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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

Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return  

FIRST VIEW:  CROWN OPAL

• UKHO announces intention to withdraw from paper chart production
• WHARF TALK: small handy bunker tanker VEMAHARMONY
• In Conversation: Searcher Geodata returns to South Africa to pursue seismic surveys off the West Coast
• XENETA container alert: long-term shipping rates finally peak, but now stand 112% up year-on-year
• Transnet releases unqualified Financial Statements for year ending 31 March 2022
• WHARF TALK: vintage visitor to Cape Town – REEF PROTECTOR
• News Brief: Bulk carrier Gladiator towed into Durban for repairs
• News Brief: Algeciras replaced by Port Tangier from northbound SAECS service
• News Brief: Cold ironing for Port of Las Palmas
• EUNAVFOR Atalanta to the rescue of a merchant ship in distress with no power
• In Conversation: Africa’s free trade area offers promise for cities – but only if there’s investment
• Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) partners with Angola to drive growth
• Heavy sands mining for ilmenite, zircon & rutile to commence this year in Mozambique’s Inhambane province
• WHARF TALK: MR2 Panamax product tanker GRAND WINNER 5
• Operation IRINI finds cargo in breach of UN arms embargo
• In Conversation: At Unguja Ukuu, human activity transformed the coast of Zanzibar more than 1,000 years ago
• TNPA delegation visits Ghanaian port of Tema
• Europe looking to Mozambique to obtain gas supplies
• WHARF TALK: CNFC Antarctic krill trawler – LONG FA
• TNPA issues RFI for potential renewable energy project
• In Conversation: Russia/Ukraine grain export deal promises major benefits for poor countries. If it holds
• NEW BOOKS: In the Treacle Mine
• AIRFREIGHT: Ethiopian signs proposal for up to 4 more Dash 8-400 Freighter Door Kits
• Ukraine grain shipments to resume: The world waits in hope: Odesa bombed
• IMO welcomes maritime humanitarian corridor in Black Sea
• WHARF TALK: The visit of the last leader of the Nazi Regime to South Africa
• IMO launches decarbonisation strategy roundtables in Kenya
• Xolani Mbambo to succeed Andrew Waller as CEO of Grindrod
• Malindi port expects to serve ships at international standards
• Work begins on Ghana’s Inland Marine Port – part of Trans-Volta Logistics Corridor
• New heavy-duty weighbridge for Durban’s TPT Multipurpose Terminal
• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND HERE AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….

The week’s mastheads:

Monday: Port of Durban Island View
Tuesday: Port of Durban Maydon Wharf
Wednesday: Port of Cape Town Elliott Basin
Thursday: Port of Cape Town dry dock area
Friday: Port of Cape Town Tanker Basin
Saturday: Port of Cape Town Duncan Dock
Sunday: Port of Cape Town

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FIRST VIEW:  CROWN OPAL

Africa Ports & Ships: The reefer ship CROWN OPAL (IMO 9128063) sails from Durban earlier in July, bound for Cape Town and then St Petersburg. With South Africa not being a party to economic sanctions against Russia, and the vessel carrying a cargo bound for St Petersburg, the vessel will have no difficulty in completing her voyage. In fact the reefers arrival in Durban was direct from St Petersburg and prior to that, Zeebrugge.

Crown Opal is nominally owned by Whitestone Equities Corp, care of Cool Carriers AB of Stockholm, Sweden, who are also the ship and commercial managers of the vessel. ISM manager is Ost-West-Handel und Schiffahrt of Bremen, Germany.

The ship has a deadweight of 10,316 tons and a length of 152 metres with a width of 23m. Her reefer capacity is 15,505 cartons and a container capacity of 164 TEU including 70 reefers. As can be seen in the photograph, Crown Opal is geared with four cranes covering four holds, each hatch size measuring 13.6m x 8.25m. Sheis flying the Bhamas flag with Nassau her homeport.

The ship is diesel powered with a single Mitsubishi Model 6UEC60LSII two stroke diesel engine producing 10,932 KW (14,863 HP) and driving a single fixed pitch propeller to give the vessel a speed of 21 knots.

Like many ships of her vintage, now going on for 25 years, Crown Opal has met with drama of one sort or another on a few occasions. In February 2015 the reefer was detained in New Bedford for a period after the Moroccan cargo owners alleged that the shippers had failed to adequately secure the cargo. This was after Crown Opal experienced 8 metre waves resulting in massive shifting of the cargo and extensive damage to the lower decks and to the clementine fruit being carried aboard.

While the matter was argued in court the ship remained in a quiet spot in the harbour. It was estimated that about a third of the cargo was affected with further damage to the fruit occurring when local longshoremen and crew repacked the ship using forklifts to speed up the work. Ultimately the crew were sent home while the lawyers argued the matter in court.

On another occasion divers from the Colombian Navy did an underwater inspection of Crown Opal and discovered a cylinder attached to the underwater hull containing 67 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was destined for Belgium, it seems. The ship and crew were cleared on any suspicion in the matter and after a short delay were allowed to continue their interrupted journey to another port in Central America and from there to the UK and then Belgium.

Picture is by Trevor Jones

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UKHO announces intention to withdraw from paper chart production

Transition plan for fully digital chart portfolio by end of 2026

On 26 July the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) announced its intention to develop options for the withdrawal from global paper chart production by late 2026 to increase focus on its digital navigation products and services.

In response to users

Plans to withdraw the UKHO’s portfolio of ADMIRALTY Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts are in response to more marine, naval and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation. The ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions digital navigation portfolio can be updated in near real-time, greatly enhancing safety of life at sea (SOLAS).

The phased withdrawal of paper charts from production will take place over a number of years and is anticipated to conclude in late 2026. In parallel, UKHO will develop viable, official digital alternatives for sectors still using paper chart products, it is understood. This will be a carefully managed process, conducted in close liaison with all customers and stakeholders, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as other regulatory bodies, hydrographic offices, industry partners and distributors.

“The decision to commence the process of withdrawing from paper chart production will allow us to increase our focus on advanced digital services that meet the needs of today’s seafarers,” said Peter Sparkes, Chief Executive of the UKHO.

“As we look to the future, our core purpose remains the safety of shipping operations and delivering the best possible navigation solutions to achieve that. Whether for the Royal Navy, commercial vessels or other ocean users, our focus is on developing and delivering ADMIRALTY digital services that promote safe, secure and thriving oceans.

“We understand the significance of this announcement, given the distinguished history of the UKHO’s paper chart production and the trust that mariners have placed in ADMIRALTY charts over the generations. We will support users of SNCs during the withdrawal of our paper chart portfolio and work with our distributors to help users switch to digital alternatives between now and our planned date of 2026.”

The move to digital navigation solutions has been accompanied by a rapid decline in demand for paper charts, driven by the SOLAS-mandated transition to ECDIS and the wider benefits of digital solutions, including the next generation of navigation services.

Peter Sparkes explained that shipping is moving quickly towards a future underpinned by digital innovations, enhanced satellite connectivity at sea and optimised data solutions, supporting the next generation of navigation.

“The UKHO aims to be at the vanguard of this digital transition, continuing to provide the assured and globally trusted ADMIRALTY navigation services that seafarers the world over depend on,” he said.

Baroness Goldie, Minister of State at the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence, commented that the world has changed unrecognisably in recent years, driven by digitalisation and rapid technological advancement.

“When it comes to maritime, one of our priorities at the Ministry of Defence is to make shipping as safe as possible; to achieve this, the industry must continue transitioning to digital tools and technology that share data almost instantly from ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore,” she said.

“As one of the world’s leading authorities on navigational charts, the UKHO is well positioned to recognise the need to deliver a range of digital solutions that enhance safety and data accuracy. The decision to focus on digital products and services makes strategic and commercial sense, helping usher in a new era of maritime navigation, which will be powered by digital innovations.”

Richard Bell, Assistant Director for UK Technical Services Navigation at the MCA, said the MCA recognises the benefits of official digital navigation products for safe navigation, at a time when paper products make up a minority of navigation products being used at sea.

“This announcement by UKHO represents a clear vision for the future of navigation, which will need to be supported by official equipment and data suited to the needs of the different maritime end users,” Bell added.

“We are committed to working closely with the UKHO, stakeholders and industry to make this vision a reality. Close liaison will be essential, to ensure that the technical and legislative barriers to the proposed change are overcome in advance of the UKHO’s 2026 timeline.”

To learn more:
More information on UKHO’s carefully managed approach for the phased withdrawal of paper chart production can be found here> https://www.admiralty.co.uk/sunsetting-paper-charts

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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WHARF TALK: small handy bunker tanker VEMAHARMONY

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Since 2016 when SAMSA approved the first offshore bunkering operation in Algoa Bay, there has been a steady growth of the number of small bunker tankers carrying out the offshore transfer of fuel to passing vessels. As of today, there are three such tankers lying in Algoa Bay awaiting the next customer, plus a mother ship acting as an offshore storage terminal.

It has also meant that these bunker tankers have made irregular voyages into ports to conduct bunker transfers to vessels in port requiring a top up, or to take on a fresh cargo refill of bunkers or, in the case of Cape Town, to bring in a bunkers cargo for local storage requirements. What is not seen in Cape Town on any regular basis is a bunker tanker arriving for a spot of shoreside engineering, and maintenance support.

On 26th July at 12h00 the small handy bunker tanker VEMAHARMONY (IMO 9514420) arrived off Cape Town from the Port Elizabeth anchorage in Algoa Bay. She entered Cape Town harbour and entered the Duncan Dock, but unlike previous bunker tanker visitors, she did not proceed to a tanker berth, but instead made her way to the Repair Quay.

This was an almost certain indication that engineering support was the purpose of the visit, and with her foremast shortly covered in scaffolding, it seemed to confirm the reason for her visit.

Built in 2009 by Shenfei Shipbuilding of Rongcheng in China, ‘Vemaharmony’ is 103 metres in length and has a deadweight of 6,178 tons. She is powered by a single Hyundai Himsen 9H25/33P 9 cylinder 4 stroke main engine, producing 3,546 bhp (2,610 kW) to drive a controllable pitch propeller for a service speed of 11.7 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two generators providing 400 kW each. For added manoeuvrability she has a bow transverse thruster. She has 10 cargo tanks with a cargo carrying capacity of 6,860 m3, and her tanks are all epoxy resin coated.

One of a popular class of small handy tanker, of which over a dozen are currently in service, ‘Vemaharmony’ is nominally owned by Kent International Incorporated, and she is both operated and managed by Queensway Navigation Co. Ltd. of Athens. She was purchased by her current owners in 2020.

Previously operating for a subsidiary of Angola’s state owned oil company, Sonangol, ‘Vemaharmony’ has spent the majority of her working career in African waters. As well as her role at the majority of Angolan ports, her current owners have had her providing bunkers at Lomé in Togo, Monrovia in Liberia, Freetown in Sierra Leone, and Limboh in Cameroon. She spent the better part of 18 months, from January 2021 to her arrival in Algoa Bay in June 2022 operating exclusively in West African waters.

Prior to her arrival in Cape Town for maintenance, she has previously received engineering support at Tema in Ghana, and at Walvis Bay in Namibia. She also has a sistership, ‘Vemahope’, that is operated by the same owners, and which is currently operating as a bunker tanker at both Lomé in Togo, and at Pointe Noire in the Congo Republic.

With her previous theatre of operations being mostly in West Africa, an obvious anti-piracy, preventive, measure taken by ‘Vemaharmony’ is that all of her deck facing bridge windows have all been protected by the addition of burglar bars, which will deter any unwanted access. She also has the obligatory dummy lookouts, on permanent duty, standing abaft the bridge on a continuous, never-ending, scan for pirates.

Arriving at Algoa Bay only in June, from Limboh in Cameroon, ‘Vemaharmony’ has clearly been kept busy, as she is carrying her necessary complement of Yokohama fenders on deck, and her hull is clearly showing the tell-tale signs of having many vessels rubbing alongside her during bunker transfer operations.

When SAMSA issued licenses for offshore bunkering in Algoa Bay back in 2016, it was backed up with the issue of Marine Notice 3 of 2016, Application for Permission to Conduct a Bunker or Fuel Transfer Operation Outside a Port of the Republic of South Africa, which gives Masters all of the necessary information that they require to be able to request, and to undertake an offshore bunker transfer.

As part of that legal requirement ‘Vemaharmony’ complies with the recommendations contained in the OCIMF/ICS Ship to Ship Transfer Guide (Petroleum), to enable her to conduct ship to ship fuel transfer operations.

