The Solomon Islands has granted a multi-million-dollar contract to a China based company for a project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to upgrade an international port in Honiara.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) obtained the contract after submitting the only proposal in a crowded tender, reported Reuters.
The port reconstruction contract is a component of a $170 million ADB-funded project to improve roads and wharves, with CCECC receiving the roads component in 2022.
Mike Qaqara, an official at the Solomons’ infrastructure development ministry, said: “This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces.”
According to Reuters, the Solomon Islands government released a statement announcing: “This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports.”
Reuters also reported that the US and its allies – including Australia, New Zealand and Japan – have held concerns over the potential of China establishing a naval base in the region, notably following the security pact Solomon Islands struck with Beijing last year.
Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiam Naomi Mata’afa, told reporters in Australia that “this is a commercial port, although I think the fears are that it might morph into something else… dual purpose.”
She was one of 10 Pacific island leaders who declined to sign a regional security and trade pact with China in June, reported Reuters.
According to Peter Connolly, an expert on China’s Pacific infrastructure projects at the Australian National University, wharves were crucial for the Solomon Islands’ economic growth but they may turn into “dual purpose” facilities that could grant China’s naval access to the area.
Qaqara, however, informed Reuters that the Solomon Islands and China have denied that their security pact would allow a naval base.
Yet, Connolly contested that “it is not about bases it is about access,” while referring to the security pact between Honiara and Beijing.
Delegations from China and the US have been in Honiara this past week vying for influence in the strategically positioned Pacific Island country.
Reuters reported that the Vice Chairman of China’s International Development Cooperation Agency, Tang Wenghong, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, met and signed the Global Development Initiative.
Kurt Campbell, the Indo-Pacific coordinator for the US National Security Council, and Sogavare also engaged in a “strategic dialogue,” according to a statement from the US embassy in Honiara.
Port Houston recorded its best year yet in 2022. Port Houston container annual volume was up 14%, reaching just shy of 4 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), at 3,974,901 TEUs. This is nearly double the volume posted six years earlier in 2016 and 492,526 TEUs more than in 2021. Total tonnage was up 22% for the year, reaching 55,060,963 short tons, a new record.
The Port had consistent double-digit growth at Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals from January through November. In December, volumes dipped compared to the record 2021 activity, a softening of demand that mirrors other gateways across the country. A total of 292,027 TEUs were handled at Port Houston during December, a 12% decrease compared to December 2021. Loaded container imports decreased by 16% in December while this was the top December ever for exports, which increased 7% year-over-year.
Steel imports through Port Houston were up 25% in December and 49% for the year. At more than 5 million short tons, it was the highest year for steel import tonnage at Port Houston in more than five years. Steel import products with large increases include line pipe, standard pipe, oil country goods, heavy structural shapes, and wire rods. While down 29% for the month of December, auto import units ended the year 7% up. Bagged goods imports were up 50% as compared to last year.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, The Port has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 public and private terminals, collectively known as the Port of Houston, is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas – 20.6 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product (GDP) – and $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation.
‘Smart Pond’ Revealed During American Association of Port Authority POWERS Conference Focusing on Resiliency & Energy Security
With port executives from around the country attending the American Association of Port Authority (AAPA) Port Opportunities with Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability (POWERS) summit at host seaport Port Tampa Bay, National Stormwater Trust, Inc. revealed the recent installation of a second Smart Pond to further strengthen water quality and flood protection near the port and Tampa Bay.
Resilient and sustainable, Smart Ponds allow seaports to protect the environment from untreated stormwater and shield against extreme weather events, while also ensuring that nearly 100 percent of a port’s available land can be dedicated to meeting expansion demands for cargo calling on ports.
