The Luka Koper Group closed the first half of 2023 with good results.

All financial indicators were higher than planned and we recorded growth in throughput in both strategic commodity groups. As a matter of fact, we are the only Adriatic port and one of the few European ports to have recorded growth in container throughput in this period.

At the Container Terminal, we exceeded the throughput volume registered in the same period last year by 5% with 554,949 TEUs, while at the Car Terminal we achieved a 23% growth with 451,611 vehicles handled. Net sales revenue amounted to EUR 158.9 million, up 2% or EUR 3.8 million compared to the first half of last year and 9% or EUR 13.3 million above the budget.

The increase in revenue was mainly due to higher volumes of container stuffing and stripping services and higher service prices, while storage revenue was 20% or EUR 8.5 million lower than last year due to the gradual easing of the global logistics situation and the resulting shorter dwell time of goods in warehouses. The expected lower storage revenue and the increase in costs due to inflationary pressures were also key factors affecting the EBIT, which amounted to EUR 37.6 million up to and including June, exceeding the planned amount by 87% or EUR 17.5 million. However, due to the aforementioned decrease in storage revenue and increased costs, it was 21% or EUR 10.2 million behind last year. On the expenditure side, we also recorded growth, with operating expenses for the first six months amounting to EUR 123.2 million, 3% or EUR 3.5 million below budget, but EUR 14.2 million higher than in the comparable period last year, due to higher material expenses and other costs. Net profit was EUR 32 million, 83% ahead of plan.

“Despite more optimistic forecasts for economic growth in early 2023, the indicators do not point to a more visible recovery in economic activity. The same is true for the global logistics situation, which is still very complex. At the Container Terminal we are still facing irregular ship arrivals, both on direct connections to the Far East and on intra-Mediterranean routes, but we have managed to accelerate container shipments and reduce terminal occupancy in the first half of the year, which was reflected in a 5% growth in throughput. We also recorded a significant 23% growth in the automotive segment, both in exports to the Middle and Far East and in imports, where the share of electric vehicles from China is increasing significantly,” said Nevenka Kržan, President of the Management Board, summarising the half-year performance.

The growth of cargo throughput in strategic commodity segments at the Port of Koper is also one of the highest compared to the largest European ports. Namely, according to available data, the Port of Koper is the only Adriatic port and one of the few European ports that recorded growth in container throughput in the first six months of the year, and compared to key automotive terminals in Europe (Valencia, Antwerp-Bruges), we have also achieved one of the highest growth rates in cargo throughput in this segment.

In both key segments, we also achieved a monthly record in March this year, with 105,744 TEUs handled at the Container Terminal and 87,533 vehicles at the Car Terminal. Liquid cargoes also saw an increase, with a 7% growth compared to the same period last year, while dry bulk cargoes were down 15% on the back of soya beans, alumina, phosphates and coal. Fewer goods were handled in the general cargo group, mainly due to lower volumes of steel products and rubber, while timber exports were slightly higher. The trend towards containerisation of these commodities continues, reflected among other things in the growth of container stuffing services.

In 2023, major investments and projects continue to be implemented, representing a new development cycle for two of our most important strategic commodity groups. The construction of the new external truck terminal at Sermin, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the relocation of the container stacks at the Container Terminal are underway. Some of the major projects of the Port of Koper are also being launched, including the construction of a new general cargo warehouse, the construction of Berth 12 at Pier 2 and activities for the construction of a new facility at the Passenger Terminal. Construction of a major photovoltaic power plant to be installed on the roofs of the general cargo warehouses will also start later this year. For this project, we have secured a EUR 1.2 million grant from the Norwegian EEA Financial Mechanism.

In the summer months, we handed over additional storage space, the so-called cassette 5A, with a capacity of 3,500 vehicles, and 315 berths for reefer containers at the Container Terminal, and concluded the purchase of 9 forklifts for the General Cargo Terminal and 8 yard trucks with trailers for the Container Terminal.

5G for the digitization of port logistics: Europe's leading shipping-independent container terminal operator EUROGATE has commissioned Deutsche Telekom to implement three 5G campus networks.

At the ports in Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven, the 5G business customer solution "Campus network L" will improve mobile coverage at the container terminals. This will enable the container terminal operator to deploy digital logistics applications even more securely and flexibly in the future - with exclusive bandwidth, high availability and full 5G performance. To this end, EUROGATE will use its own 5G industrial frequencies in the 3.7 to 3.8 gigahertz (GHz) range for critical data traffic in addition to Telekom's public mobile network - for example, for the further digitization of handling processes or the closer networking of handling equipment with control and process control systems. The project has now been launched at a kick-off event at the Port of Hamburg.

