient and means that ships dock longer than necessary.” Hashish sees used coastline as a good opportunity for ship scrapping ventures. “It is quite cheap and extremely labour intensive and requires very little training. This scrap can then serve other industries like steel, aluminum and alloy producers, to name a few,” he says. A less prominent opportunity for investment is supplying crews for the ships. “The majority of ship crews come from Southeast Asia and Russia. We can’t export ours because of their poor education level,” says Hashish. “There are international schools for logistics management and maritime sciences, why not attract them to invest in Egypt?” asks Rashad. Logistics experts agree that what is needed is being included in the plans of a government that clearly communicates strategies and benchmarks. “In logistics and transportation, the problems are clear. The solutions are also clear. Short-term solutions like the one-stop-shop are simple. Long-term solutions are more difficult but doable,” says Leheta. Foremost among them is a government that facilitates development and then does not interfere.

Over the last couple of years Latin America has seen a tremendous growth in both container and bulk throughput. Hence, many governments and terminal operators are looking at increasing their presence in the world markets by investing in both expansion plans and much needed cargo handling equipment.

Here we give a short overview of some of the manufacturers that have done well in this part of the world but also what the ports are doing.

Argentina

In Argentina, Bromma was awarded a contract for 3 all-electric yard crane spreaders from Exolgan container terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Overall, Bromma crane spreader orders have increased over 100% during the first seven months 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

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A follow-up order for a sixth Liebherr mobile harbour crane, this time a LHM 600, was placed by Terminal T4, part of APM Terminals, which now operates a total of four cranes in the port of Buenos Aires.

Brazil

The Port of Santos is located in the city of Santos, Brazil and is the busiest container port in Latin America (after Panama). It is Brazil’s leading port in container traffic. Santos is served by all major regular shipping lines, providing transport to anywhere in the world. Last year, the port saw container throughput reach 2.7 million TEU – up 20.45 compared to 2009 when it handled 2.25 million TEU. But the port is heading to break the 3 million mark. Over the first six months of this year, containerised cargo continued to grow at double-digit level, rising 13.6% over the result of the same period last year, totalling 1.6 million TEU.  Some of the larger terminal projects in Santos are still under construction, both DP World’s Embraport, and APMT/TIL’s BTP will only see the light by 2013 (or maybe 2014/15). Triunfo, the main shareholder of the Portonave terminal in Navegantes/Itajai, is spearheading yet another private endeavour to add port capacity in Santos. The Terminal Portuario Pedro Brites project involves the construction of a combined ethanol/container terminal on a 50ha undeveloped privately-owned marshland, providing 0.9 million TEU capacity. In spite of having obtained a preliminary environmental license, this project still faces a number of regulatory hurdles, including its adoption with the Port of Santos Master Plan and the legal uncertainty surrounding the concept of private terminals for mixed use. Delivery in 2015 might be an optimistic forecast for this project. By 2024 the port of Santos will have received both private and public investments of up to USD6 billion allocated at improving the infrastructure and annual capacity. Some of this money will be allocated to deepen the access channel to -17m, and strengthening of the existing berths in order to achieve the deepening.

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For Austria-based Liebherr-Werk Nenzing, Brazil continues to be a key market for their mobile harbour cranes. In 2011, the company delivered 12 mobile harbour cranes making a total of 42 machines sold across Latin America. Intermaritima situated in the port of Aratu opted for the 4-rope version of the LHM 280 for dedicated bulk handling. The same type of crane was purchased by Companhia Operadora Portuaria do Itaqui. The second LHM for this company will be delivered to Itaqui Port, Sao Luis. Also Fortesolo Serviços Integrados and Harbor Operadora Portuária needed new equipment for their bulk handling terminals in Paranagua, but decided to go for the next bigger machine within the range, the LHM 320. Furthermore Serra Morena supports its operation in Rio Grande with a new LHM 280 as well as a new LHM 550, now working side-by-side with two LHM 320s.

Major container operators, Tecondi and Rodrimar added the state-of-the-art LHM 550 to their fleet of container handling cranes in the port of Santos. The LHM 550 for Tecondi is equipped with the new Pactronic Hybrid Drive System. Tecondi also took delivery of its fourth LHM 600, currently the largest mobile harbour crane available. Alongside the two LHM 550 Rodrimar purchased an additional used LHM 400 for its operation in Recife.

Triunfo Operadora Portuária purchased one LHM 180 for its general cargo handling terminal in Rio de Janeiro. This crane will be used to move offshore cargo for Petrobras.

