Each dome is 90 feet high and 190 feet in diameter. When construction is completed the domes will be encased as solid concrete structures. This method provided a more effective construction process. The terminal is expected to be fully functional by the time the 2011 harvest begins in early August. “The additional terminal capacity created by Parrish and Heimbecker will be a benefit to the farming community across our region, extending their reach to broader international markets,” said HPA president and CEO Bruce Wood. The terminal will be a primary centre for P&H to move grains and other agricultural commodities. Conveyors in the floor inside the domes allow for grain to be loaded onto vessels. “The Port of Hamilton made strategic sense for this development,” said Parrish and Heimbecker director eastern Canadian grain operations Robert Bryson. “The established volumes of ship traffic allow our operation to connect to the efficient shipping opportunities at the port.” Overseas traffic is critical to supporting growth of both import and export cargo volumes. The food products sector is a growing area of the local economy and this development further supports its advancement. Multimodal connections between marine, truck and rail create a sustainable system of moving a mix of wheat, corn, soybeans and other agricultural commodities.  All of which contribute to reduced supply chain costs.

To meet this goal, the Commission wants to achieve a ban on conventionally-fuelled cars in cities, 40% use of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation, at least 40% cut in shipping emissions and a 50% shift of medium distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport.

For seaports, the White Paper announces initiatives in the field of infrastructure, services, financing, safety and security.

Infrastructure concerns the integration of ports into the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). The Commission has already outlined the basic criteria for the inclusion of ports in both the core and comprehensive network and is expected to produce concrete maps in the next few months. In the White Paper, the Commission highlights the need to have more and efficient entry points into European markets, avoiding unnecessary traffic crossing Europe. Motorways of the Sea will form the maritime dimension of the core network. In general, the Commission expects that the multimodal TEN-T core network will be fully functional by 2030, with a high quality and capacity network by 2050 and a corresponding set of information services. By that time all core seaports should be sufficiently connected to the rail freight network and, where possible, inland waterway system. The Commission expects that 30% of road freight over 300 km should shift to other modes such as rail or waterborne transport by 2030, and more than 50% by 2050. It is interesting to note that, on infrastructure generally, the Commission wants to streamline procedures for projects of overriding European interest in order to ensure reasonable time limits for completing the whole cycle of procedures, ensure a communication framework that is in line with the project implementation and foresee integrated planning which takes environmental issues into account in early stages of the planning procedure.

On port services, the Commission announces it will review restrictions generally and, for pilotage, establish a framework for the granting of Pilot Exemption Certificates (PECs) in EU ports. This process has started earlier this year already, with a first consultation round of Member States and studies on dock labour and PECs in preparation. The Commission further confirms its ambition to complete the internal market for shipping through the development of a ‘Blue Belt’ and corresponding ‘Blue Lanes’ in ports.

As regards port financing, the aim is to enhance transparency by lowering the threshold of the general Transparency Directive. This should help in clarifying the destination of public funding to the different port activities with a view to avoid any distortion of competition. It is known that the services of DG Competition are about to start a study on port financing and also the European Parliament has commissioned a report on State aid in ports. Whether State aid guidelines for ports will come forth in the end or not is not entirely clear, but the White Paper does announce that ‘guidelines providing clarification concerning public funding’ will be issued for different modes of transport and transport infrastructure ‘where necessary’. In the longer term (2016 to 2020), the Commission also plans measures to internalise costs for local pollution and noise in ports.

Finally, on safety and security, SafeSeaNet will be developed into the core system for all relevant maritime information tools needed to support maritime safety and security and the protection of the marine environment from ship-source pollution. The Commission also announces measures to enhance security of cargo in ports.

“The approach of the White Paper is generally positive and we certainly welcome the intention to make planning procedures for infrastructure more efficient”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven in a first reaction, “As for ports, many of the announced initiatives were somehow in the pipeline already and correspond to our expectations. We will however be making a thorough analysis of all proposals and revert with a formal response in the near future.” The White Paper and all accompanying documents can be downloaded from the Commission’s website where also a short film can be found that highlights the objectives of the new transport policy in an original way.

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“We are making solid environmental progress, with a reduction of CO2 emissions per TEU of 15.8% in three years, reducing our diesel fuel and switching to carbon-neutral electrical sourcing” said APM Terminals Head of Corporate Responsibilities Henrik Kristensen. On a company-wide level, major policy steps were taken in 2010 to promote “Green” operations that corresponded to a USD 15 million annual savings:

Switching to carbon neutral energy sources from diesel power.

12% of APM Terminals’ electricity is now sourced from CO2 neutral power, up from 4% in 2009.

Fuel consumption reduced by 10,000 tons.

Electrical consumption reduced by 40,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) compared with 2009.

The conversion of APM Terminals’ RTG fleet to electric power from diesel will begin with the Asia Pacific Region facilities this year.

All new terminal projects are designed to reduce environmental impact by 20% compared with existing business levels.

Aggressive ongoing environmental initiatives have enabled APM Terminals to meet its stated goal of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per TEU handled by 15% from the 2007 baseline. In 2010, 11.68 kg of CO2 per TEU were produced, representing a 16.3% decline in emissions per TEU from 2009, when CO2 emissions were 13.96 kg per TEU. Of this figure, 9% of the CO2 reduction registered for 2010 was due to direct efficiency improvement, while the remaining 7% difference reflected changes in the scope of emission tracking and measurement. During the company’s base year of 2007, CO2 emissions were 17.42 kg per TEU.

This year APM Terminals will also implement a company-wide Environment Management System (EMS) which is aligned with ISO14001 standards; a framework that will allow all business units to mitigate and control environmental impact in both marine and Inland Services operations. “EMS will match current environmental legislation and establish consistency across our businesses around the world said Kristensen, adding, “It will continuously drive performance, use more environmental friendly products and reduce climate change effects”. These and other tools such as Process Excellence programs, outside performance auditing and benchmarking will also be used to promote employee engagement and environmental awareness. “Our goal for 2011 is to reduce our relative footprint by another 6%. We applaud our leaders in our terminals worldwide who delivered such fine results and set the pace for future performance. We call the industry to more action and more collaboration to raise the bar to improve international standards”, added Mr. Kristensen.

Monitoring environmental performance has become an integral part of operations at both marine facilities and the Inland Services businesses which comprise the APM Terminals Global Port, Terminal and Inland Services Network – now numbering over 50 ports, 11 port projects and over 120 inland facilities in 64 countries.  All business units are now required to track monthly energy consumption to gauge progress, and identify new opportunities for improvement.

The cheque was presented by Paul Davey, HPUK Head of Corporate Affairs at an assembly at Kingsfleet School on 28th March. Mr Davey commented: “The HPH Dock Schools Programme provides our ports with a mechanism to support local schools, and it allows the schools to benefit from links with one of the area’s biggest employers. We are committed to the community in which we do our business, and aim to ensure that, wherever possible, we can ‘do our bit’ to help that community prosper.” Kyrsty Beattie, Headteacher at Kingsfleet Primary School commented: “Firstly I would just like to say thank you on behalf of all the adults and children at Kingsfleet

The school has been working with the Suffolk Grounds service to create a visionary plan which is aimed at extending opportunities to promote children’s creative and imaginative development at play time. This funding will turn part of that plan into reality. This is an exciting time for us and we are very grateful for this support from Hutchinson Port; helping us take a step forward towards our vision – thank you.” A number of schools in Felixstowe have benefitted from the Dock School programme. Last year Grange Community Primary School used the Dock School money to build a science pond. Causton Junior School and Maidstone Infants School have all also benefitted in previous years.