TOC Bulk Ports & Technology seminar to be held in Rotterdam, June 25-26
TOC Bulk Ports & Technology, the newest addition to the TOC Events family of maritime logistics and supply chain conferences, makes its European debut on 25-26 June 2013 at the Ahoy Centre, Rotterdam, the Company said in a media release. Co-located with the TOC Container Supply Chain Europe Conference and Exhibition, the free-to-attend 2-day seminar assembles experienced practitioners and analysts to explore latest developments in dry bulk shipping, handling and port technology.
As trading nations exploit their comparative advantages, dry bulk commodities are being shipped over greater distances from source to destination. Ports and terminals both in exporting and receiving nations are a critical component of the modern bulk cargo supply chain, tasked to load and unload large commodity carriers ever more swiftly and efficiently. At the same time, greater concern for a port’s immediate environment is driving the adoption of cleaner handling techniques and dust suppression systems.
However, while significant progress has been made in optimising container terminal operations, relatively little attention has been directed to bulk ports. Bulk terminals are faced with the challenge of maximising efficiency both along the quayside and in the yard in order to minimise vessel handling times. Moreover, many complexities and uncertainties involved in bulk port operations can potentially disrupt the normal functioning of the port and require quick real time actions that need to be considered at the planning level.
The challenges of cleaner handling, environmental and energy management loom large in the Rotterdam debate, including presentations from Wim Dillen, Senior Business Development Manager at Port of Antwerp and Prof.dr.ir. Gabriel Lodewijks, from Delft University of Technology’s Department of Maritime & Transport Technology.
Simon Brett, Deputy Port Manager for Grimsby & Immingham at Associated British Ports will give a view on managing the transition from coal to biomass handling – one of the major challenges faced by ports worldwide as the global utility sector seeks to replace fossil fuel-driven power plants to alternative sources of fuel. Other perspectives on bulk supply chain trends and the impact for port handling efficiency come from Tim Borteel, Commercial Manager, Bulk Business, Benelux & France for Euroports and Dr. George K. Vangelas, Advisor to the Chairman & Managing Director at Thessaloniki Port Authority in Greece.
Moving outside the ‘four walls’ of the port, Arjen van Bruchem, Business Developer/Project Manager, Heavy Industry & Logistics for Royal Haskoning DHV will discuss optimising sea-hinterland connections, looking at trends and business drivers, logistic determinants and optimisation methods.
Developments in bulk handling technology and information technology will also be explored in-depth, with speeches from DBIS, Liebherr, Phoenix Products and Total Soft Bank. Rounding out the discussion will be a review of insurance risks for bulk terminals by Laurence Jones, Director of Global Risk Assessment at leading port and terminal insurer the TT Club.
“Following its launch at TOC CSC Asia in March, TOC Bulk Ports & Technology has already established itself as a high-quality seminar for the global dry bulk terminal industry,” said Sam Whelan, Conference Producer for TOC Events.
About TOC Worldwide
For nearly 40 years, TOC Worldwide has provided the market-leading conference and exhibition forums for the global port and terminal industries and their customers. With a change of name to TOC Container Supply Chain, the TOC event portfolio is now evolving fast to attract a wider audience of container supply chain professionals.
Taking place each year in the world’s four key shipping hubs – Europe, Middle East, Americas and Asia – each TOC is now a complete container supply chain event for its region, bringing together cargo owners, logistics providers, carriers, ports, terminals and other key members of the container supply chain to learn, debate, network and foster new business solutions.