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Join us as we report through 2021
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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
These news reports are updated on an ongoing basis. Check back regularly for the latest news as it develops – where necessary refresh your page at www.africaports.co.za
Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return
- WHARF TALK: SA Port Statistics for May 2021 are now available here
- WHARF TALK: NYK Paula, connecting Middle East, India, Sri Lanka with South and West Africa
- DP World introduces first dedicated logistics rail service between Maputo and Harare
- In the Dog-Box – Namport refurbishes Walvis Bay port dog kennels
- WHARF TALK: Orange Victoria – yet another tanker at the Mother City
- French frigate Languedoc nabs large drug haul off ship
- WHARF TALK: Green Egersund – small, smart reefer ship
- For G7 read M7: Shipping industry agrees action on R&D investment and trade digitisation
- CRUISE NEWS: MSC Splendida is latest ship to commence Mediterranean cruising: MSC enters luxury market with EXPLORA
- WHARF TALK: NS Silver: The train of product tankers for Cape Town continues apace
- The Global Economy: on track for strong but uneven growth as COVID-19 still weighs
- Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden: Enhancing maritime security
- WHARF TALK: the ship with such a long name – D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid
- The Port Window: More straddle carriers for Cape Town terminal
- The Port Window: Cape Town ship movements
- The Port Window: Durban Port Bulletin report
- The Port Window: Port of Durban Volume & Vessel Call Performance
- IN CONVERSATION: Shipping is tough on the climate and hard to clean up – these innovations can help cut emissions
- WHARF TALK: Arvika – loading manganese at Durban and Cape Town
- G7 pledges of 870 million Covid-19 Vaccine (COVAX) doses
- Support for Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project
- WHARF TALK: Carolina class caller MSC LILOU on interesting charter
- Captain’s body remains on board as Ital Libera returns to Italy
- IN CONVERSATION: Climate change is a threat to Africa’s transport systems: what must be done
- WHARF TALK: Cielo Bianco, ‘Significant Ship of the Year’
- Transnet intensifies efforts at curbing cable theft
- UK MAIB Annual Report 2020 issued
- Positive thinking about Mozambique-Malawi rail reconnection
EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….
The Saturday masthead will show the Port of East London
The Sunday masthead will show the Port of Durban Sugar Terminal
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The bulk carrier BELATLANTIC (IMO 9744104) arrived in Durban on Wednesday, 9 June shortly after 14h00. The ship had earlier sailed from Tianjin in China, the voyage taking 27 days and 15 hours from Tianjin in China.
Belatlantic has a deadweight of 63,318-tons and a length of 200 metres with a width of 32m. The ship was built in 2016 and is homeported and registered in Egersund in Norway. The registered owner is shown as Belatlantic AS in the care of Lighthouse Navigation Co Ltd of Bangkok in Thailand. Lighthouse Navigation is also the ship and commercial manager.
The bulk carrier is currently berthed at Maydon Wharf berth 12.
These pictures are by Keith Betts
Added 13 June 2021
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Photographs of shipping and other maritime scenes involving any of the ports of South Africa or from the rest of the African continent, together with a short description, name of ship/s, ports etc are welome.
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WHARF TALK: SA Port Statistics for May 2021 are now available here

Port statistics for the month of May 2021, covering the eight commercial ports under the administration of Transnet National Ports Authority, are now available.
Details of the port cargo throughputs, ships berthed and motor vehicle and container volumes handled can be seen in the tables below.
Statistics involving motor vehicles are measured in vehicle units. These include imports and exports, earth-moving and other ro-ro or wheeled vehicles each qualifying as a single unit and are rated as at an average of one tonne each.
For comparison with the equivalent month of the previous year, May 2020 GO HERE
These statistic reports on Africa PORTS & SHIPS are arrived at using an adjustment on the overall tonnage compared to those kindly provided by TNPA and include containers recorded by weight; an adjustment necessary on account of TNPA measuring containers by the number of TEUs without reflecting the weight, thus leaving the SA ports undervalued in volumes in comparison with others.
To arrive at such a calculation, Africa PORTS & SHIPS uses an average of 13.5 tonnes per TEU, which probably does involve some under-reporting. Africa PORTS & SHIPS will continue to emphasise this distinction, without which South African ports would be seriously under-reported internationally and locally.
Port Statistics continue below

Figures for the respective ports during May 2021 are:
Cargo handled by tonnes during May 2021, including containers by weight
PORT | May 2021 million tonnes |
Richards Bay | 7.294 |
Durban | 6.408 |
Saldanha Bay | 3.702 |
Cape Town | 1.641 |
Port Elizabeth | 0.863 |
Ngqura | 1.309 |
Mossel Bay | 0.058 |
East London | -0.147 |
Total all ports | 21.422 million tonnes |
CONTAINERS (measured by TEUs) during May 2021
(TEUs include Deepsea, Coastal, Transship and empty containers all subject to being invoiced by NPA
PORT | May 2021 TEUs |
Durban | 241,661 |
Cape Town | 77,757 |
Port Elizabeth | 12,581 |
Ngqura | 52,171 |
East London | 4,647 |
Richards Bay | -173 |
Total all ports | 388,990 TEU |
MOTOR VEHICLES RO-RO TRAFFIC (measured by Units- CEUs) during May 2021
PORT | May 2021 CEUs |
Durban | 38,127 |
Cape Town | 4 |
Port Elizabeth | 11,794 |
East London | 7,439 |
Richards Bay | 1 |
Total all ports | 57,364 CEU |
SHIP CALLS for May 2021
PORT | May 2021 vessels | gross tons | |
Durban | 237 | 7,887,326 | |
Cape Town | 144 | 3,448,118 | |
Richards Bay | 117 | 5,036,634 | |
Port Elizabeth | 59 | 1,671,377 | |
Saldanha Bay | 57 | 3,945,080 | |
Ngqura | 56 | 2,748,713 | |
East London | 24 | 738,551 | |
Mossel Bay | 20 | 99,901 | |
Total ship calls | 714 | 25,57,700 |
— source TNPA, with adjustments regarding container weights by Africa PORTS & SHIPS
Added 17 May 2021
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WHARF TALK: NYK Paula, connecting Middle East, India, Sri Lanka with South and West Africa

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
South Africa’s major ports have been regular calling points for over a century for one of Japan’s oldest, and most respected, shipping companies. Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, or the Japan Mail Shipping Line, better known to all as NYK Line, was founded in Tokyo in 1885 and her famous black, red and white colours are still seen today wrapped around the funnels of those vessels that operate under the NYK house flag.
On 11 June at 07h00 the geared container vessel NYK PAULA (IMO 9419632) arrived at Cape Town from the Tincan Terminal in Lagos and berthed at the Multi-Purpose Terminal in the Duncan Dock. She spent four days loading and sailed for Durban on 15 June at 17h00.

Owned and operated by NYK Line, and managed by Tagashira Kaiun of Imabari in Japan, NYK Paula is currently operated on the joint ONE and Hapag-Lloyd Middle East India Africa Express service (MIAX). The service connects Dubai with India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria, with both Durban and Cape Town being the only ports receiving double visits on each service rotation. MIAX is operated with nine container ships, all with a container capacity in the region of 2,800 TEU.
Built in 2009 by STX Shipbuilding of Jinhae in South Korea, as one of five sisterships, NYK Paula is 210 metres in length, has a deadweight of 34,532 tons and a container capacity of 2,664 TEU. She is powered by a STX MAN-B&W 7S70MC-C 7 cylinder 2 stroke main engine providing 29,194 bhp (21,770 kW), giving her a service speed of 22 knots. She has five generators providing 8,188 kVA of auxiliary power and has a single Kangrim vertical boiler.

The MIAX service has been operating since October 2019 when Durban received the first caller on the service. Since then, two of the vessels on the service, both provided by ER Schiffahrts of Hamburg, have had unfortunate events whilst on charter to Hapag-Lloyd.
In early May 2020 the container vessel MONTPELLIER had the misfortune to have been ordered into quarantine for 14 days on arrival at Durban, due to positive cases of Covid-19 being discovered amongst the ship’s crew. After her quarantine was completed, further tests brought up another case of Covid-19 amongst the crew, and Montpellier was ordered to conduct a further 14 days of quarantine, which ended in June and effectively delayed her MIAX rotation by one month. The vessel is no longer on the MIAX service.
On 23 January this year, a brutal pirate attack occurred on MOZART whilst she was off West Africa, sailing from Lagos to Cape Town, when it was attacked over 90 nautical miles northwest of Sao Tome Island. The violent attack resulted in the death of one crewmember, the kidnapping of 15 others, the vandalism of the ship’s bridge equipment and three wounded crewmembers being left onboard to attempt to navigate the vessel to a safe harbour in Port Gentil in Gabon. After temporary repairs were completed, Mozart arrived in Cape Town on 5 February. The kidnapped crew were returned from Nigeria after a ransom was paid. She is also no longer operating on the MIAX service.
Added 17 June 2021
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DP World introduces first dedicated logistics rail service between Maputo and Harare

DP World Maputo, which has the concession to manage, develop and operate the Maputo container terminal, last Friday handled the first of a bi-weekly dedicated container train service connecting Maputo and Harare in Zimbabwe.
This new rail service presents a multitude of new business opportunities for customers in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and forms part of the company’s continued focus to expand its logistics and supply chain offering in the region.
It is also key to DP World’s vision to connect several countries in Southern Africa – namely Maputo with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland – by rail.
While helping enhance DP World Maputo’s position as a gateway to Zimbabwe, the service offers significantly better transit times for customers in Zimbabwe. In the past, transit goods on their way to Harare would often have to be transported far greater distances by sea and road, but this route will give customers a new, direct, and faster option for delivery.
DP World Maputo says it will continue to work with all the stakeholders involved to make this a weekly train service between the two cities, to allow even greater cost saving and planning opportunities for businesses and individuals who need reliable, efficient transportation of goods.
“This rail service between Maputo and Harare is key to reopening the route between these markets to drive more efficient logistics in the region,” says Christian Roeder, CEO of DP World Maputo. “Through this service, which we will facilitate and handle all port and border documentation, we can cut down transit times, give our customers better service and improve the connections between cities.”

