“In the present market, our investments will generate more profit in other areas”, explains Nils Smedegaard Andersen, CEO of A P Møller-Mærsk, in an interview in Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin.Over the last couple of years, the group has invested USD 11.2 billion in new ships and other projects. In the future, the oil business and the terminal business will be the main targets for investments as they have great potential. Currently, A P Møller-Mærsk has 70 container carriers on order with a capacity of 365,338 TEUs or equal to 17.9 per cent of the active fleet.
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Sunday, June 28, 2009
Maersk Group cuts down on ship investments
The A P Møller-Mærsk Group will downsize its investments in ships in the future. Instead, the company will take more ships on time charter when it is necessary to increase the capacity.
Shipwreck Science Program Begins
Fifteen talented Erie area high school students in the Minority College Experience / Women in Science and Engineering (MCE/WISE) program through Penn State Erie, participated in the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies' (BCMS) first expedition of the Shipwreck Science Program on June 12, 2009.
BCMS is an eleven year old non-profit community based organization in Erie, Pennsylvania that uses hands-on projects including sailing, boatbuilding, navigation and environmental science to teach and reinforce traditional subjects. The students learned not only about some of the shipwrecks in our local waters, but also about navigation, boat handling, history and technology. Using sophisticated engineering equipment including a Side Scan Sonar and an Underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV), the students were introduced to some of the skills and instruments used in today's underwater exploration technologies.
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Report explains delays for UK Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers
The UK House of Commons and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have issued a report on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer programme, identifying problems encountered and lessons learnt during the process.
Following the PAC’s investigation into the reason the project’s increased costs and delays, it was found and acknowledged that “serious mistakes” were made in the early stages of the project, Defence Professionals reported. “The project management arrangements on the Type 45 destroyer were poor and allowed the culture of over-optimism to persist for too long,” the publication quoted the report as saying. Following an extensive review of the project, the contract was renegotiated to a more realistic level and has not experienced any more budget problems or time delays. The first Type 45 destroyer will enter service this year, two years later than originally planned. Furthermore, despite its purpose of being equipped with anti-air capabilities, the Principal Anti-Air Missle System (PAAMS) will not be installed until 2011. Due to the delays, the UK Ministry of Defence has had to extend the life of the Type 42 destroyers, which are costly to maintain.
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Following the PAC’s investigation into the reason the project’s increased costs and delays, it was found and acknowledged that “serious mistakes” were made in the early stages of the project, Defence Professionals reported. “The project management arrangements on the Type 45 destroyer were poor and allowed the culture of over-optimism to persist for too long,” the publication quoted the report as saying. Following an extensive review of the project, the contract was renegotiated to a more realistic level and has not experienced any more budget problems or time delays. The first Type 45 destroyer will enter service this year, two years later than originally planned. Furthermore, despite its purpose of being equipped with anti-air capabilities, the Principal Anti-Air Missle System (PAAMS) will not be installed until 2011. Due to the delays, the UK Ministry of Defence has had to extend the life of the Type 42 destroyers, which are costly to maintain.
Blue Star Ferries signs new building deal with Daewoo
Blue Star Ferries hosted a formal event to celebrate the official signing of the company’s newbuilding order sealed at the end of the previous week.
In a central Athens hotel, the company, part of Attica Group, signed the $200 million deal with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., the world's No.3 shipbuilder Under the terms of the deal, Daewoo will build two new fast car-passenger ferries. The South Korean shipbuilder plans to deliver the ships by the first quarter of 2012, it said in a statement. The order came as shipbuilders such as Daewoo suffer from a steep fall in new ship orders. Attica Group’s announcement of the deal also said that the ships will have overall length 145.5 meters and speed of 26 knots and the capacity to carry 2,400 passengers and 450 private vehicles or 50 freight units and 150 private vehicles.
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Saturday, June 27, 2009
Grandweld holds keel laying for thee vessels
Dubai, UAE: Grandweld has celebrated a keel laying ceremony for three new shipbuilding contracts for the offshore oil and gas industry.
The ceremony for two 36-metre utility vessels and one 41-metre crewboat was held on June 18. The vessels will be owned and operated by UAE-based fleet operator Humaid Badir Marine Shipping. The three-vessel order comes after a long history of ship repair work being carried out by Grandweld for Humaid Badir. The 36-metre steel utility vessels will carry 70 tonnes of deck cargo with a maximum speed of 13 knots. The design has an accommodation for 44 persons and is powered by two caterpillar engines rated at 1,080kW each. The aluminium crewboat is yet another order for the highly successful 41-metre series, being the tenth vessel of the design to be built. The vessel carries 45 tonnes of deck cargo, 60 persons and has a maximum speed of 24 knots. Grandweld is also in the final stages of sea trials before delivery for the first of four 100-tonne bollard pull tugs for Bourbon. The other three sister ships to follow later in the year.
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The ceremony for two 36-metre utility vessels and one 41-metre crewboat was held on June 18. The vessels will be owned and operated by UAE-based fleet operator Humaid Badir Marine Shipping. The three-vessel order comes after a long history of ship repair work being carried out by Grandweld for Humaid Badir. The 36-metre steel utility vessels will carry 70 tonnes of deck cargo with a maximum speed of 13 knots. The design has an accommodation for 44 persons and is powered by two caterpillar engines rated at 1,080kW each. The aluminium crewboat is yet another order for the highly successful 41-metre series, being the tenth vessel of the design to be built. The vessel carries 45 tonnes of deck cargo, 60 persons and has a maximum speed of 24 knots. Grandweld is also in the final stages of sea trials before delivery for the first of four 100-tonne bollard pull tugs for Bourbon. The other three sister ships to follow later in the year.
Germanischer Lloyd, Celebrating 10 years in Ireland
June 2009 sees the International Classification Society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) celebrate its 10th anniversary in Ireland.
GL established its Irish subsidiary to service its local client base as well as its international clients on the island of Ireland. For several years, surveyors from the UK and continental Europe were seconded to operate Station Dublin but for the last two and a half years, the station has been manned by a local surveyor. This has permitted the forging of a good local contact point for all clients regardless of their parent company location.Mr Harald Seibicke (Area Vice-President) says “despite Ireland being considered a fringe nation on the map of Europe by many, it provides a very necessary cog in the service that GL provides it clients globally”.As Ireland is an island nation it has a high dependency on maritime trade which in turn leads to many ship calls each year. Figures released by the MSO/MSD of the Dept of Transport show that in excess of 70% of vessels visited in Irish ports are classed with GL. This has led to a recent increase in staff level with the employment of a second local surveyor. Even with this, vessels classed with GL have a very good record in the Paris MoU/PSC inspection results as carried out by the Irish Authorities.
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Shipping on V-shaped recovery: Wei Jiafu
Shanghai: Shipping is on a V-shaped recovery, maintained the boss of China’s most powerful shipping conglomerate.
Capt Wei Jiafu, president and ceo of COSCO, made this announcement in the final morning session of the China Maritime Congress held in Shanghai, coorganised by Shanghai JiaoTong University and Seatrade. Wei pointed to the recoveries in the Baltic Dry Index and western stock markets as grounds for optimism. In China domestic consumption has rocketed this year, he said. Wei revealed he had timed this cycle to perfection, offloading 126 ships in January 2008 at the height of the market. He called on his fellow shipowners to sort out the oversupply of tonnage together, praising Gao Yanming of HOSCO for his decision to cancel a tranche of his orderbook. Wei also said it was up to owners to voice their support for greater trade liberalization at a time when the spectre of protectionism hangs over world trade.
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