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Finally the first two super post panamax gantry cranes for the Port of Paranagua, complete the Brazilian success story for Liebherr. The cranes, which are scheduled for delivery by the first quarter of 2012 will be the first Liebherr ship-to-shore cranes to be supplied to Brazil. The container cranes have a waterside outreach of 52.5m, span of 18m and landside backreach of 15m. Total lift height under spreader is 38m. SWL is 65 tonnes under twin lift spreader and 75 tonnes under hook beam. Hoist speed is 70-175m/min and trolley speed is 210m/min. Crane travel speed is 45m/min.

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In February 2011, terminal operator TCP Paranagua awarded Finland-based Konecranes a repeat order for six RTG (rubber tyred gantry) cranes. This is Konecranes’ third RTG delivery to TCP and when the recently ordered cranes have been delivered, TCP Paranagua will have sixteen Konecranes RTGs in their fleet. The new cranes will be delivered by the end of 2011. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order. “Our cooperation with TCP Paranagua started already in year 2000 when the first Konecranes RTGs were delivered,” says Kim Salven, responsible for port crane sales in South America. “We are extremely proud of this third repeat order from TCP.” This delivery will increase TCP’s RTG capacity with more than 30%. The 16-wheel RTGs are equipped with Konecranes Active Load Control, fuel saver and crane management system, ensuring safe and uninterrupted use of the cranes. They have a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes and can stack one over five containers high, and six plus truck lane wide.

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International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) has stepped up terminal automation at the Suape Container Terminal (SCT) in Recife, Brazil with the implementation of their gate and yard automation projects. “We intend to bring terminal automation to the next level by tapping the best IT solutions in the industry,” said Christian R Gonzalez, ICTSI vice president and MICT general manager. Tecon Suape SA (TSSA) partnered with APS Technology to implement systems on gate automation, quay crane optical character recognition (OCR) and yard tractor identification for the SCT. The APS systems will support volume growth, reduce operational costs and meet customs requirement. TSSA took in APS after the latter successfully completed a similar project in Guayaquil Container and Multipurpose Terminals, ICTSI’s terminal in Ecuador.  “Recife is considered one of the biggest logistics centres in Brazil, and at TSSA, we are updating our information technology infrastructure to meet continued volume growth at the terminal,” said Sergio Kano, TSSA Chief Executive Officer. 

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Meclift, the Finnish producer of material handling equipment, is having enormous interest in Latin America. After selling the first unit of ML1612R Variable Reach Truck to Brazil and signing a distribution agreement with F&F Comercio e Representacoes Ltda in 2010 the success of Meclift has been growing month by month.

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Cargotec has received a further order from Santos Brasil S/A for 12 Kalmar E-One2 rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. The agreement confirms one of South America’s leading container terminal operators as the biggest customer of Kalmar E-One RTGs worldwide totalling 41 machines. The units were ordered to equip the customer’s newly inaugurated Tecon Santos Terminal 4 expansion. Their delivery will commence in the fourth quarter of 2011. Santos Brasil’s new all-electric, environmentally-friendly 16-wheel RTGs will be 7+1 wide
and 1-over-6 high and come equipped with Kalmar Smartrail, an auto-steering and container position verification system. Cargotec’s 16-wheel design, in combination with the light weight of its cranes, puts less stress on terminal surfaces compared to conventional 8-wheel units. The terminal operator’s cranes will feature 55-tonnes capacity twin-lift Bromma spreaders with load sensing capability via the twist-locks.

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Terex Cranes has delivered seven Terex TFC 46 M full “dry” and high-container reachstacker units via Equiport, a Terex Port Equipment Distributor, to Santos Port, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Santos Port currently accounts for the highest concentration of Terex reach stackers per square kilometer of any port in the world. All together there are 450 Terex reach stackers in operation throughout Latin America.

