Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Containerships hitting the water this week have mostly gone to Far East-Mediterranean and Far East-Indian Subcontinent routes – a sign offirmingcargo volumes and freight rates on these trades. According to Alphaliner, CSSC (Tianjin) Shipbuilding last week delivered the 16,136 teuCMA CGM Cyranoto the French carrier, the third delivery of six sister methanol dual-fuelled vessels commissioned in February 2023 for around $175m each. CMA CGM has deployedCyranoto its Far East-East Mediterranean loop, the BEX2 (aka Phoenician Express), where it joins both its sisters, the rest of which will be completed by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Taiwan operator Wan Hai Lines continues to build on its standalone Far East-Mediterranean service FM1, sending the newly built 8,710 teuWan Hai 902to the route after its delivery from HD Hyundai Samho. Wan Hai 902is the second of four conventionally powered ships ordered in September 2024 for $127m each, and was delivered on 11 June, all the others will be completed by 2027. Launched last September, the FM1 marked Wan Hai’s return to the Far East-Mediterranean route after 16 years, andWan Hai 902will be the 11thship on the service. The deployment of the ywo new box ships on the FM1 represents an upsizing, as the service was initially run with 4,300-5,000 teu ships. Wan Hai’s privately owned associate, Interasia Lines, has been expanding into the China-India lane, and this week took delivery of the 7,092 teuInterasia Ambitionfrom Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. It will be assigned to Interasia’s China-India ICI service operated with RCL and Wan Hai. This also represents a vessel upsizing, as it replaces the 4,890 teuInterasia Inspirationon the loop currently run with 3,000-7,000 teu ships. To meet high demand on the China-India trade, Maersk Line has deployed the 5,915 teuMaersk Ferrato, lately arrived from Tsuneishi Zhoushan, to fulfil an extra sailing. It’s one of four ships Japanese tonnage provider Nissen Kaiun commissioned in March 2023 for long-term charter to the Danish carrier. Only one newbuilding delivery this week is for the Far East-North Europe trade: Yang Ming took delivery of the 15,500 teuYM Wayfinderfrom HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. One of five sister units ordered in 2024,YM Wayfinder(pictured above) will be deployed to the Premier Alliance’s FE3 service, operated with MSC. Due to only a few ultra-large ships being ordered in 2023-2024, not many newbuildings have been assigned to the Far East-North Europe lanes.

French pure-play contract logistics operator (PPCLO) FM Logistic is set to enter the German market after it today announced that it agreed to acquire “a majority stake in the capital of German logistics group Schaflein”. FM Logistic did not reveal the size of its stake nor the price, although German logistics newspaperDVZreported that it is set to buy 90% of the target. Meanwhile, Schaflein’s current owners are expected to remain with the company if the deal completes – it still has to win clearance from Germany’s competition regulator, the Bundeskartellamt. “The current management, Achim and Bernd Schäflein, will retain an equity stake, thereby securing the continuity and family roots of the business,” an FM Logistic statement said. The French company added that Schaflein’s vertical profile – it earns 40% of its revenues from the industrial sector and 27% from the mobility and transport industries – was a further attraction, as is several of its tech solutions, developed in-house. “Schaflein brings highly sought-after technical expertise: a high degree of automation through its specialised in-house unit LOCIT, recognised know-how in the management of reusable containers through its SprintBOX solution, and a pioneering commitment to decarbonisation,” it said. According to S&P Global’s CapitalIQ platform, at the end of 2024 Schaflein had revenues of €211.4m and posted an EBITDA of €23.4m. It had a net debt position of €16.2m and around 1,600 employees. In contrast, according to Capital IQ the privately owned FM Logistic reported revenues of €1.95bn in the year ended March 2025 and has over 27,000 employees, although chief executive Jean-Christophe Machet said the two companies were structurally similar. “FM Logistic and Schaflein share a common DNA – that of family owned-businesses driven by a long-term vision and thinking in terms of generations. “Our entry into the German market, the largest in Europe, is based on the deliberate choice of a best-in-class partner. “Our goal was not simply to acquire capacity, but valuable industrial know-how. We are investing in growth to carry forward Schaflein’s model and to build, together, an indispensable pan-European market leader,” he said. The deal is likely to see FM Logistic close the gap on France’s largest contract logistics operator, ID Logistics, which last year posted revenues of €3.7bn and an EBITDA of €233.7m, according to CapitalIQ. Meanwhile, Schaflein chief executive Achim Schäflein said the acquisition secured the future of his company. “As we prepared the handover to the next generation, we looked for a strategic and industrial partner that could help accelerate the international growth of our business model while preserving its long-term vision and values. “Joining forces with FM Logistic gives us that international reach while allowing us to preserve our identity, our management team and our absolute commitment to our long-standing customers,” he added.

