Page 27 - Port of Hamburg Magazine 03.2019

HARTMUT WOLBERG (R) AND DIRK PETERS WITH VIEW ON THE ‘GRANDE BENIN’. THIS GRIMALDI CONRO SHIP CAN ACCOMMODATE 1,300 STANDARD CONTAINERS AND 2,500 VEHICLES
is obviously Grimaldi’s home port in Germany, not least for that reason we are part-owners of Unikai Terminal.
Mr Wolberg, what does Unikai offer its customer and stakeholder Grimaldi?
Wolberg: Basically, everything that they either desire or need. The core business is naturally loading and discharging their ships. For that we commission a ste- vedoring company, whose staff drive vehicles on and off and secure them for transport on the high seas. The vessel needs to be sensibly trimmed, or in oth- er words, a precise calculation is made of how mobile weights – or cargo, bunkers, inventory and the crew – can be evenly distributed on board to bring the ship into a reasonable trim. We plan and stow cargo accord- ingly. We also provide seaworthy packing for cargo that does not fit into standard containers so that it is well lashed and can then be rolled or dragged into the vessel on roll-trailers.
Which of your services are especially important for Grimaldi?
Wolberg: That we are also do work for the line’s cli- ents. We look after brand-new vehicles here, preparing these for the subsequent sea voyage. Or our specially trained employees dismantle out-of-gauge agricultur- al machines, since these may not move by road even with special authorization.
How do you see the future of RoRo business?
Peters: We cannot simply assume that for the next 30 years all vehicles will be shipped to South America from Hamburg. Yet we remain positive that even going forward, there will be global demand for shipping ve- hicles, or naturally in combination with containers. We and our partner Unikai are very flexible.
Wolberg: Something that will help is the recently con- cluded free trade pact between Europe and the Mer- cosur countries, i.e., the South American free market. This will come into force shortly. All cars that are ex- ported from Europe to Brazil, for example, currently carry 35 percent duty. This will then be dropped and for a start, we reckon with growth in RoRo business.
HAMBURG’S MARKETS ■
GRIMALDI‘S RO-RO-SHIPS AT TERMINAL O´SWALDKAI (UNIKAI)
Port of Hamburg Magazine | September 2019 | 27
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