Africa PORTS & SHIPS Maritime News
TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
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- First View : KOTA LEKAS
- Maersk Line cries foul over Lagos port suspension
- Nigerian Shippers’ Council calls on terminal operators to improve efficiency
- EU NAVFOR Protection Team ensuring safety of food aid
- TPT to co-partner as host of Enterprise and Supplier Development Expo
- Airfreight: Panalpina expands perishables network to South Africa
- Case File: Hull repair on drill ship in Dakar
- NCL orders another two Leonardo class ships, making six in total
- Minister urges UK fishermen to sign up for safety improvements
- 15,000 TEU container ship Afif named in London Gateway
- World Trade — EU and Japan agree biggest Free Trade zone in history
- Ballast Water-CMA CGM selects Bio-Sea BWMS for 17 containerships
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : CASSIOPEIA LEADER
- The port in the masthead today (Thursday) is Port of East London
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Pacific International Lines (PIL) ships are usually very smart and impressive looking but there are exceptions, as a slightly scruffy KOTA LEKAS (IMO 9625401) demonstrates on her arrival in Durban on 4 July. Built in 2014 the 57,712-dwt Hong Kong-registered ship with an overall length of 295 metres and a beam of 37m has a maximum container capacity of 4,800 TEUs and has been calling in South African ports for several years. Perhaps she is due a session in the dry dock! This picture is by Trevor Jones
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MAERSK CRIES FOUL OVER LAGOS PORT SUSPENSION
Maersk Line has reacted to being suspended for 10 days at the Lagos ports on accusations of not providing container holding facilities – see our report in yesterday’s edition FOUR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANIES SUSPENDED BY NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY.
Describing the Nigerian Ports Authority claims as misguided, Maersk said that it has available storage facilities for 8,150 containers in four separate holding bays.
This was after the NPA penalised Maersk, Cosco, APS and Lansall Shipping for having not provided sufficient holding bays and having thus contributed to the chronic congestion at Apapa and Tin Can Island.
The congestion resulted in Nigerian truckers blocking all access roads by dropping their container loads across the roads. The authorities reacted by sending in the Nigerian Navy to clear the streets, which in tuned led to accusations of extreme brutality being levelled against them.
On Monday Maersk issued a statement to its customers and other stakeholders. “It is misguiding for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to suspend Maersk Nigeria Limited for failing to acquire and operate holding bays for empty containers as Maersk Nigeria Limited operates 4 holding bays within the Lagos environ with a storage capacity of 8,150 TEUs which is more than 50% of the discharge average.
“Maersk Nigeria Limited have complied fully with this directive and have followed the Call-Up protocol for use of the holding bays stipulated by the Nigerian Ports Authority,” it read.
“Nigeria as an import dependent nation will certainly see imported containers discharged in the country in volumes and in line with the tenet of international trade. With limited infrastructure and other alternatives for evacuation of imports, return of empties, and return of full exports, it is challenging for these containers to be adequately handled which results in the congestion of the access roads,” the company said.
Maersk said it was having discussions with the relevant authorities and expected that it would be able to reassure the NPA of its storage capacity.
“As an active and abiding corporate organization, Maersk Nigeria Limited will continue to work in full cooperation with all relevant authorities in Nigeria and to offer sustainable services and operations to its valued customers.”
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NIGERIAN SHIPPERS’ COUNCIL CALLS ON TERMINAL OPERATORS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called on terminal operators to improve efficiency measures at the port terminals to reduce traffic congestion in and around Apapa, reports the Vanguard.
These measures should include automating cargo clearance systems, the NSC said.
The NSC management team visited APM Terminals, SIFAX Port & Cargo Handling Services, and…
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EU NAVFOR PROTECTION TEAM ENSURING SAFETY OF FOOD AID
Pictures courtesy: EU NAVFOR
Guarding World Food Programme (WFP) and vulnerable vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden is one of Operation Atalanta’s key tasks.