Ascolta la versione audio dell'articolo 3' di lettura English Version Translated by AI. For feedback, please contact english@ilsole24ore.com La riforma dei porti e l’intermodalità tra nave, gomma e treno sono al centro degli interessi dell’industria lombarda e, in generale, di quella italiana, in un momento storico in cui la geopolitica ha reso più chiara che mai l’importanza della logistica (anche per i rifornimenti di energia). E in cui l’Italia è di fronte alla possibilità di grandi cambiamenti (in positivo), con il completamento, previsto entro quattro anni, del Terzo valico ferroviario e con l’imminente chiusura dei lavori di ammodernamento della rete ferroviaria nazionale, in gran parte legati ai tempi stretti del Pnrr. Su tutto questo, peraltro, si inserisce l’aggravio della tassazione Ets dell’Ue per il comparto marittimo che, sostengono a una voce industriali e operatori del settore, deve essere modificata. I temi sono stati al centro del convegno Il mare che muove l’industria, organizzato a Milano dal ministero delle Politiche del mare in collaborazione con Confindustria e Assolombarda e moderato dal direttore del Sole 24 Ore, Fabio Tamburini. Loading... «Guardiamo con attenzione - ha detto Alvise Biffi, presidente di Assolombarda - al disegno di legge di riforma della portualità nazionale, attualmente in discussione alla Camera dei deputati. Come sistema Confindustria stiamo contribuendo al confronto con un position paper che vuole favorire un dialogo costruttivo con il Governo, nella convinzione che servano regole chiare, tempi certi, responsabilità definite e continuità degli investimenti. Il mare non è soltanto un’infrastruttura geografica e industriale; lo dimostrano i 510 milioni di tonnellate di merci movimentate nel 2025 dai porti italiani». La cui capacità di connessione, ha proseguito, «è importante sia supportata da infrastrutture terrestri adeguate: penso al Terzo valico e, più in generale alle reti transeuropee di trasporto». La riforma portuale, gli ha fatto eco Mario Zanetti, delegato di Confindustria per l’economia del mare, «è una priorità di politica industriale per competere con gli hub del Nord Europa e della sponda Sud del Mediterraneo, oggi avvantaggiata dall’esclusione dall’Ets, che va riformato per evitare di spiazzare i porti europei e sottrarre risorse alle imprese per investimenti. È sempre più chiara, infatti, la necessità che i fondi Ets restino ai settori che li hanno generati, per fare in modo che la transizione diventi un’opportunità». Della riforma, Matteo Paroli, presidente dell’Autorità portuale di Genova e Savona, ha ricordato che punta a «creare, attraverso la società Porti d’Italia, una cabina di regia, un centro nazionale di coordinamento per indicare quali specializzazione debbano avere i singoli porti. Le 16 Autorità di sistema portuale italiane non sono troppe - ha precisato - se si creano queste specializzazioni. I porti liguri hanno già messo in atto rapporti collaborativi: il materiale dei dragaggi della Spezia servirà a riempire i cassoni centrali dell nuova diga foranea di Genova, in costruzione».

