Believed to be one of the most efficient freight transport modes worldwide, over the next years, container transport could become a viable alternative in Eastern Europe as well. In this part of Europe, specialists say, investments in projects that would develop this type of transport have not found support in the last years.
“The reasons which made container transport more popular are focused around the mere fact that as long as one can move higher volumes of freight from one place to another, without using traditional methods, the costs and efficiency are growing”, said Ivan Lokere, CEO Alinso Group, the Belgian group which develops Ploieşti West Park. According to his declarations, security and quality control have also played a significant part in increasing the popularity of container transport in time. In fact, a broad range of products, such as, for example, electronic products, needs security conditions that prevent the influence of external factors besides large distance transport. It is no wonder that Alinso invests in a project in Romania, Euro Gate Terminal that will act as a connection hub for container transport in Prahova region. Referring to the development capacities in this region, Lokere explained that in the first phase of the project, Euro Gate Terminal can handle and store a maximum capacity of freight of 20,000 to 25,000 TEUs, while during the first operational year, the company is expecting to handle almost 18,000 TEUs. “Handling and storing container cargos will not necessarily help reduce pollution. To be able to actually feel a diminution of the pollution level, we need to consider the entire chain of cargo transport”, pointed out the Alinso official. Container cargos are usually shipped in large quantities and the transport methods used need to be adapted to demands. Lokere presented as example the containerisation of important products shipped from Asia to Romania through the port of Constanţa. However, he explains, from there to the final destination, the goods are not shipped using time-saving, cost and energy-efficient methods. This is because the majority of containers reach their destinations with the help of road transport, which has a negative impact on infrastructure (traffic bottlenecks, maintenance of roads), total costs involved, as well as consumed energy, which also includes pollution. “Although water transport is less aggressive, container transport is, however, very poorly developed in Romania”, said Valentin Zeicu, General Manager, the Administration of Inland Waterways. Other said, he continues, Constanţa has become a port-hub for the Black Sea basin. “We can compare the port of Constanţa with the port of Rotterdam (the Netherlands). Both of them target Central Europe. At the same time, on the corridor that links Rotterdam to Constanţa, the goods go to financially developed countries, such as Germany and Austria”, Zeicu explains.
Solution: Railway terminal in Prahova region
On the other hand, Ivan Lokere, CEO Alinso Group, believes a solution would also be to build a railway terminal in Prahova region. Thus, companies would be able to cover the entire transport process through efficient methods, considering the fact that container cargos could be shipped to Ploieşti, by train. “This transport method will allow chaining several 30-40 feet containers in a single train, unlike a single 40-feet container, such as in road transport”, pointed out Lokere. Moreover, there are also local companies that were forced to give up railway container transport because of the crisis and the fact that the freight transport market knew a significant fall. “It was a period when our offer also included container transport. But we were forced to give up”, Servtrans Invest representatives said. It remains to be seen what will happen to local container transport this year. However, one thing is for certain: either on wheels, railways or water, container transport will attract more and more investments in this part of Europe.
[ by Ionela Micu ]Share on:
