Africa PORTS & SHIPS Maritime News

Bringing you shipping, freight, trade and transport related news of interest for Africa since 2002
Bringing you shipping, freight, trade and transport related news of interest for Africa since 2002

TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

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FIRST VIEW: GRAND COSMO

Grand Cosmo at Lyttelton, New Zealand. Picture: Alan Calvert, appearing in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Grand Cosmo.     Picture: Alan Calvert

The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned (Hong Kong) 59,217-gt RoRo car carrier GRAND COSMO (IMO 9303182) shown arriving at the port of Lyttelton in New Zealand last Saturday (11 August) to discharge vehicles. Grand Cosmo was built in 2006 and is managed by Cido Shipping HK Co Ltd, originally a Japanese company but with offices in South Korea and now with its HQ in Hong Kong. The RoRo was built at the Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding yard in Toyohashi, Japan and is 199 metres in length and 32m wide. Picture by Alan Calvert

 

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NIGERIA’S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OPENS ENQUIRY INTO MARITIME INDUSTRY

>Calabar, one of the alternate Nigerian ports which requires dredging, says the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, featured in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Calabar, one of the alternate Nigerian ports which requires dredging, says the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara

Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways this week commenced an investigation into alleged malpractices in the maritime sector, reports Omotilewa Quadri in Ships and Ports http://shipsandports.com.ng

This follows several motions calling for an investigation into alleged malpractices in the maritime sector.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, referred to the allegations raised as weighty, with potential to seriously affect the economy.

He emphasised the importance of an effective maritime sector to the Federal Government’s diversification drive, saying that the Nigerian maritime industry still seemed to be struggling in spite of efforts aimed at repositioning it. He commended the executive arm for improved service delivery and enhanced contribution to economic growth.

He said that despite these efforts, the maritime industry is yet to attain the desired and expected status of becoming the hub for international freight and trade in West Africa.

“In this regard, it has been observed that over the years, the Nigerian maritime industry has failed to attract the required local and foreign investment inflow that is proportionate to its contribution to both the Nigerian and West African economy, despite its great potential and enormous investment opportunities.”

He said it was unacceptable that ports in other West African countries were delivering better and more efficient services than Nigerian ports.

“According to the National Bureau of Statistics in March, Nigeria’s ports dropped down the global ratings basically due to bad infrastructure. Interestingly, major competitors in the West African region, such as the Port of Lome in Togo, Port of Dakar in Senegal, and the Port of Cotonou in Benin Republic, all deliver better efficient services than the Nigerian Ports. This is really not acceptable.”

According to Dogara, some of the reasons why the Nigerian Ports are performing so poorly include bad infrastructure, high cost of doing business and low draught at the major waterways.

“It is our hope that the legislative exercise being carried out through this committee will proffer lasting solutions to these problems,” he said.

Dogara said that stakeholders have pointed out that dredging of the port channels outside of Lagos will increase traffic to the various ports and would increase economic productivity.

“For instance, if we have cargoes going up north to places such as Kaduna, Kano and Maiduguri, such cargoes would not need to go through Lagos, which is already so congested. But for this to happen, the channels of other ports need to be dredged.”

He said that according to reports the Lagos port channel is about 14.5 metres deep, while the Port Harcourt and Calabar channels are less than 10 meters deep, “which limits their capacity to receive big cargo ships. This explains why there is so much congestion at the Lagos Port.”

He said that in order to make the expected progress in the maritime sector, all available resources must be accountably and prudently managed to meet the various demands for improved infrastructure.

He identified inefficient collection and accounting procedures, contract repetitions and payment of huge commissions to service providers compared to remittances into the Federation Account as other factors militating against efficient service delivery in the maritime sector.   source: Ships and Ports Nigeria

 

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PORT OF PEMBA FAILING TO ATTRACT CARGO

The small port and town of Pemba on the big bay in northern Mozambique, featured in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
The small port and town of Pemba on the big bay in northern Mozambique

The Port of Pemba in northern Mozambique in the province of Cabo Delgado is failing to attract regional businesses into using its facilities, says a report in the national newspaper O Pais.

This is despite recent economic development plus the fact of the port, which was originally named Porto Amélia after the Queen of Portugal, lying in the world’s third largest natural bay. It was renamed in 1975.

The draught alongside the quayside at Pemba is…[restrict] given as -12 metres while the access channel reportedly has a low tide depth of around 8 metres, which limits the size of ships able to call. Elsewhere the bay is said to be naturally deep and dredging could improve the chances of larger ships using the port.

The report in O Pais refers to Pemba as being like a “ghost town” with few ships calling. It states that an average of just two ships a month call with some months experiencing no ocean-going cargo type ships.

