Port resources rationalization for better container barge services in Hong Kong

Abstract

The manufacturing base in the Pearl River Delta of China is moving westwards, where the Pearl River system has extensive coverage. This makes container barge transport a new growth area for Hong Kong Port. Traditionally, Hong Kong Port has been the main gateway for containers transported through the Pearl River system, but this advantageous position is under challenge from the adjacent ports in South China, especially from Shenzhen Port, which is keen to take a bigger share of the new growth by improving the access of barges to its port facilities. While services at Shenzhen Port are improving, barge operators have been experiencing high congestion at Hong Kong Port. Improving the quality of barge container services becomes crucial for Hong Kong Port. In this study, we propose and investigate three improvement strategies: to enhance the consolidation of small container flows, to increase the efficiency of berth allocations for barges, and to optimize the overall utilization of port resources in Hong Kong. These strategies can be instrumental for keeping Hong Kong's status as the gateway for the Pearl River system and help maintain its competitiveness as an international shipping hub.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous referee for the helpful comments, and are grateful to all the shipping liners and port operators who have contributed to this study by sharing their views. The authors are also grateful to TL Yip and Venus Lun of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies for constructive discussions. This work is supported by the Niche Area Grant (J-BB7A) of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme (N_PolyU 513/08).