Alliances to cooperate

The shipping group has shuffled some services around in the Dutch port.

The line says its new ships strengthen its strategic partnership with the Grand Alliance

With construction of Maasvlakte 2 now underway, Rotterdam port authority (GHR) is turning its attention to the problems of absorbing the extra container traffic generated in its hinterland and how best to influence the modal split to increase barge and rail and disadvantage truck traffic. The port has forecast that throughput will double to 22M TEU by 2020. This may appear optimistic given current trading conditions, but last year’s record of 10.78M TEU was double the figure just 3.5 years ago.

External and internal competition and the effects of the economic downturn pose challenges for what has been among the country’s most dynamic industries.

The Grand Alliance (GA) is switching its Mediterranean transhipment operations from Medcenter, Gioia Tauro, to Cagliari International Container Terminal (CICT). Both facilities are operated by Contship Italia SpA, part of Eurogate group.

Rotterdam port authority (GHR) says that it will start construction of the second Maasvlakte on September 1, even though there are still appeals pending. The port belives that the objections lack conviction and contain no new insights or arguments in relation to earlier objections that have already been waived by the authorities.