Hi-tech system to track Gulf ships

Bahrain and its GCC neighbors are beefing up coastal security with a new, hi-tech system to track ships.

The global tracking system will also enable countries to pinpoint their own commercial ships anywhere in the world, at any time. It will also help in search-and-rescue operations by giving instant information on shipping in the area. New International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations mean ships will have to be fitted with a Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system that will allow them to be tracked 1,000 miles from the coastline. "LRIT increases the transparency of vessels sailing the high seas on international voyages," said Bahrain's General Organization of Sea Ports Deputy chairman Eid Abdulla. "It provides for the detection, classification, identification and tracking of co-operative vessels to enable improved maritime domain awareness and a general understanding of vessel traffic in specific areas of interest." The LRIT system will entitle governments who have adopted the new regulations to be entitled to receive reports on identification and position of ships registered to that member state, wherever the ship is located. All of this information will be received, upon request, through a system of national, regional, co-operative and international LRIT Data Centres using, where necessary, the LRIT International Data Exchange. The ship-to-ship range of AIS is 10 to 15 nautical miles, while ship-to-shore is 20 to 30 nautical miles.
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Cigading port set to become Indonesia's largest bulk port

State-owned steel maker PT Krakatau Steel said it would expand its Cigading port to become the country's largest port for bulk cargoes.

Jakarta's Tanjung Priok, the country's largest port, has been plagued by congestion, Krakatau Steel President Faswar Bujang said. The Cigading port in Cilegon, Banten has served as a special industrial port facilitating mainly import of industrial basic material to and exports of manufactured products from the Krakatau Steel Industrial Estates in that area. Faswar said in fact loading and unloading of part of bulk cargoes including industrial and food products, previously handled by Tanjung Priok has been taken over by the Cigading port.

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Hebei to build the world's largest coal handling ports group

Jiao Yanlong, Director of Hebei Communications Department has said that after Qinhuangdao Port has become the world's first 200-million-tonne capacity coal port, Hebei will continue to enhance its efforts in ports building.

Director Jiao said that Hebei would strive to complete three nationwide modern and comprehensive essential ports including Qinhuangdao Port, Tangshan Port and Huanghua Port within three years' time. Meanwhile, Qinhuangdao Port and Huanghua Port will form the bases for the world's largest coal handling port group. During the next three years, Hebei will invest heavily to speed up port construction, and there will be a total of 119 production berths throughout the province, whose handling capacity will reach 592 million tonnes and container handling capacity 1.2 million TEU. Hu Jianhua, Director and Executive Vice President of China Merchants Group recently announced the company put nine new container berths into production in 2007. Another 29 new berths are planned for between 2008 and 2010, among which 25 will be container berths, scattered in the western part of Shenzhen, Zhangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shanghai and Ningbo. Zhanjiang Port as well as the new terminal in Ba Ria-Vung Tau in Vietnam are not yet included in those figures. China Merchants Group has committed itself fully to completing the five-port layout. For this year, China Merchants Group has planned up to RMB 800 million (US$110.5 million) into berths building, 40 percent of which will be for the new ones.
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Gulftainer launches additional new service at Sharjah Container Terminal

Sharjah-based Gulftainer, has announced that exporters and importers to and from Mumbai, Karachi, Mundra and Muscat, now have more reason to celebrate with the start of a new weekly container service at Gulftainer's Sharjah Container Terminal.

Highlighting the call of the 1000 teu/ 13,500 DWT ‘Harmony" operated by Orient Shipping on the 29th March, Terminal Manager Paul Hennessy made a presentation to Captain Arthur L. Roco of the ship with Orient Shipping General manager Howard James in attendance. Paul Hennessy, Terminal Manager commented, "the new service will allow exporters & importers the opportunity to service Mumbai/ Karachi & Mundra using the SCT gateway for the UAE". "Our Terminal in Sharjah, in addition to our other option via Khorfakkan, allows faster and cheaper distribution in & out the UAE market - and Orient's decision to call SCT is yet more evidence of the pressure from traders to have better alternatives available for them to use, to cope with a road infrastructure under severe pressure. We will certainly ensure that Orient and their customers’ get the fast, efficient service for which SCT is famous", Hennessy added.
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MOL enters VLOC ‘JV’ with IMC

On the heels of its decision to launch independent LR1 product tanker operations, Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a joint venture agreement with IMC Shipping Limited to acquire, own and operate Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs).

Both companies are to contribute a converted VLOC (from a Very Large Crude Carrier – VLCC) to the project. One of the VLCC vessels is already undergoing conversion and expected to begin operations as a VLOC in the third quarter of 2008. The other vessel will enter the yard for conversion in May 2008. Singapore-based IMC Shipping said, “The joint-venture is expected to strengthen both parties’ existing positions in this growing shipping segment and in key trading routes to support Asia’s rapid industrialization especially in the ever-growing iron ore trade between Brazil and China. The robust trade in bulk cargoes in recent years has largely been driven by the increased demand from Asia for large dry bulk cargoes and this joint-venture is well positioned to tap on this growth.”

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Hanjin to build container terminal in Jacksonville

Hanjin Shipping has signed a development agreement with the Jacksonville Port Authority for a new 170-acre container terminal facility is slated to open in 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The agreement identifies two potential locations for the proposed $400m terminal, with the two parties to jointly choose a final site. Additionally, a funding structure for the project was selected for recommendation to JAXPORT’s board, following the evaluation of several available options. Talks are expected to move towards a final long-term lease agreement, with the US-based port’s board of directors expected to approve a lease in the next few months. This new agreement expands on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Hanjin and JAXPORT in October 2007. “This development agreement brings us one step closer to our final destination, and we hope it will lead to a very positive achievement in the near future,” said SD Park, Hanjin’s lead negotiator and deputy gm of the terminal business team. “We are pleased with our results to date, and we look forward to full Board consideration and approval of the final lease agreement soon,” said Ron Baker, JAXPORT’s deputy executive director and cfo.
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New Shipbuilding Method Promises Cost Savings

Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed and obtained an international patent for a new inundation method used in the tandem shipbuilding process.

With traditional methods, a vessel that was under construction would float on the water whenever the dry dock was flooded to launch a completed ship. The new method holds the incomplete ship in place, allowing the company to continue work on the ship whether the dry dock is flooded or dry, reducing construction time.
The method does not require any additional investments to facilities and has eliminated additional work. HHI assembles the main engine and propeller shaft, attaches the hatch cover, and lashes down the bridge to make the ship heavier before the dry dock is filled with water. HHI successfully launched seven vessels constructed using this method, including a 10,000 TEU containership. The company plans to expand use of the inundation method to all dry docks. “With this new method, HHI has reduced shipbuilding time and has created a new innovation for the global shipbuilding community,” said a HHI spokesperson. HHI was granted a domestic patent in January of this year, and applied for an international patent application, under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, in November of last year. The company will also register its patent separately in other countries including Japan, China and India.
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