Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news 12 March 2022

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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:   JOLLY DIAMANTE

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The week’s mastheads:

Monday: Port of Saldanha futuristic
Tuesday: Port of Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal

Wednesday: Port of Richards Bay Coal Terminal

Thursday: Port of Richards Bay Bulk terminals
Friday: Port Harcourt
Saturday: Port Elizabeth Manganese Terminal
Sunday: Port Elizabeth Car & Container terminals
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FIRST VIEW:   JOLLY DIAMANTE

Jolly Diamante arriving in Durban. Picture is by Trevor Jones, in Africa Ports & Ships
Jolly Diamante arriving in Durban. Picture is by Trevor Jones

We’ve featured this ship on several occasions in the past but not for several years, since September 2018 to be exact. As with her sister ships in the Ignazio Messina fleet, they are always spick and span and worth another look, and that is what we are doing now. When in Durban they always dock at the Point, or the Multipurpose Terminal as it appears to be called nowadays – no romance in that name, whereas by saying a ship is at the Point conjures up all sorts of ideas and memories, especially given the Point’s colourful dockland history both on land and the water.

Jolly Diamante (IMO 9578957) was built in 2011 and has a gross weight of 50,720 gross tons (46,635-dwt). She has a length of 240 metres and a beam of 37.5 metres allowing her a container capacity of 2,920 TEU including 200 reefer points.  The ship was built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co shipyard at Geoje, South Korea as hull number 4465 and flies the Italian flag. Her route to the Eastern seaboard of Africa is from Genoa in Italy, across the Mediterranean and through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the East African coast, terminating at Durban.

Jolly Diamante’s single main engine comprises a two-stroke, 22,890 KW (31,121 hp) MAN B&W model 7L70ME-C8 engine powering a controllable pitch propeller enabling the vessel to maintain a speed of 20 knots.  For added manoeuvrability Jolly Diamante has two side thrusters.

This picture of Jolly Diamante entering Durban harbour is by Trevor Jones

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Cyclone Gombe 19S comes ashore in Mozambique

Tropical Cyclone Gombe on Thursday 10 March 2022
Tropical Cyclone Gombe on Thursday 10 March 2022

Tropical Cyclone Gombe: What began over Madagascar as a tropical depression has intensified over the Mozambique Channel and is now coming ashore between Angoche and Mozambique Island during the early hours of this Friday morning.

Given the diameter of the system those ashore on the coast within the area of landfall will already be experiencing strong winds and heavy rain.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issues regular updates on cyclones and said in its report at 15h00 Thursday that the centre of the cyclone was near position 15.9S 42.1E, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 knots gusting to 90 knots.

The JTWC’s 12-hour warning estimated the cyclone would reach position 16.0S 40.6E with maximum sustained winds of 100 knots gusting to 125 knots.

Maximum wave height at 12h00 on Thursday was 25 feet (7.6m).

Cyclone Gombe is expected to move some distance inland before turning sharply south-east and heading back over the Mozambique Channel by Monday 14 March, on a path taking it toward the southern part of Madagascar. Unless of course it changes its course once again.

When the cyclone re-enters the Mozambique Channel on Monday in a weakening state, a slow re-intensification can be expected.

All warnings issued state that a very dangerous cyclone is making landfall in the Nampula province between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Strongest wind gusts could exceed 200 km/h, while between 100 and 200mm of rain is expected per 24 hours overland. Between 200 and 300mm of rain in 24 hours can be expected in the immediate north of the cyclone’s track.

At sea, waves of up to 6 to 10 metres are likely in some parts of the coast overnight Thursday and early Friday morning. Storm surge of 1 to 2 metres is possible south of the track.

Malawi: Southern Malawi will be marginally affected by heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, with 100mm possible.

Mozambique’s Technical Council of the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) said that 580,000 people, 7,104 schools and 679 health units could be affected by the cyclone.

The National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) said the the districts of Angoche, Liúpo, Murrupula, Rapale, Mecubúri, Muecate, Nacaroa, Monapo, Mongicual, Mossuril, Nacala and Ilha de Moçambique in Nampula province, and in Pebane, Gilé, Mulevala, Mocvubela and Maganja da Costa in Zambézia, are all at risk.

INAM also warned of moderate to high risk of urban flooding for the city of Quelimane and the port city of Nacala in addition to rain erosion for Mocuba, Guruè and Morrumbala.

INGD president Luísa Meque said the institution had already mobilised 18 vessels, while seven mobile bridges had already been deployed during Cyclone Ana earlier this year. She said that food and non-food items have been pre-positioned in strategic locations to ensure timely assistance.

“Many roads are impassable, so we are mobilising other equipment to guarantee assistance to people. We are sensitising communities to leave risk zones as a mitigation measure, to avoid fatalities,” she said.

Sources: Cyclocane, JTWC, Meteo France, Noticias.
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WHARF TALK: LR1 Panamax tanker – PLOUTOS

The LR1 Panamax tanker Ploutos in Amsterdam, next to a ship with a local connection!    Picture: Wikipedia in Africa Ports & Ships
The LR1 Panamax tanker Ploutos in Amsterdam, next to a ship with a local connection!  Recognisew the funnel?  Picture: Wikipedia

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

In the Southern Hemisphere, with winter drawing in, the arrival of more of the larger LR class of tanker is starting. Notwithstanding Putin’s idiotic foreign adventure which has started to push the price of domestic fuels through the roof, and which will surely bring fuel poverty to some, nor still not having two of the nation’s largest refineries back online to produce national fuel locally, so the larger tankers will be utilised in greater number to bring in the increased quantities required for winter consumption.

On 3rd March at 17h00 the LR1 Panamax tanker PLOUTOS (IMO 9327023) arrived off Cape Town, from Al Ruwais in the UAE, and unlike most tankers recently which have had to sit out at anchor for a day or two, she entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded to the long tanker berth in the Duncan Dock. Her initial discharge was for 39,000 tons of diesel.

Ploutos arrived in Cape Town with a cargo of diesel fuel.. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
Ploutos arrived in Cape Town with a cargo of diesel fuel.. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Built in 2006 by New Century Shipbuilding at Jingjiang in China, ‘Ploutos’ is 229 metres in length and has a deadweight of 73,711 tons. She is powered by a single Hudong MAN-B&W 5S60MC-C 5 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 15,363 bhp (11,300 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 15 knots.

One of two sisterships, Ploutos was built in 2006 in China. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
One of two sisterships, Ploutos was built in 2006 in China. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Her auxiliary machinery includes three generators providing 900 kW each,

Four men perched above Plutous' rudder, desperate to get to Europe by any means
Four men perched above Plutous’ rudder, willing to risk their lives in such a precarious position on a voyage lasting days or even weeks.

and a single emergency generator providing 300 kW. She has an Alfa Laval Aalborg CHO oil fired boiler and an Alfa Laval Aalborg CHM gas fired boiler. She has 14 cargo tanks and a cargo carrying capacity of 80,780 m3. She is one of two sisterships.

Owned by Ionia Management SA of Athens, ‘Ploutos’ is operated within the Hafnia-BW LR Pool, and she is managed by Heidmar Inc. of Norwalk in Connecticut. Her calls at African ports are few, and apart from this current call at Cape Town, she has called at Djibouti in December 2021.

Back in March 2021 whilst ‘Ploutos’ was preparing to sail from the Lagos anchorage, in Nigeria, bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, the Lagos Harbour Police launch spotted four men sitting atop the rudder of ‘Ploutos’.

The accommodation, bridge and funnel area of the tanker. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The accommodation, bridge and funnel area of the tanker. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

They were removed by the police. As dangerous as this practice sounds, in September 2020 a Norwegian tanker, ‘Champion Pula’, followed the same route as ‘Ploutos’, and on arrival at Las Palmas, some ten days later, it was reported that there were four men sitting atop her rudder, who had hitched a ride from Lagos, and survived.

A broader view of the bridge and accommodation area of Ploutos. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
A general view of the bridge and accommodation area of Ploutos. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Back in 2007 her owners, Ionia Management SA, were brought before the District Court of Connecticut, and after a jury trial, were found guilty on eighteen counts relating to violation of the US Ship Pollution Act, falsifying records, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. The District Judge fined Ionia Management SA a total of US$4.9 million (ZAR73.63 million) with probation.

The oil products tanker Plotous on the tanker berth with Table Mountain gazing down, as the mountain has on ships in the bay since the mid-1600s Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
The oil products tanker Plotous on the tanker berth with Table Mountain gazing down at the ships, as the mountain has done since the mid-1600s Picture by ‘Dockrat’

With her discharge complete after four days alongside, she sailed from Cape Town on 8th March at 16h00, bound for Sikka in India.

For the nomenclature folk out there, ‘Ploutos’ is named after the Ancient Greek God of Agricultural Wealth. Not to be confused with the Greek God Plouton, or the Roman God Pluto.

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Crews & ships trapped at Ukrainian ports: Intercargo statement

Intercargo banner in Africa Ports & Ships

On 10 March INTERCARGO called on IMO, member states and governments to engage effectively with the involved countries and local authorities to ensure safe passage out of danger for ships and their crews.

The vast majority of ships trapped off Ukraine are bulkers carrying essential grain cargoes, such as wheat and corn, and strategic coal cargoes required to meet energy needs.

Indeed, it must be remembered that Ukraine and Russia account for significant shares of global exports for such essential goods.

Dry bulk owners are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of their crews and their vessels, but it is now time says INTERCARGO for authorities to step in and provide:

* A safe maritime corridor to enable ships to sail out of the area.

* Safe land corridors to get crews back aboard the ships that need to sail away.

It is understood that INTERCARGO has co-sponsored, with industry partners, a paper submission to IMO on how seafarers’ safety, security, and welfare have been impacted and developing a series of pragmatic and practical solutions.

INTERCARGO is grateful to crew nations, adjacent countries, port states and flag states for their ongoing support, but more coordination is needed if the maritime community is to ensure the safety of crews and ships.

Note
A previous relevant statement from INTERCARGO can be viewed HERE

 

About INTERCARGO

International shipping is vital for the global economy and prosperity as it transports approximately 90% of world trade. The dry bulk sector is the largest shipping sector in terms of number of ships and deadweight tonnage. Dry bulk carriers account for 43% of the world fleet (in tonnage) and sail an estimated 55% of the global transport work.

The International Association of Dry Cargo Ship owners (INTERCARGO) represents the interests of quality dry bulk ship owners, with close to 2,400 registered ships out of more than 11,000 ships in the global dry bulk fleet, corresponding to over 25% of the global dry bulk fleet basis deadweight.

INTERCARGO convened for the first time in 1980 in London and has been participating with consultative status at IMO since 1993. INTERCARGO provides the forum where dry bulk ship owners, managers and operators are informed about, discuss and share concerns on key topics and regulatory challenges, especially in relation to safety, the environment and operational excellence. The Association takes forward its Members’ positions to the IMO, as well as to other shipping and international industry fora, having free and fair competition as a principle.

Paul Ridgway

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

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IN CONVERSATION: Ukraine war: fresh warning that Africa needs to be vigilant against Russia’s destabilising influence

Joseph Siegle, University of Maryland

It’s commonly held that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s objective for invading Ukraine is to install a puppet regime that is pliable to Moscow’s interests. If so, this would be consistent with the approach Russia has taken with its forays into Africa in recent years.

