Prime Minister Inaugurates Merchant Navy week celebrations

The 45^th National Maritime Day celebrations began with the inauguration of Merchant Navy Week by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Thiru T.R. Baalu pinned the first miniature merchant navy flag on the wearing apparel of the Prime Minister. On this occasion, the secretary, Shri. A.P.V.N Sharma also pinned the merchant navy flag on the wearing apparel of Thiru T.R. Baalu. Merchant Navy Week is celebrated throughout the country every year culminating into National Maritime Day on 5^th April, in commemoration of the sailing of the first Indian Vessel SS Loyalty on its maiden voyage on 5^th April 1919 from Mumbai to London. The principle objective of the Merchant Navy Week and the National maritime Day celebrations is to create awareness amongst the countrymen about the Indian shipping industry and to underline its vital role in bolstering the country’s economy. The activities of the shipping industry and the requirement of seafarers are highlighted during the week long celebrations through different media which include special newspaper features, brochures/souvenirs, seminars, radio/TV programs, workshops, exhibitions, competitions etc.
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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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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.
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Ground broken for new Chouest shipyard

Gary Chouest and company broke ground in Houma, La., on March 28 at the new LaShip shipyard site.

Among the many attending the ceremony was Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. LaShip will likely become the largest fabrication and shipbuilding facility in Edison Chouest Offshore's worldwide operation, employing 1,000 workers skilled in shipyard trades. Construction of the yard is expected to be one of the single largest economic development projects for the Port of Terrebonne in the last 10 years.

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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.

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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.
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