The ports of Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Beverwijk and Zaanstad have closed the year 2011 with a transhipment rise of approximately 2 percent. Total transhipment amounted to over 92 million tons according to the interim figures.
The port region along the North Sea canal, despite the disappointing economy, has transhipped more raw materials and goods thus ensuring a healthy annual result.
Amsterdam on the rise
In the Amsterdam port transhipment increased by approximately 74.8 million tons compared to the previous year. Import rose by 3.2 percent to 50.4 million tons in Amsterdam. Export rose by 2.5 percent to 24.4 million tons.
Transhipment in the regional ports was estimated according to the first three quarters of 2011. These estimates indicate that IJmuiden witnessed a stable transhipment level worth approximately 17.5 million tons. In Zaanstad transhipment increased strongly by some 45 percent to 0.1 million tons. Beverwijk, however, witnessed a 10 percent decline to approximately 0.3 million tons.
Fourth port in Europe
Port of Amsterdam’s President and CEO, Dertje Meijer: “Despite the economic crisis the Amsterdam port region has ensured a 2 percent increase, which is a fine result. The Amsterdam Port even secured a 3 percent increase. To me, particularly given the current economic circumstances, this is good news. We are the fourth port in Europe after Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg. I am proud of that.”
Transhipment in Amsterdam
Oil transhipment increased by 9 percent to 37.1 million tons. Coal transhipment too went up by 9 percent reaching 15.5 million. Agricultural bulk dropped by 12 percent to almost 8 million tons. In this segment grain transhipment has grown heavily while transhipment of feed and oil seeds dropped. The transhipment level of cars and other Ro/Ro increased by 9 percent to 0.9 million tons.
Sea container transhipment dropped by 28 percent to over 0.6 million tons. Nevertheless, the number of inland navigation containers has grown by approximately one quarter compared to the year 2010.
Passenger shipping in the Amsterdam port also increased in 2011 compared to the preceding year. Amsterdam attracted 123 sea cruise ships and 1329 river cruise ships in total.
Outlook 2012
This year the Amsterdam Port is expecting a modest transhipment rise, as a result of the utilisation of new terminals (e.g. Vopak).
Smart port
The Port of Amsterdam is the fourth port in Europe with sustainable growth being its key ambition. Growth ensuring jobs and incomes whereby the port uses the available space efficiently. Growth without damaging the quality of the water, soil and air. Growth as a result of which the people of Amsterdam will appreciate the port region even more. These are the Port’s ambitions based on intensive cooperation with partners in the business community, city and region.
Offshore Ship Designers has been contracted to develop the design of a low-emission diesel-electric harbour tug for IJmuiden-based Iskes Towage & Salvage.
The 32-metre loa tug will have a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and will be powered by three diesel gensets driving electric motors mounted over azimuthing propellers aft and a Voith in-line thruster forward. The Azistern 3270 tug is a further development of the low-emission Azistern series developed by OSD. It is expected to reduce emissions by 30 per cent compared to conventional, similar-sized harbour tugs now in service.
Michiel Wijsmuller, managing director of OSD, says, “The design and demand for this low-emission tug stems from our successful work developing the zero-emission Green Tug design. Iskes was one of the key partners in that project. We can see the market is not yet ready for fuel cell power for harbor tugs, but we can take from the development work other aspects of the design which minimise emissions. This vessel will have a very refined and efficient hull form and a sophisticated power management system which will ensure that the gensets work always at their best efficiency.”
Key points of the design brief are a relatively large deck crane to enable the tug to do maintenance work for wind farms at sea, electrical winches, low resistance and low-wash hull form and accommodation for seven crew.
