Saturday, May 31, 2008

Mitsui-MAN B&W Diesel Engine Achieves World Record

This world record is established when MES completes the construction of Mitsui-MAN B&W 6S50MC-C Mark 7 at its Tamano Works for Sanoyasu Hishino Meisho Corporation (with president Mr. Shinich Kimura), who will install such engine to a chip carrier of 4.35 million cubic feet to her owner, Mitsui OSK Lines.

In the wake of growing demand for new shipbuilding boosted by active ocean cargo transport, the production of diesel engine by MES is significantly increasing recently. Only after two years and five months since MES achieved 50-million horsepower production in October 2005, it establishes accumulated 60 million-horse power record since it produced the first engine in 1928. The annual production in fiscal year 2006 was 4.01 million horsepower and will be 4.63 million, the record high annual production, in fiscal year 2007. Since the technical agreement with B&W, Denmark (presently MAN B&W) in 1926 on the production of diesel engine, MES has been producing engines with excellent records as a leading engine manufacturer of the world. MES is also strengthening the after-service sector of the engine business including the newly developed Marine Diesel Engine Performance/Life Expectancy Diagnosis System (product names “e-GICS” and "e-GICSW”) to which the communications satellite and internet are fully utilized and is committed to ensure the high quality customer service.

China Shipping to spend $3.3 bln buying vessels

China Shipping Development plans to spend 23 billion yuan ($3.3 billion) to buy 59 vessels over the next five years, more than doubling its capacity to ride an anticipated upswell in global trade.

The oil and coal carrier, which is building up a fleet of more than 180 ships to meet the heavy resource needs of

China

's fast-growing economy, the world's fourth-largest, currently maintains a total capacity of 7.82 million deadweight tonnes (dwt), Chairman Li Shaode told. The 59 vessels, to be delivered in the years until 2012, come with a collective capacity of 8.69 million dwt and will more than double the firm's shipping capability, he said. The amount to be spent exceeded previous expectations. Li told early this month that his firm, which began shipping iron ore for steel making last year, intended to spend about $2.8 billion over five years to double its capacity.

China Shipping to spend $3.3 bln buying vessels

China Shipping Development plans to spend 23 billion yuan ($3.3 billion) to buy 59 vessels over the next five years, more than doubling its capacity to ride an anticipated upswell in global trade.

The oil and coal carrier, which is building up a fleet of more than 180 ships to meet the heavy resource needs of

China

's fast-growing economy, the world's fourth-largest, currently maintains a total capacity of 7.82 million deadweight tonnes (dwt), Chairman Li Shaode told. The 59 vessels, to be delivered in the years until 2012, come with a collective capacity of 8.69 million dwt and will more than double the firm's shipping capability, he said. The amount to be spent exceeded previous expectations. Li told early this month that his firm, which began shipping iron ore for steel making last year, intended to spend about $2.8 billion over five years to double its capacity.

Ports' distillate fuel plan is official

The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach officially adopted an incentive scheme for ships to use distillate fuel in the port area.

"This joint effort demonstrates once again that these two ports are world leaders in aggressively and dramatically advancing environmental protection," said Los Angeles Harbor Commission President S. David Freeman. Under the scheme, the two port authorities will subsidize shipowners to use distillate fuel instead of fuel oil bunkers in the main engines of their ships. Sulphur oxides (SOx) will be cut by as much as 11% and particulate matter (PM) by 9%, according to their figures. "Ships are the No. 1 pollution source here at the ports and we don't want to keep waiting for state regulations to kick in,"said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Mario Cordero. Next year, regulations making distillate fuel mandatory are expected to be in place, introduced by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The incentive program is expected to cost the two ports around $18.5 million and will be a one-year program starting July 1 and expiring June 30, 2009 - unless extended by the two commissions. "This program will incentivize our customers to start the process of switching over to low-sulphur fuel well ahead of future state emissions rules," said Los Angeles port Executive Director Dr. Geraldine Knatz. To qualify for the incentive scheme, the ships must also participate in the ports' voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction Program, limiting speeds to 12 knots.

Tianjin 300,000-tonnage crude oil dock to start operation

The 300,000-tonnage crude oil dock in the northern Chinese municipality of Tianjin is expected to start trial operation in September 2008.

Having built the body of the hydraulic works, the company is looking to complete the whole project in August. By far, RMB740 million (US$102.2 million) has been invested in the project, compared with the plan of RMB1.379 billion (US$190.5 million) total investment. After achieving completion, the wharf apron of the port can berth 100,000 to 300,000-tonne very large crude carriers (VLCC) and have an annual handling capacity of 20 million tonnes. Port of Tianjin's area is to be expanded to 100 square kilometres from the current 30 square kilometres by 2010. The port is building several new terminals, which includes 22 berths of more than 10,000 tonnes with an aggregate capacity of 138 million tonnes. After these projects are finished, the port's capacity will be raised to 290 million tonnes.
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Fatal crane crash halts work at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding

Three people were killed and two were injured when two 600-tonne gantry cranes owned by CSSC subsidiary Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co collapsed at a work site in the Pudong New Area shortly after midnight.

Three workers in the cranes' cabs, which were more than 10 meters above the ground, are said to have been killed at the scene, while two security guards on the ground were injured. Both guardshave been sent to Shanghai East Hospital and one is said to be in a critical condition. Although the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation, an initial investigation is said to have shown that one leg of the cranes suddenly broke when the vehicle was lifting goods, leading to the collapse. The work at the yard is at a standstill pending the outcome of the investigation and that Hudong-Zhonghua may remain closed for up to six months.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Posidonia reaches historic heights

The global maritime community is converging to Athens en masse next week as the world’s most international shipping exhibition is gearing up for its 21st edition.

With over 1,700 confirmed participants from 80 countries, 21 national pavilions and an exhibition floor spanning a one-level area of 28,100 square metres at the Hellenikon Exhibition Centre (HEC), Posidonia 2008 is opening its gates on June 2nd for what the Greek Minister of Mercantile Marine, the Aegean and Island Polic described as the most extraordinary shipping industry gathering in history. Leading international companies representing the full spectrum of shipping and vertical sectors including shipbuilding and repairyards, shipbrokers, insurance, P&I Clubs, banks, port authorities, classification societies, shipping surveyors, vessel registration, suppliers, high-tech equipment and technical support will exhibit at the four-day event. Speaking on behalf of the event’s organisers, Themistocles Vokos, Chairman, Posidonia Exhibitions said that this year’s show has exceeded all expectations and broken any previous record. “Posidonia is now officially the most prestigious and sought after shipping industry forum. By connecting the international maritime community, showcasing the latest technological innovations, debating environmental initiatives and highlighting future trends, Posidonia is the catalyst of developments taking shape in the global economy’s most influential growth drivers.”