The gradual regionalisation of global supply chains is becoming one of the most important trends shaping container shipping, according to Braemar, as new trade agreements and shifting geopolitical dynamics redraw cargo flows. Analysing the World Bank’s latest global outlook, consultancy Braemar said the institution’s prediction that the 2030s could become the most prosperous decade since the 1970s carried significant implications for liner shipping, despite a challenging near-term market. The World Bank argues that artificial intelligence, energy security and regional trade integration could drive a new era of economic growth next decade, however, global growth is expected to reach just 2.5% this year, while container trade volumes are forecast to expand by only 2.5%-3.5%. For shipping, the most immediate structural shift is the rise of regional trade. According to Braemar, the number of regional trade agreements has risen from around 300 in 2020 to nearly 400 today, with such agreements now accounting for 60% of global trade, compared with 40% in 1990. “This isn’t abstract,” said Braemar analyst Jonathan Roach. “The interesting stuff is in the regional and inter-regional trades.” Braemar expects future growth to be increasingly concentrated on intra-Asia, intra-African and nearshoring corridors such as Mexico-US and Eastern Europe-EU routes, rather than exclusively on traditional east-west trades. The shift is also influencing vessel ordering patterns, it noted. Of the 1,621 containerships currently on order, only 114 are ultra-large vessels of 20,000 teu or more, suggesting owners are prioritising regional and mid-sized tonnage over additional megaships. “The ‘hub-and-spoke’ geography of container shipping is slowly becoming more ‘spoke-and-spoke’,” Mr Roach noted. “The decade ahead could be golden,” Mr Roach underscored. “But shipping networks built for the last 30 years of globalisation may need rewiring for the next 10.” Beyond regionalisation, Braemar highlighted the energy transition as another potential source of future box demand. Global clean-energy investment reached $2.2trn in 2025, accounting for roughly two-thirds of all energy investment. While stricter environmental regulations are increasing costs, with IMO carbon rules adding an estimated $150-$400 per container on some routes, demand for solar panels, batteries, turbines and associated infrastructure could provide a long-term boost for containerised trade. AI presents a more complex picture. Braemar said the construction of data centres would generate short-term demand for servers, cooling systems, generators and electrical equipment moving in containers, creating what it described as an “AI infrastructure bow-wave”. However, the firm cautioned that once facilities are built, ongoing AI growth would rely more on computing power than freight demand.

Feeder ships continue to dominate the boxship construction scene, including Chinese owners choosing to convert bulk carriers to container ships to beat the long wait for newbuildings, in order to capitalise on the red-hot charter market. The Cosco group is converting a pair of Diamond 53-type open-hatch Supramax bulk carriers into 2,500 teu container vessels. The work is expected to be completed between Q3 and Q4 this year. X-Press Feeders will charter the vessels for 18 to 24 months for $27,000 per day. The conversion includes removing onboard cranes and elevating the wheelhouse by two decks, enabling up to seven rows of containers to be stacked. On Tuesday, China Classification Society (CCS) announced that Chan Xin 66, a 2012-built 80,000 dwt Kamsarmax bulk carrier, had been converted into a 3,600 teu container ship, claiming it is the largest project of its kind. The vessel owner, Shenzhen Qianhai Radiant Shipping, acquired Chan Xin 66 last November and converted the ship at Zhoushan Xinya Shipbuilding. Renamed Guang Qi De Er Ta, the transformed container ship entered service on 10 June. CCS, which supervised the five-month long project, described the conversion as challenging, involving large-scale hull structural modification, reconstructing the cargo hold, and installing a brand-new container securing system. Major shipbuilders are busy with orders until 2029, meaning the wait for a newbuilding could be three to four years. Greenfield shipyards are getting in on the boom, but it would also take them around two years to complete a vessel. Other than that, feeder vessels dominated the newbuilding scene this week: Dubai-based Emarat Maritime, an owner and operator of tankers and bulk carriers, has diversified into the container sector, ordering three 930 teu ships from Hubei Guangji Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Group, with delivery expected in 2028. Emerat, owned by the Sharaf family, has options for three more ships. Norway-based Eitzen group has ordered a pair of 900 teu electric vessels from Zhejiang Dongpeng Shipbuilding & Repairing, after winning a grant from the Norwegian government to design the ships build the needed electrification infrastructure. Eitzen subsidiary Zen, which focuses on the group’s electrification activities, will own the vessels. The ships, to be delivered in 2028, will be deployed to intra-Europe routes to form the basis of new electric freight corridors. Shandong Port Group’s feeder operating arm Shandong Marine Corporation has added to its orderbook, commissioning a pair of 1,100 teu ships from Shandong Marine Equipment. Costing $23.8m each, the vessels will be delivered in 2028. On the car carrier front, Sallaum Lines booked a pair of 8,600 ceu ships from Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry. The Cypriot ship owner said it would build more car carriers as it expects more demand amid rising exports of Chinese electric vehicles. Sallaum director Hasan Sallaum said: “With larger capacity, dual-fuel capability and an ammonia-ready design, these ships give us the flexibility to serve growing market demand while continuing to invest in lower-emission transportation.”

