International Association of Marine and Shipping Professionals

NEWS BULLETIN 05 – 11 Feb 2018

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The International Association of Marine and Shipping Professionals (IAMSP) is the

professional body for Marine and Shipping professionals world-wide, formed in 2015. The

association is an independent, non-political organization aims to:

Contribute to the promotion and protection of maritime activities of the shipping

industry, the study of their development opportunities and more generally everything

concerning these activities.

Promote the development of occupations related to maritime and shipping; serve as a

point of contact and effective term for the business relationship with the shipping industry

(charter brokers, traders, shipping agents, Marine surveyors, ship inspectors, ship-managers,

sailors, and stevedores etc.).

Ensuring the representation of its members to the institutions, national and

international organizations as well as with governments, communities and professional

groups while promoting the exchange of information, skills and the exchange of

experience.

Develop the partnership relations sponsorship, collaboration between IAMSP and

other associations, companies, national and international organizations involved in

activities related to Maritimes and shipping.

Contribute to the update and improvement of professional knowledge of its members

and raise their skill levels to international standards.

Progress towards a comprehensive and integrated view of all marine areas and the

activities and resources related to the sea.

About I.A.M.S.P

Desarrollo portuario Brasil: Santos inaugura obra que le permitirá

Argentina / Uruguay: Comisión del Río de la Plata y Boskalis firman contrato para dragado

de canal Martín García

INTERNATIONAL news

04/02/2018

Como parte de las conmemoraciones de los 126 años del puerto de Santos, el ministro de Transportes,

Puertos y Aviación Civil de Brasil, Maurício Quintella, participó el viernes 2 de febrero de la entrega de la

obra de recuperación y refuerzo estructural del muelle ubicado entre los depósitos de almacenamiento 12-A

y 23. El muelle cuenta con una extensión de 1.700 metros.

La obra forma parte del portafolio del programa ―Ahora, es Avanzar y Tener Inversión‖ del Gobierno

Federal y que involucra US$72,1 millones. Los trabajos fueron realizados por el Consorcio Andrade

Gutiérrez - OAS - Brasfond - Novatecna.

La obra permitirá la profundización del frente de atraque del tramo indicado, aumentando la profundidad

del canal de navegación, que fue dragado a 15 metros en 2012. El trabajo realizado dispuso el refuerzo en

las estructuras mediante la inyección de hormigón en la base del muelle y, perfiles metálicos, además de la

recuperación de estacas y losas eventualmente defectuosas.

Para Quintella, con la terminación de los trabajos, los sitios de atraque podrán ser dragados, permitiendo la

llegada de buques mayores, otorgando ventajas de escala y productividad a las terminales que operan en el

mayor Puerto de América Latina.

"La obra va a beneficiar a los impulsores de carga general, productos químicos, granos y también

exportadores de azúcar, donde el puerto de Santos es líder mundial de exportación", destacó el ministro.

El proyecto se realizó en dos etapas: recuperación estructural de la losa existente y la instalación de cerca

de 60.000 metros de columnas, mediante jet-grouting (instalación de columnas de cemento, ejecutadas por

perforación, vertido y desagregación del suelo con mezcla de cemento a altas velocidades y bajo una alta

presión.

[MundoMarítimo]

03/02/2018

La Comisión Administradora del Río de la Plata (CARP) y el consorcio belga-holandés Boskalis Dredging

suscribieron el viernes 2 de febrero el contrato para el dragado del canal Martín García, que establece su

profundización a 10,36 metros en fondos blandos y a 11,58 metros en fondos duros.

Fuente: Uruguay Visión Marítima

El canal Martín García está ubicado entre Uruguay y Argentina, en el Rio de la Plata, y constituye la

principal vía de acceso al puerto de Nueva Palmira y al rio Uruguay que es el límite natural entre ambas

naciones.

Las obras insumirán US$129 millones, que fue la cifra más económica propuesta por el referido consorcio y

que debió superar la calificación técnica y jurídico-legal en un proceso en el que también intervinieron la

holandesa Van Oord y la belga Jan de Nul Group.

Además de la remoción de sedimentos del fondo marino, que se realizará en el 2018, el contrato prevé un

plazo de mantenimiento de cinco años prorrogable por otros cinco. En tanto, las tareas de balizamiento del

canal, aspectos relacionados a la seguridad, control medioambiental y cobro de peaje a los buques,

corresponderán a la CARP.

La empresa Boskalis ya había sido la responsable de las obras de apertura del canal Martín García en un

proyecto que se inició en enero de 1997 y finalizó dos años después.

Nueva Palmira se encuentra ubicada a 278 kilómetros al oeste de Montevideo y constituye el segundo

puerto comercial más importante de Uruguay. Además de esta terminal portuaria el dragado del canal

Martín García beneficiaría al intenso transporte fluvial granelero que parte de Argentina con destino a

puertos de ultramar.

Shipping emissions: Air pollution from UK shipping is four times higher than previously

thought

La firma del documento "representa el cierre de un extenso y exitoso proceso de negociación para

garantizar la navegabilidad del canal a largo plazo y consecuentemente, la seguridad y la operatividad del

transporte y el tráfico marítimos", sostiene un comunicado difundido por la Cancillería uruguaya.

[MundoMarítimo]

03/02/2018

By Josh Gabbatiss, Science Correspondent

Figures raise concerns that emissions from ships are having a significant but overlooked impact on health in

port and coastal towns.

Toxic nitrogen dioxide emissions around major ports and sea routes in the UK are four times higher than

previously suggested, according to a report for the Government. Levels of sulphur dioxide, another harmful

pollutant, are three times higher. Experts say shipping pollutants, which are concentrated around major port

cities such as Southampton, Grimsby and Liverpool, are a significant cause of concern for the health of

local populations.

Long-term exposure to pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides (NOx and SOx) can contribute to a range

of health problems, from asthma to cancer, and has been linked with the deaths of around 40,000 people in

the UK annually.

The Government is currently facing heavy scrutiny and potential legal action from the European Union

after failing to curb its air pollution levels. However, the conversation surrounding toxic pollutants has

focused largely on road vehicles, and little effort has been made to address the pollution coming from ships

that pass through UK waters.

―Cars are not the only sources of emissions in our air. Ships are more fuel efficient than road vehicles, but

they use fuels which produce greater levels of emissions than road diesel,‖ said Dr Matt Loxham, an air

pollution toxicologist at the University of Southampton. This, in combination with the concentration of

vessels in relatively small port areas and shipping lanes, is the reason why there is concern around shipping

emissions.‖

New analysis, A review of the NAEI shipping emissions methodology, presented in a National

Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) report to the Government concluded shipping is a far greater

source of pollution in Britain than estimates made in 2014 suggested, with about 10 per cent of the

country‘s NOx emissions coming from ships.

The increase in estimated air pollution has arisen from a more thorough analysis that found the amount of

fuel being consumed by domestic ships is 2.5 times that of previous figures.

―These latest figures, which show a significant uprating in air pollution from ships, were snuck out ahead

of Theresa May‘s speech on the environment where she claimed to not be ‗complacent‘ on air quality,‖ said

Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test and shadow minister for energy and climate change.

Shipping is a major contributor to both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but one that is often

overlooked by policymakers. Global estimates suggest ships are responsible for 15 per cent of NOx and 8

per cent of sulphur gas worldwide. International shipping also produces around 3 per cent of human

greenhouse gas emissions – roughly double that of aviation.

―The reason for this is that ships burn the dirtiest fuel – they essentially run on the lowest grade waste

product that you get from a refinery, called heavy fuel oil,‖ said Dr Tristan Smith, a shipping researcher at

University College London who contributed to the report.

Despite this, Dr Smith said regulations on shipping pollution are insufficient, and its greenhouse gas

emissions are not even accounted for in the Paris climate agreement. Not only does ship fuel itself contain

high levels of sulphur that is emitted as SOx, ship engines are not controlled to anywhere near the same

extent as road vehicles, resulting in high levels of NOx.

―The only good news here is that a lot of these emissions are happening out at sea, meaning less human

impact,‖ said Dr Smith. ―But still, anyone who is living in a port city is getting badly impacted at the

moment because there is such light regulation on the exhaust.‖

―Air pollution is having a major effect on public health in the UK. Air pollutants damage our health,

causing cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, among others,‖ said Laurie Laybourn-Langton, director of

the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change.

While it‘s difficult to disentangle the contribution that shipping makes to health problems from other

sources of air pollution, researchers estimate that up to 30 per cent of the pollution in UK port towns can

come from ships.

As nations strive towards ambitious targets to cut air pollution from more well-established sources – by

switching to electric cars, for example – shipping looks set to be left behind as a dirty relic of the past.

―It‘s much harder to do anything about than cars,‖ said Dr Loxham. ―Obviously you can reduce the amount

of car emissions just by reducing the number of journeys that are made, whereas ships are responsible for

the vast majority of the goods trade.‖

Around 90 per cent of products we buy will at some point have crossed the sea. Shipping is such a

cornerstone of global trade that making significant changes to its infrastructure poses a significant

challenge.

Further complications arise because shipping is not primarily regulated by national or EU legislation but by

the United Nations‘ International Maritime Organization (IMO), which Dr Smith said ―does not have a

track record for moving fast on environment regulation‖.

However, that does not mean the UK is powerless to stop shipping pollution, and experts say the

Government‘s attitude to shipping emissions has been far too relaxed. Professor Mikis Tsimplis, an expert

in maritime law at the University of Southampton, said the UK has actively fought for international

shipping pollution standards that are the lowest acceptable by all states.

This action ―serves only the interests of ship owners,‖ said Prof Tsimplis.

―There are other aspects of ship pollution that have consequences not only for the human health of the UK

population but also the global environment,‖ he said. ―But they are admittedly secondary when compared

with the very serious health issues and the scandalous way UK policy prioritises the interests of a global

industry and subsidises it by making the tax payer cover the health cost for it.‖

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ―We have consistently

pressed for the most stringent international controls in high risk areas such as the North Sea and English

Channel, and have seen shipping emissions fall through regulatory standards.‖

―This year we will publish a comprehensive clean air strategy which will set out further steps to tackle air

pollution across all sources, including emissions from ships.‖

While the NAEI report does predict a slight reduction in NOx emissions in some UK ports – around 20 per

cent between 2014 and 2035 – it also exposes the divide between east and west coast UK ports. The

emission control area in the North Sea and English Channel that was introduced in 2015 reduced the

sulphur content allowed in shipping fuels throughout the region, however, it provides no coverage for cities

in the west of the country. That means western ports have received no extra protection from high polluting

ships, as evidenced by the report‘s prediction that NOx levels in Liverpool will not change at all.

In April the IMO will meet to discuss a climate deal that also has the potential to alleviate air pollution. It is

possible to make shipping greener and safer, say experts, but there is a need for national as well as

international action. Prof Tsimplis said the Government is fully capable of implementing pollution limits

for ships visiting UK ports.

―Even if they want to stand by the argument that they wish to facilitate international shipping and make the

UK ports attractive to them, there is no excuse for why they did not implement much lower limits for ships

which either only trade within the UK or are providing assistance in ports,‖ he said.

Dr Smith said there is a need to quickly move beyond fossil fuels in shipping. ―The UK Government has

chosen to place the regulation of our coastal shipping pollution, and health of coastal communities, in the

hands of the IMO,‖ he said. ―As this report shows this leaves several key pollutants from ships uncontrolled

and with little prospect of change.‖

―But this is a sector with huge potential and growing commercial appetite to move to become zero-emitting

both of pollutants and greenhouse gases.‖ He noted that other nations are both pursuing a transition away

from fossil fuels in shipping, and setting aggressive targets that go beyond IMO regulation. ―It is therefore

really important that we do the same or we will be increasingly left behind,‖ he said. ―Pollution from

Education & training: Negating the risk of human error

shipping receives significantly less attention than it deserves,‖ said Dr Whitehead. ―As we grapple with

building a low carbon economy which averts climate change it is an issue that we will need to look at long

and hard.‖

[The Independent]

02/02/2018

Transas has launched its first package of applications built on THESIS, a unified cloud-based platform for

managing operations across the maritime ecosystem.

The ‗A-Suite‘ package also sets a precedent by using the latest in machine learning techniques to reduce the

potential for human errors on the bridge or poor decisions elsewhere in the vessel operational chain, the

company said.

In addition to the officers and crew working on board ships, the benefits of A-Suite will be available to

personnel managing VTS systems and those running shore-based fleet operational centres, or even training

facilities, allowing them to participate in real-time decision support and post-voyage analysis.

"Technology shouldn't be an end in itself – but a tool to achieve an end,‖ said Transas CEO, Frank Coles.

―We want to help the industry improve by enabling it to make better decisions and boost competitive

advantage, using machine intelligence to augment the human in the loop.

―We are especially proud to go beyond the hype by bringing to market a set of revolutionary AI-powered e-

navigation tools apposite to the needs of modern ships operating in an increasingly automated and digital

world,‖ he added.

Transas‘ A-Suite employs machine learning techniques to de-risk vessel operations on the bridge, at fleet

operations centres and in VTS centres. Algorithms detect anomalies in the behaviour of the human operator

wherever they are in the operational chain and raise the alarm before the consequences of a course of action

or momentary lapse in attention become irreversible.

The first version of the package comprising three core modules – Advanced Intelligent Manoeuvring (AIM),

Advanced Intelligent Diagnostics (AID), and Advanced Intelligent Routing (AIR) – is now available and the

services will become fully operational over the coming months.

AIM is a track prediction system and anti-collision support tool designed to improve situational awareness

and reduce the probability of officer inattention or poor judgement leading to an incident. Using data

previously collected on the actions and behaviour of personnel sailing in the same location, together with a

sophisticated hydrodynamic model of the vessel and a programmatic abstraction of the anti-collision

regulations, the system provides advanced decision support.

AID is primarily intended to detect anomalies and provide decision support both in real-time or during a more

methodical post-voyage analysis. This module detects excessive or unusual manoeuvring patterns, keeping an

eye on parameters, such as speed and rate of turn, as well as unexpected deviations in fuel consumption. By

taking data both from conventional equipment and environmental sensors and recording how and when

The Pantanal: The world's biggest wetland

operators interact with vessel controls, AID marks a major step forward in real time operational monitoring,

the company claimed.

AIR creates a platform for voyage planning and optimisation based on an extensive set of parameters. The

application absorbs real time metocean data, hazards and a vessel‘s hydrodynamic performance, as well as

taking account of the impact of known and anticipated vessel traffic along the route and at bottlenecks.

These are supported by Advanced Data Delivery (ADD) and Advanced Remote Maintenance (ARM). ADD

frees deck officers from the laborious task of updating of special electronic charts (SENCs), weather data, and

other navigational safety notices. It also creates an audit trail for shore-based offices ensuring that managers

are fully informed of a vessel‘s navigational status for compliance purposes.

ARM provides remote diagnostics and performance analytics for bridge and satellite communication

equipment. It backs up key software together with its configuration data and parameters to the Transas Cloud

allowing rapid restoration of service in the event of a system failure.

In addition, A-Suite features an e-learning solution, Advanced Remote Training for Seafarers (ARTS), with

online access to manufacturer-approved, type-specific training courses for Transas ECDIS. This is fully

compliant with SOLAS, ISM, and STCW requirements.

―When we first started to envisage how ships would be operated in the future, we realized there would be

much greater collaboration between ships, back-offices, traffic control centres,

etc. With A-Suite we set out to build a set of intelligent decision support tools for working in this shared

environment,‖ explained Coles.

―In contrast to many standalone solutions on the market today, A-Suite pulls together a wider selection of

data from a broader range of input sources. Combined with machine learning techniques, this results in a

deeper level of insight and guidance that is more reflective of a vessel‘s actual situation.‖

The three-day Transas Global Conference 2018, which takes place in Vancouver in March, will provide

greater insight into and demonstrations of the A-Suite and one day will be dedicated to the examination of the

tools and their capabilities in the eco system.

[Tanker Oerator]

02/02/2018

To celebrate World Wetlands day, WWF is highlighting its work in the Pantanal, the world‘s biggest

wetland. This pristine environment in South America supports a rich variety of wildlife and plants, while its

enormous water reserves are vital for the 8 million people who depend on the Pantanal‘s fresh water, fish,

climate control and tourism.

Stretching across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, the Pantanal is the world‘s largest wetland. Although not as

well-known as the Amazon Rainforest to its north, this gigantic seasonal floodplain is also home to a

staggering variety of plants and wildlife.

Jabiru: its name in Tupi-Guarani language means swollen neck, due to its distinctive red neck, an inflatable pouch

which it uses when it feeds on fish. Photograph: Andre Dib/WWF

Imagine a huge soup plate that slowly fills up with water and overflows in the rainy season, gradually

empties during the dry season and then starts to fill up all over again. That image gives a good idea of what

the Pantanal is like; a unique, rich, but threatened ecosystem located in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Where is the Pantanal?