Interestingly, in her whole career of operating in African waters, since 2009, ‘Vemaharmony’ has only received three Port State Control (PSC) Inspections. Surprisingly, they have all taken place in South Africa, at both Ngqura and Port Elizabeth. Inspections at Ngqura took place in November 2019, and again in August 2020, under the auspices of both the Abuja MoU, and the Indian Ocean MoU. The Port Elizabeth inspection took place in January 2020, but only under the auspices of the Indian Ocean MoU.

The granting of offshore bunker operation in Algoa Bay by SAMSA was in recognition that the sheer numbers of vessels transiting South African waters, in either a Westerly, or an Easterly, direction were possibly bypassing South African ports due to lack of bunker availability, especially for VLCC, OBO and Valemax traffic.

The anchorage in Algoa Bay is perfectly located, as it is only a 30 nautical mile detour from the main shipping route that passes Algoa Bay, it has a safe working depth of 42 metres, and it offers protection from the predominant southwesterly winds.

It also lies less than 5 nautical miles, equidistant, between the two ports of Ngqura and Port Elizabeth, which allows for a seamless support operation for vessels requiring bunkers, irrespective of being passing traffic, or vessels conducting cargo operation in either of the two local ports.

As the offshore bunkering operation is, in effect, off port limits, SAMSA plays a regulatory role in offshore Ship to Ship bunkering services by vetting all vessels bunkering in Algoa Bay rigorously and ensuring that the highest safety standards are met as per local and international requirements.

Vessels are also vetted based on age, records of previous Port State Control (PSC) inspections, management and, most importantly, documentation to ensure that they are insured for any possible accidents, including oil spills, as per international regulations. It was only recently in May this year that SAMSA suspended all bunkering operation in Algoa Bay due to an oil spill.

The importance attached to oil spills in Algoa Bay is due to the fact that there are six islands in the bay, which are the only offshore islands, in over a thousand nautical miles, between Cape Agulhas and Inhaca Island in Mozambique.

The islands are recognised internationally as seabird sanctuaries, being the only islands in South Africa where the Roseate Tern breeds regularly. They are also home to almost 45% of the global breeding population of the African Penguin, with the largest African Penguin colony on earth being on Bird Island, which also holds a significant breeding population of Cape Cormorant.

Bird Island is also one of only six breeding sites in the world of the Cape Gannet, and the winter home to almost 20% of the Afrotropical non-breeding population of Antarctic Tern. It also has a large colony of Cape Fur Seal, and the waters of Algoa Bay are rich with marine mammals such as the Southern Right Whale, Common Dolphin and Bottlenose Dolphin.

The oil spill which caused the suspension of bunker operations until mid-June, i.e. over three weeks, was due to the fact that the authorities had to conduct an ocean surface clean-up operation for the spilled fuel, arrange for the vessels to enter both Port Elizabeth and Ngqura to have their decks and hulls cleaned, and to monitor the islands and Algoa Bay shoreline to ensure that no oil came ashore, and that no wildlife was affected.

This was not the first oil spill that has occurred, with one occurring in November 2021, and one in July 2019. The recent decision by SAMSA to lift the moratorium on increasing the number of licenses for offshore bunkering operations, after a three year hiatus, has not been well received by conservation, wildlife or scientific communities and organisations. The moratorium was lifted in April this year, which may point to the recent arrival of ‘Vemaharmony’ in Algoa Bay.

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In Conversation: Searcher Geodata returns to South Africa to pursue seismic surveys off the West Coast

by Onke Ngcuka, Daily Maverick

The geoscience and tech exploration company Searcher Geodata has returned to South Africa in the hopes of conducting seismic surveys off the West Coast, just months after the company was chased off South African waters by an urgent interdict in March. 

In a circulated announcement, the UK company said it was inviting participants as it sought to conduct seismic surveys about 256km offshore of St Helena Bay to 220km offshore of Hondeklip Bay. The company had previously stated it would not return to South Africa should the interdict be granted.  

The company had hired SLR Consulting to conduct the halted survey but has now obtained the services of Environmental Impact Management Services as the environmental assessment practitioner.  

Alan Hopping, the general manager at Searcher Seismic, told Daily Maverick that the second attempt at the surveying was to answer the question: “Does South Africa have its own natural resources that could provide safe, reliable and affordable energy for all South Africans?” 

He added: “We have taken on board the learnings from our last attempt and are planning to address all the issues raised to the best of our ability.” 

In his March ruling in the Western Cape High Court to halt Searcher’s exploration, Judge Daniel Thulare said: “If Searcher truly wanted to ensure that [small-scale fishers] were included in the consultation process, it would have advertised [notices of the survey] in isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans.”   

This time, notices of the survey were advertised in the three languages. However, Pedro Garcia, the chairperson of the South African United Fishing Front, told Daily Maverick that this didn’t mean they took into consideration the local dynamics of affording access to the information or guaranteed that people understood the issues being raised.  

Voice of the people

“It is the voice of the people who are directly impacted that needs to be heard. But, by the same token, they also need to be capacitated. It’s not as simple as saying, we support it or we don’t support it. The problem is in the consultation processes, and whose voice is eventually heard when we have these conflicts or litigation arising after the fact.  

“So, our position is really clear: we will maintain a neutral position on this issue until the consultation issues have been adequately resolved … There has to be oversight, there have to be assessments of engagements, etc,” said Garcia.  

He added that he didn’t want his comments to negate the economic benefits of offshore exploration and that the community needed to know how to mitigate the effects of offshore exploration on their livelihoods.  

Jackie Sunde of the Coastal Justice Network told Daily Maverick the promise of economic gain from foreign exploration companies was false, as much of the profits would be enjoyed in those countries and not in South Africa. She added that it was a ploy to convince poor and desperate local communities of empty job promises.

“I’m not surprised that Searcher is coming back and has applied [for environmental authorisation], because if we listen to our minister of mineral resources and energy, Gwede Mantashe, and to our President, this government seems intent on pursuing an oil and gas agenda, completely defying the United Nations secretary-general’s call to all countries, to all nations to stop all fossil fuel extraction, given the climate emergency.

“As far as I’m concerned, our government, illegally, has captured our ocean and is giving our ocean away to these companies to prospect and explore for their own gain. [They are] not looking at the impact on the livelihoods of the most poor and marginalised users of the ocean, which are the small-scale and traditional fishers as well as the fishing industry as a whole.” 

Hopping said the area they were seeking to survey was smaller than the one in the initial survey and limited to the region where they believed they had the highest potential for success.  

“The area that we are requesting permission to survey is approximately 100km by 100km, which equates to just 1% of the total South African offshore exclusive economic zone. Another major difference is that the survey area is over 220km from the coastline,” Hopping said.  

Neville van Rooy, the community outreach coordinator for The Green Connection, told Daily Maverick the organisation was not surprised that Searcher had returned and hoped it would follow the authorisation process properly.  

He said West Coast fishers were not comfortable with seismic activity in their area, where there is a snoek run. He said the matter would be highly contested and would probably head to court, as not only fishers were affected, but also women who run a processing plant in St Helena Bay. DM/OBP

This article first appeared on Daily Maverick and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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XENETA container alert: long-term shipping rates finally peak, but now stand 112% up year-on-year

Despite another slew of rises in long-term contracted ocean freight rates across key global trade corridors, month-on-month growth is slowing – and spot rates continue to weaken – suggesting prices may have peaked. However, according to the latest Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI®), which crowd-sources real-time data from the world’s leading shippers, today’s valid long-term agreements stand 112% higher than this time last year, and a massive 280% up against July 2019.

Shifting fortunes?

“The carriers have enjoyed staggering rates rises, driven by factors such as strong demand, a lack of equipment, congestion and COVID uncertainty, for 17 of the last 19 months,” comments Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund. “July has seen yet more upticks across the board, but the signs are clear there is a ‘shift’ in sentiment as some fundamentals evolve.”

Explaining, he notes that July’s increases are the slowest since January, with upward pressure on long-term agreements easing as spot rates fall across major trades. In addition, volumes on many corridors are down, with, for example, containerised European imports falling by 3%, and exports 6%, in the first five months of 2022.

Cold comfort

“So, indications are there that we may have reached a peak and that prices of new agreements are more likely to hold than suddenly leap up again, as we’ve become accustomed to seeing of late,” he says. “However, that’s probably of little comfort to shippers that have been continually battered by a market in overdrive and now see prices stabilising at historically high levels.

“That said, nothing is certain. US and European ports are still congested, industrial action on the logistics chain is spreading globally and, of course, we still have the threat of COVID and its impact on economic activity, particularly in China. There’s a lot of variables at play, so it’s imperative to stay tuned to the latest intelligence when negotiating long-term contracts to achieve a competitive edge.”

Tough talks on the horizon

In a further market insight, Xeneta also disclosed that it ran a survey of its customer base in July and found that many were now looking to renegotiate contracted rates given the recent spot market drops.

Berglund reveals: “Our customers, mainly large volume shippers, now find themselves in a stronger negotiating position. Our survey showed that 44% no longer feel confident in the stability of long-term contracts – of that 44%, some 22% said they were more likely to allocate lower volumes only to cheaper contracts, while 22% preferred to move allocation to the spot market as soon as prices dip below long-term rates. It’s going to be an interesting few months ahead.”

Regional insights

On a regional basis, July’s XSI® shows a rise in the global index of 435.2 points and gains, albeit relatively small ones, across all major corridors.

European imports continued to grow, but at a much slower rate than recent months, rising by 1.9% in July (a 62% year-on-year increase). Exports climbed more strongly, by 3.9%, having now soared 92% this year. Far East exports have enjoyed a bumper 12 months, now standing 150% up year-on-year, with another 2% rise this month (again, a slower rate of increase). Imports edged up 1.1% and now stand 53% higher than July 2021.

The US benchmarks on the XSI® showed the strongest performances, with the import figure gaining 5.9% (up a huge 173% year-on-year), while exports also climbed 5%. This latter benchmark is the only one to have enjoyed greater growth in July than June. However, Berglund points out that export volumes have declined considerably compared to pre-pandemic levels, with the ratio of loaded imports to loaded exports to the US rising from 1.9 in 2019 to 2.5 in the first five months of 2022.

Xeneta’s XSI® is compiled from the latest crowd-sourced ocean freight rate data aggregated worldwide. Companies participating in the benchmarking and market analytics platform include names such as ABB, Electrolux, Continental, Unilever, Nestle, L’Oréal, Thyssenkrupp, Volvo Group and John Deere, amongst others.

CLICK HERE for the full XSI® Public Indices report for the long-term market,

To see daily XSI®-C short-term market rate movements for 8 main trade lanes, GO HERE

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Transnet releases unqualified Financial Statements for year ending 31 March 2022

Transnet reversed a previous R8.7 billion loss to report a profit after tax of R5 billion for the financial year ended 31 March 2022.

The annual financial report, announced yesterday (Wednesday 27 July) has received an unqualified audit opinion by the South African Auditor-General.

The state-owned logistics and transport company earned a revenue of R68.5 billion, an increase of 1.8% despite a difficult year coming out of the pandemic and adversely affected by vandalism and theft and the floods across much of KZN.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) improved by 20,5% to R23,4 billion, and
Cash generated from operations after working capital changes increased by 18,1% to R29,1 billion.

Transnet says the significant increase in profits (R5bn compared with R8.7bn loss the previous year) is mainly attributable to the improvement in the EBITDA, a decrease in asset impairments and an increase in fair value adjustments related mainly to investment property.

In terms of performance, group revenue for the year is higher than the previous year mainly due to higher port and pipeline volumes. This is in line with improved economic conditions, despite disruptions caused by fire at the ports and lower rail volumes arising from the lack of sufficient locomotives, cable theft, vandalism and the KZN floods.

Locomotive availability

Transnet says that the locomotive procurement strategy is well underway and will be introduced to market soon. A request for proposals (RFP) was supposed to have been issued in July but this internal deadline has been shifted to allow several legal and governance matters to be addressed.

The company has also been in negotiations with coal exporters with regards improving the performance of the Freight Rail operations.

“Transnet has made significant progress towards concluding adjusted long-term contracts with the Coal Export Parties (CEPs) following the notices issued in April 2022, based on persistent circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

“Most CEPs have participated in good faith, and we have received sign-off from both major CEPs and all emerging miners. We await the full cooperation from one major CEP and its affiliates.”

The company said while the above negotiations are continuing, TFR has “continued to provide transport services for all CEPs while contract negotiations continue.”

