
TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
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- First View : MSC CANDICE
- US$300 million multipurpose and container terminal opens at Gabon’s Owendo Port
- Transnet Port Terminals makes donation towards Durban flood relief
- Parliamentary Inquiry Into Transnet Chinese Locomotive Deal Gains Momentum
- Lobito Port terminals concessioning – APM Terminals & Soportos
- Standing by to launch two more Galilieo navigation satellites
- HM The Queen visits HMS Sutherland
- Press Release: Optimarin Ballast System installation on Seatruck ferries
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pic of the Day : MSC CRUISES’ FAMILY REUNION IN PORTOFINO
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Mediterranean Shipping Company’s container ship MSC CANDICE (115,000-dwt) at the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, where it appears the 9,580-TEU ship has arrived to start loading containers removed from the damaged MSC INES, which broke her moorings and went aground in the harbour entrance channel at the height of Durban’s big storm on 10 October. The latter ship has considerable damage to her rudder and propeller as well as a hole in the transom. MSC Candice was built in 2007 at the Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy industries Co Ltd shipyard in South Korea as their hull number 1613. This picture is by Ken Malcolm
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US$300 MILLION MULTIPURPOSE & CONTAINER TERMINAL OPENS AT GABON’S OWENDO PORT

Gabon’s new US$300 million combined multipurpose and container terminal at the Port of Owendo was officially opened at a ceremony held earlier this month (14 October 2017), attended by Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
The Multipurpose Terminal was developed and will be operated jointly by Bolloré Transport & Logistics, which has been based in Gabon for over 70 years, and the multinational Olam Group which has a significant presence in the country’s agriculture sector with its palm oil plantations.
The two companies hold a concession with…[restrict] the Gabon government to develop and operate the new terminals through their respective subsidiaries, STCG and GSEZ Ports.
The terminal will handle container vessels, general cargo and bulk.
STCG, which is already the concession holder of the existing container terminal, works in container operations in the new port, and GSEZ Ports will handle general cargo, solid and liquid bulk.
Gabon recently initiated an ambitious investment strategy to develop the infrastructures in the Libreville region and in order to speed up its implementation, preference was given to the private sector through public-private partnerships.

The new terminal increases the capacity of the port with a wharf length, draught alongside and the cargo-handling equipment consisting of two Ship to Shore gantry cranes and four rubber tyre gantry cranes which brings the Owendo container terminal up to modern international standards. The terminal is capable of handling ships with a capacity of 6,000 TEUs and provides a competitive service to shipowners, importers and exporters.
Making long-term commitments to the Gabonese economy, Bolloré Transport & Logistics and the Olam Group say they are committed to following a competitive pricing policy aiming to reduce port transit costs on household foods and promote industrial and semi-industrial flows that are essential to the growth of the Gabonese economy.
The Olam and Bolloré groups intend to reinforce their cooperation on the continent, especially in West Africa’s agricultural commodity market.[/restrict]
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TRANSNET PORT TERMINALS MAKES DONATION TOWARDS DURBAN FLOOD RELIEF
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has handed over a donation for social relief to the value of R20,000 of non-perishable food, cleaning products and blankets to the victims of the recent Durban floods.
The floods hit the province of KZN on 10 October 2017 and impacted a number of communities in KwaZulu Natal. The donations were handed over to the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry which has identified the affected families and NGOs to benefit from the donations.
This donation was made possible in partnership with Tirepoint, one of the contractors for Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) who currently provide tyres for TPT’s Straddle Carriers. Through a Supplier Development contractual agreement between TPT and the contractor, a percentage of the total contractual value goes towards community upliftment. Such initiatives can then be carried out as a result of the contractual agreement.
“As part of our corporate social responsibility, it is our aim to adopt and support people in each of the communities where our facilities are located,” said Thandi Sabelo, TPT’s Executive Manager: Supply Chain Management Department. “We hope the food parcels and blankets that we have donated to the affected families and the NGOs of KwaZulu Natal will provide hope and sustenance for those in dire need. We will continue to support and contribute to the upliftment of our communities, where possible.”
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PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO TRANSNET CHINESE LOCOMOTIVE DEAL GAINS MOMENTUM

