Archive 2 - Page 542 of 1311 - World Port Development

Budget Forecast Holds as seasonal impacts hit in January Port of Virginia

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WPD

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23 February 2015

“We forecast for a loss in January and February and by no means do we believe this is acceptable,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “It shows that our budget is realistic and has integrity.

“We expected headwinds in the third quarter as a result of seasonal impacts. We are making improvements in service levels and spending where necessary to maintain service integrity and safety at our facilities.”

The operating result for January is a loss of $1 million, which is an improvement over the prior-year result of a $4.7 million operating loss, and the lowest January operating loss in four years.

Factors that influenced January’s outcome:

• Holiday closures and expenses

• Increased overtime to clear congestion created by the
holiday schedule

• Labor taxes and assessments due at the start of the
calendar year

• The cost for winter operations and planning

• Volume discounts for some carrier contracts

• High rail volume and related expenses

The fiscal-year-to-date result is an operating profit of $5.2 million, versus a prior year operating loss of $15.3 million, or an improvement of $20.5 million year-over-year.

Reinhart said February may hold a loss as well, given that it is a short month (28 days), there have been one-and-a-half lost workdays as a result of snow and the negative effect of the exceptionally cold weather on operations. “We are keeping a close eye on all of the factors and at this juncture we expect to deliver a positive operating result for the fiscal year,” Reinhart said. “February will be a challenge, but we will get back on track and as we do, the focus on consistent delivery of reliable service to our customers, stakeholders and partners will continue.”

In January, The Port of Virginia reported that it handled 191,996 TEUs, an increase of 14.8 percent, or 24,725 TEUs, when compared with January 2014.

January 2015 vs. January 2014, in containers:

• Truck volume, up 12.2%

• Rail volume, up 22.1%

• Virginia Inland Port, up 3.2%

• Barge volume, up 16.7%

• Ship calls, up 5.8%

Prime Minister launches Economic Plan at the Port of Felixstowe

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WPD

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20 February 2015

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Prime Minister launches Economic Plan at the Port of Felixstowe

Whilst at the port he saw the ultra-large container ship, CSCL Saturn, being worked at the port’s Berths 8&9. He also viewed the extension being built to these berths which will allow the UK’s largest container port to handle even more of the latest mega-ships operating on the world’s major trade routes.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Port of Felixstowe’s significant investment in its world-class facilities, including future plans for a new £200m Berth (Berth 10), and the additional jobs created.

During his speech at the port, the Prime Minister said:

“The extraordinary scale of the trade you are pioneering is not just fundamental to success in this region it’s fundamental to the success of the whole country. And with your exports to the fast-growing Asian markets up by two-fifths in the last five years alone that is exactly what you are helping to do.

“Put simply, you are increasing Britain’s footprint in the world. Your
success is one part of an exciting story of economic recovery that is beginning
to take place right across the East of England.”

Commenting on the visit, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said:

“We are honoured that the Prime Minister has chosen the Port of Felixstowe to make this important economic announcement for the East of England. We were able to show the Prime Minister how the continued investments we are making at Felixstowe are helping support UK economic growth and createmore jobs.

“The developments at Berths 8&9 ensure the UK has a world class facility to handle the world’s largest vessels. These mega ships provide UK exporters with the most efficient connections to key overseas markets and are central to delivering an export-led economic recovery.”

The East of England has seen the fastest growth in employment of any English region outside London since the last election and the Prime Minister highlighted what has been delivered and what is underway as part of ongoing work to build a more resilient economy. He also talked about what more can be done to secure a brighter future for hardworking people across the region. Theplan aims to create 250,000 new jobs by 2020 and will take forward £4.2 billion of investment into transport infrastructure.

