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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

These news reports are updated on an ongoing basis. Check back regularly for the latest news as it develops – where necessary refresh your page at www.africaports.co.za

Week commencing 20 March 2023.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return 

FIRST VIEW:   KOTA JOHAN

• First-ever concept for a green corridor between South Africa and Europe
• WHARF TALK: a rare visitor, LR2 tanker SC MAJESTIC LXII
• Developing southern part of Suez Canal will improve navigation by 28%
• WTO Director-General receives Group of Francophone Ambassadors Award for 2022
• Le Directeur général de l’OMC reçoit le prix du Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones pour 2022
• African Energy Chamber launches The State of South African Energy Special Report
• Durban Car Terminal handles 600,000 + vehicles in 2022/23
• WHARF TALK: Incat High Speed Vessel MONTEVIDEO EXPRESS
• Hutchison Ports’ major investment in Egypt’s Sokhna Port
• COSCO confirms taking equity in new Sokhna port development
• Eco Atlantic applies to drill in Block 3B/4B in Orange Basin off N.Cape coast
• Two African flag states targeted by ITF for unsafe shipping
• WHARF TALK: heavily delayed boxship MSC ACAPULCO
• AD Ports in line to develop new multipurpose terminal at Pointe Noire
• AD Ports Group to develop and operate Egypt’s Safaga Port
• African Maritime Forces Summit being held in Sal Island, Cabo Verde
• Maersk divests another division, selling Maersk Supply Service
• Army and police on alert at key and flash points ahead of Monday’s threatened mass action
• WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker FALCON ROYAL
• Kenya’s President Ruto throws his support behind Dr Nancy Karigithu for top IMO job
• Global rail, road and urban transport unions: Transformative change
• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND UNDER NEWS CATEGORIES…….

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FIRST VIEW:  KOTA JOHAN

The container ship KOTA JOHAN (IMO 9641003) sailing from Durban on 15 February 2023.

Built in 2017 the ship is nominally owned by FPG Shipholding Panama 34 and is managed and operated by Pacific Internaional Lines (PIL) in Singapore. The 24,147-dwt container ship has a container capacity of 2,034 TEU. Flagged in Hong Kong, Kota Johan has a length off 172 metres and a width of 30 metres. The vessel is powered by a single STX diesel engine model 6s60me-c8 producing 14,280kW.

Picture by Trevor Jones

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First-ever concept for a green corridor between South Africa and Europe

Maritime, mining, steel, and energy industry leaders join forces to develop Green Corridor

A new consortium will explore the options for developing a maritime green corridor for the zero-emission shipping of iron ore between South Africa and Europe. This ground breaking initiative is the first of its kind from Africa and represents an important step in the region’s involvement in shipping’s decarbonization, reports the Global Maritime Forum.

“South Africa has the highest volumes of maritime traffic in Africa outside of the Mediterranean region, as well as one of the best-connected port systems on the continent that support the trade of valuable commodities,” the report states.

Maritime green corridors – routes between major port hubs where zero-emission solutions are supported and demonstrated – have swiftly become recognized as one of the most important tools to aid industry and governments in the decarbonization of the maritime sector.

The consortium brings together Anglo American, Tata Steel, CMB, VUKA Marine, Freeport Saldanha, and ENGIE, convened by the Global Maritime Forum, to assess how zero-emission shipping on the corridor can unlock new opportunities for South Africa’s sustainable development and contribute to a just transition to a zero-emission maritime ecosystem.

This powerful maritime supply chain consortium of iron ore miners and shippers, the steel industry, ship owners, freeport operators, and energy suppliers will explore full-scope concepts for the South Africa-EU green corridor development. The work will look at bunkering and offtake arrangements, available green fuel supplies, and financial and business model alternatives.

Green Corridor SA – Europe

The consortium’s initiative to explore the development of the green corridor between South Africa and Europe builds on ‘Shipping’s Energy Transition: Strategic Opportunities in South Africa’, a report prepared by P4G and the Getting to Zero Coalition. The report identified promising opportunities for South Africa to establish itself as a key player in the global transition to renewable forms of energy and zero-emission shipping.

Situated along busy international shipping routes, South Africa has the highest volumes of maritime traffic in Africa outside of the Mediterranean region, as well as one of the best-connected port systems on the continent that support the trade of valuable commodities. The development of the green corridor could help drive forward South Africa’s decarbonization ambitions and serve a range of wider national and international objectives.

As the International Maritime Organization prepares to revise its strategy for decarbonization at the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee 80 (MEPC) meeting, this consortium’s initiative to explore the development of the green corridor between South Africa and Europe is yet another demonstration that the industry is preparing for a rapid shift to zero-emission shipping that leaves no country behind.

“It is fantastic to see this powerful industry consortium come together around a new green corridor with one side in South Africa, particularly as it sends a clear signal of industry action as we go into negotiations at MEPC 80 in July,” says Johannah Christensen, CEO of the Global Maritime Forum.

“We hope this project will lay bare a viable shipping decarbonization pathway towards real-world implementation, generating sustainable growth and business opportunities for South Africa and the region, with synergies for other sectors of the economy.”

Cross-industry collaboration

“Cross-industry collaboration is the key to shaping a sustainable maritime industry,” says Peter Whitcutt, CEO of Anglo American’s Marketing business.

“We are looking forward to joining other industry leaders in exploring pathways to zero-emission shipping of iron ore between South Africa, where our Kumba mines produce high-quality iron ore, and Europe, where many of our customers are located. An important step toward wider industry decarbonisation, this initiative also aligns with Anglo American’s ambition to reach carbon neutrality for our controlled ocean freight by 2040.”

Ranjan Sinha, Chief Group Shipping at Tata Steel said Tata Steel is committed to zero carbon shipping ambition. “Our participation in South Africa- Europe green corridor for Iron Ore is yet another step in this direction,” he said. “We believe in just transition wherein the financial risk of a sustainable supply chain is spread across all stakeholders – the supplier, ports, vessel owners, and buyers. The success of this corridor will likely accelerate the shipping industry’s journey towards decarbonized ocean transportation.”

Alexander Saverys, Chief Executive Officer at CMB said CMB is proud to be part of the Green Corridor initiative between South Africa and Europe.

“CMB has already built various ship types that run on hydrogen and is building dry bulk vessels powered by ammonia. We hope that our track record in the development of green ships will contribute to the success of the consortium and accelerate the deployment of low carbon vessels on this important trade route,” he said.

“VUKA Marine is committed to developing solutions that align shared priorities and shared values across the maritime value chain,” Andrew Mthembu, Chairman of VUKA Marine said.

“The Green Corridor concept has the potential to accelerate solutions that can bring environmental priorities to the centre of route development.”

Kaashifah Beukes, CEO of Freeport Saldanha said that as a pioneering special economic zone operator in South Africa, Freeport Saldanha is thrilled to join forces with the key players in the industry to support shipping’s transition to a zero-emission future. “With our expertise, we are excited to provide insights into the potential production of green fuels, vessel manufacturing, and servicing in Saldanha Bay.”

“ENGIE is eager to bring our global expertise and knowledge encompassing the entire hydrogen value chain to accelerate the establishment of the iron ore green corridor between South Africa and Europe,” said says Jonathan Debasc, ENGIE’s Managing Director, Flexible Generation & Retail, Africa.

“We are committed to building a carbon neutral world, and renewable hydrogen is key to decarbonizing hard-to-abate and energy intensive industries such as maritime transportation.”

For more information email Global Maritime Forum’s Head of Communications, Rasmus Nord Jørgensen, at rnj@globalmaritimeforum.org

The Global Maritime Forum is an international not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing.

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Added 24 March 2023

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WHARF TALK: a rare visitor, LR2 tanker SC MAJESTIC LXII

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

It is fast approaching a time of three years after South Africa started to lose her oil refining capability, along with her production capacity, by the shutting down of first one, then two, then three of her domestic refineries, two of which were due to major, and serious, accidents, and one of them because, well because!

As most casual maritime observers have noted, it set in motion a nonstop train of product tankers to South Africa, all bringing in much needed domestic, and industrial, fuel products needed to keep the home fires burning, and the lights on at the factories. It is certainly something that gave the maritime photographer a new lease of life, as they were arriving in their dozens every week.

They were arriving directly at all ports along the coast, and from all corners of the globe, including some places that most folk would not have associated with fuel exports. Most folk will now recognise that the vast majority of them were the 183 metre long, Medium Range Two (MR2) class of tanker.

However, occasionally you also get to see a big, 223 metre long, Long Range One (LR1) class turn up. But rarely do you see the ‘Big Daddy’ of all the product tankers arriving, namely the 245 metre long, Long Range Two (LR2) class. This is mainly due to the fact that, with the exception of Mossel Bay, where all tankers use an offshore buoy to discharge, every other Transnet port can just about cope with a tanker of such length. Hence why MR2 is prevalent.