The Pantanal is highlighted in red. Source: Google Maps

Extending hundreds of thousands of square kilometres across central-western Brazil, eastern Bolivia and

eastern Paraguay, the Pantanal is a mosaic of flooded grasslands, savannas and tropical forests.

This pristine landscape is brimming with the greatest concentration of wildlife in South America. Among

the rarest animals to inhabit the wetland are the jaguar (Panthera onca), hyacinth macaw (Anodorhyncus

hyacinthinus), giant river otter (Pteroneura brasiliensis) and marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus).

Pantanal preservation

Although large areas of the Pantanal remain untouched, it is threatened by expanding human settlement,

unsustainable farming practices, illegal mining, hydroelectric power plant construction and unregulated

tourism. When compared to other wetlands in the world, the Pantanal is regarded as the most preserved, but

still less than 2% is under government protection. WWF is working on the ground to conserve the region

through the creation of protected areas and promoting sustainable use of natural resources.

Giant water lily. Named Victoria Amazonica by English botanist John Lindley as a tribute to Queen Victoria. The

largest water lily, it can grow to a diameter of around three to six feet. Photograph: Andre Dib/WWF

:

Container shipping: Costamare and Peter Döhle join forces to create mammoth boxship

chartering vehicle

Aerial shot of the winding waterways which make up the Pantanal wetlands, flooded for a large part of the year.

Photograph: Andre Dib/WWF

Covering 21% of central Brazil, the Cerrado is the most extensive woodland-savanna in South America.

The region supports a unique array of plant species that have adapted to drought and fire. Large mammals

such as the jaguar and maned wolf survive here but compete with the rapid expansion of Brazil's

agricultural frontier and ranching activities. WWF is working to ensure that large parts of the Brazilian

Cerrado are conserved.

[WWF / The Guardian]

02/02/2018

By Sam Chambers

Costamare and Peter Döhle have completed the merger of their containership chartering businesses,

creating a European rival to the likes of Seaspan.

The Greek – German venture, to be called Blue Net Chartering, will be headquartered out of Hamburg.

Together the pair control 220 boxships equating to 1.1m teu. In a note to clients on the conclusion of the

merger Blue Net Chartering said yesterday it intended to offer ―best-in-class employment opportunites for

container shipowners‖.

Container shipping: Lines made accumulated profit of $7 billion in 2017

Railways South America: Brazil drops 'railway to the Pacific' plan

Costamare has a fleet of around 71 vessels while Peter Döhle controls around 300 containerships according

to its website.

[Splash 24/7]

02/02/2018

By Mike Wackett

Container lines are estimated to have made an accumulated profit of $7bn last year and, according to Drewry,

should achieve a similar result this year – or better.

In its latest Container Market Outlook & Freight Rate Trend, Drewry says it expects continued volume

growth in every region and has upped its forecast for 2018 from an annualised growth of 3.6% to 4.3%.

It noted this would represent a further nine million containers requiring shipment, which has somewhat

alleviated concerns about industry overcapacity from the introduction of a significant number of ultra-large

newbuild ships.

Philip Damas, director of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, said ―supply pressures are not as hazardous as it

would appear‖, given the ability of the liners to ―suppress the impact by deferring deliveries‖ and off-hiring

chartered tonnage when needed. There would seem to be a ready market for off-hired ships. One broker told

The Loadstar this week he had charterers in some sectors ―becoming desperate‖ for tonnage.

According to the latest idle tonnage report from Alphaliner, the number of containerships in lay-up has fallen

to a new low of 82, equating to 301,116 teu, or just 1.6% of the global fleet. It added that the active fleet had

now reached 20.98m teu – 10.8% higher than a year ago.

Assuming demand does not soften too much after the forthcoming Chinese new year and that fuel costs do

not spiral further, carriers will be in a positive frame of mind as they publish their 2017 results in the coming

weeks. And carriers can look to fixing most Asia to Europe contracts at a level on par with or slightly better

than last year, which itself was a significant improvement on 2016. There is still time to run before the

transpacific contract season, but the initial indications on that route are positive also.

Meanwhile, container spot rates, the bellwether for contract rates, were firm last week on the back of

continued high load factors. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) saw its Asia to North Europe

component edge up slightly to $912 per teu, while spot rates to Mediterranean ports ticked up by 3.2% to

$797 per teu.

Most Asia-Europe forwarders The Loadstar has spoken to in the past few weeks have been obliged to agree to

price increases from 1 February on their so-called VIP short-term rates, which generally offer guaranteed

shipment.

Elsewhere, the SCFI recorded rates from Asia to the US west coast ahead by 6.5% on the week, to $1,552 per

40ft, and for the US east coast, there was an increase of 3% to $2,843 per 40ft.

[The Loadstar]

Piracy: Second tanker goes missing in Gulf of Guinea

02/02/2018

By Anthony Boadle and Leonardo Goy

Brazil has shelved a planned railway to ship commodities destined for China through Peru as it was too costly

and faced "absurd" engineering challenges, a Brazilian official said.

The 5,000-km (3,300-mile) railway over the Andes to the Pacific coast, announced during a visit by President

Xi Jinping in 2014, was meant to speed up soybean and iron ore exports to China at a lower cost by bypassing

the Panama Canal. But at an estimated cost of $80 billion, the railway would not be commercially viable if it

transported just commodities and not more valuable goods, Jorge Arbache, vice planning minister for

international affairs, told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday.

Peru also opposed the planned route that cut through one of the country's most important nature reserves, he

said. "The project has stopped, because it was extremely costly and the feasibility study was very

unsatisfactory. At this time, the railway is not on the government's agenda," Arbache said. "The engineering

challenges were absurd."

The Peruvian government has said the railway could be feasible if it took a more direct route through Bolivia

that would reduce costs and have less of an environmental impact, in addition to giving Peru's landlocked

neighbor better access to Pacific export markets. Arbache said talks on an alternative route were only at an

"embryonic" stage.

China is Brazil's biggest trading partner and invested $20.9 billion in the South American country in 2017, the

most since 2010, as a recession eroded asset prices and attracted investors, according to the planning ministry.

The bulk of that investment has gone into energy, logistics and agriculture.

Arbache said Brazil expects China to take a longer-term view and diversify its investments towards Brazilian

manufacturing and services, including the health and education sectors.

[Reuters]

02/02/2018

On Friday, Hong Kong-based ship management group Anglo-Eastern reported that it has lost contact with the

product tanker Marine Express at a position off Benin.

As of 0330 hours GMT on Thursday, when she was last in touch, the Express was at an anchorage off the port

of Cotonou in the Gulf of Guinea, an area known for a high risk of piracy. She had 22 crewmembers and

13,500 tons of gasoline on board.

If the Express' disappearance is the result of a hijacking, it would be the second in three weeks off Benin. On

January 9, U.K. shipowner Union Maritime lost contact with the product tanker Barrett, which was at anchor

off Cotonou. The Barrett had been taken by pirates, and her crew were in captivity for six days while a

"resolution process" moved forward. The crew and the vessel were eventually released.

Piracy is a common occurrence in the Gulf of Guinea, where criminal groups based in the Niger Delta have

the capability to raid shipping far out to sea. Armed robbery is also a routine problem, with several instances

reported every month; piracy experts suggest that a higher occurrence rate is likely, and is masked by

underreporting.

Education & training: UK Government doubles funding for seafarer training

[Maritime Executive]

02/02/2018

The annual intake of cadets is to grow by 60% thanks to the Government‘s plan to double funding for seafarer

training – a policy first proposed by the UK Chamber of Shipping and trade union Nautilus.

The investment will be offered through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, enabling the

annual intake of UK cadets to rise from 750 to 1,200. The funding will increase annually over seven years to

fulfil demand, growing to £30 million from the current £15 million. This will allow a greater number of

SMarT cadets to gain internationally recognised qualifications and train to a higher level.

Places will be available at training colleges including Warsash Maritime Academy in Southampton, City of

Glasgow College, Lairdside Maritime Centre in Liverpool, Fleetwood Nautical Campus, NAFC Marine

Centre, University of Plymouth and the South Shields Marine School. The training places are open to anyone

across the UK who has an interest in becoming a navigation officer, engineer or an electro-technical officer.

Big-name multinationals like Anglo Eastern Group; BP Shipping, Shell Shipping & Maritime and Maersk

Crewing are among the 40 shipping companies that have backed the policy and have pledged to create an

extra 450 training positions on their ships, guaranteeing cadets their first job.

Enriching and enlarging this highly skilled seafaring workforce will benefit young people throughout their

careers, and will add value to the UK maritime businesses in which they ultimately find employment, both at

sea and on the shore.

The policy was announced today by Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani, who said: ―We are building the

maritime workforce of tomorrow and I want to encourage more young people to consider an exciting and

rewarding career at sea.

―By doubling the funding for cadet training, we will help make sure that our engineers and captains of the

future can access the right opportunities to reach their full potential. It will also strengthen the UK maritime

sector‘s position as a world leader and ensure people have the skills they need to help the industry flourish

after we leave the EU.‖

UK Chamber of Shipping Chief Executive Guy Platten said: ―Nothing will prove that the UK is open for

business quite like seeing more British seafarers arrive in the world‘s ports. We already recruit people from

all backgrounds and all corners of the country, and with this new investment we will be able to create

thousands of new opportunities in the years ahead. The taxpayer sees a £5 return on every £1 it invests in

seafarer training, so this funding will see the economy and the workforce, as well as the industry better off.‖

―Seafarers are highly skilled and well paid, and have the opportunity to build a successful long-term career.

We know this funding will help us to unlock the talents of more young people, and it goes to show what can

be achieved when Government and industry work together.‖

[UK Chamber of Shipping]

02/02/2018

La Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahía de Algeciras (APBA) no prorrogará de nuevo el concurso para optar a la

nueva terminal de contenedores después de que finalizada la última prórroga, el 31 de enero de 2018, no haya

recibido ninguna oferta.

Puerto de Algeciras. Fuente: NexoLog

El Concurso público internacional para la selección de una oferta para la tramitación de una concesión

administrativa con destino a la construcción y explotación de una terminal de contenedores en la fase B de

Isla Verde Exterior fue convocado mediante anuncio en el BOE nº 184, de 1 de agosto de 2016.

Determinadas circunstancias sobrevenidas en el sector, con posterioridad a dicha fecha, que afectaban

directamente al concurso (por un lado, la quiebra de la empresa Hanjin Shipping, titular de Total Terminal

International Algeciras (TTIA), en terrenos adyacentes a los del concurso, y la posterior venta de dicha

terminal y, por otro lado, las incertidumbres derivadas de la reforma de la estiba) aconsejaron prorrogar el

plazo inicial del concurso en sucesivas ocasiones.

Circunstancias presentes

En la actualidad, acaba de culminar con éxito el proceso de venta de la terminal de TTIA a la empresa

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM). Sin embargo, continúa sin resolverse definitivamente la reforma de la

estiba, que todavía está pendiente de la publicación del

Reglamento que desarrollará el Real Decreto-ley 8/2017, de 12 de mayo. Por otro lado, las negociaciones

entre empresarios y sindicatos a nivel local, aunque bastante avanzadas, no constituyen aún, en opinión de las

empresas interesadas, un marco de referencia suficiente para poder garantizar la rentabilidad de las

importantes inversiones que este nuevo proyecto requiere. Estas circunstancias han motivado que la APBA

haya optado por no prorrogar de nuevo el plazo del concurso.

[NexoLog]

Operadores de terminales España: Algeciras no prorroga el concurso de la nueva terminal

de contenedores

The uncounted cost of shipping's environmental impact

02/02/2018

By Stephen Farell

Cushman & Wakefield and PPH Commercial have been appointed to market a 50-acre development site near

the Port of Immingham.

Imm-Port is a greenfield industrial site with Enterprise Zone status, owned by Associated British Ports (ABP).

The site has outline planning for industrial and warehouse and distribution uses. Cushman & Wakefield and

PPH Commercial are marketing the site on behalf of ABP on a leasehold basis, with sales options also

considered.

Duncan Willey, from PPH Commercial, said: "This is a key strategic site for the local area. ABP acquired the

site to assist with the expansion and growth of Immingham Dock, both in terms of providing space for pent

up indigenous demand and also inward investment. A flexible marketing campaign is being undertaken by

Cushman & Wakefield and PPH Commercial promoting land For Sale or To Let, alternatively consideration

will be given to full 'turnkey' Design and Build projects.‖

[Insider Media]

02/02/2018

By James Mitchell, Maritime Finance Lead, Carbon War Room

Single industries easily can seem negligible when examined within the global scale of the Paris Agreement.

This is particularly the case for international shipping because it is very much an industry that‘s out of sight, a

phenomenon known as "sea blindness."

Despite emissions exceeding those of Germany, the industry remains outside any international agreement to

limit its emissions. While policy is ultimately necessary, key actions should be taken by banks to begin

steering the industry towards even preparing for decarbonization.

Take a look at the iPhone sitting in front of you. It arrived as a finished product to you on a container ship, but

each element of its manufacture was also shipped in turn — from crude oil deliveries to a refinery, to silicon

for glassmakers and electronic components, and from ores to be processed into metals, to the wholesale

transportation of wires, chips and plastics. The phone also needs to be charged: oil products or biomass are

transported daily to power stations, generating the electricity through wires that run into your home —

themselves made of concrete, sand, wood, metal and ceramics. In fact, 90 percent of almost everything is

transported by ship at some point. It is the backbone of the globalized, connected society we live in. Ships are

effectively floating power stations, some with the ability to burn 300 tonnes of fuel a day.

It should be no surprise, then, that the industry is as financially significant as it is environmentally. A group of

leading commercial banks holds $355.25 billion of collective exposure to shipping. This is one of the key

groups with the influence to begin steering shipping towards decarbonization. It‘s worth mentioning —

particularly to their shareholders — that they also have a profit incentive to do so as well.

Port development UK: Consultants appointed to market 50-acre greenfield site near Immingham

Fuel efficiency and emissions bring next generation weather routing into the mainstream

―To their credit, many global financial institutions

have committed to bringing their operations in line

with the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Doing this in practice, however, is difficult. We

have little evidence of concrete actions taken by

shipping desks to suggest that these conversations

have been translated into lending policies designed

to account for the risks and opportunities of

inevitable decarbonization.

Both the U.N.‘s International Maritime

Organization and the European Union are working

towards greenhouse policies for international

shipping, at least one of which will be

implemented by 2023.

Market-based policies will, by design, advantage

those vessels that are more energy-efficient, and

disadvantage those that are more carbon-intensive.

In practice, this will benefit those vessels able to

install efficiency technologies and eventually

switch to the use of low-carbon fuels. Despite this

being only a few years away, only two banks of

the more than 40 active in shipping consider the

efficiency of ships they finance.

Additionally, over the next few decades we can

expect a global decline in demand for coal and oil

products as the world shifts to renewables under

Paris. We can expect significant impacts on trade

patterns, which ships are able to find work, and

how much they can charge for that work based on

shifting demand. Of course, this type of thinking

has yet to penetrate the operations of shipping

desks, although it will become key to future

profitability and supporting the aims of the Paris

Agreement

―Preparing for these changes comes down to

stress-testing portfolios and new loans for

potential future GHG regulation on ships and on

the industries they serve. While doing this requires

new skillsets for financiers, it is a rare case where

the right thing is also the profitable thing.

Approaches for implementation have been laid out

by our work with University College London.

The shipping industry prides itself on providing its

service at an unbelievably low cost and thus

playing an important role in enabling global trade.

To ensure that this remains the case and that

shipping can enable a vibrant, low-carbon

economy, the pledges of financial institutions

must lead to actions at the sector level.

A decarbonized shipping sector that supports a

vibrant low-carbon economy is vital. With an

uncertain policy environment and markets that

largely reward short-term thinking and

investments, financiers are in a key position to

look after their own financial interests while also

ushering the industry towards a profitable

decarbonization.

[GreenBiz]

02/02/2018

By Sarah Carter

Shipping emissions: IMO launches new sulphur regulation information portal

Shipowners are embracing a new generation of weather routing tools as they look to optimise vessel

performance in the face of higher fuel costs and looming environmental regulations.

Metocean data provider Tidetech reports that owners are increasingly requesting high resolution data for

regional trading patterns and coastal waters where tides and currents can have a greater impact on fuel

consumption than on an ocean voyage.

The renewed take-up of interest in weather routing is being driven by a combination of related factors. A

combination of EU MRV, the 2020 sulphur cap and IMO DCS regulations means owners are seeking cost-

efficient ways to save fuel, lower emissions and improve schedule performance on existing vessels.

