A team of researchers from the Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) initiative recently set out their vision for a fleet of zero-carbon coastal ships to transport goods around the UK’s ports by 2030.

Known as the ‘Zero-Carbon Coastal Highway’, the concept aims to transform UK goods distribution and reduce reliance on road haulage. At present, the UK relies predominantly on road freight using heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to distribute goods from its major ports, which contributes significantly to harmful levels of air pollution.

Coastal shipping presents an opportunity for the maritime industry to play a more significant role in the UK’s supply chain by easing the burden on our congested roads — enabling the UK to become a leading innovator in the global maritime sector.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES
Creating a radical zero-carbon approach like this to transport goods as part of an integrated autonomous system has never been attempted anywhere in the world.

The coastal shipping network could potentially create 39,000 extra jobs, increase export opportunities and generate more than £1.8 billion in additional revenue for the UK — much of which could be distributed to support regional coastal communities.

Examining the transport logistics system as a whole will also offer the opportunity to transform and enhance port infrastructure, which needs to evolve with the demands of the shipping network (and, indeed, globalisation). Doing so could revolutionise the approach to vessel traffic management and greatly ease the development of autonomous maritime systems.

CHALLENGES AHEAD
In order to realise the MarRI-UK’s vision, the UK Government must help the maritime industry join the dots by providing world-class infrastructure linking UK ports to the transport network.

Since a key element of the plan focuses on using the coastal highway as a means to decarbonise by employing a fleet of zero-carbon ships, new styles of vessels will also need to be introduced. This presents a number of exciting research opportunities — from increased electrification and 5G communications to robotics and high levels of autonomy of both ships and the port-side infrastructure.

However, it also means coastal gateways will need to be designed and developed to support the network, and new regulations will be required to ensure safety. Moving transport from the roads will, naturally, increase traffic on the waters. Of course, the idea is to share the load and create a steady flow rather than bottlenecks. But it is crucial that this transformation does not come at the cost of the safety of seafarers and other maritime workers in ports and harbours.

Coastal waters and ports are inherently dangerous places, which means they need marine aids to navigation, such as buoys and lights, to mark safe lines of passage and prevent accidents — in much the same way signs, central reservations and other markings are used on our roads. With the waters around the UK coasts potentially become busier in the future, the reliability and effectiveness of these marine aids will become even more crucial.

Founded in 1994, Hydrosphere claims to be the UK and Ireland’s leading supplier of marine aids to navigation, providing high-quality, reliable and cost-effective solutions to the marine industry.

Source: www.maritimejournal.com

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With 14 weekly calls at the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, the Group has a strategic presence in the country and offers end-to-end logistics services, ensuring optimal and efficient solutions to its customers. The new acquisition aligns CMA CGM more closely with its Lebanese importing and exporting customers.

Joseph DAKKAK, General Manager of CMA CGM Lebanon commented:
“Port activity is at the heart of the maritime and logistics strategy of CMA CGM Group, with around 50 ports managed around the world. The Group has a strategic presence in Lebanon, handling more than 50% of the volumes of the two national ports, Beirut and Tripoli.
The Port of Tripoli already receives 5 weekly lines from the Group, including a direct line from China, and two others connecting the Port to Arab markets. Through this acquisition, CMA CGM demonstrates once again its commitment and support to the Lebanese economy.”

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“We were swift to take action at the start of the pandemic to initiate cost reduction, reduce capital expenditures, and later seized opportunities to lengthen our debt maturities at lower rates. At the same time, we stepped up our social community support and increased health and safety measures at all our ports to ensure that we all remain resilient in these extraordinary times.

“These actions have helped us to navigate a severe weakening of demand at some of our key terminals around the world. And as our volumes rebounded from their lows when lockdown restrictions began to lift in the second half, so did our margins reflect the benefits of these actions. Those gains have continued into the new financial year as ICTSI emerges from these trying times leaner, stronger and optimistic of the future as governments around the world begin the herculean task of global mass vaccination.”

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) reported audited consolidated financial results for 2020 posting revenue from port operations of US$1.505 billion, two percent higher compared to the US$1.481 billion reported last year; Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of US$876.8 million, six percent more than the US$830.1 million generated in 2019; and net income attributable to equity holders of US$101.8 million, one percent higher than the US$100.4 million earned in 2019 mainly due to higher revenues, lower cash operating expenses resulting from continuous group-wide cost reduction and optimization measures, positive contribution of a new terminal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and lower equity in net loss of joint ventures; tapered by an increase in interest on concession rights payable recognized at the new terminal in Cameroon and the full year impact of the new terminal in Brazil; additional impairment charges; and COVID-19 related expenses.

Equity in net loss of joint ventures was lower by 38 percent at US$12.3 million in 2020 from US$19.7 million in 2019 mainly due to the decrease in the Company’s share in net loss at Sociedad Puerto Industrial Aguadulce S.A. (SPIA), its joint venture container terminal project with PSA International Pte Ltd. (PSA) in Buenaventura, Colombia and an increase in the Company’s share in net income in Manila North Harbor Port, Inc. (MNHPI). Diluted earnings per share declined three percent to US$0.0198 from US$0.0204 in 2019. Excluding non-recurring charges, recurring net income in 2020 was nine percent higher at US$282.1 million compared to the US$259.1 million earned the previous year.