Drawing from its Syria playbook, Russia has propped up proxies in Libya, Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan. Moscow also has its sights on another half dozen African leaders facing varying degrees of vulnerability.

In the process, African citizen and sovereign interests have given way to Russian priorities.

This elite cooption strategy effectively serves Russia’s strategic objectives in Africa. These include, first, to gain a foothold in the southern Mediterranean and Red Sea, putting Russia in a position to threaten NATO’s southern flank and international shipping chokeholds.

Second, to demonstrate Russia’s Great Power status whose interests must be considered in every region of the world.

And third, to displace western influence in Africa while undermining support for democracy.

Russia has often used extralegal tools to pursue its objectives on the continent. It has deployed mercenaries, run disinformation campaigns, interfered in elections and bartered arms for resources. This low-cost, high yield approach has enabled Moscow to expand its influence in Africa more rapidly, arguably, than any other external actor since 2018 when Russia ramped up its Africa engagements.

Regrettably for African citizens, these tactics are all inherently destabilising. Moreover, the result is disenfranchisement and diminished African sovereignty.

Russia’s expanding influence portends a bleak vision for Africa. In effect, Russia is attempting to export its governance model – of an authoritarian, kleptocratic, and transactional regime – onto Africa.

This is especially problematic since there are at least a handful of African leaders who are more than happy to go down this path. Never mind that this diverges wildly from the democratic aspirations held by the vast majority of African citizens.

The United Nations’ vote on Russia’s invasion in Ukraine provides a useful prism to understand relationships between Moscow and particular African countries. It reveals a spectrum of governance norms and visions for Africa. It is through these lenses and interests that groups of African countries can be expected to engage with Russia moving forward – with far-reaching consequences for democracy, security and sovereignty on the continent.

Puppets, patrons and pushback

The UN General Assembly resolution condemning the Russian aggression garnered only one dissenting African vote – Eritrea. This was accompanied by strong denunciations of the Russian attack on Ukraine by the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States. The current chair of the AU, Senegal’s President Macky Sall, and AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also criticised Russia’s unprovoked war.

In total, 28 of Africa’s 54 countries voted to condemn the Russian invasion, 16 abstained and 9 did not vote. All in all, the vote was a remarkable rebuke of Moscow from a continent where many African leaders’ worldviews are shaped by a posture of non-alignment, raw legacies from the Cold War, African diplomatic politesse, and a desire to remain neutral in Great Power rivalries.

The vote also revealed a widening segmentation of governance norms in Africa. And it shows that African relations with Russia from here on in will not be uniform – nor abruptly reversed.

The African countries that abstained, or did not vote, did so for a variety of reasons. The most obvious category of country unwilling to condemn Russia was those with African leaders who have been co-opted by Moscow. These included Faustin-Archange Touadéra in the Central African Republic, Lt. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Sudan, and Colonel Assimi Goïta in Mali.

These leaders lack legitimacy domestically. They depend on Moscow’s political and mercenary support to hold onto power.

A second category among the countries that abstained or did not vote is those with leaders who have patronage ties with Russia. Those in power in Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe benefit from Russian arms, disinformation or political cover. These leaders, moreover, have no interest in democratic processes that may threaten their hold on power.

Others who abstained or did not vote likely did so for ideological reasons rooted in their traditions of non-alignment. These included Morocco, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa. While they may maintain ties to Moscow, they are appalled by Russia’s imperialistic actions. By and large, they support the upholding of international law to maintain peace and security.

Those who voted to condemn the invasion included leading African democracies and democratisers. These comprised Botswana, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Kenya, Seychelles, Sierra Leone and Zambia. They represent a mix of motivations. But I calculated that the median Global Freedom score for this group of 28 countries based on Freedom House’s annual (0-100) ratings is 20 points higher than those that did not vote to condemn.

The powerful speech by Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Kimani, in defence of respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, and resolving differences through non-violent means, epitomises the views of this group and its support for a rules-based order. Many have also taken the lead in condemning the surge in coups and third termism on the continent.

Priorities for action

If the past is any indication, Russia can be expected to escalate its influence campaign in Africa in reaction to its international isolation following the Ukraine invasion.

To mitigate Russia’s malign influences, African and international actors wishing to advance a democratic, rules-based order for the continent should take some decisive steps.

First is to invest in democratic institutions and democratic partners. Democratic checks and balances are the best bulwark against nefarious external influences.

Second, coups and third termism must be strongly condemned.

Third, building the capacity and space of African journalists is especially vital. Without a free and informed discourse, it is difficult to have a national dialogue on priorities and preferences. Or to hold political leaders accountable for their actions.

Fourth, is to enforce the African Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism, which went into effect in 1985. This legally prohibits African states from allowing mercenaries into their territory and should be employed to bar Wagner from the continent.

Fifth, there must be investment in Africa’s professional militaries. This will bolster democracy. A growing number of African militaries have become politicised. This has contributed to the upsurge of coups as well as the use of militaries as a coercive tool against political opponents.

Strengthening African citizens’ agency is also key. Russia’s malign influences can be mitigated by strengthening African civil society to ensure independent voices are not muffled. Civil society can also heighten scrutiny and transparency of opaque contracts that tend to provide the patronage that props up coopted regimes.

Another means of enhancing African agency is to support the efforts of African regional organisations such as the African Union. The AU and the regional economic communities have adopted charters advancing democratic norms and processes. These bodies can help uphold democratic norms when there are violations. And they can reduce the scope for external interference.

Internationally, democratic governments need to sustain long-term partnerships with their African counterparts. African countries with legitimately elected leaders shouldn’t be put in a position to choose between international partners. It’s reasonable that African governments will want to have multiple external relationships subject to their context and interests. This is especially so given the legacies of colonialism and the struggles for independence that defined the creation of many African countries. Rather, the focus of these partnerships should be on maximising a shared vision of what a rules-based order should look like and how it can be put into practice.

In the end, Russia doesn’t have much to offer African leaders other than coercive tools. If these are diminished, then so too will be Russia’s destabilising influences on the continent.The Conversation

Joseph Siegle, Director of Research, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, University of Maryland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Italian Navy frigate takes up patrol duties in Gulf of Guinea

The Italian Navy frigate INS Luigi Rizzo, which is on her way the the Gulf of Guinea for a four-month anti-piracy deployment in Africa Ports & Ships
The Italian Navy frigate INS Luigi Rizzo, which is on her way the the Gulf of Guinea for a four-month anti-piracy deployment.  Picture Italian Navy

Following the sudden and premature departure from the Gulf of Guinea of the Danish frigate, HDMS Esbern Snare, an Italian Naval ship, the frigate INS Luigi Rizzo is on her way to take up the European Union patrol of the West African waters.

Luigi Rizzo will undertake the anti-piracy patrols of Operation Gabinia. The ship was last involved with this operation in June 2021 at the conclusion of her four-month deployment.

During her current deployment the ship and her company will undertake training exercises with various West African nations, aimed at improving the response when faced with outright piracy at sea, hostage taking, human and drug trafficking and illegal fishing.

INS Rizzo departed from the Italian port of Civitavecchia on 24 February with a first port of call at Dakar in Senegal.

INS Rizzo is under the command of Captain Andrea Cecchini.

“On the Rizzo ship, leaving for a long mission, there are ideally three Ministries: that of Defense, that of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and that of Economic Development,” said the new Chief of the Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino

“Nave Rizzo leaves for the third time for the Gulf of Guinea, where it will perform a complex and articulated maritime security mission, guaranteeing the roles of high seas police, naval diplomacy and security co-operation.

“2022 also marks the consolidation of a greater level of presence and regularity in the Navy’s action in the Gulf of Guinea, reaching 8 months a year. The presence of Navy ships in the Gulf of Guinea and in all areas of the enlarged Mediterranean demonstrates an increasingly inter-institutional, multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach to maritime security and the activities of the Armed Force beyond national borders.

“The Navy is at the service of the community: what happens in the Gulf of Guinea has a direct impact on our country, on our industry and on our maritime trade.”

INS Luigi Rizzo will remain in the Gulf of Guinea until the end of June.

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Port of Maputo to be doubled in size on the landside

Santa Caterina, the biggest container ships to dock at the DP Worldd-operated Maputo Container Terminal, made possible by dredging of the channels and berthing area, in Africa Ports & Ships
Santa Caterina, the biggest container ship to dock at the DP World-operated Maputo Container Terminal, made possible by dredging of the channels and berthing area   Picture DP World

The port of Maputo land area is to be doubled in size in the near future, according to a report by Mozambique’s Council of Ministers (Cabinet).

The government has agreed to lease an additional 138 hectares to the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) – this it says is a result of the growth in demand for cargo handling services both nationally and internationally.

The concession area occupied currently by the MPDC is 140 hectares, which will soon increase to 278 ha.

The announcement was made on Tuesday (8 March) at the end of the weekly Council of Ministers’ meeting. Government spokesman, Deputy Justice Minister Filimao Suaze, said the development of the port will allow for both an increase in the Port of Maputo’s capacity and an improvement in its regional competitiveness.

Despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, last year the Port of Maputo achieved a new performance record when it handled 22.2 million tonnes of cargo during the calendar year 2021.

The previous highest cargo handling volume achieved was set in 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the port handled 21 million tonnes.

Making that announcement earlier in January, the MPDC said of its achievement that this record “is a reflex of the post-Covid recovery of the market, but also the efficient use of quays 7, 8 and 9, alongside the expansion of the iron terminal and a dedicated rail line.”

See related reports Maputo and Matola dry bulk terminals plan to increase capacity

and

Positive year-end results for Port of Maputo.

The port has also increased its capacity to handle bigger ships through dredging and the acquisition by the port and CFM of new cargo handling equipment, railway locomotives, and railway wagons.

MPDC is a private led consortium that holds the lease on the port until 2033, with an option to extend the lease for a further ten years. The partners in the consortium are DP World of Dubai (which operates the container terminal), Grindrod of South Africa, the Mozambican private company Moçambique Gestores, and the publicly-owned port and rail company, CFM.

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WHARF TALK: small landing craft – REGIS KASKAZI

The landing craft Regis Kaskazi on the Landing Wall at Cape Town harbour. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
The landing craft Regis Kaskazi on the Landing Wall at Cape Town harbour. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

Africa is a continent full of tiny, undeveloped harbours, small riverine offloading berths, quiet out of the way beaches, and in those isolated areas where both the oil and gas industry, and the mining industry, choose to conduct surveys, drilling, development and decommissioning. The vast majority of these areas are not accessible by any other vessel, other than a shallow draft, landing craft.

On 7th March at 11h00, the small landing craft REGIS KASKAZI arrived off Cape Town, from Takoradi in Ghana, and entered Cape Town harbour, heading to the landing wall in the Duncan Dock. This is the berth for vessels requiring shoreside engineering support, or for some of these vessels to prepare for possible drydocking, and annual hull surveys.

The bridge and accommodation area of the vessel. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The bridge and accommodation area of the vessel. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Built in 2013 by Dok & Perkapalan Shipbuilding at Surabaya in Indonesia, ‘Regis Kazkasi’ was originally built to do exactly the same job as she is doing now in Africa, i.e. support the Indonesian oil and gas, and mining industries, in that archipelago state of over 17,000 islands.

