A joint-venture between APM Terminals and infrastructure investor Brookfield Asset Management cannot be completed, and as a result, the Port of New Jersey will not be owned and operated by the two parties.
Eric Sisco, President of APM Terminals North America, said: “APM Terminals and Brookfield worked closely with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey to address the needs of each party. Despite the good faith efforts of all involved, a commercially viable solution was not achieved.”
APM Terminals is also postponing the opening of a state-of-the-art container terminal in Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam – which was due to start operations in November 2014 – to February 2015.
APM Terminals spokesperson Ivana Srecec said: “Our plan was always to start handling an initial, smaller service for Maersk Line in the course of November 2014. Based on recent information about the progress of the project, we have unfortunately been forced to conclude that November is not a suitable date for the commercial opening.”
Srecec added: “We want a stable and secure opening for our terminal, hence this decision.”
In other news, booming refrigerated shipments have given a boost to the containerised operations of the Port of Pecam in Brazil; a port which is operated by APMT.
Bart Wiersum, APM’s director of new business development in Brazil, said that Pecam would see an important increase in handling capacity if new gantry cranes are installed.