Some major manufacturers such as Tenova Takraf, part of the Techint Group of Italy, report they have been urged to cut equipment prices in the mining and bulk handling industry. Others contend that the “cost above all else rule” is a pathway strewn with rocks that will end up hurting in the long term. Among those with cautionary warnings about going for low price alone is Sandvik Mining & Construction Materials Handling GmbH, a big name in bulk materials handling. Sandvik Global Product Line Manager Projects & Systems, Thomas Jabs, told World Port Development: “If you entrust a company to supply equipment that represents the lifeline of your business, you want to make sure that you select the best solution. Saving a few bucks at the wrong place to have a quick procurement success can backfire exponentially. The majority of customers today appreciate that.” However, Tenova Takraf, with its popular bucket chain type CSU, has found that customers are generally no longer primarily concerned with quality but with price, says Roberta Ferrara, company spokeswoman. She adds that Tenova has been forced to pit quality considerations against lower prices to compete with Chinese manufacturers who are bent on dumping prices using Japanese licenses to get a foothold in the world market. This has meant cancelling unnecessary accessories on Tenova CSUs, both in environmental control and in time life design enhancements.

Projects aborted

Asked by WPD if buyers really cared anymore that bucket type CSUs had environmental advantages over the likes of grab cranes, Ferrara responds: “Theoretically, yes, but when it comes down to the price aspect nobody wants to spend more to take care of the environment.” You win some, you lose some might well sum up Tenova’s 2010. The Italian company submitted two tenders for its bucket chain type CSUs and could do little but watch as two other projects were aborted as European steel mills continued to drastically decrease production. Ferrara says Tenova expects ports, energy and steel making will be the first sectors to restart once the global recession finally eases off. “We are expecting a good number of official requests for quotations, but we also believe that such requests will be finalised in contracts no earlier than the end of 2011 and early 2012.”

Resource vigour

Meanwhile, even with the squeeze on pricing, the market is hoping the renewed vigour for natural resources such as coal and iron ore around the world will lead to a burst of orders later in 2011. As far as years go, 2010 was not one to write home about. Some had projects lingering from earlier years to work on, but didn’t sign a single deal in 2010. Ishikawajima Transport Machinery Group (IUK) of Japan – part of the IHI Group – found itself in this position, says Masao Akamatsu, General Manager of IUK’s Overseas Sales Department. IUK produces an elevated bucket type CSU and has its eye on South East Asia’s energy sector and rapid growth in India where numerous coal-fired power stations are under planning, as well as several coal handling projects. “We expect our best markets will be Malaysia, India and Vietnam in 2011,” says Akamatsu, in a market year he expects will be better than 2010. And it’s not that IUK hasn’t been reasonably busy. It has secured a major domestic coal-handling contract in Japan for a leading power producer with stacker-reclaimer and conveyor system, but no CSU in the deal. IUK also expects to win several CSU refurbishing contracts in the next two to three years in the mature Japanese market. Akamatsu defends the advantages of CSUs even if their price is steeper than the grab crane alternative and claims CSUs “are better overall.” He notes the superior unloading efficiency of CSUs over grabs, which he says allows users to reduce such things as their ship demurrage costs. IUK has been in the crane business for more than 100 years and recently has made structural and other design changes improving the environmentally friendliness of its CSUs. One change saw the replacement of hydraulic drives with an easier to maintain electrical drive system. Like many rival manufacturers, IUK has its own base equipment production factories in Japan supplemented by a network of partners around the world. Its CSUs are busy handling coal, iron ore, grain and similar bulk products in many countries.

Global desires

Another Asian manufacturer, Doosan Heavy Industries, of South Korea, has its eyes on worldwide sales after a long and successful domestic CSU experience in bulk handling systems in power plants, steel making plants, the cement and fertilizer industries, and in mining. Doosan’s Overseas Marketing Manager, Taeho Kim, says the big equipment manufacturer is seeking contracts in Taiwan initially, and hopes eventually to go all over the world. The company has enjoyed repeat orders from buyers at home such as Korea Electric Power and POSCO, because Kim says “the quality is already proven.” In 2011, Kim says Doosan expects several orders for its CSUs in both the domestic and overseas markets. Doosan has a new factory in Vietnam for fabricating ship to shore and other cranes and if the demand builds, CSUs could also be made there. And not one to agree that low price is the only essential in contract success; Kim says price and efficiency are also key, along with durability and after-sales services. With over 20 years experience in the Korean market under its belt, Doosan is ready to tackle the world in earnest in 2011 and he predicts there’s a boom market ahead. He also notes that Korea was one of the first countries out of the global recession and is ready for new ventures.

