DP World marks nuclear security milestone

Global marine terminal operator DP World together with senior U.S. Government officials yesterday formally commissioned state-of-the-art radiation scanners at DP World Caucedo that will be used to check container traffic at the port for nuclear material.

The installation is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Megaports Initiative, run by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and implemented locally. More than 65 senior U.S. Government officials, private sector associations and Caucedo-based customers attended the commissioning ceremony at the terminal.

The NNSA’s Megaports Initiative currently provides nuclear technology, training and technical support to nineteen ports globally as part of efforts to detect dangerous radioactive materials, and is expanding to add more than twenty additional terminals to the programme in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

DP World Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Americas Region, David Sanborn said:

“We are pleased to be part of this important initiative and look forward to working with NNSA, Dominican Customs and the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo to further improve security at Caucedo. Our involvement in the Megaports Initiative reflects DP World’s lasting commitment to remain at the cutting edge of efforts to secure people, assets and cargo.”

In addition to being the newest member of the Megaports Initiative, DP World Caucedo, often used as a transshipment port for cargo to the U.S. less than 1500 kilometres (900 miles) away, is a participant in the Container Security Initiative (CSI), placing U.S. customs agents at the port to inspect U.S. bound cargo. In 2007, the port became one of the first in DP World’s network to be certified compliant with the stringent, independently audited ISO 28000 security standard, which helps identify vulnerabilities and plan for security-related contingencies. DP World aims to certify its growing, global network of 48 terminals ISO 28000-compliant within three years.

DP World is the first international port operator to be granted membership of the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), a voluntary programme that increases the security and efficiency of global supply chain operations through active collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shipping lines and end-customers.

Source: Transportweekly