ICTSI adds muscle to Manila, Subic operations with new generation reach stackers

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WPD

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20 February 2015

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ICTSI adds muscle to Manila, Subic operations with new generation reach stackers

The four new units of the mobile container handling equipment are stationed at ICTSI’s flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and at the New Container Terminals 1 and 2 at the Subic Bay Freeport. The Subic terminals are operated by ICTSI subsidiaries Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. and ICTSI Subic, Inc. The new reach stackers, the first of their kind to operate in the Asia-Pacific region, brings to a total of 27 mobile container handling equipment deployed at the MICT and Subic terminals. This fleet of reach stackers and empty container handlers is the largest in the Philippines to date. Supplied and manufactured by Kalmar, the port equipment and technology unit of Cargotec Oy of Finland, the Gloria or Generation G reach stacker takes productivity to a whole new level with its 45-ton total lift capacity, which is an industry-best for its class.

Aside from exceptional performance, it offers three ECO driving modes, namely power, normal and economy, making it the most energy efficient reach stacker in the market today. Gloria also sports an automatic stop-start function, which is responsible for reduced emissions and fuel efficiency of up to 10 percent.

Antonio Coronel, ICTSI Purchasing Director, is pleased with the new equipment and believes they will contribute to improved port operations in more ways than one. He also praised Kalmar’s “understanding of the critical requirements of our business.”

“They don’t just provide highly productive and reliable equipment; they appreciate the dynamics of the business and as a result, can provide solutions that boost productivity yet reduce our costs of operation. We have an ambitious development strategy to become one of the world’s leading port management companies and on the same global stage, Kalmar is clearly a trusted partner,” he added.

Björn Jonasson, Kalmar Asia Sales Director expressed his delight at ICTSI becoming “the first customer to specify Kalmar Gloria reach stackers in Asia and particularly so soon after their launch into the region. We have enjoyed considerable success in launching Gloria into other key territories and the product has now become the benchmark for reach stacker performance throughout the industry.”

Caption: In action: The new Gloria 45-ton reach stacker lifts a container at the New Container Terminal- 1 in Subic.

MICT, ICTSI’s flagship operation and the Philippines’ largest international container terminal, has an annual capacity of 4.2 millionTEUs – a number that continues to grow.

18% increase in container volume at South Carolina Ports

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WPD

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19 February 2015

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January container traffic pushed fiscal year to date TEU volumes past the 1 million mark, with 1,072,438 TEUs moved since the period began in July. Fiscal year to date, TEU volumes are up 14 percent year over year. As measured in pier containers, SCPA moved 88,619 boxes in January. With 614,372 boxes handled fiscal year to date, pier container levels are up 15 percent compared to the same period last year.

“While ship sizes grow, driving increases in the number of container moves per vessel, our port continues to work well,” said SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome. “Strong terminal productivity ensures trucks can efficiently move cargo in and out of our facilities without delays.”

Non-containerized cargo also saw gains in January, with total fiscal year to date breakbulk volumes 7 percent higher than planned levels. In January Charleston handled 65,153 tons and is slightly above plan for the fiscal year. Georgetown handled 14,933 tons, bringing the facility’s fiscal year gains to 15 percent over plan.

The SCPA posted record intermodal rail growth for in 2014, with an increase of 38 percent over last year. The SPCA handled 199,000 rail lifts last year with increases across all major lanes, including Memphis, Greer, Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville. Rail volume has doubled since 2011, and nearly 20 percent of the SCPA’s total container volume currently moves by rail.

A significant driver of continued rail volume increases is the Inland Port, which reached an all-time high in monthly rail lifts in January. The Inland Port handled 5,068 rail moves last month, and 30,495 rail lifts completed fiscal year to date.

The Board passed a resolution authorizing the SCPA to oversee construction of a Site Operations Center on the BMW campus in Spartanburg, SC. BMW currently leases the industrial site from the SCPA, and as the landowner SCPA will manage the construction process of the facility. The project is estimated to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.

In other action items, the Board approved a contract to perform annual berth dredging at Wando Welch Terminal and authorized the purchase of six full container handlers as part of the SCPA’s scheduled equipment replacement plan. The Board also approved the expansion of the perimeter security system at Columbus Street Terminal.