Construction work for the extension of Berth No.1 at Ostuferhafen has begun, so that large cruise ships can dock there this summer already. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the PORT OF KIEL (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG): “The shipping routes of northern Europe attract more and more big cruise ships as well as a constantly increasing number of tourists.  Through enhancing our capacities we offer our customers planning reliability and an excellent basis for continuing growth.” By extending Berth No. 1, three very big cruise ships can moor in Kiel at the same time for passenger turnaround. In addition, Kiel offers further handling capacities for several smaller cruise ships. Dirk Claus: “In a first step, Berth No.1 will relieve our existing cruise terminal Ostseekai regarding stop-overs before passenger turnaround will be handled at this berth next year.” Berth No. 1 will receive its premiere when the “Eurodam” of Holland America Line will dock there on 09 June 2013.

The extended cruise Berth No.1 has a quay length of 395 m with a constant water depth of 10.50 m. The facility is going to be certified according to the international ISPS Code and comes with all equipment for vessel provisioning. Furthermore, the fenders at Berth No. 1 will be adapted to the requirements of particularly large ships and a passenger gangway will be installed by the end of May. For future luggage handling, an area of 2,500 m² will be redesigned in the hall adjacent to the berth. The passenger terminal area will be set up in a light-flooded pavilion of more than 1,500 m², extending the hall towards the water front. All in all, the terminal is designed for handling vessels with up to 4,000 passengers. Dirk Claus: “With Berth No. 1, we provide shipping companies with best conditions – in nautical and operational respect. The total package is extremely advantageous and will strengthen Kiel’s competitive position.” For the very first time, embarking passengers will have the opportunity to park their cars directly at the terminal building for the duration of their journey. The Ostuferhafen offers an adequate number of parking spaces within the security zone.

ZCA’s Weekly, Fixed-day service will have the following rotation:

Haifa – Piraeus – Genova – Tarragona –Halifax – New York –Savannah – Kingston – New York – Tarragona – Ashdod

The new rotation improves transit times to both West and East Mediterranean, offering a premium service with best in market transit time from NYC to East Med, while maintaining the well-established port coverage, schedule integrity, stability and reliability of ZCA. Via ZIM’s Hub in Haifa and our extensive, synchronized feeder network, further connections to major East-Med destinations are available with excellent transit times. The new rotation will provide much better service specifically for refrigerated cargo from NYC to Med destinations.

ZIM is also able to offer excellent service westbound to Central America, Caribbean and US west coast destinations via Halifax and our Kingston hub. The westbound high service levels and transit times continue without change.  

Rafi Ben Ari, VP Shipping: “This additional enhancement to ZCA offers significant advantages to our customers, strengthening ZCA’s position in the market.”

Results just published from a study launched in 2011 by private research group Semaphores puts the added value of activities linked to the port at €3.5 billion.  In addition, the number of directly or indirectly related jobs was shown to have risen to 43,500 – up 5% from 41,300 since a review carried out in 2007 by another independent body.

The new results echo a report produced late last year by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which also underlined the port’s major impact on employment and the economy.

Focused on industry, port professions and logistics, port-related employment now represents 8% of private sector jobs in the Bouches-du-Rhone region, where 22% of industrial employees are linked to the port.  This workforce of 16,000 is 6% lower than in 2007 due to the world economic crisis, but the port professionals total grew 5% to 13,100 and logistics personnel soared 12% to 11,500 with the opening of new warehousing and distribution hubs such as Distriport.                                 

Since 2007, employment linked to the port has been further reinforced by the development of overland and maritime logistics activities in neighbouring areas.  Notably, the Marseilles urban area is home to more than 18,000 port-related workers, with 75% of these involved in port professions.  In contrast, areas with a more industrial bias have seen a 2-3% drop in port-related employment. 

The study also included a first-ever examination of the port’s impact on employment in five northern zones of the city.  It found that 13,000 employees in 506 companies were linked to the port, representing 18.5% of the total workforce in these areas.  Meanwhile the Fos port-industrial zone was shown to employ 9,800 people across 165 companies.

The port’s economic impact is expected to grow still further in the coming years, largely due to initiatives to increase container traffic and encourage port-related developments in the region.  The Marseilles Fos port authority intends to monitor progress by forming partnerships with academic institutions and local authorities.        

The order is one of the largest single port equipment contracts to be delivered to Bolipuertos by Kalmar and reflects the operator’s rapid expansion in container and industrial handling applications at its Puerto Cabello and La Guaira locations. The parties have agreed not to disclose the exact value of the order.

The portfolio of equipment, which is scheduled for delivery starting May 2013, includes 30 Kalmar reachstackers, four empty container handlers, eight heavy forklifts, nine light forklifts, seven heavy terminal tractors, 41 medium terminal tractors and one zero emission rubber-tyred gantry crane.

Ingo Erhardt, Vice President, Head of South America at Kalmar commented: “We are delighted that Bolipuertos have again selected Kalmar as their preferred partner with such a large equipment order. Kalmar’s dedicated manufacturing centres around the globe are able to respond by fulfilling this extensive order within a short time scale. It also reflects the trusted relationship we have developed over the years through providing innovative technological solutions and excellent service. Last year, for example, we created a dedicated service team, based in Brazil, which can quickly respond to Bolipuertos’ machine service needs across their various port and terminal locations.”

Venezuelan government is investing in its two main non petroleum export ports Puerto Cabello and La Guaira to respond to the increasing efficiency and capacity demands for cargo handling. Once the Puerto Cabello expansion project is finished, the port will have an annual capacity of 700,000 containers while La Guardia, the country’s second largest container port, will handle 600,000 TEUs. Kalmar’s container handling equipment will be delivered at both of these ports.