Mitsui E&S Co. has received an order for 30 Cargo Handling Cranes in Vietnam from the Port of Haiphong Joint Stock Company (CHP), a subsidiary of Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC).
The order is for six Ship to Shore Gantry Cranes (Mitsui-Paceco Portainer) and 24 Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (Mitsui-Paceco Transtainer).
CHP is currently constructing a container terminal in Lach Huyen area in Hai Phong City, which is located in the northern part of Vietnam. The scale of procurement is one of the largest for both CHP and Mitsui E&S ever in the Vietnam market.
The Mitsui-Paceco Portainer cranes to be delivered have a 65-meter outreach and are capable of handling large container vessels.
According to Mitsui E&S Co., president Takahashi Takeyuki, this crane will be one of the largest cranes for CHP and in the Hai Phong area. Together with the environmentally friendly electrified Mitsui-Paceco Transtainer, it is expected to contribute to CHP’s increased cargo handling capacity.
PORT OF KEMI, FINLAND
The Port of Kemi, founded in Finland in 1869, is the northernmost all-purpose port in the European Union and handles two million tons of maritime imports and exports each year.
It is an important channel for chemical forestry products, such as pulp and cardboard, and handles shipments of industry equipment, such as parts for windmills.
The port began an expansion and renewal project in 2021, to better serve the construction of Metsä Group’s Kemi Bioproduct Mill, as well as mining and other industries of northern Finland. As a part of the expansion project, the port’s access control environment provided by Visy was also updated.
“Security is one of the core values of the Port of Kemi. The current state of global affairs necessitates that implementing and improving hard security is vital for critical supply and logistics hubs. Therefore, our requirements were watertight access management, tracking, and documentation 24/7/365. Through review and risk analysis we concluded that Visy would respond best to our high demands and offer the optimal overall solution,” said Markku Rautio, CEO, Port of Kemi.
The port’s outer perimeter has four vehicle gates and two pedestrian access points, which are managed through the Visy Access Gate access control system. The system is a tool for managing access control and permits, documenting traffic events, and reporting. Visy’s license plate recognition software ensures that only vehicles with a valid access permit are allowed to enter the premises. Vehicles without a license plate, such as machinery, are recognized with RFID readers.
Planning the renewal of the access control environment was started in 2022, and the implementation was ready in autumn 2023. Due to the renewal, almost all components of the system were updated with light but durable solutions. For example, triggering license plate recognition at the vehicle gates is done with the Visy Virtual Trigger software feature, which replaces laser scanners and loops installed into the ground.
“The whole project went according to our expectations from planning to implementation. Visy understood the demands of hard security and we received the kind of solution that we wanted in agreed time. In future, as our operations develop and our operating environment continues to change, we know that Visy Access Gate is a reliable foundation for our area security,” added Rautio.
DP WORLD
APM Terminals and DP World have announced an initiative to accelerate decarbonisation of the world’s terminals through the widespread electrification of container handling equipment (CHE). The initiative, grounded in research, shows the tipping point for battery-electric CHE can be reached within the next two to eight years with the right actions from industry stakeholders.
The research findings and roadmap for electrification of CHE is the subject of an industry White Paper, endorsed by Eurogate, Port of Kalundborg, and Smart Freight Centre.
CHE is a critical enabler of port operations and is used to move containers on and off ships across the world’s 940 container ports. In 2020, the global fleet of CHE enabled the transportation of 815 million TEUs, with a total value of USD 8.1 trillion. Estimated at 100,000-120,000 units, the global CHE fleet is responsible for 10-15 million tons of carbon dioxide per annum.
Research has found that the challenges hampering the uptake of battery-electric CHE can be mostly overcome. An inflection point for battery-electric CHE to replace diesel CHE as the more affordable, attractive and accessible option can occur in the next 2-8 years, provided industry stakeholders take action now. The White Paper identifies key levers and related actions that can be taken by players across the value chain including terminal operators, OEM’s, port authorities, affiliated government entities and shipping line operators.
“We need to accelerate our work in decarbonisation, and we need to do it now. I am happy to say the research we conducted through Systemiq and ZEnMo strongly backs that a tipping point for the electrification for [CHE] is within reach in this decade. We are now calling for action for the entire port ecosystem to accelerate towards this milestone. It is important for us to stand together, take concrete action with several industry partners for this to happen”, said Keith Svendsen, CEO, APM Terminals.
“Battery-electric equipment in ports is a realistic, achievable and affordable way to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Throughout my career I’ve seen many industry players talk about various methods for achieving net-zero, but I’ve never been so convinced by one tactic’s ability to accelerate decarbonisation. It is my sincere hope that the findings in the White Paper can be used by the entire industry to galvanise real change with electric CHEs”, added Tiemen Meester, COO, Ports & Terminals, DP World.
The research mentions a number of actions to take; including making zero-emission operation a requirement as part of new concessions in ports, and terminal operators and equipment manufacturers working together to scale up demand. Suppliers can also work on further developing their supply chains and standardising certain components, with the support of terminal operators.
“Essentially, what we want is to provide a healthier, cleaner, and more efficient workplace for the thousands working at the terminals and living in the communities around them. And while electrification of the container handling equipment is one piece of the puzzle, we believe it is one piece that can be addressed relatively easier and faster than others if we work together and avoid unnecessary complexity”, said Sahar Rashidbeigi, global head, Decarbonisation, APM Terminals.
DUBLIN PORT
Dublin Port Company (DPC) has opened T4, a newly redeveloped RoRo freight terminal costing €127m, officially launched in November by the Minister of State, Jack Chambers, Department of Transport.
Self-financed by DPC, T4 marks a major milestone in the delivery of the ABR Project, the first of three major capital development projects under its Masterplan to futureproof Dublin Port’s cargo handling capacity to 2040.
T4 will handle more than 220,000 RoRo units annually, which equates to over one-fifth of all RoRo units at Dublin Port based on 2022 volumes and more RoRo freight per annum than any other port in the Republic of Ireland.
T4’s capacity comes from 4.1ha of existing port lands having been reconfigured, creating more efficient space for handling European and UK unaccompanied RoRo units. It comes into operation at a time of growing demand for unaccompanied RoRo freight services (goods on trailers transported by ferry without a driver) to and from the greater Dublin market post-Brexit.
T4 brings into operation 3km of new quay walls, upgrading the Victorian-era port infrastructure to service direct routes between Dublin and Liverpool/Heysham by ferry operator Seatruck.
The work also involved the demolition of an old jetty, replaced with two best in class modern jetties of 270m each, that will accommodate the largest ferries measuring 240m in length and which have been future-proofed to allow for shore to ship power in the years ahead.
“Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest freight and passenger port handling approximately 51% of national tonnage. Its importance is even more pronounced in the unitised freight sector as it handles 71% of all Loadon/ Load-off and 80% of all Roll-on/Roll-off tonnage in and out of the country,” said Chambers.
Barry O’Connell, CEO, Dublin Port Company, said; “Dublin is already one of the most efficient ports in Europe. With T4, we are driving even more efficiencies and facilitating growing customer demand for direct shipping routes between Dublin, the UK and Europe.
“Even with T4 now fully in operation, Dublin is running at 91% average capacity and therefore it is imperative that our plans to complete all three of our Masterplan 2040 projects continue as planned. This will ensure we create the capacity needed to support the ongoing growth in the economy to 2040, while providing new public amenities that will support the growth of our city and neighbouring community for decades to come.”