To remind folk of the difference between the different classes of product tanker that frequents Southern African shores, the smallest is the MR1 whose size is limited from 35,000 tons to 44,999 tons. Then the MR2, which comes in at 45,000 tons to 54,999 tons. The LR1 is set from 55,000 tons to 79,999 tons, with the big LR2 coming in from 80,000 tons, all the way up to 159,999 tons.

From 160,000 tons upwards it is a VLCC tanker, and from 34,999 tons downwards it is a Handy sized tanker. Incidentally, the LR class are also capable of loading crude oil, as well as carrying both clean and dirty products.

On 17th March, at 11h00 in the late morning, the strangely named Aframax LR2 product tanker SC MAJESTIC LXII (IMO 9308948) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, from Fujairah in the UAE, dropping her pick for a short three hour wait, before entering Cape Town harbour and proceeding into the Duncan Dock and going alongside the tanker berth at the Eastern Mole, adjacent to the FFS oil terminal.

Built in 2005 by Dalian New Shipbuilding at Dalian in China, ‘SC Majestic LXII’ is 245 metres in length and has a deadweight of 109,637 tons. She is powered by a single DMD Wärtsilä-Sulzer 7RTA62U 7 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 20,753 bhp (15,260 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 15 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes three generators providing 780 kW each. She has 12 cargo tanks, with a cargo carrying capacity of 117,921 m3. She is able to carry three segregations of product at any one time, and she has three cargo pumps, each capable of discharging at a rate of 3,000 m3/hour.

One of twelve sisterships, all built for Maersk Tankers, and all given a suffix name beginning with the letter ‘P’, ‘SC Majestic LXII’ was originally named ‘Maersk Princess’. She still retains the red working deck colour, and her accommodation retains the traditional buff colour of her original owners.

Now owned and managed by PT Armada Bumi Pratiwi Lines, of Jakarta in Indonesia, ‘SC Majestic LXII’ is operated by the owner’s parent company, PT Soechi Lines Tbk, also of Jakarta, and whose houseflag she flies on her funnel.

Her parent company, who are part of the Soechi Group, may give an explanation as to what the prefix ‘SC’ stands for in her name. However, the origin of her suffix ‘LXII’ is unknown. The majority of the vessels in the Soechi Fleet seem to have numerals at the end of the vessel name. For those who did not do Latin at school, ‘LXII’ is the Roman numeral for 62.

She has received 14 Port State Inspections in her career, with one of them resulting in a detention. In January 2019, whilst in Antwerp, a Port State Inspection under the auspices of the Paris MoU, resulted in 12 deficiencies being logged. Of these, 7 of them were sufficient for her to be detained. They related to a single Safety Management issue, with the rest being structural problems. Her detention lasted for 10 days, before she was released to continue her voyage.

After leaving Antwerp, in February 2019, en route to the Oiltanking berth in Amsterdam, she was ordered to go to anchor in the Ijmuiden anchorage, prior to entering the Noordzeekanaal. Whilst in the process of anchoring, she met with another problem, and promptly lost her 14 ton anchor, and five shackles of anchor chain, which, in nautical speak, is the equivalent of 75 fathoms, or approximately 137 metres to the landlubber.

In November 2020, when undergoing a period of routine maintenance at the Sefine Shipyard, at Yalova, which is in the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, she suffered an explosion in one of her cargo tanks. The explosion occurred in a slop tank, in which there was no work being undertaken. The force of the explosion was enough to cause injuries to five shipyard workers who were nearby. They were taken to a local hospital, but their injuries were not considered as being serious, and they were all released from the hospital the same day.

After just over two days in Cape Town, ‘SC Majestic LXII’ was ready to sail to continue with her voyage, and on 19th March, at 23h00 in the late evening, she sailed for Walvis Bay in Namibia, where she duly arrived off the Pelican Point Lighthouse at 15h00 on 22nd March, and went straight to the Walvis Bay anchorage to await her berth.

There she joined the MR2 product tanker ‘Falcon Royal’, that had been reported on earlier in the week in Africa Ports & Ships on 20th March, and which had sailed from Cape Town, earlier the same day, at 16h00 on 19th March, and who had arrived in the Walvis Bay anchorage that morning, at 09h00 on the 22nd March.

With her ownership being vested in Indonesia, as witnessed by her port of registry being Jakarta, she comes from another pirate hotspot, i.e. the Malacca Strait, and the area immediately south of Singapore. This may explain why she too carries a number of mannequins, all on permanent anti-piracy deck watch, around the vessel. One can be seen on lookout duty abaft the funnel, and the other can be spotted standing down on the stern, on the starboard side, on his bespoke lookout platform.

The reason why LR2 tankers are not seen that often in South African ports is because, as mentioned earlier, Transnet ports do not have berths that are best suited to them. With Cape Town having a longest tanker berth of 250 metres, Port Elizabeth having a 242 metre long tanker berth, East London having a 259 metre tanker berth, and Durban having a 245 metre long tanker berth at Island View.

From those berth lengths, one can see straight away that at nearly all of the berths there is not a lot of room available on the berth for a long head line, or a long stern line. For instance, based on the 245 metre length of ‘SC Majestic LXII’, that unless there are remote bollard points placed beyond the berths, that the tanker berths at both Port Elizabeth and Durban only have sufficient room available for a breast line, and a spring only, with very little room available, if any, for a good head line or stern line.

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Developing southern part of Suez Canal will improve navigation by 28%

The deepening and widening of the southern 40 kilometres of the Suez Canal, including the area where the huge container ship Ever Given went aground, will help improve navigation by a factor of 28 per cent.

This was said by Admiral Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

The improvement of the southern section of the canal has become a priority for the SCA ever since the giant Evergreen Given container ship went aground in March 2021 causing one of the world’s worst blockages in terms of ships delayed or trapped in the canal.

“Developing the 40km in the southern branch of the canal is a giant project,” said Adm Rabie.

“We are working to complete works related to the Suez Canal through the Bitter Lakes at a distance of 10km,” Rabie said during a television interview.

A second canal is being created in the Little Bitter Lakes, which will raise Suez Canal efficiency and performance permanently, Rabie added.

The widening and deepening of the 40km section of the canal will improve navigation in that section by 28% and allow an additional six ships per convoy across that section.

The Suez Canal is the only waterway of this type in the world that has a peak of 107 ships crossing it on one day. This record number was recently achieved from ships crossing in both directions. These had a net tonnage of 6.3 million tons and involved 56 ships heading southbound with a net tonnage of 3.4 million tons.

One of the ships in the southbound convoy was Ever Gifted, a 20,000-TEU container vessel also of Evergreen Shipping.

A total of 51 ships with 2.9 million tons were heading northbound, including a 21,237-TEU COSCO boxship. All in a day’s work.

They weren’t all container ships. Among the north and south convoys were 33 tankers and 28 bulk carriers, 15 general cargo ships and six car carriers.

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WTO Director-General receives Group of

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

The Group of Francophone Ambassadors (GAF) Award for 2022 was presented to WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 20 March.

Ambassador Makaila Ahmad of Chad, President of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors in Geneva, said that the Group is honoured to present this award to the Director-General on the International Day of La Francophonie.

“The Director-General’s commitment both to strengthening the capacities of French-speaking countries for inclusive and sustainable international trade and to her efforts in favour of multilingualism,” he said of the award honours.

In her acceptance speech for the award, the Director-General expressed her deep appreciation and sincere gratitude to the GAF. She stressed that “La Francophonie can be a strong ally in the search for consensus within the WTO. The diversity of economic profiles within the OIF makes the organization a kind of laboratory for multilateralism. If la Francophonie reaches a common position on one of the topics discussed at the WTO, it can help forge consensus on this or other issues among all our 164 members.”

On 27 February, the WTO and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation with a view to increasing the participation of French-speaking countries in the multilateral trading system.

The Group of Francophone Ambassadors (GAF) prize for 2022 was also awarded to the Swiss Press Club.

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Le Directeur général de l’OMC reçoit le prix du Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones pour 2022

Edité par Paul Ridgway
Londres

Le prix du Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones (GAF) pour 2022 a été remis au Directeur général de l’OMC, le Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, le 20 mars.

L’ambassadeur Makaila Ahmad du Tchad, président du Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones à Genève, a déclaré que le Groupe est honoré de remettre ce prix à la Directrice générale à l’occasion de la Journée internationale de la Francophonie.

“L’engagement de la Directrice générale à la fois pour le renforcement des capacités des pays francophones pour un commerce international inclusif et durable et pour ses efforts en faveur du multilinguisme”, a-t-il déclaré à propos des distinctions honorifiques.