Ascolta la versione audio dell'articolo 4' di lettura English Version Translated by AI. For feedback, please contact english@ilsole24ore.com Una nuova portacontainer da 10mila tonnellate solca i mari della Cina dal mese scorso. Si chiama Ningyuan Diankun e può essere scambiata per una nave mercantile come un’altra, invece ha diverse doti del tutto eccezionali: è elettrica e completamente autonoma. Non è la prima e non sarà certamente l’ultima, ma per adesso è la più capiente portacontainer elettrica del mondo. Varata nel porto di Ningbo - il più grande al mondo per tonnellaggio di merci movimentate, situato sul delta del Fiume Azzurro - la nave porta nel nome un riferimento al Kun, un Leviatano della mitologia cinese capace di trasformarsi in uccello, e all’elettricità, Dian, sposando l’antico con il moderno. Chiedilo al Sole Le domande sono suggerite automaticamente da 24Ore AI sulla base del contenuto visualizzato. Domande di approfondimento generate da 24Ore AI Lunga 128 metri e larga 22, la Ningyuan Diankun ha una capacità di 740 Teu (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, corrisponde a un container standard di 20 piedi) ed è stata progettata da Sdari, mentre il sistema di propulsione elettrica da 20 MWh è stato fornito dallo Shanghai Marine Equipment Research Institute. Entrambe le realtà fanno parte della China State Shipbuilding Corp, il più grande conglomerato cantieristico al mondo, controllato dallo Stato. Per la propulsione elettrica, l’unità è equipaggiata con dieci moduli di alimentazione grand come un container standard, per una capacità di quasi 20 MWh e un’autonomia di 100–180 miglia nautiche a seconda della velocità e del carico. Loading... Zero emissioni e zero rumore «Questo consente alla nave di operare in modalità completamente elettrica, con zero emissioni e zero rumore per l’intera durata del viaggio, adattandosi perfettamente alle esigenze operative del trasporto costiero», ha spiegato Ma Hongmeng, responsabile del progetto, a “China Daily”. Secondo Ma, siamo all’inizio di una nuova era per il trasporto containerizzato costiero cinese. E la casa madre di Ningyuan Diankun lo conferma: «Ningbo Ocean Shipping possiede 32 navi ecologiche e a basso consumo energetico, pari al 57% della sua flotta, e 19 navi intelligenti, il 34% del totale: un segnale dei progressi compiuti nell’ammodernamento verso soluzioni a basse emissioni e a guida intelligente». Ad Amsterdam solo barche elettriche L’elettrificazione del trasporto marittimo, secondo gli operatori, è il prossimo grande mercato che si apre, ma questa rivoluzione industriale è in corso quasi soltanto in Cina, come del resto sta accadendo anche per l’auto elettrica. Sulla stessa strada sono i Paesi scandinavi, che già da tempo praticano l’elettrificazione delle flotte, e in particolare la Norvegia, primo Paese europeo a varare una portacontainer elettrica a guida autonoma, la Yara Birkeland, con una capacità di 120 Teu, per trasportare merci lungo le rotte costiere. Da quest’anno, poi, nei fiordi norvegesi si può entrare solo con navi a zero emissioni, per cui tutte le flotte turistiche hanno dovuto riconvertirsi all’elettrico. Stesso discorso per Amsterdam, dove ormai possono entrare solo barche a propulsione elettrica. Catl: batterie per gli oceani entro 3 anni La Cina, però, è decisamente più avanti. L’emancipazione del settore marittimo dalle fonti fossili è fondamentale per gli obiettivi più ampi di Pechino in materia di decarbonizzazione e indipendenza energetica. Le batterie, particolarmente adatte alle operazioni di navigazione costiera, sono la prima alternativa all’olio combustibile pesante, mentre sul fronte della navigazione d’altura si studiano altre soluzioni, dall’ammoniaca all’idrogeno. L’adozione su larga scala di navi oceaniche elettriche non si è ancora concretizzata a causa della bassa densità energetica delle batterie attuali rispetto ai combustibili fossili, ma il più grande produttore di batterie al mondo, Catl, è convinto che “ci si arriverà nel giro di 3 anni”, come ha sostenuto la responsabile della sua divisione dedicata alle applicazioni marine, Su Yi, all’ultima fiera Marintec China.

