In Port News 05/10/2016
The breakbulk sector has received more attention of late on the back of the large number of major infrastructure and commercial projects underway worldwide, as well as excess capacity that has created record low rates in the ship operator’s primary markets.
Demand for machinery, equipment and components for the construction of these projects has been strengthening of late, highlighting inefficiencies and putting pressure on ports to improve the way they handle breakbulk cargo.
The most obvious solution to overcome inefficiencies in breakbulk handling is investment in facilities and processes. Manila-based Harbour Centre Port Terminal (HCPTI) has done just that, investing in new facilities to respond to the volume of breakbulk cargo coming through its terminal.
Last year, vessels calling at the terminal had not only become bigger, but the size and volume of cargo had also grown beyond expectations.
Accordingly, HCPTI constructed an additional cargo storage containment facility; completed its year pavement project to ensure safety and ease of movement inside the yard, connect different yard areas and accommodate trucks with heavier loads; fabricated the bulk conveyor system; and embarked on a program to replace its aging equipment that doubled efficiency.
Further, HCPTI has invested in additional cargo bays to increase the terminal’s storage capacity from 2,000 mt to 6,000 mt. It has also constructed a concrete wall to protect the west end portion of the terminal and accommodate barge operations, and rehabilitated sheet piles that had been around for 20 years.
Fenders and bollards have also been replaced to accommodate heavier vessels, while continuous dredging is being done. More truck scales are being installed, and 10 trucks were recently imported for immediate unloading of cargoes from vessels.
Investing in an all-weather terminal is another potential opportunity for ports to improve breakbulk handling efficiency, offering the ability to process breakbulk cargo at any time of day, in any conditions. Currently, only Antwerp – Europe’s largest breakbulk port – and a handful of other ports have invested in such a terminal but, for those few, it seems to have saved time and costs, and allowed more room to plan cargo handling and subsequently guarantee run through times – not to mention prevented damage to the cargo.
Perfect fit
Another solution for ports is to purchase a wider range of cargo handling attachments. Finland-based manufacturing company Stevenel offers fully and semi-automated attachments to improve loading and unloading operations for breakbulk cargo.
Typically, the cranes with which their spreaders are used are fully hydraulic material handling cranes, weighing between 60 tonnes and 220 tonnes. Where fully automated cargo handling spreaders are concerned, labour force can be kept to a minimum and the cost of the service which the port operator is providing is, therefore, also minimised due to the high efficiency of modern lifting equipment.
According to the company, wood pulp handling using a Stevenel PU-4 spreader with a 120 tonne size material handling crane, can record a production rate of 450 tonnes per hour, while automated catching and releasing of the pulp unit wires means that just one crane driver is needed for the operation.
With a manual spreader, the production rate is much lower, at 150 tonnes per hour. What’s more, four dockers are required at the quay or at the hold of a vessel. In addition to increased productivity and enhanced total economy, Stevenel claims minimised cargo damages and improved working safety as benefits that come with using its attachments, while also boasting 50% to 80% improved loading capacity compared with traditional rope cranes.
In real time
Additionally, ports have an abundance of technology at their fingertips which can be used to process breakbulk cargo more efficiently.
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), for example, uses General Cargo System (GCS), a tracking system designed to process breakbulk cargo more quickly, and provide real-time freight tracking for GPA and its customers.
GCS shows cargo headed to the Port of Savannah and its current stage in transit, which enables GPA to prepare for and expedite handling of shipments down to the item level. In addition to offering faster truck turn times and improved cargo visibility for the authority and its customers, the technology allows GPA to detect and order deadline cargo as it becomes available at a Savannah rail yard.
“Our central aim was to collect shipping data prior to cargo arrival,” says Bill Sutton, director of information technology at GPA. “The result has been dramatic time savings – railcar ordering that previously took two hours of manual processing now takes just 15 minutes to complete.”
Mr Sutton adds that using GCS has greatly reduced manual data entry and data lag while providing information access for management, administrative and field personnel.
DBIS, part of specialist software and consultancy services company TBA, offers a similar package for breakbulk terminals called CommTrac, which promises to save costs and increase revenue for breakbulk terminals.
CommTrac is interfaced to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) business planning software that collects, stores, manages and interprets data from many business activities to manage reception, storage and delivery; calculate revenues and generate invoices automatically; provide real time overview of inventory tonnage and position, discharge and loading progress, and delays and variances; and give accurate, error free information with provable compliance to quality assurance.
The port of Antwerp also launched the Antwerp Port Community System (APCS) last year – a new breakbulk application for more efficient freight handling. APCS (Antwerp Port Community System) platform connects all parties involved from shipper to carrier, including customs and other statutory authorities.
When the software was launched in March 2015, Antwerp told Port Strategy it was confident it would “defend and even increase its market share of breakbulk”, however it has been unable to overcome the general malaise affecting volumes. In the first half of the year, the volume of conventional breakbulk was down by 1.7% to 4.75m tonnes, despite a 12.3% increase in steel volumes to 3.75m tonnes).
PRACTICAL APPROACH TO INNOVATION
Perhaps the most practical approach to innovation is to look at the facilities ports already have and consider different ways to use those facilities in order to improve breakbulk handling without any, or as much, cost.
For instance, are routing paths being regularly assessed? Is data being collated and used effectively? Is there a method in place to quickly detect and act on critical activities and bottlenecks?
California-based Pasha Stevedoring and Terminals attributes the successful movement of project cargo to the proper execution of the intricate details involved. This includes explicit and thorough pre-planning by supervision, steady labour and gearmen. What’s more, it says, it’s important to examine and secure or fabricate gear specialities in advance to ensure smooth operations. Pasha Stevedoring and Terminals also offers special hours to accommodate inland transportation so that trucks can make late-night curfews for over-the-road inland transportation.
Additionally, being aware of the latest technologies, innovations and handling practices can be extremely valuable in terms of implementing the best practices and maintaining an optimal supply chain.
Further, ports should not only consider the equipment they have, but also the people they work with. Achieving successful outcomes requires colleagues who know the right questions to ask and where to turn if they don’t have all the answers in decision making.
Therefore, it’s important for ports to have open lines of communication with all of the key breakbulk players, including lines, stevedores, terminals and carriers, to ensure shipments proceed without any incidents. Such communications also make it easier to deal with inevitable surprises.
Source: Port Strategy