Discussions on the new medium to long-term contracts that will replace the current agreements which expire in March 2024, have commenced with the CEPs who have signed the Deed of Amendment to the current contract.

Operational Outlook

“While the first three months of the 2022/23 financial year have been characterised by further challenges (KZN floods, theft and vandalism of infrastructure) the group remains committed to resolving operational constraints related to infrastructure, locomotives and security.

“Transnet Freight Rail has recently embarked on a pilot project in partnership with the National Defence Force to look at the deployment of additional security resources to help in securing affected infrastructure. The Operating Division also continues to partner with customers on security deployment on key corridors in order to clamp down on theft and minimise operational disruption.

“A number of key maintenance and infrastructure supplier contracts have been concluded which will increase the efficiency of maintenance programmes. A significant amount of work has been undertaken internally to improve procurement timeframes for key contracts which have been a significant cause for delay in the past.

“The finalisation of major bulk materials and on-track machine contracts has led to faster and more efficient resolution of historical and new maintenance issues as they arise.”

The company said it is continuing to engage Original Equipment Manufacturers on the provision of critical spares. “Transnet Engineering will continue to find innovative engineering solutions to the current shortage, with upgraded locomotives being redeployed to different corridors to close the performance gap.”

During question time it appeared that there are approximately 300 locomotives currently ‘parked’ for lack of spares.

It was also learnt that the percentage of container traffic going by rail between the port of Durban and Gauteng was around 13% until the floods brought a complete halt to this traffic, whoch has been surrendered to road transport.

Chief executive Portia Darby said that once services were fully restored, Freight Rail had the potential to handle 20% of the total container traffic.

The selling of slots on this and other services would go out on tender at the end of August, Darby said. On 1 April all 42 slots were available.

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WHARF TALK: vintage visitor to Cape Town – REEF PROTECTOR

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

That there is still the occasional ’vintage’ vessel that calls into Cape Town, and that is still plying it’s trade, despite approaching half a century of service, creates a little excitement to the casual shipping observer. This is especially so when the vessel in question not only has an interesting past, but also has an intriguing future.

Back on 6th July at 1200 an unusual vessel arrived off Cape Town. Described strangely as a ‘pleasure craft’ the REEF PROTECTOR (IMO 7431313) had arrived after a long ocean voyage from Germany, with calls made en-route at Cowes, Madeira, Ascension Island and St. Helena. She entered Cape Town harbour and made her way into the Duncan Dock, and berthed alongside the Passenger Terminal at E Berth, indicating that she was possibly carrying inbound passengers.

Built 48 years ago, in 1974, by Karstensens Skibvaerft at Skagen in Denmark, ‘Reef Protector’ is 31 metres in length and has a gross registered tonnage of 208 tons. She is powered by a single Grenaa Motorfabrik 6F 24T 6 cylinder 4 stroke main engine, producing 500 bhp (368 kW) and driving a controllable pitch propeller for a service speed of 10 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two Lister generators providing 24 kW each. She is operated by a crew of just four persons, and has additional passenger accommodation for up to 14 persons. She has an endurance of 3,000 nautical miles. Her internal accommodation is made almost entirely of mahogany and teak. One of her external features is that of a traditional Crow’s Nest.

Owned and managed by Expedicoes Charters Ltd. of Maputo in Mozambique, ‘Reef Protector’ is en-route to Mozambique, where it is expected she will be reflagged to the Mozambique flag. It is thought that she will then return to South Africa for a refit, expected to be undertaken in Saldanha Bay, or Cape Town. Some shoreside engineering work is expected to take place in Cape Town, prior to sailing, as ‘Reef Protector’ has moved from E Berth, to the Landing Wall.

Her work in Mozambique will include undertaking marine research in the Mozambique Channel, operating in a partnership between the Pelorus Foundation and the West Indian Ocean Research Initiative (WIORI). This partnership gives an indication as to the reason behind her current name. Hugh Brown, who is involved in many development projects in Mozambique, is the founder and Chairman of WIORI, and is the nominal owner of ‘Reef Protector’.

Hugh Brown has quite a nautical pedigree, between 1975 and 1981 he was an Executive Officer, serving at sea with the 10th Frigate Squadron in the South African Navy. He is well known for his sailing achievements in the mini-maxi class, and holds several South African sailing records, as well as achieving 5th place in the 2001 Rolex Fastnet race in his 67 foot racing yacht ‘Merlin’.

Hugh Brown is also a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in London, and the Vice Chairman of the Naval Officers Association of Southern Africa. The work undertaken by his charity WIORI in the Mozambique Channel provides important research to Universities, Institutions, and Governments on marine conservation.

The marine research programme revolves around the collection of scientific marine data, in order to better understand the condition of habitats and species populations, and facilitate conservation and biodiversity recovery across seagrass, mangrove and coral reef ecosystems. The research voyages of ‘Reef protector’ will be led by an Oceanographic Scientist, with each research voyage operating for up to 45 days at a time. She will be fully equipped for this type of marine scientific voyage.

Before her voyage to Cape Town, ‘Reef Protector’ was acting as a Standby and Safety vessel for the Baltic 2 Offshore Wind Farm, operating out of the German port of Rostock in the Baltic Sea, hence the prominent ‘GUARD’ displayed on her accommodation. Her current owners are also expecting to take on similar work, protecting exploratory and fixed assets to be deployed in the new offshore gas industry, in Northern Mozambique.

Originally built to the order of the Danish Maritime Authority, for exclusive use in Greenland waters, ‘Reef Protector’ was to be an inspection and tender vessel with the primary purpose of maintaining, and renewing, harbour and sea buoys and other seamarks for navigation in Greenland’s coastal waters. She was launched as ‘Janus’, a name which is still clearly visible on the front of her accommodation.

For her role in the ice strewn waters of Greenland, ‘Reef Protector’ was built with a hull of 15 year old seasoned oak. She is double hulled, with a hull thickness of 15 cm, and is unique in that she is a wooden vessel having an ice classification. She was considered to be the largest operational inspection vessel, made of oak, built for polar waters. She remained in the service of the Danish Government until 1998, when she was sold and converted for use as a fishing charter vessel.

She was used for recreational angling voyages in Northern and Baltic waters, being renamed ‘Arctic Janus’, before becoming a bed and breakfast hotel in Copenhagen, and then as a wind farm guard Ship in the Baltic Sea. She was originally sold for use as a guard ship for the price of US$660,439 (ZAR11.17 million), where she received the new name of ‘Wind Protector’.

With Covid, and the current BA.4 and BA.5 variants being highly infectious, although no longer always life threatening, the government of St. Helena still insisted on her crew being double tested, over a two day period, when she arrived off Jamestown. Only once the crew had given a double negative test result were they allowed off the vessel and given permission to go ashore.

She is even considered to have been interesting enough to have been painted as a large acrylic painting, by the renowned British Maritime Artist, Stuart Greenfield. The painting was completed in March 2022, when ‘Reef Protector’ called at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom, shortly after she began her mammoth voyage from Germany to South Africa. Sadly, the painting is not available to purchase.

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News Brief: Bulk carrier Gladiator towed into Durban for repairs

The AMSOL-operated standby tug, SA AMANDLA, has been called into action after a bulk carrier, the 28,341-dwt Marshall island-flagged GLADIATOR (IMO 9445033), suffered propulsion problems while at the port of Ngqura and a lengthy stay at the Port Elizabeth anchorage. This followed a voyage from Kandla in India.

After taking up the tow the 46-year old SA Amandla brought the bulker to Durban where they entered port on Wednesday 20 July 2022. Gladiator has been taken to berth 103 on Pier 1 where her rudder and propeller have emerged from the waters of Durban Bay (thanks to ballasting) to provide access for the ship repair people to perform the necessary repairs.

Gladiator has a length of 169 metres and width of 27.2m and was built in 2008. She is owned by Greek interests.

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News Brief: Algeciras replaced by Port Tangier from northbound SAECS service

The SAECS service between South Africa and northern Europe will see a change to its northbound scheduling following news from Maersk that its ships will no longer call at Algeciras.

Instead ships on the SAECS service will call at Port Tangier northbound. Algeciras remains a port of call for southbound vessels.

“We want to help you plan and deliver on your supply chains by having a reliable service and competitive transit times at the time of booking. Given the challenges being faced in Algeciras, and to continue providing the best service to our customers, we will be making some deployment changes to our SAECS service,” explained Maersk.

The updated rotation will now be become:

Durban > Cape Town > Port Tangier > Rotterdam > London Gateway > Bremerhaven > Rotterdam > Algeciras > Port Elizabeth > Durban.

The changes take effect with the vessel SANTA CRUZ (IMO 9444742) which is currently en-route to Durban from Port Elizabeth as of 28 July.

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News Brief: Cold ironing for Port of Las Palmas

The Port of Las Palmas on the Canary Islands will be going ahead with a cold ironing project at the Muelle Grande, the ports authority has announced.

The project calls for an electrical supply installation for ships, referred to as cold ironing or OPS (onshore power supply), which will allow ships to turn off onboard fossil fuel generators during port calls, in favour of shore supply.

The port has budgeted €1.42 million for the project.

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EUNAVFOR Atalanta to the rescue of a merchant ship in distress with no power

Yesterday we reported an action undertaken by EUNAVFOR IRINI, which operates in the Mediterranean. Today we cover a report from EUNAVFOR ATALANTA which is active in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and north-western Indian Ocean

This covers a request for assistance from a ship in distress relayed to EUNAVFOR Atalanta from the Somali Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. To enable the requested assistance, Atalanta assets were granted permission to enter Somali territorial waters.

It turned out that for about a week, the Turkish-flagged mv ANATOLIAN (IMO 9005869) had been dead in water in heavy seas in the Gulf of Aden, north of the Puntland coast and that earlier, a commercial tugboat refused to assist her due to adverse weather conditions and the state of the sea.

Attempts by the crew and a naval ship to repair the engine and electricity system failed and in the meantime, Atalanta frigate ESPS NUMANCIA and another international naval ship provided food and drinking water to the Anatolian crew.

On 21 July, ESPS Numancia started to tow the ro-ro-ship Anatolian to the Somali port of Bosaso. This EUNAVFOR asset began the operation after the improvement of sea conditions. On 22 July, during the morning, they arrived in Bosaso.

In port ESPS Numancia made a smooth transfer of responsibilities to the Bosaso port authorities. During the towing operation, ESPS Numancia maintained permanent communication with the Federal and local Somali (Puntland) authorities.

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In Conversation: Africa’s free trade area offers promise for cities – but only if there’s investment

Astrid R.N. Haas, University of Toronto

The African Continental Free Trade Area came into operation on 1 January 2021. This is a considerable achievement. The free trade area is now the world’s single largest market for goods and services, when measured by number of countries, after the World Trade Organisation. It is also the largest in terms of geographic area and population size.

If implemented as foreseen by the agreement, the free trade area will unlock significant growth for the African continent. The World Bank has estimated that by 2035, trade between African countries could expand by 81%, boosting output by US$450 billion, raising wages by 10%, particularly benefiting women, and lifting 30 million people out of extreme poverty.

These expectations, based on research into the links between trade and economic growth, have generated excitement and political impetus around getting the free trade area working.

Less well understood, however, is the fact that for the agreement to fulfil its promises, the continent’s cities are key. They are hubs for production and consumption, and will become significantly more so. But their current set-up, lacking the necessary infrastructure and services, means most of Africa’s cities are not yet ready to benefit from and support the free trade area. This will require substantially greater investments in the continent’s cities.

This link between urbanisation and trade is analysed in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s recently launched publication, Cities: Gateways for Africa‘s Regional Economic Integration.

What cities bring to the party

The importance of cities in unlocking the benefits of the free trade area is premised on three well established advantages of the economic density that cities can provide.

Firstly, firms, which are the primary vehicles for producing goods for export, prefer to be in cities. There, they are closer to a larger pool of labour and to each other. This proximity enables them to specialise but still have access to inputs for their production processes from other firms. They can also learn from each other, which spurs innovation.

Secondly, cities are the physical locations from which most trade takes place. Cities provide the main transport links, including road junctions, ports and airports.

Think of the Port of Mombasa, which serves not only Kenya, but also Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It is also difficult to think of a major city that is not served by an airport.

Cities also provide their own internal markets. Rapid urbanisation, with an estimated 900 million people set to enter African cities in the next 30 years, creates a large upcoming consumer pool. This is the third advantage of density.

