TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
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- First View : MSC LAURENCE
- Containership MSC Daniela catches fire: Video
- Coal expected to be Mozambique’s largest source of export earnings
- Kenya cancels Rift Valley Railways 25-year concession
- Massive sea and land journey for transformers
- Mozambique extends logging ban by three months
- Ghana Ports: Tema Drydock and Takoradi Container Terminal open for business
- Transaid truck donation to Zambia
- Viking Line signs with Chinese shipyard for new cruise ship
- PRESS RELEASES: Seatrade Cruise Med venues for 2018 & 2020 announced
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : KENNEDY
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A ship we have not featured before is the imposing-looking container ship pictured here at the Durban Container Terminal North Quay, MSC LAURENCE (139,418-dwt), all of 366 metres long and 48.4 metres wide. The ship has a container capacity of 12,400 TEU, making her one of an increasing number of very large container ships to call at the sub-continent’s premier container port. Her maximum draught is 15.5 metres and while Durban could handle this on entering the port, the berths alongside the container terminal at present do not for such a ship fully loaded. MSC Laurence is owned by the Niki Group of Greece (Niki in Greek means ‘Victory’ – a good name for a shipping company) and is of course operated by MSC. She was built in 2011 at the STX Shipbuilding Co Ltd shipyard in South Korea as their hull number 3015. This picture is by Ken Malcolm
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CONTAINERSHIP MSC DANIELA CATCHES FIRE: VIDEO
Yet another container ship has experienced a fire among the containers loaded on her deck.
This time the ship is the 366-metre MSC DANIELA (162,867-dwt, 13,798-TEU) which was sailing off the Sri Lankan coast, about 33 nautical miles from Colombo harbour. The fire began among containers amidships and soon large flames could be seen.
MSC Daniela has a crew of 22.[restrict]
On receiving a distress call from the ship Sri Lankan authorities including the Sri Lankan Navy dispatched vessels to go to the aid of the MSC ship. The navy sent two fast attack craft to provide an escort and other assistance but the real help came from two harbour tugs sent by the Sri Lankan Port Authority and an Indian Coast Guard vessel, ICGS SHOOR which happened to be in Colombo port and which went out at the request of the Indian High Commission.
These three vessels plus a Sri Lankan offshore patrol vessel all had firefighting equipment and trained firefighting personnel on board.
More ships joined the call for help including from India and were involved in preparing to evacuate the 22 crew on board MSC Daniela.
MSC Daniela was built at the Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, South Korea in 2008.
A later report said the fire had been extinguished and that there were no injuries among the crew or those engaged with fighting the fire.
MSC said the ship was sailing between Singapore and Port Said and Europe. They were discussing with the Colombo port authorities to berth the ship where a full inspection could take place and an estimate of the damage to cargo be made. An investigation into the cause of the fire will also be established.
Video clip of the ship on fire. [0:45]
[/restrict]
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COAL EXPECTED TO BE MOZAMBIQUE’S LARGEST SOURCE OF EXPORT EARNINGS
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), coal is expected to be Mozambique’s largest source of export earnings in the medium term, following increased security in the centre of the country and rising international prices.
“Although the global outlook does not offer much comfort to a country relying on the sector, we anticipate that increasing production will make coal the main source of export revenues in the medium term,” said experts at … [restrict] the economic analysis unit of the British magazine The Economist.
In the analysis of the coal sector in Mozambique sent to investors this week, which was reports by the Portuguese agency Lusa, analysts said “after a period when prices hit bottom and security risks rose sharply, there is renewed energy in the coal industry in Mozambique.”
The EIU says companies’ optimism and renewed commitment is justified by two reasons. “The first is the international price, which has rebounded strongly since it hit its ten-year low in the first quarter of 2016; the other is an improvement in the security situation in the centre of the country, with fears of attacks on coal transport infrastructure fading.”
With reserves estimated at more than 20 billion tons, the government has “repeatedly stated that Mozambique can be one of the 10 largest producers of coal,” and the commitment of the companies involved seems to confirm this optimism.