She is 79 metres in length and has a deadweight of 2,000 tons. With a maximum draft of only 3.5 metres, ‘Regis Kaskasi’ is perfect for the role she performs. She is powered by two Caterpillar C32 V12 4 stroke main engines producing 2,028 bhp (1,492 kW) each, driving two fixed pitch propellers for a service speed of 8 knots. With a bow ramp, and with a full length working deck, she has a container carrying capacity of 100 TEU.

Owned, operated and managed by Regis Holdings Ltd. of Black River, in Mauritius, ‘Regis Kaskazi’ was purchased just over one year ago by her current owners. At the time, the suggested sale price was given as US$2.25 million (ZAR343.82 million). Her owners operate an office in Randburg, Johannesburg, which acts as a procurement and logistics coordination office for her African operations.

The open deck area looking towards the ramp of the landing craft. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The open deck area looking towards the ramp of the landing craft.    Picture by ‘Dockrat’

On completion of her purchase, she was immediately deployed to Cabo Delgado province in Northern Mozambique, utilising both Nacala and Pemba as operating bases. Regis Holdings Ltd. operates a large 50,000 m2 logistics and service centre in Pemba. From there, heavy plant and equipment would be loaded and taken to those areas where the oil and gas majors in the area were developing the onshore natural gas infrastructure.

The timing could not have been worse for the deployment of ‘Regis Kaskazi’, as the insurgency in Cabo Delgado province began in earnest at the same time. With the arrival of the forces of Rwanda and limited forces provided by the SADC, the situation in Northern Mozambique has settled somewhat, and activity is now beginning to ramp up once more. In the interim, her owners secured a contract for her to operate in West Africa, from where she has now come.

For ‘Regis Kaskazi’ there were individual calls at both Richards Bay, and Durban, in order to receive the logistics support that was not available in Northern Mozambique. For her stay at Durban Harbour she went alongside berth 104 at Pier 1, a laybye and ship repair berth.

As described, landing craft type vessels are quite common in many parts of Africa that lack full or deep harbour facilities. On the Mozambique coast, for example, this type of vessel is often used for carrying local passengers, as a ferry type operation. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
As described, landing craft type vessels are quite common in many parts of Africa that lack proper harbour facilities. On the Mozambique coast, for example, this type of vessel is often used for carrying local passengers, as a ferry type operation. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

An unusual aspect of her design, is that her lifeboat is situated full aft, which is the norm today with many vessels. However, her lifeboat is not set up for free-fall, as you would expect, but it is placed athwartships, with launching being on normal lifeboat davits. Launching this lifeboat in anything other than optimum sea, and weather, conditions is likely to be challenging.

For the nomenclature folk out there, who always wonder where vessels’ names originate, the name of ‘Regis Kaskazi’ is based on the Bantu peoples who inhabit Northern Mozambique. The Kaskazi people, migrated down from the Western Rift Valley millennia ago, and ‘Kaskazi’ is the Swahili word for ‘Northern Winds’.

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SA Agulhas II & Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust success: Shackleton’s Endurance found!

Pictures: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake

High praise for South African seafarers following location of ‘Endurance’ wreck

The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust announced on Wednesday, 9 March, that the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship ENDURANCE, which was lost in 1915, has been located submerged in the Weddell Sea

A multinational team of experts aboard the South African Antarctic Supply Vessel SA AGULHAS II departed Cape Town on 5 February on the Endurance22 Expedition. Onboard the vessel, 43 South African seafarers under Captain Knowledge Bengu would provide critical support to the expedition team.

This week the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust confirmed that the Endurance22 Expedition has located the wreck of Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship which has not been seen since it was crushed by the ice and sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915.

One hundred years after Shackleton’s death, Endurance was found at a depth of 3008 metres in the Weddell Sea, within the search area defined by the expedition team before its departure from Cape Town, and approximately four miles south of the position originally recorded by Endurance’s master, Captain Frank Worsley.

The team worked from the South African polar research and logistics vessel, SA Agulhas II, owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and managed by local marine services company AMSOL. SA Agulhas II is under the command of Captain Knowledge Bengu and a crew of 43 South African seafarers including five cadets whose exposure to their chosen career has become a once in a lifetime experience.

The underwater exploration involved using Saab’s Sabertooth hybrid underwater search vehicles.

The wreck is protected as a Historic Site and Monument under the Antarctic Treaty, ensuring that whilst the wreck is being surveyed and filmed it will not be touched or disturbed in any way.

In a letter to Captain Bengu, Donald Lamont, Chairperson of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, highlighted the essential role played by the South African ship:

“As we began planning this expedition, we looked no further than South Africa for the ship we needed and for the Master, Ice Pilot and crew who could get us to where we are today. You have ensured that our expedition team had the right platform in the right place and at the right time. This is your success and that of those who serve under you.”

SA Agulhus II in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake in Africa Ports & Ships
SA Agulhas II in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake

Lamont said the spotlight falls on Mensun Bound, the Director of Exploration, and Nico Vincent, Subsea Project Manager.

“Under the outstanding leadership of Dr John Shears, they have found Endurance. But this success has been the result of impressive cooperation among many people, both on board the remarkable SA Agulhas II with its outstanding Master and crew, a skilled and committed expedition team and many on whose support we have depended in the UK, South Africa, Germany, France, the United States and elsewhere.

“The Trustees extend to them all our warmest thanks and congratulations on this historic achievement.”

Expedition Leader Dr John Shears noted that the Officers and Crew of the SA Agulhas II had been “simply outstanding” and went on to thank all partners especially in South Africa who played a vital role in the success of the expedition.

AMSOL’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Maclons was justifiably proud of the team’s achievement and AMSOL’s role in its success.

“Since 2019, we have been proud to be part of the team involved in the quest to locate the wreck; a unique project that drew on expertise from across our company. On the occasion of this historic milestone I would like to congratulate the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and the Endurance22 Expedition team. I extend my thanks to Captain Knowledge Bengu, Officers, Crew and AMSOL support personnel for their professionalism and commitment to the objectives of this voyage.”

The SA Agulhas II and its crew as well as the expedition team will shortly begin the return leg to Cape Town.

Endurance, over 3,000 metres deep for over a hundred years, yet still preserved in good condition. SA Agulhus II in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake in Africa Ports & Ships
Endurance, over 3,000 metres deep for over a hundred years, yet preserved in surprisingly good condition. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake

Endurance

Of the wreck itself, Mensun Bound, Director of Exploration on the expedition, said they were overwhelmed by their good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance.

“This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen,” said Bound. “It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation. You can even see “Endurance” arced across the stern, directly below the taffrail.

“This is a milestone in polar history. However, it is not all about the past; we are bringing the story of Shackleton and Endurance to new audiences, and to the next generation, who will be entrusted with the essential safeguarding of our polar regions and our planet. We hope our discovery will engage young people and inspire them with the pioneering spirit, courage and fortitude of those who sailed Endurance to Antarctica.”

Bound paid tribute to the navigational skills of Captain Frank Worsley, the Captain of the Endurance, whose detailed records were invaluable in the quest to locate the wreck.

SA Agulhus II among the ice sheet of the Weddell Sea. Endurance, over 3,000 metres deep for over a hundred years, yet still preserved in good condition. SA Agulhus II in the ice of the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake in Africa Ports & Ships
SA Agulhas II in the ice sheet of the Weddell Sea. Endurance, over 3,000 metres deep for over a hundred years, yet still preserved in good condition. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

It was Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ambition to achieve the first land crossing of Antarctica from the Weddell Sea via the South Pole to the Ross Sea. The Ross Sea Party which was landed at Hut Point on Ross Island had the task of laying supply dumps for Shackleton’s crossing party, and achieved its objective, but at the cost of three lives lost.

In the Weddell Sea, Endurance never reached land and became trapped in the dense pack ice and the 28 men on board eventually had no choice but to abandon ship. After months spent in makeshift camps on the ice floes drifting northwards, the party took to the lifeboats to reach the inhospitable, uninhabited, Elephant Island. Shackleton and five others then made an extraordinary 800-mile (1,300 km) open-boat journey in the lifeboat to reach South Georgia. Shackleton and two others then crossed the mountainous island to the whaling station at Stromness.

From there, Shackleton was eventually able to mount a rescue of the men waiting on Elephant Island and bring them home without loss of life.

SA Agulhas II breaking her way through the ice in the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake in Africa Ports & Ships
SA Agulhas II breaking her way through the ice in the Weddell Sea. Picture: Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and James Blake

Scientific Research

Under the leadership of Dr Lasse Rabenstein, Endurance22’s Chief Scientist, a world leading team of scientists from research and educational institutions successfully conducted hundreds of hours of climate change related studies over the duration of the expedition.

Representatives from the South African Weather Service, German firm Drift & Noise, Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute, German Space Agency (DLR), Aalto University in Finland and South Africa’s Stellenbosch University researched the ice drifts, weather conditions of the Weddell Sea, studies of sea ice thickness, and were able to map the sea ice from space.

Combined, these important studies will materially help our understanding of this remote region and how it influences our changing climate.

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Cyclone Gombe over Mozambique Channel & Comoros, Port Nacala landfall

Tropical Cyclone Gombe over the Mozambique Channel at 06h00 on Wednesday 9 March 2022. Image JTWC, in Africa Ports & Ships
Tropical Cyclone Gombe over the Mozambique Channel at 06h00 on Wednesday 9 March 2022. Image JTWC

 

A tropical cyclone, codenamed Gombe, is forecast to hit the northern Mozambican coast on Friday or Saturday.

That’s according to current forecasts as the currently classified Tropical Depression crossed northern Madagascar yesterday (Tuesday 8 March).

With the storm entering over the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel with wind speeds of 30 knots (56 km/h), the storm is reported to be intensifying and several authorities are now referring to Gombe as a cyclone or potential cyclone.

Over the warmer waters of the channel Gombe is picking up speed and strength and wind speed is forecast to reach 70 knots by Friday.

At the current trajectory, Gombe will cross land near the port city of Nacala and move inland, threatening the rest of Nacala province and neighbouring Malawi with heavy rain, although the storm system will slow down while over land, with wind speeds back to 30 knots by Monday 14 March.

However there is a suggestion the cyclone may alter its westward course once over Mozambique and back away towards the southeast which could then see Gombe re-entering the Mozambique Channel in the south of the channel.

Acacio Tembe, a meteorologist with the Mozambique National Meteorological Institute (INAM), warned that the storm has the potential to bring heavy rain to the coastal provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Zambezia on Friday, with up to 100mm in 24 hours, along with severe electrical thunderstorms and winds of up to 150 km/h.

In Malawi the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has issued warnings of the development of Gombe in the Mozambique Channel.

Gombe was situated in position near 14.8S 46.0E at 06h00 today, Wednesday 9 March 2022, with maximum sustained winds of 45 knots gusting to 55 knots, according to Meteo France. The system crossed Madagascar with the centre approximately 260km north-northwest of Antananarivo, the island’s capital city. Maximum wave height in the Mozambique Channel at 06h00 on Wednesday was 14 ft. sources: INAM, DCCMS, Meteo France, JTWC, Cyclocane

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Transnet Pipeline theft leads to massive diesel spillage into environment

Map of Eastern Free State showing Meul river between Harrismith and Warden. in Africa Ports & Ships
Map of Eastern Free State showing area between Harrismith and Warden.  Supplied

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, 9 March 2022, a pressure drop on the Multi Product Pipeline between Durban and Heidelberg was detected by the Transnet Pipelines National Control Centre.

