Manoeuvring is the ability of a vessel to turn towards the port or starboard side using the steerage force stemming from the turning of the rudder aft based on diverse requirements.
These requirements can be anything like maintaining or changing its desired course of travel, trying to steer clear of an obstruction underway, or approaching a port or dock.
Manoeuvring is a broad topic in naval architecture or vessel sciences and has been a matter of serious discussion and research for years. Many of us are also aware of the manoeuvring trials that take place to assess the turning abilities of a vessel.
Before discussing the pivot point of a vessel, it is crucial to revisit a ship’s ‘turning circle’ manoeuvre briefly.
A turning circle manoeuvre is when the vessel constantly turns towards a particular direction such that it completes or tends to complete a full circle after some time and returns to its origin or starting point.
This is a common aspect of transportation, starting from vehicles like cars or two-wheelers. Similarly, a turning circle is achieved for vessels by simply applying the constant rudder moment towards a particular side.
For example, by applying the rudder angle towards the port side, a vessel turns leftwards and essentially tends to complete a turning circle in an ‘anticlockwise sense.’ Likewise, by applying a rudder angle towards the starboard, the vessel tends to achieve a turning circle in a ‘clockwise sense.’
Simply put, a turning circle is nothing but a vessel turning in a particular direction. The constant turning moment from the rudder is applied for a fair amount of time to develop a motion in a circular trajectory or path.
Hence, we can all say that when a vessel turns towards a particular side, even for less time, it marks the beginning of the turning circle phenomena. The turning tendency is stopped whenever the rudder is re-aligned, and the vessel re-orients itself to the new direction or course.
Other kinds of nuances and physical phenomena are involved in this. For instance, for a starboard turn, during some initial moments, the vessel tends to drift slightly towards the port side before re-orienting towards the intended starboard direction and vice-versa. This is due to the interplay of some hydrodynamic phenomena.
Moving back to the physics of turning, there are essentially three phases of turning:
i) The first, where the rudder force is applied, the vessel tends to initially drift towards the other side and finally attains an equilibrium of forces and moments involved in turning towards the desired course.
ii) the second phase, where the vessel is at 90 degrees from its original direction of heading, and the moments from the induced one of the rudder and the hull are in a state of mutual equilibrium. During this stage, the centrifugal force also comes into action, keeping the vessel oriented towards the geometric centre of the circle it traces or tends to trace.
iii) In The third phase, where a steady state is achieved, the trajectory becomes fixed with a constant radius, and all external forces become virtually non-existent, with the hull moment becoming the dominant one exceeding the induced moment of the rudder.
Now, whenever a vessel is in a state of turn, irrespective of whether it completes a turning circle, the turning takes about a point of action. As we know from the physics of rotation, all bodies in a state of rotatory motion turn about to a fixed point within the geometric limits of the body.
What is a pivot point of a vessel?
This is the same for vessels, where during stages of turning, the vessel’s turning moment acts about a definitive point of action, which lies on its centre-line, somewhat towards the fore-end or aft end. This kinematic point of action is known as the pivot point of a vessel.
In simple words, it can also be imagined as the point of rotation of a vessel. Now, since the hull is never a regular-shaped body, this pivot point is never the same as the Centre of Gravity, or C.G of the vessel, about which we have dealt with so much in the entire field of naval architecture or marine sciences.
Neither is it related to the Centre of Flotation or Centre of Buoyancy, which is related to the disposition of the vessel on the water surface and the overall hydrostatics associated with the hull.
However, the pivot point is more of a hydrodynamic parameter. The pivot point’s position primarily depends on the hull form, the speed, and the direction of the vessel’s motion. Though different, it is up to some extent on these mentioned points as well, the correlation being beyond the scope of this article.
Though we mentioned just a while back that it is a ‘fixed’ point, the fixity is only relevant for a particular scenario, and the location of this point may change again for a different speed-motion scenario.
For example, for all practical purposes, this point is located between 1/3rd and 1/6th of the bow when the vessel is moving ahead or has a forward component of speed and around 1/3rd or 1/6th of the stern when the ship is moving astern.
Now, let us discuss some instances to know more about the positions of the pivot point in detail based on the situation.
