Africa PORTS & SHIPS maritime news 28 October 2022

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

 

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

Week commencing 24 October 2022.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return  

FIRST VIEW:   EUROPA 2

The week’s mastheads:

Monday: Port of Durban City Multi-purpose Terminals
Tuesday: Port of Durban Island View
Wednesday: Port of Durban Maydon Wharf
Thursday: Port of Cape Town Elliott Basin
Friday: Port of Cape Town Dry Dock & Ship Repair
Saturday: Port of Cape Town Tanker Basin
Sunday: Port of Cape Town Duncan Dock

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FIRST VIEW:  EUROPA 2

Europe 2 in the Durban entrance channel, 23 October 2022. Picture: Keith Betts in Africa Ports & Ships
Europa 2 in the Durban entrance channel, 22 October 2022. Picture: Keith Betts
Europa 2 entering Durban harbour on Saturday 23 October 2022. Picture by Keith Betts in Africa Ports & Ships
Europa 2 entering Durban harbour on Saturday 22 October 2022. Picture by Keith Betts

The 2022-23 summer cruise season has begun in South Africa with the arrival of the first two of quite an impressive number of ships that will call locally this summer.  First up, as already reported in Africa Ports & Ships, was the newbuild, Hanseatic Spirit at Cape Town, and she has been followed quite rapidly by Hapag-Lloyd’s super luxury and multiple award-winning ship, EUROPA 2 (IMO 9616230), which opened the Durban season when she arrived on Saturday 22 October 2022.

Unfortunately the weather is no respecter of occasions and the day turned out to be damp and overcast as Europa 2 slipped serenely into port. She departed that evening around 20h00 and heading to Richards Bay as her next call, which will be followed by a visit to Port Elizabeth and then on to Cape Town.

Europa 2 was built in France at the STX Europe shipyard at St-Nazaire and launched on 6 July 2012, before entering service with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises the following year. Her naming ceremony took place on 10 May 2013 during the 824th anniversary of Germany’s Hamburg port, where Hapag-Lloyd also has its headquarters.

The ship has a length of 225 metres with a width of 26.7m and a draught of 6.3m. Her gross tonnage is 42,830 tons and the ship boasts seven passenger decks. Propulsion power comes in the form of four MaK 6M43C diesel-electric engines to provide a speed of up to 21 knots. The ship can carry up to 516 passengers and has a crew of over 370.

Onboard for the passengers are 251 passenger balcony suites, seven restaurants and six bars, a 15-metre-long (49 ft) pool, a gym, a spa and two golf simulators. Her cabin suites are most spacious and nothing as crowded or scrimpy as some other ships that will be visiting Durban shortly.

In terms of rating, that depends on who is doing the judging and there will be many opinions expressed but if you go by the Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, arguably one of the more recognised ‘experts’ on such matters, they have rated her their number 1 ship ever since Europa 2 entered service.

These pictures above are by Keith Betts

and now the news….

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Cape Town Terminals clear backlog ahead of approaching fruit export season

Cape Town Container Terminal - strike action backlog cleared, in Africa Ports & Ships
Cape Town Container Terminal – strike action backlog cleared  Picture Transnet

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says it has cleared all backlogs at the Cape Town port terminals, following the industrial action which ended on 17 October 2022.

With 100% of the workforce back, the terminals have berthed the last two vessels that were at anchorage and will now focus on new vessels calling at the Cape Town Container Terminal.

Transnet said that as part of the recovery plan and ahead of the deciduous fruit season which starts in mid-November, the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) will utilise a three-berth operation, operating at full capacity to ensure vessels are turned around timeously.

In preparation for the upcoming season, an additional Ship-to-Shore (STS) crane was delivered and successfully handed over to operations. This will equip the terminal with maximum crane deployment to improve ship working hours, which will boost productivity and
enhance service provisioning to customers.

Transnet says it is is encouraged by the swift manner in which backlogs were cleared and is set to continue in this positive vein to ensure the deciduous fruit season is successfully executed.

In addition, according to Transnet SOC, the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is continuing to strategically reposition its Western Region ports (Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Saldanha) to efficiently facilitate trade, enabled by a capital investment programme for infrastructure development at these ports.

‘TNPA is intentional about prioritising capital projects that will create future capacity whilst not neglecting the immediate needs required to enhance port efficiencies,’ Transnet said.

For the 2022/23 financial year, the Western Region’s capital investment programme has an allocation of R260,4 million to the Port of Cape Town, R10,2 million to the Port of Mossel Bay and R182 million to the Port of Saldanha.

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WHARF TALK: Dynamic Positioning vessel BOURBON EVOLUTION

The multi-purpose offshore support vessel Bourbon Evolution which arrived in Cape Town from Walvis Bay. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The multi-purpose offshore support vessel Bourbon Evolution which arrived in Cape Town from Walvis Bay. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Jay gates, in Africa Ports & Ships

There was a false dawn for the first offtake of liquid natural gas (LNG) from the Coral Sul FLNG processing unit back in August. This was when the BP owned ‘British Mentor’ arrived, but technical, or other, issues at Coral Sul meant she was sent on her way two days later without loading her LNG cargo. A new dawn is now in the offing with the arrival of the ‘British Sponsor’ to take on the first cargo of LNG from Coral Sul.

The arrival of the first of the LNG tankers at the Coral Sul, ready for the first ever commercial cargo on the contract, is a good indication that the huge construction, hook-up, commissioning and testing of the field subsea infrastructure is now complete and all the major players, and regulators, are happy for commercial operations to begin.

It also means that all of the sophisticated construction, support and servicing vessels of the offshore oil and gas industry have left the Rovuma Basin, and dispersed to await the next contract, or made their way to start the next confirmed contract. Some of these vessels had completed their work at Coral Sul a few months ago, and have already made a number of calls at South African ports to seek, post-contract, shoreside maintenance assistance and bunkers.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

On 13th October, at 05h00 in the morning, the multi-purpose offshore support vessel BOURBON EVOLUTION 807 (IMO 9639842) arrived off Cape Town, from Walvis Bay in Namibia. The reason for her call was apparent when she entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Ben Schoeman Dock, and headed straight for the bespoke Dormac repair quay facility at berth 501.

Built in 2014 by Zhejiang Shipbuilding at Ningbo in China, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ is 100 metres in length and has a deadweight of 4,630 tons. She is a diesel-electric vessel, and is powered by no less than six Cummins KTA50-D(M1) V-16 cylinder 4 stroke main generators, producing 1,656 bhp (1,235 kW) each, to provide power to three fixed pitch, azimuth, stern propulsion thrusters producing 1,686 kW each, for a service speed of 10 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes a further Cummins KTA50-D(M1) auxiliary generator providing 1,235 kW, and a Cummins emergency generator providing 170 kW. For redundancy, her generators are split between two separate engine rooms. For added manoeuvrability ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ has an azimuth bow thruster providing 843 kW, and two transverse bow thrusters providing 843 kW each.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

With three stern thrusters, and three bow thrusters, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ is classified as a DP3 Dynamic Positioning vessel, which is the highest Dynamic Positioning class available. Her DP3 system is provided by Converteam, and includes three DGPS systems, a laser ranging system, three gyro compasses, two motion reference units, two Wind Sensor Units, and a subsea acoustic positioning system.

Built as an Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair (IMR) subsea services vessel, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ has two active heave compensated deck cranes for her work. Her primary crane is a MacGregor Hydramarine knuckleboom crane with a lifting capacity of 150 tons, and an ability to work down to a depth of 3,000 metres. Her secondary crane is a SMST knuckleboom crane with a lifting capacity of 40 tons.

She has a large aft working deck, with an area of 940 m2, and capable of holding 2,000 tons of cargo. She has an additional mezzanine deck, with a further working and cargo area of 230 m2. She is equipped with two ROV stations for her subsea work, with one ROV per side, each located on an open station, rather than the normal closed hangar ROV storage. She also has an 8m x 8m moonpool, which can be used if a derrick is installed for her IMR work.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

For offshore support services she has a number of underdeck cargo tanks that can carry 1,096 m3 of fuel, 2,508 m3 of drilling water, 946 m3 of potable water, and 374 m3 of methanol. In her auxiliary role, as an emergency firefighting support vessel, she has a FiFi1 designation, and has two fire monitors, with fire pumps that are capable of pumping water at 1,200 m3/hour each.

The eighth one of ten sisterships built, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ has accommodation for up to 105 persons, and her passenger and crew accommodation includes a single dining salon, two lounges, and interestingly, four separate laundry facilities. For crew change requirements she has a 20 metre helideck, capable of handling helicopters in size up to Airbus EC225 Super Puma.

Owned by Bourbon Offshore Greenmar Ltd., of Nyon in Switzerland, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ is operated by Bourbon Offshore Surf SAS, or Marseille in France, and she is managed by Bourbon Offshore Asia Pte. Ltd., of Singapore.

Her first arrival in South African waters this year was back in mid March, when she arrived in Durban from a previous contract in India, and where she received some shoreside engineering assistance from Dormac. From there she proceeded north to Pemba in Mozambique, and spent the next four months in the Rovuma Basin, supporting the commissioning of the subsea infrastructure of the offshore Coral Sul FLNG, in preparation of the LNG field coming onstream, originally scheduled for August.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

On completion of her contract in Mozambique, she sailed south and arrived back at Durban in late August, for more shoreside engineering intervention. She received attention to her onboard air-conditioning system at the Sandock Austral facility at Bayhead. From Durban she sailed in late August for Walvis Bay in Namibia, where she arrived in early September, before sailing south once more, this time for Cape Town.

After a few days alongside the Dormac facility in Cape Town receiving further engineering support, ‘Bourbon Evolution 807’ moved from the Ben Schoeman Dock, into the Duncan Dock, and went alongside the Eastern Mole, where she received bunkers and stores. She was finally ready for sea on 17th October, and she sailed from Cape Town at 15h00, bound to, apparently, nowhere, as her AIS reported her destination to be Cape Town.

However, for almost the last fortnight, she has steamed slowly northwards, and for the last few days she has remained slow steaming, in a position around 180 nautical miles off the west coast of the Northern Cape, abeam the lighthouse at the Groenriviermond. Her purpose in remaining in this area is, as yet, unknown. Whether she returns to Cape Town, or begins further steaming to the north in the direction of Namibia remains to be seen.

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IN CONVERSATION: Kenya has lifted its ban on genetically modified crops: the risks and opportunities

Benard Odhiambo Oloo, Egerton University

Kenya recently lifted a ban on the cultivation and importation of genetically modified crops amid the worst drought in 40 years and soaring food prices. This includes white maize, the country’s main staple. The decision was welcomed by scientists who see GM crops as the answer for food security. But it is opposed by a spirited lobby who are concerned about potential risks to health and the environment. Benard Odhiambo Oloo, who is a food safety and quality expert, provides insights into the debate.

