The existing Moin-Limón port has no fixed cranes on the quay and a draught of only 9 meters. It is currently only capable of handling tiny, 2,500 TEU ships. In short, this means less space on board each vessel for cargo and slower container operations. The new port will have six new ship-to-shore cranes, a 16-meter draught and 600 meters of quay so that it can handle 13,000 TEU ships, roughly the maximum size able to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal, when the need arises. The port is being designed with Costa Rica’s fresh exports in mind: more than 60% of the terminal’s capacity will be devoted to refrigerated container handling. When it opens in 2018, APM Terminals Moin will be ready for vessels up to three times the size of those currently calling at the port.
“The reefer volumes in Costa Rica and Latin America in general are going to grow as ports like Moin enable the bigger ships to call them. We expect volumes to double within the next 15 years. With better equipment and operations we can get much larger volumes in and out of Moin much faster – in hours, not days as is the case today,” says Roberto Madrigal, Sales Manager for Maersk Line in Costa Rica.
“For exporters of fresh fruit, time is critical and the increase in port efficiency will be of huge benefit to them.”

Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at PORT OF KIEL: “This is a milestone for Kiel as a logistics hub. The train is an ideal link for rapid freight transport between the Baltic and the Eastern Mediterranean Seas.” The destinations of the train – Kiel and Trieste – are equally points of departure for efficient ferry lines to Scandinavia and to Turkey. The direct train connection was initiated by the logistics company EKOL. Stena Line, who transports the goods from and to Sweden with its ships, has accompanied the project right from the start and contributed decisively to its realization. Dirk Claus: “The new direct train will relocate traffic from road to rail and is a showcase project on the European TEN-T corridor between the Adriatic and Baltic Seas.”

The first train started in Trieste on 25th January 2017 and arrived at 1 p.m. next day (26/01) in Kiel. It consists of sixteen double pocket wagons and can transport 32 load units. Trailers swap bodies and containers are accepted. To begin with, the rail connection is operated once a week in both directions. The train departs from Italy every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and arrives at Kiel’s Schwedenkai the following Thursday. The transit time for the distance of 1,360 km is 26 hours. Dirk Claus: “The goods are distributed from Kiel to their recipients in Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Our Schwedenkai is strengthening its position as a hub in Northern Europe.” There is a direct connection to the ferries of Stena Line reaching the Swedish port of Gothenburg on Friday morning at 9.15 a.m. Cargo units for Denmark and Northern Germany are directly taken on by trucks.

After a trial phase of several weeks, the train is supposed to operate in regular service from right after Easter. Depending on demand, the schedule can later be extended to two arrivals and departures a week at every destination. Dirk Claus: “Business partners from four European countries have been working with great commitment on the realization of this project for several months. In particular, I want to thank our Turkish partner for the good and trustful cooperation. I am convinced that intermodal transport between the Baltic region and the Mediterranean will keep getting more and more important. The direct train link from Trieste to Kiel opens up totally new transport opportunities.” Last year, there were more than 29,000 unit loads handled via Kiel in combined transport for the first time. At the moment, Kiel is connected via Hamburg-Billwerder to the whole national network by combi-shuttles operating five times a week. In addition, there are five direct train connections a week to Verona.

International Warehouse Services, Inc. (IWS), a long-time tenant at the on-port Foreign-Trade Zone No. 25, is the prime member of the PE-ILC team, along with ANF Group Inc., and Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital LLC. IWS is the largest tenant in the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), and has been a tenant at Port Everglades for more than 30 years.

PE-ILC will construct approximately 240,000 square feet of warehouse facilities with an attached 45,000 square-foot office building on 16.657 acres of Port property west of McIntosh Road. The initial ground lease term is for 30 years. The project will contain warehouse, refrigerated warehouse and office space, and cross-docking facilities, which will enhance the services available to shippers using Port Everglades. The entire logistics centre will be designated as a Foreign Trade Zone.

“The design and concept of the new logistics centre is to provide shipping companies and international customers a full range of port related services. This will include 3PL warehousing services and government inspections, as well as refrigerated space for perishable cargo,” said Fred Rogacki, President and CEO of International Warehouse Services. “There is no other port on the east coast that offers this type of service within one centralized location.”

The completion of the logistics centre, anticipated for April 2019, will allow the Port to proceed with the demolition of the existing obsolete FTZ facility and construction of additional marine terminal yards for cargo customers as provided for in the Port Everglades Master/Vision Plan.

The Dover Western Docks Revival project will create a purpose-built cargo and logistics facility at the Port, which currently handles up to £119billion of UK trade each year.
Allianz Global Investors has agreed to provide the programme with a £55million private placement bond; RBS and Lloyds Bank have each provided a £35million revolving credit facility; and the European Investment Bank has confirmed a £75million loan.
Port of Dover Chief Executive, Tim Waggott, said: “Dover Western Docks Revival is the single biggest investment ever undertaken by the Port of Dover. It will define how we operate for decades to come.
“Currently handling 17 per cent of all the UK’s trade in goods, it is crucial the Port continues to evolve to meet the demands of an ever-changing political and trading landscape.
“The financial support supplied by blue chip lenders underlines the critical role Dover fulfils for UK and European economies, businesses and consumers. A prominent role which will remain into the future post Brexit.”
AllianzGI’s UK Infrastructure Debt Portfolio Manager, Adrian Jones, said: “The Port of Dover is a unique asset. Given its history and proximity to continental Europe, it is of vital importance to UK trade.
“The Port has assembled a cost-effective funding solution that matches the most cost-effective debt product to each maturity bucket – short-term commercial bank debt, medium term European Investment Bank debt and long-term private placement bonds – thus ensuring it can keep the cost of funding the project as low as possible for its customers.”
Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President, said: “This exciting new investment will transform Europe’s busiest ferry port, both improving the seafront and enabling increased and more diverse cargo to pass through Dover. The European Investment Bank is pleased to support this once in a generation project as part of our backing for crucial investment at leading ports across the UK and around the world.”
Guillaume Fleuti, Head of Infrastructure and Energy for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Dover has been the gateway for UK trade for over 400 years and is an iconic name within the Infrastructure market.
“Lloyds has a long standing relationship with Dover and the opportunity to support the Port in its expansion activities goes to the very heart of what Lloyds seeks to achieve – supporting clients and helping Britain prosper. The expansion of the Port is the next evolution in the history of Dover and one which Lloyds looks forward to further supporting.”
RBS acted as financial advisor to the Port of Dover as well as lender. Bruce Riley, Managing Director within its Structured Finance team, said: “The diversity, tenor and flexibility of the overall funding package achieved reflect the strength of the Port of Dover’s business and its enduring importance to the UK economy.
“RBS is proud and delighted to have been able to support the Western Docks Revival project which will have such a positive impact not only on the local community, but also on Britain’s connectivity with Europe. RBS is committed to UK infrastructure development and has supported investment in many of the UK’s largest projects over the past year.”
In addition to bespoke cargo and logistics facilities, Dover Western Docks Revival will also allow the Port to create a dedicated ferry terminal in the Eastern Docks and a transformed waterfront for Dover.
Such strong confidence in the Port and the importance of its role comes as VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster is confirmed as the main Dover Western Docks Revival contractor, the Port of Dover acquires cargo handling operations in the Port from George Hammond PLC, and freight figures for 2016 indicate another record year for Dover.