However, according to the state-owned ports and rail company CFM, which operates the port at Pemba, “big mining companies that exploit graphite in the district of Balama in Cabo Delgado, prefer to take their goods in trucks long distances to the port of Nacala in Nampula province.”

See related story below.

In April this year President Filipe Nyusi inaugurated Syrah Resources’ mine in Balama, which will produce 250,000 tonnes of graphite per year when operating at peak capacity. The opencast mine has been in operation since November, exporting to markets in Europe, America and Asia. In the first six months of operation, it produced over 160,000 tonnes of graphite.

However, the company has elected to use Nacala, despite the port being 450 kilometres away compared with just 260 kilometres to the port of Pemba.

Switching this traffic to Pemba would transform the fortunes of the port which has seen its traffic drop from 289,000 tonnes of goods in 2013 to only 150,000 tonnes last year.

On the other hand the port at Pemba lacks the suitable infrastructure to handle the volumes of graphite and other minerals were these to be switched to Pemba.

Pemba is served by flights from Johannesburg and is the stop-off point for the chain of Quirimbas Islands to the north.   source: AIM[/restrict]

 

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NIMASA REMAINS COMMITTED TO MAKING NIGERIA AFRICA’S LEADING MARITIME NATION

Dr Dakuku Peterside, NIMASA D-G, appearing in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Dr Dakuku Peterside

The director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside has re-affirmed the agency’s commitment to achieving Nigeria’s global maritime goals.

Dr Peterside was speaking in Port Harcourt where he gave an assurance that NIMASA would not relax in its efforts to make Nigeria a leading maritime nation.

“We are putting a lot of structures in place to ensure the Agency remains on a sound footing and our efforts have attracted commendation from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and stakeholders within and outside the maritime sector,” Peterside said.

“We can only get better in our…[restrict] determination to make the Agency perform the functions for which it was set up and make it the leading maritime administration in Africa.”

He said that the transformation of NIMASA had been phenomenal in terms of repositioning and in revenue generation and was now among the top five agencies contributing to the Federal Government coffers.

In addition, he said, NIMASA was working closely with the relevant security agencies to ensure the protection of Nigerian waterways and by extension, the Gulf of Guinea.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his support of the maritime sector which has enabled it to carry out reforms and introduce policies and programmes that have had tremendous impacts on the fortunes of the industry.

Peterside said that NIMASA would work with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to promote safety and safer ways of water transportation and promised to personally donate 1,000 life jackets to jetty operators in Rivers State as a way of promoting safety consciousness.

In carrying out its commitment to conforming to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, NIMASA had shut down some of the facilities that had failed to conform. source: Maritime First[/restrict]

 

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MOZAMBICAN POLICE IDENTIFY RINGLEADERS OF CABO DELGADO ATTACKS

Map of affected area, showing small harbours of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia which will be used in the oil & gas development, appearing in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Map of affected area, showing small harbours of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia which will be used in the oil & gas development

Mozambique’s Commander-in-Chief of the Police, Bernardino Rafael says that six men have been identified as the leaders of the men who attacked local villagers in the northern parts of Cabo Delgado province.

The attacks took everyone by surprise and led to comparisons with the militant…[restrict] terrorist group known as Al-Shabaab, which has been active in Kenya and Somalia. Houses in villages were burned down, people killed including gruesome beheadings, forcing many of the local people to seek refuge by sleeping in the bush at night, although many of the attacks took place in daylight.

According to the police chief, the six men regarded as ringleaders of the group are Abdul Faizal, Abdul Remane, Abdul Raim, Nuno Remane, Ibn Omar and a sixth individual identified only as Salimo.

Rafael called on the local population to collaborate in hunting down these men and others from the armed groups.

“We call on the population, those who know, those who have possible information, which may lead to the capture of these names that we indicate, to contact the police of the Republic of Mozambique, for us to act,” he said.

The attacks resulted in speculation that the group or groups responsible were operating from nearby Tanzania, though this has not been proven. The onset of this activity coincides with the advancement of investment on the ground by oil and gas companies who are operating in the same region, leading to the conviction by some observers that the attacks are aimed at preventing any further development in this regard. source Lusa[/restrict]

 

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SUBTECH CONTRACTED TO REFURBISH SALDANHA FIRE PUMP STATION

Subtech project at Saldanha, appearing in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news

South African company Subtech has been subcontracted by WBHO Construction to execute the marine components of the Saldanha Fire Pump Station Refurbishment.

The facility was built in the late seventies and has been earmarked by the owners, Oiltanking MOGS Saldanha, for an upgrade for some time.

The marine-based scope of work entails the removal of the existing concrete caisson and intake pipelines, followed by the dredging of the caisson footprint and installing new caissons with SCOUR protection.

This requires the mobilisation of the Ubejane Barge, the Inkwazi support tug, a Dragflow pump, an airlift and a RHIB. The Subtech Team, led by Chris Marais, and comprising twelve personnel members ranging from vessel crew members to divers, will be deployed over a period of three months.

A critical component of the project will involve the receipt of the new caisson, which has an estimated weight in excess of 70 tons. Once placed in the water by WBHO, at a quayside approximately 8 kilometres away from the pump station, the caisson will then be towed to the pump station by the Inkwazi and installed with its base at a depth of approximately 5 metres below sea level.

Once the caisson has been placed, the space between it and the existing pump station will be sealed with grout. A large volume of grout will be placed by means of grout bags around the caisson to serve as scour protection.

The project kicked off in June and is expected to be completed by the end of September 2018. source: Subtech

 

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MOZAMBIQUE MUSTANG GRAPHITE EXPORT PROJECT MOVES AHEAD

Graphite, being mined in Cabo Delgado orvnce, west of Pemba Bay, featured in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news

Mustang resources raises US$1.75 million for vanadium graphite project

The Australian mining company Mustang Resources on Sunday announced it has raised US$1.75 million through a private placement to advance the company’s graphite and vanadium project in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

The company statement revealed that of the 2.4 million Australian dollars raised over ten per cent came from Mustang’s management and directors from Regius Resources (which is majority owned by Mustang Chief Operating Officer Cobus van Wyk and Director Christiaan Jordaan). The other investors are based in Australia, Hong Kong and the United States.

According to Mustang’s managing director Bernard Olivier, “this capital raise is…[restrict] important in the fast-tracked development of the Caula Vanadium-Graphite project in Mozambique.”

He went on to note that the JORC Measured Resource (JORC is the Australian code for reporting mineral resources) finds that 22 million tonnes of mineable material contains 0.37 per cent vanadium pentoxide (81,400 tonnes) and 13.4 per cent graphite (2.93 million tonnes).

“With the feasibility study drilling now well underway it is likely that the resource will be enlarged in the near future,” Olivier added.

The company states that tests have confirmed “exceptional quality graphite with more than 63 per cent of cumulative proportion in large to super jumbo flakes sizes.”

In addition, the vanadium is “hosted in roscoelite (a mica mineral), potentially simpler and cheaper to extract vanadium from than typical titano-magnetite vanadium deposits.”

Mustang stresses that “Mozambique is an attractive investment destination” with “a relatively low sovereign risk profile … with an established legal and business framework which has attracted significant investment into minerals projects in recent years.”

Graphite is a form of carbon that is highly valued due to its properties as a conductor of electricity. It is used in batteries and fuel cells and is the basis for the ‘miracle material’ graphene, which is the strongest material ever measured, with vast potential for use in the electronics industries.

Graphite is also used for high-quality steel production.

Vanadium is mainly used as an additive to strengthen steel. However, it is now being used in a new generation of rechargeable batteries. source: AIM[/restrict]

 

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TALL SHIP DAR MLODZIEZY ARRIVES IN CAPE TOWN FOR SHORT VISIT

Dar Mlodziezy which docks in Cape Town this morning, featured in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Dar Mlodziezy which docks in Cape Town’s V&A this morning.    Picture courtesy: Wikipedia Commons

As reflected earlier in our SHIP MOVEMENT reports for the Port of Cape Town, expect a treat at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and harbour this morning with the arrival of the Polish Tall Ship DAR MLODZIEZY, which is to berth at No.2 Jetty. CORRECTION: TNPA decided to berth her at the Cruise Terminal instead (E berth) – that is in the Duncan Dock, NOT the V&A!

Her visit is apparently a short one with the ship sailing on Friday but she will be open for visitors today (17h00-20h00) and tomorrow (Thursday) between 10h00 and 13h00.

A parade of the cadets on board will take place on Thursday at 10h00 together with the naval band in attendance.

According to Wikipedia the “ship was launched in November 1981 at the Gdańsk shipyard, Poland, and commissioned for service in July 1982 at Gdynia, thus replacing her forerunner Dar Pomorza. Her home port is Gdynia. The Dar Młodzieży is the first Polish-built, ocean-going sailing vessel to circumnavigate the globe (1987–88), thus repeating the famous voyage of her predecessor (1934–35).”

Also according to Wikipedia Dar Mlodziezy was the first of a class of six, the following five slightly-differing units were built subsequently by the same shipyard for the merchant fleet of the former Soviet Union. Her sister ships are Mir, Druzhba, Pallada, Khersones and Nadezhda.