Most designers use the ratio velocity by length or V/L as a parameter for analysing the behaviour of the pivot points.
When the vessel is stationary (V/L=0): There are no forces or motions associated with the vessel. The pivot point is almost close to or coinciding with the C.G, which is near the midship.
When the vessel moves ahead (V/L >0): The pivot point shifts forwards and is roughly located around 1/3rd or 1/4th distance from the bow, as mentioned.
When the vessel is moving backwards (V/L <0): The pivot points move backwards and, similarly, are located around 1/3rd to 1/4th of the ship’s length from the stern, depending on the speed.
When the vessel is turning: When the vessel is turning either by bow or stern, the pivot point attains a location somewhere between 1/3rd and 1/6th of the vessel’s length from bow or stern, depending on the hull form, speed and rudder moment applied. The location of the pivot point determines the radius of the circle completed or tended during turning. A smaller circle is achieved if the pivot point is closer to the bow or stern, for forward or back turning, respectively. For the pivot point further from the bow, the circle is larger. In terms of hull form, a fuller form ship, like a bulker or tanker, has a pivot point closer to the bow than slender vessels.
The locus of the pivot point traced during turning is the trajectory of the circle created or tending to be created.
In the mid-2000s, when shipping stocks first became popular on Wall Street, the shares were commonly bought as a play on China’s economy. China is pivotal to ocean shipping, whether it’s container ships, oil tankers, bulkers or gas carriers.
“There’s a saying that everything that moves out of China in containers has to come into China as raw materials,” noted Oeyvind Lindeman, chief commercial officer of Navigator Gas (NYSE: NVGS), on his company’s latest conference call.
Ominously, signs of China’s weakening economy are showing up across all shipping sectors at once.
The glass-half-empty view is that pullbacks in shipping demand are bellwethers of more severe economic problems to come. The glass-half-full view is that declines are temporary. A rebound of Chinese demand for iron ore, oil and gas will eventually boost commodity shipping rates.
Container shipping
Sales of containerized goods to the U.S. and Europe supported the Chinese economy throughout the pandemic era. Markets were rattled Wednesday when China’s official monthly export stats came in much lighter than expected.
China’s exports rose 7.1% year on year (y/y) in August, well below the consensus forecast for 12.8% growth. Exports had grown 18% y/y in July. China’s exports to the U.S. declined 3.8% y/y in August, compared to an 11% increase in July.
Outbound volumes are being squeezed from both sides. Demand for Chinese goods is falling at the same time COVID-19 lockdowns and weather issues are constraining Chinese manufacturing and logistics.
Index: January 2019 = 100 (Chart: FreightWaves SONAR)
The government has extended lockdowns in Chengdu and announced new nationwide precautions through the end of October. Analysts do not foresee any relaxation of China’s zero-COVID policy this year.
Meanwhile, China recorded its highest temperatures and lowest rainfall in over six decades last month. Resultant power outages forced factory closures in Sichuan.
Dry bulk imports
China is the world’s largest producer of steel. Its steel production in January-July was down 6.1% y/y. Production in July fell 10% versus June.
“The decline in Chinese steel production has predominantly come from the ailing property sector and the stop-start industrial activity due to COVID-19 lockdowns,” wrote Mark Nugent, dry bulk analyst at shipbroker Braemar, in a research note on Thursday.
Brokerage EastGate Shipping said that the heatwave and power shortages forced 20 steel mills to go offline for around a week in mid-August.
Brokerage BRS blamed the plunge on diversions of Australian iron ore from China to Southeast Asia, and more damaging to rates, a sharp decline in Chinese imports of long-haul Brazilian iron ore in August.
“Scorching temperatures and a relentless zero-COVID policy seriously crippled steel demand in China,” said BRS. It does not expect a full recovery of Chinese steel production until next spring, “casting doubts on a radical rebound in seaborne iron ore demand.”
According to Poten & Partners, Chinese crude imports grew rapidly from 4.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2009 to 10.1 million b/d in 2019. Growth slowed in 2020 when the pandemic hit and declined by 550,000 b/d in 2021.