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Buenos Port is host to four major terminal operators, including DP World, APM Terminals, PSA and Hutchison Port Holdings, and all are vying for a profitable share of the annual throughput in containers.  In 2009, South America’s largest port saw container throughput fall by almost 21% – perhaps in line with a reduction in Argentine imports, and the ongoing erosion of its position as the principal point for cargo consolidation in the region’s third largest economy. The port handled a total 1.4 million TEU – down from the year before when it handled almost 1.8 million TEU. But with economies around the world improving, the port worked hard to make up the figures for 2010 and container throughput at the four terminals saw 23% growth to 1.7 million TEU – almost the same level of 2008. Located at Terminal 5 in the port is Buenos Aires Container Terminal (BACTSSA) operated by Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), BACTSSA occupies a total land area of 25 hectares, with 885m of quay and an 18 hectare container yard. The terminal has an annual capacity of around 450,000 TEU. In May 2010, BACTSSA welcomed the first call of the Patagonia Service of Patagonia Shipping Lines. The service will call at Buenos Aires every 15 days on a rotation that also includes the ports of Montevideo and Ushuaia. Terminales Rio de la Plata (TRP) is located in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires. TRP is the largest container terminal in Argentina and additionally handles general cargo and cruise vessels. TRP’s facility, a joint venture in which DP World owns 55.62%, comprises of three basins, providing up to five berths for vessel operations. TRP has significant reefer capacity, 1,650 plugs, which accommodate the large volume of reefer exports from Argentina. DP World obtained the operational concession until 2019 of the terminal, which has an annual capacity of 831,000 TEU. In 2010, TRP welcomed plans from Mitsui OSK Lines, Japan, to continue its service it shares with Singapore’s PIL and Evergreen and Cosco Container Lines. Both shipping lines announced plans to combine their jointly operated Far East-South America and Far East-Africa express services into a new Asia-South America service.

Chile

In Chile, Portuaria Lirquén is already successfully operating a new Liebherr Mobile Crane (LHM 550) equipped with the new Pactronic Hybrid Drive System. At the moment the finger pier in Lirquén accommodates not less than six Liebherr Mobile Harbour Cranes capable of handling two vessels simultaneously. Also the LFS-series (fixed on a pedestal) was able to continue its effective market launch with the delivery of a third crane of this type (LFS 600) to Electroandina in Chile. In addition to its energy business, Electroandina offers port services in Tocopilla, for loading and unloading of bulk goods, liquids, and general cargo.  Liebherr also just finalised another major contract for two more LHM 600 for a Chilean container operator. This order will bring the number of LHM 600 delivered to Latin America to a total of eight within the last two years. With this latest order it shows that there is a huge demand for mobile harbour cranes with a large capacity (208 tonnes) as well as a large outreach (58m). In addition, the latest generation of the LHM 600 can be equipped with the Pactronic Hybrid Drive System, which not only provides unrivalled speed resulting in a 30% increase of productivity but also a 30% decrease in fuel consumption.

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The Chilean port of Coquimbo has plans to expand in order to accommodate larger vessels and to triple cargo throughput by 2015. The port is planning to extend its existing 348m-long quay by an additional 120m. It also plans to deepen the access channel enabling fully loaded 50,000dwt vessels to enter the port. Tender documents for the project will be available in November 2011.

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Colombia

The Port of Cartagena, the well-established South American hub in Colombia, might have been dubbed by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) as the “Best Port of the Caribbean” on four occasions and it continues to benefit from congestion and inefficiency at neighbouring ports. As a result, the port is host to a concentration of regional trans-shipment operations by Hamburg Süd, CMA CGM and CSAV. The port has seen continued growth in container throughput – despite a global economic downturn – and last year was no different. Cartagena experienced 27.8% growth in container volumes to 1.58 million TEU. In 2009, the port handled a total of 1.2 million TEU – up 16.2% compared to 2008 when it handled 1 million TEU. Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena, the port’s main operator, is operating two terminals – the Manga Terminal and Contecar Terminal. The Manga Terminal, with an annual container capacity of 1.2 million TEU, has an excellent land and river connectivity with Colombia´s inland and its main consumption centres, making it one of the most important distribution and trans-shipment hubs in the region. The terminal has a quay length of 700m with a depth of -15.2m alongside, capable of accommodating two container vessels of 6.000 TEU capacity at the same time.  Contecar terminal is located in Mamonal and has been undergoing an USD150 million expansion project to increase the port´s annual capacity to 4 million TEU. The project includes reclaiming land and constructing the country’s first super post-panamax berths, dredging to deepen the access channel and alongside the berth. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2014 in conjunction with the opening of the Panama Canal and will accommodate large container vessels.

