Number 301 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

Transcription

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2015 – 077
Number 077 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 17-03-2015
News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.
The HANSA NORBURG entering the port of Colombo on Sunday morning early Photo : Aart van Essen (c)
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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS
INGE W (Stemat) Leaving the port of Soyo , Angola 02-03-2015 bound for Rotterdam with the SMITBARGE 10 and
14 . The barges were used as jetty for the Svitser fleet for more than 2 years. Eta Cabo Verde: 25 of March for
bunkers and crewchange. Photo : George Zwart (ITC Mistral) (c)
RINA Hellenic Technical Committee focuses on
Container Ship and RoRo Ship Safety
RINA’s Hellenic Technical Committee meeting organized by RINA Hellas on Thursday the 5th of March 2015, has
attracted once more high attention. Over forty members mainly from the important Greek Shipping community, but
also from Israel, Cyprus and even Monaco gathered at the Yacht Club of Greece to discuss, exchange opinions and be
updated on the news of RINA and the Marine Industry in general. Spyros Zolotas, RINA Area Manager for Greece and
Cyprus, in his welcome notes to the HTC Members and distinguished guests, thanked them for the continued support
in the past year, which permitted RINA to further grow its classed Greek owned fleet and improve the services
provided to its clients by further strengthening the organizational structure of its Piraeus Office, as well as its global
network. The Co-Chairmen of the Committee, Mr. Theo Baltatzis, General Manager of Technomar Shipping Inc. and
Mr. Akis Tsirigakis, General Manager of Nautilus Marine Acquisition Corp., after welcoming the new Members of the
Technical Committee, presented their impressions about the growth of RINA in Greece and worldwide, that count for
about 35 million GT of currently classed fleet and a portfolio of about 5 million GT in newbuildings. Other services
related to the Certification (like the ISO 50001) or the RINA Energy Governance System, named Infoship EGO, have
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been some of the added value services that RINA offers today to its clients. The RINA General Manager for Greece,
Middle East and Africa, Mr. Stefano Bertilone, briefly presented the latest global news of the RINA Group with a focus
on the new acquisition of Companies around the world that aim to strengthen its position among the Testing,
Inspection and Certification, as well as the Engineering and Consultancy Companies, worldwide. These acquisitions
along with a considerable organic growth complement the services offered by the RINA Group to its clients in Shipping
and other Markets.The technical part of the HTC meeting started with Mr. Matteo Fiori, RINA Container Ship Expert,
who delivered an interesting presentation on “Container Ship Safety” with very useful information on the strength of
big container vessels, as well as additional services and class notations (like the Route Specific Lashing) offered today
by RINA to its clients in this highly specialized market.
Mr. Andrea Cogliolo, RINA Deputy General Manager, Marine Business Solutions, with his presentation updated the
Members on the “MRV and CO2 Emissions”, while Mr. Michael Markogiannis, Manager of Greece Plan Approval and
Technical Support Center, gave an overview of the current and forthcoming “IACS and IMO work”. Another view was
offered to the participants by the presentation on “Marine Industry Challenges from the Shipmanager’s perspective”,
brilliantly delivered by Mr. Panagiotis Koutris, Managing Director of Roxanna Shipping and Member of the RINA
Hellenic Technical Committee.The technical part of the presentations was closed by Mr. Andrea Cogliolo, who spoke
about “RINA Initiative on Ro-Ro Ships”, a very important issue in this extremely sensitive market in which RINA is the
leading classification society worldwide.The issues presented and discussed, provoked a lot of interest for exchange of
views among the members that was continued in a lively atmosphere during dinner. Source: RINA
The Damen group built MAMOLA RELIANCE seen moored in Gibraltar for bunkers – Photo : Francis Ferro (c)
Operation Obangame Express
By Evelyn Usman
In a move to checkmate activities of piracy and crude oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea, the Nigerian Navy, NN in
collaboration with 21 other countries, among them , the United States of America and United kingdom, are to engage
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in a maritime security exercise tagged 'Operation Obangame Express' .The exercise is billed to commence on March 19
to March 27, 2015.
Briefing journalists on the exercise which opening and closing ceremony will be held in Ghana, the Flag Officer
Commanding, FOC Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Jonathan Ango, explained that the objective of
the exercise was among other things to access the ability of the partnering units to conduct maritime support
operations, with emphasis placed on regional framework. The multinational training exercise which according to him
was organised by the United States of America African command would also provide training support and capacity
building for navies of coastguards of the Gulf of Guinea's countries, with participants drawn from Military and law
enforcement forces from the gulf of guinea Nigeria, he said had been participating in the exercise for four years. For
this year's exercise, Ango disclosed that three vessels comprising of NNS Thunder, Okpabana and Centenary as
well as one Shaldaq boat, NNS Ikot-Abasi, with a Nigerian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft would be used by the
Nigerian Navy, in addition to 18 other ships from other participating countries , with a view to providing opportunities
for all participating countries to look for a lasting solution to maritime illegalities. .According to him: "The exercise
entails interoperability and creating the maritime domain awareness. Its also a multinational training organised by
America and African Partnership Station."In addition to the NN and the Nigeria Airforce assets, other Nigerian maritime
stakeholders such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Nigeria Custom Service, The Nigeria
Immigration Service, Department of State Security , NIMASSA, Nigeria Ports Authority , the Ministry of justice and the
department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture, are expected to take part in the national phase of the
exercise. By the national phase I mean the phase that is going to involve only the coast of Nigeria. NNS Okpabana is
the only ship that will be participating in Ghana from Nigeria. The other ships will be stationed within Nigerian coast
line and water space". Source : AllAfrica
the cruise ship MSC ORCHESTRA arriving in Brisbane last Sunday in beautiful weather after its meeting with cyclone
Nathan. Photo : John Wilson (c)
Cruise ship Britannia: Leaves on maiden
voyage
A cruise ship named by the Queen
on Tuesday has left Southampton
on its maiden voyage. The 3,600passenger vessel BRITANNIA is
the largest cruise ship designed for
the
British
holiday
market,
operator P&O said. It left its home
port for Gibraltar at 18:00 GMT on
a cruise around the Mediterranean
for 14 nights. BRITANNIA was
built in Italy at a cost of almost
￡0.5bn and can hold 3,600
passengers and 1,500 crew.
Photo : Francis Ferro (c)
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The first stop will be Gibraltar, followed by Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, then Ajaccio and Cadiz on the way back to
Southampton. The 141,000-tonne ship features a 94m (308ft) Union Jack on its bow anat 330m (1,082ft), the ship is
longer than London's Shard is tall. The event on Tuesday, which Prince Philip also attended, marked the fifth time a
cruise ship had been named by Her Majesty. BRITANNIA bears the same name as the Queen's former Royal Yacht
BRITANNIA, that was decommissioned in 1997 after more than 40 years of service.The ship will be based in
Southampton during the summer months and in the Caribbean over the winter. source : BBC
OW Bunkers curators will sue banks
The curators of the estate of OW Bunker threatens to drag two large banks, ING and BNP, in court for taking
mortgages on oil stocks for half a billion kroner. This is stated in an exchange of a statement to the Court of Aalborg.
The bankrupt company sold the oil for 505.9 million kroner in December 2014 “We are taking this issue very seriously
and will do what is necessary, but since there is an ongoing relationship, we can not comment on it,” says Bob De
Leersnyder from the press service of ING’s Belgian division to Børsen.The fight is about who has the right to the
payment after the bankrupt company has sold oil for half a billion kroner. After negotiations, the curators of the
company agreed with ING and BNP, that the oil could be sold and the money issue would then be decided in court.
Originally, the Dutch bank ING’s Belgian division and French BNP Paribas would only permit the sale of oil if the
curators would recognize that large banks’ mortgage on the oil could not be challenged. The curators refused this.
OW Bunker filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 7, 2014 after unsuccessful attempts to reconstruct the company, which had
suffered heavy losses because of credits granted by the company’s subsidiary in Singapore. Source: Børsen /
Maritime Denmark
The LOGOS HOPE completed her refit at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore and shifted to Keppel Bay
Photo : Ey Kuet (c) CLICK on the photo !
ANALYSIS: Narrowing crude contango
takes steam out of floating storage
The floating storage play eyed by oil traders around the world earlier this year has failed to materialise in any
significant manner because of a narrowing of the contango in Brent-related crudes.
Of around 42 VLCCs taken on time charter earlier this year with options for floating storage during the contango driven
demand period, only four were confirmed to be doing floating storage in Asia, a VLCC broker in Singapore said.
A London-based broker put the number of VLCCs being used for storage at three. “We have been tracking these ships
very closely and, as far as we can see, the DHT Falcon, the Eliza and the Alsace are the only VLCCs being used for
floating storage”. According to Platts cFlow ship-tracking software, the DHT Falcon loaded Qua Iboe in Nigeria on
January 25 and is anchored off Singapore, while the Eliza loaded Qua Iboe on December 23 and is stationary off
Malaysia, and the Alsace loaded Forties at Hound Point on February 2 and is at Scapa Flow.Ships initially taken on time
charter with floating storage in mind are either being used for delivering cargoes under own programs or being put
into tanker pools for spot voyages, brokers, owners and charterers said. That was partly because of freight economics
that worked in favour of voyages rather than floating storage.Trading companies had taken most ships on time charter
in January at daily rates of $35,000-$45,000 while earnings from spot charter voyages on the Persian Gulf-North Asia
route have been consistently above these levels.Also, a Caribbean-China run has been able to fetch more than
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$100,000/day, while a West Africa-China trip can earn as much as $60,000/day. The flurry of time charters in January,
rather than a rush to floating storage, was actually a rush to gain the flexibility to do floating storage in case it stayed
profitable, traders said.While buying physical prompt-loading crude at discounted differentials, traders sold January
2016 forward Brent crude contracts around $65/barrel to potentially make large sums of money. Now the contango
has shallowed, many of those crude cargoes have been sold, and the vessels involved put to more profitable use.
