Clemence Cheng News

Ports are essential for the global supply chain - but do they need more international regulation?High-level speakers engaged in a lively debate at a joint Hutchison Ports, International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) seminar (9 September), to address the question: "Do ports need international regulation?"IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim reminded the audience that the IMO Convention does give the Organization a mandate to regulate in ports and some current IMO regulations do indeed extend to port operations - for example those surrounding security, reception facilities and the Facilitation (FAL) Convention."However…

United Kingdom's Port of Felixstowe and Danish ferry operator, DFDS, have agreed to increase roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) capacity at the UK port by over 40%.The decision has come about after investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities.As part of the investments, terminal operator Hutchison Ports has planned to replace one of the existing ro-ro bridges with a floating linkspan which is capable of handling the latest generation of ro-ro vessels.Additionally, for unaccompanied ro-ro traffic, Hutchison Ports has planned to create over 300 additional trailer spaces.Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director…

The rail freight company in the United Kingdom, GB Railfreight has launched a new intermodal rail freight service connecting the Port of Felixstowe with the Birch Coppice terminal in the Midlands.The first locomotive on the service left Birch Coppice at 14:14 on 23 January 2019 and arrived at Felixstowe at 20:14, having passed through Hams Hall, Leicester, Peterborough and Ipswich along the way. Made up of 33 platforms, the service transports a mixture of intermodal containers, and will initially run 5 days a week.Commenting on the new service, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director of Hutchison Ports, said: "We are delighted to welcome this latest service offering from GB Railfreight.

Dutch-based transport company A2B-online Container B.V. has added a fourth weekly sailing on its service between Hutchison Ports London Thamesport and Moerdijk in The Netherlands. The new sailing is inaugurated today (18 April 2018) by the first call of the m.s. A2B Spirit (ex-Norfeeder), a Sietas 151 type 508 TEU container ship, the fourth of this class owned and operated by A2B. Commenting on the new sailing, Clemence Cheng, Executive Director Hutchison Ports, said:“London Thamesport offers its customers a service tailored to their specific demands. We are seeing a growing demand in the short-sea container market as a response to increasing labour shortages in the driver-accompanied market and uncertainty around Brexit.

The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first two remote control ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes. The two new cranes, the 32nd and 33rd at the UK's largest container port, were delivered on the Zhen Hua 23 from ZPMC in Shanghai. "These new cranes are the latest acquisition in our ongoing investment programme to provide the best equipment, infrastructure and systems for our customers. They will further enhance our capability to work multiple mega-vessels simultaneously. "Remote control quay cranes have been pioneered at other Hutchison Ports terminals. In addition to the new cranes, the port is creating an additional 18,000 TEU of container storage capacity…

A new short-sea container service between Amsterdam and Hull has been formally inaugurated with the first call of the 340-TEU vessel THEA II at Amsterdam Container Terminal (ACT). The new service, operated by leading short sea container operator Samskip, offers three sailings a week on this new route with vessels departing from Amsterdam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Commenting on the new service, Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe, said: “Amsterdam Container Terminal offers shipping lines the opportunity to serve their customers in a fast, efficient, reliable and sustainable manner. ACT is operated by TMA Logistics in which Hutchison Ports is a 50% shareholder.

Hong Kong's Hutchison Ports has acquired a 50% shareholding in Amsterdam-headquartered terminal and logistics operator TMA Logistics. TMA has a variety of general cargo terminal operations together with warehousing, shipping, logistics and project cargo activities at three sites in Amsterdam and one in Antwerp as well as at Hutchison Ports Amsterdam (former known as Amsterdam Container Terminal). Commenting on the acquisition, Clemence Cheng, Executive Director, Hutchison Ports, said: “The acquisition of a 50% stake in TMA Logistics complements both our existing operations in Amsterdam and the activities of Hutchison Logistics. We have developed a good working relationship with TMA over the last three years which has brought a range of operations to ACT.

World Maritime Day 2017: Connecting ships, ports and people. The importance of coherent and connected development across all maritime sectors will feature strongly in IMO’s work this year, as the Organization focuses on its World Maritime Day theme “Connecting ships, ports and people”. The theme for 2017 was launched by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Lim during a visit to Felixstowe, the busiest container port in the United Kingdom. “Throughout the year, we will highlight the importance of ‘joined-up’ maritime development across all sectors, both from a policy and a practical perspective. The benefits of a free and efficient flow of goods and trade extend far beyond the ships and ports themselves,” Lim said.

