TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return
- First View : FEISTY KAREN
- Transnet says no retrenchments are being planned
- Norway’s Statoil acquires South African offshore exploration licences
- Atlantis SEZ a step closer to fruition
- Hurricane Irma Aftermath: HMS Ocean heads for Caribbean with humanitarian aid
- New IACS Chairman prioritises modernisation and transparency
- The Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier named
- Vard secures contract for one expedition cruise vessel for Coral Cruises
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : ATLANTIC SEA
SEND NEWS REPORTS AND PRESS RELEASES TO
info@africaports.co.za
News continues below
After discharging stock feed in Tauranga, New Zealand, the interestingly named bulk carrier FEISTY KAREN (32,464-dwt, built 2002) – maybe she is named after an old girl-friend of the owner, suggests the photographer – arrives at Lyttelton, the South Island port for Christchurch. The ship which appears to be on long term charter to J Lauritzen has been a regular visitor to New Zealand ports under her previous names of IVS KWELA and KWELA. Feisty Karen is now owned by Hong Kong interests – someone with the equally intriguing name of Clever Laird and is managed by Taylor Maritime also of Hong Kong. At Lyttelton she will load logs for discharge at Chinese and Korean ports. As IVS Kwela she was part of the South African shipping company IVS (Island View Shipping) fleet, a division of Grindrod Shipping. Unless mistaken, the name Kwela would have been taken from the South African jazz music that was once so popular in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly at township dances and in which the penny whistle was prominent. Confirmation anyone? This picture is by Alan Calvert
News continues below
TRANSNET SAYS NO RETRENCHMENTS ARE BEING PLANNED
Transnet says that reports about the company’s alleged intention of embarking on a retrenchment process are not true.
This is in response to a statement issued by the United National Transport Union’s (UNTU’s) General Secretary Steve Harris which it says are misleading and totally inaccurate.
“Transnet is not contemplating any forced retrenchments. Any statement about retrenchments at Transnet is ill-advised, devoid of truth and may sow uncertainty among our employees,” the company said last night in a statement.
“Transnet values and respects its relationship with employees and assures them that there will be no forced retrenchments. In addition, Mr Harris’s statement undermines the channels of communication that are available between Transnet and its recognised unions – Satawu and UNTU.”
According to Transnet earlier this year it embarked on an intervention to improve organisational efficiency through a Voluntary Severance Package (VSP) offer to employees.
“The VSP process was completely voluntary and considered in line with business and operational requirements, including the retention of skills which Transnet requires in line with its plans. At no stage did Transnet set any targets for the VSP process. Mr Harris is in possession of an unofficial document which he could not have obtained from the Transnet Consultation process.
“The numbers that his statement is referring to are based on a draft document that was superseded by the VSP process.”
Transnet says that in line with business practice it continuously considers different cost-saving initiatives, including reducing travel and accommodation costs, among others.
Saying that it does not merely seek to survive the economic downturn but to lead a new growth path by pioneering new and innovative ways of working to grow its market share, Transnet remains in a strong financial position and continues to pursue its capital investment despite the challenging economic environment.
“The company wishes to emphasise its commitment to a conducive environment for its employees, cordial relations with its recognised unions and an efficient service to customers.”
On Friday UNTU’s Harris accused Transnet of playing a game of cat and mouse with its employees, especially those working at Transnet Engineering. He claimed the state-owned enterprise did not want Government to lose face and support ahead of the general elections to be held in 2019.
Referring to Transnet’s General Manager: Human Capital’s Tumelo Mokwena who said in a statement that the moratorium that was placed on the filling of non-critical vacancies in Transnet last year, was only an interim measure, Harris said this did not make sense.
Transnet has stated its intention to reduce its wage bill by R4 billion within the next three years. To do so, the company is considering the reduction of 9,000 employees, with more than half of them working for Transnet Engineering (TE).
This, he said, was the reason behind Transnet’s motivation to introduce voluntary severance packages (VSP) to thousands of employees last year, only to grant just 446 VSP’s to Transnet Bargaining Council (TBC) employees.