Offshore Ship Designers Group (OSD) is a global one-stop resource delivering naval architecture and marine engineering skills to the shipping and offshore energy industries. It draws on an experienced global workforce to provide high quality feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed designs for tugs and offshore support vessels of all types. OSD is based in IJmuiden, The Netherlands, and has offices in Montrose, York, Appledore, Shanghai and Singapore. www.offshoreshipdesigners.com
Or click this link to find downloadable photos:
http://bit.ly/p0ZbFX
 On Wednesday 26 October terminal in the Port of Amsterdam has been inaugurated by Carolien Gehrels (Vice Mayor of Amsterdam), Dertje Meijer (President and CEO of the Port of Amsterdam) and Eelco Hoekstra (Chairman of the Vopak Executive Board). The new terminal will allow the Port of Amsterdam to strengthen its leading position in the world of storage, transhipment and blending of fuel and diesel products. The Port of Amsterdam has a key role as a specialised logistics hub for fuel products, inside Europe and also worldwide inter alia for the US, Africa and Asia. Northwest Europe is witnessing a rising demand for storage capacity and blending facilities. At the new terminal diesel and fuel products will be stored and blended with other components to bring them up to specifications for different sales markets. Subsequent to the staged delivery of the terminal in 2011 and 2012, the total storage capacity will be approximately 1.2 million cubic metres. This means a major impulse for the Port’s growth over the years to come. The terminal is provided with two jetties for the handling of seagoing vessels with a maximum capacity of 120,000 DWT, and eight berths for handling coasters and inland barges with a maximum capacity of 20,000 DWT. The terminal is a trendsetter in terms of sustainability and a safe environment. The latest techniques in this field will be applied, including advanced vapour handling and fire safety systems. Eelco Hoekstra, Chairman of the Vopak Executive Board: “With the opening of this state-of-the-art terminal we are able to further expand the services we provide to our international customers, emphasizing Vopak’s growth strategy. This new terminal strengthens Amsterdam's position as a leading gasoline blending hub, facilitating product flows between Europe, North America and Asia.” Dertje Meijer, President and CEO of the Port of Amsterdam: “The opening of Vopak Terminal Amsterdam Westpoort marks a crucial next step in the development of the Port of Amsterdam as the world’s leading gasoline hub. The terminal contributes substantially to the local and regional economy and to the Dutch economy in general.”
Amsterdam – The Board of Amports, the regional promotional organisation for the seaports of the North Sea Canal, appointed Laura Keegstra (43) as director effective 1 September 2011. She has taken the helm from Wim Ruijgh (62), who had held the position since 1999. Keegstra has previously held various positions at KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), most recently as project manager for corporate communications, and before that as general affairs manager at KLM cityhopper.
Keegstra is not unfamiliar with Amsterdam Seaports. Between 1994 and 1998, she was employed by Wijsmuller Group in IJmuiden, now part of Mærsk, where she was responsible for communications, while also supporting marketing and sales activities. During this period Keegstra was active within the Royal Dutch Association of Shipping Companies (KVNR). As a member of the communication platform for the port of Amsterdam, she was closely involved with joint promotional activities involving the port. “In this period I got to know both the seaports on the North Sea Canal and the maritime sector quite well, and I feel at home in this industry,” says the new Amports director. “I fully intended to translate this enthusiasm into practice in my new position, actively dedicating myself to the ports on the North Sea Canal and the port industries. Amports holds a unique position in the promotion and communication of the North Sea Canal region, a role that I aim to further expand as director.”
Wim Ruijgh looks back on a dynamic, versatile period at Amports. “As director I held the best job within Amsterdam Seaports, with a wide variety of projects. In the coming period I will be working on various logistics projects in Brazil.”
Offshore Ship Designers has been chosen to design a series of six new fuel-efficient seismic support/chase vessels ordered by French offshore major Bourbon to be built at Dubai’s Grandweld Shipyards. The 53 m vessels will have a fuel efficient hybrid propulsion system delivering a flexible economic solution for the varied conditions required to support seismic survey vessels including transit speed, slow speed escort and support work and a high degree of manoeuvrability.
The vessels will be chartered by Bourbon to CGGVeritas with delivery of the first vessels set for the end of 2012. They will be used to support the fleet of CGGVeritas seismic survey vessels operating all over the world, providing them with services including crew change, fuel delivery, storage, assistance and support during at-sea maintenance operations.
Main particulars of the vessel are length 53.8 m, beam 13.0 m, depth 5.8 m, load draft 4.8 m, cargo fuel capacity 850 cu m, marine gas oil fuel 260 cu m, potable water 100cu m, refrigerated and dry storage capability as well as space on deck for stowage of stores containers.