What are GMOs?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refer to plants, microbes or animals that have had their genetic make-up altered through the introduction of a select gene from another unrelated species. For crops this is usually for the purpose of conferring a desired characteristic such as increased yield, insect tolerance or drought resistance among others.

Genetic engineering refers to the science involved in the selection of desired genes responsible for specific traits from a species and transferring them into the genes of another organism, thus modifying the second species’ genetic makeup.

Humans have been improving the quality of domesticated crops for thousands of years. But this has mostly been through conventional breeding, where important traits are encouraged, selected and passed down from one generation to the next.

Conventional breeding would typically take 10-15 years. The turnaround for genetic engineering is usually less than five years. But, due to the strict regulations on commercialisation, most GM crops have been in the pipeline for decades especially in Africa.

How prevalent is their cultivation in Africa?

The approval and cultivation of GMOs in Africa has been slow. Only a few countries have allowed their commercialisation. South Africa has been a leader in adoption of GMO crops in Africa and has had experience spanning over a decade. The number of countries in Africa where GM crops are cultivated has grown from three in 2016 to 10 by 2022. These 10 countries have commercialised different types of GMO crops.

Apart from South Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana and eSwatini have allowed the planting of GMO seeds. A number of other countries are at different stages of development and commercialisation of a number of GMOs.

The leading GMO crops under consideration across different countries (Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and others) are GM cotton (tolerant to African bollworm), GM cassava (resistant to cassava brown streak disease) and GM maize (resistant to stem borer) among many more.

This year Ghana approved the release of pod borer resistant cowpea, thus joining the growing list of African countries to commercialise GM crops. This is the first genetically modified crop to be approved in the country.

In December 2019 the Kenyan government gave the nod for the commercialisation of GMO cotton. After more than two seasons of growing GM cotton, Kenyan farmers have expressed satisfaction with the good yield from Bt cotton in spite of the drought conditions in the last few seasons.

Elsewhere in Africa, farmers have also reported significant reduction in the cost of production through reduced spraying for control of insect pests and diseases. Controlling African bollworm, for example, was costly and the pest caused losses in cotton farming.

This list is expected to keep growing even though in most African countries the cultivation of GMOs has experienced protracted delays through regulatory, political and social blockades.

Why did Kenya ban GMOs? What has changed?

Kenya banned GM crops in 2012. The ministerial statement on the ban was largely informed by a 2012 a scientific report dubbed the Séralini study that associated GMOs with cancer in rats.

Anti-GMO activists have often referred to that report and in addition presented the unknown impact of the modifications as the main reason for pushing for bans. The other issues range from fears about the effect of GMO, the mixed signals from EU about health and safety of GM foods, and the potential risk of GMOs to the environment and biodiversity.

The activists also cite the fear of possible effects of GMOs on non-target organisms and potential development of resistance to insect-pests by the GM crops. Lastly, food safety fears of GMOs remain pertinent in some parts of the continent.

The Kenyan government’s change of stance was underpinned by a number of developments. First of which was the report by a task force on genetically modified foods that resulted in proper scientific regulation and presence of a strong regulatory framework.

Another factor is the lingering drought in which over 4 million Kenyans currently face food insecurity. This may have led the government to consider more radical solutions despite opposition.

The government has decided to review each application for introduction of GMOs on a case-by-case basis.

What could go wrong? And what mitigation plans are there?

There are three main concerns about what could go wrong with GMOs. These are unintended harmful effects, food safety, environmental safety and social attitudes, including fears that GMOs are a case of “man playing God”.

There is also the concern of unintended harmful effects of GMOs on the environment. In anticipation of these risks, scientists working in the field of GMO have created a raft of regulations. These regulations aim to evaluate whether GMOs are just as safe to humans and the environment as their conventional counterparts before they can be accepted for commercialisation.

Food safety: Food safety studies including tests of allergenicity (the ability of an antigen to induce an abnormal immune response) are a mandatory requirement for commercialisation of GMOs. Countries have also instituted biosafety authorities with a mandate to regulate the development and commercialisation of GMOs.

Environmental safety: An international agreement provides a framework for handling, transport and use of GMOs. It provides a clear road-map for evaluation of the impact of GMOs on the environment. It has instituted the practice of post release monitoring and evaluation for 10 years or more after the release of a GM crop.

The potential development of weeds that can resist one or more specific herbicides – so-called super weeds – is a case in point. Herbicide tolerance has helped farmers to control weeds and significantly reduce cost of GM crop production. This is because crops can be genetically modified to confer resistance to common herbicides, such as glyphosate. There is a chance however that farmers can over-rely on this technique of weed control to the detriment of the weeds developing resistance.

The potential for such resistance must be closely monitored. In Kenya, it would fall upon county governments through the extension officers to report any early cases – and to take action – if there are any potential signs of resistance. The aim should be to use multiple approaches to weeds and pest control also referred to as integrated pest managanent systems.

Socio-cultural aspects: The government must make every effort to address people’s concerns about GMOs. This includes pointing out that humans have modified crops for thousands of years. GM foods have now been grown and consumed for over 20 years in different countries. There is so far no scientific evidence to confirm any of the fears. GM crops have been evaluated to be just as safe for human consumption and to the environment as conventional crops.The Conversation

Benard Odhiambo Oloo, Lecturer of Food Science and Technology, Department of Dairy and Food Science and Technology., Egerton University

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

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Ringfencing Port of Durban with new high security fencing

New fencing along Durban's Esplanade, near Wilson's Wharf, in Africa Ports & Ships
New fencing along Durban’s Esplanade, near Wilson’s Wharf

The Port of Durban has commenced the installation of high-security fencing around its port boundaries. According to Transnet National Ports Authority this intervention will curb unrestricted access to the port.

This, it said, will ensure safety of port infrastructure, assets within the port precincts, general port users and employees and reduce incidents of theft, and vandalism.

It will improve compliance to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, Transnet said.

The port was among the first to be securely fenced off in 2004 with the advent of the ISPS code and now, it seems, that fencing has to be replaced.

This fencing has already gone up along what was once Durban's popular North Pier, on the beach side not the side facing the entrance channel. This is an area now denied to the general public despite promises made by senior Transnet management. in Africa Ports & Ships
This fencing has already gone up along what was once Durban’s popular North Pier, on the side facing the beaches. This is the rebuilt pier now denied to the general public despite promises made by senior Transnet management.  Transnet

The upgraded fencing boasts high-tech security features and gates that will provide sturdy security around the boundaries of the ports North Pier, Point, Maydon Wharf, Bayhead, Kings Rest, Fynnland, Salisbury Island, Island View, and South Pier.

With a height of 2.4m of Steel Mesh High-Security Fencing plus anti-climbing of 0.3m, the ClearVu 44 fencing is reinforced with toughened steel on every vertical flat bar and has the strength of a high-security fence.

Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Durban Port Manager said they “as the Port of Durban are pleased to see this project taking off the ground and we strive to ensure the safety and security of our customers, employees, infrastructure, assets and our tenants within the port boundaries.”

The Port of Durban housing a National Key Point – the Island View Complex, and having a high-security fence will tackle many safety issues caused by the public who illegally accessing the port, the authority said..

This is crucial to the safety of the port in limiting the risk of theft, vandalism, terrorism, stowaways and most importantly unauthorized entry to the port.

Dweba-Kwetana said the TNPA is adamant that with the port being fenced with state-of-the-art features, they will see a decline in criminal activities including stowaways.

Having observed similar fencing simply stolen section by section at several other locations within the Durban area, we at Africa Ports & Ships remains sceptical of any such success. This is just a new challenge for those that steal and reprocess metal and as for the stowaways, many enter via the gates, not through broken fences.

The fencing project will take another 18 months to be completed.

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Govt casts Denel a R3.4 billion lifeline

Denel says it is ready to move into the next phase of its strategic drive to strengthen its business and create a long-term, sustainable future based on improved business efficiencies and growth.

This after the decision announced by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, in his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to re-capitalise the State-owned aerospace and defence company with R3.4 billion.

Denel has described the move as a critical step in rebuilding the State-owned entity, which is led by the Chief Restructuring Officer, Riaz Saloojee, who plays a critical role in ensuring the successful turnaround of Denel.

Denel products in Africa Ports & Ships
Denel products

According to the Group CEO of Denel, Mike Kgobe, the State’s decision to recapitalise the entity is a vote of confidence to stabilise the company as it emerged from a sharp downturn, caused by mismanagement, State Capture and governance failures.

“This will enable us to proceed with the streamlining of the business and establish a base from which we can significantly grow our order book and access new revenue streams,” he said.

National Treasury, the Department of Public Enterprises and the Denel Board of Directors will monitor the R3.4 billion injection, which is attached to strict conditions.

“Government, as the sole shareholder, clearly recognises the strategic importance of Denel as a commercially-driven aerospace and defence company and the immense value we can add to the economy in terms of innovation, creation of intellectual property and export revenue generation to contribute to the balance of payments,” said Kgobe.

The immediate actions by management with oversight of the Board, according to the entity, is to exit non-core assets and realise cash inflows towards the R1.8 billion that will contribute towards its turnaround plan.

In addition, the company is proceeding with actions to align the costs of running the business with the current revenue base while retaining core capabilities for growth.

“The focus is now shifting to a critical stage in which we need to sustain the new business model which is emerging,” said Kgobe.

Denel products for export in Africa Ports & Ships
Denel products for export

In this phase, Denel will also reduce the current operating divisions from six to four to continue to deliver world-class products across the spectrum of aerospace, defence and related technologies.

This includes traditional domains of the battle space of land, sea and air, to new domains of cyber and civil security.

Kgobe acknowledged that the previous business structure of Denel was unsustainable, which required a fundamental restructuring and a reduction of the cost base to affordable levels.

“The company will now begin to reduce its geographic footprint, rationalise its facilities and implement a shared services model in areas such as supply chain management, human capital and development, information and communication technology as well as finance and public affairs.”

Denel product in Africa Ports & Ships
Denel products

Kgobe mentioned that the recapitalisation by the shareholder would help to accelerate processes and enable Denel to achieve stability and sustainability.

“I am confident that a sustainable business model will enable us to focus on growth,” said Kgobe.

“There is still significant global interest in our battle-proven products in the fields of artillery systems, infantry weapons, small to medium ammunition and infantry systems as well as aeronautical solutions of manned and unmanned aircraft and landward combat vehicles with armoured protection.”

He said the entity’s reputation for excellence and quality has not been dented.

“There is still an appetite for partnerships with local and global companies in the aerospace, defence and technology sectors.”