For some involved in the January rush of time charters, “they never intended to do physical storage in the first place,”
said one VLCC broker.They can use the ships for their own program deliveries to end-users, relet in the spot market,
or use them to perform short duration time charters before using them again in the spot market.In Northwest Europe,
the Alsace VLCC loaded Forties at Hound Point terminal on January 29, and entered Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands
on February 3, remaining there since. Then in March, three 600,000 barrel cargoes of Forties have been sold from the
vessel via ship-to-ship transfer.
LOWER SPOT RATES FOR VLCCS
As plans for floating storage fizzled out, one of the main consequences has been an ample supply of VLCCs in the spot
market at lower rates. The four-week supply of ships for loading in the Persian Gulf increased by two to 85
Wednesday, said a derivatives broker tracking the VLCC markets. There were 39 ships available until the end of March,
the broker said.“Sufficient tonnage will keep the rates around current levels,” he said.
According to Platts data, rates for the key VLCC Persian Gulf-Japan route are around w50.75, down from this year’s
high of w71.50 on January 20 when demand for taking ships on time charter with storage options was expected to
absorb tonnage in a big way.Some market participants still expected the interest in the contango driven floating
storage to revive in the second quarter when demand for crude and ships to move it was expected to be typically
lower because of the refinery maintenance season.If prices of crude and VLCC spot rates decline during April-June,
ships may be hired again for floating storage, said a chartering manager with a VLCC owner. Sources also said that
because oil companies still held a large number of VLCCs on long-term time charter deals, they could quickly employ
the ships for floating storage should the need arise.“The traders will just wait for the contango to steepen again and,
when it does, they can quickly put the oil into storage without the hassle of having to arrange time charter deals,” a
London-based shipbroker said. Source: Platts
The CARNIVAL SPIRIT entering Port Phillip Heads from the Bass Strait for Station Pier Port Melbourne.
Photo : Bill Barber (c)
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Making The World Go Round – Seaborne
Trade!
Money, or even love if you prefer, are claimed to make the world go round. For the shipping world, however, it’s trade
that sets things spinning. Those wishing to grasp the magnitude of world seaborne trade might want to consider that it
is projected to close in on 11 billion tonnes in 2015. Examining the statistics in more detail sheds further light on its
role in the world economy.
What’s In The Basket?
Seaborne trade is made up of a wide range of commodities. Tankers and bulkers carry a huge amount of the tonnage.
This year, the 11.0 billion tonnes (bt) 2015-03-13_upload_6477475_SIW 1163will include of 3.2 bt of major bulks,
another 1.5 bt of minor bulks and 2.8 bt of crude oil and refined oil products. But there’s plenty of room for other
cargo too. Manufactures take their place with 1.7 bt of containerised cargo (which punches further above its weight in
value terms) and another 1.1 bt of other non-bulk dry cargo (some still ripe for containerization). More specialised
shipping completes the set, with 0.6 bt of liquefied gas trade and chemicals trade combined. These components tell us
a lot about the shipping model, and the last two SIW feature articles noted the role of China: importing industrial raw
materials in bulk, and exporting manufactures on containerships.
Popsopular Concept
This year world seaborne trade is projected to represent 1.5 tonnes of cargo for each person on the planet, up from
1.0t in 2000. As economic growth continues in developing economies, populations typically contribute more to world
seaborne trade on a per capita basis, and as they ‘catch up’ with western world levels this drives increased trade (and
a higher ratio). Even if the ratio remains unchanged, the current projection of 8.4 bn people on the planet by 2030
would mean an extra 1.7 bt of seaborne trade.
Multiplier Effect
Then there’s the ‘multiplier’ effect. Over the last 5 years, for example, the growth in world seaborne trade has clocked
in on average at 1.13 times more than the growth in the world economy. As globalisation has taken hold, international
trade has typically grown more quickly than world economic output. Seaborne container trade, for example, has
enabled the connection of distant producers and consumers, and also the component trade enabling multi-location
manufacture connected by low unit cost shipping. Discovery of natural resources in locations other than economic
growth centres also helps. In 2015, the world economy is expected to grow by 3.5% but world seaborne trade is
expected to grow more quickly, by 4.1%.
Keep It Going Round
Since the decline in 2009, seaborne trade growth has been quite consistent, averaging about 4%. Without the huge
fleet dwt growth of 55% in the period 2008-14, the market downturn might have been less severe. On Shipping
Intelligence Network, monthly tables and our Seaborne Trade Monitor report provide regularly updated seaborne trade
statistics. At a rough estimate, seaborne trade constitutes over 80% of the global total volume by all modes. That’s
some achievement, and until the world comes up with an alternative, it will keep on making the world go around. Have
a nice day.Source: Clarksons
ECSA Supramax grain cargoes falling short
of ship supply
Supramax front-haul freight rates from East Coast South America fell this week as tonnage in the region continued to
outnumber fresh grain requirements, shipping sources said. Having hit $10,000/d plus $100,000 ballast bonus
February 27, the rate for carrying a 50,000 mt grain stem from ECSA to the Far East continued at that level until it fell
to $9,500/d plus $95,000 ballast bonus Tuesday.That fall went against shipbroker and owner expectations in late
February that the start of the South Atlantic grain export season in March would lead to a gradual increase in rates.
Though grain exports from Argentina and southern Brazil do not normally peak before late April to early May, inquiry
often builds up in March, leading to steady gains in rates early in the season, sources said.
An uptick in front-haul grain demand before Christmas helped push the ECSA-to-Far East Supramax route to $13,500/d
plus $350,000 ballast bonus. However, inquiry slackened after the festive season, with front-haul freights dropping
below $10,000/d plus $100,000 ballast bonus.Asian grain demand picked up again after the Lunar New Year holiday
season, bringing rates back up to $10,000/d plus $100,000 ballast bonus.But while front-haul grain demand on ECSA
has stayed solid since the end of the Lunar New Year holidays, it has not been strong enough to turn the ship-to-cargo
ratio in favor of owners, shipbrokers said.In addition, though the ship count on ECSA was never overly long in the past
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three months, the amount of grain cargoes coming out has never been enough for it to get tight, a London-based
broker said. “Also, there have been many Panamaxes around, which can tap into Supramax stems,” he said.“There
were some strong fixtures done recently on ECSA, which created a more positive vibe,” a UK-based shipbroker said,
referring to an Ultramax being fixed at $10,000/d plus $120,000 ballast bonus for a Far East trip.
“But now [ECSA] seems to be trailing off a little because cargoes are still not increasing and it has seen some extra
ships pop up.”In contrast to the US Gulf Coast, which often got saturated with ships during its recent grain export
season, it is harder for tonnage to pile up on ECSA because it sees fewer inbound ships carrying cargoes, shipbrokers
said.Also, Supramax owners can often only afford to ballast to ECSA from West Africa, as repositioning from other
loading areas can be costly.
“We have been seeing very few ships ballasting to ECSA from WAF recently, maybe two to three a week,” a broker
said.Owners positioned in West Africa were waiting for volumes to be stronger, and for higher rates, before they made
the move across, the broker said.A Greece-based source said the few new ships opening up each week in ECSA “keep
nipping in the bud any thought of rates moving higher”.
LIMITED EBOLA IMPACT ON BALLASTING
Meanwhile, the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa had not made a dent in the number of Supramaxes that could
ballast to ECSA, shipbroking sources said. Last August, the Argentine Pilots Association said pilots in the River Plate
would not board ships that had previously been to West African countries affected by Ebola, unless 30 days had
passed since their sailing.“Ships being positioned in Ebola-affected countries and then heading to Argentina has not
come into play much,” another UK-based broker said.“Ebola has affected only three countries in West Africa, and we
have not had many Supramaxes positioned there,” said another broker, adding charterers have mostly been employing
ships positioned elsewhere in West Africa and along the Gulf of Guinea.Even if ships did call at Guinea, Liberia or Sierra
Leone — the three countries still dealing with active Ebola outbreaks — “they could go to the US Gulf or somewhere
else in the Atlantic to try pick cargo for East Coast South America,” the broker said.“By then 30 days will have passed
before they reach ECSA.”Source: Platts
14-03-2015 : The HIGHLAND KNIGHT IMO 9643855 in Great Yarmouth photo : Peter E. Moore (c)
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HAL’s NOORDAM moored in Grand Turk – Photo : Harm Jongman (c)
Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 –
provisions for maritime collisions
Late last October at approximately 7:20pm the container vessel SAN FELIPE registered with the Marshall Islands and
navigated its way to berth at Westports, Port Kelang. As it did so, it came into contact with the Malta-flagged vessel
AL RIFFA , which was berthed at an adjacent wharf because there was a fire on board. The fire spread to the San
Felipe. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, substantial damage to the containers carried on the San
Felipe was reported. The cause of the incident is still unknown, but investigations are underway. The San Felipe was
towed out to sea to facilitate firefighting efforts. This incident brought into play the provisions under the Merchant
Shipping Ordinance 1952 that relate to collisions. Part VII of the ordinance requires that special inquiries and
investigations take place whenever there are shipping casualties. Under Section 332, a ‘shipping casualty’ is deemed to
have occurred when:
a ship is lost, abandoned, stranded or materially damaged on or near the Malaysian coast;
a ship causes loss or material damage to another ship or to any property on or near the Malaysian coast;
there is a loss of life caused by a casualty happening to or on board a ship on or near the Malaysian coast;
a witness to the abovementioned situations is in Malaysia;
any loss, abandonment, material damage or casualty occurs to a Malaysian-flagged ship at any location; and
a Malaysian-flagged ship is lost or supposedly lost.
Port officer and inspector rights and duties
A port officer must hold a preliminary inquiry whenever a shipping casualty occurs. The officer has the same powers as
an inspector appointed under Section 525. In accordance with Section 525, inspectors must provide a report
containing the following information: the nature and cause of accidents or damage that a ship has sustained or
caused, or is alleged to have sustained or caused;
whether the Merchant Shipping Ordinance and other applicable ordinances and acts in force in Malaysia have been
complied with; and
in the case of steamships, whether the hull and machinery are sufficient and in good condition.