In its sector analysis, the EIU cites as examples of business optimism in the country the sale by Brazilian Vale to Japanese Mitsui of 15 percent of the Moatize mine in Tete province and 50 percent of its participation in the Nacala Corridor.
It further states that “an increase in Moatize mine production from 8.7 million tonnes in 2016 to 13 million in 2017 and 18 million in 2018 would probably be sufficient for coal to exceed aluminium as the largest source of Mozambique’s export revenue this year.”
Another example cited by the EIU is the consortium of five Indian companies – International Coal Ventures Limited – which announced the re-launch of operations at its Benga mine. Jindal Power and Steel resumed production at its Chirodzi mine in October 2016.
“Although the coal industry is not immune to trends dictated by China, momentum in India, its main export destination, is more important,” the analysts conclude. “With annual growth of 5 percent in demand, the investment of Indian companies in Mozambique and the slowing of plans to increase domestic supply, we believe that the country will continue to be a key market for Mozambican coal.” source: Lusa[/restrict]
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KENYA CANCELS RIFT VALLEY RAILWAYS 25-YEAR CONCESSION
In a not totally unexpected development, the Kenyan Government by way of Kenya Railways has terminated Rift Valley Railways’ (RVR) 25-year concession to operate the historic metre-gauge railway between the port city of Mombasa, and Nairobi and Uganda.
There has been considerable speculation over the future of RVR as the Chinese-built standard gauge railway (SGR) over the same route nears completion over the first section between Mombasa and Nairobi. Rift Valley Railway has not succeeded …[restrict] in winning back from road transport any significant amount of traffic but even had it been more successful there was a growing feeling that the older railway would be ‘shunted off’ in some manner so as to not compete with the SGR.
The concession to operate RVR was initially held by a South African company, Sheltam Rail, but following intense political and public pressure, the company was sold into the ownership of Qalaa Holding, an Egyptian private equity group.
In January this year Rift Valley Railway was taken to court over unpaid fees said to amount to US$5.8 million. Kenya Railways (on behalf of the Kenyan Government) accused RVR of not achieving cargo haulage targets.
Kenya’s East African reported this week that Qala’s head of transportation, Karim Sadek, failed to attend a meeting involving Kenyan and Ugandan railway officials which was to assess RVR’s progress. Instead a junior representative from Qalaa was sent, and act that is said to have infuriated the government officials who en drew up a resolution to terminate the contract at the end of a 90-day period of notice.
Qalaa rushed to court last week to try and prevent the termination but was refused an immediate order and told to return the next day (30 March) with the defendants for an inter-party hearing.
Instead, the government-owned Kenya Railways ‘jumped the gun’ by issuing RVR with a termination order before anyone could return to court. On Friday, 31 March RVR obtained an order from the court asking the disputing parties to seek an out-of-court settlement.
In terms of the concession agreement, the cancellation means that the RVR shareholders have 180 days to sell RVR to a strategic investor or to return the railway to Kenya Railways.[/restrict]
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MASSIVE SEA AND LAND JOURNEY FOR TRANSFORMERS
The successful delivery of two giant transformers from India to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) via the port of Durban has just been completed.
The delivery of a 58-ton 50MVA transformer and a second 150MVA transformer weighing 85 tons was completed by Polytra NV, a member of the Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC) to [restrict] Lubumbashi in the DRC’s Katanga Province.
The two transformers were shipped in Mumbai on board of a RoRo vessel, then transshipped in Jeddah to arrive safe and sound in Durban. In Durban both units had to be stored in a secure area for more than 5 weeks before the overland trip of 2950km to the DRC could begin.
On arrival in the DRC the transformers were discharged from the lowbeds onto rail by the jacking and sliding method. The whole operation including the storage period took about 12 weeks.