―There is a long-standing misconception that weather services can only have a benefit when sailing in blue

water and that once ships are in coastal waters or traffic separation schemes

that this part of the voyage cannot be optimised,‖ explains Tidetech Founder and Managing Director Penny

Haire. ―We have proven definitively that there are more potential cost savings from optimising against

currents in UK coastal and Northern European waters than there are across the whole North Atlantic and

customers are already taking advantage of this in speed optimisation and performance analysis.‖

As a result, operators can predict ETA more accurately and use vessel speed and power settings to arrive on

schedule, even when it changes. Tidetech is the only provider high resolution modelling of coastal tides and

currents, including in critical locations such as the Malacca Strait and English Channel and also delivers

combined ocean current and tide data on a global basis.

The trend is being pushed along by the exponential growth in competitively-priced satellite bandwidth and

by the greater use of fleet management systems that can combine layers of information to display a

complete operation on a single dashboard.

―For owners and operators, better data and information can feed directly into enhanced fleet and voyage

management, whether this is driven by compliance or commercial reasons,‖ adds Haire. ―Not limiting one‘s

thinking to the idea that voyage optimisation is only about deepsea shipping also means there are

completely new classes of vessel that could benefit, including coastal and short sea vessels, ferries,

workboats and OSVs.‖

Using enterprise-grade cloud-based servers means Tidetech can generate tidal models in minutes which

would have previously taken a day on a super computer and deliver group files for ingestion into onboard

systems with minimal satellite bandwidth consumption.

[ShipInsight]

02/02/2018

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a new informative web page on the change in

the sulphur in fuel regulations that come into force on 1 January 2020: Sulphur 2020 – cutting sulphur

oxide emissions.

The main type of ―bunker‖ oil for ships is heavy fuel oil, derived as a residue from crude oil distillation.

Crude oil contains sulphur which, following combustion in the engine, ends up in ship emissions. Sulphur

oxides (SOx) are known to be harmful to human health, causing respiratory symptoms and lung disease. In

the atmosphere, SOx can lead to acid rain, which can harm crops, forests and aquatic species, and

contributes to the acidification of the oceans. Limiting SOx emissions from ships will improve air quality

Shipping emissions: No exceptions from insurers in 2020 for non-compliance with IMO

sulfur cap

and protects the environment.

IMO regulations to reduce sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions from ships first came into force in 2005, under

Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (known as the

MARPOL Convention).. Since then, the limits on sulphur oxides have been progressively tightened.

From 1 January 2020, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated

emission control areas will be reduced to 0.50% m/m (mass by mass). This will significantly reduce the

amount of sulphur oxides emanating from ships and should have major health and environmental benefits

for the world, particularly for populations living close to ports and coasts.

For more detailed information on the sulphur 2020 limit and its implementation, please download the IMO

Sulphur 2020 FAQ.

[IMO]

02/02/2018

By Eleni Pittalis, Tamara Sleiman and Thomas Washington

As the International Maritime Organization's 2020 0.5% global sulfur cap draws ever nearer there are

plenty of questions that remain unanswered, one of which is the impact on insurance policies.

The implications of the IMO cap will be widespread from the issue of obtaining credit, the question of

supply, to what fuel to use and whether shippers should install scrubber technology. However. one thing is

clear, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the best approach to the 0.5% cap.

Distillate fuels such as marine gasoil and other low flashpoint fuels are included as a compliant fuel and are

expected to be the prime bunker products in 2020. However, the failure to utilize compliant fuels is likely to

result in a vessel be deemed "unseaworthy", key members of the insurance industry have warned.

The concept of seaworthiness has been debated and expanded on by the maritime insurance industry for

several hundred years, and binds together the many different parties involved in each voyage; shipowners

guarantee to charterers that the vessel being chartered is seaworthy, and the party taking out insurance must

also guarantee to the insurer that the vessel is seaworthy.

Some market participants have said non-compliance with the sulfur cap could allow a ship to be declared

"unseaworthy", relieving the insurance provider of liability for any claim the owner

might want to make. Edmund Hughes, head of air pollution and energy efficiency at the IMO, raised this

concern in November.

However, insurance broker Marsh has emphasized that non-compliance with the new global sulfur cap for

shipping in 2020 could threaten a vessel's insurance cover, stressing that it is the responsibility of the flag

state and the vessel could be at risk of losing its classification status on non-compliance.

"If a vessel fails to comply with the requirements of the MARPOL Convention, then it would effectively be

in breach of the flag state national law, and the vessel's MARPOL certificate may be withdrawn, or at least

suspended, by the flag state," a report by Marsh said in December.

"Underwriters may claim that breaching international conventions and losing flag state convention

certification status (and possibly having class withdrawn or suspended) is so fundamental to the risk that

such a breach alters their understanding of the 'risk as a whole,' regardless of any link with the loss that

happened," the report added.

The strength of penalties imposed on owners for non-compliance comes largely down to the stance of the

flag states. All of the top 10 flag states by tonnage -- Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong,

Singapore, Malta, the Bahamas, Greece, China and Cyprus -- have ratified the MARPOL Annex VI dealing

with emissions levels.

Many in the bunker and shipping industry say privately that they expect some of these flag states to take a

lax approach to enforcement of the 0.5% global sulfur cap, as it will be extremely expensive for

shipowners, or that some flag states will simply lack the capability to effectively enforce it.

Insurers do not anticipate a change in policy wordings but they may approach the insured with further

questioning prior to binding business or renewal, Steve Harris, senior vice president in the marine practice

at Marsh -- regularly ranked the largest insurance broker in the world -- told S&P Global Platts in February.

Insurers are heavily reliant on the Duty of Disclosure, expecting complete transparency between the insured

and assured on fuel compliance. Classification societies will be expected to oversee the maintenance of

shipowners to ensure their vessel class status within their register, Harris said.

"Shipowners are advised not to assume that insurance cover will continue to remain in place under all

circumstances following a breach of the MARPOL Convention Annex VI after January 1, 2020," the Marsh

report added.

The question of 'grace'

Despite the strong stance led by the IMO on the implementation of the 0.5% sulfur cap, some members of

the industry still believe there will be a "grace period" to allow market players to keep up with the change --

namely smaller players.

"Insurers are not going to risk denying claims over non-compliance issues freely, in fear of business

renewal rate reductions," the underwriter added. Harris stressed that a soft-handed approach is not an

option. "We do not currently see any likelihood of a similar relaxation in the sulfur cap to the one we have

seen with the Ballast Water Convention (BWC)."

The International Convention for Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments was

adopted in 2004 to enforce global regulations to control the transfer of potentially invasive species into

habitats where they could cause destruction. This entered into force on September 8, 2017, the original

implementation date being January 1, 2017.

A grace period was given during the BWC implementation leading to the belief that something similar

might happen again. "The Ballast Water Management convention came into force and the insurers said yes

you have to comply but we're giving you some time," said the managing director at one insurance broking

agency.

However, Harris emphasizes that the two conventions cannot be compared, as the delay in implementing

the BWC was due to technological and software limitations, postponing its enforcement until late 2017. In

comparison, the technology needed to adhere to the 0.5% sulfur cap is readily available, as exhibited by the

ECA zones.

The discrepancy in opinions largely lies between market leaders and small players as the majors have

already taken initiatives towards compliance. For example, container line CMA CGM announced in

November 2017 its decision to have its future 22,000 TEU vessels fueled by LNG in support of

environmental concerns.

Shipbuilding: Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri takes control of STX France

In comparison, those who have less influence on the market take the view that, in the words of an insurance

broker, "it's an extensive thing. For example, if an owner has a dry docking in 2019, they might get away

with [not complying] till 2024 and have an extension."

There is a similar stance on the delivery of newbuilds in 2019/2020. Shipowners are already assessing

alternative ways of running their new vessels. Although there is still a substantial percentage of shipowners

that have yet to decide how best to approach the sulfur cap, it is imperative that careful attention is given to

vessels ordered from 2018 onwards.

Regardless of shipowners' reluctance to state their preparation plans for 2020, they seem to be adopting a

wait-and-see approach.

No change for ECA participants

While the introduction of the 0.5% sulfur cap has been disputed and has caused concern among the

shipping industry, some regions will already be relatively prepared for the cap. "Vessels are able to meet

the even more stringent requirements of 0.1% Sulfur emissions in the current Emission Control Areas

(ECAs) of North America and Northern Europe," Harris said.

ECAs were designated under regulation 13 of MARPOL Annex VI to ensure that ships operating in certain

control regions must use fuel on board with a sulfur content of a maximum of 0.1% from January 2015.

These areas extend to the Baltic Sea area, the North Sea area, the North American area (covering designated

coastal areas off the US and Canada), and the US Caribbean Sea area (around Puerto Rico and the US

Virgin Islands), according to an IMO document on 2020 global sulfur limit frequently asked questions.

"The interpretation of 'fuel oil used on board' includes use in main and auxiliary engines and boilers," the

IMO document specifies. Vessels that operate in these zones will already be used to complying with the

regulations by running on low sulfur fuels in the ECA zones, so the switch to the 0.5% sulfur will not be too

noticeable.

"The political climate towards maritime pollution generally (of the atmosphere as much as of the sea) has

continued to evolve in the past 2-3 years and it is unlikely that the IMO will back-track on the commitments

made in this important field," Harris said.

[Platts]

02/02/2018

By Giulia Segret

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said on Friday it had bought a 50 percent share in STX shipyards from

France, in a deal expected to broaden an alliance between the naval industries of the two nations.

The deal, which values the stake at 59.7 million euros, ends a long dispute that strained relations between

France and Italy. French President Emmanuel Macron angered Rome in the summer by ordering a

―temporary‖ nationalisation of STX, based in Saint-Nazaire in western France, cancelling a deal in which

Fincantieri and another Italian investor had agreed to buy 55 percent.

Fincantieri said in a statement that the latest deal ―represents an important first step towards the creation of

a future alliance in both cruise and military naval sectors.‖ Paris and Rome are exploring the creation of a

Franco-Italian naval group, merging French military shipyards firm Naval Group with Fincantieri, a bid to

ward off the threat from industrial powers such as China and the United States.

Marine pollution East China Sea: Oil washes up on shore near site of Sanchi's sinking

Fincantieri had 4.4 billion euros in revenue in 2016, and expects it to grow at least 16 percent every two

years, up to 2020. Smaller STX France is the only one big enough in France to build aircraft carriers and

other large warships.

Industry Minister Carlo Calenda said on Thursday that Italian Leonardo, which supplies land and naval

defence electronics and is one of the world‘s 10 biggest players in the defence industry, would be part of

the talks. State-controlled Fincantieri made a bid for STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships,

after the demise of South Korea‘s STX shipbuilding group.

Under the terms of the agreement, the French state will hold 34.34 percent of STX, Naval Group 10

percent, STX employees up to 2.4 percent and local suppliers up to 3.26 percent. In order for Fincantieri to

take effective control, the French state will lend the group a 1 percent stake. Fincantieri will nominate four

members of STX‘s eight person board.

[Reuters]

02/02/2018

On Friday, Dr. Paul Johnston of Greenpeace's International Science Unit warned that petroleum pollution

on the island of Takarajima could have come from the tanker Sanchi, which exploded and sank last month

in the East China Sea.

The Japan Coast Guard and the prefecture of Kagoshima have both confirmed the arrival of a black, oily

substances on the island's beaches. If true, it would be the first confirmed instance of pollution from the

disaster reaching shore.

"It appears that the island of Takarajima is in one of the higher risk areas predicted by the National

Oceanography Centre (NOC) and at this stage it seems likely that the oil we are seeing [in the media] is

from the Sanchi," Johnston said in a statement. "It may be emulsified bunker oil, but it may also be heavy

residue from the condensate: it will be impossible to tell until testing is done. Cetaceans and birds are at

high risk of exposure, and fish may be contaminated as well."

Johnston cautioned that the oil on the beach would have to be "fingerprinted" against a sample from the site

of the sinking in order to confirm its origin. He called on the agencies involved in the response to step up

the scale of spill monitoring efforts, and he warned against the use of dispersants except as "an absolute last

resort."

Cleanup operations are under way on shore at Takarajima, and Japan's Cabinet Office said Friday that it has

set up a task force to monitor the spill.

The Sanchi had about one million barrels of natural gas condensate on board when she collided with a

bulker on January 6, and she burned for seven days before going down. An unknown amount of her cargo

was consumed in the blaze, but it was likely the largest ever release of condensate into the marine

environment.

Condensate is a mixture of light petroleum liquids that are extracted from "wet" natural gas. Its composition

varies, but it typically contains some amount of benzene, a known carcinogen, along with other aromatic

hydrocarbons. It is less dense and much more likely to dissipate than crude oil, but it is toxic to marine life.

[Maritime Executive]

Container shipping: New cryptocurrency offered to shippers

01/02/2018

Chinese salvage crews are still trying to remove 1,900 tonnes of bunker fuel, the heavy oil used in ship

engines, from the sunken Iranian oil tanker Sanchi, the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday, almost a

month after she collided with a freighter.

If the fuel is not cleaned up, it could pollute the marine environment, the ministry warned in a release.

Bunker fuel is noxious to marine organisms and difficult to remove from the ocean once spilled. Five

Chinese vessels, and one Japanese ship and one South Korean, are involved in the clean-up effort that spans

almost 226 sq nautical miles, while an investigation into the cause and examination of the tanker's "black

box" continues.

The oil tanker Sanchi and the freighter CF Crystal collided in the East China Sea on Jan. 6, resulting in the

worst oil tanker spill in decades. Three bodies from the Sanchi's crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis

were recovered before it sank in mid-January. Salvage crews have not found any other bodies on the

surface of the sea, the government said on Thursday.

[Reuters]

01/02/2017

By Mike King & Will Waters

The first-stage rollout of a new blockchain application designed to streamline the container shipping

booking system is scheduled to start today.

300cubits, a start-up established last July, pledged to distribute its own dedicated crypto-currency in the

form of free TEU tokens to industry participants including leading forwarders from 1 February. This is the

first step ahead of a scheduled 15 June launch of the booking deposit system, which will use blockchain

technology and the TEU tokens to try to address the problem of cargo ‗no-shows‘ and ‗rollovers‘.

Tokens will also be sold to the public from 15 March and live booking trials of physical shipments using

the new currency are scheduled for later this month.

Johnson Leung, 300cubit‘s co-founder, said that the new system would address kinks in the slot booking

system that impact on supply chain efficiency. ―Carriers told us that 25%-30% of the bookings never show

up,‖ he told Alphaliner‘s latest weekly report. ―About 70% of the carriers‘ operating expenses are fixed

costs, which makes yield management critical for the carriers. It is impossible for the carriers to have

effective yield management when they have to guess which bookings will show up.‖

He said shippers had also complained that rollovers were a key impediment to fulfilling ‗just-in-time‘

supply chain strategies. ―Contrary to the perception, rollovers are not a problem only for the medium and

small shippers,‖ he added. ―The large shippers told us that rolling also happens to them despite having the

so-called ‗no rolling‘ clause in their service contracts with carriers. To all customers, rolling always

happens in the most inconvenient time − that is, peak season when there are fewer alternatives to ship.‖

Marine pollution East China Sea: Salvage crews working to recover sunken tanker’s bunker

fuel

Container shipping: World Container Index - 01 Feb 2018

Leung said the advantage of using TEU tokens to make booking deposits was primarily the commitment

both carriers and shippers thereby made to abiding by their obligations as counterparties, while spending

TEU tokens instead of cash or more established crypto-currencies offered cost savings.

―Putting down a cash deposit requires more working capital and interest expenses for the shippers,‖ he said.

―The same interest expenses will apply with the use of bitcoin.

―TEU tokens would be given for free to the industry participants. When the industry participants use these

TEU tokens, the transaction fees could also be paid out of the TEU tokens given to them.‖

300cubit will charge 0.7% of the total deposit amount of each booking as a transaction fee, in effect

harvesting a percentage of the TEU tokens distributed for free as its income. ―We can also sell these TEU

tokens in the public exchange,‖ said Leung. ―To the users, they effectively return a portion of TEU tokens

given to them. So it is free for them.‖

He admitted that eventually the new currency could become volatile, but insisted the benefits would

outweigh the risks. ―Once the booking counterparties have a financial stake in the booking process, they

tend to fulfil their obligations when a booking is made – that is, the shippers will send in cargo and carriers

will load the cargo,‖ he added. ―So the booking deposit serves more as a deterrence to default on a booking

than a transfer of value from one party to the another.

―Hence, value storage may not be an important function in a booking deposit. In the unlikely event that one

party defaults and the value of compensation matters, having a deposit that is volatile in value is still

superior than today‘s status quo where the parties receive zero value in compensation.‖

Other start-ups attempting to tackle the problems of cargo roll-overs and no-shows include the New York

Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX), which aims to bring greater certainty to the contract-negotiating process

between ocean carriers and shippers. As reported in Lloyd‘s Loading List, Maersk last month became the

latest line to invest in NYSHEX, joining the other two founding members Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM.