In accordance with Section 525(2), inspectors can:
board any Malaysian or foreign vessel and inspect it or any of the machinery, boats, equipment or articles on board to
which Section 525(1)(b) applies –
however, inspectors cannot unnecessarily detain or delay a vessel from proceeding on a voyage;
enter and inspect any premises as necessary for the purpose of the report;
summon and question individuals as necessary and require answers to any inquiries;
require and enforce the production of all books, papers or documents considered relevant to the report; and
administer oaths or, in lieu of requiring or administering an oath, require individuals that have been questioned to
make a declaration confirming the truth of the statements made during examination.The powers given to inspectors
under Section 525 are to be read alongside Section 520, which compels shipmasters to provide inspectors with every
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reasonable facility for the purposes of inspection and examination.On conclusion of an inquiry, the port officer must
submit his or her report to the minister of transport.
Minister of transport powers
Regardless of whether there has been a preliminary inquiry, the minister may appoint a court to hold a formal
investigation whenever a shipping casualty occurs. This investigative court will consist of a high court judge or sessions
court judge and assessors, one of which must be the port officer. After hearing the case, the court will provide the
minister with a report which contains a full statement of the case and the court’s opinion, accompanied by any reports
of, or extracts from, the evidence and observations that the court deems necessary. Pursuant to the powers listed in
Section 252, the minister issued the Merchant Shipping (Collision Regulations) Order 1984, which essentially
establishes the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (as amended on November 19 1981) as
the collision regulation to be followed for the purposes of the ordinance.
Civil proceedings
The ordinance also contains provisions that apply to civil proceedings in connection with a maritime collision. For
example, Section 513 sets out rules regarding the division of loss. It states that where two or more vessels cause
damage or loss to one or more vessels, their cargoes or freight or any property on board, liability for the damage or
loss will be in proportion to the degree to which each vessel was at fault. However, if it is impossible to establish
different degrees of fault, the liability will be apportioned equally.
Section 513 cannot render a vessel liable for any loss or damage to which it has not contributed. This section does not
affect the liability of any person under a contract of carriage or any other contract; nor does it impose any liability on
individuals who are exempted by contract or law or affect individuals’ right to limit their liability in the manner provided
by law.Section 514 dictates that when loss of life or personal injury on board a vessel is caused by the vessel or any
other vessel, the owners of the vessels will be held jointly liable.
Section 515 deals with the right of contribution. According to Section 515, if damages are claimed for loss of life or
personal injury from the owners of the responsible vessels and one owner pays a portion of the damages that is
greater than its actual fault, it may recover the excess amount from the owners of the other vessels by way of a
contribution to the extent to which those vessels were respectively at fault.
For the purposes of Sections 513 through 515, ‘owner’ is defined as:
any person that owns the ship or has any interest in the ownership of the ship;
the charterer (if the ship has been chartered); and
in any case where the owner or charterer is not responsible for navigation and management of the ship, any person
that is responsible for the navigation and management of the ship.
Section 517 provides that proceedings against a vessel for claims or liens must be made within two years from when
the damage, loss or injury occurred or the salvage services were rendered. Section 517 further mandates that an
action to enforce a contribution in respect of an overpaid proportion of damages under Section 515 cannot be
maintained unless the proceedings are commenced within a year of the date of payment. However, Section 517
empowers the court to extend the applicable period to the extent and with the conditions that it sees fit if it is satisfied
that during the original timeframe there was no reasonable opportunity to arrest the defendant’s vessel within:
the court’s jurisdiction;
the territorial waters of the country to which the plaintiff’s ship belongs; or
the plaintiff’s residence or principal place of business. Source: Shearn Delamore & Co
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Last week two cruise ships were in Akaroa,Banks Peninsular. The AURORA was on an around the world cruise while
SEA PRINCESS was on one of her regular Australia-New Zealand cruises. photo : Alan Calvert
Asian Investment in Europe’s Shipping
Sector: Asian Shipping Centers & Routes to
Watch
Asian shipping centers continue to go from strength to strength with Hong Kong, Singapore and China all looking to
improve their value-adding services. This is in its nascent stages in China, where state sanctioned investment is
focused on moving its shipping industry up the value chain. The Chinese government is also committed to establishing
China as a major player in the more lucrative sector of offshore energy equipment.
Meanwhile, Singapore and Hong Kong are keenly aware of the need to stay ahead of European and Asian competitors.
Responding to the Xinhua-Baltic Shipping Center Index Report, Anthony Cheung Bing-leung – Hong Kong’s Secretary
for Transport and Housing in HK – was eager to emphasize that “Hong Kong is moving towards high value-added
services and a knowledge-based economy, matching up with the rapid economic development in Asia and the global
development trend.”
In Singapore, the government has increased support for maritime business sectors and is extending the current
maritime sector incentive (MSI) to include a number of tax exemptions. Singapore will also be the first country to
implement the Mass Flow Meter (MFM). This aims to increase transparency, reduce illegal bunkering and prevent
maritime disputes.Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, promised the MFM
would “safeguard Singapore’s reputation as a top bunkering port in the world… It is a significant milestone for the
bunkering industry and it will strengthen our position in the long term as a reliable and trusted port for bunkering
operations”.
Shipping Routes to Watch
Asia-Europe Trade Lane: Freight rates are improving on the Asia-Europe trade lanes. Both the French carrier CMA CGM
and state-owned Shipping Corporation of India have announced new rate restoration initiatives on the route. This rate
hike should restore freight rates to sustainable levels, though major shipping companies will still be vulnerable to the
risk of smaller players undercutting rates in order to stay afloat as the industry recovers. Profitability on this trade
route may still be overly reliant on cost savingThe new vessel alliance between major players Maersk Line and
Mediterranean Shipping Co. will also have a considerable impact on this trade route. The alliance will see the two
controlling 95 percent of the cargo volume on east-west trade routes.Whether this will stunt growth by reducing
competition or stimulate the industry by consolidating services and increasing efficiency remains to be seen. If they
choose to tighten capacity, however, this could again help cap freight rates on Asia-Europe trade routes.
North Sea Route: At present, the North Sea Route is not fully utilized but could potentially shorten journeys from
Russia or Northern Europe to East Asia by up to 20 percent. Icebreaker escorts are necessary all year and the few
available are permanently in use, though Russia is currently expanding its northern icebreakers fleet which should also
reduce the insurance cost of the route’s Search and Rescue Services. Usage of the route will require Russian
permission and the suspension of trade co-operation with the European Union may impede access in the short-term. If
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political and logistical barriers are addressed, the route could significantly improve efficiency and costs over the next
five years – particularly benefiting the transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas.
South China Sea: Intra-Asian trade routes will be similarly subject to shifting political agendas. China and ASEAN
member nations are committed to accelerating their upgrade of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (CAFTA) by the end
of 2015, with Premier Li Keqiang committing 30 million RMB to support economic and technical cooperation between
the two sides over the next three years. Despite these resolutions, ASEAN member nations – particularly Malaysia,
Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei – have run into serious diplomatic difficulties over territory in the South China
Sea. Aside from prompting anti-Chinese domestic unrest in these Southeast Asia countries, these skirmishes disrupt
shipping routes. Though ASEAN-China relations appear to have improved, it is unlikely a permanent solution to the
South China Sea disputes will be reached in the next few years and disruptions to the route are likely.
Chinese Investment in Greece
On his first day in office, the new Greek Prime Minister Alexi Tspiras halted foreign buyouts of the Greek shipping
sector, eschewing the former government’s attempt to prune Greece’s hefty EURO 320bn debt load. Cosco, a Chinese
state-owned global shipping carrier, had been in the process of bidding for further port assets. Five years previous, its
EURO 500m acquisition of Greek piers in the port of Piraeus represented the largest foreign investment in modern
Greek history.Chinese investment in the Greek shipping sector flourished and in 2013 over 60 percent of their global
orderbook came from Chinese yards, while the Export-Import Bank of China – a policy bank that provides financing to
advance government economic goals – granted large loans to several Greek Shipping firms. For now, Alexi Tspiras has
contained the diplomatic fallout, successfully smoothing over ruffled Chinese feathers. Michalis Pantazopoulos affirmed
that, “Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made some very uplifting comments for the cooperation of the Chinese and Greek
people… during the visit of the Chinese Navy fleet,” adding, “Time will show the approach of the new Greek
Government towards privatizations and foreign investments… Greek shipping is in a state of ‘wait and see before act’
mood”.At the 6th Greek Shipping Forum in Athens this month, Wiley Griffiths, Global Transportation Managing Director
for Morgan Stanley, also remained upbeat. He suggested that although the Greek debt crisis management may put off
first-time investors and limit the investor pool, most will be undeterred: “They understand that these are companies
that operate primarily outside of Greece and what’s going on in the country doesn’t have a material impact on the
business itself. For the time being, Europe and Asia are likely to remain unaffected by Greek-Chinese relations.
Source: Asia Briefing
London P&I Club increases entry at recent
renewal
The London P&I Club increased its entry of both owners and charterers business following the recently completed
renewal season. Ian Gooch, chief executive of the club’s management team, says, “The renewal took place against a
backdrop of another challenging year for our members, reflecting the depressed freight markets in many shipping
sectors. The particularly difficult trading conditions intensified the focus on costs, including P&I rates. This led to some
tough negotiations, and it proved impossible to agree renewal in a few cases. There were also a few instances where
our underwriters took the decision not to offer terms.“Notwithstanding this difficult renewal environment, however, the
club recorded further steady growth in its shipowners’ business, of 700,000 gt, with additions from new as well as
existing members based in countries which included China, Greece, Singapore, Turkey and the UK. The club’s
charterers’ entry also grew by over 3m gt during 2014/2015. “Moreover, the increase in income earned by the club
during the 2014 year, together with rate increases at renewal, means that premium levels continued to move in the
right direction.”
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The Royal van Lent built SYMPHONY passing Alphen aan de Rijn
Photo : Martin van Leest – Rotterdam Offshore (c)
USCG issues Marine Safety Alert after
recent engine room fire
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued a Marine Safety Alert regarding engine room operations.
