Maritime News

Zim: New service to Asia-South America East Coast

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:37 +0000

Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica (CCNI), (A Chilean shipping company, part of the Empresas Navieras holding), Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd, Hapag-Lloyd and Wanhai Lines have announced they will cooperate on a new Asia – South America East Coast service, effective April.

The new service will serve Korea, Central and South China, Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

The new weekly service will deploy eleven TEU 4,200 container vessels:? three each from Hanjin and Zim, two each from CCNI and Wanhai, one from Hapag-Lloyd, plus slot purchase from other lines.

Port2Port

Zim: New service to Asia-South America East Coast

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:37 +0000

The new service will serve Korea, Central and South China, Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

The new weekly service will deploy eleven TEU 4,200 container vessels:? three each from Hanjin and Zim, two each from CCNI and Wanhai, one from Hapag-Lloyd, plus slot purchase from other lines.

Port2Port

CSCL GRI announced from Israel to the United States and Canada Ports

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:31 +0000

China Shipping Container Lines Company Limited (CSCL) has announced it would apply GRI (General Rate Increase) on its Trans Atlantic service from Israel to North American ports, USA & Canada.

The announcement noted that freight rates will be increased as from April 1, 2010 by US$400 for 20′ container and US$500 for 40′ container.

Sailings from Haifay Israel, call at -Livorno-Genova-Tarragonay-Halifax-Newyork-Savannahy-Kingstony.

Port2Port

CSCL GRI announced from Israel to the United States and Canada Ports

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:31 +0000

China Shipping Container Lines Company Limited (CSCL) has announced it would apply GRI (General Rate Increase) on its Trans Atlantic service from Israel to North American ports, USA & Canada.

The announcement noted that freight rates will be increased as from April 1, 2010 by US$400 for 20′ container and US$500 for 40′ container.

Sailings from Haifay Israel, call at -Livorno-Genova-Tarragonay-Halifax-Newyork-Savannahy-Kingstony.

Port2Port

Hyundai Merchant to expand fleet to Asia-Middle East route

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:29 +0000

Hyundai Merchant Marine, South Korea’s No. 2 shipper, plans to expand its fleet on its Asia-Middle East route as part of efforts to meet rising demand, according to Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies.

The shipper plans to add two more container ships on April 19 that will leave from South Korea and call at ports in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Pakistan. Currently, Hyundai Merchant operates four 4,600-TEU container ships along the route.

The company said it also plans for the vessels to call at more ports in China and Iran to meet demand.

Cargonews Asia

Hyundai Merchant to expand fleet to Asia-Middle East route

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:29 +0000

The company said it also plans for the vessels to call at more ports in China and Iran to meet demand.

Cargonews Asia

New Vessel Traffic System for North Sea Canal, The Netherlands

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:23:09 +0000

HITT expects to soon receive the final order from The Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (RWS) for the design and delivery of a vessel traffic guidance and control system on the Noordzeekanaal (North Sea Canal) and surrounding waterways, including its 10 years maintenance.

Read at New Vessel Traffic System for North Sea Canal, Netherlands

DP World starts work on the Thames deep-water port

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

A giant dredger will begin construction tomorrow of the first deep-sea port in Britain for 25 years, designed to receive the biggest container ships from the Far East.

DP World, the port’s owner, says that the new wharf on the Thames
Estuary will be big enough to berth six of the biggest container ships
that have ever sailed. The ?1.5 billion project will involve 3.5 million
containers being received every year and hoisted on to Britain’s
biggest logistics park on the quayside.

The 23 million cubic metres
of sand and silt sucked from the bed of the Thames Estuary over the next
three years will be deposited on Essex mudflats and the old Shell Haven
refinery as part of a land reclamation project.

The site of the
London Gateway project is twice the size of the City and ten miles from
the M25. DP World claims that it will remove 2,000 lorries a day from
the roads by cutting out a costly link in the supply chain. At present
most goods shipped from Asia to Britain’s busiest container port at
Felixstowe are taken to warehouses in the West Midlands before secondary
journeys to London and other markets.

The project is expected to
create 12,000 jobs but the Government has resisted offering public
money. The financial difficulties of the company’s parent group, Dubai
World, have left some in the shipping industry to wonder whether the
project will ever be finished as planned.

