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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
These news reprts 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
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FIRST VIEW: HOLE IN THE WALL
- Voyage of Discovery: RRS Discovery expedition to Ascension Island and St Helena
- Namport readies itself to become a Green Hydrogen export hub for Europe and the world
- WHARF TALK: Another KOTC tanker calls at Cape Town – BURGAN
- Aviation commits to net-zero by 2050
- IMO supporting digital clearance in Pacific ports
- Bulk carrier NS QINGDAO escorted from Durban to St Helena Bay because of toxic fumes
- COP 26 latest: UN Global Compact – Shipping industry confirms formation of ‘people-centred’ Task Force
- WHARF TALK: Let’s get used to it, another tanker – LIAN SHAN HU
- New IMO programme for West Africa maritime security
- Mounting pressure on government for intervention at the ports
- IN CONVERSATION: COP26: Two worlds talked past each other – or never even met
- Durban Harbour becomes a septic pond as sewers overflow
- Saldanha Iron Ore terminal renews its operating licence
- WHARF TALK: feeder container vessel – MSC MILA 3
- IN CONVERSATION: Kenya’s mega-railway project leaves society more unequal than before
- SAMSA issues new bunkering and ship-to-ship codes of practice for comment
- Remove slime from ships to cut emissions: COP 26 presentation
- ITF just transition plan: New employer-union climate alliance
- WHARF TALK: what’s in a name? – HIGH SEAS
- Nigerian Navy orders two OPVs from Turkey’s Dearsan Shipyard
- Spot rate relief continues for customers in November
- Two giant new ship unloaders arrive for TPT’s Durban Agribulk Terminal
- WHARF TALK: NO WIZARD THIS – MERLIN III
- Ships using Suez Canal face 6% tariff hike in 2022
- WHARF TALK: Second pipelayer calls in Durban – SKANDI AFRICA
- UK Defence Secretary in Oman: Working with Oman and Gulf partners
- Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) upgrades Lagos Apapa Control Tower
- Port Louis Cruise Terminal making progress
- Lagos moves to introduce waterways safety code
EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND HERE AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….
The Monday masthead shows the Port of Saldanha Iron Ore
The Tuesday masthead shows the Port of Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT)
The Wednesday masthead shows the Port of Richards Bay
The Thursday masthead shows Port Harcourt (Nigeria)
The Friday masthead shows the Port Elizabeth Manganese Terminal
The Saturday masthead shows the Port of Port Elizabeth Car & Container Terminal
The Sunday masthead shows the Port of Walvis Bay
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The Hole in the Wall in the Eastern Cape is well-known to most South Africans, even those who have never visited this unique place on the Wild Coast. Situated about 8kms south of Coffee Bay it is a favourite among many who travel to or through the former Transkei, whether on holiday or on a sight-seeing tour. A natural arch worn away by waves in a sandstone rock close to the shoreline, Hole in the Wall is a truly iconic beauty spot and was a natural for Durban maritime attorney at law firm Bowmans to visit during a countrywide long-leave. Waiting for low tide when the Hole is at its best he noticed a Hamburg Süd container ship out at sea, heading north in the direction of Durban. The opportunity was not to be lost and the above photograph, taken through the Hole is the result, a true hole in one! Picture: Andrew Pike
The above picture is by Andrew Pike
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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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Voyage of Discovery: RRS Discovery expedition to Ascension Island and St Helena
We learn that later this month, on 26 November, Blue Belt Programme scientists and team members will depart Southampton on a 9000 mile expedition to Ascension Island and St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
According to Dr Paul Whomersley, Principal Scientific Officer, RRS Discovery Survey, staff are currently finalising the scientific objectives and preparing the necessary equipment ready for departure in RRS Discovery, the whole expedition is to take approximately 60 days.
It is understood that since initial plans were developed and due to the potential impacts and risks that Covid-19 could have on such an expedition the vessel will steam to Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa. After refuelling she will continue on passage to Ascension Island and St Helena.
Ten days will be spent in the vicinity of each island conducting scientific surveys and collecting data. Once completed the teams will be disembarked at Tenerife.
At Southampton on 26 November Discovery will embark 27 scientists including staff from the Governments of both Ascension Island and St Helena. They will be supported by technical and engineering staff from National Marine Facilities and, of course, by RRS Discovery’s ship’s company.
Dr Paul Whomersley stated in an online article in the Blue Belt Programme newsletter that a main objective of the expedition is to collect new scientific data on how key habitats and species found within the biodiverse and near pristine Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of both islands function. This increased knowledge will help inform the development of future sustainable management and conservation strategies.
The newsletter may be subscribed to HERE
It is reported that the expedition will consider habitats of interest and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. A deep water camera, able to function at a depth of 3000metres will be carried and also a wave glider (an autonomous, unmanned surface vehicle) will be deployed on missions around the islands to survey pelagic fish abundances by using acoustics to measure the size of shoals.
Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) will also be deployed in the surface waters to assess the presence and abundances of large pelagic species such as sharks and tuna.
About RRS Discovery
The ship is the fourth vessel to bear the name Discovery, the first being the barque-rigged auxiliary steamship built in 1901 which carried Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their highly successful voyage to the Antarctic the following year.
The modern-day Discovery is a purpose-built (commissioned 2012) ocean-going research vessel operated by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). She is 99.7 metres loa, 18metres beam and of 6000 gt. Fitted with the most up-to-date technical equipment and sensors, Discovery is a fine example of a research vessel to undertake oceanic exploration in remote and challenging environments.
About the Blue Belt Programme
The Blue Belt Programme supports the delivery of the UK Government’s commitment to enhance marine protection of over four million square kilometres of marine environment across UK Overseas Territories.
This Programme is a partnership between two world-leading agencies of the UK Government, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and seven UK Overseas Territories (see adjacent map).
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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Namport readies itself to become a Green Hydrogen export hub for Europe and the world
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Rotterdam (PoR), in anticipation of becoming the Green Hydrogen Export Hub for Europe and the rest of the World.
Namibia recently took a policy decision to position the country as a hub for the production and distribution of green hydrogen. This is premised on the fact that Namibia is amongst the top three countries on earth that have the world’s best wind and solar resources which are used to produce green hydrogen and has great expanses of open land that are suitable for hosting green hydrogen plants.
Green hydrogen is the key to future environmentally friendly energy requirements while the immense capital and resources attendant to the implementation of the green hydrogen revolution would be great enablers to employment creation amongst Namibians and the drive towards economic sustainability.
Namport has thus taken note of the great benefits which stand to accrue to the country and the region from the adoption and roll out of green hydrogen energy and the need to position our ports to facilitate the movement of project materials and other components initially during the construction phase of the projects and, the future export of the hydrogen and other by-products to international markets.
The Netherlands is at an advanced stage of planning for the deployment of green hydrogen energy and the Port of Rotterdam (PoR) anticipates a demand of twenty million tonnes of hydrogen per annum to pass through its port’s industrial complex by the year 2050.
It is against this background that Namport and the Port of Rotterdam recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on various areas of mutual interest, but more specifically on how best to position their ports to become green hydrogen export hubs and facilitate the forecasted growth and flow of the green hydrogen supply chain from Namibia to Rotterdam.
Both Namport and PoR are keen to play a complementary and catalysing role in the development of the supply chain of hydrogen from Namibia to Rotterdam. Hence the MoU gives the Namibian hydrogen initiative a great opportunity to form part of the energy supply mix to serve Northwestern Europe.
The Port of Rotterdam has taken the lead in the transition to renewable energy and has developed an ambitious hydrogen masterplan to become the major hydrogen import hub to supply Northwest-Europe with renewable energy, as part of the decarbonisation of the European economy.
As part of readiness planning, Namport has set aside 350 hectares of land at the Port of Walvis Bay North Port for allocation to Green Hydrogen related industries. Whilst the actual solar and wind farms will be located either inland
or offshore, the electrolyser or factory that produces the green hydrogen as well as the factory that converts the hydrogen into ammonia, LOHC etc. would need to be located inside a port close to a berth from where the ammonia or LOHC will be exported in order to ensure cost effectiveness and competitive pricing.
The allocated port land is supported by the recently commissioned two, 90,000 deadweight tonnage capacity liquid bulk jetties (berth 100 and 101) with a draft alongside of 16 metres, which can be used be used to export green hydrogen through the Port of Walvis Bay North Port. Over the long-term, additional port infrastructure such as berths or quay walls or common user pipelines might still have to be developed to support growth for the export of green hydrogen.
New deepwater port at Luderitz
Additionally, the planned new deep-water port of Luderitz at Angra Point, would complement the North Port in cementing the country’s drive to become a hub for the production and export of green hydrogen to Europe. The green hydrogen industry has therefore provided new impetus for the deeper water port project at Angra Point and as such Namport is now revising past studies carried out on the project to determine how to best accommodate green hydrogen related industries inside the planned new port.
Namport will follow the landlord model in both the Port of Walvis Bay and Luderitz in accommodating the green hydrogen industry. This means that common infrastructure such as berths and pipelines may be developed by Namport and
operated on common user principles whereby green hydrogen developers awarded concessions by the Government of Namibia will have equitable access to the port infrastructure to facilitate their respective exports of green hydrogen.
Namport says it is reaffirming its preparedness to support the supply chain for the green hydrogen industry as part of the national and global roadmap towards establishing green hydrogen energy as the preferred environmentally friendly fuel that will play a critical role towards decarbonising the planet.
This is consistent with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which calls for member states to ‘take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.’
“We are therefore very much impressed with the rate at which the Namibian government has been driving the development of the green hydrogen industry in Namibia and certainly welcome the government’s decision to award concessions to green hydrogen developers while positioning Namibia as a global player in this developing multi-million dollar industry,” says Andrew Kanime, Namport CEO.
“We are particularly excited about our new partnership with the Port of Rotterdam as it enables Namibia to lead the pack when it comes to the decarbonisation of the world and facilitation of carbon neutral economies around the world.” he added.