German view

In Europe, one who takes satisfac
tion that the market is finally growing for bulk handling equipment such as CSUs is ThyssenKrupp Fordertechnik’s Vice President of Sales, Dr Wei Ye, in Germany. ThyssennKrupp Fordertechnik (TKF) makes a chain bucket elevator type CSU and has three current contracts for the unloaders in China serving coal-fired power plants, bringing the total to 15 CSUs in that country. Dr Ye also sees Indonesia being a strong prospect for continuous barge unloading (CBU) projects and puts stock in the merging Southeast Asian market overall for the company’s bucket elevator shipunloader, especially in coal handling facilities and coal terminals, and in power plants. ThyssenKrupp will this year commission a 3,000 tonne-per-hour continuous barge unloader for coal for Kalimantan in Borneo. It is the third CBU designed and built by the German company in Indonesia. Worldwide it has over 50 CBUs in service, some of which have been in operation for more than 25 years. Early in 2010, TKF commissioned a 4,000tph barge unloader for PT Indominco Mandiri at Botang, also in Kalimantan. Orders continue to mount as customers see CBUs in successful operation. But, Dr Ye says it is more than that and includes factors such as high unloading capacity, travelling mobility, low maintenance and lower installed power and energy consumption compared to screw type unloaders or grab cranes. The efficiency of being able to empty the hull right down to the bottom of the barge without using a Bobcat, making the sweeping of the barge unnecessary, is also seen as an added advantage, he adds. And TKF has also had success in the fertilizer industry in Indonesia, signing a contract in February 2010 for the design and supply of a coal-handling plant, including a CBU, a circular stacker-reclaimer and conveyor belt system. The contract was for Pupuk Kaltim, a key player in the Indonesian fertilizer industry, for the boiler plant of the Bontang Fertilizer Complex in Kalimantan. ThyssenKrupp developed a new generation of continuous barge unloader which it says meets all requirements for unloading efficiency, environmental protection, and low operation and maintenance cost.

North America

Despite the stimulus money being handed out in the United States, it is a quiet theatre when it comes to CSU sales. Even the thousands of miles of inland rivers and other waterways haven’t brought much in new business. “We have seen no real activity in the last year in barge unloading,” says Harry Edelman, Executive Vice President of Pittsburgh-based Heyl & Patterson. With its CBUs active in the coal, limestone, petroleum coke, iron ore, woodchips and grain industries at up to 5,000 tph, Heyl & Patterson is among several CSU and CBU makers looking for a busier year ahead.

These figures often reflect traffic that would ‘drive on or off a ship’ – one example is ferry traffic. Last year, TTS Port Equipment AB from Sweden, delivered a new linkspan to the Stena Line terminal in Hoek van Holland and one in Harwich. These new linkspans were in anticipation of the arrival of the new Super Ferry from Stena Line, which is now in service on the English Channel between Hoek van Holland and Harwich. But indications show that the global economic downturn has ‘spoiled’ what was once a buoyant but competitive market. According to Heli Malkavaara, Communications Manager at Cargotec, last year was a dire year for linkspans. “Most projects where we had an interest were postponed severely or cancelled,” said Malkavaara.  “We can’t tell however if it is a direct cause of the downturn. Apart from funding, environmental consents have a large impact on the eventual realisation of port projects.” There are indications that economies are picking up again and it seems that postponed projects are attracting renewed attention with Cargotec recently receiving an order to widen and convert a linkspan in Scotland to fit to a new vessel.

