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Day: 8 November 2021

Felixstowe invests in sustainable equipment

Posted on by David Priestman

Coinciding with COP26 in Glasgow, Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has announced a major investment in new equipment to help decarbonise its operations. The UK’s largest container port has placed orders for 48 battery-powered terminal tractors and 17 zero-emission Remote controlled Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes (ReARTGs).

The new two-wheel drive tractor units, to be supplied by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd (ZPMC), will be the first electric tractors at the UK’s largest container port. ZPMC is working with its partner Shacman to develop the battery-powered tractor units.

The ReARTGs, which will be fitted with the latest semi-automation technology, will be supplied by Konecranes Finland.

Commenting on the investment, Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said: “This order represents the latest part of our plan to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. In total, replacing 48 diesel-powered tractor units and 17 conventional RTGs with new electrical equipment will save 6,662 tonnes of CO2 and 59.38 tonnes of NOx emissions every year.

“We have reduced our carbon footprint by 30% since 2015. That has been achieved through a range of measures including the first phase of our programme to phase out diesel-powered yard cranes. These latest acquisitions will help drive further substantial reductions in the future and help us to reach our target of a further 20% reduction over the next five years.”

Clemence Cheng, Managing Director Hutchison Ports Europe and joint chair of Hutchison Ports Group Sustainability Committee, commented: “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and Hutchison Ports is committed to playing its part by minimising the impact of port operations on the environment. Promoting a culture of technological innovation and adoption of alternative fuels is a key strand of our strategy. This investment takes us another step nearer to our goal.”

To support use of the new equipment the port will be upgrading its High Voltage (HV) electrical power distribution network and installing new electrical infrastructure to support the ReARTGs and ten charging stations for the battery-powered terminal tractors.

The port is examining ways to build on the steps it has already taken to eventually reach net-zero. It is working with partners, including Ryse Hydrogen, to explore the use of hydrogen powered port equipment and with Cranfield University, Sizewell C and EDF, the Port of Felixstowe is involved in one of the projects selected to receive support from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

The project involves a feasibility study into the potential for Freeport East, which includes the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich International, to become a net-zero port and a net-zero energy hub for third parties and the adjacent region.

CLICK HERE to access Hutchison Ports’ Sustainability Report for 2020.

Felixstowe invests in sustainable equipment

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Coinciding with COP26 in Glasgow, Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has announced a major investment in new equipment to help decarbonise its operations. The UK’s largest container port has placed orders for 48 battery-powered terminal tractors and 17 zero-emission Remote controlled Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes (ReARTGs).

The new two-wheel drive tractor units, to be supplied by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd (ZPMC), will be the first electric tractors at the UK’s largest container port. ZPMC is working with its partner Shacman to develop the battery-powered tractor units.

The ReARTGs, which will be fitted with the latest semi-automation technology, will be supplied by Konecranes Finland.

Commenting on the investment, Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said: “This order represents the latest part of our plan to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. In total, replacing 48 diesel-powered tractor units and 17 conventional RTGs with new electrical equipment will save 6,662 tonnes of CO2 and 59.38 tonnes of NOx emissions every year.

“We have reduced our carbon footprint by 30% since 2015. That has been achieved through a range of measures including the first phase of our programme to phase out diesel-powered yard cranes. These latest acquisitions will help drive further substantial reductions in the future and help us to reach our target of a further 20% reduction over the next five years.”

Clemence Cheng, Managing Director Hutchison Ports Europe and joint chair of Hutchison Ports Group Sustainability Committee, commented: “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and Hutchison Ports is committed to playing its part by minimising the impact of port operations on the environment. Promoting a culture of technological innovation and adoption of alternative fuels is a key strand of our strategy. This investment takes us another step nearer to our goal.”

To support use of the new equipment the port will be upgrading its High Voltage (HV) electrical power distribution network and installing new electrical infrastructure to support the ReARTGs and ten charging stations for the battery-powered terminal tractors.

