excellence, 4th edition - bbc chartering
TRANSCRIPT
Partner Magazine of the BBC Chartering Group
Anchored by
excellenceEdition 1 | 2012
page 2 | excellence
Content
04 Foreword of Svend Andersen Excellent firms believe in constant improvement
06 Excellence in keeping the world in motion Gottwald port technology moves with BBC Chartering
10 BBC Chartering furthers fleet upgrade More flexible workhorses for the leading
MPP / HL fleet portfolio
12 Launching the BBC Euro-Asia Express Line High liner frequency and a unique service proposition
14 BBC Events Meet BBC Chartering at upcoming events
15 CaytransBBC expands service More capacity for the leading regional service
16 BBC shipping ships BBC Chartering helps Damen to deliver
18 BBC = Best Business Centerfold Supporting a world in motion
20 BBC Chartering ‘moves to improve’ A humble attempt to explain the BBC approach
24 Upgrading the ‘All-water Route’ BBC Chartering and Boyd Steamship honoring the
famous shortcut
28 BBC Chartering vessel clips BBC vessels caught in action all over the world
30 BBC world map BBC Chartering offices nearest to you
6
20
10
24
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 3
It fills us with joy to present you with the first
‘excellence’ in 2012. It is not only the first in 2012 it is also
the 1st birthday for our ‘excellence’ partner magazine.
We believe this magazine is something special as there is
no second publication that combines aspects of shipping,
leadership, appreciation, edutainment with some deeper
thoughts on such a basis.
In the previous issue we subtly touched upon our re-
sponsibility that arises from any form of leadership, or
should I say, as we ‘lead-a-ship’ in a world that we all share
together. It is a natural need that we constantly have to
sail our ship to find our ‘excellence’. And as long as we
sail, we set the course and chose the waters, but we have
to live with the weather conditions.
Any force has its counter force – and the challenge lies in
balancing these forces. This is the big game. And in terms
of ‘excellence’ what do you think is the other end of the
scale, is it negligence?
Everything is about choices, and I am glad that today this
choice is not to neglect ‘excellence’ again. Ecce homo!
Ecce navis! We hope this feels right for you! We wish you
all the best while you ‘lead-your-ship’ so we can all ‘move
to improve’ and jointly create this ‘excellence’. Happy
birthday ‘excellence’!
Very best regards,
Raymond Fisch
‘excellence’ editor
Dear readers
ImprintResponsible for content:
Svend Andersen, Dr. Klaus Weirich
Raymond Fisch
Contact and editing:
Raymond Fisch
Suggestions to:
Published by:
BBC Chartering & Logistic GmbH & Co. KG
Hafenstr. 10b · 26789 Leer · Germany
Graphics:
Dennis Brünings
Christina Kruse
© BBC Chartering 2012 - All rights reserved
Welcome back to the first excellence in 2012! I hope
you had a successful start this year so far. Maybe you feel
also that there is something special about this year? The
Mayan calendar proclaims it will end on December 21,
2012. Experts believe this will not mean the end of the
world, as it is often said, but I it may well mean the end of
a world as we use to know it.
Have you ever thought of what this means for you? Where
will this lead us and why captures this projection so much
of our global attention?
To me, it seems the Mayans were setting a reminder, a
follow-up mark some 5,125 years ago in their ‘Outlook
system’, to tell us that we can observe a special show
in our surrounding planetary system. The phenomenon
talked about is the alignment of planets in our solar
system on one axis on the date that falls together with the
earth’s winter solstice.
It seems to me that it is our current civilization’s fate to
experience the Mayan’s message, which somehow is
comparable to us leaving a message for an appointment
with you in the future. But why are we in it? Do we have
a choice? What can we expect from that appointment?
What is the message about?
Our partner magazine is called ‘anchored by excellence’
and there is no coincidence that we selected these words
and it is also no coincidence that you are reading this
magazine now. The time lag here is not 5,125 years but
just a few weeks. But in principle, disregarding ‘time’, one
can say it’s the same phenomenon. It is comparable to a
proposal we make to clients, only that now all of us are
in a position to receive this offer and have the choice to
decide what to do with it and realize what this ‘unsolicited’
offer is about.
I like to take our core values that we promote at BBC
Chartering to explain that for me the offer is about
purpose, about conviction, and about quality attitude.
As purpose is the starting point of any achievement, this
is an opportunity to reflect why we are in the game. As
our conviction is shown in our work, this is an opportunity
to create awareness for our actions and demonstrate
responsibility for our contributions. And with quality
attitude as a property, this is an opportunity to become
better persons and organizations every day.
Now if we realize what this means, we will also realize the
tremendous potentials that we are challenged to develop
in our lifetime, individually and as organizations. This is
why I chose today’s quote of modern-age management
guru Tom Peters saying, ‘Excellent firms don’t believe in
excellence, only in constant improvement and constant
change‘.
Dear business partners
and friends
page 4 | excellence
Now, some might say that BBC Chartering ‘brags with
excellence’ as a corporate slogan just like anyone else. For
me this has a totally different meaning, which I hope you
can appreciate. At BBC Chartering ‘excellence’ is seen
only as an attribute that is subject to constant change.
And the ‘anchor’ is a symbol for anything we like to keep.
E.g. we like to keep our successful business partnerships
and we like to keep the relationship with the people that
help to deliver the value that we create as an organization.
We realize that we are asked to develop, to learn, to
improve at any given moment, and we also realize that
this means to follow through with ‘unpopular’ decisions.
This is for instance, if we have to let go of something or
someone, emotionally or physically. We have to realize
that there is a lot we do not know, but we know that we
can capitalize on our past experience and on our driving
forces that prepare us to serve any new assignment, any
new project that aims to create value together with you.
What first sounds like a static and absolute, ‘anchored by
excellence’ actually turns out to be the opposite, a humble
and modest exclamation of our continuous aspirations as
a corporate social community that is to deliver value.
We are proud that this attitude helps to provide you with
world class logistical solutions all over the planet. We are
proud that we can report about the progress we make
with our fleet renewal and modernization program and
we are proud to launch our new ‘BBC Euro-Asia Express
Liner Service’.
Inside this issue, we like to share viewpoints e.g. on the
upgrading of the panama canal, on our efforts at BBC
chartering, and through a cargo special on mobile harbor
crane logistics and some specifics of this niche market.
BBC Chartering constantly ‘moves to improve’ and we
would like to show ‘how’ inside this issue. We appreciate
to do this together with you, our business partners, and
we are pleased to follow this path in the future. We like to
thank you for your ongoing support on our way.
We hope to see you soon, no matter where! Meanwhile
please enjoy this new issue of our partner magazine.
Yours truly,
Svend Andersen
Chief Executive Officer
» Excellent firms don‘t believe in excellence –
only in constant improvement
and constant change «
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 5
successful products of that time were rail-mounted cranes,
pile-driving machines, and drop pile hammers, all of which
were steam driven.
Expansion, Depression & Gottwald
In 1918, the corporate activities of ‘MUKAG’ were focused
on expansion and led also to the takeover of ‘Pöhlwerke’
in Gössnitz, Saxony; a factory which has been successfully
producing traction engines and tractors for many years.
The acquisition marked an important step as it had its own
diesel engine production and employed about 1,200 people.
However in the course of the world economic crisis which
became the great depression in 1929, this entity falters and
goes bankrupt. ‘MUKAG’ and all its group members were hit
hard during this time.
in keeping the world in motion Our world faces many challenges, and certainly moving
things has always been one of them. With increasing
globalization and the required turnover of global produces
and goods, we also see unlimited means to get things
moved. And even if we know all about a very specific
challenge, there are many alternatives on how a task can
be accomplished.
Today we take this opportunity to highlight an important
player which is in a broad sense, like BBC Chartering,
involved in the business of moving things, yet in a totally
different way. Like BBC Chartering vessels, cranes from
Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, a subsidiary of Demag
Cranes AG, today are common companions in ports
around the world. Often these cranes are transported on
board BBC Chartering vessels to reach their new home
ports. This is about the 106 year old history of Gottwald,
the development of its mobile harbor crane business and
today’s global logistic challenges.
From Leer to Düsseldorf
The predecessor of Gottwald got created in the year
1906 with the founding of a Düsseldorf branch of ‘Ernst
Halbach Maschinenfabrik’ which was headquartered at
that time in Leer (East Frisia), a small town in the north
of Germany coincidentally also home to BBC Chartering.
The Düsseldorf branch, called ‘Maschinenindustrie Ernst
Halbach AG’, got incorporated in the commercial register
on May 21, 1906. At the time, Düsseldorf was chosen as
location since it provided good infrastructure and market
access to the ‘Ruhrgebiet’ as booming industrial region.
The company’s know-how lay in the application of steam-
powering technology for winches, road traction engines,
and cranes. The company took off with success and early in
1912 it acquired the ‘Körting’ crane factory in nearby Lintorf.
It was in 1917 when the company got renamed for the first
time into ‘Maschinen- und Kranbau AG’ or brief ‘MUKAG’.
This name was the first internationally known ‘brand’ for
what was later to be called Gottwald. Largely responsible
for the ‘fame’ was the success of the steam driven ‘VE’
excavator, designed back in 1910, mainly used for the
construction industry. Fondly termed ‘MUKAG digger’, this
machine was manufactured over 600 times in the following
decades up to 1948 and wrote company history. Other
page 6 | excellence
excellence
It was in the 1920’ies when the sole managing general
partner and main shareholder of the Düsseldorf bank
‘Schliep & Co.’, Consul General Leo Gottwald, acquired
shares in ‘MUKAG’. In 1926 he purchased the majority of
shares and in 1928 he attained full ownership becoming
chairman of the supervisory board of ‘MUKAG’.
From this point on Leo Gottwald exerts important
corporate influence. His crisis management in response to
the worldwide depression included a program of healthy
downsizing for ‘MUKAG’. Part of this program was to phase
out the ‘Pöhlwerke’ and the sale of the crane factory in
Lintorf.
A busy period followed characterized by economic growth
and acquisitions in the 1930’ies. In 1936, ‘MUKAG’ was
renamed to ‘Leo Gottwald KG’ marking the beginning
of the Gottwald brand. In 1938, five factories belonged
to the Group: the factories in Düsseldorf and Gössnitz
providing engineering works and Hattingen/Ruhr, Regis-
Breitungen/Thuringia and Bernburg/Saale providing steel
works such as flanges, booms, and stamped parts. The
workforce at the time totaled over 2,000 people all of which
were effectively managed to realize high product quality
and standards of engineering performance which found
international recognition.
War years, steam renaissance and a new beginning
Although, the end of the steam-engine era has long been
expected, the steam-powered drive system remained >>>
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 7
page 8 | excellence
in service at Gottwald for some time for the company’s
portfolio of excavators, cranes and pile drivers,
particularly in the war years, when oil was in short supply
and steam power was essential again. It is for this reason
that the factory in Düsseldorf and its 280 staff remain
quite unaffected by wartime restrictions, until key parts
of the factory were bombed in the spring of 1944.