In the coming months, Denel said it will embark on new revenue streams and explore further market opportunities for its strong range of existing products and advanced technology sectors of systems integration, command and control and cybersecurity.

Denel said this move will also help retain and attract some of the best brains that are emerging in the country.

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Transnet welcomes R5.8 billion additional funding from National Treasury

Transnet banner in Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet has welcomed the announcement today by the National Treasury of the capital allocation in support of its efforts in dealing with unforeseen expenditure as a result of the KZN floods in April.

In his Medium term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled a Special Appropriation Bill to provide additional funding to Denel, Transnet and SANRAL.

Transnet will receive a total of R5.8 billion additional funding of which half is allocated towards flood damage relief in KZN.

The other half will be used to ensure the rehabilitation of rolling stock including funding for the return to service of long-standing out-of-service locomotives.

“We welcome the end of the Transnet strike and are working with Transnet leadership and all stakeholders to urgently address the challenges in the sector,” the minister stated. “Several steps are being taken to introduce greater competition and efficiency into ports and rail.

Independent transport regulator

Godongwana pointed out that the National Assembly has passed the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill. This, he said, will establish an independent transport regulator to encourage greater competition and enable regulated access to the network.

Enoch Godongwana, Minister of Finance in Africa Ports & Ships
Enoch Godongwana, SA Minister of Finance

“In addition, requests for proposals have been issued for third-party access to the freight rail network and private-sector partnerships for the Durban Pier 2 and Ngqura container terminals.

“More must and can be done to unleash the dynamism of our economy. Key to this is the need for a capable, developmental state.”

This, he said, is a necessary precondition for growth.

“Our clear and stable macroeconomic framework, progress on structural reform, and supporting enablers to growth will go a long way to removing impediments to investment. They will also boost confidence and create an enabling environment for the private sector to invest.

Role of the SOEs

“With respect to public sector investments, State-Owned Enterprises have an important role to play in the provision of critical economic goods and services in the economy.”

He said that addressing supply side constraints particularly in the energy and transport sectors is critical to support higher and sustainable economic growth. “On general government, we are increasing on-budget infrastructure allocations to remedy the erosion of baselines.”

According to Godongwana, when unavoidable events such as the recent floods destroy infrastructure and assets, it puts the whole economy at risk. In the meantime, the road network must function, ports must operate and critical technical projects cannot be halted.

“So, as balance sheets are being restored and those who looted and mismanaged them are being held accountable, including through the criminal justice system, we have little choice but to act to keep these key services running.”

The minister said the Special Appropriation Bill will thus provide additional funding to Denel, Transnet and SANRAL. “These allocations will allow these entities to adjust their business models and restore their long-term financial viability.”

Eskom

Support for Eskom will come in the form of government taking over a significant portion of the utility’s R400 billion debt.

“For at least a decade, we have spent billions of rands supporting Eskom, with limited improvements in the reliability of the electricity supply or the financial health of the company.

He said that while the selection of the relevant debt instruments and the method of effecting the relief is still to be determined, the quantum is expected to be between one-third and two-thirds of Eskom’s current debt.

“The debt takeover, once finalised, together with other reforms will ensure that Eskom is financially sustainable. The programme will allow Eskom to focus on plant performance and capital investment and ensure that it no longer relies on government bailouts.”

Conditions

He emphasised that fiscal support to state-owned companies remains a challenging balancing act given the many competing priorities and limited resources.

“Funding to SOEs will now come with strict pre- and post-conditions. Pre-conditions mean that SOEs will need to comply with these conditions before they receive government support, not after.

“Non-compliance to conditions, means no funding.”

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WHARF TALK: vertical mining vessel CORAL SEA

The Debmarine diamond sampling vessel Coral Sea arrives back in Cape Town, her home port. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The De Beers vertical mining vessel Coral Sea arrives back in Cape Town, her home port. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Jay gates, in Africa Ports & Ships

There was a time when offshore diamond mining vessels were extremely simple, dredge and extract, platforms owned by entrepreneurs, and operated by small scale businesses. But it was the decision of the earlier incarnation of De Beers Marine to enter the offshore diamond mining arena, which brought an increased level of, much awaited, sophistication into the industry.

The increased sophistication was not simply by virtue of commissioning vessels, suitably converted to conduct random seabed mining, but also by the strict application of the sciences of geology, geomorphology and an element of oceanography into the maritime set up, in order to determine where best to target those areas, where seabed mining operations would bring the best returns.

In order to follow through on the outcomes, results, and recommendations of the scientists, and make that determination of suitable sites for seabed mining, it wasn’t simply a mining vessel that was required, but rather it needed the introduction of bespoke conversions of increasingly complex vessels that would undertake not seabed mining, but rather, seabed sampling, in order to confirm the scientific projections of the location of the diamonds.

De Beers had determined that they would adapt the methods used by the offshore oil and gas drilling industry, in order to design a bespoke, seabed, diamond sampling vessel. After a worldwide search for such a vessel, the first of these specialist platforms was secured for conversion as far back as 1989, more than 30 years ago, and she is still hard at work today.

On 12th October at 17h00 in the afternoon the former diamond sampling vessel, now converted to a vertical mining vessel CORAL SEA (IMO 7366506) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, from the Atlantic 1 concession off the coast of Namibia, and went to anchor overnight, before entering Cape Town harbour the next morning, 13th October at 08h00. She proceeded into the Duncan Dock, heading straight to the bespoke quay of the De Beers Marine base at L Berth.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Her relatively low IMO number indicates that she is no spring chicken, and she was built as far back as 1974, by Levingston Shipbuilding in Orange, Texas, in the USA. She is 122 metres in length and has a deadweight of 5,161 tons. She was one of six sisterships built for the offshore exploration company, Glomar Marine Incorporated, of Houston in Texas, and named as ‘Glomar Coral Sea’ when launched.

She is a diesel-electric vessel, and she is powered by six Caterpillar D-399 16 cylinder 4 stroke generators producing 1,142 bhp (800 kW) each, which provide power to six electric motors driving two fixed pitch propellers for a transit service speed of 10.5 knots. The same generators are also used to provide domestic power on the vessel.

She was purchased in 1989, and commissioned into the De Beers Marine fleet, in Cape Town, in 1991, becoming the first, large diameter drill (LDD), mining vessel for De Beers Marine. However, in 1997, she was converted from an LDD mining vessel to a Sampling Vessel, which is a crucial role she performs to this day, and the only vessel in the fleet to carry out that function.

In 2017 Coral Sea was converted as a vertical mining vessel, with the SS Nujoma having taken over the sampling function.

With the formation of Debmarine Namibia in 2002, which is a joint venture between De Beers Marine Namibia, and the Government of Namibia, the majority of the diamond mining vessels in the De Beers Marine South Africa fleet were transferred over to the Namibian Flag, with most vessels having their port of registration changed, from Cape Town to Lüderitz.

However, ‘Coral Sea’ was not part of the transfer, and she remained under the flag of South Africa, providing diamond sampling services to Debmarine Namibia until late 2017 when she was converted into a vertical mining vessel. Despite the flag change for the majority of the fleet, Cape Town remains the home base, with L Berth seeing all of the fleet on their regular, maintenance, rotational calls.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

All of the vessels, in both of the De Beers fleets, are managed on a 28 day cycle, where the up to 106 crewmembers work a 28 day on, 28 day off, rotation. Equipped with an aft helideck, the crews are changed out by offshore helicopters, which are based at the De Beers owned airport, in the town of Oranjemund, located just north of the Orange River mouth.

The De Beers Marine vessels, from both fleets, are only required to return to Cape Town for routine drydocking every three years. All other calls are mainly for non-scheduled maintenance purposes. The last visit to Cape Town, made by ‘Coral Sea’, was in May 2022, and she sailed from Cape Town on 10th May, back to Namibian waters, and the offshore Atlantic 1 concession, to continue with her duties.

Sampling process

In order for the sampling process to be successful, a lot of in-depth research is made by the scientists on the subject of Littoral Drift. In essence, this subject is often the clue to the success of the offshore mining industry. To detect diamond deposits, specialist teams of geologists, who are part of the Mineral Resource Team, track the historical movement of rocks and sediments along the seabed, in conjunction with the flow of the offshore Benguela current system.

The majority of the Diamonds were created deep within the Earth, millennia ago, in what are known as Kimberlite ‘pipes’, found far inland. Over millions of years, erosion of the diamonds from the pipes occurred, and they were slowly washed down the Orange River, until they were deposited outside the river mouth, and where they were then distributed by the movement of the tides, and the forces of the offshore currents along the coast.

The geologists will make a determination of where the currents will have deposited the diamonds over time. Once these expected deposits have been established, the exploration of that area, believed to be economically viable, is tasked to the sampling vessel.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

The ‘Coral Sea’ was tasked with sampling an area that the Mineral Resource Team believes will bring positive results. The results of the seabed sampling provides an indication of the richness of possible deposits, and the Mineral Resource Team will also determine which mining method is best suited to the area, based on the geological make-up of the sampled area.

The detail and accuracy in the sampling information supplied is crucial to a successful mining outcome. Within the whole amount of sediment, rocks and sand that is sampled, it is estimated that only 2% of this spoil will actually be diamonds. As such, the scientific teams need to be confident about the estimated location of the deposits, as it is an expensive operation.

The Debmarine Namibia fleet operates with two different mining methods. One method is known as ‘horizontal marine mining’, which makes use of a seabed crawler. This method makes use of flexible hoses along the ocean floor, which vacuum the seabed gravels, taking the spoil back to the vessel for processing.

Vertical mining

The second method is known as ‘vertical marine mining’, where a large diameter drill is used to bring diamond-bearing gravels to the surface. Although vertical marine mining is not able to cover the same surface area, the vertical drill is able to find diamonds at greater depths than the crawler. So each method has its place.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

The main mining concession area, off the Namibian coast, is known as the Atlantic 1 concession. It runs from the Orange River mouth northwards towards Lüderitz. Its inshore boundary is 3 nautical miles from the shoreline, and stretches out to a distance of 20 nautical miles offshore. The concession covers an area of approximately 2,300 square miles, and with water depths ranging from 90 metres to 160 metres. To date, only about than 5% of the entire Atlantic 1 concession area has been mined.

It is not only north of the Orange River that diamond mining is conducted. South of the Orange River mouth, De Beers Consolidated Mines (Pty) Ltd. has lodged an application for Prospecting Rights and Environmental Authorisation, with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, to undertake offshore diamond prospecting activities in concession 6C.

De Beers currently have Environmental Authorisation only for a proposed exploration sampling programme of the coast. Concession 6C is located in South African waters, between Kleinsee in the north, and Hondeklip Bay in the south. The inshore boundary of the concession is 2.7 miles seaward of the coast, while the offshore boundary is located 54 nautical miles offshore, with a total extent of the concession being 1,335 square miles.

