The assessment of market efficiency in the shipping sector: a new approach

The aim of this paper is to use an alternative measure of the efficiency of the different shipping industries, i.e. VLCC/ULCC (250000dwt), Suezmax (140000dwt), Aframax (80000dwt), which are the main carriers of crude oil, and Handymax (40000dwt), which carries the vast majority of clean (oil) products. The results of the theoretical analysis confirm that, under pure expectations theory, the larger vessels demonstrate higher volatility, as measured by the standard deviation, than the smaller vessels, thereby supporting the proposition that period freight rates do indeed appear to be perfect foresights of the future spot rates.     

The assessment of market efficiency in the shipping sector: a new approach

The aim of this paper is to use an alternative measure of the efficiency of the different shipping industries, i.e. VLCC/ULCC (250000dwt), Suezmax (140000dwt), Aframax (80000dwt), which are the main carriers of crude oil, and Handymax (40000dwt), which carries the vast majority of clean (oil) products. The results of the theoretical analysis confirm that, under pure expectations theory, the larger vessels demonstrate higher volatility, as measured by the standard deviation, than the smaller vessels, thereby supporting the proposition that period freight rates do indeed appear to be perfect foresights of the future spot rates.     

Port reform in Australia: regulation constraints on efficiency

Privatization and corporatization of ports in Australia has meant the transfer of government-owned monopolies to privately owned monopolies. This has required the introduction of a regulatory regime to protect the interests of users as in some cases the privatized terminal owner or operator is also a customer of that facility. A complex regulatory regime for ports at the commonwealth and state government levels has, as a result, been created. This has meant that pricing policies and reinvestment strategies are constrained by the regulator. Inefficiencies and disruptions are likely to occur. This paper examines the regulatory regimes in place—the role of the state government regulator, the Queensland Competition Authority, and that of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the national regulator. It will examine the impacts and constraints these have imposed on coal terminal expansion and operations. Recommendations have been made suggesting the transfer of state government ports to a single national regulator. This paper examines whether the proposed regulatory overhaul will resolve the dilemma of the Goonyella coal supply chain. It will argue that while regulation rationalization and overhaul will expedite the complex regulatory process, the solution lies with an integrated approach to the entire supply chain rather than the port focus.     

A DEA study of the efficiency of 122 iron ore and coal ports and of 15/17 countries in 2005

This paper, using data envelopment analysis, assesses the efficiency of 122 iron ore and coal ports in 2005. Estimates for 54 loading and 68 unloading ports show that the main source of inefficiency in bulk terminals is related to the scale. Results aggregated at a country level demonstrate that the national efficiency can be achieved either through a limited number of large ports or by combining smaller ports with complementary characteristics—national network effect.     

码头混凝土结构腐蚀损坏的成因分析及维护对策

日照港10万吨级煤炭出运码头于1986年5月投产使用。由于码头所处环境恶劣及建设时设计规范的局限性,目前煤码头混凝土构件已出现不同程度的腐蚀和损坏,其严重程度已影响到码头混凝土结构的耐久性,危及码头混凝土结构的安全,需进行全面维护整修。本文以该码头为例,对港工混凝土结构腐蚀损坏的成因及维护对策作一些分析、探讨。     

10年来港口码头建设发展综述

概述“九五”和“十五”期间港口建设情况,重点介绍集装箱码头、煤炭码头、石油码头、矿石码头、散粮码头和内河码头的建设发展。     

Panama Canal expansion: fuel economy and logistical risk

Since cargo capacity increases faster than fuel consumption, the significantly larger capacity fleets which will accompany expansion of the Panama Canal will introduce additional fuel economies and cost savings. Enabling larger, more fuel-efficient vessels to carry cargo the entire distance from Asia to US east-coast ports allows vessel operators to realize significant and meaningful savings compared with the alternatives of using smaller Panamax vessels for the whole distance, or sending the cargo over the US land bridge by train or truck. Fuel savings are quantified along with the monetary savings based on various assumptions for the price of fuel. These savings are dramatic and will increase directly with the price of crude petroleum. Finally, microeconomic theory is deployed to determine how cost savings will be distributed between shipping customers and vessel operators.     

