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AS
the Mediterranean is on the way to somewhere
else for most of world shipping, the real
action is transshipment, and the further
refinement of smoothing onward passage that
has become so important to global transport
today.
The
efficiency of this process, for example,
is key to making the Suez Canal a credible
rival to the Panama Canal in getting Asian
goods to the east coasts of the Americas
where most consumers live on both continents.
One
can make a case study of Malta, the island
nation south of Italy as the traditional
transshipment port serving ships headed
elsewhere with cargo bound for still other
places.
London's
Drewry Maritime Research has taken the view
that bigger east-west ships and mega alliances
are good news for transshipment hub ports
in the Mediterranean, saying they will likely
outperform underlying organic market growth.
Dealing
with such problems for decades are the two
ports of Malta - Valletta and Marsaxlokk.
Asked
about the two ports' main characteristics,
two anonymous spokesmen, who preferred to
be identified as "VGT "for Valletta
Gateway Terminals and "MFT" for
Marsaxlokk's Malta Freeport Terminals, replied
for each port facility.
Said
VGT: "In Malta we have two international
ports, Valletta Gateway Terminals and Marsaxlokk.
In general these two ports complement each
other."
The
Grand Harbour of Valletta is one of Malta's
main ports, and one of the most spectacular
natural deep water harbours in the Mediterranean.
The
port also acts as a safe and secure haven
for seafaring vessels of all types and sizes.
It is also a multi-purpose port equipped
to offer a large spectrum of maritime services.
Main
regular connections with Italy work via
a regular scheduled ro-ro service with various
Italian ports and a high-speed passenger
ro-ro service with a scheduled service to
Sicily.
This
also provides a connection for those that
wish to travel to/from Malta overland using
their own cars. Both services cater very
much for the Just In Time concept.
Valletta
Gateway Terminals operates general cargo
facilities. Malta Freeport Terminals runs
the container transshipment terminal and
industrial storage facilities. It also has
a number of petroleum terminals, including
the terminals operated by Oiltanking Malta
Limited and San Lucian Oil Company.
Enemalta
Corporation and Enemed operate other petroleum
installations in the port, which are the
public entities responsible for power generation
and the import of petroleum for the local
market.
The
LPG Gas Installation is located within this
port with its LPG bottling and storage facility
located at Benhajsa and operated by Gasco
Energy. The port of Marsaxlokk will also
have a new LNG facility expected to come
in service in 2016.
Marsaxlokk
is one of the biggest transhipment ports
in the Mediterranean. MFT enjoys a number
of key advantages that have set the company
apart from other Mediterranean container
terminals.
These
include a strategic location on the main
trade routes in the Mediterranean, state-of-the-art
facilities dedicated to transshipment capable
of operating the largest vessels afloat
and a competitive handling rates.
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