After 1945, entrepreneurial impetus, financial strength,
strong will and an optimistic attitude point the way
confronting the ruins of the war tackling the challenges
of the future. The original plan of a complete factory
demolition, as intended by the occupying forces, was
dismissed in lieu of provisioning construction equipment
to Germany’s rebuilding efforts in the post-war period.
In the years to follow, the factory site in Düsseldorf got
rebuilt, modernized and expanded.
Reinventing mobile cranes
In 1950 Gottwald decided to focus on the production of
rubber tire mounted mobile cranes. This was a far reaching
decision as it points the company in a pioneering direction
in the manufacturing of rubber-tired cranes suitable
for an unprecedented broad range of applications. This
was the dawning of an era that also gave birth to the
fast-travelling Gottwald truck-mounted cranes. And this
also marked the beginning of Gottwald’s modularization
approach, a principle that has proven itself and that is
maintained to date.
The demand for Gottwald mobile cranes continued to rise
steadily for manifold applications. Next to the post war
reconstruction demand, Gottwald equipment was needed
to support steelworks, dockyards and the petrochemical
industry with various sizes and designs of mobile crane
equipment.
A new product was born as well in that time: the mobile
harbor crane. In 1956, the crane appears as a result of
Gottwald’s realization that many rail-mounted cranes in
maritime ports are not cost-effective and cannot be put
into more economic use. The company developed a tire-
mounted mobile crane based on the standard line of its
heavy duty mobile cranes. Until today this step could
proved itself successfully in more than 1,400 cases of
Gottwald mobile harbor crane units sold worldwide.
Transportation of mobile harbor cranes
Due to the enormous amount of mobile harbor cranes
in use around the world, and due to their durability,
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 9
dependability, economy and flexibility, these cranes
continue to be in great demand, both as used and new
equipment. Buying ‘second-hand‘ certainly won‘t mean
buying ‘second-class‘ as requirements may change
before the end of a crane’s life cycle is reached. However,
in any case these cranes require adequate maritime
transportation when moved to new locations.
Generally speaking, the cranes can be transported in
three different ways. They can be moved fully assembled,
partly assembled, or as assembly groups. Depending
on crane size and space requirements different types of
vessels may be selected to facilitate the transport. Such
can be a multipurpose vessels, heavy lift vessel, ro-ro
vessels, dock-type ships, or barges.
There is a constant trade-off to be considered between
the available means of transportation, the time needed
to prepare the transport, and the actual execution of
the transport. Distance, time, cost and cargo handling
are crucial parameters that influence the actual carrier
selection.
As heavy lift operator, BBC Chartering helped to facilitate
the ocean carriage of countless crane shipments. The
fleet portfolio of BBC Chartering provides always a
suitable vessel for the assignment. Often fully assembled
cranes on deck of the vessel are shipped together with
assembly groups or partly assembled cranes stowed in
the cargo holds.
“Although we can say that loading a crane is almost
standard business for us, we are aware of the responsibility
that this operation bears. It needs experienced people,
both on the shipper’s side and from the carrier, to execute
such operations. Even the best planning requires you to
take decisions onsite as any cargo operation may provide
you with contingent challenges” , says Ottokar Vetter,
Senior Port Captain at BBC Chartering, who has executed
countless ‘crane-cargo’ operations for the carrier.
Success means working together
Despite sharing the same geographical roots, i.e. the city
of Leer in Lower Saxony, Gottwald and BBC Chartering
can share experiences of many executed transports in the
past. And if the future tells that both propositions continue
to be needed by clients, any organization is charged to
align the resources to ensure the project can be delivered
in time and budget. Meeting market requirements is
imperative and hence represents ‘excellence in keeping
the world in motion’. (rf)
page 10 | excellencepage 10 | excellence
BBC Mont Blanc · 9,282 dwat · 2 x 350 mts cranes
BBC Belem · 8,000 dwat · 2 x 80 mts cranes
BBC Amethyst · 14,360 dwat · 2 x 400 mts cranes · 1 x 80 mts crane
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 11purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 11
BBC Chartering furthers fleet upgrade
February 2012 – Leading German multipurpose & heavy
lift operator BBC Chartering reports it took delivery of
three new building vessels in January 2012. As part of the
extensive fleet renewal and modernization program the
company announced previously, the ‘BBC Amethyst’, the
‘BBC Belem’, and the ‘BBC Mont Blanc’ now started their
services for BBC Chartering.
The 14,360dwt ‘BBC Amethyst’ is the second delivery of
a series of 14 planned new buildings. Like the previously
delivered ‘BBC Amber’ she offers a combined lifting
capacity of 800mt (2x400mt). This vessel type currently
marks the top of the company’s heavy lift fleet portfolio.
The ‘BBC Belem’ is the third of a series of eight new
vessels in the multipurpose segment with 8,000dwt and
a lifting capacity of 2x80mt.
Together with ‘BBC Everest’, ‘BBC Fuji’, ‘BBC Kibo’,
the ‘BBC Mont Blanc’ is the fourth member of a vessel
program BBC Chartering’s Svend Andersen refers to as
‘flexible workhorses’. The company reported earlier it
plans to operate eight vessels of this type with 9,300dwt
that offer a combined lifting capacity of 700mt. Being
delivered from the shipyard in Xingang (China), the ‘BBC
Mont Blanc’ just commenced her maiden voyage from
Ulsan (South Korea) to Kakinda (India) on a full charter
basis.
Svend Andersen, Managing Director of BBC Chartering
said: “I am pleased to see when our new vessels have a
promising start. I am convinced charterers continue to
appreciate the flexibility we can offer with these types of
vessels and with our unique fleet concept. This enables
us to respond to the most challenging maritime logistic
requests.”
