Shipping Archives

Dachser appoints new COO

Posted on 13 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Dachser is setting the course for future growth in its Air & Sea Logistics (ASL) business field through long-term succession planning. Dr. Tobias Burger (45 – pictured) will succeed Edoardo Podestà (60) as COO Air & Sea Logistics and member of the Executive Board, effective 1st January, 2024. After a Dachser career spanning 20 years, a little over four of them at the helm of ASL, Podestà will step down from active working life at the end of 2023.

“Dr. Tobias Burger is an experienced logistics strategist and we are helping him prepare to take his seat on Dachser’s Executive Board. With his holistic, forward-thinking logistics outlook, he will prove a valuable addition to our Executive Board team,” says Bernhard Simon, Chairman of the Dachser Supervisory Board. “Dr. Burger will also be in charge of all of Dachser’s marketing activities. This means we will be best placed to proactively address complex market changes, particularly in air and sea freight, and to position ourselves accordingly.”

A former management consultant, Dr. Burger joined Dachser in 2009. He worked in controlling and strategy development before being given responsibility for Corporate Governance. At that time, he was already overseeing the development of air and sea operations toward a seamless global network. As Deputy Director Air & Sea Logistics, Dr. Burger has served as Podestà’s right-hand man since 2019. During this period, he was first put in charge of ASL global sales, a position whose responsibilities currently include strategic development for the entire business field. Since 2021, he has also been leading the ASL EMEA business unit.

Dachser appoints Meier to replace Burger

Effective 1st January, 2023, Dr. Burger will hand over the role of Managing Director ASL EMEA to Marc Meier. To prepare himself for managing the regional business unit, Meier (53) joined Dachser already on 1st October, 2022. As a logistics manager whose expertise includes air and sea freight, overland transport, and warehousing, he has built up more than 30 years of international experience in the logistics industry.

Together with the owner, he served as CEO of Hamburg-based air freight forwarder Senator International until that company was acquired by Maersk in 2021. Prior to that, he spent over five years as CEO of Fr. Meyer’s Sohn, a forwarding agency specialising in sea freight. He began his career at Kühne + Nagel, where he held various management positions, lastly as President of the Canada country organisation.

“In Marc Meier we have gained a seasoned air and sea freight manager with an international reputation. He is the ideal person to guide our ASL business in the EMEA region to a successful future,” says Dachser CEO Burkhard Eling. “And dovetailing this business with our European overland transportation network will lead the way to further growth.”

Müller to take over in ASL APAC

Dachser has also already planned the succession in its ASL APAC business unit. Effective 1st January, 2024, Roman Müller (41) will succeed Edoardo Podestà, who has led the regional business unit with great success since 2014, and in conjunction with his other role of COO ASL since 2019. Swiss-born Müller has worked in Asia his entire career. Over the past 15 years, his management positions at Dachser include Manager of the Korea country organisation and Senior Sales Manager for the entire APAC region. Since July 2021, he has served as Deputy Director Asia Pacific in the ASL APAC business unit, reporting to Podestà.

“Roman Müller knows the Asian markets and their requirements inside out. In all his previous positions – especially those in sales – he achieved outstanding success and helped advance our presence in Asia,” Eling says. “So he is ideally placed not only to continue the stellar development of the ASL APAC business unit but also to take it to a whole new level by focusing even more on offering integrated services. In 2023, he will work closely with Edoardo Podestà to chart a course for this success.”

Dachser’s Air & Sea Logistics business field employed more than 4,300 people and generated €2.1bn in revenue in 2021. It operates 139 branches in 36 countries. Dachser’s ASL 3 EMEA business unit comprises 21 country organisations with 71 locations and employs more than 2,100 people. The company’s ASL APAC business unit is represented in 11 countries, with more than 1,500 employees working across 43 locations.

Amazon enables more sustainable deliveries to Sweden

Posted on 8 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

As much of Europe is connected by sea, Amazon is taking advantage of this unique geography to leverage waterborne transportation. Amazon is moving inventory and customer packages by sea as it provides a more efficient, lower emission and faster mode of freight transport.

By using sea transportation rather than traditional trucks, Amazon is avoiding roughly a quarter of the carbon emissions for next day delivery trips on average in Sweden.

