28 trend was


Issue 2 2012


Boxes scarce as exports fly out of Cork


Containerised exports from the port of Cork recovered to pre-recession levels last year, growing 7.4% to reach 82,200teu. The import


also


reasonably encouraging, with a 4.9% increase to 74,500teu, but imports are still well below 2007 levels. This increasing disparity means all types and sizes of boxes are in short supply. The main reason is a surge of


exports from the port’s Munster hinterland, including dairy products, processed foods, fish and pharmaceuticals. Michael McCarthy, the port’s says commercial manager, says: “We’re encouraging shipping lines to bring in empties – as long as they go out laden.” The Europe West Indies


Line (EWL) non-containerised service brought in Fyffes bananas from central America went


bankrupt


for many years but a


few years


ago. However, there is now a replacement in the form of a new


weekly Maersk service operated by a 3,000teu vessel introduced at the end of January, and which could help correct the container imbalance. The first European port of call after departing Belize is Cork. She then sails on to Tilbury, Bremerhaven and Rotterdam. The old EWL service used to


call at Cork back in the 1970s. It switched over the years to Limerick, Shannon and Dublin, culminating in a Waterford call until the end of last year when the decision was made to upscale. Only Cork among Irish ports


can handle a ship of the size and type now deployed by Maersk, and turns her around in 6-8 hours, McCarthy says. The new service opens up the possibility of feedering cargo into Northern Ireland and northern parts of the UK mainland two days faster than by offloading at Tilbury. Importantly, it also repositions reefer boxes in Cork.


The port of Cork hopes its revised development plan for the lower harbour at Ringaskiddy will win planning approval


///IRELAND


CLdN’s launch of a weekly


Zeebrugge-Radicatel-Cork- Dublin routing last October and reluctant decisions by feeder operators to enter into vessel-sharing agreements means that Cork has seen a reduction in pure lo-lo services from 12 per week to seven or eight. (The CldN service is operated by con-ro vessels.) BG Freight has put on an extra


Cork-Rotterdam-Liverpool feeder, adding 600-700teu of capacity inbound into Cork on


a Saturday, which the port sees as a further repo opportunity. But the overall trend points to a reduction in calls while average ship size has increased from 500-600teu to 800-1,000teu, underlining the need for new facilities further downstream at Ringaskiddy. Following rejection of an


earlier planning application for its expansion plan, the port will


submit a watered-down


version later this year which McCarthy hopes will get the


Ireland / England / Scotland / France


7 x per week.................Dublin 4 x per week.................Cork 3 x per week................. Belfast 2 x per week................. Felixstowe 3 x per week................. Teesport 2 x per week................. Grangemouth 1 x per week................. Montoir 1 x per week................. Brest 1 x per week................. Dunkerque


YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON US


Head Office Postbus 54022 3008 JA Rotterdam Phone: +31 10 472 08 77 E-mail: Sales@bgf.nl


UK Owners Rep Office Phone: +44 1785 212 164 Mobile: +44 777 181 75 85 E-mail: John@bgfreightline.co.uk


www.bgfreightline.com


green light in 2013. The new proposal will see 450 metres of new quay built, with 13 metres of water alongside and a 12.5 metre approach channel. No land reclamation is now


involved, however. Instead, the port will reduce the size of its car compound by two-thirds to 8ha, reflecting the commercial reality that trade cars imports have halved from their 2006- 07 peak. Importers expect fewer than 80,000 vehicles to be sold in Ireland this year. The container yard is being upgraded and a €1.6 million RTG crane will join the three current reach stackers in April, allowing boxes to be stacked six high. Maersk has been allocated 300 ground slots and reefer points will be increased from 80 to 130-140. With increased flows of bulk products such as animal feed and fertiliser anticipated, all the Ringaskiddy facilities are being designed with eventual repositioning in mind as and when the new planning application is approved. McCarthy points out that


the port could hang on to its present Tivoli container facility, closer to Cork city, for up to 20 years if necessary. Pressure from developers has eased because of the downturn, and land availability is fine, but Tivoli is limited to feeder vessels of 1,000-1,200teu so supplementary capacity remains vital.


McCarthy foresees future


ro-ro growth too, despite the demise of the Cork-Swansea service when Fastnet Lines went into receivership. “We’re convinced it’s viable


despite the high cost of fuel,” he says. Not only can tourists save


a 400km round drive


by sailing into Cork, but drop trailer business was building, he points out. Two operators are apparently interested in taking over the route. Long-running discussions


are also still ongoing as regards a direct link to Gijon, Bilbao or Santader. Lack of investor confidence and the high price of fuel are obstacles, but a launch operator would get EU support through the Motorways of the Sea programme, and McCarthy says research by the Irish Exporters Association indicates enough accompanied, unaccompanied,


mafi and


trade car traffic to justify such a service. Higher road taxes for including increased


hauliers,


French motorway tolls, strengthen the case for an Ireland-Spain route, and McCarthy explains that it would also fall outside the Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA), which from January 2015 will force any vessel sailing into cross-Channel, North Sea or Baltic waters to burn low-sulphur fuel with a resulting 40-50% increase in fuel costs.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44