Particularly in the African context, it is not only the number of consumers that will make the difference. As evidence shows, when people move to cities, their diets change as well. For example, there is a greater demand for goods with higher value addition, such as refined grains and processed foods. This is an opportunity for Africa’s farmers to gain, too, as this value addition will fetch a higher price.

Not yet fit for purpose

Substantial investments in infrastructure are needed for cities to be able to unlock the benefits of the free trade area.

Most notable is the paucity of paved roads. Currently only an estimated 800,000km out of 2.8 million km of the continent’s roads are paved. This statistic is critical because an estimated 80%-90% of African trade takes place by road. This raises the costs of African trade. For example, while it costs about US$2,000 to ship a container from China to the port in Beira, Mozambique, it costs more than double that amount, namely US$5000, to move it 500km further inland to Malawi.

This lack of infrastructure is a hindrance in cities too. In particular, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa report, the cities that should drive the largest portion of trade and reap relatively larger benefits from the free trade agreement’s provisions are small to medium size ones, especially those located close to borders.

These are also the cities that have had comparatively less investment to date. Without basic infrastructure, they will not attract firms – the drivers of production, value addition and export.

Whatever happens in implementing the free trade area, rapid urbanisation will continue across Africa. Consumption preferences of the continent’s population will shift. If African firms can’t meet these demands, imports from other regions of the world will do so.

Under this scenario, other countries will disproportionately gain from Africa’s new urban consumer population.

Investing in cities

The current political support for the free trade agreement is significant, with all but one African country having signed the deal and 43 countries already having ratified it. Harnessing the combined effect of trade and urbanisation could positively transform the African continent’s economy.

This will require not only the signing of policies but their implementation.

To date, only Egypt, Ghana and South Africa have readjusted their national regimes to implement the customs rules under the agreement. Well-managed urbanisation is still not a primary policy focus in many countries. The result is that populations are settling in cities quicker than planning and investments are happening. Rather than benefiting from well-managed density, major African cities are characterised by the proliferation of slums and congestion. On top of this, substandard infrastructure is deterring large firms.

Each of these challenges has its own host of policy reforms, programmes and actions that need to be taken. But to unleash the combined benefits of trade and urbanisation, it will be important to build on the political momentum that the free trade agreement has set in motion. This will ensure that national legislation is centred on the agreement’s impacts on cities, and on the needs of cities.

Similarly, in planning for urbanisation, particularly intermediary and border towns, investments should focus on unleashing their comparative advantages in relation to the free trade agreement.

Astrid R.N. Haas, Fellow, Infrastructure Institute, School of Cities, University of Toronto

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

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Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) partners with Angola to drive growth

Angola, which has regained the role of Africa’s largest oil producer, is looking to add more value across the commodity exports spectrum by partnering with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Angola’s natural resources are in high demand as Europe seeks alternative sources of fuel and foodstuff in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. It is intended that the partnership with AFC will help to drive the nation’s next growth and development phase, according to Finance Minister Vera Daves.

“Membership of AFC offers Angola a much-needed partnership with a highly rated African multilateral institution that can support our transition from a state-led and oil-funded economic model to a private sector-led growth model,” said Daves.

“We look forward to collaborating with AFC as we approach Angola’s next phase of growth and development.”

From AFC’s perspective, its potential US$ 1 billion investment approach across commodities, rail and power is aligned with the government’s priorities through its focus on financing instrumental infrastructure projects that promote economic diversification and resource-driven industrialisation.

In line with this, AFC recently approved US$100 million in financing for the construction of the Cabinda Refinery, a national priority project to boost local value addition to oil exports and create thousands of jobs.

AFC is working with the government on a pipeline of further potential projects totaling almost $ 1 billion across several sectors including natural resources, transport and power. AFC is assessing opportunities to support refinery plants that will boost local manufacturing, drive import substitution, and strengthen production networks, along with construction of a railway corridor that will improve exports in Angola’s sub-region.

In 2020, AFC as part of a syndicate made a US$45 million investment in Sonangol, the country’s state-owned oil company to support strategic projects including the development of Angola’s first solar photovoltaic power plant. The Corporation intends to focus on further boosting electricity through two key power generation and transmission projects.

Angola is the latest in AFC’s rapidly expanding footprint across Africa, having added 16 new member countries in the past four years. Other Southern African member states include Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

With a mission of solving the continent’s infrastructure gap, AFC has invested over $10 billion, utilising its unique access to global capital markets to drive development, integrate regional economies and transform lives.

Member countries enjoy significant benefits, including increased investment allocation, preferred access to AFC’s structuring and lending solutions for sovereign states, reduced debt costs for projects, and access to the Corporation’s unique advisory and project development services.

As a shareholder, Angola can co-invest its foreign reserves in the Corporation’s high-impact and high-yielding de-risked African infrastructure assets.

“Angola’s membership and shareholder status enables AFC to continue to support the government in fostering the industrial transformation necessary to build a resilient and inclusive economy,” said Samaila Zubairu, AFC President & CEO.

“We look forward to growing our partnership with the government of Angola to serve not only in-country projects but across the Central and Southern Africa region.”

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Heavy sands mining for ilmenite, zircon & rutile to commence this year in Mozambique’s Inhambane province

A Mozambican incorporated company, Mutamba Mineral Sands, is due to start mining heavy sands in Jangamo and Inharrime, in the Inhambane province.

That’s the word from Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Carlos Zacarias who told the Portuguese language newspaper Notícias that the mining operation would commence before the end of this year.

Research into the heavy sands in Jangamo and Inharrime started 13 years ago. According to the reports the heavy sands exploitation concession granted by the government covers an area of 25,000 hectares, where the existence of 4.4 billion tons of ore has been proven.

The Mutamba Mineral Sands project represents an investment valued at US$10 million, and has an installed processing capacity of 120 tonnes per hour.

Minister Zacarias said the most significant phases of the project have already been carried out, including a survey which confirmed the occurrence of ilmenite, rutile and zircon.

“According to our legislation, any enterprise needs to have the proper concession and environmental licence. For the next phase, investors have already started the process of obtaining the environmental licence, one of the matters that will condition the start of production,” Zacarias said.

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WHARF TALK: MR2 Panamax product tanker GRAND WINNER 5

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

The recent temporary closure of yet another of South Africa’s refineries, and one that produced a good percentage of the fuel needs of the nation, and with the Austral winter only officially only half way through, means that even more product tankers are expected to call and, as always, arriving from all over the world.

A definite bonus on these multitude of tanker arrivals is when the vessel in question is a recent newbuild of less than a year ago, and not seen before as she is on her maiden call to both South Africa, and to two of her major ports.

On 25th July at 14h00 the MR2 Panamax product tanker GRAND WINNER 5’ (IMO 9906714) arrived off Cape Town, after a voyage along the coast from Durban, and entered Cape Town harbour without the usual need to go to anchor out in Table Bay first. She proceeded into the Duncan Dock and went alongside the far berth in the Tanker Basin.

Her voyage had started at Pulau Bukom, in Singapore, where she had loaded at the petrochemical complex, with a split load destined first for a partial discharge at Durban, before heading to Cape Town to complete her discharge. At Cape Town she was expected to discharge a parcel of 18,000 tons of diesel, and unleaded petrol.

She arrived at the Durban anchorage on 9th July at 11h00, and remained at anchor for the next week, before entering Durban Harbour on 16th July at 21h00, and proceeding to Island View 6 to begin her discharge. After just over two days alongside, according to her AIS report, she then sailed from Durban on 19th July at 02h00, and returned to the Durban anchorage. Two days later, on 21st July at 15h00 she returned once more to Durban Harbour, and finally completed her discharge on 22nd July at 16h00, when she sailed for Cape Town.

Whilst it seems strange for a tanker to stop discharging when only half way through, and leave port for the outer anchorage, before returning after a few days in order to complete the discharge, it does seem to happen on a number of occasions, and not only at Durban, but also at Cape Town. The reasons for this are, no doubt, many and on one occasion at Cape Town it was due to the breakdown to the offloading arms, which stopped the offload. The vessel had to go out to the anchorage whilst the port engineers fixed the offending arm.

Built in 2021 by Hyundai Vietnam (Vinashin) Shipyard at Ninh Phuoc in Vietnam, ‘Grand Winner 5’ is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 50,301 tons. She is powered by a single HHI MAN-B&W 6G50ME-C9.6 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 13,840 bhp (10,320 kW) to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots.

One of four sisterships, all built in 2021 at the same shipyard, and all with ‘Grand Winner’ numbered names, ‘Grand Winner 5’ is owned by POS Maritime SA of Seoul in South Korea. She is operated by Pan Ocean Co. Ltd., also of Seoul, whose houseflag she displays on her funnel, and she is managed by POS Ship Management Co. Ltd. of Busan, also in South Korea.

An interesting aspect of her design and build, is that, as a newbuild, she was fitted from the outset with an exhaust scrubber unit. However, for reasons which are not known, her scrubber unit is offset, and has been placed asymmetrically on her starboard side, thus giving her an unnecessary lopsided profile. There appears to have been no attempt made to blend the scrubber unit into her funnel to maintain a balanced profile, as so many other tankers have.

Her loading port of Bukom Island, better known locally as Pulau Bukom, is a reclaimed set of small islands, lying just 3 nautical miles to the southwest of Singapore Island, and located at 01°14’ North 103°46’ East. It is only 1.45 km2 in area, but is the site of the first oil refinery built in Singapore. In 1961, the refinery was opened by Shell, having been built for US$30 million (ZAR504.03 million).

The island, and its associated islands, all joined by land reclamation, had a further four refineries built on them by Shell over the next 20 years. Development continued with the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex opened in 2010, and built at a cost of US$2.96 billion (ZAR49.73 billion). The whole complex is capable of processing 500,000 barrels of oil per day, and is the largest oil complex, owned by Shell anywhere in the world.

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Operation IRINI finds cargo in breach of UN arms embargo

On 18 July, Operation IRINI* conducted an inspection of a ship named VICTORY RORO (IMO 7800112) off the coast of Libya. The ship was found to be transporting vehicles to Libya in breach of the UN arms embargo.

The Victory Roro, flying the flag of Equatorial Guinea, has for a while been suspected of transferring military equipment to Libya. Operating under the name LUCCELLO (IMO 7800112) and flying the flag of the Comoros, the vessel was identified by the UN Panel of Experts on Libya as having delivered military vehicles to the country in early March 2022.

Prior to the recent inspection, the cargo ship had been located by a French Navy plane, assigned to Operation IRINI, after crossing through the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean Sea. The Hellenic Navy frigate HS THEMISTOKLES monitored the ship during her route before the frigate of the Italian Navy ITS GRECALE took over to conduct the inspection. Both naval ships are deployed under operational control of Operation IRINI.

During the inspection, the team identified dozens of vehicles designed or modified for military use and thus assessed to be in violation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. In accordance with UNSCR 2292 (2016) and its mandate, Operation IRINI seized the vehicles violating the UN arms embargo on Libya and has diverted the ship to an European port for further proceedings.

The inspection of Victory Roro is the 24th performed by Operation IRINI since its launch in March 2020 and was carried out in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016) and subsequent renewals. They authorise the diversion of ships like this and the seizure of transported arms and arms related materiel. source: Eunavfor IRINI

* The European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) was launched on 31 March 2020 with the primary mission to enforce the United Nations arms embargo to Libya due to the Second Libyan Civil War.

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In Conversation: At Unguja Ukuu, human activity transformed the coast of Zanzibar more than 1,000 years ago

Anna Kotarba-Morley, Author provided

Anna M. Kotarba-Morley, Flinders University; Alison Crowther, The University of Queensland; Mike W Morley, Flinders University, and Nicole Boivin, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

The medieval settlement of Unguja Ukuu, on the Zanzibar Archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, was a key port in an extensive Indian Ocean trade network that linked eastern Africa, southern Arabia, India and Southeast Asia.

Our archaeological research shows how human activities between the seventh and twelfth centuries AD irreversibly modified the shoreline around the site. At first, these changes may have helped the trading settlement develop, but later they may have contributed to its decline and abandonment.

Ancient seafaring

For millennia, the Indian Ocean has been the maritime setting for an early form of globalisation. Large trade networks operated across the vast ocean, foreshadowing modern global shipping networks. Unguja Ukuu was a crucial location in this early trade and an important node in the nascent slave trade out of continental Africa.

Unguja Ukuu was an active settlement from the mid-first millennium until the early second millennium AD. Archaeological evidence and historical accounts suggest Unguja Ukuu is one of the earliest known trading settlements on the Swahili coast.