STX reveals design for world's largest containership

STX Shipbuilding of South Korea reports it has completed the design of a 22,000teu containership that at 450 metres in length would be the longest ship to ply the oceans.

Two alternative versions have been designed, one with a single propellor and the other with twin propellors. Compared to Emmma Maersk, the world's largest existing containership, the new design represents a 50% increase in capacity and some 50 metres extra in length. "The 22,000 TEU marks a breakthrough in the sense that the 20,000 TEU was once considered as the limit of a container ship can get in terms of its transport capacity both in terms of technology and economy," said STX in a statement. The current price of fuel is a major driver to bigger ships, added STX, and these new vessels could cut the shipping price per container by 40%.
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Gazprom and Lukoil make Caspian discovery

Lukoil and Gazprom have discovered a large oil and gas field in Russian waters of the Caspian Sea.

The field is in the Tsentralnaya structure, 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) east of Makhachkala, the capital of Russian Federation member the Republic of Dagestan. In 2003, Gazprom and Lukoil formed a joint venture to develop oil and gas resources in the region. At the time, Lukoil estimated that recoverable oil reserves of Tsentralnaya totaled 521.1 million tons while gas reserves came to 97.1 Bcm (3.4 Tcf).

Jiangsu Dafeng port inaugurates container service to Busan

Dafeng port in China's Jiangsu Province has inaugurated a new container service to South Korea's Busan, the second international service of the port following the Incheon service.

The ports of Dafeng and Busan signed a strategic cooperation agreement earlier this year, which says Dafeng will be the feeder port of Busan and Busan will support South Korean shipping companies to launch feeder services from Dafeng port. Dafeng port was opened to foreign vessels on September 20 last year with the launching of an international container service to South Korea's Incheon. Dafeng port also launched a feeder service to Shanghai port on April 28 this year, which will help to boost the total throughput of Dafeng port to one million tonnes and 20,000TEU this year.

Container trans-shipment emphasized at Xiamen Port

Xiamen port has taken a series of active measures to improve operation conditions, lower service charges and facilitate customs clearances.

This is in view to improving its international container trans-shipment service and attracting more carriers from around the world. A new mode of customs monitor has also been adopted, under which first leg ships can be given paper release for loading as soon as the import processing is finished and the number of boxes to be unloaded determined. Consequently, ships will no longer need to wait until a tally report is presented at the end of unloading, which should save time and money for all parties concerned.
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Thursday, May 29, 2008

KG Maritime Shipping to expand fleet

Bulgaria's KG Maritime Shipping is planning to expand its fleet by 25 vessels, said 30 per cent shareholder Kiril Domuschiev.

Dnevnik a.m. reports that the group has already assigned some US$626 million to investment projects in 2008, most likely for the purchase of new vessels according to Domuschiev. Eight 34,000DWT vessels are expected to be the first deals to be negotiated.
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Hitachi completes first Wärtsilä RT-flex common-rail marine engine

Hitachi Zosen Diesel & Engineering Co Ltd celebrated the completion of its first Wärtsilä RT-flex common-rail marine diesel engine at its Ariake Machinery Works in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

The new engine was presented and demonstrated to an invited audience from shipowners, shipbuilders, classification societies, and other interested parties. Hitachi is the eleventh engine builder in the Wärtsilä family of engine licensees to manufacture Wärtsilä RT-flex electronically-controlled common-rail marine engines. The other engine builders are in South Korea, Japan, China, Italy, Croatia and Poland. This additional manufacturing capacity from Hitachi enables Wärtsilä to serve the steadily and strongly growing world-wide demand for the popular RT-flex engine type. The 6-cylinder Wärtsilä RT-flex50-B engine built by Hitachi will be delivered to Nanjing Wujiazui Shipbuilding Co Ltd in China. There it will be installed in a 1085 TEU container ship being built for a German owner. The engine has a maximum continuous power of 9960 kW (13,560 bhp) at 124 rpm. Hitachi has orders for a total of 26 RT-flex50 engines from shipyards in China and Brazil, including the engine demonstrated. The first RT-flx50 engine entered service in January 2006. The engine type has been very successful in the market with more than 200 engines already sold. They are being installed in ships contracted in China, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Argentina, and

Vietnam

.

Tangshan Port to issue A shares for expansion

China's Tangshan Port Group (TSP) intends to list on the A-share market and boosts port development in the Caofeidian area in the province of Hebei.

The group will integrate the current Jingtang Port and coal collussus Caofeidian Port, both to the southeast of Tangshan city, into Tangshan Port. The proceeds from the IPO will be used for port development in the Caofeidian A area. Brand development is a major task in 2008. The group will raise efficiency of terminals and improve customer service to achieve the goal. The throughput volume of Jingtang Port soared 89.5% on year to 6.52 million tons in April.

Santos ‘close to sale of LNG stake’

Australia's third largest oil and gas producer Santos is in the final stages of talks to sell part of its equity interest in the Gladstone liquefied natural gas project in Australia.

"Santos is currently in the final stages of agreeing and executing a sell-down of part of its equity interest in the Gladstone LNG project, which may have a material impact on the price of the securities of Santos," it said. Santos is planning to build a liquefied natural gas plant at Australia's Gladstone port, which lies in the north-eastern state of Queensland. The proposed plant, estimated to cost A$7.7 billion ($7.4 billion) will have a annual capacity of between 3 million and 4 million tonnes. Industry sources have said that Santos, which plans to operate the LNG facility alone, was expected to sell about a 30% to 40% stake in the project to an energy giant that already has expertise in LNG. The race to build LNG plants on Australia's east coast has stepped up after UK gas producer BG Group last month made a $12 billion takeover bid for Australian energy retailer Origin Energy, which holds the largest CBM resources in Queensland state. Santos, which also has a stake in a proposed ExxonMobil-led LNG project in Papua New Guinea and a share in an operating LNG plant in northern Australia, has been seeking to expand its LNG business in a bid to gain from rising prices and a forecast surge in global demand.
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'Blue Sea' launched at Barkmeijer Shipyards

The 90-metre coastal freighter ‘Blue Sea' was launched successfully at Barkmeijer Shipyards, Germany.

