TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
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- First View : KOTA LEGIT
- TPT takes out seven multipurpose depot licences
- Somali pirate enigma: 2nd vessel released by pirates
- Mozambique air crash claims lives of top Cornelder people
- Bolloré transports 121,000 tonnes of cocoa from Ivory Coast in February
- Russian naval ships visit Walvis Bay for first time
- NATO’s Exercise Dynamic Manta concluded
- PRESS RELEASES: Maersk lifts lid on digital disruption
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : SAGA NAVIGATOR
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Pacific International Lines (PIL) container ship KOTA LEGIT (57,778-dwt) arrives in Durban in this scene from earlier in March. The ship, which was built in 2014 is owned out of PIL’s Panama offices but managed from PIL Singapore. She is flagged in Hong Kong. This picture is by Ken Malcolm
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TPT TAKES OUT SEVEN MULTIPURPOSE DEPOT LICENSES
Faced with a shrinking income from depreciating commodity volumes worldwide, South African state-owned Transnet Port Terminals(TPT) has been granted new depot licenses by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) from which it will aim to grow a new revenue stream.
Each of TPT’s Multi-Purpose Terminals [MPTs] have been granted new depot licenses …[restrict] by the South African Revenue Services for the packing and unpacking of containers for all commodities. The company says this could not have come at a more opportune time for TPT as the Transnet-owned Operating Division, looks to grow its revenue stream in other ways.
This means that TPT is now a port terminal with a legal depot license for the packing and unpacking of containers, Agri, Mineral and Mining Bulk products.
According to General Manager for New Business Development Brenda Magqwaka, this is cause for celebration as it means that TPT can efficiently facilitate the needs of new and existing customers by adding value to their commodity supply chain.
“TPT will offer a consolidated solution to our customers offering them a cost effective one-stop value add service,” she said.
Magqwaka said TPT’s offering is a welcome intervention not just for junior miners but also for well-established businesses.
She said that TPT’s National Customer Service Centres are geared to support customers who wish to take full advantage of the services on offer.
The new services are available in all seven of TPT’s multi-purpose terminals, Durban Point, Durban Maydon Wharf, East London, Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha.
In all, Transnet Port Terminals manages 16 cargo terminal facilities across seven South African ports and has a staff compliment of over 9,000. Its operations target four major market sectors, namely the automotive sector, containers, bulk and break bulk, organised according to their respective geographical regions.[/restrict]
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SOMALI PIRATE ENIGMA: 2nd VESSEL RELEASED BY PIRATES
Several days after highjacking a second vessel, the fishing dhow which was thought to have been intended as a ‘mothership’ for use by pirates raiding the ocean off Somalia, the pirates have abandoned the vessel near the island of Socotra.
Information released by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre announced that the …[restrict] dhow had been released about 70 nautical miles from Qalansyia on Socotra Island, northeast of Puntland from where the pirates are thought to have originated.
“The dhow has been released by the pirates after taking one skiff, food and diesel. The whereabouts of the pirates is unknown,” said the UKMTO advisory.
The remaining crew from the dhow have remained on their vessel and are thought to be unharmed.
Experts were of the opinion that the dhow was going to be used to launch further attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The pirates now on board a smaller skiff may still intend carrying out such raids and will be more difficult to trace than on board the bigger and more conspicuous dhow.
The attack on the dhow came shortly after a small tanker, ARIS 13 was highjacked by pirates operating from Puntland. After sailing the vessel, which was on charter to a Somali businessman and en route to Mogadishu when seized, to an anchorage in Puntland the pirates were convinced to hand the vessel over to a contingent of Puntland marine police some four days later.
The sudden attacks on vessel at sea from pirates operating out of Puntland has taken most authorities by surprise, after it was thought that piracy had been stamped out on the north-east coast of Africa.[/restrict]
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MOZAMBIQUE AIR CRASH CLAIMS LIVES OF TOP CORNELDER PEOPLE
An aircraft chartered by Cornelder de Mozambique (CdM), which operates the port of Beira, has crashed near the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border while on a flight between Beira and Mutare. All six people on board were killed in the crash.
Among the dead is reported to be Adelino Mesquita, CdM’s managing director. He was the brother of … [restrict] Mozambique’s Minister of Transsport and Communications.
The aircraft, a Britten-Norman BN2 Islander (C9-AOV) of Air Transport Company (ETA) operates from Beira. Two crew and four passengers all died when the aircraft crashed into the side of the Vumba mountainside on Monday morning.