Dans son discours d’acceptation du prix, la Directrice générale a exprimé sa profonde gratitude et sa sincère gratitude au GAF. Elle a souligné que « La Francophonie peut être une alliée de poids dans la recherche du consensus au sein de l’OMC. La diversité des profils économiques au sein de l’OIF fait de l’organisation une sorte de laboratoire du multilatéralisme. Si la Francophonie parvient à une position commune sur l’un des sujets discuté à l’OMC, il peut aider à forger un consensus sur cette question ou sur d’autres entre nos 164 membres.”

Le 27 février, l’OMC et l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) ont signé un protocole d’accord visant à renforcer la coopération en vue d’accroître la participation des pays francophones au système commercial multilatéral.

Le prix du Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones (GAF) pour 2022 a également été décerné au Club suisse de la presse.

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African Energy Chamber launches The State of South African Energy Special Report

At a time when South Africa is facing a significant energy crisis, the report provides a consolidated overview of the electricity market from consumption to generation to financing

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – serving as the voice of the African energy sector – has officially launched its South Africa-focused market report, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of play of the country’s energy sector.

Serving to guide investors and project developers interested in South Africa’s immense opportunities, the report details the current challenges and upcoming opportunities across the power generation, renewable and hydrocarbon markets.

Currently, the South African energy situation represents an economically challenging one, with the report identifying that the year 2022 witnessed new electricity outage records, with an over 300% increase in outage hours compared to 2021.

As per the latest updates, the country experiences between 4.5 and 6 hours of load shedding per day, with the average load shedding stage being Stage 3 (allowing for 3 GW of the national load to be shed with outages implemented 18 hours over a four-day period) or Stage 4 (allowing for 4 GW to be shed with outages implemented 24 hours).

However, advances across the power generation sector aim to turn this trend around.

According to the report, coal remains the predominant source of energy in the country, with industry representing the lion’s share of consumption at 54% in 2022 and projected to reach 55% in 2025, falling to 50% in 2030. In the long-term, the report identifies solar, wind, natural gas and nuclear to drive supply, while steady industrial and residential demand is expected.

On the funding side, the report emphasizes that electricity will remain the prime focus with majority of financing required from the private sector. With up to $43.2 billion in power infrastructure needs between 2023 and 2027, opportunities for investors are immense.

Meanwhile, the report explores the state of play of South Africa’s renewable energy sector, stating that solar and wind will continue to contribute to the majority of capacity in 2023 and beyond. By 2030, approximately 18 GW of hydrogen electrolyzers, 16.2 GW of pumped storage, 16 GW of battery, 15 GW of solar thermal, 14.5 GW of solar, 8 GW of onshore wind and 3 GW of storage will contribute to capacity.

With only 45% of the existing installed capacity currently operating, South Africa’s renewable sector offers unparalleled opportunities for green energy players.

Brulpadda and Luiperd discovery

In addition to renewables, the report goes one step further by providing an analysis of the country’s natural gas market, identifying key trends across the exploration and production industries. Currently relying heavily on imports, the report states that unless large-scale discoveries fill the gap, the import-trend will only continue.

The Brulpadda and Luiperd discovery present a viable solution to stabilizing the South African market as their potential to support current and future gas-to-power projects is set to improve energy security.

The discoveries represented 20% of the total African discovered volumes in 2019-2020, and with the majority of the Block yet-to-be-explored, the report emphasizes that there lie ample opportunities for exploration.

“South Africa is in the midst of an energy crisis, declared by the government as a National State of Disaster,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

“The report aims to not only provide a detailed overview of the country’s energy sector but a roadmap as to how South Africa can address the crisis. From discussing the current state of loadshedding in the country to power demand/supply to the REIPPP and renewable forecasts to South Africa’s natural gas potential, the report comes at a critical time for the country.

The report brings clarity and a deeper understanding of the South African power market,” he says.

Through its detailed overview of South Africa’s energy sector, covering key areas including power generation, renewable energies, natural gas and investment, the AEC’s State of South African Energy Report represents a comprehensive guide to investing in South Africa’s energy sector.

For a copy of the full AEC Report, CLICK HERE

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Durban Car Terminal handles 600,000 + vehicles in 2022/23

The Durban Car Terminal, which also happens to be Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest automotive terminal operator, handled its 600,000th vehicle on Wednesday morning (2 March 2023).

This is an historical achievement that can be attributed to improved terminal efficiencies through a committed workforce, consistency and eased COVID19 lockdown restrictions globally.

Over the past three days, MOL Shipping’s CATTLEYA ACE discharged 4,025 fully built units and loaded 3,200 export fully built units which comprised of Toyota Hilux and BMW X3 models destined for Europe.

The vessel operations were expected to be completed one day ahead of the planned scheduled time.

Throughout the 2022/2023 financial year ending this month, the Durban Car Terminal has handled on average of 2,100 fully built units per vessel. This exceptional performance has seen it break its own monthly record on two occasions in the last twelve months, 72,000 fully built units in April and another 77,000 in October 2022.

“We are constantly reinventing ourselves operationally, introducing initiatives that prioritise maximum benefit to the customer,”said Earle Peters, Managing Executive of the Durban Terminals.

Peters added that benchmarking exercises that the terminal had embarked on internationally had also contributed to how the team had performed optimally yet safely throughout the financial year.

“Strategies and plans without any commitment do not succeed and this is why we are very proud of the men and women of the terminal for their demonstrated competence and willingness to delight the customer,” he said.

Following the Thailand benchmark last year, see that report TPT team visits Thailand to benchmark port and logistical automotive performance in SA, the Durban Car Terminal enhanced its performance through a review in yard planning, allowing for ample preloading space that ensured no vehicles were received when the vessel was already on berth.

They had also created additional waterside capacity to keep up with the demand.

Increasing volumes were also attributed to the opening up of the hospitality industry post COVID19. The car hire industry had fleeted up in anticipation of the December holidays while car manufacturers had also stocked up for festive season specials.

This included a lot of import back orders after an extended automotive global parts shortage over the past two years. Transshipment volumes were also on the rise as demand continued to grow on second-hand passenger, high and heavy vehicles – with East and West Africa as export destinations.

Additional to import and transshipment vehicles, the Durban Car Terminal moves 14 of the 17 models manufactured in South Africa for export to over 150 markets worldwide – with Europe, Asia and Africa as the biggest consumers.

Some of the models include the Toyota Hilux, VW Amarok, Ford Ranger, BMW X3 and the Isuzu KB. The 2022/2023 financial year has seen the Durban Car Terminal handle over 600,000 units while servicing approximately 30 customers.

The growing automotive sector as seen in the numbers from Transnet Port Terminals across its car terminals in East London, Port Elizabeth and Durban as well as related investments by original equipment manufacturers over the last six years – lends increasing confidence to the industry masterplan.

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WHARF TALK: Incat High Speed Vessel MONTEVIDEO EXPRESS

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

What would constitute a rare vessel type appearance in South African waters? Rare, mainly because Southern Africa does not lend it to the kind of operational service that such a vessel normally excels. How about a type that has only ever turned up 4 times in the last 20 years? So such an arrival is either because it is on a positioning voyage, or because it is on an official visit.

The type of vessel I am referring to is one that most casual maritime observers have probably only looked at online, because of what they can achieve when compared to other vessels engaged in similar trades. The hardy traveler will likely have spotted them plying their trade in the inter-island routes in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Aegean, Canaries, the Channel Islands, and throughout the UK, such as on the Irish Sea, or on English Channel.

On 19th March, at 21h00 in the evening, the Incat High Speed Vessel MONTEVIDEO EXPRESS (IMO 9113264) arrived off Cape Town harbour, from Port Louis in Mauritius, entering straight away, and proceeding into the Duncan Dock, to go alongside the Eastern Mole. It was clear she was in merely for bunkers, stores and, as it happened, for some minor repair assistance from Dormac.

Built in 1995 by the Incat Tasmania shipyard at Hobart in Australia, ‘Montevideo Express’ is 79 metres in length and has a gross registered tonnage of 2,394 tons. She is powered by four Caterpillar 3616 16 cylinder 4 stroke main engines, each producing 7,270 bhp (5,420 kW), for an overall power provision of 29,080 bhp (21,680 kW).

The engines are connected to four KaMeWa 80 Waterjets, which are both steerable and reversible. These give her a laden service speed of an astonishing 50 knots. In ballast, ‘Montevideo Express’ can achieve an even more impressive 53 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two Caterpillar 3306B generators providing 145 kW each. She is clearly one of the large passenger carrying catamarans, made famous by Incat, and is registered by them as Hull 037. She is one of three K-Class non-wave piercing catamarans, built with a low profile.