The doubts are dismissed,
though, by those close to the project. “This is where our nation’s
trading heartbeat physically will be,” Simon Moore, the London Gateway
chief executive, said. “What we have here is a marine superhighway. As
you go higher up the river, it becomes a B-road.”

Laing O’Rourke and
Dredging International won the ?400 million contract to dredge the
estuary’s Yantlet Channel and to lay the foundations for the port. The
site will be raised by three metres and the wharf will be built on
reclaimed land extending up to 600 metres into the estuary. The next
generation of ultra-large container ships, which can carry 14,000
containers, are unable to sail any farther up the Thames.

A dual
carriageway already connects the brownfield site to the M25 and the
company plans to double the existing single track rail connection and
create a rail-freight depot to handle up to 60 trains a day.

There
has been little opposition to the project in the ten years since it was
first considered. The main environmental agencies are on board, with
plans to remove endangered species from the site. Road hauliers, the
shipping industry and the Government have all said that they are in
favour.

“It would be a direct competitor to Felixstowe and in our
view that would be healthy, because it would provide shipping lines with
greater choice and enable the market to function in a more efficient
manner,” said Tim Reardon, shipping policy manager at the Chamber of
Shipping.

“It will work fine as long as the cost of operating that
centre is viable,” said John Howells, the Road Haulage Association’s
Southern and Eastern regional director. “Some of the bigger operators
will probably move in to cut down on their distribution costs. It may be
too big for the smaller operators who will probably continue to use
their existing facilities in the Midlands.”

DP World said that it was
in discussions with high street retailers and their suppliers about
taking plots in the 9 million square-foot warehouse complex. It has
outline planning approval and last week InterGen, which operates a
gas-fired power station on the margin of the site, applied to build a
900MW generator. DP World said that it hoped to open the port, subject
to a revival in world trade, within ten years.

Source: Times Online

DP World starts work on the Thames deep-water port

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

A giant dredger will begin construction tomorrow of the first deep-sea port in Britain for 25 years, designed to receive the biggest container ships from the Far East.

Source: Times Online

Iraq seek bids in April for $ 6 billion port project

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Iraq will next month invite foreign firms to submit bids for the planned construction of a $6 billion port south of Basra, which together with a new rail system will create a regional transport conduit to rival the Suez Canal, officials say.

Iraq is also seeking investors to build 8,000 km (4,970 miles of new
rail line, including a $3 billion railway network around Baghdad.

Constructing a new port and expanding the country’s existing 2,000 km
(1,200 miles) of railway is part of a drive to modernise public
infrastructure and kick-start Iraq’s economy now that major new oil
contracts have been signed.

“This port will be considered the 10th most important in the world
because it will connect the Gulf with northern Europe,” Transport
Minister Amer Abdul-Jabbar told Reuters on Sunday.

The port, to be built on the Gulf south of the city of Basra, would
enable the world’s biggest ships to dock in Iraq, he said, as it will
have a depth of 17 metres (55 feet.

Goods, once unloaded at the new port, would then be loaded onto the new
railway system and reach Europe overland more quickly than ships might
reach Egypt’s Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red
Sea.

“This will change the road map for world transport policy … This dry
channel would be a shorter, cheaper and safer alternative,” Abdul-Jabbar
said.

The port, to be called ‘Grand Faw’, will be constructed in two
three-year stages. It will include 7,000 metres (23,000 feet) of dock
ready to receive container ships. The dock for general cargo would be
3,500 metres (11,500 feet).

Source: Reuters

Finnish port strike talks resume in order to

maritime news — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Talks to end Finland’s nationwide port strike that has crippled the nation’s foreign trade will resume on Tuesday, March 16.

The port employers’ association and the AKT transport workers union
agreed to meet again after the government-appointed mediator called for a
resumption of talks on the twelfth day of the walk-out by some 3,400
longshoremen.

Talks were suspended on Friday following a failure to narrow differences
between the two sides over the key issue of compensation for laid-off
dockworkers.

The strike, which began on March 4, has idled 60 percent of Finland’s
paper making capacity as producers have run out of storage space.

The electronics industry, which relies heavily on imported components,
faces widespread disruption if the strike continues through the week.

The Outokumpu steel company has warned it may be forced to stop
production of stainless steel and ferrochrome.

