As container demand burgeons globally, the use of a port’s resources – financially and operationally – becomes critical for a fully-functioning supply network.
Consequently, stakeholders around the world are considering infrastructural and digital investments to accommodate the changing face of logistics as we know it.
At PTI we are thrilled to bring you this Port Development and Investment edition, showcasing the latest ongoings of investment in our industry.
We are delighted to welcome a submission from the Port of Gdańsk on its outstanding level of investment in increasing capacity. The port authority has detailed its roadmap, including aiming to grow its container capacity by 50 per cent to 4.5 million TEU by mid-2024.
In North America, the Port of Prince Rupert is a growing container hub and becoming a critical node in Canada’s supply chain. Logistical challenges facing the southern British Columbia region have demonstrated the need for a boost in resilience at the port – and so we hear more from the authority’s President and CEO Shaun Stevenson on how their investments will materialise to alleviate these challenges.
We welcome a fantastic submission from Atkins on the transformative potential of the UK Freeports scheme on investment into green hubs. With a lofty target of reaching Net Zero, the UK Government is priming the ports sector as a pivotal cog to producers of clean, green energy. Atkins delves deeper into how that can mesh with the freeports scheme and the benefits it can bring.
With the rise of e-learning and remote development courses, I had the pleasure of getting the thoughts of industry experts on the potential of simulation technologies in developing a staff workforce. Simulation technologies have a plethora of benefits for ports and terminals in training staff, including rare incident training and preparing team members for extreme weather events. I sat down with industry insiders to see what the future could be for simulation training.
Climate change is an emerging issue specifically facing the future of operations in ports globally. Extreme weather events – and notably the destructive impact of wind on equipment – means ports need to be agile and smarter to manage adverse weather risks. With this in mind, we welcome a contribution from Vaisala on how data management and ‘nowcasting’ can be one of the weapons in a port’s arsenal in combating climate change.
Finally, when pondering solutions to industry’s current challenges of the day – COVID-19 lockdowns, capacity shortfalls, and a crucial need for ports to be slicker than ever in moving containers – sometimes looking back helps you to progress forward.
With that said, we went back into The Vault to reconsider a submission from Rich Ceci, Senior Vice President of Technology and Projects, Virginia International Terminals at the Port of Virginia on Terminal Automation. Submitted prior to the pandemic, Ceci’s thoughts on the changing terminal industry had some Nostradamus-style assertions that recent events can relate to. Read through Ceci’s submission to find out more!