DP World looks set to finally break into the US market after entering into an “exclusive negotiation agreement” for a long-term lease to develop and operate a container terminal at the Gulf coast port of Corpus Christi. The Texan port is currently a major export gateway for US LNG and crude oil shipments but currently has no container handling capabilities, and under the development being discussed by DP World and the port authority, the Dubai-headquartered operator “would design, build, and operate a new container terminal, expanding capacity and strengthening supply chain connectivity across the Gulf coast”. Currently, the vast majority of container volumes in the western part of the Gulf are handled at the three terminals at Houston, which hosts some 30 container services and last year saw a throughput of just over 3.6m teu. Houston’s total capacity is currently 4.3m teu, indicating a 2025 utilisation rate of 85% and suggesting the region is in need of more terminal capacity. “The US Gulf coast is one of the nation’s most important trade and economic corridors, and demand for efficient, resilient port infrastructure continues to grow,” Brian Enright, chief executive of DP World in the Americas, said. “The Port of Corpus Christi presents a significant opportunity to expand container capacity, strengthen supply chain connectivity, and create new pathways for American businesses to access global markets. “We look forward to working closely with the port authority, local labour, and other stakeholders to deliver a world-class terminal that supports job creation, attracts new trade flows, and generates long-term economic value for South Texas and the broader US economy,” he added. The negotiations began following the port’s completion of the capital dredge of its access channel allowing the access of larger ships to the port. “Completion of the landmark Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project in June 2025 – thanks largely to investments by the federal government – has unlocked the potential for existing port customers to meet evolving demands of the global marketplace while spurring additional cargo diversification,” Kent Britton, chief executive of the Port of Corpus Christi, said. “Entering into exclusive negotiations with DP World is another important step in our long-term strategy to expand the port’s capabilities, deliver greater value to our customers, and ignite investment in the Coastal Bend,” he added. While the negotiations will “focus on terminal design, capacity planning, and investment structure”, if the partners press ahead with the project, it would “mark DP World’s first container terminal development in the country after it wasnotoriouslypressured into relinquishing control of six US terminals during its acquisition of P&O Ports in 2006. “DP World’s global expertise in terminal operations and integrated logistics makes them a strong partner as we explore the development of container services at the port,” Mr Britton added. The most likely possible site in Corpus Christi is the La Quinta Terminal Gateway, which reportedly has 1,300 acres set aside for future port development projects.