Source: Journal of Commerce

Preliminary KPT parking for oil tankers

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:31 +0000

Karachi Port Trust would provide provisional parking lots to Oil Tankers in Port area whereas a permanent parking for tankers have already been allotted in Zulfiqarabad.

In an interview with a private news channel, Federal Minister for Ports
and Shipping Babar Ghouri said the tankers mafia has parked their
tankers illegally at different residential areas of Clifton which
disturbs the life of common man.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the removal of illegal
tanker parking lots from Karachi he said that action had been taken
previously on the report of residents of the tankers’ affected area.

“Supreme Court’s decree would be implemented by the Sindh government and
illegal parking of the tankers would be removed”, he asserted.

Answering a query about the demand of the tanker owners to provide them
parking lots he said the government has already provided parking lots to
the port users for genuine business, and to oil export companies, they
fill oil and move to their concerned place but, he added that area is
not for them to permanently occupy the space. He assured that Karachi
Port Trust (KPT) is working efficiently to provide facilities to the
businessmen. But illegal tankers effect and disturb people so they would
not be allowed to work at any cost, he added.

To a question about the permanent parking lots for tankers he said the
government has provided such parking for tankers at Zulfiqarabad three
years ago. “Instead of parking tankers at residential areas tankers
should be parked at their respective places at Zulfiqarabad Parking”.

Source: APP

China Shipping Group reaffirms support for Westport

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:30 +0000

China Shipping Container Lines Co. Ltd (CSCL) would continue to make Westports Malaysia in Port Klang its mega transshipment hub in Southeast Asia.

A Westports statement said the Vice President of China Shipping (Group)
company, Ma Zehua made the commitment to Westports Executive Tan Sri G.
Gnanalingam during a recent visit to the port.

CSCL is Westports’s
second largest customer after French Liner, CMA CGM.

Last year,
Westports handled some 552,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) for CSCL,
including for the group’s feeder liner, Puhai Shipping, and the volume
was expected to increase this year.

“We have been constantly
improving the productivity rate on their vessels.

“They have not only
grown in terms of volume but also in terms of vessel sizes as more and
more mega-sized vessels are making regular calls at Westports,” the
statement added.

Source: Bernama

Bangladesh, China persuaded to use Chittagong port

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:30 +0000

Bangladesh will persuade China to use Chittagong port as a commercial outlet for its southern Yunnan province, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said on Sunday.

The Bangladesh stance was announced nearly three months after Bangladesh
had agreed to allow India, Nepal and Bhutan to use its two sea ports
mainly Chittagong port.

“It will be a great achievement if China agrees to use our Chittagong
port, which we want to develop into a regional commercial hub by
building a deep seaport in the Bay of Bengal,” she told a news
conference.

The offer for Chittagong port to Beijing will be discussed when
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits China from Wednesday on a
five-day itinerary, Moni said.

The impoverished south Asian country has taken plans to build an $8.7
billion deep-sea port in three phases to raise bulk cargo handling
capacity to 100 million tonnes and container handling to 3.0 million
twenty-feet equivalent unit (TEU) containers annually by 2055.

Presently the port handles 30.5 million tonnes of bulk cargo and 1.1
million TEUs annually.

Port officials said when built the port would serve Nepal, Bhutan,
southern China, Myanmar and the northeastern region of India.

To use Chittagong port China will need a road or railway link or both
between Kunming, the capital of southern Yunnan province with Chittagong
via Myanmar, Moni said.

Myanmar last year had agreed to expand a planned road project with
Bangladesh to link up with China in a tri-nation network, another
foreign ministry official said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a deal in July 2007 to construct a 25 km
(16 mile) road to connect the two countries and construction will begin
soon, officials at the Communication Ministry said.

The road project between Myanmar and Bangladesh is nearing completion, a
senior foreign ministry official said on Sunday.

Chinese investment for Bangladesh’s energy and IT sectors, boosting
trade and seeking assistance for building a $9 billion deep seaport and a
$2.5 billion river bridge will be on top of Hasina’s agenda.

China is Bangladesh’s biggest trade partner with annual turnover worth
more than $4 billion — with the balance heavily in Beijing’s favour.

After bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart and signing of
probable agreements for financial assistance, Hasina will visit Kunming
on March 20.

