VTE takes control of SECH

Voltri Prà container terminal operator VTE (PSA Sinport) has taken over another Genoa operator, SECH at Calata Sanità in the Sampierdarena part of the port

"PSA will become the majority owner and assume control of SECH with a view to optimising capacity and rationalising services, in order to respond better to the demands of shipping lines and the requirements of logistic service providers engaged in both import and export movements," stated VTE.

Pending approval by the competition authorities, both VTE and SECH will operate as separate entities, with separate management structures, the statement continued.

There is already a relationship between VTE and SECH through previous cross shareholding agreements. Today PSA Singapore controls 60% of PSA Sinport, which owns 100% of VTE and 40% of SEBER, which owns 100% of SECH. SEBER, which is owned in turn by GIP (Infravia and Infracapital with 95% and Giulio Schenone with 5%), owns 60% of SEBER and 40% of PSA Sinport.

It is unclear as yet how precisely this structure will be changed, but it is thought most likely that PSA will take full control of SEBER, although GIP will maintain its existing position at TDT Livorno.

Last year GIP pulled out of the joint venture with MSC to take forward the Cattolo Bettolo project, citing unresolvable differences on the business strategy.

The outlook for SECH is not good. THE Alliance carriers are introducing bigger ships (13,000-14,000 TEU) into their MD1 service, which are too big for SECH and calls will be transferred to Voltri Prà. In addition, Maersk’s ME2 service will depart shortly for APM Terminals in Vado Ligure.

Source: WorldCargo News

APM Terminals Rotterdam - sale speculation

Rumours about the possible sale of APM Terminals’ straddle carrier-operated facility at Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte I are spreading

There is even talk of a potential buyer emerging, although this has been denied by APMT-R’s local spokesperson.

APMT-R currently handles around 2.5M TEU per year and has a nominal annual capacity of 3.25M TEU.

The conventional, straddle carrier-direct terminal, with around 600 staff, sits on the foot of the Delta Peninsula, where ECT launched its first Maasvlakte-based terminal in the early 1980s - Delta Multi User (DMU) on the Europahaven. The three other CTs on the Delta Peninsula are ECT’s DDN, DDE and DDW (Delta Dedicated North, East and West).

The 100-ha APMT-R facility has 13 STS cranes, five of which are 23-wide, and one barge-to-shore crane along 1,600m of linear quay wall. The CY has 2,250 plugs for refrigerated containers.

APMT-R currently handles around 2.5M TEU per year. (Photos: Provoice)

Speculation about a sale follows last week’s staff meeting, where it was the sole agenda item! APMT’s local spokesperson confirmed this to Algemeen Dagblad, which scooped this news.

The APMT-R site came into APMT’s hands in 1999, and the concession officially expired in 2015.

By 2025, it is forecast, phase 2 of APMT’s automated terminal at Maasvlakte-2 could be fully operational.

One seasoned Rotterdam port figure has suggested that ECT would be the most logical candidate to buy APMT-R, but that would seem to be a strategically-driven defensive action and would probably include non-2M Alliance (Maersk/MSC) third party business.

ECT abandoned straddle carrier-direct operations run when it sold DMU to APMT 20 years ago and, moreover, it has room for growth at its Euromax terminal. At the same time, more of its business for alliances whose members are shareholders of either APMT Maasvlakte II or Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) will gradually leave ECT once second phases of the two MV-2 terminals are developed.

Source: WorldCargo News

Liverpool2 phase 2

McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen to deliver an expansion of the deep water container terminal on the Mersey with work set to complete in 2021

McLaughlin & Harvey has been contracted by Peel Ports to deliver the next phase of development at the Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal. The multi-million project will significantly increase the footprint of the site and see the addition of 10 more cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes (CRMGs) and three more ship-to-shore cranes.

The STS cranes are scheduled to arrive in November 2019 with the overall project expected to be completed during 2021. Detailed design and preparatory civil works have already commenced.

There will also be additional reefer points installed to allow the terminal to handle even greater quantities of refrigerated containers at the Port of Liverpool.

Liverpool2 phase 1 was opened in November 2016 at a cost of £400M.

Mark Whitworth, CEO of Peel Ports said: “Since originally announcing our expansion plans we have gone on to secure some of the world’s major shipping lines as customers at the Port of Liverpool. That, and our growing customer base, is a vote of confidence in the North of England as a competitive route to international markets and a major port for global trade.

"We look forward to working with the team at McLaughlin & Harvey to deliver the next phase that will provide even more capacity to help meet growing demand.”

Source: WorldCargo News