Carrier members MOL, OOCL, and COSCO are able to publish their respective offers on the exchange,

which is free for any carrier members to join.

NYSHEX went live in August 2017 after several months of trials, so far handling more than 3,000 TEU

worth of trades, all involving transpacific shipments. It plans to expand the business into other markets,

with the exchange‘s backers hoping transactions via NYSHEX could eventually cover as much as 15% of

the global box trades and save the industry up to $23bn a year.

That would be achieved by making contracts enforceable and eliminating broken contract commitments by

both parties, with transactions via NYSHEX monitored and penalties imposed for non-compliance

[Lloyd‘s Loading List]

01/02/2018

The World Container Index assessed by Drewry, a composite of container freight rates on 8 major routes

to/from the US, Europe and Asia, is up by 5% to $1539.16/40ft container.

Two-year spot freight rate trend for the World Container Index:

World Container Index: Drewry assessment on Thursday, 01 February 2018

• The composite index is up by 5% this week and down by 13.9% from the same period of 2017.

• The average composite index of the WCI, assessed by Drewry for year-to-date, is US $1,453/40ft

container, which is $122 lower than the five-year average of $1,575/40ft container.

• The Composite Index jumped by $73 to $1,539 per feu this week on the back of the final round of GRIs

before the Chinese New Year holidays. The rates on Shanghai-New York increased by $61 per feu to reach

$2,944. Similarly, the rates on Shanghai-Los Angeles surged to $1,565 per feu this week – a change of

$120 from last week. Rates on the Asia-Europe route also strengthened this week; Shanghai-Genoa

gathered $107 to reach $1,634, and Shanghai-Rotterdam gained $95 to reach $1,813 for a 40ft box. We

expect the freight market to be buoyant until mid-February on the back of the pre-CNY volumes.

Our latest freight rate assessments on eight major East-West trades:

Port development Canada: Montreal advances plan for $750 million container terminal plan

[Drewry]

01/02/2018

The Port of Montreal is moving forward with its plan to build a $750 million container terminal at

Contrecoeur as record container volume growth last year hastens the estimated day when the port runs out

of capacity.

Source: Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

The Montreal Port Authority on Feb. 1 released its main findings in an environmental study of the project,

laying the groundwork for public consultation led by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

from Feb. 27 to March. The port authority aims to bring the first phase of the project, adding nearly 1.5

million TEU of annual capacity to the port, online by 2023/2024. Roughly the same is estimated for the

port‘s existing five terminals to reach their total capacity of about 2.1 million TEU. After the first phase, the

Port development Namibia: New Walvis Bay container terminal 75% complete

Port development Netherlands: IBM to digitise Rotterdam

port authority said the term inal has the potential to expand to handle an annual capacity of 3.5 million

TEU.

Container volume through Canada‘s second-largest port rose 6.2 percent, to nearly 1.54 million TEU, in

2017 compared with the prior year. That is the third straight year volume growth surpassed the authority‘s

expectation of a 4 percent gain, Daniel Dagenais, vice-president of operations and head of the project at the

authority, told JOC.com. Roughly one-fifth of the port‘s volume originates from the United States or is

destined to Canada‘s neighbor.

The terminal‘s 675-meter berth will be able to handle two post-Panamax vessels simultaneously. Because

of the draft limitations of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the largest ship to call the port has had a capacity of

5,000-TEU, with the average ship calling the port having a capacity of about 4,000 TEU.

Canadian National (CN) Railway‘s line connect to the terminal, though, Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway

will also have access, Dagenais said. Under a co-production agreement with the two

Class I railroads, CN would either have to shuttle CP‘s trains or allow its locomotives onto its network.

Discussions have centered on the former, Dagenais said. The planned terminal is roughly a mile and half

from Highway 30, which intersects with the Southern Beltway that connects to the Ontario and US Midwest

and Northeast markets.

To handle and maximize growing volume through Montreal, the province of Quebec is spending more than

C$500 million to develop maritime and logistics business in the region over the next four years. Through

the maritime strategy, the province looks to create two maritime transportation logistics hubs, with one in

Contrecoeur, across the St. Lawrence and about 28 miles northeast of Montreal.

[JOC.com]

01/02/2018

Namibia's 344 million U.S. dollars container terminal currently under construction in its coastal town of

Walvis Bay is 75% complete, the Namibian Port Authority (Namport) said Thursday.

According to a statement issued by Namport, the contract is on schedule for completion of most of the

works at the end of 2018 with minor works to be completed early 2019. One of the major components of

the projects is the commissioning of four new Ship Container Cranes (STS), making it the first time that

these cranes will be deployed in the port of Walvis Bay. Namport has to date made use of mobile cranes to

load and offload containers from vessels. The 4 STS cranes are expected to arrive from China on February

10, 2018.

China Harbor Engineering Company Limited started the construction of the terminal with a throughput

capacity of 750,000 TEU in May 2014.

[Xinhua]

01/02/2017

By Sarah Carter

Port development U.S.: Oakland to complete major upgrading and expansion projects

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and IBM announced their collaboration on a multi-year digitisation

initiative to transform the port‘s operational environment using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the

cloud to benefit the port and its stakeholders.

The initiative will also prepare the Port of Rotterdam‘s entire 42-kilometre site to host connected ships in

the future. It begins with the development of a centralised dashboard

application that will collect and process real-time water (hydro), weather (meteo) sensor data and

communications data, analysed through the IBM IoT platform. This will enable a new wave of safer and

more efficient traffic management at the port.

As the largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam handles over 461 million tonnes of cargo and more

than 140,000 vessels annually. Previously the port relied on traditional radio and radar communication

between captains, pilots, terminal operators, tugboats and more to make key decision on port operations.

Now, as the Port of Rotterdam begins its digital transformation, sensors are being installed across 42-

kilometers of land and sea – spanning from the City of Rotterdam into the North Sea – along the Port‘s

quay walls, mooring posts and roads. These sensors will gather multiple data streams including water

(hydro) and weather (meteo) data about tides and currents, temperature, wind speed and direction, water

levels, berth availability and visibility.

This data will be analysed by IBM‘s cloud-based IoT technologies and turned into information that the Port

of Rotterdam can use to make decisions that reduce wait times, determine optimal times for ships to dock,

load and unload, and enable more ships into the available space. For example, the Port of Rotterdam will

now be able to predict the best time based on water level, to have a ship arrive and depart Rotterdam,

ensuring that the maximum amount of cargo is loaded on board.

With the new initiative, Port of Rotterdam operators will also be able to view the operations of all the

different parties at the same time, making that process more efficient. In fact, shipping companies and the

port stand to save up to one hour in berthing time which can amount to about $80,000 US dollars in

savings.

The Port of Rotterdam‘s digital transformation project is enabled by IBM‘s cloud-based IoT technologies

and will see the Port of Rotterdam and IBM are working together long-term to uncover other innovative

applications of IoT and artificial intelligence. Cisco and Axians are also involved in the project.

[ShipInsight]

31/01/2018

By Bill Mongelluzzo, senior editor

The Port of Oakland this year and next will complete major infrastructure projects and support facilities

designed to convince beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) the Northern California port will efficiently handle

their imports and exports.

―It‘s not just adding capacity. This is about making the capacity more efficient,‖ Executive Director Chris

Lytle said Tuesday. Marine terminal expansion, a refrigerated warehouse and

construction of a 180-acre cargo logistics hub are underway or planned for construction soon. Rail

infrastructure, grade separation projects and supporting infrastructure, such as expansion of a container

dray-off lot, will enhance cargo velocity, he said.

Oakland in 2017 handled a record 2.42 million TEU, an increase of 1.3 percent over 2016, according to port

figures for loaded and empty container movements. Lytle said the port projects growth of 2.7 percent in

containerized imports, a 1-2 percent increase in exports and total growth of about 3.5 percent in 2018.

Like other West Coast ports that experienced gridlock, excessive container dwell times and cargo diversion

during the 2014-15 contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union

(ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PWA), Oakland experienced a slow recovery the past two

years. However, the port used the slack period to double down on infrastructure expansion. Now those

capital projects are beginning to pay off, Lytle said in his annual state of the port address.

He added that Oakland at the same time built confidence in the international investment community by

increasing revenues and reducing costs. The port last year reported record operating revenue of $358.7

million and operating income of $63.7 million. ―It‘s about building confidence. Investors are saying, ‗This

is a place where we should invest our money,‘‖ Lytle said.

At the Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), which handles about 70 percent of Oakland‘s

container volume, the board is investing $20 million to increase the height of four cranes, and is considering

the purchase of six super post-Panamax cranes. ―OICT will be able to handle any vessel that comes here,‖

Lytle said.

Oakland is the outbound port of call in the Pacific Southwest services from Asia, and therefore handles the

largest ships calling in North America. There are 28 vessel strings with ships up to 15,000-TEU capacity

that call in Los Angeles-Long Beach and then in Oakland before returning to Asia. CMA CGM in 2016 did

test runs with the 18,000-TEU Benjamin Franklin, and West Coast ports say it is just a matter of time

before they see regular weekly services with vessels of that size.

About $60 million is earmarked for the TraPac terminal for re-paving, addition of support buildings, an

expanded gate complex and more refrigerator plugs. TraPac has doubled the size of its terminal. Everport

has completed $20million of improvements at its facility.

With terminal expansion projects well underway or completed, Oakland is now focusing on developments

within the harbor footprint that Lytle said will improve efficiency and differentiate it from other US ports.

The Cool Port cold storage and transloading facility, which is scheduled for completion in August, will

feature a rail track running up the middle of a structure with dozens of truck bays. This will allow frozen

and chilled products to be unloaded from reefer rail cars and transloaded into marine containers in a

temperature-controlled environment. The loaded containers will be moved a short distance to the ocean

vessel.

In addition, ground will be broken this quarter on the 440,000 square-foot Seaport Logistics Complex,

where cargo will be transloaded between domestic and marine containers, also on port property and close to

marine terminals.

Transloading of imports at US ports today occurs at distribution centers five to 50 miles from the docks.

This involves a truck move that can cost as much as $500. The logistics complex will eliminate those drays.

It will also be able to handle export loads. Lytle said the project developer, CenterPoint, is generating ―a lot

of interest‖ from BCOs who are interested in locating there after construction is completed in 2019.

Oakland is working with Alameda County for approval of a $500 million project that will separate truck

and rail traffic at the port. The 7th Street grade separation project will take several years to complete once it

is approved, and it is an example of port development which does not directly affect containers being lifted

on and off a vessel, but improves overall cargo velocity at the port, he said.

The Shippers Transport Express yard used by OICT to dray inbound containers immediately from the

vessel to the temporary storage yard a half-mile away is being expanded and is another example of the port

Top 10 global fleets worth 516 billion USD

repurposing land for facilities that improve cargo velocity, Lytle said.

Oakland is also developing a truck service center where functions like fueling, servicing and weighing that

would otherwise have to occur in nearby neighborhoods will be carried out within the port‘s footprint. Lytle

said the project appears to have the support of nearby residents.

The port‘s five-year projection for cargo shows steady growth from 2.42 million TEU in 2017 to 2.6 million

TEU in 2022. Port staff recently completed a five-year strategic plan that will be released after review by

the harbor commission.

With labor peace assured until at least 2022 with last summer‘s extension of the coastwide contract, and

processes such as container dray-offs, trucker appointment systems and extended gate programs in place,

the combination of physical expansion and improved processes should allow Oakland to efficiently handle

its growing cargo volume, Lytle said.

[Journal of Commerce]

31/01/2018

By Court Smith

VesselsValue has released its yearly World Fleet Values Ranking. Topping the list is Greece, with an

owned fleet worth just shy of 100 billion USD, followed closely by Japan and China, worth 89 and 84

billion USD respectively.

Oceans: Industrial whaling of the 20th century was worse than we thought

Greece

Greek owners remain the dominant force in global shipping. The current value of their owned fleet stands at

almost exactly $100bn, putting the country at the top of the table. The value is concentrated in the Tanker

($36bn), Bulker ($35.75bn), and LNG ($13.5) vessel types. Hellenic control of these markets stands at

about 19% of the total worth of the fleets.

The strong commitment of Greek owners to the global shipping markets looks unlikely to change as others,

such as Germany, are liquidating assets. The trend in Chinese ownership is rising, as state owned

companies are consolidating and placing new orders. This is a reminder that there are always new

challengers for the throne of peak market value. Greek owners, with their sharp focus on commercial

results, should continue to lead the pack for the foreseeable future.

Japan

Japanese companies are the second largest group of shipowners by value but remain in the same league as

Greece. The country‘s interests in the Dry Bulk and LNG segments are on par with the leader, but it does

not have as much exposure to the tanker markets. Japanese refinery capacity has been falling since the late

2000‘s, a trend that will continue as the country faces stiff competition from other Asian refiners. Japanese

tanker owners continue to trade in the global markets, but growth will not come from domestic demand.

Japan is the top owner of LNG vessels by value, which is a strong strategic fit for its energy needs. Nuclear

power remains under high scrutiny, and additional plants may shutter in the years ahead. This leaves natural

gas and coal as the top alternatives for power generation.

The high ownership of Dry Bulk and LNG vessels make the trading fleet well suited to match domestic

consumption.

China

China is nipping at the heels of the two countries that place above it in terms of total owned value. The

stratospheric rise of the country‘s economy since 2000 has had impacts on all shipping and commodity

markets. The growth trajectory has slowed recently but remains a positive force for ton mile demand across

all vessel types.

The Chinese share of global ownership should continue to move upwards over the next decade across all

markets. The large amount of crude oil that is imported into the country is moving on an increasingly

national fleet. This trend, combined with rising product exports should boost the number of tankers that

come under owner‘s umbrellas.

[VesselsValue]

31/01/2018

By Sophie Yeo

Soviet whaling fleets secretly killed thousands and thousands of whales, leaving a lasting and sad legacy for

some populations.

Whales being butchered on the deck of a Soviet whaling ship. This image was snapped in 1954. Even though there

were some regulations in place, Soviet whalers illegally hunted thousands and thousands of whales. Credit:

Popperfoto/Getty Images

In 1972, on board a Soviet whaling ship, a crew member was holding a small party to celebrate his absent

wife‘s birthday. It was a ruse, but he needed a way to distract the fleet‘s Japanese observer from the dead

blue whale being hauled on deck and cut into chunks.

The Japanese observer was familiar with the business of whaling, having previously worked on Japanese

fleets in the Antarctic. But it was the first time he had been on board with the Soviets. This year, he was

working in the North Pacific, tasked with ensuring Soviet whalers followed international guidelines set out

by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

And on this day, the observer failed to notice the illegally caught blue whale, or was voluntarily ignorant as

he swilled vodka. The incident is just one of the many illegal acts by 20th century whaling nations

uncovered by scientists since Soviet data became available in the 1990s. Two US National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration scientists, Yulia Ivashchenko and Phil Clapham, have been part of the efforts

to unveil the truth.

Since 2009, the pair has published a flurry of papers revealing how flawed whaling data from the last

century was. Ivashchenko found many formerly classified documents in Russia‘s public archives revealing

the extent of the communist regime‘s illegal whaling. The Soviet subterfuge left a lasting legacy on some

whale populations.

Dead sperm whale on the deck of a Soviet whaling ship. The Soviets hunted sperm whales mostly for their oil, which

was valuable as an industrial lubricant. Credit: Phil Clapham

While the IWC voted to enact a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982, the worrisome loss of whales

was noticeable much earlier. In 1946, whaling nations formed the IWC and attempted to make the industry

more sustainable through gradual rules, quotas, and size limits. It wasn‘t working—in the following three

decades, Soviet fleets secretly killed almost

180,000 whales, and in the process irreparably harmed the population of North Pacific right whales.

In 1972, the IWC implemented the International Observer Scheme, in which an observer was placed on

every whaling fleet. The belief was that such a scheme would prevent illegal whaling for good. But, as

Ivashchenko and Clapham discovered, during the first year of implementation, the Soviets illegally hunted

and killed at least 17 blue whales.

A Soviet whaling fleet ran like a well-oiled machine, consisting of one giant factory ship, and 15 to 25

catcher vessels equipped with harpoons. Smaller and faster, these boats orbited the main ship until they

found a whale. If they caught one that was off limits—like a blue whale, an undersized whale, or a lactating

female—the hunters would radio the mother ship, giving the crew time to distract the observer. They only

needed enough time to remove the head, cut off the meat, and strip out the bones and organs.