The port is examining ways to build on the steps it has already taken to eventually reach net-zero. It is working with partners, including Ryse Hydrogen, to explore the use of hydrogen powered port equipment and with Cranfield University, Sizewell C and EDF, the Port of Felixstowe is involved in one of the projects selected to receive support from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

The project involves a feasibility study into the potential for Freeport East, which includes the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich International, to become a net-zero port and a net-zero energy hub for third parties and the adjacent region.

CLICK HERE to access Hutchison Ports’ Sustainability Report for 2020.

Panasonic enhances sustainability with Circular Computing

Posted on by David Priestman

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK and Circular Computing have announced a partnership that they say will transform the sustainability of rugged computing. The leading European rugged mobile computing provider has teamed with the creators of the world’s first remanufactured laptops to create a more ethical, sustainable and socially responsible way to prolong the use of its rugged technology.

Circular Computing will remanufacture TOUGHBOOK devices – starting with the TOUGHBOOK G1 tablet with expected availability in mid-2022. The organisation will take legacy TOUGHBOOK devices and remanufacture them for a useful second life – massively increasing sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. The first remanufactured G1 device is expected to deliver 316kg in carbon emissions savings per device as it’s given a second useful life.

Circular Computing will take each device and put it through an extensive 5+ hour remanufacturing process and 360-point quality check to deliver unrivalled quality and consistency. Devices will be remanufactured to BS8887 standards by fully qualified technicians within Circular Computing’s purpose-built state-of-the-art production facility.

Circular Computing, with the world’s first BSI KITEMARK certified remanufacturing process for laptops, will guarantee consistent quality of the same model in large volumes and, with comprehensive cosmetic detailing, every TOUGHBOOK will be refinished to exacting quality standards. Circular Computing’s remanufactured consumer laptops are already popular with environmentally aware organisations, the education sector, and small, medium organisations with budget constraints.

Kevin Jones, Director of Operations at Panasonic Mobile Business Solutions Europe, said: “We are very proud to be the first rugged computing provider to embrace this environmentally sustainable opportunity with Circular Computing. Our aim is that in the future our customers and our channel providers need never throw another TOUGHBOOK device away.”

Rod Neale, founder of Circular Computing, added: “For years the IT channel has tried to legitimately provide product that has been used, by calling it refurbished or grade ‘A’ but the consumer needs assurances and consistency which you just don’t get from a refurbished product. Circular Computing was set up to bring the same level of consistency in supply scale and condition as the brand-new channel.

“In this way we can supply the customer with the most sustainable laptop on the planet and deliver all their technology needs, all whilst not asking them to take any risk on the products cosmetic, technical or warranty performance. This agreement with Panasonic is great news for the industry, the consumer and for us as a company.

“It is a much more complex operation to remanufacture a rugged device over a regular laptop but both organisations were committed to solving the issues and contributing to a better world through the sustainable use of technology.”

Once the first remanufactured TOUGHBOOK model is available, work on other popular models in the range will follow.

Logistics chief: “Invest in the future”

Posted on by David Priestman

In an open letter to supply chain leaders, Stefan Van Doorslaer (pictured), President of the Belgian Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce for Russia & Belarus (BLRB), Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg International Business Association (SPIBA) and CEO of Ahlers, urges the sector to invest in order to overcome future challenges.

“I firmly believe we need to invest in the future, however challenging that may be for a logistics service provider. When I say ‘invest in the future’, the first thing you would think of might be the environment and the future of our planet. I already wrote about that in an earlier article on how sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. Rather than talking about the planet, today I will speak of people and profit.

“For years, the logistics industry has been struggling with a shortage of labour. With the rise in e-commerce, the demand for logistics workers has become even stronger and the end is not yet in sight. The same goes for truck drivers. The shortage is impacting logistics service providers and transportation companies alike. What adds to the problem in Russia is that many immigrant workers have gone back home during the pandemic and now cannot or do not want to return.

“The same rise in e-commerce has increased the demand for warehousing space, making it currently difficult to find vacant warehousing space.”

Why ruin the labour market?

“The law of supply and demand is simple. When demand is high and supply is low, prices go up. As a result of the labour shortage, we have recently raised the salary of our warehouse workers by 10% and increased the rates we are paying to agency workers as well. This raise is both substantial and sustainable.

