The document summarizes the Optimed project, which aims to optimize freight transport in the Mediterranean region by rationalizing sea routes and establishing a hub-based network. The project would test routing freight through two hub ports, Porto Torres in Italy and Beirut in Lebanon, to consolidate cargo onto larger vessels. This is intended to increase transport efficiency by establishing scheduled services, reducing costs and travel times while lowering environmental impacts compared to the current spot services. The expected results include increased vessel load factors, lower transport costs, reduced pollution from shipping and road transport, and improved road safety.

1. Speaker: Paolo Fadda
CIREM, University of Cagliari, Italy
MEDITERRANEAN LOGISTICS AND
TRANSPORT SUMMIT
8th MEDA Ports Summit
8th MEDA Ports Summit – Barcelona, 10 June 2015 Paolo Fadda, CIREM
OPTIMED PROJECT
RATIONALISING MEDITERRANEAN SEA WAYS:
FROM NORTH-WESTERN TO SOUTH-EASTERN PORTS
Speaker: Paolo Fadda
CIREM, University of Cagliari, Italy
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2. 8th MEDA Ports Summit – Barcelona, 10 June 2015 Paolo Fadda, CIREM
OPTIMED’S GOALS
 to optimise the trade network between the northern shores of the High Tyrrhenian arc and
the eastern-southern shores of the Mediterranean sea
 to promote new opportunities, facilities, tools and skills that lead to the improvement of
commercial connections and relationships between public and private operators in maritime
transport and logistics sector of Lebanon, Italy, Spain and France
 to identify new opportunities of the maritime trade network and the potentialities of a
supporting tool like a virtual logistics platform among economic operators from EU and
Mediterranean Partner countries
 to give an answer to the need of more efficiency and sustainability of trade relations
between the two shores of Mediterranean basin, and in particular among involved territories
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

3. WHAT OPTIMED DOES
OPTIMED tests new and alternative hub-based network layouts in order to verify the
efficiency of the new system from several points of view:
 Costs borne by the various operators (firms, forwarders, shipping companies, …)
 Travel and total delivery times and their reliability
 Environmental impacts in terms of air pollutant emissions
 Energy saving
8th MEDA Ports Summit – Barcelona, 10 June 2015 Paolo Fadda, CIREM 3
THE OPTIMED PROJECT

4. FREIGHT DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE MED-EUROPEAN AREA
BY LAND
BY SEA
LYON
ALGIERS
LISBON
GENOA
TANGIERS
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

5. HOW THE MEDITERRANEAN FREIGHT TRANSPORT WORKS TODAY: SPOT SERVICES
CAGLIARI
Origin port
TARTOUS
Destination port
GENOA
Cargo consolidation
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

6. 8th MEDA Ports Summit – Barcelona, 10 June 2015 Paolo Fadda, CIREM
HOW THE MEDITERRANEAN FREIGHT TRANSPORT WORKS TODAY: REGULAR SERVICES
SAGUNTO
Destination port
MERSIN
Origin port
GENOA – 1 day
LIVORNO – 7 days
TARRAGONA – 1 day
IZMIR – 10 days
INTERMEDIATE PORT CALLS – DWELL TIME
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

7. LIMITS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF TRANSPORT BY SEA
 Not scheduled boarding times (in the majority of existing maritime services)
 Uncertainty and very low reliability of delivery times
 High costs
 High delivery times
 Congestion of the Ro-Ro yards, because of the high number of waiting trucks
 Use of large port areas as parking areas for trucks
ADVANTAGES OF THE ROAD MODE
 Reliability of the door to door service
 Temporal continuity of the links
LIMITS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE EXISTING TRANSPORT OPTIONS
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

8. REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW SYSTEM
 Greater reliability of delivery times
 More competitive times with respect to the existing transport options
 More competitive costs
 All ports of origin/destination must be covered (considerable reduction of land routes)
 Social and environmental sustainability
 All ports maintain and increase their market shares through modal shift (from road to sea)
HOW TO DO IT?
By transforming the logic of distribution of goods by sea
SPOT CONNECTIONS
NEW NETWORK SYSTEM CHARACTERISED BY
SCHEDULED, REGULAR AND RELIABLE FREQUENCIES
AND MORE COMPETITIVE DELIVERY TIMES
OPTIMED PROPOSES A 2-HUB-BASED NETWORK SYSTEM
TO REDUCE LIMITS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

9. PORTO TORRES
HUB
PORT OF BEIRUT
HUB
CIVITAVECCHIA
VALENCIA
BARCELONA
MARSEILLE TOULON
LEGHORN
LA SPEZIA
GENOASAVONA
NAPLES
SAGUNTO
TARRAGONA
ALEXANDRIA
LIMASSOL
PORT SAIDDAMIETTA
SALERNO
LATAKIA
MERSIN
TRIPOLI
TARTOUS
SETE
OPTIMED: A NEW 2-HUB-BASED NETWORK LAYOUT
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

10. A NEW LAYOUT FOR PORTO TORRES HUB PORT
PORTO TORRES
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

11. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TWO HUB PORTS:
 All ro–ro units from different origin ports are unloaded from feeder vessels and then loaded
on a bigger mother vessel for all the destinations
 All ro-ro units unloaded from a mother vessel are loaded on the various feeder vessels
serving the different ports of destination
A LOGIC OF SYSTEMIC DISTRIBUTION:
 Origin ports should mantain as direct links only those serving significant shares of traffic,
while minor ports should plan the transfer of goods by working as a system
 Origin and destination ports are linked to the hub of reference by frequent and regular
feeder services
 All the origin and final destinations are covered thanks to the systemic logic of distribution
 In order to have an efficient system the 2 hubs need to be conceived as free-trade areas
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

12. EXPECTED RESULTS
 Increased vessels load factor
 Increased storage capacity of the port areas
 Higher efficiency of the system due to scheduled, frequent and reliable services
 Reduced transport costs both for the end-customer and the shipping line
 Lower levels of air pollution (significantly lower in populated areas)
 Improved road safety as a consequence of the lower freight volumes transported by road
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT

13. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Prof. Paolo Fadda – Scientific Coordinator of the OPTIMED Project
CIREM, University of Cagliari (Italy)
fadda@unica.it
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THE OPTIMED PROJECT