Chinese imports sank to 8.7 million b/d in June, the lowest monthly average since July 2018. Imports were 8.8 million b/d in July and 9.5 million b/d in August. In the first eight months of this year, Chinese crude imports fell 5.2% versus the same period in 2021.
The International Energy Agency said in its latest outlook that China’s lockdowns “set back our projected demand recovery by two months.”
BRS noted that China has 920,000 b/d in new refinery capacity scheduled to come online by the end of the year. Normally, that would increase crude import demand. However, China’s refining capacity is already higher than domestic consumption and the government has not been pushing exports.
“Considering our relatively pessimistic short-term outlook for China, [with] COVID and lockdowns to remain a going concern until at least the beginning of next year, we expect little upside in Chinese runs as Beijing appears unwilling to permit its refiners to focus on export markets,” said BRS.
LPG shipping
China also is one of the world’s largest importers of liquefied petroleum gas (LNG): propane and butane.
Beyond its use for energy, China imports propane as feedstock for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants for the creation of propylene. The propylene is used to produce polypropylene, which is in turn used to manufacture plastic.
Tim Hansen, chief commercial officer of Dorian LPG (NYSE: LPG), referred to Chinese demand headwinds during his company’s latest call. Hansen cited “renewed impact of COVID-19 lockdowns” and worries about Chinese demand that “were a factor for market players, which resulted in more risk-averse [behavior] and reduced opportunistic trades.”
According to Lindeman of Navigator Gas, “All eyes are on China and when they are getting out of their malaise.”
Oystein Kalleklev, CEO of Flex LNG (NYSE: FLNG), said on his company’s latest call: “In a sense, you could say that Europe has been very lucky, because the cooldown in the Chinese economy driven by COVID lockdowns has resulted in lower demand from China.
“Chinese imports this year are down by more than 20% [or] 9 million tons. And European buyers have been able to get access to these cargoes, which would have been a lot more difficult if the Chinese economy was running at normal capacity.”
Kalleklev believes China will come back to the LNG import market, in a big way, pointing to commitments for new volumes that have yet to come onstream.
“Even though China has a reduction in LNG imports this year, they are signing for almost half of these new volumes, because the LNG story in China is in its early phases,” Kalleklev said. “This year, actually, Japan will probably import more LNG than China. And there are more than 10 times as many people in China. So, China will continue to grow once they get control of COVID and reflate their economy.”
Managing marine risks is not an easy task, which requires special knowledge and expertise on the subject per se. Customarily, big ship management companies, operating a large number of vessels, employ a small army of marine professionals, manning different shipping departments, i.e Chartering, Marine insurance, Technical, Finance, Accounting, ISM, S&P, IT, Crew, Trading, Legal, Projects, Administration, and Operations department, which have to synchronise, when necessary, working together to discover the optimum solution(s) for managing risks timely, at the lowest possible cost, for their ship owners benefit.
On the other hand, small size companies managing a handful of vessels, usually have limited access, or can’t afford even to employ same or similar specialized and highly rewarded shipping personnel, making risk management for them terra incognita or, if not impossible, a task hard to plan and organize – mostly due to lack of knowledge – in a proactive and efficient way.
One of many risks a shipping company has to manage, is its vessels’ uninterrupted income earning capacity, particularly in a freight slump period.
Maintaining cash flow is literally, for any shipping company, the key for survival and growth. Freight or Hire, is vessels’ income, which often is at risk, particularly when vessel is deemed to be ‘off hire’ by her charterers, due to various causes. Having said that, one could verify in a vessel’s Charter Party terms what are the causes that trigger the activation of the ‘off hire clause’.
WHEN A VESSEL IS DEEMED TO BE ‘OFF HIRE’? and when a vessel’s income earning capacity temporarily seizes and her cash flow is endangered? What is there for a ship manager to do in his effort to eliminate or, minimize at least, if there hasn’t been a successful Risk Prevention Plan in place, the negative results of this probable risk?