Recently an engine room fire occurred onboard an older cruise ship while it was at berth. A fuel oil spray under
pressure developed from an operating engine’s fuel supply line when a bolted flange parted. The fuel spray ignited
when it contacted the engine’s exhaust piping or turbocharger components. The vessel’s fine mist extinguishing
system automatically activated and performed as designed extinguishing the primary fire. Fuel pumps and shutoff
valves were also secured. However, the short-duration fire also ignited cable bundles, quickly filling the machinery
space with smoke. As a result, one crewmember and two technicians were unable to egress and perished in the engine
room.
Although the investigation is not complete and there is more to be learned, the USCG is issuing this safety alert to:
1. reiterate the importance of vessel engineers being cognizant of and taking action on engine manufacturer technical
bulletins and service letters,
2. remind personnel working in machinery spaces to have a personal exit plan no matter where they are working, and
3. stress the value of having engineers frequently perform detailed engineering space inspection rounds on engines,
systems, and other equipment.
The ongoing investigation into the fire has revealed that a fuel line supply flange integral to the engine parted after
three bolts completely loosened and the remaining bolt fractured. Other bolts within the engine’s hot box were also
found broken. The involved engine was a Wartsila model VASA12V32LNE also referenced as a VASA 32. It is a very
common engine with thousands operating in ship and shore side service. Over its service life the manufacturer has
produced a number of technical bulletins and service letters related to the fuel system piping, shielding of hot surfaces,
other fire protection devices, and availability of components to meet SOLAS requirements. In its service letters Wartsila
notes that fuel pipes leading to and from the injection pumps are subject to pressure pulses derived from the injection
pumps, vibrations caused by normal engine vibrations, and static stresses caused by heat expansion. Any repairs or
modifications to the fuel system must follow manufacturer guidance provided in associated manuals, bulletins, and
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service letters. Owners and operators may obtain engine bulletins and service letters through their Wartsila service
representative and other OEM / engine manufacturers.
In this case, the loosening of these bolts may have been caused by vibrational loosening. It is unknown when the
involved piping was last removed and reinstalled and whether or not proper torque was applied to the bolts.
Emergency egress was also identified as an issue during the fire investigation. Machinery spaces onboard cruise ships
and other large vessels are complex spaces where an unfamiliar person can become quite disoriented, particularly
during emergencies. Additional factors like the loss of all power and lighting or excessive smoke can make rapid
evacuation extremely difficult. There are simple steps to improve the odds of a successful escape.
Before any work begins, learn the locations of available exits and escape routes in all directions (i.e. up and down
levels and platforms, port and starboard). If there are watertight doors present review the procedures to manually
open them if they should be closed. Also learn the location of Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBDs) and
review their proper usage and activation. Lastly and very importantly, always carry a good flashlight in your pocket.
The light it provides may save your life.
An Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) information document related to machinery space inspections
and rounds states, “The widespread introduction of machinery automation and associated alarm and control systems
has significantly changed the nature of operational practices on board vessels. The extensive use of computers,
monitoring tools, and equipment has increased the volume and accuracy of data to the extent that there is a risk that
the responsible officer may become insulated from the actual machinery status and performance.” The full document
issued by OCIMF can be downloaded online. This reference is for informational purpose only and is not an
endorsement.
The purpose of engineering personnel conducting rounds in machinery spaces is to identify and initiate intervention,
preventative maintenance, and repair actions when unsafe conditions exist. Carefully accomplished, engineers will
discover abnormalities as they occur, enabling them to minimize negative compounding events. Identifying
discrepancies such as loosening bolts, leaking piping and flanges, excessive oil loss through poor seals and gaskets,
failing pump seals, loosening of pipe brackets, inadequate lubricant levels, etc., are typical issues found when
thorough inspection rounds are conducted. Each operating engine should be thoroughly examined several times a
watch on all sides available noting potential leakages, loosening of components, proper drainage of air coolers, etc. All
persons making rounds should be using very bright flashlights in the performance of their inspection duties.
USCG strongly recommends that owner and operators of all types of vessels develop policy and procedures to ensure:
• They have up to date service bulletins and service letters for critical equipment, implementing the requirements
specifically when such items relate to fire prevention and safety;
• That service vendors, technicians, crewmembers, or any persons working within machinery spaces understand their
escape routes and available emergency equipment before they start work and;
• That all engineering personnel know how to perform effective and comprehensive inspections and rounds to detect
abnormalities and problematic systems, equipment, and components as early as possible. Source: USCG
The SEVEN PACIFIC in Las Palmas, photo : Serhiy Lypovanchuk (c)
17-03-2015
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RINA management software chosen for
fast cruise ferries
Italy’s leading cruise ferry operator Moby S.p.A. has chosen the RINA InfoSHIP software suite for managing
maintenance and purchase processes across its entire thirteen-ship fleet. RINA InfoSHIP Maintenance and Purchase
Module (MP), developed in cooperation with IB Software and Consulting, facilitates and reduces the costs of
management of planned and unplanned maintenance, stocking and inventory.Paolo Moretti, General Manager Marine,
RINA Services, says, “Moby operates a modern fleet of high capacity and high speed cruise ferries on demanding
trades. Choosing this software will deliver cost and operational efficiency benefits and minimize downtime. The choice
confirms our strong partnership with Moby and RINA’s ability to assist owners and operators with operational services.”
The package of software which Moby will deploy is the core of the InfoSHIP suite and is equipped with a wide range of
features for encoding and building a model of the technical structure of the ship, for the creation of an on-board
database, for the control of the entire range of maintenance activities, and for managing the supply chain of spare
parts, consumables, services and material management.Moby has already implemented the InfoSHIP MS (Quality &
safety Management) package which has delivered:
·
Tracking hazardous occurrences (Accidents/ Incidents/ Near-Misses) and promoting preventive actions,
improving safety standards on board.
·
Monitoring safety equipment and managing quality and compliance documents to support ISM and SMS
requirements.
Moby S.p.A. operates five 2,000+ pax high speed cruise ferries, two 1,600 pax cruise ferries and six mid-size ferries on
routes linking the Italian mainland with Sardinia, Corsica and Elba. RINA is the global classification leader for
passenger ferries and joint leader in the combined cruise and ferry market globally.RINA Services S.p.A. is the RINA
group company active in classification, certification, inspection and testing services. RINA is a multi-national group
which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, marine classification, environmental enhancement,
product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries
and services. RINA operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Construction,
Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business
Governance. With a turnover of over 294 million Euros in 2013, over 2,500 employees, and 163 offices in 57 countries
17-03-2015
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worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important
contributor to the development of new legislative standards.
Tug ARION (built 1978, 2700 HP) with ENAK on way from Copehagen (DK) to Bremerhaven (DE) via Kiel Canal @
15. MARCH 2015 Photo : Tony Zech WWW.ZECH-PHOTO.DE – PHOTOGRAPHY(c)
First supertanker unloads oil at new VopakDialog terminal in Malaysia
A supertanker has docked at a joint-venture terminal between Vopak and Dialog Group in Malaysia and will unload
about 1 million barrels of Middle East crude, the companies said on Monday. The world's largest independent storage
company and its partner started operations at the first commercial crude oil tank farm in southeast Asia this month.
Located in Pengerang, in the southern state of Johor, just across the Johor Strait from the Singapore trading hub, the
site can hold 420,000 cubic meters of crude (2.6 million barrels) and also offers blending and distribution services.BP
has leased more than half of the storage space from Vopak, while Total will use the remainder, industry sources said
earlier. The crude oil storage facilities are part of a joint venture terminal between Vopak, Dialog Group and the state
government of Johor. When completed, the terminal will have a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters to store
crude and oil products.Oil pricing agency Platts said last week it was considering a proposal to reflect deliveries from
the Pengerang terminal in its Singapore pricing assessments for middle distillates and gasoline. Source : Reuters
(Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Tom Hogue)
The AURORA in her new livery seen moored in Melbourne – Photo : Dale E Crisp (c)
Armed Guards Bans and Warnings
The use of armed guards on vessels plying their trade off Somalia and in the Indian Ocean has long been heralded as
one of the most effective maritime security techniques to protect vessels and deter pirates.However, while their use
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has been accepted in the Indian Ocean, elsewhere, it is clear that armed guards are not welcome or acceptable.The
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is now taking a wholly anti-guard stance. While the
Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG) recently advised vessels transiting or going to
any Nigerian ports not to have any form of security guards, armed or unarmed, onboard.Gard P&I Club, amongst
others, has advised its members, stressing that there is an enhanced risk of vessel detention when entering Nigerian
waters with foreign security guards onboard.The stance of various agencies within Nigeria is thought to have been
prompted by the political manoeuvring prior to the election in the country. The presidential election is hotly contested
in the African nation. Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan is running for a second term against primary challenger
Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator.This is likely to make operating in Nigerian waters even more
challenging and potentially risky. But elsewhere, especially in Asia, the picture with armed guards is no less
complicated.With piracy and armed robbery on the increase in Southeast Asia, P&I Club Skuld has warned shipowners
to be wary of taking on the services of private maritime security companies (PMSCs). There is a real risk of offending
the laws of littoral states which could see vessels, crews and PMSC personnel detained and subjected to prosecution,
the P&I club added.Employing armed guards is not only complicated from the perspective of State laws, there are
operational concerns too. While much work has been done to introduce standards and processes for the effective
management and vetting of armed guards, there is always a slight question mark over who is being sent onboard.
These questions become ever more important and significant when something goes wrong – and there have been
repeated incidents of guards becoming either embroiled in problems ashore, or suffering whilst onboard. Managing the
potential risks posed by the very people meant to be safeguarding the vessel is becoming a real headache, and
something which needs handling effectively.Source: Shiptalk
Last Saturday during a sailing from Maassluis to the Maasvlakte with the museum tug ELBE a boat drill was conducted
as can be seen above all the people onboard were present at their muster station as the names where called via the
old fashion loudhailer – Photo : Leen van der Meijden (c)
CLICK on the photo to see Kees Torn’s movie !
