Perhaps it wouldn’t be overstating the case to say that 2009 was a bad year for cargo handling equipment manufacturers while 2010 was [much] better for order intake? Apparently, for VDL Containersystemen BV in the Netherlands, last year was a good year for business. “The first half of the year was very quiet and the order intake was low. But we used the quiet time to improve our spreaders, and to restructure our organisation,” said Pieter Verdonschot, Sales Manager – Spreaders for VDL Containersystemen. “We changed our production philosophy a little bit, we now work more under the ‘lean’ thoughts which makes us able to (among others) improve our delivery times.” According to Verdonschot, the second half of the year was more positive with a much better order intake. “We also found a new agent in Spain who immediately did good business for us,” says Verdonschot. “During the last quarter of 2010 we received many orders from all over the world. Now we are increasing our capacity for the production of our spreaders to be able to meet up with the needs of our customers.” Similar noises are coming from Bromma, Sweden which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. According to Vikram Raman, Vice-President – Commercial Management at Bromma, the recession has made some customers more cost-sensitive. Raman elaborated on this point by explaining that there were a couple of ‘issues’ affecting the market during 2010, including the fact that corporate cost-cutting resulted in some terminals having a greater need for after-sales (which worked well for Bromma due to fewer service points on all-electric spreaders and easier fault diagnostics on spreaders with SCS3).  Also many operators considered the initial [high] purchase price of a spreader but didn’t consider a long-term view with lower lifecycle costs from reduced energy consumption and reduced maintenance cost a big advantage on for example the all-electric Bromma spreaders. He also added that there was an increase in ‘conversations’ on automated terminals and that there was an increase in activities in emerging markets such as India, West Africa and North Africa.

For 2010 – and in particular the last quarter, Bromma saw order intake up 50% compared to the same period in 2009. As a result, Bromma maintained its global market share of more than 50% in the spreader market and – according to Raman – continues to sell more crane spreaders than all its competitors combined. The company has also seen a steady performance in the spreader segment for Mobile Harbour Cranes (MHC) with nearly 50 MHC spreaders ordered during the last two quarters of 2010 (this segment includes replacement spreaders sold directly to terminals and orders from the two largest OEM suppliers).

Raman is confident the market will be picking up and is planning to expand their market share by increasing its sales force around the globe. “In the same way we are expanding our engineering we will naturally also add sales competence globally,” added Therese Westerudd, Marketing Manager at Bromma. “We will do this in response to increased market demand but also proactively in the regions we believe there will be a growth.” Another company that is doing well is Sweden-based SweFrame Port Equipment AB. Similar to its competitors it has identified the world’s hotspots for spreaders as India, Africa, South America and Asia.

The company was established during 2010 and received some important orders in its first year of operations. During 2010 it delivered its first unit – a Y40-E spreader – to Malta Freeport, while two units of I40-H were due to be delivered at the end of February 2011 to the Port of Tilbury, United Kingdom. The I40-H spreader is mainly designed for the ‘older’ cranes with less SWL and lower hoisting speed than the newer cranes have today. Therefore the spreader has a lower tare weight to increase the SWL for the operator.