“Transnet even informed Labour that a second round of VSP’s will be introduced, only to withdraw it at the 11th hour after the intervention of Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown, who must also be concerned about massive job losses at a SOE in the run-up to the elections,” he said.
Harris said Transnet has now changed its mind indicating that it was not only willing to fill vacancies, but also intends to give preference to Managerial Level, while ignoring the fact that UNTU has “repeatedly pointed out that the company has too many managers and too little workers.
“This means that Transnet is not adhering to the Labour Relations Act by doing everything within its means to minimise the possibility of retrenchments in the 2018/2019 financial year. Currently TBC employees are protected against forced retrenchments thanks to the terms of a collective agreement between Transnet and Labour. This agreement lapses at the end of March 2018,” says Harris.
UNTU’s angry reaction to Mokwena’s decision followed Thamsanqa Jiyane, Chief Executive Officer of Transnet Engineering, having told Parliament last week that the economic downturn has had a dramatic impact on Transnet’s wagon procurement programme and ripple effects on local component manufacturers.
According to Jiyane only 100 rail wagons were built in the 2016/17 financial year compared to the 4‚119 originally targeted. The previous year only 2‚100 wagons were manufactured compared to the 3‚692 projected.
Jiyane said in relation to the 1‚064 locomotive acquisition programme‚ R4bn had been spent locally to date compared to the R21‚8bn target. To date 269 of the 1‚064 locomotives had been accepted from two of the original equipment manufacturers at Koedoespoort in Pretoria.
“Transnet’s decision is mind-blowing to UNTU. It seems that Transnet’s left hand does not know what its right hand is doing. Transnet must come clean about the fate of employees and stop indulging in political power play,” said Harris.
News continues below
NORWAY’S STATOIL ACQUIRES SOUTH AFRICAN OFFSHORE EXPLORATION LICENCES
Norway’s Statoil has become the latest international player to acquire an interest in offshore explorations in South Africa.
Statoil has acquired exploration licences and participation stakes in two offshore blocks.
The price paid for the two stakes was not disclosed.
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian multinational oil and gas company headquartered in Stavanger, Norway.
In its announcement the oil major said it has…[restrict] completed a transaction with ExxonMobil Exploration and Production South Africa Limited (ExxonMobil), acquiring a 35% interest in Exploration Right 12/3/252 Transkei-Algoa.
Operator ExxonMobil retains 40% interest, while Impact Africa holds 25%.The license covers approximately 45,000 square kilometres in water depths up to 3,000 metres.
Statoil has also completed a transaction with OK Energy Ltd, acquiring 90% interest and operatorship in the Exploration Right 12/3/257 East Algoa. The remaining 10% interest is held by OK Energy. The licence covers approximately 9,300 square kilometres.
“These transactions strengthen Statoil’s position in South Africa and our long-term exploration portfolio. This is in line with our global exploration strategy of early access in basins with high potential,” says Nick Maden, senior vice president for exploration in the southern hemisphere.
Statoil entered its first license in South Africa in 2015, acquiring a 35% interest in the ExxonMobil-operated Tugela South Exploration Right.
The Tugela South Exploration Right covers an area of approximately 9,054 square kilometres. It is located offshore eastern South Africa in water depths up to 1,800 metres.[/restrict]
News continues below
ATLANTIS SEZ A STEP CLOSER TO FRUITION
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies has published the intention to designate the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The public has 30 days from 8 September to support or object the designation of Atlantis, north of Cape Town.
On Friday, Minister Davies said the proposed SEZ has already demonstrated its strong economic potential and attractiveness to investors by the fact that it has successfully managed to secure investors even before the designation of the SEZ.
There are five investors at the proposed SEZ which is located in the Western Cape that are already operational, totalling approximately R680 million.
Minister Davies says he is also…[restrict] encouraged by the fact that additional investment commitments worth R1.8 billion are already secured for the short to medium term.
The application for the designation of the Atlantis GreenTech SEZ was jointly submitted by the Western Cape Provincial Department for Economic Opportunities and the City of Cape Town.
The SEZ is to be developed as a Green-Tech Hub with particular focus on clean technologies, electronics, solar and wind energy technologies, energy efficient technologies, alternative waste management, alternative building materials and technologies, among others.