Partnering with Stena Line in Sweden, Amazon is operating more than 25 sea routes between Sweden, Germany and Poland, transporting inventory between its buildings in those countries. This is achieved through partnerships with sea carriers, like Stena Line, that operate more than 25 different sea routes that link buildings in Germany and Poland to the ports of Helsingborg, Nynasham and Trelleborg in Sweden.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to transport packages for customers through less carbon intensive methods. In a water-surrounded country like Sweden, we are excited to announce our most recent transportation mode – Amazon Sea – that enables next day delivery to Swedish customers while avoiding roughly a quarter of the carbon emissions,” says Gulfem Toygar, Country Manager, Amazon Sweden.

Amazon developing robust maritime network

“At Stena Line we are proud to partner with Amazon as we work together in developing a robust maritime network that allows faster and more sustainable deliveries to Sweden,” says Stena Line Head of Freight, Jacob Koch-Nielsen.

When a Swedish customer clicks ‘order’, Amazon locates the product within one of its European fulfilment centres – picks it, packs it, and ships it to one of its sortation centres in Germany or Poland to consolidate orders. From there, it is routed to one of the ports where a truck rolls on board one of the Stena Line ferries to cover the sea route.

Once the truck arrives at a Swedish port, it rolls off the ferry and goes to one of Amazon’s partners’ hubs in Sweden, like Airmee, prior to final delivery to the customer. Airmee is an innovative Swedish logistics company founded in 2018, also a signatory of The Climate Pledge, that focuses on fast and net-zero carbon deliveries via bike.

“As a technological logistics platform powering environmentally sustainable delivery solutions, we are happy to be working side by side with Amazon. We aim to lead the shift in logistics sustainability in Sweden and already now we provide 100% carbon neutral deliveries by using a combination of technology and electrical vehicles,” says Julian Lee, Founder and CEO of Airmee.

As part of Amazon´s effort to offer broader selection and faster delivery to customers across Europe, it is increasing the use of short trips by sea, taking advantage of Europe’s geographic peculiarities. Amazon currently operates more than 170 sea routes across Europe and this year alone has added over 60 short sea and waterways routes. It will continue innovating and using various transport modes to enable fast, efficient, and reliable deliveries to customers.

Carbon reduction

Amazon is working with numerous maritime carriers across Europe to move inventory and parcels replacing the existing more carbon intensive routes with waterborne transport that provides carbon reduction, efficiency and speed to customer between its buildings. These include European Partners like DFDS, Grimaldi, and many others.

This initiative is an integral part of Amazon’s goal of decarbonising its operations and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years before the Paris Agreement, and for this it has partners such as European shipping companies such as Stena Line that are at the forefront of sustainable maritime transport.

Sea routes provide a more sustainable, efficient, and in some cases faster mode of freight transport in comparison to other land-based alternatives. Amazon is using Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) method, which means that its existing road carriers are bringing loads to the ports and drive directly on and off the vessels of its maritime partners.

Redkik forms partnership with ERGO

Posted on 5 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Redkik is set to overhaul how cargo insurance is transacted in Singapore as it announces a strategic partnership with insurer ERGO.

Buying insurance has historically been tedious and time consuming. Lack of flexibility, inefficient technology, and waiting on underwriters for annual policies does not need to be the customer experience any longer.

Redkik’s innovative insurance software now allows transport intermediaries, TMS systems and anyone in the transportation & supply chain in Singapore to offer insurance coverage underwritten by ERGO with a single click.

“Use of an API integration at the point of sale seamlessly adds coverage without unnecessary redirects to external websites and without disrupting the sales flow. This is a game-changer for the industry and we are beyond excited to have achieved this together with Redkik,” said Tony Betteridge, Head of Marine of Munich Re.

By offering this InsurTech/SaaS solution, this new partnership enables anyone in Singapore to purchase insurance when they want it (even day of), how they want (transactional on computer or any mobile device) and for what they want (affordable) – resulting in instant premium quotations at the time of freight being booked.

This expedited process is coupled with competitive pricing and clear policy wording for customers’ specific needs.

Redkik expands across Asia

“Redkik has enjoyed expanding to the Asian market with ERGO; they have been nothing but knowledgeable in supporting this partnership and imminent launch across Asia. Redkik’s technology and ERGO’s well established insurance capabilities has led to a transformative partnership that will change the way we think of cargo insurance,” said Chris Kalinski, CEO and founder of Redkik.