Market

Although some deliveries were made in 2010 most of these were orders from 2009. In March 2010, TTS Port Equipment delivered a new linkspan to the Port of Kiel, Germany. At the Bollhörnkai berth Stena Line was updating and rebuilding their ferry terminal for their Gothenburg route. Part of the improvements was to replace the existing concrete slope with the installation of an adjustable main deck linkspan. TTS supplied a 26m wide linkspan designed to fit several vessels. The new linkspan was also equipped with noise reducing features and designed as a mechanical supported type, hinged on a bank seat concrete foundation. At the seaward end the linkspan is adjustable to fit different vessel draughts and water levels, and can manoeuvred by means of hydraulic cylinders. It is also capable of being secured at a series of fixed positions prior to the vessel’s arrival. The berthed vessel’s ramp will be lowered until it rests on the linkspan in free-floating mode. TTS Port Equipment has been working hard to respond to a market that is perhaps coming slowly out of the doldrums and in November 2010 it received an order for a new purpose-built mechanical linkspan for catamaran traffic from the Port of Ystad, Sweden. The linkspan will facilitate the Borholmstrafikken ferry company’s catamaran traffic between Ystad and Ronne on the island of Bornholm. To accommodate the higher freeboard common to catamarans, the linkspan will be set at a higher level than for other traffic. The catamaran Villum Clausen will be using the new linkspan together with a new vessel ordered from Austal Yard in Australia. Having delivered a similar installation to Ystad in 2009, TTS is building the new linkspan on the same principle of hydraulic cylinder operation. “We are pleased to have received this second order and we look forward to continued collaboration with the contractor Svevia and the Port of Ystad,” said Hakan Jonsson, Vice President of Sales at TTS Port Equipment.

Additional

The manufacturers we spoke to also incorporate or supply additional equipment for their linkspans. This equipment could range from mooring systems to fenders and these could be added to the design of the linkspan. TTS Port Equipment for example received an order in 2009 from Copenhagen Malmo Port, Sweden for the design and installation of two double-tier linkspans for the port, and was given the go-ahead to supply a semi-automatic mooring system. The linkspans were installed late 2010 with the mooring system delivered at the same time. The rope-type semi-automatic mooring system has been installed in the new port’s north harbour and is designed to buffer the transverse forces from dedicated vessels. Each vessel has been fitted with a compatible bollard installed into the ship’s side. The system comprises the auto-mooring rig, including a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic power pack housed in a cabinet on the quay. Quayside personnel operate the equipment by push buttons and by manually directing the self-tensioning rope around the vessel’s fitted bollard. Safety features include an alarm system designed to alert personnel of significant changes in tension or of system failure. Jonsson also points out that last year TTS received orders to improve the Stena Line berths at Gothenburg’s Majnabbe terminal. The company designed and installed an adjustable wedge system. The wedge, with a width of 8m, connects the berthed vessel’s ramp to the main deck and is installed on top of the existing concrete ramp. Hinged at the bankseat side, the wedge will feature container corner fittings recessed in its top plate structure for convenient manoeuvring by a reachstacker. When the wedge is to be placed on top of the concrete ramp, the reachstacker will lower the wedge to its deployed position. The wedge will be adjustable to different levels at its forward end to enhance transition angles and traffic flow. The adjustable wedge is designed with a special low noise feature that makes it especially environmentally friendly. The surface of the wedge under the vessel flaps are covered with special noise-absorbing panels, as the underside of the wedge flaps towards the bank seat. For the same terminal TTS also received a contract for a semi-automatic mooring system to serve two vessels at the new dolphin berth. The system facilitates m
ooring of the 240m long vessel berthing the quay, will greatly simplify the mooring of vessels Stena Brittanica and Stena Hollandica. Hydraulic cylinders are connected to a sliding bollard in a steel structure on the quay while, onboard the vessels, three bollards are recessed into the side of the vessels, each positioned at a transverse angle to the vessel to achieve the required mooring force. A spring mooring device designed to handle the forces with automatic release function will also be used during operation of the vessel in the berth. Last year, a similar contract was awarded by Stena Line (UK) for their operations in Stranraer, Scotland. Stena is moving its operations and ferry services from the present location in Stranraer to a new, state-of-the-art port facility ten kilometers north of the town. The contract included the design and build of the entire ship to shore interface for the port, including linkspans, stop fenders, auto-moorings and an elevated walkway. The adjustable upper- and lower-deck linkspans were designed for use by a variety of RoPax vessels using a stern approach, with the option of bow approach given within the flexible solution. The three-lane lower-deck linkspan have an overall length of 24m while the upper-deck linkspan features a 25m long concrete wedge, together with steel fixed access ramps and movable ramps. An adjustable ramp will be elevated by means of hydraulic cylinders mounted onto the lower-deck linkspan. A lifting ramp is hinged to the adjustable ramp and rest on the berthed vessel. The upper deck linkspan offers the possibility of movement along the ship to maximise the port’s flexibility in vessel accommodation. A stop and positioning fender has been installed onto the bankseat and supported by the lower-deck linkspan. The fender is adjustable for different vessel types and acts as a guide to fix the vessel’s position. An automatic mooring system designed for RoPax vessels is also installed along the pier. This comprises auto-mooring devices, each consisting of a vertical moving unit and two hydraulic cylinders to create the mooring force. TTS also designed and built an elevated passenger walkway, connecting the ships to the terminal area.