The development of the Atlantis GreenTech SEZ has the potential to attract more investors and also contribute significantly to changing the development landscape of Atlantis and neighbouring areas. The area is currently confronted by challenges of high unemployment, poverty and drug abuse.
Last month, Minister Davies announced that he had received a recommendation to designate the Atlantis SEZ.
The Minster received the recommendation from the SEZs Advisory Board, as the application for the designation of the SEZ was jointly submitted by the Western Cape Provincial Department for Economic Opportunities and the City of Cape Town.
SEZs are geographically designated areas of a country that are set aside for specifically targeted economic activities. – source: SAnews.gov.za[/restrict]
News continues below
HURRICANE IRMA AFTERMATH: HMS OCEAN HEADS FOR CARIBBEAN WITH HUMANITARIAN AID
HMS Ocean arrived in Gibraltar yesterday (11 Sep) to load humanitarian aid and equipment to assist with the second wave of UK support to the Caribbean.
She then sails to…[restrict] support the UK government’s disaster relief operation in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
She will join RFA Mounts Bay which has been delivering immediate aid since the weather system hit, providing food, water and medical supplies to Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.
Ocean will load 200 pallets of UK Aid and 60 pallets of Emergency Relief Stores (ERS). These contain power tools to help rebuild communities, emergency shelters for those left homeless as well as items such as water purification kits and nappies.[/restrict]
by Paul Ridgway
London
News continues below
NEW IACS CHAIRMAN PRIORITISES MODERNISATION & TRANSPARENCY
Speaking at a press conference in London on 6 September, new IACS Chairman, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime (pictured), announced a series of initiatives designed to ensure that IACS provides the support its stakeholders need in a rapidly changing industry.
He commented: “As the digital transformation of the industry accelerates, IACS must continue to remain a synonym for quality. We must uphold the high standards we have set, but make sure that we are providing the support the industry needs to respond to the challenges of today and of the future.”
As such, one of the most important parts of the coming year will be to implement the IACS Council decision to improve the quality and transparency of internal benchmarking, performance and membership criteria. Ørbeck-Nilssen is implementing these long-term initiatives as part of IACS’ wider commitment to extending the length of the its strategic plan to five years, aligning it with the IMO; ensuring a more consistent vision and bringing a greater sense of continuity to the association.
Ørbeck-Nilssen added: “Our industry is…[restrict] becoming more complex. Digitalisation is changing not only the way the shipping business is being conducted, but the systems themselves and the way they interact together. Because of this, Class needs to be adaptable and flexible in our delivery and thinking. IACS members should be enabled to provide the services that our stakeholders require in the digital age, as these are essential for competitive and safe operations.”
As part of his time as Chairman, Ørbeck-Nilssen will also be initiating a review of IACS Resolutions to identify and remove elements hindering the development of new technologies, including ship autonomy. In addition, IACS will commence work on developing procedures relating to the deployment of electronic certificates, while continuing to support the IMO’s work in promoting their use throughout the industry.
Modernising survey methods and enabling the use of new technologies will be another focus area. Ørbeck-Nilssen is overseeing the evaluation and further development of the results of the newly established working group reviewing the implications of new survey technologies and techniques, including CBM (condition based monitoring) and RMD (remote monitoring and diagnosis), with a view to developing IACS guidelines and recommendations that enable the data from these new techniques to be used more widely in the survey process.
In conclusion the IACS Chairman said: “To help the shipping industry continue to play its vital role in world trade, we need to work on initiatives that enhance the ability of IACS members to offer innovative, relevant and efficient services. By doing so we can leverage the unique technical capabilities of our members and work with regulators and stakeholders, to ensure that shipping continues to advance in terms of safety, efficiency, and environmental responsibility.”
About IACS
Dedicated to safe ships and clean seas, IACS makes a unique contribution to maritime safety and regulation through technical support, compliance verification and research and development. More than 90% of the world’s cargo carrying tonnage is covered by the classification design, construction and through-life compliance Rules and standards set by the thirteen Member Societies of IACS.[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
News continues below
THE ROYAL NAVY’S SECOND AIRCRAFT CARRIER NAMED
Rosyth, Scotland: HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the second of the Royal Navy’s two carriers being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, was officially named on 8 September during a ceremony in Rosyth, Scotland.