The rail service follows the announcement earlier this year of DP World Komatipoort in South Africa *, handling its first transit import via Maputo and demonstrating that the Maputo Port can be seamlessly used as a gateway to South Africa’s hinterland.
International container imports landed in Maputo port and destined for the South African hinterland, can now be moved under bond to Komatipoort, where full customs clearance can be provided and made ready for delivery across South Africa.
According to DP World, it will continue to develop the Maputo Corridor, a vital trade route in Southern Africa, through investing in new infrastructure to meet local demand, while DP World Maputo’s container terminal capacity at Maputo will also be enhanced, having already doubled in size between 2016 and 2018.
* See DP World Komatipoort becomes the first dry port east of Gauteng
Added 17 June 2021
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In the Dog-Box – Namport refurbishes Walvis Bay port dog kennels

The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) recently refurbished the Walvis Bay K9 dog kennels at the Port Police station, to the value of N$280,000 (R280,000).
Namport said this week it has long seen a need to have the K-9 dogs at the port’s premises, as the dogs are extremely useful in aiding the authority’s cargo handling operations by detecting illegal substances such as explosives and even drugs that might enter the port via cargo received.
Immanuel Hango, Namport’s engineer in charge of infrastructure maintenance was at the helm of the project and said that Namport understood the need to respond positively to the request for assistance from Nampol due to the “important role played by the K-9 dog unit throughout port operations.”
The original dog kennels, which were constructed by Namport more than 10 years ago, had reached their lifespan due to the weather conditions at the harbour town.
In 2011, Namport sponsored Nampol with a 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser valued at N$416,000.00, bringing the total investment of the Namibian Ports Authority towards Nampol to N$696,000.00.
Added 17 June 2021
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WHARF TALK: Orange Victoria – yet another tanker at the Mother City

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Cape Town harbour and the Table Bay anchorage is currently ‘Tanker Central’ with six tankers out in the anchorage, two tankers alongside discharging and one tanker receiving engineering support alongside. One of those tankers currently discharging had to wait for four days out in the anchorage for a previous tanker to sail before she herself could enter Cape Town harbour to begin her fuel discharge.
So it was for the LR1 tanker ORANGE VICTORIA (IMO 9803364) which arrived off Cape Town on 10 June at 02h00 from Sarroch in Italy, and went straight to anchor outside the port. She remained there for four days and on 14 June at 15h00 she entered the harbour and went straight to the LR tanker berth in the Duncan Dock.

The loading port for her refined products cargo was the Sarlux refinery, located at Sarroch on the island of Sardinia, which is a new port for Cape Town based tanker arrivals, who appear to be coming from all corners of the globe to keep the lights burning and the traffic moving in South Africa. The Sarlux refinery is the largest production and storage refinery in the Mediterranean, with a refining capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil per day.
The refinery provides just over 20% of Italy’s refining capacity, and her integrated power station produces over 48% of Sardinia’s electrical power requirements.

Built in 2019 by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding at Zhoushan in China, Orange Victoria is 228 metres in length and has a deadweight of 77,430 tons. She was the first Long Range (LR) tanker to be built at this particular shipyard. She is powered by a single Mitsui MAN-B&W 6G60ME-C9 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine providing 21,564 bhp (16,080 kW), which drives a fixed pitch propeller, and gives her a service speed of 14.5 knots. She has 12 cargo tanks for a cargo carrying capacity is 92,000 m3.
Unusually for a vessel flying the Red Duster, albeit registered in the Isle of Man, Orange Victoria is Japanese owned and operated by Chijin Shipping of Hiroshima, and managed by Synergy Maritime of Chennai in India. Her accommodation block is also quite unusual, in that she appears to have ‘burglar bars’ installed across all port holes. These may be a form of anti-piracy protection for the crew if the ship is boarded by armed gangs.

On 18 March 2021, which was only her previous voyage, from Pengerang in Malaysia to Sikka in India, Orange Victoria was suspected of being involved in a ‘hit and run’ incident off the coast of Kerala state in southern India. The Indian maritime authorities ordered the vessel to proceed to the port of Kochi in Kerala, to allow for paint samples to be taken from her hull, for investigation into the collision incident.
The authorities had accused the Orange Victoria of colliding with the small fiberglass fishing vessel ‘Achu’ when 46 nautical miles off the port of Vizhinjam. The fishing vessel was badly damaged in the collision, but the six crewmembers were uninjured. The Orange Victoria was reported for not stopping to assist the damaged fishing vessel.
Whilst not denying that his vessel may have struck the fishing vessel, the Indian Captain of Orange Victoria stated that he had been completely unaware of any contact, or collision, with the ‘Achu’. He argued that small fiberglass vessels were not easy to see at night, as they are not readily picked up on radar if they have no radar reflectors, and they are notoriously difficult to spot by watchkeepers due to their low visibility and lack of adequate lights.
Added 17 June 2021
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French frigate Languedoc nabs large drug haul off ship

The French Marine Nationale frigate, FS LANGUEDOC (D-653), which is on assignment to Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, seized 902 lbs (409 kg) of heroin worth over US$4.3 million dollars during a maritime counter-narcotics operation earlier in June.
This was within 24 hours of the frigate entering the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) area of operations. A motorised dhow was identified as a potential smuggler, leading to FS Languedoc initiating boarding procedures to stop and search the vessel.
Once aboard the stateless vessel, a search uncovered the 409kg of heroin.
“The counter-narcotics operation we conducted on 6 June went very smoothly. The crew’s adaptability, and the support we had from CTF-150, was put to good use to conduct this operation effectively, despite the darkness and rough seas,” said Captain Yves Le Goff, commanding officer of FS Languedoc.
“We are proud to have contributed to the fight against illicit trafficking that finances international terrorism.”
This latest interdiction brings the total number of CTF-150-led counter-narcotics operations to 33.

“The Marine Nationale continue their stellar support to CTF-150, and maritime security in the Indian Ocean,” said Commodore Daniel Charlebois, Royal Canadian Navy, commander of CTF-150.
“This marks France’s 11th interdiction of illicit narcotics under the CTF-150 flag since the Canadian/Australian team assumed command in January of this year, which is one third of our total. The Marine Nationale remains tireless in their support to our command, disrupting criminal and terrorist activity at sea, and continue to deliver excellence at sea – an extremely trusted and valued partner!”
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational maritime partnership of 34 nations which exists to uphold the International Rules-Based Order by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters of the north-western Indian Ocean, including the Gulf of Aden.
The area encompasses some of the world’s most important shipping lanes. The drugs being smuggled go towards the support of terrorism in the Middle East and African regions, or is smuggled further south into Mozambique from where it is moved into South Africa.
Added 17 June 2021
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WHARF TALK: Green Egersund – small, smart reefer ship

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
The Cape fruit export season is now well underway with reefers calling in on a regular basis to pick up pallets of export quality fruit. Back on 29 April at 17h00 the small, smart reefer GREEN EGERSUND (IMO 8804567) arrived at Cape Town from Lagos, where she had discharged a cargo of frozen Icelandic fish and prepared to load her chilled fruit cargo at D berth in the Duncan Dock.

As with the reefer Baltic Purple SEE HERE which had loaded a cargo of deciduous fruit two weeks previously in Cape Town, which was all destined for discharge in both Rotterdam and then St Petersburg in Russia, Green Egersund was due to load 3,100 pallets of citrus fruit also destined for discharge in Rotterdam and then St Petersburg.

The cargo consisted of mainly oranges and lemons, that had been brought to Cape Town from the Sundays River region of the Eastern Cape. With the location of the Sundays River growing region lying just to the north of Port Elizabeth, one has to ask the obvious question of what is the logic behind the decision to bring all that fruit, presumably by road, all the way to Cape Town, rather than transporting it the short distance down the road to Port Elizabeth harbour?