Chinese containerised exports to the US have outperformed those of other Asian origins after tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were lifted, enabling more goods, especially those related to solar power and the AI boom, to be shipped, boosting transpacific rates. US customs data showed that in May, Chinese exports to the US were up 35% year-on-year, the highest since March 2021. This strong performance is part of a broader export boom, with China’s overall exports rising 19% in May. In February, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US president did not have the authority to impose tariffs under the IEEPA regulations, thus invalidating tariffs that had been placed on imports from China and other countries. On the very same day, the Trump administration invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a new global 10% tariff on nearly all US imports, with plans to increase it to 15%. This reset the playing field for the US’ trade partners, with China’s average tariff rate dropping from 32% to 24%. Linerlytica today said that the surge in China’s exports to the US is heavily linked to global demand for high-tech goods, particularly in the AI and solar power sectors. The disruption in crude oil and LNG shipments arising from the Strait of Hormuz closure is persuading households to turn to renewable energy. In terms of value, China’s total exports of integrated circuits soared 110% year-on-year in May, in part driven by unit price surges. Exports of high-tech goods surged 50% in value in May from a year ago. On Friday, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed Shanghai-US West Coast rates gained 12% from 5 June, to $5,101 per 40ft, while Shanghai-US East Coast went up by 10% to $6,321 per 40ft. However, Linerlytica added that that tight slot availability is also helping to push up freight, especially to the US west coast. “Transpacific freight rates to the US west coast have surged past $6,000 per 40ft from $1,800 per 40ft in February, with the higher rates set to last to July backed by the increased cargo demand,” Linerlytica said. The boost provided by the Section 122 tariffs set to expire on 24 July is likely to be extended with additional Section 301 tariffs on Structural Excess Capacity currently delayed. To create a more permanent tariff regime, the US Trade Representative (USTR) launched a new Section 301 investigation in March 2026, targeting 16 economies, including China and several Asian countries, for allegedly over-manufacturing goods. However, the imposition of Section 301 tariffs has been delayed to June 2027 to give US manufacturers time to reduce their dependence on Chinese legacy chips without causing immediate supply chain shocks. Check out this week’s News in Brief podcast, featuring Global Shipper Forum’s James Hookham.

Ascolta la versione audio dell'articolo 3' di lettura English Version Translated by AI. For feedback, please contact english@ilsole24ore.com Assarmatori bacchetta la Commissione Ue per la tassazione Ets sul comparto marittimo che, sostiene il presidente dell’associazione, Stefano Messina, va modificata radicalmente, visto che sospenderla «è un’utopia». L’obiettivo è, tra l’altro, ottenere «un meccanismo automatico di supporto all’acquisto di carburanti alternativi e puliti», attraverso i ricavi dell’Emission trading system, puntando, però anche sulla propulsione nucleare, più adatta al settore marittimo italiano, rispetto a quella elettrica, caldeggiata da alcuni Paesi del Nord Europa. Guardando, poi, alla scena politica internazionale, Messina respinge qualsiasi ipotesi di pagamenti di pedaggi nello Stretto di Hormuz. Chiedilo al Sole Le domande sono suggerite automaticamente da 24Ore AI sulla base del contenuto visualizzato. Domande di approfondimento generate da 24Ore AI Aprendo l’assemblea di Assarmatori, Messina ricorda che è «attesa per luglio la proposta di revisione del regime Ets da parte della Commissione europea e siamo davanti ad un’occasione forse irripetibile per limitare i danni di quella che è una vera e propria tassazione intempestiva, ingiusta, sproporzionata e soprattutto inutile, anche ai fini stessi della decarbonizzazione». L’Europa, aggiunge, «sembra vivere fuori dalla realtà perché continua a irrigidire le norme vigenti come se fosse ignara del contesto geopolitico mondiale e non fosse, al contrario, chiamata a proteggere la competitività delle imprese europee anziché affossarle. I danni nell’automotive sono emblematici e non possiamo permetterci di perdere altri pezzi fondamentali della nostra industria». Loading... «Dall’Ue posizioni unilaterali che impattano su industrie e cittadini» Messina sottolinea che gli armatori hanno chiesto una sospensione, «ma i funzionari della direzione Clima della Commissione ci dicono “soffrite ancora un poco poi anche il trasporto su gomma