Millennium Conferences International

Visions of the future
Containerisation has evolved over the last fifty years and the need for greater capacity and efficiency
in ports and terminals around the world is becoming an increasingly pressing and challenging issue 
for terminal operators and shipping lines. Increased global trade has led to congestion in ports and terminals and the quest is now to maximise every available space. Having learned from the past, operators are now proposing plans for new container terminals that are strategically located and 
able to cater for current and future growth.

Opening conference
Millennium Conferences International, UK

For the first 6 months of the year container traffic in the Port of Antwerp was up 15%. Some argue that the Deurganck dock gave a boost to this growth but the Port of Antwerp has more to offer.
Speaker to be announced, Port of Antwerp, Belgium

In 2006, total throughput at Bremen’s ports rose by approximately 19% to 64.6 million tonnes, a far sharper increase than in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp. This increase has added fresh impetus to the already optimistic mood at the quays and there are already plans for a new container terminal.
Stefan Henke, Port Development & Strategy, bremenports, Germany

Modifications and optimisation of the outer contour line of the Maasvlakte 2 project have resulted in a design with an expected current pattern along the coast being more favourable than in the present situation from a nautical point of view.
Cees Klaver, Senior Port Planner, Maasvlakte 2 Project - Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

The need for extra port infrastructure is ongoing, especially in the container trade. The UK continues to resolve congestion in the Hamburg - Le Havre range with plans for new transshipment terminals.
Speaker to be announced, UK Port/Terminal

Increasing capacity & productivity
When designing (or expanding) a port or terminal much thought will be given to capacity and 
productivity. But the latter is a must as ports and terminals are given new opportunities to comply 
with an ever increasing and demanding industry. Although the financial implications for the 
increased capacity have to be evaluated, a comparison is needed to look at the alternative costs 
of investing in additional or improved cargo handling equipment.

Port & terminal planning
The design of bigger and better terminals to accommodate the latest generation of container ships
is impacted by a wide range of environmental and budgetary constraints and in some cases 
proposed expansion plans for ports and terminals has been turned down on the basis of 
environmental concerns. To balance these needs is a challenge that the industry is meeting head 
on, but will the costs involved outweigh the returns and are there lessons to be learned?