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WHARF TALK: Another KOTC tanker calls at Cape Town – BURGAN
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
In terms of fuel product imports in to South Africa, it is becoming increasingly normal for the continuing flow of product tankers to be carrying enough parcels of products, for not just one South African port, but quite often for two ports. What is more unusual is for the tanker to be carrying parcels destined for three ports on the South African coast.
On 8th November at 08h00 the MR2 products tanker BURGAN (IMO 9656022) arrived from Mossel Bay, on the South Cape coast, and proceeded straight into Cape Town harbour, berthing at the Tanker Berth in the Duncan Dock. Her stay was to be quite a short one, and within 27 hours she had completed her discharge. On 9th November at 11h00, she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Fujairah in the UAE, where this current voyage had originated.
Her short stay in Cape Town was purely down to the fact that Mossel Bay was not her only discharge port on this voyage to South Africa. Prior to her arrival at Mossel Bay, where all fuel offloads are made from an offshore Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoy, and piped via a subsea pipeline to a shore facility, she had discharged a further parcel of fuel products at the Island View 7 berth in Durban harbour.
Built in 2014 by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard at Ulsan in South Korea, Burgan is 186 metres in length and has a deadweight of 46,330 dwt. She is powered by a single, Hyundai built, Wärtsilä 7RT-Flex50D producing 16,381 bhp (12,215 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots.
Her auxiliary machinery consists of three generators providing 1500 kW each, and an emergency generator providing 250 kW. She has a single Alfa Laval Aalborg oil fired boiler and a single Mitsubishi exhaust gas boiler. She has 14 cargo tanks with a cargo carrying capacity of 52,002 m3.
Owned and managed by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), she is operated by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Built as the first of a series of four sisterships, Burgan was voted by the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA) as one of the 2014 Ships of the Year.
Her trip to Durban, Mossel Bay and Cape Town on this voyage is not her first trip to South Africa this year. She also called at Durban in September, plus Walvis Bay in Namibia on the same voyage. Earlier this year she called at Djibouti in both February and March.
The constant voyages of Burgan across the Gulf of Oman, and the Gulf of Aden, means that anti-piracy measures are an integral part of her defenses. The ubiquitous Crew Mannequins, standing permanent watch, on both the port and starboard side on one of the upper decks of the funnel block, plus keeping guard on the aft end of the bridge deck.
She also has the recognisable blue barrels, wrapped around her accommodation main deck and stern, thought to contain swathes of free-hanging razor wire lengths. This anti-climbing measure is deployed when she is underway through those areas where the piracy risk is considered to be at its highest. Clearly recognisable, and a very rare fitting as an anti-piracy device, is a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), located on its pole outside the bridge doors.
The anti-piracy measures would have come in handy in February 2015. On a voyage across the Gulf of Aden, bound for Djibouti, Burgan was approached by four skiffs containing armed men. On this voyage she was carrying armed guards onboard, and after warning shots were fired at the skiffs by the onboard security detail, they broke away and abandoned their presumed attempt at boarding the vessel.
In June 2019, Burgan was in a head-on collision with the container feeder vessel X-Press Manahanda. Whilst outbound, in ballast, from Chittagong in Bangladesh, and sailing down the Karnaphuli Channel towards the open sea, Burgan struck the other vessel, and they were both impaled on each other’s bow for a full two days, before salvage experts separated the two vessels. After temporary repairs were completed, Burgan sailed for Kuwait to enable permanent repairs to be carried out to her bow.
She is named after an oilfield, located onshore and southwest of Kuwait City. The Burgan Oilfield is the second largest sandstone oilfield in the world, and is considered to be the fourth most productive oilfield in the world. It is estimated that she contains up to 75 billion barrels of oil, and 70 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The Burgan oilfield is where the apocalyptic scenes of the first Gulf War, where the retreating Iraqi forces set fire to over 300 oil wells, took place. It was here towards the end of the war that, in a major battle, the American 1st Marine Division destroyed over 60 Iraqi Army T-55, T-62 and T-72 battle tanks, for no losses of their own.
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Aviation commits to net-zero by 2050
New technology aircraft and jet fuel made from waste: the global air transport industry has outlined how to meet its new long-term climate goal during Transport Day events at the UN COP26 in Glasgow.
This confirms the commitment of the world’s airlines, airports, air traffic management and the makers of aircraft and engines to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in support of the Paris Agreement. Aviation is one of the only sectors to have made such a global commitment.
Analysis detailed in the Waypoint 2050 report outlines credible paths for the air transport sector to reach net-zero carbon. The industry says a mix of new technology including potentially shifting to electricity and hydrogen for some shorter services; improvements in operations and infrastructure; and a transition to sustainable aviation fuel by mid-century would provide a majority of the carbon reductions. Remaining emissions could be captured using carbon removals measures.
Speaking at a COP26 event with the UK Government today, Haldane Dodd, Acting Executive Director of the Air Transport Action Group said: “Aviation has increased its ambition in line with the need for all sectors of the economy to pursue rigorous climate action. Despite having endured the greatest crisis in aviation history, this net-zero 2050 goal shows that our sector has placed climate action as one of its highest priorities.”
A complete shift away from fossil fuels for air transport around mid-century would be possible, with sustainable aviation fuels made from waste resources and rotational cover crops gradually transitioning towards fuels generated from low-carbon electricity. Importantly, the shift to sustainable fuels will enable green energy industry opportunities in nearly every country, sustaining up to 14 million jobs worldwide.
“Our analysis shows several scenarios, with new technology options such as electric and hydrogen aircraft for the short-haul fleet, to a complete shift to sustainable aviation fuel for medium- and long-haul operations,” said Dodd. “We have identified the building blocks needed and the scale of the challenge is substantial, but with supportive government policy and the backing of the energy sector, it can be done.”
He said national government policy measures focused on innovation and energy transition were vital. “We also urge the member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to support adoption of a long-term climate goal at the 41st ICAO Assembly in 2022, in line with industry commitments.”
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IMO supporting digital clearance in Pacific ports
On 3 November IMO and the World Bank Group announced that they had joined forces to assist countries in the Pacific region to design pilot projects to encourage adoption of a Maritime Single Window (MSW) system to digitalise clearance processes in their ports.
It is understood that more than 40 participants* from Fijian authorities and other relevant stakeholders joined the World Bank Group and IMO to take part in an induction webinar on 2 and 3 November) on the MSW initiative for the Pacific region.
The webinar followed the successful implementation and adoption of an IMO generic Maritime Single Window (MSW) system in Antigua and Barbuda developed with the support of Norway.
A maritime single window concept enables all information required by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, people and cargo, to be submitted electronically via a single portal, without duplication.
More efficient shipping and trade
In addition to requiring governments to introduce electronic information exchange since 8 April 2019, a maritime single window concept is also recommended by IMO’s Facilitation Convention, the treaty which aims to reduce administrative burdens and make shipping and trade by sea more efficient.
* Participants from the senior management of Fiji’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport (MCTTT); Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS); Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF); Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF); Fiji Ports Corporation; Fiji Ports Terminal; ship agencies as well as Port Community (SPC).
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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Bulk carrier NS QINGDAO escorted from Durban to St Helena Bay because of toxic fumes
The South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) says it is aware of a bulk carrier releasing toxic fumes in St. Helena Bay.
The geared bulk carrier NS QINGDAO (IMO 9567439) suffered from a chemical reaction after its cargo came into contact with rain water while discharging the cargo in the port of Durban at Maydon Wharf 14.
Durban has experienced a large amount of rain in recent weeks.
Concentrated toxic fumes were released into the atmosphere and as a result, the Transnet National Port Authority in consultation with SAMSA, DFFE and other stakeholders decided to have the vessel sail from the port so that the hatches can be ventilated offshore.
SAMSA directed the 56,745-dwt vessel to sail to a protected anchorage under the escort of the AMSOL tug UMKHUSELI.
The vessel has a full a team of salvors, chemical experts, hazmat teams and other emergency personnel on board to manage the operation safely, following defined emergency protocols.
The owner, which Equasis shows is Longda International, care of YKJ Shipping Co Ltd of Ningbo in Zhejiang, China, is reported to be co-operating with the South African maritime authorities and has been very proactive to help contain the situation.
According to SAMSA, the cargo will be discharged into skips, chemically neutralised and landed ashore at an approved dumping site in a safe and controlled manner.
SAMSA says the vessel poses no immediate threat to the marine environment and humans.
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COP 26 latest: UN Global Compact – Shipping industry confirms formation of ‘people-centred’ Task Force
Just Transition to net-zero
In a landmark moment for maritime workers the formation of a Just Transition Maritime Task Force has been agreed to drive decarbonisation of the industry and support millions of seafarers through shipping’s green transition. This was reported from COP 26 in Glasgow on 10 November by ITF.
It is understood that the task force will push forward shipping’s climate goals while protecting its works and their communities, ensuring opportunity for all.
Furthermore, it will focus on the development of new green skills and green and decent work, identifying best practice across the value chain and providing policy recommendations for an equitable transition – with a specific focus on developing economies.
UN + ICS + ITF + input
The task force was agreed during high-level talks at COP26, including in discussions with the Shipping lead, UN climate champions team, whose founding members include the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), representing ship owners, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing seafarers and port workers, and the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
+ ILO + IMO
Other influential UN organisations including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the IMO will join the task force as formal partners.
Comment from ICS…
Guy Platten, Secretary General of ICS, said: “We are all about to face the single largest transition in modern times, and all of us will be affected.
“Many of our seafarers come from developing nations, who are witnessing first-hand the effects of climate change. We must ensure they are given the green skills they need to keep global trade moving, and that developing nations can have access to the technologies and infrastructure to be part of shipping’s green transition.”
The world’s largest economies reiterated the importance of Just Transition during COP 26 from week commencing 8 November, as 30 nations committed to strategies ensuring that workers, businesses and communities are supported as countries transition to greener economies.
Seafarers total 1.4mn globally
Global shipping is responsible for the movement of 90% of world trade and currently accounts for nearly 3% of global GHG emissions. There are over 1.4 million seafarers globally, with the majority of this workforce originating from emerging economies.