She is operated by a crew of 20, can carry up to 785 passengers, and can load up to 32 cars on her single car deck. The cars are loaded via a forward hinged ramp, on her starboard side, which is 3.1 metres in width and can carry a load of 2 tons.

Owned, operated and managed by Colonia Express, of Colonia in Uruguay, she is currently on a positioning voyage from Busan in South Korea, to Colonia in Uruguay. She has been purchased from her previous owners of Dae-A Express Shipping Co. Ltd., of Pohang in South Korea, where she had been operating for the last 25 years on a route from Pohang to Ulleungdo, which is an Island located 117 nautical miles off the east coast of South Korea, at 37°30’ North 130°51’ East.

Whilst operating to Ulleungdo, which is a popular tourist destination, ‘Montevideo Express’ was named ‘Sun Flower’, a clue of which is the large sunflower painted on her accommodation. Her stop in Cape Town showed that she is still very much in the colours of her previous owners, as Korean writing still adorns her hull. Her age was also showing in the faded white colour, and the dark, dirty, streaks that also cover her hull and accommodation.

She was retired from service in order to maintain compliance with South Korean regulations which limits the maximum age of vessels used in the country. Her replacement, which was delivered recently, is another Incat High Speed Catamaran, known as Hull 099, and of 76 metres in length.

The introduction of the new Incat allowed ‘Montevideo Express’ to begin her long positioning voyage of 12,700 nautical miles from Pohang, with bunkering stops at Busan, Singapore and Cape Town, before she heads across the South Atlantic on her final leg to her new home, Colonia del Sacramento, in Uruguay. She has already received her bunkers from the bunkering tanker ‘Lipuma’, and had her stores uplift. As soon as the Dormac van departs the quayside, ‘Montevideo Express’ will sail for home.

Her new owners, Colonia Express, operate a fleet of high speed catamarans, including another of the K-Class Incat vessels, and link Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, to Buenos Aires in Argentina, with a schedule of five return sailings per day across the mouth of the River Plate, a voyage which takes just 75 minutes, one way.

The route between Colonia del Sacramento and Buenos Aires is shorter at 52 nautical miles, than the traditional route of Montevideo to Buenos Aires, which is 146 nautical miles in length. The competition to Colonia Express is another Uruguayan company, Buquebus, who operate the world’s fastest vessel on the Montevideo to Buenos Aires route. The vessel is another fast wave piercing catamaran, the 2013 built, Incat Hull 069, ‘HSC Francisco’, which holds the world speed record of 58 knots.

The rarity of having Incat High Speed Vessels calling at South Africa ports is borne out by the fact that the only other major Incat to call over the last twenty years was the United States Navy (USN) owned, Military Sealift Command operated ‘Swift’, with pennant number HSV-2. Built in 2003, and 98 metres in length, with a gross registered tonnage of 6,582 tons, ‘Swift’ was Incat Hull 061, and was operated by the USN between 2003 and 2013.

She first visited South Africa in 2003, when ‘Swift HSV-2’ arrived in Durban on 3rd November 2003, berthing at the South African Navy (SAN) base at Salisbury Island. She then moved to the South African Navy base at Simonstown, to conduct exercises with SAN assets. She was assigned to the USN 5th Fleet, who are responsible for the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean, and had arrived in Durban from Australia.

She was then assigned to the US Africa Command, attached to the 6th Fleet, and spent the next decade mainly operating throughout African waters, on both the West Coast and the East Coast, visiting ports throughout Africa in support of the Africa Partnership Station (APS).

The Africa Partnership Station (APS) was, and is, the US Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) flagship maritime security cooperation programme. The focus of APS is to build maritime safety and security, by increasing maritime awareness, response capabilities and infrastructure, with partner nations in Africa.

In February 2010 ‘Swift HSV-2’ arrived in Cape Town, accompanied by the Oliver Hazard Perry class Frigate ‘USS Nicholas FFG-47’, with both of them berthing at Quay number 2 in the V&A Basin. Both vessels were also open to the public for tours, which proved very popular. Sadly, this is a thing of the past, and something that can no longer occur, due to the new rules laid out by Transnet that forces all visiting warships into the non-public access Duncan Dock.

In 2012, her penultimate year, ‘Swift HSV-2’ embarked on her West African Training Cruise 04, and conducted exercises, using her onboard detachment of the US Marine Corps, with the naval, marines, and coast guard forces of Morocco, Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Cameroon, Congo and Namibia.

In company with the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate ‘USS Simpson FFG-56’, she then called into Simonstown, and had a first visit to East London, before arriving in Durban on 5th June 2012 for a two day visit. On 7th June she sailed to conduct APS (East) exercises with naval forces in Mozambique, and then in Tanzania. She never returned to South Africa.

The APS exercises have always been well received, and the USN began them in 2007 conducting engagement activities with African partners, and also with both government and non-governmental organisations around the continent. She was one of three Incats that the USN operated in various theatres, and which led to the USN introducing their current Independence class of Littoral combat ship.

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Added 23 March 2023

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Hutchison Ports’ major investment in Egypt’s Sokhna Port

Global port operator, Hutchison Ports, has announced a significant investment in Ain Sokhna Port, Egypt’s major port, and B100, a new container terminal in the Port of Alexandria.

The total investment of the two projects is approximately US$ 700 million, bringing Hutchison Ports’ total investment in Egypt to over US$ 1.5 billion and paving a solid foundation for the company’s strategy to expand its network and enhance its capabilities in emerging markets.

The investment includes the development of a new container terminal in Ain Sokhna Port with a capacity of 1.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), which will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment to provide efficient and reliable services to customers.

In addition, Hutchison Ports will invest in the development of B100, a new container terminal in Port of Alexandria, which will serve as a gateway to the Egyptian market.

The new container terminal in Sokhna is strategically located on the Red Sea with direct access to major shipping routes.

The B100 container terminal, on the other hand, will provide a new gateway to the Port of Alexandria, which is one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean and a key hub for trade between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

“We are delighted to announce our investment in Sokhna and B100, which reflects our commitment to Egypt and the wider African market,” said Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports.

“These investments will enable us to provide high-quality services to our customers and contribute to the growth and development of the local economy.”

Hutchison Ports, CMA CGM, and COSCO Shipping have joined forces at Sokhna Port and HUtchison will collaborate with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for a terminal at Dekheila near Alexandria on the Mediterranean.

Hutchison Ports has also a long-term agreement with the Egyptian Navy on the development and operation of a new container terminal in Abu Qir, Egypt.

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Added 23 March 2023

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COSCO confirms taking equity in new Sokhna port development

As indicated in the report above of Hutchison Ports investment in the Egyptian port of Sokhna, Chinese shipping company COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd (CSPL) has confirmed its investment of a 25% equity stake in the Sokhna New Container Terminal in Egypt.

A project agreement was signed earlier in March with the other partnering companies.

The terminal is being built by the Egyptian Government and will be further developed and operated by a terminal company that now includes CSPL.

The operating concession is for a period of 30 years, involving a total investment of approximately US$ 375 million, to provide a container terminal with a capacity of 1.7 million TEUs.

Sokhna is developing into one of Egypt’s major ports and is situated at the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, approximately 120 km east of Cairo.

The development of an economic zone adjacent to the port will assist the Port of Sokhna with increasing its competitiveness in the Red Sea region and with becoming an important logistics hub in the region and Africa as a whole.

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Added 23 March 2023

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Eco Atlantic applies to drill in Block 3B/4B in Orange Basin off N.Cape coast

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd, the oil and gas exploration company focused on the offshore Atlantic Margins, and its partners are applying for Environmental Authorisation to undertake exploration activities in Block 3B/4B in the Orange Basin off the Northern Cape/South-West Coast of South Africa (the ‘Block’).

The Joint Venture Partners have contracted South African Environmental Impact Management Services to apply for a permit to drill one well and one contingent well (and potentially up to five wells) within an area of interest in the north of the Block.

Block 3B/4B is located offshore western South Africa and is centred approximately 180 km from the coast, in water depths averaging approximately 1000 metres. EIMS has been appointed to undertake the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The Block 3B/4B JV Partners are Africa Oil SA Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Africa Oil Corp., the Operator of the Block, holding a 20% Participating Interest, Azinam Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eco Atlantic, holding a Participating Interest of 26.25%, and Ricocure (Proprietary) Limited, holding the remaining 53.75% Participating Interest. The JV partners continue to progress the collaborative farm-out process, up to 55% gross working interest in the Block, with various potential parties.

“We are excited about 3B/4B and the inventory prospective resource targets on the Block as recently announced in the Operator’s Competent Persons Report,” said Colin Kinley, Co-Founder and COO of Eco Atlantic. “This creates an outstanding resource exploration and development opportunity for the Joint Venture partnership and South Africa.”