“ERGO is excited to partner with Redkik. We want to transform the way Marine Cargo business is done in our region and offer instant quotes and issuance of the certificate of insurance to our customers in seconds,” said Karl-Heinz Jung, Chief Executive of ERGO Singapore.

This SaaS solution for cargo insurance is now available for transport intermediaries to distribute in Singapore and will soon expand through the rest of Asia. This follows a successful launch in the US in 2021 and Europe and Brazil in 2022.

Rijeka–Austria Rail Cargo Service Starts

Posted on 2 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

A new first regular train Rail Cargo connection has been launched from the Croatian port of Rijeka and Enns in Austria. The first train for Container Terminal Enns (CTE) departed from Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) in early November 2023.

The block train is operated by Maersk Line with CD Cargo Adria providing rail services.

Emmanuel Papagiannakis, AGCT chief executive officer, commented: “For the first time ever, major Austrian shippers can be directly connected by rail to AGCT Rijeka, providing a valuable alternative route with reliable transit times. With the cooperation of all partners including Maersk, CD Cargo and CTE Enns, we believe the product will remain successful and attract more shippers.

“Following the first ever direct trains to Czech Republic in May, the Austria connection further adds to a growing network of regular weekly block trains which already include Serbia, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina and continue to illustrate the increasing significance of AGCT as a gateway for Central Europe and Southeast Europe.”

About AGCT

Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) is a private partnership between ICTSI (51%) and Luka Rijeka (49%).
International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is an international port operator present on 6 continents in 20 countries around the world, managing 34 ports & terminals.

Predicting 2023 supply chain innovations

Posted on 1 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Mike Bhaskaran, Group COO of Digital Technology at DP World, shares his predictions on technology innovations that will impact the supply chain logistics industry in 2023.

Fixing global supply chains requires trust and transparency; digital technologies and platforms deliver this through the ability and opportunity to share real-time data. Whether that’s blockchain solutions that boost information security or digital portals that enhance freight visibility, we see a proliferation in technology that can make supply chains more transparent and better understood.

Innovation will enable us to adapt and evolve. We cannot go as we did before – the environment is different; the climate is different. In 2023, businesses must embrace the opportunities offered by technology to streamline processes and boost visibility throughout the supply chain.

Boosting supply chain visibility

Whether it is a purchase from an online retailer or a local food order, new technologies have raised consumer expectations for businesses to provide full visibility of purchased goods right through to the point of delivery. We are seeing business customers develop the same expectations; however, the level of visibility available to them when tracking cargo through the supply chain by far lacks the sophistication available to consumers. The journey from A to B features numerous blind spots, with businesses often unable to account for their cargo at any given moment while it moves across the sea or land.

We need to make it easier for cargo owners to be able to locate and find their cargo at any one point – there should be no ‘blackouts’. Real-time visibility is key. The big question is, how can companies obtain better visibility into the movement and condition of their shipments? The answer is straightforward: by using modern technology. The latest developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data have an immense potential to enhance every supply chain process, from inventory forecasting to demand and sustainable supply chain management.

Secure track-and-trace technology has a crucial role to play in strengthening and unifying regulatory control, fiscal sustainability and ensuring secure supply chains. Many of the components for an integrated solution are already available today. If governments worldwide are to fully leverage the potential benefits to be had from a secure track-and-trace framework, they need to act now. If we are up to the challenge this really can be a win-win.

Using trade initiatives to evolve trade routes

Boosting trade is one of the most powerful tools to lift people out of poverty. Countries that are open to international trade tend to grow faster, innovate, improve productivity, and provide higher incomes and more opportunities to their people. The international community recognises the importance of trade for development through initiatives, such as Aid for Trade, Financing for Development and, most importantly, the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

2023 presents opportunities for new trading routes to open up as many markets are shifting from their traditional ones. Supply chains are also reshaping, as new deals are struck along political lines, and companies prioritise contracting with known, trusted suppliers. This new version of globalisation places greater value on political certainty.

Initiatives like the World Logistics Passport can help governments collaborate more closely on trade and kickstart their economies by making it easier for exporters and importers to reap the benefits of international trade. By working together across borders towards a common goal, governments and businesses can build a more robust global trading community that is both agile and resilient.

Supply chain finance for SMEs

Access to trade finance is critical to the survival and growth of exporters, importers and logistics companies which are the drivers of the global economy. The gap in international trade credit amounts to $3tn and is widening, according to the World Bank.