Transport emissions Europe: Aviation and shipping face big challenges in reducing

environmental impacts

Five fin whales being towed behind a Soviet whaling ship. Five fin whales await butchering off the side of

a Soviet whale-hunting vessel. Credit: Phil Clapham

―They just needed half an hour to make sure the inspector was somewhere inside and nowhere near the

landing deck,‖ said Ivashchenko. For the overworked observers—charged with overseeing operations 24

hours a day—a fake celebration with an open bottle of vodka often did the trick.

There is also evidence that the observers were sometimes complicit in the illegal activity, frequently taking

three undersized whales, illegal under the IWC rules, and recording them as two larger whales. ―They

would do it like a football score. The Japanese observer would say,

‗So what‘s the score?‘ And the crew would say, ‗It‘s 3-2,‘‖ says Clapham. He notes that this is

unsurprising, given that the Soviets were supplying the Japanese with whale meat at the time.

Researchers continue to tally the true number of whales killed during the wild days of industrial whaling. In

the past few years, Ivashchenko and Clapham have turned their sights to Japanese records and they‘ve

already uncovered evidence that this whaling nation also falsified data. It‘s sometimes grim business

keeping score.

[Hakai Magazine]

31/01/2018

A massive shift in innovation, consumer behaviour and the take up of more ambitious green technologies to

power aircraft and sea-faring cargo ships will be crucial to reducing their long-term carbon footprint.

Examples of environmental pressures from shipping activities

Note: CO2, carbon dioxide; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NOx, nitrogen oxides; PM, particulate

matter; SO2, sulphur dioxide; VOC, volatile organic compound.

Source: Aviation and shipping — impacts on Europe's environment [Jan 2018]

A European Environment Agency (EEA) report says incremental measures such as improving fuel

efficiency to cut emissions will not be enough for the aviation and shipping sectors to meet European

greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability targets.

Aviation and shipping is the focus of the latest EEA ‗Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism

(TERM)‘ report Aviation and shipping — impacts on Europe's environment. The two sectors have seen

tremendous growth over past years amid a boost in economic growth, which has stimulated international

trade and travel. However, the sectors have come under increased scrutiny over their rising emissions and

how they can meet European Union decarbonisation goals.

Container port traffic

Source: Aviation and shipping — impacts on Europe's environment [Jan 2018]

Air transport freight

Note: The Eurostat data are shown on the secondary axis. Freight data (in tonnes) are only available in Eurostat's

database from 2005 onwards. The data for the EU presented by the World Bank might be an underestimation.

Source: Aviation and shipping — impacts on Europe's environment [Jan 2018]

Air transport passengers carried

Note: The World Bank numbers for the EU seem to be an underestimation; see Eurostat, 2017: ―In 2016, 972.7

million passengers travelled by air in the European Union (EU), up by 5.9 % compared with 2015."

Source: Aviation and shipping — impacts on Europe's environment [Jan 2018]

By 2050, global aviation and shipping together are anticipated to contribute almost 40 % of global carbon

dioxide emissions unless further mitigation actions are taken. Further, transport, including aviation and

shipping, continues to be a significant source of air pollution. It is also the main source of environmental

noise in Europe and contributes to a range of environmental pressures on ecosystems.

Shifting to greener air and sea transport

The two transport sectors face complex challenges in reducing their environmental impacts. The report

notes that in many ways the sectors are locked into established ways of operating which can be difficult to

change. For example, past investments in conventional airport and seaport infrastructure can delay the

uptake of more sustainable technologies and opportunities to encourage alternative cleaner modes of

transport like rail, for shorter trips. Similarly, the long lifespan of airplanes and vessels can hamper a faster

shift to cleaner technologies. Other hurdles to be overcome include the lack of research on cleaner fuels for

both aircraft and ships as well as the costs involved in producing them.

The international aviation and maritime sectors also benefit from significant tax exemptions on fossil-based

fuels, which can act as a further barrier to change. Measures to reduce transport‘s future impacts on the

environment also need to take a holistic perspective and consider how demand for conventional transport

services can effectively be managed in the context of overall sustainable development.

Container shipping: Hamburg Süd to launch new Asia – Latin America service

The TERM report highlights the opportunities available to the sectors to lessen their environmental impact.

It stresses that governments have a key role to play by supporting investment in research, product standards

and subsidies for new emerging technologies and to spur the sharing of data and information on the

viability of new technologies. Efforts to promote debate on sustainable travel and consumer behaviour and

changes to lifestyles and transport habits can also help in the long term to reduce carbon emissions and

other impacts associated with aviation and shipping.

Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM)

The EEA‘s annual TERM reports use the latest available European data in order to assess key trends,

measures and overall progress of the transport sector towards its environmental policy targets. Each year,

the reports also address a specific issue.

An indicator-based TERM briefing was also published by the EEA at the end of 2017, highlighting the

mixed progress of Europe‘s transport sector in meeting its environment, health and climate policy targets.

Diesel remains king of the road

The use of diesel fuel continues to dominate across the EU, according to the second report Fuel quality in

the EU in 2016, also published today. In 2016, 71.8 % (257 206 million litres) of fuel sales in the EU was

diesel and 28.2 % (100 838 million litres) was petrol. Diesel sales increased by 3.8 % from 2015, whereas

petrol sales remained almost unchanged. The fuel quality report gives the latest annual update on the

volumes and quality of petrol and diesel used for road transport. Each year EU Member States report this

information under requirements set out in the Fuel Quality Directive.

[EEA]

31/01/2018

Beginning in April, Hamburg Süd is launching a new service network between Asia and South America

West Coast, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Concealed behind the service names ASPA and ASCA will then be a completely new product to replace the

present partnership with other liner shipping companies (Vessel Sharing Agreement) in this trade.

Customers will benefit from additional direct connections, higher sailing frequencies, greater flexibility as

well as shorter transit times. The existing Vessel Sharing Agreement between Asia and South America East

Coast is not affected by the changes and is to continue until the end of 2018.

The four new ASPA and ASCA service strings will see the deployment of a total of 39 vessels with a slot

capacity of 4,500 to 10,000 TEU and will call almost 30 key ports with several weekly sailings in the said

markets. In Asia, ports in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore will be called. In Latin

America, coverage ranges from Mexico, Panama, Colombia and Peru to Chile.

Highlights for reefer customers are two weekly sailings from Chile to Asia as well as a direct service from

Chile and Peru to Japan. One of the four new services additionally uses transshipment arrangements to link

24 ports in the Caribbean region with Asia, and vice versa. Furthermore, there is a connection to Hamburg

Süd‘s East Coast network via the north Brazilian port of Pecem.

The restructuring of the Pacific service strings to the South and Central American west coast and into the

Caribbean does not involve any increase in capacity on the supply side. Nevertheless, thanks to the

operational collaboration with Maersk as sole partner on these ship systems, Hamburg Süd said it will be

Terminal operators Papua New Guinea: ICTSI starts operation at Lae Port

able to respond more flexibly and faster to market changes in the future as well as better handle spikes in

demand than in the old Vessel Sharing Agreement.

―Our new network in this trade will occupy an exceptional position in the marketplace thanks to the very

competitive transit times and outstanding connectivity. Our customers are receiving the high service quality

they have come to expect from Hamburg Süd in combination with an unparalleled global network and

capacity offering,‖ said Frank Smet, Chief Commercial Officer for Hamburg Süd, on the launch. ―With the

new services and thanks to the independence of this product – without the involvement of VSA partners –

we can deliver what we love the most: flexibility and fast, tailor made direct connections which we develop

with our customers.‖

[Maritime Logistics Professional]

31/01/2018

ICTSI South Pacific International Container Terminal (SPICT), a subsidiary of global operator International

Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), has commenced operations at the Lae Tidal Basin (LTB) in Lae,

Papua New Guinea.

Lae Port. Credit: Vesselfinder

SPICT recently received the go ahead to begin operations from the PNG Government. As part of its

Terminal operators India: PSA International’s terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port’s opens for

business

Port development Brazil: New approach for attracting foreign investment

concession agreement, SPICT will begin the transition by immediately rolling out the terminal‘s new

operating system, Navis N4.

In July 2017, ICTSI signed a 25-year terminal operations agreement with state-owned PNG Ports Corp.

Limited (PNGPCL), for the Port of Lae – the largest container handling facility in PNG. ICTSI is set to

expand the port‘s facilities and improve its capabilities as part of the efforts to position Lae as a gateway to

the South Pacific region. The project is closely aligned with PNG‘s projected economic and trade growth.

[ICTSI]

31/01/2018

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust's (JNPT) fourth terminal commenced operations with last week's berthing of

CMA CGM's Centaurus, according to PSA International.

Singapore‘s PSA International had won the bid back in 2014 to build and operate the terminal.

Dubbed the Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (BMCT), the first phase offers an annual capacity of 2.4

million TEUs and allows for three vessels to berth simultaneously. The second phase will add an additional

2.4 million TEUs of annual handling capacity.

[American Shipper]

30/01/2018

By Alex Hughes

Brazil is dealing with its image problems when it comes to attracting foreign investment. In recent years,

the Brazilian government has done its best to promote foreign investment in new port projects. However,

perceived corruption at the very highest levels allied to a faltering economy have seen many potential

investors holding back.

But, with a change of government and improvements to business confidence, money is slowly being

attracted, albeit not exactly in the way the government has envisaged. Investors have begun to acquired

successful existing companies, rather than splashing out on new projects.

In 2017, for example, Terminal Investment Group (TIL) acquired 100% of the shares in incumbent terminal

operator Portonave. Glauco José Côrte, president of the Federation of Industry for Santa Catarina State

(FIESC), says that he hopes this will be a positive move, especially since it should result in existing

shipping line calls remaining at the port.

―This is key for overseas trade and for state industry, including for both importers and exporters,‖ he says,

noting that, in 2016, this generated $17.9bn. It‘s also an important move, since it ensures continuity of

efficient port management, with Navegantes-Portonave now in second place in Brazil‘s overall ranking for

port efficiency, according to the Logistics Institute (ILOS).‖

In addition, he notes that this move should also guarantee continued investments in the expansion of the

terminal, thereby boosting its operational capacity.

Two's company in Itajaí

In the Itajaí River Port Complex, TIL‘s acquisition of Portonave effectively means that its parent company,

Mediterranean Shipping Company, more or less controls half of all box handling assets in that area.

However, across the bay, at Itajaí, APM Terminals, part of the Maersk group, is the concessionaire.

Significantly, APM Terminals also operates the box terminal in nearby Itapoá, albeit a terminal that serves

a slightly different market.

Rather than seeing this as a developing monopoly, since both MSC and Maersk collaborate closely as part

of the 2M alliance, Mr Côrte maintains the TIL buy out is a good thing for industry in Santa Catarina.

Indeed, he sees the presence of both lines in the state as a virtual guarantee that much-needed maritime

outlets will remain for overseas markets.

However, many in Brazil wonder whether there is sufficient independent port regulation in place to prevent

monopoly practices from taking root and for price abuse to take place. Although not entirely dismissive of

such concerns, Mr Côrte points out that this is not something that simply affects Brazil. Nowadays, the

whole world is having to live with mergers between some of the main players in the navigation segment, he

notes.

To prevent irregularities from creeping in, FIESC not only monitors the situation of terminals throughout

the state, but also has a Transport and Logistics arm that frequently brings together representatives of ports

and users to discuss the main challenges facing the industry, then searches for solutions, including looking

at tariff issues and other aspects such as structure, efficiency, investment, management and availability of

lines.

―We need efficient regulatory agencies that have an adequate structure and independence in place to defend

users‘ interests,‖ he says. ―In Brazil, the competition authority CADE has been reasonably effective and

plays a key role in identifying potential threats.

―This is a sensitive issue and one that does require a careful technical [analysis], while avoiding further

highlighting the legal and institutional fragility of the country. But we believe that it is also very important

that the user occupies their role of being the main protagonist in denouncing and avoiding abuses and

defending their interests,‖ he adds.

Aggressive competition

In the very recent past, there has been aggressive competition between Portonave and Itajaí. In 2016, for

example, Portonave saw throughput grow by 34% to 905,962 teu from the previous year‘s figure of 673,817

teu. In the same period, APM Terminals‘ operation at Itajaí registered a 37% drop to 196,226 teu, having

handled 309,922 teu in 2015.

In the first ten months of 2017, Portonave reported throughput of 775,333 teu, generated by an average of

60 vessel calls per month. According to Osmari de Castilho Ribas, superintendent-director of Portonave,

this represents year-on-year growth of around 3%.―Factors contributing to this result are good infrastructure

as well as a well trained and dedicated workforce,‖ he says. ―As a result, we expect to end this year with

total traffic similar to that posted last year, which was 910,000 teu.‖

At Itajaí, an APMT spokesperson notes that the terminal had been working hard to recover liner volumes as

well as diversifying its current portfolio of lines and routes. In the first 11 months of 2017, 193,559 teu had

been handled, compared to 175,634 teu in the same period in the previous year, which represents growth of

10%, something the company attributes to a new, bi-weekly service to/from Asia, as well as to the recovery

of the regional trade.

In fact, with such a fluid situation in place, the spokesperson refutes all suggestions of a possible monopoly

situation in force at the Navegantes port complex.

―Itajaí competes with several other terminals in the region, among others Itapoá, Imbituba and Santos.

Furthermore, many shipping lines are currently using ports in Santa Catarina, operating diverse routes and

offering different services for the end users,‖ says the APMT spokesperson. ―Itajaí is handling many

different shipping lines - so it‘s up to the customers to choose which facility best fits their transit time

needs, connections, cost terms, and so on.‖

Supporting infrastructure

For its part, Portonave hopes that serious attention will be given to both the construction of the much

needed new turning basin and to measures to bring draft back to previously higher levels. This, says Mr

Castilho, will help to complement good productivity, whereby Portnoave has held the South American

record for this ever since October 2014, when 270.4 moves per crane hour were recorded in an operation

involving six ship-to-shore gantry cranes that were deployed on a single vessel.

Part of its success comes from investment in infrastructure and facilities, he suggests. In 2015, for example,

yard capacity at Portonave was doubled from 15,000 teu to 30,000 teu. The following year, major

investment was made in the electrification of the Rubber-tyred gantry crane fleet, reducing diesel

consumption in the terminal by 62%. At present, the customer base consists of ten long distance container

lines and one cabotage service.

―This hasn‘t changed drastically in the last few years, although some alterations have been made to call

patterns due to market needs,‖ says Mr Castilho.

Focus on attracting foreign investment

In recent years, the Brazilian federal government has been promoting a policy of port expansion,

particularly targeting overseas investors. Few so far have felt sufficiently comfortable to buy into new port

projects in the country.

Asked what he thought is holding them back, Glauco José Côrte, president of the Federation of Industry for

Santa Catarina State (FIESC), is adamant that the main issue is that the Brazilian legal and institutional

environment needs to be improved to further stimulate the participation of private investors, be they foreign

or domestic.

―We are making progress, but we have to go further, because the Brazilian government has exhausted its

own capacity to make investment in this sector. Bureaucracy, lack of clearer rules in the environmental

licensing processes, tax environment and centralisation of decisions in Brasilia are the main issues that need

to be addressed in order to reverse Brazil's infrastructure deficiencies, not only for ports, but also for

highways, airports and railways,‖ he says.

The inability of the state to bankroll future port development has to be seen as an opportunity for the private

sector, he says, not ruling out investment from either domestic sources or those overseas to fill the funding

gap.

―It is very important to note that the overall scenario is definitely improving. The passing of extensive

labour law reform and clear government signals that the private sector should increase participation in

infrastructure investments are examples of this. The existence of new projects and surveys of international

groups interested in the Brazilian port sector also reinforce this conviction,‖ says Mr Côrte.

In respect of what he sees as the main challenges facing the Brazilian ports industry going forward, Mr

Côrte cites difficulties with the legal and institutional environment for the management and expansion of

both existing ports and also when attracting new investment.

Port development Brazil: Change afoot at Imbituba

―Another challenge is land access, which requires planning, expansion, maintenance and modernisation. In

this sense, FIESC is working to try and see transport diversified. At present, road transport predominates,

undertaking 68% of all movements in Santa Catarina. Again, this challenge is also an opportunity for

private sector participation,‖ he says.

[Port Strategy]

30/01/2018

By Alex Hughes

In November 2017, Santos Brasil announced that it was evaluating strategic alternatives to its investments

in Imbituba Container Terminal and Imbituba General Cargo Terminal. The "strategic alternatives" under

analysis include attracting partners or strategic partners, or selling it off, adopting the option that "adds

more value", said the company.

Santos Brasil was awarded the 25-year concession for the two terminals in 2008; the contract has a clause

potentially allowing that term to double. Since then, it has invested around $300m at today‘s rates. This has

been spent on expanding the terminals, upgrades and equipment acquisition.

Marcos Tourinho, Santos Brasil‘s commercial director notes that, in 2016, the box terminal handled 37,837

teu, which was 4% less than the previous year‘s throughput of 39,424 teu. This he attributes to the end of a

container service linking the port with the Gulf of Mexico.