17-03-2015
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Petrobras Says No Plans To Make Asset
Sales Public
Beleaguered Brazilian oil major Petrobras has no plans on letting anybody know what assets its selling as it spends
2015 shedding some weight. A company spokesperson told FORBES that they were not going to make public their list
of assets up for grabs until they have been sold. Petrobras’ new CEO Aldemir Bendine announced $3 billion in asset
sales this year. The move is part of an ongoing effort to raise capital without acquiring more debt. A massive
corruption scandal has nearly wiped out the company’s market cap, taking it down to around $33 billion from close to
$70 billion four years ago. Bendine was hired to help Petrobras navigate the selling of assets, including stakes in oil
fields, following his success of taking similar measures at state-run Banco do Brasil , where he worked before being
hired to run Petrobras last month.
Reuters reported that JPMorgan was chosen by Petrobras to solicit companies to bid for the assets and structure the
deals. Properties and drilling licenses are among the assets up for sale. Petrobras declined to comment about possible
Gulf of Mexico assets being added to the chopping block. Petrobras sold a 20% stake in the Gulf of Mexico’s Gila well
to ConocoPhillips in 2013. It raised $110 million in the transaction.According to Reuters, meetings are being scheduled
in the coming weeks to further look at deal opportunities.Petrobras is known for its world class assets off Brazil’s
Atlantic coast. When the first oil well was discovered in 2007, Petrobras helped Brazil move from speculative grade
status into coveted investment grade status. But flash forward five years and add a 10 years long corruption scandal
involving its construction partners and members of congress and the company is known more today for scandal. The
company is no stranger to asset sales. It’s been dumping billions of dollars worth of stakes in oil fields and its foreign
subsidiaries for the last two years. Source : Forbes
The ARCADIA spotted at the Ocean terminal in a misty Hong Kong last Sunday evening Photo : Piet Sinke (c)
CLICK on the photo !
ABB wins $155 million order to power large
North Sea oilfield
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $155 million from Norway’s Statoil
to supply systems and equipment to two HVDC converter stations linking the recently discovered Johan Sverdrup
offshore field with the onshore grid. The contract has been booked in the first quarter of 2015, the company said in its
17-03-2015
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press release.Oil production at Johan Sverdrup, located west of Stavanger on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), is
expected to start in late 2019. Full production is estimated at 550,000-650,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, which
would constitute 40% of total oil production on the NCS. The four platforms that make up the first phase of the
development will be entirely powered from shore by the HVDC link supplied by ABB. The first phase of power-fromshore investments will prepare for the future development of the Johan Sverdrup field, as well as other fields located
at Utsira High until 2022.ABB will design, engineer, supply and commission the equipment for two ±80 kilovolt 100
MW high-voltage converter stations. One will be located onshore at Haugsneset, where it will turn alternating current
(AC) from the grid into high-voltage direct current (DC), which can be transmitted efficiently over 200 km to the
second station which is on one of the oil platforms. There, the DC current will be converted back into AC and
distributed to the rest of the field.
ABB’s solution will utilize Voltage-Sourced Converter (VSC) technology, called “HVDC Light,” to provide flexible, longdistance transmission of electricity. This technology has enabled ABB to win all four HVDC power-from-shore systems
that have so far been ordered in the North Sea: Statoil’s Troll A, compressor 1 and 2, delivered in 2005; BP’s Valhall
field, delivered in 2011; Troll A 3 and 4, currently under delivery; and now Johan Sverdrup.ABB pioneered HVDC
transmission 60 years ago and has been awarded about 100 such projects. This adds up to a total installed capacity of
more than 120 GW, or about half the global installed base of HVDC. In the 1990s, ABB further developed the
technology by using voltage-sourced converters, a breakthrough which later became HVDC Light.VSC-HVDC links are
increasingly being deployed to connect remote renewables to consumption centers, and to enable cross-border
connections, power-from-shore links and city-center in-feeds, where space is a constraint. ABB is a leader in power
and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their
performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and
employs about 140,000 people worldwide. source : portnews
The 2001 built MLT flag deck cargo barge AMT COMMANDER loaded with CI-27 topside underway from Ravenna
to Abidjan, Ivory Coast towed by CARLO MARTELLO offshore Sicily on Sunday 15th March, 2015.
Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com (c)
'Sri Lankan Navy Has the Right to Shoot
Anyone Entering Its Waters': PM Ranil
Wickremasinghe to NDTV
17-03-2015
Page 19
Sri Lanka and India are working to resolve the fishermen's issue, but the country's navy has the right to shoot anyone
who intrudes into their territorial waters, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has told NDTV.The
reiteration of the controversial comment comes on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the island nation
which he said was a "successful visit". Speaking to NDTV, Mr Wickremasinghe said, "The Lankan navy has the right to
shoot in any part of the country if anyone enters territorial waters, this is nothing new".The main issue, he said, was
bottom trawling by fishing boats and it has to stop. "That has been acknowledged by all sides."Earlier this month,
ahead of PM Modi's visit, Mr Wickremasinghe told a Tamil news channel, "If someone tries to break into my house, I
can shoot. If he gets killed... Law allows me to do that... Why are you coming into our waters? Stay on the Indian
side."The comment had caused huge controversy and days later, on March 12, the Lankan Navy had allegedly hurled
petrol bombs at Indian fishing boats. No one had been injured. In February, 86 Indian fishermen were arrested and 10
fishing boats were seized by the Lankan Navy.
Mr Wickremasinghe said the two countries were working on a solution to the issue. "The foreign minister (Sushma
Swaraj) when she was here, told me that they are trying to get them (the fishermen) moved out," he said. Ms Swaraj
had visited Lanka ahead of PM Modi's visit.PM Modi, Mr Wickremasinghe said, had "reached out" to Sri Lanka and the
Lankans had responded."It makes a case that there should be regular visits by Indian PM to Lanka, but he covered
every part and showed that India stood for all Sri Lankans. While we have to settle the outstanding problems in the
North, India was not thinking only of the north but all Sri Lanka," he added source : NDTV
OHT’s FALCON loaded the HAKURYU-12 in Singapore – Photo : Roald Kaper (c)
Alpha Bulkers gets wet with double VLCC
order
Greece’s Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement has continued its expansion into the tanker sector by ordering two 320,000dwt VLCCs from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).The two ships were priced at $97m per unit and are expected to be
delivered to the Angelicoussis-led firm in 2017, brokers tell Splash. Alpha Bulkers’ live fleet currently consists purely of
bulk carriers, being 18 capesizes and 14 panamaxes.The Athens-based carrier began its diversification into the tanker
sector this year when it placed an order for two 158,000-dwt suezmax tankers from HHI for an undisclosed sum.
17-03-2015
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Branching out of the dry sector would be a wise move. Today the spot rate for capesize bulkers is $2,800 per day,
compared with $20,815 a year ago, and some bulker operators have already fallen victim to the dire
market.Conversely, tanker rates are on the up and up. VLCCs are fixing at spot rates of around $33,000 today
compared with $3,148 on the same day last year.source : splash 24/7
The HIGHLAND GUARDIAN arriving at Aberdeen on 15/03/15. Photo : Maurice Napier ©
BOSKALIS TO CONSTRUCT SECOND
ARTIFICIAL ISLAND IN PANAMA
Royal Boskalis Westminster has been awarded a contract by Compañía Insular Americana SA to construct a
second artificial island off the coast near the residential area of Punta Pacifica in Panama City. The project follows the
successful construction of the first island by Boskalis, which was handed over to the client in early 2013.With a value
of more than Euros 55 million the contract is due to commence in the course of the second half of 2015 and is
expected to last for two years.
The project involves constructing the second artificial island in the Pacific Ocean off the densely populated shoreline of
Panama City.Nine hectares of land will be created by using approximately 600,000 cubic meters of rock to form a
perimeter and filling it with 1.3 million cubic meters of sand. A bridge will be built to connect the second island to the
first island.The client is an affiliated company of Ocean Reef Island Inc for whom Boskalis constructed the first artificial
island.Boskalis will use tugboats and barges to transport the rock and a clamshell and excavators to install the rock
perimeter. Thereafter, the island will be filled with sand supplied by a large trailing suction hopper dredger. Link to
artist's impression movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiG0b15DJuw&feature=player_embedded
Source : Dredging news Online
Floating oil storage onboard tankers
difficult to materialize, at least for now
As tanker owners with aged VLCC tankers were looking for an opportunity in the scrap market, in order to send their
vessels for demolition, the opportunity of floating storage plays rose, giving those older ship another lifeline, at least
for a short period of time. The global surplus of crude oil and subsequent contango had created new chartering
opportunities. However, despite high hopes, such a “market” never actually materialized.According to the explanation
provided in shipbroker Gibson’s latest weekly report, “the simple answer is that the contango structure never got
sufficiently steep to justify the associated storage costs. Despite the 6 month spread in ICE Brent Futures widening to
$7.40 in mid-January, 1 year TC rates of around $65,000/day (in the West) at the time meant storage costs of
approximately $8.50 for a six month period. Whilst storage costs have now come down, the contango has narrowed
and a number of other factors continue to serve as a barrier to floating storage”. The London-based shipbroker noted
that “firstly, shore based storage is cheaper than floating storage meaning this option needs to be ruled out before
storage at sea becomes viable. However, on some occasions even if tankage remains available on shore, competitive
17-03-2015
Page 21
forces mean those who control the storage may be unwilling to lease it to those who need it. Far inland, much
attention is focused on the storage facility at Cushing, Oklahoma where stocks hit 448.9 million barrels this week and
expectations that the facility might be full by May. Outside of the US, accurate data is much harder to come by. Since
the collapse in crude prices, it has been apparent that China is stockbuilding, both commercially and for its strategic
reserves, but for how long can China continue to absorb surplus crude? On a smaller scale India is reported to be
opening its 9 million barrel strategic reserve this month which will, if only in the short term, provide an additional
outlet for surplus crude. In Europe, Genscape recently reported ARA crude storage being around 57% full, compared
to Cushing where stocks are 65% full”.
