New state-of-the-art fully automatic high-rise cold store at City Terminal Rotterdam

July 13 Kloosterboer starts construction of a new state-of-the-art fully automatic multi-customer high-rise cold store with a storage capacity of 60,000 pallet places at City Terminal Rotterdam. The building is expected to be completed in January 2022.

Two years after the realization of Kloosterboer Cool Port I, an ultra-modern fruit terminal with a combination of cooling and freezing capacity, Kloosterboer is now building a state-of-the-art fully automatic high-rise cold store at City Terminal Rotterdam. Pallets are supplied by self-unloading or conventional trucks and automatically go from the dispatch hall via roller conveyors, turntables and locks to the cold store, where cranes automatically put the pallets in place.

Sustainability is paramount at Kloosterboer. The high-rise cold store is about 35-45% more energy efficient compared to a conventional cold store. The 40 meter high building is built according to the high BREEAM requirements. The intention is to place 2,700 solar panels on the roof. With the existing solar panel installation of 11,000 solar panels on Cool Port I, Kloosterboer is a forerunner in the port of Rotterdam in generating solar energy for its own use.

Launching customer is Lamb Weston / Meijer, one of the largest producers of frozen potato products. They opt for logistics service provider Kloosterboer to have its export products handled by Kloosterboer via the port of Rotterdam. In the future, Lamb Weston / Meijer goods will be delivered from various production locations in the Netherlands to Cool Port II, among others. From there, the containers are loaded and then transported by barge to the container terminals on the Maasvlakte for further export. 

Kloosterboer is an enterprising, innovative and sustainable logistics service provider. With the construction of Cool Port II, Kloosterboer still has enough space for the next phase; Cool Port III.

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered five Damen Ferries 2306 E3 to Arriva Denmark in Copenhagen. Arriva is operating the vessels on behalf of Danish public transport agency Movia. The vessels are based on Damen’s E3 philosophy – environmentally friendly, efficient in operation and economically viable.

Towards a zero emissions future

When Movia issued the public tender for waterborne public transport in Copenhagen, its aim was to upgrade the service, making it cleaner and more sustainable. In this the agency was aligned with both Arriva, which embraces innovation in order to reduce environmental impact, and Damen, whose aim it is to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder.

The ferries make significant strides towards a zero emission service, reducing Copenhagen’s public transport NOX emissions by 2.5%, CO2 emissions by 10% and particulate emissions by 66%.

Resistance is futile: shaping efficiency

The vessel’s sustainable credentials are powered by a series of innovative, digital shipbuilding techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were applied to the hull design, minimising resistance in the water, while cutting-edge software measured the relationship between engine torque and propeller speed. This resulted in the optimal use of battery packs for reduced weight, energy consumption and – ultimately – costs of operation.

The potential of connectivity

The ferries are prepared for remote monitoring. Informed by a network of sensors incorporated into the vessel, Damen’s remote monitoring department is able to set up a dashboard tracking such things as sailing patterns, battery lifecycle and swell dynamics. This allows fine-tuning of the operation towards greater efficiency and reduced downtime for maintenance.

Full service provision

For this project Damen has undertaken its role as integrator, or complete solution provider. This has involved, for example investigating shore solutions for electricity supply – in alignment with Movia’s requirement that 60% of the electricity for the operation comes from a sustainable source.

Martin Verstraaten, Damen sales manager, says, “This, in my opinion, is where Damen really add value to a project. Our involvement is not limited to the shipbuilding scope alone, we take responsibility for the entirety of the project. We provide a focal point where all partners involved the project come together to fulfil their individual roles in alignment with one another. With this, the project benefits from cohesive, centralised direction for maximum efficiency.”

Working closely together with Echandia Marine, Heliox and Staubli, Damen developed a solution that takes just seven minutes to charge the ferries at the end of each trip they make. The charging solution features an innovative auto-mooring system to ensure a secure connection between the vessel and charging infrastructure.

Transforming the current

Having recently unveiled the Electric Cutter Suction Dredger 650, Damen continues to work on a number of hybrid and electric projects. These include two fully electric ferries for Ontario, Canada, four (having delivered two to date) hybrid vessels, easily convertible to full electric propulsion in the future for BC Ferries in British Columbia, Canada and the world’s first fully electric harbour tug with 70 tonnes bollard pull for the port of Auckland, New Zealand.

For the first time in history, a cargo of lemons has been exported from Argentina to China.

A container with 24 tons of lemons, produced in Tucumán, was shipped on the Maersk Labrea from APM Terminals Buenos Aires in Argentina to the Port of Hong Kong, on June 30, 2020. This was made possible due to the agreement and adherence to phytosanitary requirements by both countries.

To facilitate this premier, the terminal offered exclusive use of its cold-store chamber under the supervision of specialist refrigeration staff. The cold-store chamber offers sufficient flexibility to reach constant temperatures down to -35°C, according to the need for each cargo.