Last year the company also introduced the BBC ‘project
division’. This service unit offers dedicated tender
management and transport engineering capabilities.
With that the company supports project cargo shipments
in the vessel segment exceeding 500mt lifting capacity
and seeks to focus on client’s requests in the offshore, oil
and gas industry.
West Bound
February 2012 – Leading German multipurpose and
heavy lift operator BBC Chartering announces the
introduction of a new liner service connecting Europe
and Asia. The line offers bi-weekly sailings to Asia and
departs every three weeks to Europe.
The new service is marketed under the name ‘BBC
Euro-Asia Express Line’ and calls loading ports
Hamburg, Antwerp, Bilbao and Porto Maghera and
discharges at destinations in South East Asia (Port
Kelang/ Singapore/ Batam, Ho Chi Minh/ Haiphong,
Hong Kong) and the Far East (Shanghai, Masan/Busan,
Kobe/Yokohama). On its westbound service the line
loads in Masan, Yokohama, Shanghai, and Singapore
and discharges in Mariupol, Genoa, Bilbao, Antwerp
and Hamburg. The company states that other ports
en route can be called on inducement basis.
Sandra Markus, line manager at BBC Chartering’s
headquarter in Leer says: “The new line offers a
high frequency on a long haul service and gives
charterers attractive transshipment options in the
Black Sea (Mariupol) interfacing with our established
Caspian service and in Antwerp to other BBC liner
destinations.”
The company reports it seeks to employ mainly its
7,200dwt multipurpose Ro/Ro heavy lift vessels on
page 12 | excellence
Launching the BBC Euro-Asia Express Line
East Bound
the service. These vessels, also referred to as ‘K-types’,
offer lifting capabilities up to 300mt (2x150mt).
Assigned to the first voyage is the ‘BBC Karan’
eastbound (week 11 ex Hamburg) and the 8,000dwt
‘BBC Bangkok’ westbound (week 10 ex Masan, Korea)
respectively. Depending on voyage requirements, the
service may employ any tonnage of BBC Chartering’s
portfolio and provide lifting capacity up to 800mt.
BBC Chartering previously announced it is strength-
ening its global liner activities responding to market
requirements and its ongoing business development.
Last, in December 2011, the company introduced
its ‘BBC Americana Line – Med Service’. Svend
Andersen, managing director of BBC Chartering,
states: “Although current economics in the break-
bulk and project cargo market remain difficult we
continue to improve BBC Chartering’s services. The
new service connects Asia, Europe and the Caspian
Sea, hence offering a unique break bulk and project
cargo proposition to our clients.”
This service introduction represents a natural step
in the company’s further development as BBC
Chartering reports it wants a ‘healthily balanced
business’ regarding the employment of vessels in
tramp, liner, and affreightment services.
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 13
Launching the BBC Euro-Asia Express Line
page 14 | excellence
Breakbulk Europe is the largest and most important
gathering in Europe for companies involved in the shipping
of heavy-lift, break bulk and project cargo. Shippers have the
opportunity to meet and develop relationships with leading
carriers, forwarders, ports, terminals and packers offering
the expertise and resources to handle non-standardized and
oversized cargoes.
Event date Location
May 22 - 24, 2012 The Antwerp Expo, Antwerp, Belgium
Booth# 704
Intermodal South America is the leading integrated exhibition
and conference event for international trade, logistics, transport
and cargo handling in Latin America. The event stages over 450
exhibitors from all over the world, presenting new products,
the latest equipments and technology innovations. A vast
conference program complements this event. The event
expects about 45,000 participating professionals.
Event date Location
April 10 - 12, 2012 Transamerica Expo Center, Sao Paulo,
Brazil, Booth# B-53
Breakbulk Europe 2012
Intermodal 2012
Expomin is one of the world‘s most important mining
exhibitions and is well recognized as a key industry event for
suppliers in the Latin American region. The mining sector is
fundamental to the Chilean economy. Chile has become the
copper mining capital of the world, producing over 1/3 of the
global copper output. The confirmed investments in the sector
amount to US$ 60 billion in the period 2011-2015.
Event date Location
April 9 - 13, 2012 Espacio Riesco Convention Center,
Santiago, Chile, Booth# 600A-2B
Expomin 2012
BBC events Q2 / 2012
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 15
CaytransBBC expands service
January 2012 – CaytransBBC, a service managed
by Dan-Gulf shipping, announces it is adding a sixth
vessel to its fleet. The M/V ‘BBC Anglia’ will join the
existing fleet that offers regular service between the
US Gulf and the North Coast of South America. The
ship will deliver into the service in mid January 2012 in
Santa Marta, Colombia.
The ‘BBC Anglia’ is a 4,820dwat multipurpose vessel
featuring box-shaped cargo holds, adjustable tween-
decks, and 2 x 60mt cranes that can lift up to 120mt
combined. The vessel joins a modern fleet that is
suitable to carry project, break-bulk and bulk cargoes.
Like the other CaytransBBC vessels, the BBC Anglia
is timber and grain fitted and can be converted to a
single deck carrier upon request.
The fleet extension will allow CaytransBBC to provide
more regular sailings. The lines’ vessel load in Houston
and Mobile and connect to Cartagena, Santa Marta
and Barranquilla in Colombia, Guanta and Maracaibo
in Venezuela and to Pt. Lisas in Trinidad. Other load
and discharge ports can be called on inducement
basis.
CaytransBBC reports it has enjoyed a steady growth
in cargo volume over the past year. The lines’ ability
to provide superior customer service, timely sailings
and competitive freight rates has allowed it to gain
significant market share into the North Coast South
American and Caribbean market.
