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Port of Rotterdam launches new inland box service to ease congestion
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/05/09 09:54:59
A New deep-water port is to be opened this month in Vietnam's coastal city of Haiphong, marking a step toward becoming a key maritime link in the north and enhancing the country's position in the global supply chain. Haiphong is already known for its existing port. But the port is located on the River Cam, where the water runs seven metres deep at most, meaning the terminal cannot take large container ships. The new Lach Huyen International Gateway Port, however, faces the sea, where the water is 14 metres deep. The wharf also doubles that of Haiphong Port at 750 metres long and the facility will house two container cranes as well. Construction started on Lach Huyen port in 2013, with estimated costs topping US$1 billion. When the first phase is completed on May 13, the port will handle around 300,000 TEU. That number will rise to between 2 million TEU and 3 million TEU in 2019 as capacity develops. Combined with the existing port's load, Haiphong will be capable of processing approximately 5 million TEU. That would put it on a par with Ho Chi Minh City's port in the south, which handled 5.94 million TEU last year. Haiphong's shipping capacity still pales in comparison with Singapore Port, the largest in Southeast Asia at 33.66 million TEU. But the city will close in on the likes of Thailand's Laem Chabang port, which manages 7.78 million TEU, reports Nikkei Asian Review. Other infrastructure projects are complementing Haiphong's port project. A new expressway connecting the port city with the capital Hanoi cuts travel time in half to roughly 90 minutes. Another highway to Quang Ninh province in northeastern Vietnam, home to factories owned by Japanese companies, will open this year. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who aims to industrialise the country by 2020, says the Lach Huyen port holds the key to Vietnam's maritime strategy. Many northern Vietnamese exports that end up in North America and Europe currently go through Singapore or Hong Kong. But MOL plans to open a direct shipping lane from Lach Huyen to North America. The Japanese marine transporter expects the export business to grow under the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other free trade agreements. The emergence of major port cities in both northern and southern Vietnam is likely to affect the logistics industry throughout mainland Southeast Asia. The East-West Economic Corridor, based on a 1,500km road connection across Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, is now in operation save for some parts of Myanmar. Cross-border land travel in the area has never been easier. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has done away with virtually all tariffs among members, and the economic community is looking to improve customs clearance. The East-West Economic Corridor could provide a path for Vietnam to export goods to Laos, eastern Thailand and other places. |
LOGISTICS service provider HTS Intermodaal and the Rotterdam World Gateway deepsea terminal are starting a new service to bundle freight on a route between the inland German port of Duisburg and Rotterdam, offering twice-weekly combination trips at fixed times. The new initiative will increase the call size per inland waterway vessel in the terminal and cut down the total number of port visits to reduce the throughput time of the containers, reported IHS Media. HTS Intermodaal managing director Marcel Heuvelman said the new connection would give customers a more reliable service between Duisburg and Rotterdam, and the aim was to extend the concept to other Rotterdam deepsea terminals. Port of Rotterdam managing director Emile Hoogsteden said: "We anticipate that additional inland terminals will also work with dedicated links to deepsea terminals as soon as it turns out that this project has a positive effect." This is the second initiative supported by Rotterdam in the wake of a similar project on the West Brabant Corridor that links Rotterdam, Moerdijk, and Tilburg. Some 12 million TEU are handled by the port and three million of those containers are transported on a multitude of inland waterway vessels. Barges dominate hinterland traffic. However, lengthy delays in barge loading and unloading began to build during the alliance restructuring in the second quarter of 2017, exacerbated by increasing volume in a busy first half. Those delays were further impacted by the closure of the key north-south Rhine Alpine rail corridor for several weeks during the busy peak period in the third quarter, when containers heading inland had to find alternative modes of transport. While Rotterdam has been working to alleviate the problem, barge congestion persisted this year with European intermodal operator Contargo warning its customers to expect wait times of 12 to 48 hours. Shippers have expressed frustration at the impact on their supply chains. The transport and logistics director for an Asia-Europe shipper said: "If you are stuck with the same port and unable to find another gateway you can only build in lead time to your shipments. It depends on what is inside the box and how urgent it is. The cost is painful when it happens." |