Tecon Santos posts a new record: 155 Movements Per Hour (MPH) in its Maersk Lirquen operations

12/01/2012

Yesterday, January 11, Tecon Santos posted a new productivity record for operations in the Maersk Lirquen ship: 155.5 movements per hour (MPH). The terminal managed by Santos Brasil on the left bank of the Port of Santos broke its own record (136.64 MPH, achieved with Monte Cervantes on June 1, 2010).  The operations in Maersk Lirquen took place between 2:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and involved 1,983 containers handled in approximately 13.5 hours of operations.

The terminal's monthly productivity indicator in the last 30 days is 81.42 MPH, the highest figure for container terminals in South America, placing Santos Brasil at the same efficiency level as Europe's leading terminals. The calculation of the monthly average considers the MPH of all vessels in a 30-day period. Tecon Santos handles an average of 100 container ships per month.

According to Caio Morel, Santos Brasil's Chief Operating Officer, average monthly productivity is the true measure of operational consistency, since it indicates the productivity level that, on average, all clients measured. "But it is also important that we reach exceptional productivity levels, as in the case of Maersk Lirquen and Monte Cervantes, as these performances show that average productivity can increase, in addition to providing ship owners with a shorter stopover at the port, thus allowing them to sail at a lower speed towards their next destination. This saves fuel, whose cost is a heavy burden for maritime operators," said the executive.

Morel also explained that maintaining average monthly productivity at the best international levels, as Tecon Santos has consistently done, requires a sharp and motivated staff, in addition to extensive planning, training and cutting-edge equipment - all ingredients that, according to Morel, Tecon Santos knows how to develop in its operations.

Santos Brasil has continually invested in staff training and the modernization of its terminal, acquiring state-of-the-art equipment, which is essential for continually increasing productivity. The incorporation of new equipment ensures higher efficiency and container storage capacity in the terminal's yard. Investments since 1997, when Tecon Santos took over the concession, amount to R$1.9 billion (in current values), mainly allocated to quay and yard expansions, technological upgrading and staff training.  "Because productivity has increased in a structured way, i.e. in a homogeneous manner in all our operations, Tecon Santos has reduced the average stopover time of its clients. This is a tangible gain from our increased productivity," concluded Morel.