De Beers proposes to undertake diamond sampling activities using specialised vessels. It is almost certain that when the sampling programme gets underway that ‘SS Nujoma’ will be one of the sampling vessels to be so used. De Beers Marine also has smaller, inshore, sampling vessels that can be utilised for the shallower coastal waters.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Of the six sisterships originally built, another one of the sisters was also purchased for conversion by De Beers Marine. This was the ‘Glomar Grand Banks’, purchased a year later than ‘Coral Sea’, and entered service in 1992. The difference was that ‘Grand Banks’, as she was renamed by De Beers Marine, was converted into a vertical mining drilling vessel, and not a sampling vessel. In 2003, she was one of the South African fleet that transferred over to the Namibian flag, and she was covered in the Africa Ports & Ships edition of 7th April 2022.

Sadly, another of the sisterships, ‘Glomar Java Sea’, sank on 25th October 1983, in the Gulf of Tonkin, when on drilling location 63 nautical miles south of Hainan Island, off the southwest coast of China. Tragically, she was overwhelmed by the forces of Typhoon Lex, with the loss of all 81 hands. Shortly before radio contact with the vessel was cut, she reported having 75 knots of wind across the deck, experiencing heavy seas, and that she had taken on an increasing list which she could not control.

Note: This article has been updated following advice from a reader at De Beers that Coral Sea now operates as a vertical mining vessel. The SS Nujoma has taken over the sampling function since late 2017.

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Added 27 October 2022

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Accra accueille la neuvième Conférence Régionale de l’Initiative Mondiale pour l’Afrique occidentale, centrale et australe (GI WACAF)(7 – 10 Novembre 2022)

Tema, MPS Terminal 3 Ghana Ports & Havres in Africa Ports & Ships
Tema, MPS Terminal 3 Ghana Ports & Havres

Préparation à la lutte contre les déversements d’hydrocarbures pour l’Afrique occidentale, centrale et australe : le Projet GI WACAF, 16 ans de succès

Du 7 au 10 Novembre, Accra (Ghana) accueillera la neuvième Conférence Régionale de l’Initiative mondiale pour l’Afrique occidentale, centrale et australe (GI WACAF).

Les principaux objectifs de la conférence sont d’aborder les défis de la préparation à la lutte et de la lutte contre les déversements d’hydrocarbures dans la région, de passer en revue les progrès réalisés depuis la dernière conférence et d’encourager les discussions pour établir les priorités stratégiques du prochain biennium.

Le succès du projet repose grandement sur l’implication des pays. Ainsi, les délégués seront invités à partager leurs expériences et bonnes pratiques, à identifier les priorités pour renforcer la préparation et les capacités de lutte et les besoins de soutien de la part du GI WACAF pour ce prochain biennium. Un panel d’experts internationaux sera présent pour faciliter les discussions.

La Conférence est organisée par l’Organisation Maritime Internationale (OMI) et l’Ipieca, l’association mondiale de l’industrie pétrolière et gazière pour la promotion de la performance environnementale et sociale, en étroite collaboration avec le Gouvernement du Ghana, en particulier l’Agence de Protection de l’Environnement (Environmental Protection Agency – EPA).

Organisée à la fin de chaque biennium, la conférence régionale est une étape clé du cycle du projet GI WACAF. La neuvième Conférence Régionale lancera un nouveau : 2023 – 2024 après une période de trois ans pendant laquelle le projet a dû repenser son approche pour soutenir la région.

GWACAF logo in Africa Ports & Ships

Depuis 16 ans, le Projet accompagne ses pays partenaires en renforçant et adaptant continuellement sa manière de les soutenir et les accompagner.

La conférence réunira les principaux représentants des gouvernements et de l’industrie des 22* pays partenaires du projet GI WACAF.

* Afrique du sud, Angola, Bénin, Cameroun, Cap-Vert, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambie, Ghana, Guinée, Guinée-Bissau, Guinée équatoriale, Libéria, Mauritanie, Namibie, Nigéria, République démocratique du Congo, Sao Tomé-et-Principe, Sénégal, Sierra Leone et Togo.

Paul Ridgway, Londin Correspondent, in Africa Ports & Ships

Edité par Paul Ridgway
London

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The 9th Regional Conference of the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF)

Port of Tema, MPS Terminal 3. Pictures: Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority © in Africa Ports & Ships
Port of Tema, MPS Terminal 3.   Pictures: Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority 

Accra to host: Sixteen years of success

From 7 to 10 November Ghana’s capital city, Accra, will host the ninth Regional Conference of the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF).

The conference will bring together representatives from the 22* partner countries of the GI WACAF project, from the Oil & Gas industry and from partners.

The main objectives of the conference are to address the challenges of oil spill preparedness and response in the region, to review the progress achieved since the last Regional Conference and to foster discussions to set the strategic priorities for the next biennium of 2023-2024.

The success of the GI WACAF Project relies heavily on the involvement of the countries. Thus, delegates will be invited to share their experiences and good practices, to identify priorities to strengthen spill response preparedness and potential need for support from the GI WACAF for the next biennium. A panel of international experts will be present to facilitate the discussions.

The Conference is organised by the IMO and Ipieca, the global Oil & Gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance, in close collaboration with the Government of Ghana, in particular the Environmental Protection agency (EPA).

GWACAF logo in Africa Ports & Ships

Organised at the end of each biennium, the regional conference is a key event in the life cycle of the GI WACAF Project. The 9th Regional Conference will launch a new biennium (2023 – 2024), after a three-years period during which the project had to rethink its approach to support the region in response to the sanitary context.

For 16 years, the Project has been supporting its partner countries by continually strengthening and adapting its capacity to support their development.

* Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Paul Ridgway, Londin Correspondent, in Africa Ports & Ships

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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IN CONVERSATION: Kenya’s big railway project makes life even harder for the poor by ignoring their reality

Gediminas Lesutis, University of Amsterdam

People’s responses to large infrastructure projects – railways, bridges, highways – are rarely neutral. To some, these projects represent powerful social and political promises of transformative change and a brighter future. To others, they mean evictions and the disruption of livelihoods.

The reaction of Kenyans to the country’s Standard Gauge Railway, dubbed the Madaraka Express, is no different.

In 2017, Kenya finished the railway’s first phase, which connects the Port of Mombasa to the country’s interior. Its second phase stops abruptly in Naivasha, a town 120km northwest of the capital, Nairobi. Ultimately, the railway is planned to reach Kenya’s border with Uganda at Malaba, helping to further connect East Africa’s regional transport and trade.

Alongside other large projects, such as a transport corridor from the Lamu Port to South Sudan and Ethiopia, the Standard Gauge Railway is central to Kenya’s current national development policy, Vision 2030.

The policy frames these mega-projects as key to attracting the private sector interest needed to fuel economic growth, increase exports and alleviate poverty. From this perspective, the new railway is a powerful symbol of development, change and national pride.

But there’s a flip side. In my earlier research on the impact of the railway project, I looked at evictions, displacement and the interruption of livelihoods. In my new study, I set out to examine how people cope with these disruptions in their lives.

The resounding response? This mega-project has failed to bring the promised positive changes. My latest research builds on my earlier work, which showed that the project increased socio-economic inequalities across Kenya. I demonstrated that mega-projects tend to represent only the interests of state and business elites.

In this study, I further explore how those most disadvantaged experience the changes brought by mega-projects.

Villages cut in two

I undertook more than five months of fieldwork during several periods between November 2018 and January 2020 in different urban, peri-urban and rural locations between Mombasa and Narok in the south-west of the country. I interviewed more than 200 people to better understand whether and how the new railway had affected their lives.

Makueni County is located in the south-eastern part of Kenya. Some of the county’s small villages, such as Kima, home to over 400 people, were cut into two when the railway was built. An embankment and fence runs right through what was once a single village. Previously, residents could visit their neighbours and relatives in less than 15 minutes. Today, it takes one hour to reach the closest underpass that connects Kima.

As a group of men in the village told me:

(The government is) imagining that they are creating development for the people, but this is not the case, this railway brings serious problems (here) – the road to development is paved on the pain and suffering of poor people like us.

According to community leaders, this disruption of local mobility patterns occurred due to a blatant disregard for their lives from both the national government and the project contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation.

In other parts of Kenya, similar views were expressed by several community liaison officers. They were contracted by Kenya Railways to mediate community relations before and during the railway’s construction. These officers explained how the railway design was developed without prior community consultation and, therefore, ignored existing mobility routes.

The Standard Gauge Railway has in fact disrupted livelihoods that depend on local transport systems.

This particularly includes the Nairobi-Mombasa Road A109, infamous for traffic congestion caused by long-distance trucks transporting cargo to and from the Mombasa Port to inland destinations in Kenya and beyond.

In Taita Taveta, for instance, over a range of 47 kilometres of the A109 between Voi and Miaseni, local livelihoods fundamentally depend on traffic movement. Alongside this road, there are convenience shops, eateries, guesthouses and brothels.

Outside these facilities, young men wash cars or provide mechanical services for passing truckers. For a small fee of a few hundred Kenyan shillings, older men watch these trucks overnight when drivers stop to rest. Women provide laundry and other services.

Although trucks congest the road, resulting in air and noise pollution, a busy road means economic activity for those in nearby communities.

This reality, however, was ignored by the Kenyan government. In 2018, it passed a national decree obliging all containerised cargo entering the Mombasa port to be transported on the Standard Gauge Railway. According to the Kenya Transporters Association, this led to about 12,000 trucks carrying container cargo being put out of business. As a result, a similar number of drivers and truck loaders lost their jobs.

At the time of my research, this had noticeable effects. Alongside the A109 road, guesthouses accommodating long-distance drivers were empty on most days, car washing spots had closed down and drinking houses were mostly frequented by local men. Residents of these areas had been economically dependent on the long-distance truck industry for 30 years. They expressed their discontentment and despair. As one shop owner noted:

This SGR, it has taken our lives from us, it has left us here with no customers, no movement, no nothing. People are very poor here, so they don’t buy the things I sell here. I need movement to survive.

The railway project’s impact on livelihoods was turned into a campaign issue ahead of Kenya’s August 2022 elections. A month after being voted in, President William Ruto made good his campaign promise and lifted the order on mandatory use of the railway for containerised cargo. Different groups, including transporters, Mombasa port stakeholders and others, have praised this move as likely to revive the coastal economy and restore lost jobs.

What’s needed

As demonstrated in other contexts, the key to avoiding mega-projects having a dramatic effect on vulnerable groups is to rigorously assess the social and environment impacts before, during and after project construction.

