The two new cranes, which will be called Charlie and Delta, took three months to build. The cranes are part of DP World’s development plans for Southampton and follow ABP’s successful application to construct an additional 500m berth as well as the recent multi million pound rail upgrade which means more boxes can leave the port by rail.

The results show the approximate emission reductions from 22 cruise ship connections for Holland America’s ship, the Oosterdam, while using the shore power system. It includes call information from the end of November 2010 through April 16, 2011. “The Port of San Diego is the second in California and fifth port in the world to use shore power at its cruise ship terminals,” said Scott Peters, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. “We’re pleased to have partnered with Holland America Lines on this project. As environmental stewards, the Port is always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment.” Shore power technology is just one of the initiatives the Port of San Diego has implemented to minimize its impact on the environment through its Green Port Program.

To help pay for the system, the Port was awarded a state Carl Moyer grant by the California Air Resources Board through the county’s Air Pollution Control District. This is the first shore power system the Carl Moyer grant has funded. “The San Diego Air Pollution Control District is proud to have been an active partner in this endeavor by providing a $2.4 million Carl Moyer Program grant for the installation of the shore power system at the cruise ship terminal,” said Bob Kard, Air Pollution Control Officer. “This alternative source of power will help reduce ships’ emissions and improve the air quality for all San Diego County residents and visitors.”

Shore power is the process of switching from a ship’s onboard diesel power supply to shore-based electrical power, while the ship is at the dock. This process greatly reduces polluting air emissions from the ships since electricity from the grid is much cleaner than electricity generated from diesel engines.

Air pollutants are harmful to the environment (some create smog) and to people’s health.

Greenhouse gases generated by human activities contribute to changes in the earth’s atmosphere, or climate change. “This is significant in reaching the goals of the Port’s Green Port Program,” said Cody Hooven, Associate Environmental Specialist. “It means each time a cruise ship connects to the shore power system, it’s equivalent to taking close to 400 passenger cars off the road for one day in pollution reductions. And, for greenhouse gasses, it’s equivalent to removing close to 1,300 passenger cars from the road for one day.” Tracking these emission reduction results involves calculating approximate offset of nine different pollutants using methods of the California Air Resources Board. This is done by comparing estimated emissions from generating grid electricity to the emissions from combusting marine-grade diesel used by the ships. The data includes estimates of particulate matter, diesel particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and two greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide. The system cost $7.1 million and was installed by Cochran Marine, which has perfected the shore power standard for cruise ships. The company has installed shore power for the ports in Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Port’s Green Port projects focus on six areas – water, energy, air, waste management, sustainable development and sustainable business practices.

Twenty-three Green Port projects are in place, including the clean truck program, which offered grant funding from the state and matching funds from the Port to replace or retrofit older model trucks to reduce harmful emissions. In addition, the Port started the voluntary vessel speed reduction program, in which cargo and cruise vessel operators are asked to reduce speeds while traveling in and near San Diego’s harbor.

With a gross tonnage of 92,720 tonnes the Costa Luminosa boasts 12 passenger decks, a two-level wellness facility with gym and spa, a 4D cinema, 18-hole golf simulator and various restaurants. Costa Cruises have been a regular visitor to the Essex port over the past few years and will call four times this year. Two further calls will be made during May, with Costa Pacifica making an inaugural call and Costa Magica arriving from Savona Italy and embarking passengers for a taste of the Great capitals of Europe cruise. 

David Gledhill, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd which owns Harwich International Port, said: “We are justly proud of the facilities offered at Harwich International Port, and have invested significantly in recent years to ensure that we provide the best infrastructure for our customers and a seamless journey for passengers passing through the cruise terminal. Harwich is one of the country’s major gateways for cruise and ferry tourism, with excellent transport links to Cambridge and London, as well as convenient access to Constable country and historic Harwich providing interesting excursion opportunities for visiting passengers.”The Essex port is expecting 27 cruise calls in 2011, with returning customers, new customers and inaugural ship calls. It has ample parking facilities for passengers arriving by car and, almost uniquely, a mainline train station integrated into the cruise terminal.

The higher net income was mainly due to an increase in volume brought about by the continued recovery of international trade, favorable container volume mix, and higher revenues from storage and ancillary services.  ICTSI handled consolidated volume of 1,171,969 twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) in the first quarter of 2011, 22 percent higher compared to the 962,028 TEUs handled in the same period in 2010.  The increase in volume was mainly due to the continued recovery of the global economy particularly in markets where ICTSI’s terminals are located, and the inclusion of the TEU volume generated from the company’s new terminal in Portland, Oregon, USA.  Throughput from the company’s container terminal operations in Asia increased 13 percent to 687,196 TEUs in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 610,401 TEUs in 2010.  The ICTSI Group’s container terminal operations in Asia accounted for 59 percent of consolidated volume in the first quarter of 2011 with Yantai Rising Dragon International Container Terminal Ltd. (YRDICTL) in Yantai, China, Mindanao International Container Terminal Services Inc. (MICTSI) in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines and Davao Integrated Port and Stevedoring Services Corp. (DIPPSCOR) in Davao, southern Philippines registering exceptional volume growth levels of 51 percent, 36 percent and 34 percent,  respectively. 