Installed at the beginning of January, the second Smart Pond is located near Port Tampa Bay on State Road 676. It joins Port Tampa Bay’s first Smart Pond, installed near the entrance of Port Tampa Bay on South 22nd Street last June. The first Smart Pond quickly demonstrated its value, successfully capturing more than 175,000 cubic feet of stormwater during Hurricane Ian, reducing flooding in neighborhoods and businesses surrounding Port Tampa Bay and preventing this untreated runoff from flowing into Tampa Bay.
Here’s how NST’s Smart Ponds work: They leverage a real-time weather forecasting and automated control system from OptiRTC to lower water levels before a storm arrives. While the sun is still shining, a Smart Pond can drain itself to increase its flood storage capacity. A Smart Pond is also in constant communication with professional stormwater managers and can even be remotely controlled. These innovations result in dramatic improvements to water quality treatment and flood protection performance.
NST Smart Ponds have been installed at Florida Department of Transportation Ponds as part of a multi-year program to improve stormwater management across Florida. NST has also installed Smart Ponds for the award-winning Babcock Ranch, and are in development at JAXPORT, Port Canaveral and The Villages, among other locations.
ABOUT NATIONAL STORMWATER TRUST®:
Providing public and private organizations with unparalleled stormwater infrastructure solutions and improving water quality for the communities we serve.
Lekki Port has had its official commissioning led by Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.
This took place on 23 January.
The opening of a cutting-edge facility that will spur economic growth and enhance commerce in the area, marking a historic occasion for Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The port is the deepest sea port in Nigeria and is intended to, among other purposes, serve as a major hub for cargo and passenger traffic in West Africa.
Lekki Port was constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) which owns a 52.5 per cent stake in the port.
Lekki Port is a joint venture enterprise owned by a group of investors led by the Lekki Port Investment Holdings Inc., The Lagos State Government, and the Federal Government.
The seaport is located approximately 65 kilometres to the east of Lagos City and spreads over 90 hectares of land bordered on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the biggest port in Nigeria, and one of the biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For us in NPA, this is a dream come true. Lekki Port is the deepest and most modern Sea Port in Nigeria. Economies-of-scale will set in, and the cost of doing business here will be lower than in other Ports,” said Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko.
Koko also mentioned that a neighbouring country is already in discussions with Nigerian ports to use Lekki Port and the equally-new Dala Inland Dry Port as a gateway to that country.
South Carolina Ports had a record 2022 with the most containers ever handled at the Port of Charleston.
SC Ports moved nearly 2.8 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2022, a 1.5% increase over 2021. When accounting for containers of any size, SC Ports moved more than 1.5 million pier containers in 2022, a 1% increase from 2021.
With the resumption of cruises, SC Ports had 261,636 cruise passengers come through the Passenger Terminal last year.
SC Ports moved 199,343 vehicles across the docks of Columbus Street Terminal in 2022, further connecting South Carolina’s automakers with global consumers.
Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon handled a combined 167,147 rail moves in 2022, enabling more companies throughout the Southeast to quickly move goods to and from the port via rail.
Booming business in SC
South Carolina’s economy is booming as companies make big investments to expand operations and open new facilities to take advantage of the state’s strong business climate, excellent workforce, expansive infrastructure network and world-class port.
In 2022, the South Carolina Department of Commerce secured more than $10 billion in total capital investment from companies establishing or expanding operations in South Carolina. This record investment amount represents 120 projects and more than 14,000 announced new jobs.
Many of these economic development wins are port-dependent businesses that rely on SC Ports to import goods for production and export products for overseas consumption.
Strong infrastructure in SC
With great support from the state, SC Ports has invested more than $2 billion into port infrastructure in recent years to support the state’s booming business sector. Combined with port funding and state funding, SC Ports plans to spend an additional $2.5 billion over the next decade.
Investments thus far have yielded modernized container terminals with ample capacity, the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet and a strong rail-served inland port network.
Construction is now underway on SC Ports’ Navy Base Intermodal Facility, a modern cargo yard in North Charleston that will by rail-served by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Palmetto Railways. Creating near-dock rail at the Port of Charleston will make South Carolina more competitive as an import gateway to the United States.