The security tactical teams were dispatched to site to investigate the incident and it was confirmed that there was tampering with a block valve chamber which resulted in a massive diesel spillage into the environment.

Transnet emergency teams were immediately deployed to site to contain and recover the product. The diesel has also now migrated to the Meulriver between Harrismith and Warden and the environmental teams are attempting to contain the contamination.

In the past year, Transnet have implemented various security interventions to address the fuel theft attempts, which it says have yielded positive results and reduced the number of incidents by 50%, compared to prior year. “We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to stop this criminal activity and keep the pipelines and surrounding communities safe,” said Transnet.

Transnet issued an appeal to all strategic role-players in the industry, including petroleum retailers and members of the public to refrain from buying fuel from unregistered traders.

The company says joint special operations have been mobilised to investigate illegal activities relating to fuel theft and any persons involved will face the full might of the law.

“Due to the inherent dangers of tampering with high pressure petroleum pipelines, these incidents have resulted in fire and other asset damage, as well as environmental incidents, with high remediation costs.

“Some of the incidents have also resulted in serious injuries and/or fatalities as the petroleum products transported in the pipeline are considered hazardous.

The pipelines traverse many rural, semi-rural and urban areas and Transnet has issued further appeals to any persons living near the pipelines or driving past, especially at night, to report any suspicious activities e.g. bakkies, fuel tankers in the area of the block valve chambers or near the pipeline markers etc.

The toll free number is 0800 203 843.

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South Korea’s Africa-Korea Economic Development Association talks of forming a shipyard in Angola

Port of Luanda, Angola in Africa Ports & Ships
Port of Luanda, Angola    Angop

According to reports coming from Angola, the South Korean Africa-Korea Economic Development Association (AKEDA) wants to develop a shipyard (referred to as a naval base) in Angola.

This was announced on Friday, 4 March 2022, by secretary-general of AKEDA, Chung Yes Noo, during a meeting with Angolan president, João Lourenço.

The secretary-general said that the US$ 1 billion shipyard project will focus of the manufacture of small, medium and large-sized vessels.

The implementation of the project will commence within a year, he indicated.

“We chose Angola for the project because we think it is a viable country,” Chung Yes Noo said.

He added that in phase 1 the project will create 5,000 jobs for young Angolans.

This would increase to 8,000, he added, saying that the project is going ahead in partnership with Angola state-owned oil company, Sonangol.

He said the reason for his meeting with President Lourenço was for the purpose of providing information on the progress of the project.

In 2020 AKEDA invested around $2 million in the construction of an electricity plant in Benguela, as part of a memorandum signed with the Private Investment and Promotion Agency of Exports (AIPEX). source: Angop

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WHARF TALK: dry bulk carrier – SSI PRIVILEGE

The bulk carrier SSI Privilege arrives at the port of Cape Town with a parcel of grain. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The bulk carrier SSI Privilege arrives at the port of Cape Town with a parcel of grain. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

Whilst the Swartland of the Western Cape is a breadbasket region of South Africa, and produces the vast majority of wheat and other grains, for the population to make bread, eat breakfast cereals, bake cakes and produce every type of dish that requires grains as a part of the recipe, it is still not enough to satisfy a nation of over 45 million people.

On a regular basis, throughout the year, bulk carriers of all sizes arrive at every major South African port, loaded with wheat and other grains, to offload into the great silos and warehouses that dot the industrial port area, and line the roads, and railway lines of the hinterland.

On 4th March at 09h00 the Ultramax bulk carrier SSI PRIVILEGE (IMO 9848089) arrived off Cape Town, from East London, and entered Cape Town harbour, and entered the Duncan Dock, going alongside B berth to begin her discharge of a parcel of grain.

The Turkish ship was arriving from East London and other ports along the southern African coast and prior to those, from Australia. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The Turkish ship was arriving from East London and other ports along the southern African coast and prior to those, from Australia. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Her voyage to Cape Town was quite a long one, starting with a full load of grain being taken onboard in Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. She then had multiple port calls down the Southern African coast, spending approximately three days alongside in each port, to unload one parcel at each.

Her first call had been a four day call at Matola in Mozambique. From there she proceeded to Durban for a further discharge over three days, before heading to East London to discharge yet more grain. She then headed to Cape Town, and with her shallow draft showing, it was likely to be a further three days alongside here, before completion, and heading off for her next cargo.

SSI Privilege's accommodation and bridge area. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
SSI Privilege’s accommodation and bridge area. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Built in 2019 by Jinling Shipyard at Nanjing in China, ‘SSI Privilege’ is 199 metres in length and has a deadweight of 63,566 tons. She is powered by a single Hudong MAN-B&W 5S60ME-C8.2 5 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 14,660 bhp (11,900 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller to give her a service speed of 14 knots.

Her lines clearly identify her as one of the hundreds of SDARI Dolphin 64 bulk carriers, designed in Shanghai, and built across the many Chinese state owned CSC shipyards. She has five holds, serviced by four 30 ton, grab equipped, cranes and her cargo carrying capacity is 78,500 m3.

The bulk carrier has now entered the Duncan Dock ahead of going alongside the berth. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The bulk carrier has now entered the Duncan Dock ahead of going alongside the berth. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

She is owned by the Densay Denizcilik ve Ticaret AS shipping company of Istanbul, in Turkey, and she is operated by Densay Shipping and Trading DMCC of Dubai in the UAE. She is managed by Atlantis Ship Management, also of Istanbul, a subsidiary company of Densay.

She is one of five SDARI Dolphin 64 sisterships in the Densay fleet. The first SDARI Dolphin 64 was built in 2012, and is a very popular design as there are now approaching 500 of them in service around the world.

SSI Privilege is flanked by two of the harbour tugs (Umbilo at left), as one of the tourist inflatable boats hurries by. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
SSI Privilege is flanked by two of the harbour tugs (Umbilo at left), as what appears to be one of the tourist inflatable boats hurries by. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

She has called a number of times in East and South Africa over the last year, with a call in April 2021 at Mombasa, in Kenya, to discharge a cargo of 49,500 tons of clinker. In November 2021 she called into Durban to load a full cargo of grain for discharge at Hakata and Mizushima, in Japan, before heading for Brisbane to load for her current voyage to Southern Africa.

Whilst at Durban on this voyage, she was involved in a complaint made against Transnet, by her owners, shippers and agents when she was one of three bulk carriers who were delayed, for a number of days, and at an operating cost of US$40,000 (ZAR614,914) per day. The knock on delays to the three vessels were due to ‘SSI Privilege’ being stuck on her berth at the Rennies Bulk Terminal (RBT), on Maydon Wharf, due to a supposed Transnet shortage of Pilots and Tugs, plus the continual breakdown of the Mooring Line Launch.

The bulker is manoeuvring into position to go alongside, assisted by the two tugs. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The bulker is manoeuvring into position to go alongside, assisted by the two tugs. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

She was unable to shift across to the Durban Bulk Terminal (DBT) at the Point, to complete her load of grain, which delayed a second vessel that was booked to do the opposite, i.e. shift from DBT to RBT. This in turn held up a third bulk carrier that was out in the anchorage and waiting to enter Durban Harbour, as a result of the delays not releasing a berth for her to load. The delays were over a number of days.

In October 2020, whilst lying at anchor at the Macapa anchorage in Brazil, located in the Amazon River delta at N00° 02’ W050° 58’, she was boarded by two robbers who were spotted on the bow . The alarm was raised and the robbers rapidly left the vessel, without any time to steal anything, and made their getaway in a small fishing boat driven by a third accomplice.

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Shell announces intent to withdraw from Russian oil and gas

Sakhalin-2 is one of the world’s largest integrated, export-oriented, oil and gas projects, as well as Russia’s first offshore gas project. Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd., the project operator, is owned by Gazprom, Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi. The project infrastructure includes three offshore platforms, an onshore processing facility, 300 kilometres of offshore pipelines and 1,600 kilometres of onshore pipelines, an oil export terminal and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. Picture Shell, in Africa Ports & Ships
Sakhalin-2 is one of the world’s largest integrated, export-oriented, oil and gas projects, as well as Russia’s first offshore gas project. Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd., the project operator, is owned by Gazprom, Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi. The project infrastructure includes three offshore platforms, an onshore processing facility, 300 kilometres of offshore pipelines and 1,600 kilometres of onshore pipelines, an oil export terminal and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. Picture Shell

On 8 March Shell plc announced its intent to withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a phased manner, aligned with new government guidance.

As an immediate first step, the company will stop all spot purchases of Russian crude oil. It will also shut its service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in Russia.

Shell Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden commented: “We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to be refined into products like petrol and diesel – despite being made with security of supplies at the forefront of our thinking – was not the right one and we are sorry.

“As we have already said, we will commit profits from the limited, remaining amounts of Russian oil we will process to a dedicated fund. We will work with aid partners and humanitarian agencies over the coming days and weeks to determine where the monies from this fund are best placed to alleviate the terrible consequences that this war is having on the people of Ukraine.

“Our actions to date have been guided by continuous discussions with governments about the need to disentangle society from Russian energy flows, while maintaining energy supplies. Threats today to stop pipeline flows to Europe further illustrate the difficult choices and potential consequences we face as we try to do this. Following government statements this week, I want to set out our position clearly. Unless directed by governments, we will:

* Immediately stop buying Russian crude oil on the spot market and we will not renew term contracts.

* At the same time, in close consultation with governments, we are changing our crude oil supply chain to remove Russian volumes. We will do this as fast as possible, but the physical location and availability of alternatives mean this could take weeks to complete and will lead to reduced throughput at some of our refineries.

* We will shut our service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in Russia. We will consider very carefully the safest way to do this, but the process will start immediately.

* We will start our phased withdrawal from Russian petroleum products, pipeline gas and LNG. This is a complex challenge. Changing this part of the energy system will require concerted action by governments, energy suppliers and customers, and a transition to other energy supplies will take much longer.

“These societal challenges highlight the dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies across Europe.

“But ultimately, it is for governments to decide on the incredibly difficult trade-offs that must be made during the war in Ukraine. We will continue to work with them to help manage the potential impacts on the security of energy supplies, particularly in Europe.”

Today’s announcement follows Shell’s decision last week that it intends to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project and exit its equity partnerships with Gazprom and related entities, including its 27.5% stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility, its 50% stake in the Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture.

Paul Ridgway

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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PIL awards contracts for four 14,000-TEU dual-fuel container ships

Computer-impression of one of the the new 14,000-TEU container ships ordered by PIL., in Africa Ports & Ships
Computer-impression of one of the the new 14,000-TEU container ships ordered by PIL.   Pacific International Lines 

Pacific International Lines (PIL), whose ships are regular callers at East, West and Southern African ports, has awarded contracts late last week to the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) of Shanghai for the construction of four 14,000 TEU container vessels.

The new vessels will be equipped with dual-fuel engines and auxiliaries which can run on both Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or low sulphur fuel oil.

The four ships will be delivered progressively from the second half of 2024 through to the first half of 2025.

When delivered, the vessels will become the largest container vessels in PIL’s fleet and the first vessels in the fleet to run on LNG.