The rise and fall of trading ports

To understand how and why early ports thrived or declined, it is important to know how the coastal landscape influenced the way traders operated. This includes their choice of mooring locations and their connections to inland locations.

But the question of how these commercial activities in turn modified the coastline has received less attention.

Unguja Ukuu prospered in an ecologically marginal zone, hemmed in between the sandy back-reef shore of Menai Bay and mangrove-banked creeks to the east.

Menai Bay afforded shelter from monsoonal storms and navigable waterways across the shallow inner shelf to the shore. It also provided food and other materials from the mangrove habitat.

This landscape enabled the emergence of the farming, fishing, and trading settlement of Unguja Ukuu.

Sediment, sand and shells

We studied sediments, back-beach sands, and shells at Unguja Ukuu to understand how the settlement had affected its own environment. We found the accumulation of coastal sediments over centuries led to significant changes in the landscape.

Detritus from the settlement, such as food remains, hearths and other domestic waste, helped the beach spread outward into the sea. Our analyses show how human waste and the compaction of ancient surfaces drove the coastline change, supporting the emergence of a major trading site.

As more land was used for urban living and agriculture, more sediment moved from the land to the sea. This contributed to rapid growth of beach fronts, physically altering the coastal landscape and the ecological conditions of the adjacent sea-scape.

These changes in turn could have resulted in habitat shifts and silting of the lagoon which possibly contributed to Unguja Ukuu’s decline.

Early human impacts

Human-made processes might also be implicated in the decline and eventual abandonment of Unguja Ukuu in the second millennium AD. This was an important period in the socio-political and economic transformation of coastal African societies, marking the emergence of maritime Swahili culture.

But suggesting a purely environmental cause for the settlement’s abandonment would be too simplistic. The interaction of coastal villages and harbours with their dynamic landscapes may have had a role in this regional reorganisation of settlements, harbours, and trade flows.

New advances in archaeological science techniques, combined with systematic archaeological analyses, are increasingly allowing us to disentangle natural from human-made drivers of events. Such work often reveals far earlier human impacts than once envisioned, shedding light on the early roots of Earth’s current geological epoch: the Anthropocene, in which human activity is a key force reshaping the planet.

Human-made soil

Our work records snapshots of the evolution of a natural coastal system at the fringes of an early settlement.

River sediments were covered by beach sands containing increasing amounts of human waste accumulating from the mid-seventh century AD. This backshore activity area was used for small-scale subsistence activities (including processing shells for meat), trade, and the dumping of industrial waste.

Earlier urban development shaped Unguja Ukuu’s soils over the long term and through periods of settlement decline and abandonment from the twelfth century AD onwards. A dark earth “anthrosol” (human-made soil) continues to evolve on these archaeological deposits today, supporting cultivation in and around the modern town.

Dark human-made soils such as these, formed by rapid decay of organic- and phosphate-rich waste from the settlement, may be used as markers for as-yet undiscovered archaeological sites on the eastern African coast. Their distinctive dark colour renders the soils easily identifiable on satellite images and other remote-sensing datasets.

Understanding the past to shape the future

Our study clearly shows how human modification of natural environments affected coastal landscapes on an East African island more than 1,000 years ago. These findings are a reminder that humans have been changing our environment for thousands of years – sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.

Studying history and archaeology is not simply about learning from our ancestors’ mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. It is also about ensuring that scientifically rigorous data that show how human activity in the past often altered the landscapes and environments in which people lived is effectively communicated, to both governments and the public.

If we can do this we might be able to make better informed sustainable choices for the future of our planet.

Anna M. Kotarba-Morley, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Flinders University; Alison Crowther, Senior Lecture in Archaeology, The University of Queensland; Mike W Morley, Associate Professor, Flinders University, and Nicole Boivin, Director, Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

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

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TNPA delegation visits Ghanaian port of Tema

A delegation from South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) recently visited the Port of Tema in Ghana to understand the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s containerisation strategy as well as share theirs in efforts to strengthen existing systems and bolster the good cooperation between the two port organisations.

The Transnet team was also also interested in drawing lessons from the newly developed Liquefied National Gas (LNG) Terminal in Tema.

In addition to the general port, the South African team also toured the MPS (Container) Terminal 3 and the new LNG terminal.

At the meeting with senior management of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, GPHA’s team shared how it has been able to gain success in its hybrid system of port operations.

They were briefed on how GPHA is strategically positioning the Port of Tema as the sub regional container hub, while the Port of Takoradi is being positioned as the oil and gas services hub for the West African sub region.

The Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Michael Luguje acknowledged the significance of continued bilateral relations between sister ports that would provide positive learning experiences.

Portfolio Director in charge of Mega Projects at the Durban Logistics Hub, Dr. Bridgette Gasa-Toboti, revealed that her outfit is preparing to build an LNG Terminal in the Port of Richard’s Bay.

She said during the meeting with management of the Tema LNG Terminal Company, “it was important for us to gain insight on a commercial structuring of an investment of this size. We spoke around the potential options for the technology that one must consider, and we spoke a lot around how to firm up a relationship across all partners including both public and private sector in order to effectively deliver an investment of this size.”

She praised the level of operational efficiency at the Port of Tema and did not rule out the possibility of partnerships between the Durban Logistics Hub and GPHA in future.

“We have learnt a lot about the operational systems that are much more efficient for the Port of Tema which is also something that we are also looking at doing across our entire port system. We have also understood the focus of GPHA in how its value proposition should look like in the West region. For example, consider this port as a transshipment hub but also do anything necessary to grow the volumes of both import and export.” source GPHA

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Europe looking to Mozambique to obtain gas supplies

The outgoing European Union ambassador to Mozambique has suggested that natural gas from Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province is among Europe’s options in diversifying energy requirements away from Russian gas.

“Mozambique gas, with the presence of large European multinational companies, now has an even more important and strategic value,” Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar said in an interview with Portuguese-language news service Lusa in Maputo.

Gaspar said Europe could no longer trust its old partner Russia, which “is authoritarian and uses gas as an instrument of war.”

As a result Europe is currently making efforts to secure alternative sources.

“We have adopted a new strategy in Europe, called ‘RePower EU’, which has several elements. With regard to gas, which is considered a transitional energy, we are looking for alternative suppliers. Mozambique is among the alternatives.”

Mozambique is on the cusp of becoming a major supplier of natural gas from the offshore Rovuma Basin region, with the Eni consortium already commencing liquefaction production offshore via its FLNG, CORAL SUL.

The TotalEnergies production base onshore at the Afungi Peninsula near the small port town of Palma is stillbound following terrorist incursions a year ago, but it is believed that efforts by the Mozambique government, aided by military support from SADC and from Rwanda, is working toward a security solution that will allow TotalEnergies to resume construction of the Afungi plant.

Although the gas from the three Rovuma Basin projects approved so far is pre-sold, Mozambique has proven reserves of more than 180 trillion cubic feet, according to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.

Possibly because of the added European Union interest, it is reported that Eni and ENH (the Mozambique oil & gas company) are giving consideration to a second floating gas platform (FLNG) for the Rovuma Basin to operate with the Coral Sul now on station and into early production.

The first exports of gas from the Coral Sul will be made before the end of this year.

Despite these promising prospects, the armed insurgency that began in 2017 in Cabo Delgado province continues as a threat, but the entry of foreign troops to support Mozambican forces in the middle of last year has improved the security situation, recovering important positions such as the village of Mocímboa da Praia and securing the town of Palma.

“There have been great advances on the ground. The insurgency no longer has this ability to permanently control key territories,” Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar told Lusa.

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WHARF TALK:  CNFC Antarctic krill trawler – LONG FA

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

One of the lesser known facts about Cape Town, and the undeniable fact that the great port city is rightly known as ‘The Gateway to Antarctica’, is that a full 33% of the registered, and licensed, international fleet of Antarctic Krill trawlers are based out of Cape Town, and currently four of them are in the port undergoing their annual winter maintenance regime.

The registered fleet comes from Norway with 3 vessels, Chile with 1 vessel, South Korea with 3 vessels, Ukraine with 1 vessel, and China with 4 vessels. Of that fleet, 2 South Korean krill trawlers, 1 Ukrainian krill trawler and 1 Chinese krill trawler have all made their way back from the frigid waters of Antarctica, to spend the coming months within the safety of Cape Town harbour being prepared for the forthcoming Krill catching season back in Antarctica.

On 20th July at 14h00 the Antarctic Krill Trawler LONG FA (IMO 8607115) arrived off Cape Town harbour, after a long positioning voyage from the waters of South Georgia, and entered Cape Town harbour. She proceeded to the Repair Quay where she began offloading, and preparing for her upcoming maintenance period.

Her appearance to the observer may be familiar, in that she has a sistership that spent last winter in Cape Town harbour, before heading down to Antarctica in December 2021. That sistership was named ‘Long Teng’, and she was covered in the truncated 21st December 2021 edition of Africa Ports & Ships which was published over the Christmas and Holiday period.

There is a third sistership, operated by a South African fishing company, the Oceana Group of Cape Town, which calls into Cape Town on a regular basis to offload her precious cargo of horse mackerel, and other South African midwater fish species, for transshipment into waiting reefer vessels that will take the valuable export cargo away to the markets of the Far East. That vessel is ‘Desert Diamond’, and she was covered in an article in Africa Ports & Ships on 21st June 2021.

Built in 1987 by VEB Volkswerft shipyard at Stralsund in the previous German Democratic Republic of East Germany, ‘Long Fa’ was built to the order of the Soviet Union and launched as the ‘Ivan Burmistrov’ for the Soviet Ukrainian fishing company, Kerchrybprom of Kerch, now a port in the occupied Crimea. She is one of the Project Atlantik-488 class of trawler, known as the ‘Moonzund’ class, of which a total of 37 were built between 1986 and 1993, and of which ‘Long Fa’ was the second of the class to be built.

She is 120 metres in length and has a deadweight of 3,372 tons. She is powered by two SKL Motors 6VDS 48/42 AL-2 6 cylinder 4 stroke main engines producing 3,600 bhp each, for a total power output of 7,200 bhp (5,296 kW), which drive a controllable pitch propeller for a transit service speed of 15 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two SKL 8VDS 26/20 AL-2S generators providing 760 kW each, and a single SKL 6NVD 26-2 emergency generator providing 132 kW. She has two Parat MSH oil fired boilers, and a single Parat MES exhaust gas boiler.

Her auxiliary power goes towards her ability to freeze 60 tons of Krill per hour, with her having a cargo carrying capacity of 3,582 m3 within three freezer holds, and capable of holding 2,149 tons of frozen cargo. She has a classification of Ice Class 1C which allows her to operate in first year ice of 0.4 metres thickness.

Her fishing gear includes two trawling winches, each with 4,000 metres of wire, and she has a total of eight 5 ton derricks, with four used to handle nets and equipment on her aft working deck, and four used to load stores, and discharge her frozen cargo from her forward and midships cargo spaces.

She is licensed by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to fish in four sea areas of Antarctica. These are Area 48.1 (South Shetland Islands), Area 48.2 (South Orkney Islands), Area 48.3 (South Georgia), and Area 48.4 (South Sandwich Islands). She has held her Krill fishing license since May 2014, and in May 2022 it was renewed for a further year to May 2023.

Her fishing license allows her only to catch Krill (Euphausia Superba) using a midwater trawl system. Her approved trawl net is 154 metres long, with a mouth that is 40 metres wide and 20 metres high, and with a catch cod end length of 24 metres. The net is also fitted with a marine mammal exclusion device, to ensure that no seals are inadvertently caught in her net.

To ensure that she is not involved in any Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities when in Antarctica, she carries a sealed, and tamper proof, Inmarsat C Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), which tracks the course and position of ‘Long Fa’ on a continuous basis, and transmit this data back, in real time, to CCAMLR using the Inmarsat communications satellite network.

Owned, operated and managed by the China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) of Beijing, ‘Long Fa’ carries a crew of 135 persons, and her recently terminated voyage started from China in December 2021, and she took bunkers and stores in Singapore on 30th December 2021, prior to heading for the Antarctic fishing grounds. Both ‘Long Fa’ and her sistership ‘Long Teng’ made intermediate bunker calls at Punta Arenas in Chile.

Her owners, CNFC, are a member of the Association of Responsible Krill harvesting companies (ARK). ARK has a membership of just 8 companies, coming from 4 CCAMLR member nations and, between them, they are responsible for over 90% of all Krill catches in Antarctic waters.