Kinley said understanding the latest research and information of changing natural patterns of the environment, and the use and effects that we have on the sea and its natural state is key to successful exploration.

“The EIMS team and the JV partnership are working closely on seeking Environmental Authorisation to permit and drill these promising and significant opportunities for South Africa in the now proven Orange Basin.

“We successfully met with regional stakeholders, received their approval, and recently drilled a safe exploration well on Block 2B. During this project we proved our capacity to protect regional culture and the environment and safely steward exploration for South Africa’s own much needed energy.

“In parallel to the research related to our reports and the application for authorisation, we will again directly engage with regional stakeholders and communities as we look to do our part for the South African energy solution.”

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Added 23 March 2023

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Eco Atlantic applies to drill in Block 3B/4B in Ornage Basin off N.Cape coast

• Eco Atlantic applies to drill in Block 3B/4B in Ornage Basin off N.Cape coast

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd, the oil and gas exploration company focused on the offshore Atlantic Margins, and its partners are applying for Environmental Authorisation to undertake exploration activities in Block 3B/4B in the Orange Basin off the Northern Cape/South-West Coast of South Africa (the ‘Block’).

The Joint Venture Partners have contracted South African Environmental Impact Management Services to apply for a permit to drill one well and one contingent well (and potentially up to five wells) within an area of interest in the north of the Block.

Block 3B/4B is located offshore western South Africa and is centred approximately 180 km from the coast, in water depths averaging approximately 1000 metres. EIMS has been appointed to undertake the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The Block 3B/4B JV Partners are Africa Oil SA Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Africa Oil Corp., the Operator of the Block, holding a 20% Participating Interest, Azinam Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eco Atlantic, holding a Participating Interest of 26.25%, and Ricocure (Proprietary) Limited, holding the remaining 53.75% Participating Interest. The JV partners continue to progress the collaborative farm-out process, up to 55% gross working interest in the Block, with various potential parties.

“We are excited about 3B/4B and the inventory prospective resource targets on the Block as recently announced in the Operator’s Competent Persons Report,” said Colin Kinley, Co-Founder and COO of Eco Atlantic. “This creates an outstanding resource exploration and development opportunity for the Joint Venture partnership and South Africa.”

Kinley said understanding the latest research and information of changing natural patterns of the environment, and the use and effects that we have on the sea and its natural state is key to successful exploration.

“The EIMS team and the JV partnership are working closely on seeking Environmental Authorisation to permit and drill these promising and significant opportunities for South Africa in the now proven Orange Basin.

“We successfully met with regional stakeholders, received their approval, and recently drilled a safe exploration well on Block 2B. During this project we proved our capacity to protect regional culture and the environment and safely steward exploration for South Africa’s own much needed energy.

“In parallel to the research related to our reports and the application for authorisation, we will again directly engage with regional stakeholders and communities as we look to do our part for the South African energy solution.”

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Added 23 March 2023

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Two African flag states targeted by ITF for unsafe shipping

The African flag states of Togo and Sierra Leone are among the four that will be targeted by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) for safety, maintenance and seafarer welfare inspections across the Mediterranean Sea in the coming eight weeks.

Up to a thousand ships flagged to the Cook islands, Palau, Togo and Sierra Leone will come under the scrutiny of an army of ITF inspectors, seafarers’ unions and port authorities over the next eight weeks.

ITF Inspectorate Coordinator Steve Trowsdale said that substandard shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is driving down seafarers’ wages and conditions, it is endangering the lives of crew and risking the environment.

“These flags take money from shipowners to register ships that other countries wouldn’t touch. Many are old vessels and are poorly-maintained by their owners. Many of these ships are dangerous and should not be trading,” he said.

The blitz comes off the back of new analysis showing the four Flags of Convenience registries together accounted for more than 100 crew abandoned in the last two years, with millions of dollars wages not paid to crew by the flags’ shipowners that the ITF then had to recover on seafarers’ behalf.

Trowsdale said often when the ITF or its affiliated unions called on the flags to fix problems caused by irresponsible shipowners, such as in cases of abandonment – “that’s when these flags are nowhere to be seen – they take the money and run.”

The ITF said that in just three years, the Cook Islands, Palau, Sierra Leone, and Togo flags were responsible for:

1] 33 cases of crew abandonment, affecting more than a hundred seafarers, leaving many without pay, food, water, or a way to get home. Over US$ 5,500,000 in unpaid wages cheated from crew, that the ITF then had to recover from the flags’ shipowners on seafarers’ behalf.

2] 5,203 deficiencies or detentions issued by European Port State Control enforcement agencies.

The ITF inspectors’ efforts will be bolstered in France by the country’s Port State Control agencies, which are organised regionally, Trowsdale said.

They will be also targeting the four flags. A decision which makes sense given both the Paris and Tokyo MOUs have banned or cautioned against ships bearing the flags from being admitted to the ports of most countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific, respectively.

Seddik Berrama, General Secretary of Algeria’s transport union FNTT and ITF Vice President for the Arab World region, said it was revealing that the four flags did not appear on the annual quality whitelists issued by the Paris and Tokyo MOUs.

“These are now the worst flags operating in the Mediterranean Sea,” said Berrama.

“The world’s major Port State Control agency groupings have said these flags are not quality. They have said they are high- or very-high risk. That is unacceptable for crew safety just as it is unacceptable for those of us who rely on a clean sea, like our port communities here in Algeria,” he said.

“Our goal is to expose the substandard shipping examples that we see regularly in our ports. If we are able to spread word of the abuses experienced by crew onboard are too often ignored by these flags, then we will send a strong message that substandard shipping is unacceptable.”

Along the Mediterranean Sea’s northern coast, the Seafarers’ Union of Croatia (SUC) has for some years expressed growing frustration with the risks that some flags were creating for crew. The ITF’s 2018 Congress endorsed a motion from SUC declaring the body of water a ‘Sea of Convenience’ and tasked the ITF with developing a targeted campaign to clean up the Mediterranean Sea from the scourge of substandard shipping.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation of transport workers’ unions recognised as the world’s leading transport authority, connecting trade unions and workers’ networks from 147 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. The ITF is the voice of the almost-20 million women and men who move the world.

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Added 22 March 2023

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WHARF TALK: heavily delayed boxship MSC ACAPULCO

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

I would not think that anybody would be surprised to know that the container terminal woes across the Transnet ports in South Africa are still propagating, and that Cape Town above all seems to be having a right time of it at present, and probably a time that they would choose not to be ongoing. It is a local struggle that Transnet is not yet winning, and by a long way.

The problem is all about speed and efficiency, with bad weather thrown into the mix. However, when measured against any northern hemisphere equivalent container operating terminal, on a like for like basis, you can’t argue that Transnet harbours are simply not performing. It must make the major operators, such as MSC, apoplectic that their published schedules are simply not a reflection of what is actually going on in the real world of South African port operations.

The Table Bay anchorage has recently held up to ten container vessels waiting for a berth, possibly the highest number that has been forced to sit and wait to enter Cape Town harbour for quite a while. One vessel, operating for a major operator, and running a scheduled service, has just entered the port after a wait of no less than 16 days for a berth. That is over a fortnight for a vessel trying to maintain a timetable. It beggars belief, but it is happening, and yet there is no end in sight for any of the major shipping concerns.

Recently, the woes of MSC and their new ‘express’ 7 day service between Ngqura and Cape Town was reported on, with ‘MSC Anusha III’ only managing a record time of 14 days on her first three schedule rotations to complete her simple ‘two port’ Ngqura-Cape Town-Ngqura route structure. It doesn’t make for great reporting.

The whole reason for the introduction of the service was to get around the horrendous mangling of their import container delivery schedules, which they were receiving on their Northwest Europe service, as a result of delays they were picking up solely on arrival at Cape Town. It would seem that the sad woes of MSC are not limited to the Northwest Europe service.

Back on 11th March, at 16h00 in the afternoon, the container vessel MSC ACAPULCO (IMO 9401776) arrived off Cape Town, from Durban, and with no delay, immediately entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding to F berth, and the multi-purpose terminal (MPT) in Duncan Dock.

She is currently operating on the joint MSC/Maersk AMEX service to the Eastern seaboard of the United States of America, and her next port of call was scheduled to be Newark, in the state of New Jersey in the USA.