New technology

As pointed out by Verdonschot his company took the ‘quiet time’ to improve their spreaders. Often this is the result of a customer query and has benefit for both parties. “We still see a lot of customers asking for custom-made spreaders,” said Verdonschot. “For example the spreaders delivered to crane manufacturer Cimolai Technology in Italy, were ‘Piggyback’ spreaders with corner flippers, gravity adjustment and rotation. These spreaders were ‘full options’ spreaders.” The VDL spreader has been totally renewed, and is a more modular spreader which can be produced quicker and weighs less than before. The company has also been successful in the United States. The New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is upgrading its North Shore Marine Transfer station to load garbage for transport by barge to a waste disposal site or intermodal terminal. Last September, VDL received an order for three spreaders for the containerised waste barge terminal. This contract has been won in partnership with USA-based Mi-Jack.  In the first week of 2011, VDL received a new order for a second terminal – again for three spreaders. “This DSNY project is giving our cooperation a new impulse. With Mi-Jack we are very confident to score some more spreader orders this year,” said Verdonschot. These DSNY spreaders are also custom-made spreaders, and will be fully electric fixed 20ft spreaders with corner flippers and side-shift on it. Currently they are testing the electric flipper with some good results with regard to the capacities of the flippers. VDL supplied their first all-electric telescopic yard crane spreader in January to BCT in Den Bosch, the Netherlands. “We have done a lot of engineering for this project, the spreader is installed and has been working without any problems in the terminal in Den Bosch now for a couple of weeks,” said Verdonschot. The company has also opted to equip their spreaders with two 5.5kW electric motors drive (parallel running) and two separate hydraulic pumps. “The advantage of this construction is that if one drive system fails you can carry on with reduced speed, with the other drive-system,” explains Verdonschot.  During a meeting earlier this year, Bromma also revealed some new developmen
ts that are in the pipeline. According to Lars Meurling, Vice-President – Marketing & Product Business Development, the company will launch the second generation of their GreenLine spreader family at the end of the second half of 2011. In the same period it will also expand their portfolio of safety products.  Last year, the company launched its load sensing device on the spreader to identify overloaded containers. This device not only is a preventive measurement it also creates a safe working environment, lowers terminal insurance costs, and prevents property claims and associated damages. More over it reduces overload conditions and thereby extends equipment life by preventing accelerated stress on container handling equipment. Furthermore there are ongoing developments of the new SCS3 information initiatives geared both to local terminal staff and terminal network managers.

Bromma has also been looking at a broader environmental initiative by not ‘only’ looking at a ‘green’ spreader design but also in the production of the spreader. The spreaders manufactured by SweFrame are focused on providing high availability, high quality and easy maintenance. Among other features there is a fixed linkage, no brakes on the electrical transmissions and high lifting capacity [50t SWL]. Other design features [and to increase the availability of the spreader performance] is the unique twist-lock design, which does not need any kind of adjustment at all. The flipper gearboxes can handle 5000Nm of force while the hydraulic motor is located in a well-protected area. According to a spokesperson for SweFrame, the spreader design uses fewer bolts and nuts, and benefits from‘streamlined’ components in order to have less spare part stock between different spreaders. As a result this will also increase the mean moves between failures (MMBF). With a wide range of spreaders available, Sweframe will launch a hydraulic twin-lift spreader with separating twin application during the third quarter of 2011.

Orders

According to Verdonschot the company has received many orders from different inland terminals in Europe. “This has always been a big market for us, but now this market is definitively picking up again,” he said. “The inland terminals are mainly replacing their existing spreaders for new spreaders. There are also some new inland terminals being planned and developed at this moment in the Netherlands to improve multi-modality in the country.” Apart from the 6 all-electric spreaders for DSNY in New York, VDL received orders for new spreaders from inland terminals in the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Bromma continues to ‘dominate’ the market for all-electric spreaders. Earlier this year, it reported to have received an order for a total of 40 GreenLine all-electric yard crane spreaders for the new Terminal Catalunya SA (TERCAT) facility in Barcelona, Spain. These spreaders will be placed on one-over-five automated stacking yard cranes (ASC) to be used at the Muelle Prat container terminal. Terminal Catalunya is part of the Hutchison Port Holdings group. The first group of Bromma all-electrics will be delivered to TERCAT during the summer of 2011. The company has also been awarded a major new contract for a total of 34 GreenLine YSX45E all-electric yard crane spreaders for the new Khalifa Port in development at Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Again, these spreaders will be placed on the one-over-five automated stacking yard cranes (ASC) to be used at this terminal. “Abu Dhabi is a dynamic, growing port, and we are very pleased that Bromma is part of the Middle East port expansion story,” said Raman.