For the third quarter of 2017, traffic was up 87% to 19,497 teu, while in the first nine months traffic rose by

47% to 42,939 teu. While cabotage grew by 50.4%, the start of a new service to Asia (ASAS), in

September, boosted long distance traffic by 764.8%. Mr Tourinho calculates it should generate an

additional 75,000 teu annually, of which 70% will be exports and 30%

imports. The joint venture is composed of five shipping lines and makes weekly calls at the container

terminal, on route serving 19 ports in Asia and South America. In all, 13 vessels provide the service, among

which is the Hyundai Loyalty, the largest container vessel currently operating in the Brazilian market.

Porto de Imbituba. Credit: SCPar

―In just three months, the ASAS service can be seen as a success," says Mr Tourinho. "In September alone,

five vessels were handled, generating 4,138 teu of traffic, with 682 per teu being the average exchange per

call. Operations in the terminal are ever more efficient. At present, we are achieving a monthly average in

the region of 67 moves per hour, broadly similar to other terminals in Santa Catarina state.‖

Mr Tourinho notes that, in October, the ASAS service set a new record of 69 moves, which was higher than

expected. With MSC and Maersk now effectively in control of the Navegantes port complex, Imbituba is

probably now the only independent container handling operation in Santa Catarina. However, there are two

other terminals in the Port of São Francisco do Sul that handle containers, in addition to general cargo and

dry bulk.

As to whether there is traffic for all Santa Catarina‘s box handling terminals, Mr Tourinho notes: ―In March

2018, many of the existing fleet of vessels in the Brazilian market are due to be replaced by bigger ones.

This is going to benefit Imbituba, because we are already prepared to handle them.‖

'Best ever year'

Rogério Pupo, director-president of port operator SCPar Porto de Imbituba, told Port Strategy that, in spite

of the economy, the port had its best ever year for total traffic volume in 2016. Indeed, traffic amounted to

4.803m tonnes, equivalent to growth of 41.6%.

For 2017, the outlook for results is ―encouraging‖, particularly with the start of the new container service to

Asia, which was on course to grow box traffic by around 85% when compared to 2016. However, 2016 has

been a particularly difficult one for the port in terms of containers handled, with throughput amounting to

27,191 teu compared to a figure of 30,602 teu for 2015.

In fact, the recent history of container handling at the port has been highly unstable. In 2013, for example,

throughput was 13,887 teu, increasing by 201% the following year to 41,909 teu, only to then drop

dramatically in the next two years to 30,602 teu (2015) and 27,191 teu (2016).

While Mr Pupo says that 2016 was a difficult year for container traffic given the state of the Brazilian

economy, he is delighted by the return to form for 2017. Between January and November, for example,

throughput amounted to 43,334 teu, which is an improvement of 60% over the first 11 months of last year.

―This significant increase in handling was driven by the start of the Asia line operation in September 2017,

which in itself was made possible by the conclusion of dredging works and the availability of tariff

discounts,‖ says Mr Pupo.

Public and private competition

There are several factors influencing why Imbituba has yet to reach the levels of traffic generated by other

ports in the state. There is not only strong competition from two private container terminals, which are

among the most efficient in the country, but Imbituba must also compete with two public ports.

―Our aim is to be a multipurpose port, in which the focus is on the movement of all types of cargo in a

balanced way. In addition, it should be noted that SCPar Porto de Imbituba took over management of the

port in December 2012 ‖ notes Mr Pupo.

SCPar Porto de Imbituba, in partnership with operator Santos Brasil, has a policy of attracting cargo that is

based around strategic planning, whose primary goal is ―to bring in as many customers as possible".

That work, he stresses, has already been done, since part of the overall plan has been to find ways to reduce

costs and increase operational efficiency. Logistics and port costs at Imbituba are said to be 30% cheaper

than regional rivals.

Imbituba is one of few ports in Brazil with a deep draft, 14.5 metres at its maximum. This means it can

accommodate container ships of up to 10,600 teu. Indeed, Hamburg Süd‘s Cap San Juan, Cap San Vincent

and Cap San Lazaro have all called at the port and are all in this type of range.

―The vast majority of our container traffic is generated by Santa Catarina state,‖ says Mr Pupo. ―But we

also handle a lot of boxes from the neighbouring state of Rio Grande do Sul.‖

Shipping choices

Currently, container traffic has two maritime outlets through the port, one of which is a cabotage service,

the other being the aforementioned Asia service (Asia NGX2), which calls at Buenos Aires and Montevideo

along with five Brazilian ports, before crossing the Atlantic by the Cape of Good Hope to serve ports in

South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Given that in Santa Catarina, TIL/MSC operates Portonave and APM Terminals both Itajaí and Itapoá,

Imbituba is perhaps the last remaining independent container handling operation in the state. Commenting

on this, Mr Pupo says that ―independent‖ is perhaps not the best label, because Imbituba is available to take

a larger share of the overall container market, which means that it is open to all shipowners serving the

Brazilian market.

Asked whether SCPar Porto de Imbituba believes this would be to another independent operator or a

shipping line, Mr Pupo comments, ―The market could accommodate various situations and we are open to

discussing all of them.‖

Talking up its selling points

Unlike other Santa Catarina ports, such as Itajaí

and Navegantes, Imbituba is not closed for 30-40

days a year and terminal handling charges are half

those of Rio Grande. Currently, Santos Brasil

claims to offer its customers direct and indirect

costs that are up to 60% cheaper than rivals.

Compared to the Port of Rio Grande, for example,

road transport tolls and other compulsory charges

either don‘t exist or are significantly cheaper. ―We

are able to attract traffic because we are cheaper,"

says Offering a logistics alternative for cargo from

various sectors of the southern regional economy,

along with a very attractive cost benefit and

superior quality, is one of Tecon Imbituba‘s

differentials‖, says Marcos Tourinho, Santos

Brasil‘s commercial director.

Imbituba‘s draft is another selling point: the access

channel has draft of 17 metres and the basin 15.5

metres, meaning that the largest vessels deployed

in the South American market can berth there. In

recent announcements, the box terminal

acknowledged that it was targetting traffic to and

from neighbouring Rio Grande do Sul state.

According to Mr Tourinho, the aim is to attract cargo flows from the mid-West and South of Brazil. This is

Port development Mozambique: Maputo prepares to host larger ships

Port development Nigeria: Construction of $1.5 billion Lekki Port starts

because Imbituba is strategically situated in the south of Santa Catarina, equidistant between Porto Alegre

and Curitiba, and just 90 kilometres from the city of Florianópolis, with road access to the BR-101 and also

the local rail network

[Port Strategy]

30/01/2018

Mozambique‘s Port of Maputo saw its total volumes surge by 22% in 2017 as the port moves toward

welcoming even larger vessels.

The port handled a total of 18.2 million tonnes of cargo during the year, against 14.9 million tonnes seen in

2016, while the number of vessel calls dropped from 955 to 896 in 2017. However, although the port

received 59 less ships calls, it saw 3.3 million of cargo more than a year before. The rise was mainly

attributed to the completion of an access channel dredging project in January 2017, allowing for larger

vessels to sail to the port.

Before the dredging project, with the channel at -11 meters chart datum, the maximum sailing draft of the

vessels in Maputo and Matola was on average 12.20 meters and the maximum parcel size varied between

50,000 and 55,000 tonnes. ―The dredging resulted in an increase of 40% to the average parcel size for

Maputo Main Port and a 55% increase for Matola,‖ Osório Lucas, CEO, said.

Maputo is now preparing to receive vessels of even greater drafts, with the upgrades to berths 6, 7, 8 and 9,

scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2018.

In July 2017, the Matola Coal Terminal (TCM) inaugurated the rehabilitation of its berth, which included

deepening to -15.4 meters below chart datum along the quayside. TCM has thus become the port‘s first

terminal to take full advantage of the dredging initiative, allowing fully-ladden Panamax vessels of up to

275 meters long, 14.5 meters of draft on neap tides and 15.5 meters on spring tides.

In 2017, the DP World Maputo Container Terminal also began its expansion works from 150.000 TEUs to

250.000 TEUs, scheduled for completion at the end of January 2018.

―This is a major project and marks the last major steps defined by the Masterplan for the Port of Maputo.

The rehabilitation will not only create berths with a depth of up to -15 meters below chart datum, but will

improve the berth occupation rate through the creation of a bigger and deeper mooring area,‖ Lucas

explained.

[World Maritime News]

30/01/2018

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has begun work on Lekki Port, a $1.5bn project to build a

deepwater harbour to relieve pressure on Nigeria‘s main port of Lagos.

ICTSI pulls plug on Lekki Port project in Nigeria

Manila-based container terminal operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has

terminated an agreement to develop and operate a container terminal within Lekki Port, Nigeria. ICTSI‘s

subsidiary, Lekki International Container Terminal Services LFTZ Enterprise (LICTSE), and Lekki Port

LFTZ Enterprise (LPLE) agreed to terminate the sub-concession agreement signed in 2012, citing delays in

the execution of the project as the main reason. The terminated sub-concession agreement had granted

LICTSE an exclusive right to develop and operate, and to provide handling equipment and container

terminal services, at the container terminal within the port located at Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, for a period

of 21 years. The termination of the sub-concession agreement was deemed effective as of Wednesday, May

24.

Arctic Frontiers forum totes up Russia’s northern nuclear hazards

CHEC has started on the breakwater for the port, which is located on the southeastern outskirts of Lagos,

Nigeria‘s commercial capital.

Once complete, the 16.5m-deep harbour will make Lekki one of the leading ports in sub-Saharan Africa

and a regional trans-shipment hub, said developer Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise (LPLE). It will be able to

handle 2.7 million containers a year, 1.2 million more than Lagos, and will be surrounded by the Lagos

Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), which the Nigerian government hopes will attract foreign investment in factories

to boost the country‘s manufacturing sector.

CHEC, the marine construction arm of state-owned China Construction and Communication Company

(CCCC), is responsible for design of the port, construction of the marine and landside infrastructure, and

the dredging of the access channel and port basin. U.S. consultant Louis Berger is the project manager, and

is also responsible for contract management, design review and supervision of the construction. The

scheme‘s investors include Singapore‘s Tolaram Group, the Nigerian Port Authority and the Lagos State

Government.

Source: World Maritime News [26 May 2017]

Lekki is part of a general effort among West Africa‘s coastal states to build modern ports and capture the

trade and industry that flows from them. Other schemes planned or under way in the region include

Senegal‘s Port de Futur, Côte d‘Ivoire‘s Abidjan, Ghana‘s Tema, Cameroon‘s Kribi and Nigeria‘s Badagry.

Togo‘s Lomé was complete in 2016.

[Global Construction Review / World Maritime News]

30/01/2018

By Charles Digges

When Norway assesses potential nuclear risks in Northern Russia, it counts among them not just decades of

intentionally scuttled radioactive trash – including two entire nuclear submarines – but also vessels

transporting spent nuclear fuel throughout the Arctic, specifically from Andreyeva Bay.

The K-159 under tow. Photo: Bellona

These considerations were part of a seminar held at the Arctic Frontiers forum last week in Tromsø,

Norway, which tallied up ongoing threats of nuclear environmental contamination in Northwest Russia.

For decades, Norway, along with numerous other donor nations, has invested millions of dollars in

improving the safety and security of Northwest Russia‘s vast Cold War nuclear legacy sites.

According to Øyvind Selnæs, a senior adviser with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Norway

expects to see a spike in the number of ships passing through the Arctic carrying nuclear fuel and materials

as Russia seeks to build new nuclear icebreakers to guide traffic along the Northern Sea Route. He also

forecasted an increase the number vessels carrying spent nuclear fuel.

―It took many years and huge funds of international assistance to start exporting SNF from the former naval

base in the Murmansk region – Andreeva Bay,‖ Selnaes said.‖ Last year, this process began, and it will take

several years. Risks associated with the maritime transportation sector will now increase.‖

Andrei Zolotkov, who heads Bellona‘s Murmansk office, said that Norway‘s fears of possible

contamination from these shipments are largely without basis. ―Fearing the significant volume of

transportation of spent fuel from Andreeva Bay to Murmansk, one must take into account the level of

security that has been achieved by now in carrying out these operations,‖ he said. ―Transported spent

nuclear fuel is a sealed product that meets all modern safety requirements and is designed to preserve these

properties in emergency circumstances. Of course, there is always a risk, but it is minimal.‖

Yet Norway‘s concern is understandable. A huge share of the country‘s exports come from the Arctic in the

form of seafood, to which rumors of leaking Russian spent fuel would be destructive.

―The fish was, is, and will be our most valuable export product,‖ said Tove Sleipnes, a consultant to the

Norwegian Seafood Council. ―Annually, we ship more than 2.6 million tons of seafood to 140 countries. In

2017, exports of fish and seafood amounted to almost 100 billion kroner ($12.9 billion). Any rumor, any

incident could destroy our market, so for Norway it is important that cooperation with Russia in the field of

nuclear and radiation safety remain open.‖

She cited as an example an erroneous Chinese media report of a few years ago that said ebola was spread

by Norwegian Salmon. ―This absolutely fake news spread instantly throughout the world,‖ she said. ―We

managed to refute this rumor and prevent a collapse, but Norway was ready to stop any supplies of seafood

not only just to China, but the rest of Asia.‖

Norway and Russia have also run joint expeditions in 2012 and 2014 to area in Arctic waters where the

Soviets sunk nuclear waste.

The 2012 expedition surveyed the waters off the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where Russia scuttled the K-

27 nuclear submarine in 1981 after it suffered a radiation accident that killed nine sailors. After a failed

attempt to repair it, the Soviets sealed its reactor and dumped it in the Arctic shallows. The Novaya Zemlya

area is also home to nearly 2,000 containers of radioactive waste also sunk over several decades during

Soviet times.

The condition of the K-27. Photo: IBRAE

The joint expedition concluded that, despite this, there had been no increase to levels of radioactivity on the

seabed since it was first measured in 1994.

In 2014, another joint expedition explored an area near Kildin Island where the K-159 nuclear submarine

sank in 2003. Scientists took sediment and biota samples in the area of the flooded sub, which showed

evidence of cesium 137. But the values were approximately the same near the K-159 as they were near Bear

Island, the site of another Russian nuclear submarine shipwreck, the Komsomolets. The low levels,

however, have done little to quell fears of a possible breach of the subs‘ reactors, which could lead to more

significant contamination.

Shipping emissions: Making the climate call count for ports

Further tests of the samples in Norway might yield more information. But for the past two years, Russia has

withheld the samples taken on the joint mission from the Norwegian side.

A number of years ago, Norway learned of Russia‘s plans to transport its floating nuclear power plant, the

Akademik Lomonosov, from St Petersburg to Murmansk alone the Norwegian coast. The notion of two

operating KLT-40 nuclear reactors skirting its coast made Norway‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nervous.

―Thanks to our loud protests, as well as pressure from the international community, Russia has agreed not

to transport the floating nuclear plant along our coast with its fuel onboard,‖ said Yovind Selnaes.

Inger Eikelmann, another representative of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, attributed the

Foreign Affairs Ministry‘s vociferous reaction to fears of bad weather. ―We would not want the floating

nuclear power plant to be towed to our coast in the event of an unforeseen situation,‖ Eikelmann said. ―We

conducted a global diplomatic effort to ensure that nuclear materials were not towed along our coast. Russia

has found another option.‖

Russia has now agreed to fuel the floating plant in Murmansk at Atomflot, the nuclear icebreaker port,

which has the necessary infrastructure. To reach Murmansk, the Akademik Lomonosov will be towed past

Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany and Denmark and further along the coast of Norway.

After the plant is loaded with its fuel and further tests are done, it will be towed along the northern coast of

Russia to the Arctic port of Pevek in Chukotka. Once there, it will replace the Bilibino Nuclear Power

Plant, which Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom will subsequently decommission.

Nils Bøhmer, Bellona‘s general director, supports fueling the floating plant in Murmansk, though he is not a

fan of the Akademik Lomonosov overall. At least this way, Russia can avoid risks that come with nautical

towing a barge loaded with nuclear fuel. ―There are specialists in Murmansk for such work, as well as a lot

of experience,‖ he said.

Eikelmann added she had confidence in the expertise of Russian nuclear workers, and had faith Moscow

was being sufficiently transparent about how safety this work was being done. ―We are confident in the

reliability of information from Russia in the event of an incident,‖ she told Bellona. ‗We have established

successful cooperation between departments and regional governments. ―

[Bellona]

30/01/2018

By Felicity Landon

What role should ports play in reducing emissions from shipping?

The world will be watching as the International Maritime Organization sets its goals for reducing

greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from shipping, IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim told member states at

the IMO‘s 30th Assembly session.

Shortly afterwards, Lloyd‘s Register and University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS) released ‗Zero

Emissions Vessels 2030‘, a study aiming to demonstrate the viability of zero emissions vessels (ZEVs) and

identify what needs to be in place to make them a competitive solution.

The IMO‘s Marine Environment Protection Committee is due to adopt its initial GHG strategy in April. In

the run-up to this significant date, much has been written, and said, about shipping‘s responsibility to

reduce emissions and the technology that will drive results – but where do ports come into the picture? And,

given that the onus will be on ports to deliver the associated infrastructure, should they have more influence

in the debate?

―Ports need to be at the table to ensure that their interests are being met, as well as to offer their counsel on

strategic approaches,‖ says IMO maritime ambassador Carleen Lyden-Walker. ―Ports and ships are

inextricably linked – the greater the collaboration to meet common goals, the greater chance of success.‖

Ms Lyden-Walker, who is co-founder and executive director of the North American Marine Environment

Protection Association (NAMEPA), says: ―Through technology, shipping could be at zero emissions by

2035, but not fully decarbonised. A combination of many approaches – scrubbers, LNG, batter, nuclear

fusion – will be utilised to achieve this. It will be important for ports to provide the infrastructure to support

these endeavours – waste reception facilities for scrubber ash, LNG bunkering availability and charging

stations will be needed to make this practicable.‖

Should ports prefer not to get involved in the practicalities, they could create a commercial entity that could

develop these capabilities, she suggests.

Bridging the gap

Describing herself as "a great believer in bridging the gap that exists between ships and ports", Ms Lyden-

Walker cites examples of port environmental and other managers having little understanding of

environmental regulations as they affect shipping.

―Ports must, indeed, be at the table – but they must ensure their representatives are educated about shipping

and its operational challenges,‖ she says. ―By the same token, shipping needs to recognise that the port is

the community face of our industry, so a broader level of understanding of the shared responsibility, and

opportunity for collaboration, is important.‖

A factor that needs to be remembered is that not all ships trade in the same way and hence there are

differing needs in ports, says Ms Lyden-Walker. ―For instance, cold ironing (onshore power) and LNG are

only practical for ships that trade from Port A to Port B on a regular, scheduled route. That way, investment

in infrastructure to either plug into shore power or invest in LNG bunkering facilities makes sense. Most

ships, though, do not run such regular routes. In this instance, facilitating reduced emissions by supporting

the operational aspects of such a goal – waste reception facilities, charging stations, etc. – will help greatly

to achieve the objective of reduced emissions.‖

Green options

In January 2017, the Port of London Authority became the first UK port to introduce a ‗green tariff‘,

offering a 5% discount on port charges for vessels with an Environmental Shipping Index (ESI) score of 30

or above.

At the end of the year, the PLA published its draft Air Quality Strategy, the result of research, consultation

and the first ever port-wide emissions inventory for the tidal Thames.

Part of the PLA‘s Thames Vision, the strategy aims to reduce emissions from marine sources while

supporting the increased use of the river for passenger and freight movements. There are 19 proposals,

including exploring onshore power, trialling new emissions-reducing technology with Thames Clippers

through retrofitting engines, and running an ‗Expo‘ to share emerging best practice with Thames operators.

A five-year action plan from 2018 to 2022 includes continued research.

―We are taking the lead in this,‖ says PLA chief executive Robin Mortimer. ―There are two ways of driving

emissions reductions. There is the regulatory approach, and there is a place for that with IMO, EU and UK

standards, and there are market-based solutions – using the power of being in the supply chain or as a

consumer to drive behaviour.

―Ports have a role to play in both – in influencing the regulatory situation, where we are keen to make sure

there is a level playing field and some ports are not disadvantaged, and in our more direct role as a key part

of the supply chain. Our green tariff was the first step in this.

―In isolation, perhaps it isn‘t going to achieve very much – but if enough ports around the world have

incentives for greener shipping, it will provide the impetus for shipping lines to invest faster and turn over

their older fleets faster, because you are changing the economics.‖

Air quality

There is a particular onus on the PLA because its operations include the UK‘s busiest inland waterway and

the capital city‘s overall air quality problems are a big political issue.

The PLA‘s Air Quality Strategy includes a mix of measures, says Mr Mortimer, and further studies are a

vital part of that.

―The big issue for us is inland waterway vessels. There isn‘t really an evidence base to take simple

regulatory action such as an emissions charging scheme, because we don‘t know yet what is technically

possible. So, we will do follow-up work to look at the most cost-effective solutions to emissions

abatement.‖

The Thames Clippers trial is set to be extended to establish whether the technology can be introduced on

every type of vessel and what the cost would be. ―Once we have that data, we will be talking to the GLA

and others about how we make that happen.

―If we know that we can reduce NOX emissions by 50% on every vessel at a specific average cost, we can

start to think about a combination of regulatory and incentive measures – possibly even a fund to support

installation of this technology.‖

However, the PLA must be wary of rushing ahead, he emphasises. ―What we don‘t want is a system which

penalises water transport, which is in many ways much better and has less impact on air quality – because it

is in the middle of the river, and also from the carbon perspective and because it reduces road congestion.

We don‘t want a draconian regime which makes it impossible to operate because the limits set are too low

compared with what is achievable.‖

Ports do need to be involved in the industry‘s efforts to reduce emissions from shipping, says Mr Mortimer.

However, he adds: ―For a move towards LNG, for example, there is an assumption that the infrastructure

will be provided and that someone will find it commercially viable to provide it – and I think that is broadly

right. If there is a shift in technology, there is no doubt it will become commercially attractive to step into

the market.

―For the PLA, we need to know the facts and we need to proceed in a measured way. There is a lot of

information yet to be gathered on what technology is going to make the most difference from the inland

waterways point of view.‖

Roll out of sustainability programme

The new World Ports Sustainability Programme (WPSP) will be launched at an international conference in

Antwerp, March 22-23. The initiative extends the scope of the International Association of Ports and

Harbors (IAPH) World Ports Climate Initiative beyond climate action, to include future-proof

infrastructure, climate and energy, societal integration, safety and security and governance and ethics.

Shipbreaking Bangladesh: Two workers killed at Chittagong scrapping yards

Initiated by the IAPH and based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the WPSP aims to

coordinate sustainability efforts by ports.

Meanwhile, ports continue to announce their own measures. The Norwegian port of Ålesund is offering a

30% discount on harbour dues for cruise ships that have a score of 50 or more points on the Environmental

Ship Index (ESI) from the start of 2018.

The Panama Canal has launched its own emissions calculator, to enable shippers to assess their carbon

emissions, rank those which have reduced most emissions by transiting the canal versus alternative routes,

and encourage action to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Port of Antwerp is investing €1.4m over the next three years in a series of projects to make port-

generated freight traffic smoother and more efficient, aiming to reduce truck journeys by up to 250,000 a

year. The projects include new rail and barge services, and avoiding empty truck trips by finding return

loads.

The Port of New York and New Jersey has introduced a ban on trucks that are 23 years old or older, from

January this year, although this has been criticised by environmentalists because it is far less stringent than

an earlier proposal to ban trucks dated 2007 or older.

Then in Estonia, the Port of Tallinn is offering a 4% discount on port charges for vessels using LNG as their

primary fuel. Tallinn also provides incentives for ships that have invested in scrubbers for reducing sulphur

compounds in emissions, and accepts the waste generated by scrubbers without charging additional fees. In

October 2017, Tallink moved its cargo ship Sea Wind to operate from Muuga Harbour instead of Tallinn

Old City Harbour. ―This means that more than 40,000 trucks per year will be removed from the city centre

and congestion and pollution in the city will be significantly reduced,‖ said the port.

[Port Strategy]

30/01/2018

We are shocked at the recent deaths of two workers at the scrapping yards in Sitatunga, the 18 km coastal

strip 20 km north-west of Bangladesh‘s main port Chittagong.

Scrapping yards at the beach of Sitatunga near Chittagong. Credit: Google Earth

According to our report, one worker was killed

at Premium Trade Corporation Shipbreaking

Yard after being hit by an iron plate and the

other one, a worker of RA Shipbreaking Yard,

was killed after inhaling poisonous gas. But as

usual, the owners of the yards claimed that these

deaths were due to other reasons, which is

outrageous.

Deaths and injuries at shipbreaking yards are a

regular phenomenon in Bangladesh. According

to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, an international

organisation working for safety at shipbreaking

yards, at least 16 workers were killed and more

than a hundred others were injured in accidents

at different scrapping yards in Sitakunda last

year and a staggering number of 181 workers

died between 2005 and 2016.

Needless to say, shipbreaking is a hazardous job

and workers at the yards are exposed to all kinds

of toxins which can cause serious damage to

their health. Toxic materials such as asbestos,

mercury and lead have serious health hazards

and regular exposure to such toxins can lead to

severe illnesses and even death.

While the ship scrapping industry is booming in

our country, the safety of the workers has not

been given a priority by the owners of the scrap

Digital trade finance

yards. We believe that these two deaths could

have been avoided, if the workers had protective

gear which their employers should have ensured.

Thus, we demand that the authorities take proper

[Daily Star]

precautionary measures for the workers' safety.

Also, the relevant laws must be implemented by

the government so that workers' rights are

protected in the industry.

30/01/2018

By Elizabeth Landrum

The German carrier Hapag-Lloyd revealed Tuesday that seven more containerships will be recycled in an

―eco-friendly manner."

The seven 4,101-TEU containerships are being recycled in Turkey and China. Both shipyards are equipped

and certified to recycle ships in an environmentally friendly manner, the German ocean carrier said.

―The recycling of these ships is part of the restructuring of our fleet,‖ says Anthony Firmin, chief

operating officer of Hapag-Lloyd. ―Since the merger with UASC, we boast one of the youngest fleets in the

industry on average.‖ Hapag-Lloyd had officially merged with UASC in May 2017, and the integration was

complete in November 2017.

Hapag-Lloyd recycled three older vessels in September 2017, also with a capacity of 4,101 TEUs each. The

three vessels were part of the former United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC) fleet.

[American Shipper]

30/01/2018

From electronic letters of credit to cryptocurrencies, can technology bring new solutions to shippers?

According to Drewry‘s last e-shipping survey, almost 60% of respondents were confident that transport

management systems (TMS) and e-marketplaces would create the required technical and legal framework

to fully digitise shipping documentation. So what does it mean for trade finance services to BCO?

Survey question: Are there any specific trade lanes or markets more suitable to full digitalisation?

Shipbreaking: Hapag-Lloyd recycles seven containerships in an "eco-friendly manner"

Source: Drewry Supply Chain Advisors

The survey also suggested that both the development of shippers‘ systems capabilities and the expanded use

of bank payment obligations as a digitalised form of supply chain finance, will help facilitate this

development, with particular potential on Asia-Europe and Transpacific trades.

However, the proliferation of electronic documents is dependent on banks‘ digitalisation of hitherto paper-

based trade finance processes, including the front, middle and back office functions, covering legal,

accounting, finance, treasury and compliance functions. Progress is being made here but has some way to

go yet. The benefits are well understood and include reduced risk of error, faster document processing and

quicker disbursement of funds.

According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 80% to 90 % of global trade relies on some form of

financing or credit insurance. Will technology bring any new financial instruments and services and for

whom?

Financial services for B2B networks

Technology brings opportunities to enable greater synchronisation of physical cargo movements and

associated finance, thanks to the convergence of shipment, document and payment visibility through

integrated solutions. Last year‘s partnership between the UK-based bank HSBC with e-business providers

GT Nexus and Tradeshift is an example. Beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) benefit from receivables

financing within their trusted electronic operational network.

These initiatives are in line with the trend towards open account trading, being developed by various

financial institution to enable the delivery of goods before payment is due without the support of letters of

credit. Indeed, according to a recent ICC Banking survey, although commercial letters of credit represent

38% of the trade finance product mix, their prevalence is declining.

More services to small & medium sized (SMEs) shippers

According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) small and medium sized shippers (SMEs) account for

around 20% of US exports and 40% of EU exports. And ICC Banking reckons that around 44% of trade

finance applications were submitted by SMEs in 2016. But this sector represented 58% of the total number

Terminal operators U.S.: Container terminals take baby steps in automation as rest of the

world sprints

of trade finance applications rejected, with larger gaps in Africa and parts of Asia. Innovative digital

strategies from stakeholders in the maritime value chain, whether carriers, forwarders or e-marketplaces,

have the potential to turn these SME challenges into commercial opportunities.

The SME trade finance gap in numbers

Source: ICC Banking 2016 survey

Logistics providers and e-marketplaces seeking to address the rapid growth in cross border ecommerce are

expected to develop digital trade finance as a standard service. Their capacity to monitor cargo movements

and mitigate the risk of non- payment between counterparties is an important value proposition to SMEs.

Last year UPS Capital and cross-border payments platform Payoneer partnered to provide cross-border

secure payments using escrow services. This represents the type of solution made available through a full

digital and real-time visibility environment.

Carrier booking financial guarantees supported by digital platforms

Last year heralded the launch of the New York Shipping Exchange‘s (NYSHEX) digital platform, while

300Cubits recently introduced cryptocurrency technology as a way to finance booking guarantees. Their

technology powered services are designed to solve the financial and operational implications caused by

booking unreliability. They provide and enforce financial guarantees for shipment bookings through an

easy to use digital customer experience.

So BCOs can expect the proliferation of new digital solutions to support their supply chain finance

requirements as technology continues to develop. If you would like to get involved in the debate on the

digitisation of trade finance please follow the link below to a short online survey. Respondents receive a

full copy of the survey results.

[Drewry]

30/01/2018

By Clay Dillow, freelance journalist, and Brooks Rainwater, director of the National League of Cities‘

Center for City Solutions

At the Port of Los Angeles‘s TraPac terminal, a series of massive cranes effortlessly hoist a steady stream

of brightly-colored container boxes from the decks of newly-arrived container ships, depositing them

dockside. From here, the robots take over.

Automated cargo-haulers towering four-stories high glide among the waiting boxes, straddling and lifting

them before wheeling them to the nearby ―stacks.‖ Here the boxes are passed off to another massive

robot—an automated stacking crane—that arranges them into meticulous stacks. When it comes time for a

specific box to continue its journey inland, those same robotic cranes will find it and load it onto a waiting

truck—no human operator necessary.

TraPac terminal—along with a terminal at the nearby Port of Long Beach—is among the first U.S. ports

experimenting with robots, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools to choreograph the complicated

dance that keeps goods flowing into and out of major U.S. ports. The technology—though not without its

critics—is widely seen as the most efficient way for

seaports to cope with rising global shipping traffic and massive new ships that haul more and more

containers. By digitizing and automating activities once handled by human crane operators and cargo

haulers, seaports can reduce the amount of time ships sit in port and otherwise boost port productivity by up

to 30% by some estimates.

The automated facilities at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—two of the nation‘s busiest—are

important proving grounds for technologies that have firmly taken root in European and Asian seaports but

remains a relative rarity in the U.S. Only four U.S. seaport terminals currently use the technology. The

other two, in Virginia and New Jersey, were the first in the U.S. to implement dockside automation. But

while some of the world‘s largest container ships make calls at East Coast docks, they rarely unload all of

their cargo at a single port as they do on the West Coast.

That means West Coast shipping terminals are likely to automate faster than their East Coast counterparts,

placing the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach at the front of a wave of automation needed to bring U.S.

shipping logistics up to speed.

Doing so is not as easy as taking one facility‘s automated systems and grafting them onto the next terminal,

Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka says. ―You‘ve got probably 190 or 200 ports in the

United States, you‘ve got 25 ports of national significance as classified by the Army Corp of Engineers.

Each one is different. Once you‘ve seen one port, you‘ve still only seen one port.‖

Still, there are common components at every seaport where automation can make the work more efficient.

Every seaport needs cranes to load and unload cargo, for instance, as well as a means of moving containers

around the storage yard in an organized fashion so that specific boxes can be located at the specific time

they are needed. These kinds of coordinating, organizing, and choreographing tasks are more efficiently

handled by machines than by humans. It doesn‘t hurt that robots and algorithms don‘t require breaks,

weekends, or health insurance.

For terminal operators, automation isn‘t just about handling more cargo. Automated systems also allow

seaports to boost the efficiency of one of their most limiting, finite resources: space. With only so much

waterfront property to go around and the volume of cargo rising, seaports face a dwindling amount of real

estate in which containers can be stacked and stored, even if only for a few hours.