Built in 2009 by the Hanjin Subic Shipyard at Olongapo in the Philippines, ‘MSC Acapulco’ is 259 metres in length and has a deadweight of 52,315 tons. She is powered by a single Hyundai MAN-B&W 8K90MC-C 8 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 49,028 bhp (36,560 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller to give her a service speed of 24.5 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes three Hyundai Himsen 7H25/33 generators providing 1,950 kW each, and a single Cummins 6CTA8.3-D emergency generator providing 150 kW. She has a Saacke K/KD-3.5+3.0/8 composite boiler. For added manoeuvrability she has a single Kawasaki KT-157B5 transverse bow thruster providing 1,300 kW. The container carrying capacity of ‘MSC Acapulco’ is 4,360 TEU and she has provision for 326 reefer plugs.

She may look familiar to the casual maritime observer, not least because of the horrendous appendage of an agricultural structure, raised on stilts akin to a grain silo, that houses her retrofitted exhaust scrubber unit, and sited aft of her accommodation on her starboard side.

Her familiarity is because she entered service with MSC on the India-Africa Service (IAS) over two years ago, under the bizarre name of ‘MP The Law’. At the time she gave no indication that she was running on behalf of MSC, but now with her new company name ‘MSC Acapulco’ she sports the traditional MSC logo on her tiny funnel. Look hard for it, because the scrubber gets in the way.

One of three sisterships, built to a Hanjin 4350 design, ‘MSC Acapulco’ is nominally owned by Wilson Oceanway Ltd., operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of Geneva in Switzerland, and managed by MSC Ship Management, of Limassol in Cyprus.

She is assigned to the AMEX service, and her published schedule is Cape Town- Newark (New Jersey)- Baltimore (Maryland)- Norfolk (Virginia)- Charleston (South Carolina)- Freeport (Bahamas)- Ngqura- Durban- Cape Town.

Her published turnaround time in Cape Town, a generous 5 days, had ‘MSC Acapulco’ scheduled to depart on 16th March for Newark, but It was apparent that by 15th March, things were not going to plan. MSC/Maersk issued an AMEX service bulletin that all export containers booked for ‘MSC Acapulco’ at Cape Town were to be switched to another vessel operating on the AMEX service, namely ‘Lori’, which was scheduled to arrive in Cape Town on 18th March at 20h00 in the evening, with a departure for Newark on 21st March, a 3 day turnaround.

Presumably, as with ‘MSC Anusha III’ before her, the time offloading for ‘MSC Acapulco’ on F berth was nearly over, but her export containers were not there, but waiting for her at the Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) in the Ben Schoeman Dock. Except, that as with ‘MSC Anusha III’, there was no berth available for her to go to at the CTCT, in order to load her export containers.

As scheduled on 18th March, ‘Lori’ entered Cape Town harbour, which had first included a six day wait in the Table Bay anchorage, and went straight to berth 603 in the CTCT, presumably to enable her to load both her own, and the ‘MSC Acapulco’ containers, and with ‘Lori’ scheduled to depart for Newark on 21st March.

No sooner was ‘Lori’ safely alongside in the CTCT, that ‘MSC Acapulco’ sailed from Cape Town. But not to Newark, as previously scheduled, but back to Ngqura, presumably as a result of a frantic rescheduling operation by MSC. She sailed at 23h00 on 18th March, which in itself was a full 24 hours before her published time of departure, according to her AMEX schedule, which was given as midnight on the 20th March.

So after more than 7 days alongside in Cape Town, actually an appalling 175 hours, ‘MSC Acapulco’ had managed to discharge her import containers only, but not managed to load her export containers. Compare that to 71 hours she took in Durban to turnaround at the conclusion of the AMEX service, and 25 hours in Ngqura. MSC hands must have been wringing once more. Yet, on her previous AMEX call at Cape Town in December, she had managed the turnaround in three days (72 hours).

One has to compare the turnaround times applied in the MSC Schedules for South African ports, compared to those published in the MSC schedule on the USA side of the service. As always, even in these foreign ports, there can be delays for one reason or another, but it is listed in hours, not days. For instance on the last rotation by ‘MSC Acapulco’ on the AMEX service she was scheduled for 14 hours in Newark, but took 27 hours, scheduled for 11 hours in Baltimore, and took 12 hours, set for 9 hours in Norfolk, but took 14 hours, scheduled for 15 hours in Charleston, and required 16 hours. Her call at Freeport was scheduled to be her longest at 20 hours, but required 25 hours to complete.

When you overrun your turnaround time in any port by half a dozen hours or so, the modern container vessel can easily make up that time with a burst of speed between the two terminals to regain the published schedule. But with the kind of delays that container vessels are getting in Cape Town, but also Durban and, occasionally Ngqura, with a double whammy of time in the anchorage and inefficient terminal working, then the operator is never going to be able to maintain any semblance of a published service.

They are all being hamstrung by the current state of affairs in Transnet container ports, and with no alternative being offered, not even a private terminal, I can imagine that there are a lot of bald headed executives in the container operator offices, because there is only so much hair one can pull out in frustration at what is going on.

See also (click to open)
SA coastal feeder vessel MSC ANUSHA III

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Added 22 March 2023

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AD Ports in line to develop new multipurpose terminal at Pointe Noire

Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo has been in the news quite frequently lately. Last week the Ministry of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership granted an opportunity to AD Ports to invest in, develop, manage and operate a new multi-purpose terminal at Pointe Noire.

The Head of Terms (HoT) provides AD Ports Group, which is rapidly expanding its presence across Africa, with exclusive rights in the development, operation, and management of the ‘New Mole Port’ that will handle containers, general cargo, break-bulk and other types of cargo.

AD Ports will provide the new facility with digital services and technology solutions to enhance its efficiency including design, implementation and operation of a single-window, software development, digital architecture, business analytics, digital operations support and digital transformation.

The HoT agreement runs for one year from the date of signing and could lead to a concession agreement subject to technical, legal, commercial, and environmental due diligence.

Pointe Noire is the main commercial centre of the Republic of the Congo, and its port plays a key role in the economy and development of the nation and wider region.

AD Ports executives say they are confident that the collaboration will help stimulate trade and enhance connectivity for the Republic of the Congo, which is pursuing a new National Development Plan (NDP) focusing on economic diversification and high, resilient, and inclusive growth.

“We see significant potential for developing a multipurpose terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire, particularly given the port’s key role in the energy sector,” said Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group.

“As always, we are grateful for the support of the UAE’s leadership in enabling us to develop this new opportunity and supporting our international ambitions. We value the trust of the Congo Government in our capabilities and our commitment to deploying our expertise in supporting its development plans.”

He said AD Ports Group will continue to expand its operations globally, working with partners to develop world-class port, logistics and maritime facilities in key commercial hubs.

Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso, the Republic of Congo’s Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership said they were pleased to work with AD Ports on the development of the new terminal.

“AD Ports Group has quickly developed an outstanding reputation for the development of advanced, innovation-enabled port and maritime facilities. Their experience and global network will no doubt add significant value to our efforts to make the ‘New Mole Port’ in Pointe Noire one of the best performing ports on the central west coast of the African continent.”

The HoT agreement remains valid until 15 March 2024 and may then lead to a concession agreement subject to technical, legal, commercial, and environmental due diligence.

AD Ports is one of ten shortlisted respondents in the Transnet-led search for a competent terminal operator for the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2. The winning bid for this is to be announced shortly.

See also: (click to open)

MSC introduces 15,000 TEU MSC Virgo to the port of Pointe-Noire

CMA CGM adds new intermodal service to Cabinda Feeder through Pointe Noire

Pointe Noire’s Congo Terminal continues to upgrade facilities

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Added 22 March 2023

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AD Ports Group to develop and operate Egypt’s Safaga Port

AD Ports Group has signed a 30-year concession agreement to develop and operate the multi-purpose Safaga Port in Egypt.

In addition, two 15-year agreements, a Memorandum of Understanding and three Head of Terms – were also signed with Egyptian authorities for multi-purpose, RoRo and cruise terminals, as well as logistics services across key Red Sea and Mediterranean ports.

The latter concern ports located in Egypt’s Red Sea region and the Mediterranean Sea, and will enable a major expansion of AD Ports Group’s activities into Egypt.

These agreements allow for expanded access to multipurpose terminals, cruise routes, and logistics capabilities in Safaga, Ain Sokhna, Port Said, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Al Arish.

Safaga Port will be the first internationally operated port in the Upper Egypt region, bringing significant cost savings to traders, industries and businesses located in this region.

The terminal will be developed over an approximate area of 810,000 square metres and is set to be operational in the second quarter of 2025. It will boast a quay wall of up to 1,000 metres and it will have the capacity to handle 5 million tonnes of dry bulk and general cargo, 1 million tonnes of liquid bulk, 450,000 TEUs of containerised cargo, and 50,000 CEUs of RORO.

AD Ports Group will invest a total of up to USD 200 million in superstructure and equipment, buildings, and other real estate facilities and utilities’ network inside the concession area. The majority of this CapEx will be spent in 2024 and 2025.

