Canadian-owned Ports America, the largest marine terminal operator and stevedore in North America, has announced the appointment of Matthew Leech as its new president and CEO, effective this coming November. Leech will take over from Mark Montgomery, who will retire from his previous role and support the firm in an advisory capacity going forward.

Leech has more than 25 years of experience in the maritime industry. In his last post, he served as CEO and managing director for the Americas for DP World. Before DP World’s acquisition of CSX World Terminals in 2005, Leech served as VP of operations and development, and he led an important expansion initiative.

“Ports America is poised for growth, and Matt is the right leader to take this exceptional business forward,” said Montgomery.

“I am honored to be named as the next CEO of Ports America,” said Leech. “Ports America is a highperforming organization that values its long-standing relationships with its customers. I look forward to working with leadership and the entire team to continue driving strong performance.”

Leech joins another company newcomer, Andrew Clarke, who became chairman at Ports America earlier this year.

“Matt brings strong industry experience and will be an outstanding addition to the team as we deliver on our mission to provide the highest
quality operations for our customers. We also thank Mark for his years of service and leadership during a period of unprecedented growth for the company,” said Clarke.

Ports America is the largest marine terminal operator in North America with operations in 33 ports across the U.S. It is based in New Jersey, but it is owned by the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), a Crown corporation founded by the Canadian government. CPP Investments is one of the largest private equity investors in the world, with more than $400 billion in assets under management.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/matthew-leech-named-ceo-of-top-u-s-terminal-operator-ports-america

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Explosion occurred in funnel section of tanker TORC on Aug 28 during wielding maintenance works, at Bandirma, Turkey, Marmara sea. Two crew including Second Engineer were injured, and hospitalized. Explosion was followed by fire, extinguished by port firefighters. Tanker remains docked at Bandirma, she arrived at Bandirma from Ukraine via Istanbul. Photo of TORC at port: Deniz Haber.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39329/tanker-explosion-fire-2-injured-marmara-sea/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


By Subhadip Sircar (Bloomberg) –India and China traded insults over their diverging interests in Sri Lanka, after a controversial Chinese scientific research ship called at the island nation despite New Delhi’s security concerns.

Sri Lanka “needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda,” the Indian embassy in Colombo said on Twitter late Saturday, referencing the ongoing political and economic turmoil the nation is already battling after defaulting on its debt for the first time.

On Friday, the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka tweeted that the South Asian country had every right to approve a foreign vessel docking at its port.

“External obstruction based on so-called ‘security concerns’ but without any evidence from certain forces is de facto a thorough interference into Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence,” the Chinese mission wrote.

“Some countries, far or near, always make groundless excuses to bully Sri Lanka, and trample on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence repeatedly,” it said, without directly naming India.

Sri Lanka cleared the Yuan Wang 5 to dock at the Hambantota port from Aug. 16 to 22 after initially deferring a request from the Chinese embassy to allow the ship a call in mid-August for replenishment purposes.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said last month that the ship’s movements could have a bearing on its security and economic interests.

The Hambantota port that the vessel stopped at has been plagued by controversy, with the Sri Lankan government having to borrow heavily to construct it. When Sri Lanka couldn’t repay the loans, it granted China a 99-year lease on the facility for debt relief.

Sri Lanka is currently negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for assistance amid its worst ever economic crisis.

Source: https://gcaptain.com/china-india-spar-over-controversial-ships-call-in-sri-lanka/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Washington State Ferries (WSF) is embarking on an ambitious initiative to transition to a hybrid electric ferry system. This transition will improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 76% by 2040.

To shift the largest ferry system in the United States to hybrid electric, WSF is working on three key elements of the electrification system – building new hybrid electric vessels, converting existing vessels to hybrid electric, and electrifying the terminals.

WSF is currently developing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of five new hybrid electric Olympic Class (HEOC) vessels. These new vessels, along with plans for 11 additional new vessels and six converted vessels, are required to be built in Washington in accordance with state law.

To encourage collaboration among existing and future Washington maritime firms, WSF will co-host an Industry Day with Maritime Blue on October 6, 2022, in downtown Seattle from 9 AM to noon in advance of the release of the RFP.