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it welcomes the adoption of a document by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry outlining the scope and focus of the planned inquiry into the local procurement component of the Chinese sourced Transnet locomotives.
The inquiry follows shocking revelations that China South Rail (CSR) used a Gupta front company, Tequesta Group Ltd, for ‘advisory services’ to help secure a deal to supply 359 of the 1064 locomotives tendered for by Transnet.
Details of the deal indicate that, for each R50 million spent by Transnet on the locomotives, R10 million was paid to…[restrict] Tequesta as an ‘advisory fee’. It is also clear, through “Gupta-Leak emails”, that the family may have scored nearly R6 billion worth of ‘fees’ without a single locomotive being built in South Africa. Incredibly, the DA says, there were no penalty clauses for failure to meet local procurement requirements.
“This seems highly suspicious and an attempt to allow CSR to abscond from their local content requirements as required by government policy,” said Dean Macpherson MP and DA Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry.
He said the Transnet locomotive deal has all the hall marks of the infamous ‘Arms Deal’ which saw South Africa spend billions, with little benefit to South African manufacturers as was required.
“In truth, the CSR contract is one example of the monumental rip-off for South African taxpayers by seemingly unethical corporations. The DA believes this type of failure to implement localisation is severely hindering our manufacturing sector and preventing it from growing, therefore affecting overall economic growth.”
Macpherson said that Parliament has been presented with an opportunity to get at the bottom of why State-Owned Entities and Government Departments allowed hundreds of billions to be spent while local content requirements were ignored every step of the way.
“Make no mistake, the DA will ensure that the spotlight of accountability is shone brightly on what potentially could be termed ‘The Great South African Rip Off’.”
Transnet group chief executive, Siyabonga Gama, said this week that Transnet has instituted a group-wide investigation into its contracts and suppliers as a result of the increasing amount of allegations involving kickbacks and commissions on its procurements.
Transnet is one the country’s biggest investors in new equipment and services and had so far escaped under the radar of ‘state capture’ allegations, but this changed in recent weeks with revelations of exorbitant fees paid to ‘facilitators’ for sourcing contractors and manufacturers of items such as locomotives.
Gama said that Transnet was busy looking into the accusations but that so far nothing untoward had been discovered. He said that once the investigations were completed the findings would be shared.
Meanwhile, the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, which has been largely responsible for bringing the ‘state capture’ and state-owned enterprise corruption into the public awareness via the so-called ‘Gupta Leaks’, said this week that it had evidence to show that at least R30-million flowed from Regiments, US-company McKinsey’s longstanding local partner at Transnet, into companies associated with a notorious Gupta-Essa money laundering channel. “McKinsey refuses to comment on the payments, styled as fees to “business development partners”. Once again, it was the major beneficiary of the resultant contracts,” the centre reported.[/restrict]
This story can be expected to be continued.
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LOBITO PORT TERMINALS CONCESSIONING – APM TERMINALS & SOPORTOS

Two major concessions now apply at the Angolan port of Lobito, where Sogester, a consortium consisting of APM Terminals with local partners, is operating the port container terminal, while Soportos has management control of the mineral bulk terminal.
This is similar to the situation in the country’s main port of Luanda where both companies operate terminals under concessions.
Sogester also won the concession to operate…[restrict] Lobito’s dry dock.
The Soportos and Sogester concessions each run for 25 years at a fixed rate of US2.50 per square metre with variable charges of 2.5% based on the gross turnover handled in the first five years and 6.25% of the net profit of the tonnage moved thereafter.
Investment in the terminals is divided into two phases covering the acquisition of cargo handling equipment and the upgrading of the water supply and sewage and drainage networks.
The Port of Lobito has 7.8 kilometres of quayside and a current cargo handling capacity of 11 million tonnes. The container terminal capacity is for 700,000 TEUs. source: Port of Lobito and Port Strategy[/restrict]
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STANDING BY TO LAUNCH TWO MORE GALILEO NAVIGATION SATELLITES

Two more Galileo* satellites have reached Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, joining the first pair of navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to haul the quartet to orbit this December.
Galileos 21 and 22 left Luxembourg Airport on a Boeing 747 cargo jet on the morning of 17 October, arriving at Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport in French Guiana the same day.
Resting within distinctive white air-conditioned containers, the satellites were…[restrict] driven to the cleanroom environment of the preparation building within the space centre. Waiting for them there were Galileos 19 and 20, which arrived in September. The four satellites will be launched together in mid-December by a customised Ariane 5, the elements of which reached French Guiana last month (September) by sea.
Galileo is Europe’s own satellite navigation system, providing an array of positioning, navigation and timing services to Europe and the world.

A further eight Galileo ‘Batch 3’ satellites were ordered in June, to supplement the 26 built so far. With 18 satellites now in orbit, Galileo began initial services on 15 December 2016, the first step towards full operations.
Further launches will continue to build the constellation, which will gradually improve performance and availability worldwide.
*Until now GNSS users have had to depend on non-civilian American GPS or Russian GLONASS signals. With Galileo, users have a new, reliable alternative that, unlike these other programmes, remains under civilian control.
While European independence is a principal objective of the programme, Galileo also gives Europe a seat at the rapidly expanding GNSS global table.
The programme has been designed to be compatible with all existing and planned GNSS and interoperable with GPS and GLONASS. In this sense, Galileo is positioned to enhance the coverage currently available – providing a more seamless and accurate experience for multi-constellation users around the world.
See also: CLICK HERE

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London[/restrict]
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HM THER QUEEN VISITS HMS SUTHERLAND

