INTRODUCTION TO

PORT MANAGEMENT

Prepared By:
Ir.Alfred Bawole M.Sc
 PORT MANAGEMENT

SOME BASIC POINTS

Seaports are areas where there are facilities for berthing or anchoring
ships and where there is equipment for transfer of goods from ship to shore
or ship to ship

THE IMPORTANCE OF PORTS

Ports should be considered as one of the most vital aspects of a national
transport infrastructure. For the most trading nations they are:
- The main transport link with their trading partners and thus focal point
for motorways and railway system
- A major economic multiplier for the nation’s prosperity. Not only is a port
a gateway for trade but most ports attract commercial infrastructure in
the form of banks, agencies, as well as industrial activities
Ports should also be considered as one of the most important aspects
of maritime transport because they are the location:

- Where most maritime accidents happen.

- Where cargo is damage or stolen
- Where repair are carried out
- Where most cost are incurred
- Where delays are most likely to occur
- Where surveys take place
- Where most shipping services are located
- Where industries are situated
- Where customs and government policies are implemented
- Etc
Ports also a place where numerous controls are imposed:
- Documentary control
- Finance control
- Import and export control
- Etc

Ports have developed as areas of storage while cargo waits for

distribution, further processing or onward movement
Documentary control
 MAIN FUNCTION AND FEATURES OF A PORT

 Civil engineering feature

- Sea and land access
- Infrastructure for ship berthing
- Road and rail network
- Industrial area

 Administrative functions
- Control of vehicles entering and leaving the port
- Environment control
- Safety and security within port area
- Immigration, health, customs and commercial documentary control
Sea and Land access
Ship berthing
Road and rail network
Industrial area
 Operational functions
- Pilotage, tugging and mooring activities
- Use of berths, sheds,
- Loading, discharging, storage and distribution of cargo
- Etc
Pilotage
Tugging and mooring
Tugging and mooring
Loading and unloading
Storage and distribution
 MAIN FACILITIES AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY A PORT
Services and facilities for ships
Arrival and departure
Navigation Aids and VTS
Approach channel
Pilotage, tugs and mooring
Locks(if tidal)
Berths
Administrative formalities
Police, immigration, customs, health
Supplies, water, bunker
Repairs, medical, waste disposal
Port state control
Cargo transfer
Opening/closing hatches
Breaking out/stowing
Services and facilities for Cargo
Basic
Cargo handling on ships and on quay
Transport to/from storage
Storage/warehousing
Tallying, marking, weighing, surveying
Surveillance, protection, sanitary
measures
Dangerous cargo segregation
Customs and documentary control
Receiving and delivery
Additional services
Repackaging, labeling, sorting, assembling
Cleaning and preparing cargo
Setting up a logistic network
Setting up a marketing package
 SOME DEFINITIONS

 Operational definitions
Port. A town with a harbor and facilities for ship/shore interface and customs
facilities

Harbor. A shelter, either natural or artificial, for ships

Dock. An artificially constructed shelter for shipping

Lock. In tidal waters the majority of docks have been maintained at a fixed
depth of water by making the access to them through a lock, which allows the
ship to be raised or lowered as it enters or leaves the dock.

Breakwater. A long solid structure built on the seaward side of the harbor, for
protection against the weather or rough seas
Lock
Lock in Panama Canal
Wharf. A structure built along the shore where vessels can berth
alongside.

Pier or jetty. A non solid structure built out from the shore or river bank
made of steel or wooden piles for berthing ships

Stevedore. A person employed in moving the cargo on or off the ship

Tug. A small power-driven vessel used in ports and harbor to:

- Tow barges and other unpowered craft between required location
within the harbor.
- Help large vessels to manoeuvre in and out of locks and on and off
their berths
- Help in salvage and rescue situations. Many will be equipped with fire
fighting and pollution control equipment.
Ports can be classified in two large groups:
By function
A. Cargo interface
- Hub or center port, also sometimes referred to as mega port,
direct-call port
- Feeder port - to feed and distribute cargo from hub port
- Entre-port or transit port
- Domestic port, i.e. a natural outlet for surrounding hinterland
B. Maritime Industrial Development area
- Large industrial zone with its own marine transport terminal
- Custom free port
- Oil port
C. Specific ship/shore interface
- Naval port
- Fishing port
- Specific commodity export port
Oil port
Naval port
Fishing port
Coal port
By Geographic Type

This classification is almost endless, so only the more important types

are considered here:
1. Coastal submergence
2. Submergence estuaries (Ryas)
3. Tidal estuaries
4. Artificial harbors
5. Rivers ( non tidal)
 PORT OWNERSHIP

 STATE OWNERSHIP
 AUTONOMOUS
 MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
 PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
TYPES OF PORT OPERATIONS

LANDLORD PORT.
TOOL PORT.
SERVICE PORT.
PRIVATIZE PORT
 PORT AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITIES

PORT TYPE INFRA SUPERSTRUCTURE STEVEDORING

STRUCTUTRE

LANDLORD YES NO NO

TOOL YES YES NO

SERVICE YES YES YES

PRIVATE YES YES YES

 PORT DEVELOPMENT

 FIRST GENERATION PORT(Before 1960).

CARGO INTERFACE LOCATION BETWEEN LAND AND
SEA TRANSPOTATION.
ISOLATED FROM TRANSPORT AND TRADE
ACTIVITIES.
AN “INDEPENDENT KINGDOM” WITH LITTLE OR NO
CO-OPERATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
 SECOND GENERATION PORT (After 1960).
AS A TRANSPORT, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
SERVICE CENTRE.
INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES ARE SET UP WITHIN THE
PORT AREA.
IT DEVELOPS A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
LOCALITY.
 THIRD GENERATION PORT.(1980s)
DUE TO WORLD-WIDE CONTAINERISATION AND
INTERMODALISM COMBINED WITH THE GROWING
REQUIREMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
THE PORT IS SEEN AS THE HUB OF THE INTERNATIONAL
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORK.
IT WORKS TO USERS’ CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN ITS
OWN.
IT TRIES TO SIMPLIFY CUSTOMS’ PROCEDURES.
THE PORT WORKS TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION.
 FOURTH GENERATION PORT(1990s)
UNITISATION OF INFORMATION OF LARGE % OF CARGO
MORE SOPHISTICATED USE OF AUTOMATION(AGV)
STANDARDISATION OF INFORMATION
GLOBALISATION OF PORT COMMUNITIES
GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
EMPHASIS ON QUALITY OF SERVICE AND TRAINED WORK
FORCE
GREATER USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE(AGV)
 COMPETITION BETWEEN PORTS

• THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE DECISION TO

SELECT A PORT :
1. COST.
COMPETITIVE COSTS AND LOW FREIGHT RATES.
2. SERVICE.
RELIABLE, FAST, GOOD COMMUNICATIONS AND LOW
CONGESTION.
3. MOVEMENT.
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS WITH GOOD INTERMODAL
LINKS.