Source: Reuters

Add Hyundai Merchant Fleet on Asia-Middle East route

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:30 +0000

Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., South Korea’s No. 2 shipper, said Sunday it plans to expand its fleet on its Asia-Middle East route as part of efforts to meet rising demand.

The shipper plans to add two more container ships on April 19 that leave
from South Korea and call at ports in China, Taiwan, Singapore,
Malaysia and Pakistan.

Currently, Hyundai Merchant operates four 4,600-TEU (20-foot equivalent
unit) container ships along the route.

The company said it also plans for the vessels to call at more ports in
China and Iran to meet demand.

Source: Yonhap

Maritime trade suffers Rs 1400 cr annual loss: CAG

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:28 +0000

Maritime trade in the country loses over Rs 1,400 crore per annum due to poor infrastructure at major ports, despite the Rs 55,800 crore government scheme to develop docks being underway, the country’s top auditor has said.

“Deepening projects, critical for the competitiveness of the ports, were
neglected. These factors limited the berthing options available to
ships, resulting in their queuing for few berths, leading to high
pre-berthing detentions… maritime trade in Ind ia lost more than Rs
1,400 crore per annum on account of such detention,” the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) said.

Depths available at the major Indian ports were unable to cater to all
types of vessels that plied international waters, it said in its latest
report, adding, “dredging undertaken by these ports had not been
effective.”

“To address the need (capacity augmentation), the (Shipping) ministry
formulated the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) in
2005-06, which envisaged an investment of Rs 55,800 crore for the
(development of) major ports by 2012,” the CAG report said, indicting
the Shipping Ministry for poor facilities like cargo handling and night
navigation.

A recent government document too pointed out that the average turnaround
time of major Indian ports continue to be way below the desired
average, undermining their competitiveness

Source: Hindu Business Line

Maritime trade suffers Rs 1400 cr annual loss: CAG

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:28 +0000

A recent government document too pointed out that the average turnaround
time of major Indian ports continue to be way below the desired
average, undermining their competitiveness

Source: Hindu Business Line

Running out of time on Albert Embankment London?

maritime news — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:27 +0000

Could MEPC 60 be the make or break of the IMO in the eyes of the UN and EU? Over 60 greenhouse gas related documents have been submitted by IMO member states for the forthcoming meeting, scheduled between 22nd-26th March.

In a packed agenda, the committee will consider technical and
operational requirements, emissions targets, market based mechanisms and
try to take on board the post COP 15 comments.

At the Navigate/IPTA Chemical and Products Tankers conference held in
London this week, Sveinung Oftedal, senior adviser Norwegian Ministry of
the Environment and leading light at the IMO confirmed that Japan,
Norway and the US had submitted a paper on the mandatory applications of
the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy
Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) – as amendments to MARPOL Annex VI.

He explained that the crucial issues were the application as to the type
and size of the vessel and the baseline and required index.

There were also several submissions on emission targets and a total of
seven different submissions on market based mechanisms, he said.

Oftedal also thought that progress could be expected on technical
operational requirements (EEDI and SEEMP) but was worried about; “…….
the big political play affecting work at the IMO”.

He also said that policies decided should stand the test of time at
least to 2050 as a vessel operating in that decade needed to be designed
in the 2020s. “The years 2010-2020 are going to be crucial,” he said.

Oftedal also remarked that although 75% of the fleet is registered in
developing countries, this did not pose a problem at the IMO.

Other delegates at the conference were concerned that in seeking
resolutions to the big issues facing the shipping industry, some of the
other more equally important general work would be hurried through
without too much thought, or put on the back burner.

Also speaking at the conference, The Danish Maritime Authority’s
Christian Breinholt said that the EEDI would be a commercial decision on
how to balance the investment in technology against the need of the
vessels.

BV’s Yannis Calogeras said he believed that SEEMP would be driven
through to a mandatory state, although it is voluntary at the moment. He
said that it dovetailed neatly with ISO 14000.

He also explained that four steps were needed to be considered when
implementing SEEMP – planning, implementation, monitoring, plus
self-evaluation and improvement.

It was generally agreed that the decisions made at MEPC 60 needed to be
adopted at MEPC 61 later this year in time for COP 16, which is to be
held in Cancun, Mexico in December.

Source: Tanker Operator