There will be no currency exposure associated with the operations of the port as all revenues will be dollarized.

Two Cement Terminals Agreements

The agreements for the development of two cement terminals in Al Arish Port and West Port Said Port were signed between AD Ports Group and the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone requiring a combined investment of around US$ 33 million in both terminals.

As per the 15-year agreements, which are subject to the approval of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone Board, AD Ports Group will construct silos with a storage capacity of up to 60,000 tonnes in Al Arish Port and 30,000 tonnes in West Port Said; each terminal will be able to handle 1.0 – 1.5 million tonnes annually. Both terminals which will be operational in the 4th quarter of this year, are expected to contribute to doubling Egypt’s cement exports to global markets.

Port Said MoU

The MoU for the purpose of potential collaboration in various transportation and infrastructure projects, with an initial focus on the development of the East Port Said multi-purpose terminal, as well as a logistics zone and economic zone, was signed between AD Ports Group and the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Sokhna Head of Terms (HoT)

The Head of Terms for the development of three terminals, including RoRo, cruise, and multipurpose was signed between AD Ports Group and the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Hurghada & Sharm El Sheikh HoT

The Head of Terms for the management and operation of two cruise terminals located in the Egyptian port cities of Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, were signed between AD Ports Group and the Red Sea Ports Authority.

These agreements build upon the strong historic and economic ties between the UAE and Egypt which recently celebrated 50 years of friendship and co-operation.

The UAE is Egypt’s second leading trade partner in the region and the number one country in foreign direct investments, accounting for 29 per cent of foreign investments in Egypt, while Egypt is the fifth leading trade partner of the UAE in terms of non-oil trade, accounting for seven per cent of the total Emirati non-oil trade with Arab countries.

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Added 22 March 2023

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African Maritime Forces Summit being held in Sal Island, Cabo Verde

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) arrived on Sunday, 19 March in Sal Island, Cabo Verde for a scheduled port visit.

The visit, held in support of the African Maritime Forces Summit now taking place on the island, will include ship tours for more than 80 delegates from 38 nations. The maritime leaders will also observe shipboard firefighting demonstrations, joint U.S. Coast Guard and Cabo Verdean boarding drills, and simulated bomb-disposal robotics conducted by U.S. Marines.

The African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) is a strategic-level forum, hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), that brings maritime and naval infantry leaders together to address transnational maritime security challenges within African waters including the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea.

AMFS is a new model for African senior leadership engagement, which combines the three senior leadership symposiums traditionally held during NAVAF’s annual regional express-series exercises into a single continent-wide event.

AMFS participating nations include Angola, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Participants include heads of navy, coast guards, and naval infantries from four continents including Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.

USS Bulkeley, homeported in Rota, Spain, is assigned as a U.S. Navy Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) destroyer. FDNF-E ships have the flexibility to operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle.

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Added 22 March 2023

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Maersk divests another division, selling Maersk Supply Service

A.P. Moller – Maersk said in a statement this week it has reached an agreement with A.P. Moller Holding, the parent company of the A.P. Moller Group, for the divestment of Maersk Supply Service (MSS), its provider of global offshore marine services and project solutions for the energy sector.

This another step in Maersk’s strategy of divesting its energy-related businesses and rather to focus of transportation and integrated logistics. In 2016 the policy of separating integrated logistics from its existing energy related activities was initiated, followed by the divestment of Maersk Tankers, Maersk Oil & Gas and Maersk Drilling between 2017-2019.

The latest move involving Maersk Supply Service will mark the final divestment of energy-related activities within the Maersk Group.

Maersk Supply Service and its vessels and capabilities have been active for more than 50 years supporting the oil and gas energy industry and remain a much needed service within offshore renewable energy, especially in the wind industry.

“We are very pleased to see Maersk Supply Service will be able to continue to further develop new solutions for the green transition of the offshore sector under a new long-term ownership,” said Patrick Jany, CFO at A.P. Moller – Maersk. He said the transaction validates the excellent work done by the team in the last years.

At the same time, it marks the completion of our initial decision to divest all energy related activities and focus on truly integrated logistics.”

In 2016, Maersk adopted its new strategy around integrated logistics and a separation of the existing energy related activities was initiated. Maersk Tankers, Maersk Oil & Gas and Maersk Drilling were divested in the period 2017-2019.

A.P. Moller Holding/Maersk Supply Service

According to Martin Larsen, CFO at A.P. Moller Holding, Maersk Supply Service will continue trading under its current name and will be using the Maersk seven-pointed star logo as part of its brand.

He said the capabilities and vessels Maersk Supply Service have built over more than 50 years supporting the oil and gas energy industry are much needed within offshore renewable energy, especially in the wind industry.

“As new owners we will drive a transition of Maersk Supply Service to over time become a leading offshore marine company servicing the offshore wind industry. At the same time, we are pleased that this concludes the separation of energy related activities from A.P. Moller – Maersk as initiated in 2016.”

The transaction, which is valued at USD 685 million and remains subject to regulatory approvals, includes a pioneering wind installation vessel which is under construction in Singapore and when finalised will establish Maersk Supply Service as a leading offshore wind contractor.

Maersk Supply Service serves the energy sector with a fleet of 36 vessels manned by more than 1,300 crew members and supported by around 300 onshore staff worldwide.

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Added 22 March 2023

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Army and police on alert at key and flash points ahead of Monday’s threatened mass action

Without wishing to add to the speculation and at times wild ideas of what is going to happen today (Monday) as the country braces itself for the EFF-inspired mass marches and threats of disorder and possible looting and vandalism, the SA Government has revealed that 3,400 soldiers of the South African National Defence Force have been deployed to provide additional protection at key points around the country.

Among those key points will be the national ports and airports as well as identified ‘key citizen’ points.

The soldiers have been deployed from 17 March until 17 April 2023.

The government said on Sunday that South Africans should be able to go about their business on Monday despite the planned national shutdown by the Economic Freedom Fighters.

“As things stand our expectations is that people will go on about their business tomorrow. However, should there be any individual or groups that are hell-bent on creating any form of anarchy, disrupting the normal flow of business and life tomorrow, the expectation is that the security and law enforcement agencies must act accordingly and in accordance to the law,” said Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, speaking during a media briefing at the Union Buildings on Sunday.

Transnet contingency plans

Transnet issued a statement on Friday advising it has contingency plans in the event of trouble at the country’s ports.

According to Trabnsnet the plans are based on operational demands and available capacity.

“Transnet’s priority remains to ensure the safety of its operations and employees, as well as customers and stakeholders accessing Transnet facilities,” Transnet said.

Mass protest planned

The statement came against a background of the Economic Freedom Fighters planning to embark on a mass protest today (Monday) with threats of “shutting down the ountry”.

Magwenya said that President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed law enforcement agencies to ensure that the rights of citizens are protected “with respect to those fellow South Africans that want to carry on with their normal business tomorrow.”

He said schools will be closed as part of the mandatory school holiday. “It is also a long weekend type of period we are going into because of the holiday on Tuesday [Human Rights Day] and people will take leave and travel.”

The Presidential Spokesperson said that individuals have been going around different parts of the country inappropriately and illegally instructing businesses to remain closed for tomorrow under the guise of the “so called shutdown”.

Protecting critical infrastructure

He added that the state has a responsibility to protect critical infrastructure.

“The state has a responsibility to ensure that citizens can go on about their day tomorrow in a normal way and while doing so [ensure] that they are safe and not subjected to any anarchy or any form of violence.

“The President has stated that as much as the right to protest is guaranteed and protected under the constitution, equally that right is not absolute and that right is not a ticket to any form of anarchy, violence or disrupting and interrupting other people’s rights to go on with their lives.”

On Friday the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) said it had mobilised maximum resources to heighten police visibility ahead of the national shutdown.

Deputy National Commissioner of the SAPS responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said that measures that have been put in place by the Security Cluster will enable businesses and services to operate and government and that all modes of transport services will be accessible to members of the public.

“NATJOINTS, working closely with our partners and stakeholders in the respective industries and sectors, have mobilised maximum resources to heighten police visibility with the aim of preventing and combatting any form of opportunistic crimes pre-, during and post the planned protest action,” said Mosikili.

Road Freight Association (RFA) urges truckers to stay off the roads

A circular issued by the Road Freight Association last week urges road transporters to stay off the roads on Monday as a safety measure.

Trucks should remain in staging yards throughout the day, the RFA advises, with minimum operations taking place.

“The SAPS noted that they will not be able to be everywhere all the time, and that they looked to the assistance from the road freight and private security industries in providing them with timeous intelligence, support and assistance as may be required, and to relieve the pressure by minimising (as best possible) the amount of vehicles on the roads on 20 March 2023.”

