The throughput of crude oil increased by 3.3% while that of mineral oil products decreased by 13.5%. The throughput of coal grew by 9.5%, while ore throughput stayed virtually the same. Container throughput measured in tonnes, increased by 2.7% or 1.9% when measured in TEU. The Port of Rotterdam Authority’s turnover in the first half of 2014 increased by € 8.6 million compared to the first half of 2013. The net result slightly increased (by € 1.8 million) in comparison to the first half of 2013. The impact of the increase in turnover is somewhat damped by the increase in depreciation and interest charges. The cash flow in the first half of t he year was negative. Total investments are expected to drop from € 263 million in 2013 to approximately € 203 million in 2014, and as such fall back to the level prior to the construction of the Maasvlakte 2. One of the largest investments in recent years in existing port area, the widening of the Amazonehaven, was commissioned in 2014.

The port achieved a record annual tonnage throughput of 372.3 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of 29% from the previous year. The Utah Point Multi-User Bulk Export facility recorded an annual total throughput of 18.7 Mt, an increase of 51% from the previous financial year. Total throughput for the month of June 2014 was 34.3 Mt, an increase of 21% from the same month in 2013.

It is a deep water site and strategically located as a transshipment hub for containers destined for the Black Sea via the Bosporus. The terminal will handle vessels carrying up to 18,000 TEU and will have an annual capacity of around 2 million TEU. The investors include Terminal Investment Ltd SA (TIL) and the Soyuer group in Turkey. The initiative for the development of the port was taken by Mr Ahmet Soyuer. TiL is the terminal operating subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s second largest shipping company.

Uniquely, all tractors at this terminal will be powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). Asyaport chose this fuel as it eliminates particulate emissions and leads to much lower NOx emissions than diesel. Furthermore, in Turkey LNG is considerably cheaper than diesel and there is an LNG filling station close to the terminal.

Terberg Benschop and their Turkish distributor Portunus worked closely with Robin van der Kooij and Marc Desmons of TiL to select the most suitable tractor for this application. They settled on 40 YT222 tractors with 170 kW Mercedes engines: powerful enough to handle two trailers carrying 20″ containers. These engines are also used in hundreds of busses in Istanbul, so there is significant expertise available for their maintenance. Servicing and support will be provided by Portunus who are based in Istanbul. For TIL, one of the deciding factors was that Terberg had proven their capability by supplying a fully operational LNG-powered tractor at short notice for a project in Valencia, Spain. Delivery of the tractors will commence in January 2015.

Terberg will also supply 38 tractors to TIL’s terminal at Lomé in Togo, West Africa. The company won this order based on the high quality and reliability of their tractors, combined with an attractive price.

Terberg Benschop, based in the Netherlands, is a family-owned company which supplies a wide range of tractors and other special vehicles to shipping terminals, industry and distribution centres worldwide. Terberg focusses on reliability and easy maintenance to ensure a low total cost of ownership. The company also customises the vehicles for each customer to optimise efficiency in every application.

The latest statistics from consultants Arup show that the port contributes £990 million to the UK economy every year, including £714 million for the Solent region. They also show that the port supports 14,730 jobs. The report confirms that ABP Port of Southampton has retained its position as the UK’s number one cruise port, welcoming 1.7 million passengers in 2013 – more than any other cruise port in the UK. Southampton has also been recognised as the number one cruise turnaround port in Europe. Over the past five years ABP has invested over £100 million to help drive growth and secure jobs in Southampton. Its investment for the future is continuing and over the next five years ABP plans to spend a further £150 million to develop the port. This investment will increase the port’s contribution to the UK economy by an estimated £437 million every year.

Clive Thomas, ABP Southampton’s Port Manager, said: “These latest figures, of which we are extremely proud, underline yet again the vital contribution made to the regional and national economy by the Port of Southampton. Not only does it support thousands of jobs in the Solent region but thousands more across the country. “Our cruise operation continues to grow, both in scale but in our reputation for customer service, and we are now the leading turnaround cruise port in Europe. Not only that, the port really is a critical part of the UK supply chain and an essential cog in the machine of the UK economy.” The Port of Southampton is the fourth largest port in the UK and the leading port for car handling, with the latest figures showing the port handled 745,000 vehicles last year, two thirds of which were for export. It is Europe’s most efficient container port, and handled 26 million tonnes of commodities in 2013.

Southampton is one of 21 UK ports owned by ABP. Nationally, the company contributed £5.6 billion to the UK economy in 2012 and a quarter of UK seaborne trade passes through its statutory harbour areas.

ABP plans to invest £837 million of capital and operational investment over the next five years, which will add an extra £1.7 billion to the UK economy every year.