Van der Laan (44) has over 20 years of experience in the petrochemical industry, the last 12 years in various management positions. She will succeed Bas Hennissen, who left in 2015.
Van der Laan started her career in 1995 at DSM Specialty Intermediates. As of 2000, she served in various positions for SABIC at the business units Hydrocarbons, Chemicals & Intermediates and PolyPropylenes, in that order. Currently she is working as Director Olefins Europe at SABIC Olefins & Gasses.
Tim Waggott, Chief Executive, Port of Dover, said: “Alongside the need to increase productivity and deliver transformation of the Thames Gateway regeneration area, the Lower Thames Crossing must be seen as a strategic investment to improve the resilience of UK-European trade flows. Failure to invest will choke this crucial pan-European business corridor within which the ports of Dover, London and Medway along with Eurotunnel operate and this will damage UK plc.
“The Port of Dover continues to handle record volumes of freight vehicle traffic with strong projected growth and no substitutable capacity elsewhere. The existing Dartford crossings are already a major bottleneck, operating at over capacity and acting as a break n national productivity.”
Delivery of the Lower Thames Crossing will be crucial as the nation seeks to build upon the success of the Southern powerhouse and support the building of the Northern and Midlands powerhouses, ensuring timely delivery of materials to and from the Continent. Half of the freight vehicle traffic passing through the Port of Dover is coming from or going to beyond London to the Midlands and North.
Mr Waggott added: “The Port of Dover is investing in infrastructure for the long term. We need the Government to do the same by following through with a firm strategic decision to be the builders of prosperity up and down the country through delivery of a new Lower Thames Crossing.”
The brand new service will connect Liverpool with Lisbon, Setubal, Leixoes and Sines and vice versa, with other links to Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.
WEC Lines said: “This is a major new development for us, offering a dedicated, faster and direct container service for our customers in the Iberian peninsula, north Africa and the Canaries. We’re seeing growing demand to ship via Liverpool to provide better access to the heart of the UK. The additional supply chain benefits that Peel Ports are able to offer, from quayside services to trimodal transport options, have also been important in our decision. So, our hope is that this will just be a first step towards increasing trade to important UK markets via the North-west.”
The company is considering further opportunities in reefer and consumer goods on the route.
Ross Thomson, Sales Director, Peel Ports, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming a new line to Liverpool, especially as the business drivers for the service underline the overall proposition that we’ve set out for the port. The shape of UK logistics is changing, with the North-west providing shippers the chance to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions by getting closer to the end market. Testimonials from our existing customers were pivotal in securing WEC Lines’ support for launching a new service. Combined with the backing we have received for our Cargo200 initiative, we are building an increasingly compelling case for cargo owners and lines alike to choose Liverpool.”
In November, Peel Ports announced that it has secured 50 advocates for its Cargo200 initiative, including Diageo, JCB and Jaguar Land Rover. The campaign calls for importers and exporters whose goods begin or end their journey in the north of the UK to switch current delivery of ocean freight from south-east ports to the centrally-located Port of Liverpool.
The initiative aims to cut freight mileage by 200 million miles over the next five years. In addition to achieving significant carbon reduction, the company also estimates that the move could save shippers up to £400 per container in transportation costs by delivering to the heartland of the UK.
Work is continuing on construction at the Liverpool2 container terminal, with the next milestone being the arrival of CRMGs in the spring, and the national import centre at Port Salford.Dutch company WEC Lines is to begin weekly calls at the Port of Liverpool from 10 February, providing a new option for shippers looking to access central and northern UK markets.
The brand new service will connect Liverpool with Lisbon, Setubal, Leixoes and Sines and vice versa, with other links to Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.
WEC Lines said: “This is a major new development for us, offering a dedicated, faster and direct container service for our customers in the Iberian peninsula, north Africa and the Canaries. We’re seeing growing demand to ship via Liverpool to provide better access to the heart of the UK. The additional supply chain benefits that Peel Ports are able to offer, from quayside services to trimodal transport options, have also been important in our decision. So, our hope is that this will just be a first step towards increasing trade to important UK markets via the North-west.”
The company is considering further opportunities in reefer and consumer goods on the route.
Ross Thomson, Sales Director, Peel Ports, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming a new line to Liverpool, especially as the business drivers for the service underline the overall proposition that we’ve set out for the port. The shape of UK logistics is changing, with the North-west providing shippers the chance to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions by getting closer to the end market. Testimonials from our existing customers were pivotal in securing WEC Lines’ support for launching a new service. Combined with the backing we have received for our Cargo200 initiative, we are building an increasingly compelling case for cargo owners and lines alike to choose Liverpool.”
In November, Peel Ports announced that it has secured 50 advocates for its Cargo200 initiative, including Diageo, JCB and Jaguar Land Rover. The campaign calls for importers and exporters whose goods begin or end their journey in the north of the UK to switch current delivery of ocean freight from south-east ports to the centrally-located Port of Liverpool.
The initiative aims to cut freight mileage by 200 million miles over the next five years. In addition to achieving significant carbon reduction, the company also estimates that the move could save shippers up to £400 per container in transportation costs by delivering to the heartland of the UK.
Work is continuing on construction at the Liverpool2 container terminal, with the next milestone being the arrival of CRMGs in the spring, and the national import centre at Port Salford.
CICT is the first and currently the only deep water terminal in South Asia equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat. The Colombo Port ended 2015 with an impressive 5.185 million TEUs, an overall growth of 5.7% over 2014 volumes while some other transhipment ports in the region recorded negative growth. CICT CEO Nelson Liu said this record achievement was made possible due to the excellent port support auxiliary services provided by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Customs and Sri Lanka Navy, which play a very critical but subtle role in the operations of the Port. The trust of customers and the support of other stakeholders within the industry also contributed to CICT’s success, he said.
“While the efficient and professional pilotage services are well recognised by the Masters of the ULCC vessels calling at CICT, the initiative by the Customs Department to operate on 24 x 7 basis is also a key factor which facilitates faster movement of cargo during night time,” Liu said.
CICT received some of the largest vessels plying the Asia Europe routes in 2015. They included MSC New York (16,652 TEU), CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,020 TEU) and Edith Maersk, Estelle Maersk, Ebba Maersk, Elly Maersk and Eugene Maersk, each 14,770 TEUs. Many of these are now regular callers at CICT. CICT also added two new shipping lines to provide new services to the Port of Colombo in 2015.