Severine is the second of four ‘Ipswichmax’ vessels being built for CLdN at the Kyokuyo yard in Japan and this week joined the first of class, MV Capucine, on CLdN’s Ipswich to Rotterdam route.

The ‘Ipswichmax’ vessels, each capable of carrying up to 160 trailers and containers, were designed specifically with Ipswich in mind and after extensive pre-design and build simulation work. The vessels have been custom built with a length of 152m and with draft and superstructure arrangements so as to enable safe transit of the River Orwell and passage under the iconic Orwell Bridge. In addition, ABP has invested nearly £0.5m in an innovative swinging wire arrangement, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, so as to enable the manoeuvring and positioning of the vessels on departure and within the 200m constraint of the River Orwell which separates the port’s extensive West Bank and East Bank facilities.

Nick Ridehalgh, ABP Port Director Short Sea Ports, said: “Historically the Ipswich to Rotterdam route has been a preferred choice for hauliers in respect of both eastbound and westbound traffic and we are absolutely delighted that CLdN has committed Capucine and Severine to the route, significantly increasing the available capacity as a result.

“CLdN’s substantial investment in the ‘Ipswichmax’ class of vessel together with ABP’s investment in bespoke facilities to accommodate the vessels is clear evidence of our joint commitment to the route and recognises the strategic attraction of Ipswich’s river port location.”

A CLdN spokesman said: “The latest additions to the fleet allow us to offer a first class service on the route, with daily evening sailings from Ipswich and Rotterdam and punctual morning arrivals in both ports. This, combined with the mileage savings available through Ipswich and the excellent road access, brings a welcome boost to shippers using services to the Haven ports.”

Also in February breakbulk tonnage at the port was 25,422 tons, a 12.8 percent increase when compared with the same month last year. The year-to-date breakbulk tonnage comparison (2012 vs. 2011) is 62,376 tons vs. 45,080 tons.

Total rail containers handled in February totaled 27,047, a 13 percent increase when compared with last February. The year-to-date rail containers total is 54,218 vs. 51,445 for the same period last year.

The number of containers moved between the Port of Richmond and the Hampton Roads Harbor on the 64 Express barges increased 145 percent in February to 905 containers. The year-to-date total for the barge is up 121 percent: 1,441 containers vs. 651 containers handled during the same period in 2011.

Calendar year TEU totals, 2012 vs. 2011:

February 2012 = 157,050

February 2011 = 153,646

January 2012 = 154,300

January 2011 = 159,265

In addition, 750,000 tonnes (-150,000 tonnes) ETBE was handled. The figures will be presented tomorrow during the “World Biofuels Markets”, one of the largest and most extensive congresses for bio fuels, from 13 to 15 March in the Rotterdam WTC. The Port of Rotterdam Authority will also have an information stand there, as Rotterdam is Europe’s most important port for biofuels.

Ethanol (1)

The throughput of ethanol fell 15% from 2 to 1.7 million tonnes. Incoming cargo dropped from 1.2 to 1.1 million tonnes. Almost 30% of the ethanol originates from the United States; more than 300,000 tonnes. This was still 200,000 tonnes in 2010. This is mainly E90, 90% ethanol and 10% petrol which, because of blending, comes under a much more favourable import tariff. The EU has now ended this situation. The second country of origin is France, with a 20% share, followed by the United Kingdom (12%). Imports from Brazil again dropped further to 100,000 tonnes (9%). At the peak in 2008, imports amounted to more than 800,000 tonnes. The Brazilians need their ethanol themselves because lower harvests of sugar cane have reduced production and increased prices. Also noteworthy is the almost entire loss of ethanol imports from Spain since 2010. This was almost certainly brought about by the opening of the Abengoa ethanol factory in Rotterdam.

Outgoing transport dropped from 0.8 to 0.6 million tonnes. The most important destinations continue to be Sweden and the United Kingdom, but these countries imported less via Rotterdam. Sweden, for example, imported more from Spain, Finland and France. The most noteworthy is the export of ethanol to Brazil. The quantity was limited to 25,000 tonnes, but considering Brazil’s status as a production country it is remarkable.

Biodiesel

Following a two-year decline, the throughput of biodiesel increased by almost 13% to 1.8 million tonnes. Incoming cargo increased by 11%, from 0.9 in 2010 to1.0 million tonnes in 2011. In comparison to 2010, Argentina and Indonesia have exchanged places as most important country of origin. The Rotterdam figures are not clear enough about this, but according to Argentinean statistics, the export of biodiesel to the Netherlands fell from 450,000 in 2010 to 150,000 in 2011. The volume from Indonesia doubled from approximately 180,000 tonnes in 2010 to 370,000 tonnes in 2011. This runs parallel to the increase in total exports from Indonesia to the European Union (up to and including October) from more than 400,000 tonnes to 930,000 tonnes.

For outgoing cargo Germany and the United Kingdom changed positions. In 2011, export to Germany via Hamburg was more than two-and-a half times higher than in 2010, at more than 200,000 tonnes. Exports to the United Kingdom more than halved.

ETBE (2)

The throughput of ETBE dropped from 900,000 tonnes in 2010 to 750,000 in 2011. There was a considerable reduction, particularly in outbound: 40% from 650,000 to 400,000 tonnes. A real reason is not known, but possibly the Rotterdam-produced ETBE is sold more in the German hinterland instead of overseas. Brazil is the most important country of origin.

Transit trade and production

The combination of worldwide imports, European re-exports and considerable own production (end 2011 approx. 2.5 million tonnes capacity) in the port area gives rise to a large, flexible market. On this market, the buyers, such as the big oil companies which have to blend in biofuel, can easily combine long-term basic contracts with ´spot contracts´. The Port Authority therefore expects to see a further increase in the intra-European transport of biofuels.

The new crane is equipped with an intelligent power management system and a significantly smaller diesel engine compared to conventional RTGs. These technological innovations lead to a fuel consumption of only 9 litres per operational hour in typical RTG applications, which is the lowest fuel consumption without energy storage in the industry.

RTG Product Manager Marko Rasinen: “In a typical RTG operation between 9 and 18 containers are handled per hour. This is a very good fit for the SmartPower RTG, which provides the perfect balance between productivity and cost efficiency.” 

In the Kalmar SmartPower RTG, the new power management system ensures the most economical engine RPM is used at all times during operation and controls speeds and accelerations to reduce the peak power requirement. With Cargotec’s new innovative approach, energy consumption and exhaust emissions are greatly reduced. The new Kalmar SmartPower RTG is based on Kalmar E-One2 all-electric design without any hydraulics and it incorporates the industry leading safety levels already featured in the Kalmar E-One2 RTGs.

The whole Kalmar E-One2 product family including the Zero Emission RTG with electric power supply helps customers to meet the latest environmental demands without sacrificing operational productivity and lifetime cost efficiency. The E-One2’s maintenance interval of 1.000 hours, for both crane and optionally for engine, remains by far the longest in the industry and considerably increases terminal operational efficiency.