As most folk are aware, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party are currently enforcing a ‘Zero Covid’ policy on their citizens, and despite ‘Long Fa’ being away from home for over six months, and being alongside in a foreign port, this doctrine is still being carried out to the letter. The crew of ‘Long Fa’ were to be seen loading their own stores and fresh provisions on arrival, and all were observed, including those crewmembers visible on deck, to be wearing a complete, one piece, medical hazmat suit and face mask to conduct their assignment working on the quayside.

Prior to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, ‘Long Fa’ also held a license, between April 2016 and May 2019, issued by the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) which allowed her to catch both Mackerel and Pilchard in the North Pacific area.

In November 2001, while under the ownership of Kerchrybprom, the Ukrainian State fishing company, along with sistership ‘Fedor Korotkov’, she was arrested by the Mauritanian authorities in the port of Nouadhibou. The arrest was in relation to an alleged accrued debt of US$8 million (ZAR134.65 million) for repairs, stores and bunkers owed to local companies.

The payment dispute was between the vessel owners, and the vessel charterers. Payment for food and provisions, and then wages, was stopped, and her crew was abandoned in March 2002. Due to the absence of any Ukrainian consular authorities in Mauritania, the Russian Embassy in Mauritania was approached to provide consular assistance, but they refused to intervene. The crew were assisted by a local charity called Caritas.

The vessel remained under arrest for 5 years at Nouadhibou. Eventually, the crew was repatriated home, with the assistance of an agreement between the vessel charterers and the International Transport Federation (ITF).

In November 2006, the vessel was released, and towed to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. At Las Palmas she was taken out of the water on the Synchrolift, repaired, renovated, refurbished and purchased for further service. She only came under the ownership of her current owners, CNFC, in 2009.

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TNPA issues RFI for potential renewable energy project

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) on Monday (25 July) announced a Request for Information (RFI), calling on private sector participants to submit project proposals for the introduction of a renewable energy programme at its eight commercial seaports.

TNPA recently carried out an internal audit which indicated a need to stabilise its energy supply, costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its eight commercial seaports at Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, East London, Mossel Bay, Saldanha, Cape Town, Durban, and Richards Bay.

“The introduction of renewable energy at our ports is significantly underpinned by our corporate environmental responsibility and is a good step towards limiting contributions towards global warming,” said project manager Jarryd Introna.

TNPA is hoping that responses to the RFI will assist it to gain a better understanding of the renewable energy market, particularly for wind and solar, and is considering the incorporation of other renewable energy sources such as hybrids of hydroelectric power, ocean energy, biomass and geothermal.

The implementation of the Renewable Energy Programme aims to see the procurement of 50 – 80 MW of renewable energy power generation capacity that can be implemented cumulatively across the eight commercial seaports.

“As we respond to our ports authority role of delivering reliable electrical energy for our port operators and tenants, we are committed to doing so in a manner that is financially prudent, does not harm the environment and has a developmental impact,” Introna said.

The statement by TNPA can be considered in light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the Nation on Monday evening regarding the energy crisis and government’s latest plans of addressing the challenges.

RFI documents can be accessed from the National Treasury’s e-tender publication portal or the Transnet website www.transnet.net.

Responses to the RFI must be submitted by no later than 6 September 2022 at 12h00.

After receiving and reviewing RFI responses, TNPA may release a Request for Proposals provided that sufficient information is obtained from the RFI submissions.

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In Conversation: Russia/Ukraine grain export deal promises major benefits for poor countries. If it holds

 

Wandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University

If Russia keeps to the deal it has signed with Ukraine allowing for the resumption of grain exports, much needed relief will be provided to importing countries, including many in Africa.

The relief would be significant as Ukraine has roughly 22 million tonnes of grain (wheat, maize, sunflower seed and other grains) in silos. It has not been able to ship these to export markets because of Russia’s invasion, which disrupted infrastructure and the attacks on vessels transporting goods.

Ukraine is a notable player in global grain and oilseeds export market. And thus, the blockage of exports has contributed to the notable increase in agricultural commodity prices observed since the war started.

The aim of the “grain deal”, signed between Kyiv and Moscow on July 22 2002, was to change this chaotic situation. Under the agreement Russia promised not to attack grain vessels in the Black Sea region. But this promise didn’t last long. Less than 24 hours after the deal was signed Russian missiles struck the critical Ukrainian port of Odesa.

The attack is likely to undermine the deal, a multinational effort to avert the global food crisis. In addition, grain traders and merchants might be reluctant to be involved in the zone if they consider it to be too risky. This would ultimately defeat the deal.

But if Russia keeps its word, the benefits will be immediate. Grain prices could soften as more grain supplies become available to the world market. Overall this would be a good development for consumers, particularly those living in poor developing nations.

The possible softening of prices would add to an already positive picture of global grain prices, which have come off from the record levels seen in weeks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For example, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation Global Food Price Index, a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, was down 2% in June 2022 from the previous month. This was a third monthly decline.

Still, this is up 23% year on year, which means that the recent deal and possible resumption of trade would bring much-needed relief to the grains market.

Nevertheless, the deal’s impact on grain prices is likely to be marginal. Grain prices are unlikely to return to pre-war levels. A number of factors had been driving up agricultural prices in the two years prior to the conflict. These included drought in South America, East Africa, and Indonesia and rising demand for grains in China have weighed on global grains supplies.

Implications for Africa

The possible price decline and increase in supply as a result of deal between Russia and Ukraine is likely to benefit all importing countries and consumers in the medium term.

This assumes that the deal holds – and that shipping lines will start taking orders and moving grains.

From an African perspective, the continent imports about US$80 billion worth of agricultural products a year, mainly wheat, palm oil and sunflower seed. The annual food import bill from the sub-Saharan Africa region is roughly US$40 billion per year.

Therefore, however marginal, a potential decline in the prices of these commodities would be positive for importing countries – and ultimately consumers.

Importantly, Africa imports US$4 billion of agricultural products from Russia, 90% of which is wheat and 6% is sunflower seed. The major importing countries are Egypt (50%), followed by Sudan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

Similarly, Africa imports US$2.9 billion worth of agricultural products from Ukraine. About 48% of this was wheat, 31% maize, and the rest included sunflower oil, barley, and soybeans.

A resumption of the trade activity would release about 22 million tonnes of grains out of Ukraine. It’s also safe to assume that grain orders from Russia to various markets in the world will also increase.

Africa’s biggest wheat importers would benefit the most from a resumption of shipments out of Ukraine’s ports. More generally, the softening in prices would benefit consumers across the world.

In addition, the World Food Programme will be able to source food for donations in struggling African regions, such as East Africa, where there is a bad drought, as well as parts of Asia.

One can’t miss the fact that Ukrainian farmers would benefit too. They have been worried that, without a resumption of trade, their crops would rot in silos. The deal signals hope for some relief, and the prospect of creating space to store the new season crop.

Uncertainties

There’s still a great deal of uncertainty around the deal in the wake of the Russian following the missile attack on Odesa. Multinational discussions will be a crucial determinant of whether grain trade resumes from the Black Sea.

Measures will also need to be put in place to assure merchants of the safety of their cargo.

The grain price dynamics and possible benefits for importing countries will all depend on these uncertain developments. Still, any success in the exports of grains from Ukraine will benefit the African countries directly through the delivery of physical supplies – or indirectly through possible global price softening.

Wandile Sihlobo, Senior Fellow, Department of Agricultural Economics, Stellenbosch University

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

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NEW BOOKS: In the Treacle Mine

 

 

In the Treacle Mine
The Life of a Marine Engineer

By J W (John) Richardson

Price £16.99
ISBN 978 1 84995 488 4
256 pages
Softback
Published by Whittles Publishing, Dunbeath, Caithness, Scotland
www.whittlespublishing.com

Here is the life of a Marine Engineer in the British Merchant Navy during the final years of steam propulsion and the transition to diesel power. It is well-filled with interesting anecdotes about incidents that occurred during the author’s career.

If anyone has ever wondered what happens in the engine room when the Captain on the bridge rings ‘Full Ahead’ on the telegraph, then this book will enlighten the reader. This is a story of one man’s life at sea, from his beginnings as a lowly cadet to his qualification as a Chief Engineer. Of the many anecdotes some are amusing, others terrifying and he provides pen portraits of a some of his fellow seafarers and tells us of the ports they visited.

There is much information here for enthusiasts of a vessel’s machinery and its operation.

In the Treacle Mine Richardson starts in the 1960s when steam power was still the preferred option for larger and more powerful ships but over the following decade, the availability of ever more powerful and more fuel-efficient, diesel engines sounded the death knell for steam propulsion.

Today there are only a few preserved steamships left as a reminder of how things used to be down below in what was colloquially called the ‘treacle mine’ as Geordie marine engineers described the engine-room.

Despite the fact that steam power has disappeared from everyday use, there are still a great many enthusiasts from all walks of life who are prepared to give up their spare time to ensure that steam lives on. This dedication means that heritage steam railways, steam traction engines and even the occasional preserved steamship, can continue to operate and give pleasure to millions of visitors every year.

One whole chapter is devoted to a voyage with an ‘up and downer’ otherwise a steam reciprocating engine, and although the author’s remaining steam ships were all turbine vessels which may lack the same visual appeal, there will still be much that will be of interest to any steam enthusiast.

Readers following the author’s experiences with steam will see him transition to diesel and life in the motor ship which was not without incident. There is much in this book that will encourage interest by all who enjoy stories of the sea and seafarers, especially of a generation back.

The story is told over 17 chapters with an appropriate introduction and to close there is an epilogue before two appendixes, one of which lists the vessels that Richardson had served in. He was an Engineer Cadet in ss Strathallan with a triple expansion steam reciprocating engine. She was a converted deep sea trawler of 690 tons serving as a training ship.

His career took him by way of tankers, container ships ro-ro ferries and sludge carriers to Hoverspeed Great Britain (Incat 025) of 3,003 gt powered by four Ruston RK 270 medium-speed diesels of 5,000 bhp each driving Lips water jets. Far cry from his first day afloat. He came ashore as an engineer surveyor to take up posts with inspection companies, one of which was Bureau Veritas.

To help there are five pages by way of glossary with abbreviations.

As well as being a valuable maritime social history this is a volume to be packed in the summer baggage or some of our (Westminster) Members of Parliament. They will be able to appreciate not only the lot of their constituents (marine engineers do not always live by the sea) but can see how, what is commonly called ‘Maritime’, functions. They will be well rewarded.

Reviewed by Paul Ridgway
London Correspondent
Africa Ports & Ships

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AIRFREIGHT: Ethiopian signs proposal for up to 4 more Dash 8-400 Freighter Door Kits

At the Farnborough aviation show in the UK last week Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s fastest growing and most significant airline in Africa, signed a proposal with De Havilland Canada for the purchase of two Dash 8-400 Freighter – Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits.

The proposal provides an option for an additional two F-LCD conversion kits. The parties are working to finalise a definitive and binding agreement.

“Cargo has played a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines’ operations over the past couple of years and will remain a key growth pillar of our business over the coming years,” said Mesfin Tasew, Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines Group.

“The pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts have given rise to significant opportunities in the cargo space and we see great value in converting our older Dash 8-400 fleet to freighters to capitalise on these growing opportunities.”

The conversions won’t take place immediately. According to the Canadian manufacturer, the conversion kits are still under development with the certification process expected to take around 24 months, therefore the first converted Dash 8s won’t enter commercial service before the second half of 2024.

The Large Cargo Door (LCD) measures 2.8m x 1.8m, enabling the Dash 8-400 to handle standard container sizes like LD1, LD2, LD3, and LD4. A converted Dash 8 will be able to carry up to eight LD3 containers. The maximum permissible payload stands at 21,400 lbs. (9.7 tonnes), while the aircraft provides 78.6 m3 of cargo volume.

Depending on the load, converted Dash 8 aircraft using the F-LCD will have a range of up to 1,640 nautical miles.

Philippe Poutissou, Vice President, Customer Experience at De Havilland Canada described Ethiopian’s proposal with De Havilland Canada as a superb testament to the versatility of the Dash 8-400 aircraft to satisfy a wide variety of operational requirements.

“We thank Ethiopian for this confidence in the aircraft’s capability,” he said. “The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s industry-leading operating costs and environmental footprint, as well as its outstanding performance and large cabin volume have facilitated our introduction of a series of freighter options — including Quick Change, Package Freighter and LCD Freighters — to better serve the expanding cargo market.”

