'<p>For Vopak, the year 2008 has evolved according to the pusued objectives for growth. The company has increased the global storage capacity with 23% to around 27 million cubic meter, whereby a continued high occupancy rate has been realized. The financial statements have not yet been assembled in detail and have not yet been verified by the auditor. The expected group operating profit for 2008, excluding exceptional items, amounts to around EUR 318 million (2007: EUR 272.9 million), which is fully aligned with the earlier communicated outlook for the 2008 group operating profit excluding exceptional items to be at least EUR 310 million.</p> <p>Besides the earlier reported exceptional gains Vopak will include some exceptional losses in the financial statement of the fourth quarter of 2008, which are among other caused by impairments of activities that are not related to tank storage. According expectation, this leads to a group operating profit, including exceptional items, of around EUR 320 million.</p> <p>Final results for the year 2008 will be published on 13 March 2009 before opening of the Amsterdam stock exchange, by means of a press release.</p> <p><span class="redBold">For more information</span><br>Royal Vopak<br>Corporate Communication &amp; Investor Relations<br>Rolf Brouwer<br>Telephone: +31 (0)10 4002777<br>E-mail&nbsp;: <a href="mailto:corporate.communication@vopak.com">corporate.communication@vopak.com</a><br>Website: <a href="http://www.vopak.com/">www.vopak.com</a></p> <strong>Profile of Vopak</strong><br>Royal Vopak is the world's largest independent tank terminal operator specialising in the storage and handling of liquid and gaseous chemical and oil products. On request, Vopak can provide complementary logistics services for customers at its terminals. Vopak operates 80 terminals with a storage capacity of around 27 million cbm in 32 countries. The terminals are strategically located for users and the major shipping routes. The majority of its customers are companies operating in the chemical and oil industries, for which Vopak stores a large variety of products destined for a wide range of industries.'

'<h2 align="left"> $20 Million in FAA Grants Anticipated for Pre-Conditioned Air Project</h2><br><p> The Port of Seattle Commission continued to go ‘green' by approving funds to design a pre-conditioned air project for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save millions of dollars for airlines. Eighty percent of the funding is anticipated to come from Federal Aviation Administration grants. </p> <p>Once installed, the project is expected to reduce emissions by more than 69,000 metric tons per year and save airlines nearly $400,000 in the first year. The CO2 savings are equal to 2% of the yearly emissions from aircraft at Sea-Tac or the equivalent of taking 13,000 cars off the road. </p> <p>The project will allow aircraft to hookup to pre-conditioned air provided by the airport at each gate. This allows planes to shutdown their auxiliary power units which spew CO2 gases and cost the airlines fuel to run. The cooled or heated air would be piped into the aircraft from a central utility plant at the airport. </p> <p>“This investment lowers airline costs and reduces the airport's environmental footprint,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Bill Bryant . “It is a win-win for all of us.” </p> <p>The project is estimated to cost just over $33 million. The FAA grant, through the Voluntary Low Emissions (VALE) Grant Program, is anticipated to cover nearly $22 million. The rest will be paid through Airport Development Funds and a cost per enplanement increase to airlines of $0.12. This cost will be more than offset by decreased airline operating costs which could save over $19 million over the life of the project, based on fuel costs of $2 per gallon; if fuel costs rise again, the savings would be even greater. </p> <p>“A centralized pre-conditioned air system is the most cost effective and energy efficient long term means of providing pre-conditioned air to gated aircraft” said Michael Feldman, Sea-Tac Airport Deputy Managing Director of Facilities &amp; Environmental. “The positive effects also include reduced noise from aircraft while they are parked at the gates.” </p> <p>Today's Commission action approved $3.77 million for design of the project. Complete design is scheduled by January 2010 with the start of construction anticipated in July 2010 and full completion of the project by December 2012. </p><br>'

'Damen Dredging Equipment has delivered six DOP submersible dredge pumps of Type DOP3530LD to Soil Machine Dynamics in the UK, four of which will be integrated in a remotely operated 'RT-1' Rock Trencher. The hydraulically driven DOP3530LD has a capacity of 2,000m3/hr at 3 bar. The wear resistant dredge pump is enabled with a mechanical shaft seal, which does not need grease or gland water. The bearing housing has been given with pressure compensation to enable it to work at depth. The 'RT-1' is being built by Soil Machine Dynamics and intended particularly for trenching pipelines in hard material. Trenching is performed by three chain cutters, excavating to a depth of 2.5m. <BR>'