The vessel is being built for Tristar Shipping of Kollumerzwaag, Holland. The vessel will be equipped for unrestricted navigation and transport of all kinds of dry cargoes. ‘Blue Sea' is also laid out for the carriage of containers. The vessel is the fifteenth in a series of 4,500DWT general cargo vessels built by Barkmeijer Shipyards. Since the launch, the hull has been transported to Lemmer for final outfitting and commissioning. Barkmeijer Shipyards has planned the delivery for the beginning of July. ‘Blue Sea' will be propelled by a MAK 6M25 engine driving a controllable pitch propeller of 3,000mm diameter via a reduction gearbox. The hold is box shaped and equipped with two movable bulkheads, and provisions have been made to carry certain categories of dangerous cargoes. Barkmeijer has several dry cargo vessels for Dutch owners on order for deliveries until the beginning of 2012. A maintenance dredger is also on order for the Wales-based UK Dredging for delivery in the second quarter of 2010.
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

BOAT INDIA 2008

BOAT INDIA ‘08 is a two-day international conference on Leisure Boating and Yachting to be held at Hotel Taj Residency Cochin from 15 to 16 December 2008. The event organized by Marine BizTV – the Global Maritime Television Channel and managed by BizTV events is in the inaugural year to establish itself as the benchmark and stimulus for the International Leisure Boating and Yachting Industry and will steal the worldwide maritime attention.

BOAT INDIA Awards 2008 is the first International Boating Awards of the sub continent. The awards are bestowed for the outstanding boating and yachting personalities for their excellent contribution to the boating and yachting industry. The inaugural award ceremony will be held at Le Meridien, Cochin on 14 December 2008

Boat India 08- International Conference on Boating and Yachting

Dec 15- 16 2008

Hotel Taj Residency, Cochin

International boating Awards

Dec 14 2008

Hotel Le Meridian

Off add:

Marine BizTV

IInd Floor , Vithayathil Building,

Edapppally, Cochin- 682024

Tel: 91 484 406 66 66

Fax: 91 484 4055561

Contact person: Dilu Venugopal

Mail Id: boatindia@marinebiztv.com

Website: www.marinebiztv.com/boatindia

MASTECH 2008 - INTERNATIONAL MARITIME CONFERENCE BY MAST

MAST (Middle-east Alumni of Ship Technology) an alumni association of Naval Architects graduated from Department of Ship Technology, Cochin University of Science and Technology is organizing their first international Maritime conference named as MASTECH 2008. The conference will be held at Crown Plaza Hotel Dubai on 12 and 13 November 2008. The MAST alumni association is working in the UAE since 1980’s and has over 150 members working in various positions in UAE marine industry. MAST has excellent knowledge and penetration in the Middle East marine industry.

MASTECH 2008 will be an excellent opportunity to hear from leading industry and technical experts worldwide. The two-day conference provides an unrivalled environment to exchange information, showcase the latest technical innovations, explore collaborations, highlight business opportunities and take stock of trends and issues at the heart of future strategies.

There will be 24 speakers over the two days of keynote addresses, commercial and technical presentations, poster sessions and panel debates in four sessions. The four sessions designed to focus on separate topics related to ship design, new construction and ship repair, marine engineering and offshore engineering. MAST is expecting more than 250 international delegates for the conference. There will be no doubt that this conference will be very much beneficial to naval architects, marine engineers, designers, ship managers, surveyors, charterers, port operators, marine auditors, finance and insurance executives, safety operators etc. There will be an exhibition to focus on the advanced engineering and design innovations in shipbuilding during the conference. MAST also intends to organize an award night to recognize individuals and establishment for techno maritime achievements. The conference is supported by Biztv events and Marine Biz TV will telecast it globally.

http://www.mastechdubai.com/

Jamaican Flag Flies High in China

Jamaica's flag is flying high in China with the launch of two new container ships that will operate in the Chinese coastal trade.

The newly registered 7,545 gross ton Jamaican containership named CCL Moji, which is the ex-Panjang has been launched. The CCL Moji and its sister ship the CCL Osaka were launched in a ceremony at China’s Mawei shipyard in Fuzhou. Witnessing the launch in China, Mrs Claudia Grant, Deputy Director General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica said: “These registrations add to Jamaica’s recognition and prestige and demonstrate that we are growing in size and stature in the very important Chinese market”.

Tug production at Rajang Maju Shipbuilding

Rajang Maju in Malaysia has filled its large building space with tugs under construction.

Currently the yard is finishing up a nice looking pair of 23.5-metre boats named ‘Capricorn 26' and ‘Capricorn 28'. The handy sized tugs have a 7.315-metre moulded beam and a 3.048-metre moulded depth. As is common with Malaysian-built boats there is ample accommodation, in this case for ten crewmembers. Tankage includes provision for 82-tonnes of fuel oil and 30 tonnes of fresh water. Main engines are a pair of Cummins KTA19-M3s, each delivering 445kW to Reintjes 6.048:1 gears. The boats are classed by NK for international navigation.

New NYK vessel equipped for cadet training

Euroseas has taken delivery of the M/V Maersk Noumea, an intermediate container ship of 34,677 dwt and 2,556 TEU built in 2001 in South Korea.

The vessel was acquired for $43.5m and comes with a period charter attached with a major container liner company at $16,800 per day until August 2011 with charterer's options to extend the charter for three additional years at $18,735, $19,240 and $19,750 per day, respectively. Approximately 100% of Euroseas total containership fleet days in 2008 and about 47% for 2009 are fixed under period charters. Overall, including the Company's dry bulk fleet, about 92% of the total fleet days in 2008 and about 34% in 2009 are covered under period charters, already concluded spot charters, or, otherwise protected from market fluctuations.

STX Enpaco planning IPO in Q4

South Korea's STX Enpaco Co Ltd., a supplier of ship parts to the STX Group, is planning to hold an initial public offering in the fourth quarter.

"We are planning to go public in the fourth quarter and list shares on the main KOSPI board," President and Chief Executive Song Woo-yik told a briefing at the company's headquarters in South Korea's southern Changwon city. Song said the company plans to sell 10 percent of its existing 20 million shares and will issue 20 percent of new shares. He did not provide further details and said the IPO price has yet to be determined. Another company official said he believes the price will be "in the vicinity of 30,000 won apiece," which means the company is expected to raise around 180 billion won from the share sale. STX Enpaco, which is 51 percent-owned by STX Engine Co Ltd., sells components for diesel engines and various materials for building vessels.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Dubai’s maritime sector gears up for exponential growth

Dubai Maritime City, the world’s first purpose-built maritime centre and a member of the Dubai World Group of companies based in the United Arab Emirates, has announced that construction on the project – currently in the third and final construction phase - is progressing a full year ahead of schedule.