台湾海峡外海港口项目的建设要点

随着海峡西岸经济区开发的加快进行,福建沿海港湾资源的布局正重新整合、调整,煤炭、原油、集装箱等能源、物流基础设施建设正全面展开。尽管海峡西岸具有海域条件良好的兴化湾、湄州湾、泉州港、厦门港等港湾,但随着海运船舶的大型化,港口工程向外海发展也成为趋势。由于特殊的水域条件,在台湾海峡外海建设港口项目有着特殊的要求。结合最近几年在海峡外海按照工程总承包模式建设的几个大型原油、散货码头工程,提出工程建设的经验和体会。     

我国沿海港口建设发展历程回顾

简要回顾55年来我国港口建设发展的历程及成就，总结沿海港口专业化集装箱码头、煤炭码头、原油码头以及矿石码头的建设发展，港口水工建筑物的建设发展与技术创新，港口施工技术及设备的发展与创新，提出未来几年港口建设的重点工作。     

铁矿石和煤炭码头生产电力消耗特点分析

铁矿石和煤炭是我国港口作业的主要货种,掌握铁矿石和煤炭码头生产电力消耗特点,有针对性地采取节能减排措施,将有利于促进港口节能减排目标的实现。根据某港新投入营运码头生产电力消耗统计数据,分析其生产电力消耗特点。     

Container terminal productivity: a perspective

The increasing competitiveness of the marine transportation industry has brought about demands that container terminal productivity be improved. MARAD, in cooperation with the National Research Council, has responded by developing a number of quantitative measurements for container terminal productivity. In this paper we discuss the problems and prospects of using such measurements to estimate or compare the productivity of terminals or ports. Because physical or institutional factors, or a combination of the two, act to limit the productivity of every container terminal, quantitative productivity comparisons among terminals or ports may lead to misplaced efforts to improve the productivity of particular operational elements in piecemeal fashion. By contrast, a sensible strategy for managing productivity would involve the linking of productivity and cost data, so that existing productivity constraints can be intelligently shifted from one area of operations to another.     

小门岛5万吨级煤码头工程潮流泥沙数模研究

使用TK-2D软件对小门岛5万吨级煤码头工程进行了研究,对港池开挖后的流速变化进行了分析,对泥沙回淤强度进行了预报。研究结果表明:(1)大、小门岛围垦工程及5万吨级煤码头港区开挖工程实施后,与现状情况相比,小门水道及开挖区涨、落潮流速普遍增加;(2)在大、小门岛围垦工程基础上5万吨级煤码头港区开挖后,与大、小门岛围垦工程情况相比,小门水道及开挖区涨、落潮流速减小;(3)港区开挖后,泥沙淤积不严重,开挖后水深能够维持住。     

40万吨级大型矿砂船对中国港口的影响及应对策略

为积极应对淡水河谷40万吨级超大型矿砂船对中国港口行业带来的挑战,从分析中国和淡水河谷铁矿石码头发展现状入手,从硬件设施、运输系统、码头布局等方面论述40万吨级大型船舶对中国港口行业发展的影响。提出应尽快启动布局规划研究、加强运输系统调整研究、完善相关管理、寻求合作共赢等应对策略,并给出相关政策建议。     

A break-even model for evaluating the cost of container ships waiting times and berth unproductive times in automated quayside operations

The planning, design and development of a container terminal with optimum size and capacity and with a minimum capital cost is fundamentally dependent upon the loading and discharging operations at the quayside. The quayside function of container terminals is dependent basically on the number of berths available to service the incoming container ships. The objective of the container terminals dealing and admitting the ongoing ship calls is to provide immediate berth and loading and discharging services to the container ships with a minimum costly waiting time and a maximum efficiency. Previously terminal planners used to build extra berths to provide service. During the last two decades the terminal operators have adopted automation technologies in loading and discharging operation of the container ships as an alternative to designing extra berths. Ship owners naturally expect least waiting times for their container ships. On the other hand, it is also natural for port operators in a container terminal with costly facilities to see a high berth occupancy and productivity at the quayside. This study uses queuing theory to find a break-even point as a way of evaluating the cost of container ship waiting times and the cost of berth unproductive service times for container terminals aiming to automate their quayside operation. The analysis illustrates that automation devices installed on conventional Quayside Cranes (QSCs) significantly reduce the turnaround time of the container ships calling at the ports. It argues, however, that there should be a balance between the cost of berth unproductive service times and the cost of vessel waiting times. The study introduces a break-even point to be considered as a benchmark for calculating such a balance. The analysis in this study can be used as a decision tool for the operators of container terminals in the medium to small ports to appraise the feasibility of an investment in automation or expansion of the quayside facilities.     

