Page 67 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - MARTIOS 2023

INTERNATIONAL WATERS

NEPTUNE LINES EXPANDS WITH NEW physical hazards. Extreme conditions at sea
LOGISTICS ENTITY (e.g., storms) are expected to cause operational
For more than four decades, Neptune Lines disruptions to around 40% of ports globally.
has been supporting its customers’ needs in an What’s more, ports are exposed to other hazards,
efficient and sustainable way. Focusing on busi- including river flooding and earthquakes, so port
ness innovation and adaptation to the continu- designers and operators have to take multiple
ously changing market dynamics, Neptune Lines hazards into consideration,’ says research lead
announced the next step in its growth strategy Jasper Verschuur.
with the establishment of a new entity, Neptune Large ports in Asia, the Gulf of Mexico, and
Land Services (NLS). Western Europe face the biggest climate risks.
NLS will deliver logistics services to address However, despite the absolute risk being par-
customer supply chain needs and solutions, ticularly large in high-income countries, the
including storage, processing, and inland distri- impacts could be greater in middle-income
bution for finished vehicles. countries’ ports.
Mr Dror Noach will lead the new entity as Gen- The climate risk to ports, mainly attributed to
eral Manager. Mr Craig Jasienski, CEO of Nep- tropical cyclones and river flooding, is estimated
tune Lines, said: “I am excited to welcome Dror to be worth US$7.6 billion each year. This figure
to deliver our growth strategy with NLS. With is more than half as large as a previous estimate
his vast experience in both European logistics of of the climate risk of road and rail infrastruc-
fast-moving consumer goods, as well as finished ture on a global scale, illustrating that, although
vehicle logistics globally, he is very well suited ports only encompass relatively small areas, the
to drive our ambition.” Mr Noach’s last position high value and density of assets can contribute
was Vice President of Global Logistics for the to the climate risk on a national and global scale.
CNH Industrial group, responsible, among other On top of the physical damages, port downtime
things, for global distribution and processing associated with these natural hazards puts
centres for the entire product range, including trade worth $67 billion at-risk every year, which
trucks, agricultural, and construction equipment. could result in costly delays, revenue losses, and
adverse impacts on the wider economy.
BLUE ECONOMY US ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $380

MILLION IN GRANTS TO MODERNISE
FERRY SERVICES, REDUCE EMISSIONS,
NINE IN TEN MAJOR PORTS GLOBALLY AND CONNECT RURAL COMMUNITIES
ARE EXPOSED TO DAMAGING CLIMATE The US Department of Transportation’s Federal
HAZARDS Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced
Ports are crucial for the economy; they handle $384.4 million in federal funding from Presi-
the vast majority of global trade, are important dent Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for
hubs for industry and transport, and are large expanding and improving the nation’s ferry ser-
employment providers. But, by their very nature, vice in communities across the country, as well
ports are located in hazard-prone areas along as accelerate the transition to zero-emission
coasts and close to rivers -exposed to storms transportation. This funding will benefit mil-
and floods and will have to cope with sea level lions of Americans – from Alaska to Michigan to
rise and even more severe storms because of Maryland – who depend on coastal waters, rivers,
climate change. bays, and other bodies of water to connect to
In a recent study published in Communications their communities.
Earth and Environment, researchers from the FTA is awarding 23 grants across 11 states and
University of Oxford’s Environmental Change the US Virgin Islands. The grants will fund proj-
Institute provide a detailed picture of climate ects including replacing old vessels, expanding
risks for 1,340 of the most important ports glob- fleets, and building new terminals and docks. For
ally. It combines a new geospatial database of the state of Alaska, the award means nearly $286
port infrastructure assets with the most detailed million of investment in the Alaska Marine High-
available information on natural hazards, includ- way, which serves remote locations throughout
ing earthquakes, cyclones and flooding, as well the state. In addition, almost $100 million of the
as localised information on “marine extremes” national grants will go toward low- and no-emis-
(wind speeds, waves, temperature, overtopping). sion ferries, helping decrease greenhouse gas
‘We found that 86% of all ports are exposed emissions from the transportation sector.
to more than three types of climatic and geo- “With these grants, we are improving and

International Registries, Inc. piraeus@register-iri.com
66 in affiliation with the Marshall Islands Maritime & Corporate Administrators www.register-iri.com