The start of loading Green Egersund was delayed for 24 hours due to the May Day public holiday in South Africa on 1 May. However, the opportunity was taken for her to receive bunkers direct from the bunker tanker Southern Valour, prior to the start of cargo operations.
One of a class of nine vessels, Green Egersund was built in 1990 by Kleven Werft of Ulsteinvik in Norway. She is 109 metres long, with a deadweight of 6,112 tons and has a refrigerated container capacity of 142 TEU. She is powered by a Wartsila 12V32D main engine producing 5,425 bhp (4,045 kW). Owned by Green Shipping AS, which is a division of the Caiano Group of Haugesund in Norway, Green Egersund is managed by Green Management of Gdynia in Poland
Added 16 June 2021
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For G7 read M7: Shipping industry agrees action on R&D investment and trade digitisation

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
As world leaders met in Cornwall, England, for the G7 over 11-13 June, the first ever meeting of the equivalent maritime bodies, titled M7, took place virtually on 9 June and organised by the UK Chamber of Shipping.
Delegates from the ship owner associations of the G7, plus those from Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea, were joined by the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Chief Executive and Secretary General of BIMCO and a representative from European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA).
Developing technologies; R&D decarbonisation fund
There was universal agreement that more investment is needed from governments and industry to develop the technologies for a cleaner and greener shipping industry and that the G7 governments should be urged to back the shipping industry’s proposed $5bn R&D decarbonisation fund.
Digital documentation
Delegates also agreed that more work was needed to help develop digital documentation to facilitate an increase in global trade as the world recovers from Covid-19.
The crew change crisis was discussed, and the extraordinary work seafarers have done over the past 15 months supporting global trade under extremely challenging conditions was noted. The meeting called for governments of the G7 to follow the lead of the United States, Canada and other countries in prioritising vaccinations for seafarers.
UK Chamber of Shipping President and Chair of the meeting, John Denholm said: “Meeting for the first time, the M7 brought together the ship owning organisations of the G7, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States as well as those invited to the G7 event from Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea.
“The meeting discussed improving trade through digital documentation and the need for governments and industry to invest more in green research and development projects and the important role that seafarers were playing in keeping trade flowing through the Covid pandemic.
“The meeting noted the magnificent job that their seafarers had been doing through the pandemic and urged governments to make vaccines available to seafarers. It also fully supported the need to decarbonise and agreed that if the industry is to meet its goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050, large-scale investment in research and development is necessary as without this we simply will not have the technologies needed for the greener, cleaner shipping industry that we all want.”
About the M7
The M7 is a new forum for the national ship owning associations of the G7 members and the meeting of 9 June on Microsoft Teams was chaired by John Denholm, President of the UK Chamber of Shipping, representing the Host Nation.
Delegates of the inaugural meeting were: Armateurs de France – Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, President; Canadian Chamber of Marine Commerce – Paul Topping, Director, Regulatory and Environmental Affairs; Chamber of Shipping of America – Kathy Metcalf, President; CONFITARMA – Mario Mattioli, Chairman; Japanese Shipowners’ Association – Shunichi Arisaka, General Manager; UK Chamber of Shipping – Bob Sanguinetti, Chief Executive Officer; German Shipowners’ Association – Ralf Nagel, Chief Executive Officer; Indian National Shipowners’ Association – Anil Devli, Chief Executive Officer; Korea Shipowners’ Association – Bongiee Joh, Managing Director; Maritime Industry Australia – Teresa Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer; South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents – Peter Besnard, Chief Executive Officer; BIMCO – David Loosley, Secretary General and CEO; International Chamber of Shipping – Guy Platten, Secretary General and ECSA – Luisa Puccio, Director Shipping & Trade Policy.
Added 16 June 2021
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CRUISE NEWS: MSC Splendida is latest ship to commence Mediterranean cruising
MSC enters luxury market with EXPLORA

MSC SPLENDIDA has become the latest MSC Cruises ship to restart summer sailings with her 7-night itinerary to the enchanting landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean, homeporting from the northern Italian port of Trieste.
The 137,936-gt, 333-metre Fantasia-class MSC Splendida will be making calls at Ancona in Italy, Dubrovnik in Croatia, Bari in Italy, the Greek island of Corfu and either Kotor in Montenegro or Split in Croatia before the vessel returns to Trieste. Embarkation is available in each of the Italian ports.
Ancona was recently added to the itinerary to enrich the experience for guests with an opportunity to discover the capital of Italy’s picturesque Marche region.

The itinerary will appeal to guests from throughout the Schengen area of Europe, especially Germany, Austria and Switzerland given the relative ease of ground transport links to embark in Trieste.
MSC Splendida offers a wide choice of restaurants, bars and lounges, four swimming pools, a fully equipped gym and luxurious spa, award-winning family activities and facilities as well as the MSC Yacht Club with 71 spacious suites and personalised 24/7 butler service.
Four daily transfer shuttles for MSC Cruises guests will run from Venice’s Marco Polo airport and one from the city centre to the cruise terminal in Trieste offering a convenient service for embarking guests who have flown to Italy from Europe.
MSC Splendida is the company’s fifth ship to resume cruise holidays this summer. MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside are sailing in the West Mediterranean, MSC Orchestra is operating in the East Mediterranean and flagship MSC Virtuosa is cruising in the UK for British guests only.
MSC Magnifica will resume sailings on 20 June from Italy for voyages in the East Mediterranean, MSC Seaview will restart on 3 July from Kiel in Germany for sailings in the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Estonia followed by MSC Seashore making her maiden sailing from the end of July in the West Mediterranean.
MSC introduces new entry into cruising with EXPLORA JOURNEYS

In other news from MSC Cruises, the company is entering the luxury cruise market with the launch of a new brand created for the next generation of discerning luxury travellers: Explora Journeys.
The luxury cruise ship is being built by Fincantieri as the first of four luxury ships that will set sail in 2023, with the remaining ships ready in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Each will utilise the latest in cutting-edge maritime technology to provide journeys of discovery through destinations on and off the beaten path. Guests will be hosted on a ship like no other, with the highest level of service and amenities, says MSC Cruises.
A Brand Reveal Video [3:04] can be watched HERE
With 461 oceanfront suites and residences, guests will enjoy striking views at sea and in port from their floor to ceiling windows and personal private terrace. Suites will start at 35 square metres which is among the most spacious for the category in the industry.
Fourteen decks will provide ample indoor public space, maximising guest choice and seclusion. Generous outdoor decks will boast more than 2,500 square metres overlooking the sea, with 64 private cabanas across 3 outdoor pools. A fourth pool, with a retractable glass roof, will allow swimming and poolside relaxation in any weather. Combined with various indoor and outdoor whirlpool baths on the ship’s promenade deck, the ship was designed with water as a focal point to put guests in an ocean state of mind.
“Explora Journeys was designed for guests who want to stay longer, leave later, and travel deeper,” said Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys. “We’ve commissioned research, organised focus groups, and hosted roundtable discussions with global specialists in luxury to design the perfect ship for our guests. Explora Journeys will bring a new perspective to the travel industry, reinventing the classic cruise experience for the next generation of luxury travellers.”
Added 16 April 2021
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WHARF TALK: NS Silver: The train of product tankers for Cape Town continues apace

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
The train of product tankers heading for Cape Town continues apace, as it seems does the train of Russian tankers arriving at the port. Yet another part of the large St Petersburg- headquartered SovComFlot (SCF) fleet, the MR2 tanker NS SILVER (IMO 9309576) arrived at Cape Town on 14 June at 02h00 from Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, and went straight to the tanker berth in the Duncan dock to discharge her precious cargo of refined products.
Her name gives away her ownership, and similar to her fleetmate NS Spirit that arrived in Cape Town in mid-May, and who is still on the South African coast off Richards Bay, so the NS in her name identifies her as being owned by the Novorossiysk Shipping Company of Novorossiysk. The giant SCF on her accommodation front identifies her as being associated with her parent company, and NS Silver is operated by SCF Novoship of Novorossiysk and managed by SCF Management Services of Dubai.

Built in 2005 by the Brodotrogir Shipyard at Trogir in Croatia, NS Spirit is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 47,197 tons. She is powered by an Uljanik MAN-B&W 6S50MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine providing 12,880 bhp (9,480 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller, giving her a service speed of 15 knots. Her cargo carrying capacity is 51,915 m3.
Her auxiliary engines include three Wärtsilä 6L20 generators producing 780 kW each, and a MAN D2866E emergency generator producing 225 kW. She has a TPK Nova KIP/PCK-12/7 exhaust gas boiler, and a TPK Nova KLN/VIC-19/7 oil fired boiler.
Arriving with only a small parcel of 6,000 tons of refined fuel products, it took just over 36 hours to discharge this cargo, and NS Spirit departed Cape Town harbour on 15 June at 16h00, but only to go to anchor in the Cape Town anchorage. She was initially expected to head back to Singapore, in ballast, for her next cargo.
Added 16 June 2021
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The Global Economy: on track for strong but uneven growth as COVID-19 still weighs
The World Bank View
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
We learn from the June 2021 Global Economic Prospects issued by The World Bank on the 8th of the month that the global economy is expected to expand 5.6% in 2021, the fastest post-recession pace in 80 years, largely on strong rebounds from a few major economies.
Global growth is expected to accelerate largely on the strength in major economies such as the US and China. And while growth for almost every region of the world has been revised upward for 2021, many continue to grapple with Covid-19 and what is likely to be its long shadow.
Despite this year’s pickup, the level of global GDP in 2021 is expected to be 3.2% below pre-pandemic projections, and per capita GDP among many emerging market and developing economies is anticipated to remain below pre-Covid-19 peaks for an extended period. The World Bank in its review issued on 8 June indicated that as the pandemic continues to flare, it will shape the path of global economic activity.
The document continues by stating that the US and China are each expected to contribute about one quarter of global growth in 2021. The US economy has been bolstered by massive fiscal support, vaccination is expected to become widespread by mid-2021, and growth is expected to reach 6.8% this year, the fastest pace since 1984. China’s economy – which did not contract last year – is expected to grow a solid 8.5% and moderate as the country’s focus shifts to reducing financial stability risks.