Safety

According to Cargotec’s  Malkavaara, fenders can cause a major issue in the design of a linkspan. Therefore cooperation with fender suppliers is a must. “But they have a product, but not always the experience in the application on a linkspan,” said Malkavaara. “We are confident in our own experience, and focus on the use of a few standard types of fenders which are easy attainable from any supplier.” To address this important issue, Clas Hedelin, Sales Manager, Land & Port Systems, Cargotec Sweden AB explains. “Over time ship impact on port structures is unavoidable. The No 1 mandatory risk assessment question prior to every new port development must be: What if a 20,000-tonnes vessel runs into the quay at a speed of one knot? You do not need to be an engineer to realise that the damage will be severe. That piece of ‘quay’ may well be a linkspan, so careful steps in design are required to protect its lifetime integrity. A key to a successful linkspan installation is a safe and functional design with minimum downtime. A berth with a linkspan should be safe against accidental impact from an approaching vessel. It may even have to survive an abnormal impact without collapsing. The use of rubber fenders in the design is an important way of gaining elasticity and maintaining functionality in the harsh environment a RoRo berth has to perform in.

To fulfil the requirements dual-function fenders need to be fitted to the linkspan. Firstly, front edge fenders, which are often belts of simpler fenders, are used to absorb light impacts. Secondly, fenders to withstand major impacts, consisting of larger fender types, are installed between the linkpan and the shoreside abutments.” Hedelin explains that these integrated solutions are calculated to withstand, in abnormal conditions, the largest ferry that can use the berth. Furthermore the interface between the linkspan structure and shoreside portals, abutments or offshore piles raises the need for intermediate use of fender material to restrain the overall system. To minimise turnaround time in port some berths are designed for direct impact from each and every approaching ferry to allow it to dock. Examples are some English Channel, Canadian and Scandinavian shuttle services and many high speed ferry services. This puts high demands on the berth designs, which pay off in turnaround times down to – hardly imaginable – ten to fifteen minutes. In essence the solution is the clever application of a few standard types of fenders which are easily procured from any fender supplier.  According to Hedelin, Cargotec’s success stems from its own in-house expertise, experience and know-how in developing the integrated applications for linkspans, since the approach by most fender suppliers tends to be aligned towards traditional fender use in ports and often lacks the understanding of the needs of a linkspan installation. A relatively recent application of rubber or fender plastics is to reduce noise during operation.  A Ro-ro berth is very noisy and reasons to reduce the noise include providing a comfortable working environment for crews and stevedores, but also limiting the negative impact on people who live nearby.  Trailers and lashing equipment both represent big individual sources of noise, but contact surfaces between vessel and linkspan ramps can gain much benefit from attaching rubber or sandwich compound preventing the noise from spreading throughout the structures. This is a compromise between function and lifetime of the material and Cargotec is currently expending efforts in developing durable high performance solutions to this problem says Hedelin.

What was the career path you followed to reach your current position?

