Despite the challenging circumstances for ports around the world, container volumes rose by 20% at Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in August, with operational efficiency increasing. The facility has seen productivity up 6% this year, with a total throughput of 560,540 teu, compared to 527,174 teu in 2019. A total of 210,667 trucks have been gated .....

Finnish cargo handling equipment manufacturers Cargotec and Konecranes have agreed to merge, aiming to form a global leader in the next generation of sustainable material flow. The proposed combined company will look to unlock value together through synergies of €100m (US$120m) annually that are expected to be achieved in full within three years fr...

TecPlata port terminal, located in the Greater Buenos Aires area, has begun receiving imports from the Far East with the first shipment from China through a new service provided by Evergreen. The import, which comprised auto parts from Ningbo, China, was carried by the company Di Gilio Hnos de Ensenada. On the same ship and ...

The Port of Switzerland has commissioned Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) to develop a digitalisation strategy which focuses on effective cooperation with customers and partners and the development of a sustainable digital port infrastructure. Inland ports, like seaports, are also undergoing a transformation process from a goods handling centre to an...

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has taken a majority stake of 50.01% in the multi-function terminal Piattaforma Logistica Trieste (PLT) at the Italian Port of Trieste. The German operator is attempting to position itself in the growing market on the Adriatic, which marks its third such investment outside Hamburg after Odessa in Ukraine and ....

Portonave has acquired 25 new terminal tractors and two lithium battery-powered forklift trucks, representing an investment of R$16.6m (US$2.9m), to help increase efficiency, safety and reliability of port operations. The company noted that it was important to maintain planned investments, even in times of crisis, to help Brazil’s economy and devel...

Measures introduced at the Port of Felixstowe to manage the flow of containers to and from the port have had a positive impact, although its container yard remains at a high density. The UK’s largest container port continues to experience a very high demand for its road and rail capacity as the volume of imports ...

(Update: October 2): CMA CGM’s eCommerce websites remain unavailable following a cyber-attack, with electronic bookings only available via INTTRA or manual forms after a suspected data breach. While the potential volume and nature of the data breach are being investigated, the group maintains that all its communications are secure including e...

As many as 400,000 seafarers are estimated to be stranded on ships around the world, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, as the COVID-19 pandemic-related crew change crisis worsens. During an event at the United Nations General Assembly, Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019 and May ...

Gaussin electric APM 75T HE tractors have entered into commission at Bolloré Ports’ terminal in Abidjan Port, which is the first terminal in Africa to receive and use the new technology. The tractors represent synergy between Gaussin’s electric vehicle expertise, Blue Solutions’ electric battery production and Bolloré Ports’ port logistics. The ful...

Ports Houston’s container throughput has stabilised for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 4% drop in figures in August. The Gulf coast hub handled 248,630 teu, representing the first single-digit decline since the start of the pandemic. Decreases in volumes ranged between 10%-16% between March and July. Port Housto...

International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI)’s Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) has installed LED lights on all five of its automated quay cranes, helping to lower the terminal’s power consumption and carbon emissions. The upgrade, led by VICT’s engineering and facilities team, reduced overall electricity usage by 971 megaw...

Busan Port Authority (BPA) and Barcelona Port Authority (ABP) have initiated a cooperative project of a logistics centre operation at the Port of Barcelona. The two ports will work together to vitalise the logistics flow and to provide a stable logistics platform to companies doing business between Northeast Asia and Southern Europe. Ki-chan Nam, p...

Thermo King has expanded its portfolio of ultra-low temperature temporary storage solutions to the unique requirements of global pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies in final-stage clinical trials anticipate they will require strict temperature controls to safeguard their products – down to temperatures as...

Certified Pick up (CPu), a digital solution for the release of containers, will start from January 2021 at the Port of Antwerp, replacing the current system of PIN codes, as the port tries to rid itself of drug trafficking. It is hoped that the new way of working will guarantee a secure, transparent and optimised ...

The Kuala Tanjung Multipurpose Terminal (KTMT) has signed a 12-month automation services contract with Konecranes Indonesia for its eight automated Konecranes rubber-tyred gantry cranes. Local inverter and digital crane specialists are using Konecranes Augmented Reality apps to liaise with Finnish engineers to liaise with Finnish engineers to ensur...

DP World has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel’s oldest banking corporation, Bank Leumi, to work together to enhance trade and logistics in Israel. Aiming to promote the flow of trade between Israel and the wider region, the MoU includes a framework for collaboration which will enable the parties to explore potential opportunit...

The UK’s largest container port, the Port of Felixstowe, has apologised to customers for service standards falling below expectations, with reduced productivity and congestion leading to several vessel diversions. The hub, run by Hutchison Ports, had to temporarily cease acceptance of empty containers following a sharp spike in import container vol...

Kalmar has signed a deal to deploy 12 Ottawa T2 terminal tractors and two empty container handlers at DP World Caucedo in the Dominican Republic. The order was booked in Cargotec’s 2020 Q3 order intake, with delivery scheduled for Q1 of 2021. The facility comprises a container terminal and free zone, located in Punta Caucedo, ...

South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports) has been awarded a US$21.68m grant from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to assist with building infrastructure at the Ridgeville Commerce Park. The funding comes from the DOT’s fiscal year 2020 Better Utilising Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants, of which the Trump administration aw...

Chris Grayling, the former UK transport secretary infamous for awarding a ferry contract to a company with no vessels, has been appointed as an adviser to Hutchison Ports. While continuing to work as an MP, he will be paid £100,000 (US$130,000) annually for the job which requires seven hours work per week. Grayling’s role will ...

Socar Terminal has upgraded to Navis’ N4 3.7 terminal operating system (TOS) as part of plans to digitise and modernise its operations. As the largest container terminal in Turkey’s Aegean region, Socar handles both container and project cargo with a capacity of 1.5m teu annually. Upgrading its TOS to N4 is part of the Socar’s ...

Following the normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel, DP World and Dubai Customs are planning to develop trade links between the countries, with a focus on ports, free zones and infrastructure. DP World’s group chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with DoverTower, a company owned by Shl...

Abu Dhabi Ports has launched the Smart Container Initiative to house its digital solutions in a resilient, safe and optimised eco-friendly mobile environment. The solar-panelled steel and aluminium smart container uses environmentally friendly technologies such as in-row cooling, renewable energy and efficient space allocation in order to reduce po...