The intensifying debate over the need to modernise infrastructure in the US and elsewhere has focused on the scale of the challenge; but should this also be considered an opportunity for engineering and innovation? 

In a recent article, The Economist highlighted how the US is grappling with the need to upgrade its aging maritime infrastructure.

According to the article, around 70 per cent of America’s imports and 75 per cent of its exports transit its ports. Furthermore, the size and number of ships calling at US ports is steadily increasing. Despite this, only seven US ports are currently capable of handling Post-Panamax container ships.

A Cavotec cable reel powers a container crane at the Port of Salalah in Oman.

And last week, the consultancy McKinsey & Company published a report entitled “Rethinking Infrastructure”. The document, which can also be seen as a call to action, described the extent of the challenge:

“Just to keep pace with projected global growth between now and 2030, the world will have to spend $57 trillion on roads, bridges, ports, power plants, water facilities, and other forms of infrastructure.”

This would, according to the consultancy, require a considerable increase in investment levels from those of recent years, and collaboration between a broad range of public and private actors.

While these challenges are considerable, Cavotec anticipates a role for engineering and innovative technologies that will improve the transport of people and goods – at ports, airports, via road and rail – and add to the quality of life that societies have grown to expect and are likely to increasingly demand. It’s a huge challenge – but one that we relish being a part of efforts to meet.

As Cavotec Chairman Stefan Widegren outlined in the Group’s annual Report 2011:

“With the support of our stakeholders and in close co-operation with customers, we could achieve great things for the benefit of us all. This will eventually lead to smarter solutions, a better economy, better use of our resources and an improvement of the world we live in.”

For some forty years, Cavotec has developed innovative technologies – such as automated mooring for ships - that ensure cleaner, more efficient operations in industrial applications all over the world. We look forward to continuing, and expanding this work in the years ahead.

As our presence on the Chinese market, and across Asia as a whole, continues to grow, Cavotec Shanghai celebrated successfully moving into its new premises last week.

Office warming: Cavotec Shanghai’s new premises

Cavotec Shanghai serves customers in all four of our market units – Ports & Maritime, Airports, Mining & Tunnelling and General Industry.

You can find our new home at: Unit 11, Nr. 1951, Duhui Road, Shanghai 201108. And conveniently, our phone number – 021-54429778 – and fax number – 021-34073498 – are unchanged from our former premises.

Our thanks to our dedicated staff who made the moving process as smooth as possible.

The world’s largest container cranes are steadily making their way from China to the UK’s new logistics hub on the banks of the Thames Estuary: DP World’s London Gateway.

These 138-metre giants are built by one of our long-standing OEM customers, ZPMC, and are fitted with our electrical power and spreader cable reels.

Cavotec motorised cable reels power cranes at ports worldwide

Speaking to Port Technology International, London Gateway Operations Director, Tim Halhead, says that the cranes will enable London Gateway to handle the next generation of ultra-large container ships.

The cranes are designed to load and unload container ships that are up to 25 container rows wide – greater than the world’s largest container vessels currently in service.

In addition to ZPMC, we develop similar systems with OEMs such as Hyundai, Mitsui, Hyundai Samho and TCM for ports across Asia, the US, the Middle East and Europe.

Around the world and around the clock, Cavotec technologies are ensuring a broad range of industries operate safely, efficiently and sustainably. 

To demonstrate how and where our systems do this, we plan to post an image of Cavotec equipment on our Twitter feed every day of 2013 in a campaign we’re calling Cavotec365.

We hope that Cavotec365 will trigger the interest of anyone with a passion for innovative technologies, the Cavotec brand, or even photography.

We’ll  start with our own images, but we’ll also be asking Cavotec colleagues, friends and customers to send in their own shots of Cavotec applications.

Look out for the #Cavotec365 hashtag from the 1st of January.

Cavotec AMP shore-to-ship electrical application at the Port of Ystad

In September, we were delighted to see Swedish environment minister Lena Ek officially open a Cavotec Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) shore-to-ship electrical application at the Port of Ystad in southern Sweden – the largest high voltage shore connection anywhere in the world.

Ystad is the latest of a growing number of Swedish ports that have adopted Cavotec’s shore power systems: technologies that enable ports to substantially improve environmental performance.

“Our shore power systems are now in use at several Swedish ports, demonstrating our growing role in making dramatic improvements to air quality in the industry. With the onset of stricter environmental requirements, this is a role we anticipate will expand in the years ahead,” says Cavotec Chief Executive Ottonel Popesco.

The Ystad installation, incorporating four passenger ferry berths, is used by Polferries and Unity Line for their sailings to the Polish city of Świnoujście. Ystad is Sweden’s third largest port in terms of passenger numbers.

You can see some images of the application on our Facebook page.

Working closely with local partners Processkontroll Elektriska and industrial group ABB, Cavotec supplied the cable management systems that enable vessels to connect to the local electricity grid while docked, thus reducing particulate matter emissions and so improving air quality in the port and surrounding communities.

Ystad is the latest of a number of Cavotec shore power installations in Sweden. The Port of Stockholm, the Port of Gothenburg, the Port of Trelleborg and the Port of Karlskrona all use Cavotec AMP systems. The first such system came on line in the ports of Gothenburg and Stockholm in the 80s. The Group’s shore power systems are also increasingly widely used at ports on the US west coast, as well as in Canada, Europe and the Far East.

Cavotec AMP systems make it possible for vessels to switch off their engines while docked and to connect to shore side electricity. Services such as power supply for reefer containers, lighting, heating, food preparation and cargo handling are then run directly from the port. Switching off ships’ engines and connecting to grid-generated electricity reduces fuel consumption and dramatically cuts emissions.

Cavotec continues to build its position as an important supplier of niche technologies to major Swedish industrial companies with several projects involving its radio remote control (RRC) systems in recent months.

“Cavotec has a long association with Swedish industrial groups; indeed, the Group was established in Sweden in the 1970s. These latest projects underscore our position as a trusted partner for OEMs such as ABB in Sweden and further afield,” says Cavotec Sweden Managing Director, Erik Chilò.

In one of the most recent orders for the Group in Sweden, Cavotec has supplied an advanced MC-3-5 RRC terminal to Swedish automation specialist Kelmo. The company is carrying out upgrading work on high voltage cable plant in Karlskrona, southern Sweden, on behalf of ABB.

ABB has also purchased a number of Cavotec Micro-control systems that will be used to control a cable production application. Factories in Karlskrona and in Luleå, in the north of the country, use Cavotec systems to control cable storage facilities and operate the critical extruder process when manufacturing cables.

Operators use the MC-3-5 units to control large machines that coil underwater sea cable into storage facilities before they are loaded on to ships or barges. ABB also uses a large number of Cavotec electrical plugs and cable reels for applications in ports and terminals, and in metallurgy industry.

Cavotec is also currently supporting the SEK 17-billion Stockholm City Line project in the Swedish capital. Stockholm City Line is a major infrastructure programme involving the construction of a six kilometre-long train line under the city. Cavotec has supplied cable management systems, RRCs and electrical connectors to leading contractors working on the project such as Bilfinger Berger, NCC, Zublin and PEAB. You can see images of these systems on our Facebook page here.

Cavotec has two dedicated operations in Sweden, Cavotec Connectors in Staffanstorp, southern Sweden, and Cavotec Sweden, just north of Stockholm.