These legal mechanisms exist in Kenya. But there’s not enough political will to use them.

Unless local people’s needs and livelihoods are taken into account when mega infrastructure is planned and implemented, these projects are unlikely to bring the promised development.The Conversation

Gediminas Lesutis, Marie Curie Fellow, University of Amsterdam

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

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Added 26 October 2022

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Black Sea Grain Initiative offers hope, shows power of trade

A truck unloads corn grain at a processing factory in Ukraine. © FAO/Genya Savilov / UNCTAD in Africa Ports & Ships
A truck unloads corn grain at a processing factory in Ukraine. © FAO/Genya Savilov / UNCTAD

An UNCTAD report* published on 20 October shows how the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed in July 2022 to resume exports of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea amid the ongoing war has offered hope and shown the power of trade in times of crisis.

The report underlines why it is critical to renew the initiative next month.

Thanks to the initiative, port activity in Ukraine is picking up and large shipments of grain are reaching world markets. As of 19 October, the total tonnage of grain and other foodstuffs exported through the initiative had reached almost 8 million metric tons.

“UN-led Initiative has helped to stabilise and subsequently lower global food prices and move precious grain from one of the world’s breadbaskets to the tables of those in need,” the report stated.

The Food Price Index published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has shown that the prices of global food staples have declined in recent months – by about 8.6% in July, 1.9% in August and 1.1% in September.

With the initiative ending in November and its renewal uncertain, the prices of some commodities, such as wheat and maize, are rising again, the report warned.

It is understood that without the initiative, there is little hope for providing food security, especially in developing and least developed countries.

Increasing port activity

As the war erupted in Ukraine, the world watched as valuable grain corridors were closed off. Weekly ship departures from Ukrainian ports plummeted.

There was a marginal recovery in subsequent weeks but port departures remained considerably below their 2021 levels. After the signing of the UN-led initiative, there was a gradual rise in ship departures.

In mid-October shipments were still about 40% to 50% below the pre-war period, the trend was in the right direction.

Grain gates reopened

The initiative reopened the grain gates of Ukraine to the world, and particularly to developing countries.

Maize and wheat account for more than 70% of the nearly 8 million tons of grain that have left Ukrainian ports under the initiative. Nearly 20% of the wheat exports have gone to least developed countries (LDCs) with vulnerable populations.

The initiative doubled the amount of wheat shipped to LDCs between August and September – about half a million tons.

But wheat exports to LDCs between January and September 2022 totalled less than 1 million tons. This implies an export gap of 1.2 million tons with respect to 2021. More needs to be done to match previous levels of exports.

Pushing down food prices

The initiative has helped to make grain more available and eased pressure on food prices. This has in turn helped to improve global access to food, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable.

The prospect of the initiative and the reopening of the Black Sea ports helped to push down historically high market prices.

Prices are said to be rising again amid mounting concerns about whether the initiative will be renewed, and the threat of further disruptions to trade in the Black Sea and the closure of grain corridors.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan commented: “In a context where trade is very uncertain, signals matter very much. When there is no clarity, no one knows what is going to happen, and speculation and hoarding take over.”

Wheat and maize prices are still at historically high levels. This weighs on the affordability of basic foods and poses a risk to food security globally.

This is one more reason why the renewal of the UN-led initiative is important for developing countries.

Acknowledgements

This report would not have been possible without the essential contributions of the Joint Coordination Centre for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, comprising senior representatives from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and the United Nations, which ensures the safe maritime transport of grain and other foodstuffs from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea to the rest of the world.

* See here: A TRADE HOPE. THE ROLE OF THE BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE
IN BRINGING UKRAINIAN GRAIN TO THE WORLD. Published on 20 October 2022. The 14-page document may be FOUND HERE

Paul Ridgway, Londin Correspondent, in Africa Ports & Ships

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

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Ports gearing for bumper cruise season, says Transnet

Europa 2 is the second cruise ship this season to utilise the new KZN cruise terminal at Durban. Picture by Jumaine Kruger in Africa Ports & Ships
Europa 2 is the second cruise ship this season to utilise the new KZN cruise terminal at Durban. Picture by Jumaine Kruger

With two cruise ships having already begun their cruises on the South African coast – see several recent reports in Africa Ports & Ships, the local ports are gearing up for what Transnet is calling a ‘bumper’ cruise season ahead.

We’re ready to welcome thousands of international tourists to South Africa’s shores through our commercial and seaports as the 2022/23 Cruise Season kicks-off, says Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).

“This season is expected to attract more tourists as the global COVID-19 regulations and restrictions have eased.”

According to TNPA approximately 239 cruise ship call-ins are expected between October 2022 until April 2023.

The first ship in South African waters this season was Hanseatic Spirit, making her maiden visit to Southern Africa. Here she enters the port at Durban. Picture by Keith Betts in Africa Ports & Ships
The first ship in South African waters this season was Hanseatic Spirit, making her maiden visit to Southern Africa. Here she enters the port at Durban. Picture by Keith Betts

The Port of Cape Town anticipates 70 call-ins; Port of Durban 76, Port of East London 18, Port of Mossel Bay 16; Port of Port Elizabeth 34 and Port of Richards Bay, 25.

For comparison, in the 2021/22 year, about 20 cruise ships arrived in South Africa, with 71 call-ins at the various ports.

The first passenger vessel of the season, Hanseatic Spirit, arrived at the Port of Cape Town on 18 October 2022, with Europa 2 arriving at other ports from 22 October 2022.

“The increase of passenger liners calling at our ports is based primarily on the fact that we are in the post COVID-19 phase,” said Captain Rufus Lekala, TNPA’s Chief Harbour Master.

“We take pride in our role of enabling the South African tourism industry, which has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

SEE HERE for a list of cruise ships booked to call at the Port of Durban.

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Added 26 October 2022

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National consultation on proposed amendments to regulations of the Merchant Shipping Act

Notice has been received from the Department of Transport with regards to planned consultations on five new regulations concerning South Africa’s maritime economic space.

The notification reads:

With proposed changes as well introduction of new regulations numbering no less than five all relating to the administration of certain key aspects of the country’s maritime economic space, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is to embark on an extensive national consultation with relevant stakeholders for their views and inputs during November 2022.

The announcement in a Maritime Information Notice (MIN14-22) published on its website on Tuesday, states that: “The Minister of Transport intends, in terms of section 356(2)(a) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951) and on the recommendation of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to amend (certain) Regulations. SAMSA has, in the process, issued a Notice in Government Gazette Number 47300 issued on 14 October 2022, calling for public comments on the draft Regulations.”

These include:

1. The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Amendment Regulations, 1968;

2. The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Amendment Regulations, 1997;

3. The Draft MS (Crew Accommodation) Regulations, 2023 which seeks to repeal the 1961 Regulations;

4. The Draft Merchant Shipping (Construction and Equipment of Fishing Vessels of 24 Metres in Length and Over) Regulations, 2022; and

5. The Draft Merchant Shipping (Construction and Equipment of Fishing Vessels of Less Than 24 Metres in Length and Equal to or More Than 25 Gt.) Regulations, 2022.

Electronic copies of the Draft Regulations are available on the SAMSA website CLICK HERE and may also be requested from two SAMSA officials, Bulelani Ncanywa at bncanywa@samsa.org.za or to Cristen Camp at ccamp@samsa.org.za

SAMSA says: “Interested persons are hereby invited to submit written comments on these Draft Amendment Regulations on or before the 15 November 2022 to the Chief Executive Officer.” Specific address details for the submissions are given on the MIN, also be obtained through the SAMSA website.

Meanwhile, SAMSA says that to in order to facilitate close interpersonal stakeholder engagement on the Draft Amendment Regulations, the agency will conduct various workshops around the country, beginning with Cape Town on 9 November, followed by Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth) on 16 November and Durban on 23 November 2022.

In Cape Town, SAMSA will utilise its Cape Town office training centre as a venue for the stakeholder consultation in its Western Region, while venues for the rest of the consultative meetings for the Southern Region (Mossel Bay/Gqeberha/ East London) and Eastern Region (Durban/Richards Bay) will be confirmed and announced in due course.

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Added 26 October 2022

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A simple word window into Durban Port

The cruise ship Hanseatic Spirit arrives in Durban early on Monday morning. Picture by Trevor Steenkamp www.nauticalimages.co.za
The cruise ship Hanseatic Spirit arrives in Durban early on Monday morning.   Picture courtesy Trevor Steenkamp, www.nauticalimages.co.za

Durban port was close to full with ships at 13h00 yesterday (Monday), with barely a spare berth to be found and a significant number of ships forced to queue outside.

Ships in port at that time numbered 32, not counting those at the ship repair wharves or the fishing vessels both foreign and local.

Ships out in the anchorage off Umhlanga or arriving at that time numbered 36, including container vessels, bulkers and tankers. Of the latter there were just five with the majority of others split between containers, bulkers and general cargo vessels.

The busyness of the port is reflected in recent cargo handling figures where the Port of Durban handled in excess of 8.5 million tonnes including 279,000 container TEUs and 73,500 motor vehicles – not bad for a port constantly under pressure to perform better.

The landside view of Hanseatic Spirit arriving in Durban. Picture courtesy Keith Betts in Africa Ports & Ships
The landside view of Hanseatic Spirit arriving in Durban. Picture courtesy Keith Betts

Within the port several ships of interest stood out. One was of course the cruise ship HANSEATIC SPIRIT, on her maiden voyage to this country and taking up residence for the day at the new avant garde KZN Cruise Terminal.

Enjoy the pictures of the cruise ship’s arrival as well as last Friday’s edition of Africa Ports & Ships containing a full description. The pictures here of the cruise ship are courtesy of Trevor Steenkamp of www.nauticalimages.co.za, and (from the landside), Keith Betts.

Another ship of interest is the otherwise fairly ordinary but quaintly named general cargo vessel, Breadbox Warthog. The prefix comes from the shipping company that operates the vessel and from time to time we see other ships bearing the same prefix – Breadbox Xerus being one such example that called in South Africa (Cape Town) recently.

Breadbox Warthog is in port delivering various equipment for refurbishment before it is taken back to the ArcelorMittal Liberia expansion project in Liberia, which is in the process of being upgraded for heavier rail traffic out of the port of Buchanan. You can see a report of that HERE</a

Hanseatic Spirit on the final approach to the port entrance channel. Picture courtesy Trevor Steenkamp,<a href="http://www.nauticalimages.co.za/"> <b>www.nauticalimages.co.za</b></a> in Africa Ports & Ships
Hanseatic Spirit on the final approach to the port entrance channel. Picture courtesy Trevor Steenkamp, www.nauticalimages.co.za

Maydon Wharf, which is a truly multi–purpose area catering for all manner of cargo, had 10 ships filling most of the available berths. Officially Maydon Wharf boasts 15 berths but with the advent of larger vessels this number is not always attainable and on Monday the ten vessels made the area appear pretty well full.