The theme for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) World Maritime Day 2017 has been launched by the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, during a visit to the Port of Felixstowe. "Connecting Ships, Ports and People" has as key objectives improving cooperation between ports and ships and developing a closer partnership between the two sectors. It will seek to raise global standards for the safety, security and efficiency of ports, and for port and coastal state authorities, as well as standardising port procedures by identifying and developing best practice guidance and training materials. “We are delighted to welcome Mr Lim and to support the IMO in the important work it does to maintain and improve standards across the international shipping industries.

Hutchison Ports signed an MOU with the Government of Ukraine for the development of Chornomorsk Port on the Black Sea. The MOU was signed by Clemence Cheng, Managing Director Hutchison Ports Europe, and Volodymyr Omelyan, the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure during a visit by the Minister to the Port of Felixstowe. The Minister was joined by Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Natalia Galibarenko. Commenting on the agreement, Clemence Cheng, said, “We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Ukraine to develop container terminal facilities at Chornomorsk. Minister Omelyan added, “I am glad that the world's leading port operator enters Ukraine's maritime market.

London Thamesport has signed an agreement with UK shipping agent and logistics company The Armitt Group for a purpose-built, 120,000 square feet specialist steel handling facility at the Kent port. Construction of the first phase of 60,000 square feet is well underway. Once completed, the specialist facility will offer unparalleled multimodal connections for breakbulk cargo handled in the South East of England. The facility will allow the Armitt Group and its customers to take advantage of London Thamesport's deep-water berths and excellent rail and road links to London, the South East and beyond to the Midlands and North West. "We welcome this partnership with The Armitt Group at our London Thamesport facility.

The start of construction of the Stockholm Norvik Port and Norvik Logistics and Business Park was celebrated on 16th September. The ceremony was a well-attended and festive event for both commerce and the general public. Stockholm is one of Europe’s most rapidly growing capital cities and freight volumes are constantly increasing. To facilitate the sustainable and efficient supply of goods to the region Ports of Stockholm is building a new port for rolling goods and container traffic at Norvik, close to Nynäshamn. NCC will construct the Norvik Logistics and Business Park adjacent to the port, where companies will be able to establish their operations in a dynamic environment, in close proximity to the port, road network, railways and capital city.

A naming ceremony was held on April 22, 2016 for Svitzer Deben, Svitzer’s new Damen ASD 3212 80-metric-ton bollard pull escort tug for the Port of Felixstowe. Marc Niederer, Managing Director of Svitzer Europe, hosted the naming ceremony, which saw Svitzer Deben blessed by Sister Marian Davey before Alyson Cheng, wife of Clemence Cheng, CEO of Hutchinson Ports UK, named the tug. Representatives from all parties in the Port of Felixstowe and Harwich Haven Authorities joined the celebrations. Built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, Svitzer Deben was delivered earlier this year to the expanding Port of Felixstowe, which has attracted regular calls from some of the world’s largest container vessels.

The Berth 9 Extension at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain, has been opened by Dr Therese Coffey MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. The 190-metre extension increases the port's capability to work two of the world's largest containerships simultaneously. More than eighty ships of 18,000+TEU have already been handled at the port in 2015, confirming Felixstowe's position as the port-of-choice for mega-ships in the UK. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Coffey said, "I am delighted to formally open this latest extension of the Port of Felixstowe. An ever increasing proportion of UK trade is moving on these huge container ships and UK ports need to provide the facilities they require.

A new ambient-temperature food examination facility has been formally opened at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain, by Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill MP. The £4 million investment included a major refurbishment and expansion of the examination facilities and the provision of new offices for Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority. “This new state-of-the-art facility will ensure that vital imported products stay as fresh as possible. Some 40 per cent of the food on our supermarket shelves arrives by sea, so it must be checked efficiently in the most hygienic conditions. “The new inspection facilities are built to an incredibly high standard – safe, clean and hygienic – to maintain the integrity of the food chain to the highest requirements of upcoming legislation.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill MP has taken part in a round table discussion with transport leaders from the ports, road, rail freight and shipping industry at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. Mr Goodwill’s responsibilities at the Department for Transport include ports and shipping but the meeting, convened by Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, included discussions about the need for a joined-up approach connecting the maritime sector with other areas of transport policy. “We were delighted to welcome Robert Goodwill and leaders from across the industry to participate in these discussions. As trade and the ships that carry it continue to grow, further pressure is placed on transport infrastructure and transport operators.