It might be noteworthy that specific design enhancements in the second generation all-electric yard spreaders include a new twist-lock gearbox [eliminating the brakes and sensor adjustments], additional space in the corner boxes and an improved end beam design, which provides easier access for maintenance staff, a non-adjustable twist-lock linkage design and optional electric flippers.  In Colombia, Bromma won a new contract for 29 crane spreaders (5 quay crane spreaders and 24 all-electric RTG spreaders) for the expanding Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena operations in Colombia. The growing port of Cartagena is in the process of expanding its operational capacity to 4.5 million TEU. “Latin America is an important market – a growth market for Bromma – and we are delighted to be expanding our presence in Colombia with this new order,” said Raman. Another order came from Santos, Brazil for 13 twin-lift all-electric YTR40E spreaders. These spreaders will be equipped with the new load-sensing technology, first introduced to the market in June 2010.  Bromma is also the sole supplier to the world’s first all-electric spreader terminal, which is starting operations in Itapoa, Brasil. Finally, the company was awarded a new contract by the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait for 20 YSX40E yard single-lift all-electrics spreaders.

The logistical benefits of reachstackers for particular terminal set-ups are well known. The machine’s versatility and ability to quickly manoeuvre around container terminals in tight spaces makes them invaluable to many operators.

Despite this, the market suffered with other cargo-handling divisions during the worst points of the economic downturn. Thankfully, RS manufacturers are now beginning to see an upturn in sales and recovery in order levels. There have been casualties during this time of market instability, though.  As is well documented, in 2010 Italian firm CVS Ferrari Spa (Ltd) became CVS Ferrari Srl as it was taken over by US company Manitex International, after going into liquidation. Naturally, the initial focus for Manitex has been to manage CVS’s immediate recovery and its existing business across the world. As such, it is unable to report official, comprehensive sales for 2010. However, Manitex has been pleased by the business levels generated through CVS since the acquisition, including RS deliveries to Italy, Korea, China, Israel, and Algeria. Operating the business from existing locations in Cadeo, Italy, Manitex has appointed a management team under the leadership of Stefano Mercati, an “industry veteran” who most recently work with Fantuzzi.  One of Liebherr’s recent developments in the RS field has been the LRS 645 LH log handling reachstacker, designed specifically for operations in the timber-handling sector. Built to optimise wood yard storage space, it is capable of handling logs for pulp and paper mills, chipboard or saw mills and wood terminals. The Liebherr Log Handler has a maximum lifting capacity of 30 tonnes at an outreach of up to 5.5 meters. The specially adapted reachstacker also of course features the company’s distinctive, curved ‘banana boom’, a unique facet of Liebherr reachstacker design. This enhances the machine’s reach, the manufacturer states, offering reach of up to 10 meters and a height of 12 meters. Liebherr adds that a further benefit of its trademark boom is its ability to handle logs from below ground level – in port operations, this is of particular importance for river- and canal-based operations. It enables what Liebherr describes as “the unique possibility of handling logs until six meters below quay.” An operational debut supplied to Szepaniak, a Finnish wood-handling specialist that operates paper and saw mills, the reachstacker’s grab can be rotated through 360 degrees and pivots forwards, backwards, and sideways. The company subsequently also signed a rental contract with Zellstoff Stendal GmbH, purportedly the largest manufacturer of craft pulp in Central Europe.  Liebherr boasts that the log handler “sets new standards in terms of environmental protection, performance and economy.” With a step-less individual hydrostatic drive system fitted as standard, Liebherr states that the LRS 645 has been tested extensively in the most challenging conditions and is designed to give operators notable fuel savings. The machine is built using Liebherr’s own components and assemblies to optimise functionality and serviceability. Driver comfort and safe, accessible maintenance are also important elements of the LH LRS design; the driver’s cabin is elevated to provide the best possible view. Further safety features include a roll bar at the boom, drive wagon protection and a log pusher at the front.  In its response to World Port Development’s survey on reachstackers, Konecranes highlighted a contract to supply nine reachstackers and 23 empty container handlers to Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA). This is split between 19 RS units that were ordered in October 2010 and 13 in the preceding June, with deliveries beginning in sequence from January. The final machines will arrive in mid-2011. These will be used for container handling in the ports of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba, to replace existing equipment as part of an expansion initiative across both ports. Located immediately west of Kuwait City, Shuwaikh Port serves ocean-going vessels and has ample modern container facilities, while the Port of Shuaiba, 45 kilometers southeast of the city was founded to support its industries. Particularly pleasing for the company is the manner in which it has strengthened its position as a manufacturer in the region.  “This is a significant order for Konecranes and it shows that the growth strategy we have for this region is bearing fruit,” said Niklas Brönn, Managing Director of Konecranes Middle East FZE in the United Arab Emirates. “Konecranes’ good reputation and strong support from our local dealer helped us secure this order.” The cabins on these machines can be elevated in order to view the second train rails when handling containers. All cabins will also be equipped with a remote camera in order to improve safety. The reachstackers are equipped with load-sensing hydraulics that provide ‘power on-demand’ for the required weight; this is complemented by Konecranes’ Eco-Drive system, which calculates the fuel efficiency of each machine, providing an efficient platform to benchmark each unit and operator’s performance. The laden container reachstacker has a lifting capacity of 45 tonnes and can stack five containers high and three deep.

