Summary for October 20 - October 24, 2008:
Monday, October 20, 2008Maersk Line posts new THCs-EuropeMaersk Line Oct. 17 announced new terminal handling charges for Europe, effective Oct. 18, 2008. The world’s largest container carrier said in a statement that it will establish and implement THCs for the rest of the world within the coming months. The THCs for a given port “will apply to all trades and will be valid for both import and export cargo. As a result, we will reduce the number of THCs, giving our customers a better overview of the charges that apply to their shipments,” Maersk said. Frequent changes will be eliminated, and the charges will be reviewed once a year, the company said. “Maersk Line’s actual cost picture has formed the basis for our new THC levels. We are introducing fair charges that reflect expenses related to terminal handling,” Maersk Line said. Website: Maersk Line
Joint meeting to assess San Pedro projectThe Port of Los Angeles and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a joint public meeting Oct. 27 to review the proposed San Pedro Waterfront Project Draft Environmental Impact Report/Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIR/DEIS). The 11-week public comment period ends Dec. 8, 2008. A proposed project and seven alternatives were co-equally analyzed in the environmental review, and any one of the alternatives could be approved by the Board of Harbor Commissioners, according to port authorities. In the proposed project, the port would complete eight miles of waterfront promenade, build three new harbors, and create acres of public open space through plazas, parks, and landscape and hardscape areas. The project also offers a variety of pedestrian and bicycle access, including a continuous bike path, trail connections, clearly identified pedestrian crossings, and elimination of barriers such as fences for freight rail operations. Some land uses are proposed for demolition, including the Southern Pacific Railyard and Westway Terminal Facilities. The 6 p.m. public meeting will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro. Website: San Pedro Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement
POLB opens Clean Trucks officeThe Port of Long Beach Oct. 17 dedicated a new Clean Trucks Sales and Leasing office in west Long Beach, at Anaheim Street and Santa Fe Avenue, and handed over the keys to the first two big-rigs leased through the port’s landmark Clean Trucks Program. The Sales and Leasing Center will enable truck owners to replace their old, polluting vehicles with port financial assistance in the form of a loan, grant or lease, according to port authorities. In addition to helping to improve air quality, the sales and leasing office will generate more than $2.5 million in sales tax revenue in the next few years for the city of Long Beach, since the office is located in Long Beach, according to port authorities. Website: Port of Long Beach
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Port Logistics Group launchedAustin Ventures, one of the nation’s leading venture and growth capital firms, Oct. 21 announced the acquisition of three companies to launch Port Logistics Group. With revenues of approximately $100 million at its launch, PLG becomes one of the leading nationwide providers of warehousing, distribution, and transportation services in U.S. port cities. The investment was made in partnership with Robert Stull, who will lead the new logistics group as its president and chief executive officer. The company will be headquartered in Houston, Texas. Stull is the former president and CEO of Roadway Express. “After conducting substantive market research and having discussions with several companies, both large and small, I became convinced of the need for a nationwide logistics company that provides consistent, high-quality service across a broad range of logistics services in our nation’s port cities,” Stull said. David Lack, Austin Ventures Partner, commented, “These initial acquisitions are the first of many that we will make with Bob as PLG extends the reach of its port logistics capabilities for its customers.” Website: Port Logistics Group
FedEx Express to double its solar generationFedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., Oct. 20 announced that it has begun construction of its largest solar facility and its first outside the U.S. with construction of its new Central and Eastern European gateway at the Cologne/Bonn, Germany, airport. The Cologne hub installation will be a 1.4-megawatt solar power system and will generate approximately 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year — equivalent to the annual consumption of 370 households, the company said. Solar panels, fitted to the roof of the new ramp and sort facilities, will cover a total surface area of 16,000 sq. meters. The facility will be equipped with new ramp, freight, and sort facilities, with a fully automated sort system covering a floor space of approximately 50,000 sq. meters. “Moving to Cologne enables FedEx to plan effectively for the future,” said Robert W. Elliott, president, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent, FedEx Express. “With the availability of space to expand and more flexible night flight regulations, we have found innovative and practical solutions to meet the needs of our customers worldwide,” he added. Website: Fedex
