MOL President Takeshi Hashimoto and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd have successfully carried out the demonstration test of the “Cryo-Powered Regas” (Note 1) System for FSRU (Note 2) at DSME’s Okpo shipyard reducing FSRU CO2 emissions by 50%.

The role of an FSRU is to regasify -160℃ liquified natural gas (LNG) through heat exchange. In the past, LNG’s cold energy had not been utilized in FSRUs and was released. By installing the “Cryo-Powered Regas” System, such cold energy will be transferred to another heating medium, and the generated steam will be sent to a turbine to generate electricity, which results in reducing FSRU’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

A small-scale version of the “Cryo-Powered Regas” system was built in DSME’s R&D premises. The turbine generator used in this system was designed and constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd. (head office: Nagasaki, Japan; President: Toshiaki Hori) specifically for the CPR System. Through this test, MOL and DSME verified that the system could successfully generate electricity up to its rated capacity. The result of this demonstration test confirms that through the utilization of the “Cryo-Powered Regas” System, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of new generation FSRUs can be reduced by 50% at maximum rated regas flow rate (Note 3) compared to conventional existing FSRUs.

Introducing fuel efficient FSRUs with lower CO2 emission rates to the market is one of the initiatives “Enhancement of Energy-Saving Technologies” (Fig. 1) that MOL is pursuing towards the achievement of MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1 (Note 4). The “Cryo-Powered Regas” System is ready for implementation in actual FSRU projects. MOL is already in discussions with multiple potential users and is confident in further promoting this system.

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On August 15, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port created a new record by unloading 57,090 Tonnes of Coal in 24 hours, at Berth No.9 from the vessel, ‘M.V. Star Laura, surpassing the earlier record of 56,687 tonnes of Coal handled at Berth No.9, from the vessel ‘M.V. Ocean Dream’ on October 27, 2020.

“It is also a matter of pride that, 1,82,867 Tonnes of cargo handled in a day is the highest volume of cargo handled in a single day, this year,” the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways stated.

The Marshall Islands flagged Panamax class vessel ‘M.V. Star Laura’, with floating draft of 14.20 Metres, arrived from the Port of Maura Berau, Indonesia, with 77,675 Tonnes of Coal consigned for M/s. India Coke and Power Pvt. Ltd.

The 3-Harbour Mobile cranes operated by M/s. IMCOLA Crane Company, Tuticorin, discharged 57,090 Tonnes of coal within a span of 24 hours. The Shipping Agents for the Vessel was M/s. JNP Shipping Agencies Tuticorin, and Stevedore Agent was M/s. Chettinad Logistics, Tuticorin.

TK Ramachandran, Chairman, V.O.C. Port Trust, appreciated the synergy exhibited by the stakeholders, who have contributed to achieve this record, and said that the Port is continuously striving to achieve improvement in performance and productivity in order to attract more volumes of traffic.

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Mohit Bhatia, Senior Vice President, assumed overall responsibility of Maersk Global Service Centres overseeing the strategy to enable Maersk’s integrator vision by providing best customer-, employee-, stakeholder- and user- experience through cutting edge technology, all connected by end-to-end processes

A.P. Moller – Maersk has appointed Mohit Bhatia as Senior Vice President and Head of Maersk Global Service Centres (GSC) effective 1st August 2021. Mohit previously held the position of Joint Managing Director, Maersk GSC, with responsibility for Finance before taking over the overall leadership including commercial and operations functions.

An industry stalwart, Mohit brings strong expertise of over 30 years in transforming and managing large companies across IT, banking and food & snacking sectors. Mohit is an accomplished Chartered Accountant and finance professional who is skilled in CFO responsibilities, business processes, re-engineering, global delivery, shared services, and business transformations including successful implementations of technology platforms and digital & robotic process automation. Mohit joined Maersk in 2019 and has since then demonstrated his strong strategic mindset, execution focus and leadership capabilities.

“Mohit Bhatia has played a key role in the company from his very first day and I am pleased that he will now assume overall responsibility of Maersk GSC. Along with his functional expertise in finance, Mohit brings a unique experience of leading large scale transformations at similar capabilities centres which will greatly benefit our GSC-teams who are crucial in driving our ambition of becoming an integrated container logistics company, servicing our customers end-to-end digital products,” said Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO, Fleet & Strategic Brands, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

On his appointment, Mohit commented, “I am honoured to take over the responsibility of Maersk GSC at a time when the logistics sector is undergoing an important transformation. As an industry leader, we are fronting this transformation through a robust technology plan that, together with end-to-end connected processes, will enable us to become truly customer-centric.”

GSC – an enabler of Maersk’s transformation

The Maersk GSC plays a critical role in delivering customer outcomes and enables decision making and prioritization for Maersk based on its end-to-end process view. To enable Maersk’s vision of becoming an integrated container logistics company, Maersk GSC has locked down the following four themes as a part of its priorities:

GSC’s direct contribution to customer experience outcomes, and support to Maersk’s overall growth agenda 
Drive best-in-class efforts to deliver cost and cash leadership for Maersk 
Drive process readiness to support future technology from a Digital, Platform and Data perspective 
Build a highly engaged workforce that is future-ready and a culture that supports Maersk’s Strategy 

With strength of more than 12,000 employees, Maersk GSC is spread across India (Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune), China (Chengdu) and the Philippines (Manila), with a small hub in Morocco (Tangier)​​​​​​​. Established in 1999, Maersk GSC’s competencies have grown in the last few years by being an integrated part of delivering strategic business growth. Maersk GSC teams interact with multiple stakeholders across A.P. Moller – Maersk to enable about 30 million touchpoints per year with over 59,000 customers. Maersk GSC oversees not only the strategic execution of finance and commercial processes, but also closely partners with the Technology teams based out of Maersk GSC. The GSC comprises some of the best minds in engineering, digital innovation, finance, commercial, operations, and information technology that develops innovative end-to-end solutions providing best-in-class customer experience.

Maersk GSC has undergone a rapid transformation over the last few years through a journey undertaken by agile and self-managed teams that adapt and respond fast to the changes. The empowered and collaborative way of shaping outcomes has enabled Maersk GSC to build a framework that delivers a better customer experience while also creating the right environment for its employees to thrive.

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Porto de Sergipe Thermoelectric Power Plant, by Celse, was activated in July by the National Electric System Operator

Wilson Sons, through its Towage unit, participated in the first ship-to-ship offshore operation for the transfer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a ULGC (Ultra Large Gas Carrier) vessel of Q-FLEX type in Brazil. The ship is considered one of the largest gas carriers in the world with a capacity of 215 thousand cubic meters.

This unprecedented operation took place at the Celse’s terminal, in Barra dos Coqueiros (SE), and aimed to supply the Porto de Sergipe Thermoelectric Power Plant (UTE), operated by the company. The UTE was activated in July by the National Electric System Operator (ONS), and Celse has two more operations in its planning until September, also through Q-FLEX type ships. At this first moment, the thermoelectric plant is being activated by the ONS for continuous and uninterrupted dispatch for four months, but there is the possibility of, by the end of the year, totaling eight more operations for supply.

Four Wilson Sons’ tugboats supported the maneuvers of the gas carrier for the transfer of LNG to the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU). Elísio Dourado, commercial director of the Company’s Towage division, explains that two ship-to-ship transfer operations were necessary to complete the fuel transfer process.

“The gas carrier initially unloaded about 2/3 of the cargo. Then, it waited at anchor, while the FSRU transferred the gas to the thermoelectric plant,” says Elísio. “After this time, a new mooring was performed to unload the rest of the cargo,” he adds. All in all, the tugboats performed four maneuvers.

“Ship-to-ship operations with large vessels are complex and require a high level of safety. Therefore, we need to count on partners that we have total confidence on and that guarantee the quality that we value so much. The choice for Wilson Sons is an example of this”, says Lucas Buranelli, manager of LNG terminal operations at Celse.

With a fleet of 80 tugboats, the largest in Brazil, Wilson Sons is present in 25 locations, covering almost all the Brazilian coast. The Company also has the Towage Operations Center (COR), which monitors the vessels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in 25 ports along the Brazilian coast, in addition to the Maritime Improvement Center (CAM) where periodic training of crews and campaigns are conducted for specific projects for customers and other stakeholders, through the Wilson Sons’ own maneuver simulator that is able to offer different operational scenarios.

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A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, from July 2016 to December 2019, Lamont Godfrey, 43, of Virginia Beach; Eugene Johnson, 46, of Manteca, California; Shunmanique Willis, 44, of Richmond, Texas; and Alonzo Williams, 46, of Pineville, Louisiana, acted in concert to create counterfeit certificates from the Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) and sell them to merchant mariners for a profit. Godfrey worked as the Chief Administrator for the MAMA, a private state-of-the-art maritime training center, offering mariners over 100 U.S. Coast Guard-approved deck and engineering courses needed for merchant mariners to hold various positions on merchant vessels.

“The defendant and his co-conspirators devised a dangerous fraud scheme that enriched themselves at the expense of public safety,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “By selling counterfeit merchant mariner certificates in exchange for cash payments, the defendant and others permitted untrained and unqualified mariners to perform jobs onboard merchant vessels they were not entitled to hold. This case sends a clear message that those who endanger public safety on the water will face serious consequences in the Eastern District of Virginia.”

Godfrey used this position to create fake MAMA course certificates for mariners who had never taken the MAMA courses, in exchange for thousands of dollars in payments. The mariners would receive the fake certificates along with instructions on how to load them in the Coast Guard systems and be credited with a fraudulent Coast Guard qualification.

Johnson, Willis, and Williams worked with Godfrey as brokers to find additional mariners willing to buy the fake certificates. In exchange for their efforts, Johnson, Willis, and Williams all received a cut of the illicit proceeds from the scheme. In total, the conspiracy netted over $394,000 in profits, $249,000 of which directly went to Godfrey, from the production of these counterfeit MAMA certificates, and involved over 252 mariners purchasing fraudulent qualifications.

“Credentialed mariners are entrusted with the safety and security of commercial vessels, and the vast majority are dedicated, safety-conscious individuals who work hard to earn their professional credentials and endorsements. By enabling a group of mariners to circumvent the Coast Guard’s credentialing protocols through fraud, this individual and his accomplices undermined our credentialing system and threatened our waterways,” said John Mauger, Rear Admiral and Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy for the U.S. Coast Guard. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the tireless efforts of the Coast Guard and Department of Justice, and ensures the United States’ Marine Transportation System remains one of the safest in the world. We are confident this ruling sends a strong message that the U.S. government will not tolerate these types of acts and will vigorously take action against such misconduct.”

Williams was sentenced on June 24 to 27 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Willis was sentenced on June 28 to 18 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Johnson was sentenced on August 3 to 29 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

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Prison Terms Set In US License Scandal

By Libby George (Reuters) Helicopters hover above a patrol vessel in Nigeria’s frenetic Apapa port as attack boats zoom past. On the dock, drones emblazoned with the Nigerian flag sit ready to deploy – all part of a $195 million U.S.-backed “Deep Blue” initiative to deter pirate attacks in the world’s most dangerous area for seafarers.

The more than 2.35 million square kilometer (910,000 million square mile) expanse of the Atlantic Ocean that borders some 20 West African nations is known as “pirate alley,” where nearly all the world’s kidnappings at sea now take place since the water off Somalia in East Africa has become more secure.

Bashir Jamoh, head of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said “Deep Blue” had stemmed recorded kidnappings in the second quarter, after a record 130 sailors last year, compared with five in the rest of the world.

But there have already been 50 kidnappings logged this year and the U.S. navy is helping with training and European navies are assisting in patrols, a mark of their concern for a region that is a key global supplier of crude oil.

“If the threat to their ships is not addressed, the entire international trade is affected,” Jamoh said.

Unlike in Somalia, which had no navy and limited government capability and thus allowed foreign navies to fire on ships and arrest pirates, only Nigerian security forces are allowed to be armed in the country’s large territorial waters.

“Nigeria is going to take the lead,” Jamoh said.

Lurking beneath the government’s new show of maritime strength is poverty in the Niger Delta, where nearly all West Africa’s pirates originate.

Pollution in the region where international and local firms churn out Nigeria’s oil means people cannot farm or fish and 70% of its roughly 30 million people earn less than $1 per day, according to the United Nations, making piracy attractive.

The U.N. Officer on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) said collusion between some members of the security forces and pirates as well as scant prosecutions for kidnappings must also be tackled.

“The issues that caused this in the Niger Delta have not been addressed,” said Max Williams, chief operating officer at security firm Africa Risk Compliance. “They still have the weapons, they have the boats, they have the fuel to kidnap people from these vessels.”

The Nigerian navy said this year it would strengthen measures to root out and punish security personnel who collude with kidnappers and criminals.

PIRACY COSTS BILLIONS

Piracy is nothing new to Nigeria, but the number and range of kidnappings has shot up, with oil tankers, container ships and fishing boats at risk even 210 nautical miles offshore.

Kidnappings for ransom accounted for only 15% of attacks in 2009, according to UNDOC; by 2020, these made up nearly all attacks as ransoms became more lucrative than any cargo.

The cost of freeing a group of hostages roughly doubled to up to $300,000 from 2016 to 2020, according to UNDOC, which estimated that Niger Delta-based pirates netted $4 million in ransom payments last year.

The sum pales compared with Somali pirates’ more than 1,000 captives in 2010, but Nigeria’s vice president put the economic cost in the billions, stifling much-needed development in a region disproportionately dependent on seaborne imports.

Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime and cybersecurity at shipowner association BIMCO, said many ship owners simply refuse to ply the waters, pushing up costs, while crew also refuse to sail in the region – and can demand double pay if they do.

Pirates typically take kidnapped sailors to the Delta’s swampy, snaking creeks, where they face malaria, typhoid and attacks from rival bands of kidnappers. Nationwide, kidnappings have spiked over the past year as the economy faltered.

In January, a seafarer from Azerbaijan died during a kidnapping, and two others of unspecified nationality died of sickness during abduction in 2020.

The Danish, Italian and Portuguese navies are also sending assistance and early this month, a hulking U.S. expeditionary base – the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams – docked to help train regional security to use the new kit.

Commanding Officer Captain Chad Graham, asked about the underlying issues, told Reuters piracy was a “shore-based problem” but he and U.S. Consul General Claire Pierangelo both said they were hopeful kidnappings would fall as the economy recovered from last year’s coronavirus body blow.

Some pirate kingpins are well connected and have serious regional clout, UNDOC found.

The navy also offers shippers, who are not allowed private armed security, navy escorts, and extra protective services, an economic link Larsen said was unfortunate. “It introduces a conflict of interest because there is a money stream,” he said.

NIMASA and the navy did not respond to requests for comment.

Insurance companies, led by underwriters Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA), expanded the size of the area in the Gulf of Guinea included in the highest-level risk last year.

Neil Roberts, LMA’s head of marine and aviation, said despite Deep Blue, they were unlikely to change their assessment. He cited social unrest in the Niger Delta and the “distressed fabric of the Nigerian economy.”

“As long as that’s there, the extra risk will remain,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Angela Ukomadu in Lagos and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Reuters)

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Will Drones And Warships Be Enough To Tackle The World’s Latest Piracy Hotspot?

By Brendan Murray (Bloomberg) —

The biggest U.S. trade gateway with Asia is clogged with the most inbound container vessels in more than six months, threatening to extend transportation delays, bite further into margins for American importers and boost prices for consumers.