Matt von Ruden, WSF’s Electrification Program System Administrator commented, “The development of this RFP, and future selection of a shipbuilder for these five new vessels, is an exciting milestone not only for our electrification efforts, but for the maritime industry as a whole. We look forward to working with new partners to support the development of a greener maritime industry here in Washington state.”

To learn more about the electrification program and the upcoming Industry Day, visit WSF’s electrification webpage or watch our video below.

Source: https://gcaptain.com/washington-state-ferries-journey-to-hybrid-electric/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


The giant utility Dominion Energy has found itself in a disagreement with state regulators over a proposed performance guarantee for its $10 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, one of the largest planned wind farms in the U.S. development pipeline. The clause is enough of a concern for Dominion that it has threatened to scuttle CVOW altogether and walk away – a seismic shock for the budding U.S. offshore wind industry.

Dominion has historically been one of the most committed players in the U.S. offshore wind business. It was an early and enthusiastic entrant, beginning its planning for a small pilot project as early as 2012. The pilot stage was completed in 2020 and is one of only two (small) offshore wind farms operating in the U.S. today.

To build the full-scale 2.6 GW facility, Dominion is buying the only U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel on the market, the future Charybdis, at a price of half a billion dollars – a financial commitment that no other developer or shipowner has been willing to match yet. Construction on the vessel is already well under way.

However, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) – a regulator with a broad mandate governing insurance, railroads and utilities – has made a decision that may make CVOW untenable, according to Dominion. The SCC will allow Dominion to bill the cost of CVOW’s development to household ratepayers in the form of a miniscule rider fee – but only if its turbines perform at a 42 percent capacity factor or better in any three-year period. Any shortfalls would be Dominion’s to cover.

Dominion has appealed the decision, describing it as unprecedented and “unlawful.” The firm warns that the guarantee is so broad that it would leave Dominion on the hook for any decline in power output – whether caused by a hurricane, cyberattack, climate change or any other factor.

“The Commission’s unprecedented imposition of an involuntary performance guarantee condition on its approvals, however, is untenable. As ordered, it will prevent the project from moving forward, and the company will be forced to terminate all development and construction activities,” Dominion wrote in an appeal. “As recognized by the Commission, the project is favored by the General Assembly’s support for offshore wind generation as a cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s plan for a clean and reliable energy future.”

The disagreement follows a just few weeks after Dominion celebrated formal approval from the SCC for the project to move forward. The initial order was released August 8, and it noted that there would be some form of performance requirement, but did not give any details – until now.

Dominion’s appeal to the SCC begins a rehearing process, and the company sounded an upbeat note in a statement to local TV media.

“We look forward to completing the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project as a regulated project to build on our long record of affordability and reliability,” a Dominion spokesperson told local media.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


On Sunday, U.S. warships made a transit of the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the visit of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August.

Pelosi’s diplomatic stopover drew furious rhetoric from Beijing, along with missile test launches, mass naval exercises and warplane flights. By comparison, the transit of two U.S. Navy cruisers through the strait this weekend drew a relatively muted response – less even than China’s typical pushback on American freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs).

USS Antietam and USS Chancellersville were assigned to this transit, and 7th Fleet emphasized that they passed through “waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply” with the intent to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The PLA responded in a brief statement that it “conducted security tracking and monitoring of the U.S. warships’ passage in the whole course” and had all of their movements “under control” throughout. China’s foreign ministry issued no formal response – a departure from the usual practice of condemnation.

The Global Times, the most overtly nationalistic branch of China’s state media, dismissed Antietam and Chancellorsville as “old ships” and suggested that their presence was not an issue. “As long as the US vessels follow the rules of ‘innocent passage’ to keep low profile and pose no harm, turn off weapons and fire-control radar system, and bring no actual threat to China’s security, the PLA would just follow and monitor,” Global Times wrote.

The U.S. Navy is all too aware of the age of the Ticonderoga class, and it wants to decommission all of them by 2027 – if Congress will allow it.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


The U.S. Coast Guard and Global Diving and Salvage are preparing to raise the wreck of a commercial fishing vessel that went down in Haro Strait on August 13.

