About 30 ferries a week and a full train schedule in the Combi Terminal – the North Harbour’s premiere has exceeded expectations! A few things have required some fine-tuning, but on the whole the move to the new terminals has been successful.
It was on 16 May that Norra Hamnen – the North Harbour – in Malmö received the first RoPax ferries and combi traffic by rail. Since then some 25 to 30 ferries a week have called at CMP’s new RoRo terminal while about 40 units a day are being handled at the Combi Terminal, where freight is shifted between ships and trains.
“The move to the North Harbour has exceeded our expectations,” Bart Steijaert, the head of CMP’s port and terminal operations, says. “It’s unusual to get such a large terminal up and running straight away, but we have succeeded. And we have also received some positive feedback from customers such as Finnlines and TX-Logistik, who have moved with us to the new facilities.”
He also tell us they needed to do some “fine-tuning”, in particular, to the Autogate, the new automated access control system for the North Harbour. The system scans and identifies freight and lorries – a process which takes a bit of time to adjust. CMP intends to conduct a general review of the flows in and out of the port area while seeking to minimise the risks of queues forming.
The move has shifted a lot of the lorry traffic out of central Malmö. And the ferries no longer come as close to the city centre, but moor at the new terminal, which is significantly further out.
“We have not had that many reactions from the local authority or from Malmö’s residents about this,” Bart Steijaert says, “but there’s definitely a big difference, especially for those who live next to the “dock” in Malmö. In the past a RoRo ferry used to come in here and head out again at about two in the morning, but the residents won’t have to experience that any more.”
In September the last terminal will go into operation. This is the container terminal, where the new STS crane is currently being assembled. At the time of writing, mid-June, the vertical part of the crane is in place. Still to be mounted is the beam, i.e. the part that goes out across the quay and lifts the containers. The technology is ultra-modern and the crane is packed with electronics, ensuring a fast and smooth operation.
“And the crane actually produces some energy. When the containers are lowered electrical energy is reproduced, which can be fed back into the grid. The crane reproduces about 25 per cent of its own power consumption,” Bengt-Olof Jansson, CMP’s head of technology, says.
When fully assembled, the crane will be tested and trialled for a couple of weeks. CMP will also be arranging a major training session.
“Our crane operators, mechanics and electricians will be going on customised training programmes to ensure that they are familiar with the new technology when the crane is taken into use,” Bengt-Olof Jansson says.
Structural improvements
He also tells us that the City of Malmö will be taking some measures to facilitate rail traffic to and from the new harbour. There are currently a number of level crossings with no barriers or warning lights. This affects both rail and road traffic and increases the risk of queues and disruptions to traffic.
“By the first quarter of 2012 barriers and lights will have been installed at all level crossings, which will halve the crossing time at these locations,” Bengt-Olof Jansson says.
The City of Malmö, the Swedish Transport Administration and CMP are also running a joint project aimed at exploring potential improvements to the infrastructure for road and rail traffic in Malmö. After an initial analysis, the aim is to introduce an improvement programme that will be implemented gradually over many years.
“The goal is to cut waiting times, speed up goods flows and ensure that trains are able to get out onto the mainline rail network faster,” Bengt-Olof Jansson says.