Comment from ITF…
Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary, added: “This task force will give international shipping the opportunity to lead the transformation of transport. We welcome the commitment from all partners, from industry and the UN agencies, to tackle this challenge collaboratively with workers and their unions. We know that seafarers’ expertise will lead shipping’s green transformation, and we look forward to working in the task force to push forward concrete, tangible solutions to decarbonise the sector in a worker-led just transition.”
We understand that this move represents the first of its kind for shipping and will provide clear leadership and steer for the industry to coordinate efforts and work with governments, industry, workers and their representatives to ensure a people-centred transition for the maritime industry.
…UN Global Compact…
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact commented: “Businesses are raising ambition for climate action and preparing for the transformative shift in our economies and societies necessary to secure a 1.5°C future. As companies work to halve emissions by 2030, a people-centred approach is a key to ensuring a just transition that leaves no one behind.
“With over 87 million people employed by our nearly 14,000 Participant companies, the UN Global Compact is uniquely positioned to scale the collective global impact of business to support a just transition. Guided by our recently launched Just Transition Think Lab this Maritime task force will help translate concrete strategies and policies for the sector.”
…and ILO
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, reflected: “The task force represents the best of sectoral social dialogue. It echoes the tripartite approach set out in the ILO’s 2015 Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all, taking a human-centred approach to achieving green shipping.”
December meeting
A meeting is expected to take place in December to begin setting up the practical next steps for the Just Transition Task Force.
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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WHARF TALK: Let’s get used to it, another tanker – LIAN SHAN HU
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
More and more tankers continue to arrive at South African ports, as a consequence of the ongoing and, seemingly, never ending lack of refining capacity in the country as a result of last year’s shutdowns of two major refineries.
Whilst these refined fuel product imports appear to be being secured from all over the world, it has been noted recently that oil ports in Malaysia, as an up and coming provider of oil products to South Africa, are playing an increasing role in that provision.
On 1st November at 07h00, the Panamax LR1 tanker LIAN SHAN HU (IMO 9783394) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Pengerang in Malaysia, and went to anchor for a full four day period, whilst awaiting a berth to become vacant.
Finally, at 08h00 on 5th November she entered Cape Town harbour and went to the long tanker berth in the Duncan Dock.
She was fully laden with 10,000 tons of Aviation Jet fuel and 60,000 tons of diesel fuel. Her full load was to be discharged and pumped directly to the storage facilities at the Astron Refinery in Milnerton.
Built in 2018 by the Dalian Shipbuilding Group, as Dalian in China, Lian Shan Hu is 220 metres in length and has a deadweight of 72,780 tons. She is powered by a single DMD MAN-B&W 6G50ME-C9 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 10,197 bhp (7,500 kW) to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots. She has 14 cargo tanks, with a cargo carrying capacity of 79,000 m3.
Nominally owned by Lian Shan Hu Maritime Limited, of Hong Kong, Lian Shan Hu is a part of the large China COSCO fleet, and she is operated by COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation of Shanghai, and managed by COSCO Shipping Tankers (Dalian) of Dalian.
One of five sisterships, Lian Shan Hu was the fourth to be delivered from the shipyard, where all five of the class were ordered by China COSCO in 2015, and all five were delivered within a 12 month period between December 2017 and December 2018, with one entering service approximately every three months. They all went immediately on to charter with Shell Trading.
As previously reported, her loading port of Pengerang in Malaysia, is yet another of the six new ports that the Malaysian government have sanctioned, and all located to the west, north and east of Singapore island to try and lure away the lucrative transit, transfer and storage trade that Singapore attracts.
Pengerang is the site of the massive Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC), whose development was started only in 2011, and is still yet to be completed. When project construction of the mega facility is finally completed, it will cover a huge area of 80 km2.
This is her first ever call at a South African port, and it is thought she has only visited Africa once before, with a call in at a West African port back in February 2019. On completion of her full discharge of Jet and Diesel fuel, Lian Shan Hu sailed from Cape Town at 14h00 on 8th November, bound for Fujairah in the UAE.
Like all other COSCO tankers that have called in at South African ports, Lian Shan Hu appears ready for her transit through the potentially pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Oman, whilst en-route to Fujairah, as she has crew mannequins strategically place on her upper aft decks, all staring relentlessly astern of the vessel, on permanent look out for ne’er do well intruders.
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New IMO programme for West Africa maritime security
On 9 November IMO announced that it is working to improve maritime security in West Africa and is offering a new and innovative programme entitled the IMO Whole of Government Approach to Maritime Security.
It is understood that the programme consists of integrated workshops and tailored support aimed at helping IMO Member States to develop National Maritime Security Committees, Risk Registers and Strategies.
Peter Adams, IMO Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on maritime security, explained: “At IMO, we believe that an inclusive approach that draws key stakeholders together is most likely to yield meaningful results. Therefore, the programme aims to create a cross-government committee that can be aided by the Risk Register to objectively identify security gaps and prioritize where to steer future policy development, funding and capacity building efforts.
“It also leads to the development of a National Maritime Security Strategy that provide the strategic objectives, which explain how the Member State will secure its maritime domain for the foreseeable future. We hope to replicate the IMO Whole of Government Approach to Maritime Security in other regions in the future.”
Introducing the ISPS Code
The programme has been carefully designed based on IMO’s global maritime security experience, including assisting countries to implement IMO’s maritime security measures, such as the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
Furthermore, the programme provides a practical framework to underpin effective national maritime security decision-making and governance, tailored to the specific needs of the respective Member State.
Each element can be delivered either as a stand-alone unit or as an integrated programme. Depending upon the option or options chosen, the programme timeline can range from three to eighteen months, it is reported.
Developing a Nigerian National Maritime Security Strategy
Subject to available funding, IMO will work with the member state to provide the framework, expert workshops and consultancy support. IMO will be supporting Nigeria in the development of its National Maritime Security Strategy, with the project due to be launched towards the end of 2021 and completed within an eighteen-month period.
To find out more about the IMO Whole of Government Approach to Maritime Security programme readers are invited to SEE HERE
Safer waters in West Africa
During a visit on 22 October to IMO Headquarters by representatives from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim was given an update on maritime security in Nigerian waters.
Dr Bashir Jamoh, NIMASA Director General quoted data from the IMB reports, which demonstrate a downward trend, with a 40% reduction of piracy and armed robbery related incidents across the Gulf of Guinea.
He stated that there were 28 incidents reported in the first nine months of the year, compared to 46 in 2020. Nigeria accounted for four of these incidents, a 77% reduction from the 17 incidents in the same period in 2020. Unlike last year, when most incidents took place outside territorial waters, almost all incidents mentioned above occurred in anchorages, ports and harbours.
Dr Jamoh attributed the significant reduction in maritime security incidents in Nigeria to deterrence, through increased maritime law enforcement presence in the estuary regions, and to enhanced intelligence and engagement with the people of the Niger Delta. He also outlined a plan to enhance security in internal waters, given recent incidents in those areas.
Cooperation with MOWCA
Emphasising the value of IMO support for regional initiatives, the NIMASA Director General stated that the safety agency will shortly be completing work on its enhanced Regional Maritime Training centre in Lagos, which is expected to serve as a hub for regional Search and Rescue (SAR) and security training. This is expected to build on ongoing regional cooperation with the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA) and the Joint Industry Group (Nigeria and international maritime industry associations).
Finally, Dr Jamoh also highlighted the efforts put in to enhance the region’s legal framework with adoption of legislation providing for enforcement and sanctions for offences against maritime security, including piracy.
NIMASA has been working to address socio-economic factors that contribute to piracy and maritime security issues, such as unemployment, poverty, lack of education opportunities and so forth. There has been a positive impact from an ongoing maritime education programme to provide alternate employment opportunities and scholarships for youth in the affected areas.
By training these individuals as future seafarers, fishers, maritime personnel and marine litter marshals, the programme creates economic opportunities as well as addresses the maritime skills gap.
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
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Mounting pressure on government for intervention at the ports
Another sector that is trying to recover from the COVID-19 induced lockdowns that saw extensive bans on liquor sales, is the wine industry, which is rebuilding and says it is being impeded by continued inefficiencies at the ports. In this case the Port of Cape Town is singled out.
Wine is also part of agriculture and its cyclical nature requires effective and timeous engagements with Government on policies that are conducive to trade, says Vinpro this week.
Vinpro represents close to 2,600 South African wine producers, cellars and industry stakeholders.
The organisation called on government to join hands in rebuilding the sector towards a sustainable future by creating an enabling environment through sound policy decisions, infrastructure investment, stricter enforcement with regard to illicit trade, as well as financial support and relief.
“Agriculture has been identified as one of the drivers of economic growth and job creation in South Africa,” says says Vinpro MD Rico Basson.
He points out that the wine industry plays an important role in this sector, contributing R55 billion to GDP (1.1%) and supporting 269,096 employees in the total wine value chain.
“The key to South Africa – and the wine industry – emerging from the precarious position it finds itself in, lies in sustainable growth. Now is the time for conducive policy decisions that will create an enabling environment to achieve this growth. This is what we hope to hear from Finance Minister Enoch Gogodwana when he presents the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement this week.”
Basson says although the industry focuses on recovering and rebuilding, the challenging process might take longer than five years and would require short, medium and longer term interventions.
Efficient infrastructure and service delivery
All major sectors in South Africa depend on reliant infrastructure and efficient service delivery, such as water, electricity and roads, he says.
According to Basson, inefficiencies have long plagued the wine industry with access to water, unreliable power provision from Eskom, as well as inadequacies at the major ports, all having a detrimental effect on producers, importers and exporters.
“For example, the Port of Cape Town, the country’s highest rated port, is ranked a dismal 347 out of a total of 351 ports globally in terms of efficiency.”
He said the Cape Town Port Terminal is of strategic importance to the wine industry and is one of the busiest international shipping routes.
“South African wine exports represent almost half of its total production. Of these exports, 41% are packaged wine and 59% bulk wine. The UK, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and Sweden are the top five markets for South African wine, with a total export value of close to R10 billion, the second highest of any South African agricultural product.