Winds of change

Among its notable projects within the market, Hyster points to a project that underlines both the versatility of reachstackers and their service to the environment: working with its UK partner Barloworld to supply heavy lift company Weldex with reachstackers for the handling of wind farm components at the Port of Mostyn in North Wales. This is a project that underlines both the versatility of reachstackers and their service to the environment. The port, which has supported several major wind power projects in the region over the last five years, handles and stores components that are manufactured in Denmark. Weldex International provides lifting solutions for Siemens Wind Power at the port and operates as a heavy lift company with specialist solutions for wind farm component handling around the globe. The two customised Hyster RS 46-41L CH reachstackers operate in unison at the port, lifting 100-tonne tower sections for the wind farm from either end, with a special attachment on the boom allowing the wind turbine tower sections to be transported from the quayside to storage faster and more efficiently.  “At Mostyn we have pioneered a new method of handling these heavy loads,” said Eddie Campbell, Lifting Operations and Safety Manager for Weldex. “Hyster ReachStackers have been introduced to handle the wind farm tower sections and the hubs for the turbines. Previously we used a combination of crawler cranes and multi-axle trailers.” The reachstackers are also required to individually handle 50-tonne hubs for the wind turbine with a special attachment, and Barloworld has
worked closely with Hyster’s Special Engineering Department to ensure the reachstackers provide full flexibility for Weldex. In citing this example, Hyster points to the versatility of reachstackers, which, although typically associated with both container handling and intermodal handling in high density container stacking applications, are becoming the solution to an increasingly wide range of cargo-handling requirements. The series is available with a clean-running diesel engine, oil-immersed brakes, robust drive-axle, power train protection and advanced auto-shift transmission. In terms of new developments within its portfolio of reachstackers, Hyster very recently – in February – announced the launch of a new range of low emission machines for high-performance container handling. The manufacturer claims that this new generation of its reachstackers can deliver fuel savings of more than 15%. Redesigned to meet the requirements of Tier 4 interim(i), Stage IIIB emissions regulations, the larger models in the Hyster Big Truck range are built using the new Cummins QSL9 -350hp engine (the Cummins QSM11, 300hp and 350hp versions remain available for Tier 3 compliant trucks). The transmission available with this new engine option is the TE-27 series, with the TE-32 available as an option. The engine features cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) combined with an enhanced High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) fuel system to provide cleaner and more efficient combustion. The fully integrated Cummins Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) also reduces particulate emissions by more than 90%. The new Cummins engines supply rapid boost at a low engine rpm and then maintain high boost at a higher rpm independent of engine speed, achieved with the Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), which varies the exhaust gas flow into the turbine wheel.

