Aktuell besprochene Fachthemen waren:

Erste Erfahrungen mit der Einführung der SOLAS-Bestimmung zur verifizierten Bruttomasse von Seecontainern und Handlungsmöglichkeiten der (Binnen-)Terminals die geforderte Bestimmung des tatsächlichen Containergewichts für Kunden anzubieten. Die in der AGORA-Gruppe zusammengeschlossenen Terminals, die in diesem Marktsegment tätig sind, haben dazu unterschiedliche organisatorische Abläufe und technische Einrichtungen bereits installiert oder planen dies in naher Zukunft zu tun.

Der Austausch über technisch-betriebliche Herausforderungen für den Terminal durch Tragwagen und Ladeeinheiten, die nicht normgerecht gebaut, nicht fachgerecht gewartet oder falsch bedient werden. Die Erkenntnisse sollen dokumentiert, hinsichtlich Relevanz klassifiziert und mit den Herstellen und Betreibern besprochen werden um Missstände abzustellen, Fehler und Schäden zu reduzieren und den Terminalumschlag zu verbessern.

Darüber hinaus wurden die „Dauerbrenner“ Sattelanhängerumschlag und Benchmarking von KV-Terminals besprochen.
Die Betreiber von KV-Terminals haben seit 2006 im Rahmen mehrerer Projekte eng zusammen gearbeitet und sich darüber ausgetauscht, wie die Kapazität, die Leistungsfähigkeit, die Effizienz und die Wirtschaftlichkeit von KV-Terminals verbessert werden kann („Good Practices“).

 Bereits seit 2011 wird diese gute Zusammenarbeit in Form einer permanenten Arbeitsgruppe – der Terminal Interest Group – AGORA weiter geführt. Zu den Aufgabe und Zielen zählen u.a.

1. Sukzessive Harmonisierung und – wenn möglich – Standardisierung von Prozessabläufen in KV-Terminals;
2. Definition der rechtlichen Position von KV-Terminals;
3. Entwicklung von standardisierten Kennzahlen-Sets (KPI);
4. Austausch über Innovationen bei Terminalbetriebssystemen und technischem Equipment;
5. Austausch über personalbezogene Themen wie Mitarbeiterauswahl, Qualifikationen und Schulungen;
6. Bedeutung der KV-Terminals in den logistischen Prozessketten besser herausarbeiten und vertreten;
7. Belange der KV-Terminals hinsichtlich des Datenaustauschs mit Partnern und Kunden verbessern;
8. Verfügbarkeit von marktrelevanten Informationen, die Transparenz und den Zugang zum intermodalen Transport für Dritte verbessern.

In AGORA mitarbeiten können grundsätzlich alle Betreiber von KV-Terminals in Europa. Weitere Informationen bietet die gemeinsame Internet-Plattform www.intermodal-terminals.eu.

Der Name AGORA leitet sich vom griechischen Marktplatz ab. Ähnlich wie im antiken Griechenland die neuesten Nachrichten und innovativsten Ideen auf dem Marktplatz diskutiert und entwickelt wurden funktioniert die Zusammenerbeit in der AGORA. Die Arbeit der Terminal Interest Group AGORA wird von einem Sekretariat unterstützt, das von KombiConsult GmbH, Frankfurt am Main betrieben wird.

In 2016, for being even more at your service, the direction of the port operations of the “Port autonome de Strasbourg” becomes RHINE EUROPE TERMINALS SAS (RET), subsidiary firm owned at 100% by the “Port autonome de Strasbourg”.

As from January 1st, 2016, the full and autonomous branch of the port operations activities, including in particular full and empty container handling, storage and repair, as well as heavy lift activities will be transferred to RET.

“RET will be in charge of the port operations of the Strasbourg North and South terminals, as well as of the port sites of Lauterbourg and Dalhunden” explains Lionel HUSSER, Deputy Port Operations Manager, Sales & Customer relations. He adds: “Your contact persons remain the same, as well as their address and phone/fax numbers. However, the ending of their Email addresses will change as from January 1st, 2016 as follow:
f.name@ret-strasbourg.com

The port was the last French port which incorporated the function of port authority, port operations and terminal handling within the same organisation. Port Autonome de Strasbourg – in 2016 through RET – is a member of the AGORA Terminal Interest Group.

The Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator (ITEC), by which KombiConsult, HaCon and thinkstep determine the specific energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from combined transport terminals as well as identify potential improvements, is now also audit compliant.

The European Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU, which has been implemented in e.g. Germany with the Energy Services Act (EDL-G) into national law, prescribes that non-SME companies have to carry out an energy audit by the EN16247-1 until 05.12.2015. By that most of the terminals in Germany and other European Member States are affected.

HaCon, KombiConsult and thinkstep therefore offer a CO2-analysis “of a piece”: Think Step has an equivalent qualification recognized by the BAFA who together with the professionals from HaCon and KombiConsult specialized in combined transport terminals and rail operations, can perform an energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247. By this combined expertise not only the legal minimum requirements are met, but the terminal also receives the functional analysis of all processes and its “CO2 footprint”. The latter include not only its own energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but in particular the interfaces to the associated transport operators. “According to experience, it is just the interfaces at which frictional losses occur that lead to increased consumption and negative environmental impacts, so that an integrated approach is necessary,” says Klaus-Uwe Sondermann of KombiConsult.

The Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator has already been used at six demonstration terminals and presented at the transport logistic in Munich to the professional public. While all the operational processes and their impact on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were already in the previous version, the current release also includes the business-related indicators. The result thus not only meets the requirements of DIN EN 16258, but is also certified to comply with audit needs of DIN EN16247.
ITEC has been developed and demonstrated under the European R & D project EcoHubs.

KombiConsult GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, is the specialist consulting firm in intermodal logistics solutions, www.kombiconsult.com

HaCon Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Hanover is a software and consulting company with a focus on multimodal solutions for rail traffic, www.hacon.de

Think Step AG, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, specializes in energy and environmental consultancy, www.thinkstep.com.

Contact:
KombiConsult GmbH
Klaus-Uwe Sondermann
Zum Laurenburger Hof 76
60594 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49 69 244 32 93 172
Fax +49 69 244 32 93 179
E-Mail usondermann@kombiconsult.com

The interactive platform of European intermodal terminals, presenting information on intermodal terminals, could be extended and now presents over 300 intermodal terminals of 24 European countries in a uniform high quality.

The interactive intermodal terminal database, which has been developed within the framework of the AGORA project and was launched in September 2010, offers a standardized access, presentation and information of intermodal terminals in Europe. It is the aim of KombiConsult to expand the database geographically and from the content perspective continuously. Next to the mapping of the location, contact details are displayed and users get access to infrastructural and operative indicators of the terminals. With an open layout and innovative features, KombiConsult, manager of the intermodal terminal database, was the first to provide a European platform for these important infrastructure installations.

KombiConsult seeks to keep the database updated and to extend furthermore. If terminal operators should miss “their” terminal or can provide updated information in the meanwhile, they are invited to request an entry or update via an integrated form.

Access to the interactive database and information on the respective intermodal terminals is provided at www.intermodal-terminals.eu/database.

In the AGORA group operators of important European intermodal terminals are working together in the continuous improvement of their terminals’ efficiency.

KombiConsult is an independent consultancy specialized in all aspects of intermodal transport.

Identification of the efficiency and performance of intermodal terminals is now possible for the first time, making use of the Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator (ITEC)

“Green” transport chains become more and more important. In this context, intermodal terminals are key drivers for competitiveness and sustainability of multimodal transport. However, within the calculation of the transport chains’ carbon footprint the terminals have been neglected so far.

The ecological efficiency and performance of intermodal terminals depends on layout, technology and operational processes. A realistic and detailed consideration of these parameters is now possible for the first time, making use of the “Intermodal Terminal Eco-Efficiency Calculator (ITEC)”. This tool has been developed by HaCon, KombiConsult and thinkstep (formerly PE International) within the scope of the EcoHubs project, co-funded by the EU.

ITEC allows for

• Calculating energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of intermodal rail/road terminals including all relevant operations;
• Identifying the terminal’s “hot spots”, i.e. the main energy consumers and processes;
• Pointing out the impact of “greening measures” already implemented and anticipates effects of planned measures.

ITEC has already been applied successfully to several European terminals. To receive further information, please contact:

     Mr Klaus-Uwe Sondermann, KombiConsult, usondermann@kombiconsult.com or
     Dr. Johannes Hildebrandt, HaCon, jan.hildebrandt@hacon.de

Please take also notice of the ITEC product sheet attached here:

ITEC factsheet