We need to work closely with financial institutions so that they can start releasing liquid credit – especially for SMEs. But the provision of finance to smaller businesses is lagging – a problem exacerbated by the global financial crisis in 2008, which made large banks pull back from lending more broadly.

Providing financing to these companies has a multiplier effect on trade, income and employment generation. A report by consultants Accenture, commissioned by Stenn, estimates the demand for trade finance will hit $6.1tn in the next four years. In 2023, we expect to see a rise in banking solutions for exporters that smooth and speed up the process when businesses apply for trade finance. Although banks offer trade finance, their approval processes tend to take a long time which can be off-putting.

A new era of global trade

We will witness a new era of global trade next year. Now is the time to invest in defending logistics networks against risk, expand digitalisation and provide the incentives that make global trade work for everyone. The tools we develop are important to leverage digital technology and the solutions are of course what we are aiming to find.

Track and trace technology and electronic bills of lading will remain extremely important in 2023 as we focus our efforts on digitising the supply chain and becoming closer to economies. At DP World, we see technology as the enabler. We need to reduce the siloes and paperwork and create digital solutions to streamline and make efficiencies. Taken together, these initiatives will ensure that we do not simply react to shocks but are well-prepared to navigate them effectively.

Partnership increases transparency of shipping emissions

Posted on 23 November, 2022 by Keith McKinley

PortXchange Products B.V., one of the leading tech start-ups in the maritime domain for predictable and sustainable shipping, has formed a long-term global partnership with BigMile, supplier of software for calculating and analysing transport-related CO2 emissions. Through their combined efforts, the two companies will provide digital solutions to increase transparency of shipping emissions in port areas.

With the growing pressure on the shipping and logistics industries to reduce the emissions footprint, ports are emerging as critical players to drive sustainability efforts. However, most ports currently lack the necessary means to track emissions, which is the first step in developing decarbonisation strategies to meet the ambitious reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

By working together, PortXchange and BigMile are ideally positioned to equip ports worldwide with a unique digital service that will allow them to monitor emissions from vessels, road, and rail transport, and help them quantify the impact of their sustainability programmes. “We are excited to partner up with BigMile – the leader in CO2 footprint standardisation – and to contribute our vast experience in the maritime industry to this collaboration,” said Sjoerd de Jager (pictured, right), Managing Director of PortXchange.

Enhancing decarbonisation through digitalisation

Although most shipping emissions occur during the voyage, their negative impact is most directly noticeable in ports because these are usually located close to cities. In fact, around 230 million people are directly exposed to shipping emissions in the world’s top one hundred ports. Digitalisation can significantly enhance decarbonisation efforts by providing means to calculate and monitor emissions and subsequently implement measures and interventions to reduce emissions.

“With our flagship product called PortXchange Synchronizer, we offer a solution that allows vessels to optimise their sailing speed for just-in-time (JIT) arrival at the port. This reduces fuel consumption during the voyage and avoids unnecessary waiting time at anchorage, which leads to lower emissions in the port area,” continued de Jager.

“Port authorities can play a significant role in facilitating JIT arrival by supporting data-sharing initiatives and offering incentive schemes such as JIT-induced port fee discounts. There are several examples of such schemes currently being trialled, including at the ports in Rotterdam, Los Angeles Long Beach, Singapore, and Esbjerg. Thanks to the insights provided by the combined digital service from BigMile and PortXchange, the effectiveness of these measures becomes transparent. These insights are critical to underpin the investment strategies for these measures,” he added.

Supporting targeted decisions

“In this collaboration, our aim together with PortXchange is to encourage and facilitate ports worldwide to map their current footprint so that they can then make targeted decisions to reduce emissions in and around the port. These measures can be either operational, such as optimising the sailing speed as Sjoerd already mentioned, or strategic in nature, because the multi-modal split of emissions creates a more comprehensive picture of where transport emissions come from. This allows ports to take a holistic approach to port call decarbonisation,” stated Jan Pronk (pictured, left), Managing Director of BigMile.

Strategic measures could include electrification and the construction of shore power systems, he explains: “Shore power systems can potentially be an important part of the energy transition. If ships turn off their generators and use shore power when they are at the quay, they are a lot less polluting. The BigMile and PortXchange platform can provide insight into how much air pollution a shore power connection can prevent. Right now, ports are facing strategic choices about whether – and if so, where – to install shore power systems.”

BigMile and PortXchange are currently working on their first implementation of this digital service in the Port of Rotterdam. The service will also become available to other ports by the end of 2022.

Dover spells out green ambitions

Posted on 21 November, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Speaking recently on a panel of governmental and industry maritime experts at COP27, Christian Pryce, chief commercial officer of the Port of Dover, said: “Decarbonising the world’s busiest maritime corridor will deliver a seismic boost to the UK’s recently announced green shipping ambitions that include the US, Norway and the Netherlands.”

He continued: “One year on from the Clydebank Declaration, in which the UK and 23 other states set out their ambition to collaborate on green shipping corridors, it is encouraging to see progress being made and we are determined to deliver even more. We want to secure meaningful decarbonisation for the UK and international supply chains and so have made it our mission to work with our partners on both sides of the Short Straits as together we fully commit to achieving a high-volume green shipping corridor with France.”

The Port of Dover handles 33% of the UK’s trade in goods with the EU, 59% of UK-EU ferry journeys and 2.4 million freight vehicles annually.

Having unveiled its ambitions to the Government in May 2022, the Port of Dover took a significant step forward in becoming the UK’s first high-volume green shipping corridor when, in September, the Government awarded it funding for the Green Corridor Short Straits consortium’s feasibility study to establish a zero-carbon trade route, a partnership which also includes French sister ports, Calais and Dunkirk.

Pryce continued: “Spurred on by the Government’s recent backing of our efforts to develop a high-volume green shipping corridor, we will progress our work with France and look forward to it being included in the nations with which the UK is formally collaborating. Given the urgency to reduce maritime emissions, there needs to be the greatest possible ambition in how this task is pursued. A high-volume green shipping corridor delivering 130 ferry movements each day across the short straits being included with other shipping routes will be a transformative win for the UK. We are leading the charge, working together across the public and private sector with government, industry and academia.

“We will work together for a single joined-up solution. We’re a proud maritime nation in the UK and we want to be able to enhance and share our learnings as much as possible.”

The importance of the UK’s role as a leader and source of knowledge was echoed by Baroness Vere on the panel, who commented: “The UK will continue to lead and take an enlightened and forward-thinking view. We want our ports to work with other ports and share knowledge.”

The Short Straits is the busiest maritime corridor in the world, carrying a significant emissions footprint. Upcoming progress is set to include cleaner tonnage, particularly two new hybrid ‘super ferries’ that will be an important step forward towards decarbonisation of this critical route. This could also be supported by improved infrastructure, including making greater use of the Port of Dover’s topography, which allows for new bespoke solutions, such as energy storage (battery and hydrogen) and new power connections and links.

“A high-volume green shipping corridor with France will not only help reduce the stubbornly high emissions from the UK transport sector but will also display British-led global best practice when it comes to decarbonising not only shipping and maritime but the wider UK supply chain. With volume on this route set to grow – the market wants and chooses Dover over other options – it is vital that we take meaningful action now, and we are doing so with our partners as this can only succeed through strong and continuing collaboration,” concluded Pryce.

Arendal adds electric harbour crane

Posted on 17 November, 202229 July, 2025 by David Priestman

In August 2022, Liebherr delivered a new LHM 550 to the Port of Arendal in Norway. The main commercial terminal for the port is located at Eydehavn, just outside the city of Arendal.

Eydehavn is a harbour that offers cranes and handling equipment for bulk loads, project cargo, offshore equipment, and containers. With a lifting capacity of up to 144 tonnes, this LHM 550 offers the port the ability to support larger project and special cargo, as well as optimised bulk operations. Another distinguishing benefit sought by the Port of Arendal is Liebherr’s extensive and high standard of service. Besides remote technical support and local field service, a large selection of original parts will help keep the LHM 550 running over many years.

Options for improved bulk processing, handling larger cargo, and supporting more customers The four-rope version of the LHM 550 that was delivered to the client in Arendal will provide flexible applications for cargo and material lifting. For increased efficiency in handling bulk cargo, a suitable grab that is coupled with Liebherr’s SmartGrip technology was part of the crane’s delivery. This feature can optimise the filling rate of the grab in a self-learning manner.

In this way, SmartGrip learns after just a few lifting cycles how to optimise capacity utilisation of the grab. This reduces overloads to a minimum, increases the material handling rate and, at the same time, alleviates crane operator stress. Bulk material such as salt and sulphur will be among the main resources that will be handled by the LHM 550.