The experts from Polytra encountered several obstacles, such as bad roads due to the hefty rainy season, red tape challenges, narrow entry and very sharp curves, but at the end all hindrances were conquered. source: WWPC[/restrict]
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MOZAMBIQUE EXTENDS LOGGING BAN BY THREE MONTHS
Mozambique’s Council of Ministers on Tuesday extended the ban on logging, in force in Mozambique since the beginning of the year, for a further three months to give time for the implementation of a new licensing regime and re-evaluation of operators’ performance, reports Lusa.
On Tuesday this week the Minister for Land, Environment and Rural Development, Celso Correia said that the decision made …[restrict] by the Council of Ministers is to allow the re-assessment of operating licenses “because we feel that there is dishonest use, which we call daylight robbery.”
Correia recalled that illegal logging has cost the country an average of US$200 million a year and gave the example that a cubic metre of wood can be purchased on the domestic market for 350 meticais (about US$5) and resold on the international market for more than US$300.
In March the government of Mozambique launched Operação Tronco (Operation Log), a mechanism to assess the degree of compliance with the Forest Act, as well as checking export records against evidence gathered on the ground.
The operation is underway in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula and central provinces of Zambezia, Tete, Manica and Sofala, which have the highest levels of logging.
Operação Tronco, conducted by the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development, through the National Forestry Directorate, has led to the seizure of 150,000 cubic metres of timber and fines amounting to 157 million meticais (US$2.2 million). source: Lusa / Macauhub[/restrict]
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GHANA PORTS: TEMA DRYDOCK & TAKORADI CONTAINER TERMINAL OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Tema Port
The Ghana port of Tema’s dry dock is shortly to be developed into a world class facility, says the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Paul Asare Ansah.
Speaking to management and staff at the dockyard, Ansah said …[restrict] that several companies have expressed interest to partner the GPHA in developing the Tema shipyard.
The intention, he said, is to develop the drydock and dockyard facility to the point where it can participate in the fabrication business in the oil and gas industry.
As part of efforts to create a vibrant organisation with the ship repair facility, Paul Ansah said a business development department will be created to bring in strategic investors.
The acting CEO of Tema Shipyard, Captain Kwesi Micah believes the shipyard would be buoyant after an injection of capital, amounting to GH¢13.3 million which has been allocated for the procurement of equipment for the drydock.
Takoradi Port[/restrict]
In other news from the ports of Ghana, the Port of Takoradi Container Terminal (TACOTEL) is set to be opened this coming Monday, 10 April says Ebenezer Afedzi, Director General of the port.
Prior to this all import and export containers will have been evacuated to TACOTEL by tomorrow, 7 April, from the multi-purpose section of the port where containers were previously handled…[restrict]
The creation of TACOTEL will have the effect of easing traffic congestion, reducing turnaround time and reducing the pressure on space at the port.
During a stakeholders meeting attended by the Ghana Shippers Authority, Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS), shipping agencies, and clearing & forwarding agencies, Afedzi said that by handing over container handling operations to TACOTEL does not mean that other activities at the port of Takoradi will change.
TACOTEL will operate just like all other terminals under the authority of Takoradi Port. License fees will continue to be paid to Takoradi Port who will then license them with TACOTEL.
“No operational license fee will be paid directly to TACOTEL – imported containers will be discharged at the Takoradi Port consolidating area and the latter will be do transferred to TACOTEL – as well as export containers which will also be sited at the consolidated area,” he said.
Although Takoradi Port has no direct investment in TACOTEL it will receive up to 25% of the gross revenue of the project.
Ibis-tek was awarded the concession to construct the container terminal over an area of 97,000 square metres which will be able to accommodate up to 7,500 TEU at a time. TACOTEL is expected to create 300 permanent and more than 1,000 temporary jobs
TACOTEL was expected to create 300 jobs as well as over 1,000 casual jobs at the port. Other jobs in ‘back of port’ operations are also likely to be developed as a result of Takoradi now having a dedicated container terminal.[/restrict]
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TRANSAID TRUCK DONATION TO ZAMBIA
The London-based charity Transaid transforms lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport.
