Container Port Choice and Container Pot Performance Criteria. A Case Study on the Ceres Paragon Terminal in Amsterdam

Within maritime logistics the containerized trade market is growing rapidly with the uprising of the Far East. European container port competition among the port in the Le Havre-Hamburg range is fierce as they are threatened by a shortage of terminal capacity. The port of Amsterdam identified this threat and realized a brand new container terminal, the Ceres Paragon Terminal, in 2002. Characterized by a revolutionary concept known as an indented berth, served simultaneously by nine ultramodern post-Panamax gantry cranes, high productivity levels and low turnaround times can be obtained. Although the odds seemed favorable for the new terminal, enthusiasm was replaced by vexation as the terminal experienced a dramatically slow start. For years it was barely operational with only an incidental test run and some feeder and barge movements. Finally, the first carriers were contracted in July of 2005. The objective of this chapter is to study relevant main port choices and port performance criteria identified in literature. Reviewing these criteria for the port of Amsterdam gives us the opportunity to make an assumption on the port’s and terminal’s chances for structural establishment among the competitive West European port arena.