A forthcoming project in the area that will benefit from the crane’s optimisations is a new battery factory by Morrow Batteries.

Rune Hvass, Port Director at Arendal Havn, notes: “After deliberations about which LHM model fits our logistical needs the best, we ultimately decided on the LHM 550. An increasing number of customers are demanding capacity for larger and heavier project and general cargo. To also provide better support for a new battery factory that will be built locally, the choice for a larger mobile harbour crane made most sense.

“The high-quality level at which Liebherr is building its cranes, and especially the service concept Liebherr provides, were some of the main reasons why we decided to purchase a Liebherr mobile harbour crane.”

To help reduce noise, the crane is equipped with noise insulation material in the winch and machinery compartment. The crane is also equipped with an e-drive to enable local CO2-emission-free operation. In addition, the complete LiDAT smartApp package was chosen for the LHM 550. The LiDAT modules such as Maintenance and Optimise help monitor a variety of variables for better performance tracking and efficiency of the crane.

The Port of Arendal now has a new, well-calibrated machine to effectively support their clients’ growing logistical demands. With a radius of 54m, the LHM 550 is the perfect crane for handling bulk cargoes in the Capesize ship class. Container handling ships of the New-Panamax class are also part of the crane’s forte. General cargoes and heavy-duty lifting up to 144 tonnes complete the range of applications of the LHM 550.

To help mark the delivery of the crane, a special naming contest was hosted by the port. Arendal Havn invited 25 groups featuring the region’s kindergartens, primary schools and lower secondary schools to participate in a naming contest for the port’s new giant. The winner of the contest was Trollstubben kindergarten with the group Fjelltroll and Vetter. They received a prize of NOK 2,000 (approx.. €200) and a tour of the harbour. The LHM 550 was named “Hulken,” or “Hulk” in English, and is based on the Marvel comic book character.

Amazon uses seaways between Spain and Italy

Posted on 15 November, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Amazon is taking advantage of Europe’s multimodal capabilities to expand its use of maritime transport via sea routes. Thousands of truck movements between Spain and Italy have already been taken off the road.

Almost half of the merchandise movements made by Amazon between its logistics centres in Italy and Spain are now made by sea, avoiding thousands of tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Amazon operates multiple maritime routes to move inventory between the two logistics centres. According to Helder Velho, Vice President of Surface Transportation for Amazon in Europe: “Maritime routes, or highways of the sea, provide a more efficient and sustainable mode of transportation and, in some cases, are faster than other alternatives.”

Amazon says it is always looking for alternative forms of transportation for both deliveries and moving items between its fulfilment centres. In southern Europe, Amazon started with two maritime lines to be able to reach customers in Sardinia and Sicily in 2019. Since then, it has launched a multitude of maritime connections between Italy and Spain and today there are already more than 170 maritime connections throughout Europe.

This initiative is an integral part of Amazon’s goal of decarbonising its operations and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, ten years before the Paris Agreement. To achieve this, it has partners such as European shipping company the Grimaldi Group that are at the forefront of sustainable maritime transport with state-of-the-art hybrid ships.

Francesco Satariano, Executive Key Account Manager of Maritime Lines of the Grimaldi Group, says: “The strategic priority for the Grimaldi Group is to operate with sustainability in mind. In recent years, the Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of new ships that are more respectful of the environment and most of our fleet has been modernized to reduce the environmental impact.

“We were pioneers in the sector by installing technology on our ships that allows us to turn off the engines when approaching ports, achieving zero emissions in port. We were also one of the first to order and receive ships prepared for the use of ammonia. We believe in this alliance with long-term partnership with Amazon as we share a mutual commitment to reduce our environmental impact while delivering more value to customers.”

Support for local SMEs

Approximately 60% of the merchandise that Amazon has in its logistics network belongs to independent sellers. They are small and medium-sized companies that sell through Amazon in order to reach new customers outside their home countries. In this way Amazon benefits, on the one hand, its customers by providing a wider selection of products. On the other hand, sellers on Amazon achieve greater geographic reach with their products, facilitating their entry into markets in other countries in Europe. And everything, with a more sustainable transport method thanks to the fact that the trucks will travel by boat, reducing their emissions.

