Southampton Container Terminals

Source: Energy Digital

Date :11/04/2008 16:01:27

With increasing levels of traffic using UK ports, Campbell Mason, Managing Director at Southampton Container Terminals (SCT), explains the changes taking place to meet demand

Written by Amelia Williams and Produced by Alex Smith

It’s an exciting time of change and expansion at SCT, as the number of vessels increase and the company awaits the delivery of two brand new super post-panamax gantry cranes with an impressive outreach over vessels 22 containers wide.

These cranes represent an investment of over £10 million, and are only a small part of the changes the company is undertaking, as Campbell Mason, Managing Director at SCT since April 2007, explains.

The company - the second largest container terminal in the UK - is responsible for 27 percent of all the UK’s containers and it is its eagerness to expand which makes SCT equipped for dealing with larger vessels. It is directly involved with the ‘double digit growth’ in trade coming in from the Far East, as well as moderate growth in Atlantic trades; the US, Canada and the Caribbean, for example.

This growing customer base and the company’s investments in cutting edge technology have resulted in some impressive figures illustrating the growth of its trade over the last year.

For example, the company handled 1.9 million TEU (20 foot equivalent units) in 2007, which represented a massive 27 percent rise from the previous year. A closer look at the company’s commitment and ethics makes this incredible growth easier to understand.

Growing footprint

What is most striking about SCT is the conscientiousness with which they accept the responsibility that comes with growth and expansion; a responsibility to elevate the experience of their growing customer base, to maintain a working environment of ‘sustainable productivity’ and to be the ‘employer of choice’ in encouraging and developing careers through on-the-job training. The company also takes pride in how seriously it undertakes its responsibility towards the environment as well as to the local community and charities.

Campbell explains how, as well as new cranes and development of wider rails to accommodate them, the company is making changes in order to meet increasing demand from suppliers and improve the customer experience.

“We took on 23.5 acres last year as additional footprint, which is approximately a ten percent expansion in yard area. We also acquired 15 new straddle carriers. We took on about 100 new members of staff in the operational functions, a combination of direct employees and contractors. We carried out civil work on the quay to build in a third crane rail to prepare for the delivery of our two new cranes this summer.”

Further work is being undertaken to increase the level of productivity at the terminal, and the company is working with the Government and other private partners on a rail gauge expansion project to accommodate a trend towards greater use of high cube containers. At a whole foot higher than the standard 8.6 foot containers, these allow more efficient use of transport, helping both the finances of the cargo owner and the impact on the environment.

The project will involve civil works on various points of the railway line including the lowering of the line through the Southampton Tunnel, and it will soon be possible to transport greater numbers of these high cube containers on standard rail wagons. The work to the rail is being carried out by Network Rail and is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

SCT recognises that as well as increasing equipment and infrastructure, they need to encourage young people to join the industry too, in order to keep up with expansion.

They offer a four-year advanced modern apprenticeship in Engineering Maintenance with on-the-job training and support in what is becoming an increasingly global industry, with opportunities both for people coming into the UK from abroad and people looking to move abroad for work. The company strives to create an environment and conditions of work to help SCT achieve their aim of being the ‘employer of choice’.

Environmental Awareness

With such exciting changes happening all the time regarding the development of the company, they have had to take on extra measures to make sure they do their bit towards protecting the environment.

Campbell explains how, besides the recycling of paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, batteries and concrete, the company has a number of other environmental initiatives in place.

“We use non CFC sprays where we can; we generate electricity through the crane operation which is then fed back into the national grid and we’ve purchased low emission minibuses to transport the staff around - in particular the dockers going down each day to work the cranes. Also coming in is low sulphur fuel for the straddle carriers.”

Container terminals have never been heavy polluters, he explains, but the company is still doing its best to decrease pollution levels even further, taking measures to regulate traffic flow of lorries going in and out of the site, for example.

Community spirit

The company also has an excellent reputation for their involvement with the community, and with a variety of local charities. They recently donated a total of £50,000 to three different charities; Naomi House Children’s Hospice, The Marine Society & Sea Cadets and Piam Brown Children’s Ward.

Jill Livingstone, who represents one of the charities who benefits from SCT’s conscientious and responsible attitude, says: “We are delighted with this wonderful donation from Southampton Container Terminals. Naomi House relies on the generosity of people in the community to continue its work. This type of support allows us to provide crucial care services, free of charge, to children and their families who need it most.”

Campbell says: “It is pleasing to know that our donations will help these charities carry on with the vital work they do in our local community for the benefit of people in need.”

Along with the growth of this company, what is also evident throughout everything they do is an air of sustainability. The future should be bringing exciting things for Campbell and everyone at SCT.

Campbell concludes by speaking of broader expansion programmes which the company is making plans for going forward. These include expansion of the terminals, and conversion from the traditional straddle carriers to ASC (automated stacking cranes).

“We’re looking to enhance our productivity and operational efficiency where we can,” concludes Campbell. If they weren’t constantly looking for ways to improve and develop then, as he puts it, “we wouldn’t be doing our job properly.”

Click here to view the corporate brochure on Southampton Container Terminals