The fishing vessel Aleutian Isle began taking on water near Sunset Point on the west side of San Juan Island at about 1400 hours on the 13th. The Coast Guard received a report that the vessel needed assistance and dispatched a helicopter, a response boat and a small cutter. All personnel aboard the vessel were rescued safely, and it sank shortly after; it had about 2,600 gallons of diesel and oil on board, and a sheen of nearly two miles in length was visible by 1700 hours.

Courtesy USCG

The Coast Guard formed a unified command for the response and tapped the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for $130,000 in support. The funds have covered the cost of cleanup contractors, both along the shoreline and on the water. Over the course of the last two weeks, the vessel has continued to release modest quantities of diesel – too little to recover – and contractors have contained it with booms as needed. One additional wrinkle: one of the wreck’s 1,400-foot nets floated up to the surface, and the USCG had to deploy a buoy tender to haul it in.

The unified command has made a decision to seal up the vessel’s tanks and raise it from the bottom, eliminating the risk of future pollution. Using sidescan sonar, the search team found the wreck in about 200 feet of water just off Sunset Point. An inspection with a small ROV confirmed its identity and found that it is sitting upright on the bottom.

Courtesy USCG

The depth poses challenges for a wreck recovery mission: for technical reasons, it will have to be a heliox commercial dive, according to the Coast Guard. The proper heliox mix has taken time to get, so the dive operations are only just now beginning. A crane barge barge, the heliox tanks and the dive team all arrived Sunday to begin work.

The operation will not be easy. In addition to depth, the divers will also have to contend with changing tidal currents, which will limit the number of hours a day that dive operations are possible. Due to this constraint, the preparations and the recovery operation are expected to take ten days.

Since the area is within the habitat of the Southern Resident killer whale population, NOAA and Washington State Department of Ecology have also set up preparations to deter whales using an acoustic device (oikomi pipes).

Source: USCG

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


During a joint fishery patrol in the South Pacific last week, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter requested permission to call in the Solomon Islands – and was denied. The cutter USCGC Oliver Henry had a scheduled replenishment port call in Honiara, intended to enable its mission to help the Solomons prevent illegal fishing. A Coast Guard press officer told Reuters that Solomons officials “did not respond” to a request to enter port, so the vessel diverted about 500 nm from its course to call in Papua New Guinea instead.

The unusual snub follows months after the Solomons government signed a security pact with China, which allows Beijing to stage forces on the island nation’s territory. A leaked draft of the agreement suggests that it will also allow Chinese naval vessels to call for replenishment at Honiara. The deal has raised serious concerns for officials in the U.S. and Australia, since the Solomon Inslands are a natural jumping off point for military operations in the Coral Sea and the South Pacific. In WWII, the U.S. had to engage in a fierce fight to dislodge Japanese forces from the Solomons, and the islands’ strategic location is well-remembered.

The diplomatic brush-off may also have extended to the Oliver Berry’s partner vessel, the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Spey. The Royal Navy would not confirm whether or not Spey had been turned away, saying only that it is “routine practice” for itineraries to change.

A spokesperson for the Coast Guard told the AP that the U.S. State Department is in dialogue with the Solomons government, and that in future it expects that clearances will be provided for American ships.

HMS SpeyOliver Berry and personnel and assets from 15 other nations were in the area as part of Operation Island Chief, one of four annual patrols focused on deterring illegal fishing. It was the first time the Royal Navy had joined the 10-day mission.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Since China started to implement the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) back in 2013, it has gained considerable access to strategic infrastructure in developing nations. To date, BRI is the largest development program any country has ever undertaken. Africa has emerged as the largest beneficiary of the BRI, and the platform has come in handy for China in redefining its trade partnership with the continent.

Although China is now slowing BRI financing in many African nations due to debt sustainability concerns, some of the projects that have been in the pipeline are starting to mature with visible economic benefits.

One such project is Lekki Port in Nigeria, which is the country’s first deep-sea port. Located 60 kilometers east of Lagos, the world’s 15th largest city and Africa’s largest metropolis, Lekki Port is set to turn around shipping in Nigeria, putting it on the global map.

Despite Nigeria being Africa’s most populous nation and hosting a growing number of middle-class income earners, it relies on two old ports, Tin Can Island and Apapa. These facilities are perennially congested, and their shallow harbors restrict the type of vessels that can comfortably dock. It has also made Nigeria lose maritime business to the neighboring countries of Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Essentially, Lekki Port is designed to address some of these problems as well as catalyze investors’ interest in the Nigeria’s massive shipping potential.