The WFP ship PETRA II has an embarked EU NAVFOR Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) on board to ensure her valuable cargo of food-aid is protected en route to Somalia.
EU NAVFOR is made up of over…
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TPT TO CO-PARTNER AS HOST OF ENTERPRISE & SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT EXPO
The third annual enterprise and supplier development expo and conference put the spotlight on the core theme of ‘Today’s Investment in Enterprise Development is Tomorrow’s Security of Supply‘ which was held in Durban this week.
This theme meshed well with the ethos of Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) which in turn was why the logistics solution company decided to partner with Smart Procurement World in hosting the two-day event.
The drive for sustainable economic growth and development has the…
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AIRFREIGHT: PANALPINA EXPANDS PERISHABLES NETWORK TO SOUTH AFRICA
Following last month’s acquisition in Argentina, Panalpina is now expanding its Perishables Network to South Africa. The international freight forwarding and logistics company is to acquire a majority stake in perishables specialist Skyservices.
With the latest acquisition, Panalpina sets foot in a strategic market with its own presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The move will enable end-to-end solutions for perishables from South Africa to Europe, the Middle East, Far East and the USA.
Subject to conditions, Panalpina will acquire a majority stake in Skyservices, a South African company specialised in…
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CASE FILE: HULL REPAIR ON DRILL SHIP IN DAKAR
The transit flap of a 225-metre drill ship in Dakar came loose and started swinging dangerously. This caused damage in the aft bulkhead and a leak in the ballast tank situated behind the moonpool hull. A fast solution was needed to prevent further damage.
A team of diver/technicians from Hydrex Underwater technology was mobilised. After an inspection of the damage, they disconnected the transit flap. It was then brought to shore, cut in three pieces and taken away. The divers also took all the measurements needed to design a repair plan for the second phase. Because of the unstable condition of the flap, it was…
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The US group Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd has confirmed orders placed with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the fifth and the sixth unit of the ‘Leonardo’ series, a class of new-concept cruise ships for the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) brand. Deliveries are scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
The option on the two ships was included in the agreement signed in February 2017 for the construction of the first four Leonardo class vessels.
These ships will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, being about 140,000-tons, almost 300 metres long, and…
Video of the new Leonardo class ships [1:17]
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Fishermen across the country have been urged to sign up to a new safety code, in a bid to make careers at sea safer for the UK’s fishing community.
Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani met coastal Members of Parliament in the Houses of Parliament on 11 July to discuss how the fishing industry can improve safety for its workers.
Representatives from the Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), Seafish and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency also attended the roundtable event.
Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani commented: “Fishing remains one of the most dangerous industries in the UK, with 43 people sadly losing their lives since 2012.
“A lot of work has already been done to encourage fishermen to be safer at sea and last year we saw the fewest fishing vessels lost ever, but more can be done. This meeting was very positive, with MPs promising to further promote the use of personal locator beacons by fishermen in their constituencies.”
The new safety management code* aims to improve onboard safety by addressing the day-to-day risks that fishing involves.
Much has already been done in recent years to help the fishing industry become safer, including the provision of free personal flotation devices to fishermen, free training courses for the industry and new codes of practice and guidance to help avoid crew going overboard.
The Fishing Industry Safety Group has also developed a strategy to eliminate preventable deaths by 2027.
In addition, the FISG will promote the use of the Safety Management System to improve onboard safety, continue to encourage the use of funding for personal locator beacons and electronic position indicating radio beacons and develop stability standards for small fishing vessels.
It is hoped that this combined focus from key organisations with an interest in fishing safety and from MPs of coastal constituencies will make a real difference to the safety of fishermen at sea.
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
* 2018 will see the biggest change in safety requirements for fishing vessels in a generation, with the new Codes of Practice and the implementation of ILO No.188 Work in Fishing Convention in the United Kingdom.
Future developments will also include the implementation of STCW-F.