In 2020, the company recognised additional impairment charges of US$180.3 million composed principally of impairment charges on the concession rights assets of Tecplata S.A. (TECPLATA), the Company’s container terminal operations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and other non-financial assets. In 2019, the Company recognized non-recurring charges totaling of US$158.7 million related to the impairment of concession rights assets of TECPLATA amounting to US$156.0 million and an acceleration of debt issue cost amounting to US$2.7 million.

ICTSI handled consolidated volume of 10,193,384 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2020, marginally higher by 0.2% compared to the 10,178,018 TEUs handled in 2019 due to the contribution of ICTSI Rio, the Company’s new terminal operations in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil; improvement in trade activities in the second half of 2020 as lockdown restrictions in most parts of the world eased; and new contracts with shipping lines and services at certain terminals; tapered by decline in trade activities mainly in the first half of 2020 which resulted from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global trade and lockdown restrictions. Excluding the contribution of Company’s new terminal in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, consolidated organic volume would have decreased by two percent in 2020.

Gross revenues from port operations grew by two percent in 2020 to US$1.505 billion compared to the US$1.481 billion reported in 2019 due to the contribution of ICTSI Rio, higher revenues from ancillary services, tariff adjustments and new services at certain terminals; and favorable translation impact mainly from Philippine Peso (PHP)-based revenues in the Philippine terminals.; partially tapered by the decline in trade activities mainly as a result of the lockdown restrictions imposed by most governments to try to address the rising infection rate of the COVID-19 virus. Excluding contribution of the new terminals consolidated gross revenues would have decreased by one percent in 2020.

Consolidated cash operating expenses in 2020 was two percent lower at US$453.6 million compared to US$464.2 million in 2019. The decrease in cash operating expenses was mainly due to the continuous group-wide cost reduction and optimization measures; and favorable translation impact mainly from Brazilian Reais (BRL)-based expenses in Suape, Brazil and Mexican Peso (MXN)-based expenses in Manzanillo, Mexico; tapered by the cost contribution of the Company’s new terminals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Kribi, Cameroon; and unfavorable translation impact mainly from Philippine Peso (PHP)-based expenses in the Philippine terminals. Excluding contribution of new terminals consolidated cash operating expenses would have decreased by seven percent in 2020.

Consolidated EBITDA increased six percent to US$876.8 million in 2020 from US$830.1 million in 2019 primarily due to higher revenues and lower cash operating expenses resulting from continuous group-wide cost reduction and optimization measures and positive contribution of the new terminal, ICTSI Rio. EBITDA margin, on the other hand, increased to 58 percent in 2020 from 56 percent the previous year.

Consolidated financing charges and other expenses in 2020 increased 13 percent from US$284.0 million in 2019 to US$320.7 million in 2020 primarily due to the additional impairment charges at its subsidiary in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the country continues to be faced with challenging economic conditions, impairment of non-financial assets, COVID-19 related expenses and lower capitalized borrowing cost in 2020.

Capital expenditures, excluding capitalized borrowing costs, in 2020 amounted to US$198.7 million. The actual capex in 2020 exceeded the reduced capex budget of US$160 million mainly due to the additional capex from the new terminal in Kribi, Cameroon and the reinstitution of postponed capex in a number of terminals which demonstrated strong volume growth in the second half of 2020. The Group’s capital expenditure budget for 2021 is approximately US$250.0 million. The estimated capital expenditure budget will be utilized mainly for the completion of the expansion project at MICT in Manila, Philippines, the ongoing yard expansion at IDRC in Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo; the new expansion project at VICT in Melbourne, Australia; equipment acquisitions and upgrades; and for various maintenance requirements.

ICTSI is a leading global developer, manager and operator of container terminals in the 50,000 to three million TEU/year range. ICTSI operates in six continents and continues to pursue container terminal opportunities around the world.

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Rodolphe Saadé made the announcement at the opening session of TPM, the premiere conference for the trans-Pacific and global container shipping and logistics community.

The first of these new vessels will be delivered in October 2021, and all ships will be fully operational by the end of 2022. The six 15,000-TEU vessels will be deployed on CMA CGM’s Pearl River Express (PRX) line, which sails from China to the Port of Los Angeles. The CMA CGM Group is currently operating 12 LNG-powered containerships, a fleet that will grow to 32 containerships of various sizes by 2022. This technology is one of the first steps towards achieving CMA CGM Group’s ambitious 2050 objective of carbon neutrality.

As a customer-centric Group, CMA CGM is sharing its energy transition solutions for shipping and providing its customers with effective solutions with these six 15,000-TEU LNG-powered vessels. American customers will be able to choose to transport their goods using LNG, a new technology that helps to preserve air quality by eliminating almost all atmospheric pollutants.

Recently, the Group also introduced ACT with CMA CGM+, a set of services designed to allow customers to analyse, reduce and offset their environmental impact. CMA CGM will continue to incorporate the latest advanced technologies to serve the needs of its customers, in the U.S. and globally, while ensuring every aspect of its business is operating in the most sustainable way possible.

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