Sunday, January 27, 2008

Container cargo crazy

...Ms. Brooks described container capacity as a "bit of a moving target. … If you make your terminal 24-7 … if you develop different systems for handling cargo on the terminal or by crane, you can expand capacity beyond what its initial design rating is for.
"So there are many ways to actually alter capacity of an existing facility before one actually hits the wall and has to build new." However, Ms. Brooks noted that when she was an adviser for an Atlantic Provinces Economic Council study "one of the conclusions we drew at that time was all it takes is a couple of (shipping) companies to change their business model and all of a sudden you don’t have capacity." But investing in terminals is not done based simply on the thought that some shipping lines may change their ports of call.
SSA Marine of Seattle, a major international transportation company being courted as Melford’s terminal operator, said last summer it would decide on its involvement in Melford by the end of 2007.
A company spokesman said in a recent interview that SSA’s involvement is still under review.
Ms. Brooks said with the North American economy showing signs of slowing down, it’s not the time to rush into these types of projects....



Source

No comments: