As reported by Alphaliner, the court of Ipojuca (eastern Brazil) granted APM Terminals (APMT) the purchase of a plot of land in the port of Suape, a satellite gateway for the Greater Recife metropolitan area in the state of Pernambuco , in northeastern Brazil.
In June, APMT bid at least BRL 895 million (USD 171 million) to acquire parts of the former Estaleiro Atlantico Sul (EAS) shipyard site, with the aim of converting the land into a multipurpose cargo and container terminal.
Maersk’s sister company plans to invest up to BRL 2.6 BN (USD 503M) in a new terminal with an expected initial capacity of 0.4 Mteu per year. Provided all regulatory approvals have been obtained, after a 24-month construction time, APMT expects the terminal to be fully operational by the end of 2025.
Suape already has a container terminal, the ‘Tecon 1’ operated by ICTSI with a quay length of 930 m and a design capacity of around 0.75 Mteu per year. Tecon’s main users are Maersk’s Brazilian subsidiary Alianca and CMA CGM’s Brazilian national airline Mercosul Line.
“Suape has great growth potential and our vision is to invest in a terminal that will add additional growth opportunities for the northeast region of Brazil. We believe that increased competition in the region will generate value for exporters/importers and attract new cargo flows, which will help the Port of Suape grow at a faster rate,” said Leo Huisman, APM Terminals General Director for the Americas region.
“We expect the market to benefit from the additional capacity, which could make Suape a “hub” for the Northeast, simultaneously generating up to 338 direct and 1,300 indirect jobs, increasing competitiveness and potentially attracting new direct services to the Far East. East and Europe”, said Leonardo Levy, Growth Manager for the Americas Region.
“APM Terminals is committed to Suape, the growth of the region and the Brazilian market. We appreciate the strong support for our project from the Pernambuco government, the local community, investors, and customers, and would like to reaffirm our commitment to investing in technology, new businesses, and further growth in the region.” Santi Casciano, Head of Growth for the Americas Region.
According to Alphaliner, Dubai-based port group P World reported 60% growth in revenue during the first half of 2022, largely thanks to container ancillary services and its feeder & logistics business.
Despite a modest 2.3% increase in container throughput in the period, group revenue reached $7.9 billion in January-June, up from $4.9 billion in 2021, while net revenue they were 884 M USD compared to 585 M USD.
DP attributed the increase to acquisitions, strong food operations and higher margin charges.
All three of the group’s main regions posted revenue growth, but it was highest in Asia Pacific and India at +66.8%, where ancillary container revenue was up 24% and Feedertech and Unico made strong contributions from their food and logistics business.
In the Middle East, Europe and Africa (+64.5% in revenue), auxiliary container revenue was also up over 20%, while acquisitions of Imperial Logistics and syncreon boosted gains. Australia and the Americas saw a smaller increase of +42.5%. The group expects growth to moderate in the second half of the year.
Overall, container revenue per teu was up 9.2%, driven by higher storage revenue.
The company previously reported a throughput of 39.5 Mteu for the first half of 2022, up from 38.6 Mteu a year earlier.
DP will increase its consolidated capacity (where it has a majority stake) by 1 Mteu during 2022 and gross capacity (including capital investments) by 2.8 Mteu; see the table above.
South Korea’s largest shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has acquired design approval for Hi-Rotor, its own wind-assisted propulsion tech.
HHI claims its rotor sail tech can contribute to reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by about 6 to 8%.
Many new forms of wind propulsion are coming to market of late. Splashreported last week on Chinese shipbuilder, Jiangnan Shipyard’s junk-inspired sail.
Separately, top brass at HHI have outlined how they see the future fuel race panning out.
Interviewed by the Financial Times, Ka Sam-hyun, CEO of parent Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, said he saw LNG being an interim fuel for the coming couple of decades with plenty more methanol-fuelled ship orders also coming into the mix, before an eventual transition to hydrogen.
“You cannot replace all fleets with only clean fuel by 2040. LNG is a transitional option but it will last for another generation, given the limited supply of methanol,” Ka said, adding: “Ammonia is toxic and still too expensive. Eventually, we should move towards hydrogen ships and electric-motor ships, but it is still too far off.”
HHI is busy building a series of landmark methanol-fuelled boxships for Maersk at present.
U.S. Marines from 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group recently concluded a successful cycle of Humanitarian Mine Action Level 3 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training with Royal Thai Military Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC) counterparts, in Ratchaburi and Prasat, Kingdom of Thailand, from July 11 to August 5, 2022.
HMA is an ongoing program between the U.S. and Kingdom of Thailand to provide training in order to build partner capacity in safe disposal of existing landmines and explosive remnants of war. The four-week course combines classroom instruction covering advanced EOD techniques, detailed ordnance classes, and render-safe techniques, along with several range days for practical application of the skills learned on live-ordnance.
Ultimately, during the course of the training the team from 3rd EOD company successfully trained 11 students, who are now better equipped to conduct HMA actions against the adverse effects of landmines and unexploded ordnance on the civilian populace, and able to pass their newfound knowledge on to future TMAC students.
For U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeramie Pawloski, HMA Thailand Team Leader with 3rd EOD Company, 9th ESB, the latest training cycle was a success for both the U.S. trainers and TMAC students.
“The program design develops the capabilities of TMAC, providing personnel with the technical knowledge and skills required to work in the minefields safely during demining operations. The U.S. Marine instructors that execute these training missions learn just as much from our Thai counterparts and develop professional and personal relationships that the U.S. Marine EOD Technician can benefit from,” said Pawloski.
According to U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Daniel H. Cusinato, Marine Forces Pacific EOD officer and HMA Program Manager for EOD forces, the ongoing success of the HMA EOD program is a perfect encapsulation of the long-standing U.S. alliance with the Kingdom of Thailand.
“The opportunity to work with our Thai partners is always a valuable one, giving TMAC students real-world experience, sharpening the training and knowledge of our own EOD trainers, and most importantly, strengthening the bonds among Marines and Royal Thai Armed Forces service members,” said Cusinato.
3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force’s comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.
The international shipping industry is responsible for the carriage of around 90% of world trade so vessel safety is critical. During the early 1990s, the global fleet was losing 200+ vessels a year. This has dropped to around 50 to 75 a year over the past four years — a statistic made more impressive by the fact that there are an estimated 130,000 ships in the global fleet today (over 100 gross tonnage [GT]) compared with some 80,000 30 years ago.
The sector continued its long-term positive safety trend in 2021 with 54 reported total losses compared with 65 a year earlier. Annual shipping losses have declined by 57% over the past decade since 2012 (127), while 2021 represents a significant improvement on the rolling 10-year loss average (89), reflecting the increased focus on safety measures over time, such as regulation, improved ship design and technology and risk management advances.
South China, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines is the main global loss hotspot, accounting for one in-five losses (12), although activity declined year-on-year. The Arabian
Gulf (9) saw a significant increase in loss activity to rank second ahead of the East Mediterranean and Black Sea region in third (7). South East Asian waters are also the major loss location of the past decade (225 out of 892), driven by factors such as high
levels of local and international trade, congested ports, older fleets and extreme weather.
Cargo vessels accounted for half of all vessels lost in 2021 (27). Foundered (sunk) was the main cause of total losses across all vessel types during 2021, accounting for around 60%
(32). Fire/explosion ranked second (15%, 8), with machinery damage/failure third (11%, 6). Extreme weather was reported as being a factor in at least 13 losses during 2021, while December and May were the most frequent months for losses with seven each respectively.
Collectively, foundered (52%), wrecked/stranded (grounded) (18%) and fire/explosion (13%) are the top three causes of total losses over the past decade, accounting for more than 80% of 892 reported losses.
While the number of total losses declined over the past year, the number of reported shipping casualties or incidents increased. The British Isles saw the highest number of reported incidents (668 out of 3,000). Machinery damage/failure accounted for over one-in-three incidents globally (1,311).
Fire/explosion (178) is the third top cause (after collision [222]), with the number of fires increasing by almost 10% annually.
The East Mediterranean and Black Sea region is the location of the most shipping incidents over the past decade (4,763), accounting for 18%.
Globally, most incidents have been caused by machinery damage or failure (9,968), followed by collision (3,134), contact (2,029), piracy (1,995) and fire/explosion (1,747).
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is highlighting to vessel operators the importance of planned maintenance in ensuring safe operation of ships, and says it will increase its focus on planned maintenance during Port State Control inspections.
Recent incidents have demonstrated the potentially serious consequences of a lack of effective maintenance of main engines and power generation systems that can pose serious risks to the safe and pollution-free operation of vessels.
In response to this, AMSA will immediately increase focus on planned maintenance during routine Port State Control inspections. During Port State Control inspections, AMSA will place a greater focus on planned maintenance of propulsion and auxiliary equipment and associated systems and will take necessary compliance actions to address any identified areas of concern. This may include the physical attendance of classification society surveyors to verify the condition of critical equipment and its suitability to continue to function under all voyage conditions to maintain safe operations.
Operators should note that this is not a Focused Inspection Campaign (FIC) or Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) of limited duration. It is a sustained focus on an identified area of concern that is part of AMSA’s data driven and risk-based approach to our PSC inspection regime.
ISM Code
Maintenance of the ship and equipment is a requirement of the ISM Code, including that:
– Maintenance inspections are held at appropriate intervals;
– Any non-conformity is reported, with its possible cause, if known;
– Appropriate corrective action is taken;
– Records of these activities are maintained.
In relation to maintenance, the ISM Code specifically states that the vessel’s Safety Management System (SMS) should:
– Identify equipment and technical systems that would cause hazardous situations if they were to suddenly fail;
– Provide for specific measures (i.e. regular testing of all equipment including stand-by equipment or systems that are not in continuous use) to ensure the continued reliability of such equipment or systems.
Finally, maintenance activities need to be properly resourced, and procedures must be documented.
Last year, union ship inspectors recovered US$$37.6 million in unpaid wages owed to seafarers, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has revealed in figures published August 19.
The ITF’s 125 inspectors and coordinators completed 7,265 inspections in 2021 to support thousands of seafarers with wage claims and repatriation cases, despite Covid-19 restrictions preventing inspectors’ ability to board ships for much of the year.
ITF Inspectors get their name because they board and ‘inspect’ ships. They educate seafarers about their rights and support crew to enforce these rights. The officials cover more than 100 ports across 50 countries.
Inspectors are trained to look for exploitation, overwork – even for signs of forced labor and modern slavery. On many vessels, Inspectors have the right to examine wage accounts, employment contracts, and to review recorded hours of work and rest.
“It’s not uncommon for crew to be paid the wrong rate by a shipowner, or less than the rate set out in the employment agreement covering the ship,” said Steve Trowsdale, the ITF’s Inspectorate Coordinator.
“Crew can generally work out when they’re being underpaid. And that’s when they contact us. ITF inspectors help seafarers recover what’s owed to them.”
Altogether, the ITF clawed back US$37,591,331 in unpaid wages and entitlements from shipowners in 2021.
Trowsdale said the makeup of seafarers’ wage claims was changing: “Concerningly, we’re seeing a rise in the number of seafarers reporting non-payment of wages for periods of two months or longer, which actually meets the ILO’s definition of abandonment.”
“Seafarers might think it’s normal to go unpaid for a couple of months, waiting for a shipowner to sort out financing, but they need to be aware that non-payment can also be a sign that a shipowner is about to cut them loose and leave them abandoned.”
The ITF reported 85 cases of abandonment to the International Labor Organization (ILO) last year, an historic high. In many of those cases, abandoned crew had already been waiting on several weeks’ or months’ of unpaid wages – including those aboard the storm-hit MV Lidia.
ITF inspector based in Hong Kong, Jason Lam, helped eight Burmese seafarers who were crewing the MV Lidia recover almost US$30,000 in unpaid wages after they ran aground in October 2021, thanks to a typhoon that left them close to shipwrecked. The shipowner refused to pay the two months’ wages he owed them, abandoning them and ruling out any assistance to get them home.
Weeks of campaigning by Lam on behalf of the seafarers had an impact, and on 2 November 2021, the crew flew home – full wages in hand.
Photo credit: ITF. Burmese seafarers who were left near shipwrecked after a typhoon are pictured on their way home from Hong Kong, after ITF Inspector Jason Lam helped them recover almost US$30,000 in unpaid wages.
Amidst crew change crisis, ITF inspectors got thousands of seafarers home
Trowsdale said Inspectors did not let Covid-19 barriers stop them from supporting seafarers in need, instead adapting and finding new ways of working.
“I’m extremely proud of the work of our inspectors have done to support seafarers in the last year, often working in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances,” he said.
“It’s always been incredibly important for our team to be able to physically get to seafarers – to board ships and educate crew on their rights. So, when Covid-19 restrictions presented a challenge to inspectors to board vessels, there was a real question: ‘What will happen to the seafarers who need us?’”
As the crew change crisis worsened in early 2021, a flood of requests filled the ITF’s inboxes from crew desperate to sign off and get home. Covid-related border restrictions were the underlying reason for the crew change crisis, which impacted an estimated 400,000 seafarers at the worst point of the crisis. But on some ships, other more sinister factors were at play in keeping crew from their families.
“There is evidence that some shipowners were using Covid-19 as an excuse to keep seafarers working beyond their initial contracts and in complete violation of those seafarers’ human and labour rights,” said Trowsdale. “Thankfully, our team was wise to what was going on and despite everything we got thousands of seafarers home.”
“Keeping crew onboard while pretending their hands were tied may have saved those employers a few dollars in flight fares, but in today’s society that kind of conduct gets noticed. There are no shadows to hide in anymore when it comes to global supply chain accountability,” he said.
A Texas oil company agreed to plead guilty to criminal negligence charges and pay nearly $13 million for a crude oil spill that killed wildlife and fouled southern California beaches, federal prosecutors said on Friday.
Amplify Energy Corp repeatedly turned off and on a 17-mile-long subsea pipeline when it could not determine the location of the leak, according to plea agreements filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
The Houston-based company and two subsidiaries each agreed to plead guilty to one count of negligently discharging oil during the October 2021, incident. The pipeline was struck by a ship’s anchor.
The three firms “are required to make significant improvements that will help prevent future oil spills,” Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen said in a statement.
The plea “reflects the commitments we made immediately following the incident to impacted parties and is in the best interest of Amplify and its stakeholders,” said Chief Executive Martyn Willsher.
The spill released some 558 barrels (25,000 gallons) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, killing wildlife, blackening the coastline and forcing the closure of beaches south of Los Angeles.
A judge must still accept the plea agreement. The companies will serve probation for four years, be required to conduct semiannual pipeline inspections, and revise and submit an oil spill plan to state wildlife officials, the court filing showed.
Amplify has said it incurred $17.3 million in cleanup costs in the immediate aftermath of the spill.
The company this week said it reached an agreement in principle with plaintiffs to resolve civil claims.
A newly built wood chip carrier vessel recently delivered to Japanese shipping company NYK is equipped to collect ocean microplatics for researchers to study.
The Stellar Harmony, built by Imabari’s Iwagi Zosen Co., Ltd shipyard, was officially handed over on August 23. The vessel will transport wood chips mainly from New Zealand, Australia, North America and South America under a long-term contract between NYK and Marusumi Paper Co., Ltd.
Once in operation, the ship will pump in seawater along its routes to collect microplastics floating in the ocean. The collected microplastics will be unloaded and analyzed by the Chiba Institute of Technology and used for research to clarify the actual distribution of microplastics in the ocean.
Stellar Harmony also comes equipped with hybrid fins (energy-saving equipment installed on the rudder to improve propulsion efficiency) and an energy-saving governor (equipment that saves fuel and reduces the load during main engine operation), as well as an eco-friendly main engine with specifications that improve fuel efficiency during low-load operation.
IMO has conducted a needs assessment mission to Malawi (22-26 August) to assess and support the country’s maritime sector.
As well as identifying gaps in the Malawian maritime administration, the objectives of the mission were to make recommendations on the enactment of regulations to support and provide an oversight function to the marine college by the relevant government ministry – in line with the provisions of IMO’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention).
The IMO team met senior government officials from the Ministries of Transport and Public Works; Foreign Affairs; and various key stakeholders including the marine college and other related government bodies. The visit followed a request by the Malawian government for IMO to assist the country’s fledgling maritime sector with the necessary human and institutional capacity building to support the country in enhancing the operational efficiency of its maritime administration.
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa with no direct access to the sea but linked through land and rail corridors to Dar Es Salaam Port in the United Republic of Tanzania and Nacala Corridor in Mozambique. However, Malawi has a navigable Lake Malawi stretching some 570 kilometers from the North to the South and some rivers on which both cargo and passenger vessels travel.
In line with IMO’s programme on Women in Maritime, the IMO team met with women from Malawi’s maritime sector with a view to encouraging and supporting them to establish a so-called ‘national chapter’. This national chapter would then feed into the regional association of Women in Maritime in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA) as an important platform for synergy and cross fertilization of ideas on issues relating to women in the maritime sector in the member countries.
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