Strike diversions cost the port 107,000 TEU when it was set to pass the million mark – but the increase still bettered the southern Europe average of 7.7% and also led general cargo to a nine-point improvement on almost 16MT.  Dry bulks soared 40% to outstrip the Europe-wide average of 18% and reach nearly 12MT.  In contrast, liquid bulks – representing almost two-thirds of total throughput – slipped 3% to 58MT following reduced oil refinery demand and a month-long autumn strike at the oil and gas terminals. Annual turnover rose 2.3% to EUR175m despite income losses of EUR3m due to the refinery cutbacks and EUR4m because of the strikes.  Infrastructure investment fell from the record-equalling EUR130m of 2009 to EUR74m as the port completed its share of works on the Fos 2XL container development, which will create two privately operated terminals.   Arrangements to transfer port personnel and equipment to these and various existing terminals under the French port reforms must be completed by a government deadline of April this year.  Supervisory board chairman Patrick Daher said this was a priority in order to restore the port’s reliability, urging: “It’s time to reunite all parties in building the port of tomorrow.  I have the firm conviction that Marseilles Fos must aspire to the level of major city-ports in the mould of Singapore, Hamburg or Shanghai.” The port authority added that, despite the difficulties, 2010 had shown encouraging signs for the future.  This included delivery of the first ship-to-shore cranes for Fos 2XL, the first call by a 13,000 teu boxship, expansion of the Fos Distriport logistics zone and plans for major new methane and agro-industrial facilities.  The port is targeting 4% cargo growth for 90MT in 2011 – including a 5% rise in container volumes to 1.005 million teu.  

General cargo
The container total of 953,435 TEU was marked by a 34% increase in intra-Mediterranean trades via the Marseilles harbour area, which handled 251,000 teu.  The Fos deepsea terminal bore the brunt of the strikes and throughput rose by only 2%. Ro-ro traffic contributed 4.3MT (+6%) to the general cargo total after UN RO-RO launched the port’s first-ever Turkey service and trade with Tunisia reached a ten-year high of 1.3MT.  Conventional trades grew 21% to 2.1MT thanks to steel product exports. Growth was helped by six other new services.  Fos added container lines to the US-Gulf of Mexico, Asia and North Africa from Hapag Lloyd, CSAV Norasia and United Seas Shipping respectively.  Apart from UN RO-RO, Marseilles gained Lubda’s ro-ro service to Libya, CMA CGM container sailings to Morocco and a Grimaldi con-ro operation to West Africa. Regular calls by 6,500 teu-capacity containerships on Asia services also proved significant – underlined in November when the port handled its first 13,000 teu vessel, MSC Beryl.    

Dry bulks  
The 40% increase to 11.8MT stemmed from increased steel demand as the world economy improved.  Although demand slowed in the second half, raw materials for the steel industry rose 63% to 7.6MT for the year.  Bulk volumes were also helped by revived demand for construction materials.

The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia has awarded a contract to Norfolk Dredging in Chesapeake, Virginia for dredging works at the south side of Pier 11 at the Norfolk Naval Station. The contract is estimated to be worth USD12.1 million. Work is expected to be completed by December 2011. 

The ports in Egypt are beginning to feel the impact of the current political unrest in the country. Some port operations are being affected although transits through the Suez Canal are still continuing normally. Container traffic will be affected due to expected delays and congestion of stacking areas which is resulting from the fact that containers continue to be discharged while no cargoes are being released. Break bulk operations are only permitted for non-direct delivery cargo, and discharge operations are very slow, due to a shortage of labour and diesel for shore equipment. Meanwhile, however, silos for bulk cargo are working and all oil & gas terminals are fully operational.