Melbourne: Member companies of Shipping Australia, which represents the major users of Australian wharf and shipping facilities are meeting with severe congestion at the Port of Melbourne at the DP World facility.
DP World has taken over terminal operations at Swanson Dock in Melbourne. Port users had previously warned the Port of Melbourne Corporation that the continued growth of containers being handled would put existing facilities under severe pressure. Said Shipping Australia (SAL) CEO, Lew Russell in a statement this week: "Our fears have come to pass. SAL members using the DP World container terminal at Swanson Dock in Melbourne have complained they have been unable to ship out all the empty containers they need to, due to DP World yard congestion”. This impacts on the facilitation of Australian trade, he added. "One member alone said they had to cancel 3000 planned empty exports over the past two months. Other members have also experienced problems" Mr. Russell pointed out, adding that one problem appeared to be the late handover of the tank farm site from the Port of Melbourne Corporation to DP World which will not now be ready for occupation until late next year. “There is a need for all stakeholders to work together to sort out a workable solution as soon as possible. Bringing forward the establishment of a new container terminal at Webb Dock must now be high on the agenda," he added.
Read More
Sunday, October 5, 2008
World Ocean Council creates global ocean business community for sustainability of the seas
Ocean industries from around the world gathered recently at the United Nations in New York for the inaugural World Ocean Council (WOC) meeting to develop an unprecedented global alliance on sustainability.
UN Global Compact Executive Director, Georg Kell, and UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, Vaclav Mikulka, opened the workshop. “The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global “ocean business community” to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans,” Mr Mikulka said. Participants from the shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, maritime salvage and other ocean industries met to identify priorities and strategies for the WOC to create a global cross-sectoral industry coalition on sustainable seas. Paul Holthus, WOC Executive Director said that the extraordinary growth in ocean use was resulting in cumulative impacts to the marine environment at a global scale, perhaps even affecting the ocean’s crucial role in regulating climate. The industry representatives all stressed that the principle business driver for constructively addressing sustainability is reducing risk, especially the threat of losing access to ocean space or resources. The WOC will coordinate efforts to reduce risk and increase stable and responsible ocean use by facilitating industry engaging in international ocean policy processes and collaborating on practical solutions. Mike Boots, Director, Seafood Choices Alliance said that collective efforts to share responsibility for the sustainable management of the seas were essential. “The World Ocean Council is bringing together multiple sectors of ocean users to develop solutions that can lead to lasting improvements in ocean health," he said.
Read More
UN Global Compact Executive Director, Georg Kell, and UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, Vaclav Mikulka, opened the workshop. “The World Ocean Council efforts to bring together the global “ocean business community” to develop leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainability and stewardship are critical to the future of the oceans,” Mr Mikulka said. Participants from the shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, maritime salvage and other ocean industries met to identify priorities and strategies for the WOC to create a global cross-sectoral industry coalition on sustainable seas. Paul Holthus, WOC Executive Director said that the extraordinary growth in ocean use was resulting in cumulative impacts to the marine environment at a global scale, perhaps even affecting the ocean’s crucial role in regulating climate. The industry representatives all stressed that the principle business driver for constructively addressing sustainability is reducing risk, especially the threat of losing access to ocean space or resources. The WOC will coordinate efforts to reduce risk and increase stable and responsible ocean use by facilitating industry engaging in international ocean policy processes and collaborating on practical solutions. Mike Boots, Director, Seafood Choices Alliance said that collective efforts to share responsibility for the sustainable management of the seas were essential. “The World Ocean Council is bringing together multiple sectors of ocean users to develop solutions that can lead to lasting improvements in ocean health," he said.
Read More
Evergreen joins the pack on Asia-Australia
Taipei: Evergreen Line is to team up with APL, Hamburg Süd, Hapag-Lloyd and Hyundai Merchant Marine on their Asia-Australia routes, effective from the fourth week of October 2008.
The services are called the AAN (Asia-Australia North Service and the AAS (Asia-Australia South Service). With the participation of Evergreen Line, the five ships of the AAN service will be upgraded from the range of 2,500-2,700 TEU to average 3,500 TEU. The services rotations of the AAN and the AAS are listed as follows. AAN: Yokohama, Osaka, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Yokohama. AAS: Kaohsiung, Yantian, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Kaohsiung. Compared to the existing TCA (Taiwan-China-Australia) route, the new service pattern enables Evergreen Line to offer wider port coverage and better transit time. In Northeast Asia, the AAN service covers Yokohama, Osaka, Pusan and Qingdao in addition to Shanghai and Ningbo currently served by the TCA. In Taiwan and South China, the AAS loop matches the TCA in the same coverage of Kaohsiung, Yantian and Hong Kong. Without stopping over in South China, the AAN offers more competitive transit time from Shanghai and Ningbo to Australia.
Read More
The services are called the AAN (Asia-Australia North Service and the AAS (Asia-Australia South Service). With the participation of Evergreen Line, the five ships of the AAN service will be upgraded from the range of 2,500-2,700 TEU to average 3,500 TEU. The services rotations of the AAN and the AAS are listed as follows. AAN: Yokohama, Osaka, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Yokohama. AAS: Kaohsiung, Yantian, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Kaohsiung. Compared to the existing TCA (Taiwan-China-Australia) route, the new service pattern enables Evergreen Line to offer wider port coverage and better transit time. In Northeast Asia, the AAN service covers Yokohama, Osaka, Pusan and Qingdao in addition to Shanghai and Ningbo currently served by the TCA. In Taiwan and South China, the AAS loop matches the TCA in the same coverage of Kaohsiung, Yantian and Hong Kong. Without stopping over in South China, the AAN offers more competitive transit time from Shanghai and Ningbo to Australia.
Read More
Iron ore price negotiations - Chinese mills unlikely to be first to bend to Vale
It is reported that Chinese steel mills are unlikely to be the first among Asian steel mills to accept Vale's recent price hike request due to their low number of contracts of affreightment and access to alternative domestic iron ore sources.
Mr Zeng Jiesheng an analyst with Mysteel said that "The current confrontation between Vale and its Asian clients has put the most pressure on Japanese and South Korean steel mills, as they hold CoAs accounting for in excess of 90% of their planned annual transport volume. For Chinese steel mills, the proportion stands at only 25%." He said that "In case the shipments nailed down by the CoAs cannot be completed because steel mills reduce their iron ore purchases from Vale, Asian steel mills, Japanese and South Korean ones in particular, will still have to pay the entire sum as previously agreed and thus suffer a loss from the CoAs." Mr Zeng said he believes that Japanese and South Korean steel mills will be eager to end the confrontation so as to avoid possible losses. He said that "Meanwhile, the loss that would arise from their acceptance of the average USD 10 per tonne hike asked by Vale can be easily covered by their approximately USD 20 per tonne freight rate advantage with the CoAs against spot charter prices This too may encourage Japanese and South Korean steel mills to act first." Mr Zeng said "The other factor that allows Chinese steel mills to stand firm in their position for a longer time than others stems from their ability to turn to domestic iron ore suppliers instead of Vale. This contrasts with their Japanese and South Korean counterparts and their nearly 100% dependence on imported ore." As per reports, Vale recently moved to raise its benchmark price for long term contracted iron ore supplies for Asian steel mills for the remainder of the 2008/2009 contract year to equal that of their European clients.
Read More
Mr Zeng Jiesheng an analyst with Mysteel said that "The current confrontation between Vale and its Asian clients has put the most pressure on Japanese and South Korean steel mills, as they hold CoAs accounting for in excess of 90% of their planned annual transport volume. For Chinese steel mills, the proportion stands at only 25%." He said that "In case the shipments nailed down by the CoAs cannot be completed because steel mills reduce their iron ore purchases from Vale, Asian steel mills, Japanese and South Korean ones in particular, will still have to pay the entire sum as previously agreed and thus suffer a loss from the CoAs." Mr Zeng said he believes that Japanese and South Korean steel mills will be eager to end the confrontation so as to avoid possible losses. He said that "Meanwhile, the loss that would arise from their acceptance of the average USD 10 per tonne hike asked by Vale can be easily covered by their approximately USD 20 per tonne freight rate advantage with the CoAs against spot charter prices This too may encourage Japanese and South Korean steel mills to act first." Mr Zeng said "The other factor that allows Chinese steel mills to stand firm in their position for a longer time than others stems from their ability to turn to domestic iron ore suppliers instead of Vale. This contrasts with their Japanese and South Korean counterparts and their nearly 100% dependence on imported ore." As per reports, Vale recently moved to raise its benchmark price for long term contracted iron ore supplies for Asian steel mills for the remainder of the 2008/2009 contract year to equal that of their European clients.
Read More
Fairstar completes load-out
Rotterdam-based Fairstar Heavy Transport has completed the loading of two Tombua Landana topside modules onto its heavy transport ship Fjord.
These two modules have been constructed in Okpo, Korea at the DSME yard. Fairstar said that both modules have a total weight of about 11,000 tonnes and were successfully skidded onto the deck of the Fjord. The Fjord will sail from Korea directly to the Tombua Landana field in Angola being developed by Chevron.
Read More
These two modules have been constructed in Okpo, Korea at the DSME yard. Fairstar said that both modules have a total weight of about 11,000 tonnes and were successfully skidded onto the deck of the Fjord. The Fjord will sail from Korea directly to the Tombua Landana field in Angola being developed by Chevron.
Read More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