The project has already generated widespread interest because of its first-of-its-kind integrated maritime concept, as it aims to address the requirements of the global maritime community through its fully integrated facilities, infrastructure, services and regulations. On completion, Dubai Maritime City will incorporate six clusters, spread across a 227-hectare man-made peninsula; which include the Harbour Offices, Harbour Residences, Maritime Centre, Marina District, Dubai Maritime City Campus, and the Industrial Quarter. Several high profile attractions are being developed within the complex, including the UAE’s first National Maritime Museum, the Gulf region’s largest ship lift for ship maintenance and repair and a boat licensing facility. Dubai Maritime City is a 227 hectare fully-equipped, iconic and multidimensional maritime centre providing a world-class infrastructure and environment for the global maritime industry and related sectors. Dubai Maritime City capitalizes on the strengths of Dubai as a regional and international hub for trade and commerce, redefining the global maritime industry. It will provide a strategic location for the maritime industry sectors across the full spectrum of maritime business - maritime management, maritime services, maritime retail and recreation, maritime education and research, ship repair and maintenance, yacht repair and maintenance.

Evergreen launches Far East Panama Service

Evergreen has launched a new container service linking Far East and Panama to satisfy the fast-growing shipping markets of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean region.

Evergreen altogether deploys eight 2,728 TEU ships on the Far East Panama Service (FPS) and the maiden voyage was operated by Aphrodite, which departed in Kaohsiung port on May 24, a company statement of Evergreen said. Port rotation of the FPS is: Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Mexico, Panama and Kaosiung. One rotation is expected to cost 56 days. FPS is specially designed for the two emerging markets of Central and South America and the Caribbean. The upgrade of the former China-US East Coast Service (CUE) of Evergreen will help to improve the carrier's service quality as it can deliver cargo from Far East to Central and South America and Caribbean in a much shorter time, the statement said.
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Subsea 7 buys Skandi Navica

Subsea 7 has acquired pipelay and construction vessel Skandi Navica for US$62 million from DOF Rederi.

At the time it was built in 1999, a purchase agreement order was struck between the pair and Subsea 7 started an eight year charter of the vessel. Now under Subsea 7 ownership, the ship will be renamed Seven Navica. The vessel has an overall length of 108 metres (354 feet) and a beam of 22 metres (72 feet). Capable of operating in water depths of up to 2,000 metres (6,561 feet), Skandi Navica has pipelay capability for installing both rigid and flexible flowlines and umbilicals, with one deck-mounted storage and deployment reel with capacity for pipe diameters of up to 16 inches, and a total weight of 2,200 tons (1,995 tonnes). Other features include an optional piggy-back 250 ton (226 tonne) reel, a lay ramp system, abandonment and recovery systems, a 60 ton (54 tonne) offshore crane, and a top tension capacity of 205 ton (185 tonne).

Hyundai Mipo eyes block building site in Ulsan

South Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co Ltd said it is likely to invest 190 billion won ($181.1 million) in a new block assembly factory, where ships are part-assembled, south of Seoul to expand its capacity.

Hyundai Mipo said in a filing to the Korea Exchange that it had reached preliminary agreement with a local government authority to build the factory in Ulsan where the shipbuilder has a shipyard.
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Fesco will issue shares to fund terminal

Fesco, parent of Russia’s biggest ocean container carrier, said it would sell shares worth nearly $770 million to fund acquisitions to boost its presence in the country's main foreign trade gateways.

The company will use part of the proceeds to finance the $200 million purchase of a further 50 percent of the Vladivostok container terminal from N-Trans,

Russia

’s largest private rail freight operator. Fesco already owns 25 percent of the terminal, which will have an annual capacity of 600,000 teu after an expansion program is completed.
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Dutch ship 'hijacked' off Somalia

A Dutch cargo ship is reported to have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia.

The MV Amiya Scan, with a crew of nine, was seized after leaving the Kenyan port of Mombasa on 19 May. The ship is believed to have been bound for the Romanian port of Constanta, said Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers' Assistance Program in Kenya. More than 25 ships were seized off the Somali coast last year, despite patrols by an international maritime force based in Djibouti. "The ship was hijacked in international waters in the Gulf of Aden," the ship's owners, Dutch Reider Shipping, said. It said the crew were four Russian officers and five Filipino seamen. Somali pirates released a Jordanian-flagged vessel they had hijacked a week before.

Croatia to privatize shipyards as part of EU bid

According to Balkan Insight, Croatia's Government is looking to privatize three struggling shipyards to meet European Union requirements for membership.

Croatia

's shipbuilders currently receive ten per cent of the cost of each new ship in subsidies, but this plan will have to be scrapped for

Croatia

to join the EU in 2010. The yards, Uljanik Shipyard in Pula, Kraljevica near Rijeka and Brodotrogir near Split, are three of five shipyards in the country, which together employ more than 11,000 people and account for around 15 per cent of the country's exports.
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Monday, May 26, 2008

Shanghai port to crack 30m teu this year

Port operator China Merchants Holdings (International) Co Ltd (CMHI) expects that the throughput of Shanghai International Port will reach 30 million teu for this year despite a slowdown in the first four months.

Shanghai International Port, in which CMHI has about 26 percent stake, reported a slowdown in throughput growth in January-April. The year-on-year growth dropped to 11.4 percent from last year's 20.4 percent. The snowstorm early this year and the US economy slowdown are the main reasons dragging the growth of the port, Fu Yuning, chairman of CMHI said. In March, CMHI bought a 5.4 percent stake in Ningbo Port Company. Fu said the listing of the company is actively moving forward despite the stock markets volatility this year. He hopes the company can be listed this year, but whether A-share or H-share listing would come first depends on the market situation, he said.

China shows interest in Iran gas pipeline

China will explore the possibility of joining the $7-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

However, Beijing is not yet ready to make a commitment on the issue despite invitations by both Pakistan and

Iran

to join the project. "China is in urgent need of more energy. Of course we will be interested. But it depends on a lot of things. As far as I know, this is just a proposal. So whether it becomes a reality we do not know or even if it is feasible or it is workable, we do not know," He Yafei, assistant minister of foreign affairs, told. The statement comes within days of Indian foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir holding talks on the issue in Islamabad. The issue was also discussed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Pakistani leaders in Islamabad. Ahmadinejad expressed confidence that the project will go ahead despite strong opposition to it from the US. One of the challenges in widening the scope of the project to include China is the huge difference in the land levels on the Pakistan-China border as the Chinese side is at high level. "Pakistan is very much in favour of the pipeline between the Gulf and China through Pakistan," he said while speaking at the elite Tsinghua University.

Turkish shipyard fatalities put industry under fire

Booming worldwide demand for cargo ships of every kind has greatly benefited Turkey as an "emerging shipbuilding country" in recent years.

It has infused the country with significant amounts of foreign cash and providing an abundance of employment opportunities to local markets. However, this has come at a cost as labor unions become increasingly uneasy over occupational hazards and safety issues that have led to accidents and deaths, problems that threaten the lucrative shipbuilding industry, the world's fourth largest after Japan, South Korea and China. The tragic deaths of two workers at a Tuzla shipyard last week prompted unions and civil society organizations to call on the government to take swift action in regulating the industry. All political parties seem to have a unified position on the issue as well. Parliament's Human Rights Investigation Commission has established a subcommittee to examine the topic and investigate accidents involving fatalities. The government has introduced new safety regulations in line with European Union standards and started to implement safety inspections. New regulations adopted by the International Maritime Association (IMO) have also pushed the industry to build more vessels with greater tonnage. The industry provides a sizable contribution to the Turkish economy, totaling over $2.5 billion in foreign currency, offers employment opportunities to 30,000 people directly and over 70,000 people through parts and related sectors. Industry estimates project a 300,000-strong labor force in total by 2013. The number of shipyards is increasing rapidly in Turkey. The Tuzla shipyards are home to 44 shipbuilders and currently account for 80 percent of export and 70 percent of the sector's employment. With 265 new ship orders, Turkey is fourth in the global shipbuilding market.
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Algeria and Libya seal PSA

A consortium led by Algeria's state energy giant Sonatrach is primed to explore a permit area in Libya after signing a production sharing agreement with Libya's National Oil Corporation.

The deal, signed in Libya by NOC and Sonatrach International Petroleum Exploration and Production (Sipex), Oil

India

and the Indian Oil Corporation, provides for exploration and production sharing at block 95/96 in the Ghadames basin near the Algerian-Libyan border, Sonatrach said. Sipex, the operator, is an offshoot of Sonatrach. The block was awarded to the outfit in December last year as part of Libya's first gas-focused licensing round. Libya wants to become a major gas producer and aims to increase production to 3 billion cubic feet per day by 2010, with a potential for 3.8 bcfd by 2015, compared with 2.7 bcfd now. Compared with other hydrocarbon provinces, Libya is under-developed because of years of international sanctions. Demand for its gas has been boosted as Europe seeks to curb its dependence on Russia and because gas produces relatively few of the carbon emissions blamed for global warming.

Nautilus Minerals to mine high-grade mineral deposits on the sea floor

Nautilus Minerals has announced that Teck Cominco has commenced the second phase of its 2008 US$12 million offshore exploration program, with the departure of the vessel ‘DEA Surveyor' from Singapore.

This 150-day program will involve geochemical surveying and sampling, and Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) based sampling over Nautilus tenements in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the exclusive economic zone of Tonga. Part of this program will involve following up on targets defined by surveys completed by the ‘Sepura' in PNG earlier this month. "We have an aggressive offshore exploration program that we are implementing in 2008," said VP Exploration for Teck Cominco, Fred Daley. "This program involves four vessels deploying geophysical and geochemical instruments; and in the case of the ‘DEA Surveyor', an ROV that will have the capability to take rock samples." Nautilus Minerals is following the lead by the petroleum industry to tap vast offshore resources and is planning to mine high-grade seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits of copper, zinc gold and silver. Mine planning is well underway for the world's first seafloor copper gold mine in 1,500 metres of water at the Solwara 1 project in Bismarck Sea in PNG, 50km north of Rabaul Township. The company holds more than 365,000km² of tenement licences and exploration applications in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and New Zealand along the western Pacific Ocean's Rim of Fire. In March 2005, Nautilus, in joint venture with Placer Dome, undertook new exploration at Solwara 1 aboard the ‘Genesis' with side scan sonar and dredge sampling.
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Sunday, May 25, 2008

NOL readies bid of up to $7bn for Hapag-Lloyd

Singapore: Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. is ready to make a cash offer for Hapag-Lloyd of $6 billion to $7 billion and is confident of winning the German container shipper despite an expected bid from a consortium led by the German city of Hamburg.

" NOL is expecting Hapag's formal invitation for bids at the end of this month or early June. Once the request for offers lands, the bid will be made," said one of the people. Hapag-Lloyd, the shipping arm of German tourism company TUI AG, has held talks with NOL about a possible takeover since the beginning of the year. A deal would make NOL the world's third-largest container-shipping firm by capacity. NOL Chief Executive Thomas Held confirmed last month that he was interested in buying Hapag-Lloyd, and TUI said it was in the process of approaching potential buyers. One rival bid likely will come from the city of Hamburg, which has taken a 20% stake in a consortium that plans to make an offer for Hapag-Lloyd, Hamburg Financial Secretary Michael Freytag said. While the consortium would give Hamburg an indirect stake in Hapag-Lloyd, Mr. Freytag said the city doesn't rule out taking a direct stake. Other members of the newly formed consortium are German logistics company Kuhne Holding AG and Hamburg private bank M.M. Warburg & Co.

MOG's Ombrina Mare 2 provides 'very good results'

Mediterranean Oil & Gas had good results from a horizontal side track well drilled inside the carbonate reservoir at the Ombrina Mare 2 well offshore Italy.

MOG's geological prognosis and the oil appraisal expectations have been met. Transocean jackup George H. Galloway drilled the well to a total depth of 2,145 metres (7,037 ft) in 20 metres (66 ft) of water in the Adriatic Sea. A production test to verify the oil production rates obtainable should get underway in the next few days and be completed by the end of the month. MOG CEO Sergio Morandi said, "The programme to appraise the Ombrina Mare oil and gas field continues to provide very good results. The horizontal well has now appraised the Ombrina Mare structure for a considerable distance away from OM1 and encountered significant oil shows along the entire horizontal hole. Once the full production test is carried out we will be in a position to commission an assessment of the field volumetrics and reserves based on the appraisal results."

ODC Marine launches new passenger vessel

French-owned Dalian ODC Marine, based in Dalian, China, has just completed a new Bureau Veritas-classified passenger vessel for Corsica, France, designed by Laurent Fourré.

To be operated by Via Mare, the aluminium vessel is 18.3 metres long, and has a displacement of 16.25 tonnes. It is propelled by a pair of 300kW Cummins main engines for a maximum speed of 22 knots and cruising speed of 20 knots.