On 23 October HM The Queen spent the day on board HMS SUTHERLAND which was paying a routine visit to London during which she celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Ship’s Commissioning.
Her Majesty was received onboard the Type 23 frigate by her CO Commander Andrew Canale and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones (illustrated). In addition, Sir Donald Gosling, the Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland, the Commander of the Devonport Flotilla, the Naval Regional Commander for Eastern England and several of the Ship’s previous Commanding Officers, were also present to greet The Monarch.
Commander Andrew Canale said: “This is a very special day for all who…[restrict] have served in HMS Sutherland and to our affiliates who have supported us over the past 20 years. Everyone who has served in Sutherland has much to be proud of and we are honoured to be able to mark this occasion in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen.”
HMS Sutherland has spent much of the past 12 months conducting national tasking as Fleet Ready Escort and Towed Array Patrol Ship, a task requiring her to be at very high readiness for operational tasking around the UK. She has been responsible for escorting a number of Russian warships as they transited past UK territorial waters, including two Steregushchiy-class corvettes, Soobrazitelny and Boiky – the newest class in the Russian Navy.
Sutherland has also recently completed a six-week operational work up in preparation for a deployment next year and tasked as one of the first Royal Navy escorts for the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth on her sailing from Rosyth for the first time.
Her Majesty spent time chatting with the Flight Crew of the embarked Wildcat helicopter. They provided a first hand account of humanitarian operations while recently deployed to the Caribbean, as part of Operation Ruman, flying from RFA Mounts Bay.
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London[/restrict]
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No need for dry-docking, as Seatruck installs its own Optimarin BWT systems during normal service
Ballast Water Treatment
Freight ferry operator Seatruck has made a little bit of history in the ballast water treatment (BWT) segment by installing five systems itself while its vessels were undertaking normal operations. The roll-on roll-off (RoRo) cargo specialist, which services three routes linking Ireland and the North of England, chose the market leading Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) for its ships, citing their ease of installation, proven reliability, cost efficiency, and complete regulatory compliance as deciding factors.
Seatruck runs a fleet of 10 advanced ferries, ranging in capacity from 65-150 trailers, with over 60 weekly departures. This regular sailing schedule, between set ports, ensured the firm could call on local contractors to ‘hop on and off’ and carry out whatever engineering work the crew themselves couldn’t manage. It was, as Seatruck Fleet Director Ben Coppack points out, a very efficient way to undertake the installation.
“We wanted Optimarin systems because of their track record of quality and approvals, but also because, with their modular nature and operational simplicity, they’re easy to install,” he notes. “As a short sea operator we had the goal of carrying out all the work while the ships were in service, with no downtime, thus keeping costs as low as possible.
“With the Optimarin systems and service – quickly responding to any queries or issues we encountered – this wasn’t a problem. Our own crews actually performed the vast majority of work themselves using Optimarin’s manuals. They were really proud of the excellent work they did, and rightly so.
“We’re very pleased we took this approach, ensuring port state compliance and BWT reliability ahead of regulatory demands.”
Seatruck began installation onboard the 5,300-dwt Seatruck Progress in November last year. The remaining four systems were installed between January and the end of September this year.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of a shipowner installing this number of systems themselves while their vessels are in service,” comments Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen. “It’s a testament both to their mission to provide optimal efficiency to their stakeholders and customers, and to the simplicity of our environmentally friendly, UV-based system.
“With the ratification of the IMO Ballast Water Management convention, and the strict regulations imposed by the US Coast Guard, the entire world fleet needs to find proven, effective and reliable systems to ensure compliant sailing. This has the potential to create huge bottlenecks at yards – and obviously increase installation costs. However, Seatruck has shown that, with a system as straightforward and effective as ours, there is another way. I think that’s something that will really resonate with shipowners worldwide.”
Optimarin has now received orders for over 520 systems, with more than 330 installed worldwide, of which 150 are retrofits. The firm, which has focused exclusively on BWT since its formation in 1994, was the first to receive full USCG approval for its system, gaining certification in December last year.
“The market is picking up gradually,” Andersen concludes. “Shipowners need to comply and they need systems that they can rely on. We’ve spent over 20 years developing and refining our solution and can offer them unrivalled expertise and service. With our sound financial base, strong group of investors, and experienced global partners – including Goltens and Zeppelin – we can give owners not just the technology they need, but the long-term peace of mind and performance they require.”
The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) is fully approved by both IMO and USCG, with certification through DNV GL, Lloyd’s, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, and American Bureau of Shipping. Optimarin customers include names of the order of The Royal Netherlands Navy, Saga Shipholding, Technip, GulfMark, MOL, Solstad Farstad, and Hapag Lloyd, amongst others.
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QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
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Naval News
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PIC OF THE DAY : MSC CRUISES FAMILY REUNION IN PORTOFINO
A very special MSC Cruises family reunion took place at sea on Monday evening just outside Portofino, Italy. Three MSC Cruises ships, each representing a different generation of ships, were seen sailing side by side. MSC ORCHESTRA from the Musica class, MSC FANTASIA, from the Fantasia and the Company’s new flag ship, MSC MERAVIGLIA from the Meraviglia class. To find out more about the MSC Cruises fleet visit www.msccruises.co.za
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Most of us, I suppose, are a little nervous of the sea. No matter what its smiles may be, we doubt its friendship.”
– H. M. Tomlinson
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