“An effective and fully operational port is essential to grow the economy of the country and create new jobs,” he says.
“The status of South Africa’s port terminals is, however, an obstacle for the wine industry to recover and grow. Therefore it is of utmost importance to increase the port efficiency and capacity.
See the full statement by Vinpro by CLICKING HERE
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IN CONVERSATION: COP26: Two worlds talked past each other – or never even met
Ian Scoones, Institute of Development Studies
At the 2021 UN climate change conference in Glasgow, moving between the corporate slickness of the official “Blue Zone” (a UN-managed space which hosts the negotiations) and the wider fringe was quite a disconcerting experience for me. These were two different worlds. Everyone was committed to saving the planet, but there were highly diverging views about how to do it.
A welter of announcements on everything from coal to methane to forests dominated the opening days. Large numbers were discussed and ambitious targets were set. The bottom line was keeping alive the Paris agreement to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C, while assuring a ‘transition’ to a low-carbon future.
The contradictions were all too apparent at this year’s conference, known as COP26. The hired exhibition spaces in the conference centre were hosted by fossil fuel polluting countries and sponsored by large corporations. Corporate spin, also known as greenwash, abounded. There were a few African delegations with their own space and a vanishingly few civil society voices in the main venue.
Meanwhile, the discourse was very different in parallel fora. Here the talk was of inequality, climate justice and reparations. The focus was on radical transformations of systems of production and consumption. Many were critical of business-led and market-based solutions to climate change.
There was passion, commitment and a real sense of anger and frustration about the main conference. Huge suspicion around the corporate takeover of the climate agenda swirled, with much commentary on the double standards of the UK hosts, still proposing a new coalmine and oilfield as part of a so-called ‘transition’.
Unlike a decade ago, there was no climate scepticism on show. But how to address the underlying causes of climate change in capitalism remains the big, unaddressed challenge.
Pastoralists’ perspectives
As a researcher working on pastoralism as part of a European Research Council funded project, I was at the COP together with a delegation of pastoralists from different parts of the world, all linked to the World Alliance for Mobile Indigenous Pastoralist Peoples. We were definitely on the fringe of the fringe.
We hosted a photo exhibition exploring pastoralists’ own perceptions of climate change and uncertainty from across the world. We engaged in a dialogue with Scottish farmers and food groups, focusing on the future of livestock production under climate change. And our ‘sheep for the climate’ action brought a group together to discuss why livestock are not always bad for the planet, together with some fine rare breed sheep.
Read more:
Cows and cars should not be conflated in climate change debates
When I managed to find a few events in the Blue Zone (not an easy task) relating to our research, they were mostly extremely disappointing. There were parallel conversations going on. If climate change is genuinely a shared challenge for all of humanity, dialogue between different viewpoints is vital.
Within the main conference, there was much talk about trees and ‘nature-based solutions’ across multiple sessions, for instance. The mainstream media hailed the agreement on deforestation, but a significant part of this simply replicates the failed programmes of the past. Under such programmes, forest protection in the global south is used as carbon offsets for large polluting companies and rich, consuming publics in the north.
The huge ecosystem restoration efforts being proposed potentially cause real problems for pastoralists. This is because large areas of open rangelands are earmarked for tree planting and biodiversity protection through exclusion. These so-called nature-based solutions are frequently new forms of colonialism, opening the gates to ‘green grabbing’, where land and resources are appropriated in the name of environmental conservation.
Methane was also a hot topic. The huge reductions in emissions proposed under the Global Methane Pledge have major implications for livestock production. Yet a session I attended was obsessed only with technical solutions -– feed additives, methane-reducing inhibitors and vaccines, seaweed supplements, even face masks for cows.
Once again, livestock systems were lumped together, without differentiating between highly polluting industrial systems and more climate-friendly extensive systems, such as African pastoralism. Indeed, many of the solutions proposed are already being practised in extensive grazing systems. The problem I guess is that these practices could not be patented and sold by agribusinesses.
Climate and capitalism
So how do these two worlds intersect? Everyone is keen on nature, no-one wants catastrophic climate change, but why are the solutions so divergent? At root, the two camps (and many in between) have different views on the role of capitalism in climate change.
For those in the Blue Zone, a long-term shift from reliance on fossil fuels is (largely) accepted. But capitalism in its new green guise, many argue, can save the day through technology investment and market mechanisms – and notably through the plethora of offsetting schemes that make up the net-zero plans.
By contrast, critical civil society and youth voices argue that capitalism is the root cause of the problem, together with its handmaiden colonialism. The only solution therefore is to overhaul capitalism and dismantle unequal global power relations. But how, through what alliances?
In a recent paper –- climate change and agrarian struggles – we explored the challenges of ‘eroding capitalism’ to create structural transformation and climate justice. However, in Glasgow I missed these crucial, political debates about ways forward. Are new styles of multilateral negotiation possible? Can genuine inclusion occur, going beyond the performance of participation where an ‘indigenous’ person or ‘community’ leader is co-opted? Can a true dialogue emerge about our common future?
I of course had very limited exposure to the thousands of simultaneous events. But my sense was that there was little meaningful interchange between different positions. Two worlds talked past each other or – because of restricted access, problems with visas and the high costs of attending –- never even met.
Ian Scoones, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Durban Harbour becomes a septic pond as sewers overflow
Welcome to the Port of Durtbin
Terry Hutson
That’s what people are calling the beautiful Durban Bay. Durban harbour has again suffered from a sewage leak, and it’s not the rivers feeding into the harbour at the Bayhead that are to blame. Not this time. It is coming from the city itself, or more accurately, the Point.
Yes, the Point. That’s where the multi-million rand Point Waterfront is under development, albeit ever so slowly. This week the pump station at the Point broke down. It does this frequently, and when it does the sewage and other liquid waste from across the width of the city backs up and finds an outlet into the harbour.
From there some of it is washed through the entrance channel and is deposited on Durban’s beaches, including those of the Blue Flag variety.
The breakdown this time is being blamed on load-shedding. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the regular switching off of all electrical power in specific districts as a result of failures at the country’s coal-fired power stations – all suffering from a lack of maintenance or, in the case of two new stations, design faults.
Meanwhile, Durban Bay has again become an open septic pond. This has occurred several times this year alone, let alone other years. As a result, raw sewage, sanitary pads and other unwelcome articles are flowing into the once pristine Durban Bay, leaving a stench across the Durban Marina, the place where yachts and power boats from across the world come to be moored, side by side with hundreds of locally owned pleasure craft.
It’s where the two yacht clubs live, and several restaurants. Not good for business!
Visitors to Durban and locals alike visit the marina to board pleasure boats for cruises on the harbour and out at sea. This is a firm favourite among tourists and holiday-makers and especially among black African visitors who descend on the bay by the hundreds throughout the week and weekends. Business was starting to flourish after the COVID lockdowns.
What everyone is greeted with right now is a powerful and nauseating stench, with faeces floating visibly in the water that has turned a sickly grey. This is the same harbour once famous for its fishing, be it from boats on the water or fishermen lining the few reserved places where they are still permitted to fish.
What they may take home with their catches, assuming any fish have survived the constant polluting and avoidable contamination, doesn’t bear thinking about. It’s simply frightening!
Earlier this the week the aptly named Lavender Creek – a large drain leading into a short canal, directly opposite Joe Slovo Street (the former Field Street) – overflowed with a reddish effluent that quickly spread across parts of the harbour. The name applied to this creek tells you it has long had a problem.
Calls to the municipality initially went unanswered (nothing too unusual there) and no-one in officialdom seemed interested. Later they woke up to face the music. That’s when load-shedding got the blame.
As mentioned, the offending pump station that keeps breaking down is situated in Point Road. I use the former road name for easy identification purposes because everyone knows Point Road. Officially it is renamed Mahatma Gandhi Road. What matters is that the pump station is practically opposite the new and about-to-be-opened Durban Cruise Terminal.
Recently the port of Durban was rated as the worst-operated in the world, 351 out of 351 ports worldwide. This sobering and embarrassing figure was softened only by the fact that South Africa’s other container ports, Ngqura (349), Port Elizabeth (348) and Cape Town at 347, all smaller ports, shared lowly positions nearby.
This latest shame that Durban must face is not necessarily the fault of the port authorities – for once. That embarrassment belongs to the city authorities, the eThekwini Municipality. Will they feel any shame? We don’t think so, based on past performance.
But the port authority, Transnet, ought to be accepting some responsibility and taking up this matter with the municipality in the strongest and most unforgiving manner, demanding that action be taken failing which the drains emptying into the harbour will be blocked off.
Don’t expect that to happen though – both Transnet and eThekwini Municipality answer to the same master.
What will happen is the word will get out, if it hasn’t already, that Durban Bay is a place best avoided. Yachties and motor boatmen don’t like their boats fouled and nor do ship operators and owners.
The Harbour is one of the city’s main sources of economic activity, having brought prosperity to Durban and is providing employment and a living to tens of thousands of its citizens. Multiply that by another factor of 7 – 10 for the dependents. It also has a prominent role to play in another major economic sector, that of tourism. Durban Bay is, or was, beautiful and a great attraction to visitors.
Neither the port nor the city can afford to endanger either and it is encumbent on both to take the necessary steps of avoiding any further disgraces such as happened in Durban Harbour this week. Load-shedding or not.
Now please block your nose (just joking) and view this YouTube of the latest disturbing event. [3:21]
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Saldanha Iron Ore terminal renews its operating licence
The West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape has issued a five-year air emissions license to the Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal for the movement of one of South Africa’s strategic commodities. In the financial year that ended on 31 March 2021, the terminal handled over 54 million tons of iron ore.
The iron ore is received at the port from mines almost 900 kms away in the Northern Cape.
To obtain the license, which is renewable in five years ending 2026 – the terminal embarked on a process of public participation. This included advertising in local newspapers, holding community engagements, interacting with all registered stakeholders and observing an appeals process over a 30-day period after the issuing of the license.
“We are pleased that our renewal application was successful and received on schedule.” said managing executive at the Saldanha Terminals, Andiswa Dlanga.