Recovery in Africa
Regionally, the recovery is expected to be strongest in East Asia and the Pacific, largely due to the strength of China’s recovery. In South Asia, recovery has been hampered by serious renewed outbreaks of the virus in India and Nepal. The Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to post growth too shallow to offset the contraction of 2020.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s recovery, while helped by spillovers from the global recovery, is expected to remain fragile given the slow pace of vaccination and delays to major investments in infrastructure and the extractives sector.
An increase in inflation forecast
Global inflation, which has increased along with economic recovery, is anticipated to continue to rise over the rest of the year; however, it is expected to remain within the target range for most countries. In those emerging market and developing economies in which inflation rises above target, this trend may not warrant a monetary policy response provided it is temporary and inflation expectations remain well-anchored.
Climbing Food Costs
Rising food prices and accelerating aggregate inflation may compound rising food insecurity in low-income countries.
The World Bank Review and other relative documents are available HERE
Video Film
How will the Covid-19 Economic Recovery Play out? This is discussed in a film to be found on the World Bank website HERE.
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Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden: Enhancing maritime security
Website launched www.dcoc.org

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
Regional cooperation is crucial in the fight against piracy and armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities.
IMO reported on 11 June that a new website www.dcoc.org highlights the Djibouti Code of Conduct, adopted under the auspices of IMO which has been instrumental in containing the threat of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The website is supported by IMO with the UK Government and the Djibouti Code of Conduct Trust Fund.
On the website the Secretary General of IMO HE Kitack Lim introduces the material with: The Djibouti Code of Conduct was adopted in 2009. Since then, the work to implement the Code has resulted in a culture of cooperation that has been most successful in containing the threat of piracy. The adoption of the Jeddah Amendment in 2017 brought in a comprehensive approach to dealing with broader threats to maritime security and the root causes, setting a strong foundation for sustainable development of the maritime sector thus ensuring sustainable economic growth, food security, employment, prosperity and stability in the West Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
“Several accomplishments achieved over the last decade under the Code, including the establishment of a functioning network of Information Sharing Centres; a regional training coordination mechanism that has benefitted 1678 students thus far; and the enhancement of Maritime Domain Awareness. Many of the regional States have reviewed their laws to include piracy as a crime that can be punished nationally and there is now greater awareness of the need to be able to enforce national laws in the maritime domain; and a growing number of coastal maritime surveillance systems have been implemented that are assisting the small naval and coastguard forces in the region to focus their limited resources where they are most needed and to conduct an increasing number of cooperative operations at sea.”
It is reported that expansion into the Jeddah Amendment in 2017 introduced a comprehensive approach to dealing with broader threats to maritime security and the root causes, thereby improving regional maritime security, law enforcement and governance capabilities as well as facilitating maritime sector development.
The website for sharing information on the implementation of the code of conduct has been developed to showcase achievements, ongoing work, planned activities, co-ordination of capacity building efforts and to support resources mobilisation.
Furthermore, it is reported that the platform will play a significant part in enhancing regional cooperation in countering piracy and other illicit maritime activities.
A video outlining the key aims and presenting the website can be viewed here [2:29]:
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WHARF TALK: the ship with such a long name – D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
What’s in a name, I hear you say? Back in April an LR1 tanker called D&K Yusef I. Al-Ghanim arrived in Cape Town, and the length of her name, and who might be able to repeat it back first time on Channel 16, without having to request it be spelt phonetically, sprang to mind. Well, the same company have another tanker that can beat that one into a cocked hat.
On 9 June at 12h00, the MR2 tanker D&K ABDUL RAZZAK KHALID ZAID Al-KHALID (IMO 9700213) arrived at the Cape Town Anchorage from Durban, and she remained at anchor for just one day, when she entered port and was berthed at the Tanker Berth in the Duncan Dock on 10 June at 15h00.

She had previously loaded her full cargo of refined products at Sohar in Oman, prior to sailing for South Africa and initially Durban, where she was alongside for just over one day discharging. This was not her first visit to Southern Africa this year, as she had previously discharged a full load of refined products at Beira in Mozambique in April 2021.
The connection of D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid to Mozambique becomes clearer when one gets to the bottom of her ownership. Nominally owned by D&K III Limited, she is operated by D&K Shipping of Dubai and managed by D&K Holdings LLC of Dubai. D&K Holdings are the shipping arm of the International Petroleum Group (IPG) of Kuwait.

IPG have two major business interests, with the primary interest being in the supply and marketing of refined fuel products, especially in Africa. Their African interests include having offices in Johannesburg (South Africa), Harare (Zimbabwe), Lusaka (Zambia), Nairobi (Kenya), Khartoum (Sudan) and Casablanca (Morocco). IPG also have shareholdings in oil and liquid storage terminals throughout the Middle East, Far East and in Africa, where they are shareholders in storage terminals in Djibouti (371,000 m3), Morocco (533,000 m3) and they hold major shareholdings in three terminals in Mozambique (226,000 m3).

Built in 2015 by STX Shipbuilders at Jinhae in South Korea, D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 49,999 tons. She is powered by an STX MAN-B&W 6G50ME-B9 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 13,839 bhp (10,320 kW). Her cargo carrying capacity is 53,000 m3.
Despite such a long name, D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid was picked out by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) as one of their Significant Ships of 2015. Her name is so long that it runs the full length of the bow, and across the full width of her stern. Its length is such that her name on her bridge nameboard has to be spread over two full rows.

As expected, having a name few can repeat on the first try, D&K Abdul Razzak Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid gets a mention in dispatches on the uglyships.com website, with a single line of “Can you repeat that please?” I wonder if the bridge watchkeepers simply use her callsign (V7KX8) when at sea, or when calling up Port Control, in the full knowledge that the response is going to be none other than that which uglyships.com states if they use her full name.
She has two properly attired mannequins stationed as look-outs on both of the stern quarters. This seems to be a trend with tankers, as she appears to be the third in recent weeks to have something similar, no doubt as one way to deter pirates from approaching when off Somalia or in the Gulf of Guinea.
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The Port Window: More straddle carriers for Cape Town terminal

Five straddle carriers for use in the Cape Town Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) have arrived on board the container ship MSC LILOU (see photograph further down in yesterday’s news).
The straddle carriers arrived fully assembled and will prove useful in helping boost increasing volumes at the terminal, including citrus exports. Being fully assembled, they are being immediately handed over to operations and have entered service almost as soon as discharging from the ship was concluded.
The straddles boast of improved drive technology, engine starting reliability, graphical user interface and a new stradmonitor tool for easy and quick troubleshooting and configuration. The new technology will make it easier for the operators to operate this equipment.
A spokesperson for Transnet Port Terminals, Andiswa Dlanga sais it was important for the Cape Town MPT to create container handling capacity in order to provide a complimentary service to the Cape Town Container Terminal when the terminal goes wind-bound and cannot operate due to high wind speeds.
She said that commissioning and endurance testing had been conducted at the Durban Container Terminals. The equipment can work through wind speeds of up to 90km/h and will go a long way in offering a reliable service in the export of fruit.
The Cape Town MPT, with its origins dating as far back as 1947 – is a dedicated import and export terminal for a large variety of commodities including fertiliser, soda ash, soya, sunflower pellets, wheat, maize, cement and containerised cargo, for which the MPT plays a critical role in complementing the Container Terminal. -trh
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The Port Window: Cape Town ship movements*

Cape Town’s Container Terminal has remained empty of ships for much of Monday 14 June 2021, following the departure on Sunday night of the SANTA ISABEL at 22h36 for Spain. The Multi-Purpose Terminal in the Duncan Dock did however have two smaller vessels working cargo, of which one was the reefer vessel BALTIC HEATHER loading citrus fruit.
At 16h00 on Monday the container terminal berths remained devoid of ships but MAERSK ARAS was presenting the necessary appearances of readying to enter port.
As has become the norm, a growing number of tankers lay at anchor in Table Bay waiting to discharge product at the port’s limited number of tanker berths, while other vessels were waiting ‘for orders’. Another two are in port discharging product.
At 11h00 Monday the tankers numbered 10 in the bay area, where they were joined offshore on the Atlantic seaboard by five general cargo vessels at anchor.
In spite of the mist that hides the Atlantic seaboard for up till 16h00 on many days, one can see the loaded refrigerated (reefer) ships destined for the U.S. that go to anchor for some period before leaving fo the designated port in the Northern Hemisphere. This is presumably to allow ambient termperatures to stabilise before sailing from these shores.
One such vessel is the reefer ACONCAGUA BAY which cleared the port and arrived at anchorage outside at 17:57 on Sunday 13 June. The ship is expected at the port of Philadelphia at 08h00 on 4 July but as yet shows no sign of departing and instead remains at anchor.
Another departure on Saturday, also shrouded in mist, was a ship with one of the longest possible names, D K ABDUL RAZZAK KAHALID ZAID, bound for Sitrah in Bahrain. In case you missed it, see the report on this ship above.
* Regularly updated ship movement reports for all South African, Namibian and several Mozambican ports can be found by CLICKING HERE
Reported by John Hawkins
Cape Town
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The Port Window: Durban Port Bulletin report
Moshe Motlohi, Transnet National Ports Authority General Manager reports:
This past week [ending Friday 11 June] has been punctuated by operational challenges in the Container and Maydon Wharf precincts [Port of Durban]. Therefore the focus for this week has been on engaging with Maydon Wharf (MW) operators, the topic was to look at harmonising truck arrivals in the precinct.
In containers, the main issues stemmed from equipment failures, whilst in MW the issues were as a result of load shedding, adverse weather and random arrival of trucks. Subsequently the terminals concerned have had engagements with the Port Authority to address these issues. The container terminal has given an undertaking that five new straddle carriers will be deployed starting this week. We would like to further advise that in MW we will be introducing a manual truck calling system.
We have listened to the port users and their concerns are valid. The authority, working with terminal operators, will attempt to address these issues raised with urgency.
Strategic engagements that took place last week were the Port Consultative Committee meetings – the first one was the 7th port performance roadshow and the other was the 3rd quarter meeting. In the same breath of proactive engagements TNPA Chief Executive Pepi Silinga will be in the port meeting with TNPA employees in the coming weeks. We will endeavour to minimise operational impact during those engagements.
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The Port Window: Port of Durban Volume & Vessel Call Performance

