Container Terminal Competitors Share Best Practice

Representatives from the Haven Gateway Partnership joined fellow delegates of the EU’s Port-Net initiative on a Container Termininals – North Range best practice tour, which took in major container terminals at the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp and Rotterdam.

The Port-Net Partners were able to view and discuss the different ways of working at terminals such as HHLA’s Container Terminal Burchardkai 1 and CTA terminal in Hamburg, the North Sea Terminal at Bremerhaven, the new Deurganckdock container terminal development and PSA’s operations at Antwerp, and ECT’s Delta Terminal in Rotterdam.

‘During this best practice tour we were able to share information and experience and gain a great deal, said Haven Gateway Partnership project officer Richard Morton.

‘Working together and sharing ideas and best practice is what Port-Net is all about, even amongst competitors.

‘The ports and container terminals were happy to share what they do and show the Port-Net partners how they work.

This was particularly interesting in the automated terminals. In addition, we had discussions about making the best use of terminal space, how cranes are changing to cope with the bigger ships, and operators’ views on the future size of containerships.’

The importance of the Port-Net initiative was underlined when European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) secretary general Patrick Verhoeven informally joined delegates for the Port-Net dinner in Antwerp.

As this issue of MJ was going to press the next Port-Net workshop, hosted by Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority in Poland, was focusing on ‘Feeder, Ferry and Short Sea Cargo Traffic in the North Sea and Baltic Area’.

The workshop was to include an in depth look at the EU’s ‘Motorways of the Seas’ project.

MJInformation No: 219100