Thirty-seven ships were anchored awaiting berth space outside the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, as of late Sunday, the most since early February, according to officials who monitor marine traffic in San Pedro Bay. That’s almost double the length of the queue in mid-July and close to the record of 40 anchored vessels set Feb. 1.

The average wait for berth space was 6.2 days, compared with 5.7 in late June, according to L.A. port figures. That number peaked around 8 days in April.

The transpacific trade routes have been disrupted in recent days by the partial closure of a major port in China because of Covid outbreaks among employees. That’s helping reduce already tight container shipping capacity globally and keeping ocean freight rates near record levels.

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Containership Bottleneck Off Southern California Ports Approaches February Record

by Muyu Xu (Reuters) Several Chinese ports are facing congestion as vessels due to call at Ningbo are being diverted and cargo processing is slowed partly due to stricter disinfection measures under China’s “zero-tolerance” coronavirus policy.AMKBY

On Tuesday, more than 50 container vessels were queuing at Ningbo port, China’s second-largest marine center, Refinitiv data showed, up from 28 on Aug. 10 when a COVID-19 case was reported at one of its terminals.

Leading international shipping groups have warned their clients of delays and route adjustments. At least 14 vessels operated by CMA CGM, five Maersk vessels and four Hapag-Lloyd ships have decided to skip Ningbo, while dozens of vessels are adjusting their schedules, the shipping groups said.

China’s economy is losing momentum as a result of new coronavirus restrictions and global supply chains face further strains with the curbs adding to queues at major Chinese transportation hubs, already stretched by a resurgence of consumer spending, shortage of container ships and logjams at ports.

China’s Ministry of Transportation has ordered all ports to have special teams to deal with foreign vessels and required their crews to have health certificates or negative tests before allowing them to load and discharge cargo.

Ports also have their own rules, with some applying additional precautions to vessels that stopped at ports in high-risk regions, such as India, Laos or Russia, in the past 21 days.

“China’s zero tolerance policy is good for the pandemic but bad for the supply chain,” said Dawn Tiura, chief executive officer of Sourcing Industry Group, a U.S.-based association for the sourcing and procurement industry. “This timing is very tough considering the uptick in back-to-school and return-to-work shopping in addition to the upcoming holiday shopping season.”

Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co said in a statement late on Monday its handling volume has resumed to about 90% of its average daily level in July, following efforts to mitigate the impact of the shutdown of a terminal, which accounts for about 20% of Ningbo’s container handling capacity, after a COVID-19 case was detected there last week.

Vessels scheduled to call at the terminal are being re-routed to nearby ports. Shanghai port had 34 vessels waiting at anchorage, compared to 27 on Aug. 10, while the number of vessels waiting at Xiamen port – 700 km south of Ningbo – rose to 18 on Tuesday from four early last week.

“Cargoes have been piling up at port recently due to tight labour force from portside and relevant departments, while increasing shipments also weighed,” said a bulk ship operator at China’s eastern port city Lianyungang.

“China is an important component of the global supply chain … Any shutdowns or delays from China have the potential to delay finished goods two or three tiers out,” said Richard Lebovitz, chief executive officer of LeanDNA, a U.S-based supply chain consultancy.

The Freightos Baltic Global Container Index (FBX), a weighted average of 12 major global container routes, hit a record high of 9,770 per forty-foot equivalent (FEU) container this week.

(Reporting by Muyu Xu, Hallie Gu, Min Zhang and Shivani Singh Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Giles Elgood)

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China’s Zero Tolerance To COVID-19 Is Choking Supply Lines

Lines of trucks are seen at a container terminal of Ningbo Zhoushan port in Zhejiang province, China, August 15, 2021. Picture taken August 15, 2021. cnsphoto via REUTERS

China Port Congestion Worsens as Ningbo Shuts for Seventh Day

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August 17, 2021

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China Port Congestion Worsens as Ningbo Shuts for Seventh Day