editor’s letter

PEOPLE POWER

BY SANDRA SPEARES

The recent Bulk Terminals conference in Riga was a long-awaited chance to meet friends, colleagues and industry experts in person to discuss the industry's most pressing issues

Chances to get together in person have been somewhat limited in recent times, so it was extremely encouraging to see so many members of ABTO getting together at the Bulk Terminals 2022 conference in Riga to explore new developments and challenges faced by industry operators in the present time.

Not only did it give those visiting Riga the chance to visit the port facilities and historic capital, but also to air some of the issues that the industry is addressing – not least on the effect of political developments, how restrictions on trade are progressing and how energy costs are affecting business.

There is plenty of work going into improving energy efficiency and lessening emission footprints, but also shipment and logistic challenges. In a number of cases, the concept of just-intime deliveries has taken a back seat and companies have to adapt to different routes, new suppliers and a whole new set of challenges.

Updated strategies have to take into account new supply chains and what will happen to freight rates over the coming year as operators adapt to demand for product from new suppliers and demand for ships changes.

The industry also faces a new surge of regulation implementation and market players must decide how they adapt to this state of affairs. They also need to address the issue of a move towards new energy supplies and how they will adapt to the zero-carbon challenge.

Meanwhile, the demands of the Chinese market and other developing countries will take centre stage as suppliers seek to establish whether the uptake of commodities and bulk products will change dramatically.

Bulk cargoes such as iron ore have dominated in certain ship segments and it remains to be seen how these will be affected if demand for iron ore declines rapidly in markets such as China.

It will be interesting to see how the aluminium market might develop if creating products in the metal grows rapidly as shipowners see to reduce weight – not to mention demand for specialised alloys to meet the lowcarbon future.

While the move continues towards greener fuels, there is still substantial demand for coal, the death of which has yet to be delivered.

Covid-19 has obviously had a role to play in congestion build up in ports and this congestion has had an inevitable effect on market dynamics. This is bound to change as the backlog of vessels due to port regulatory controls continues to ease.

So how do you make money out of your operations? Value engineering is the name of the game, delegates at the conference heard. The idea is to find cheaper ways of doing things, without compromising functionality, of course.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Bulk Terminals International which includes a round-up of events and presentations at the recent conference in Riga.

There is plenty of work going into improving energy efficiency and lessening emission footprints

BULK TERMINALS international

Published by Editor: Sandra Speares speares1@aol.com Designer: Justin Ives justindesign@live.co.uk PROJECT DIRECTOR: Jonathon Ferris jonathon.ferris@bulkterminals.org PROJECT MANAGER: Alex Corboude alex.corboude@bulkterminals.org Sub-editor: Samantha Robinson Sam.robinson.journalist@gmail.com Publisher: Bill Robinson production@bulkterminals.org

ABTO 35 Beacon Drive Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 1GG Chief Executive: Simon Gutteridge ce@bulkterminals.org Technical Adviser: Ian Adams tech@bulkterminals.org

The views expressed in Bulk Terminals International are not necessarily those of ABTO or the publisher unless expressly stated to be such. ABTO disclaims any responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences or for advertisements contained in this magazine and has no legal responsibility to deal with them.

CONTENTS

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» p55

» p29 » p58

01 editor’s letter

Sandra Speares looks back on the recent Bulk Terminals conference in Riga – the chance to meet friends, colleagues and industry experts in person at last

06 welcome

Bulk Terminals 2022 in Riga was a resounding success, says ABTO CEO Simon Gutteridge

08 world news round-up

All the latest industry initiatives, partnerships and products

15 cranes and grabs

Why made-to-measure systems are often called for to ensure the best and most economical performance

20 ship loading and unloading

Investments in technology are underway in ports to boost productivity and ensure environmental efficiency

29 riga round-up: bulk handling

Experts at Bulk Terminals 2022 discussed some of the issues facing the bulk handling industry and revealed a range of solutions, as well as pondering over the question of making money from operations when developing equipment and facilities

40 cement

Recent eco-friendly upgrades at cement facilities aim to reduce energy consumption and emissions

43 safety

The latest initiatives relating to safety, and actions that can be taken to alleviate risk for the shipping industry

48 riga round-up: Dry bulk trades

Industry experts at Bulk Terminals 2022 examined the dry bulk market and shared their views on its future

50 German engineering

Germany has boosted its investment in natural gas and other energy supplies, as well as upgraded technical systems

52 spotlight: middle east

Middle Eastern players have been getting together to explore joint opportunities in the area

55 spotlight: australia

The war in Ukraine has made grain a key commodity and a dominant segment in the Australian market

58 spotlight: us/canada great lakes

Recent years have been challenging for Great Lakes ports, with covid-19 restrictions and supply chain pressure

62 spotlight: NETHERLANDS

With energy a key consideration for all countries, the Netherlands is exploring new supplies and alliances