The "Port-As-A-Service" project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) as part of the "Digital Test Fields in Ports" funding directive. Here, the establishment of digital test fields in ports is supported in order to create real test spaces for innovations in the field of Logistics 4.0. The realization of the 5G campus networks together with other digital infrastructure measures at EUROGATE with a project volume of EUR 3.7 million is being funded with EUR 2.9 million under the funding guideline and is being supported by TÜV Rheinland as the project sponsor of the funding guideline. The aim of "Port-As-A-Service" is to exploit the opportunities of digitalization for German seaports and to optimize investments in infrastructures. For EUROGATE, the opportunities here include: the networking of control and process control systems; the automation of container handling through the use of automated and/or autonomous port handling equipment; the support of container arrival and delivery by autonomous trucks; and connecting industrial port handling (IIOT) equipment to the cloud and using the data as part of a digital twin of a container terminal.

„An efficient and reliable technical infrastructure is the basis for making container handling at our terminals even more efficient and securing our competitiveness in the long term," says Michael Blach, Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board. "Deutsche Telekom's 5G Campus networks will provide us with the best conditions for further automating our processes and testing innovative logistics solutions based on 5G“.

Telekom's campus networks will cover a total area of 5.6 million square meters at the three container terminals with the latest mobile communications standard. This corresponds to the size of around 785 soccer fields. On the one hand, existing mobile communications systems will be expanded on site. Secondly, Telekom is installing three additional 5G radio sites at each of the terminal sites in Bremerhaven (2.9 million square meters) and Hamburg (1.4 million square meters) and two in Wilhelmshaven (1.3 million square meters). The special feature here is that no new masts are being erected, but existing light poles are being used as supports for the powerful 5G antennas. The deployment of the three 5G campus networks will be completed by spring 2024.

"The 5G coverage of EUROGATE's container terminals is one of our largest campus network projects to date. It will enable EUROGATE to leverage the full potential of 5G to further optimize logistics processes and drive the digital transformation of port terminals," said Hagen Rickmann, Managing Director in the Business Customers division of Telekom Deutschland GmbH. "In addition to high-performance 5G connectivity and exclusive bandwidth, the network architecture of the three campus networks will offer a particularly high level of control over critical data traffic on the terminal site in the future."

Telekom will equip each of the port terminals with a dual-slice campus network. One of Telekom's public 5G networks will serve employees, external service providers, suppliers and customers, for example. The additional purely private 5G network is operated in the local 5G industrial spectrum in the 3.7 to 3.8 GHz range. Unlike Telekom's public 3.6 GHz spectrum, this is 5G spectrum made available specifically for industry by the Federal Network Agency. It provides exclusive committed network resources for EUROGATE's internal data traffic. Data runs over this part of the network separately and completely unaffected by public 5G data traffic. This means that EUROGATE basically has two 5G frequency bands and a total of around 190 MHz of bandwidth at its disposal.

In the project, Telekom will deploy a new network architecture for the first time as part of the 5G business customer solution "Campus-Netz L". This means that EUROGATE will benefit from lower infrastructure costs and greater technical flexibility at the same time through the use of a virtualized and dedicated campus core network. This network architecture enables a so-called CUPS solution (Control and User Plane Separation). It combines a central 5G core network within the Telekom network with a local user gateway for the customer. This means that the 5G campus network is managed centrally by Telekom, but the customer's own data remains exclusively on-site on its own campus. This provides EUROGATE with maximum security without the need to additionally invest in its own complete core network. The local user gateway also ensures low latencies: This is because the data takes the direct route from the end device via the private network to the customer's IT.

The 5G Campus solution enables EUROGATE to use exclusive SIM cards with unlimited data flat rates for networked devices. These guarantee maximum private 5G network performance with speeds of up to 1.5 GBit/s download per end device. The customer-specific SIM cards can be administered by EUROGATE via a self-service portal - for example for the allocation of authorizations or for prioritizing selected data within the private 5G network. Furthermore, EUROGATE benefits from service level agreements at the highest level including fixed contact persons and a 24/7 hotline of Telekom. All local network components, including the user gateway, are also redundant. This ensures the continuous availability and reliability of the network.

Canadian low-cost carrier Porter Airlines has announced that it will launch its first-ever service at Miami International Airport on December 12 with daily round-trip flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The Miami-Toronto route is one of Porter’s first to the U.S. using its 132-seat, all-economy Embraer E195-E2 aircraft that includes a two-by-two configuration with no middle seats on every flight.