The PLOUTOS navigating the North Sea – Photo : Hans van der Linden....www.aerolin.nl....@AerolinPhoto BV
Meanwhile, according to Gibson, “the refining industry also presents another barrier to storing at sea. The collapse in
global crude prices has bolstered refining margins, prompting higher refinery crude runs, helping to push the surplus
downstream, limiting the need for crude storage. However, whilst higher refinery utilisation limited floating storage,
demand for crude and product transportation has remained firm, supporting tanker earnings. With a portion of the
global crude surplus being pushed downstream, questions begin to arise as to whether product floating storage will
emerge as witnessed in 2009-2011. However, there are barriers here too. The first issue being the backwardation in
some product futures, particularly gasoil. The second is the fact that the shore based storage landscape has changed
dramatically since the last floating storage play owing to a number of projects to convert refineries into storage
depots, particularly in Europe”, said the shipbroker.Gibson also noted that “beyond a contango play, logistical reasons
may necessitate an increase in short term crude floating storage as charterers are forced delay discharge until tankage
becomes available and in the process, constrict tonnage supply. Going forward, the impending refinery maintenance
season is likely dampen demand for crudes, leading to a more pronounced surplus and an increase in demand for
storage. As maintenance season typically curtails tanker demand, floating storage could become profitable again,
providing a contango steep enough to offset storage costs develops. Thus, for how long land based facilities can
continue to soak up surplus crude remains a burning question”, it concluded. Meanwhile, in the crude tanker market
this week, in the Middle East, Gibson said that it was “a repeat performance to last week for VLCCs … good levels of
enquiry, but with availability still in quite reasonable supply, the market never reached critical mass and it seems as if
Owners’ attempts at a spring offensive will continue to flounder in the seasonal mud. Rates stayed in the very low ws
50s to the East, and high ws 20s to the West accordingly. Suezmaxes started hopefully also, but got worn down as the
week progressed to end up on thewrong side of ws 90 to the East and towards ws 45 to the West, with little sign of an
early turnaround. Aframaxes were steadily picked off, and in the end sufficiently so to tighten supply, and allow for
rates to build modestly to 80,000 by ws 120 to Singapore, where they should now consolidate for a while”, the
shipbroker concluded.Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Middle East OPEC Oil Rig Count Jumps
14%
As if to rub salt in the wounds of the US shale industry, Middle East OPEC oilrig count has jumped by 19 rigs to 155
units in February 2015 setting a new rig count record for the region. Since 2005, the supergiant oil fields of the region
developed symptoms of mortality and increased drilling has been required to combat natural production declines in
order to maintain production at static levels. All data from Baker Hughes.
17-03-2015
Page 22
CASUALTY REPORTING
About 50 dead as Myanmar ferry sinks in
bad weather
By Aung Hla Tun
About 50 people were believed to have drowned off Myanmar when a ferry sank in bad weather, government officials
said on Saturday, though residents said they believed more people on the overcrowded vessel had died. The boat had
209 people on board when it ran into high seas late on Friday on a voyage from the coastal town of Taunggok to
Sittwe, capital of the west coast state of Rakhine, officials said. "Twenty bodies have been found while 27 are still
missing. Rescue workers are looking for them," Pyay Nyein, a senior official from the Inland Water Transport
Department, told Reuters. A Ministry of Transport official said the boat was swamped by huge waves and 167 people
had been saved, though the missing were believed to be dead.Residents in Taunggok, from where the boat embarked,
said they believed the toll was higher as the ferry, which they identified as the government-owned Aung Tagun-3,
would have been crowded with many unregistered passengers."Normally, the number of tickets sold is not reliable
when it comes to the number of passengers. That's very common," said a Taunggok merchant who declined to be
identified."So the number of missing must be many more than 27. We understand the chances of finding them in this
weather are very slim." Marine accidents are common in Myanmar where many people have to rely on small, crowded
and old boats for transport. Source : Reuters (Editing by Robert Birsel)
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NAVY NEWS
NATO disputes Conservative claim that
Russians confronted Canadian warship
The Conservative government has ratcheted up its war of words over Ukraine, with the parliamentary defence
secretary claiming Russian warships confronted a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea. But NATO officials say no such
thing happened.James Bezan, parliamentary secretary to Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney, told the House of
Commons earlier this week, “Since arriving in the Black Sea, Royal Canadian Navy sailors have been confronted by
Russian warships and buzzed by Russian fighter jets.”Kenney also repeated the claim the next day, stating that a
Russian jet buzzed the Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton at low altitude.But NATO officials say the frigate, part of a
NATO naval task group, was not buzzed and there was no confrontation.
The Russian vessels could be seen far off on the horizon, kilometres away Russian aircraft had flown over the task
group at high altitudes and at one point a Russian surveillance aircraft got as close as 69 nautical miles (128
17-03-2015
Page 23
kilometres) from the ships, NATO said.U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Williamson, commander of the maritime group, said at
another point two Russian ships were spotted in the distance. The Russians followed all regulations required of vessels
in international waters, NATO added. NATO officials said the encounter wasn’t unusual and if Russian ships showed up
on Canada’s coasts, the Royal Canadian Navy would have followed similar procedures for keeping an eye on foreign
vessel traffic.Asked why Kenney and Bezan would make such claims, Kenney’s press secretary, Lauren Armstrong,
issued a statement: “I stand by the Minister’s comments.”The NATO ships are in the region to send a message to
Russia’s government about its annexation of Crimea and activities in Ukraine.Ukrainians have been fighting each other
for the last year, with government troops battling rebels who want to separate. Russia has provided support to the
separatist forces and Canada and NATO have accused Russia of sending troops and equipment to support the
separatists.Canada has been one of the most vocal nations condemning Russia’s action. Some former Canadian
diplomats have suggested the Conservative government’s position on Ukraine is aimed at winning votes from
Ukrainian-Canadians in the federal election later this year.
Kenney also recently came under fire for tweeting a photo he suggested was of Muslim women put in chains by
Islamic extremists. The photo is actually from an annual ceremony that re-enacts the persecution of the prophet
Muhammad’s family, the Citizen reported.Kenney did not acknowledge any mistake. On Friday, he again defended his
tweeting of the photo by outlining the brutality of the extremist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
“This guy will do whatever it takes to advance his own party’s political agenda,” Liberal defence critic Joyce Murray
said.She said Kenney’s tweeting of the photo showing Muslim women and claiming the link to brutalities committed by
ISIL was the minister “cynically exploiting a cultural group in our country for political benefit.”Kenney’s statement
about HMCS Fredericton is not the first time the government has made claims of Russian aggression against Canada.
In 2010, the Conservatives warned that Russian aircraft had significantly increased their attempts to enter Canadian
airspace.At the time, the prime minister’s spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, told journalists the Russian flights proved the
government’s decision to buy the controversial F-35 fighter jet was the right one. But the North American Aerospace
Defence Command, the U.S.-Canadian alliance providing air security for the continent, countered the Conservative
claims. NORAD released statistics showing most Russian patrols were near U.S. air space and were considered routine.
Source : ottawacitizen
SHIPYARD NEWS
Indian Navy to witness major reshuffle
within top ranks
NEW DELHI: The government has announced a major reshuffle in the top ranks of the Navy, which will give ViceAdmiral Sunil Lanba the experience of commanding an operational command before he takes over as the next chief
from Admiral Robin Dhowan on May 31, 2016. Vice-Admiral Lanba, the present vice-chief, will take over the reins of
the southern naval command (SNC) on April 1. The present SNC flag officer commanding-in-chief Vice-Admiral S P S
Cheema, will take over the western naval command (WNC) from Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra, who retires on March 31.
Vice-Admiral P Murugesan, the chief of personnel at the naval headquarters here, in turn, will be the next vice-chief of
the force. The entire succession chain in the Navy, based on the seniority principle followed in the Indian armed
forces, had gone haywire after admiral D K Joshi had quit as the Navy chief on February 26 last year owning "moral
17-03-2015
Page 24
responsibility" for the string of warship accidents in the force.In the normal course of events, present eastern naval
command (ENC) chief Vice-Admiral Satish Soni would have taken over as the chief if admiral Joshi had completed his
three-year tenure till August 2015. But after his resignation, the then UPA government had appointed admiral Dhowan
as the Navy chief on April 17 last year, superseding the then WNC chief Vice-Admiral Shekhar Sinha, who in turn had
then also put in his papers.Vice-Admiral Lanba, who was then the commandant of the National Defence College, was
subsequently appointed the vice-chief. All officers senior to him, including Vice-Admirals Cheema, Soni and P K
Chatterjee (Andaman & Nicobar command chief), will retire before Admiral Dhowan hangs his boots in May 2016.
Source : Times of India
The new mid + bow section of the TSHD IJSSELDELTA under construction at Patje shipyard in Waterhuizen photo
: Arie Boer ©
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard delivers second
Aframax tanker, Eagle Bay, to SeaRiver
Maritime
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (APSI), the sole operating subsidiary of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA , has delivered
its second Aframax tanker to SeaRiver Maritime, Inc. (SeaRiver), Exxon Mobil Corporation’s U.S. marine affiliate, the
company said in its press release. The 820 foot long, 115,000 deadweight ton tanker was delivered within the
timeframe most recently reported by AKPS and will transport up to 800,000 barrels of Alaskan North Slope crude oil
from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the U.S. West Coast. The vessel is equipped with double hull protection, the
latest navigation and communications equipment, and an energy efficient engine.“Delivery of this vessel marks the
conclusion of a successful project that has transformed our company for the better. We are proud of the Eagle Bay
and are confident that she will serve the SeaRiver organization well over the decades to come. On behalf of the 1,100
men and women of APSI, I would like to extend our gratitude to SeaRiver for the opportunity to serve their newbuild
needs and for what has been a productive partnership.” said Steinar Nerbovik, APSI’s President and CEO. APSI
delivered its first Aframax Tanker, the Liberty Bay, to SeaRiver in 2014 and it is successfully serving SeaRiver in their
Alaskan trade. APSI is currently building four 50,000 dwt product tankers for Crowley. In addition the company has
contracts for two 50,000 dwt product tankers for Philly Tankers LLC and two 3,600 TEU containerships for Matson
Navigation, with deliveries in 2018. For more information on the shipyard, please visit www.akerphiladelphia.com.