Let’s delve into it: A vessel, in general, will be deemed to be ‘off-hire’ if there is an occurrence preventing the full working of the vessel due to, among other things:
•operational deficiencies;
•the removal of a vessel from the water for repairs, maintenance or inspection, which
is referred to as dry-docking;
•equipment breakdowns;
•delays due to accidents or deviations from course;
•occurrence of hostilities in the vessel’s flag state;
• external factors, such as health regulations (i.e Covid-19), legal or political reasons, could trigger the off-hire clause as long as they impose restrictions which affect the nature of the vessel herself and her performance.
•closure of waterways or shipping routes due to natural or manmade causes, or other force majeure events;
•crewing strikes, labour boycotts, certain vessel detentions or similar problems;
•failure to maintain the vessel in compliance with its specifications, contractual standards and applicable country of registry and international regulations or to provide the required crew;
• (‘Any other cause’ which is generally viewed to relate to the condition of the ship or her crew) and or;
• Piracy, WAR, K&R, Hijacking, Vessel’s detention.
Is worthwhile to note that the off-hire event must: a) Not be the result of a breach of contract on the part of charterer and b) Be fortuitous and not a natural result of charterers’ orders.
Some of the risks above can be avoided (as it is explained further) and others is worth transferring to the Marine Insurance Underwriters, in exchange of a fair price (insurance premium).
Risk probability ( % ) and premium cost (rate %) is closely related, however, as mentioned earlier, there are risks which a ship manager can afford and retain, particularly if proper Risk Prevention Plans have been in place for Risk Prevention and Avoidance.
Now, let’s see what is insurable and worth transferring to Underwriters, for a ship manager, so he can wisely act proactively purchasing the traditional LOSS OF HIRE or the more advanced LOSS OF EARNINGS INSURANCE (the traditional insurance Loss of Hire policy, enhanced with a couple add on benefits), to protect his principal’s/owner’s cash flow.
THE LOH (LOSS OF HIRE) traditional insurance cover provides to owners/managers an indemnity in case of a H&M policy covered accident. The Loss of Hire cover responds to a shipowner’s loss of income following physical damage to a vessel. It includes protection against stranding, physical obstruction of the vessel, preventing her from leaving port (excluding ice), and salvage or removal of damaged cargo, offering comprehensive support for shipowners. A vessel put off hire by charterers on account of a damage is generally regarded as ‘deprived of income’ as a result of that damage, which is the trigger of compensation under a Loss of Hire policy (minimum deductible usually 14 days).
STRIKE & DELAY LOSS OF HIRE INSURANCE COVER (its an add on) protects ship operators from otherwise uninsured losses caused by unexpected delays in port and at sea. Complementing both P&I and Hull and Machinery cover, it helps owners protect their revenues and control costs from specified events on board and ashore delaying their ships. Such risks are a continuing hazard to shipping.
PIRACY / K&R/HIJACKING/VESSEL’S DETENTION / WAR RELATED LOSS OF HIRE INSURANCE
In the event that a vessel is seized by pirates, the charterer may withhold charter payments until the vessel is released.
A charterer may also claim that a vessel seized by pirates was not “on hire” for a number of days that exceeds a specific requirement provided in the relevant charter agreement and therefore, the charterer is entitled to cancel the charter party agreement. Despite the fact that many Shipowners/Shipmanagers maintain insurance against such risks, they may not be adequately insured to cover losses from these incidents, which could have a material adverse effect on their cash flow. In addition, any detention and/or hijacking of their vessels as a result of an act of piracy, or an increase in cost or unavailability of insurance for their vessels could have a material adverse impact on their business, financial status, results of daily operations. Currently, market cost is very low compared to the cover offered, same is the probability (% of risk), but not eliminated.
War and war related events causing vessel’s deprivation by her owner can give a reason for charterer to withhold charter payments. War LOH can be included in the War Risk policy at a cost/premium.
Planning and being proactive has been proven to be the best strategy for success in shipping business and since, a healthy cashflow is key for survival and growth, ‘Cash flow protection’ planning is an economical solution for any ship management company who wishes to best manage and control its fleet uninterrupted income.