―The real opportunity is densification,‖ says Dr. Asaf Ashar, an emeritus research professor at the

University of New Orleans‘ National Ports & Waterways Institute and an independent consultant for the

shipping and transportation industries. ―You can use existing land more efficiently.‖

Terminal operators Europe: Chinese state-owned enterprises now own 10% of container

terminal capacity

But automating seaports is also wildly expensive. The process doesn‘t consist of any single thing, but a

continuum of digital technologies, software systems, and robotic hardware. Deploying automation to any

given port terminal can cost more than $2 million per acre,

Seroka says. Upgrades to the Port of Long Beach‘s automated terminal will cost in excess of $1.3 billion by

the time the technology is all in place in over two years.

Automating the 210-acre TraPac terminal at the Port of Los Angeles will likewise cost more than $1 billion

in public and private funds, and it‘s not exactly clear when or if that investment will pay off. APM

Terminals, a part of Dutch shipping giant A.P. Moeller-Maersk, told the Wall Street Journal that its

automated terminal in Rotterdam—where terminals have embraced various levels of automation going back

to the 1990s—has paid dividends, requiring just half the human labor that its conventional terminal at the

same port requires. But when the same company opened the first semi-automated port in North America in

Virginia in 2007, similar returns didn‘t immediately materialize (APM Terminals has since sold the

facility).

The high costs and shaky record of returns—not to mention pushback from labor unions intent on

preserving seaport jobs—have left stakeholders in other U.S. ports leery of going all-in on dockside

automation, allowing ports in Europe and Asia to become models of modern logistics. That in turn makes

the experiments at Long Beach and Los Angeles all the more critical. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long

Beach are the No. 1 and No. 2 for container volume in the United States, respectively. In 2015, a total of

8.16 million TEU—the equivalent of 20-foot containers—moved into Los Angeles, while another 7.19

million TEU came through Long Beach, according to the World Shipping Council.

―Automation is a business decision and it really has to pencil out before any further work is pursued,‖ LA‘s

Seroka says. Making the math ―pencil out‖ should grow easier as other digital technologies—artificial

intelligence and big data analytics among them—are further integrated into the seaport enterprise as well. A

pilot program currently underway at the Port of Los Angeles with GE—known as the Port Information

Portal—digitizes maritime data and will ultimately create a computer dashboard that provides a window

into the entire port supply chain. The test was recently extended to run for three years—a testament to the

support the technology has garnered at the port, including from organized labor.

―With respect to digital technology, for cents on the dollar we can expand this port capacity,‖ Seroka says.

―We can do it quicker than waiting for the current administration to work out an infrastructure plan,

utilizing the land that is within inside our four fences, almost immediately.‖

[Fortune]

29/01/2018

By Sam Chambers

Latest statistics from the OECD‘s International Transport Forum show that Chinese state-owned enterprises

(SOEs), led by COSCO, now control 10% of European container terminal capacity, up from less than 1% at

the start of the decade.

More pertinently the data provided by the International Transport Forum shows that while Chinese SOEs

have been able to buy up majority stakes in ports across Europe, Beijing has not reciprocated with no

Container shipping: Mega container ship fleet set to double in size

European terminal operator able to hold a majority holding of any port in the People‘s Republic.

With the unleashing of China‘s One Belt, One Road initiative, the massive infrastructure project

led by president Xi Jinping yoking Asia with Europe, the largest jump in Chinese SOE container terminal

acquisitions in Europe was seen in 2017, with Chinese state-backed port holdings in the continent jumping

from around 6.5% to 10%.

The frustration among European terminal operators at not being able to hold majority stakes in ports across

China, the world‘s leading container destination, has also been mirrored by liners across the globe. China‘s

cabotage rules continue to bar foreign container lines from operating intra-China routes.

[Splash 24/7

29/01/2018

By Nick Savvides, technology editor

IHS Markit figures reveal that there has been a marked change in demand for container vessel types over

the past 10 years, with a significant increase in the demand for larger container ships, while demand for

mid-sized vessels has tailed off to zero.

Transparency International to scrutinize IMO’s governance, transparency and accountability

performance

Existing orders for newbuildings in the mega container ships sector – vessels of more than 18,000 teu – will

see a virtual doubling of that fleet by the end of 2021. Meanwhile, the ultra-large container ship (ULCS) fleet

is set to increase by nearly one-fifth over the same period, according to newbuilding statistics.

Some 383 ships of between 10,000 and 17,999 teu are currently operational, with 73 vessels totaling 950,320

teu due for delivery by the end of 2021. Historical data show that there were no deliveries of mega container

ships in the five years between 2008 and 2012, with Maersk‘s Triple E the first to be delivered. Some 162

ULCSs, totalling 2.075 million teu, were delivered in the same period.

Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in July 2013, was the

first mega ship in service. In the five years since, a total of 213 mega and ULCSs were delivered – 64 mega

vessels totaling 1.27 million teu and 2.1 million teu in ULCSs.

In the middle four sectors, post-Panamax, baby post-Panamax, Panamax, and sub-Panamax ranging from

3,000– 9,999 teu, there were orders for 623 ships in the five years to 2012. These totalled 3.58 million teu. In

the five subsequent years, there were just 129 orders for such vessels, totalling 949,084 teu, and of these, 83

were post- Panamaxes ordered in 2013.

Economies of scale and increase in the size of the locks on the Panama Canal are two reasons for the collapse

in demand for the middle-sized container vessels. New feeder ships have seen orders in the three sizes – small

feeders, regional feeders, and feedermaxes – rise to 1,051 in the past five years, from 654 in the previous five-

year period.

[Fairplay]

29/01/2018

By Jamey Bergman

Anti-corruption non-profit organization Transparency International is undertaking an assessment of the

International Maritime Organization‘s (IMO) governance, transparency and accountability performance.

Transparency International closed a tender last week for a consultancy position on the project, due to start

immediately and to run through 1 March 2018.

―By analyzing IMO‘s governance framework, the assessment report seeks to point to any potential

governance policy and practices challenges and to provide clear recommendations for improvement and

thereby supporting the development of an effective IMO strategy. In the longer term, these

recommendations aim to make the IMO governance well equipped against different forms of corruption

(including undue influence),‖ the tender document said.

The purpose of the report is to assess IMO‘s governance framework ―in order to contribute to the positive

development and strengthening of the IMO to support effective achievement of its objectives in mitigating

the ship impacts on climate change,‖ according to Transparency International.

IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is set to convene in April 2018 where it is

Maritime safety: U.S. and Russia propose ship traffic measures in Bering Strait

expected the group will adopt a draft strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from

international shipping.

Controversy erupted around the IMO's intersessional working group on greenhouse gas emissions (ISWG-

GHG) in October 2017 after the release of a report from UK-based non-profit InfluenceMap entitled

Corporate capture of the IMO, claiming shipping lobbying groups International Chamber of Shipping

(ICS), BIMCO and others had stymied climate action within IMO.

In response, the industry lobbying groups dismissed the allegations and detailed the objectives they

proposed be adopted as part of IMO strategy for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

The first is to maintain international shipping's annual total CO2 emissions below 2008 levels, the second is

to reduce average CO2 emissions per ton-km by at least 50% by 2020, compared to 2008 levels and the

third is to reduce international shipping's total annual CO2 emissions by 2050 as compared to 2008 levels,

―as a point on a continuing trajectory of CO2 emissions reduction‖.

Greenhouse gas reduction measures in the draft were divided into short-, medium- and long-term measures

with corresponding deadlines for adoption by the IMO‘s MEPC. Short-term measures are those finalized

and agreed by MEPC between 2018 and 2023, mid-term measures between 2023-2030 and long-term

measures relate to reduction regulations adopted post-2030.

[Tanker Shipping & Trade]

29/01/2018

In response to increased Arctic shipping traffic, the United States and Russian Federation have proposed a

system of two-way routes for vessels to follow in the Bering Strait and Bering Sea. The nations jointly

developed and submitted the proposal to IMO to set up six two-way routes and six precautionary areas.

―Located in US and Russian Federation territorial waters off the coasts of Alaska and the Chukotskiy

Peninsula, the routes are being recommended to help ships avoid the numerous

shoals, reefs and islands outside the routes and to reduce the potential for marine casualties and

environmental disasters,‖ said US Coast Guard.

Source: MarEx

Over the past decade, the two countries have both observed a steady increase in Arctic shipping traffic,

which increases the risk of maritime casualties, according to Mike Sollosi, the chief of the USCG

Navigation Standards Division. According to data provided by the Russian Federal Agency for Maritime

and River Transport earlier this week, the Northern Sea Route alone saw a record volume of 9.7 million

tons of cargo shipped last year, the biggest annual volume ever.

The bilateral proposal is designed to address the risk of the increased traffic, by providing adequate sea

room for ships and a maximum amount of flexibility in avoiding ice and enabling better monitoring of

ships‘ transits.

[SAFETY4SEA]

29/01/2018

Portugal‘s Blue Atlantic, an industrial and logistics park, has announced new plans for an 800-meter quay

to berth two Panamax vessels at the Port of Setubal.

Image: Blue Atlantic

―Our latest plans demonstrate the potential for an 800-meter quay to berth two Panamax-sized vessels

alongside each other,‖ Fernando Fernandes, Blue Atlantic project lead, said. ―This development would

transform the commercial potential of the seaport facility accommodating multi-purpose vessels including

containers, bulk and cargo carriers,‖ he explained.

The 96-hectare site is an industrial zone intended for maritime, ports and logistics investors targeting the

Iberian Peninsula and mainland Europe. It is located in the Mitrena Industrial Zone in Setubal Harbour, 40

kilometers south of Lisbon.

Portugal has devised a national plan to maximize one of the longest maritime coasts in Europe at 942

kilometers. Its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is the third largest in the European Union and eleventh

largest in the world. However, new proposals seek to expand this economic zone from the current 200 miles

of territorial sea to cover 350 miles, which will make it the tenth largest in the world.

[World Maritime News]

Port development Portugal: New 800-meter quay for Panamaxes planned at Setubal

Railways Ghana: Government seeks bids for 330 km rail link connecting the Port of Tema

with Acra and Kumasi

29/01/2018

By David Glass, Greece correspondent, Seatrade Maritime

COSCO has unveiled a $620m plan to develop Greece¹s largest port Piraeus, with the highlight being the

creation of the biggest shipyard facility in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Goal of the shipyard development is to create a facility able to service 450 vessels annually, with particular

attention being given to mega yachts.

COSCO-managed Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) presented the blueprint to organisations and officials

―social partners‖ from municipalities surrounding Greece's busiest port, as part of a public debate on the

commercial development of the region. The move came as some opposition is building regarding the PPA‘s

plans and the "social partners" were called upon to study the master plan and convey their observations and

recommendations, something the PPA¹s management says it will take under serious consideration.

The blueprint includes the construction of four new hotels within the port's area in tandem with a new

facility able to handle another six cruise ships and an adjacent mall. COSCO has repeatedly stated it wants

to use Piraeus as a homeport for cruises catering to Chinese tourists, among others.

In terms of specific port operations, PPA's master plan refers to a continuing increase in container traffic,

activities in the car terminal and improving the port's connection with regional logistics hubs via a freight

rail line.

The PPA said: ―The target is to ensure the correct planning of the future development of the port in pursuit

of the techno-economic data related mainly with the enhancements envisaged in the development plan. The

timeframe covers the period 2016-2021 and aims in the compilation of an appropriate design of facilities in

order to maximise the service potential and minimise the loss of space and utility.

Meanwhile, COSCO reports container movements at its concession terminals II and III increased 6.4% in

2017, compared to 2016. Container traffic amounted to 3.69m teu in 2017 compared to 3.47m teu the year

before, with overall movement in the port expected to top 4m teu when terminal I, which is operated

separately by the PPA, is included.

[Seatrade Maritime News]

29/01/2018

The government of Ghana wants a consortium to build and operate a 330km narrow gauge rail link that will

connect the new port development at Tema with Accra, the country‘s capital, and the city of Kumasi in the

centre of the country.

Port development Greece: COSCO plans to invest $620 million in Piraeus

Source: pwc

With only around 13% of its railway network currently operating, Ghana has issued a request for

expressions of interest, with a deadline of 23 February for receipt of applications.

The project will include the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the line, as well as the

provision of rolling stock, station upgrades, signalling and communication equipment. The line will have a

speed of around 150km/h for passengers. As yet, no budget has been suggested for the scheme, although if

the cost per kilometre is similar to Nigeria‘s coastal railway, the cost will be something like $1bn.

The railway is vital if Ghana is to make its $1.5bn scheme to triple the capacity of Tema worthwhile. This

project is presently being undertaken by a joint venture between French operator Bolloré and its Dutch

counterpart APM Terminals, with US giant Aecom on board to manage the construction works.

Tema will be complemented by the Boankra dry port at Kumasi. Work on this was begun in 1990, but the

scheme was never completed.

The Eastern Railway project is part of the Ghana Railway Development Authority‘s railway masterplan.

This programme of works, which will unfold in six stages, is intended to modernise the country‘s network

and add another 4,000km to its length.

According to the government of Ghana, only 130km of the 947km network is operational at present. Most

of the network was built in the 1920s or before; no new development has taken place since 1956. In most

rural areas, the tracks are overgrown with weeds.

[Global Construction Review]

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Advance your career by gaining Professional Recognition. Professional recognition is a visible mark of

quality, competence and commitment, and can give you a significant advantage in today‘s competitive

environment.

All who have the relevant qualifications and the required level of experience can apply for Professional

Membership of IAMSP.

The organization offers independent validation and integrity. Each grade of membership reflects an

individual‘s professional training, experience and qualifications. You can apply for Student Membership as

per following :

Fellow (FIAMSP)

To be elected as a fellow, the candidate must satisfy the council that he/she:

Has held for at least eight (8) years consecutively a high position of responsibility in shipping or related

business.

Has distinguished himself/herself in shipping practice.

Is a principal in a firm or a director of a company in the business or profession.

Members in this grade are entitle to use the initials FIAMSP After their names.

Full Member (FMIAMSP)

Individuals holding an internationally recognised marine qualification, or who can prove that they have

practiced on a full time basis for a minimum of five (5) years as a consultant or marine surveyor.

Individuals who, by producing written reports can demonstrate that they have practiced marine surveying or

consultancy for at least five (5) years.

Individuals whose qualifications or experience shall be considered appropriate by the Professional

Assessment Committee.

Members may use the initials FMIAMSP after their names.

Associate Member (AMIAMSP)

Associate Membership shall be open to any person, partnership, company, firm or other corporate that does

not own a Ship but is engaged in ship operating or ship management. Associate Members can nominate one

(1) person to represent them in the Association. Associate Members are entitled to attend General Meetings

and to participate in discussion at such meetings but shall not vote or stand for election to the Board of

Directors.

Technician (TechIAMSP)

Individuals holding a recognised qualification, for example Inspector level 2 or higher (NACE, FROSIO,

ICorr), RMCI and IRMII, NDT Technicians (CSWIP), for example gauging personnel, divers or other

surveyors with at least three years full time practical experience in a marine related field. Technician

Members may use the designation TIAMSP after their names.

Affiliate (AFFIAMSP)

Graduates who do not meet the criteria for Full or Associate Membership and are continuing to train and

gain experience prior to applying for Associate Membership

Student (SIAMSP)

Individuals who are enrolled in training programs related to the maritime or shipping will be appointed as

student members of the Association for the duration of their course.

LAST MEMBERSHIP

Fellow (FIAMSP)

M. MARTINS OSMAR

Brazil

M. PANDALANGHAT

MANOJ

Singapore

M. DI BELLA GIUSEPPE

United Kingdom

Full Member (FMIAMSP)

M. SANDHU KULDIP

India

M. Rune Bertil

Spain

CAPT. BÖRJES RALF

United States

Affiliate (AFFIAMSP)

M.CENGIZ ZAFER SERTAC

United Arab Emirates

M.ABEDI NIA HASSAN

Islamic Republic of Iran

M.VODENICHAROV

SVILEN

Bulgaria

UPCOMING EVENTS SUMMARY

February SW England Branch - Corporation of Trinity House

13

Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club, Madeira Rd, Plymouth PL1 2NY

February

SW England Branch - Decommissioning Offshore Oil Platforms,

14 6:45 pm | Roland Levinsky Lecture Theatre No 2,Plymouth University

February

12th Arctic Shipping Summit – Montreal

22

Montreal - venue TBC

March

16

Wellness at Sea 2018 Conference (NI members click on 'login here' below for 10% discount)

Montreal - venue TBC

March

16

APM – ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME 2018

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

April

20

Arctic Shipping Forum 2018 - Helsinki (NI members login below to receive 20% discount)

Helsinki Congress Paasitorni, Paasivuorenkatu 5 A, 00530 Helsinki, Finland

April

20

London Branch Conference - The future of maritime professionals

Novotel, Victoria Street BS1 6HY BRISTOL UK

April

21

Singapore Maritime Week 2018

Singapore

April

27

Singapore Maritime Week 2018

Singapore

February 12th Arctic Shipping Summit – Montreal

21 Montreal - venue TBC