'President of Mexico, Mr. Felipe Calderon, has launched a new project to construct a huge new port with an investment of US$ 5 billion. By 2020, the new port is anticipated to handle upto 6 million TEUs per year, more than double of country’s current freight capacity.&nbsp; And, the new port, which is planned for Punta Colonet on the Baja California peninsula near the US border, will take delivery of cargo arriving from Asia for North American markets. The bidding process is supposed to close late next year, and the port should be operational in 2012, said Jose Rubio, project director, Mexico's Baja California state, which is associated with the federal government to develop the port.<BR>'

'<P>Aker Solutions has signed contracts with Sevan Marine ASA for delivery of two drilling equipment packages and an option for a third package. The total contract value is about US$ 240 million. The contracts will comprise delivery of complete drilling packages consisting of engineering and equipment deliveries for drilling rigs that Sevan Marine is building. Aker Solutions is on track with deliveries for Sevan's first drilling rig that is expected to be delivered in 2009.</P> <P>Mads Andersen, executive vice president of Aker Solutions, said, “We are very pleased that Sevan again has awarded us these drilling equipment contracts. This further strengthens our relationship with Sevan Marine." These ultra deepwater drilling rigs are planned for delivery by the end of 2010 and end 2011. The drilling rigs will be intended for worldwide operations. </P>'

'<P>Adriana Resources Inc. has announced that it has reached an agreement with ArcelorMittal for the development of an iron ore port facility in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Port will be constructed on the land which was acquired by Adriana in January 2008. Adriana will partner with ArcelorMittal to advance an iron ore strategy to become a fully integrated iron ore producer. <BR><BR>Regarding the agreement, Michael Beley, President and CEO, Adriana Resources Inc., said, “Partnering with ArcelorMittal is a significant milestone in the advancement of our Brazilian iron ore strategy. ArcelorMittal brings the global expertise in mining, ports, seaborne shipping logistics and the ability to finance large infrastructure and mining projects through to operation."</P> <P>Aditya Mittal, CFO and Member of ArcelorMittal's Group Management Board, stated, "The planned port facility at Sepetiba Bay in Brazil is the ideal captive solution to deliver access to the export market for ore from the Iron Quadrangle region."</P>'

'<P>The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) have announced that they have decided to continue their strategic alliance through a three-year renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Initially signed in 2003, the partnership offers economic and trade benefits to both regions. Both the companies will continue to carry out joint marketing, share information and go on with technological interchanges. </P> <P>Alberto Alemán Zubieta, Administrator/CEO of ACP, said, “The Port of Houston is a critical U.S. port and key maritime partner. Today's renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Houston Authority illustrates our commitment to quality service and meeting the demands of an ever-changing and increasingly globalized maritime community. New multifaceted challenges require bold action and strong partnerships."&nbsp; </P>'

'<P>The Port of Rotterdam Authority is going to begin actual construction work on Maasvlakte 2 in the month of September. According to Hans Smits, CEO, Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Port Authority now has all the necessary permits. A limited number of appeals have been lodged against these permits. </P> <P>Subsequent to fifteen years of planning and preparation for Maasvlakte 2, a start is going to be made on dredging sand in the Yangtzehaven, by the cutter suction dredger ‘Zuiderklip’. And then, the sand will be transported, via a pressure pipeline, to the place where the APM terminal is to be built, to the north of the Slufterstrand. Later on, the first hopper dredger will start on to build the soft coastal defences and suppletion off the coast.</P>'

'<P>Van Oord and Royal Boskalis Westminster nv have received a contract from the Dutch Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management to strengthen a weak link in the ‘Delflandse coast’. The contract is worth about US$ 182 million of which Van Oord and Boskalis have an equal share. </P> <P>The project includes the engineering and construction of extra dunes besides widening of the beach from Hoek van Holland to the Scheveningen harbor. A new nature area of 35 hectares will also be developed between Hoek van Holland and 's-Gravenzande. </P> <P>The Delflandse coast is the largest sub-project in this whole project and by the end of 2011 around 18 million m3 of sand will have been discharged on the foreshore, beach and dunes. Van Oord and Boskalis will be deploying different trailing suction hopper dredgers on the project.</P>'

'China Shipping Group has made it clear that it is in negotiations with the shareholders of Taicang Port Phase II to acquire a minority stake in the four-berth box terminal in Suzhou city of east China.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>The Phase II terminal is a joint venture between Modern Terminals and Suzhou Port Development. It has a quay length of 1.1km comprising four container berths with a capacity of 1.8m teu per year. The Port of Taicang processed 1.08 m teu of containerised cargo last year, out of which Phase II terminal lifted about 300,000 teu to 400,000 teu.<BR>'