To complement the Cummins engine technologies, Hyster has introduced a range of further developments that includes cooling on demand, load-sensing hydraulics, RPM management and alternate engine idle speed, to help further reduce the total fuel consumption in all applications. Operators can also select either an ECO-eLo “fuel efficiency” or HiP “high performance” mode. The HiP is the normal operating mode, while the ECO-eLo mode reduces the maximum engine speed and optimises fuel efficiency. Delivered with the Powered Sliding Cab as standard to optimise driver visibility, the Hyster Vista cab design has been developed to provide optimised ergonomics for the operator. This includes fully hydraulic brakes and an automotive-style pedal layout, with autoshift transmissions offering power and control to the driver with smooth gear changes. The series is available in a range of configurations for container handling and intermodal handling, stacking up to six-high and three rows deep.

Common Ground

This small selection of case studies and stories of product developments provides just a general overview of the current happenings and trends in a global reachstacker market with plenty more depth. From an orders perspective, manufacturers are seeing encouraging signs to suggest that RS sales can weather these challenging financial times, while the common facets in focus across product development are based around versatility, ecology, and those aforementioned benefits of meeting specific terminals’ infrastructural needs. Adaptable, quick, and optimised to minimise environmental and fiscal waste, the reachstacker is a machine that continues to change and evolve around operators’ requirements.

In response to our questionnaires for our annual North American Port survey we received quite a lot of interesting and mixed responses from ports both on the West and East Coast. Many reported on a positive 2010 and a very positive outlook for the coming year despite warnings that slow steaming by many shipping lines may influence prices further down the supply chain badly affecting retailers. And the retailers were the ones that have made 2010 what is was – very successful for everyone in the industry. With spending on the rise across the country it is expected that 2011 will be a continuation of 2010 with an increase of import containers. So, what else will be in store for 2011? The opening of the Panama Canal in 2014 will have a major influence for the ports on the East Coast. All are investing in dredging and expansion projects in anticipation of the arrival of larger container vessels. Of course, this will also have a knock-on effect on orders for cargo handling equipment.

But we should be cautious despite the positive news. The total container throughput for 2010 remains below the throughput figure reached back in 2008. There are signs for a recovery from the financial meltdown in the US but they are not yet there – furthermore consumer confidence will grow if more jobs are being created in the country – as soon as that happens we will see a huge increase in container traffic.

Los Angeles

In 2010, container throughput at the port of Los Angeles surged 16% compared to 2009, with a record number of exports leading the way. Port exports rose 10.3% to 1,841,274 TEU compared to 1,668,911 TEU in 2009 and surpassed the previous container export record of 1,782,502 TEU in 2008. Meanwhile, imports increased 12.8% in 2010 (a total of 3,973,933 TEU) compared to 2009 (3,524,386 TEU). “With this 16% increase in 2010 container throughput, the Port of Los Angeles is putting people back to work and doing its part to help President Obama meet his goal to double national exports over the next five years,” said LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “This is good news not only for Los Angeles, but cities across the nation. According to Port Executive Director, Geraldine Knatz, “the 2010 volume gains far surpass our initial estimates, and we’ve been able to facilitate some export opportunities in the past year through our TradeConnect initiative and increased networking with local business stakeholders. We want to continue that momentum and work with local business entities to advance the President’s National Export Initiative agenda.” The Port handled a total of 7,831,902 TEU, including empties, in 2010 and remains the nation’s busiest trade gateway in terms of container volume. In December, the total number of TEU imported and exported through the Port of Los Angeles was 612,651, an 8.82% increase over the 562,989 TEU handled back in December 2009. Loaded container exports were up 5.6% at 299,304 TEU compared to 283,364 TEU in December 2009.