"We are excited to welcome Porter Airlines for the first time ever at Miami International Airport and open our arms to more Canadian visitors to Miami-Dade County. At 603,000 passengers in 2022, Canada was already MIA’s 10th-busiest international market last year, and travel between Canada and MIA is up a whopping 44% so far this year. I look forward to seeing Porter Airlines’ daily service from Toronto strengthen that thriving connection between Canada and Miami-Dade County even more." Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Free WiFi, a selection of premium snacks, and free beer and wine served in glassware are standard for all passengers. Priority check-in, extra legroom seats, premium pre-mixed cocktails, and fresh, healthy meals are also available with the all-inclusive PorterReserve fares or purchased à la carte with PorterClassic fares.

"Canadians are used to flying to Florida, but not like this. Porter’s all-economy onboard service is unmatched by any other carrier in North America. Whether that’s free WiFi, no middle seats, free beer and wine alongside premium snacks, or fresh, healthy food, Porter is challenging the industry’s definition of economy air travel. We believe that time onboard our aircraft is just as important as at the destination." Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Porter Airlines.

Transport for the North's Strategic Plan will boost the region's economy, but only if the supply chain's role is placed squarely in the middle of the North’s ambitions, according to Logistics UK.

In its response to the consultation, submitted 18 August, the business group has expressed its support for the plan but urged policy makers to continue their recognition of the importance of the logistics industry within the northern economy.

Jonathan Walker, Head of Cities and Infrastructure Policy at Logistics UK, comments: “The TfN draft strategic transport plan will play a significant role in developing the North’s current transport network and provides a clear understanding of how freight is essential to this. Logistics UK is asking for an even greater integration of freight to be acknowledged within northern transport decision making, so that the logistics industry is not forced to operate in a silo. It is also vital that improvements to rail passenger connectivity can also benefit logistics movements.”

With the 2050 government deadline for net zero drawing ever closer, it is crucial that the North is not overlooked when it comes to financial decision making. Mr Walker continues: “The North desperately needs long-term support and investment from government in achieving the region’s decarbonisation targets, to ensure that businesses are not placed at a competitive disadvantage in the race for achieving net zero.”

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.

Even if container ships are optimized to handle containers in particular, there are nevertheless good opportunities to ship so-called breakbulk cargo far beyond the limitations of what can fit in a container.

Not least on board the very largest container ships offering direct liner service between the Port of Gothenburg and ports in Asia and North America every week.

“We notice that more and more people are discovering the possibility. It's nice to see that we can expand our customer base and thus also allow them to take advantage of our liner network and see that it is perfectly possible to load and unload almost anything on a container ship,” says Marco Cicola, responsible for breakbulk segment at the shipping company MSC Sweden.

The opportunities using container vessels are numerous. Depending on the size of the ship, cargo can be up to 40 meters in length and up to 12 meters in width. The largest ships that sail directly between Gothenburg and Asia each week are close to 60 meters wide and can load breakbulk cargo of around 40 meters in length. The cranes on the land side at APM Terminals Gothenburg are able to handle cargo of up to 100 tons.

This means that large and heavy breakbulk cargo in the form of e.g., transformers, construction machinery, large inputs for the steel industry are not only possible, but also actual examples of breakbulk cargo shipped to and from the Port of Gothenburg on container ships.

At the Port of Gothenburg and through the various terminals within the port area, there are plenty of possibilities to load and unload breakbulk cargo. The most common approach is to roll the goods on or off the ships at the port's RO/RO terminals, however this is not the only option, as Richard Mellgren, Senior Business Development Manager at Gothenburg Port Authority explains:

“It is becoming increasingly common to ship breakbulk cargo on container vessels, and it is a good complement for container shipping lines. For project cargo customers, this means that they gain access to an overall broader range of options at the port – especially when it comes to direct calls to Asia and North America.”

“Due to the specialist nature of project cargo, each breakbulk and out-of-gauge shipment is considered on a case-by-case basis, tailoring the solutions around the customers’ unique requirements and using our global service network to deliver their cargo anywhere in the world,” said Richard Mellgren.

Marco Cicola concludes: “As customers begin to focus more intently on sustainability, transport solutions at sea are becoming increasingly interesting, even for project loads. Moving transport from land to sea is a good way for customers to reduce their carbon footprint, and it can also prove cost-effective, so they are more and more open to new solutions that make this possible.”

Facts: Breakbulk with MSC in the Port of Gothenburg.

Departures: 1/w to and from Asia + 1/w to and from North America + 1/w to and from Antwerp.

Destinations in Asia on direct service: Singapore, Shanghai, Dalian, Xingang, Busan, Ningbo. Destinations in North America: New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Jacksonville.

Other destinations: Worldwide with transshipment in Antwerp.

Load dimensions: Max 40 x 12 meters.

Load weight: Up to 100 tons.