International logistics has fascinated me from the get-go, first at Fokker and now at Port of Amsterdam. I feel a strong connection with ‘Dutch Glory’ in that the centuries-old tradition of trade and industry in Amsterdam has developed, and continues to do so, in a modern and innovative manner.

What has been your greatest motivating force?

Working together with international commercial and logistic partners in an innovative and renewed manner.

How was 2010 as a business year?

With an increase of 4% trans-shipped tonnages, we have achieved excellent results.

How sustainable is Port of Amsterdam?

Port of Amsterdam is an international and smart port, becoming a more and more sustainable port as well. We manage our area and economic growth in an innovative manner. Port of Amsterdam excels, meriting our spot in the top five European ports. Our port’s large European hinterland is of great importance. Amsterdam is a world port where together we work on a sustainable growth in a smart way. The economic stature of the port is of great importance to the whole of Europe. Together with the region, Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol we work on strengthening the logistic economic role of The Netherlands in Europe.” We work on sustainability innovatively by managing our available space in a conscious and smart manner. We provide a substantial contribution to sustainability with the expansion of our rail and inland shipping connections increasing transport by water.”

How innovative is Port of Amsterdam?

Sustainable innovative developments do not arise on their own. Exchange of knowledge and ideas is necessary, creating new ideas together. Elaborating on one another’s strength – I call this co creation. It fits in with our method of working and our relations in the port area and the city.

What logistic role does Port of Amsterdam play in Europe?

As a logistic economic junction for transport by road, water, rail and air the Port of Amsterdam is a conscious choice for various companies. We are one of the top five European ports and of course very proud of it. And if we include the improving accessibility, with the construction of a second Coentunnel and the extension of the main motorway A5, the connection between Amsterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will improve even more.” We work closely together with the Port of Rotterdam on the port community system Portbase. With Portbase we can further work on a future oriented Port Community System for optimal information exchange in both ports.

What are your expectations for the coming years?

We know that in the long run the worldwide transport of goods via containers will increase. Therefore an increasing container flow to the Dutch ports is expected. Some predict that the container flow will triple in the next 30 years. Even if we assume a redouble, we can expect an enormous growth. To prevent congestion more goods must be transported by rail and water. How can we arrange this?  That is the logistic and commercial challenge for this decade. Our hinterland strategy fits in with this ambition and is greatly supported. Our pillars are the required infrastructure, collaboration with companies and regional municipals and an intermodal transport approach.”

The Amsterdam port area is one of the world’s key international logistics hubs. It ranks as Europe’s number 4 port and handles a little over 90 million metric tons of cargo annually. The Amsterdam port has
facilities for handling, storing and transhipping all types of goods. From cocoa beans to coal, from paper to oil, millions of tons of dry and liquid bulk, general cargo and containers are handled in the port area each year. Not only are various goods handled, stored and trans-shipped in the Port of Amsterdam a quantity of the commodities is also processed in the port area. Port of Amsterdam intends to be one of the most sustainable ports in Europe by 2020. This means cleaner operations and intelligent use of the port, cargo and location. An example of a green initiative is the Port of Amsterdam Sustainability and Innovation Fund. Companies within the port region can apply twice a year for subsidies for projects that contribute to a sustainable and innovative development of the North Sea Canal area. Port of Amsterdam makes Euro 2,000,000 available a year for this purpose. During the first round of tendering (end of 2009) the advisory committee received 12 subsidy applications. Six of them were awarded subsidies early in 2010. Port of Amsterdam also stimulates the allocation of sustainable companies, such as biodiesel factory Vesta Biofuels Amsterdam which will be converting vegetable crops into 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel (about 230 million litres) a year and biodiesel factory Greenmills which will produce sustainable biofuels and green energy from organic residues, such as used frying oil and organic waste. Port of Amsterdam will continue to invest in sustainable energy.