Containers: A positive performance of container volumes at the port of Durban is the result of more than budgeted import and transshipment cargo handled. Imports were above target by 39% and transshipments by 38%. This is due to high cargo output from the Far East. Exports were however below budget by 1% due to poor performance of empty containers and weather delays.
Automotive: Although somewhat down on actuals from week 10, this sector has performed extremely well in week 11 with budget exceeded by 67%. We then note that import throughput was the primary driver of volume in the period with a total of 7,132 units landed. We are hoping that replacements of rental fleets will take place this year owed to relaxed levels of lockdowns and further air and land movements resulting in an inclined input into the relevant vehicle fleets this year. Exports performed a marginal levels in week 11 as we noted a spike on volume in week 10, to note that two of the major OEMs loaded just more than 1,200 units respectively.
Break Bulk: This sector has improved from the previous period with initial targets being breached. Cement was the primary driver of volume in the week with a total of 41,592 tons landed for the period. The remainder of volume was made up of steel and citrus.
Dry Bulk: We see a drastic incline in total throughput of dry bulk commodities in week 11. We note that maize exports seem to be in full swing for the season with just over 137,000 tons loaded for the period. South Africa should be in a healthy position to export as a surplus of harvest was noted in the season. Manganese exports improved from the previous period with a total of 40,480 tons handled.
Liquid Bulk: No crude oil vessels handled in the reporting week due to the inclement weather conditions experienced. (Volumes will be accounted for in week 12.) Petroleum and chemicals volumes performed extremely well achieving 127% and 57% respectively, this is due to high import volumes which are destined for the mining and manufacturing sectors. Petroleum performed well above budget, all vessels committed were all handled carrying large parcel sizes.
source: TNPA
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IN CONVERSATION: Shipping is tough on the climate and hard to clean up – these innovations can help cut emissions
Jing Sun, University of Michigan
Ships carry more than 80% of world trade, and they rely heavily on some of the least environmentally friendly transportation fuels available.
There are no cheap, widely available solutions that can lower the shipping industry’s planet-warming carbon emissions – in fact, shipping is considered one of the hardest industries on the planet to decarbonize – but some exciting innovations are being tested right now.
As a professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, I work on ship propulsion and control systems, including electrification, batteries and fuel cells. With attention focused on climate change this week as world leaders meet at the G-7 summit and negotiators discuss shipping emissions at a meeting of the U.N.‘s International Maritime Organization, let’s take a look at what’s possible and some of the fuels and technologies that are likely to define the industry’s future.
Shipping’s climate problem
Shipping is the cheapest way to move raw materials and bulk goods. That has given it both an enormous economic impact and a large carbon footprint.
The industry emits roughly 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year – nearly 3% of global emissions, according to the IMO, a specialized U.N. agency made up of 174 member nations that sets standards for the industry. If shipping were a country, it would rank between Japan and Germany as the sixth-largest contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, nearly 70% of ships’ emissions occur within 250 miles (400 kilometers) of land, meaning it also has an impact on air quality, especially for port cities.
Technological innovation, in addition to policies, will be crucial for achieving low-carbon or zero-emission shipping. Academic research institutes, government labs and companies are now experimenting with electrification; zero- or low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, ammonia and biofuels; and alternative power sources such as fuel cells and solar, wind and wave power. Each has its pros and cons.
Why electrifying ships matters
Just as on land, electrification is one key to cleaning up the industry’s emissions. It allows engines operating on fossil fuels to be either replaced by alternative power generation technologies, or downsized and modified for low-emissions operation. It also allows ships to connect to electric power while in port, reducing their emissions from idling.
Ship electrification and hybridization are significant trends for both commercial and military vessels. Electrifying a ship means replacing its traditional mechanical systems with electrical ones. Some fleets have already electrified propulsion and cargo handling. Hybrid power systems, on the other hand, integrate different power-generation mechanisms, such as engines and batteries, to leverage their complementary characteristics.
I see deeper electrification and broader hybridization as a core strategy for achieving green shipping.

Ships that can connect to electric power in port can avoid burning fuel that produces greenhouse gases and pollution. Ernesto Velázquez/Unsplash, CC BY
Tremendous opportunities also exist for improving the operation of the existing fleet – and reducing fuel use – through automation and real-time control. Advanced sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning can help ships to “see,” “think,” and “act” better to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
Greener fuels for ocean voyages
Shifting to cleaner and greener fuel sources will be essential for decarbonizing the shipping industry.
Most of the power plants on today’s ships are based on internal combustion engines that use cheap heavy fuel oil. Innovations in marine diesel and gas turbine engine design and treatment of exhaust gas have lowered harmful emissions. However, most of the “low-hanging fruit” has been harvested, with little room left for dramatic improvement in traditional power sources.
The focus now is on developing cleaner fuel sources and more efficient alternative power generation technologies.
Low or zero-carbon fuels, such as natural gas, ammonia and hydrogen, are predicted to be the dominant energy sources for shipping in the future. Ammonia is easy to transport and store, and it can be used in internal combustion engines and high-temperature fuel cells. But like hydrogen, it is largely still made with fossil fuels. It’s also toxic. Both have the potential to be made with water and renewable energy using electrolysis, but that zero-carbon technology is still in the early stages and costly.
These fuels have started replacing heavy diesel fuels in some marine segments, primarily as demonstration projects and at a slower rate than needed. Cost and infrastructure remain major barriers.
Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and wave energy, are also promising. Integrating renewable sources as cost-effective and reliable energy solutions for oceangoing vessels is another challenge developers are working on.
Powering ships using fuel cells and batteries
Fuel cells and batteries also hold promise as alternative power generation technologies.
Through electrochemical reactions, fuel cells generate electric power in a highly efficient and clean manner, making them very attractive for transportation. Fuel cells are operated with pure hydrogen or reformed gases, except for high-temperature fuel cells that can use natural gas or ammonia as fuel.
Given the existing fuel infrastructure, most maritime fuel cell demonstration projects today have to store liquid hydrogen or use onboard systems that convert natural gas or other fuel to hydrogen-rich syngas. Infrastructure for hydrogen storage has to be developed for widespread adoption of fuel cell technology.
Battery technology is essential for electrification, even for ships with an internal combustion engine as their prime mover. It also has its own unique challenges. In addition to ensuring the batteries are safe and reliable – you don’t want a fire or power outage in the middle of the ocean – ruggedness and flexibility are necessary for powering operations such as cargo handling and tugboat operations.
[Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week. Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter.]
Investing in the future
In 2018, the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee set targets to reduce the carbon intensity of the global fleet by at least 40% by 2030 and to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050 from the 2008 levels. It’s expected to adopt mandatory requirements reflecting those long-term goals at its meeting June 10-17, 2021.
Those targets are important, but they leave the deadlines for action well into the future.
Countries and some shipping companies are recommending a faster transition. In early June, the governments of Denmark, Norway and the United States, along with the Global Maritime Forum and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, announced a new Zero-Emission Shipping Mission to try to scale up and deploy new green maritime solutions faster.
The shipping giant AP Møller-Maersk has said it could support a carbon tax of $150 per ton of carbon dioxide to encourage more innovation and a faster transition, though others in the industry argue that a tax like that would nearly double the cost of bunker fuel and make freight far more expensive, with repercussions throughout the global economy.
I believe the grand vision of zero-emission shipping can be realized if the ship design and fleet operation communities work together with policymakers, the logistics industry and the broad academic and industry technical communities to find solutions.
This is an exciting time to work in the area of energy and power solutions for shipping. The technology developed today will have a transformative impact, not only on the marine industry but also on society.
Jing Sun, Professor and Department Chair, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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WHARF TALK: Arvika – loading manganese at Durban and Cape Town

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Sometimes loading sequences don’t make sense to those who are not in the know. When a vessel bypasses a port to load elsewhere, and then to sail back to the bypassed port to complete loading is one example. Often the answer is more obvious than one thinks. Is there loading berth availability at the terminal to be used, or has the cargo to be loaded arrived at the terminal, if so, is it ready and prepared for loading, or is the charter contract in place.
On 27 May at 10h00 the Supramax bulk carrier ARVIKA (IMO 9624043) arrived in ballast from Beira in Mozambique and went to the bulk terminal in the Duncan Dock for loading a part cargo of manganese ore. After a five day onload operation she sailed for Durban on 1 June at 17h00, with the view of completing her onload of ore. She finally sailed from Durban, after a two day onload, on 7 June bound for Visakhapatnam in India.

