APM Terminals emerges third-biggest global terminal operator
APM Terminals, a leading container terminal operator in Nigeria, has emerged the world third-biggest container terminal operator, after PSA International and Hutchison Ports Holdings, with its equity Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) and portfolio terms, said Drewry’s Annual Review of Global Container Terminal Operators.
A breakdown of the ranking and its indices show that PSA International handles 50.9 million TEUs, representing 8.2 percent market share of world throughput; Hutchison Ports Holdings handles 44.8 million TEUs, which is 7.2 percent of world throughput; while APM Terminals handles 33.7 million TEUs, representing 5.4 percent share of world throughput.
DP World, which emerged the world fourth-biggest player in container handling operations, controls 33.4 million TEUs or 5.4 percent share of world throughput; COSCO Group, the fifth-biggest player, handles 17.0 million TEUs, equivalent to 2.7 percent of world throughput; while Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), the sixth in the world, controls 13.5 million TEUs, representing 2.2 percent of world throughput.
Further breakdown shows that China Shipping Terminal Development Limited took the seventh position with 8.6 million TEUs representing 1.4 percent of world throughput; and Hanjin, the eighth-biggest terminal operator, handles 7.8 million TEUs, equivalent to 1.3 percent of world throughput.
Evergreen, the ninth-biggest player in the world, handles 7.5 million TEUs representing 1.2 percent of world throughput; while Eurogate took the 10 position with 6.5 million TEUs representing 1.0 percent of world throughput.
According to Drewry’s Annual Review, DP World and APM Terminals are most active in terms of acquisitions, divestments and Greenfield developments while Hutchison is moderately active and PSA less. ICTSI and TIL are also particularly active in terms of portfolio expansion. This is because of clear focus on growth opportunities in emerging markets by those global/international terminal operators which are expanding.
Several players including China Merchants, Gulftainer, Bolloré and Yildirim that are not currently categorised by Drewry as global and international terminal operators are growing fast and have a strong appetite for international expansion. Others such as GPI, SAAM Ports, Ultramar and Ports America are also making selected expansions or seeking to acquire. Certain key financial and infrastructure investors are also active, notably GIP and Mitsui.
Neil Davidson, report editor, said that within the global terminal operator club there are widely varying strategies and levels of activity, showing that some operators are very active with their portfolios whilst others are seeing little change.
He said that more mergers and acquisition activity is highly likely to happen, especially in carrier-owned portfolios, noting that there are a number of aggressive new players, some of which will soon qualify as global and international operators.
In another development, the management of APM Terminals Apapa Limited is perfecting plans to move the current physical examination bay to a part of the terminal that has recently been paved as part of the $135 million phase III upgrade of the facility. This is to create a more conducive environment for its customers and Customs officers to execute their duties.
Andrew Dawes, managing director of APMT Apapa, said the temporary relocation would last till the on-going work on the $10 million (about N1.6 billion) permanent multi-level racking system for physical examination being built by the company was completed by the second quarter of next year.
“The more permanent solution to physical examination at the terminal will be the revolutionary multi-level racking system the company will deploy in the second quarter of 2014. The current open area being used for examination is because an earlier examination bay built for that purpose at the cost of $4 million in 2010 could not be used by Customs due to process variance,” he explained.
APM Terminals Apapa recently received five new rubber-tyre gantry cranes out of 10 RTGs proposed in the third phase terminal upgrade. The five new RTGs will be commissioned before the end of this month while the remaining five RTGs will be delivered in November, enabling the terminal to convert from the use of reach stackers to the more efficient RTG operation.
The 10 RTGs were manufactured by Konecranes in China and are equipped with a laser stack profiling system to reduce the risk of loaded containers being knocked off stacks and they also have an advanced system to reduce fuel consumption. They will replace 22 reach stackers now in service, although five will remain at the terminal for use with rail movements. This will convert the yard to RTGs and will increase the terminal’s container throughput from about 650,000 to 1.2 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) per year.
By: Uzoamaka Anagor