The container terminals on Piers 1 and 2 were also well occupied with 6 of the available 8 berths taken. Until the North Quay has been lengthened it is often only possible for two and not three large ships to take up the berths 203, 204 and 205 and that was the situation on the day.

The following container ships were at these berths: Santa Clara, Cosco Surabaya, MSC Carouge, Lady Jane, CMA CGM Valparaiso, Santa Barbara.

Six tankers occupied the 9 available tanker berths at Island View with another five waiting outside. Construction of Island View as a liquid bulk area commenced in the late 1920s and developed further into the 1930s. A very long chapter could be written of this corner of Durban Bay that has and does play such an important role in the history of South Africa.

Hanseatic Spirit in the entrance channel to Durbabn Bay. Picture courtesy Trevor Steenkamp,<a href="http://www.nauticalimages.co.za/"> <b>www.nauticalimages.co.za</b></a> in Africa Ports & Ships
Hanseatic Spirit in the entrance channel to Durban Bay. Picture courtesy Trevor Steenkamp, www.nauticalimages.co.za

Reconstruction of Island View’s dolphin type berths commenced in the early 2000s and while Island View will never be able to handle the Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) which utilise the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) a short distance to the south of the port, the inside tanker berths continue to handle a very high percentage of South Africa’s oil and liquid chemical products including petrol, diesel and jetfuel. Hence there is a constant procession of tankers arriving and sailing from this facility.

In the same vicinity are two berths operated privately by the Bidfreight organisation for purely dry bulk commodities. This was originally the coal terminal, or the Bluff Mechanical Appliances, as it was once known, which now handles several commodities including manganese ore.

On Monday the port had two car carriers at the Car and City Terminal, R and G berths respectively (they now refer to the City Terminal as the Multi-Purpose Terminal but for the older generation this was known worldwide as Durban’s Point Docks. Daedalus Leader was at R berth (the original car terminal area) and Mercury Ace at G berth. A couple of MSC container ships took up another two berths along the modernised Point docks, with a bulk carrier Chang Chang Nanhai at C berth and the cruise ship Hanseatic Spirit at B, the aforementioned cruise terminal.

The T-Jetty has Breadbox Warthog on one of the fruit terminal berths (we’re out of citrus season and general cargo ships instead call here) along with the bulk carrier Asia Spirit.

Tugs and other harbour craft at the temporary N berth tug wharf. Picture courtesy Kumaine Kruger in Africa Ports & Ships
Tugs and other harbour craft at the temporary N berth tug wharf. Picture courtesy Jumaine Kruger

Not mentioned so far is N Shed, the berth at the end of the T-Jetty which used to be where most of the cruise ships berthed, the old cargo shed having been converted some years ago as a passenger terminal. Currently this berth is in use by Transnet’s fleet of harbour tugs and pilot boats, with about eight or more vessels cluttering up this area when not attending to ships.

This is because a new additional quay is under construction at the Tug Basin next to the Maritime Museum adjacent to R berth, and as this involves not only construction but dredging as well, the tugs have moved out temporarily.

That’s a brief word picture of Durban Harbour on a reasonably busy Monday near the end of October.

– trh

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Added 25 October 2022

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WHARF TALK: MR2 tanker HELLAS APHRODITE

The MR2 tanker Hellas Aphrodite in Duncan Dock at Cape Town preparing to depart Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The MR2 tanker Hellas Aphrodite in Duncan Dock at Cape Town beginning to depart Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Jay gates, in Africa Ports & Ships

The continuous flow of fuel products into South African ports shows no sign of abating, and is not likely to abate as long as the domestic oil refinery woes continue. What is possibly becoming apparent, is that some of the fuel cargoes are starting to be shipped on less of a single spot market basis, but on the wider basis of a fixed schedule, or programme of voyages, for a single customer.

On 11th October, at 08h00 in the morning, the MR2 tanker HELLAS APHRODITE (IMO 9722766) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, from Port Elizabeth, and went to anchor for over five days. On 16th October, at 16h00 in the afternoon, she finally entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded into the Duncan Dock and to the Tanker Basin.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Built in 2016 by the Hyundai Mipo Shipyard at Ulsan in South Korea, ‘Hellas Aphrodite’ is 183 metres on length and has a deadweight of 49,992 tons. She is powered by a single MAN-B&W 6S50ME-B9.3 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 9,762 bhp (7,180 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14.5 knots.

She has the standard complement of 12 cargo tanks, with a cargo carrying capacity of 53,700 m3. She is capable of carrying seven grades of product at any one time, and she is equipped with 12 cargo pumps, all of which can pump at 600 m3/hour.

The Cape Town pilot boat Red Bishop alongside the tanker. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The Cape Town pilot boat Red Bishop alongside the tanker.   Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Costing US$35.5 million (ZAR648.43 million) to build, ‘Hellas Aphrodite’ was the fourth of a series of four sisterships built to the order of owners Latsco Shipping Ltd., of Monaco. She is operated in the Navig8 Eco MR Pool, of London, and she is managed by Latsco Marine Management Inc., of Athens.

The Navig8 Eco MR Pool was only opened in January 2022, and it consisted entirely of Latsco Shipping company tankers. Latsco Shipping, and Latsco Marine Management, are both subsidiaries of the great Greek Latsis Group, of which the houseflag is flown on her yellow funnel, with the large, black, ‘L’ for Latsis being prominent.

Hellas Aphrodite's accommodation section. Picture by 'Do ckrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Hellas Aphrodite’s accommodation section. Picture by ‘Do ckrat’

This is not the first voyage this year to Southern African waters for ‘Hellas Aphrodite’, as she has visited frequently over the last four months, in what looks like a sequence of planned voyages delivering fuel products.

In July she called at both Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal, and at Walvis Bay, in Namibia. In August she called at Ngqura, in the Eastern Cape, followed by Richards Bay once more, and ended the month by calling at Beira, in Mozambique.

Close-up of the pilot boat Red Bishop, alongside the Hellas Aphrodite. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Close-up of the pilot boat Red Bishop, alongside the Hellas Aphrodite. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Her current voyage began in September, and has turned out to be a four port epic along the South African coast. On 28th September she arrived at the Durban anchorage, only entering Durban harbour on 1st October, and proceeded to Island View 7 to begin her discharge. She was complete by 3rd October, when she sailed from Durban, bound for East London.

She arrived at the East London anchorage on 4th October, where she remained for one day, and entered the Buffalo River port the next day on the 5th October. Again, a two day discharge was completed, and on 7th October ‘Hellas Aphrodite’ sailed from East London, bound just along the coast for Port Elizabeth, where she arrived at the anchorage early on 8th October.

Hellas Aphrodite: Heading fo the entrance and the open sea. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Hellas Aphrodite: Heading fo the entrance and the open sea. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Later that day she entered Port Elizabeth harbour, and the next day her quick discharge in the Windy City was complete, and on 9th October she sailed from Port Elizabeth for Cape Town, where she arrived at the Table Bay anchorage on 11th October, as previously mentioned.

As Cape Town was to be her fourth discharge port, it was not expected to be a long one, and after less than two days, ‘Hellas Aphrodite’ was ready to sail. She departed the Mother City on 18th October at 09h00, bound for Fujairah, and her next cargo. The question is will that next cargo also be destined for the ports of Southern Africa.

With the pilot off and the Red Bishop turning away to return to the harbour, Hellas Aphrodite is on her way to the high seas. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
With the pilot off and the Red Bishop and the tug turning away to return to the harbour, Hellas Aphrodite is on her way to the high seas. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Her name, ‘Hellas Aphrodite’, is very traditional for a Greek shipowner, with ‘Hellas’ being both the ancient name, and the modern name, for the country of Greece. From Ancient Greek mythology, ‘Aphrodite’ was the goddess of beauty and love. In an unusual story, she was born when Cronus castrated his own father, Uranus, and threw his genitalia into the sea. As a result of this maritime link, Aphrodite was also widely worshipped as a goddess of the sea, and of seafaring.

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IMO and Africa

IMO supporting Algeria, Morocco & Tunisia to respond to marine pollution. Picture: IMO in Africa Ports & Ships
IMO supporting Algeria, Morocco & Tunisia to respond to marine pollution. Picture: IMO

Response to marine pollution incidents: Tunisia

Building capacity in preparedness for, and response to, marine pollution incidents was the focus of an in-person sub-regional IMO workshop on compensation for oil pollution damage held in Tunis, Tunisia on 18 and 19 October.

The subregional workshop aimed at training personnel from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on liability and compensation for oil pollution damage. This is in the context of preparing their respective national systems to respond to marine pollution incidents involving oil and/or hazardous and noxious substances.

The workshop was delivered by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) through IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).

Improving casualty investigation: Guinea

IMO Conakry, Guinea in Africa Ports & Ships
IMO in-person national training on casualty investigation in partnership with government of Guinea.  Picture: IMO

Under IMO conventions, the flag State has a duty to investigate any casualty which occurs on, or to, any of its ships (subject to the provisions of relevant conventions) and to report its findings to IMO through the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) platform.

It was reported on 21 October that had IMO organised the first in-person national training on casualty investigation in partnership with the government of Guinea since the outbreak of Covid-19. The tuition took place from 10 to 21 October.

The objective of the training was to enhance, strengthen and harmonize the efforts of IMO Member States in developing their marine casualty investigation capabilities, as a part of a comprehensive and global programme of action to improve the rate of investigation and reporting of marine casualties and incidents.

Two external consultants and one IMO officer conducted the high-level, two weeks of training.

Twenty-two participants from maritime administrations and the relevant industry of Guinea who took part in the workshop were taken through the key elements of the role of marine casualty investigator. This embraced understanding of the notion of marine casualty, a country’s responsibilities together with the set-up of the investigation. It was extended to implementing mandatory standards, identifying risks, the human elements, analysis, preparing and reporting incidents.

Following evaluation of the training and feedback received from lecturers and participants, further improvements will be made to the existing programme materials on marine casualty investigation for enhanced delivery of future training.

Paul Ridgway, Londin Correspondent, in Africa Ports & Ships

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

Based on material kindly provided by the IMO media service

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New Managing Director appointed at APM Terminals Liberia

Monrovia Freeport in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture: Monrovia Freeport

Clay Crain will take over as Managing Director of APM Terminals Liberia effective November 1st and pending necessary approvals, replacing Jonathan Graham, who will take on a new role within Global Operations at APM Terminals and relocate back to the U.S.

