HHI broke the world record of monthly-received order volume

Hyundai Heavy Industries stated that the company has undertaken shipbuilding orders worth more than US$5.7 billion in past February, a new world record for a shipbuilder in a single month.

HHI has received contracts worth US$7 billion on 35 new vessels while in the same period last year, the company only confirmed US$803 million contracts. Within these new-build contracts, one is from TOTAL, the France energy company, which asks for a FPSO that worth US$1.6 billion. Beside, there are also orders for nine 13,100-TEU container ships and five 31,800 DWT VLCCs. All these 15 ships are high value-added types. They are also to receive a new US$660 million contract on a drill ship soon from a Greece client. As the world largest shipbuilder, South Korea will invest US$52 billion more into the industry by 2010. So far, Hyundai Heavy Industries is setting up two new shipyards in southern Korean area for further expansion.
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Voyage on waves

Kenichi Horie, who has crossed the Pacific in a solar-powered boat made of recycled aluminium, is getting ready for his next solo sea adventure.

The 69-year-old Japanese sailor will set out March 16 on what he says will be the world’s longest voyage in a wave-powered boat. Speaking through a translator at the Hawaii Yacht Club, Mr. Horie said he would travel more than 6,400 km from Honolulu to Japan aboard a 3-tonne yacht called the Suntory Mermaid II at a speed of up to 5 knots. The boat made of recycled aluminium relies on the energy of waves to move two fins at its bow and propel it forward. Mr. Horie said it is a sturdy vessel, designed to right itself if it capsizes. But it is equipped with an engine and an 11-m sail mast for emergencies. The journey, which would take a diesel-powered boat about 10 days to complete, is expected to take him about 2.5 months. Solar panels atop the catamaran will power the microwave, and Mr. Horie will have a satellite phone and access to e-mail. A spokesman promoting the voyage said the sailor hoped the shipping industry would eventually adopt the clean wave technology.

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Industry to tackle global shipping issues

International delegates will join members of the local shipping, insurance and banking industries in a two-day conference at the end of the month to tackle the major issues affecting global shipping, with particular emphasis on the outlook for Asia.

They will participate in the Asia Pacific Maritime 2008 Conference starting on March 27. It is being organized in conjunction with the 10th presentation of the Asia Pacific Maritime exhibition - a major event in the maritime calendar in Singapore. Eminent industry persons will engage conference delegates on some of the geopolitical developments impacting the shipping and maritime industries. They will also look at the prospects the rising BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) bring to the table, and how Asian countries can tap the economic effects of rising trade volumes. Coming at a time when financial markets are in disarray as a result of the continuing turbulence created by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States, delegates can look forward to a discussion on the topic as well. Lawyer Robson Lee, a partner at Singapore legal firm Shook, Lin and Bock, will speak on 'The Sub-prime Crisis: Impact on financing shipping assets and IPOs'. But the outlook for shipping will take centre stage when a panel handles the topic, as shipping demand continues to be in a state of constant flux. The conference will cover shipping, logistics, ports, technology and equipment.
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'Morning Conductor' makes its maiden winter voyage to Europe

As the Panama-flagged 'Morning Conductor' makes its maiden winter voyage to Europe, crew and pilots are benefiting from closed bridge wings, a design feature that has not generally been introduced in car carriers.

The bridge on the vessel has also been arranged high to allow a 360 degrees range of view. Following the 'Morning Cornet', the newbuilding is the third in a series of six 6,500 capacity vessels constructed according to a single pillar lay out in the cargo holds. Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries delivered it to the EUKOR Car Carriers Inc. which owns 22 vessels controlled from offices in Seoul, Korea. Owner of 'Morning Conductor', EUKOR now operates more than 92 car transporters. In 2008, it will also take delivery of four 8,100 capacity new buildings, described as the world's largest. Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a subsidiary of Wilh, is carrying out management of the first and second new buildings. Wilhelmsen, also owns EUKOR, along with Wallenius and Hyundai, and Third vessel Morning Conductor is being managed by Hae-Young Maritime Service in Korea.
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IRISL vessels in political spotlight

Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line vessels are to be visited by the International Transport Workers' Federation as part of a campaign to free an imprisoned trade union leader that will be promoted in a worldwide day of action.

The ITF says it will include IRISL ships because they are ''de facto'' owned by the Iranian state. At the same time, the company has been named in a UN Security Council statement on sanctions over Iran's nuclear policies. An ITF statement says: ''A mass of protests are taking place in 41 countries on 6 March in support of Mansour Osanloo, 48, the elected leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, a trade union founded three years ago. Even though the organization is free, democratic and legal it has been violently attacked by Iranian security forces. As a result of his work Osanloo has been beaten, arrested and had his tongue sliced as a warning against speaking out. The ITF says that it has led the campaign to support and free Osanloo and the ship visits are the latest way it is using to communicate its message to the Iranian Government. These ship visits are one more tactic in a raft of protests intended to make the Iranian government see sense and stop punishing this man for merely asking for his rights.'' Meanwhile in the latest step in the row over Iran's nuclear program the Security Council has issued a statement that instructing that ''states should inspect cargo to and from Iran of aircraft and vessels owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line if they are transporting goods prohibited by UN resolutions''.

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