Founded by the charity Save the Children and The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), with HRH The Princess Royal as its patron, this international development organisation shares 25 years’ expertise in 23 countries with partners and governments – empowering people to build the skills they need to transform their lives.
In January 2017 two rigid trucks (illustrated) arrived in Zambia, having travelled from the UK to support efforts to reduce death and injury on the roads in Zambia. This is the second time that the Central England Cooperative has provided training vehicles to the Industrial Training Centre, a government training facility based in Lusaka.
Gary Forster, Transaid’s Chief Executive commented… [restrict] “As a landlocked country road transport is vital to Zambia’s economy. Training on rigid trucks in Zambia is in very high demand. The waiting list to get on this course can be several weeks, if not months, an illustration of why this donation is so important.
“Central England Cooperative has helped to ensure that ITC’s modest vehicle fleet is able to meet growing demand from the market and ultimately this will increase the number of skilled drivers and have a positive impact on road safety in the country.”
In sub–Saharan Africa there is a critical shortage of skilled heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and little quality training available. Every year globally, approximately 1.3 million people are killed in road crashes. Transaid is working with local partners to address a core part of this problem through improving professional driver training standards.
Transaid has partnered with training centres in Tanzania and Zambia and is now implementing a programme to build the capacity and capability of these centres to deliver quality training.
This programme has been running since 2008. The Industrial Training Centre (ITC) is the leading vocational training centre in Zambia for driver training and related courses. Over 40 staff are employed here and the centre offers training on driver training, automotive and electrical engineering.
Over 600 truck drivers are trained by the ITC each year. Transaid focuses on supporting the driver training activities which include HGV training, PSV training, fork lift truck training (FLT), defensive driver training, driver assessments and the carriage of dangerous goods.
Transaid is supported by 32 corporate partners, many of which are active members of Transaid’s Professional Driver Training Consortium. The Consortium acts as an advisory group to the programme, helping with strategic advice and guidance. On hearing that two rigid trucks were heading to Zambia the Consortium kindly helped source spare parts which were loaded in the trucks. These included FLT tyres from Toyota, Impact Handling and Jungheinrich; truck tyres from Michelin and mirrors, a fan belt tensioner, headlamps and other parts from Iveco.
Professor FD Yamba, the ITC Board Chair remarked: “This donation will enhance our road safety campaign through driver training programmes looking at the growth of our transport industry in the community and the country at large. Such donations will strengthen our quality delivery of driver training.”
It is the belief at Transaid that every driver should be able to leave for a day’s work without the fear they may not come home because of a lack of training, or dangerous vehicles and roads. Every family should be able to access vital healthcare. Every person should have the opportunity to build the skills they need to transform their future.
Readers are invited to read more about Transaid HERE[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
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VIKING LINE SIGNS WITH CHINESE SHIPYARD FOR NEW CRUISE SHIP
Viking Line has signed a conditional shipbuilding contract with the Chinese company Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co concerning a new passenger cruise ship for the Turku (Finland)–Aland Islands–Stockholm (Sweden ) route.
The LNG-powered ferry is to be delivered in 2020.
A final agreement is subject to …[restrict] the approval of the Board of Directors of both the buyer and the seller, as well as financial arrangements entered. The total contract amount is about 194 million euros . The agreement also includes an option on another vessel.
The new vessel will be a collaborative project, and the plan is to engage several Finnish and other European suppliers.
This energy-efficient vessel will be 218 metres in length and have a gross registered tonnage of about 63,000 tonnes. Passenger capacity will be 2,800 people, and the length of its cargo lanes will be 1,500 metres.
Environmental considerations and energy efficiency will be very important in planning and building the ship. Viking Line will hire Scandinavian architects for the interior design.
The new vessel is being designed to provide a brand-new passenger experience for guests, says Viking.[/restrict]
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Lisbon & Malaga announced as Seatrade Cruise Med venues for 2018 & 2020
Seatrade is delighted to announce that Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, will be the next venue for the largest cruise industry event focusing on the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas – Seatrade Cruise Med 2018.