SC Ports is also developing an inner-harbor barge operation to support the Navy Base Intermodal Facility; it will transport cargo between container terminals via water.
The SC Legislature and Governor Henry McMaster allocated $550 million to build the rail yard and barge operation.
Beyond the port, containers need to move fluidly on highways to reach their destinations — whether that may be a rail yard, manufacturing facility, import distribution center, retail store or a resident’s doorstep.
Critical infrastructure investments are happening around the state to support the state’s supply chains. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has significantly increased investments to the state’s transportation network, spending nearly $4 billion in construction contracts in 2022.
About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority, established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 225,000 statewide jobs and generate nearly $63.4 billion in annual economic activity. SC Ports is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet. SC Ports is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. Please visit www.scspa.com to learn more about SC Ports.
Global ports and container terminals operator Yilport Holding will manage operations at Takoradi Port in Ghana from April 2023.
Senior representatives from Yilport and Takoradi Port signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Istanbul on 11 January to officialise the takeover.
Under the terms of the MoU, Yilport and Ibis Tek – the port’s operating company – will establish a joint venture company, YILPORT Takoradi Port Management Company, with a 70-30 split respectively.
The project’s aim is to develop the existing container terminal in three phases to reach a capacity of 2.25 million TEU per year.
The port will be the 23rd marine terminal in Yilport’s portfolio, and its first terminal in Africa.
The company is expected to take over operations in the second quarter of 2023.
“Takoradi Port will be Yilport’s first step into the African continent, and it will be a gemstone in our vision to rank among the top 10 global container terminal operators by 2030,” said Robert Yuksel Yildirim, Chairman and CEO of Yilport Holding.
“Takoradi Port has a great potential to serve the African and Atlantic marine trade. We look forward to unlocking that strong potential and grow Takoradi and Ghana internationally.
“We will transfer Yilport’s experience and process excellence methodology to boost efficiency, productivity, while increasing Takoradi’s portfolio of customers.”
The joint venture company, under the vision and management of Yilport, will also develop multipurpose berths for liquid, bulk, and general cargo operations for about 20 million tons annual handling capacity.
In order to increase handling capacity and avoid traffic congestion, Yilport plans to build new access roads and gate facilities for the Takoradi Port.
The company is planning to invest over $700 million in three phases to build and operate a state-of-the-art port complex.
Yilport will expand the total length of the berths to 2.5 kilometres and deepen the draft between 14 and 16.5 metres.
This new deep-sea terminal will serve the West African corridor cargo in Ghana and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The 3,412,604 TEU handled globally is as a result of new services such as those in Turkey, where Yilport Gebze and Gemlik terminals welcomed new calls from MEDKON Lines, CMA CGM and Maersk.
“These new autonomous trucks represent a significant technological step forward for the Port of Felixstowe,” said Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe.
“The tools underpinning port operations have evolved continuously, and we already have a range of very advanced systems and equipment in place, but this is the first time we will have wholly driverless vehicles.”
The ATs units have built-in safety features which are slated to ensure effective and safe operations at container terminals at the Port of Felixstowe.
The trucks use a digital map loaded to a fleet management system that controls the navigation around the port. The AT then combines that map with its on-board GPS navigation to track its real-time position.
“The ATs use LiDAR – a light sensing technology that creates a 3D map of an AT’s surroundings using a laser and receiver, which, when combined with its on-board 360-degree cameras, provide real-time, all-round ‘vision’,” said Project Director, and Hutchison Ports UK Chief Information Officer, Karen Poulter.
“This enables it to ‘see’ everything instantaneously in its vicinity to allow safe and accurate navigation.
“With the support of Extreme Precise Position (EPP) system, it can achieve positioning accuracy of 2 centimetres and a steering angle accuracy of 0.5 degrees.”
The trucks will be initially used to transport containers between Trinity and North Rail terminals at the port.
