MARITIME CONTAINER TERMINALS - PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES IN THE POST-CRISIS ERA

The global financial crisis 2008 demonstrated that even the volume of container traffic does not increase steadily due to its interdependence with global trade. However, the container sector was one of the first sectors recovering from the recession. In comparison to forecasts before the crisis, it seems that the expected growth has just been shifted along the timeline. In particular in this situation, investments in the container industry, e.g., terminal equipment, are risky. This paper is focused on discussing the future developments of container traffic, in particular the developments of terminals with respect to their size, layouts, and equipment. Which new approaches seem to be fruitful in order to solve old and even new problems caused by developments in ship building, liners' strategies, trade/traffic networks, technologies such as higher automation, etc.? How do and how can stakeholders cope with challenges such as legal requirements with respect to sustainability of logistics processes towards green logistics? For example, innovative developments are offshore container terminals, floating terminals, or automatic mooring systems. Moreover, vehicles at the terminal might consume less fuel due to new engines. The paper analyses a selection of current projects of terminal rebuilding, modernization, and extension that can be found around the world (Maasvlakte 2 - Rotterdam, Yangshan 2020 - Shanghai, Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) - Hamburg, Terminal 10 - Hong Kong, and many others). The purpose of the paper is to describe the current situation after the crisis and to present an overview of selected ports with their characteristics, terminals, stakeholders, structures and perspectives. It is expected to gain insights into perspectives and potentials of terminals and technologies by comparing and analyzing the terminals' equipment, strategies and differences of handling the current and expected future situation, and to derive strategies for terminal operators to increase their competitiveness.