“There is always substantial environmental consideration required to ensure that our operations are sustainable well into the future and we are committed all the way,” she added.
Dlanga said that since 2016, the terminal had commenced with varying dust mitigation and improvement projects to reduce the impact of the nuisance dust, including installing additional abatement equipment. “This is beyond wetting stockpiles, adding dust suppressants when wetting cargo, regularly cleaning surrounding surfaces and monitoring air quality daily,” she said.
In March this year, the terminal invested R1.2 million in two dust-suppressing cannons used on ship loaders as cargo flows from the chutes to the vessel hatch. The acquisition complemented existing tools and mitigating initiatives that include two other dust-suppressing cannons, a dust extraction plant, water cannons and a bucket wheel water spraying system.
Over the 46 years of the terminal’s iron ore operation, environmental matters have become more pronounced, calling for continued business commitment and demonstrated effort. This has seen close collaboration with customers – where they too have installed washing plant stations in the mines – to remove the finer particles that form dust before the iron ore is railed to the terminal.
The Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal is Africa’s largest iron ore exporter with a capacity of handling 60 million tons per annum, which is executed by a consistent team of 401 employees.
The Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal is one of 16-sea cargo and three inland terminals managed by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of Transnet SOC Ltd and South Africa’s leading terminal operator responsible for loading and offloading cargo aboard vessels calling the seven SA ports.
TPT provides import and export services for both domestic and global markets through a total staff compliment of 9,000 people across 16-sea cargo and three inland terminals. TPT’s operations target four major market sectors namely: automotive, containers, bulk and break bulk.
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WHARF TALK: feeder container vessel – MSC MILA 3
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
A good sign of the longevity of any vessel, and the quality of her building, is to see how many owners she has had over the period of her working life. If new owners, who have good reputations, are willing to keep purchasing old tonnage, then you can usually glean from that, that the vessel in question is a ‘Good ‘Un’.
On 6th November at 09h00, the feeder container vessel MSC MILA 3 (IMO 9062996) arrived off Cape Town from Ngqura, and went straight to berth 601 in the Ben Schoeman Dock, to start her discharge at the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT). What was unusual was for a small, geared, MSC container vessel not to berth at the Multi-Purpose Terminal (MPT) in the Duncan Dock.
Built in 1995 by Stocznia Gdynia, at Gdynia in Poland, MSC Mila 3 is 188 metres in length and has a deadweight of 30,296 tons. She is powered by a single KHIC Sulzer 7RTA-72U 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 24,375 bhp (17,962 kW) to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 19.5 knots. She has a container carrying capacity of 2,072 TEU, with 225 reefer plugs provided. She has five holds, all served by three 45 ton capacity cranes.
Her longevity of service, currently standing at 26 years, indicates how well she was built to last. As a Stocznia 8111 design MSC Mila 3 has spent her working life under ownership and charter to some of the world’s most well known shipping companies including, Contship, CMBT, Lykes Lines, P&O Nedlloyd, CP ships and Hapag Lloyd, before joining the MSC fleet in 2015. There is one other sistership also currently sailing under the MSC houseflag.
Owned by MSC of Geneva, MSC Mila 3 is both operated and managed by MSC Shipmanagement of Limassol, in Cyprus. She is currently sailing on the MSC Angola Service, with port rotations linking Durban, Ngqura and Cape Town with Luanda, Lagos, Lobito, Namibe and Walvis Bay. On completion of her container work in Cape Town, she sailed on 8th November at 18h00, bound for Luanda in Angola.
She has only just switched to the MSC Angola Service, and has just finished her first full port rotation on the service. Prior to this MSC Mila 3 was running on the MSC India Africa Service, which links South Africa with both West Africa, UAE, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
She has received 38 Port State Inspections in her working life, with none resulting in her detention. She has received only one inspection this year, which took place at Tin Can in Lagos, during September. It was conducted under the auspices of the Abuja MoU, and it resulted in two minor deficiencies linked to cleanliness and ventilation, under working conditions.
She has only received one Port State Inspection in South Africa, and that was in Cape Town, back in June 2019, under the auspices of both the Abuja MoU, and the Indian Ocean MoU. In both cases, no deficiencies were recorded against the vessel.
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IN CONVERSATION: Kenya’s mega-railway project leaves society more unequal than before
A young man watches a Standard Gauge Railway passenger train zoom over his home in Taita Taveta county, south-eastern Kenya. Author provided
Gediminas Lesutis, University of Cambridge
In 2014, Kenya started to construct a new railway to connect the Mombasa Port with the interior and on to landlocked Uganda and Rwanda. Today the Standard Gauge Railway stops abruptly at Naivasha, 120km northwest of Nairobi. Ultimately it is planned to reach the border with Uganda at Malaba, helping to connect East Africa’s regional transport and trade.
Costing US$3.8 billion, 90% of which has been provided by a bilateral loan from the Exim Bank of China to the Government of Kenya, this new passenger and freight railway is the biggest infrastructure project in the history of independent Kenya.
Alongside other large projects such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor, the Standard Gauge Railway is central to Kenya’s current national development policy, “Vision 2030”. The policy frames these mega-projects as key in attracting the sort of private sector interest needed to fuel economic growth, increase exports and alleviate poverty.
According to China’s state authorities, the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway has driven Kenya’s economic growth by 1.5%, creating 46,000 jobs for local residents.
The reality, however, is far more complicated than such official narratives acknowledge.
In my study, I analyse the uneven sociopolitical effects of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway. In five months of fieldwork research, undertaken during several periods between November 2018 and January 2020 in different urban, peri-urban, and rural locations between Mombasa and Narok, I interviewed over 200 people to understand their experiences of the new railway project.
Read more:
Kenya’s huge railway project is causing environmental damage. Here’s how
I found that, contrary to the government’s promises of prosperity, Kenya’s mega-railway is heading down the wrong track of development. My research shows that privileged groups, with sufficient access to economic resources, are experiencing several benefits. However, disadvantaged groups, particularly those in remote or historically marginalised regions, have found it more challenging to sustain themselves as a result of large-scale infrastructure development. The railway-related economic growth is not likely to remedy this, as the project planners expect.
In fact, I concluded that, instead of bringing prosperity to people, the railway project is further advancing inequalities in the country.
The railway and inequalities
With less than 0.1% (8,300 people) of the population owning more than the bottom 99.9% (more than 44 million people), Kenya is a highly unequal country. This is as a direct result of British colonialism and rampant nepotism and corruption since independence.
In rural Kenya, access to natural resources, like land, is one of the main determining factors of social mobility. Therefore, land acquisitions for the new railway was a significant development. The National Government paid US$29 million to acquire over 4,500 hectares of land for the first phase of the new railway.
However, this land acquisition primarily benefited large-scale landowners who have received sizeable financial compensation. As my research shows, many of these individuals have been able to reinvest the money in real estate or diversify their livelihoods by starting businesses.
Smallholders and squatters with no official land titles had to vacate the land they had occupied without any financial compensation.
As in other contexts across the Global South, large-scale transport infrastructures like the Standard Gauge Railway also advance the mobility of urban middle classes. With the new railway development in Kenya, this is particularly so for those who regularly travel between Mombasa and Nairobi for work, business or leisure. As the new railway is more efficient than long and exhausting bus trips or expensive flights, these groups are directly benefiting from the new railway line.
Rural populations still prefer to use bus and minibus services that offer more flexibility. To them, the railway also presents a number of direct challenges. In many cases, it blocks the existing travel and access routes, sometimes even dividing family land and splitting villages. Many people I interviewed see the Standard Gauge Railway as a government-controlled project that is only useful to people in Nairobi with no relevance to the rural poor.
Read more:
Kenya’s huge railway project is causing environmental damage. Here’s how
The railway developments have also triggered an investment boom in central Kenya. Areas close to Nairobi have witnessed significant changes in real estate. Since 2016, in Maai Mahiu or Suswa, for instance, where new facilities like stations and depots are located, land value has increased three-fold. Here the construction of hotels, budget accommodation for truck drivers, and housing for other workers has increased to cash in on the emerging transportation economy.
Other regions of the country, such as Mombasa, historically neglected by the central government, are experiencing a decline in business opportunities. The old port’s customs clearing facilities are being shipped to the new Inland Container Depot close to Nairobi. With it, smaller scale business operations, whether in freight handling services, commerce, or hospitality, are also leaving Mombasa.
As a result, many local business people in my study describe Mombasa as a “dying city that will soon be a ghost town”. According to them, Mombasa was busy before the railway construction. It was common to get stuck in traffic for hours when large ships arrived. Now “it is emptier by the day, leaving young men idle, roaming the streets looking for work”.
The role of China
Besides funding the new railway, China also has a strong influence in the development of the project. China Road and Bridge Corporation, a Chinese state-owned company, was the main contractor.
To get quicker access to the areas allocated for the development, the corporation directly compensated individual households to vacate land. According to several company managers that I interviewed, the corporation paid US$10 million to meet the project delivery targets on time.
This directly undermines the work of Kenya’s National Land Commission that is mandated to regulate land compensation. Without direct supervision of an official state authority, some people have been able to negotiate better financial deals than others. As my interviews show, some lost out in the process.
Kenya’s government has been criticised by local civil society for ignoring regulations on project development and instead prioritising short-term stimulus effects over long-term social impacts.
Uncertain future
The plan to extend the line from Naivasha to Malaba was put on hold in April 2019. The Exim Bank reversed its funding, citing the high number of court cases against the project. Other rail projects in the region, such as Tanzania’s, provide alternative options to connect East Africa’s interior with the Indian Ocean.
There is no indication when funding might be made available to extend Kenya railway farther inland. In the meantime, Kenya is paying through the teeth for the infrastructure project it once promoted as a “game changer”. It remains to be seen whether it will ever live up to the lofty promises.
Gediminas Lesutis, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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SAMSA issues new bunkering and ship-to-ship codes of practice for comment
Current and aspirational bunkering and ship-to-ship transfer services providers in South Africa will have the next three weeks beginning this Monday (8 November 2021) to peruse and offer comments on the country’s proposed new bunkering and ship-to-ship transfer codes of practice, according to a public notice issued by the South African Maritime Safety Authority at the weekend.