Lars Kastrup, Co-President & Execurive Director, in Africa Ports & Ships
Lars Kastrup, PIL Co-President & Execurive Director

“This contract to build the four 14,000 TEU LNG dual-fuelled vessels marks our plan to continue optimising our fleet to serve our customers in our key markets,” said Lars Kastrup, PIL’s Co-President and Executive Director.

“At the same time, it is aligned to our total commitment to reducing PIL’s carbon emissions by tapping on the latest technologies available.”

Kastrup said the LNG option represents an important step in PIL’s decarbonisation journey.

“As BioLNG and e-Methane as well as other technology solutions mature, we aspire to continue to be at the forefront of these developments to achieve the zero emission target.”

As a further step towards PIL’s commitment to meet the industry’s environmental goals, the four vessels will be equipped with ammonia intermediate ready fuel tank which makes it possible to retrofit the vessels to run on ammonia when the technology become commercially available.

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Madagascar & Mozambique faces new Tropical Storm Gombe

Tropical Storm Gombe now overland of Madagascar and heading towards Mozambique. Map: MeteoFrance in Africa Ports & Ships
Tropical Storm Gombe now overland of Madagascar and heading towards Mozambique. Map: MeteoFrance

As northern & central Madagascar hunker down ahead of the latest tropical storm, named Gombe, which was expected to cross the eastern coastline today (Tuesday 8 March), the latest reports show the storm will cross the Mozambique Channel and the Mozambique coast later in the week.

Gombe, which is currently of less intensity than a full cyclone, will nevertheless shed large amounts of rain across two regions that are already saturated and flood prone.

The storm developed in the western Indian Ocean fairly close to Madagascar and began moving westward while intensifying.

According to the French Meteorological Centre for Mauritius, which tracks cyclonic activity in the southwestern Indian Ocean, the atmospheric depression was named Gombe when it reached the level of a moderate tropical storm.

The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) has meanwhile urged citizens to be on the look-out for further warnings.

“Current projections indicate that this weather system could reach Madagascar (it now has) and has a strong potential to reach the Mozambique Channel,” INAM said earlier in a statement.

INAM said it continues to monitor the storm and called on the population to continue to follow the warnings issued by the authorities.

“Unfortunately the storm could evolve into the ‘cyclone’ category and approach the coast of Nampula province over the coming weekend.” (Friday 11th or Saturday 12th March).

The Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) reports that 72 people have already died in the country in the current cyclone season, which officially lasts from 1 October to the end of April.

Most of the deaths were caused by landslides and floods, with others resulting from lightning and fires.

The Pearl Harbour-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) says that analysis indicates the environment is favourable for tropical cyclone development.

“For Madagascar, this system represents essentially a flood threat. The first rains [have already] started over the Cape Masaola area. They will intensify with the approach of the system on the sectors located between Cape Masaola in the north and Tamatave in the south. Accumulations of 50-100mm in 24 hours are expected over the coastal areas and 100-150mm over the eastern side of the highlands.

During the night of Tuesday (8 March) to Wednesday, these heavy rains will reach the northwest region between Nosy-Be and Majunga. Depending on the intensification of the system, gusts of 90-100 km/h are possible near the landing zone on the east coast.

JTWC added that this system could constitute a threat in the second part of the week for portions of the northern coast of Mozambique.

sources: JTWC, MeteoFrance, INAM, Cyclocane

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DP World’s offer to acquire 100% stake in Imperial successfully concluded

DP World’s offer to acquire 100% stake in Imperial successfully concluded, in Africa Ports & Ships
From next week one of South Africa’s largest logistics providers, Imperial Logistics, becomes fully owned by DP World.  Picture Imperial Logistics

South African logistics company Imperial Logistics Ltd and DP World FZE of Dubai have concluded all the necessary steps and conditions to enable DP World to acquire a 100% stake in Imperial. This includes regulatory approvals an the transaction is now unconditional and will be implemented next Monday on 14 March 2022.

“We are excited about concluding this transaction, which will be value-enhancing for our people, clients and principals, for our service offering across the markets we serve, and for our other key stakeholders who will benefit from DP World’s leading technology, capabilities, global networks, scale and key trade-lane volumes, while enabling us to build on our ‘Gateway to Africa’ strategy and growth ambitions,” said Imperial’s Group CEO, Mohammed Akoojee.

“Combining DP World’s world-class infrastructure, specifically its investment and expertise in ports on the African continent, with Imperial’s logistics and market access platforms will enable us to offer integrated end-to-end solutions along key trade lanes into and out of Africa, also driving greater supply chain efficiencies, and ultimately enhancing value for all stakeholders.”

The acquisition is expected to also add significant strategic value to DP World given Imperial’s attractive footprint and strong market access and logistics solutions capability.

Imperial’s business strongly complements DP World’s existing footprint in Africa and Europe which DP World says will allow it to deliver a fully integrated end-to-end solution across a wider market.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said they were excited to conclude the acquisition of Imperial, which he said has a significant presence in Africa, a market where trade is expected to grow at more than twice GDP driven by population growth, accelerated urbanisation and rising middle classes.

“Imperial’s capabilities in market access and logistics and its extensive African and European footprint will complement and enhance our growth aspirations,” he said.

“DP World is a business that also focuses on empowering and employing local people in its countries of operation while delivering sustainable and inclusive growth. Imperial’s purpose aligns with our approach and we look forward to welcoming Imperial to the DP World family.”

As a consequence of this transaction, the Delisting of the Imperial’s Ordinary Shares from the Main Board of the securities exchange operated by the JSE will be implemented on 15 March 2022.

The full regulatory announcement can be seen HERE

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Second container fire at Durban Container Terminal (DCT2) in two days

Transnet is investigating a second fire in a container among the stacks at DCT2, the country’s busiest container terminal.

The fire on Monday 7 March follows another one on Saturday (5 March) which then spread to several other containers in the stack.

In each case the TNPA Durban port fire department was able to safely extinguish the blaze. There were no injuries to personnel.

The cause of the latest fire is not known, but is being investigated.

The affected containers in both sets of fires came from the same consignment and a call has been made to the responsible shipping agent to establish what the consignment contains. The cargo owners have been instructed to evacuate the consignment as soon as possible.

According to Transnet every consignment that enters the port is required to be declared in terms of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Codes.

Goods are declared in terms of the IMDG as either general or dangerous goods.

Customs (SARS) and other relevant authorities have been contacted on the matter.

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Out of sight, out of mind: Chronic sea blindness threatens nation’s maritime resilience

Does the man in the street know what these are, or care? Picture: Ambrose Greenway © in Africa Ports & Ships
Does the man in the street know what these are, or care? Picture: Ambrose Greenway ©

Launching its benchmarking Maritime Barometer report this week, maritime professionals’ union, Nautilus International, has raised concerns that a lack of knowledge about the UK’s maritime industry is threatening its maritime resilience, despite the country’s reliance upon shipping as an island nation.

The union’s research found that only one in a thousand people (0.1%) know that more than 95% of goods that are consumed in the country arrive by sea, with respondents on average estimating the figure to be 48%, despite this being almost double in reality.

The survey of individuals in the UK also found that only a third (33%) of Brits believe that they know what their nearest port is, with two thirds unable to hazard a guess, despite the vital role they play in the nation’s supply chain.

Seafarers as key workers?

The British public were also asked about the professions that they believe should be seen as key workers during times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the integral role they play in bringing vital supplies to their shores, only a fifth of the UK public (21%) believe that seafarers deserve this status, compared with doctors (68%), supermarket assistants (58%) and delivery drivers (57%).

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson said: “Unfortunately, despite our long maritime history and status as an island nation, much of the public’s knowledge when it comes to shipping and seafaring is stuck in the past.

“This out of sight, out of mind attitude towards the maritime sector – or sea blindness – is putting the UK in a perilous position, given the vital role it plays in all of our lives, every single day. It is easy to see and acknowledge the delivery drivers and retail workers who help us put food on the table and clothes in the wardrobe but without seafarers, these shelves and wardrobes would be empty.

“As an island nation with a proud maritime history, we must do more to understand, appreciate and crucially, promote the maritime industry to underpin our maritime resilience and ensure that the nation’s maritime skills needs are future proofed and that we have the maritime professionals in place to continue delivering to these shores both now and in the decades to come.’

The UK’s maritime interests have suffered dramatic decline in recent years. The UK Ship Register (UKSR) fell from 1,600 vessels in 1975 to just 328 in 2020. Over the same period, the number of British merchant seafarers declined by around two-thirds, with that number set to fall by a further one-third over the next decade.

Sharp drop in seafarer numbers

The number of UK seafarers active at sea fell sharply in 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic pressures. An estimated 21,970 UK seafarers were active at sea in 2021 – a whopping 8% decrease compared with 2020 (23,880), according to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) data.

Nautilus International conducted its Maritime Barometer survey to highlight the current situation within the shipping industry and understand the attitudes and knowledge of those outside of it.

The survey results serve as a springboard to enhance knowledge about the sector, encourage change within the industry, make shipping a more attractive career option and foster a better understanding of the needs of maritime professionals in the UK.

To learn more

For more information about Nautilus International and for further findings from its Maritime Barometer readers are invited to VISIT HERE

To find out more about Nautilus International CLICK HERE

About Nautilus International

Nautilus International is an independent, influential, global trade union and professional organisation that works with members, the maritime community, national governments and international agencies to create change and promote the sector, improving the lives of maritime professionals.

It represents 20,000 maritime professionals including ship masters, officers, cadets and shipping industry personnel, such as pilots, inland navigation workers, vessel traffic services operators, harbourmasters, seafarers in the oil and gas industry, and shore-based staff.

Paul Ridgway

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

* Although this report referring specifically to the UK, there are some remarkable similarities with the situation in South Africa, and, we suspect, in other parts of the world. In SA this is despite a number of years of promoting Operation Phakisa and its emphasis on the Ocean Economy. The physical numbers may be different, but all else applies. – trh Africa Ports & Ships

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WHARF TALK: a bitumen tanker named – VIVEKA

The bitumen tanker Viveka in Cape Town harbour. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
The bitumen tanker Viveka in Cape Town harbour. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

One of the imported cargoes into South Africa that seems to be growing in volume is Bitumen. There have been at least four such cargo deliveries in the past ten months alone, and there is a good reason why that would be so. It all goes back to the fact that two of the nation’s largest oil refineries are still closed, after serious incidents at each, and have yet to restart production, if indeed they both ever will. Bitumen happens to be a byproduct of the oil refining process.

On 3rd March at 14h00 the bitumen tanker VIVEKA (IMO 9088938) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage from Douala in Cameroon, and remained out at anchor for just over a day. On 4th March at 16h00 she entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded to the tanker berth at the Eastern Mole. She had arrived with a cargo of 4,800 tons of bitumen for the Cape.

Built in 1994 by Union Naval de Lavante shipyard at Valencia in Spain, ‘Viveka’ is 121 metres in length and has a deadweight of 9,776 tons. She is powered by a single Wärtsilä 8R32E 8 cylinder 4 stroke main engine producing 4,460 bhp (3,280 kW), driving a controllable pitch propeller for a service speed of 13 knots. She has 6 cargo tanks, and a cargo carrying capacity of 9,850 m3.