In September, PTI sat down with Kuo Ralph Ren, Senior Project Manager, Qolomo Autonomous Driving at Westwell.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a 5G mobile network at the Port of Singapore.
Full maritime 5G coverage will be deployed in major anchorages, fairways, terminals, and boarding grounds.
Delivery is scheduled to be delivered by mid-2025.
The announcement was made as part of the MPA’s 9th edition of the International Safety@Sea Week, launched by Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance.
A 5G network has the potential to unlock a full suite of maritime solutions leveraging complementary technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, big data, drones and autonomous vehicles, to improve safety, effectiveness and efficiencies in maritime operations.
Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said: “Digitalisation continues to shape and transform the maritime industry, acting as a key driver for global trends such as logistics and supply chain efficiency and decarbonisation.
“MPA is taking the lead to help build a robust digital maritime ecosystem for Maritime Singapore, with fast, secure and high capacity 5G connectivity as one of the cornerstones to support real-time data exchanges in the maritime domain.”
Elsewhere in the port, MPA’s incident response management and safety enforcement capabilities across the full spectrum of operations will be further strengthened through the development of the Integrated Port Operations C3 (Command, Control and Communications) system (IPOC system).
The system is developed in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and will enhance situational awareness and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of incident responses.
The IPOC system will be progressively phased in from 2023 to 2026 as MPA upgrades its systems.
The port will also further develop its online booking and clearance platform, digitalPORT@SG.
The second phase of the port will include the Active Anchorage Management System (AAMS).
The AAMS taps on various data sources to optimise allocation of limited anchorage space for vessels. It ensures that the vessel is anchored safely taking into consideration various conditions including the wind, tide, depth and proximity to hazards.
The AAMS is scheduled to be launched in in the third quarter of 2023.
South Carolina Ports is making bold investments in freight infrastructure to support port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond.
In the past few months, work has either wrapped or commenced on several of SC Ports’ long-planned infrastructure projects. Smart infrastructure investments bring greater efficiency and capacity to port operations for a more fluid supply chain.
SC Ports’ multiyear effort to modernize Wando Welch Terminal culminated in August with taller cranes, a stronger wharf and an enhanced container yard — all designed to handle the biggest container ships calling the East Coast.
Also in August, SC Ports launched its new SMART Pool, which will add 13,000 chassis into the Southeast port market. SC Ports’ new fleet will improve the availability, reliability and quality of chassis for motor carriers, ocean carriers and cargo owners.
SC Ports broke ground on the Navy Base Intermodal Facility in October, thanks to a $400 million investment from the state. This critical infrastructure project will bring near-dock rail to the Port of Charleston and speed goods to market when it opens in 2025.
The expansion of Inland Port Greer hit a big milestone in November with the completed rail expansion. The next phase of construction will double cargo capacity of the container yard, helping to move more goods for manufacturers, automakers, retailers and solar companies.
Charleston Harbor is now 52 feet deep, giving South Carolina a significant competitive advantage. SC Ports seamlessly handles fully loaded mega container ships any time, any tide.
SC Ports serves as a critical partner to companies that rely on importing goods to stock shelves, build homes, make products or run hospitals. SC Ports also supports businesses, such as soybean farmers and global automakers, that need to send their products to overseas markets.
In November, SC Ports handled 213,073 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 117,662 pier containers at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal and Leatherman Terminal.
Fiscal year-to-date, SC Ports has handled nearly 1.14 million TEUs and 627,784 pier containers at the Port of Charleston.
Containers flowing through the Port of Charleston are filled with retail goods, home goods, electronics, clothing, furniture, refrigerated foods, medical supplies, paper and wood products, and manufacturing parts.
SC Ports also had 11,142 vehicles roll across the docks of Columbus Street Terminal in November. SC Ports supports South Carolina’s automakers by importing parts and materials and exporting finished vehicles to global markets.