The Marine Information Notice, according to the agency, “…serves to inform the general public and maritime stakeholders that SAMSA in collaboration with the Department of Transport and Transnet National Ports Authority have drafted a Bunkering Code of Practice and a Ship to Ship Transfer (STS) Code of Practice for purposes of bunkering and cargo transfers in the Republic of South Africa.
“The purpose of this Bunkering Code of Practice and Ship to Ship Transfer (STS) Code of Practice is to provide the framework for those involved in such operations, useful guidelines and an outline of the requirements for those involved in such operations. The codes also promote Maritime Industry Development for the benefit of South Africans which includes the employment of South African seafarers and developing the South African Ship Register,” says SAMSA in the notice.
South Africa currently has five bunker suppliers proper (excluding traders and companies only involved in deliveries), Shell, BP, Astron, Engen and FFS, and five bunker operators within the country’s ports, namely: AMSOL, Linsen Nambi, Minerva, South African Marine Fuels and Heron Marine.- the last three operating off the Algoa Bay coastline of the Indian Ocean.
Publication of the codes comes about as offshore bunkering services in particular are establishing a permanent presence especially on the coastline around Algoa Bay nearby the two ports in Gqeberha: the port of Port Elizabeth and port of Ngqura.
Environmental concerns
The establishment of the offshore bunkering services in the area four years ago sparked a lot of controversy involving environmentalists concerned about the impacts of oil spillages in the area with possibly highly devastating effects to the environment and life both at sea and on adjacent coastal areas.
In fact, those fears were virtually realised in 2019 after a reportedly early morning bunkering incident led to spillage of between 200-400 litres of fuel into the ocean. Notwithstanding, and fully cognizant of the dangers, according to SAMSA, South Africa also realises the vast economic opportunity presented by the country’s geographic position at the foot of the African continent.
SAMSA states: “South Africa is the gateway to Southern Africa and has a well-developed port network. Additionally, and owing to its geographical and strategic position, approximately 1500 vessels traverse the South African EEZ every day p[?], with 90% of them on passage, and therefore not calling at any of the South African ports. Most popular routes are East West – primarily the oil trade to North West Europe and the USA and West East, (involving) bulk carriers to China and oil from West Africa, as well as container ships in both directions.
Unlocking the potential of the ocean economy
“SAMSA, working with partners and industry, is committed to contribute towards South Africa unlocking the potential of the ocean economy through bunkering, including satisfying the following inclusive growth imperatives: localisation, transformation, development and growth of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), maritime capacity development and job creation (and) social cohesion and nation building.”
According to SAMSA, the same is true of ship-to-ship services and which encompass broadly, a whole set of value added services including fuel suppliers, hull cleaning, ship agency, lube oil traders, oil spill response, ship chandlers, launch operations, bunker surveying, crew change, hospitality (Guest houses and Hotels), provisions, spares, diving, seafarer employment, ship ownership, bunker traders and slops / sludge disposal.
The proposed code of practice states in part that: “Conducting bunkering operations systematically and carefully in accordance with the requirements contained in this Code taking into account legislation as detailed in Chapter 9 of this code, requirements and the relevant parts of International publications, namely ISGOTT and the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide, should ensure that such operations are conducted in a safe manner.”
SAMSA says the proposed code, put together with contribution from the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), consists of the requirements for obtaining approval and recommendations by SAMSA “in the interests of maintaining good operating practice in South African waters and reflects world best practice.
“The principal objective is to ensure that bunkering operations are conducted with zero harm to the marine environment. This code details the requirements for accomplishing safe bunkering operations and in turn support commercial marine activity.”
The Full Notice may be SEEN HERE
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Remove slime from ships to cut emissions: COP 26 presentation
Keeping ships’ hulls free from just a thin layer of slime can reduce a ship’s GHG emissions by up to 25%, according to the preliminary findings of a new study, launched at COP 26 on 4 November and reported by IMO.
The full (over one hour) video of the session may be watched at end of this report.
Readers are invited to download the report Preliminary results Impact of Ships’ Biofouling on Greenhouse Gas Emissions HERE
Preliminary findings of the study on the Impact of Ships’ Biofouling on Greenhouse Gas Emissions reveals that a layer of slime as thin as 0.5 mm covering up to 50% of a hull surface can trigger an increase of GHG emissions in the range of 20 to 25%, depending on ship characteristics, speed and other prevailing conditions.
Biofouling is the build-up of microorganisms, plants, algae or small animals on surfaces. One of the most significant factors impacting the efficiency of all ships in service is associated with the resistance generated by the underwater area. Maintaining a smooth and clean hull free from biofouling is of paramount importance.
More severe biofouling conditions can lead to higher emissions, showing the importance of good biofouling management. With a light layer of small calcareous growth (barnacles or tubeworms), an average length container ship can see an increase in GHG emissions of up to 55%, dependent on ship characteristics and speed, it has been reported.
To reduce the GHG emissions from the maritime industry IMO has adopted a series of legally-binding ship design and operational performance indices that must be achieved by individual vessels. The aim is to ensure that ship operators consider options to improve the efficiency of their vessels throughout their lifecycle.
The report clearly shows the importance of good biofouling management. It illustrates how the perceived impact of biofouling is likely to have been historically underestimated by the shipping community.
The report on the preliminary results of the study on the Impact of Ships’ Biofouling on Greenhouse Gas Emissions was launched by the Global Industry Alliance (GIA) for Marine Biosafety, a group of leading companies that have joined forces to develop solutions and address barriers to improve biofouling management. The GIA operates under the framework of the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships project, for more see here: www.glofouling.imo.org
These findings were revealed at the Managing Biofouling – A Win-Win Solution to Help Curb Climate Change and Preserve Ocean Biodiversity hybrid official side event on 4 November, led by BIMCO, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26).
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
YouTube video of the COP26 presentation [1:16:25]
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ITF just transition plan: New employer-union climate alliance
A clear, common purpose was emerging in the shipping industry for stronger action on climate change with regard to COP26 in Glasgow in week commencing 1 November.
On 5 November it was announced that the Global Maritime Forum and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) had signed an agreement to cooperate in ‘problem solving and identifying concrete actions’ to speed up decarbonisation in the maritime sector.
The Global Maritime Forum* brings together leaders from across the maritime industry to shape the future of global seaborne trade and to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing. The ITF is a global union federation with more than 300 maritime union affiliates in over 130 countries.
This accord outlines the importance of worker, corporate and investor leadership uniting to push for meaningful action. The immediate focus of the agreement is decarbonisation and just transition, but it will serve as the basis for co-operation on other strategic issues in the future.
As part of the memorandum the ITF will be inviting affiliates to sign up to the Global Maritime Forum’s Call to Action.
As ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said in a statement on 5 November: “To reach zero by 2050, the shipping industry must pull its weight. This agreement shows leadership and movement from the employers, workers and their unions to do what’s needed to get us to zero.
“A just transition means concrete measure to ensure that workers’ voices, expertise and ambitions to be at the centre of decision-making in transition plans for the industry. The Global Maritime Forum understand that, and that involving workers from the outset is crucial for the rapid change required in curb emissions.”
Johannah Christensen, CEO at the Global Maritime Forum added: “We are excited about what this new agreement means for our industry’s ability to step up to the task of decarbonising shipping by 2050. We recognise the incredible strength to be had in focusing the ideas, energy and investment of both our members on the climate crisis.
“We welcome the launch of the ITF’s principles for a just transition. There is so much common ground. Training and re-training, maintaining health and safety when it comes to new fuels, and of course ensuring good working conditions for seafarers that are commensurate with their central role in global supply chains.
“When it comes to moving shipping to zero carbon, Global Maritime Forum will be leading this transition – right alongside our workforce and their representatives in the ITF. We will do this transition justly, and in partnership.”
About the ITF
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation of transport workers’ unions recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. It fights passionately to improve working lives; connecting trade unions and workers’ networks to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. ITF is the voice of in the region of 20 million women and men who move the world.
About the Global Maritime Forum
The Global Maritime Forum is an international not-for-profit organisation committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing.
* See also HERE which list of signatories includes Africa Ports & Ships.
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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WHARF TALK: what’s in a name? – HIGH SEAS
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Whilst some vessels names are quite incomprehensible, or simply do not seem to have been translated by their owners into English every well, there are some vessels whose names seem very appropriate for the world in which they live. The question is whether the descriptive name is a noun or an adjective?
On 5th November at 05h00 the MR2 tanker HIGH SEAS (IMO 9455703) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Durban, and after a short six hour wait off the port, she entered Cape Town Harbour at 11h00 and proceeded to the Tanker Berth in the Duncan Dock.
Whilst the bulk of her cargo had been offloaded in Durban in the previous week, High Seas was scheduled to offload five parcels of vegetable oils in Cape Town. The full cargo had been loaded at the Malaysian port of Tanjung Langsat, which lies directly to the northeast of Singapore Island, and site within the State of Johor.
Built in 2012 by the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard at Ulsan in South Korea, as one of two sisterships, High Seas is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 51,678 tons. She is powered by a single HHI MAN-B&W 6S50MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 12,889 bhp (9,480 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 15 knots. She has 14 cargo tanks and a cargo carrying capacity of 54,113 m3.
Owned and operated by d’Amico Tankers DAC of Dublin, High Seas is managed by d’Amico di Navigazione SPA of Rome. She is operated within the spot market, under the High Pool Tankers fleet.
This was not her first African port of call this year, as High Seas called at both Nacala in Mozambique, and Mombasa in Kenya, as recently as September. On completion of her discharge at Cape Town, she sailed from Cape Town on 8th November at 09h00, bound for Tema in Ghana.
Her loading port in Malaysia, Tanjung Langsat, is another of the newly developed port complexes, that the Malaysian government is building to rival those facilities on offer at nearby Singapore. The first available facility for use at Tanjung Langsat was only made available for shipping in 2003, and the port was not fully available until as recently as 2012.