According to Rene Kleiss, Vice President, Harbour Cranes at Cargotec, APM Terminals presented a very innovative solution with good conceptual thinking for increasing waterside capacity. “But with this new design, some associated issues must be addressed. For instance, APMT’s solution aims to increase waterside efficiency, but how will the landside handling system accommodate the higher volumes? APMT has not addressed this issue and the handling bottleneck is predominantly on the landside. Also, although the solution looks technically feasible, adding numerous technologies (for example cameras, detection systems, etc.) may increase the risk for higher failure rates. Also, maintenance tasking will be more challenging,” Klein added. Any suggestions to complement the land-side crane [s] by a floating container crane to improve productivity are also quickly dismissed by Kleiss. “Again, the idea behind the floating container crane concept is to increase waterside operating capacity. This concept also fails to address the need to accommodate a subsequent increase in landside capacity. However, certain trans-shipment vessels could be serviced by floating container cranes if it were possible to handle containers directly from mother vessel to barges and/or feeder vessels,” said Kleiss.

Automation

Understanding the issue of larger and/or faster container cranes it is necessary for each design concept to address the landside handling systems and how they will accommodate higher volumes. The need to synchronise this might be resolved by automation. Svend Videbaek, Marketing Manager – Port Cranes at Konecranes points out that in the opinion of Konecranes and many of their colleagues in the industry, the most important improvement in container cranes over the last decade has been the introduction of automation to the container yard – although this is more of an evolutionary movement than an improvement. “The business logic of automation is built on a number of key drivers related to the timing, scheduling and overall predictability of container handling operations. Automation provides the means to respond to these drivers in controlled investment phases. The potential of automation to improve the predictability, productivity and safety of container terminal operations is such that the growth of its importance is inevitable, starting first with the largest container ports and later encompassing medium-sized container ports and intermodal terminals,” said Videbaek.  “A number of automation technologies are established in other industries and within the adaptive grasp of container handling equipment manufacturers. There is also great scope for invention and innovation in container handling automation as a distinct area, and Konecranes is working closely together with major container terminal operators that have decided to adopt automation on a large scale,” Videbaek added.

Similar answers come from Kleiss as he points out that another critical development in the quay crane market is the importance of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) and the contribution suppliers can offer towards the performance of the terminal. “Cargotec has developed several concepts for implementing a guarantee per move and we’re willing to discuss our commitment towards customers’ operational performance,” he said. “A lot of individual systems have been improved over the last ten years to increase operational availability. A major development is the reduction of hydraulic systems on the crane (e.g. trim/list, skew and snag load device, etc). As part of our strategy, Cargotec aims to offer solutions which also reduce environmental pollution and save energy.”

Future

Following on from the comments made by Konecranes, the era of container terminal automation is clearly underway. The fundamental first steps have already been made as rail-mounted container cranes (Automatic Stacking Cranes) are established pieces of automated equipment providing increased predictability, productivity and safety. “Total management of the terminal operations has already been boosted by bringing automated machines into the TOS, and GPS technology is providing the means to track containers with great precision in real-time. In the coming decade, more container crane types will join the automation fold in steps that follow the business logic of container terminal operators. The logic of the business will determine the speed and shape of the evolution of container handling automation,” says Videbaek. “We believe that tandem lift container handling on ship-to-shore cranes will be deployed in limited situations using a system that is highly flexible and simple,” said Kleiss. For example, Cargotec’s Kalmar tandem head-block design affords such flexibility and efficiency. “More automation will be used in waterside handling. Using cameras and other safety devices, operators will be able to remotely handle containers from a stationary cabin above-the-ship position or perhaps, in the future, from a landside-stationed operation room. This might be done in combination with a second trolley system. The horizontal transportation of the landside operation will be more and more fully automated using, for example, unmanned straddle or shuttle carriers, and automatic stacking cranes with the twin-crane concept in the terminal yard,” he added. “Most likely, there will be step-by-step developments to achieve gradual capacity increases using some of the above mentioned design proposals. However, if the conventional design of terminals continues then major design changes to waterside equipment will not be likely. In this sense, Fastnet is still considered conventional. Perhaps the Ceres Paragon concept will prove to be an interesting alternative and contribute to further design changes. STS cranes are only a part of the whole cargo flow concept at terminals and only if the entire handling system changes dramatically will we see possible changes to the STS design,” Kleiss concluded. Perhaps designers of new container cranes should not concentrate on improvement of productivity but work with existing criteria, improve them and most importantly synchronise the handling systems both on land-side and water-side. But that is going to be boring!