In a remarkable feat, APM Terminals Pipavav [GPPL], has shattered previous records by successfully achieving over 200 Port Moves Per Hour (PMPH) on a single vessel for the first time in the history of the port operations.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in the port's operational excellence journey, showcasing its commitment in providing unparalleled service.

On 17th August 2023, the port carried out 880 moves, achieving an impressive PMPH rate of 215.51 on MOL Endowment. This accomplishment also encompassed 52.59 Crane Moves Per Hour (CMPH) and saving 23 minutes of Vessel Idle Time (VIT), leading to the savings of 9.09 port hours compared to its baseline. This translates in improving the vessel turnaround time by 69% over the previous call, demonstrating APM Terminals Pipavav's unmatched efficiency in managing vessel operations.

This triumph reflects the meticulous planning, seamless execution, and collaborative efforts of all teams at the port. It exemplifies port’s focus on continuous efforts to enhance customer experience, reduce turnaround time, and optimize resource utilization.

Kudos to our cross functional teams for this remarkable accomplishment. We are committed to provide value to our customers through infrastructural capabilities and exceptional services. We are all geared up to push our boundaries to make our port Safer Better Bigger.

The Port of Los Angeles this week celebrated the achievements of over two dozen shipping lines and carriers for participating in the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP), an air quality and annual incentive program for vessel operators who reduce their speed as they approach or depart America’s Port®.

The voluntary program is one of many sustainability efforts currently underway at the Port to reduce emissions and decarbonize operations.

“Improving air quality in the San Pedro Bay is of utmost importance,” said Harbor Commission Vice President Diane Middleton, who spoke at the event honoring the shipping lines. “While increasing cargo volume means more jobs for our region, it’s critically important that we improve the quality of life for our neighbors. We are grateful to these companies and partners for their voluntary participation and long-term commitment to creating a cleaner and more sustainable port environment. We look forward to joint efforts to make the San Pedro Bay Port Complex a zero emission hub."

Emission reductions are achieved under the VSRP by ships slowing down to 12 knots as they approach or depart the Port at 20 to 40 nautical miles (nm) out from Point Fermin. In 2022, 172 companies were 90% compliant at 20 nm for a total of 1,560 vessel calls. These companies’ efforts resulted in a decrease of nearly 66 tons of diesel particulate matter (DPM), 749 tons of nitrous oxides (NOx), 575 tons of sulfur oxides (SOx) and 31,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the year.

Since 2008, the Port has offered financial incentives to shipping lines that achieve a 90% VSRP participation rate during a full calendar year. Incentives paid by the Port for 2022 VSRP totaled more than $1.9 million.

Companies recognized at today’s reception achieved nearly 100% compliance and were also responsible for the bulk of VSRP emission reductions in 2022: APL; Chevron Shipping; CMA CGM (America); COSCO; Crowley Petroleum Services; Evergreen Marine; G2 Ocean; Hafnia Pools; Hapag-Lloyd AG; Hyundai Merchant Marine; Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha; Maersk Line; Mitsui Bulkship; MM Marine; Mol Chemical Tankers; MSC Mediterranean Shipping; Nissan Motor Car Carrier: NYK Group Americas; Ocean Network Express; OSG Ship Management; Pacific Basin Shipping; Saga Welco; Scorpio MR Pool; TORM; and Yang Ming Marine Transport.

VSRP was established in 2001 through a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding signed by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Steamship Association of Southern California and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.

The RoRo Carrier MV COSCO SHENGSHI moored in the North Port of Bremerhaven, starting a first test shipment to expand the service to Europe.

COSCO currently has 24 new RoRo Car Carriers in its order book, which are scheduled for delivery from mid-2024. In the future, the fleet will consist of 29 vessels. Vincent Xu, Managing Director COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers (Europe) B.V. from Rotterdam (Picture: fifth from right), and Lin Zhengxi, Managing Director COSCO Shipping Lines (Germany) GmbH (Picture: fourth from right), were also on site for the arrival of the ship.

"Bremerhaven will be an important port of entry for COSCO Shipping Carriers for Europe and we are looking forward to a good cooperation with our local partners like BLG to offer comprehensive and efficient logistics solutions to our customers," says Vincent Xu.

In Bremerhaven, 530 import vehicles are unloaded.

During this test run, the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven team was responsible for unloading, handling and staging for forwarding 530 import vehicles. The COSCO SHENGSHI is loaded with around 1,000 vehicles as well as high & heavy goods. "We are very pleased that the shipping company COSCO Shipping Car Carriers has chosen Bremerhaven. This is an important impulse for future imports from China," explains Axel Bantel, Managing Director of Sales at BLG Automobile Logistics (Picture: third from left). And he continues: "Chinese manufacturers continue to gain in importance. As an important hub for the international automotive industry, we want and need to participate in this development."