It was designed to be a bulk liquids storage facility, for both refined oil products and edible oils. There are currently seven deepwater jetty berths, of which four are designed for MR2 sized tankers. Onshore, there are eight separate oil storage facilities, for which three are dedicated to edible oils, and one is dedicated to palm oil derived products, such as biodiesel.
It is clear that High Seas is both a well managed, and well maintained vessel. Since her first Port State Inspection back in 2012, she has been the subject of 25 such inspection in the last 9 years, with only three of them resulting in nothing more than a single deficiency on each inspection.
Her last Port State Inspection was in Mombasa, in September, held under the auspices of the Indian Ocean MoU, and where no deficiencies were recorded. In fact, one needs to go back four whole years, and nine Port State Inspections, to September 2017, that her last deficiency was recorded. This was conducted in Hong Kong, and the only deficiency was a minor one for Radio.
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Nigerian Navy orders two OPVs from Turkey’s Dearsan Shipyard
The Nigerian Navy has signed orders for two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) with the Dearsan Shipyard Limited in Turkey.
The contract was signed last week in Abuja with Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, during which it was indicated that construction would be completed within 37 months.
According to Admiral Gambo, the Nigerian Navy has, in the last few months, become more assertive in its role of policing Nigerian waters in the Gulf of Guinea. By its presence, he said, there has been a drastic reduction in piracy and armed attacks on merchant shipping.
He said the ordering of the two OPVs from Turkey was a part of the fleet renewal programme as indicated in the navy’s 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.
He drew attention to a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari in which the Nigerian Navy hosted the Chief of the Ghana Navy in discussing collaborative efforts by the two navies to combat piracy and other maritime crimes in the Gulf.
During these discussions it was agreed there was a need to establish a standing ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Multinational Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea.
In order to sustain the navy’s operational engagements and participation in the proposed Task Force, President Buhari had granted approval for the NN to procure two High Endurance Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) capable of carrying out maritime interdiction operations, surveillance and special forces operations while also providing naval fire support to land forces.
“The OPVs will also be capable of conducting search and rescue operations, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling and anti-drug trafficking operations and disaster relief operations among others,” Admiral Gambo said.
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Spot rate relief continues for customers in November
Northern Hemisphere Shipping
The relief that some of the shippers had from the drop in China-US spot rate market in the first week of October 2021 seems to be continuing into November 2021.
As per Shabsie Levy, CEO & Founder of digital freight forwarding company Shifl, “With the holiday shopping rush seemingly over and the already ordered goods sitting inside thousands of containers on many ships across the USA, the drop-in freight rates on the spot market continues into November 2021.”
Shifl had earlier brought it to the market’s attention that container spot freight rates fell sharply in October 2021 with rates for shipping a 40ft container from China to Los Angeles dropping from a high of $17,500 to $8,500, a drop of 51.4% compared to September 2021.
As per Shifl’s data, container spot rates for November 2021 on the China-US East Coast route is around $13,800 per container in November down 29% from $19,500 in September 2021.
“Based on the current market conditions, I visualise a slight uptick in rates just before Chinese New Year,” said Shabsie Levy.
“After Chinese new year as we head into the traditionally quieter months, I’m confident we will see the rates on a stable downward trajectory,” added Levy.
Shifl is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Georgia, and The Philippines, and brings the freight forwarding industry into the future with technology and innovation that brings a huge array of real-life benefits to customers. To learn more, CLICK HERE
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Two giant new ship unloaders arrive for TPT’s Durban Agribulk Terminal
With agricultural bulk commodities like maize, wheat and soya beans re-emerging as a major focus for the Durban Agribulk Terminal, an investment of over R230 million has seen the acquisition of two new ship unloaders. Assembly is currently in progress with handover to Operations planned for the end of February 2022.
“Annually, the terminal handles an average of 243,669 metric tons of grains, which are strategic commodities for the terminal,” says Acting Managing Executive at the Durban Terminals, Kwazi Mabaso.
“We anticipate volumes to grow with increased players and government’s efforts on growing the agricultural sector.”
Besides grains, the Durban Agribulk Terminal also handles bulk woodchip exports to countries such as China and Japan.
The investment in the ship unloaders follows close on the heels of a R55 million investment on the terminal’s substation upgrade and refurbishment of a ship loader aimed at improving equipment availability and operational efficiencies.
“The new equipment puts the terminal in a position to handle additional grain volumes. Each of the new ship unloaders has a design throughput of 600 tons per hour, as compared to the current aging ship unloaders that have design throughput of 300 tons per hour each,” said Mabaso.
Overall production of wheat in South Africa has declined by 11.4% over the past 20 years while consumption has increased by over 37.9% in the same period due to population growth. In order to supply the resultant shortfall in wheat, it has become crucial for South Africa to import wheat.
The global production of maize is projected to grow to 1,200 million metric tons in the current financial year ending March 2022. South Africa’s production forecast is 17 million metric tons for the same period.
Conveyor Belt fire update
In a separate matter, repairs on the import conveyor route are nearing completion following a fire incident at the terminal last month. Agricultural exports were not affected by the fire and remain operational, despite inclement weather and load shedding in the Maydon Wharf precinct.
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WHARF TALK: NO WIZARD THIS – MERLIN III
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Every now and then, a type of vessel arrives that serves a very narrow, and niche market. I am not referring to specialist offshore construction vessels, but to commercial cargo carriers that do not follow the norm of what you would expect to see arrive at a South African port.
Just over one month ago, on 4th October at 18h00, the Landing Craft MERLIN III (IMO: 9325740) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Durban, and remained at anchor for 36 hours. On 6th October at 08h00 she entered Cape Town harbour, and proceeded to the Landing Wall in the Duncan Dock.
Such an arrival normally means a maintenance call. However, on this occasion, Merlin III took on a 90 ton bunker uplift and by 21h00, on the evening of the 6th, she sailed out of the harbour and went back to the Table Bay Anchorage, where she remained for the 16 days.
On the 22nd October, bad weather in Table Bay was creating problems for Merlin III, as her anchor winch was causing problems and, as a safety measure, she raised anchor and steamed off Cape Town until the following morning, when at 12h00 she once again entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded to E berth in the Duncan Dock.
She was not at E berth for long, and within a few days she was shifted back to the Landing Wall, where she currently remains, as work takes place on her damaged anchor winch. Prior to arriving at Cape Town, Merlin III had spent 36 days alongside in Durban receiving maintenance, including to that of her anchor winch.
Built in 2004 by Gelibolu Shipyard SA at Gallipoli, located on the European side of the Dardanelles in Turkey, Merlin III is 50 metres in length and has a modest deadweight of 525 tons. She is powered by two Cummins KTA-19-M3 6 cylinder 4 stroke main engines, providing 600 bhp (448 kW) each, and driving two fixed pitch propellers for a service speed of 10.5 knots.
Her auxiliary machinery includes three Cummins 6BT5.9D2(M) generators providing 91 kW each. With a bow ramp, with dimensions of 6.7 x 6.5 metres, and a 10 ton maximum load, Merlin III has an open deck with a container carrying capacity of 24 TEU, and fitted with six reefer plugs. She has an open deck area of 290 m2, capable of loading 431 tons of cargo.
Owned, operated and managed by Peschaud International, of St. Germain-en-Laye, which is a suburb of western Paris in France, Merlin II has operated almost exclusively in West Africa in the past decade, with the odd contract in South East Africa.
Peschaud specialise in providing support to the oil and gas industry in Africa, with bases in Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. Contracts include providing stores, spares and operating equipment and liquids to remote sites across West Africa, notably situated up isolated creeks, and shallow rivers, in the region, for which Merlin III is particularly suited with her maximum draught of only drawing only 2.19 metres when fully laden.
Throughout 2020, Merlin III was servicing the West coast of Africa, and from January to March she was operated between Luanda, Cabinda and Soyo in Angola, with the odd call at Pointe Noire in the Congo Republic. Then, from April to November in 2020, she switched her operating base to Port Gentil in Gabon, with occasional calls to Douala in Cameroon, servicing oil and gas bases, and supporting survey and geological expeditions.
She then switched from the West to the East coast of Africa and in late December 2020, Merlin III called into Durban, for one day only to take on stores and bunkers, before proceeding to Mozambique, where she spent the next five months supporting the developments in Northern Mozambique by operating a regular cargo service between Pemba in Mozambique, and Mombasa in Kenya, before sailing south once more for Durban, where she arrived on 24th August 2021. She sailed from Durban on 29th September, bound for Cape Town.
Since 2014, Merlin III has been a regular caller at both Cape Town and Durban to effect necessary maintenance, which is not readily available in her usual working environment and operating bases. Work has included annual drydocking and survey.
With her small size, and low freeboard, one might think that, operating in West Africa, she would be easy prey for the pirates, petty criminals and ne’er-do-wells found lurking around West African anchorages, and so it proved to be on at least one occasion.
In November 2018, when anchored off Pointe Noire, in the Congo Republic, duty crew noticed two armed individuals lowering mooring ropes to an accomplice, who was waiting in a boat alongside the stern of Merlin III. The alarm was raised, which resulted in the thieves fleeing the vessel in their boat. On conducting a search of the affected area, it was confirmed that several mooring ropes were missing from the poop deck.
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Ships using Suez Canal face 6% tariff hike in 2022
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has announced a 6 per cent increase in tariffs for all types of ships transiting the canal during 2022.
Making the announcement, chairman of the SCA, Admiral Osama Rabea, said the increase will apply as from 1 February 2022, but cruise ships and LNG tankers will be exempt from the raise with their tolls remaining the same as they are in 2021.
He said the SCA was keen to apply a balanced and flexible marketing and pricing strategy that meets the authority and its client’s interests while taking into account the global economic conditions and its different variations.
At the same time the tariffs would enable the SCA to continue providing the necessary navigational services according to a model that provides clients with the fastest and shortest choice compared with other competitive routes.