Jacksonville Port
In financial year 2010, container throughput at Jacksonville Port (Jaxport) totalled 826,580 TEU (Oct 1-Sep 30). Bulk cargo amounted to 1,515,161 tonnes, while breakbulk reached 990,353 tonnes and ro-ro traffic notched up 518,880 total auto units. New equipment purchased by Jaxport includes two

new container cranes manufactured by China’s ZPMC. The cranes, which will handle 20’, twin 20’, 40’, 45, and 53’ long containers, are on track for delivery in late summer 2011. In terms of construction projects, work has been completed ahead of schedule on a harbour deepening project. In FY2010, a 5.3-mile section of the St Johns Rivers main shipping channel was deepened from a depth of 38 feet to 40 feet. With this project’s completion, Jacksonville’s entire 21-mile shipping channel is at a 40-foot depth, allowing for water depth requirements of fully loaded cargo vessels and meeting the needs of new, even larger, cargo ships. Jaxport is now more accessible, profitable and safer for its tenants and deeper draught vessels, and can allow tenants to carry up to 600 additional 20-foot cargo containers. The Army Corps of Engineers continues to study a project to deepen the harbour to post-Panamax depth and expects to release a draft study in early 2012. Jaxport officials have agreed with Hanjin Shipping Co of South Korea to amend the schedule for design and construction of their planned USD300 million terminal. The new target of 2016 would match the anticipated completion date of the federal government’s deepening of the ship channel, allowing the post-Panamax ships deployed by Hanjin access to Jaxport terminals. Hanjin and Jaxport’s TraPac terminal together will triple the port’s current container throughput, making Jaxport a top-ten container port in years to come.

Port of Houston

Contracts totalling more than USD2 million to upgrade software at Port Authority terminals and to expand network connectivity are among several matters that were approved by the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority.  Zebra Enterprise Solutions (ZES), USA has been awarded a nearly USD2.1 million contract from the Port of Houston to upgrade software applications used for terminal operations and billing at Barbours Cut, Bayport and Turning Basin terminals. ZES will upgrade the current Express application with its N4 software technology. Initial implementation of the upgraded N4 terminal operating system is planned to occur in tandem with the new truck entry g
ate at Bayport, which will also enhance efficiency. In his monthly report, Chief Executive Officer Alec G Dreyer noted that January continued the relatively strong performance of December across all sectors of Port Authority business.  “While ship arrivals at the container facilities and in the Turning Basin were essentially flat between January of this year and last year, barge traffic was up a stout 30% for the first month of the year,” Dreyer said. “Nevertheless, TEU volumes were up 5% in January while unit counts were up 4%. Container tonnage was up a strong 7%. “Put simply, we had the same number of ships arriving between years, but each ship was moving substantially more cargo,” he said. Steel started the year well with 243,000 tonnes as compared to 154,000 tonnes in January of 2010: a 58% increase. Dreyer said other commodities also showed nice gains for the month, with an overall increase in general cargo of more than 21%. Container revenue was up 8%, reflecting the growth in TEU for the month. Turning Basin revenue was up 24% in January, directly in line with the amount of steel handled this year over last.

Port Everglades

An east coast port that may benefit from the Panama Canal expansion and growth in Latin America and the Caribbean is Port Everglades. The port is one of the nation’s leading container ports and a trade gateway to Latin America and Caribbean. It has direct access to the interstate highway system, is within two miles of the Florida East Coast Railway hub and is just one mile from the Atlantic Shipping Lanes. Ongoing capital improvements and expansion ensure that Port Everglades will have the ability to handle future growth in container traffic. For the first two months of its financial year, the port reported an increase of 9.6% for container traffic in October and November, compared to the same period last year.  Container throughput totalled 136,658 TEU for October and November 2010 from 124,693 TEU the previous year. While lower than the number of TEU two years ago when Port Everglades reached an all-time high in container traffic, the recent increase is seen as a positive trend. “This is a significant increase over where we were last year and we are cautiously optimistic that this is a preliminary sign that international trade is rebounding,” says Phil Allen, Port Everglades Director. “Cargo operations at Port Everglades account for more than 5,600 jobs locally and nearly 133,000 throughout Florida, so we keep a close eye on development in this business sector.” Port officials point to a new service from the Far East as partly responsible for the increase. CSAV began its new AMEX service in June 2010, which includes a rotation of ten 3,500 TEU vessels making weekly calls to Port Everglades from Asia, through the Panama Canal, to the US East Coast and the Caribbean. The Port is also moving forward with several capital improvements to foster growth in containerised cargo volumes. It is nearing completion of a 41-acre containerised cargo terminal of which more than half will be used as a new handling facility for SeaFreight. The Port also purchased a new mobile harbour crane that has the capability to load containers and handle heavy lifts up to 100 tonnes.  Ongoing are Master Plan projects that include expanding the Port’s Turning Notch by 1,500 feet to allow for four additional berths and deepening the channel to 50 feet. 