The Dash 8-400 aircraft has logged over 11 million flight hours and transported more than 570 million passengers. Worldwide, the aircraft is in the fleets of more than 70 owners and operators.

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing and arguably the most successful airline in Africa. In operation for 75 years, Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.

Fleet

Ethiopian’s fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, and around 30 Bombardier Q400 (Dash 8-400) double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years.

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Ukraine grain shipments to resume: The world waits in hope: Odesa bombed

An unprecedented agreement on the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea amid the ongoing war is a beacon of hope in a world that desperately needs it, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the signing ceremony in Istanbul on Friday (22 July).

The UN plan, which also paves the way for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets, will help to stabilize spiralling food prices worldwide and stave off famine, affecting millions.

Russian and Ukrainian Ministers signed what is known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, facing each other at opposite ends of the table, while the Secretary-General and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat in the centre.

Hope and relief

Secretary-General Guterres commented prior to the signing: ‘Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief – in a world that needs it more than ever.’

Mr Guterres thanked President Erdogan and his government for facilitating the talks that led to the deal. He commended the Russian and Ukrainian representatives for putting aside their differences in the common interests of humanity.

He added: ‘The question has not been what is good for one side or the other. The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world. And let there be no doubt – this is an agreement for the world.’

Ukraine is among the world’s leading grain exporters, supplying more than 45 million tonnes annually to the global market, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Russian invasion, which began on 24 February, has sparked record food and fuel prices, as well as supply chain issues, with mountains of grain stocks stuck in silos.

In addition to stabilizing global food prices, the agreement will, in the Secretary-General’s words: ‘…bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine. Since the war started, I have been highlighting that there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global access to Ukraine’s food products and Russian food and fertilizer.’

Three key ports

The initiative specifically allows for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

The Secretary-General also announced the establishment of a Joint Coordination Centre to monitor implementation. It will be hosted in Istanbul and will include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey.

Port entry inspection

Inspection teams will monitor the loading of grain at the three ports. Ukrainian pilot vessels will guide the ships through the Black Sea, which is mined, after which they will head out through the Bosporus Strait along an agreed corridor.

Two UN Task Forces were established in parallel on the talks – one focused on the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, which was led by UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths, and the other on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers, headed by Rebecca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD.

Beacon for peace

Mr Guterres pledged the UN’s full commitment to the agreement, and urged all sides to do the same. He said: ‘This is an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in bloody conflict. But that conflict continues.’

He added, noting that people are dying every day as the fighting rages: ‘The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining bright today, thanks to the collective efforts of so many. In these trying and turbulent times for the region and our globe, let that beacon guide the way towards easing human suffering and securing peace.’

Missile attack

Within hours of the accord’s signing explosions rocked Odesa on Saturday morning (23 July) according to Ukraine’s military. Widely reported the attack was condemned by the UN and the EU.

Under the terms of the Black Sea Grain Initiative Russia had agreed not to target ports while grain shipments were in transit and according to BBC World News Turkey’s defence minister Hulusai Akar indicated Russian officials had denied carrying out the strikes.

On reflection

One has to hope that the proposals will work to the satisfaction of all parties as there is so much at stake and safety of crews and ships and cargoes will be paramount. Nothing has been heard as to whether insurance will be available and at what cost and what governments will be underwriting.

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

YouTube video of Secretary-General António Guterres aftre the sgining of the agreement [1:12]

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IMO welcomes maritime humanitarian corridor in Black Sea

On 22 July IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim welcomed the signing of the agreement between, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export critical cargoes of grain and foodstuffs from Ukraine.

The agreement was signed in Istanbul, after several weeks of talks. IMO participated as part of the UN delegation.

Mr Lim attended the signing ceremony in Istanbul. He commented: “I am very pleased that all parties have reached agreement on the way forward for ships to safely transport much-needed grain and other commodities through the Black Sea. This agreement would not have been possible without the spirit of cooperation by the countries involved and the leadership shown by UN Secretary General António Guterres in proposing this initiative.

“The safety of ships and seafarers remains my top priority. IMO instruments, including the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code, underpin this agreement for safe and secure shipping through the Black Sea. I commend the efforts of all involved, particularly the IMO Member States – Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine.”

In March the IMO Council at its 35th Extraordinary Session requested the IMO Secretary-General to collaborate with relevant parties to initiate the establishment and support the implementation of a blue safe maritime corridor in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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WHARF TALK: The visit of the last leader of the Nazi Regime to South Africa

By JAY GATES

To most folk, if you ask who the last Head of the Third Reich was, they would all answer with the same retort, Adolf Hitler. But in reality, there were ultimately two leaders of the Nazi Regime, and one of them paid a visit to South Africa. Recent correspondence on the subject of the flying of Swastikas in South African ports brings memories of that period of history, and what was to be seen in those few years that such a sight took place.

After the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles limited the scope to what the German Navy could do. They could not build submarines, and the largest vessels they were permitted were cruisers. Six of them were built, in three classes, and in the years leading up to the Second World War, they were mostly used on worldwide goodwill cruises, and officer training cruises. These cruises were curtailed when Germany entered the Spanish Civil War.

From 1918 and up to 1933, Germany was governed as the Weimar Republic, and their cruisers conducted annual cruises to all corners of the globe. The cruises started in 1930, but that didn’t mean that any of their vessels would visit South African ports on an annual basis. In any case, up to 1933 the flag of both Germany, and that of the Reichsmarine, or the Imperial German Navy, was the traditional German red, white and black striped flag, with the Reichsmarine ensign having an Iron Cross surmounted upon it. It was a period before the rise of the Nazis.

The oldest of the German Navy cruisers was the EMDEN. She was the only one of her class, and she was built by the Reichsmarinewerft Dockyard in Kiel. Launched in January 1925, and commissioned in October 1925, she was a light cruiser, and the first large warship to be built by Germany, for the German Navy, since the end of the First World War.

She was 155 metres in length, and had a displacement tonnage of 7,102 tons. She was powered by two Brown, Boveri & Co. (BBC) Mannheim geared steam turbines, producing 46,500 shp (34,700 kW) to drive two fixed pitch propellers for a maximum speed of 29 knots.

Her turbines were fed steam that was produced by ten Schulz boilers, four of them were coal fired watertube boilers, and six were oil fired single ended boilers. Her auxiliary power came from three MAN generators providing 420 kW each.

Under normal operations she carried a complement of 19 officers, and 464 enlisted crewmembers, but on her training cruises she increased her complement to 29 officers, 445 enlisted men, and an additional 162 officer cadets.

She was armed with eight, single mounted, 152mm (5.9”) main guns, and three, single mounted, 88mm (3.5”) anti-aircraft guns. The guns were all single mounted in turrets, as the Allies would not allow multiple guns, paired in turrets. She also had four 500mm (20”) torpedoes, mounted in two twin tube mounts.

The first goodwill and training cruise of the ‘Emden’ took place between 14th November 1926 and 14th March 1928, when she circumnavigated the world. She first called at St.Helena Island, and then on 12th January 1927 she arrived at Cape Town for her first ever visit to South Africa. After a stay of a few days, she departed for Zanzibar, then Mombasa in Kenya, before heading across the Indian Ocean for the Dutch East Indies.

She continued with her annual cruises, and on her fourth goodwill cruise, which took place between 1st December 1930 and 8th December 1931, she called at Mauritius, then continued to Durban. At Durban a number of her officers made a journey to Johannesburg where they were invited to a meeting with South African Prime Minister James BM Hertzog.

Departing Durban, ‘Emden’ then made her maiden call at East London. From East London she sailed for Lobito and Luanda in Angola, before she headed back to European waters. On arrival back in Germany, she did not conduct another cruise for three years as she was decommissioned and sent for a major refit.

By this time, the Nazi National Socialist movement had taken power in Germany, and Adolf Hitler was now Führer, and Head of the German state. Yet between 1933, when the Nazis came to power, and 1935, the national flag of Germany and the German Naval ensign remained unchanged, and the flags of the old Weimar Republic still represented Germany.

On completion of her refit, and her recommissioning, on 29th September 1934, ‘Emden’ received a new Commanding Officer, namely Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz. Her fifth goodwill cruise took place between 10th November 1934 and 12th June 1935, with Karl Dönitz in command.

After leaving European waters, ‘Emden’ proceeded directly to Cape Town, where she arrived in early January 1935. South African Defense Minister Oswald Pirow arrived to welcome ‘Emden’ to South Africa. In a speech to the crew of the ‘Emden’, which is of a time thankfully long in the past, Oswald Pirow stated:

“Germany as a civilised state, is one of the chief exponents of our Western culture, which can be maintained only by white peoples, and preserved only by the united co-operation of all. Today, more than ever, when the rising tide of the coloured races is reaching higher and higher, the active help of a strong Germany is more than ever necessary. For us in South Africa the maintenance and spread of our white civilisation is a question of life and death. In this sense, I express the hope that Germany will again soon become a colonial power in Africa.”

To put that into context, Oswald Pirow at the time was an openly strident supporter of the Nazis, a strong believer in the German Volk, and Pirow had met Adolf Hitler personally. Naturally, Karl Dönitz was a fully engaged Nazi himself.

Whilst in port, there were a number of social activities between the officers and crew of ‘Emden’, and their opposite numbers on the Simonstown based HMS Dorsetshire, and HMS Milford. From Cape Town, ‘Emden’ sailed for a second visit to East London, and then onto Porto Amelia (now named Pemba) in Mozambique, Mombasa in Kenya, and Port Victoria in the Seychelles, before crossing the Indian Ocean to the British naval base at Trincomalee in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka).

The fifth cruise of ‘Emden’ was complete by June 1935. However, it was only on 7th November 1935 that the Nazi government mandated that all merchant vessels were to fly the new Swastika adorned national flag, that the Reichsmarine were to be known as the Kriegsmarine, and all warships were now to fly the new Naval Ensign with Swastika and Iron Cross. By this time, ‘Emden’ has returned to Germany and so, Karl Dönitz never sailed under the Swastika when he commanded ‘Emden’, and she never flew a Swastika in any South African port.

On return to Germany in June 1935, Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz relinquished command of ‘Emden’. He was promoted to Kapitän zur See on 1st October 1935, and transferred to lead the 1st U-Boat Flotilla. He would have relished this new appointment as he was initially a U-Boat officer in the First World War, and later went on to command the whole of the German U-Boat forces in the Second World War. The ‘Emden’ continued with her goodwill cruises until 1938, but never returned to South Africa.

On 4th September 1939, whilst alongside in Wilhelmshaven in Germany, an air raid took place by the Royal Air Force. One of the bombers, a Bristol Blenheim IV, was shot down and crashed into the bow of ‘Emden’, which killed 9 of the crew of ‘Emden’, and injured 20 others. They were the first naval casualties of the Second World War. In an ironic twist of name fate, the pilot of the downed Blenheim bomber, who perished with his crew, was named Flying Officer Henry Lovell Emden, RAF.

As the war progressed, ‘Emden’ survived almost to the war’s end, and was brought back to Kiel, from the Baltic, in early 1945. Between March and April 1945 she was attacked twice by Lancaster bombers of the Royal Air Force, receiving severe damage. In late April, she was towed out of Kiel harbour, and deliberately run aground outside the harbour to save her. In May 1945, just five days before the end of the war, her remaining crew decided to destroy her with explosives, to prevent her being taken over by the victorious allied forces.

As for Karl Dönitz, he rose to the rank of Grand Admiral, and by the end of the Second World War, he commanded the German Navy. On 30th April 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide, and in accordance with Hitler’s will, Karl Dönitz was named as his successor. He became the leader of the Third Reich, only the second person to do so, and de-facto Head of the Nazi State. It was a role he held for only seven days, as on 7th May 1945 the Nazis signed the document of unconditional surrender with the allies.

Throughout the period 1933 to 1945, Karl Dönitz was a dedicated Nazi, and a loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler. This lead to his arrest on 26th May 1945 and he was tried at the subsequent Nuremberg Trials. He was charged with crimes against peace and war, as well as being charged with crimes against the laws of war. The latter charge included that of the ‘Laconia Order’ that Dönitz issued to all of his U-Boat Commanders in 1942.

The Royal Mail Ship (RMS) ‘Laconia’ was a 1922 built passenger liner, belonging to the Cunard White Star Line of Liverpool. She had been requisitioned as a troop ship and she was on a voyage from Suez, where she was transferring Italian Prisoners of War (POWs) to Canada. She had previously called into Mombasa to pick up passengers, and had arrived at Durban on 20th August 1942, sailing on 29th August for Cape Town.

