APM Terminals
APM Terminals is the second largest container terminal operating company in the world with a Global Terminal Network of over 50 container facilities in 31 countries and on five continents, with another 14 currently under construction, or in development.[1] In 2006 APM Terminals’ container handling volume grew by 18%, and the company is now ranked second among global terminal operators with a throughput of 32.4 million TEUs and a global market share of 7.4% of the world’s container port traffic. Revenue for the 1st Half of 2007 was $1.195 billion, representing a 26% increase in revenue for the company as compared with the 1st Half of 2006, according to Maersk’s report to shareholders on their website.[2]
APM Terminals was established as an independent terminal operating company within the Copenhagen, Denmark-based A.P. Moller-Maersk Group in 2001. In 2004, APM Terminals moved its headquarters to The Hague, Netherlands. Today the company provides services more than 60 shipping lines with over 19,000 personnel worldwide. APM Terminals was recognized by industry magazine Containerization International as the 2006 “Best Global Container Terminal Operator”.[3]
The company’s history in terminal operations began half a century ago with the first A.P. Moller facility, which opened in Brooklyn, in the Port of New York in 1958 to handle general cargoes. In 1975 the group established the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s very first dedicated container terminal, at Berth 51 at [[[Port Elizabeth, NJ]], which is still in operation today.
APM Terminals recent developments:
- Plans announced in October 2007 for a new 700,000 TEU container terminal in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Construction will start in 2008, with the opening scheduled for 2009.
- Opening of the new 4.2 million TEU Guangzhou South China Ocean Gate Container Terminal in September 2007. According to transportweekly.com, APM Terminals holds a 20% share of the Nansha Phase II joint venture.[4]
- An agreement signed in September 2007 with the Government of Egypt to double the capacity of the Suez Container Canal Terminal transshipment center at Port Said to 5.1 million TEUs. The enlarged facility will provide service to the latest-generation container vessels with 24 Super Post-Panamax cranes. Phase II of the SCCT, a joint venture with a 60% APM Terminals majority holding, is scheduled for completion in 2011.
- Opening of a new 291 acre terminal in Portsmouth, Virginia, the third largest container terminal in the United States. According to Shipping Times, the $450 million environmentally sensitive terminal has a capacity of 1 million TEUs, and with total site acreage of 571, can be expanded when necessary to 2 million TEU capacity.[5] The terminal is one of the few with the necessary depth and modern cranes able to accommodate the latest Post-Panamax containerships now entering global service.
- Opening of the new Xiamen Songyu Phase I Container Terminal at Songyu Port, in Xiamen, in Southeast China’s Fujian Province in September 2007. The terminal is a 50-50 joint venture with the Xiamen Port Group. The $380 million facility has three deep-water berths according to WorldCargo News.[6]
- Awarded a 20 year concession in July 2007 by the Government of Angola to operate the nation’s largest container facility at the Port of Luanda. The Luanda Container Terminal will be run as a joint venture with a local Angolan company.
- Opened the first container terminal in the Tanger Med Port Complex in Tangiers, Morocco, in July 2007. The facility, with a projected annual throughput of 1.4 million TEUs is an important transshipment center for the Western Mediterranean and North African regions, is a joint venture with the Akwa Goup of Casablanca. APM Terminals’ stake in the venture is 90%.
- An agreement announced with local partners to develop, own and operate the Shenzhen Dachan Bay Phase II Container Terminal at the Port of Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta of China in June 2007. According to Logistics Business Review, the four-berth terminal will have a capacity of 3.2 million TEUs and will be fully operational by 2010. APM Terminals will hold 51% ownership of the project, which is estimated to represent an investment of $909 million.[7]
- Opened the Gateway Terminals India terminal in Mumbai in January 2007 as a joint venture between APM Terminals, and the Container Corporation of India. The 1.3 million TEU capacity facility is the largest and most modern container terminal in India, according to The Hindu Business Line, Internet Edition.[8]
Other projects currently underway
- Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Bahrain
- Cai Mep, Vietnam
- Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Aqaba, Jordan
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Le Havre, France
- Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Environmental and safety efforts
New APM Terminals projects as well as expansions to existing facilities are monitored for environmental compliance and safety. The company uses eco-friendly, low-emissions equipment whenever possible and works with local leaders to ensure that sites provide for wildlife conservation and remediation. In light of evidence concerning the effects of global warming, APM Terminals’ Global Terminal Network is committed to using environmentally friendly techniques and following world standards during construction and operation of facilities around the world.
The APM Terminals’ Global Terminal Network
References
- ^ "Annual Review of Terminal Operators 2006". Drewry.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "Interim Report 2007" (PDF). Maersk. 2007: 7. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "2006 Best Global Terminal Operator listing". ci-online.co.uk.com. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "Maersk's 2007 mid year report to shareholders". transportweekly.com. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "Largest privately owned container terminal in USA opens". shippingtimes.co.uk. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "JNPT plans Terminal 4". worldcargonews.com. 2006-02-01. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "APM Terminals forms Chinese JV". logistics-business-review.com. 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "JNPT box terminal project". thehindubusinessline.com. 2005-02-24. Retrieved 2007-12-20.