The newly-opened international container terminal is looking for ‘Terminal Operatives’ to operate a variety of high-tech cranes and vehicles to move goods from ship to shore as well as support all other aspects of the terminal’s operations. Applications are invited equally from men but in a bid to encourage diversity and dispel myths that ports are not for women, DP World London Gateway wants women to take a fresh look at what the modern port has to offer.

DP World London Gateway CEO, Simon Moore, said: “It’s really important to us to have as diverse a workforce as possible bringing many benefits to all in the workplace.

“We have a number of women in our team, but not as many as we would like – and the stereotypical view of what a port is like, couldn’t be further from the truth.

“We have one of the most advanced, highly-automated ports in the world and there’s a real buzz and excitement here. Our Terminal Operatives, who are highly trained, undertake a key role in ensuring that goods imported and exported across the globe reach the homes of people in the UK and beyond.

Simon, continued, “We will train people to have the skills needed for the job. What we are looking for is a real sense of commitment to the team. We feel close as one team and it’s like a family. We want to combine this ‘1team’ ethos with a focus on working responsibly in the in the port. With health and safety being our number one priority, we will only recruit those who think health and safety first.”

The superport currently has 400 team members and offers a range of jobs through its website at www.londongateway.com/careers. The port opened in November 2013 and now has two berths open, with four still to come. The port and logistics park is expected to employ 12,000 people when fully developed, with an estimated 24,000 further indirect jobs created.

Denise Rossiter, Chief Executive of Essex Chambers of Commerce, commended DP World for its efforts to encourage more women to join the team. “Not only is this another fantastic boost for the South Essex economy, but it’s great to hear that diversity is being encouraged, with a range of opportunities on offer for men and women alike,” she said.

In earlier reports World Port Development reported that the Spanish-led consortium of Sacyr Vallehermoso and Italy’s Impregilo, each with a 48% stake – and also include Belgium’s Jan de Nul and Panama’s CUSA – imposed a deadline for payment of the over-run costs for the construction project. But now it seems that one day after the deadline the pact has been signed by all parties involved.

The pact signed on 1 August amends the original contract to include the terms of the agreement reached in March ending a dispute between the parties.

“What remains now is to continue working with the commitment to complete the expansion, which is currently at a 78% progress,” ACP Administrator Jorge L Quijano said.

Back in February the consortium halted work on the locks alleging a cash-flow crisis stemming from USD 1.6 billion in cost overruns that it insisted the ACP should cover. At the end of February the ACP announced that it had reached a conceptual agreement with the consortium to inject fresh funds into the project and ensure completion. The parties signed in March a Memorandum of Understanding embodying the terms of the conceptual agreement, which stated that the consortium would pay USD 100 million and ACP would advance USD 100 million to enable the work to continue.

According to ACP the incorporation of the MOU into the contract “does not include any payment for cost overruns or claims.” The MOU also mandated that insurer Zurich would convert a USD 400 million performance bond – which the consortium was required to take out as an insurance policy – into backing for a new loan to help fund the project. This week the consortium confirmed that it is close to securing the loan.

“In just six months we have expanded almost every aspect of our operations, including the USD 130 million relocation and expansion of the Oman International Container Terminal and a USD 2.5 million investment to connect infrastructure that has cut turnaround times at Oiltanking Odfjell’s oil and gas storage facilities.”

“Cargo volumes continue to grow at a rate beyond the 50 million tonnes per year that we have witnessed in recent years, and we are also seeing growth in industries beyond those that were originally set up when SOHAR was launched as a joint venture with the Port of Rotterdam back in 2002,” Aziz explained. “As such, SOHAR is not only at the forefront of the global shipping industry, it is vital to Oman’s future.”

As part of the company’s mid-year review, Aziz highlighted plans for a national food reserve and dedicated agricultural terminal, as well as air and rail links, as an indication of the bright future that lies ahead. He also reflected on how a deal with one of Oman’s largest business houses, Saud Bahwan, will see SOHAR’s automotive cluster grow to 200,000 cars annually – bringing global manufacturers Lexus, Kia, Ford, Toyota, and Daihatsu to the region. Nissan and BMW are already represented at SOHAR by Suhail Bahwan.

Having witnessed sustained interest in SOHAR’s core business areas – petrochemicals, metals, and logistics – including a USD 60 million agreement with a UK-led consortium to build the largest rare earth metals plant of its kind outside of China, Aziz emphasised the sustainability that is driving growth and creating jobs.

“The tremendous work that has gone into growing the business during the first half of this year is no flash in the pan. There is a very clear strategy to what we are trying to achieve, and all of the markets that we are entering are growing with exceptional speed. This will be important as we consolidate progress over the course of the next decade. It will also become the cornerstone of job creation at SOHAR,” he said.

Meanwhile, in light of SOHAR’s commitment to building a sustainable logistical hub that will assist the Oman achieve its Vision 2020 objective of globalising the economy, Mr. Aziz concluded by discussing how an international marketing campaign launched in May has seen great strides taken towards this goal.

“Our ability to reach global audiences has been greatly accelerated by the global marketing campaign that we launched in May. This campaign has already achieved a number of milestones following the launch of a new brand identity for SOHAR Port and Freezone back in January. Nearly 40,000 unique visitors viewed nearly 100,000 web pages in the first two months of the campaign, and the Port’s social media accounts have also seen over 150,000 YouTube hits and nearly 10,000 twitter followers in the same period.”  The international campaign is one of a number of initiatives aimed at engaging key markets in developed and emerging economies, including the US, EU, China, India, Brazil, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East.

It was given to Coraggio Maglio as the presenter. The honour was shared by his team of co-authors – Kimberly Townsend, Rob Thomas, Derek Thornton, Jantzen Miller, Tricia Campbell, Lihwa Lin, Sheridan Willey, and Eric Wood – most of whom are also young professionals and all of whom are members of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The PIANC World Congress is held every four years in one of the PIANC’s member countries. It attracted some 600 delegates and exhibitors from all corners of the world and managed 5 concurrent sessions per day with more than 250 papers. Given the participation of a large number of young researchers, selecting a winner at this conference was especially competitive. The selection was supported by the PIANC Paper Committee and experts from the IADC member companies. As IADC Secretary General Kolman remarked, after narrowing down the field to four papers, “the final choice was based on the excellent work represented by this team of young professionals as well as the high quality of Maglio’s presentation”.

The award

Every year at selected conferences, the IADC recognises the best papers written by authors younger than 35 years of age. In each case the Conference Paper Committee is asked to recommend papers that makes a significant contribution to the literature on dredging and related fields. The purpose of the IADC Young Authors Award is “to stimulate the promotion of new ideas and encourage younger men and women in the dredging industry”. The winner of the Award receives € 1,000 and a certificate of recognition. The paper may then be published in Terra et Aqua Journal.