On 21 September, the Holland Onion Association (HOA) summoned its members to consider container shipping onions through the port of Vlissingen. This meeting was organised under the direction of Zeeland Connect, in cooperation with the project’s partners: Zeeland Seaports, Kloosterboer and Topsector Logistiek.
Rinus Wisse, Rob Smit (TOP Onions), and Mike de Koster (WDK Onions)
Zeeland Connect is a logistics collaboration between entrepreneurs, government and education, and has as its goal reinforcing logistics in Zeeland. The starting point is the logistics idea that the right products are delivered to the correct destination at the correct time at minimal costs. Various speakers, including the chairman of HOA Gijsbrecht Gunter, deputy Jo-Annes de Bat and Erwin Salemink spoke.
Synchro modality
Erwin Salemink of Zeeland Connect opened with a short explanation of the concept of synchro modality: optimally flexible and sustainable use of various transport modalities in a network under direction of a logistics service provider, so that the customer (shipper or forwarder) is offered an integrated solution for his (hinterland) transportation. Simply put, it is a collaboration between various logistics providers on land and water. Jo-Annes de Bat emphasises the importance of logistics and cooperation. “How can you work together to strengthen the sector as a whole? Are you going to do that alone, or will you grant others something so that everyone can benefit from cooperation? In which part of the chain can you add value together?”
Fred Compeer of Kloosterboer
Erwin Salemink gave some figures: 80 per cent of Dutch onion processing takes place in Zeeland , 95 per cent of which is meant for export to 120 countries. In order to export this mountain of onions, it is important to optimise logistics processes. The ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp are busy ports that have long waiting times. They are further removed from the Zeeland packers, and it is therefore more expensive to load and unload in these ports. Furthermore, service in the port of Vlissingen is very efficient due to short lines.
Erwin Salemink
Salemink talked about the current developments in the field of container export from Vlissingen. “Last week (9 September 2016) we had a CMA ship loading in port that was 230 metres long. Ninety containers of onions were loaded. It was the largest container ship to ever call at the port of Vlissingen, but due to the increasing use of containers, it is expected that this is only the beginning. The rotation of the weekly service of CMA-CGM is Dunkirk - Tilbury - Antwerp - Vlissingen - Dunkirk - Le Havre - Montoir - Tanger Med - Algeciras - Dakar - Abidjan - Dakar - Algeciras - Dunkirk. The service is executed with six ships of 3,400 to 3,800 teu with 500 to 600 reefer connections.”
Lijn Moerdijk of MSP in conversation with Jean Ruinard of Zeeland Seaports
‘Panicked container’
Besides the direct line of CMA-CGM, the ‘Vlissingen concept’ transports containers by barge to Rotterdam or Antwerp. The travelling time is 12 or four hours, respectively. “Between arrival, unloading and departing with an empty container, the barge will only be docked in Vlissingen for about 10 minutes,” according to Salemink. More and more shipping companies produce rates for shipping ‘from Vlissingen.’ Since the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) was implemented — which is signing in the exact weight of the container 48 hours in advance — last minute bookings are occurring increasingly less often. However, voices from the room indicated that shipping companies can still be somewhat flexible, allowing ‘panicked containers’ to be docked within those 48 hours. “Shipping companies want to fill up a ship as well, and are therefore supposed to be flexible,” according to one of the persons present.
Mike de Koster (WDK), Lennie van Houte (Van Houte) and Lindert Moerdijk (MSP Onions)
The port of Vlissingen has as the advantage that there is a good circulation of traffic in relation to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. In Vlissingen, empty reefer containers of practically all of the shipping companies are widely available and can be loaded directly. Turning in a full container means returning with an empty one. Reefer containers are optimally in use, because empty import containers are being reused for export. Another advantage over the port of Antwerp is that the Belgian toll collection means additional charges. The maximum weight of vehicle combinations is 44 tonnes in Belgium and 50 tonnes in the Netherlands. That also provides a benefit.
Jozé and Dignus Boone (Bowa) and Henk Jansen (Arjazon)
Time and flexibility
Advantages can be achieved especially with time and flexibility in Vlissingen. Up to eight containers can be delivered by lorry per day against two, or at most three, containers in Rotterdam or Antwerp. The ‘Vlissingen concept’ for container transport per barge is an integral solution for containers of all shipping companies and to all destinations. The onion export in Vlissingen goes through a limited number of shipping companies: CMA-CGM, Hambürg Sud, Hapag Lloyd, Maersk and MSC.
Salemink showed a cost comparison of Antwerp/Rotterdam versus Vlissingen after having listed all of the advantages of the port of Vlissingen. The road transport to the terminal and the transport to Antwerp or Rotterdam would be between €275 and €300, while it would only be between €75 and €100 for Vlissingen.
Gijsbrecht Gunter and Jo-Annes de Bat
Transporters in the room could not agree, because loading, transporting and unloading a container easily takes up two hours. One hour costs €65, which means the price for Vlissingen would amount to €130. If you then add the cost for a barge shuttle from Vlissingen at €150, the financial benefit would only be a few tenners per container. That is therefore a discussion that still needs to be had.
Leo Lagendijk of Zeeland Seaports in a lively conversation
However, as said before, Vlissingen is mostly profitable due to time and flexibility. “For packers and exporters who have their own transport the situation is completely different, because they could use their ‘idle hours’ to quickly bring a few containers to Vlissingen,” explained Chayene Wiskerke of Wiskerke Onions, which has its own fleet of lorries. “From Nieuwdorp it is only a ten-minute drive, meaning you could be back in 30 minutes for the next container, and from Kruiningen it could be done in 1.5 hours,” said Lindert Moerdijk of MSP Onions, who is also a fervent supporter of the ‘Vlissingen concept’ and who by now ships 98 per cent of his containers through Vlissingen.
Discussion between Erwin Salemink (Zeeland Connect), Gijsbrecht Gunter (HOA), Rinus Wisse (TOP Onions) and Marien Klaassen (Traveo)
After the explanation of Samelink, Rinus Wisse of TOP and Marien Klaassen of transport company Traveo, were invited to talk about their practical experience of Vlissingen. Wisse said: “It will not make you rich, but it is a valuable supplement to Rotterdam and Antwerp.” He also points out the advantages gained from flexibility, communication and time. TOP uses Vlissingen for 60 to 70 per cent, and the rest is still done via Antwerp and Rotterdam. Furthermore, he says it is ideal that supply can be delivered in Vlissingen on Thursday and Friday. “Because eight containers can be supplied per day, the product quickly leaves the packing station, which means more space in the packing station, which is advantageous logistics-wise.”
Delegate Jo-Annes de Bat
When asked what stops people from shipping in Vlissingen, the answer is that it brings about a change in the company process, which is something that you want to examine. Chayene Wiskerke indicates that, in return, you get back a lot of flexibility. “Try it for a period and see what you get in return. In any case, Wiskerke Onions is satisfied with the cooperation with Vlissingen, and now ships more than 90 per cent of its containers via Vlissingen.”
Mayor of Reimerswaal Piet Zoon in conversation with Chayenne Wiskerke
The sorting companies present, which do not do their own exporting, definitely showed an interest in the ‘Vlissingen concept,’ but indicated that they first need to discuss it with their customers (exporters), because they book with various shipping companies. They could still profit from flexibility and logistics advantages in terms of finished product. Sorting capacities nowadays mean that space in packing stations is also valuable to many.
Jacco Weststrate of MSP
Because of the ‘Vlissingen concept,’ 1,500 tonnes of CO2 is already being saved, as well as 1.5 million kilometres of road. Those sustainability aspects are interesting, but do not yet sufficiently translate into financial gains, according to the participants. “Yet this aspect should also be considered,” says Gijsbrecht Gunter. “More and more buyers are making demands on this aspect, and this could be a deciding factor for certain buyers, besides the financial and logistics advantages of the ‘Vlissingen concept.’”
Henk and Boudewijn Jansen (Arjazon) and Rene Vanwersch (Mulder Onions)
For more information:
Zeeland Seaports
Jean Ruinard
Tel: + 31 6 40 72 33 46
jean.ruinard@zeelandseaports.com
Writer: Andries Gunter
Source: www.agf.nl