Vikeka was in Cape Town discharging a cargo of bitumen from West Africa. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
Vikeka was in Cape Town discharging a cargo of bitumen from West Africa. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Owned and operated by Maritec NV of Antwerp in Belgium, ‘Viveka’ is managed by Maritec Tanker Management of Mumbai in India. The company is a subsidiary of the Rubis Asphalt Middle East (RAME) company of Dubai, who themselves are a part of the Rubis Group of Paris in France.

In September 2021 ‘Viveka’ delivered bitumen cargoes to both Cape Town, and a first ever visit to Durban, where she discharged her bitumen not at Island View, but at Maydon Wharf. She made a second call to Cape Town in November 2021. On this third visit to Cape Town, ‘Viveka’ did not discharge via the overhead gantry method, as some vessels have done in the past, but rather directly into tanks alongside.

The bitumen cargo on the combined Cape Town and Durban voyage in September was loaded from Rubis’ bitumen terminal hub at Lome, Togo. That was followed with a second attempted delivery into Cape Town from Lome in November. However, there was no significant discharge completed in Cape Town due to a specification issue.

Defences aimed at deterring pirates from taking control of the ship are obvious. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
Defences aimed at deterring pirates from taking control of the ship are obvious. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Rubis has already installed around 4,000 tons of bitumen storage capacity in the Cape Town area to help meet local demand, with the bitumen held in heated bitutainers. More recently Rubis was awarded a tender to rent 4,000 tons of bitumen tank storage space in Cape Town for a twelve month period from February 2022.

The company has substantial bitumen facilities in West Africa, with storage facilities in Sapele in Nigeria (28,000 tons), Lome in Togo (36,000 tons), Port Harcourt in Nigeria (7,000 tons), Douala in Cameroon (5,000 tons) and Libreville in Gabon (3,000 tons). The main operating area of ‘Viveka’ has been almost exclusively within the West Africa region for the last three years. She had called at both Sapele and Lome, prior to Douala, en-route south to Cape Town.

Increased imports in bitumen is likely to grow next year and beyond. Already known is that Engen have announced that it would shut down its Durban refinery, turning it into an import storage facility instead. The refinery has been closed since December 2020 after an explosion. It produced between 130,000 tons and 160,000 tons of bitumen in 2019 and 2020, with half of that production going for export, almost exclusively to Southern African markets. The Astron refinery in Cape Town has been closed since July 2020, also after an explosion.

The accommodation and bridge area of the tanker. Picture by 'Dockrat', in Africa Ports & Ships
The accommodation and bridge area of the tanker. Note the small bridge wing.  Picture by ‘Dockrat’

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said, in May 2020, that at least one other South African coastal refinery was also likely to close in the near future. Currently, only the Sapref Refinery, also located in Durban, is the only oil refinery left in South Africa that is producing bitumen, mainly for the domestic market. Simply put, no oil refineries, no bitumen.

That loss of local bitumen production, not only domestically, is already manifesting itself in lost export revenue for South Africa, with a full cargo of 5,000 tons of bitumen recently being delivered to Reunion and Mauritius in January. That cargo came from a competitor in Southeast Asia, delivered into what was always a traditional market supplied solely with South African bitumen, shipped mainly in bitutainers.

That ‘Viveka’ spends the majority of her current working life in West Africa, where her bitumen cargoes are provided by oil refineries in those countries where she has storage facilities, is very evident when you see how well protected she is with anti-piracy measures around the vessel. She has copious rolls of razor wire strung around her accommodation block, around her main deck, boat deck and bridge deck, plus all portholes and windows that front any open deck space are fitted with robust burglar bars.

Viveka has made several visits to Durban and Cape Town delivering bitumen. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Viveka has made several visits to Durban and Cape Town delivering bitumen. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

In October 2013, she suffered an engine room explosion whilst undergoing both main engine and boiler repairs in Caracas Bay, located in the autonomous Dutch country of Curaçao in the Caribbean. Thankfully, no fire resulted, and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the explosion was due to incorrect operation in restarting her starboard boiler, after maintenance, resulted in fuel oil residue fumes, within the boiler, igniting.

By the 6th March, ‘Viveka’ had completed her discharge of bitumen, and at 13h00 she sailed from Cape Town, bound back to Douala in the Cameroon. Thankfully, this means that some more roads can be built in the Western Cape region, and a few more potholes can now be filled in.

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Global tank container fleet reaches 736,935 units

ITCO, the International Tank Container Organisation, has published its tenth Annual Tank Container Fleet Survey. This year’s Survey estimates that, at 1 January 2022, the global tank container fleet had reached 736,935 units worldwide, compared to the figure of 686,650 on 1 January 2021, a year-on-year growth of 7.3%.

Reflecting a strong upsurge in demand for new equipment, especially towards the end of 2021, a total of 53,285 new tank containers were built, compared to 35,800 tank containers the previous year – an increase of some 17,485 units.

The complete Survey can be downloaded from the ITCO website

The Survey shows how, numerically, the industry continues to be dominated on a global level by a relatively small number of major tank container operators and leasing companies. The top ten tank container operators account for over 266,665 tanks, representing some 60% of the global tank container operators’ fleet. The top ten leasing companies account for 275,050 tanks, representing about 85% of the total leasing fleet.

2022 Global Tank Container Fleet Survey in Africa Ports & Ships

Commenting on the results of the Survey, Reg Lee, ITCO President, noted: “Increased volumes from a wide range of cargoes from Asia – as well as space-shortages on containerships, port congestion and inland transport delays – these are all factors which have contributed to increased tank container demand in 2021.

“These issues, and especially the containership capacity shortage from Asia to the main markets of North America and Europe, have led to significantly increased freight rates. Despite these rate increases, demand for tanks has nevertheless continued to grow. One factor is that the high freight rates lead to an economic need to maximise the quantity of cargo shipped within an ISO container slot, with the tank container transporting about 60% more cargo compared with a container filled with drums.”

Looking ahead to the next twelve months, Lee added: “The signs for 2022 are that there will be strong demand on all global trade lanes, but the challenge for tank operators to book space on containerships could continue to cause industry problems, as some shipping lines prioritise carrier-owned containers rather than shipper-owned containers.

“There are no signs of improvement in the near term from the problems of space shortage on containerships. Customer demand remains strong, but much of the new vessel capacity will not be introduced into service for at least another year.”

Commenting on the service side of the industry, Lee concluded with: “Alongside the shortage of space on-board containerships, the tank industry also faces a shortage of tank container cleaning and repair capacity, with investment and expansion of tank depots generally not keeping in line with global tank fleet expansion. Driver recruitment for tank container hauliers continues to be a problem for the industry.”

For more information on the International Tank Container Organisation readers are invited to SEE HERE

Paul Ridgway

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

Who remembers how up until the late 1990s a couple of South African companies produced more tank containers than any other country? That was before the Chinese moved into the market….. – Africa Ports & Ships
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IFSMA Statement on the crisis in Ukraine – 7 March 2022

On Monday 7 March 2022 the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA), issued the following statement:

The International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA) is an apolitical organisation dedicated solely to the interests of the serving Shipmaster and to uphold International Standards of Professional Competence of Seafarers commensurate with the need to ensure ‘Safe Operational Practices, Preservation from Human Injury and Protection of the Marine Environment’.

On the 24th February 2022, IFSMA was shocked and greatly alarmed to hear of the invasion of Ukraine. This ongoing invasion has led to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the 2nd March calling for the end to all hostilities and the withdrawal of the invading forces with immediate effect. It further stated that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected in line with the UN Charter.

The invasion of Ukraine poses serious challenges to global shipping and maritime leaders just as it is starting to recover from the effects COVID Pandemic has had on the Maritime Industry and its 1.5 million seafarers and their families. With around 90% of global trade taking place by sea, a continuing and escalating conflict in Ukraine will affect security of supply and, not least, the security of the many seafarers who supply the world market with food, fuel and other essential goods on a daily basis.

The Shipmaster of today has many challenges, but not least being that the average ship has at least three nationalities amongst its crew, with some employing as many as thirty different nationalities. The escalating crisis in Ukraine makes the Shipmaster’s role even more difficult with Russian and Ukrainian seafarers accounting for 14.5% of the global workforce.

We call for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and for the immediate withdrawal of forces and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine be respected.

We further call on Shipowners, Ship Managers, flag and port States to provide continuous assistance and guidance to Shipmasters on how to handle these onboard challenges and ensure that all seafarers are handled with respect and not put in harm’s way.

For more on IFSMA SEE HERE

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NS QINGDAO UPDATE: Bulker remains at Saldanha Bay – slow discharge of toxic cargo

The bulk carrier NS Qingdao now in Saldanha Bay. Picture by Fleetmon in Africa Ports & Ships
The bulk carrier NS Qingdao now in Saldanha Bay. Picture by Fleetmon

The bulk carrier NS QINGDAO (IMO 9567439) is currently at anchor in Saldanha Bay where she is discharging her toxic cargo. SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) reported on Friday that the vessel would be alongside a berth again on or about Sunday 6 March to continue operations.

These operations have become a stop/start affair although SAMSA says operations are proceeding in a safe and well-coordinated manner and good progress has been made.

By 1 March 2022, approximately half of the cargo in cargo hold no.3 (the problem cargo) had been discharged and disposed at Vissershok High Hazardous Waste Management Site. It is intended that wastewater will also be pumped into tanks and sent for disposal at the same waste management site.

It is anticipated that once the vessel is alongside a berth that it would take approximately 2 to 3 weeks to discharge the remaining waste cargo from the ship and dispose it at Vissershok. The vessel will then be inspected by SAMSA and its classification society to ensure she is safe to continue her voyage to Brazil to discharge the remaining cargo onboard.

Agreement between parties

SAMSA and the DFFE (Department of Environmental Affairs) have reached agreement with the vessel’s owners and P&I Club to implement a medium to long term environmental monitoring program so that any potential immediate and future impacts can be assessed and mitigated.

The P&I Club’s appointed environmental specialists in collaboration with DFFE are continuously monitoring the coast and sea area to determine any threats to the marine environment resulting from the emergency disposal of cargo dumped approximately 250 km offshore of St. Helena Bay.

To date, satellite imaging shows no immediate indications of harmful effects to the receiving environment or marine life.

Readers will recall that in October last year NS Qingdao was in Durban harbour to discharge some of her cargo at Maydon Wharf when toxic fumes began escaping from hold number 3. It is believed a sudden rain shower may have entered the hold and contaminated the cargo, which began emitting dangerous fumes. This has not been confirmed or explained fully by the authorities, nor have details of the type of cargo involved.

NS Qingdao was ordered to leave the port of Durban and go to drift offshore but was later further instructed to sail to St Helena Bay, under escort from a tug, and to commence discharging the contents of the affected cargo hold into skips which would then be taken to the Vissershok High Hazardous Waste Management site.

Flag investigation

The Marshall Islands Flag State Investigation team have started their investigation and it is expected to continue over the next few months until the root cause can be established. As part of the co-operation agreement, SAMSA is sharing the available information with the vessel’s flag. It is expected that the detailed investigation will take an estimated 12 months to complete and that the final report will be shared with SAMSA.

SAMSA says it would like to thank the salvage team onboard, who at great peril to themselves, risked everything to successfully bring this emergency situation under control where normal cargo operations could continue.

The support from all the persons involved in managing this emergency since it started in Durban in October 2021 has been very good, despite the difficult choices that had to be made over the last six months by the authorities, said SAMSA.

