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Slight decline in freight throughput port of Rotterdam in Q1 of 2023

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Slight decline in freight throughput port of Rotterdam in Q1 of 2023. Image: Port of Rotterdam
Slight decline in freight throughput port of Rotterdam in Q1 of 2023. Image: Port of Rotterdam
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In the first quarter of 2023, 1.5% less freight passed through the port of Rotterdam than in the same period last year. In total, 111.7 million tonnes were handled compared with 113.4 million tonnes in the same period in 2022. The fall mainly concerned the throughput of containers and freight in the breakbulk segment. Throughput in the mineral oil products, crude oil, LNG, iron ore & scrap, agribulk and coal segments increased.

Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: ‘As expected, the year 2023 started with a slight decline in throughput. Especially in the container segment, we faced a decline in volumes due to high inflation and a weakening economy. Results in the other segments mainly show growth and confirm that dependence on Russian energy flows has been further reduced in line with the sanctions. For the remainder of the year, we expect a limited decline in throughput volumes due to the uncertainties posed by the current geopolitical situation and high inflation.’

Liquid bulk

In the first quarter, liquid bulk throughput increased by 5.6% to 54.3 million tonnes. Within this market segment, the supply of crude oil increased by 0.8 million tonnes (+3.2% to 26.3 million tonnes). As a replacement for Russian oil, more crude oil was supplied from the United States, West Africa and the Middle East. Since this oil is transported over longer distances, the use of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) increased. In the first quarter, twice as many VLCCs (50) have already unloaded crude oil as last year. Port calls from Suezmax tankers also increased by 30%. Transhipment of mineral oil products increased by 1.6 million tonnes to 15.1 million tonnes (12%) in the first quarter. This increase was mainly due to the increase in the throughput of diesel at independent terminals and at the dolphins. This served mainly to replace imports of sanctioned Russian diesel. The throughput of LNG also increased by 14.3% to 3 million tonnes in the first quarter. This was due to the high European gas price and the fact that more spot cargo has been shipped. The growth in LNG supply comes mainly from the United States as an alternative to reduced European imports of Russian gas by pipeline.

Dry bulk

The dry bulk segment showed a slight growth of 0.2% to 17.9 million tonnes in the first quarter. In this segment, iron ore & scrap and coal are the main commodities. Both commodities showed an increase. Throughput of iron ore & scrap rose by 10.1% to 6.2 million tonnes. As a result of the temporary failure of blast furnaces in Dunkirk, Gijón and IJmuiden, factories in Rotterdam’s hinterland operated more intensively. This was also the cause for the increased demand for cokes for steel production. In the first quarter, the total coal throughput increased by 26.3% to 7.4 million tonnes.

Containers

Container throughput decreased 11.5% by weight to 31.5 million tonnes and 11.6% by volume to 3.2 million TEU (the standard unit for containers). This decline had already started during 2022 due to the elimination of volumes to and from Russia. As the war in Ukraine only began in late February, the impact on throughput volumes in the first quarter of last year was still limited. In the past, these volumes accounted for 8% of total container throughput. The decline in imports from Asia (-14.2% in TEUs) due to lower demand for physical goods due to accumulated stocks and inflation was also reflected in the throughput figures. Despite the strong improvement in chain performance, no transhipment has been recovered yet in the first quarter. These volumes moved to smaller ports due to congestion during the pandemic.

RoRo and other breakbulk

The total throughput in the breakbulk segment (Roll-on/Roll-off and other general cargo) decreased by 6.0% to 7.9 million tonnes. RoRo traffic decreased by 2.2% to 6.6 million tonnes compared with the first quarter of last year. This was due to lower demand from the UK due to a moderately performing economy. Throughput of other general cargo fell by 20.9% to 1.4 tonnes. This was mainly caused by cargo shifting back to the container segment due to lower container rates.

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Maritime

The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks

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The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
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A new step in the decarbonisation of the Port of Valencia and its firm commitment to be an emission neutral site by 2030. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has put out to tender the drafting and execution of the works for the electrical connection to ships for the Transversal Costa-MSC quay. This is the first electrification or Onshore Power Supply (OPS) project to be carried out by Valenciaport in the Valencian precinct.

The APV is thus initiating the procedure for the award of the contract for the drafting and execution of the project for the installation of electrical connections for ships and the maintenance of the same at the Transversal de Costa quay. To this end, Valenciaport has jointly launched the drafting of the construction project, the execution of its works and the maintenance of the installations in the same procedure for an amount of 12,468,626.8 euros (VAT included).

Onshore Power Supply (OPS) electrification infrastructures have been consolidated as a very useful tool for the decarbonisation of ports, as this system avoids the use of auxiliary engines of ships when they are docked in the enclosures. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions – due to the use of electricity that eliminates the consumption of fossil fuels used in these auxiliary engines – and stops the emission of particles and polluting gases.

This OPS initiative in the Port of Valencia will be carried out in parallel with the works on the new electrical substation – a second substation is also planned – which was put out to tender last month with a base budget of around 11 million euros and a completion period of 24 months. This infrastructure will be responsible for supplying green energy to the first OPS electrification project of the Transversal de Costa-MSC quay.