Port Metro Vancouver
Port Metro Vancouver (PMV), Canada’s largest and North America’s most diversified port recently launched its new Container Capacity Improvement Program, PMV’s long-term strategy to significantly increase container handling capacity in the Lower Mainland to meet future growth and demand in Canadian international trade. Container traffic through Canada’s Pacific Gateway is expected to double over the next 10 to 15 years and nearly triple by 2030. PMV is planning now to meet the forecast growth and increased demand for Canadian imports and exports in the future. Without substantive improvements, a ‘gap’ in capacity could emerge as early as 2017. Port Metro Vancouver must ensure capacity is in place to support Canadian trade. Launching the Container Capacity Improvement Program (‘the Program’) is an important first step in a long-term process to ensure sufficient capacity. The Program will identify opportunities to increase operational efficiencies at the Port’s existing container facilities, with an emphasis on investment and infrastructure improvements at Roberts Bank in Delta. “Our mandate and overarching goal is to support growth in Canadian trade,” said Robin Silvester, President and CEO, Port Metro Vancouver. “Roberts Bank is very well positioned to accommodate future trade growth because it’s an established route that offers excellent access to important Lower Mainland markets as well as major North American transportation corridors.”  Port Metro Vancouver’s current economic projections conclude approximately 4 million TEU of additional capacity will be required to meet container demand forecasts in 2030. Following improvements at Centerm and Vanterm in 2005, and the completion of the Deltaport Third Berth Project in 2010, PMV is currently evaluating initial infrastructure improvements at Roberts Bank. The proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project is a multi-berth marine container terminal that would provide additional capacity of more than 2 million TEU per year. The Port is currently undertaking preliminary technical analysis at Roberts Bank to determine ground conditions and suitability for potential future development. Port Metro Vancouver is also preparing a comprehensive, seven-round public consultation process that will take place over six years, between January 2011 and December 2016. A comprehensive First Nations consultation process will run parallel to the public and stakeholder consultation. The scope, scale and particulars of the Program are subject to significant further technical analysis, broad consultation, and rigorous environmental assessment and certification.

Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle broke its cargo volume record in 2010 with more than 2.1 million TEU. The record breaking year surpasses the previous high in 2005 of 2.08 million TEU. “The cargo volumes are exciting, and we are proud of our record year,” said CEO Yoshitani. “But the thousands of family-wage jobs generated by those 2 million containers are even more important. We are grateful to the customers and labour partners who worked with us to make 2010 so successful.”Several factors contributed to the increase in container throughput. Exports remained strong throughout 2010, and other factors like the addition of Maersk/CMA CGM container ships, increases in the sizes of ships calling at the port, and its ‘fee free’ policies at the terminals contributed to the record success. “The Port of Seattle has worked hard for its competitive advantage, and these numbers reflect that,” said Linda Styrk, Managing Director of the Seaport. The Port of Seattle maintains four major world-class container terminals, with 24 cranes, 11 container berths with up to 50 feet deep alongside, all in close proximity to two major national rail hubs, and two major interstate highways within minutes of all terminals for efficient truck access. In February, the Port of Seattle welcomed a new carrier to its harbour when Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), added Seattle to its California Express service. The service calls at Gioia Tauro, Naples, Civitavecchia and La Spezia in Italy; Valencia in Spain; Cristobal and Balboa in Panama; Long Beach and Oakland in California and Vancouver, Canada. The 3000 TEU MSC ships will be calling at Terminal 18, managed by SSA Terminals.