To ensure that Amazon’s European customers benefit from a large selection of products and fast, reliable delivery, it analyses which products are ordered most frequently and from where, and position those products in its centres closest to the customer. .

Case study

Sergio Panizza, from the Genoa-based Pesto Rossi factory in Italy, says: “Our family has been making pesto sauce in a small shop in Genoa since 1947, selling mostly locally. Our business suffered during the pandemic, so we decided to start selling through Amazon. Since then we have grown in number of clients and managed to sell our sauces to pesto fans in Spain, France and 12 other countries in Europe.

“By bringing our sauces closer to where our customers live, our products are available much faster and we benefit from having more international customers.”

Spanish exports to Italy registered €20,635.6m from January to August 2022, which represents an increase of 19.4% compared to the same period in 2021, while imports, at €17,708.4m, increased 24.1%.

DP World invests €80m in HSE innovations

Posted on 24 October, 2022 by Keith McKinley

DP World has reduced the risk of injury by 40% across its European portfolio by investing €80m in key safety practices and equipment upgrades, as well as improving reliability using the latest digital software.

The global end-to-end logistics and smart trade enabler has always put employee safety at the centre of its daily operations and has a strong record on safety in Europe, but DP World believes it has made huge progress in safety and accident prevention in the last 12 months due to significant investments in smart solutions.

Combined with innovation and employee experience, DP World’s redefined HSE practices are resulting in a marked improvement in safety, which in turn enhances productivity trade movement across the continent.

Enoma Woghiren, Regional Head of HSSE for DP World Europe, said: “With 20 terminals in 12 countries across the breadth of Europe, and 8,000 staff to care for, we have been guided by our first ever Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Risk annual report, a North Star for our efforts to become a beneficial and safe logistics operator. Our activities across the continent are creating a safety benchmark for us as an organisation and our industry peers in Europe and beyond.”

Facilities in terminals in, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Turkey are prime examples of the innovative DP World approach to reducing safety risk.

In Belgium, DP World Antwerp has built a world-first straddle carrier platform and refuelling station. The €2m, 150m-high structure was opened in September 2021, allowing drivers to get on and off their tall vehicles safely, while also creating a shielded safe zone for fuelling, cleaning and inflating tyres.

The platform allows drivers to enter the straddle carriers at cab level, thereby removing the risk of them climbing the ladder into the cab. The tyre inflation station protects staff from the risk of injury from parts being pushed out due to air pressure and improves productivity by inflating tyres in just two minutes rather than 15.

The investment in the platform is part of DP World Antwerp’s wider €200m investment to increase capacity and productivity using an approach that will redefine sustainability at the terminal by continually enhancing safety features and reducing its carbon emissions.

Another such feature which has recently been launched is its Route 1700 mobile app, which protects truck drivers from harm by giving them the option to complete their pre-shift administrative processes before entering the port vicinity where there are lots of moving vehicles.

Elsewhere in the region, DP World Yarimca, Turkey, is finding innovative ways to make safety smarter. This terminal has recently adopted Digital Surveyor, which allows customers and employees to view the work being done on vessels remotely, thereby reducing the number of people on-site and reducing the risk of accidents.

The cutting-edge analysis software can inspect and assess safety levels and risk in marine vessels and their cargo. This process is normally carried out by an individual and can take 78-hours a month per vessel. For a small-scale port, this process is repeated 10,360 times for an average of 1,480 containers every month – which equates to significantly reduced capacity and revenue.

DP World Yarimca’s new technology is reclaiming all this lost time, while also identifying and reducing potential risks and their related costs. That means safer employees and customers, reduced ongoing costs and increased capacity.

In the Netherlands, Rotterdam World Gateway has invested in more sustainable electric vehicles and has identified the potential risk of an increase in battery fires, which can happen as batteries age or are damaged in any way. To prevent this, the team have built an on-site battery pool, where they can sink at-risk batteries in water until they can be repaired or sustainably disposed of.

Celebrating the region’s safety accomplishments, Woghiren concluded: “At DP World we want to change what’s possible. We are committed to introducing the latest technology to enhance our proposition and our operations across the globe, but this is not just enhancing our customer experience and enabling growth – it is also allowing us to reduce the carbon emissions generated by our terminals and making them safer places to work and visit.

“This focus on innovation has allowed us to make huge strides in terms of improving the overall safety at our terminals and we will continue to enhance the safety features as we grow and evolve to meet the future needs of our customers and employees.”