As the world's box trades continue to expand at unprecedented rates and concern grows over container ports' ability to handle rapidly increasing trade volumes, pressure is mounting on all container ports to ensure that they keep abreast of fleet developments and match their facilities to those required by the fast-growing container fleets of major carriers. No surprise then that virtually all of the world's key container terminals have either completed or are undergoing major expansion plans both in terms of access, water depth alongside, landside infrastructure such as martialling area, craneage, IT systems and landward links. However, as container ships continue to get larger and designs for future vessels already envisage mainhaul vessels of 12,000 teu and more, carriers are likely to focus on a smaller number of hub ports and more complex regional feedering networks. The role of secondary container ports with good landward connections will therefore become increasingly vital as successful regional feedering provides a key element of satisfactory load factors for giant vessels deployed on arterial routes in the future.
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