Dar Mlodziezy in her 'harbour' appearance. Picture: Wikipedia Commons, featured in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news
Dar Mlodziezy in her ‘harbour’ appearance.        Picture: Wikipedia Commons

 

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** NAVAL WATCH **
EU NAVFOR AND CHINESE NAVAL FORCES IN GULF OF ADEN DISCUSS COUNTER-PIRACY TACTICS

Meeting of EU NAVFOR and Chinese Navy personnel to discuss tactics in counter piracy operations off Somalia

EU NAVFOR’s Operation Commander, Major General Charlie Stickland, met Senior Captain Liang Yang, Commanding Officer of the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Support Base in Djibouti, onboard EU NAVFOR’s new flagship, the ESPS Castilla on Monday 6 August 2018. There they held discussions on how to…[restrict] continue and improve the ongoing counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.

Periodic meetings such as this help to strengthen relations between the EU NAVFOR and Chinese military counter-parts, given that both forces are providing essential maritime security to this critical international trade route.

It is by working together that more can be achieved in deterring acts of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden, says EU NAVFOR.

Both groups of naval forces conduct counter-piracy operations in order to protect vulnerable shipping. Chinese naval ships also provide occasional escorts to World Food Programme humanitarian shipping when EU NAVFOR is not in a position to do so itself.

This level of cooperation and collaboration bears witness to the strong operational relationship enjoyed between EU and Chinese naval forces in the Gulf of Aden.

EU NAVFOR and Chinese Navy officers meet about counter piracy activities off coast of Somalia, as featured ijn article in Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news

[/restrict]

 

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WILHELMSEN GROUP DELIVERS SLIGHT INCREASE IN TOP LINE IN THE SECOND QUARTER

Car carrier Thalatta, appearing in Africa PORTS & SHPS maritime news
Car carrier Thalatta

The Wilhelmsen group delivers a slight increase in top line in the second quarter, mainly supported by higher operating revenue in supply services. The positive underlying market trends are expected to continue.

The total income for the second quarter was US$222 million, up 5% from the first three months of 2018.

“We note that the positive development in top line in the first quarter continues into the second. Maritime services deliver…[restrict] stable revenue, while supply services record improved income following a seasonal upswing and property sales gains in NorSea Group,” says Thomas Wilhelmsen, group CEO at Wilhelmsen.

EBITDA was nil for the quarter. The EBITDA for the second quarter 2018 includes a termination fee and legal costs of USD 27 million related to the decision to abandon the acquisition of the technical solutions business from Drew Marine. Adjusted for the non-recurring items, the underlying profit is up 77% with a positive development in all reporting segments.

“We believe the acquisition of Drew would have been a right strategic move for us and our customers, as it would have provided our customers with better services and better prices. Although we are disappointed that we were not able to close the deal, we will continue to develop our maritime services segment to the best for our customers.”

The contribution from the group’s holding and investments activities was negative for the quarter.

“We record an improvement in net profit in Wallenius Wilhelmsen, supported by volume growth. However, the value of our investment in Hyundai Glovis drops USD 250 million during the quarter. Adjusted for sale of part of the holding in Qube, the value of our other financial investments increased in value,” says Wilhelmsen.

“Although the reduction of our financial assets value doesn’t have any cash effects, it leaves us with a net loss for the quarter when combined with the non-recurring costs related to the Drew acquisition,” says Wilhelmsen.

“We are, however, financially robust and will continue to develop the group further. As examples, during the second quarter, we invested in the development company DoLittle, launched a cooperation with Airbus related to drones, and announced Massterly, the world’s first autonomous shipping company together with Kongsberg,” says Wilhelmsen.

The annual general meeting, held 26 April, approved to pay a first dividend of NOK 3.50 per share. The dividend was paid 8 May.

With a more optimistic underlying trend for the group’s three business segments, the board expects the positive development to continue into the third quarter. A more negative sentiment towards global trade, and potential introduction of further tariffs and restrictions, create uncertainties on a medium-term basis.[/restrict]

 

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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.

 

PIC OF THE DAY : MSC MARS

MSC Mars, appearing in Africa APORTS & SHIPS maritime news. Picture: Trevor Jones
MSC Mars.        Picture: Trevor Jones

Mediterranean Shipping Company’s 10,055-TEU capacity MSC MARS (IMO 9725122) departs from Durban earlier this month (8 August) after a scheduled call, having featured on a similar visit in our 13 July edition. The 188,000-dwt ship was built in 2016 at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Ltd shipyard in South Korea and is owned by UK interests and managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd. As can be seen from the marking on her side she was until recently operated by Hyundai Merchant Marine, whose ships have now been dispersed among the fleets of various companies including MSC. MSC Mars is 324 metres in length and 48m wide and has a summer draught of 15.5 metres – too much for Durban at present were she to be fully loaded but that will change in the coming few years as certain berths are deepened. This picture is by Trevor Jones

 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work — that goes on, it adds up.”
― Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

 

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