Built in 2012 by JMU Shipyard at Kure in Japan, Arvika is 190 metres in length and has a deadweight of 55,848 tons. She is powered by a single Diesel United Wärtsilä-Sulzer 6RT-Flex50 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine providing 13,560 bhp (9,960 kW).

Owned and operated by Ocean Agencies Limited of London, Arvika is managed by Staff Centre Shipmanagement of Odessa in the Ukraine. She has been a regular visitor to Southern Africa this year, as not only has her presence graced the ports of Beira, Cape Town and Durban recently, but she also visited Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Richards Bay in February and March.
An unusual engineering improvement was fitted to Arvika on 19 July 2017 when Wärtsilä fitted their EnergoProFin hub cap to her propeller during a scheduled drydocking. The EnergoProFin looks like a miniature propeller which reduces hub vortex strength, decreases total torque and decreases hub resistance. The result of these performance improvements is a vessel fuel consumption saving of 3%, which equates to a payback of the modification within 9 months of fitting.

Not everything about her operation has been positive. On 17 November 2018 whilst navigating the Escravos River in Nigeria, Arvika was in collision with the inbound bulk carrier Efi Theo. The collision resulted in a full hull breach of hold number three on the Efi Theo, resulting in a flooded cargo hold and she subsequently ran aground.
The damage on Arvika was minor in comparison and she continued up the river to Warri to discharge. After completing her cargo offload, she departed for Singapore some three weeks later. A Lloyds Open Form (LOF) was required to be entered into by the owners of the Efi Theo, in order to salvage and repair her.
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G7 pledges of 870 million Covid-19 Vaccine (COVAX) doses
At least half to be delivered by the end of 2021
Collated by Paul Ridgway
London
At the landmark agreement at the G7 summit, held in Cornwall, UK, global leaders pledged to share Covid-19 vaccine doses internationally, in support of global equitable access and to help end the acute phase of the pandemic. This was welcomed by the World Health Organization (WHO) from Geneva on 13 June
G7 countries committed to share at least 870 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines directly, with the aim to deliver at least half by the end of 2021, and reaffirmed their support for COVAX as: ‘the primary route for providing vaccines to the poorest countries.’
COVAX partners welcome this commitment, along with continued support for exporting in significant proportions, promotion of voluntary licensing and not-for-profit global production. COVAX looks forward to seeing doses flowing to countries as soon as possible.
Facing an urgent supply gap, COVAX is focused on securing as many shared doses as possible immediately, as the third quarter of this year is when the gap between deliveries and countries’ ability to absorb doses will be greatest. COVAX will work with the G7 and other countries that have stepped up to share doses as rapidly and equitably as possible. This will help address short-term supply constraints currently impacting the global response to COVID-19 and minimize the prospect of future deadly variants.
In anticipation of the large volumes available through the COVAX Facility deals portfolio later in the year, COVAX also urges multilateral development banks to urgently release funding to help countries prepare their health systems for large-scale rollout of vaccines in the coming months.
WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed: “Many other countries are now facing a surge in cases – and they are facing it without vaccines. We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race, and most countries have barely left the starting line. We welcome the generous announcements about donations of vaccines and thank leaders. But we need more, and we need them faster.”
On Africa
“Africa’s current vaccine supply shortage risks prolonging the pandemic, not just for millions on the continent, but for the whole world,” said Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, AMREF Health Africa. “I applaud the Group of Seven’s leadership in sharing doses with COVAX and urge them – and others to share doses now, not later in the year, when our need is greatest.”
Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, added: “We have reached a grim milestone in this pandemic: There are already more dead from COVID-19 in 2021 than in all of last year. Without urgent action, this devastation will continue. Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines represents the clearest pathway out of this pandemic for all of us — children included.
“UNICEF thanks G7 member states for their significant pledges and continued support. However, much work remains to continue to ramp up both the amount and the pace of supply to the rest of the world, because when it comes to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, our best interests and our best natures align. This crisis will not be over until it is over for everyone.”
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Support for Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
On 10 June the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) with the Round Table of Shipowner Associations* expressed their full support for the launch of Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project to stamp out piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
That day Nigeria announced a significant investment in military and law enforcement infrastructure to secure its maritime domain as part of a stepping up of actions to address the ongoing piracy issue in the Gulf of Guinea.
Managed by the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency (NIMASA), the multi-agency project will significantly increase maritime security in the region, an area blighted by piracy, armed robbery, and other maritime crimes.
It is understood that a central command and control centre based in Lagos will oversee a network of integrated assets including two special mission vessels, two special mission long- range aircraft, 17 fast-response vessels capable of speeds of 50 knots, three helicopters, and four airborne drones, providing round the clock, day-in, day-out cover for the region.
These assets complement the Yaoundé ICC structure offering real capability to both Nigeria and the region.

It is the hope of the industry organisations that Deep Blue, coordinated with other navies and programmes through the mechanism of the GOG – Maritime Collaboration Forum/SHADE, will seriously impact on the ability of pirate groups to prey on merchant shipping.
Guy Platten, ICS Secretary General commented: “The Deep Blue Project can be a game-changer in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and we congratulate Nigeria in launching the project despite the significant difficulties presented by Covid-19.
“We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy to realise our shared vision of a region free from the threat of piracy and armed robbery.”
David Loosley, BIMCO Secretary General, added: “Deep Blue becoming operational represents a significant opportunity to expand law and order at sea in cooperation with international forces in the area. We look forward to seeing Nigeria make the best of these assets to the benefit of Nigeria, its citizens and economy, and of course the seafarers from all over the world going about their daily business in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director of INTERTANKO, said that INTERTANKO believes that the launch of the Deep Blue Project is a tangible demonstration that the tide has turned against the scourge of piracy.
“This project has the potential to greatly contribute to seafarers being once again able to carry out their duties without fear for their safety,” she said.
“We thank the Nigerian authorities for recognising the issue and putting these measures in place – all within the constraints of the ongoing Covid-19 situation.”
Kostas Gkonis, Secretary General of INTERCARGO, reflected: “Along with our sincere congratulations to the Nigerian authorities on the launch of this important initiative, on behalf of the dry bulk shipping sector, we very much anticipate that the Deep Blue Project will make a significant impact in reducing piracy and armed robbery, protecting seafarers, ships, and the essential trade that serves the peoples of countries in the region.”
In conclusion Robert Drysdale, Managing Director of OCIMF, stated: “The launch of the Deep Blue Project marks a milestone of delivering state of the art, multi-faceted, maritime capability.
“It presents a great opportunity to protect seafarers and the maritime domain. The collaborative approach by all stakeholders to deliver Deep Blue is commendable and proves what can be achieved when all work together.
“OCIMF congratulates Nigerian authorities and welcomes this historical moment, Deep Blue will benefit, Nigeria, the region and all those who trade in the Gulf of Guinea waters.”
* BIMCO, INTERCARGO, the ICS and INTERTANKO.
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WHARF TALK: Carolina class caller MSC LILOU on interesting charter

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Container services are such that very often one major player charters in another major player with tonnage for the service. The primary container service from South Africa to the United States is the American Express (AMEX) service, operated by Maersk, with a rotation from Cape Town to the ports of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and the Bahamas, and back to Port Elizabeth and Durban.
On 10 June at 17h00, the container vessel MSC LILOU (IMO 9334349) arrived from Durban and was berthed at F berth in the Duncan dock to be worked at the Multipurpose Container Terminal (MPCT). Some of the more unusual items of her deck cargo for a container ship was actually not containers at all, but three seemingly ‘second hand’ container straddle carriers. Operating on the AMEX rotation, from Cape Town her first stop on this service will be Newark in New Jersey.

Built in 2007 by the New Szczecin Shipyard at Szczecin in Poland, MSC Lilou is 220 metres in length, has a deadweight of 41,850 tons and a container capacity of 3,108 TEU. Her TEU capacity includes having 260 reefer plugs onboard. Her design is that of a B-178 Carolina class container ship, of which 25 sisterships were built by the shipyard.
Powered by a single Cegielski MAN-B&W 7K80MC-C6 7 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 26,270 bhp (19,322 kW) to drive a fixed pitch propeller and giving MSC Lilou a service speed of 22.2 knots. Her auxiliary power is provided by two MAN-B&W 5L28/32H engines producing 1,050 kW and two MAN-B&W 6L28/32H engines producing 1,260 kW.