“However, I see a trend in Russia that worries me (and even makes me angry). Large e-tailers are ruining the labour market by offering salaries so high that logistics providers cannot keep up. Operating with completely different margins, they can bear this extra cost.

“To make working in the logistics industry more appealing, the wages of logistics workers need to be increased in a sustainable way for everybody.

“I also have an issue with the fact that logistics providers are often left to their own [devices] when trying to solve capacity issues, although we cannot solve the problem on our own. Our margins are low compared to companies further up the chain, but still, some shippers expect us to carry the full load of the additional labour costs.

“My message to both the companies paying their workers almost twice as much as logistics providers and to shippers refusing to chip in for the increasing costs of labour: we are in this together. The logistics market should stay healthy in the long run, which is only possible if we work together.”

Rise of the robots

“In the future, the truck driver shortage will be solved by self-driving trucks and vans. It is only a matter of time. The same goes for many warehousing processes that are currently conducted physically. Robots continue to improve and will be able to take over and perform tasks until now reserved for humans. Automation will reduce the demand for labour, solving the problem of workforce shortage. But here is the snag: warehouse automation requires an investment in whatever form you choose.

“In many cases, automated solutions are developed for specific logistics operations, for a specific customer served in that warehouse with well-defined pallet/box and other parameters. Besides the fact that these parameters can change anytime, the problem is the duration of most contracts between shippers and logistics service providers.

“The average duration of contracts ranges from one to three years, sometimes five, which is not long enough to earn back an investment. Most shippers refuse to extend running contracts beyond that term, even when they often stay for many more years.

“Let me repeat what I wrote earlier: the logistics market should stay healthy in the long run which is only possible if we work together. In this case, I call upon the shippers. If you are willing to enter more extended running contracts with us, we can invest in automated solutions to serve you better, avoiding labour shortages. Longer-term contracts, seven years or more, would solve the construction problem as well because they allow logistics service providers to invest in warehouses built for growth.

“Invest in the future. Let’s grow together.”

Logistics chief: “Invest in the future”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

In an open letter to supply chain leaders, Stefan Van Doorslaer (pictured), President of the Belgian Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce for Russia & Belarus (BLRB), Chairman of the Executive Committee of St. Petersburg International Business Association (SPIBA) and CEO of Ahlers, urges the sector to invest in order to overcome future challenges.

“I firmly believe we need to invest in the future, however challenging that may be for a logistics service provider. When I say ‘invest in the future’, the first thing you would think of might be the environment and the future of our planet. I already wrote about that in an earlier article on how sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. Rather than talking about the planet, today I will speak of people and profit.

“For years, the logistics industry has been struggling with a shortage of labour. With the rise in e-commerce, the demand for logistics workers has become even stronger and the end is not yet in sight. The same goes for truck drivers. The shortage is impacting logistics service providers and transportation companies alike. What adds to the problem in Russia is that many immigrant workers have gone back home during the pandemic and now cannot or do not want to return.

“The same rise in e-commerce has increased the demand for warehousing space, making it currently difficult to find vacant warehousing space.”

Why ruin the labour market?

“The law of supply and demand is simple. When demand is high and supply is low, prices go up. As a result of the labour shortage, we have recently raised the salary of our warehouse workers by 10% and increased the rates we are paying to agency workers as well. This raise is both substantial and sustainable.

“However, I see a trend in Russia that worries me (and even makes me angry). Large e-tailers are ruining the labour market by offering salaries so high that logistics providers cannot keep up. Operating with completely different margins, they can bear this extra cost.

“To make working in the logistics industry more appealing, the wages of logistics workers need to be increased in a sustainable way for everybody.

“I also have an issue with the fact that logistics providers are often left to their own [devices] when trying to solve capacity issues, although we cannot solve the problem on our own. Our margins are low compared to companies further up the chain, but still, some shippers expect us to carry the full load of the additional labour costs.

“My message to both the companies paying their workers almost twice as much as logistics providers and to shippers refusing to chip in for the increasing costs of labour: we are in this together. The logistics market should stay healthy in the long run, which is only possible if we work together.”