ILO 188 sees requirements for the following coming into force which include:
• Responsibility for operation of the vessel
• Medical Certificates
• Training
• Manning and Hours of Rest
• Crew Lists and Work Agreements
• Recruitment
• Payments
• Accommodation
• Food and Water
• Medical Care and Repatriation
The document is to be found by CLICKING HERE
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15,000 TEU CONTAINER SHIP AFIF NAMED IN LONDON GATEWAY
The ship is technically equipped to use LNG fuel
It took UK Shipping Minister Nusrat Ghani just one go to activate the mechanism that sent a big champagne bottle crashing against the massive sidewall of Afif.
This marked the official naming of the 15,000 TEU container ship on 16 July. Her name AFIF is of Arabic origin and means “purity” and “honesty”; also, Afif is a city in central Saudi Arabia. With her ten sisters, Afif belongs to the category of Ultra Large Container Vessel, the second-largest ship class in Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.
Nusrat Ghani commented: “It is an honour to name Afif, Hapag-Lloyd’s latest container ship, as it will have…
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
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WORLD TRADE — EU AND JAPAN AGREE BIGGEST FREE TRADE ZONE IN HISTORY
The EU and Japan have agreed to create what is to be the world’s biggest free trade zone in history affecting one third of the world’s economy.
The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement covers more than 600 million people and will see 99% of tariffs cut on products traded between the two.
The agreement was generally agreed late last year but has been signed this week, Tuesday 17 July during the visit to Brussel by Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe.
The agreement will now have to be ratified in…
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BALLAST WATER-CMA CGM SELECTS BIO-SEA BWMS FOR 17 CONTAINERSHIPS
CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest container carriers with a fleet of 454 vessels, has contracted France-based BIO-UV Group to supply its BIO-SEA ballast water treatment systems to 17 containerships.
Nine LNG-fuelled 22,000 TEU leviathans currently under construction at China’s CSTC Shipyard will each be fitted-out with two 3000m3/h capacity BIO-SEA B 10-1500 FX units, while eight 9000 TEU capacity Opera-class vessels will be retrofitted with a BIO-SEA B 10-1000 FX unit capable of treating ballast water flow rates of 1000m3.
This marks its first BWMS retrofit contract for an entire…
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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT
Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port
Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.
In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.
You can access this information, including the list of ports covered, by going HERE remember to use your BACKSPACE to return to this page.
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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES
QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.
Naval News
Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.
PICS OF THE DAY : CASSIOPEIA LEADER
CASSIOPEIA LEADER (IMO 9182277), the constellation in the heavens of the Northern Hemisphere and so named after the Queen of that name in Greek mythology who considered herself the most beautiful of all. Well, not everyone reading this will agree on the beauty of the car carrying RoRo ships, even one so well picked out in her corporate NYK colours as this, as indeed are most of the NYK line’s vessels. Some of us will argue there is an attraction in every type of ship and certainly in today’s international trade these car carriers are going to remain with us for a considerable time.
Perhaps not as long as the stars in the sky after which the ship is named, or was it for the queen? Only NYK can say – we can merely provide the information that Cassiopeia Leader was photographed entering the port of Durban earlier in July to work her cargo of imports and exports at the port’s large car terminal – a significantly important sector in the port. From the technical side, the ship is 200 metres in length and a beam of 32m (what a thing to say of a lady – and a queen at that!). Built in 1999 the 57,455-gt ship is a product of the Imabari Shipbuilding Marugame yard at Marugame in Japan.
Speaking of names, the Japanese obviously have an attraction for either Greek mythology or for the names of constellations that shine above, for there was a luxury train operating in Japan at the turn of this century which was named the Cassiopeia. This ran an overnight service between Tokyo and the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido, a journey lasting 16.5 hours. Does this still run? These pictures are by Keith Betts
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“If the entire world sought to make itself worthy of happiness rather than make itself happy, then the entire world would be happy.”
― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms
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