Development of Ports in Saurashtra and Kutch Region: An Economic Analysis

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Understanding the Economic Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Policies on Shipping : What Is the State of the Art of Current Modeling Approaches?

The International Maritime Organization's initial strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships stipulates that the international shipping sector should assess the impacts on states prior to adoption of the mitigation measures included in the strategy. This assessment should be undertaken as a matter of urgency, and disproportionately negative impacts should be assessed and addressed as appropriate. This paper aims to contribute to this discussion by reviewing the state-of-the-art research on the economic impacts of greenhouse gas mitigation measures on states, using model-based analysis. Specifically, the paper: (i) identifies four areas of economic impacts and their relationships, (ii) compiles the latest findings on the estimated magnitudes of these impacts, and (iii) presents relevant modeling approaches along with best practices for selecting and applying these approaches in impact assessments. The paper concludes that introducing greenhouse gas mitigation measures, such as carbon prices applied to bunker fuels in the range of 10 to 50 USD/ton of carbon dioxide, might increase maritime transport costs by 0.4 percent to 16 percent. However, this would only marginally increase the import prices of goods (by less than 1 percent). For transport choices, the increased cost of maritime transport induced by greenhouse gas mitigation measures might only slightly reduce the share of maritime transport, by 0.16 percent globally. Furthermore, a global carbon tax applied to all transport modes might stimulate a shift toward maritime transport from all other modes. The impacts of a carbon price in the range of 10 to 90 USD/ton of carbon dioxide on national economies are expected to be modest (-0.002 percent to -1 percent of GDP). Document type: Boo

Port pricing : principles, structure and models

Price level and price transparency are input to shippers’ choice of supply chain and transport mode. In this paper, we analyse current port pricing structures in the light of the pricing literature and consider opportunities for improvement. We present a detailed overview of pricing criteria, who sets prices and who ultimately foots the bill for port-of-call charges, cargo-handling fees and congestion charges. Current port pricing practice is based on a rather linear structure and fails to incorporate modern pricing tools such as price differentiation or revenue management. Consequently, ports apply neither profit maximising pricing nor pricing designed to exploit available capacity more efficiently

Analysis of container throughput: Demand forecast and seaport competitiveness assessment

Seaports play a crucial role in the container industry, where they act as important nodes in the transport chain to facilitate international trade. In a competitive market, port capacity plays a significant role in defining its competitive position to attract demand and avoid congestion. Failing to provide suitable capacity results in the loss of market share. Therefore, port decision-makers face the challenge of maintaining and developing suitable port facilities to provide efficient services to port users. One of the aspects that decision-makers consider in the planning and development process is analyzing container demand. The analysis of container demand can be challenging due to the dynamic changes in international trade, port location and accessibility, competition from other ports in the same geographic region, and port selection behavior of shippers and liner companies. This dissertation focuses on analyzing container demand; specifically, it has two main objectives: Forecasting short-term container demand and assessing the competitiveness position of the port. To forecast demand, the univariate time series stochastic approach is applied based on the methodology of Box-Jenkin, and because it only requires the historical container throughput. The developed model is used to forecast container demand of Jeddah port. The proposed model provides accurate forecasts with a confidence interval of 93 Percent. The systematic forecasting approach provides the ability to update and apply the methodology continuously in the future. To assess port competitiveness, spatial interaction models (SIM) are applied to estimate the impact of port performance, hinterland accessibility, and geographic location on the container flow. Both temporal and spatial data are collected for the four major ports in Saudi Arabia, which are analyzed in the case studies and SIM calibrations. The analyses performed in this study revealed that port users, as the results of modernization and privatization of the transport sector of the country, are provided with feasible port alternatives to efficiently transport freight, leading to fierce inter-port competition. The analysis also reveals that maritime connectivity of ports located in the Red Sea have a competitive advantage that allow them to attract more container flow and reach further hinterland regions when freight rates increase. This is due to their strategic location in the major maritime shipping routes. However, the availability of railway connectivity provides cheaper inland alternative that restricts the importance of maritime accessibility. This dissertation should be of interest to policy and port-decision makers. The applied forecast model is important in the planning phase of resource allocation and facility improvements because it provides a reliable instrument to obtain insight into the future demand. The assessment of port competition helps decision-makers in evaluating the impact of port strategies by understanding the competitive position of the ports. Recognizing the scarcity of systematic research on Saudi Arabian seaports suggests that these forms of forecast analysis and competitive assessment will benefit the port sector in the country

Enhancing productivity in a container terminal through a systems approach: a case study of the Port of Durban.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Ports and container terminal processes are vital constituents contributing to the economy of a country. The management of these facilities, including operational productivity advancement strategies, are critical for a port’s competitiveness. A systems approach, with a focus on causal loop diagrams which are part of system dynamics, and aspects of soft systems methodology and container terminal productivity, are the underlying theoretical concepts for this investigation. The research sought to enhance productivity in a container terminal through a systems approach, using the Port of Durban as a case study. The study reports on a sensitivity analysis of key performance indicators for port productivity and how the performance can be improved using systems approaches. The methodology followed a mixed methods approach which incorporated qualitative and quantitative data collection. Secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews were conducted, including Causal Loop Analysis and Soft Systems Methodology workshops. The key findings of the multiple regression analysis indicate that the critical elements for enhanced productivity at Durban Port are gross crane hour, ship working hour and rail turnaround time. A systems approach facilitated development of causal loop diagrams, rich pictures, root definition, conceptual model and analysis of Customers, Actors, Transformation process, Worldview, Owners and Environmental Constraints for improved terminal operations, with a focus on improved ship turnaround time. The causal loop analysis was instrumental in determining cause and effect factors contributing to the inefficiencies of the terminal and facilitated the discovery of key variables contributing to optimised maritime, terminal and hinterland operations. The Soft Systems Methodology approach facilitated a process of constructing a framework for improving terminal operations by identifying system structure, transformation process, main players and customers, including their interactions within the system, using a CATWOE analysis. The conceptual model enabled identification of required activities needed to improve marine, terminal and hinterland activities within the port and terminal-owned system. The study contributed to new knowledge by exploring all three dimensions that impact efficiencies in the South African context, and through the development of the conceptual model for enhanced terminal operations using a systems approach