Source: Marasco Marine, By Anastasios Maraslis, Founder and President of Marasco Marine Ltd*
The global iron ore seaborne trade has trended lower so far this year, mainly as a result of China’s diminishing iron ore imports. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “global iron ore loadings in the full 12 months of 2021 were up +0.7% y-o-y to 1,555.3 mln t, according to vessels tracking data from Refinitiv. So far in 2022, iron ore trade softened again, primarily due to weaker demand from China and supply issues in Brazil. In January-August 2022, global iron ore loadings declined by -2.6% y-o-y to 993.8 mln tonnes, from 1020.6 mln t in the same period of 2021. Exports from Australia increased by +0.7% y-o-y in Jan-Aug 2022 to 584.3 mln tonnes, just a little below 2020 levels, which was the most recent record high, and above the levels of 2018 and 2019. Exports from Brazil, on the other hand, declined by -4.5% y-o-y so far this year to 218.0 mln tonnes, from 228.2 mln tonnes in the same period of last year, although they were still higher than in 2020”.
According to the shipbroker, “demand is weighted down by a weakening economy in China, with iron ore imports into the country down by -1.9% y-o-y to 706.3 mln tonnes in the first 8 months of 2022. On the other hand, the European Union is seeing a revival, with imports up +3.6% y-o-y to 56.5 mln tonnes in the same period. Imports into Europe, however, are still well below the levels of 2019 (62.8 mln t in the Jan-Aug period of that year) and 2018 (65.7 mln t)”.
Source: banchero costa &c s.p.a
“Canada is the fourth largest exporter of iron ore in the world, after Australia, Brazil, and South Africa. In Jan-Aug 2022, Canada accounted for 3.3% of global seaborne iron ore shipments. Seaborne iron ore exports from Canada peaked in 2020, and have been declining since. Canada’s iron ore exports in the 12 months of 2020 increased by +10.3% y-o-y to 56.6 mln t, from 51.4 mln t in 2019. That was itself up +8.4% from 47.4 mln t in 2018. In 2021, however, Canada exported just 53.1 mln t of iron ore, which represented a -6.2% y-o-y decline. So far this year we have seen a continuation of this negative trend. In the first 8 months of 2022, Canada exported 32.8 mln tonnes of iron ore, which was a -3.5% y-o-y decline from the 33.9 mln tonnes shipped in the same period of last year. The vast majority of Canadian iron ore exports are loaded in the St. Lawrence river, in the east of the country”.
Source: banchero costa &c s.p.a
Banchero Costa added that “the largest loading port by volumes is Sept-Iles (Seven Islands), with 18.3 mln tonnes of iron ore loaded in the first 8 months of 2022. Another 12.8 mln tonnes of iron ore were loaded this year from nearby Port Cartier. Additionally, 1.7 mln tonnes were loaded this year from Milne Inlet on Baffin Island, far north in the Arctic. Given the location of the load ports, the natural market for Canadian iron ore is the Atlantic Basin. Nevertheless, given the limited size and lack of growth potential of the European market, Canada has quite successfully diversified also into the Asian markets. The European Union is still by far the top destination, accounting for 39.8% of Canada’s total iron ore exports so far in 2022. The EU, which was already the top buyer of Canadian seaborne iron ore, further increased volumes by +4.5% y-o-y in Jan-Aug 2022 to 13.0 mln t in Jan-Aug 2021, from 12.5 mln t in the same period of 2021. However, this was still well below the 13.8 mln tonnes Canada exported to the EU in Jan-Aug 2019. The second top destination for Canada’s iron ore exports is Mainland China, accounting for a 20.8% share. Shipments from Canada to China declined by -18.8% y-o-y to 6.8 mln tonnes in the first 8 months of 2022, from 8.4 mln tonnes in Jan-Aug 2021. They were also well below the record 12.4 mln tonnes shipped in Jan-Aug 2020. In third place was Japan, with 3.6 mln tonnes in Jan-Aug 2022, down -20.6% y-o-y. Japan accounts for 11.1% of Canada’s total exports”, the shipbroker concluded.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Shipping is about to experience its latest round of emission reduction this coming January and already some trouble could arise as things could get tricky between ship owners and charterers. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “the IMO’s carbon intensity indicator (CII) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Design Index (EEXI) will come into effect on 1st of January 2023. These measures form a key part of the IMO’s strategy to lower CO2 emissions from the industry. However, as is sometimes the case with regulation, unintended consequences can arise, which could in the short-term increase inefficiency of the fleet until industry practices adopt, or older vessels are removed from trading. Indeed, regulation also sometimes fails to account for commercial practices which are not always compatible with technical directives from the IMO”.
Source: Gibson Shipbrokers
According to Gibson, “from a commercial standpoint, EEXI is more straightforward to implement because compliance sits firmly with the owner. It is the owner’s obligation to ensure the vessel complies with the reference line and make technical/design amendments to the vessel if compliance is not met. CII is commercially more complex as it concerns how the vessel is traded. Under a spot voyage, it is the owner’s obligation to manage the vessel’s performance to attain the CII rating the owner desires. However, under a time charter, the situation could be much more complex. Given that CII ratings are retrospective, a vessel on time charter could be traded inefficiently and returned to the owner with an inferior rating, putting the owner at a commercial disadvantage following the charter. From a charterer’s perspective, whilst CII is an operational measure and can be managed through trading patterns, the CII performance of a ship is linked to other factors, such as design, maintenance and warranted fuel consumption. If any of these factors is not as described in the charter party, then a dispute is likely to arise”, the shipbroker noted.
Gibson added that “the biggest issue with CII, however, is that vessels will have to adjust their trading patterns to attain the required rating and the IMO will argue that this is exactly the point. However, a non eco ship, which would typically trade shorter voyages, will now be more likely to engage in longer haul voyages to attain the required CII, which is largely a function of CO2 emitted, cargo capacity and importantly, distance sailed. Likewise, eco ships with much better CO2 emissions could be deployed on shorter voyages where, despite smaller distances, could still attain an acceptable CII rating due to their fuel efficiency. Overall, the net effect in these circumstances could be higher total CO2 emissions for the tanker sector and exactly the opposite of what the IMO is trying to achieve, at least in the short term”.
“On a longer-term basis of course, older less efficient vessels will see reduced trading opportunities and may eventually face pressure to scrap, with the replacement leading to improved operational and design efficiency across the fleet. It is also hoped that CII will force owners and charterers to squeeze as much operational efficiency out of their fleets as possible. However, for this to be realised, operational and commercial practices may need to change, notably around sailing speeds, demurrage and scheduling”, the shipbroker said.
“Ultimately, few question the industry’s need to reduce emissions; however, future regulations must avoid unintended consequences and be sensitive to industry practices, which will take time to evolve. Only steps which lead to a net reduction in emissions should be taken forward and regulation should avoid encouraging non eco vessels to engage in long voyages over eco tonnage. CII will distort trading patterns and could lead some vessels to emit more CO2 than they would have prior to the regulations in order to chase a rating. Only time will tell whether CII has the desired effect or creates unintended consequences”, Gibson concluded.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
On September 12, according to the dynamics and development trend of typhoons, the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China decided that the coastal area of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province will start a level III typhoon defense emergency response from 9:00 on the same day. Photo provided by Ma Hongyu The maritime department reminds all relevant units and ships to pay close attention to the dynamics of typhoons, and do a good job of typhoon prevention in accordance with the “Regulations on the Supervision and Management of Water Typhoon Prevention in the Jurisdiction of Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration” and their respective typhoon prevention plans.
China News Service, Ningbo, September 12 (Reporter Lin Bo) On September 12, according to the dynamics and development trend of typhoons, the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China decided that the coastal area of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province will start a level III typhoon defense emergency response from 9:00 that day.
It is reported that this year’s No. 12 typhoon “Meihua” (strong typhoon) was located at 23.9 degrees north latitude and 124.2 degrees east longitude at 8:00 on September 12, 712 kilometers away from Ningbo. The maximum wind force in the center was 14, and the center pressure was 950 hPa , moving at a speed of 9 kilometers per hour.
According to the typhoon track forecast by the meteorological department, “Plum Blossom” is likely to land on the coast of China, and the coastal waters of Ningbo are directly affected by the typhoon.
