To kick-start the TOC Europe event at The Ahoy, Rotterdam, a conference relating to the current condition of the supply made headway, entitled ‘Shipping’s Seismic Shift – Dealing with the Supply Chain Fallout’.
PTI previously reported on an introduction to TOC Europe, which recapped on the success of TOC London 2014, as well as opinions from some of the main industry suppliers as to what is anticipated this year.
The first speaker began by introducing some of the tech TOC seminars that will be presented during the event, as well as the access provided for the online networking zones.
Following this was a reminder of some of the key issues currently within the supply chain, including the recent labour strikes which were said to be a ‘catalyst for gridlock’. Mega-ships were also mentioned as a key issue for putting strain on the supply chain process.
Cargo owners rely on all elements of the supply chain in order that containers are delivered on time and without delays.
A crucial question was asked to conclude the introduction: what can new technology do for us?
It has been argued that new crane technologies could be the solution for reaching higher productivity; however, it was not clear as to who would be paying for this technology.
The second speaker, Frank Tazelaar, Managing Director of APMT’s Maasvlakte II container terminal touched on the importance of integration in the port environment and that there is a significant difference between a manual and automated terminal.
He continued by mentioning the possibility of ports and terminals using higher and faster cranes to become more operationally efficient, as well as placing a greater emphasis on safety, as automated vehicles need to be more carefully controlled.
Mr. Tazelaar also talked briefly about the newly operational Maasvlakte II terminal, which took around two-and-a-half years to complete and is 100% free of emissions.