Evergreen Line donates $100,000 to Delta CaresThe Delta Hospice Society Building Fund Oct. 20 announced that Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp. has donated $100,000 in support of the design and construction of Delta’s first in-patient hospice residence and supportive care center. Delta (British Columbia) is one of the only communities in the Lower Mainland without a dedicated hospice residence to support its residents at the end of life, the hospice society said. “At Evergreen, our management philosophy, created by company founder Dr. Yung-fa Chang, has always been rooted in humility and a deep understanding that business must embrace the responsibility to improve the lives of our employees and society at large,” said Wesley Brunson, president, Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp. Evergreen Line operates one of the largest container fleets in the world, with more than 190 ships and 240 service locations. It offers worldwide ocean shipping and inland transportation services covering more than 80 countries. This gift “is yet another example of how international companies in Delta feel it is important to support the communities in which they do business,” building fund officials said. Website: Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 DOJ opposes parts of port concession plansIn an unusual move, the U.S. Department of Justice Oct. 21 filed an amicus brief in support of the American Trucking Associations’ challenge to the Concession Plans of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. ATA President and CEO Bill Graves welcomed the federal government’s participation in the case, commenting that its involvement “underscores how important it is to ensure that the interstate motor carrier industry is free from a patchwork of burdensome local regulations.” The ATA litigation is currently before the 9th Circuit in an appeal of a District Court’s refusal to enjoin the Concession Plans pending a final ruling on the plan’s merits. The District Court determined that the plans directly impact motor carrier rates, routes, and services, but found them to be protected from preemption because they generally advanced port safety and security interests. The ATA position was also supported by amicus filings by the National Industrial Transportation League and the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE). The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Website: American Trucking Associations
APL trims costs, reduces capacityContainer shipping leader APL Oct. 21 announced a reduction in capacity and significant changes to its global service network “in response to increasingly challenging conditions in the major container trades.” APL will reduce capacity in the Asia-Europe trade by close to 25%, the company said. Effective Nov. 2, 2008, APL will suspend its CEX (China Europe Express) service until further notice. The last vessel operating on the CEX will be the APL Austria, with an ETA of Oct. 26 at Qingdao. The revamped SCX will make new westbound calls at Xiamen, Colombo, and Southampton and new eastbound calls at Salalah and Hong Kong. The SCX will cease calling at Thamesport and eastbound at Chiwan. The SCX service will now deploy nine vessels. APL has also revised port coverage and the voyage length of its South China Express (SCX) service, the company said. In addition, APL will reduce capacity in the trans-Pacific trade by around 20%. The SSX (Singapore Subcontinent Express) service has also been suspended. The SSX route will be covered by a combination of the CMX (China Middle East Express) and the CSS (China Singapore Service). Website: APL
Battelle testing Harbor Shield programBattelle, the world’s largest non-profit independent research and development organization, Oct. 21 announced that, sometime in mid-2009, it will conduct a full-scale, baseline demonstration of the Harbor Shield program it is developing in conjunction with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and EdgeTech Marine. The Harbor Shield system uses powerful imaging technology to map the underwater hulls of ships as they enter harbors, scanning their bellies to detect weapons of mass destruction, mines, bundles of illegal drugs, or any other irregularities. It can detect the exact location on the hull of any abnormality as small as a square foot, Battelle said. Simultaneously, topside sensors will determine the ship’s exact location in relation to the underwater sensors. The combined data will be used to create a “hullprint” that will be stored in a global network. After being scanned once and entered into the hullprint database, ships will be cross-referenced and their hullprints updated each time they sail into another American port Eventually, Harbor Shield should be capable of scanning entire harbors for every boat and swimmer, Battelle said. Website: Battelle
Thursday, October 23, 2008 Jasper Ocean selects Moffatt & NicholThe Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office Board of Directors Oct. 22 retained California-based Moffatt & Nichol to develop feasibility studies, quantify capital needs, and perform overall management for the bi-state Jasper Ocean Terminal on the Savannah River in Jasper County, Ga. As project manager, Moffatt & Nichol will, with the involvement of several other specialty disciplines, provide preliminary terminal planning, economic analyses, market studies and dredged material management, and conceptual infrastructure planning. “The selection of a program manager by the Joint Project Office’s Board of Directors is an important step toward meeting future shipping needs for this region,” said Jim Balloun, chairman, Joint Project Office. Last January, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) and the South Carolina State Port Authority (SCSPA) signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for Development of a Jasper port to contract for, jointly own, manage, and plan for the development of the 1,518-acre Jasper Ocean Terminal. The agreement further provides that the GPA and SCSPA will “jointly staff, equip, and operate a Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office.” Website: Moffatt & Nichol