pagherà”. Ma di che democrazia stiamo parlando? Quella di una Commissione dove funzionari impongono alla politica posizioni unilaterali che impattano in modo drastico sulle industrie e quindi sui cittadini. Decisioni che incidono sulla carne viva dei Paesi membri ma senza che questi ultimi abbiano poi la leva necessaria per modificare il percorso». Decisioni, evidenzia, «spesso caldeggiate da gruppi di pressione molto ben organizzati e strutturati, che ricevono ingenti finanziamenti da Paesi che sono fra i primi inquinatori mondiali». Occorre giungere, dice Messina, all’esclusione delle isole maggiori dal regime Ets. «Qui parliamo di continuità territoriale, di mobilità dei cittadini, di approvvigionamento delle merci, di turismo: in una parola di coesione sociale. Infine, serve inserire, nella direttiva Ets, un meccanismo automatico di supporto all’acquisto di carburanti alternativi e puliti. L’Europa ha imposto obblighi e tasse ma non ha implementato nessuno strumento finanziario efficace per favorire l’acquisto di questi carburanti». «Innovation fund inneficace» L’Innovation fund (alimentato dall’Ets), poi, dice Messina, «è completamente inefficace e poggia su logiche di ricerca e sviluppo che premiano soltanto i fuel sintetici e l’elettrificazione cara al Nord Europa. La nostra proposta, fatta propria anche dal Governo, è avere un meccanismo come in aviazione dove, sotto l’Ets, esistono quote gratuite per colmare il differenziale di prezzo tra carburanti alternativi e carburanti tradizionali». Messina afferma, poi, che non si può immaginare «che, quanto generato dal nostro comparto, non ritorni per interventi finalizzati alla decarbonizzazione, ovvero soprattutto per il sostegno alle Autostrade del mare, il rinnovo e il refitting delle flotte».

European automakers and their logistics services providers are navigating a period of upheaval and structural change, according to industry and research sources interviewed byThe Loadstar. Hit hard by US tariff hikes, a sizeable chunk of OEM premium export business has disappeared, while on the home front, Chinese rivals are not only shipping vehicles to the EU in ever-increasing numbers, but are accelerating plans to operate local production facilities in the bloc. “The European automotive industry is facing a perfect storm of challenges. The market remains broadly flat, although there are notable exceptions. Spain and Poland continue to outperform most other European markets and are among the few countries still delivering meaningful growth,” said Frank Schnelle, executive director of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG). “However, overall, the industry is having to deal with significant overcapacity. This is not only a European issue, but a global one. In China, the utilisation rate of production facilities is below 50%. In Europe, it is below 80%, we understand.” Export markets have weakened considerably, with EU car shipments to the US falling approximately 13.5% last year, to around 668,000 vehicles, figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association reveal. And more recent data shows the pace of decline went up a couple of gears in January and February, year on year. “The decline in EU exports to China has been even more notable, having been one of the most important markets for European vehicle manufacturers,” Mr Schnelle said. “Concurrently, Europe is experiencing a sizeable increase in vehicle imports from China, fundamentally changing the balance between export and import flows” The arrival of Chinese brands “is definitely reshaping the market composition in automotive logistics”, noted Rico Luman, senior sector economist, transport & logistics, at Dutch bank ING. “They are a driver of electrification, and this also has an impact on automotive logistics in terms of the weight of vehicles and the safety aspects,” he toldThe Loadstar. “We know the incumbent European car industry has significant excess capacity, so collaboration with Chinese players could absorb some of it. At the same time, sales of new cars still hover 10% to 15% lower than pre-pandemic. Affordable EVs could push up new car sales, but we’re not there yet,” he added. On exports, he said: “Emerging export markets, such as Latin America, are on the rise, while new EU trade agreements with India, Indonesia, and Australia offer new, longer-term growth opportunities.” Returning to imports, having to handle these in greater quantities represents logistical challenges, as they typically require substantially more storage capacity than vehicles for export, explained Mr Schnelle. “As a rule of thumb, imported vehicles require roughly twice the storage space. “They generally remain in compounds longer, require additional processing and distribution activities and create more complex inventory management challenges, he added. .