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Mexico

It seems that Manzanillo in Mexico has come back from the downturn with a vengeance. In 2009, Manzanillo handled a disappointing 1.1 million TEU – down 21% compared to 2008 but in 2010 it raised its stake and saw container throughput increase by 36% to 1.5 million TEU. Manzanillo is strategically located for international trade with the United States, Canada, Central and South America and the countries that make up the Pacific Rim. Unfortunately, these countries were badly hit by the downturn in 2009 but saw a surge in container throughput in 2010. Hence the increase at Manzanillo as shipping lines started to use alternative ports of call once again to enter the US for the trade of Asian manufactured goods to US consumer markets. At the beginning of 2010, Jan de Nul’s Mexican dredging subsidiary, Dragamex, completed a USD35 million dredging contract to widen and deepen the approach channel to accommodate the arrival of vessels with a draught of up to -15m. This has made it attractive to carriers that normally would be by-passing Manzanillo. But the completion of the expansion project of the Panama Canal in 2014 might spoil this once again as carriers would take goods direct to the east coast markets via the Panama Canal.  In 2010, Lazaro Cardenas, operated by Hutchison Port Holdings, continued to bring worries to operators in Manzanillo. In 2009, fierce rivalry between the Pacific coast ports of Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas saw shippi
ng lines looking to reduce costs by restructuring services with Lazaro Cardenas emerging as the big winner. But the deepening of the approach channel has brought confidence back with both operators and shipping lines. The port’s most important customers, Mediterranean Shipping Co, K Line and MOL, kept calling at the largest terminal SSA Mexico. Philippine-based ICTSI who won a 34-year concession to develop and operate a second container terminal at Manzanillo has also sprung to action. ICTSI is developing the terminal together with the Mexican Government – both are spending around USD771 million in total. The first phase of the terminal is expected to be operational in 2012 and will ultimately offer three berths, with a combined handling capacity of 2 million TEU a year.

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Crane spreader manufacturer, Stockholm-based Bromma, reports to have received numerous orders from Mexico including 9 units of their all-electric spreader (the YSX40E) from Lazaro Cardenas Terminal Portuaria de Contenedores and 5 units all-electric yard spreaders from Terminal Internacional de Manzanillo in Mexico.

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Kongsberg Maritime Mexico SA de CV, became fully operational out of its new facility in the city of Veracruz this summer. As an extension to Kongsberg Maritime’s worldwide service network, the new service hub will offer service and support to DP vessels and merchant ships with Kongsberg Maritime navigation, automation and control systems on board. Kongsberg Maritime Mexico was formally established in January 2011. Kongsberg Maritime New Orleans supported the planning and setup for its operational start this summer. The operation in Mexico currently has five employees, including three field engineers, who will continue to work closely with Kongsberg Maritime’s established service team in New Orleans.

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Peru

Callao, the biggest Peruvian port, is expected to handle close to 2 million TEU by 2015. In the meantime, the port handled 1.3 million TEU in 2010 – up 23.5% compared to 2009 when it handled 1 million TEU. One of its terminals is the new DP World Muelle Sur concession with an annual capacity of 850,000 TEU. To cater for the expected growth the Peruvian government prepared the tendering of Muelle Norte. The tender process got stranded in legal disputes over whether or not DP World should be allowed to bid, as it was feared that it could result in a private monopoly within the country.  In early April, APM Terminals was awarded the concession. The new Government elected in June is not as favourable to concessions as its predecessor, and DP World is suing the Government on grounds of unfair competition.  Group Chief Executive Mohamed Sharaf commented on the current arbitration process with Peruvian authorities relating to DP World’s exclusion from the tender to operate the new North Quay at Callao (DP World already has the concession to operate the South Quay at the port). “It is a procedural matter that we were supposed to be allowed into the tender for the second terminal, and we were not allowed to,” said Sharaf. In November 2010, CMA-CGM announced that it would extend its Black Pearl service to the west coast of South America. The carrier will now include calls at ports in Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile in order to capture some of the double-digit trade growth that has taken place between South and North America.

In 2010, container traffic between the west coast of South America and the US grew by 23.5% compared to 2009. The extended Black Pearl service will also call at Panama’s Atlantic hub of Manzanillo and the Pacific hub of Balboa, where CMA-CGM will offer trans-shipment options to its Asian services, while connections to European services will be offered through a call at Kingston, Jamaica. The new South American ports are Guayaquil in Ecuador, Callao in Peru, and San Antonio in Chile, and the six 1,100 TEU-capacity vessels will offer increased reefer slots for refrigerated exports out of South America.

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Uruguay

With the global economic downturn behind us it seems that the government of Uruguay is interested in building a new deepwater port at Garzon. Plans for the new port date from 2005 and would be situated on the left-hand side of the Garzon lagoon and only be accessible via a bridge. Plans for the new 540 ha port include 8.5km of berths. Of the total a mere 200ha will have a quay with a depth alongside of 20-22m while another 100ha will feather a depth of 15-20m.