While yesterday we learned that the word port can mean the left side of a boat, today we focused on what exactly goes on at a place called port.
Again today we traveled to Limassol, and around 9:30 am we arrived at DPW’s general cargo and passenger terminal. DPW (Dubai Ports World) is one of the three facilities we were introduced to that runs the Limassol port. DPW has several locations around the world that are designated to unloading passenger and cargo off and onto ships. In all locations there are terminals for passengers of the cruise ships and their necessary security terminals. During the first presentation with DPW it was explained that their company along with many others have a 25 year deal with the government to occupy the port for shipping purposes. With shipping being one of Cyprus’s main sources of revenue, reliable companies like DPW need to be chosen in order to have a stable economy. In America its slightly different. We are a much bigger country and have so many industries that our economy does not rely heavily on just one company.
Cyprus’s importance in the shipping industry was only further demonstrated when we visited Eurogate. At the same port as DPW this facility handled loading, unloading, and storing containers. Most of the containers being shipped out of the port are empty because of the limited amount of exports that Cyprus has. One of the reason Cyprus is such a big hub for shipping is because of its prime location. Being in between three continents, Asia, Africa, and Europe, Cyprus can act as a middle man in distributing goods and products to far locations. While it does not necessarily supply other countries with many goods, it is in a good location to act as intermediate stop and storage area for many containers.
It was really crazy to see the amount and size of equipment used in these ports and facilities. In visiting both of these sites, I gained an appreciation for how much energy, material, and work goes into regulating the supply chain for the dispersion of goods worldwide.