Port of Melbourne's fee changes to fund infrastructure

Both loaded container wharfage and empty container charges remain unchanged in the revised Reference Tariff Schedule for port charges which will apply from July 1, 2008, Port of Melbourne Corporation announced.

The new tariff schedule follows the introduction of an amended tariff schedule on April 1, 2008 to recover the costs of the Port Philip channel deepening project, previously announced on 21 December 2007. Under the new schedule, wharfage charges for loaded TEUs remain unchanged at AU$35.50 plus GST (US$33.96), and empty container charges have also been held constant at AU$9.00 plus GST per TEU. Similarly, there are no changes to the infrastructure levy of AU$31.50 plus GST to fund the channel deepening project. PoMC says a moderate price increase has been applied to channel access charges and reflect increased operating costs and planned investment. Passenger cruise vessels were subject to tonnage dues for the use of the channels and navigational aids for the first time in 2007. These vessels will be subject to a tonnage rate of 40 per cent of the published rate to provide for long-term development and improvement of Station Pier, home to Melbourne's growing number of cruise ship visits.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

CMA CGM maintains calls in French ports

CMA CGM maintains calls in French ports and sets up emergency response team for Marseilles customers.

As French ports continue to struggle with serious disruptions, Marseilles-based CMA CGM, France’s largest and the world’s third largest container shipping company, has decided to maintain its calls in ports throughout the French mainland. CMA CGM currently serves the ports of Marseilles, Fos, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Rouen, Brest, Bordeaux and Montoir de Bretagne, making over 40 weekly calls from ports around the world. The Group is doing its utmost to maintain its regular schedule. With regards to Northern France, if stevedoring operations are suspended for vessels in Le Havre, CMA CGM plans to redeploy vessels first to Dunkirk so that customers will not have to bear the added expense of repatriation and shipment of their cargo to and from foreign ports. For the Marseilles region, in spite of disruptions, CMA CGM has decided to continue calls in Fos and has set up an emergency response team. This team is charged with providing information to customers and shippers affected by the strikes and, if necessary, finding solutions to their problems.

STX in $430m Azerbaijani yard jv

South Korea's STX Shipbuilding Co said it and two companies in Azerbaijan have agreed to build a $430 million shipbuilding yard in the Caspian country.

Under an agreement, STX will have a 25% stake in the factory, while State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, or SOCAR, will own 65%. Azerbaijan Investment Co. has the remaining 10%, the Korean builder said in a statement. Construction of the factory will be completed by the end of 2011, it said.

Hijacked vessel freed; crew safe

Ten Indians on board the hijacked ship, M V Victoria, have been released and they are safe, the Directorate General of Shipping said in Mumbai.

The other crewmembers and the cargo of the vessel, which was hijacked on May 17 near the

Somalia

coast by heavily armed pirates, are safe too, DG Shipping said. "This Directorate has received information that the vessel M V Victoria has been released from the pirates. Crew and cargo are safe," DG Shipping said in a statement. There were 21 crewmembers, including Pakistanis, Myanmarese, Bangladeshis, Kenyans and Tanzanians on board the ship when it was hijacked. The ship was carrying 4,200 tonnes of sugar between Mumbai and Mogadishu. The vessel is now moving to Mogadishu Port for discharging, it said. "Two Somali security guards are onboard with small arms for safe passage," DG Shipping said. The ship is owned by Sharjah-based Five Seas Company and operated by Sharjah-based Marwan Shipping. Hijacking of Victoria is the third such incident reported in Somalia in the last five months.

Daewoo Shipbuilding Wins US$1.3 BLN Order for 2 Drill Ships

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., the world's second-largest shipbuilder, said that it has won a 1.44 trillion won (US$1.37 billion) deal to build two drill ships.

The deal from an American customer calls for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to deliver the vessels, used for deep-water oil exploration, by April 2011, the company said in a regulatory filing. Shares of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering closed at 46,500 won on the Seoul bourse, down 2.92 per cent. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has set this year's target for orders at $17.5 billion. The shipbuilder posted a net profit of 78.4 billion won in the first quarter, up 51 percent from a year earlier, on sales of 2.12 trillion.

VOSTA LMG delivers dismountable cutter suction dredger ‘Petra'

VOSTA LMG has delivered, assembled and commissioned a cutter suction dredge to be used for potash production in the Dead Sea by her owners Arab Potash Co. from Jordan.

The design is specific for the harsh corrosive environmental conditions in which the dredge has to operate, thus the use of specific materials, adequate cooling capacity and cleaning devices for coolers. Due to the location of the Dead Sea, the dredge was transported by sea and land to her final destination. This is why the dredge was made dismountable. The use of digital technology and modular design allowed for easy disassembly and assembly. The dredge is a stationary dredge equipped with two spuds on the aft side, which can be hoisted and lowered in a controlled manner. The bottom parts of the spuds are weighted to increase impact during controlled lowering and penetration of the ground. One of the spuds is installed on a spud carrier, which is moved by means of a horizontal hydraulic cylinder. The swing is performed via two side winches installed on the ladder, under the control cabin. The anchors are placed by two anchor booms, located on the forward pontoons on both sides of the vessel. The cutter is driven by a hydraulic motor. For maintenance purposes a cutter platform is provided. The dredge excavates at an average depth of two to three metres.

Schat-Harding opens South China service station

Booming demand in has led leading lifeboat and davit manufacturer Schat-Harding to open a third Chinese service station, this time in Guangzhou's busy port area of Huangpu in Hong Kong.

The new base is close to all the major repair yards in Guangzhou in order to offer faster response times for the yards and ports of Shenzhen, Hong Kong and the South China region. It opens on June 1 with four service engineers and a service administrator. Andrew Lemmis, who heads up Schat-Harding's China Service Division says, "When we first started service in China in February 2006 we were in a small office operating from the Qingdao manufacturing plant with just four service engineers, a service co-ordinator and myself. We outgrew that office is less than a year and relocated to Shanghai. Now we have service facilities in Qingdao, Shanghai and Guangzhou with 22 service engineers and back office support from ten dedicated service staff." David Bradley, Executive Vice-president of Schat-Harding's servicedivision adds: "It is likely Schat-Harding will soon have to open a fourth service facility in north China, possibly Dalian or Tianjin, such is the demand we are experiencing in China and across Asia."