The other passengers in the aircraft have been identified as Isac Noor, António Jorge and Banele Chibande, who according to a communiqué from the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique, were staff from Cornelder Mozambique.
CdM is a joint venture between Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM) and Cornelder Holdings based in Rotterdam, Holland.[/restrict]
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BOLLORÉ TRANSPORTS 121,000 TONNES OF COCOA FROM IVORY COAST IN FEBRUARY
Over 121,000 tonnes of cocoa were exported by Bolloré Transport & Logistics teams in Côte d’Ivoire during February this year. According to Bolloré Transport & Logistics this is an exceptional result despite a difficult international environment due to the global decrease in cocoa prices.
Bolloré said that the good weather conditions for the harvest benefited … [restrict] its customers, the main local players in the cocoa industry, including Barry Callebaut, Cargill, Touton Négoce and UNICAO.
Bolloré Transport & Logistics regularly invests in logistics facilities for the export of agricultural products and raw materials. Especially with the construction of new warehouses.
To date, 300,000 square metres are available between the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro. “Our offer comprises a comprehensive range of logistics services, including local transportation, warehousing and management of the export process for these raw materials. Bolloré Logistics supports exports by providing specific services for the beans (stacking, separation, sorting, classification by colour, bulk processing, bag services and consolidation), and financial services to manage inventory.”
Aware that Cote d’Ivoire is banking on the development of Agriculture and the repurposing of raw agricultural materials, Bolloré Transport & Logistics is supporting this movement with an increased presence in this key sector of the economy. source: Bolloré Transport & Logistics[/restrict]
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RUSSIAN NAVAL SHIPS VISIT WALVIS BAY FOR FIRST TIME
The three Russian Navy ships that visited Cape Town unexpectedly last week, have also called at Walvis Bay, making what is thought to be the first ever visit by Russian naval ships in the Namibian port.
The three ships, the anti-submarine warfare destroyer SEVEROMORSK, the rescue tug ALTAY and the replenishment tanker DUBNA arrived in the …[restrict] south-west coast port on Saturday (25 March).
The squadron’s senior officer, Capt Stanislav Varik described the visit as an important and historic occasion between two countries that share a unique and historical relationship.
“Our visit to Namibia reaffirms the sound bilateral relations between Namibia and Russia, and further opens trade and exchange opportunities between the two countries,” he said.
During the visit the Russians have met with officers from the Namibian Navy to discuss areas of mutual interest and cooperation, and also to plan possible future visits between the two countries.
From Walvis Bay the ships were to head along the west African coast with a likely visit in Angola and possibly at other West Africa countries. Then the ships will head back to rejoin the Russian Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea.
The ships had been on deployment to aid the Russian counter-terrorism operations in Syria, after which they participated in an international four-day naval exercise along with 37 other countries that took part in the AMAN-2107 sea exercise in the Arabian Sea.[/restrict]
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NATO’S EXERCISE DYNAMIC MANTA CONCLUDED
NATO’s Submarine Warfare Exercise Dynamic Manta 2017 (DYMA 17)* concluded on 24 March off the Sicilian coast, with warships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from ten Allied nations converging on the Central Mediterranean Sea for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface warfare training.
* Refer to earlier report NATO Anti-Sub warfare exercise Dynamic Manta underway off Italy
Submarines under operational control of …[restrict] NATO Submarine Command (COMSUBNATO) joined surface ships under Standing NATO Maritime Group Two Task Unit Two (SNMG2 TU02) and maritime patrol aircraft under NATO Maritime Air Command in a simulated multi-threat environment.
Nine submarines, ten surface ships, nine maritime patrol aircraft and three land-based helicopters from ten NATO countries (Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States) participated in the exercise.
Host-nation Italy provided support from the Augusta Naval Base, Catania Harbour and the Sigonella Air Base in Catania.
The aim of this exercise was to provide all participants with complex and challenging warfare training to enhance their interoperability and proficiency in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare skills.
SNMG2 TU02 commander, Captain Ruben Rodríguez Peña (Spanish Navy) expressed how this exercise contributed to improve Allied interoperability and warfare capabilities. He said: “Dynamic Manta has provided the opportunity to enhance NATO Anti-Submarine and Surface Warfare skills, practicing in a realistic and well planned scenario. Very professional aircrews and excellent submarine playmates has undoubtedly increased Allies Subsurface and Surface Warfare skills. This quality exercise also demonstrated advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities in the southern NATO Area of Responsibility.”
