Muuga Container Terminal certified – The first in the Baltic Sea

Muuga Container Terminal in the port of Tallinn has been certified by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) according to the Container Terminal Quality Indicator (CTQI) standard. The standard is a benchmarking tool for evaluating the quality of container terminals and to increase efficiency. CTQI certified terminals can prove to its stakeholders that they fulfil a set of efficiency requirements. The scope of certification at Muuga Container Terminal (Muuga CT) covered operational, technical and administrative processes for the maritime container terminal operations in respect to import and export container handling, transit container handling und container depot.

The Muuga CT is the first certified container terminal in the Baltic Sea and it is the first feeder terminal being assessed against CTQI. Muuga CT handled 956 vessels within the one year reference period. 415 container vessels and over 500 RoRo-vessels called the Muuga Container Terminal and the ship-to-shore cranes handled a number of 103,258 moves. Muuga CT is an export terminal as about 42% of its handled containers are export containers. The total share of import as well as transit cargo is around 29% each. Transit cargo is solely received from and delivered to Russia.

Subject to this audit was the container seaside operations only which is happening at berth 15 and 16. From there, containers are handled and stored in the container yards throughout the terminal. Berth 15 and 16 is a pier of 400 meters length equipped with 3 ship-to-shore gantry cranes. The last gantry crane arrived in July 2009. All handling equipment is less than three years old. The average age of the ship-to-shore gantries as well as the Mobile Harbour Crane is slightly above 2.5 years. The company implemented technological scheme for handling containers with Rubber Mounted Gantry (RTG) cranes together with Shuttle Carriers which improved truck turnaround time significantly. Four RTGs and six Shuttle Carriers are in operation which are supported by eight Reachstackers.

The Muuga CT terminal operation is structured transparently. Modern technologies and sophisticated software are implemented and well trained staff is available. CTQI audits require an effective management system as well as convincing key performance indicators which are in place at Muuga CT despite it is a feeder terminal. During the audit the terminal operations and the installed infrastructure including hardware and software had been assessed. Furthermore the efficiency of loading and unloading trains and trucks had been evaluated. The management of Muuga CT has shown a strong commitment to continuous improvement and by a well structured management system that applies ‘state of the art’ methodologies to a great extend. This is proved by the audit results.

The Container Terminal Quality Indicator was introduced in 2008 and is measuring and improving container terminal efficiency by creating a uniform and globally accepted terminal operation terminology and statistical methodology to measure performance and by identifying and rewarding best practices. Annual audits of the container terminal performance and supply chain interfaces are setting benchmarks and improve the facilitating of the supply chain integration. Certification according to CTQI shows that the terminal’s process organisation and performance meet the requirements and consistently high-quality services can be provided. This is verified by the audit and confirmed by the audit results.