The release of Modern Terminal's fourth Sustainability Report, covering the period 2018/19, reveals the local port operator’s heterogeneous approach to the project.
Technology features highly in bids for greater, greener, sustainable productivity. But the company's decision to integrate its operations with its fellow port operators in Hong Kong, through the Hong Kong Seaport Alliance, has also had a major impact.
Group managing director, Horace Lo, notes in his introduction:
“The implementation of HKSPA commenced in April 2019 and has already brought a number of benefits to the industry, including a 50% reduction in inter-terminal trucking through the introduction of the dedicated “home berth” arrangements for shipping alliances and shipping lines. In September, we launched new barge initiatives to improve the turnaround time of barge voyages, enhance slot utilisation, simplify administration, and provide the barge community with more flexibility to incentivise barge operators to expand their operations and achieve economies of scale.”
Mr Lo maintains that the HKSPA will also help reduce carbon emissions and facilitate faster deployment of new technologies to make the Port of Hong Kong a “smart and green port.”
Modern Terminals has been tackling the problem of greenhouse gas emissions so aggressively over the last ten years, to the point that current technologies are unable to lower emissions further. Over the past decade Modern Terminals has achieved a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 10kg per teu or below.
Over the past two years covered by the Sustainability Report the operator has pioneering initiatives including the first pyre electric-powered tractor operating at the terminals in Hong Kong. At the DaChan Bay terminal in southern China the company became the first container terminal to introduce shore power at all berths.
Getting a measure of company culture came to the fore for Modern Terminals last year. The third culture survey revealed improvements in a number of aspects. Mr Ho noted: “We are mindful not to be complacent and acknowledge that cultural initiatives should be long-term and ongoing.”
Finally, reaching out to the community has reaped results with new participants joining the Terminals' Summer Fitness Programme every year.
Mr Ho concluded, Going forward, we will continue our efforts to make HKSPA a great success benefiting all stakeholders and contributing to the economy of Hong Kong. We will continue to actively participate in the Greater Bay Area development which, as mentioned in our 2015-17 report, is crucial to our business growth. We will of course continue our efforts to enhance sustainability in different areas of our business.”
Source:
hongkongmaritimehub
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