Volume from the Group’s container terminal operations in the Americas grew 46 percent to 345,306 TEUs in 2011, from 236,588 TEUs handled in the same period in 2010.  The Group’s two operating container terminals in Latin America continued to deliver excellent volume growth in the first quarter of 2011 with Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA) in Ecuador posting a 39 percent increase and Tecon Suape, S.A. (TSSA) in north eastern Brazil increasing by 29 percent.  This region also benefited from the volume generated by the newly acquired terminal in Portland, Oregon, USA which the Group began to operate in 12 February 2011.  The contribution of container volume from the Americas increased from 25 percent to 29 percent. 

Container terminal operations in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), comprised of terminals in Poland, Madagascar, Syria and Georgia, handled 139,467 TEUs in the first quarter of 2011, 21 percent higher compared to the 115,039 TEUs handled in the same period in 2010.  Batumi International Container Terminal LLC (BICTL) in Batumi, Georgia, Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia, Poland, and Tartous International Container Terminal (TICT) in Tartous, Syria all registered impressive throughputs with volume growth levels of 294 percent, 25 percent and 11 percent, respectively.  EMEA operations accounted for 12 percent of consolidated volume in first quarter of 2011. 

First quarter 2011 gross revenue from port operations increased 28 percent to US$154.9 million, from US$120.7 million reported in the same period in 2010.  The increase in revenues was mainly due to the growth in volume in all geographic segments, favorable container volume mix, higher storage revenues and revenues generated from the Group’s new terminal operations in Portland, Oregon, USA. 

In addition, gross revenue contribution from the Group’s six key terminal operations in Manila, Brazil, Poland, Ecuador, Madagascar and China, which accounted for 89 percent of the Group’s consolidated gross revenue for the quarter, increased 25 percent, from US$109.7 million in 2010 to US$137.2 million in 2011. 

Gross revenue from container terminal operations in Asia increased 12 percent, from US$62.8 million in the first quarter of 2010 to U$70.2 million in 2011 with YRDICTL in China, MICTSI and DIPPSCOR in southern Philippines registering exceptional revenue improvements of 55 percent, 57 percent and 43 percent, respectively.  Asian port operations accounted for 45 percent of ICTSI’s first quarter consolidated gross revenue in 2011 compared to 52 percent in the same period last year. 

First quarter gross revenue from container terminal operations in the Americas was 58 percent higher in 2011 at US$67.7 million compared to US$42.7 m
illion in 2010.  The increase was mainly from the exceptional performance of Group’s container terminal operations in Brazil and Ecuador, which grew 68 percent and 35 percent, respectively, and additional revenues generated by the newly acquired terminal in Portland, Oregon, USA.  The share of gross revenue from the Group’s terminals in the Americas increased, from 35 percent in 2010 to 44 percent in 2011. 

The Group’s EMEA operations, which accounted for 11 percent of the Group’s gross revenue for the quarter, rose 12 percent, from US$15.1 million in 2010 to US$17.0 million in 2011.  The increase was mainly due to the terminals in Georgia and Poland, which posted revenue improvements of 189 percent and 17 percent, respectively. 

Total consolidated cash operating expenses for the quarter increased 35 percent to US$63.5 million, from US$47.0 million in the same period in 2010 driven by the growth in volume-related expenses and start-up and operating expenses from newly acquired terminal in Portland, Oregon.   Excluding the start-up and operating expenses from the terminal in Portland, total cash operating expenses would have only increased by 23 percent. 

Consolidated EBITDA increased 26 percent to US$71.2 million in 2011, from US$56.6 million in 2010 mainly due to the strong growth in volume across all geographic segments of the Group and stronger revenues from storage and ancillary services.  Consolidated EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2011 slightly decreased to 46 percent, from 47 percent in the same period in 2010 due to the start-up and operating expenses incurred in the terminal in Portland.   First quarter of 2010 consolidated financing charges and other expenses increased by 99 percent to US$13.5 million compared to last year¹s US$6.8 million.  The increase was due primarily to the increase in interest expense brought about by the higher debt level and a one-time equity tax charge in the Buenaventura, Colombia project. 

ICTSI’s capital expenditure amounted to US$32.4 million in the first three months of 2011 against a full year capital expenditure budget of US$356 million.  The established budget is mainly allocated for new projects in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia, and for civil works, systems improvement, and purchase of major cargo handling equipment at its terminal operations in Manila, Brazil and Ecuador.