Container giants to stretch NZ docks

By ROB O'NEILL

Supersized container vessels due to enter service in 2002 are threatening a shakeout among local ports through reduced harbour calls and increased draught requirements.

P&O Nedlloyd and Contship Containerlines will between them introduce 10 of the new vessels capable of carrying 4100 6m containers, compared to a maximum of around 2700 now.

"These ships are considerably larger than the biggest ships we bring through, which are probably the largest container ships that come on to the New Zealand coast," said P&O Nedlloyd general manager of operations, Bernie Ryan.

"We need to talk to each of the port companies in turn in relation to berth lengths, crane heights and draughts. We are canvassing their views on their ability to handle these kinds of vessels."

Port of Tauranga chief executive Jon Mayson said that with fewer and bigger ships one could assume a reduction in port calls.

"That would have an impact on the ports that currently have those vessels calling. That particular service does not call here, but as the ships are 290m long some of the ports in New Zealand will be struggling.'


He said the ports not being called at could lose revenue if national cargoes were centralised by road or rail.

But if such centralisation was by coastal shipping, those ports would still have the cargo movement. They might then only experience a minimal reduction in vessel revenue.

Mr Ryan said there will be an increased focus on vessel turnaround. The current ships have a two- or three-day buffer built into their schedules, but this will disappear to gain a return on the high level of capital invested in the new vessels.

"We obviously have to use them far more efficiently. There will be some more pressure on the infrastructure to get these through more quickly," Mr Ryan said.

Draught requirements will also be an issue. Some ports may not be able to handle the ships and others may be required to undertake costly dredging.

Mr Ryan was not prepared to specify which ports were likely to be affected.

Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey said there had been a trend towards a smaller number of larger ship calls for several years, but the latest generation vessels represented a "quantum increase" in size and capacity.

He said the ships would be a logistical challenge with higher exchanges with more containers being unloaded and loaded for each call. Their depth requirement could have an impact on the configuration of the port, though actual measures of the ships' draught requirements were not yet available. The extension to Axis Fergusson, however, would cater to the vessels.

The huge vessels could also be capable of being worked by three or even four cranes at a time.

Discussions were under way with the shipping companies to meet their requirements.

Mr Ryan said the vessels were due to arrive the first quarter of 2002. It would take a year to introduce all 10 and phase out the old vessels.