Containers
Containers
Containers
The Analyst: a rethink on container storage
By Peter de Langen The recent announcement of a new container storage system, which according to the developers can triple terminal capacity, is interesting news. Container storage methods have changed little, if at all, over the last decades. But now a German industrial engineering group — an ‘outsider’ with no prior expertise in container storage systems — and DP World have jointly developed a system, similar to those in automated warehouses, to store and retrieve containers up to 11 stacks high. The value of such a...
Containers
Calls, connectivity, liners and alliances at Thessaloniki container port
by George Vaggelas & Thanos Pallis Thessaloniki stands as the second biggest container port in Greece and a peripheral port aiming to serve the Balkans and further regions in Southeast Europe. It is almost a year since the privatization of the Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A., via the selling of the majority of the shares of the Port Authority that also acts as the single operator of the port of Thessaloniki*. The new owner has committed to invest €180 million, with the majority to be invested in the tripling of the container...
Containers
Are container volumes in transhipment hubs more volatile than in gateway ports?
PortEconomics members Theo Notteboom, Francesco Parola and Giovanni Satta co-authored a study "The relationship between transhipment incidence and throughput volatility in North European and Mediterranean container ports". This study has recently been published in Journal of Transport Geography (74, pages 371-381). It is often argued that ports with a high sea-sea transhipment share (T/S) are more vulnerable than gateway ports which rely more on hinterland cargo. It is less clear whether the vulnerability of T/S oriented container ports...
Containers
PortReport 3 | Reflections on the future of container ports in view of the new containerization behavior
Download PortReport No 3 - Reflections on the future of container ports in view of the new containerization behavior. Almost from its inception, there has been a clear upward trend in the disruptive force of the container during its use. However, a relative decrease in container movement has been seen in recent years although the explanation of which goes beyond disturbances in the world economy. PortEconomics member Ricardo Sanchez along with Eliana Barleta notice that the inter-annual change in throughput with respect to changes in GDP is...
Containers
The impact of emerging digital technologies on logistics centres’ business models
Transport and logistics are expected to be in the future among the service sectors most impacted by Industry 4.0, due to the array of innovative applications that will be developed from emerging digital technologies related to both smart transports and “mobility as a service”. In this perspective, logistics centres constitute a fruitful research field for assessing the impact of incoming technologies on the business models of logistics companies operating in these centres, which play a pivotal role in international supply chains by...
Containers
CO2 emission reductions of the global container ship fleet, 2007-2016: how much and why?
PortEconomics members Pierre Cariou, Francesco Parola and Theo Notteboom are the authors of a paper entitled "Towards low carbon global supply chains: A multi-trade analysis of CO2 emission reductions in container shipping". This study has just been published in the highly-ranked academic journal International Journal of Production Economics (volume 208, pages 17-28). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed in 2018 on a reduction of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. The study identifies the...
Containers
Tidying up inter-terminal connections
By Peter de Langen A study on better co-operation between terminals in Hong Kong by Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Management College has rightfully received industry attention of late. The study focuses on inter-terminal transfers (ITTs) between the five terminal operating companies in Hong Kong. The terminals charge for these ITTs, thus adding costs to already-high terminal rates in comparison with competing ports. Inter-terminal moves arise when a container arrives at, for example, terminal A, but needs to be moved to terminal B for the...
Containers
"It’s all about achieving a perilous balance between cost & service" - podcast on liner shipping industry
PortEconomics member, and winner of the 2018 Onassis prize in Shipping, Mary Brooks provides her views on liner shipping industry, in her interview reported via a podcast produced by Supplychainbrain.com. "For the ocean shipping business today, it’s tough enough navigating the rough waters caused by economic cycles. But do carriers sometimes make their own waves? Container shipping is an expensive business. Capital costs are immense, and ships must be planned and built well in advance of their entry into the trades. Matching supply with...
Containers