In November, Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon reported a combined 12,989 rail moves, which account for every time a container is moved on or off a train. SC Ports’ two rail-served inland ports extend the Port of Charleston’s reach into the state, enabling more goods to quickly flow to and from the port via rail.
Inland Port Dillon had a particularly strong month with 2,858 rail moves in November. Volumes were boosted by retail imports and agricultural exports.
SC Ports also had 25,754 cruise passengers come through the Passenger Terminal last month.
About South Carolina Ports Authority
South Carolina Ports Authority, established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 225,000 statewide jobs and generate nearly $63.4 billion in annual economic activity. SC Ports is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet. SC Ports is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility.
The US has the largest economy in the world, and this has largely been fuelled by the operations of its ports. Still dealing with the remnants of COVID-19, America has continued experiencing tremendous surges in consumer demand which is clearly reflected by the corresponding container handling figures.
With the complete annual figures yet to be released, we have taken data from the first 10 months of the year to give us an indication of what the final yearly figures could look like.
This involves converting a total area of 100 acres at BTP in Bayport East End not only to increase container volume, but to also enhance terminal efficiency and cut emissions.
Over the first 10 months of 2022, the port handled 4,986,489 TEU demonstrating a considerable year-on-year increase from 4,652,463 TEU handled at the same time in 2021.
The GPA also placed an order for 12 Konecranes Rubber-Tyred Gantries for the Port of Savannah in an effort to assist the tremendous growth and increased productivity the port has experienced.
3. The Port of Long Beach
Aerial image of containers in the Port of Long Beach, California.
Although the Port of Long Beach has had an incredibly busy year, surpassing handling totals from the previous year and setting new records, it has nonetheless slid to third on the list.
During the first 10 months of 2022, the Port of Long Beach handled 8,000,811 TEU, an increase of 1.5 per cent from the 7,884,565 TEU per cent handled during the same time in 2021.
In October, 658,428 TEU of cargo containers were handled by dockworkers and terminal operators, a 16.6 per cent decrease from October 2021. Exports fell 2 per cent to 119,763 TEU while imports fell 23.7 per cent to 293,924 TEU. 244,743 TEU fewer empty containers were carried through the port, a 13.4 per cent decrease.
Solidifying its status as the second busiest port in America, the year-to-date container volumes at the port have reached 8,157,584 TEU, an increase of 7.3 per cent from the 7,455,786 TEU handled in the same period in 2021.
As the number of containers passing through the US West Coast ports continues to decline, the Port of New York and New Jersey continued to hold the top rank as the busiest in the nation for a third consecutive month.
The port carried approximately 19 per cent more cargo in October 2022 than it did in pre-pandemic October 2019.
1. The Port of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Ca, USA – June 21, 2015: San Pedro, California/USA June 2015. Container ship Agusta Kontor transporting cargo at The Port of Los Angeles with the Vincent Thomas Bridge in background
Securing its spot at the top of the list is the Port of Los Angeles.
Similar to the Ports of New York and New Jersey, consumer demand has pushed Los Angeles’ container handling figures to new highs. In the first 10 months of 2022, the Port of Los Angeles handled 8,542,944 TEU, a 6 per cent decrease from last year’s record pace when 9,079,561 TEU were processed.
When compared to October 2021, the Port of Los Angeles handled 678,429 TEU, a 25 per cent decline in cargo volume.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director, Gene Seroka, cited that shippers awaiting the conclusion of labour contract negotiations have been largely responsible for cargo shifting away from the West Coast.
This explains why the Port of New York and New Jersey saw a considerable rise in cargo handling that ultimately helped it surpass the Port of Long Beach.
The two-year period of a containership backup has now come to an end due to decreased traffic in both Californian ports. Throughout the pandemic, with a peak of 109 on 9 January 2022, containerships lining up outside the major US West Coast ports was a common sight.
Currently, there are just a handful of vessels at anchor outside of the ports, as opposed to 81 containerships on 22 November 2021.