Nominally owned by Oceanus Shipping Corporation, MSC Lilou is operated and managed by Navios Shipmanagement of Athens. Renamed from Castor N, which is a clue to her Navios heritage, she was taken on charter by MSC for the AMEX service, her port calls in the United States will now include a call at Philadelphia, which Maersk recently reintroduced in late May on the rotation, in anticipation of an increase in outbound export reefer traffic brought about by the South African Citrus Fruit Growers.
The new AMEX rotation now being Cape Town – Newark – Philadelphia – Norfolk – Baltimore – Charleston – Freeport – Port Elizabeth – Durban – Cape Town.
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Captain’s body remains on board as Ital Libera returns to Italy
More than a month after confirmation of the news that several of the crew of the container ship, ITAL LIBERA, had tested positive for COVID-19, and that the ship’s master had died a month earlier as a result of the virus while en route from Durban to South East Asia, the ship is now sailing to Italy after the partners had declared force majeure.
The Ital Libera is deployed by Italia Marittima, a subsidiary of Evergreen Line, and other partners on the South Africa-Asia service and was due to call at Singapore and other Asian ports, except that on learning of the presence of the coronavirus among the crew, and that the master, Captain Angelo Capurro (61) had passed away somewhere around 13 April, a number of Asian ports then denied permission for the ship to dock.
Italia Marittima said it had applied, through Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local Italian Embassies, to disembark the body so that it could be immediately returned to the family. Countries applied to included Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines and South Africa. All of these, however, had implemented COVID-19 protocols that did not allow the disembarkation of Captain Capurro’s remains.
Voyage cancelled
After the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified Italia Marittima that all options had failed, the company took the decision on humanitarian grounds to cancel the voyage and deliver the body back to Italy onboard the ship. Ital Libera is due to arrive in Italy on Tuesday, 15 June.
One of the partners in the South Africa-Asia service is Hapag-Lloyd.
“Hapag-Lloyd expresses our condolences to the captain’s family. Force majeure has been declared and due to no Asian ports accepting the vessel, she has been diverted to call Italy first in order to repatriate the captain,” the German line announced last week.
The Ital Libera will then rejoin her rotation in the Far East, meaning that in order to land the master’s body it has been necessary to sail to Europe from the Far East before returning in order to discharge her cargo at the various destinations.
Captain Capurro joined the ship as master on 1 April at Durban, and died after the ship sailed for Singapore. The presence of Covid among some of the crew, and that the master had passed away, was only discovered after the vessel was refused entry at Singapore and later at Jakarta.
Our first report of this sad event can be found by CLICKING HERE
According to Hapag-Lloyd, “Exact arrival dates are not yet known but will be shared as soon as possible, alongside the delivery plan for cargo that is still on board.
“Together with our partners, we are currently evaluating potential impact on the vessel and cargo operations. Berthing dates for the subsequent ports of the rotation will be adjusted accordingly.”
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IN CONVERSATION: Climate change is a threat to Africa’s transport systems: what must be done
Amani George Rweyendela, University of Dodoma and William John Mwegoha, University of Dodoma
Transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railway systems, is one of the sectors most threatened by climate change. Extreme weather events – such as flooding, sea level rises and storm surges – repeatedly wreak havoc on transport networks.
In Africa, extreme weather is a threat that can cause extensive structural damage. It can also accelerate the ageing of infrastructure components. This can lead to considerable financial losses.
For instance, a recent report on Tanzania uncovered the vulnerability of the country’s transportation systems. Long stretches of road and rail networks are exposed to extreme flooding events, with growing exposure in the future.
The report estimated that worst-case disruptions to Tanzania’s multi-modal transport networks could cause losses of up to US$1.4 million per day. In addition, damage to these networks can disrupt the flow of goods and people, thereby lowering economic productivity.
This suggests that governments must ensure that transport infrastructure is developed with the ability to cope with current and future climatic shifts.
Fortunately an effective way to “climate-proof” transport infrastructure already exists within the planning machinery of governments. In our recent work, which investigated the Standard Gauge Rail project in Tanzania, we show how climate change and adaptation capabilities can be incorporated in environmental impact assessment procedures.
Environmental impact assessment is a widespread environmental safeguard. It’s used by governments, donors and lending agencies when approving new development projects or major expansions to existing ones. The process can be used to identify climate risks and ensure that they are minimised through environmentally sound project design.
Transport infrastructure is vital to developing countries because efficient and reliable transport networks are critical for local and international trade. We hope that, with a changing climate, our findings offer useful lessons for policymakers, planners and developers.
Checking for risks
Environmental impact assessment is the essential process of identifying, predicting and evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed development action, both positive and negative. These are risks to the project, and risks to the natural environment from the project.
The assessment is meant to happen before major decisions are taken and commitments made. Developers, both private and public, often commission registered environmental experts to carry out the study.
Virtually every country has some form of legislation that requires an environmental impact assessment. These are carried out on certain development projects, particularly those likely to have significant effects on the environment. This often includes major transport infrastructure.
The study culminates in a set of observations and recommendations, which regulators and developers are meant to take on board. Legislation usually provides for followups on whether they were. In countries with strong institutional frameworks, violators often face fines, suspension of operations or even jail time.
Because the assessment has to be carried out for major projects, it offers an efficient and direct way to include adaptation measures.
Tanzania’s railway
This is what happened for Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway.
The railway, a US$14.2 billion investment by the Tanzanian government, is currently under construction. It’s part of the “central corridor” connecting Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will also provide access to the Indian ocean. The government contracted a Turkish firm, Yapi Merkezi, to design and build the project’s first phase, traversing about 541km. Work started in 2017.
Because it is vulnerable to climate change – there are particular concerns over heavy floods and landslides – the environmental impact assessment has tried to prepare the project for potential climate risks.
The assessment was conducted by a multidisciplinary team under an international consulting firm, Environmental Resources Management. They carried out climate projections along the proposed route and outlined adaptation measures for the projected risks.
Recommendations included using heat-resistant asphalt, installing flood defence walls and using reinforced steel. They also proposed a monitoring plan which outlined key monitoring aspects, indicators, responsible parties and timing.
Climate change issues are not explicitly prescribed by Tanzanian environmental impact assessment law and regulations. The drive to carry out the assessment was a result of pressure from climate-sensitive international lenders. It remains to be seen if the recommendations are implemented throughout construction and following project phases.
Our study demonstrates the huge potential of environmental impact assessments to foster adaptation in transport projects. It makes sense. Most African countries lack the necessary resources to invest in stand-alone adaptation projects.
Roadblocks to remove
Even though integrating climate change adaptation into an environmental impact assessment is a simple step, it’s not being done.
This is due to several challenges including a lack of knowledge, awareness, technical and financial resources, and legislative support. Tanzania’s laws and regulations, for instance, do not specifically mandate the practice.
Moreover, developers seldom go beyond what the law requires. Because of factors such as costs or time constraints, they would naturally view such requirements as unwelcome. Additional project approval processes could lead to delays and increased costs for the developer.
Climate-proofing projects
To ensure projects are “climate-proofed” in future, several steps must be taken.
First, laws and regulations must be formalised so that climate change is included in the assessment process. These must be supported by technical guidelines and strategic planning.
Second, there’s a need to make substantial investments in building capacity and raising awareness at the institutional level. In addition, climate data must be available and communication between climate scientists and assessment practitioners should be strengthened.
Finally, our paper calls for adaptation aid providers, development partners and international lenders – such as the World Bank, Africa Development Bank and the IMF – to leverage their influence, for instance through funding procedures. This would add pressure to include climate change scenarios in the planning process.
Amani George Rweyendela, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, University of Dodoma and William John Mwegoha, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, University of Dodoma
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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WHARF TALK: Cielo Bianco, ‘Significant Ship of the Year’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
In this era of climate change, as we are all being pushed to consider the environment and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, in order to dramatically lower our carbon footprint, so shipowners are also examining and testing a variety of initiatives and methods of doing the same.
On 8 June at 01h00 in the morning the LR1 tanker CIELO BIANCO (IMO 9778296) arrived at Cape Town and berthed at the 250 metre long tanker berth, the only one capable of handling her, in the Duncan Dock. She had arrived from Mangalore in India with a full cargo of refined fuel products. The MRPL refinery in Mangalore is the only refinery in India that produces premium diesel and high octane unleaded petrol, which gives a clue as to what Cielo Bianco might have been transporting to Cape Town.

Built in 2017 by the Hyundai Vinashin shipyard at Ninh Phuoc in Vietnam, Cielo Bianco is 228 metres in length with a deadweight of 74,999 tons. She is powered by a Hyundai MAN-B&W 6G60ME-C9.5 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 13,544 bhp (10,100 kW) to give her a service speed of 12 knots. She has 12 cargo tanks with a capacity of 81,000 m3.

Owned by d’Amico Societa di Navigazione of Rome and operated and managed by d’Amico Tankers of Dublin, Cielo Bianco was one three sisterships ordered from the Vietnamese shipyard at a cost of US$131 million (R1.77 billion) for all three vessels. She was the first LR class tanker to be owned by the company, who until that time had only operated MR class tankers. There are now six LR1 sisterships in service for the company, all built by the same yard.

When she was built, she was such an innovative vessel that the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) gave Cielo Bianco the status of one of their ‘Significant Ships of 2017’. The company had a total of 16 vessels built in Vietnamese shipyards over a short period of three years.
A major ‘green’ initiative that Cielo Bianco is engaged in is that her parent company, the d’Amico Group, are currently in partnership with six other major marine organisations, who have launched a Joint Industry Project (JIP) for testing the potential of Biofuel decarbonisation in maritime transportation.
As such, d’Amico has teamed up with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the Liberian Registry, Lloyd’s Register, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis Advisory Service (FOBAS), MAN Energy Solutions and Trafigura to test B30 biofuel blends that are derived from advanced second-generation feedstock using one of its LR1 tankers.