Three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes have been delivered to the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. Built by ZPMC in Shanghai, the new cranes will be operated on the port’s Berth 8&9 which are currently being extended to increase the port’s ability to handle the latest ultra-large container ships. The cranes are all designed to handle ships with containers stowed up to 24-wide and have a lift-height of 49.5 metres above the quay to allow them to work containers stacked up to 10-high on deck at all states of the tide. “The project to extend Berths 8&9 at the port, on which these cranes will operate, will allow us to work more mega-vessels simultaneously.

The Port of Felixstowe is creating an environmental corridor as part of the Go Green campaign launched by Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) and a number of other global port operators. The initiative at Felixstowe will include the refurbishment of part of a system of dykes within the port. The work will include the improvement of habitats for wildlife as well as enhancing green areas within a busy industrial complex by planting a mixture of trees, grasses and wild flowers. “The Port of Felixstowe has a long history of environmental achievements dating back to the creation of the Trimley Marsh Nature Reserve in the 1980s. Our participation in the Go Green initiative is the latest example of a commitment to the environment which…

World's biggest container ship, the 19,224 TEU MSC Oscar, has made its maiden call at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. Clemence Cheng, chief executive of Port of Felixstowe, said it was a "very happy day" for the port. He said: “We are delighted to welcome the MSC Oscar to Felixstowe on its maiden voyage. More than 200 people lined the beach between the public viewing platform and Landguard Point to welcome the ship's arrival, although the ship was not carrying a full load. MSC Oscar is shorter in length than the previous holder the CSCL Globe, which docked in Felixstowe in January, but can carry 124 more containers. It is 396m (1,300ft) long and has a capacity of 19,224 standard containers.

United Arab Shipping Company's (UASC) newest vessel, the 18,800 teu Barzan, has made its maiden call at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain. The biggest container ship in the UASC fleet, the mega-ship arrived at the UK's largest container port from Port Kelang in Malaysia. The Barzan is deployed on UASC's AEC1 service between Asia and North Europe. "We are delighted to welcome the latest vessel in the UASC fleet to the port of Felixstowe. Our investment in new infrastructure, equipment, systems and people has ensured that we are the clear port-of-choice for the latest generation of mega vessels employed on the Asian trade. "Our ability to handle these huge vessels will be further enhanced when the Berth 9 extension is completed at the end of the year.

The Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain, has become the first UK port to receive full Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status. The AEO initiative was introduced by the European Commission through the Union Customs Code to help simplify customs procedures and secure international supply chains. Commenting on the accreditation, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners of the Port of Felixstowe, said, "Being the first port in the UK to achieve full AEO status demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible level of service to our customers. It recognises the robustness and consistency of the port's procedures, giving customers and UK Customs comfort that the high standards required to achieve accreditation are maintained.

The Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain has walked away with the coveted Rail Freight Group 2015 Customer Care Award for its continued and sustained improvement in customer service. This Award recognises the port’s commitment to delivering for its customers’ real needs by consistently making every effort to ensure continuity of service and minimum disruption to supply chains. “We are delighted to have been honoured with the prestigious Customer Care Award by the Rail Freight Group. In 2014 the prolonged Ipswich Yard track lengthening works caused an extended and unexpected period of disruption, posing many challenges for cargo owners, the port and freight operators.

Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH) subsidiary Barcelona Europe South Terminal (BEST), located at the Port of Barcelona, today held a ceremony for the arrival of three new Quay Cranes (QCs), part of the next phase of expansion to enhance the terminal’s ability to handle mega-vessels. BEST currently has 11 QCs in operation, all of them capable of handling mega-vessels. In attendance was HPH Managing Director – Central Europe, Clemence Cheng as well as local and national authorities including the Minister of Industry and Development, Ana Pastor; the Delegate of the Government in Catalunya, Maria de los Llanos Luna; the Counselor of Territory and Sustainability…