She arrived in Cape Town on 1st September 1942, and after completing her loading of passengers and stores, she sailed on 4th September for Freetown in Sierra Leone. Onboard she had 2,741 persons, which included 1,809 Italian POWs. On 12th September she was sighted by German U-boat U-156, who sank her with two torpedoes.

When the German commander realised that the vessel he had just sank had Italian POWs aboard, who were allies of Nazi Germany in the North African campaign, he started rescuing survivors, and requested additional help due to the numbers involved.

A United States Air Force B-24 Liberator, out of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island, spotted the rescue effort by the German U-Boats and attacked them, causing the U-Boats to dive and leave the survivors on the surface. The U-boat sinking of ‘Laconia’ had resulted in the loss of 1,659 people, mainly POWs, and had left 1,083 survivors. The survivors were later rescued by a flotilla of Vichy French Navy vessels, out of Dakar in Senegal.

As a result of the U-Boat rescue, and subsequent USAF attack, Dönitz issued his famous ‘Laconia Order’, which forbade U-Boat commanders from trying to rescue anyone from vessels that they had sunk, or to even try to assist them by righting upturned lifeboats, or stopping to give them food or water, or directions to safety, or to assist their survival. The issue of this order was one of the charges leveled against him at the Nuremberg Trials, as a crime against the laws of war.

He was acquitted of that particular charge, but found guilty on other charges. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the famous Spandau Prison in Berlin. On his release, he retired into relative obscurity, and died in 1980, at the age of 89, some forty-five years after his last visit to South Africa, and thirty-five years after becoming the second, and the last, Leader of the Nazis and the Third Reich. Karl Dönitz was an unrepentant Nazi to the end.

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IMO launches decarbonisation strategy roundtables in Kenya

Advice provided on creation of National Action Plans

The IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050 project has launched a series of roundtables on the creation of National Action Plans (NAPs)* to address GHG emissions from shipping, with the first event held in collaboration with the Government of Kenya on 12 July.

NAPs are an important part of efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the maritime sector. IMO has encouraged countries to develop and submit their plans**. This will help countries to achieve the emission reduction goals set out in IMO’s initial GHG strategy***.

The IMO media service issued this information in mid-July

In the words of Minglee Hoe, GreenVoyage2050 Project Technical Analyst: “A collaborative and strategic approach is essential for the success of a country’s decarbonisation strategy and the NAP roundtables are an ideal platform to bring stakeholders together to initiate these planning conversations.

“Our bespoke support is intended to build upon ongoing activities on the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping already taking place on a national and regional level.”

These roundtables, which are available to all GreenVoyage2050 partnering countries, offer an interactive platform for national authorities and relevant stakeholders to explore the motivating factors and benefits for creating a NAP, and to connect the dots to existing emission reduction efforts by the country.

Events convened so far as part of the programme allow practical implementation of the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050 NAP guide to be FOUND HERE

The first roundtable was held online and saw active participation by ten participants representing various relevant Government Ministries and agencies across Kenya. The meeting showcased lessons learned from some of the IMO Member States that have already created NAPs (Finland, India, Norway and Singapore) and outlined the reasons and benefits to creating this national strategy. NAPs submitted to IMO can be found here.

GreenVoyage2050 will continue to support Kenya as the country explores the possible development of a NAP. This will include development of policies to reduce emissions, training as well as identifying opportunities for pilot projects in the region.

* CLICK HERE

** SEE HERE

*** CLICK HERE

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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Xolani Mbambo to succeed Andrew Waller as CEO of Grindrod

Grindrod has revealed the name of the person who will take the helm of the Durban-based company when present CEO Andrew Waller retires at the end of 2022.

He is Xolani Mbambo, currently in charge of Grindrod’s freight services division. Mbambo has been with Grindrod since 2013 occupying several positions in his rise within the logistics group. Prior to 2013 he worked in the mining industry at Anglo American and before that as a training accountant with PwC.

Andrew Waller (60) joined Grindrod in 2011 from a position as a partner at Deloitte & Touche for 15 years. Before his elevation as CEO of the company in 2018 he served as financial director.

Grindrod is active in ports – specifically the port of Maputo, terminals in a number of different ports and tankers and road transport. In recent years the group has divested itself of certain non-core activities, including most recently Grindrod Bank which has been sold to African Bank for R1.5 billion.

Grindrod has also unbundled much of its shipping interests for which it was once best known, and has several other business interests it is looking to dispose of in order to further narrow its focus.

Chairperson Cheryl Carolus said in a statement: “The board is excited to have Xolani lead Grindrod in its quest to deliver an efficient and cost-effective logistics solution for its customers’ cargo flow, while touching the lives of the communities in which we operate.”

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Malindi port expects to serve ships at international standards

Zanzibar’s Malindi Port is modernising, with the introduction of a modern digital system that is expected to increase monthly revenue by one third.

Among the ports technology providers is the Mauritius-based Resource Solutions, who advises that for ports to ensure seamless and cost-effective services to customers at yards, quaysides, and gates requires accurately monitoring, analysing and management of data.

This in turn requires the digitalisation and automation of equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure, Resource Solutions says. The benefits of digitalising and automating port processes are substantial and the management of the Malindi Port, Zanzibar, knows this.

To improve cost saving, increase efficiency, and eliminate cargo processing delays, digital systems are being installed at Malindi Port. The modernisation development is called the ‘E-Port System Project’, and is being implemented by a local company, Fortris, in partnership with the Finnish ship tracking company Wartsila Voyage.

Members of the project team include VTech who provide the Terminal Operating Systems (TOS), Envecon (Enterprise ERP Systems) and Ressource Solutions.

Ressource Solutions will provide value to the ‘E-Port System Project’ through the implementation of their well-established, sophisticated fuel management system. The system, branded PetroMan, will manage all fuel movement, all transactions and integrate with the Envecon Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

Speaking at the launch of the project, the minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Dr Khalid Mohammed Salum, said the Malindi port, built in 1920, was still using old paperwork systems for unloading and loading cargo.

“The advent of this system which will greatly help to deliver cargo without using paperwork and payments will be made online,” he said.

Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC) chief executive officer Nahaat Mohammed Mahfoudh said digitisation would increase domestic revenue. He noted that the port collects between Sh3.5 and Sh4 billion a month, but after installation of the modern digital system, the agency expects the revenue to increase to between Sh6 billion and Sh8 billion a month.

He added that the port expects to serve ships at international standards and eliminate the challenge of queuing caused by the current processing.

Morris Hamza Aziz, CEO, Fortris said the project will increase operational capacity, reduce operating costs and improve maritime skills for Zanzibaris.

The Ressource Solutions’ PetroMan fuel management system is already being used by several port and terminal customers in Africa, and involvement in this modernisation development is seen as a natural progression to providing better management tools to ports and terminals.

The fuel management experience and know-how that Ressource Solutions’ provides goes back to the 1990s. As an OEM they provide a sophisticated, multiple-product, fully automated fuel management system.

Over 150 projects and maintenance sites have been implemented in ports, mining and logistics across Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia.

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Work begins on Ghana’s Inland Marine Port – part of Trans-Volta Logistics Corridor

Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has cut the sod for work to begin on the construction of the first inland marine port in the northern part of Ghana and for an accompanying Industrial Park at Debre in the Savannah Region.

The multi modal transport corridor, known as the Trans-Volta Logistics Corridor, is being undertaken by LMI Holdings and involves the development of a system to transport containers and bulk cargo from the Port of Tema to Burkina Faso and other landlocked countries via the Volta Lake.

An additional port, to be constructed at the termination point of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, will facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of cargo from Tema and Debre. The Debre Inland Port is expected to contribute to the infrastructural development of Ghana with a positive domino effect on transportation, jobs creation, rural development, revenue generation and many other benefits. The entire project is expected to be fully operational by 2025.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony on Friday, 22 July 2022, Vice President Bawumia underscored the importance of the project, especially for the movement of goods, cross border trade, and preservation of Ghana’s roads.

“Easing the congestion of clearing goods from Tema will be one of the main objectives for this port and industrial park. Using the Volta Lake, vessels will transport goods and containers in transit to and from the Tema Port.

These containers will be moved by rail to Akwamu-Korankye (Eastern region) and then loaded onto barges to the Debre Inland Port. In Debre, operating at its fullest capacity like Tema with all the attendant facilities, containers will be offloaded and put on trucks to continue their journey further into the sub region.”

He said all services such as customs, transits clearances will be provided as pertains to any international port.

Saving Ghana’s Roads

“This US$200 million inland marine port and the $250 million Industrial Park will address a myriad of issues that continue to plague the movement of goods in Ghana and to our neighbours in the sub-region.

“Most of the over 30,000 trucks, annually, moving goods to landlocked countries of the northern boundary of Ghana will be taken off the roads. The total monetised benefit for the intervention encompasses a reduction in generalised cost, comprising vehicle operating cost, travel time, carbon emission, reduction in transportation cost and reduction in post-harvest losses,” he stated.

The greater part of the inland transport in Ghana happens via lorries, with the road transport system taking up 96% of freight and 97% of passenger traffic.

This heavy reliance on roads for the transport of goods from the Tema port to Ghana’s landlocked neighbours has had a punishing effect on the country’s roads, leading to shorter lifespans and concerns with safety.

“The investment in Inland ports offer superior logistics, the opportunity of large warehouses, proximity to rail and highways, ample truck parking, less traffic congestion, and economic incentives,” the deputy president said.

“It is estimated that each barge trip from the inland port, will take over 300 trucks off our roads. This monumental intervention will reap major savings on road maintenance. It will reduce the incidences of fatal road accidents that we, unfortunately, too often read and hear about in the media.”

Industrial Parks

Dr Bawumia emphasised that industrial parks, such as the one at Debre, signal business readiness in any given context, serving production and manufacturing needs for mutually beneficial businesses and industries.

“The availability of subsidised service and infrastructure such as roads, electricity, energy, water supply, and telecommunication services is a competitive standpoint, attracting international and foreign investors.

“For a growing economy, likes ours, industrial p arks are a requirement for our industrialisation. The Dawa Park by LMI and the Tema Free Zones Enclave are a testament to this.”

He said that as witnessed with the Tema Port and the attendant booming of factories and other economic activities, the opportunity for Debre’s holistic economic growth is about to take off.

“Debre’s geographic positioning makes it significant for the Inland Port and the Industrial Park to be sited. The deep depth of the Volta Lake year-round offers all-seasons availability for barges for transportation to and from Debre. With the creation of auxiliary roads, linking Debre to other towns, it will become a hub that will attract other stakeholders in the ecosystem to set up other complementary facilities and businesses.”

Reiterating government’s continued resolve to create an enabling environment and support for private sector investment, Dr Bawumia called on other organisations to emulate LMI Holdings.

“Let me congratulate LMI Holdings for this impressive feat. As a company, LMI comes to this project with a plethora of experience in infrastructure development. With over $450 million in assets, this Ghanaian conglomerate has interests in construction, industrial utilities, property, and logistics. In the last 20 years, since LMI Holdings developed the Special Economic Zones, over $3.4 billion of foreign direct investment has been contributed to Ghana’s economy.” source: Ghana Presidency

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New heavy-duty weighbridge for Durban’s TPT Multipurpose Terminal

A new weighbridge under installation at the port of Durban is set to help speed up operations with heavy-duty haulage from the port’s multi-purpose terminal at the Point.

The new weighbridge, which becomes operational during early August, will also assist not only with streamlining the weighing of vehicles and loads but also with the permitting process, thus helping to decongest the port at critical times.

MGI Weighbridges, which is supplying and installing the equipment, has existing weighbridges in both the Durban and Richards Bay port as well as mobile weighing units that travel countrywide both inside and outside of KZN.

With each MGI weighbridge being fully automated and using weigh-in motion technology, minimal human intervention becomes necessary.

The system being installed at the Durban Point (D Shed) is integrated with the Electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis) and the freight directorate, enabling permits to be printed at the weighbridge, according to a statement by the company.

This will avoid the need to drive to Pietermaritizburg to obtain a permit for an abnormal load, with the permit being recieved at the same time as the weighing is being performed.

The new weighbridge outside D Shed will be available 24/7 and monitored by camera.

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

The most dangerous phrase in the language is,
“We’ve always done it this way.”
– Grace Hopper

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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT

Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port

Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.

In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.

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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES

QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman

We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.

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