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard is a leading U.S. commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the Jones Act
market. It possesses a state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility and has earned a reputation as the preferred provider of
oceangoing merchant vessels with a track record of delivering quality ships. Aker Philadelphia Shipyard is listed on the
Oslo Stock Exchange and is majority-owned by Converto Capital Fund, which in turn is majority-owned by Aker ASA.
Aker is a Norwegian industrial investment company that creates value through active ownership. Aker's investment
portfolio is concentrated on key Norwegian industries that are international in scope: oil and gas, fisheries and
biotechnology, and marine assets. Aker's industrial holdings comprise ownership interests in Aker Solutions, Kvaerner,
Det norske oljeselskap, Aker BioMarine, Ocean Yield and Havfisk. Source : Portnews
17-03-2015
Page 25
RoFloLaunch AMELS 180
The new 55 metre
AMELS
180
revealed
her
beautiful dark blue
paintwork to the
world after very
efficient
final
completion
and
commissioning. In a
meticulous ‘RoFlo’
launch at the Dutch
luxury
yacht
builder’s
yard
in
Vlissingen, the 700 tonne
Tim Heywood designed
jewel was first moved
from one of the AMELS
fully
climate-controlled
covered dry-docks onto a
floating pontoon, then to
a floating drydock, which
submerged
and
the
yacht
floats!
The
successful (and exactly
on
schedule)
launch
proves once again how smoothly the AMELS Limited Editions concept works - higher quality, lower technical risk
and faster delivery! ProudOwnersand AMELS team; great team work!
For more information: www.amels-holland.com
Austal Delivers Fifth Cape Class Patrol Boat
Austal Limited has delivered Cape Jervis, the fifth of eight 58-meter aluminum monohull Cape Class Patrol Boats for
the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service under a $330 million design, build and in-service support
contract. In August 2011, Austal was awarded the contract for the design, construction and through-life support of the
Cape Class patrol boats, the remaining three of which are at various stages of construction and will be delivered
progressively through late 2015. The fifth vessel, Cape Jervis, is named after the most south western tip of the
Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Austal CEO, Andrew Bellamy stated that with more than half of the Cape Class
fleet now delivered Austal continued to demonstrate its credentials as a partner of choice for Government programs:
17-03-2015
Page 26
“With the delivery of CAPE JERVIS to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service on time and on budget
our Australian business continues to demonstrate the efficiencies in production realized through the Cape Class
program.” Source : Marinelink
China Rongsheng Signs Initial Pact to Sell
Shipbuilding Operations
Troubled shipbuilder China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Ltd. signed an initial agreement to sell its core
shipbuilding and offshore engineering businesses to a Chinese investor. Rongsheng said in a statement Monday that it
entered into an initial agreement with a potential investor over a possible sale. It didn't disclose the potential buyer’s
identity.The struggles of Rongsheng underscore the hard choices China’s government faces in trying to overhaul its
economy where overcapacity in several key industries threatens to become a drag on China’s economic growth.
China is the world’s largest shipbuilder in terms of both the gross tonnage produced and the size of its order book,
according to data from consultancy IHS Maritime.But the fortunes of its shipbuilders turned after the global financial
crisis hit new orders. Despite a brief pickup in 2013, orders for new ships globally dropped significantly again last year.
IHS Maritime analyst Robert Willmington said the Chinese government is showing greater signs it is unwilling to
support large but failing shipbuilding facilities despite the consequences in terms of employment.Rongsheng is ranked
among the country’s top shipbuilders and once employed close to 30,000 employees in 2011, around the peak of the
global shipping boom. By mid-2013, that number had dwindled to around 12,000.
China has made some progress to reducing excess capacity by, for example, converting some shipbuilding facilities to
ship-breaking and ship-repair facilities, Mr. Willmington said.“However, given present market conditions it is evident
that global shipbuilding capacity may have to be cut further,” he added.Matthew Flynn, managing director of
Worldyards.com Pte. Ltd., a shipbuilding database, said changing ownership alone won't be enough to reduce excess
shipbuilding capacity in China. “Consolidation of ownership will need to be combined with closure of space and limit in
output per facility,” he said.Rongsheng’s planned core-asset sale would help ease the Hong Kong-listed company’s
debt burden as it seeks to transform itself into an energy-service provider focusing on the oil and natural-gas market,
it said.
“In light of the depressed shipbuilding market, the shipbuilding business of the group has encountered operational
difficulties,” the company said.Rongsheng earlier this month failed to raise funds from a planned warrant issuance
following the reported arrest of a key investor. The company cited recent unspecified media reports of the detention in
Beijing of Wang Ping, a subscriber to the warrant issue.Also this month, rival Chinese shipbuilder Yangzijiang
Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd. said it had been approached by government agencies and other companies about taking a
stake in Rongsheng but said it hadn’t made any decision. Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., which was also
mentioned as possible contender in the past, declined to comment when asked about the matter last week.The
agreement on the planned Rongsheng sale, which will remain valid until the end of June, will be subject to further
negotiation and due diligence, it said.Shares in Rongsheng, which halted trading on March 11, will resume trading
Tuesday. Source : Wall Street Journal
Cheap oil doesn't deter Japan's
shipbuilders from betting on LNG
TOKYO — Years after South Korean rivals became the world's largest shipbuilders, the Japanese are poised to reclaim
some of the industry they once dominated. LNG is the catalyst. With several projects around the globe set to begin
shipping in the next few years and Japan already the largest importer of the super-cooled fuel, Japan shipbuilders are
anticipating a windfall. And while lower oil prices are threatening the viability of some LNG projects, some remain
convinced the industry's growing pains are mere road bumps in a longer game and that their advances in technology
provide an edge."The wind is in the sails of Japan's shipbuilders," said Nobutaka Nambu, chief executive officer at
World Ships Future, a consultant for the shipbuilding and shipping industries in Tokyo. "They are now placed to take a
step forward. They are now in a position to make a dent in the Koreans' oligopoly."LNG trade is set to exceed $120
billion this year, overtaking iron ore to become the most valuable physical commodity after oil, analysts from Goldman
Sachs Group Inc., including Jeffrey Currie, said in an e-mailed report recently. All that trade means more ships to move
the fuel. LNG is formed by squeezing and cooling natural gas until it becomes a liquid, making it suitable to be shipped
over long distances in specially built ships with insulated tanks.The carriers typically sell for as much as $200 million
apiece and the largest can measure about 345 meters (1,130 feet) in length, or almost four American football fields.
17-03-2015
Page 27
Japan entered the LNG tanker market in 1981, more than a decade after it first imported the cleaner energy from
Alaska. By tapping power demand in the resource-scarce nation, domestic yards expanded and led the global fleet of
gas carriers in the 1980s and the early 1990s. South Korean shipbuilders later emerged, ending Japan's reign in 2000
when their carrier deliveries exceeded those of the Japanese for the first time.
Four years after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown spurred the closure of Japan's many reactors, LNG is seen as one of
the best ways to meet the country's energy needs. LNG imports rose to a record 88.5 million metric tons in 2014, the
finance ministry said in January.A total of 50 to 60 LNG ships annually are forecast to be delivered globally in 2017 and
2018, aided by U.S. shale export projects, according to an estimate by analyst Masanori Wakae at Mizuho Securities
Co. Of the total, 12 to 15 ships may be delivered by Japanese suppliers, with the remainder likely to be supplied by the
South Koreans. Japan yards delivered seven vessels in 2008 and just two ships in 2013, according to Wakae. The
efforts to regain lost market share in the tanker market are on display in the next generation of LNG tankers currently
in the works at shipyards throughout Japan. Japanese shipbuilders, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, mostly use a
type of design that stores LNG in spherical tanks. LNG carriers manufactured in South Korea typically have flat decks
with containment tanks fitted into the hull.Mitsubishi Heavy, Japan's top producer of LNG vessels, has designed an
LNG ship outfitted with a propulsion system powered by steam turbines and engines that can be fired by gas for
efficiency. The carrier has also adopted a new design for the tanks that carry the LNG. The apple-shaped tanks will be
able to carry 16 percent more gas than conventional designs, the company says.
Japan Marine United Corp. and partner IHI Corp. will resume construction of large-size gas carriers after a two-decade
lull. The group is trying to lure customers with LNG vessels using a proprietary tank design technology called SPB,
which uses prismatic-shaped aluminum tanks stored under a ship's deck.The design results in a Korean-styled flat
upper deck, which reduces wind resistance and makes the group's LNG ships more fuel-efficient, Shinjiro Mishima,
president of shipbuilder Japan Marine, said in an interview. The tank system is also designed to eliminate sloshing,
providing an edge over Korean- built ships, Mishima said. "The best feature of the SPB is the flexibility of the shape of
the tank, which enables us to pursue improvement of the most important propulsion performance," Mishima said.
"Since it's our own technology, we are able to develop the ship in any way we want."
About 90 million metric tons of new LNG projects will need to be approved over the next five years to meet long-term
demand, Sanford C. Bernstein estimated in a recent report. Global demand is forecast to rise about 80 percent to
about 440 million metric tons per year by 2025, according to Bernstein.