Lekki Port begun construction in 2017 with financing from China Development Bank. It is being built by Lekki Port LFTZ (Lagos Free Trade Zone) Enterprise. This is a special purpose vehicle owned by a group of investors – led by state-owned China Harbor Engineering and Tolaram, a Singapore-based conglomerate – and includes local and federal Nigerian government agencies.

With 16.5 meters of water depth and capacity to handle over 2.7 million TEU a year, Lekki port is one of the most valuable assets under the Chinese BRI in West Africa (and by extension the African continent).

Unlike some of China’s more economically isolated port investments in, for example, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Lekki Port appears to follow an East Asian development tradition, noted Prof. Lauren Johnston, a senior Researcher at South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), in a recent commentary.

Lekki Port is embedded into the Lekki Free Trade Zone, offering tax incentives and reliable, modern infrastructure to prospective investors.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has stationed two grand investments at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, giving Lekki Port a head start once it starts operations in October.

The 650,000 barrel per day Dangote Refinery is expected to start processing oil in the fourth quarter of this year. Besides meeting Nigeria’s local oil demand, the petrochemical complex will produce a surplus for export, a significant benefit for Lekki Port’s liquid bulk terminal.

In addition, Dangote Fertilizer Plant, commissioned in April by President Mohammadu Buhari, is also good news for Lekki Port business prospects.

The plant is now the largest fertilizer manufacturer in Africa with an annual production capacity of three million metric tons of urea fertilizer.

“We are lucky to have this plant. It is coming at the right time with the Ukraine-Russia conflict as both Ukraine and Russia control substantial amounts of agricultural inputs,” Aliko Dangote told CNN.

With China’s strategic role at Lekki Port, this might be the point where the interests of the economic and demographic giants of Asia and Africa intersect. Such a union will be interesting to watch unfold.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/lekki-port-a-union-of-economic-giants

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


All Ukrainian men aged 18-60 have been subject to a wartime travel ban since February, but certain seafarers will soon have an exemption

On August 27, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine finally adopted a resolution on allowing Ukrainian seafarers to leave the country to work under contracts on vessels.

Our company, SKYMAR, is a leading travel service provider in Ukraine for shipowners and seafarers. In the difficult days of March 2022, when all maritime market players and relevant organizations refused to deal with the problem of Ukrainian seafarers leaving, SKYMAR began to pursue a positive solution by all possible official and behind-the-scenes methods. Every week we wrote letters to the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Office of the President of Ukraine. We wrote SMS, called all the known numbers and tried to prove and show how important it is for Ukrainian seaferers to return to their jobs and relieve their colleagues who were on vessels at the time of the start of the war. Our petition to the President of Ukraine was able to collect 25,000 signatures and attract his attention.

Ukrainian seafarers bring up to $4 billion annually to the country. Ukraine ranks sixth in the world in terms of the number of employed seafarers. The urgent need to remove restrictions from Ukrainian seafarers was due to the fact that most of the seafarers could be left without a livelihood. Their skills and abilities are very specific and have little use ashore, even in times of war. In addition, a huge proportion of Ukrainian seafarers help our army in the fight against the enemy, both financially and with humanitarian aid.

And on Saturday it happened! We welcome this decision of the government of Ukraine. Now Ukrainian seafarers will again be able to travel to their jobs on vessels around the world, relieve their colleagues, start providing for their families again and continue to support Ukraine’s army. This is a victory for seafarers and their families, and there are about one million of them in Ukraine.

In the coming days, the Cabinet of Ministers will approve the final adjustments to the adopted resolution and approve the final date from which Ukrainian seafarers will be able to leave on contracts. Our company continues to participate in the discussions of the working group for details on the departure of seafarers.

Once again we would like to thank every Ukrainian seafarer and every member of his family in achieving our common goal. Together we are stronger!

Andrey Panchenko is the CEO and founder of SKYMAR, a seafarers’ travel company from Ukraine.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/ukraine-s-government-allows-its-seafarers-to-rejoin-foreign-ships

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


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