The vessel owner is continuing to co-operate with all authorities and has covered all expenses to date regarding this salvage operation.

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WHARF TALK: heavylift vessel named – DONALD

The heavylift vessel Donald beginning her departure from the port of Cape Town. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The heavylift vessel Donald beginning her departure from the port of Cape Town. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

There was a time, in the first decade of the 21st century, that the majority of heavylift vessels seen around the South African coast belonged one of two of Germany’s companies that specialised in such vessels. One company is still going strong, and getting stronger, whilst one went out of business in spectacular style over ten years ago.

Despite the fall of that company, the majority of the vessels that were in that once large fleet were then picked up by its major competitor, or by new entrants to the heavylift market, or by other smaller players already in the heavylift market. To this day, these vessels still arrive in South African ports to deliver, or to collect, specialised heavylift cargoes, or outsize cargoes.

On 1st March at Midnight, the heavylift vessel DONALD (IMO 9273791) arrived off Cape Town, from Lagos in Nigeria, and entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding directly to the Eastern Mole in Duncan Dock, once more indicating a quick turnaround for bunkers and stores, and with no expectation that any cargo work was planned.

The heavylift ship Donald on her berth at the Eastern Mole. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The heavylift ship Donald on her berth at the Eastern Mole. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

With her hull built in 2006 by Okean Shipyard at Nikolaev in Ukraine, ‘Donald’ was then towed around to Holland where she was outfitted, and completed, by Volharding Shipyard at Hoogezand. She is 157 metres in length and has a deadweight of 12,767 tons. She is one of two sisterships.

She is powered by a single MaK 8M43 8 cylinder 4 stroke main engine producing 9,792 bhp (7,200 kW), driving a controllable pitch propeller for a service speed of 15 knots. Her auxiliary machinery includes three Scania DI1644 generators providing 350 kW each. She has an Alfa Laval Aalborg exhaust gas boiler, and an Alfa Laval Aalborg oil fired boiler.

For manoeuvrability when berthing, and unberthing, she has a bow transverse thruster providing 650 kW. She has two holds, serviced by two electro-hydraulic Liebherr 240 ton cranes, which are capable of lifting 480 tons when used in tandem.

Another view of the heavyklift Donald in the Duncan Dock and heading towards the open sea. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Another view of the heavylift Donald in the Duncan Dock and heading towards the open sea. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

For hold carriage of outsized cargoes, her box shaped number two hold has dimensions measuring 78 metres by 17 metres. Her cargo carrying capacity is 18,694 m3, and her container carrying capacity is 675 TEU, with the provision of 323 reefer plugs.

She is nominally owned by Donald Shipping Incorporated, and she is operated on charter by Ocean 7 Projects, of Fredericia in Denmark. She is managed by Interunity Management (Deutschland) GmbH, of Bremen in Germany.

It was clear, during her time alongside at Cape Town, that ‘Donald’ had been required to sail though pirate infested waters as, at main deck level, she had razor wire set along the entire length of her hull. Her southbound voyage to Cape Town was not only via Lagos, and the pirate infested Gulf of Guinea, but included stops at Tema in Ghana, and Nouakchott in Mauritania.

Flanked by the pilot boat 'Red Bishop' and one of the harbour tugs, Donald heads towards the harbour entrance. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Flanked by the pilot boat ‘Red Bishop’ and one of the harbour tugs, Donald heads towards the harbour entrance. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

On completion of her short 15 hour stop at Cape Town, ‘Donald’ sailed on 2nd March at 15h00, bound for Durban, where she arrived three days later, on 5th March at 15h00. She entered Durban harbour and proceeded to P berth, at the T Jetty. There she was immediately attended to by the bunker barge ‘Fumana’.

She is a Beluga C-480 design, which gives away her pedigree as having been from the Bremen based Beluga Shipping company, which operated between 1995 and 2011. Beluga Shipping had grown to operate a fleet of 75 heavylift vessels by the time the company was declared insolvent. Beluga Shipping collapsed in 2011 as a result of financial impropriety, which resulted in the company Founder and CEO receiving a three and a half year prison sentence for numerous fraud offences.

The heavylift leaves the harbour for the open sea. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The heavylift leaves the harbour for the open sea. Next port, Durban.   Picture by ‘Dockrat’

On the collapse of the company in March 2011, ‘Beluga Constitution’ as she was then known, and whose name is still visible on both her bow and at her stern, was alongside in Kandla in India. She was promptly arrested with an Admiralty Court warrant.

She was bought by a start-up heavylift carrier called Hansa Heavy Lift, along with 20 vessels from the Beluga fleet, and placed under the management of Hammonia Reederei GmbH of Bremen. She was renamed ‘HR Constitution’, but sadly this company foundered in 2019, and she then ended up with her current Bremen owners, renamed as ‘Donald’.

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New man in charge at Maersk South Africa as Jonathan Horn prepares to retire

Lubabalo Mtya, Area Managing Director designate for Maersk in Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands in Africa Ports & Ships
Lubabalo Mtya, Area Managing Director designate for Maersk in Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

Lubabalo Mtya will shortly be taking over as area managing director for Maersk in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.

He will be replacing Jonathan Horn who is retiring from the end of April 2022. Horn has led the company in the region for 18 years.

Maersk said Mtya will bring “a wealth of experience as a passionate leader.”

The company also praised Horn for an “incredible contribution” to the Maersk business over the last 18 years. This was a period which followed the absorption of Safmarine into the AP Moller-Maersk fold a few years earlier.

Maersk praised Horn also for his compassion, integrity and customer focus.

Mtya is joining the Maersk group from his position as chief executive of Barloworld Logistics Africa.

In that capacity he had the difficult job of writing to employees in the Barloworld Logistics organisation in early 2021, to inform them of plans to restructure the businesses for operational purposes.

In his letter he referred to the difficult financial state of the companies and the anticipated losses going ahead, which were the reasons for the restructuring. He wrote that the process would be unsettling for employees who were left with no idea where these developments will leave them.

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Container fire at Durban Container Terminal Pier 2

A MSC ship on the berth at 108/109, Durban Container Terminal in Africa Ports & Ships
A MSC ship on the berth at 108/109, Durban Container Terminal    Picture: Transnet

A fire broke out in a container at Durban Container Terminal on Pier 2 on Saturday afternoon, 5 March 2022, Transnet Port Terminals has confirmed.

The fire is believed to have started in a single container and quickly spread to three other containers all in the same stack.

Emergency procedures were immediately activated by terminal management including the summoning of TNPA fire services who arrived on the scene and were able to extinguish the blaze before it could spread further.

According to TPT, operational activities were suspended at berths 108 and 109 (the cross quay berths between Piers 1 and Piers 2).

Transnet said on Sunday 6 March that operations will recommence when the TNPA fire services declare the area a safe zone. No personnel were injured during the fire.

The vessel currently on berth at 108/109 (Sunday 16h00) is the 4,250-TEU, 49,952-dwt COSCO IZMIR (IMO 9484508). At the adjacent berth 202 the 5,514-TEU, 67,796-dwt vessel MSC VIDHI (IMO 9238739) was able to complete cargo working and was sailing from the port at 16h00 on Sunday.

TPT advises that business continuity plans have been implemented and engagements are taking place with terminal customers.

As of Sunday 16h00 the cause of the fire remained unknown but investigations are currently underway.

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Navigational safety: Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov

On 3 March the Indian Register of Shipping, IR Class, issued a Technical Circular providing advice for vessels using the waters of Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The circular was based on the Panama Maritime Administration’s Merchant Marine Notice (No MMN-03/2022) and readers are invited to see the PDF HERE

In view of the current situation occurring between Russian and Ukrainian Governments, the Panama Maritime Administration strongly encouraged Panama-flagged vessels to avoid transit of Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Those Panamanian vessels in Ukrainian Ports or transiting the above zone were advised to maintain the utmost vigilance and increase security conditions aboard in order to protect vessel and crew.

In conclusion the Panama Maritime Administration reminded all Panama- flagged vessels transiting, or in Ukrainian Ports, to verify that the LRIT System and the AIS works properly at all times, in order to be able to continuously send positions of the vessels as required by SOLAS Reg. V/19.

It is understood that similar advice has been provided by the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau International Ship Registry.

Paul Ridgway

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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CRUISE NEWS: Despite pandemic, new cruise ships keep appearing

AIDAcosma which has commenced sailing in northern Europe. in Africa Ports & Ships
AIDAcosma in Hamburg, Germany, which has commenced sailing in northern Europe.    AIDA Cruises

In spite of all the setbacks that continue to affect some of the international cruise ship operators, news ships are entering service, or being laid down as cruise lines make efforts at creating a new ‘normal’ for cruising.

Here in South Africa we’ve seen the arrival of several cruise ships to our ports, including the resident cruise ship, MSC ORCHESTRA, which is currently cruising between Durban and three Mozambique destinations.

Several other ships are scheduled to call in the coming weeks, always providing there isn’t a sudden new wave of the coronavirus that results in them bypassing the country.

Oceania Cruises' Vista under final construction. in Africa Ports & Ships
Oceania Cruises’ Vista under final construction.   Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises

Internationally we learned on 28 February 2022 of the floating out of Oceania Cruises new ship named VISTA at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Genoa.

“Vista is Oceania Cruises’ most anticipated ship in the history of our company, and I am thrilled to be here with our partners from Fincantieri as the ship morphs from blueprints and steel into reality,” said stated Howard Sherman, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

“Vista is truly a ship of dreams, and we cannot wait to welcome her inaugural season guests next year.”

The 67,000-gt Vista is capable of carrying 1,200 passengers and 800 crew and will enter service in April 2023, firstly in 13 European cruises and then by cruising from the US, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Vista is the first of two new generation cruise ships that will start the ‘Allura class’ for Oceania Cruises, a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division of Fincantieri pointed out that it has been ten years since the cruise ship RIVIERA was delivered by Fincantieri to Oceania Cruises, from the same Sestri shipyard in Genoa.

AIDAcosma which has entered service in northern Europe. in Africa Ports & Ships
AIDAcosma which has entered service in northern Europe  AIDA Cruises

AIDA Cruises

In Hamburg, Germany another new cruise ship has been announced to the cruising world, the 183,900-gt AIDAcosma which was launched last year and entered service in late February 2022.

Costing US$950 million to build, she is a sister ship to AIDAnova, P&O Iona, P&O Arvia, Costa Smeralda, Costa Toscana, Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. That is a hint that her owner is the giant Carnival Corporation & Plc.

AIDAcosma carries between 5,400 and 6,600 passengers, serviced by a crew numbering 1500. The ship has a length of 337 metres and a beam of 42m and has 20 decks, of which 11 have cabins. Her builder was Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The ship flies the flag of Italy.

For any speed merchants out there, AIDAcosma is reportedly capable of a speed of 33 knots and is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). She is operated by AIDA Cruises, aka AIDA Kreuzfahrten.

AIDAcosma is currently cruising in northern European waters and from April until October will transfer to the Mediterranean, voyaging from Palma and Barcelona.

Explora I, as she will appear when in service from May 2023, in Africa Ports & Ships
Explora I, as she will appear when in service from May 2023    MSC

MSC Cruises’ Explora Journeys

At another of the Fincantieri shipyards, this time in Monfalcone, Italy, the coin ceremony for the newbuild EXPLORA I has taken place for the first of four sister ships for MSC Cruises’ new luxury brand.