Rise of the robots

“In the future, the truck driver shortage will be solved by self-driving trucks and vans. It is only a matter of time. The same goes for many warehousing processes that are currently conducted physically. Robots continue to improve and will be able to take over and perform tasks until now reserved for humans. Automation will reduce the demand for labour, solving the problem of workforce shortage. But here is the snag: warehouse automation requires an investment in whatever form you choose.

“In many cases, automated solutions are developed for specific logistics operations, for a specific customer served in that warehouse with well-defined pallet/box and other parameters. Besides the fact that these parameters can change anytime, the problem is the duration of most contracts between shippers and logistics service providers.

“The average duration of contracts ranges from one to three years, sometimes five, which is not long enough to earn back an investment. Most shippers refuse to extend running contracts beyond that term, even when they often stay for many more years.

“Let me repeat what I wrote earlier: the logistics market should stay healthy in the long run which is only possible if we work together. In this case, I call upon the shippers. If you are willing to enter more extended running contracts with us, we can invest in automated solutions to serve you better, avoiding labour shortages. Longer-term contracts, seven years or more, would solve the construction problem as well because they allow logistics service providers to invest in warehouses built for growth.

“Invest in the future. Let’s grow together.”

Autoclaves transported from Germany to Uzbekistan

Posted on by David Priestman

Eleven members of the Danir 19 team from its offices in Germany, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan worked jointly to perform a tailored logistics solution  – the transportation of two abnormal autoclaves from Germany to Uzbekistan.

The two out-of-gauge autoclaves, each 45 meters long and with a gross weight of 87,000kg, were safely delivered for use in Uzbekistan’s industrial sector.

The project included transportation of autoclaves with four modes of transport. As a result, the autoclaves under single transportation were moved by truck, barge, ship, and by rail. Every part of transportation included its own successfully solved challenges and difficulties.

One of the interesting challenges for this transportation was the organisation and execution of safe heavy lifting operations. In total, five transshipments of the cargo were performed, safely executed under supervision of survey and company representatives.

SUMMARY

From: Germany to Uzbekistan

Cargo: Out of gauge autoclaves

Dimensions: 45 x 3.5 x 3.6m

Weight: 87,000kg

Quantity: 2

Industry: Industrial sector

Types of transport: trucks/ship/barge/railway

Transshipments: 5

Autoclaves transported from Germany to Uzbekistan

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Eleven members of the Danir 19 team from its offices in Germany, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan worked jointly to perform a tailored logistics solution  – the transportation of two abnormal autoclaves from Germany to Uzbekistan.

The two out-of-gauge autoclaves, each 45 meters long and with a gross weight of 87,000kg, were safely delivered for use in Uzbekistan’s industrial sector.

The project included transportation of autoclaves with four modes of transport. As a result, the autoclaves under single transportation were moved by truck, barge, ship, and by rail. Every part of transportation included its own successfully solved challenges and difficulties.

One of the interesting challenges for this transportation was the organisation and execution of safe heavy lifting operations. In total, five transshipments of the cargo were performed, safely executed under supervision of survey and company representatives.

SUMMARY

From: Germany to Uzbekistan

Cargo: Out of gauge autoclaves

Dimensions: 45 x 3.5 x 3.6m

Weight: 87,000kg

Quantity: 2

Industry: Industrial sector

Types of transport: trucks/ship/barge/railway

Transshipments: 5

ASOS unveils new Lichfield DC

Posted on by David Priestman

ASOS, one of the world’s leading online fashion retailers, has formally opened its state-of-the-art fulfilment centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire, with Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield and Cllr Doug Pullen, Conservative Leader of Lichfield District Council.

The facility at Fradley Park, which will employ 2,000 people over the next three years, is being managed by GXO Logistics, and has already recruited more than 700 people.

ASOS will invest a total of £90m in the new 437,000 sq ft fulfilment centre and will use it to serve customers in the UK and over 150 countries around the world. ASOS expects to ship over 30 million units in the site’s first year, and up to 4.5m units per week once the site is fully operational and automation is complete. The site will enable ASOS to meet increasing customer demand and support its ambitions of reaching £7bn of annual revenue within the next three to four years.

