Business | Shipping
DP World sets up scanner to detect nuclear materials
Global marine terminal operator DP World together with senior US Government officials yesterday formally commissioned state-of-the-art radiation scanners at DP World Caucedo in the Dominican Republic that will be used to check container traffic for nuclear material.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:21 November 14, 2008
Dubai: Global marine terminal operator DP World together with senior US Government officials yesterday formally commissioned state-of-the-art radiation scanners at DP World Caucedo in the Dominican Republic that will be used to check container traffic for nuclear material.
The installation is part of the US Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative, run by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and implemented locally. More than 65 senior US 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 19 ports globally as part of efforts to detect dangerous radioactive materials, and is expanding to add more than 20 additional terminals to the programme in Asia, Latin America and the Carib-bean, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
DP World senior vice-president and managing director for the 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 US 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."
Network
In addition to being the newest member of the Megaports Initiative, DP World Caucedo, often used as a transshipment port for cargo to the US less than 1,500km away, is a participant in the Container Security Initiative (CSI), placing US customs agents at the port to inspect US 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 US 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 US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shipping lines and end-customers.
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