“Consequently, ports and inland compounds across Europe are expanding storage capacity. The strong increase in imports from China is again creating significant demand for storage space across the network.” He also signalled growing concern that imported vehicle volumes may exceed the pace at which they could be sold on the European market – “congestion builds throughout the supply chain and pressure on available storage capacity increases further”, he said. Mr Schnelle also highlighted the increasing number of vehicles being transported in containers. “Generally not the ideal solution for finished vehicle logistics,” he noted. “Box terminals are typically not integrated into automotive logistics networks in the same way as dedicated vehicle terminals. They are disconnected from vehicle storage, technical processing, and distribution activities, creating inefficiencies and increasing the risk of transport damage.” Turning to the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting surge in fuel prices, he noted: “Fortunately, most transport contracts today contain fuel adjustment mechanisms. However, many of these clauses only take effect after up to three months. “For many smaller transport companies, this creates a significant cash flow challenge, as they must absorb the increased fuel costs before compensation mechanisms apply. ECG has therefore advocated for shorter adjustment cycles. Otherwise, there is a real risk that transport capacity will leave the market, which is clearly not in the interest of vehicle manufacturers.” The trade body has been encouraged to see that a number of OEMs have recognised this challenge and adjusted their mechanisms accordingly. This has helped protect capacity and maintain stability across parts of the finished vehicle logistics sector. More broadly, ECG members are also dealing with increasing sustainability requirements, investment needs related to digitalisation and decarbonisation, and a general lack of predictability in vehicle production and trade flows, “making planning and investment decisions increasingly difficult”. Finally, have these difficult market conditions led to European automakers reducing spend on transport and logistics costs? “That’s definitely what we’ve seen recently, but at the same time, reliable logistics and supply chains have become a boardroom theme,” Mr Luman said. “Resilience is key, and this also comes with additional services, such as storage in ports. In any case, freight rates have gone up following the hostilities in the Gulf.”

Oltre la metà delle navi da crociera — 166 unità, pari al 58% della flotta — è già oggi predisposta per collegarsi alla rete elettrica di terra e spegnere i motori una volta ormeggiata in banchina. Entro il 2028, con 239 navi, la quota supererà il 75%. "Una trasformazione che le compagnie stanno anticipando rispetto agli obblighi normativi - scrive Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) in una nota al termine dell'incontro dedicato allo stato di attuazione dell'elettrificazione delle banchine nei porti italiani, organizzato a Roma questa mattina alla presenza tra gli altri del direttore generale per i porti del Mit Donato Liguori- e a cui anche i porti si stanno progressivamente adeguando. L'allaccio elettrico è già operativo in 51 scali europei (309 MW tra crociere e traghetti) mentre in Italia i porti, sostenuti da 800 milioni di fondi europei, dovrebbero accelerare e passare, entro fine '27, a 52 allacci per un totale di 700 MW". Per "valorizzare questa opportunità di decarbonizzazione è fondamentale affrontare in modo coordinato alcuni nodi chiave, promuovendo una collaborazione efficace tra compagnie, autorità portuali, istituzioni, fornitori di energia e terminalisti - si legge nella nota -. Con lo sviluppo delle infrastrutture, è centrale una chiara definizione di ruoli e responsabilità con l'individuazione di soggetti gestori, criteri operativi condivisi e modelli di gara omogenei. Strategico stabilire criteri di priorità nell'accesso alle connessioni così come definire un quadro tariffario sostenibile e una gestione efficiente degli eventuali oneri aggiuntivi rispetto al costo dell'energia, assicurando competitività rispetto all'autoproduzione a bordo". Secondo Liguori, "l'Italia, anche grazie ai Fondi Pnrr, sta anticipando la scadenza del 2030 accelerando sulla transizione energetica nei porti: oltre 800 milioni di euro tra Pnrr e Pnc per lo sviluppo del cold ironing, con 52 interventi già finanziati e oltre 740 MW di potenza installata"."Le compagnie da crociera non possono agire da sole - ha detto Francesco Galietti, direttore di Clia Italia -. A oggi in rampa di lancio numerosi progetti che, grazie a un lavoro di sistema tra tutti gli operatori, possono portare l'Italia a diventare tra i Paesi più virtuosi d'Europa". Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi