GENERAL Archives - Page 47 of 68 - SHIP IP LTD

Geologists report that the risk of a massive rockslide is threatening one of Alaska’s most-storied and busiest cruise ports. The local leaders are striving to devise a plan to ensure cruise-goers are not injured while on land.

The port at the center of concern is based in Alaska’s Skagway. Several vessels from major cruise lines stop daily, and passengers frequently disembark to embark on land excursions.

The concern rises as a section of a major dock in the port sits at the foot of a mountain and rock formation that will eventually fail or collapse, per a report shared with the Skagway Municipal officials by a geological consultant earlier this month.

Such a massive collapse would be “catastrophic,” per the report from Shannon and Wilson. It could threaten a dock in the port, waterfront businesses, and passengers who typically congregate at the foot of the hill during the cruise season’s busiest months.

During a public meeting, Reba Hylton, a Skagway Assembly member, said they were taken aback at what a vulnerable condition everyone was in.

Alaska Cruise Ports
Image for representation purpose only

The slope threatening the port has rocks placed over 600 feet above the dock, and the area was subject to rockslides earlier, with local leaders pointing out two slides that took place fall of 2017. Juneau, an Alaska-based KTOO, highlights another slide in June. However, everyone was lucky, and no one was injured.

Geologists observed that the rock movement has lately accelerated and predicted a more significant ‘failure’ of rock formation is more likely to occur.

The report highlighted that a reasonable way out would be a “controlled evacuation” of a port segment while crew members work to safeguard the area.

It is a hard pill to swallow, especially in Skagway, where the cruise industry – and the livelihood of all individuals relying on day excursions from passengers at the port – has been impacted over the past two summers as the cruise industry was hit hard by the ongoing pandemic.

A train excursion major named White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad is one of the businesses trapped in this problem’s crosshairs. The firm’s dock might be in the path of a probable rockslide.

Currently, the firm continues to operate the railroad excursions, a spokesperson of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad told TPG on Monday (evening) while observing that the firm is working toward safe short- and long-term solutions.

Appropriate steps have been taken and will continue to be taken to deal with this issue as we collaborate with the Skagway municipality, a firm official reported to TPG on Monday.
Meanwhile, KTOO reported that officials are re-routing passenger foot traffic on land in the port to lower the risks to cruise goers.

While discussing the issue last week, municipal officials spoke about the need for long-term solutions to mitigate the threat and more immediate ones to safeguard the lives of those who frequent the area.

References; The Points Guy, Alaska Public Media


The Advisory Committee of the Port of Sagunto has agreed on the characteristics of the specifications for the call for ideas for the northern area of the port precinct. The uses and the spatial scope to be included in the tender specifications have been analysed and defined

The Port Authority of Valencia has already put out to tender the works for the project ‘New promenade in the northern area of the Port of Sagunto’

València, July 27th, 2022.- This morning, the Advisory Committee for the Port of Sagunto, which includes the Sagunto City Council, the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) and the Valencian Regional Government, met, chaired by the Mayor of Sagunto, Darío Moreno. At the meeting, the bases were agreed upon for defining the competition of ideas for the port-city interaction project in the northern area of the Port of Sagunto, with the intention of launching the tender in September. Specifically, the uses and spatial scope to be included in the Technical Specifications have been established and defined.

This is an action that forms part of the agreement signed between the PAV and the Sagunto City Council in 2019. The action aims to improve the urban integration of the northern area by opening and integrating part of this space for public use and contributing to the generation of wealth and the attraction of tourism.

The mayor of Sagunto has expressed his satisfaction with the presentation by the PAV of the ideas competition that will outline “exactly what the final configuration of this macro-project will be, which will allow an area to be gained for the citizens, not only for leisure but also for use for multiple needs”. “A few days ago, the political parties demanded definitive steps in this port-city integration project, and today, in the Advisory Committee, this has been the main point of debate”, explained Moreno.

The general manager of the PAV, Francesc Sánchez, indicated that “we have worked on the draft for the ideas competition to fulfil the roadmap we had set together with the City Council to develop the project for the North zone. At the meeting we specified the scope and uses of this ideas competition, and the aim is that with the observations made by the council, in September we will launch this competition which will be the basis for continuing with the development of the agreement to ensure that the north quay is used for port-city integration”.

Thus, the uses linked to the port-city interaction proposed in the Committee for this project are commercial activity such as restaurants, leisure, etc, excluding large shopping centres; the creation of playgrounds, spaces and elements for physical activity and sport and a cycle path; fishing; the holding of cultural, leisure and sporting activities and events; or itinerant commercial events.

The competition will also contemplate the nautical-sports use that is compatible with the agitation characteristics of the North Quay and the maritime safety of the port; as well as the commercial and complementary port uses, with the corresponding segregation and safety measures. The competition of ideas will act on part of the area reflected in Annex I of the agreement (the area closest to the beach of Puerto de Sagunto) although it is envisaged that it will be developed in different phases.

Thus, among the objectives of the competition for ideas, it is stated that it should enhance and revitalise the areas defined in the spatial scope of the competition and connected to the urban area, providing citizens with a friendly space that is integrated into the city. Likewise, solutions will be proposed which allow compatibility between the port-city interaction and compatibility in the North Zone of the Port with commercial port activities, nautical-sports use or professional fishing.

The proposals submitted to the ideas competition will also have to establish the PAV restricted access road network and the free access road network, as well as the direct connection between the commercial areas to the East and West of the restricted access North Zone of the port. In addition, they will also contemplate the connection with the future promenade.

New promenade

It should be noted that the works for the “New promenade in the northern area of the Port of Sagunto” project are currently out to tender, with a base budget of 5,735,310 euros (VAT included), for which five bids have been submitted. This initiative, in addition to the commitments made in the agreement signed by the APV and Sagunto City Council, includes the construction of a promenade in the northern area of the port which, giving continuity to the town’s promenade, will allow public use of this area and, in the future, public access to the Sierra Menera jetty. Specifically, this project is being developed on the land occupied by the terrestrial part of the current pontoon to create a new urban space that connects the end of the current Travesía del Mediterráneo with the start of the maritime section of the pontoon.

The project for the remodelling of the northern area of the Port of Sagunto will be carried out in two phases. On the one hand, work will be carried out on the land area that will connect with the promenade in the northern area, with the aim of completing the project as quickly as possible. On the other hand, the maritime part, which will require a simplified environmental procedure due to the waste treatment that will be generated, as it will be located in non-inland waters.

The Advisory Committee is a body chaired by the Mayor of Sagunto and integrated into the Delegate Commission of the Council for the Promotion of Territorial Integration with the aim of effectively promoting the resolution of issues concerning the city of Sagunto.

Source: https://www.valenciaport.com/en/the-bases-for-the-competition-of-ideas-for-the-port-city-interaction-of-the-northern-area-of-the-port-of-sagunto-have-been-defined/


RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved a cooperation agreement between the government and Iraq in the field of maritime transport, Saudi Press Agency reported.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council of ministers also approved a protocol to amend and extend the agreement concluded between Saudi and US governments regarding cooperation in the field of science and technology.

With regards to domestic matters, the council affirmed the state’s commitment to take measures to control the abundance of products and price levels and prevent monopolistic practices.

This commitment is in addition to the SR20 billion ($5 billion) financial support that was allocated at the beginning of this month through a royal order issued by King Salman.

Source: https://www.arabnews.com/


Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s logistics and services subsidiary Adnoc L&S has bought Zakher Marine International (ZMI), an Abu Dhabi-based company that owns and operates offshore support vessels, to expand its fleet.

Upon completion of the transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, Adnoc L&S will add 24 jack-up barges and 38 offshore support vessels from ZMI, boosting its fleet size to more than 300 units, the company said on Tuesday. Financial details of the transaction were not provided.

“With the acquisition of ZMI, Adnoc L&S will broaden its services to include critical support assets for offshore operations, including ZMI’s maiden offshore renewables project in China, and extend its regional footprint, creating new opportunities for expansion with an industry-recognised partner,” Adnoc said in a statement.

ZMI is the world’s largest owner and operator of self-propelled jack-up barges and has operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China. The group was established in Abu Dhabi in 1984 and has significantly grown its diverse fleet range supporting the regional and global offshore oil and gas and renewable markets.

The company has long-term contracts with top national and international oil companies and EPC operators and has recently entered the offshore wind farm market in China to diversify its customer base, the statement said.

Adnoc L&S has the largest and most diversified fleet in the Middle East, with more than 200 vessels transporting crude oil, refined products, dry bulk, containerised cargo, liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas to global markets. Last month, it said it had bought three new LNG vessels to expand its fleet to meet the higher demand globally.

The transaction with ZMI “unlocks new revenue streams, market access, and supports growth opportunities for Adnoc L&S in its core energy and offshore logistics segments”, Adnoc said.

ZMI will continue operating as a stand-alone entity under Adnoc L&S with Ali Hassan Ali as its chief executive, the statement said.

The development comes as Adnoc plans to significantly increase its investment in hydrocarbons and raise its output capacity to five million barrels per day by 2030.

Last year, Adnoc’s board approved plans to spend Dh466 billion ($126.8bn) between 2022 and 2026 on expanding its upstream production capacity and downstream portfolio, as well as its low-carbon fuels business and clean energy ambitions.

Source:
www.thenationalnews.com

Surplus containers are piling up at warehouses as demand wears out, resulting in rising demurrage and detention charges, contributing substantially to the operational costs for shippers. These were a few inferences that were discussed during a recent webinar hosted by Container xChange, world’s leading technology platform and infrastructure provider for container movement.

 

A powerful panel of speakers from Drewry, S&P Global, and Container xChange discussed the impact of charges on shippers worldwide amidst the changing dynamics of demand and supply for containers on a global scale.

Forecasts shared by the experts on the panel indicated a potential further flattening of demand into the peak season. However, it also was emphasised that the impact of the disruptions will take time to wither irrespective of containers moving at a greater or slower pace into the coming holiday season.

George Griffiths – Editor, Global Container Freight, S&P Global Commodity Insights said during the discussion, “The shipping industry is going to see the freight rates stay flat for the rest of the year; however, it could see a little variance but might not fall off the cliff to the extent that we saw it rise when it did in 2020 and 2021.”

Falling Demand behind 2022’s unconventional peak season

Explaining on why the peak season is going to be unconventional, Chantal McRoberts, Head of Advisory, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors said, “There is massive inventory levels that have been building up, if you speak to shippers, they’ve got a lot in their warehouse that they need to move, and demand is falling”.

“I firmly believe if nobody wants to ship anything on a container in the next six months, we still wouldn’t fix the issues that we’ve got in the market at this point. The market is really snarled up, and it’s going to take a lot of effort to fix it,” said Griffiths.

Even if the demand eases towards normal standards and the vessels on blank sailings are used to clear up the disruption, ironing out the market issues at hand are going to be towering.

Emphasising on the uphill task of easing the supply chain disruption, Christian Roeloffs, Co-founder and CEO, Container xChange, added, “We’ve always compared the flow of containers situation to a traffic jam. If there’s an accident and a traffic jam, even if the accident is cleared up it still takes a very, very long time for traffic to flow again… it’s not the case that you just resolve the blockage and then everything flows.”

Pandemic-induced container imbalance adds to soaring D&D charges & freight rates; D&D charges remain at a 12% high despite a fall in 2022

Insights from the annual Demurrage and Detention benchmark report showed that there was a major spike in D&D charges in 2021, the global average increase was 39% for standard containers whereas the charges for 20 distribution centres doubled in 2021.

Looking at the 2022 scenario, the trend in 2022 has been decreasing slightly. For some outlier ports, like Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, the charges increased so much that it ended up with the value in 2022 still being higher than pre-pandemic value by 12%.

“The pandemic has thrown a variety of challenges towards the world, when it comes to demand and supply, it has shown some unlikely trends in the market. Ahead of the peak season, and the lifting of Shanghai lockdown, it should have given a bullish impetus to the shipping industry, however, the demand did not materialise.

Congested supply chains added to the mounting charges which in return made it harder to both extract containers from terminals and return empty equipment.

Griffiths said, “In the U.S., for instance, carriers have been really incentivized to keep a tight leash on their equipment due to high freight costs, meet demand, and log jammed into modal networks; within their purview, they’ve taken the cost of the containers on board.

They need to have their equipment back to keep the flow going and be able to reposition the containers. And I think that’s an important nuance in the container market. So that’s why we’re starting to see these costs increase on detention and demurrage, it is because these charges are designed in such a way that it compensates carriers for the use of their containers.”

Further explaining the root of rising D&D charges, McRoberts said, “It’s clear that supply chain disruptions are driving an increase in detention and demurrage charges. If there’s a shortage of drivers, a shortage of physical people and vehicles to get the containers into the ports and out of the ports, it consequently increases the D&D charges.

“These physical blockages had pushed up charges for shippers, and while the situation was easing, a full clearance of backlogs on the discharge front would not come until next year.”

Shippers may get respite from the soaring charges only if congestion is alleviated

Discussing the scenario behind the hefty D&D charges, Griffiths said, “Many, many carriers and operators have introduced strict free time parameters, and as a result these charges for delays have been levied against the shippers. They’ve become a significant cost centre for shippers. Previously, this was a transient cost, people didn’t really look at it. People didn’t pay that much attention to demurrage and detention. But now it has become a cause of concern”

Talking about respite McRoberts said, “There is some latent capacity coming in next year which should help equalise the supply/demand balance, and if we can get the pedal easing off the accelerator of port congestion, then hopefully that will positive ramifications on the cost side.

In the meantime, shippers should be asking questions about what they can and cannot get in the contract bids. You need to make sure you are nailing down free days in your tenders. It is about maximising any opportunity on a hopefully softening cost element. Regulation, however, was likely to have less of an effect than some shippers hope for.”
Source: Container xChange


On 22 July, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement with Turkey and the United Nations to allow grain exports from three ports in western Ukraine: Yuzhne, Chornomorsk, and Odesa. Combined, the three ports accounted for 65% of the country’s total grain exports over the past five years. Exports could, however, face several difficulties.

 

The deal is valid for 120 days, with an option to extend, and it allows bulkers to be escorted to the ports through a safe corridor. To create a navigable passage, the corridor will have its sea mines removed, a process that is expected to take one to two weeks.

Description automatically generated

“With this deal, the UN hopes to increase monthly grain exports from Ukraine by five million tonnes. However, since over the past five years, these three ports have not ever handled such a high amount of grain, meeting this target could prove to be a challenge,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO. “Even if port logistics accelerate to expedite exports, the need to escort ships in and out of the ports is likely to cause some congestion.”

Over 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grains are ready for export and the country’s grain traders union (UGA) expects around 25 million tonnes more to come from the 2022 harvest. With the wheat harvest underway and the maize harvest to start in September, a swift export of grain is needed to ensure space in silos for the new harvests. To accelerate exports the Danube ports, as well as land routes, will likely continue to play an important role in the shipment of Ukrainian grain in the short to medium term.

“A significant obstacle to Ukrainian grain exports will be the voyage risk and corresponding insurance premiums. For the shipping of Ukrainian grain to be attractive, high rates will be necessary to mitigate risk-related expenses,” says Rasmussen. “Russia’s recent missile strikes in ports such as Odesa will add to the insecurity and uncertainty of operating in the Black Sea.”

Due to limited global supply of wheat and maize, a return of Ukrainian grain to the global market would positively impact the Panamax, Supramax and Handysize segments. Additionally, the boost in Ukrainian exports would help combat inflation and food insecurity, particularly in emerging economies, and help bring needed stability to the global economy.
Source: BIMCO, By Chief Shipping Analyst, Neils Rasmussen


The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has inaugurated the Expert Level Planning Team (ELPT) of the Agency to draft the National Maritime Security Strategy (NMSS) to sustain the Agency’s successes in the fight against piracy.
Jamoh also commended the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for its technical support to Nigeria by assigning facilitators to assist the country.

According to the DG, maritime security will always be of priority concern to the Agency, noting that it is the bedrock and guarantee of every meaningful shipping enterprise.

The NIMASA DG said the strategy would become the culmination of all the various efforts,initiatives, partnerships the Agency started out under its “Triple S” of Maritime Security, Safety and Shipping Development upon his assumption of office in March 2020.

He said, “There can be no doubt, to the fact that maritime security is the bedrock and guarantee of every meaningful shipping enterprise. From the crew to cargo to carrier to the coast and quayside, there must be security all the way for confidence to drive shipping economics.

“Maritime security has always been and will continue to remain a priority. You are all aware of the current successes achieved in ensuring maritime security within the nation’s maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as a whole.

“Specifically, the GoG region is experiencing an unprecedented decline in piracy incidents over the past three decades. Only as recently as last week, the International Maritime Bureau (the IMB) finally confirmed all the progress we have been making and announcing for months the said Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea – has declined for real. This is a fact that we can all be proud of.

“Also, this is the product of concerted efforts of the Agency in collaboration with other relevant government bodies such as the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security (DSS), and several other state and non-state actors and stakeholders having security responsibilities.

Jamoh pointed out that NIMASA is mindful of the dynamic nature of maritime security threats; hence the need to take deliberate steps to ensure sustainability of its achievements, through the establishment of a coordinated, whole-of-government approach in dealing with issues of maritime security.

He stated that the Agency’s strategic responsibilities to protect ships, seafarers, shipload, merchandise, ports and all other assets in Nigeria’s maritime domain as mandated by the NIMASA Act, ISPS Code Implementation Regulations (2014) and, more recently, the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act makes it pertinent for it to successfully drive the collaborative development of the NMSS.

“I am therefore hopeful that by the end of this program, not only will you be trained as Maritime Security Professionals (MSPs), you will also be equipped with the requisite skills to offer similar training on behalf of the Agency to individuals who intend to carry out specific maritime security functions.

“The Expert Learning Planning Team (ELPT) is to develop a blueprint of the National Maritime Security Strategy (NMSS). This would serve as the basis for your determination of the members of the cross government Working Group (WG) that will execute subsequent steps of this drafting process.

Jamoh thanked the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the technical assistance through Philip Heyl and Rear Admiral O.C Medani of the Nigerian Navy (Rtd) facilitating the sessions.

He added that the IMO’s unflinching assistance has enabled the Agency to develop a workable, multi-phase plan, which it is currently executing.

Source: https://nimasa.gov.ng/jamoh-inaugurates-expert-team-on-maritime-security-strategy/


Mexico has the potential to establish itself as a global leader in maritime decarbonisation by engaging in green fuel production and bunkering with swift and strategic action, according to a new report by P4G Getting to Zero Coalition.

Being placed between well-established shipping routes and trade relations to multiple continents in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the report found Mexico could tap into new markets and by investing it itself, the country could create new revenue streams from scalable zero emission fuels (SZEF) exports and bunkering, establish green hubs and ports, as well as open possibilities for green corridors along key shipping routes.

“The massive demand for zero emission fuels that will arise constitutes a major growth opportunity for Mexico, having the chance to become a future powerhouse for international shipping in Latin America,” said Ingrid Sidenvall Jegou, project director at the Global Maritime Forum.

According to the report, the development of green fuel infrastructure to serve Mexico’s shipping sector could attract investments ranging from $1.9bn to $2.7bn in onshore infrastructure by 2030. It discovered three key opportunities for Mexico, including the port of Manzanillo, DH2 Energy activities in Central Mexico, and Baja California, all of which are said to benefit from SZEF production, offtake, and distribution.