In this regard, Joan Calabuig, president of Valenciaport, stressed that “these are just two examples of real projects in the execution phase that confirm the firm commitment that Valenciaport is making to achieve the goal of being a zero-emissions port by 2030, twenty years ahead of the European Green Pact. It is a commitment to sustainability and to the society of our environment that is supported by initiatives such as the electrification of the docks, the use of hydrogen in port operations, the installation of photovoltaic plants or the commitment to intermodality with the railway. We are committed to sustainable growth that reinforces our position as a port of reference in the Mediterranean”.

Project included in the Next Generation Funds

The joint contracting of the preparation of the project and the execution of the corresponding works in the same procedure is carried out in response to the fact that there are no references in Europe compatible with the ISO/IEC/IEEE 80005 standard and in Spain there is currently no previous experience of OPS projects in operation with the characteristics of the pilot project defined by the Port Authority of Valencia. The combination of the individual components required for this type of installation (transformers, protection cells, disconnectors, frequency converters, etc.) with infrastructures for supplying electricity to ships requires specific projects, with technically complex solutions that have to be designed specifically for each location. In addition, and given that the execution of the construction project is subsidised by the European Union’s Next Generation funds and the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the joint tender is the only way to meet the established deadlines, since if two separate contracts were launched, the one for the execution of the construction project could not be launched until the one for the drafting of the construction project had been awarded, which would mean that the work would be completed beyond the deadline for the execution of the works to meet the target set by Europe.

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MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation

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MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
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The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation GCMD and MOL announced the signing of a five-year Impact Partnership agreement. On the same day, both parties held a signing ceremony at the GCMD office in Singapore.

Decarbonisation in the maritime industry is a challenge that needs to be achieved through accelerating collaboration and increasing investment by shipping companies, their customers, ports, energy suppliers and public sector actors. As an Impact Partner of GCMD, MOL will utilise its expertise developed over their long history and make various contributions and collaborations through its participation in GCMD’s projects, including providing access to vessels, operating data and evaluation reports so that internal learnings can be shared publicly and used for future trials.

MOL is one of the world’s leaders in the maritime industry and has been leading worldwide discussions on achieving decarbonisation. The carbon budget concept imposes a ceiling to the cumulative amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that can be emitted globally in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2050. Intermediate targets to reduce emissions, in addition to a net-zero target, are necessary. While plans are in place to adopt low or zero emissions vessels in the future, it is important to deploy measures to reduce emissions now. Such measures include the use of low-carbon and transition fuels that are available today, and deploying energy savings devices onboard vessels. MOL will bring its extensive capabilities and experience to bear as it joins GCMD and existing partners to accelerate international shipping’s decarbonisation.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “We are proud to have MOL, one of the leading shipowners in Japan, come onboard as an Impact Partner. We are excited to tap on MOL’s track record in developing technical energy efficiency measures to broaden our perspective as we scope an initiative to help increase industry adoption of measures that can increase fuel efficiency of ships.”

Toshiaki Tanaka, Representative Director, Executive Vice President Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of MOL, said: “We are very pleased to be a partner of one of the most important global coalitions. We will make our biggest effort to contribute and accelerate progress towards the net zero future in maritime industry, together with GCMD and all its partners.”

About the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) was set up on 1 August 2021 as a non-profit organisation. Our strategic partners include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP, BW Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Foundation Det Norske Veritas, Ocean Network Express, Seatrium, bp, Hapag-Lloyd and NYK. Beyond the strategic partners, GCMD has brought on board 15 partners that engage at the centre level, in addition to more than 80 partners that engage at the project level.

Strategically located in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub and second largest container port, GCMD aims to help the industry eliminate GHG emissions by shaping standards for future fuels, piloting low-carbon solutions in an end-to-end manner under real-world operations conditions, financing first-of-a-kind projects, and fostering collaboration across sectors.

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Container Shipping Lines

Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India

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Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
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Aiming to further enhance service quality and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian sub-continent, Wan Hai Lines has established its India new office in Kolkata in July 2023. Contact details for the new office are as follows: WAN HAI LINES (INDIA) PVT. LTD 3rd Floor, Block C, Apeejay House, 15 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700016 TEL: 91-33-4450 4500 According to the 2023 Foreign Trade Policy announced by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s export trade volume will reach 2 trillion US dollars in 2030.

Therefore, benefiting from government policy incentives and the shifting trend of the global supply chain, India’s status in global manufacturing and international trade is increasing, which is conducive to maintaining long-term high economic growth. And the proportion of global exports has increased significantly. In addition, the continuous economic stimulus policy will help revitalize the domestic economy, and domestic demand is expected to increase significantly. Therefore, Wan Hai is optimistic about India’s future import and export situation. And also through the establishment of a new office to improve the overall operating efficiency.

Wan Hai India Kolkata office held a grand opening reception in the evening of 27th July. During the banquet, there were many important customers & guests. The Kolkata Port Authority, Kolkata terminal operators, feeder operators and important local customers were invited to send representatives to attend the meeting to express their blessings to Wan Hai’s opening of the Kolkata market. At present, Wan Hai has six owned offices in India, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, and Vizag, Delhi and the sixth office Kolkata office. In addition to directly providing river port services, it will also simultaneously strengthen service links between India and neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bhutan. It is expected to pursue customer first through continuous expansion in the future and sustainable business philosophy.

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