Hosted by the Port of Lisbon Authority (APL) and supported by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and MedCruise, the event will take place from 19 – 21 September 2018 and feature a showcase exhibition, conference and a full social and networking programme.
As a leading platform for discussion and debate on issues confronting the Mediterranean cruise market, which recorded more than 27.4m cruise passengers and 13,460 cruise calls in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas in 2016, the conference forms an integral part of Seatrade Cruise Med, organised by Seatrade. Previous editions of Seatrade Cruise Med have attracted cruise line executives representing 30 brands as well as MedCruise members – representing 80% of cruise ports from across the region.
Portugal’s Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, said: “Portugal is increasingly affirmed as an important and renowned player in the world cruise sector with both the country as a whole and the city of Lisbon benefiting from the economic impact of cruise ship calls.”
A sentiment agreed by the President of APL, Lidia Sequeira: “To host this prestigious event is recognition of the work we have been doing in the cruise sector for many years. The hope is that this event will give an important boost to the local and national economy of this sector, especially now that Lisbon is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to welcome all the cruise ships and their guests.”
Located on both banks of the Tagus Estuary, the Port of Lisbon welcomes more than 500,000 passengers annually to its shores and boasts an access channel of 15.5mtr depth and over 2,400 metres of quays. More than 45 cruise lines choose the Port of Lisbon, which has four passenger terminals – all within easy walking distance of the city’s historical sites and shopping districts.
With an annual growth of 8.4% over the past 10 years, efforts are also in place to finish its new terminal – Lisbon Cruise Terminal – which will offer 1,450 metres of berthing with a draft between 11 and 6.5 metres. On its completion, projected for the second half of 2017, the Port of Lisbon Authority estimates that current traffic could grow to over 750,000 passengers annually – reaching 1.8 million passengers within 10 years.
Seatrade Cruise Med will also hold an exhibition that will see ports and destinations, tourism authorities, cruise associations, ground handlers, tour operators, port agents, technical equipment and hotel suppliers showcasing their products and services to the cruise industry. The event will also feature a full social and networking programme for attending delegates.
“We are also pleased to announce that the venue for the 2020 Seatrade Cruise Med has also been confirmed – and we look forward to holding the event in Malaga, Spain,” confirmed Andrew Williams, General Manager, Seatrade and Group Director, UBM.
The President of the Port Authority of Málaga, Paulino Plata, welcomed the news that Málaga has been selected as the venue for the most important cruise show in the Mediterranean in 2020, which he said had been made possible due to the commitment from the port and destination to promote it as the gateway to Andalusia. He added: “Málaga has positioned itself as the most important cruise port in the region, thanks to the investment on state-of-the-art port facilities that provide a high-quality service both to the passenger and the ship, as well as to our wide gastronomic, cultural and leisure offer, added to excellent air, rail and road connections.”
The 2020 event will see the Port Authority of Málaga, Málagaport; the Tourist Boards in the Area – Málaga City Council, Costa del Sol Tourist Board, and Andalucía Tourist Board, as well as cruise terminal operators – Cruceros Málaga, a subsidiary of Global Ports Holding – work together to host Seatrade Cruise Med 2020.
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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.
An interesting visitor to Port Everglades recently was the American training ship USTS KENNEDY (T-AK-5059, 13,886-gt, built 1967). Originally built for Lykes lines as a C4 freighter she was named SS VELMA LYKES. Renamed CAPE BON in government service some 20 years later, and later renamed again TS ENTERPRISE, she received her current name in 2009 in honour of the Kennedy family. USTS Kennedy is owned by MARAD (US Government) while she is managed by Massachusetts Maritime Academy at Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Over the years she has undergone some refitting and modifications to suit her different roles, but still has some resemblance of her former glory. Here she is sailing out of Port Everglades onto her home port. Lykes Line had a long (over 50 years) association with Southern and Eastern Africa although this particular ship did not as far as we know feature on the African trades. Pictures by Tony de Freitas
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
– Max Ehrmann ‘Desiderata’
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