An EIS is being prepared and will evaluate and address environmental impacts associated with proposed development at Honolulu Harbor. Approximately 80-percent of Hawaii’s goods are imported into the state. Of that amount, 98-percent comes through the state commercial harbors system. To ensure the continued and unimpeded movement of cargo in and out of the state, as well as between islands, commercial harbors must undergo expansion and improvements.

Terminal capacity at Honolulu Harbor, the hub of the state commercial harbors system, has not been substantially expanded in many years. If no new capacity is developed, major reductions in service time and increases in operational cost are expected by 2015 at the Sand Island terminals. By or before 2020, efficiency of cargo distribution will be constrained with significant impacts on Hawaii’s economy.

Jointly organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), the NGCP Challenge seeks to identify ideas that will achieve a quantum leap in port performance, productivity and sustainability for a new generation of container port that is set 10 years in the future.

The NGCP Challenge was officially launched today by Capt M Segar, MPA’s Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. Registration for the international competition is open till 31 July 2012. Participants will have to submit their proposals by 31 December 2012. Submissions will be evaluated by an international panel, comprising representatives from the Singapore government and the maritime industry.

“The current landscape is such that high demands are placed on port infrastructure in the world. It is especially important for Singapore, as a land-scarce nation, to look for innovative proposals that will allow us to achieve an exponential leap in performance, productivity and sustainability. We believe that this competition will allow us to identify ideas that will not only benefit the Port of Singapore, but also revolutionise the entire container port industry,” said Capt M Segar.

Participants will be required to consider several operating specifications, such as a handling capacity of at least 20 million Twenty-foot equivalent units, 24/7 operations and a 90 per cent berth on arrival for ships. Their design should also be operational within the given land profile and also be environmentally sustainable. These specifications are challenges currently faced by many established container ports around the world.

The winning proposal will be announced at the next Singapore Maritime Week (SMW), which will take place from 7 to 12 April 2013. In addition to the top prize, MPA and SMI will also set aside S$5 million in R&D grant to develop promising proposals and concepts. Before the winner and commendation awards are announced, shortlisted proposals will also be displayed in a public exhibition that will be held in conjunction with SMW 2013.

“As a leading container hub port, it is important for Singapore to continually innovate and leverage on cutting-edge technologies to operate the container ports of the future. The NGCP Challenge serves to support SMI’s R&D strategy on R&D for breakthrough applications as well as to develop our thought leadership in port design,” said Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Institute.

For more details on the challenge statement, visit www.maritimeinstitute.sg/portchallenge

About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore’s port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.

Net turnover was EUR 158 million, which represents a 6% reduction on the previous year. The enforcement of the new Port Law and the effects of the Port’s commercial policy (aimed at subsidising port duties and reducing costs of port operators) have resulted in a decrease of 9% in port duties in comparison to 2010. In 2011, the Port of Barcelona generated cash flow of EUR 78 million. In 2012, the Port of Barcelona expects to invest a total of EUR 193 million in different infrastructure and initiatives to boost the hinterland (internal market). In terms of income (16% of the port system total), profits for the year (24% of the total) as well as cash flow (18% of the total), the Port of Barcelona is the leading port in Spain. Barcelona is also the leading port of the Western Mediterranean in terms of financial results, hinterland traffic (import and export), level of investment, regular lines and rail services. The president of the Port of Barcelona, Sixte Cambra, pointed out today that apart from the launching of the new TerCat-Hutchison terminal in the Prat Wharf, 2012 will be an eventful year in terms of infrastructure and investment: “This year operations will commence at the new Meroil-Lukoil terminal at the Energy Quay, Grimaldi will commence works at their short sea shipping terminal (SSS), Creuers del Port de Barcelona will start managing the new cruise terminal in Singapore and Port Vell (Barcelona’s city-port) will house the new Competitive Ocean Sailing Visitor Centre, among other initiatives”.

Sixte Cambra underlined the significant impact these investments will have on the regional economy: “We are creating a major port that will generate employment and become the driving force of Catalonia’s economy”.

Traffic throughput

Container traffic in the Port de Barcelona surpassed 2 million TEU (one TEU equalling a 20 foot container) in 2011, representing a 4% increase on the previous year. Throughput in the Port de Barcelona (including containers and all other cargo) reached 44.2 million tons, representing a slight

increase of 0.4%. The increase in traffic was mainly centred on the first half of the year, while port activity slowed down over the following months to the end of the year.

The rate of growth in exports has significantly determined traffic results in the Port de Barcelona. The Catalan infrastructure channelled a total of 511.096 TEU into foreign markets, representing an increase of 14% on the previous year. China, the Arab Emirates and Turkey were the principal destinations for these goods.

A boost in exports

The remarkable boost in export traffic demonstrates the growing efforts made by Catalan companies to compete on an international level and position their products in the global marketplace. Other key destinations for traffic handled in the Port de Barcelona include Algeria, USA, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Korea, and India. Such a variety of markets is testimony to the dynamism of the country’s business sector as well as their sales strategy to diversify as much as possible.

Apart from containerized goods, one of the best results in the port area was in the traffic of new vehicles. In 2011 specialized terminals in the Port de Barcelona handled a total of 630.102 cars, representing an increase of 14% in relation to the previous year.

In this case also, growth was principally due to the boost in exports. Last year the Port channelled nearly 350,000 new vehicles into various foreign markets (principally Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa and America), a 25% increase on 2010. However, imported vehicles amounted to 134.720 units in 2011, some 8 per cent over figures for the previous year.

On the other hand, seaborne trade via Short Sea Shipping lines (SSS) has experienced moderated growth at 4%, a figure that remained constant throughout the second half of the year. The Catalan capital has established SSS connections with Italy (Genoa, Civitavecchia, Livorno and Porto Torres) and North Africa (Tangiers and Tunis). These maritime services combine Ro-Ro cargo (trucks, platforms, vans and trailers) with passengers.

Record number of passengers

Furthermore, the 3.8 million passengers who used the Catalan infrastructure in 2011 constitute a historic record in the growth of the port. This result translates into an 11% increase on the previous year. Of this total, 1.1 million people (+6%) were ferry passengers destined for the Balearic Islands, Italy and North Africa. Also, the 881 cruise vessels that berthed in the port’s terminals brought a total of 2.6 million cruise passengers to the city, 13% up on 2010.

In 2011, the Port de Barcelona received a total of 8,007 vessel calls from cargo and passenger vessels. The highest proportion of calls corresponds to ferries (31% of the total), container carriers (28%), cruise vessels (11%), and oil tankers (11%). Vessels berthing in the Port de Barcelona are

increasingly larger in size: the average tonnage (commercial cargo capacity of ships) in 2011 was up 6% on the previous year.

According to information supplied to World Port Development, Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania will undergo expansion to allow construction of berths No 13 and 14. The work will involve extensive dredging operations, with materials to be dredged ranging from mud, sand, clay, soft rock and dumping them out at sea to a dumping location around 15km away from shore. The port is currently researching prices for dredging works and evaluating a budget for the project.