The new class of ship will have 461 suites/cabins/staterooms (whichever is the name preferred) and when in service will sail to a mix of well-known and other less-known ‘off the beaten track’ destinations. She enters service in May next year.

A second ship, EXPLORA II has also been laid down this time at the Fincantieri Castellammare di Stabia yard in Naples and will enter service in the northern autumn of 2024. Ships III and IV will follow in 2025 and 2026.

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Estonian-owned ship sunk off in Black Sea off Odessa

Dryad Global reports from the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority to confirm that the Panamanian flagged cargo vessel HELT (IMO 8402589), which is owned by an Estonian company, has sunk after being struck, it is thought, by a floating mine outside the Ukrainian port of Odessa

The Helt was at anchor 23 nautical miles East-South-east of Odessa Port. The vessel was owned by in Tallinn, Estonia-registered company of Estonia, Vista Shipping Agency.

According to reports, the vessel experienced an explosion below the waterline, although there were initial reports that the ship was fired on.

There are other unverified reports that the ship was being used by the Russian Navy as a floating shield to protect the Russian ships from Ukrainian fire.

After the explosion the Helt took on a 70 degree list before disappearing off the radar at 12h18 local time. Six members of the crew are reported to have taken to a raft and were safely picked up search and rescue boats, though another report says there are missing crew members.

The incident is understood to have occurred approximately 6 n.miles South of Mine warning area D as detailed in the NAVAREA III Warning 092/22 (see map in report below for Area D).

According to the Ukraine State Border Guard Service last Thursday (3 March), the Helt had earlier been taken hostage by the Russian Navy, which led to the report of the vessel being used as a shield.

The actual report from the State Border Guard Service said on Facebook reads: “Yesterday, the Russians killed a citizen of Bangladesh on the Banglar Samriddhi ship, which was on the roadstead near Mykolaiv, and the day before they took the HELT dry cargo ship hostage. At the same time, the Russians use the HELT ship as a shield to hide behind it from Ukrainian anti-ship weapons, because Ukrainians do not shoot at civilian objects.”

At the start of the conflict there were over a 150 ships in Ukrainian waters. This number has since been reduced to a little more than one hundred.

Dryad Global reports that eight (8) other commercial vessels have been involved in incidents since Russia invaded Ukraine. “Three vessels have been detained, and another five have been struck by missiles, including the 4-year old Bangladeshi flagged bulker BANGLAR SAMRIDDHI (IMO: 9793832) on the 2 March 2022, the NAMURA QUEEN (IMO 9841299) and the MILLENNIAL SPIRIT (IMO 7392610) on the 25th of February, and the YASA JUPITER (IMO 9848132) on the 24th of February.

The north half of the Black Sea is now regarded as under control of the Russian Navy and there are no significant NATO warships within the Black Sea, other than those of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.

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NATO Black Sea navigation warnings

Navigation Warnings in force on 1 March 2022. Mapwork: Spanish Hydrographic Office NAVAREA COORD III in Africa Ports & Ships
Navigation Warnings in force on 1 March 2022. Mapwork: Spanish Hydrographic Office NAVAREA COORD III

NATO Shipping Centre last week issued the following report:

There is a high risk of collateral damage on civilian shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea. There are several open source reports of civilian ships being hit directly or indirectly as a result of the acts of war in the north western Black Sea within Ukrainian territorial waters and adjacent international waters.

Civilian shipping is encouraged to exercise caution and be on high alert in the area.

Likewise, shipping is encouraged to stay in close contact with national and local maritime authorities. Shipping should to thoroughly document any incidents and report these via their respective national channels and to the local maritime authorities.

A large number of navigation warnings have been issued, covering a number of warning areas, including mine danger areas. Shipping is encouraged to stay well informed about these and keep well clear of the areas as well as warships and military crafts.

It should always be taken into account that the situation may develop further during a voyage.

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US congressional oversight committees probe 2021 shipping rates

Maersk Inverness sailing from Durban. Picture by Trevor Jones, in Africa Ports & Ships
Maersk Inverness sailing from Durban. Picture by Trevor Jones

Three major international shipping companies are being investigated by a United States congressional oversight panel into their role in last year’s exorbitant fees and surcharges.

The leaders of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy have delivered letters to Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd requesting details of their container rate increases since early 2021.

The two subcommittees operate under the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

The three shipping lines under enquiry are among largest of the 10 international container companies that control about 85% of international container trade. There has been international concern that the 10 shipping lines “appear to have raised shipping rates in 2021 far more than any increase in costs” which saw these companies earn US$150 billion in profits, which is nine times greater than declared profits earned in 2020.

Saying that there is deep concern that the three lines, Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd may have been engaged in predatory business practices during the pandemic, resulting in scores of essential goods becoming needlessly expensive for consumers and small businesses, the two committees chairmen, both Democratic Party, James Clyburn and Raja Krishnamoorthi wrote:

“Affordable shipping rates are critical to ensuring that small and medium-sized business owners can continue to make a living and provide goods and services to consumers at reasonable prices.”

Addressing Maersk CEO, Søren Skou, they said that the world’s then- largest container carrier’s operating costs increased by 21% last year, whereas Maersk increased its average shipping rates by 83%. “These price increases were particularly acute for the U.S. economy because the largest increases were in shipping rates between Asia and the United States.”

Hapag-Lloyd's New York Express, in Africa Ports & Ships
Hapag-Lloyd’s New York Express  Picture Hapag-Lloyd

Addressing Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen, the sub-committees’ chairmen said that the German carrier increased its freight rates by a ‘startling’ 75.3%.

The letter to French carrier CMA CGM pointed out that the line made profits of over $11 billion in just the first nine months of 2021 – more than what CMA CGM earned in the previous ten years combined!

In the letter to CEO Rodolphe Saadé, the chairmen said that CMA CGM itself acknowledged that its increase in operating costs has been ‘far more than compensated by the growth of shipping revenue, thus explaining the sharp increase in profitability.’

CMA CGM Antoine deSaint Exupery container ship. Picture by Wikipedia
CMA CGM Antoine de Saint Exupery container ship.     Picture by Wikipedia

State of the Union Address

These probes into suspected profiteering follow on from President Biden’s statement during his State of the Union address last Tuesday in which he highlighted that non-US (foreign) global alliances “control almost all of ocean freight shipping, giving them power to raise prices for American businesses and consumers, while threatening our national security and economic competitiveness.”

Biden said the companies had formed global alliances— “groups of ocean carrier companies that work together”— which he said control 80% of global container ship capacity and 95% of the critical East-West trade lines.

“This consolidation happened rapidly over the last decade. From 1996 to 2011, the leading three alliances operated only about 30% of global container shipping. Significant consolidation occurred in the years running up to the pandemic.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, these ocean carrier companies have been dramatically increasing shipping costs through rate increases and fees. They increased spot rates for freight shipping between Asia and the United States by 100% since January 2020, and increased rates for freight shipping between the United States and Asia by over 1,000% over the same period.”

The sub-committees making the probes have asked Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd to provide a range of information and documentation including rates charges to customers, spot rates on containers and additional fees and surcharges.

Ukraine war could see rates rise to greater highs

Meanwhile, a supply chain consultant, Glenn Koepke, at the consultancy firm FourKites, told the New York Times that ocean and air shipping rates could triple, up from the US$ 10,000 per 40ft container at present, to as much as $30,000 per FEU.

Container rates from China to Durban or other SA ports are currently quoted in the $9,500 to $10,500 range.

Air freight rates, Koepke said, could be impacted even more.

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NATO completes Naval Exercise Dynamic Guard

NATO Marcom report in Africa Ports & Ships

According to MARCOM Public Affairs at the end of February NATO maritime Exercise Dynamic Guard 2022-01 was completed off the coast of Norway.

Dynamic Guard is a bi-annual, multi-national NATO electronic warfare exercise series designed to provide tactical training and help build and maintain proficiency in maritime electronic warfare and anti-ship missile defence for the NATO Response Force and NATO national units.

Led by Maritime Command Headquarters (MARCOM) and supported by the NATO Joint Electronic Warfare Core Staff (JEWCS), the five-day exercise demonstrated the ability of allied forces to quickly integrate to accomplish NATO-directed missions combining maritime patrol aircraft, submarines, helicopters, and naval ships. Participating forces came from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States.

Radar jamming equipment embarked

Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship Federal German Ship Berlin embarked JEWCS’s Transportable Radar and Communications Simulation Van (TRACSVAN) for the exercise, a specialised radar jamming and communication system.

SNMG1 included Berlin, Royal Danish Navy’s HDMS Peter Willemoes, and Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Van Amstel. US Navy destroyers USS Donald Cook and USS The Sullivans joined SNMG1 for Dynamic Guard in addition to aircraft from Draken Aviation. Falcon aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force were provided for air defence scenarios. All units also conducted gunnery exercises.

This exercise allowed NATO to plan, integrate and operate the full range of activities needed for electronic warfare, anti-ship missile defence and logistics in a complex environment

Unique in its making, the series of exercises is conducted with a number of individual events with increasing degrees of complexity for electronic warfare and anti-ship missile defence.

Layered defence units

Air and missile defence (AMD) is a primary warfare asset of guided-missile destroyers providing layered defence for units, a top priority for all NATO forces.

Of Exercise Dynamic Guard Commander James Diefenderfer, CO of The Sullivans said: “It all comes down to training like we fight. This exercise allowed us to plan, integrate and operate the full range of activities we need for electronic warfare, anti-ship missile defence and logistics in a complex environment.”

During the exercise, Donald Cook and The Sullivans conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with the supply ship Berlin, further demonstrating interoperability and NATO’s ability to keep forces on station.

SNMG1 is one of four standing maritime task groups composed of ships from allied countries. These task groups form the core maritime capability of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). They provide a continuous maritime capability to execute NATO missions across the spectrum of operations, demonstrate solidarity, and strengthen diplomatic and professional links among allied naval forces.

Paul Ridgway

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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Port omissions and rotation changes for SAECS

SAECS service vessel Santa Clara (Maersk) which is having a rotation change - see below. Picture by Keith Betts, In Africa Ports & Ships
SAECS service vessel Santa Clara (Maersk) which is having a rotation change – see below. Picture by Keith Betts

The following port omission and service updates have been announced for the weekly South Africa – Europe Container Service (SAECS).

Due to port congestion at Northern Europe ports (including Rotterdam) the vessel SANTA CRUZ on her voyage 220S will be omitting her Algeciras TTI call.

MAERSK LUZ on voyage 220S will have her Algeciras TTI call reinstated to accommodate cargo that remains at TTI terminal due to the Santa Cruz omission.

Maersk Luz 220S will call at Algeciras TTI on 9 March at 20h00.

In a further advisory, due to the above-mentioned European port congestion, the vessel SANTA CLARA on voyage 220N/220S will perform a change of rotation advancing her London Gateway call prior to the Rotterdam call.

SANTA CLARA  220N/220S:

PORT                                   ETA                                            ETD
London Gateway:      Sunday 6 March 06h00       Monday 7 March 06h00
Rotterdam:                 Tuesday 8 March 12h00       Wednesday 9 March 19h00
Bremerhaven:             Thursday 10 March 16h00    Friday 11 March 15h30

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

in partnership with – APO

More News at https://africaports.co.za/category/News/

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

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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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