A US national, Clay Crain comes with over 30 years of experience largely in oil and gas sector, including with leading players such as Weatherford International and EXPRO International and has been involved in various aspects of running businesses in West Africa and Latin America.

He joins APM Terminals from SageRider, where, as Business Development Advisor, he is advising the boutique tech company that provides the latest technology solutions to the businesses in Oil and Gas Industry, towards development of West African markets. Prior to that, he also served as General Manager at Nigerian-owned oil and gas production solutions company Eunisell and as consultant to various companies from the energy sector.

“I am very happy to introduce Clay to our organisation and to APM Terminals Liberia, where I am sure he will make a big impact based on his vast experience and knowledge of African markets,” comments Igor van den Essen, Regional Managing Director, Africa and Europe at APM Terminals.

Clay Crain, APM Terminals LIberia, in Africa Ports & Ships
Clay Crain

“At the same time, I thank Jonny Graham for his great work in Liberia, where I am sure his passion and commitment will be greatly missed by the team.”

Crain said he is excited about this new opportunity and thrilled to return to Africa and join the port logistics industry which, he said, has such a great impact on people’s lives.

“APM Terminals has a bold ambition to become the world’s best terminal company and it will be a privilege for me to be part of that journey,” the new M.D. said.

Clay Crain will replace Jonathan Graham, who has been at the helm of APM Terminals Liberia since June 2021 and who is now taking over a role within APM Terminals’ Global Operations, based in Charlotte, NC in the U.S.

“As I transition into my new role, I am confident that APM Terminals Liberia will be in safe hands with Clay, who is no stranger to West Africa and who has a deep understanding of local markets and its dynamics. He will take over a great and enthusiastic team and I have no doubts that together they will achieve great results,” says Jonathan Graham.

APM Terminals Liberia has been operating a state-of-the-art multi-purpose port in the Freeport of Monrovia since 2011 on a 25-year concession from the Government of Liberia. With a capacity of approximately 200,00 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) per year, the terminal also has facilities for General Cargo (Rice, Wheat, Cement, Clinker, Limestone, Gypsum etc), Project Cargo and Break Bulk, and provides pilotage and towing services.

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Scanners go into use at Apapa port over a month ago

Scanner is installed at Apapa in Africa Ports & Ships
Scanner is installed at Apapa  NCS

The use of scanners at the Apapa port in Lagos has already commenced, it has been revealed.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the newly installed scanner at the Apapa port has been in use for over a month, although NCS decided not to make any statement to this effect until now.

A spokesman confirmed the scanner was in use for more than a month after reports in local newspapers claimed the scanning had only just begun.

“We didn’t launch it today as erroneously disclosed by some agents. We have been using it for almost a month now,” the spokesman said.

The NCS has been under pressure to introduce the use of scanners at the respective ports for some time, in order to introduce a sense of respectability and efficiency and to better facilitate trade between Nigeria and other countries.

The use of scanners will also help to speed up the clearance and handling of containers, to the benefit of the Federal government, importers and freight forwarders and the NCS.

The port’s first scanner has been installed at Apapa, with Tin Can Island designated as the next port to receive similar attention.

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Dachser SA: Responding to forces that impact the supply chain

Dachser new Hino trucks, in Africa Ports & Ships
Dachser new Hino trucks

Major disruptions to supply chains caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has driven companies to make their supply chains more resilient, says says Detlev Duve, Managing Director of leading logistics company Dachser South Africa.

“To remain competitive, South African companies need to adapt quickly and strategically to global trends and forces that shape the way organisations do business and impact the supply chain.”

According to Duve, these forces include more complex, international supply chains, advancing technology, environmental and sustainability concerns, and an increase in rules and legislation.

“With globalisation and an ever more connected world, the supply chain becomes more complex, with higher risks and greater costs,” says Duve. “The persistent business necessities South African companies face in terms of cost reductions, productivity advances and performance increases make supply chain management a challenging job.

“Internal management of this process can be overwhelming, as the supply chain is still seen as a non-core business function in South African companies. We are seeing local organisations outsource more elements of the supply chain process to a specialist provider.

He says outsourcing of the logistics function should be a strategic decision that offers a reduction in costs, as well as improvements in sales revenue and customer service, building competitive advantage.

New technology

New technology is causing a shift in the South African logistics industry, with logistics providers extending their business functions to offer the optimal combination of technology, warehousing and transportation services.

Detlev Duve, Dachser SA MD, in Africa Ports & Ships
Detlev Duve

The pandemic has only accelerated intensive digital transformation, with the need for increased visibility and transparency as the top trend.

“Logistics these days is as much about technology as transport,” says Duve. “Across the supply chain, technology that improves information handling and decision making lets organisations gain a deeper insight into trends, customer behaviours and process effectiveness. Organising the data provides new supply chain clarity and responsiveness.”

Environmental impact is a growing political, corporate and client concern. While one may have thought sustainability goals would have been less of a priority as companies navigated through the pandemic, an Ernst and Young survey found the opposite, with 85% of supply chain executives surveyed in late 2020 focused on environmental and sustainability goals (ESG).

Increased legislation

“We are seeing increased legislation, a focus on social responsibility, governance and a call from customers for high environmental principles,” says Duve. “These environmental elements have an influence on the supply chain in a number of ways. To ensure long-term success, supply chain managers must own sustainability.”

DACHSER climate protection practices focus on efficiency, innovation, and inclusive responsibility to help achieve the global community’s long-term goal of net-zero emissions.

This includes the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions through intelligent logistics processes, energy efficiency through the use of energy-saving technologies and research support for the development of new technologies and concepts for emission-free logistics.

Strict regulation

Increasingly strict regulation poses the next challenge for South African supply chain managers.

“With the growing complexity of international markets and the significance of security, global and local legislation is imposing stricter regulations on corporations. Organisations have to be ready to disclose information about sourcing and supply chain practices. If non-compliant, they can expect to be handed heavy fines and expose themselves to other legal threats.”

According to Duve, supply chain managers can often respond too late to the pressure these forces can create, with negative impacts on the business. “Understanding the impact of these forces on the organisation and working with experts to put appropriate strategies in place will help South African supply chain managers to harness opportunities and preserve long-term competitiveness for the business.”

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New monthly record for TPT’s Durban Car Terminal

One section of the record-breaking Durban Car Terminal in Africa Ports & Ships
One section of the record-breaking Durban Car Terminal  Picture Transnet

Contrary to all the bad and even depressing news we in the media have been highlighting about port performances over the past year, for the second time in months we can report the following.

The Durban Car Terminal has set a new record of car units handled in a single month, recording 72,684 fully built units (FBU) at the end of September.

This is the highest monthly volume since the inception of terminal operations. The previous record of volumes handled in one month was in August 2019, where the terminal handled 60,994 FBU.

The biggest contributors to the increasing volumes have been imported, low entry vehicles. The opening up of the hospitality industry post COVID19 has also encouraged the car hire industry – as fleeting-up has been in anticipation of December holidays.

Car manufacturers have also been stocking up for festive season specials.

Rail load of new vehicles direct from the Durban-based Toyota South Africa plant in Africa Ports & Ships
Rail load of new vehicles for export, direct from the Durban-based Toyota South Africa plant  Picture Transnet

Toyota South Africa back in full swing

Toyota South Africa Manufacturing (TSAM) also resumed its exports in August after four months of interrupted manufacturing, owing to the KZN floods that impacted infrastructure and operations.

Managing Executive at the Durban Terminals Earle Peters commended TSAM’s quick recovery saying, “TSAM’s return to international exports is a shared celebration that enables the Durban Car Terminal to lead and operate at a global standard.”

He added that the hospitality industry also introduced much needed volumes ahead of the festive season.

“I’ve watched the team demonstrate pure resilience despite presenting challenges of congestion and creating capacity,” said Peters.

Annually, the terminal handles in excess of 500,000 units and services approximately 30 customers across 145 countries.

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WHARF TALK: new Warrior-class MMIPV SAS ADAM KOK (P1572)

The second of three MMIPV patrol ships for the SA Navy, en-route to the Alfred Dock for launchung. Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
The second of three MMIPV patrol ships for the SA Navy, en-route to the Alfred Dock for launchung. Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Jay gates, in Africa Ports & Ships

The ongoing project to replace the old South African Navy ‘Warrior’ Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), with a new class of ‘Warrior’ Class Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPV) is well underway. The first of the new class, ‘SAS King Sekhukhune I (P1571)’, as first reported on by Africa Ports & Ships on 25th March 2021, is now operational out of the South African Navy base, at Salisbury Island, in Durban Harbour.

The second of the class, ‘SAS ADAM KOK (P1572)’, has now made an appearance, and she is well on her way to completion. Initially christened, on 14th October 2022, in the undercover shipbuilding facility of Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT), she was moved across Cape Town harbour to the Synchrolift, where she will be prepared for her first taste of the sea, and her true launching into the waters of the Alfred Dock, and the medium she will operate in for her full Naval career.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

In 2013 the South African Navy announced ‘Project Biro’, where they would construct a minimum of six Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV). However, as with most all military contracts, budgets and available funding was cut, and in 2018 it was confirmed that only three IPVs would receive the necessary funding. The cost of the shipbuilding programme would be ZAR3.6 billion (US$288 million). The current ‘SAS Adam Kok’ is the second South African Navy warship to receive the name.

In 2018, DSCT secured an order from Armscor, beating off competition from three other shipbuilding companies, with a contract to supply the three new IPVs, now renamed as MMIPVs. The first entered service in 2022, with ‘SAS Adam Kok’ expected to enter service in June 2023. The third MMIPV is to be named ‘SAS King Shaka’ (P1573), and is due to enter service in April 2024. The class is said to be named after historical South African ‘Warriors’ who had a significant impact on the development of the country.

Despite the fact that the vessels are known as the ‘Warrior’ Class, it is a matter of debate that Adam Kok was a warrior, in the same sense that Sekhukhune and Shaka were. He was undoubtedly a great statesman, a man whose governance towards the betterment of his people was impeccable, and he was somebody that did not choose battle against either the Trekboers, or the British Cape Colony Authorities, and he was greatly respected by the latter for his wise leadership of the Griquas.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Shipos
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

The MMIPV is based on the Damen Stan Patrol 6211 design, which sports the Damen patented Sea Axe Bow. The shape of the bow ensures low sea resistance, a higher operating speed in rough seas, and superior sea keeping abilities. The Sea Axe bow also reduces vertical acceleration, and bow slamming, when operating in the rough seas found off South Africa, enabling significant reductions in fuel consumption and emissions, all of which provides increased safety for the vessel, and an improvement in comfort for the operating crew.