The maritime department reminds all relevant units and ships to pay close attention to the dynamics of typhoons, and do a good job of typhoon prevention in accordance with the “Regulations on the Supervision and Management of Waterborne Typhoon Prevention in the Jurisdiction of Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration” and their respective typhoon prevention plans.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, there is a large demand for return passenger transport by water.
Ningbo maritime department has worked with relevant passenger transport companies to focus on flight adjustment and release, and strengthen passenger ship escort work through the ship traffic management center and on-site law enforcement forces to prevent passengers from being stranded.
At present, there are a total of 25 main passenger ferry routes in normal operation in Ningbo, 5 passenger routes have been suspended, and the remaining routes have also been prepared for suspension. Passenger evacuation has begun on routes such as Xiangshan Yushan and Tantoushan. It is expected that at noon on the same day All picked up.
The maritime department reminds that after entering the level III emergency response to typhoon prevention, all water-related engineering and dangerous goods operation units need to make timely adjustments to their production plans, evacuate ships and personnel according to the typhoon prevention plan, and port production departments must do a good job in production scheduling. Ensure that the key ships in berthing leave the berth in time.
At present, there are more than 1,100 sheltered ships in the port under the jurisdiction of Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have agreed to deepen existing interagency collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) on Seafarers’ Travel document amongst others.
The agreement was reached when the Comptroller General of NIS, Mr. Isah Idris Jere led senior officials of the service on a working visit to the management of NIMASA.
Speaking, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh noted that the role of the Nigerian Immigration Service in enhancing security in the maritime domain is crucial, adding that seamless issuance of travel documents to seafarers is a key component in the nation’s quest to grow the maritime industry.
According to Dr. Jamoh, “Security on land is key to achieving a safe and secure maritime domain. NIMASA appreciates the need to work closely with the Immigration Service to improve security in the maritime domain. We need the Service to play a major role in issues of crew nationality, seafarers travel document and managing issues of stowaways, amongst others.”
On his part, the NIS Comptroller General identified issuance of temporary work permits to international vessel crews as well as preventing stowaways, as areas of frequent collaboration between both organs of Government while also commending NIMASA’s automation of dockworkers registration nationwide.
According to him, “Our visit to NIMASA is a signal that the Nigeria Immigration Service seeks continued collaboration and deepened synergy as we collectively work to address the issues facing us in our coastal lines and in maintaining the integrity of our territorial waters. We welcome the Agency’s automation of dockworkers registration and issuance of biometric identity cards as a great step in the task of securing the nation’s ports.”
FORCE Technology has expanded its engineering design and testing services portfolio to provide remote access to high fidelity maritime navigation simulation for the purpose of testing planned port and harbor construction projects. The new SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies unlocks time and cost savings during the planning and design phase of maritime infrastructure projects as proposed developments can be evaluated in real-time and under highly realistic conditions without the requirement to visit a physical simulator facility.
SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies is an expansion of maritime simulator developer FORCE Technology’s latest generation SimFlex Cloud simulator, a dedicated SaaS (Software as a Service) solution offering highly realistic navigation simulation for training purposes. It expands the company’s established engineering design and testing services making them fully available online, helping customers to reduce costs and accelerate the planning phase by providing easy remote and real-time access to highly accurate environment simulations based on the proposed structural and/or vessel routing changes.
All new environmental model designs are created by FORCE Technology engineers within weeks of receiving the engineering plan so they can be quickly assessed by professional captains, pilots and navigators using any of the 700 mathematical ship models in the SimFlex Cloud vessel database. While FORCE Technology already provides engineering check-out services using its in-house simulators, SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies introduces the new possibility of immediate online access for testing at any time and from anywhere with a stable broadband connection.
Navigators and bridge officers charged with harnessing their real-life experience to verify the impact of port and harbour design changes can operate their vessel models using a mouse and keyboard, a specially designed operator console for desktop simulation and can even operate their vessels in the first person using SimFlex Cloud’s new Augmented Reality (AR) functionality. Further, SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies provides the capability to automate test routes and specific maritime operations in order to produce trustworthy data over continuously repeated activities.
SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies is a highly efficient way to verifying the impact of any new maritime infrastructure, from large turnkey projects to smaller more localized work. Design test applications include navigation in relation to new or removed seamarks; the effects of the design and location of piers including width and location of landing channels; conditions for arrival/departure in existing or new ports; vessel movements in relation to both frequency and time, which contributes to the precise assessment of e.g., the risk of grounding; moored ship movement at open or closed facilities; and maneuverability in shallow waters.
“Engineering design verification is a key service provided by the expert team at our state-of-the-art simulator facility in Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark,” said Jan Michelsen, Head of Department, Simulation, Ports & Training at Force Technology. “Providing online access to these services through the introduction of SimFlex Cloud for engineering studies is a natural step that will help to optimize our customers’ workflows and allow them to make the most of their infrastructure planning & design budgets. The system also enables us to support customers from further afield, as online access significantly reduces the need for firsthand time with our full-mission simulator.”
The Port of Los Angeles and a range of elected officials and industry leaders joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today to celebrate the award of a $20 million federal RAISE infrastructure grant for a critical road-railway grade separation project at the Port.
“We’re proud to be here marking such important progress being made, but also recognizing that there is so much more to do to fix the supply chains that were torn up by the pandemic and to make them more resilient for years to come – and right here we have a great example of that,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are delighted to formally celebrate the award of $20 million to the Port of Los Angeles to reduce trucking delays and allow freight trains to move goods more rapidly, reducing shipping costs as part of the fight against inflation.”
Facilitating faster cargo movement, the new roadway configuration will streamline truck access to an important container and chassis-access facility on the Port’s Terminal Island, reducing traffic delays, truck dwell times and greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles.
“L.A.’s port isn’t just the backbone of our region’s prosperity — it’s one of America’s most powerful economic drivers, and a crossroads that helps connect our country to the rest of the world,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “When complete, this roadway made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Secretary Buttigieg’s leadership will help our port move cargo more efficiently and meet our most critical sustainability goals.”
“This is a milestone moment in the investment in our nation’s ports and I applaud Secretary Buttigieg for bringing this critical funding to where it’s needed most,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “As the Western Hemisphere’s busiest trade gateway, this grant will help us further accelerate our plans to build resiliency, increase efficiencies and sustainability, as well as create jobs.”
The project will entail construction of a four-lane, rail-roadway grade separation, which will allow unimpeded truck access to an 80-acre marine support facility (MSF) on Terminal Island, a central location serving all terminals in the San Pedro Bay port complex. Currently, access to this facility for chassis and empty shipping container storage is impeded by several heavily used rail tracks and a tunnel with low vertical clearance, both of which will be addressed by the project.
When completed, the new rail-roadway will connect trucks directly to the highway system in two directions, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 truck-hour delays daily; a decrease of more than 3,000 metric tons of emissions per year; and a reduction of 1,200 truck miles traveled per day, which will also decrease accident potential in the area. The project will generate 300 new jobs.
The $20 million award comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program, which received more funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021. RAISE grants focus on planning and capital investments that support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports and intermodal transportation.
The busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, the Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the number one container port in the United States for 22 consecutive years. In 2021, the Port facilitated $294 billion in trade and handled a total of 10.7 million container units, the busiest calendar year in the Port’s 115-year history. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
The first ship to bring a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to a new terminal at the Dutch port of Eemshaven has docked and has started the unloading process, the gas grid operator said on Thursday, part of Europe’s bid to cut reliance on Russian gas.
The LNG tanker Murex berthed alongside the regasification unit at the new EemsEnergyTerminal, which can handle 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year, a Gasunie spokesperson said.
“Everything is going perfectly,” Marie-Lou Gregoire of Gasunie said.
The terminal, near Groningen, has two Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs) that Gasunie leased at the request of the Dutch government.
Capacity has been booked by Shell, France’s Engie SA and CEZ of the Czech Republic.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten will declare the facility formally open at a ceremony on Thursday evening.
Gas from the terminal is expected to start entering the Dutch grid for the first time next week, although the station will not operate at full capacity until November or December.
The capacity in Eemshaven will complement the larger Gate Terminal in Rotterdam, now operating at 16 bcm capacity and which is planning a further 4 bcm expansion by 2025.
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