South Korean shipbuilders aren't sitting still. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., which by itself secured
half of all new LNG carrier orders last year, is focusing on trying to win orders by offering a new technology designed
to help minimize LNG loss during transport. Daewoo Shipbuilding said in February that it will build an LNG carrier for
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Japan's second-biggest publicly traded ship owner. In total, Daewoo has won six LNG ship
orders so far this year.Japan's domestic shipping customers Nippon Yusen K.K. and Mitsui O.S.K. are the world's
largest operators of LNG carriers. The nation's top three shippers will likely together spend more than 1 trillion yen
($8.3 billion) by 2020 to expand their LNG fleet to at least 281, including vessels jointly owned by other companies,
according to plans unveiled by the companies.About 70 percent of commercial ship orders received at Japanese yards
come from domestic shipowners, according to data compiled by the Japan Ship Exporters' Association."Domestic
shipbuilders are less vulnerable to the oil prices because their shipping customers have long-term contracts with cargo
owners," said World Ships Future's Nambu. "Gas is cleaner energy and the longer-term view regarding Japan's
importing of LNG won't change."
Japan has agreed with the U.S. to buy about 20 percent of its need of the fuel from shale projects. It plans to buy
about 17 million tons a year to be shipped from terminals in Louisiana, Maryland and Texas, according to a document
compiled by the nation's trade ministry."Given that LNG is forecast to trade in such big volumes, demand for ships
should be quite big," said Shigeyasu Tanaka, general manager of Mitsubishi Heavy's ship and ocean business. "In a
sense, demand for LNG ships will continue."But even with the long-term outlook calling for the LNG market to continue
to grow, risks remain. Sagging crude prices pressure LNG since the gas is pegged to oil. Moreover, shipping rates have
been falling because of weak global demand for LNG at the moment. Gas prices, which have fallen along with oil, have
made some global LNG projects unprofitable and threaten to damp the speed of investment in facilities and ships,
JMU's Mishima said. "The LNG industry is suffering from an anxiety attack over falling oil prices and uncertainty around
global growth," analysts at Bernstein wrote. "This will lead to stalled new investment in 2015, although we believe this
will be temporary." Source : chicagotribune
17-03-2015
Page 28
ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES
08-03-2015 : The 2002 delivered 127,96 Mtr long 21 mtr width LAS PALMAS (imo 9216834), outbound from
Rotterdam- Maasvlakte Photo : Krijn Hamelink. ©
RCI and Bolidt come together in perfect
Harmony
Royal Caribbean International (RCI) has recently confirmed that the third in its Oasis class series of cruise ships,
following on from the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, will be named Harmony of the Seas. Currently
under construction at the STX France St Nazaire shipyard, and due for delivery in 2016, the new vessel will - like its
two older sisters - feature an extensive array of decking and related products from the Dutch company, Bolidt.
Further cementing the already close relations between Bolidt, RCI and STX France, a fourth vessel in the Oasis series,
as yet only known by the code name B34, is also now being built by the shipyard. Steel cutting started this February
and the newbuilding is due to be completed in 2018. Once again it also will be fitted out with decking from Bolidt.
In total Bolidt will supply 18,000m2 of decking systems to each of the new 227,000grt cruise ships. Bolideck® Future
Teak will feature on the outer decks, for example, while Bolideck® Select Soft will be extensively used in public areas.
In addition, for these latest two Oasis-class vessels additional areas onboard will use Bolideck® Future Teak, the
environmentally friendly alternative product from Bolidt, as RCI has decided to replace all items that used to be
manufactured from teak, including for example steps and benches.
Jacco van Overbeek, Bolidt Director Maritime Division, says: ”We are very happy that STX France has chosen to work
with us again, with the full backing and support of RCI. We have collaborated with the yard for over 20 years now,
including newbuilding projects for MSC and Celebrity Cruise Lines, and the fact that they chose us again for these two
landmark new cruise ships is a big vote of confidence in our decking systems.” While the Harmony of the Seas and
its unnamed sister will, like its two predecessors, feature 16 decks and will require a very similar package of Bolideck®
systems, the latest pair will be slightly larger than Oasis and Allure of the Seas. In total there will be 2,747 state rooms
onboard, up from 2,706, and passenger capacity will be 5,479, compared with 5,400. The new contract represents the
continuation of a longstanding relationship between Bolidt and RCI. Most recently Bolidt has supplied decking systems
17-03-2015
Page 29
to the Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, delivered in 2014 and 2015 respectively - as well as a third ship
in this series, Ovation of the Seas, which is due for delivery in 2016. Bolideck® Future Teak and Bolideck® Select Soft
feature extensively onboard all three ships. In addition, four new vessels being built for TUI Cruises (an RCI joint
venture) at the Meyer Turku yard in Finland will receive Bolideck® systems.
Bolideck® Future Teak is a durable, lightweight synthetic decking system with the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of real teak. As well
as being weatherproof and maintenance-friendly, it is ecologically responsible, reduces installation time and is
extremely cost effective. Bolideck® Select Soft has been developed for its excellent sound attenuation qualities and
has proved particularly popular for use in areas above cabins.
Vard terminates PSV orders made by ER
Offshore
Vard Holdings has terminated the shipbuilding contracts for two PSVs ordered by two affiliates of ER Offshore as the
vessel buyers have filed for insolvency at a German court.Vard said that it has received a 10% installment for one of
the two vessels. The shipbuilder is currently constructing the PSVs at its shipyard in Vung Tau, Vietnam.
“On 13 March 2015 the group terminated the two shipbuilding contracts. The group does not expect to repay the
prepayment received, and expects to be able to sell the vessels at a price that will cover the expected construction
cost less the prepayment received,” Vard said. It added that the impact of the termination and proposed resale is not
expected to have an effect on its earnings for the financial year ending 31 December 2015. Source : seatradeGlobal
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Ferry Berlin gets a new funnel at Fayard
Scandlines says it hopes to complete the conversion of its new ferry duo Berlin and Copenhagen “by the end of this
year at the latest” ending a saga that began five years ago, reports Tom Todd. The Danish-German ferry company
said it was “working hard … to complete the two ships before the year ends” at the Fayard Shipyard in Denmark. It
also said the plan was to take the 169.5m long ships into service between Gedser and Rostock “in the second half of
2015”. Technically, Berlin and Copenhagen are still newbuilds and despite earlier reports of a possible name change,
Scandlines is now calling them by their original names.The vessels were ordered from the P+S Group’s Volkswerft in
Germany in early 2010 but later rejected as overweight, overdue and not to specification. P+S went bankrupt in 2012
and Scandlines bought back the laid-up ships cheaply last year. It commissioned Blohm+Voss in Hamburg to convert
and rectify them, but then changed its mind and transferred the ships to Fayard. The swap was believed to be
connected with delivery times. Initial hopes were to have them ready late last year and then early this year - some 700
tonnes lighter with fewer vehicles and passengers. Work has however clearly been more complex than first thought.
Scandlines’ latest report said new funnels have now been fitted and the ships will be drydocked until early May for
equipment inspection and cleaning of equipment including drives and manoeuvering gear, rudders, bow thrusters,
Azipods and Rolls Royce propellers. Work on new interiors and equipment on completely renewed decks seven and
eight is continuing and new heating, ventilation and air conditioning and cable systems are being installed, the
company said.During the docking, personnel would also begin the installation of the ships’ innovative new hybrid
propulsion systems, AEC Marine closed-loop scrubbers and navigation bridges, Scandlines reported. Source:
Motorship / Ferries of Northern Europe
17-03-2015
Page 30
Intellian to Integrate Kymeta mTenna™
Technology into Maritime Terminals
Kymeta’s flat-panel satellite antenna technology will be integrated into Intellian maritime terminal
products
Intellian, the leading global provider of stabilized marine satellite antenna systems, announced today at the SATELLITE
2015 conference in Washington, D.C., a partnership with Kymeta corporation to commercialize world-class next
generation Ku-band maritime satellite terminals. The terminals, built by Intellian, will integrate Kymeta’s thin, flat,
lightweight, electronically beam-steered mTenna satellite antennas, which are built on metamaterial-based technology.
“Intellian is very pleased to be partnering with Kymeta to bring to market the next generation of VSAT technology,”
said Eric Sung, President and CEO of Intellian Technologies. “Over the past few months of discussions we have found
Kymeta’s corporate culture and philosophy to be closely aligned with our own, sharing a keen focus on enabling overall
market growth by making VSAT technology simple and easy to adopt across all segments.” Dr. Nathan Kundtz,
founder, President, and CTO of Kymeta Corporation commented, “Intellian is a highly reputable and innovative
developer of terminals for the maritime market. Working together we will create affordable products for large markets,
which are currently un-addressable or are underpenetrated.”
Kymeta Corporation, a company which has been listed for the past two years by CNBC’s The World’s 50-Most
Disruptive Companies list, is commercializing its mTenna product—a new, innovative software-enabled metamaterialsbased electronic beamforming antenna for satellite communications.
The company is based in Redmond, Washington and operates on a worldwide basis and was selected by Future in
Review as a 2014 FiRe-Starter company. Boats. Planes. Cars. If it moves, Kymeta is the antenna solution that will keep
it connected. Anywhere.
Intellian is the leading global provider of stabilized marine satellite antenna systems. With their varied and
comprehensive range of antenna systems including Satellite TV, VSAT, Global Xpress, and FleetBroadband solutions,
Intellian supports a wide range of industries, including Commercial Maritime, Offshore Energy, Defense & Intelligence
and Luxury Yachting. Intellian. Connect with the best.
Wagenborg’s AFRICABORG, assisted by the TEXELBANK at the stern, enroute Rotterdam. Photo : Kees van der
Kraan ©
PORT AUTOMATION WILL SCRAP 700
JOBS: UNION
Unions FNV Havens and CNV Vakmensen are furious about an agreement made between the major transshipment
companies and the Port of Rotterdam over container transport on Maasvlakte, AD reports. According to the unions, the
extensive automation will threaten 700 jobs in the next two years. According to the deal, container transport on the
Maasvlakte will be carried out by unmanned vehicles in a few years’ time. Employers and employees in the port of
Rotterdam are discussing how to prevent mass layoffs today. Source : NL times
17-03-2015
Page 31
Click HERE for the LIVE STREAM WEBCAM in Hoek van Holland
Berghaven
…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..
The new DOCKWISE WHITE MARLIN arrived at Singapore Eastern anchorage - Photo : Andre Korver ©
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through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information
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Number 301 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

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