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Coal handling at the port of Thessaloniki
By George Vaggelas PortEconomics member George Vaggelas contributes to the latest issue of Dry Cargo International magazine (February 2015) with an article presenting the business of coal handling at the Port of Thessaloniki (Greece). Coal is one of the major dry bulk cargoes in the global trade. The port of Thessaloniki is the major dry bulk port in Greece and one of the biggest in the Southern Balkan area. Coal handling plays a significant role for the port's total throughput. Currently, the port of Thessaloniki is investing in the...
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Keeping it cool: challenges for the containerised reefer trade
Refrigerated containers, also known as reefers, account for a growing share of the refrigerated cargo being transported around the world. In 1980, 33% of the refrigerated transport capacity in maritime shipping was containerised, this share rapidly climbed to 72% in 2013. Because of the additional insulation, and particularly because of the power plant, a 40-foot reefer costs in the range of 6 times more than a regular container. A cold chain industry has emerged to service containerised reefer trade. So, how can we "keep it cool"? What are...
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The Analyst: port of Hong-Kong 2030-compliments and comments
The development plan for Hong Kong Port, released December 2014, makes interesting reading for port planners and developers. PortEconomics co-director Peter de Langen, provides compliments to all stakeholders involved in the preparation of the plan, and provides commentary on its content. Peter's viewpoint is available via his column as "the Analyst" PortStrategy: Compliments and Comments...
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The role of port authorities in the adoption of LNG as a ship fuel
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) serves as an attractive fuel for ships to meet the upcoming stringent environmental regulations enacted by IMO, particularly at the level of emission control areas (ECA). The use of LNG promises a good environmental performance and a foreseeable economic viability. However, a general absence of bunkering infrastructure in seaports is a significant barrier currently preventing the breakthrough of the use of LNG as a ship fuel. Against this backdrop, PortEconomics co-director Theo Notteboom together with Siyuan...
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Greek port policy 2015: six questions demand answers
By Thanos Pallis With Greek ports being part of a major reform programme, key policy-decisions lay ahead. PortEconomics co-director Thanos Pallis details the six most vital questions of all, through his view point that published in the latest issue of the major Greek maritime magazine Naftika Chronika - arguing that the requested answers will not only frame the Greek port policy during 2015, but will also decide the future of the Greek port system for many years to come. You may freely download Thanos' viewpoint (in Greek) @...
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River tourism development: the case of the port of Brussels
River tourism becomes for many ports an important development area that often requires additional infrastructure investments. As such there is a need to understand whether such investments are legitimized by the expected economic impacts. To this end, PortEconomics member Michael Dooms and PortEconomics associate member Elvira Haezendonck along with Mitchell van Balen (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Business, Unit Management and Strategy), in their latest port-study titled "River tourism development: The case of the port of...
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Container port competition in Europe
The port competition in Europe with a main focus on container ports and terminals, is the theme of discussion of the latest port study of PortEconomics co-directors Theo Notteboom and Peter De Langen. Theo's and Peter's contribution entitled Container Port Competition in Europe published in the Handbook of Ocean Container Transport Logistics, International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, edited by Chung-Yee, Lee and Qiang Meng (Springer, 2015). Port competition has become a complex and multi-faceted concept...
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International maritime transport costs: market structures and network configuration
'States and nations are redefining their place in the world at the present time in the wake of the economic, political and cultural transnationalization processes that have occurred in recent decades. Each country, each region is seeking to recast its role and potential in accord with its geographical location, its history and the times. This positioning is, of course, conditioned by multiple factors, which include conditions of production, economic and political interests and transport-related issues especially. Maritime transport is the...
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