Hot Port News from GAC
03-Nov-2020
DRONES TO HELP WITH PORT AREA CONTROLS
Antwerp, Belgium
PORT AUTHORITY SUPPORTS THE FIGHT AGAINST PLASTIC PELLET POLLUTION
Rotterdam, Netherlands
PORT RESTRICTED DUE TO WEATHER
Buckeye Bahamas Hub, Bahamas
PUBLIC HOLIDAY FOR NATIONAL UNITY DAY
Russia
Drones to help with port area controls
Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
Drones will be used to support enforcement and control in the Antwerp port area. To this end, Port of Antwerp and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) have joined forces.
The port of Antwerp covers more than 120km² and contains sensitive industrial infrastructure. The use of drones can make a major contribution to overall safety in this complex environment. After all, drones enable port authorities to manage, inspect and supervise a large area quickly and safely.
This is why Port of Antwerp, in collaboration with the FPS Mobility and Transport, has concluded an agreement with EMSA. The drone pilot will accompany Port Authority Officers during their enforcement tasks, and provide them with a bird’s-eye view of the situation on the ground. The images can also be accessed remotely, so they can be shared quickly with emergency services if necessary. Privacy is paramount here: the images are only used for monitoring purposes and are not stored.
The drone will not only be used during regular checks, but also in the event of incidents in order to gain a quick insight into the situation. The imagery of oil incidents will also be used by the University of Antwerp to train algorithms to automatically detect oil incidents in the future.
According to Port of Antwerp, the use of drones will play an increasingly important role in the port of the future. As part of Port of Antwerp’s participation in the SAFIR project, extensive tests have already been carried out to investigate the feasibility of manned and unmanned drones at the port. The ultimate goal of these projects is a network of autonomous drones that can provide a ‘live feed’ of the various port activities, in the context of a smart, safe and efficient port…
(For information about operations in Belgium, contact GAC Belgium at agency.antwerp@gac.com)
Source: Port of Antwerp (www.portofantwerp.com) news release dated 30 October 2020
Port Authority supports the fight against plastic pellet pollution
Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Rotterdam, Netherlands
During a digital meeting that took place with PlasticsEurope Netherlands, the plastics manufacturing industry association, Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, signed the Operation Clean Sweep® Pledge…
…The Port of Rotterdam has to deal with pollution from plastic pellets scattered along banks and in the water. These plastic pellets are produced by various companies for use as a raw material for the production of all kinds of plastic products. The unintentional loss of the pellets during the production process and transport is currently being addressed by many companies…
…The ultimate goal is to stop the loss of pellets into the environment. In this quest to achieve ‘zero pellet loss’, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is collaborating with PlasticsEurope and other parties…
…Due to the extra attention for plastic pellet pollution, various parties are currently monitoring a possible rise in new pellets on land or in the water. In addition, efforts are made to take measures to prevent pellet loss.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and PlasticsEurope are calling on companies that are not yet participating in Operation Clean Sweep® to join. New participants can use the knowledge and experience already acquired, so that they can quickly implement preventive measures to prevent pellet loss.
(For information about operations in the Netherlands, contact GAC Netherlands at agency.netherlands@gac.com)
Source: Extracts from Port of Rotterdam (www.portofantwerp.com) news release dated 2 November 2020
Port restricted due to weather
Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Buckeye Bahamas Hub, Bahamas
Due to deteriorating weather conditions, Buckeye Bahamas Hub went to Port Restricted at 17:24 hours Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) yesterday (2 November).
Conditions are being closely monitored and updates will be provided as they change.
(For information about operations in The Bahamas, contact the GAC Houston Hub Agency Center at hub.us@gac.com)
Source: Elnet Maritime – GAC agent
Public holiday for National Unity Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Russia
Due to the public holiday for National Unity Day, all banks, authorities and port administrations in Russia will be closed tomorrow (4 November).
The holiday will not have any effect on oil/product terminals’ mooring and loading schedules.
For information about operations in Russia, contact GAC Russia at russia@gac.com