With a length of 62 metres, and a beam of 11 metres (hence the Damen 6211 designation), ‘SAS Adam Kok’ has a displacement of 750 tons. She is powered by no less than four Caterpillar 3512C 12 cylinder 4 stroke main engines, producing a total of 7,644 bhp (5,700 kW) and with each driving a fixed pitch propeller, four in number, for a maximum speed of 26.5 knots.

For added manoeuvrability she has two transverse bow thrusters, and for additional seakeeping performance she has two stabilisers. At a service speed of 20 knots, ‘SAS Adam Kok’ has a an endurance of 2,000 nautical miles, which can be increased to 4,000 nautical miles when operating at her best economical speed.

She has an Integrated Bridge System, and Mission Management System, provided by OSI Maritime Systems. The complete navigation, and tactical, suite fitted by OSI includes an Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System (ECPINS), Tactical Asset Control and Tracking (T-ACT), and an Integrated Mission Management System (IMMS).

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

ECPINS, which is OSI’s proprietary Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS), is fully integrated into all of the onboard critical sensor inputs, including the X-band and S-band radars, magnetic compass, gyrocompass, W-AIS transponder, Inertial Navigation System, Optical Bearing Device, and GPS. The radar system is Kelvin Hughes’ Sharp Eye system.

Her main armament is the Reutech 20mm Super Sea Rogue automatic turret, fitted with the Denel G12 cannon. The autocannon system is linked to Reutech’s RTS 3200 frequency-modulated, continuous-wave, Optronics Radar Tracker (FORT) system. Additional heavy caliber machine guns are carried at suitable points around the vessel.

She has accommodation for up to 62 crew, which includes an additional 14 Marines, who are carried for vessel boarding party duties, as part of the Maritime Reaction Squadron. For those boarding requirements, ‘SAS Adam Kok’ carries a 9 metre rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), and a 7 metre RHIB, both launched, and recovered, by single point lifting davits.

Her aft deck has been designed to accommodate a number of mission containers, each configured to enhance her multiple mission requirements. The containers can be ‘mixed and matched’ to cover missions in support of deep diving, search and rescue, torpedo recovery, mine counter measures, anti-pollution and humanitarian assistance.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

She will also provide essential maritime constabulary, and security, tasks including fishery patrols, drug trafficking, people trafficking and anti-piracy roles. She is fitted with a knuckleboom crane to facilitate the change of her mission containers and other specialised mission equipment.

The need for this new class of patrol vessel, was to replace the original ‘Warrior’ class which were originally a class of nine missile strike craft, built between 1977 and 1985. The original three units of this class were built by the Israel Shipyard at Haifa in Israel. A further six were built by the Sandock-Austral shipyard at Durban, with all of the class being based on the Israeli Navy Sa’ar IV, or Reshef, fast attack craft. All were originally named after South African Ministers of Defense, and were collectively known as the ‘Minister Class’.

All were decommissioned from Strike Craft, with three of them being selected for conversion into Offshore Patrol Vessels. Conversions took place at SA Shipyards in Durban between 2012 and 2014. One of those decommissioned units was the original ‘SAS Adam Kok P1563’. Built in 1978, as the third of the Israeli built vessels, she was originally named as ‘SAS Frederick Creswell’.

Picture by 'Dockrat' in Africa Ports & Ships
Picture by ‘Dockrat’

Following the 1994 election, the class was redesignated as the ‘Warrior’ class, and on 1st April 1997, ‘SAS Frederic Creswell’ became ‘SAS Adam Kok’. She was decommissioned in 2008, and in 2015 she was towed to Simonstown as surplus to requirements. Armscor’s Defence Disposal Solutions (DDS) division have been tasked with her sale and/or destruction.

The new, ultra-modern, ‘SAS Adam Kok P1572’ can look forward to a 30 year service life, and once her crew has received full operational, and systems, training, and the vessel herself completes her own operational work up, she will be commissioned into the South African Navy, as a fully operational inshore patrol vessel, and she will then transfer from Simonstown to Durban, where she will be permanently based at the Salisbury Island Naval Base.

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Abidjan’s new ‘Côte d’Ivoire’ container terminal’s successful test call

Côte d'Ivoire Terminal as envisaged in operation in Africa Ports & Ships
Côte d’Ivoire Terminal as envisaged in operation.  Picture: Côte d’Ivoire Terminal

A successful ‘test’ call has been made at the new container terminal in the port of Abidjan, it has been disclosed.

The test call was made with the container ship MSC FLORIANA (IMO 8521397) and comes ahead of the official opening of the terminal in a month’s time.

MSC Floriana arrived at the terminal known as Côte d’Ivoire Terminal on 12 October, and departed just over two days later, with operational testing considered a success.

The 50 hours spent at the terminal enabled the evaluation of discharging and loading operations using the new onshore ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, as well as the handling of containers at the yard using rubber tyre gantry (RTG) cranes and Gaussin electric tractors.

Apart from the physical handling of shoreside and onboard container handling, the exercise allowed for evaluation of the important Terminal Operating System (TOS) which is linked to the invoicing and customs systems.

Also tested were the methodology of communication, the synchronising of truck movements and the interactions between the services of Côte d’Ivoire Terminal and its customers.

All these tests were considered satisfactory.

“We are pleased to have been able to successfully complete the various tests of our entire operational structure, in terms of both equipment and the work of our teams,” said Koen de Backker, Managing Director of Côte d’Ivoire Terminal.

“This performance means that we are entirely satisfied with the implementation of our operational system, and assures us of our teams’ ability to receive and handle every ship that calls at our quay,” he said.

Côte d’Ivoire Terminal is expected to become a key factor in inter-regional and international trade in West Africa and is soon to receive the ‘Green Terminal’ label issued by Bureau Veritas.

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Added 24 October 2022

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Partial lifting of force majeure for TPT terminals

Force majeure remains in place at the container terminals, lifted elsewhere in Africa Ports & Ships
Force majeure remains in place at the container terminals, lifted elsewhere  Picture:  Transnet

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), the port operating division of Transnet SOC Limited, said on Friday it has lifted the force majeure on its automotive, bulk and multi-purpose terminals with immediate effect.

Force majeure remains in place at the container terminals.

Transnet declared a force majeure on 6 October 2022, after employees embarked on industrial action, impacting the company’s ability to deliver on contractual obligations.

TPT says it is implementing recovery plans to stabilise operational performance and efficiencies across all its terminals, following the industrial action (strike) by employees which ended late last week.

However, the extent of the backlogs in the container terminals, and the resultant impact to operations, means that the force majeure declared for the container terminals will remain in place, although TPT anticipates it will be ready to uplift this by 31 October 2022.

With SATAWU calling off its strike action on 19 October, after the majority union UNTU had signed a three-year wage agreement two days earlier, TPT was able to report its full workforce as having reported for duty by Thursday 20 October.

The terminal operator says the backlogs in the container terminals are being cleared as part of the recovery plans already underway.

“Transnet would like to thank its customers and industry broadly for their support and understanding during this period,” the company said.

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Added 24 October 2022

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First Meko A-200 type frigate handed over to Egyptian Navy

Egyptian Navy Meko 200EN type frigate Al-Aziz, now enroute to Alexandria. Picture: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Africa Ports & Ships
Egyptian Navy Meko 200EN type frigate Al-Aziz, now enroute to Alexandria. Picture: thyssenKrupp Marine Systems

The first of four type A-200EN Meko frigates has been handed over to the Egyptian Navy by the builders, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

Three of the ships will be built built in Germany and the fourth in Egypt at the Alexandria Shipyard.

The frigate handed over is named AL-AZIZ (F904) and took 38 months to complete.

Besides the handover ceremony, the celebrations included the naming of a second MEKO A-200 EN frigate for the Egyptian Navy. The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Navy, Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, named the warship ”AL-QADEER”.

“I am grateful to the friendly Republic of Germany for the constructive relationship which sets the example to be followed by others,” said Admiral Atwa.

“Germany always supports Egypt with the up-to-date technology needed to enhance our naval capabilities. We have a longstanding and successful history of cooperation, as reflected in the highly efficient 209 submarines.”

He said the cooperation was not limited to building new ships, but extended also to cover advanced training for the Egyptian crews to familiarise them to the new advanced technology.

Timeline

Contracts for the four frigates were signed in September 2018 following initial negotiations that commenced in May that year. Project work began in August 2019 with first steel cutting a month later. The vessel was launched in April 2021, the ship named in July 2021 and now the handing over on Friday 14 October 2022.

Oliver Burkhard, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems said the record timeline was only possible because the Egyptian Navy and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems have such a long and trustful partnership.

“The strategic programme is based on an open and collaborative dialogue with our customer and we are thankful for their tireless efforts in contributing to the success of this project,” he said.

The frigate has a length of 121 metres and displaces 3700 tons. Not unlike the South African Valour class, the Egyptian frigates are powered by two diesel engines and three turbines, to provide a speed of around 28 knots. Armaments consist of an Oto Melara 127/64 LW 127mm gun, Exocet anti-ship missiles, MSI-Defence 30mm cannons, Rheinmetall Defence MAS softkill decoy launchers, and a/a surface-to-air missiles.

The frigate will carry up to two helicopters and two UAVs.

On completion of the handing over celebrations, the latest addition to the Egyptian Navy was ready to begin her journey to her homeport of Alexandria.

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Added 24 October 2022

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Port of Dunkerque delegation visits Namport

Francois Lavallee, VP for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in France and a representative of Calais Boulogne Port, Andrew Kanime, CEO of Namport, Isabelle Devinne, Commercial Representative for the Port of Dunkerque, Daniel Deschodt, Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of Dunkerque and Camille Raverdy-Preisel, Investment Officer for the French Development Agency in Namibia INAfrica Ports & Ships
Francois Lavallee, VP for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in France and a representative of Calais Boulogne Port, Andrew Kanime, CEO of Namport, Isabelle Devinne, Commercial Representative for the Port of Dunkerque, Daniel Deschodt, Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of Dunkerque and Camille Raverdy-Preisel, Investment Officer for the French Development Agency in Namibia

A delegation from the French Port of Dunkerque last week paid a visit to the Port of Walvis Bay and the CEO of Namport, Mr Andrew Kanime.

This was a reciprocol visit to a delegation from Namport that in September visited the French Port to learn best practices within the port environment as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement the two ports entered into in 2019.

The MoU aims to explore mutually beneficial initiatives with a view to sharing information and policies on a wide range of topics relevant to activities of the two entities, including but not limited to, infrastructure development, environmental betterment, and commercial waterfront development, which will assist both Ports in the enhancement of trade and maritime services.

During their two day visit, the Dunkerque delegation engaged various strategic stakeholders within the Port industry such as the Walvis Bay Municipality and fishing companies.

Following the boardroom engagements, the visiting delegation was taken on an extensive tour of the Port of Walvis Bay.

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Added 24 October 2022

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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.

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