Friday, May 23, 2008

Korea aims to surpass Norway as world's fifth largest shipping fleet by 2010

South Korea expects to become the fifth-largest shipping power in the world by 2010 as specialized funds and tax benefits help local companies expand their fleets.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said as of 2007

South Korea

ranked sixth with 36.80 million deadweight tons (DWT) of registered ships. Greece topped the list with 175.70 million DTWs of registered ships, followed by Japan, Germany, China and Norway. "As of May, local shipping companies have ordered 22.00 million DWTs of ships that will be delivered in the coming years, which should be sufficient to push up South Korea's overall ranking by at least one notch," said a government official. He said there has been a 20 percent annual gain in ships in recent years. The expert said the move by local shipping companies to pay tonnage taxes instead of corporate income taxes starting in 2004-2005 helped increase the size of vessels operated. This move has helped companies cut ship operation taxes by up to 60 percent. Companies have also started to make use of shipping funds that allow companies to purchase vessels using money collected by investors. The investors are given set tax breaks for their investments. The ministry said efforts are currently underway to help shipping companies expand business areas that are vital for sustained growth.
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BV Fleet Tops 8,000 Ships

Bureau Veritas has topped 8,000 ships in its classed fleet, which now totals over 60m gt.

With the delivery of the high speed passenger ferry Superstar from Fincantieri to its owners Tallink in April 2008, the BV classed fleet reached more than 60.2 m gt and 8,000 ships. The continuing strong fleet growth follows excellent financial results reported in April, with the BV group posting a turnover of Euro2.067bn, up 12 percent on 2006, and adjusted net profit up 19 per cent. Both figures reflected guidance given before a successful IPO in October 2007, and the forecast for group growth in 2008 is 15 per cent overall. However the Marine Division outperformed the rest of the group in 2007 and continues to grow strongly, not only in the classed fleet but in a wide range of services to owners. The Marine Business Review 2007- 2008 details the activities of BV's marine division in all its sectors and highlights some key clients. The Bureau Veritas classed fleet has experienced rapid growth since 2004, rising from 41m gt in 2004 to 60.2m gt in April 2008. The number of classed ships grew from 6,650 ships at the beginning of 2004 to 8,015 ships classed in April 2008. Strong growth continues as so far this year 305 ships totalling more than 2,700,000 gt have joined the register. Among the new constructions delivered in April 2008, highlights include four liquefied gas carriers, two of them over 100,000 gt, three passenger ships, one of them over 90,000 gt, three bulk carriers, one of them over 90,000 gt, three container ships and fifteen mid-size tankers.

India tightens entry rules for offshore ships registered abroad

India has further tightened entry rules for foreign ships used in offshore exploration and drilling activities along the country’s coast.

Maritime regulator, the Directorate General of Shipping, has made it mandatory for foreign-registered ships seeking work in India to be classed with the country’s classification society, the , or IRS. This is seen as another attempt by the regulator to raise the profile of the Indian entity among the global shipping community over a key aspect of ship operations. “The decision will lead to dual classification of offshore ships and add to the costs of oil and gas exploration firms,” said an industry official. Classification societies set technical rules on safety and protection of ships, confirm that designs and calculations meet these rules, survey ships and structures during construction and commissioning, and periodically survey vessels to ensure they meet the rules as per the requirements of the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, the global maritime regulator. Ships not classed with or certified by a classification society are not allowed to take to the sea. Foreign ships are normally classed with one of the 10 full-time members of the International Association of Classification Societies, or IACS, the main global body of classification societies. IRS is an associate member of IACS. The classification rule is the latest in series of regulatory tightening. It also ruled that foreign registered offshore ships working in India’s territorial waters should be less than 25 years old. Such ships should be inspected and any deficiency rectified before they enter the Indian waters. India-registered ships are exempt from this rule as they are already registered and licensed to ply in Indian waters.

Russian oil and gas companies interested in Mediterranean area

Russian oil and gas companies are interested in developing the Mediterranean region and are set to expand their presence in the area, an executive of Russia's largest independent natural gas producer said according to RIA Novosti.

"We are interested in working in the Mediterranean," Leonid Mikhelson, Novatek board chairman, said at an international conference in Cairo, Egypt, adding that Russian technology would suit the region's climatic conditions. "Therefore we will be expanding our presence in the region, based on the principle of economic feasibility," Mikhelson said. Last September Novatek bought a 50% stake in a concession agreement for the exploration and development of the El-Arish offshore deposit in Egypt from Tharwa Petroleum S.A.E. The offshore block covering an area of approximately 2,300 sq km (888 sq miles) is located along the Mediterranean coast to the north of the Sinai. Half of the block lies at depths of up to 50 meters (164 ft) with the remaining area reaching up to 500 meters (1,640 ft). The agreement provides for a minimum exploration period of four years, which will include geophysical studies and the drilling of two wells. Novatek gas fields are located in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous area in West Siberia, which has the world's largest natural gas reserves. The region accounts for over 90% of Russian natural gas output and around 20% of global gas production.

Excelerate Energy delivers first LNG cargo to Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port

Houston-based Excelerate Energy's Northeast Gateway (NEG) facility has commenced commercial operations in USA.

Operating approximately 30 kilometres east of Boston in Massachusetts Bay, 'Excellence' has begun offloading its cargo of natural gas into the existing HubLine natural gas pipeline system operated by Spectra Energy, also headquartered in Houston. Excelerate Energy CEO Rob Bryngelsoon said that the vessel's regasification technology was the quickest, least expensive and most environmentally responsible way to bring new natural gas supplies to markets. New England's demand for natural gas will increase considerably in coming years, thus calling for new supplies to ensure price and supply stability. The completion and commissioning of NEG marks the first new LNG-receiving facility to be built on the US east coast in more than 30 years. With its inaugural delivery, 'Excellence' will offload about 28.3 million cubic metres of gas in order to test all of the port and pipeline systems. Ultimately, the system is capable of supplying up to approximately 20 per cent of New England's natural gas demand.
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First sailing of new Far-East EU 5 liner service of Grand Alliance in Hamburg

The ‘Oslo Express’ (3,322TEU) from shipping company Hapag-Lloyd was the first vessel in the new Far-East-Europe EU 5 liner service of the Grand Alliance to sail for the Port of Hamburg.

The ‘Oslo Express’ is one of a total of eight container vessels of the new fifth Far-East container liner service of the Grand Alliance cleared at the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) each week. The new liner service focuses on Central and South China as well as South East Asia and links the Chinese ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Xiamen as well as the city state of Singapore to the northern European continent. The ports of destination in northern Europe are Hamburg, Amsterdam and Southampton.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Pride of America $4.1 million refit completed

BAE completes drydocking of largest civil ship to use Pearl Harbor.