New York/New Jersey

According to a statement by R M Larrabee, Director, Port Commerce Department, at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, business in 2010 turned out to be unexpectedly robust. Although throughput figures are not yet available all indications are that it was a stronger than expected improvement over 2009. “The Port Authority remains cautiously optimistic for 2011. However, as competition for business all along the supply chain has increased, cost savings and efficiency improvements are at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Fortunately, over the past decade we have invested more than USD2 billion in the port to help us meet these challenges by reducing the cost of doing business at the Port of NY&NJ,” said Larrabee. Initiatives undertaken by the Port Authority include recent investments in the ExpressRail System which not only add value by reducing costs and congestion but also by reducing the environmental footprint of the port. The port also recently purchased the former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) places 130 acres of vital, dwindling waterfront space under public stewardship. Combined with their acquisition of the 98 acre Global Terminal on the Port Jersey peninsula, which will be expanded by an additional 70 acres from the former North East Auto Terminal, and it is clear that the port is committed to the commerce, jobs, people, and future of the port. The port also pledged of USD1 billion to raise the iconic Bayonne Bridge allowing unhindered passages of larger container vessels to the container terminal facilities west of the bridge. A new Marine Terminal Tariff has been introduced to fund for critical future capital improvements. Money generated by the modest cargo facility charge will be used to continue to improve and modernise port infrastructure, creating an investment in the port’s future. “Despite unforeseen challenges, our commitment to increase capacity and provide for modern and efficient port infrastructure has never wavered: plan wisely, spend thoughtfully, and excel today while planning for an even brighter tomorrow,” Larrabee concluded.

Virginia Port Authority

The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) finished 2010 with an 8.6% increase in cargo volume, surpassing the mark set in 2009 by 149,790 TEU; the VPA completed the year having handled 1,895,017 TEU. “Given the economy, I think we did well (in 2010); we had our ups and downs but it is the nature of the business these days,” said Jerry A Bridges, the VPA executive director. “I am optimistic that we will continue to see interest growth based on our list of assets, but we are going to have to go out there and get it.” In addition to an overall increase in cargo VPA saw growth in several core business areas: rail containers – up 13.1%; the number of containers handled at Virginia Inland Port – up 24.4%; breakbulk tonnage – up 10.9% and ship calls – up 4.7%. In November the Port Authority signed a contract with TTS Port Equipment AB, Sweden for the purchase of cargo handling equipment to be used at the container terminal of APM Terminals. The USD4.1 million contract secures the delivery of 10 Translifters and 220 cassettes, both of which are pieces of equipment used in the terminal’s rail operation. The equipment was scheduled to begin arriving in staggered deliveries early January 2011. Late last year, VPA announced that it would begin the first phase of construction of the foundations for a network of dikes that eventually will support a 600 acre marine terminal on the eastward expansion of Craney Island. The foundation work will be done in several phases as finances permit. “The US Army Corps of Engineers and the VPA have been working on this for more than 13 years, getting all the necessary approvals, permits, environmental impact statements, public input and so forth,” said Bridges. “Now, the real work starts. The benefits of this project, both short- and long-term, are going to be significant.”

Port of New Orleans

According to Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange container throughput at the Port rose 31% in 2010, compared to 2009. In 2010,
the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal handled 426,091 TEU compared to 325,857 TEU one year ago. “These gains are attributed to a strong export market and the result of non-traditional cargoes, such as steel products and grain, now moving by container,” LaGrange said. “Our terminal operators – Ports America and New Orleans Terminal – are to be commended on the service they provide, as well as our container carriers that serve the Port.” The Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal is served by Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Seaboard Marine and CSAV. Improvement projects at New Orleans include two major contracts that were awarded for the renovation of the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. The Board awarded an USD8.97 million contract to Ryan Gootee General Contractors, for the renovation and expansion of the terminal. An USD3.98 million contract was also awarded to Silverton Construction Company for modifications to the Julia Street Wharf and sub-structure. The estimated USD13.7 million-project will renovate two smaller terminals at Julia Street into one large modern terminal. The project includes the installation of a new climate-controlled articulated gangway, currently under construction in Sweden.