misinformation

Abu Dhabi for Genoa terminal?Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT),the private joint stock companyowned by Abu Dhabi PortsCompany, Mubadala and MubadalaInfrastructure Partners, isbeing tipped as the likely partnerfor Messina Line at the latter’sTerminal Messina at Ronco Pierin Genoa, in a new 50:50 jointventure that could be sealed nextyear.Messina has a long presence inthe Gulf and has strong connectionsin Abu Dhabi, while ADT,which operates the new Khalifaautomated container terminal onbehalf of Abu Dhabi Ports, officiallyaims “to bring Abu Dhabito the table of world-class terminaloperators and to rank amongthe first 20 global container operators”.A tie-up would be a verypublic step in this direction andcould pave the way for 8,000-10,000 TEU vessels at RoncoPier. However, the expansionproject, which is centred oninfilling between Ronco andCanepa Piers, financed by theport authority with EU support,has been delayed until 2018.Messina group has been rumouredto be planning to divestsome of its companies since December2012, when the controllingfamilies (Messina, Gais andCalì) restructured the businesses,putting all non-core activities underfinancial holding Finemme,and establishing “newco” IgnazioMessina to take care of shippingand Terminal Messina for portoperations.Since then, various shippinggroups, including MSC (TIL)and Grimaldi’s GNV, have beenlinked with Terminal Messina.Most recently, Contship Italia hasbeen the name in the frame, asthe German-Italian group madeanother attempt to secure a presencein Italy’s biggest import/export container port (havingfailed several years ago to win aconcession at Genoa Voltri – theSixth Module dispute).Italian sources said there is littlelikelihood of Messina givingup any of its shipping interests asthis sector, perhaps surprisingly,is very buoyant for the company,despite (or perhaps because of) itsmajor new con-ro investments.Elsewhere in Genoa, VTEVoltri Terminal Europa is gearingup to host the latest ULCS.The PSA Sinport company hasordered four more 70m outreachcranes (25-across) from ZPMC,on top of the four ordered lastautumn. Managing director GilbertoDanesi confirmed thatVTE has invested €80M in thenew cranes. The key point is thatGulftainer underway in USGulftainer’s first terminal in theUS started operations this month,with the maiden call of the CMACGM JAMAICA.Gulftainer (GT), a subsidiaryof Crescent Enterprises, announcedthe 35-year concessionat Canaveral, Florida, in June lastThe maiden call of the 4,298 TEU CMA CGM JAMAICA at CCTyear. It plans to invest US$100Min container and multipurposefacilities at Canaveral Cargo Terminal(CCT), to transform thefacility into a market leader inFlorida.Speaking at the unveiling, PortCommission chairman, Jerry Allender,said: “Today, we usher in anew cargo era at Port Canaveral.This historic partnership will facilitatemuch-needed jobs forour area, with GT USA’s commitmentto invest US$100M ininfrastructure, equipment and localemployees.”“This new state-of-the-artfacility is ready to get to workwith two berths, two cranes andADT Abu Dhabi could link up with Messina Group in Genoathe air corridor rules at nearbyCristoforo Colombo airporthave changed, allowing VTE tomove away from shuttle boomcranes to a gooseneck boom.The new cranes have a 50mlift height under the spreader,an SWL of 65t (twin 20 mode)and they will be able to operatein wind speeds up to 90 km/h.The first four cranes are slated for20 acres on which to grow,”said GT USA president PeterRichards. “In Gulftainer’s partnershipwith the port authority,it’s our policy to partnerwith the entire community. Weare here today to partner withyou to make this a world-class,second-to-none, container terminalservicing the region, thenation and beyond.”While DP World was famouslydenied permission to purchaseP&O Ports’ US operations almost10 years ago, Gulftainer’smove required no national securityclearance, on the basis thatit is leasing, and not purchasing,any US port assets. AmbassadorYousef Al Otaiba, UAE’s Ambassadorin the US attended, alongwith Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally,executive director ofdelivery on the first half of 2016,with the remainder following atthe end of the year.In the first five months of thisyear, VTE handled 565,786 TEU(+9.3% on the same period of2014) and is targeting 1.3M TEUfor the whole year. The companyis averaging 24.5 moves/cranehour, and aims to increase this to28-30 with the new cranes.SelectUSA, part of the InternationalTrade Administration ofthe US Department of Commerce.“Canaveral Cargo Terminal,which begins operations with acargo capacity of 200,000 TEU,has ambitious plans to triple capacityto 750,000 TEU. An idealgateway for container shipping tothe Florida market and beyond,CCT provides an excellent connectionto Central Florida’s bustlingconsumption centres andgrowing number of distributioncentres. The terminal is able toturn around cargo imported intoPort Canaveral to the Orlandoarea within one to two hours, thefastest transit time compared toother container terminals in thestate,” GT USA said in a statement.PORT NEWSAPMTdoubles upin MobileAPM Terminals is doubling theSTS compliment at its terminalin Mobile Alabama, as the portgears up for the opening of thePanama Canal expansion. Thefacility currently has two STScranes and APM Terminals hasannounced a US$40M investmentin two additional units anda 20-acre expansion to the containeryard.Canadian National Rail, APMTerminals and the Alabama StatePort Authority (ASPA) believethe port has huge intermodal potentialand have signed an MoUto boost intermodal traffic.In a statement on the announcement,JJ Ruest, CN executivevice-president and chiefmarketing officer, said: “We believethe agreement – similar toones CN has signed with all ofCanada’s major ports and intermodalterminals – will extendthe geographic reach of the Portof Mobile so that we all can takeadvantage of potential new containerrail traffic following thecompletion of the Panama Canalexpansion project in 2016.”The 95-acre container terminalhas a current capacity of350,000 TEU, which can be increasedby moving to an RTGyard system. Late last year, theASPA approved a design/buildcontract for a new IntermodalContainer Transfer Facility(ICTF) at Garrows Bend, incorporatingtwo operating tracks, aloop track, and car repair siding,each with a minimum length of3,000ft, which will cost US$32Mto build.Experiencethe Progress.LRS 545.New impulse for your terminal.1 st type out of the Pulser series.PulserThe new Liebherr Reachstacker seriesreachstacker@liebherr.comfacebook.com/LiebherrMaritimewww.liebherr.comThe Group6June 2015