A facilitative policy and financial framework capable of effectively motivating and convening key actors across sectors and value chains is critical to unlocking these opportunities. The 111-page analysis stressed that the country currently lacks a favorable ecosystem, both politically and economically, to leverage benefits from SZEF production and use, particularly given the current administration’s preference to continue exploiting the country’s fossil fuel resources.

The report suggested that with appropriate incentives and targeted action towards encouraging investments into renewable energy and fuel production, Mexico could gain a competitive advantage in the bunkering and export of fuels in Latin America as other countries in the region take steps to prepare their own bunker supply chains.

Source: https://splash247.com/mexico-highlighted-as-potential-zero-emission-fuels-hub-for-shipping/


Saudi Arabian shipyard International Maritime Industries (IMI) has expanded its partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) through a technical service agreement to aid the Middle Eastern builder in delivering VLCCs.

HHI has been helping IMI expand its expertise since it was founded five years ago. The Korean yard is one of four founding partners in the joint venture in Saudi Arabia with the others being Saudi Aramco, Bahri and Lamprell.

Dr. Abdullah Al Ahmari, CEO at IMI, said: “This agreement reflects HHI’s ongoing commitment to supporting our efforts to build a world-class shipyard capable of locally manufacturing VLCCs and other vessels, that will help drive the development of Saudi Arabia’s maritime industry.”
IMI is the largest shipyard in the Middle East at nearly 12m sq m.

Sourcce: https://splash247.com/hyundai-heavy-aids-saudi-yard-in-developing-vlccs/


Fiscal Year 2022 was another record-breaker for the Georgia Ports Authority, with container volumes growing 8 percent for a total of 5.76 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, according to the company’s release.

The Port of Savannah ended the year with a record June, handling 494,107 TEUs in total cargo, up 10.6 percent or 47,300 TEUs compared to the same month last year.

In addition to organic growth among its port customers, Savannah trade has also been boosted by West Coast labor talks and delayed access to rail at West Coast ports, prompting a significant shift in vessel calls. Savannah is also receiving container trade diverted from the Port of Charleston. GPA is currently handling the highest volume of ad hoc and new service vessels the Port of Savannah has experienced to date. Uncertainty around the labor talks, unprecedented and unplanned vessel calls, record cargo volume, and vessel diversions to Savannah have contributed to a higher than normal number of vessels waiting at anchor.

GPA is experiencing record truck turns during both its day and night-gate operations. Garden City Terminal saw a weekday average of 14,500 truck moves in June, counting both inbound and outbound gate exchanges.

To better accommodate rising demand, the GPA recruited 166 new workers in FY2022, for a total of 1,647 direct employees.

The GPA Board approved the purchase of 12 new rubber-tired gantry cranes and other container handling equipment at its regular July meeting. The RTG purchase totals $30.25 million. The Port of Savannah already features 198 RTGs, and another 24 were already on order. Tuesday’s action will bring the fleet to 234 in Savannah.

In FY2022, export loads accounted for 1.32 million TEUs for GPA, while import loads totaled 2.86 million. Top exports included forest products, kaolin clay and automotive cargo. Top import commodities included furniture, machinery and plastic goods.

In addition to increased container trade, breakbulk tonnage also saw strong growth in FY2022, up 15.7 percent to more than 3 million tons. Mayor’s Point Terminal in Brunswick turned in a particularly strong performance, with breakbulk forest products leaping from 52,244 tons in FY2021 to 252,000 tons in the fiscal year ended June 30.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 496,700 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $29 billion in income, $122 billion in revenue and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.

source: https://en.portnews.ru/news/332971/


Company DETAILS

SHIP IP LTD
VAT:BG 202572176
Rakovski STR.145
Sofia,
Bulgaria
Phone ( +359) 24929284
E-mail: sales(at)shipip.com

ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED