A study on global port and terminal productivity released by the US-based Journal of Commerce (JOC) Group has named five facilities from the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network among the world’s ten most productive container terminals.
The Top Ten Global Terminals, measured by berth moves per hour (MPH) with vessels being worked, were all located in the Journal of Commerce Port Productivity Database’s Asia Region, one of the study’s three geographic designations. The global productivity leader was Xiamen Songyu Container Terminal (XSCT), in China, in which APM Terminals holds a 25% share, which achieved 130.8 berth moves per hour during the first six months of 2013. Also among the world’s Top Ten terminals by productivity were APM Terminals Yokohama, Japan (4th) with 110 MPH; Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal, China (QQCT) (6th), in which APM Terminals holds a 20% share, with 107.2 MPH, APM Terminals Mumbai (8th), with 105.4 MPH, and Tianjin Port Eurasia Container Terminal (TECT) (9th), in which APM Terminals has a 5% minority share, and which averaged 105.3 MPH.
“Our goal is to be the recognized global leader in port and terminal operations, and we are proud of the efforts of our facilities and partners around the world who are delivering these strong results to our customers,” stated APM Terminals CEO Kim Fejfer.
The data from the JOC Port Productivity Database for the first half of 2013 encompasses information gathered from 17 major shipping lines representing more than 63,000 vessel port calls during the period, covering 400 terminals and 600 ports. The first productivity study, covering data for 2012 released last July named APM Terminals Yokohama, with 150 MPH, the year’s terminal productivity leader.
A total of ten APM Terminals operated or associated container facilities were cited as among the world’s 30 most productive, more than any other terminal operating group.
In the JOC Database’s Americas Region, APM Terminals Port Elizabeth, at the Port of New York and New Jersey ranked 1st with 88.5 MPH, with APM Terminals Houston ranked 7th at 70.9 MPH. In the study’s Europe/Middle East/Africa Region, APM Terminals Rotterdam ranked 1st with 94.1 MPH. The Port of Salalah, in Oman, operated by APM Terminals, ranked 6th in the region with 77.7 MPH and NTB North Terminal, in Bremerhaven, Germany in which APM Terminals has a 50% share, ranked 8th with 74.6 MPH.
Differences in terminal labor practices and costs account for a significant part of the difference in productivity measured in this way between terminals in Asia and those in North America and Europe. The JOC Study, which also evaluated productivity at the port level, ranked the Port of Salalah 3rd in the Europe/Middle East/Africa Region, having raised productivity from 72 MPG during 2012.
During the first half of the year, APM Terminals Port Elizabeth also increased productivity from 82 MPH, rising from the second spot to first in the Americas Region, while APM Terminals Rotterdam retained its top ranking by increasing productivity from 92 MPH. NTB North Sea Terminal gained one spot while raising productivity from 67 MPH.
In the Asia Region, QQCT increased productivity from 107 MPH and world leader XSCT raised productivity from 106 MPH in 2012. APM Terminals Mumbai increased productivity in the first half of the year from 101 MPH.
The APM Terminals Global Terminal Network comprises 64 operating port and terminal facilities in 40 countries on five continents, with six additional facilities in development.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.