Shortly after taking over terminal operations, Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT), ICTSI’s Croatian subsidiary, together with the Port of Rijeka, embarked on major upgrading and refurbishment of the existing facilities as part of an ambitious expansion project and to provide higher levels of service.

Moreover, orders for new state of the art handling equipment have been placed, and all working procedures have been reviewed with focus on health, safety and productivity.

AGCT employees, represented by The Independent Union of Employees of Port of Rijeka, recently joined forces with AGCT management in a quest for modernization and productivity improvement with the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). 

The CBA’s thrust is to primarily build trust and define a clear path to secure the highest level of education, social development, safety and productivity for AGCT employees.  It also seeks to improve productivity, reduce waste and set grounds for future medium and long term developments in line with European Union and International Labor Organization (ILO) guidelines.

This CBA holds the distinction of being the very first CBA specifically tailored for container operations in the region. 

AGCT is a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) a leading port management company involved in the operations and development of 25 marine terminals and port projects in 18 countries worldwide. ICTSI was among the first international terminal operators to take its expertise overseas.

“With Khalifa Port and Kizad, we have committed to the Emirate’s largest infrastructure project that will serve ADPC and will be a key enabler in driving the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi by 2030. Bechtel has done a great job to ensure we deliver on time and within budget, as we expected from a company internationally renowned for delivering complex projects in a disciplined way,” said Tony Douglas, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).

“Collaboration and strong project management skills have been crucial to delivering this megaproject on time and within budget. We thank ADPC and our stakeholders for an excellent working relationship, which has made the process of building the port both smooth and efficient,” added Steve Kay, Bechtel’s program manager for Khalifa Port and Kizad.

Khalifa Port has the first semi-automated container terminal in the region. Together with Kizad, Khalifa Port is destined to become one of the most advanced trading hubs in the Middle East.

Sustainability was a key element on the project. Bechtel managed the design and build of the $240 million, eight-kilometer (4.2 miles) long, award-winning environmental protection breakwater to safeguard the Ras Ghanada coral reef during both port construction and operation. The company also implemented Abu Dhabi’s new Estidama (sustainability) regulations on a number of buildings in Khalifa Port, one of the first large projects in the UAE to do so.

Bechtel helped ADPC to develop and incorporate innovative technology to make Khalifa Port one of the most efficient ports in the world. A single operating platform bringing together numerous systems was created for the port operating system, vessel traffic services (which monitors marine traffic) and gate management. The port operating system alone unites over 30 different technologies.

The delivery of Khalifa Port coincides with Bechtel’s 50th anniversary of continuously working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previous projects have included the Murban oil field development and Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s largest and busiest airports, as well as a number of major oil and gas, and power projects.

Bechtel has overseen over 80 port and harbor projects across the world, 28 of these in the last decade.

Ports America worked Hapag-Lloyd’s 773-foot Bonn Express and New Orleans Terminal is currently working Mediterranean Shipping Company’s 965-foot MSC Mara. Additional vessel calls are scheduled for later today and tomorrow at the terminal, such as the 680-foot CMACGM container vessel Frisia Lissabon that arrived at the terminal today.

“Thanks to Entergy restoring power last night, our terminal operators were able to work these container vessels as scheduled,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “Each vessel call represents thousands of man hours that provide hundreds of jobs. Our people were ready to get back to work and the International Longshoremen’s Association did an outstanding job of providing the needed labor. I’m pleased to say the Port of New Orleans is back to business as usual.”

In addition to the container vessels, terminal operator Ports America continues to work the 590-foot Atlantic Pearl and the 557-foot Szymanowski at the Nashville Avenue Terminal and Pacorini Global began working the 618-foot Caledonia yesterday at the Alabo Street Wharf. Other terminal operators, such as Coastal Cargo Co., Empire Stevedoring and New Orleans Cold Storage will resume regular schedules on Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday.

A total of 23 ships, 12 container vessels, nine break-bulk cargo vessels and two cruise ships are scheduled at Port docks by Tuesday.

The 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest is embarking passengers today at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal for its regular seven-day itinerary and the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation will return to its normal itinerary when it arrives Monday.

The inflationary rise is likely to have a great impact over port costs and services nationwide. 

Says Francisco Villagran, Regional Operations Manager, South America; “Real inflation levels in Argentina are currently ranging from 20 to 30 per cent which is strongly affecting industry.  This significant increase in mooring tariffs at these key ports can only impact port costs nationwide and we expect port services will have to follow shortly.”

ISS Argentina is continuing to monitor events in the country for shipowners and operators and advising clients locally how to minimise the effect to their operations.”