RO RO\\\ Dunkirk shows spirit Not to be outdone by Calais,


Dunkerque is also developing a logistics terminal. The Eiffage Group is promising “an innovative multimodal and logistics project” at the port, terminal of the DFDS ferry service from Dover, with a new logistics and industrial Dunkerque Logistique International Sud area in the Western Port. The development


has been


prompted, in part, by the need to comply with


hazardous goods


regulations. Work should begin in 2015 and


last for a total of four years, in three phases. Covering an area of 75 hectares


it will comprise 96,000sq m of covered warehouses with storage of containers in automated units, the first of its kind in France. The project will also include 18km of rail tracks.


Expected logistics volume will


ultimately be 850,000 pallets and the equivalent of 100,000 containers, five trains a week and 500 trucks a day. Claude Cadot, industrial


development director at the Eiffage Construction Group, comments: “This innovative infrastructure anticipates changes to the logistics chain for hazardous goods and reinforces intermodal operations that encourage the use of consolidated transport modes. It meets a specific demand that is not provided for within the present logistics offer.” Port of Dunkerque chief


executive officer, Christine Cabau told FBJ: “Dunkerque and Calais are complementary rather than competitive ports. While Calais is very focussed on ro ro, Dunkerque is more generalist. But we do have the regular DFDS service and we are developing our other ro ro and container business.” Dunkerque’s short-sea business has been gaining momentum in the past few years, with the addition of CMA CGM’s Morocco and St Petersburg services, turning Dunkerque into a short-sea transhipment hub between North Africa and Russia. MacAndrews too has started a direct lo lo link to


TransEuropa ferry service suspended


Ramsgate-Ostend ferry operator TransEuropa has suspended its sailings aſter it went into administration. The service had become increasingly erratic in recent weeks, aſter being reduced to a single vessel. TransEuropa, which


carried freight and


passengers, was the sole regular operator out of Ramsgate and the only ferry service into Ostend. The operator had already the


returned Ostend Spirit


(formerly the Pride of Calais) to its owners P&O Ferries, which is now seeking to sell the ship. According to local press reports,


the company has leſt behind over £50 million worth of debts and at one stage former employees staged a sit-in on the mothballed vessel as they had not being paid for over a month. All the crew have since received their wages, but around 35 employees have lost their jobs. A spokesman for Thanet


14203-Seatruck 270x60mm Advert 23/10/2012 1:47pm Page 1


council, which owns the port of Ramsgate, said that the council will be seeking to recover any debts through the Belgium courts. The council added that it was actively working on a replacement for the service.


Portugal. With Dover only a short and


frequent ferry crossing away, Cabau also has the UK market firmly in her sights, especially as the container and ferry terminals are adjacent, making transhipment between container ship and ferry quick and convenient. The Eiffage project could also be


of interest for the UK market. While there would be issues forwarding large quantities of dangerous goods on passenger ferries, there are other possibilities from nearby ports and it might also be possible to forward DG in limited quantities. “There could also be interest in putting in new lines to other UK ports and, with around 560,000 trailers a year already being handled here, there is always the possibility to diversify the service. Aſter all, we


have attracted three new short-sea services within a very short space of time.” Dunkerque’s inland links are also


excellent, Cabau points out. Every terminal is rail served and there are also waterway links to Lille and beyond. It’s also not generally realised


that, with its 16.5 metre draſt, Dunkerque has the ability to handle some of the largest container ships afloat. MSC already maintains a service to Asia with 14,000teu vessels and CMA CGM operates 6,500teu ships from India and Pakistan, and there is also the joint CMA CGM Marfret round-the- world service. And while there are no deep-sea ro ro operators or car carriers at the moment, it is an area that Dunkerque is very keen to break into.


Tilbury carves out a market niche


Tilbury, arguably the country’s most diverse major ports, with deep- and short-sea containers, bulk and conventional shipping, is fast becoming a ro ro centre, says Perry Glading, chief operating officer of owners, Forth Ports. As well as the twice-daily P&O Ferries freight service to and from Zeebrugge, it is also the main import centre for Korean and Slovakian-made Hyundai cars, now running at around 80,000 a year. The cars arrive mostly on Eucor car carriers, although P&O handles around 20% of the volume.


Hyundai is perhaps not one


of the most recognised car marques, but its market share is among the fastest growing, says Glading, who adds: “We have a dedicated river berth for them. And we also handle ro ro ships operated by Transfennica and for Grimaldi’s ‘triangular service to West Africa and Brazil.” Manufacturing in Europe is


making a comeback, Glading firmly believes, and that could mean increased volumes from the likes of Turkey, whether by ro ro or short-sea container services.


Issue 4 2013


Stena keeps its ships busy


The Stena Group is expanding its ferry operations all over the world, including its new Russia/ Asia line and in the Baltic – but it is business as usual on its traditional routes between England and the Continent, says head of freight for the UK and Republic of Ireland, Richard Horswill. “They are three very busy routes


– but we have


replaced the two ships on the Harwich/Rotterdam with two slightly smaller ones (1550 lane- metres as against 2,700lm). We were finding that while the ships were excellent, we weren’t getting 100% utilisation from them.” Using smaller ships has reduced bunker costs at a time when fuel prices seem to be heading ever- upwards. The previous ships will be redeployed by Stena’s chartering arm, Stena Ro Ro. On Humberside, the


Killingholm-Hook of Holland route is doing very well, says Horswill, who adds: “We have the most modern fleet in the UK – nothing is more than three years old.” Elsewhere in Europe, Stena


acquired new routes between Germany and Latvia and between


Sweden and Latvia. These are used by UK and Irish hauliers to some extent, while some Irish hauliers are doing an increasing amount of in and around the Baltic, and not necessarily to or from Ireland itself. Stena is also looking to develop


ferry-train freight opportunities on the Continent – for example from Sweden to Italy. Most of its ports are directly rail served. “In the old days, the railways used to run the ferries,” Horswill comments. “Now it’s the other way round.” Horswill concludes: “Yes, a lot


of our customers are finding it tough at the moment, but overall I think it has turned around. There is definitely optimism that we have turned the corner.”


New ACL giants to arrive in 2015


Specialised transatlantic ro/containership


ro- operator


Atlantic Container Line – now a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group – will take delivery of its five replacement G4 ships


from China’ Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in 2015. At 3,800teu plus 28,900sq m and a car capacity of 1307 vehicles, they will be the largest of their type in the world.


Switch to Seatruck!


The Irish Sea freight specialists • 3 routes • 54 weekly sailings •Reduce road mileage • Unaccompanied trailer specialist


www.seatruckferries.com


33


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