Exercise Dynamic Manta was also supported by an In-Stride Debriefing Team (IDT), consisting of eleven ASW experts from nine nations, working from Naval Air Station Sigonella. This team reconstructed and analysed all the ASW events, bringing together operational data from all participants. The analysis results were sent to ships, submarines and aircrew within 24 hours. The rapid operational analysis turnaround allowed participants to further optimise their performance while events were still fresh in their minds.[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
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MAERSK LIFTS LID ON DIGITAL DISRUPTION
Maersk is set to unveil the thinking behind its recent tie-ups with IBM and China’s Alibaba when the firm’s Chief Digital Officer, Ibrahim Gokcen, takes the stage at this year’s Nor-Shipping.
The leading maritime event week, taking place across a series of venues in Oslo and Lillestrøm from 30 May to 2 June, has today confirmed Gokcen as the latest high-level speaker for a programme of discussion that will analyse, and help plot, the …[restrict] future course of the maritime industry.
Gokcen’s appearance at Nor-Shipping will be hotly anticipated. It comes at a time when Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, is creating industry waves with digital initiatives that could, in the long-term, rank as transformational developments for this pivotal shipping segment.
“Maersk is currently taking radical steps forward,” comments Nor-Shipping Director Birgit Liodden. “Just this month it announced a collaboration with IBM whereby the two would work together to digitize, manage, and track shipping transactions using blockchain technology – known for powering the digital currency bitcoin.
“This follows on from the news of another groundbreaking collaboration with online retailer Alibaba, whereby its customers can now book space on Maersk vessels via its website – thus giving the cargo owners greater control over their own supply chain.”
“These concepts are nothing short of revolutionary within an industry context, and Ibrahim will shed light on the thought processes, opportunities and technology that have been, and will be, central to their realisation. Our main theme for this year’s Nor-Shipping is Catalyst for Change and we have a focus on Disruptive Sustainability. I can’t think of anything that encapsulates those concepts more than what Maersk is undertaking right now.”
Gokcen will be participating in the Outside the Shipping Box element of Nor-Shipping’s opening conference, joining fellow global industry frontrunners to discuss how digital solutions can disrupt the industry and lead to greater efficiency, performance and sustainability. Other contributors in the debate include Thomas Wilhelmsen, CEO Wilh. Wilhelmsen Group, KD Adamson of Futurenautics, and Marco Ryan, CEO of Wartsila, amongst others.
“Shipping needs to embrace the full potential of digital innovation if it is to retain its leading role in world trade,” Liodden explains, “and to do that we have to collaborate, share ideas, and open doors, and minds, to the best solutions from both inside and outside maritime.
“We have tailored our programme of speakers and contributors to showcase true thought leaders from shipping, tech, business, academia and politics, providing the audience with a holistic perspective of not just our industry, but of a world in flux, and all the challenges and opportunities that entails.
“Ibrahim’s perspective, and that of Maersk, will be of huge value to that. This is something our delegates can really look forward to.”
A host of high profile names have already been confirmed as speakers for Nor-Shipping 2017, including Leif O. Høegh, Chairman of Höegh Autoliners, Mike Utsler, COO Woodside Energy, Elisabeth Grieg, co-owner of the Grieg Group and CEO of Grieg International AS, Rashpal Bhatti, VP Freight at BHP Billiton, Peter Justesen, Chief Shipping Officer at Engie, global thought leaders Tony Seba and Parag Khanna, and Peggy Liu, Chairperson of Joint US-CHINA Collaboration on Clean Energy (JUCCCE), amongst others.
Further names will be added in the weeks leading up to Nor-Shipping 2017.
This year’s event week is expected to attract around 35,000 visitors, with almost 1,000 of the world’s leading maritime companies showcasing products and services to the industry, future talent and shipping value chain stakeholders.
A full programme of events, initiatives and keynote speakers will be released on the Nor-Shipping website soon www.nor-shipping.com[/restrict]
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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT
Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port
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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 : SAGA NAVIGATOR
The general cargo ship SAGA NAVIGATOR (46,573-dwt) is a step out of the ordinary in several respects, even to her overall colour. The 199-metre long ship (30.5m beam) has a maximum draught of 11.8 metres and a container capacity of 760 TEU. Built by Oshima Shipbuilding Co, Ltd. Saga Navigator is flagged in Hong Kong and operated by Saga Forest Carriers Intl AS, a Norwegian company. Saga Welco AS are the ship managers. Note the covered hatch protection which provides protection from the elements during cargo working. These pictures are by Keith Betts
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
– Max Ehrmann ‘Desiderata’
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