BAE Systems has successfully completed a $4.1 million two-week drydocking of NCL America’s (NCLA’s) Pride of America cruise ship May 9 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The work, which began on April 26, is an important step in generating ship refurbishment and maintenance work in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor Naval Ship Yard entered into a “Private-Public Partnership” agreement with BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards and NCLA to utilize the Navy’s facilities at Pearl Harbor to drydock the 921 foot-long, 81,000-ton ship, the largest private ship ever to be docked at Pearl Harbor. The Pride of America returned to service May 10 with a seven-day Hawaii itinerary. “With the shipyard capacity at Pearl, and our central location, it makes sense for Hawaii to take a larger role in repairing both military and civilian ships,” said Roger Kubischta, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards. BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards is a business area of BAE Systems Ship Repair, the United States’ leading non-nuclear ship repair, modernization and conversion company. BAE Systems is also a member of the Ship Repair Association of Hawaii, which represents 800 personnel in the local marine industry. BAE Systems has more than 800 employees across a number of locations, making it the largest aerospace / defense contractor, and private sector ship repair company in Hawaii.

Thailand and Myanmar ink agreement to jointly develop deepsea port

Foreign ministers of Thailand and Myanmar have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop Myanmar's Tavoy deepsea port and related infrastructure projects designed for facilitating goods transport from Europe and the Middle East in Singapore.

The MoU was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and his

Myanmar

counterpart Nyan Win on the sidelines of a special meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Mr. Noppadon told after the signing of the MoU that both countries would help develop Tavoy deepsea port, construct a 130-kilometre road from the port to Thailand and develop other related projects. Upon completion, the port would facilitate goods transportation from Europe and the Middle East to Thailand's Laem Chabang port and cargoes could be easily transported to Laos and southern China from there. Transportation could be reduced by more than 10 days, according to the Thai foreign minister. The project fits very well with the West-East Economic Corridor, Mr. Noppadon explained, adding that China is also interested in building a dual rail track with trains traveling at a speed of nearly 200 kilometres per hour. The site construction survey is expected to be completed by the end of this year and construction is expected to take about six years, he added. Terminal giant DP World is also reportedly eyeing a port concession in the far south of Thailand.

Petrobras new sub-salt oil discovery

Brazilian state player Petrobras has confirmed the presence of oil in pre-salt reservoirs on Block BM-S-8 in the Santos basin.

Petrobras said in a statement that a formation test had proved the presence of oil in well 1-PRSA-532A-SPS. The company said preliminary analyses shows oil gravity to be between 25 and 28 API grade, comparable to that of the other pre-salt oils found in the Santos basin. The well, the first on the block, lies in 2139 metres of water about 250 kilometres off Brazil's Sao Paulo state. The well was drilled to total depth of about 6773 metres, tapping oil accumulations at about 6000 metres. Petrobras is operator of block BM-S-8 while Shell holds a 20% stake and Portugal's Galp Energia holds a 14% stake. The consortium was preparing an evaluation of the find to be presented to Brazilian energy regulator ANP, Petrobras said. However, the company provided no reserves estimates. It is not clear whether the find, and other recent sub-salt discoveries in the so-called Sugarloaf region, are part of a single structure. The new oilfield is close to Petrobras's giant Tupi find of last year, estimated at between 5 billion and 10 billion barrels, and one of the biggest oil discoveries in the last 20 years.
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The largest ship built so far in Taiwan, ‘YM Uberty', successfully launched on May 9.

The ship will join its owner, Yang Ming Line's service, on the Europe-Asia route. The launching ceremony was held at Kaohsiung Shipyard. At 333.2 metres long and 42.8 metres wide, ‘Uberty' is able to carry 8,240TEU. The ship took a year to build, about three months earlier than scheduled. The contract price was US$100 million and is the first in a nine-vessel series.
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Largest Taiwan-made ship launched

The largest ship built so far in Taiwan, ‘YM Uberty', successfully launched on May 9.

The ship will join its owner, Yang Ming Line's service, on the Europe-Asia route. The launching ceremony was held at Kaohsiung Shipyard. At 333.2 metres long and 42.8 metres wide, ‘Uberty' is able to carry 8,240TEU. The ship took a year to build, about three months earlier than scheduled. The contract price was US$100 million and is the first in a nine-vessel series.
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Maersk Line enhances the Europe to Middle East service

Denmark's Maersk Line has announced plans to enhance its ME3 service between Europe and the Middle East.

Maersk Line will phase in larger ships on the service, substituting the present 5,500TEU vessels with 6,250TEU vessels. The upgrade will commence on June 7, 2008 with the ‘Maersk Kensington' departing from Algeciras. The phase-in period is scheduled over four weeks. To further improve the schedule reliability of the ME3 service, an additional vessel will be added in order to provide sufficient buffering in the schedule for operational contingencies. The port rotation remains the same, except for the addition of a call at Tangiers, Morocco.
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

SpeedFerries purchases 'SpeedOne' from Incat

British operator SpeedFerries has purchased the 86-metre wave piercing catamaran ‘SpeedOne' from Incat.

SpeedFerries entered the market with a new low-cost model in May 2004, launching sailings between Dover and Boulogne with the ‘SpeedOne' on charter from Incat. The deal marks a £13.5 million (US$26.6 million) investment for SpeedFerries and follows a recent move to a dedicated and exclusive terminal at Dover's Western Docks. The next stage in the company's development is to source a second Incat vessel to partner ‘SpeedOne', bringing a higher frequency of sailings and possible new route opportunities. ‘SpeedOne' was formerly known as HMAS ‘Jervis Bay', when operating for the Australian Defence Force between Darwin and Dili during the East Timor crisis.

European Maritime Day

ICS/ISF welcome EU support for global shipping regulation

Speaking on European Maritime Day yesterday, at a reception in Athens during the annual general meetings of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF), ICS/ISF chairman/president Spyros M Polemis remarked: "At the risk of tempting fate, relations between the international industry and the European Union institutions seem to have improved, when contrasted with the situation after the losses of the ‘Erika' and the ‘Prestige'." "ICS and ISF have been especially pleased by the message conveyed by the EU Maritime Policy Review ‘Blue Paper', published last autumn, to the effect that the European Commission's preference is to give IMO a chance to develop global regulations to cover international shipping.

Impacts Due to Climate Change

Climate change and environmental impacts on Australia's coast

"Climate change has serious implications for coastal areas as much of Australia's population and infrastructure is in the coastal zone," Committee Chair Jennie George said. "The growth in population along the coast is also increasing pressure on the environment in many areas. "The committee has received excellent submissions to date, raising significant coastal management issues. The committee is keen to hear the views of interested persons and groups across Australia and encourages them to put in their submissions by the end of May."

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