This was determined following extensive studies by the SCA’s economic unit experts affiliated to the planning and research department in the SCA, taking into account the variables related to the shipping market and global economic indicators
Admiral Rabeaa added that the transit fees fixed for cruise vessels transiting the Canal is mainly due to the fact that this type of vessels was the most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis compared to the rest of the other vessel types.
The tourism and travel sector has suffered major losses worldwide, including cruise ships and sea yachts, and is expected to complete its recovery by 2022.
Referring to LNG carrier rates remaining unchanged, Rabea said the decision was based on a continuous review of LNG seaborne trade. Beginning this month, the Suez Canal Authority modified its LNG carriers rates to be 15% normal transit tolls (which are based on net tonnage), from the previous 25% discount.
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WHARF TALK: Second pipelayer calls in Durban – SKANDI AFRICA
Story by Terry Hutson
Pictures by Jumaine Kruger
Recently we reported the arrival in the ports of Durban and Cape Town of the pipe layer vessel LV NORTH OCEAN 105, not the sort of run-of-the-mill type ships often seen at South African ports, although that assessment may have to be revised after the arrival in Durban this past week of a second pipelayer ship, SKANDI AFRICA (IMO 9687459).
The subsea offshore vessel arrived in Durban on 3 November from the Mozambique port of Maputo and has berthed at the City Terminal, berth F (the Point Docks). Built in 2015 and recipient of the Nordic Skipsrevyen magazine ‘2015 Ship of the Year’ award at that year’s Nor-Shipping event, the 161-metre long, 32m wide ship, with accommodation for 140 people on board, is an environmentally friendly vessel designed for subsea construction and equipment installation, with IRM and ROV services up to a depth of up to 4000 metres.
Designed by Vard and built at the Norwegian company’s Søviknes shipyard for the DOF Group’s DOF Subsea subsidiary, Skandi Africa is part of a 27-ship Subsea fleet and a total fleet of 60 purpose-built offshore vessels.
With a deadweight of 16,000 tons and a gross weight of 22,689-gt, the DP class 3 vessel is designed for harsh environments, and for deep water subsea construction and flexlay operations up to 3,000 metres in depth.
Her topside equipment includes a 900 tonne pedestal mounted crane with subsea lowering system and combined active and passive heave compensation system to reduce wave motion. In addition, there is a 650 tonne tiltable lay system for flexible pipes, and pipe storage equipment with a 3,500 tonne basket.
The 900-tonne high-tech crane was built by the Dutch company, Huisman, and is fitted with a special Redaelli Flexpack 135 mm Ø, 4,725 m long steel cable for its main lifting gear.
The ROV hangar is equipped with two heavy duty work ROVs launched through moonpools into anything up to 4,000 metres of water depth. The moonpools have damping zones, according to Vard Design’s sea-keeping capabilities R&D program.
Skandi Africa has a cargo deck of 2,700 m2.
Machinery
The ship has two engine rooms. There is redundant power supply for top-side equipment. The diesel electric propulsion system comprises four B32:40L8ADC Bergen generator diesel engines of 3840 kW each and two B32:40L9 generator engines of 4320 kW each and three Rolls-Royce Contaz 35 propulsion azimuth thrusters of 3700 kW each of contra-rotating propeller type.
To achieve the best possible manoeuvring capabilities the vessel is equipped with two ULE 255 FP retractable thrusters of 2200 kW each and two RRM TT 3300 AUX CP manoeuvring tunnel thrusters of 2800 kW each.
The emergency generator set has a Cummins KTA38 diesel engine of 560 kW. The vessel’s maximum speed (before mounting of topside) was about 17.2 knots at 7.5m draft. – trh
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UK Defence Secretary in Oman: Working with Oman and Gulf partners
Promoting regional security and stability
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has visited Oman, to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to the country and the wider Gulf region. This was reported by the Ministry of Defence on 5 November.
HMS Queen Elizabeth – the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier – is currently berthed at Duqm port in Oman, as the UK Armed Forces carried out joint land, sea and air exercises with Omani Forces.
This visit represents the UK’s integrated approach to defence and foreign policy and the enduring commitment to working with Oman and Gulf partners on promoting regional security and stability.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace commented: “HMS Queen Elizabeth is here to demonstrate our commitment to the Omanis as invaluable partners and to show our support to the wider Gulf region.
“This visit presents an opportunity to see UK forces working hand in hand with our Omani partners across land, air and sea exercises, promoting stability and security in the region and confronting our shared threats.”
The Defence Secretary hosted the Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, HH Shihab bin Tariq, in Queen Elizabeth. They observed the impressive capabilities of the aircraft carrier and met UK personnel in the ship.
Queen Elizabeth leads the UK Carrier Strike Group which is on its maiden operational deployment to the Indo-Pacific and Middle East, embodying the Government’s Global Britain vision.
The Defence Secretary and HH Shihab bin Tariq also had the opportunity to see Exercise Khanjar Oman at the Ras Madrakah training area. This is a joint battlegroup exercise involving UK and Omani troops, with ground forces supported by the Carrier Strike Group at sea and F-35 jets from the air.
Troops Africa-bound
Exercise Khanjar Oman represents a key part of the British Army’s Future Soldier concept, which will see troops more integrated with regional partners in hubs around the world. The exercise will simulate the arduous desert conditions that troops will face when the battlegroup is deployed to Mali in 2022 as part of the UN MINUSMA mission.
Captain Kate Breeze, Wildcat Pilot, 1 Army Air Corps added: “… Exercise Khanjar Oman has really given us an unparalleled opportunity in terms of air, land, sea integration. We have got our partners in the Navy who are with the Carrier Strike Group and we have got the opportunity to work with F-35s and the Royal Marines…”
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
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Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) upgrades Lagos Control Tower
The Lagos Ports Complex Control Tower has recently undertaken a rehabilitation programme which, according to the Acting Managing Director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, is with a view to position the ports on a competitive edge in the West and Central African sub region. and to ensure optimal utilisation of its facilities.
Bello Koko was speaking during a facility tour of the control tower complex.
He said it has become expedient for port facilities to be upgraded so as to impact positively on port operational efficiency, adding that effective communication is an important factor in the efficient performance of the seaports.
“We aspire to be competitors in the sub region. One of the ways to achieve this is by ensuring our facilities such as the Control Towers are up to date and upgraded to work with modern communication and radar systems. This would improve communication, reduce ship waiting time and further reduce the cost of doing business at our ports,” he said.
Referring to the welfare of the marine pilots, he said the NPA places a premium on the comfort of this very valued category of staff. The NPA is committed to the welfare of the pilots, Bello Koko said, pointing out that the pilots’ accommodation, medical care and recreational facilities at the rehabilitated 9-storey Control Tower are world- class with the provision of facilities such as sleeping quarters, gym, canteens, kitchens and meeting/conference rooms for the pilots and other harbour staff.
A second control tower at Tincan is also being upgraded to provide communication with ships using the VHF frequency.
The rehabilitated control towers will also have updated radar and communication equipment that will enable communication between the ports in Lagos and Lekki deep sea port and Dangote refinery jetty.
Bello Koko said the NPA is deploying more marine equipment like pilot cutters and security patrol boats at various port locations in order to improve port efficiency and security around the Nigerian ports.
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Port Louis Cruise Terminal making progress
Construction has commenced with the Port Louis Cruise Terminal, scheduled for completion in time for the 2022 summer cruise season in the Indian Ocean.
Situated in the Mauritian port precinct, the terminal will service those cruise ships visiting on their cross ocean cruises as well as those using Port Louis as a homeport and others arriving from and to South Africa.
There are also the inter island ferries operating out of the port that will find the new terminal a lot more user friendly than a quayside in the commercial port.
Interestingly, the initiators of the new terminal, the Mauritius Ports Authority, opted to have the parking areas around the terminal building completed first, in order that this could be used in support of transit calls from this year.
Features include a recently introduced aquarium helping to link the facility with the city.
The new terminal is designed to handle ships with up to 4,000 passengers at a time, and will feature a mixed-use waterfront development to ensure the terminal is in use throughout the year.
This includes a waterfront promenade extending from the cruise terminal into the central Port Louis and historic districts.
In order for a seamless interchange of passengers and baggage Mauritius will introduce a direct air-sea transfer of passengers and baggage to make for an efficient transfer between the airport and the vessel.
Funding of the terminal has come from the Mauritius Ports Authority which is now seeking a suitable operator for the terminal.
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Lagos moves to introduce waterways safety code
The Lagos State Government in Nigeria has initiated moves aimed at the development of a State Waterways Safety Code.
This follows a meeting held last week involving the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), which organised the event, and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).
There is a need for the state to develop and introduce a safety code on the Lagos waterways to ensure safety and security, said LSSC Director-General, Lanre Mojola.
This was necessary for the sustainability of journeys on the waterways and to ensure and entrench a sense of confidence among the users of the waterways, he said.
These included fishermen, boat operators, passengers, sand miners, dredgers, fishermen, among others.
He said that without a waterways safety code in place to regulate, monitor and enforce regulations, it would not be possible to ensure safe and smooth journeys nor to enable a sense of confidence among the users of the system.
Stakeholders were asked to examine and identify the necessary codes that would render the waterways as safer for all users.
According to Mobolaji Tajudeen Gaji, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, the development of a Lagos State Waterways safety code would contribute significantly to the operation of various businesses on waterways.
It would, he said, reinforce the confidence of people in water transportation in Lagos State.
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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT
Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port
Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.
In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.
You can access this information, including the list of ports covered, by CLICKING HERE remember to use your BACKSPACE to return to this page.
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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES
QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.
Naval News
Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.
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ADVERTISING
For a Rate Card please contact us at info@africaports.co.za
Don’t forget to send us your news and press releases for inclusion in the News Bulletins. Shipping related pictures submitted by readers are always welcome. Email to info@africaports.co.za
SHIP PHOTOGRAPHERS Colour photographs and slides for sale of a variety of ships.Thousands of items listed featuring famous passenger liners of the past to cruise ships of today, freighters, container vessels, tankers, bulkers, naval and research vessels.P O BOX 809, CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA snai@worldonline.co.za http://home.worldonline.co.za/~snai |