HRH The Duchess of Rothesay*, the warship’s sponsor, followed Royal Navy tradition by triggering a bottle of 10 year old whisky from the Laphroaig distillery in the Isle of Islay, smashing it against the ship’s hull.
This significant milestone comes just three weeks after the first aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth…[restrict] made her first entry into her home port of Portsmouth as part of her maiden sea trials programme.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, said: “HMS Prince of Wales is a prestigious name for what I am sure will be a most prestigious ship. Today is yet another landmark in an incredibly busy year for the Royal Navy and shipbuilding. HMS Queen Elizabeth has undergone her sea trials and arrived into Portsmouth, I have cut the steel on the new Type 26 frigates and we announced our ambitious new National Shipbuilding Strategy this week.
“Together these magnificent carriers will act as our statement to the world. By having two we will ensure the UK will be one of the few nations able to maintain a continuous carrier strike presence on the high seas to project our power across the world.”
The ship will be the eighth in the Royal Navy to bear the name HMS Prince of Wales, honouring Britain’s history as a seafaring nation from the Sixth Rate gun ship in 1693 to the King George V Class battleship that fought and was lost in the Second World War.
Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, commented: “The name HMS Prince of Wales represents many centuries of loyal service to Crown and Country, and its return to the Royal Navy today is a moment of great strategic significance for the United Kingdom. To build one carrier is a symbol of national ambition – but to build two is a sign of real commitment to our own security and to our international responsibilities.
“With two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers in Royal Navy service, one will be available for operations at all times. When paired with the F35B Joint Strike Fighter, they will provide our nation with a continuous carrier strike capability – a powerful conventional deterrent in a dangerous and uncertain world. I congratulate all those who have worked so hard over many years to make the Royal Navy’s carrier-led renaissance a reality.”
The QE Class aircraft carriers are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a unique alliancing relationship between BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales, and the UK Ministry of Defence.
Sir Simon Lister, Managing Director of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, concluded by saying: “Today’s naming ceremony is a significant moment in the life of the programme and for each and every person involved in the design and construction of HMS Prince of Wales, one of the largest engineering projects in the UK today. The nation has come together to build this magnificent ship which will in turn protect our nation’s interests around the globe. HMS Prince of Wales, along with her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, reflects the very best of British design and engineering capability and has created a once in a lifetime opportunity for highly skilled employees to be involved in an iconic programme.
“I am immensely proud to welcome their Royal Highnesses and our many other distinguished guests to Rosyth today.”
With a ship’s company of 679, HMS Prince of Wales is expected to carry out sea trials in 2019 before entering Royal Navy service.
There are also currently 150 Royal Navy and RAF personnel continuing F-35 aircraft training in the United States. By the end of this year it is planned that the UK will have 14 of these fast jets, the world’s most sophisticated fighter, with initial flight trials from the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth planned for 2018.
Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox reflected: “HMS Prince of Wales will do more than keep us safe and project British power across the globe. With home grown talent providing 90% of the suppliers for her and her sister ship, this aircraft carrier will also promote the strength of our shipbuilding sector.
“This achievement shows what a huge amount of exporting potential the sector has and, as an international economic department, we will continue to support businesses to export their goods and services, and attract the investment that creates and supports British jobs.”
*HRH The Prince of Wales, when in Scotland, carries the title of Duke of Rothesay. His wife, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, is thereby Duchess of Rothesay.
[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
News continues below
PRESS RELEASE: VARD SECURES CONTRACT FOR ONE EXPEDITION CRUISE VESSEL
Send your Press Releases here info@africaports.co.za and marked PRESS RELEASE. Provided they are considered appropriate to our readers we will either turn them into a story, or publish them here.
Vard secures contract for one expedition cruise vessel for Coral Cruises
Singapore, 11 September 2017 – Vard Holdings Limited (‘VARD’), one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialised vessels, is pleased to announce that it has secured a contract for the design and construction of one expedition cruise vessel for Coral Expeditions of Australia.
Newly developed by Vard Design in Norway in close cooperation with the customer, the vessel is specially designed for small ship expedition cruises to remote and exotic destinations in the regions of Asia-Pacific.
The vessel of VARD 6 01 design, measuring…[restrict] a total length of 93.5 meters with a beam of 17.2 meters, will have a guest accommodation capacity of 120. True to the Coral Expeditions business concept, the ship environment is geared for daily shore expeditions, lectures and briefings, with high standards of comfort and care. Delivery is scheduled from Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam in 1Q 2019.
CEO and Executive Director Mr. Roy Reite said, “I would like to welcome Coral Expeditions to VARD. We are honoured to be chosen as the preferred designer and shipbuilder for their new expedition cruise vessel. VARD’s highly experienced shipbuilders and our specialised subsidiaries in Norway and abroad look forward to working together with Coral’s team.”
With a 34 year history of innovation, Coral Expeditions is recognised as Australia’s longest established and most awarded expedition cruise operator. Starting with environmentally sensitive cruises on the Great Barrier Reef, the fleet has grown to three Australian-flagged ships that include two oceangoing catamarans, Coral Expeditions I and Coral Expeditions II, and the flagship 63m Coral Discoverer.
Headquartered in Cairns, Coral Expeditions offers expedition cruises to largely unseen parts of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the Kimberley region, Cape York and Arnhem Land, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Islands of the South Pacific, Tasmania, and South East Asia.
The contract has been entered into in the ordinary course of business of the Company. It is not expected to have any material impact on the earnings per share or the net tangible assets per share of the Company for the current financial year. None of the Directors and the controlling shareholders of the Company have any interest, direct or indirect, in the above contract.
About VARD
Vard Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, is one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialised vessels. Headquartered in Norway and with 9,000 employees, VARD operates nine strategically located shipbuilding facilities, including five in Norway, two in Romania, one in Brazil and one in Vietnam.
VARD was listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange on 12 November 2010. Majority shareholder Fincantieri Oil & Gas S.p.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of FINCANTIERI S.p.A., owns 78.03% in the Group. Headquartered in Trieste, Italy, FINCANTIERI is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and has, over its 200 years of maritime history, built more than 7,000 vessels.[/restrict]
News continues below
GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
in partnership with – APO
News continues below
TO ADVERTISE HERE
Request a Rate Card from info@africaports.co.za
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.
News continues below
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 : ATLANTIC SEA
Recently we featured pictures of the G3 type Con-ro vessel Atlantic Cartier that called at Durban for bunkers, before continuing on to a date with the breakers in India (16 August – see HERE). This ship was keenly anticipated here in Durban, so the feature PICS OF THE DAY shown here are of special interest, being of one of the replacement ships for Atlantic Container Line (ACL), the type G4 ATLANTIC SEA – almost twice the GRT (100,430-gt, built 2016) in comparison and certainly of a design that will raise more than a few eyebrows. Part of the wider Grimaldi group, ACL ships ply the North Atlantic in general service and certainly add an extra interest to the fascinating world of shipping. Note the accommodation section back in the centre of the ship. Atlantic Sea is flagged in the UK. ACL has a tenuous link to Africa – her parent company Grimaldi operates a service from the Mediterranean to West Africa. These pictures are by Keith Betts
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“How often one sees people looking far and wide for what they are holding in their hands? Why! I am doing it myself at this very moment.”
– Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827
–
ADVERTISING
For a Rate Card please contact us at info@africaports.co.za
Don’t forget to send us your news and press releases for inclusion in the News Bulletins. Shipping related pictures submitted by readers are always welcome. Email to info@africaports.co.za
SHIP PHOTOGRAPHERS Colour photographs and slides for sale of a variety of ships. Thousands of items listed featuring famous passenger liners of the past to cruise ships of today, freighters, container vessels, tankers, bulkers, naval and research vessels. P O BOX 809, CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA |
| South Africa’s most comprehensive Directory of Maritime Services will shortly be listed on this site. Please advise if you’d like your company to be included. To sign up for a free listing contact info@africaports.co.za or register online |