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Added 20 March 2023

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WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker FALCON ROYAL

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

To the casual maritime observer, quite often, outside of the container operators, most vessels arrive and depart with no clue as to who the owners are, as the vessel in question is monochromatic in both hull and funnel colours, and the name gives no clue either. Some shipowners, purchase vessels on the second hand tonnage market, over paint the funnel to a single, bland, colour which, again, gives no clue as to her provenance.

Then again, some shipowners can be identified just by the fairly unique colour of their hull, or the colour of their superstructure. When they sell their vessels on, it is often the case that the new owner does not bother to change the unique hull colour, or that of the superstructure. So once you spot the new funnel colour, and you realise she does not belong to the company you originally thought you did, at least you can be satisfied as to who her previous owner was.

On 16th March at 13h00 in the afternoon, the MR2 products tanker FALCON ROYAL (IMO 9374296) arrived off Cape Town, from Singapore, where she had loaded, and immediately entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding to the Tanker Basin in the Duncan Dock. As she approached the harbour entrance, the casual observer would likely guess her ownership, based solely on the unique, orange superstructure that she bore. They would be wrong in their assumptions.

Built in 2008 by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard at Ulsan in South Korea, ‘Falcon Royal’ is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 47,125 tons. She is powered by a single HHI MAN-B&W 6S50MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 12,713 bhp (9,480 kW), to drive a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 13 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes three Himsen 5H21/32 generators providing 730 kW each. She has a single Kangrim composite boiler. With a total of 12 cargo tanks, ‘Falcon Royal’ has a cargo carrying capacity of 51,906 m3.

Her tanks are coated with pure epoxy, and she is capable of carrying seven grades of product at any one time. She has 12 cargo pumps, each capable of discharging at a rate of 600 m3/hour, and she can discharge at a maximum rate of 3,600 m3/hour.

One of two sisterships in the fleet, ‘Falcon Royal’ is nominally owned by Eships Falcon Royal Pte. Ltd., of Singapore. She is operated by the Tristar Maritime Group of Dubai in the UAE, whose houseflag she displays on her funnel, and she is managed by Centennial Maritime Ventures Pte. Ltd., also of Singapore.

Eships LLC, which operates a fleet of tankers, is a subsidiary of the Tristar Group. As the Emirates Ship Investment Co. LLC (Eships), they were previously based in the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi, and owned by the German shipowner Egon Oldendorff GmbH, of Lübeck. The Tristar Group purchased Eships in 2016 for US$90 million (ZAR1.69 billion).

The Tristar Group, which has its headquarters in the DMCC of Dubai was announced as the ‘Best Maritime Company’ at the DMCC Member Awards 2018. The award celebrates successful companies operating from the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) freezone.

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre is the UAE’s largest free-trade zone, located in the Jumeirah Lake Towers district of Dubai. It was created in 2002, and in that time it has been crowned as the ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ no less than eight times by the Financial Times Magazine.

When ‘Falcon Royal’ joined Eships, she was purchased back in 2016 for US$19 million (ZAR356.89 million), alongside her sistership, for a total purchase price of US$38 million (ZAR713.77 million). She was renamed as Eships Ruwais, after the new owners, and the large petrochemical complex in the Abu Dhabi emirate.

She was renamed to her current name on the change of ownership, when Eships were purchased by Tristar. She was originally purchased by Eships from the well-known tanker operator, Torm of Copenhagen. It is this fact that will awaken the casual observer as to her current colour scheme.

The jet black hull, and the bright orange superstructure colour, of ‘Falcon Royal’, are unique to Torm, in the same way that that another large Danish shipowner has a sky blue hull and buff coloured superstructure. Despite this, Tristar have been happy, for the last seven years, to keep ‘Falcon Royal’ in what are, essentially, Torm colours, other than a bespoke funnel.

Falcon Royal completed her discharge at Cape Town on 19th March, sailing the same day at 16h00,and bound for Walvis Bay in Namibia.

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Added 20 March 2023

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Kenya’s President Ruto throws his support behind Dr Nancy Karigithu for top IMO job

Dr Nancy Karigithu’s bid to become the next International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general has received the support and blessing of Kenya’s President William Ruto

Kenya’s Ambassador and Special Envoy for Shipping and Blue Economy, Nancy Karigithu, received the nod from ex-president Uhuru Kenyatta before his term of office ended recently.

She also carries the official support of the African Union and will make a determined bid to replace IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim when he retires at the end of this year.

The campaign for Kenya’s candidate was taken recently to the regional maritime body, the Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS) which was meeting in Zambia.

ISCOS was formed by the respective countries of the region out of the realization and the need to have coordinated approaches on matters of Shipping and Maritime Transport.

The message was conveyed by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Shipping, Maritime and Mining, Salim Mvurya.

The purpose of this was to assure ISCOS members, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), of the new Kenya president’s backing for Dr Karigithu.

“Ambassador Karigithu has been a key figure at IMO and the African maritime sector championing for not only Kenya but Africa’s Blue Economy agenda as a whole,” Mvurya said.

He said Karigithu’s appointment as the new IMO secretary-geneal would be a win for Africa. She is the only woman candidate and Africa’s choice, he emphasised.

The election of the next IMO secretary-general will take place in June this year, with his or her appointment taking place at the end of December.

See also: (click)
Kenya’s Nancy Karigithu nominated as the next IMO secretary-general

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Added 20 March 2023

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Global rail, road and urban transport unions: Transformative change

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

Transport unions from around the world met last week (w/c 12 March) in Johannesburg in what was claimed to be the largest global meeting of transport workers’ representatives from the rail, road and urban transport sectors.

Unions tackled key issues impacting transport workers globally, from solidarity-based strategies to eliminate xenophobia in Southern African road transport, through to developing socially-just trade union approaches to combat the underlying causes of the industries’ current crisis: chronic underinvestment, cuts to services, deregulation and privatisation.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the democratic, global union federation of 670 transport unions in 147 countries, representing over 18 million transport workers across the globe, last week held its Railways, Road and Urban Transport Conferences in Johannesburg.

500 delegates from 90 countries and 185 national trade unions

These were hosted by ITF’s South African affiliates SATAWU, NUMSA and DETAWU. These three conferences will have expected to have been attended by over 500 delegates from 90 countries and 185 national trade unions.

Unions at the three conferences developed transformative policies and programmes to shift the balance of power from capital to workers in each sector. These are based on a common recognition that they must take responsibility for transforming their sectors, making them socially and environmentally sustainable.

In the words of Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary: “Building cooperation and unity between unions in road, rail and urban transport gives us the capacity and strength needed to lead the industrial and political changes that transport workers and our society need.”

ITF’s 2022 Global Poll showed the public overwhelmingly supports union demands on transport, with a larger percentage believing governments are failing their citizens in handling transport issues generally.

The SA’s public view

In South Africa, the Poll shows that almost two in three people believe that their government is handling transport badly in an economic system that 76% of people say favours the wealthy, despite 78% of South Africans saying they are worried about access and affordability of public transport (more than any other country in the survey).

However, the South African public recognises the importance of transport in their country, with 96% believing transport is important to the country’s economy, 94% saying transport is important for improving life in cities, 96% saying transport is important for reducing economic inequality and 90% believing transport is important for uniting people.

Jack Mazibuko, General Secretary, SATAWU commented: “It is important to have this ITF conference on our soil. It represents a critical point in which we as organised labour should practise the values of international solidarity and consolidate our collective efforts to end the continued fragmentation and exploitation of workers in the sector.”

Irvin Jim, General Secretary, NUMSA added: “In South Africa, there is a meagre subsidy where a household that does not have someone who works, is treated as an indigent who can have access to free or subsidised municipal services, which may vary depending on means-testing criteria in different municipalities. ‘Indigent households’ can have access to at least 50 kWh per month of electricity; 6000 litres of water and a R50 subsidy for basic sewerage and sanitation. However, there is no mechanism that ensures such households can have access to free transport services as happens in parts of the developed world.”

Emergency motions

ITF Road Transport Conference passed an emergency motions focused on particular challenges for transport workers in Africa, including:

* A motion on eliminating xenophobia from Southern African road transport, committing to ‘organising, campaigning and advocacy activities against racial capitalism in all its forms, which has been used to exploit and oppress the working class both in southern Africa and across the world’.

* A motion on decent road safety on African road in light of several recent dramatic road accidents (in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and other countries) and attacks by armed groups (in Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, DRC, Mozambican buses in South Africa and Cameroonian trucks in the Central African Republic).

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Added 20 March 2023

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“If you pursue happiness, you are an ordinary person. If happiness pursues you, you are an extraordinary person. Do not chase happiness; let it chase you.”
― Peter Deunov

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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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QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman

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