“We are pleased to see our services expand to meet
the increasing demands from international shippers”,
states Mr. Niels Busse, President of Dan-Gulf Shipping
and adds: “Our niche expertise on the trade to the
North Coast of South America and other Caribbean
and Central American destinations is unique and we
are prepared to discuss any project opportunities.”
page 16 | excellence
It was twice in February 2012 that Dutch shipbuilder
‘Damen’ relied on BBC Chartering’s services to deliver
ten new built tug boats and three dredger barges.
The company reported it was welcoming ten Damen
‘Stan Tugs’ in Gorinchem: 4 x STu 1606, 4 x STu 1205 and
2 x STtu 1004. The tugs were built at Damen Shipyards
Changde, one of Damen’s six locations in China.
Both Damen’s Stan Tug and ASD Tug series are
regularly built for delivery from stock, which reduces
delivery times to a minimum. The ten STu’s, delivered
on board the ‘BBC Tennessee’, were fully outfitted,
tested and ‘ready to go’.
The Dutch shipbuilder also reported it has used a
vessel specially chartered-in by BBC Chartering to
helps Damen to deliver BBC Chartering
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 17
deliver three cutter suction dredgers to Azerbaijan.
The three dredgers were dismantled at the yard
of Damen Dredging Equipment in Nijkerk, the
Netherlands and transported by truck to Antwerp,
where they were loaded onto the chartered ship,
‘Volgo Balt 246’ and transported to Baku. The three
ships were delivered to the Ministry of Emergency
Situations (MES) in Azerbaijan where they will be used
to clean-up, deepen and maintain the Kura River water
system.
Damen’s philosophy of series production and delivery
from stock made it possible to build, outfit, deliver
and commission all three dredgers within six months
after the contract became effective. BBC Chartering is
pleased it could help. (rf)
page 18 | excellence
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 19
page 20 | excellence
There are not many companies like the German
multipurpose and heavy lift operator BBC Chartering. As
dry cargo and project shipping specialist the company
has shown tremendous growth since its beginning in 1997.
What makes this company what it is? What can be learned
from an industry leader in a niche segment? What is it that
convinces the clients to come back and so, contribute to
this success?
Here is a humble attempt to identify, elaborate and explain
the approach of BBC Chartering, a company claiming it
is ‘anchored by excellence’. In brief we can say that the
company does not just look at an absolute ‘level of quality’
but more so a ‘quality attitude’ as it is conveyed as one
of the company’s core values. The approach is followed
by the company along two dimensions: ‘development of
capabilities’ and ‘improvement of resources’.
# 1 Fleet
With currently more than 140 vessels in its portfolio,
BBC Chartering is a global leader in the heavy-lift and
multipurpose tonnage segment with vessels ranging from
3,500 to 37,300dwt. It operates the single largest fleet in
the market with lifting capacities reaching up to 800mt.
BBC Chartering ships can be described as non-cellular
vessels that can carry nearly all types of dry cargoes.
They have own heavy lift cranes, box shaped cargo holds
and adjustable tween-decks. Some vessels feature cargo
ramps, too. The company handles project cargo, break
bulk, bulk, or any other non-standardized cargo with its
fleet.
BBC Chartering introduced an extensive fleet renewal
and modernization program. Over the coming years
BBC Chartering plans to take delivery of 22 new heavy
lifters that belong to one of the most recognized new
building ventures in the industry. Two new vessel types
are at the core of this program: the BBC Everest and the
BBC Amber type. With these new vessels the company
increases the fleet’s lifting capacities up to 800mt and its
efficiency. This marks an important step in the company’s
history while it moves up in enhancing its respective niche
capabilities.
BBC Chartering
‘moves to improve’
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 21
With a fleet averaging below five years of age BBC
Chartering employs one of the youngest and most efficient
MPP/HL fleets in the world. This fleet policy ensures that
ships with most up-to date technical characteristics can
be offered to charterers.
The overall number of vessels, their shallow drafts, large
cargo holds, overall compact vessel dimensions and high
lifting capacities are important fleet features and with
that BBC Chartering offers flexibility and reliability for
any assignment. This means BBC Chartering can respond
to any project demand ensuring the required resources
are aligned so the shipment will get delivered within time
and budget.
“The fleet concept played a decisive role in the selection
of BBC Chartering for this shipping part.” (International
freight forwarder)
#2 Service
Next to delivering the suitable vessel, managing a
transport means also to ensure suitable lifting solutions,
developing stowage and lashing concepts, the handling
of the cargo, and arranging required materials and
paperwork. Experienced teams at BBC Chartering
deliver the required expertise to ensure the transport is
engineered and managed to the client’s demands without
compromising on operational quality, environmental
aspects and occupational health and safety issues.
At BBC Chartering developing fleet capabilities and service
quality goes hand in hand. This can be seen for instance as
the company introduced a ‘Project Division’ that delivers
transport solutions for ultra heavy lift cargoes exceeding
500mt lifting capacity. With this the company develops
the capabilities that are required to cater for the increasing
amount of assignments employing vessels coming from
BBC Chartering’s fleet renewal program.
With dedicated tender management and transport
engineering capabilities BBC Chartering also seeks to
support clients in the offshore oil and gas industry. Moreover,
BBC Chartering plays an important role as high quality
carrier for the wind industry where the company has helped
numerous clients turning their projects into successes. >>>
page 22 | excellence
excellence
always sails
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 23
In general BBC Chartering offers its ships through three
lines of service. Clients can book their cargoes on tramp
services for full charters or part cargoes, on affreightment
contracts in order to secure shipping capacity over
multiple shipments and last, on one of the regular liner
services the company offers around the world. Any
tonnage can be assigned flexibly to any type of service as
this may be required by clients.
“The availability of vessels with own lifting gear and the
flexibility to load at a small port in Spain on the regular
European service to the West Coast of Latin America were
major arguments pro BBC Chartering.” (International
freight forwarder)
#3 Global Network & Local Presence
If you ask a BBC Chartering employee about the operat-
ional goal of the company he or she will say that making
things work is the imperative here. As a global player BBC
Chartering needs to be able to coordinate resources on
board of vessels and at ports following the goal to deliver
any cargo to the client’s standard anywhere in the world.
The company looks at its business as a global stage
with a high degree of cultural diversity. This is seen as
a challenging opportunity by BBC Chartering. Knowing
that technical capabilities are only as good as their
execution, the company maintains a partner network that
consists of more than 300 agents worldwide to manage
local interactions. This delivers clear value to the client
who can rest assured that any port in the world can be
called ‘home’ by BBC Chartering.
At BBC Chartering one can experience that things
are getting done. International shippers and freight
forwarders rely upon BBC Chartering’s partnerships
around the world and appreciate both local presence
and global availability of services to handle any type of
cargo. From steel to precious yachts – BBC Chartering
ensures that the awareness for the appropriate handling
of any cargo is created. This concerns its safe physical
handling and the convenient administrative processing of
paperwork.
“In having BBC Chartering as carriers, the cargo is in best
hands.” (Supercargo customer)
#4 People
Being founded in 1997, BBC Chartering can be considered
a young company. And as a consequence of its attractive
business concept it has grown from operating 10 vessels
in the start-up phase to now about 140 ships. This unique
development was supported by people that embrace the
BBC Chartering idea of becoming the leading supplier
of tonnage in the multipurpose and heavy lift market,
people that ‘move to improve’.
About 300 people work in 25 offices around the world
and help clients in planning and executing their transport
assignments. Three core values manifest the corridor of
action for BBC Chartering people worldwide: it’s their
purpose, their conviction, and their quality attitude.
At BBC Chartering people become aware that the starting
point of all achievement is the definitiveness of ‘purpose’,
meaning everyone working at BBC Chartering supports
global economic development, thus putting the client’s
project at the center of motivation.
It is obvious that the people at BBC Chartering express their
‘conviction’ through their work. Everyone is encouraged to
do this to his or her individual best and receives the collegial
support needed to succeed. For the client this means that
‘what gets taken on gets delivered’, and every effort is
undertaken to ‘practice what is preached’ to the clients.
Until today, BBC Chartering’s past achievements are all
results of the people’s ‘quality attitude’. For the company
this means that irrespective of where it stands, the only
means to improve is through action that is taken today.
For the client this can be seen in any object of improvement
at BBC Chartering, i.e. fleet, vessel, service, network,
people, and individual, thus realizing that resting on past
achievement means falling back.
“We received excellent service and commitment from BBC
Chartering.” (International freight forwarder)
Clearly innovation is the result of moving, i.e. developing
new capabilities and improving existing ones. At BBC
Chartering people are aware that anything is subject to
innovation. The towing kite pilot project the company
follows with the M/V ‘BBC SkySails’ is just one attempt
to look at thinkable solutions that may impact propulsion
of vessels in the future. People that think about ways to
shape the industry of the future are leaders. Leaders move
to improve. People at BBC Chartering look at the past and
present and create future realities in the shipping world.
#5 Preparations
If one asks now of what the formula of success consists,
we can derive from BBC Chartering’s history that it seems
there is no coincidence that success simply happens if the
right preparation meets the opportunity.
BBC Chartering puts every effort into becoming the leading
transport partner of choice to its clients. The company’s
preparations are based on experiences that have been
gained over years by working together with leading
partners around the world. This developing together marks
the cornerstone of BBC Chartering’s endeavors leaving only
one question for you: When are you ready to experience
another ‘move to improve’? (rf)
page 24 | excellence
For almost 100 years, the Panama Canal represents an
indispensible shortcut for the global shipping industry
and is a key economic factor for the people of Panama.
Its prominent expansion in progress aims to further
maximize Panama’s strategic geographic location by
helping it become an international maritime hub at the
center of global trade. Being also indispensible for BBC
Chartering, we take this opportunity to highlight efforts
underway to improve the world’s ‘All-Water Route’.
Profiling the Canal
The Panama Canal is approximately 80 kilometers long
and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This
waterway was cut through one of the narrowest saddles
of the isthmus that joins North and South America. The
Canal uses a system of locks with entrance and exit gates.
The locks function as water lifts: they raise ships from sea
level (the Pacific or the Atlantic) to the level of Gatun Lake
(26 meters above sea level); ships then sail the channel
through the so called ‘Continental Divide’.
Each set of locks bears the name of the town-site where it
was built: Gatun (on the Atlantic side), and Pedro Miguel
and Miraflores (on the Pacific side). The existing lock
chambers measure 33.53 meters by 304.8 meters. The
maximum dimensions of ships that can pass the Canal
are: 32.3 meters width; 12 meters draft; and 294.1 meters
length.
The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of
locks comes from Gatun Lake by gravity; it flows into the
locks through a system of main culverts that extend under
the lock chambers from the sidewalls and the center wall.
The narrowest portion of the Canal is Culebra Cut, which
extends from the north end of Pedro Miguel Locks to
the south edge of Gatun Lake at Gamboa. This segment,
approximately 13.7 kilometers long, is carved through the
rock and shale of the Continental Divide.
Ships from all parts of the world transit daily through
the Panama Canal. Some 14,000 thousand vessels use
the Canal p.a. breaking a record every year. In fact,
commercial transportation activities through the Canal
represent approximately 5% of the world trade. The Canal
has a work force of approximately 9,000 employees and
operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing transit
service to vessels of all nations without discrimination.
A gigantic project – upgrading the canal
As demand is rising for efficient global shipping of goods,
the canal is positioned to be a significant feature of world
shipping for the foreseeable future. However, changes in
shipping patterns—particularly the increasing numbers of
larger-than-Panamax ships—will necessitate changes to
the canal if it is to retain a significant market share. Current
estimates suggest that 37% of the world‘s container ships
Upgrading the
‘All-water Route’
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 25purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 25
are too large for the present canal, and hence a failure
to expand would result in a significant loss of market
share. The maximum sustainable capacity of the present
canal, given some relatively minor improvement work, is
estimated at between 330 and 340 million PC/UMS tons
per year by 2012. Close to 50% of transiting vessels are
already using the full width of the locks.
An enlargement scheme similar to the 1939 Third Lock
Scheme, to allow for a greater number of transits
and the ability to handle larger ships, has been under
consideration for some time. It has been approved by
the government of Panama in 2006 and currently is in
progress with completion expected in 2014. The cost
is estimated at US$ 5.25 billion for the doubling of the
canal‘s capacity that facilitates more traffic and the
passage of longer and wider ships. This proposal to
expand the canal was approved in a national referendum
where it received a majority of approximately 80% of the
Panama people.
Third set of locks project
It has been decided to build two new flights of locks
parallel to the old locks: one to the east of the existing
Gatún locks, and one south west of Miraflores locks, each
supported by its own approach channel. Each flight will
ascend from ocean level direct to the Gatún Lake level in
three stages; the existing two-stage ascent at Miraflores/
Pedro Miguel will not be replicated, but the old locks will
continue service. The new lock chambers will feature
sliding gates, doubled for safety, and will be 427 meters
(1,400 ft) long, 55 meters (180 ft) wide, and 18.3 meters
(60 ft) deep. This will allow the transit of vessels with
beams up to 49 meters (160 ft), an overall length of up to
366 meters (1,200 ft) and a draft of up to 15 meters (50
ft). This is equivalent to a container ship carrying around
12,000 containers, each twenty feet (6.1 m) in length
(TEU). >>>
Prominent waterway charges
It is said, that the most expensive regular toll for canal
passage to date was to the cruise ship Coral Princess,
which paid US$380,500. The least expensive toll was
36 cents to American adventurer Richard Halliburton,
who swam the canal in 1928. The average toll is around
US$54,000. The highest fee for priority passage
charged through the Transit Slot Auction System was
US$220,300, paid on August 24, 2006 by the Panamax
tanker Erikoussa, bypassing a 90-ship queue waiting for
the end of maintenance works on the Gatun locks, thus
avoiding a seven-day delay. The normal fee would have
been just US$13,430.
The toll system in general
Tolls for the canal are decided by the Panama Canal
Authority and are based on vessel type, size, and the type
of cargo carried.
For container ships, the toll is assessed on the ship‘s
capacity expressed in TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).
The toll is calculated differently for passenger ships and
for container ships carrying no cargo (‘in ballast’).
Most other general cargo vessels pay a toll per PC/UMS
net ton, in which one „ton‘ is actually a volume of 100
cubic feet (2.83 m3). Also here, a reduced toll is applicable
for freight ships in ballast.
Passenger vessels in excess of 30,000 tons (PC/UMS),
known popularly as cruise ships, pay a rate based on the
number of berths, that is, the number of passengers that
can be accommodated in permanent beds. Here the per-
berth charge is currently $92 for unoccupied berths and
$115 for occupied berths.
page 26 | excellence
The locks will be supported by new approach channels,
including a 6.2 km (3.9 mi) channel at Miraflores from the
locks to the Gaillard Cut, skirting Miraflores Lake. Each of
these channels will be 218 meters (715 ft) wide, which will
require post-Panamax vessels to navigate the channels in
one direction at a time. The Gaillard Cut and the channel
through Gatún Lake will be widened to no less than 280
meters (918 ft) on the straight portions and no less than
366 meters (1,200 ft) on the bends. The maximum level
of Gatún Lake will be raised from 26.7 meters (87.5 ft) to
27.1 meters (89 ft).
Each flight of locks will be accompanied by nine water
reutilization basins (three per lock chamber), each basin
being approximately 70 meters (230 ft) wide, 430 meters
(1410 ft) long and 5.50 meters (18 ft) deep. These gravity-
fed basins will allow 60% of the water used in each
transit to be reused; the new locks will consequently use
7% less water per transit than each of the existing lock
lanes presently in use. The deepening of Gatún Lake, and
the raising of its maximum water level, will also provide
significant extra water storage capacity. These measures
are intended to allow the expanded canal to operate
without the construction of new reservoirs.
Building the new canal
On September 3, 2007, thousands of Panamanians stood
across from Paraíso Hill in Panama to witness a huge initial
explosion and the launch of the expansion program. The
first phase of the project was the dry excavations of the
218 meter (715 ft) wide trench connecting the Culebra Cut
with the Pacific coast, removing 47 million cubic meters
of earth and rock.
It was announced in July 2009, that the Belgian dredging
company ‘Jan De Nul’, together with a consortium
of contractors consisting of the Spanish ‘Sacyr
Vallehermoso’, the Italian ‘Impregilo’ and the Panamanian
company ‘Grupo Cusa’, had been awarded the contract
to build the six new locks. The contract awarded to the
Belgian company for dredging works amounts to US$100
million over the next few years and means a great load of
work for the company‘s construction division. The design
of the locks is a carbon copy of the Berendrecht lock in
Antwerp which the company has helped to build back in
1989. With 68m width and 500m length, this is the largest
lock in the world to date.
For mutual benefits in globalizing world
Panama’s new locks are expected to open for traffic in
2015. The present locks, which will be 100 years old by
that time, will then be able to give engineers greater
access for maintenance, and are projected to continue
operating indefinitely.
The project is designed to allow for an anticipated growth
in traffic from 280 million PC/UMS tons in 2005 to nearly
510 million PC/UMS tons in 2025. The expanded canal will
have a maximum sustainable capacity of approximately
600 million PC/UMS tons per year. Tolls will continue
to be calculated based on vessel tonnage, and will not
depend on the locks used.
“The project will benefit the people of Panama, the
shipping/maritime industry and world trade. Panama’s
geographic location is its destiny – we aim to be at the
center of global trade and become a great maritime hub,”
said Alberto Alemán Zubieta, ACP administrator/CEO.
“Expansion will be a principles-driven project – we are
committed to transparency, efficiency and environmental
sustainability. This will guide our vision and direction.”
We can look forward to the strengthening of one of the
world’s critical trade arteries; allowing the vital ‘All-Water
Route’ to continue to grow and create more efficient
service at the Canal. Following the objective to tighten the
global supply chain and bringing goods to market faster,
this venture helps to save time and money for producers
and consumers all over the globe. (rf)
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 27
BOYD Steamship Corporation is the oldest and
largest ships’ agency at the Panama Canal and often
works together with BBC Chartering supporting the
passage of BBC vessels through the Canal.
The company was founded by William Y. Boyd, who was
later joined by his brother, Robert J. Boyd, and General
George W. Goethals, the famed builder of the Panama
Canal. Goethals was an active partner in the company
until his retirement in 1926. In 1919, in the city of Colon,
the Boyds opened the first bonded warehouse, precursor
of the now flourishing and internationally famous ‘Colon
Free Zone’.
During this period, the Boyd Corporation operated a fleet
of ships transporting cargoes throughout the Caribbean
and down the coast of South America. Also, during the
Second World War, they operated some 40 oil tankers
out of the Port of Balboa. Throughout the period, the
Boyd organization continued their business as agents
for vessels transiting the Panama Canal.
Long considered the premier ships’ agency at the
Panama Canal, BOYD Steamship Corporation today
provides ships with latest information about Canal
conditions, expedites transits by virtue of having an
experienced staff on duty 24 hours per day, and renders
final invoices within 15 days of a vessel’s sailing.
Robert J. Boyd III follows the family tradition in its fifth
generation ensuring ships have a hassle free crossing of
the canal plus many other services that a ship owner or
operator may require.
BOYD Steamship –a century of dedicated service
© P
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page 28 | excellence
BBC vessel clipsBBC Chartering vessels spotted in action all over the world
BBC Elbe loaded
with river barges
BBC Iceland with service boats
BBC Zarate with mining equipment
Petkum carrying harbor tags
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 29
BBC Ecuador loading catamaran
BBC Alabama loading boiler
BBC Carolina loading bulk cargo
BBC Amazon carrying windmills
BBC Greenland moving
Gottwald portal cranes
worldwideoffices
page 30 | excellence
New Orleans
Phone +1 504 830 3900
9Liverpool
Phone +44 151 600 5390
4
8 Montreal
Phone +1 514 904 0484
Aarhus
Phone +45 87 30 13 60
3
Houston
Phone +1 713 668 4020
7Bremen
Phone +49 421 330 75 0
2
St. Petersburg
Phone +7 812 448 3714
6Leer, Headquarters
Phone +49 491 9 25 20 90
1
São Paulo
Phone +55 11 5542 7446
10Genoa
Phone +39 010 899 0950
5
purpose. conviction. quality attitude. | page 31
Mumbai
Phone +91 9820 230801
24Buenos Aires
Phone +54 11 4871 8533
14 Dubai
Phone +971 4 386 0829
19
Seoul
Phone +82 70 7716 7724
23Buenos Aires
Phone +54 11 4331 4643
13 Lima
Phone +51 1 619 8208
18
Tokyo
Phone +81 3 6228 6433
22Santiago de Chile
Phone +56 2 847 3900
12 Quito
Phone +593 2 381 7630
17
Shanghai
Phone +86 21 6336 9901
21Rio de Janeiro
Phone +55 21 2215 1062
11 Guayaquil
Phone +593 4 236 5585
16
Melbourne
Phone +61 3 9510 8410
25Bogota
Phone +57 1621 2833
15 Singapore
Phone +65 6576 4130
20
• East bound sailings every 14 days
• West bound sailings every third week
• Offering ro/ro option
• Attractive transshipment options in Antwerp and Mariupol (to Caspian Service)
• Local presence with 25 offices worldwide
• More than 140 versatile vessels
• Lifting capacity up to 800 mtons
BBC Euro-Asia Express Line
new
East and West Bound Service
BBC Chartering, Leer Phone +49 491 92520 90 [email protected] BBC Chartering, Genoa Phone +39 010 8990 950 [email protected] Chartering, Singapore Phone +65 6576 4130 [email protected]
BBC Euro-Asia Express Line East Bound
BBC Chartering, Singapore Phone +65 6576 4130 [email protected] BBC Chartering, Shanghai Phone +86 21 6336 9901 [email protected] BBC Chartering, Korea Phone +82 70 7716 7724 [email protected] BBC Chartering, Tokyo Phone +81 3 6228 6433 [email protected]
BBC Euro-Asia Express Line West Bound