The tests are being undertaken on Cielo Bianco, and her LR1 sister ship Cielo di Rotterdam, with the low carbon fuel scheduled to be supplied in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region by TFG Marine, who are a joint venture between Trafigura, Frontline and Golden Ocean Group. It will be interesting to see if the Cielo Bianco heads for the ARA region once she sails from Cape Town for her to continue with the biofuel trial.
The trial has already got underway with the pre-trial phase of the project having commenced in March 2021, when the composition of the biofuel blends were made available and protocols relating to fuel testing, inspections, NOx measurement, crew training development and sea trials were established.

The second phase, which is scheduled to involve Cielo Bianco in the actual trial, has been scheduled for mid-June 2021. This trial phase will monitor the behaviour of the main engine, diesel generators and boilers whilst burning the biofuel blend, and also evaluate performance, fuel storage capability and NOx levels.
In the post-trial phase, the reported emissions will be processed and analysed with particular focus on CO2 and NOx emissions in relation to existing EEXI and CII guidelines. The project is planned to run up until mid-July 2021.
On a foggy Saturday morning, at 09h00 on 12 May, Cielo Bianco sailed from Cape Town, bound for Fujairah.
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Transnet intensifies efforts at curbing cable theft

Transnet says it is continuing to intensify efforts to halt cable theft and infrastructure vandalism, an issue which has escalated to a national problem in recent years.
Transnet’s interventions include the redeployment of personnel and other resources to the most affected lines, increased use of technology, collaboration with law enforcement agencies, customers and other state-owned companies affected by the theft and vandalism.
There’s been a measure of success with the interventions so far, which have resulted in over 600 arrests since the beginning of the year, with the suspects charged in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act (18 of 2015) on Theft of Ferrous or Non-Ferrous Metal forming part of Essential Infrastructure.
The company says it is continuing to engage with all affected stakeholders on further initiatives to curb this serious threat to the economy and some additional interventions will be rolled out in coming weeks.
The hotspot areas targeted by these criminal activities include Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State and the North-West. The railway network in these provinces is responsible for the transportation of goods including iron ore, coal, chrome, manganese, ferrochrome, automotives and containers, and is therefore critical for the economy.
Transnet loses about 120 kilometres of overhead cables a month due to the high levels cable theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure.
In the past five years, Transnet has seen an increase of 177% in security-related incidents, resulting in an increase in volume loss. In the first five months of 2021 alone, there have been on average 650 incidents per month.
It has called on scrap metal dealers, foundries and smelters to refrain from buying overhead cables from unregistered traders.
“We encourages members of the community to report any suspicious activities using the TFR’s anonymous hotline number 0800 003 056 or email transnet@tip-off.com or to call the Crime hotline number on 086 00 10111.”
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UK MAIB Annual Report 2020 issued

In the UK the annual report of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) was issued in week ending 12 June and provides information on the branch’s activities during 2020. The MAIB examines and investigates all types of marine accidents to or on board UK vessels worldwide, and other vessels in UK territorial waters.
As well as a report for 2020 from the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, this document includes:
* An overview of accidents reported
* A summary of investigations started
* Details of investigation reports published
* Responses to recommendations issued
* Marine accident statistics
In his introduction Captain Andrew Moll the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents said: “I am pleased to introduce MAIB’s annual report 2020. It was another busy and successful year for the Branch improving safety at sea by our sustained output of safety investigation reports, safety digests, and safety bulletins despite lock-down conditions affecting work for much of the year. The Branch raised 1217 reports of marine accidents and incidents and commenced 19 investigations in 2020.
“The first lockdown saw a significant reduction in maritime activity, which was reflected in the dip in reportable accidents from March through to May. The rate of accident reporting increased later in the year but remained depressed compared against the five-year average. However, a spike in reports of leisure craft accidents over the summer (June to September) brought the total number of reportable accidents for the year up to normal levels.”
Safety issues
In 2020, the MAIB published two investigation reports into the collapse of container stacks on large container ships, both of which were transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather at the time.
Such accidents are challenging to investigate due to the multiple inter-related factors involved and that critical evidence could be lost overboard during the accident.
Loss of containers
There have been more accidents involving large losses of containers since, the most notable being ONE Apus, and more general concerns about large container vessels were already being raised before Ever Given grounded in the Suez Canal earlier this year.
There is no doubt that accidents involving Ultra Large Container Vessels will continue to receive intense focus, but it is too early to say what common themes might emerge from accident investigations and whether these could have wider implications for the sector.
Fishing vessels
On paper, 2020 was a safer year for the UK fishing industry, with only one accident (Joanna C, BM 265) resulting in fatalities. Regrettably, six commercial fishermen’s lives have been lost already in 2021, meaning that eight commercial fishermen have lost their lives in the six month period November to May. While the investigations are ongoing, the indications are that five lives were lost as a result of small fishing vessels capsizing or foundering quickly. The MAIB is currently in the process of recovering the wreck of Nicola Faith (BS 58), the most recent small fishing vessel to founder, to establish why the vessel sank and its three crew lost their lives.
Leisure and recreational craft
The accidents involving leisure and recreational craft that the Branch is investigating are quite varied, but two themes are worth mentioning. As the tragic accident on board the motor cruiser Diversion demonstrated, lives are still being lost due to carbon monoxide poisoning (see Safety Bulletin 2/2020). There can be many sources of carbon monoxide on a cruising vessel, including the main engines, generators, heaters and cooking appliances.
Two accidents involving Personal Watercraft (PWC) and Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) show how vulnerable passengers are to injury when these craft collide or hit stationary objects while travelling at high speed.
Recommendations
The high level of acceptance of MAIB recommendations in 2020 (>90%) is good news, which validates MAIB’s process of involving stakeholders in the formulation of recommendations during the final stages of the investigation.
Much of the text above is taken from the MAIB Annual Report for 2020 and is reproduced here with kind permission.
The material is MAIB Crown Copyright 2021 ©
The MAIB Annual Report 2020 is available HERE
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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Positive thinking about Mozambique-Malawi rail reconnection

Shortly after Brazilian mining company Vale commenced large-scale coal mining at Moatize in Tete province in 2011, work commenced on the reconstruction for rail use of the Sena Railway, which linked Tete with the port of Beira via the famous Dona Ana bridge at Sena on the Zambesi River.
The 270-km railway, then known as the Trans-Zambezia Railway, was constructed between 1919 and 1922 and ran from Sena on the south bank of the Zambesi to a junction with the Beira – Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) line, and which was known as the Trans-Zambezia Railway.
Initially a ferry made do for crossing the Zambesi but it the mid-1930s the famous Dona Ana Bridge was built, forming 33 spans and 3,630 metres in length. This was initiated by the developers of Nyasaland (Malawi) Railways who operated the line that then continued north into the then Nyasaland, largely replacing the river transport that had provided the only means of transporting goods from the south of Malawi to a port on the Indian Ocean.
Sena Railway
Fast-forwarding to the present era, reconstruction of the Trans-Zambezia, by then renamed and known as the Sena Railway, became necessary to provide Vale and other mining interests with a useful and reliable rail transport link with the Beira port. However, the 115km line from the bridge into Malawi, of which 44km lies within Mozambique, remained out of use.
Following volume limitations along the Sena Railway between Moatize and Beira, Vale and its partners subsequently opted to construct a rail link from Moatize directly eastwards into Malawi, connecting with that country’s central railway and the line that ran to the Mozambique port of Nacala, where the partners constructed a new coal port at Nacala-a-Velha opposite the port of Nacala.
This has become the principal route along which Vale has railed coal to a port on the Indian Ocean, leaving Indian and other mining interests in the Moatize region to continue using the Sena Railway to the port of Beira further south.
Reconstruction to go ahead
The branch railway north from the Dona Ana Bridge has however remained out of use, but now comes news that, following talks between Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera and his Mozambican counterpart Felipe Nyusi, held last October, the reconstruction of the line directly from the bridge northwards into Malawi is becoming a real possibility.
This branch or spur is 115 kilometres in length, of which 44 kilometres are on the Mozambican side between Dona Ana and Vila Nova da Fronteira, and the remaining 71 kilometres in Malawi on the stretch between Nsange-Bangula.
According to President Nyusi, the line as an important step in making regional integration a reality.
In terms of the agreement, Mozambique is responsible for much of the 44-km stretch that starts from Mutarare to Marka (Nsanje) from where Malawi takes responsibility for continuing the line further north in Malawi itself.
Beira traffic
How much actual traffic to the port at Beira will be generated by this resuscitated railway is not clear, although Malawi’s acting consular general for Tete Province, Jane Asani, spoke sweepingly of the line generating millions of tonnes of the landlocked country’s imports.
She said the agreement was not just about the two countries but a fulfilment of SADC regional integration.
While Malawi has yet to start the rehabilitation process, there was huge political interest to have the project done on time, she added, saying the project had been delayed because of the COVID-9 pandemic.
Feasible traffic to and from Malawi for the rehabilitated line would include the importation of basic food supplies, fertilisers, fuel, building materials and manufactured goods, and the export of timber and tobacco.
The line has been inactive since 1986. -trh
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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.
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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.
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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
To be humble is to be grounded in everyday living – free of pretentiousness. For some, this is a calling to live a simpler life – with fewer commodities.
– Ramon Luis Olmos
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