Konecranes expands Canadian operationsKonecranes Oct. 23 announced that it has acquired the business of the Canadian crane and crane service company Provincial Services Crane Specialists, located in Allanburg, Ontario. The value of the acquisition was not disclosed. Konecranes acquired the assets from the owner, who will remain with the company for a transitional period. The company has 20 employees and net sales of approximately 4 million euros, according to the news release. Provincial Services Crane Specialists, founded in 1980, specializes in overhead crane inspection, maintenance, repair, spare parts, modernization, and lifting equipment. The company sells its products and services directly to end users in the steel, mining, power, and general manufacturing industries. “The market coverage of Provincial Services is quite complementary to ours,” said Keith King, president, Konecranes Canada Inc. Konecranes Canada Inc is one of Canada’s leading supplier of new cranes, modernizations, and maintenance and inspection services for all makes and models of overhead cranes and hoists in all major industries. Website: Konecranes
AMB awarded LEED cert for Savannah developmentAMB Property Corp., a leading global developer and owner of industrial real estate, Oct. 22 announced that AMB Morgan Business Center–Building 100 in Savannah, Ga., has been awarded Gold LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The 346,000 sq. ft. facility is the largest investor-owned industrial development in North America to achieve Gold LEED Core & Shell certification. “This project represents the best combination of business opportunity, economic growth, and green practices and serves as an example of sustainability standards for future development projects,” said Steve Campbell, AMB’s senior vice president, director of global environmental & development services. “Building 100 is at the forefront of sustainable development and has exceeded our earlier expectations for Silver LEED certification,” said Jay Cornforth, managing director of AMB’s East Region. AMB Morgan Business Center–Building 100 is the first stage of a master-planned business park expected to total more than 3 million sq. ft. of distribution space upon completion. LEED features at the park include sustainable site development and management, water conservation, energy efficiency, and environmentally mindful materials sourcing. Website: AMB Property Corp.
Friday, October 24, 2008 Maersk Line cuts Asia-Europe serviceMaersk Line Oct. 24 announced it will adjust its Asia-Europe network starting in mid-November. The line will “temporarily” remove its AE8 service, thereby adjusting its Asia–Northern Europe capacity by cutting 7,600 TEUs per week from the network “to match current demands levels.” The Copenhagen-based carrier said it will also restructure its AE1 and AE10 services to accommodate AE8 port calls “without loss of service connections” and adjust its AE3, AE6, and AE11 services to widen its range of direct port combinations between Asia and the Mediterranean. “The current Asia-Europe market is characterized by unsustainable rate levels. The changes will support our market position and ensure that our network is sustainable in the long term,” said Robert Kledal, vice president and head of product management for Maersk Line. The company said that the temporary suspension of the AE8 service and the extension of the direct services between Asia and the Mediterranean are in line with network adjustments carried out earlier in the year. Website: Maersk Line
So. Carolina court affirms appeal denialThe South Carolina Coastal Conservation League’s legal challenge to the permitting process for the new 300-acre marine container terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base has been denied by the state Court of Appeals. The Oct. 23 ruling upheld a previous Administrative Law Court order that dismissed challenges to the permits. “We’re pleased with the opinion and are ready to move on,” said Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., president and chief executive of the South Carolina State Ports Authority. “Every state and federal permitting agency that reviewed this project has signed off.” The S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued water quality permits for the terminal and road in late 2006. Early last year, the SCCCL sought to challenge both permits before the DHEC Board. “Port expansion is vital to the long-term economic health of the Charleston area and the entire state of South Carolina,” said Groseclose. “It’s essential that we press on with this project.” The early phases of building demolition are complete and site preparation is well underway. Website: South Carolina State Court of Appeals
Panama Canal extends bid deadlineThe Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Oct. 23 announced that it has extended the submission date for the proposals to build the new set of locks at the canal. The four consortia vying for the contract will now have until March 3, 2009, to submit their bids for what will be the largest and most important project under the $5.25 billion expansion program. Canal authorities said it had received requests to extend the bid submission due date and that the additional time given to the consortia will result in more fully developed bids on both the technical and price proposals, ultimately benefitting the project. Website: Panama Canal Authority
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