Offshore Ship Designers Group (OSD) is a global one-stop resource delivering naval architecture and marine engineering skills to the shipping and offshore energy industries. OSD is based in IJmuiden, The Netherlands, and has offices in Montrose, York, Appledore, Shanghai and Singapore. www.offshoreshipdesigners.com
ASCO Holland (Logistics) has been awarded the contract to provide base and marine services offshore to ADTI, one of Europe’s leading independent integrated drilling companies. The three year contract, with two one year options, will be operated from ASCO’s supply base at the Port of IJmuiden, part of Amsterdam Seaports. ADTI has awarded the contract on behalf of Tullow Oil.
Managing Director of ASCO Holland (logistics), Willem van der Bosch, says: “The award of this contract supports our belief that the industry in the Netherlands needs to offer operator choice based on added value. The contract also supports our decision to invest in the operational infrastructure at IJmuiden.”
Derek Smith, ASCO EMEA CEO says: “When we formed ASCO Holland in 2009 it was on the basis of being able to bring together the local knowledge of MSCIJ (Maritime Service Centre IJmuiden) and ASCO’s global experience. We will continue to expand our business in the Netherlands with the support of our excellent team there.”
ASCO’s Business Development Manager in Holland Marchel Nap adds: “The port of IJmuiden offers operators swift and open access to the sea as well as proximity to major sea, road and air support. This adds huge value to the oil and gas industry logistics supply chain.”
Tata Steel and leading international mining group Rio Tinto have signed a licensing agreement to further support technological and commercial development of the environmentally friendly direct iron smelting process called HIsarna™.
The agreement covers how both parties will work together, sharing their existing knowledge of the two technologies that are combined in the new process. It also covers how benefits from future successful marketing of the technology will be made available to both parties, as well as to the members of ULCOS, the consortium of European steelmakers in whose name the project is carried out.
The HIsarna™ ironmaking process consists of cyclone pre-reduction technology (CCF), owned by Tata Steel, and bath smelting technology (HIsmelt) owned by Rio Tinto. This combination offers excellent opportunities for the collection and geological storage of CO2, the ability to utilise lower-cost raw material feeds, and the prospect of energy savings through the elimination of stages in the iron making process that are necessary today. The technology has the long-term potential to replace conventional blast furnaces, coke ovens and sinter plants and to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50% if combined with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
Funded jointly by ULCOS, the European Commission and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, a HIsarna™ pilot plant is being commissioned at Tata Steel’s IJmuiden steelworks in the Netherlands. This plant, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons, is intended to allow the two constituent technologies to be tested in combination.
Over the next few years this facility will be used to optimise the HIsarna™ technology. Beyond the IJmuiden pilot plant, a longer development path is foreseen which will involve a scaled-up version of the smelter. The international project team, led by Mr Koen Meijer of Tata Steel RD&T, has members from Tata Steel, Rio Tinto and ULCOS.
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group, headquartered in the UK. Rio Tinto’s core business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa. 
With effect from the 1st June 2011 Slavenburg & Huyser bv will represent the Agency of DELMAS in the Netherlands. For Stategic reasons the name of OT Africa Line will disappear.
The Italian shipping company Grimaldi Lines will once again be using Ter Haak’s USA terminal in Amsterdam as the first unloading port in its Southern Express Service. On Friday 13 May Port of Amsterdam welcomed the first ship of this liner service at Ter Haak’s.
In addition to the Central Express Service this will be Grimaldi’s second liner service to call upon the USA at Amsterdam’s Amerikahaven (America Harbour). Grimaldi already has launched five ships on the Southern Express Service.
Captain Antonio Graziani received the traditional port shield from Michael van Toledo, Port of Amsterdam.
On Friday the newly built ship called Grande Togo reached Ter Haak. Due to this ‘maiden call’ captain Antonio Graziani received the traditional port shield from Michael van Toledo, Commercial Manager Containers at the Port of Amsterdam.
In 2009 Antwerp was still the only direct port of call of the Southern Express Service in the Benelux region. From now on Amsterdam will once again be the first loading/unloading port. Following Hamburg, Tilburry and Antwerp the multipurpose ConRo ships of this service will be heading for southern destinations in West Africa such as the port of Luanda in Angola, Pointe Noire (Congo-Brazzaville) and Douala (Cameroon). The ships will be carrying containers, timber, RoRo, break bulk and project cargoes. The Dutch agent is Broekman Motorships.
|
|
News