Which terminals should expand investment: a perspective of internal non-cooperative competition in a port?

ABSTRACT

With the increasing container cargo throughput and the arising of port congestion, container ports start to choose the investment expansion strategy to increase the port efficiency and then to figure out the problem of port congestion. To analyze this strategy, we formulate a non-cooperative game model for a two-terminals-one-port system, and derive the optimal equilibrium outcomes of the investment expansion strategy and investment constant strategy. In the game, we find that when the investment parameter of expansion strategy and impact of handling efficiency on demand changes, both pure-strategy Nash equilibrium and mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium exist, and two terminals are more likely to choose the investment expansion strategy in most cases. Numerical simulation is applied to explore the equilibrium strategy under different circumstance.     

The role of inland terminal development in the hinterland access strategies of Spanish ports

The aim of this paper is to understand how inland terminals are developed in relation both to ports and to other inland terminals within a national system.The paper builds on previous work developing inland terminal taxonomies and applies them to the Spanish case, with supplementary focus on the relations between the “dry port” and “extended gate” concepts. Theoretical contributions include both the importance of development direction (land-driven vs sea-driven) and the identification of an emerging spatial disparity in port development strategies between coastal and inland nodes.In Spain, ports retain an interest in inland terminals through minority shareholdings but they are not the primary investors. The principal ports using Spanish inland terminals are Barcelona and Valencia, both of which are also developing logistics zones within their ports. Furthermore, while the ports are developing closer IT links with these inland locations, this does not necessarily indicate greater than normal levels of cooperation. A study of the Spanish system thus raises questions about whether the increasing academic focus on “dry ports” actually signals any change in strategies of port development or intermodal terminal operation. Therefore the final aim of this paper is to question the use of the “dry port” terminology.     

珠江三角洲内河地区电厂采用自卸船码头方案的探讨

通过对珠江三角洲河网地区某电厂煤码头采用不同运输船型的比较设计，提出该区域电厂新建和改建码头采用自卸船码头的可行性与经济性，供同类码头设计时参考、借鉴.     

A game-theoretic analysis of competition among container port hubs: the case of Busan and Shanghai 1

Countries throughout the world, and especially within Asia, are investing heavily in container port infrastructure in the hopes of capturing a larger share of global shipping activity for their economies. Many existing ports are emphasizing developing the capacity to serve as a hub port, building deepwater berths with large terminals to facilitate transfer of containers from feeder ships to mother ships for intercontinental transport. We develop a game-theoretic best response framework for understanding how competitor ports will respond to development at a focus port, and whether the focus port will be able to capture or defend market share by building additional capacity. We apply this model to investment and competition currently occurring between the ports of Busan and Shanghai.     

船舶操纵模拟器在船舶通航安全评估中的应用

船舶日趋大型化，导致原有航道和港口不能满足大型船舶的安全通航或靠泊要求。针对转向频繁、转角大、掉头区域不足、水深较浅的高难度航道，在船舶操纵模拟器上实施大型船舶通航安全的模拟试验，并对结果进行评估，进而对狭航道的设计或改造工程进行验证，并提出通航安全方面的合理化建议。     

The impact of ship size on ports’ nautical costs

ABSTRACT

Much is known about transport costs at sea and costs made at terminals in ports. About costs, made by ports to provide nautical facilities (incl. infrastructure) and services, not much research is done yet. This paper estimates the impact of increasing ship sizes on costs made by the Port Authority of Amsterdam when providing nautical facilities and services by using hedonic pricing techniques. We have rather unique data on ship’s sizes and harbour dues paid per ship for over 25 years for ships that visited the Port of Amsterdam. Harbour dues paid are used as a proxy for the costs of nautical facilities and services. We have found nearly constant returns to scale, when volume is used as a measure of a ships’ size. An increase in average ship size with 1,000 tonnes deadweight will result in approximately €2 million additional yearly costs (an increase of the average ship size of six percent results in an increase of nautical costs with nearly the same percentage). Our results can be used by Port Authorities and port operators (in case of landlord ports) to estimate costs to be made for providing nautical facilities and services in the near future.