Mat Dunn, Chief Operating Officer at ASOS, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating the opening of our brand-new warehouse in Lichfield, which will support our ambitious international growth plans and bring a significant number of jobs to the area. Our choice of Lichfield reflects the skills and talent it has to offer and we’re looking forward to becoming part of the local community in the years ahead.”

Paul Scully, Business Minister, said: “As we build back better from the pandemic, we want to level up our country with new jobs, and big investments from businesses like ASOS will play a major part in that. It’s brilliant that ASOS – a British success story – is investing in Staffordshire with the creation of a new fulfilment centre and 2,000 jobs to boot, providing a welcome boost for the local economy and people in and around Lichfield.”

Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, said: “Lichfield District is ideal as a location for ASOS’ new global warehouse as it sits in the middle of the country and is well connected to our road system. But Lichfield is much more than that. It has a highly educated, well-motivated and skilled workforce so the District has attracted many hi-tech industries. In addition, it is a great place to live with lively night life combined with a historic centre. I welcome ASOS to Fradley and wish them the very best for the future.”

Councillor Doug Pullen, Leader of Lichfield District Council, added: “It’s wonderful to be able to welcome ASOS to Lichfield District – we’re delighted ASOS selected this location to support the next stage of its global growth. As well as creating local employment and supply chain opportunities, I know ASOS are keen to play an active role in our community and I look forward to working with them in the years ahead. We are ideally located for this type of facility with a skilled local workforce, excellent infrastructure and a high quality of life.”

The Fradley Park warehouse joins a growing number of global fulfilment centres for ASOS. ASOS currently operates three other fulfilment centres, in Barnsley, Berlin and Atlanta.

ASOS unveils new Lichfield DC

Posted on by Keith McKinley

ASOS, one of the world’s leading online fashion retailers, has formally opened its state-of-the-art fulfilment centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire, with Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield and Cllr Doug Pullen, Conservative Leader of Lichfield District Council.

The facility at Fradley Park, which will employ 2,000 people over the next three years, is being managed by GXO Logistics, and has already recruited more than 700 people.

ASOS will invest a total of £90m in the new 437,000 sq ft fulfilment centre and will use it to serve customers in the UK and over 150 countries around the world. ASOS expects to ship over 30 million units in the site’s first year, and up to 4.5m units per week once the site is fully operational and automation is complete. The site will enable ASOS to meet increasing customer demand and support its ambitions of reaching £7bn of annual revenue within the next three to four years.

Mat Dunn, Chief Operating Officer at ASOS, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating the opening of our brand-new warehouse in Lichfield, which will support our ambitious international growth plans and bring a significant number of jobs to the area. Our choice of Lichfield reflects the skills and talent it has to offer and we’re looking forward to becoming part of the local community in the years ahead.”

Paul Scully, Business Minister, said: “As we build back better from the pandemic, we want to level up our country with new jobs, and big investments from businesses like ASOS will play a major part in that. It’s brilliant that ASOS – a British success story – is investing in Staffordshire with the creation of a new fulfilment centre and 2,000 jobs to boot, providing a welcome boost for the local economy and people in and around Lichfield.”

Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, said: “Lichfield District is ideal as a location for ASOS’ new global warehouse as it sits in the middle of the country and is well connected to our road system. But Lichfield is much more than that. It has a highly educated, well-motivated and skilled workforce so the District has attracted many hi-tech industries. In addition, it is a great place to live with lively night life combined with a historic centre. I welcome ASOS to Fradley and wish them the very best for the future.”

Councillor Doug Pullen, Leader of Lichfield District Council, added: “It’s wonderful to be able to welcome ASOS to Lichfield District – we’re delighted ASOS selected this location to support the next stage of its global growth. As well as creating local employment and supply chain opportunities, I know ASOS are keen to play an active role in our community and I look forward to working with them in the years ahead. We are ideally located for this type of facility with a skilled local workforce, excellent infrastructure and a high quality of life.”

The Fradley Park warehouse joins a growing number of global fulfilment centres for ASOS. ASOS currently operates three other fulfilment centres, in Barnsley, Berlin and Atlanta.

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