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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

Newsweek commencing Sunday 10 March 2024.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return.  

FIRST VIEW:   The World

• IMO and Madagascar: Duties and obligations of a Flag State
• Drama in South Atlantic as yacht sinks, sailors rescued
• Angola’s Customs Police seize seven fishing vessels
• TNPA opens 100 opportunities to lease port land and commercial developments
• Indian Ocean naval exercise involving Iran, Russia & China – SA as observer
• In Conversation: Five hotspots where floating plastic litter poses the greatest risk to North Atlantic marine life – new study
• Armscor to acquire speedboats to patrol SA’s maritime borders
• WHARF TALK: luxury passenger ship – SILVER SPIRIT
• In Conversation: Technology to protect South Africa’s oceans: experts find that a data-driven monitoring system is paying off
• IMO and Tunisia: Port security audit training
• Bulk carrier Abdullah, sailing from Maputo, is highjacked by pirates
• Near-tripling of EU ETS costs due to Red Sea crisis, analysis shows
• WHARF TALK: Pure Car Carrier – WON SHIN
• Two centuries of the RNLI
• In Conversation: Somalia-Turkey maritime deal is a win for both countries, and not a power play for the Horn of Africa
• TNPA begins rehabilitating Durban port roads
• Nigerian Ports Authority to invest $1 billion in upgrading Tin Can Island and other ports
• WHARF TALK: passenger cruise ship – ISLAND PRINCESS
• Cyclone Filipo 17S now in Mozambique Channel, threatens southern Mozambique
• TotalEnergies takes participating interest in Orange River Basin Block 3B/4B
• IMO and MENA regional training: Seafarers’ assessment, examination and certification
• MSC opens R350 million new cold storage facility in Durban
• WHARF TALK: multi-purpose heavylift vessel – REGINE
• Humanitarian aid to Gaza: US military to construct temporary pier
• Anglo American takes delivery of 10th LNG-fuelled bulk carrier, Ubuntu Liberty
• Port of Douala flourishing since MSC takeover
• Beware the Chinese harbour cranes – US Homeland Security
• Houthis & Yemen – first casualties on merchant ship True Confidence
• New vessels needed for the SA Navy more than ever
• Jeddah Amendment: Bahrain signs
• In Conversation: West Africa’s coast was a haven for piracy and illegal fishing – how technology is changing the picture
• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND UNDER NEWS CATEGORIES…….

Masthead:  PORT OF CAPE TOWN

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 FIRST VIEW:   The World

On Saturday 9 March the residential cruise ship The World (IMO 9219331) arrived in Durban, from Brazil and Tristan da Cunha, via Cape Town and Mossel Bay. This is for a stay of several days before the ship continues on her non-stop cruising.

This is not The World’s first visit to South Africa and Durban – her visits here began as far back as 20 years ago in 2004. When the ship called at the end of February at Cape Town on her current voyage, her visit there was covered in Africa Ports & Ships’ with photographs and a detailed account of the ship by Jay Gates, and is not necessary to be repeated here.

Readers who may have missed that Wharf Talk report on The World can find it here.

Sufficient for now is this group of photographs taken as the ship was arriving in Durban, all by Jumaine Kruger

Africa Ports & Ships

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IMO and Madagascar: Duties and obligations of a Flag State

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

Government officials in Madagascar have gained the essential skills and knowledge required to fulfil the duties and obligations of a Flag State. This was reported by IMO on 14 March

A team of experts from IMO delivered a national training workshop on Flag State Implementation held from 4 to 8 March in the capital Antananarivo.

The aim was to equip the Malagasy maritime administration with a thorough understanding of its responsibilities and obligations, in line with the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code), and to ensure compliance with IMO mandatory rules and regulations.

Thirty-three participants, including ten women, from various divisions of the maritime administration joined the workshop. They discussed the government’s obligations under relevant IMO Conventions on the issues of maritime safety, security and marine pollution prevention. Also highlighted were the needs of the Member State to carry out those obligations.

The official opening was attended by Mr Valery Ramonjavelo, Minister of Transport and Meteorology; Mrs Dina Hariniry Rakotomalala, Director-General of Maritime, Aerial and Waterways Transport at the Ministry of Transport and Meteorology; and Captain Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina, Director-General of the Agence Portuaire, Maritime et Fluviale.

Training was delivered through IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) with financial support from the Republic of Korea, and collaboration with the Agence Portuaire, Maritime et Fluviale (APMF) of Madagascar.

Added 17 March 2024

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Drama in South Atlantic as yacht sinks, sailors rescued

Africa Ports & Ships

A dramatic rescue operation in the South Atlantic, 2,400km from Cape Town, saw the rescue of two sailors after a third, the skipper of the yacht, disappeared and is presumed to have gone down with his yacht.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), which coordinated the long-range rescue via its Centre for Sea Watch & Response, confirmed that two of the crew of the yacht Nina Pope, had been rescued from their liferaft.

First news of the drama was received in the early hours of Wednesday 13 March 2024, when the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town received an SOS Alert via the Garmin International Rescue Coordination Centre (IERCC).

The alert indicated that the Swiss-flagged sailing vessel, Nina Pope, was taking on water approximately 2,400km west-southwest of Cape Town. Following a Cospas-Sarsat Emergency Position Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert, it was confirmed that the Nina Pope was en route from Tristan da Cunha to Cape Town.

According to SAMSA, the MRCC Cape Town, in close collaboration with MRCC Uruguay and other international partners, initiated a coordinated search and rescue (SAR) operation.

The prompt MAYDAY Relay, facilitated by Telkom Maritime Radio, and the strategic use of SAMSA’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) were instrumental in mobilising the crude oil tanker Front Pollux (IMO 9780263) to the distress location.

Despite challenging conditions, with winds up to 74 km/h and sea swells of up to 8 metres, the Front Pollux managed to recover two male survivors from a life raft near the reported position. Unfortunately, a third seafarer, the skipper of the Nina Pope, a German national, could not be saved and is presumed to have gone down with the vessel.

The survivors, one with dual Swiss/USA citizenship and the other Brazilian, have since communicated with their respective embassies in Cape Town, facilitated by the tanker. They did not require medical assistance and will be brought to Cape Town on the Front Pollux.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will be assisting with their arrival early next week when the 109,899-dwt tanker arrives off Cape Town.

Added 16 March 2024

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Angola’s Customs Police seize seven fishing vessels

Africa Ports & Ships

Angola’s Customs Fiscal Police seized seven fishing vessels in Luanda this week on charges of fishing in a prohibited area.

A further two fishing vessels were seized for tax purposes, bringing to nine the number taken out of service.

The crews on board these vessels are from Angola (97) and China (55).

A spokesman for the National Police, Deputy Commissioner Mateus Rodrigues, said the seven vessels that were seized on 10 March were trawling in an estuary area, at the mouth of the Kwanza River, which is an area reserved for the reproduction of marine resources.

He said that policing operations of this nature will continue as a warning to other offenders. He encouraged citizens to report any suspected transgression of maritime law.

The seven apprehended fishing vessels are estimated to be capable of catching and storing up to a total of 1,050 tons of juvenile fish. source: ANGOP

Added 15 March 2024

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TNPA opens 100 opportunities to lease port land and commercial developments

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the landlord of South Africa’s commercial seaports, has opened approximately 100 leasing opportunities for port land and commercial developments across its seven ports.

Referring to this as part of its real estate growth strategy, TNPA says that within the lease opportunities on offer, facilities will be repurposed for economic activity.

Vacant buildings will be available for office, recreational and industrial purposes, opening business opportunities within the port cities.

Out of the current approximate total gross lettable area of 26 million m2, the total extent covered by properties which have been issued for leasing opportunities amounts to 438,719m².

“While these leasing opportunities allow TNPA to fully optimise the use of land within the ports, they undoubtedly present an untapped opportunity for the business to unlock the future of South Africa’s trade economy whilst opening up the market for new entrants,” says Dr Dineo Mazibuko, acting TNPA General Manager for Commercial Services.

From the available leasing opportunities, 26 are for the Port of Cape Town, 26 for the Port of Durban, two for the Port of East London, four for the Port of Mossel Bay, 11 for the Port of Port Elizabeth, 24 for the of Port of Richards Bay and six for the Port of Saldanha.

The primary lease term ranges between a period of one to 15 years, depending on the type of development and alignment to the specific Port Development Framework Plan.

RFP documents were issued on 1 March 2024 with submissions closing on 5 April 2024 promptly at 12:00. RFP advertisements containing further details on accessing the RFP documents are accessible from the National Treasury’s e-tender publication portal www.etenders.gov.za/ or the Transnet website: www.transnet.net

Added 14 March 2024

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Indian Ocean naval exercise involving Iran, Russia & China – SA as observer

Africa Ports & Ships

Naval units from Iran, China and Russia commenced a joint naval exercise ‘Marine Security Belt 2024’ in the Gulf of Oman this week Tuesday, with a reported 15 or more ships involved and supported by naval helicopters drawn from the three countries.

Sources in Iran report that observers from South Africa, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, and Pakistan are also participating in the exercise.

Among the naval ships involved are the Russian missile cruiser Varyag, supported by the frigate Marshall Shaposhnikov, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, guided-missile frigate Linyi and replenishment vessel Dongpinghu.

Iran has provided a total of ten naval vessels.

Iranian state media quoted Admiral Mostafa Tajaddini, spokesperson for the exercise, as saying the intention of the exercise includes strengthening the security of international maritime trade, combatting piracy and maritime terrorism.

It also involves the honing of experience in naval rescue and relief operations in addition to sharing operational and tactical experience.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has described the exercise as paying attention to the protection of maritime economic activity.

This is the fifth similar exercise involving the three nations, which is taking place in one of the most sensitive and important stretches of ocean.

Added 14 March 2024

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In Conversation: Five hotspots where floating plastic litter poses the greatest risk to North Atlantic marine life – new study

 

Samantha Garrard, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Plastic has been found in every single part of the ocean, from the surface to the seafloor and from the tropics to the poles. Land-based sources of plastic account for the majority of this pollution, with plastic bags, bottles, wrappers, food containers and cutlery among the most common items found.

These items are often buoyant and float on the sea surface. As they travel long distances, they get pushed by the wind, waves and currents. This means they have the potential to cause harm far beyond the country from which they originated. For example, land-based plastic waste from Indonesia has been shown to travel over 4,000km to the Seychelles.

As it travels, plastic litter can cause harm to wildlife. Megafauna (large marine animals) can eat or become entangled in it. Consuming plastic litter can block or damage the gastrointestinal tract of animals, causing significant health impacts or death.

While ghost fishing gear (lost fishing nets that float freely) is the most common entanglement threat to marine megafauna, they can also become entangled in land-sourced plastics such as plastic bags, frisbees, potato nets, elastic bands and other circular plastics. This can cause severe trauma to the animal, and in some cases entanglement causes death.

If plastic is transported towards the shore, it can get caught or lodged in shallow environments where it can entangle or cover plant or animal habitats, causing damage. Plastic entanglement can cause breakage, and if it covers a habitat it will restrict access to food or light.

At Plymouth Marine Laboratory, our team of marine researchers have developed a risk assessment approach to understand where this plastic litter could cause the most harm in the North Atlantic, and which countries that plastic originated from. Our research highlighted five areas of high risk – the US Atlantic, the US Gulf of Mexico, the UK, French Atlantic and Portuguese Azores.

Reducing risk

In our new study, we assessed the risk of land-sourced plastic litter to marine megafauna. That includes seabirds, whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees and dugongs, sharks and rays, tuna and billfish. We also assessed the risk to shallow water habitats including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, saltmarsh and kelp seaweed beds.

Using a particle tracking model, we tracked the flow of buoyant plastic litter released from the rivers of 16 countries bordering the North Atlantic between 2000 and 2015 using the most recent data available. Billions of virtual particles were released at the mouths of the rivers each month, with surface currents and wind used to drive their movement. After 15 years of tracking, our model showed us where plastic was likely to accumulate.

We also assessed the vulnerability of each of the megafauna groups and shallow water habitats to this plastic. For marine megafauna, we developed vulnerability scores by quantifying the amount of scientific evidence of ingestion or entanglement in land-sourced plastic. For habitats, we developed vulnerability scores by quantifying the scientific evidence available for this plastic causing harm by entanglement or smothering.

To assess risk, we mapped the vulnerability and distribution of each megafauna group or habitat against the abundance of plastic. Each point within the map was given a risk score from zero to five. The greatest risk occurred in areas where high numbers of vulnerable megafauna or habitats overlapped with high concentrations of plastic.

Managing the plastic problem

We found that much of the modelled plastic litter causing risk in the UK originated from UK rivers. In other high-risk zones such as the Azores and the US Gulf of Mexico, plastic primarily originated from other regions. More than 99% of plastic litter in the Azores was estimated to come from the other countries, mainly Caribbean islands and the US.

The potential of this plastic to travel vast distances across the ocean makes management of this pollutant particularly difficult. More than 90% of plastic waste in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are estimated to be mismanaged. This waste has the potential to cause ecological harm across both sides of the Atlantic.

UN member nations have agreed to forge an international legally binding agreement to tackle plastic pollution, called the Global Plastics Treaty, with negotiations expected to be completed by the end of this year. This study highlights the importance of the treaty in ensuring international cooperation to reduce plastic consumption and waste, including the provision of financial support to help lower-income nations such as the Caribbean islands implement measures. Identification of high-risk zones will also help prioritise areas where interventions and monitoring should be targeted.

Even if all plastic intervention measures are implemented, it is likely that substantial amounts of plastic will still enter our oceans. The production, sale and distribution of many of single-use items are likely to be phased out under the Global Plastics Treaty, as nations move to restrict avoidable plastic products.

While global measures are hugely important in the fight against plastic, the choices of consumers also play a significant role. Reducing, re-using and recycling plastic are powerful ways to cut your plastic footprint. At both ends of the spectrum, the choices made at international and household level can be good news for marine wildlife.

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Samantha Garrard, Senior Marine Ecosystem Services Researcher, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

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

Added 14 March 2024

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Armscor to acquire speedboats to patrol SA’s maritime borders

by Guy Martin

The newly established Border Management Authority (BMA) has tasked state defence materiel agency Armscor with acquiring speedboats so its Coastal Guards can patrol South Africa’s maritime borders.

This is according to BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato, who on 6 March briefed the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) on cooperation between the BMA and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on the border environment.

With regard to sea borders, Masiapato’s presentation revealed that BMA Coastal Guard units have been deployed to eight sites along the South African coastline, with an initial personnel strength of 50.

The Coast Guards have been deployed at the various maritime ports of entry (main harbours like Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha) and are also protecting marine resources. “Coast Guards conduct maritime border law enforcement functions such as preventing and combating of human trafficking and the illegal movement of vessels,” the BMA said

The BMA is, through state defence materiel agency Armscor, in the process of acquiring patrol boats to patrol the maritime environment and to ensure domain awareness, Masiapato said.

The BMA added that, “the role of the Maritime Border Guards will not clash with that of the SA Navy of border safeguarding and defending the territorial integrity of South Africa.”

The BMA has cooperation agreements in place with the South African National Defence Force, South African Police Service (SAPS) and SA Revenue Service (SARS) to strengthen the safeguarding of the country’s borders, with the SANDF responsible for monitoring vulnerable sections of the borderline.

Masiapato explained that in May 2022 the BMA signed an ‘implementation protocol’ with the SANDF to monitor the vulnerable portions of the land border. Border guards are deployed along eight areas of the border (primarily Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique), with joint operations and collaboration envisaged with the SANDF as deployments are co-located along SANDF Operation Corona border safeguarding deployments.

Challenges regarding BMA/SANDF collaboration exist, however, and these include the absence of coherent surveillance technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the absence of integrated radio communication system between the BMA and SANDF; limited capacity in a huge borderline terrain (4 772 km of land and 3 900 km of sea borders); and operational budgets constraints. Masiapato did say the SANDF is in the process of acquiring some UAVs for border surveillance.

In fact, R700 million has been allocated by National Treasury to the SANDF for border surveillance technology, including radars, UAVs, and cameras, as well as vehicles.

Masiapato said capacitation of the SANDF is needed to take care of the areas in which the BMA, SAPS and SARS do not operate and ensure the country’s territorial integrity is preserved.

The BMA said it aims to support the SANDF deployment as well as share information with other forces in the border enforcement area, and engage with neighbouring countries on matters related to border security.

“The BMA have formalised collaboration with other law enforcement authorities to strengthen border law enforcement such as the SANDF, SAPS and SARS as well as co-ordination with other organs of state, entities and communities,” Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in response to a recent parliamentary question from ANC MP Anthea Ramolobeng.

An initial 200 border guards were deployed in July 2022 ahead of the BMA’s full establishment in July 2023 and official launch in October. Masiapato said the BMA has from 14 July 2022 to date apprehended and processed 240 000 undocumented migrants. Significant quantities of illicit goods and drugs have also been seized.

Written by defenceWeb and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.

Added 13 March 2024

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WHARF TALK: luxury passenger ship – SILVER SPIRIT

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Trevor Jones, & Alan Calvert
Story by Jay Gates

The Houthi menace has inconvenienced shipping companies in a devastating way. That a ragtag bunch of militants have an arsenal of drones and anti-ship missiles tells you how much the fingerprints of Iran are all over this terror related activity of random attacks on world trade. That the container ship transits through the Red Sea have dropped by a massive 91% tells you all you need to know about how these Houthi criminal attacks are affecting everybody involved.

The casual maritime observer is well aware that it is not only container vessels that are now having to hack their way around the Cape, but every other vessel type is also affected. It includes passenger liners too, with one recent caller being full of, no doubt, disappointed passengers who are not going to visit those ports that they originally paid good money to see.

However, a few of the passenger liners have simply dropped all of their passengers at their last cruise termination port, and headed for home in the Northern Hemisphere. A few have taken sufficient bunkers elsewhere to make the Cape sea route transit, and get all the way home, without the need to call in to Durban or Cape Town for an uplift. Not all of the now empty passenger liners were in a position, or geographical location, to allow them to do that.

On 8th March, at 11:00 in the morning, the luxury passenger ship ‘Silver Spirit’ (IMO 9437866) arrived off Cape Town, from Port Victoria in the Seychelles, and entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock and strangely for a passenger vessel, being taken to the Landing Wall. Such a remote berth hinted at her being a possible diversion, arriving for bunkers, and having no passengers aboard to worry about.

Built in 2009 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA at Ancona in Italy, ‘Silver Spirit’ was originally 196 metres in length, and with an original gross registered tonnage of 36,009 tons. In 2018 she was lengthened at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo in Italy, and her length was increased to 211 metres, and her gross registered tonnage increased to 39,444 tons.

She is a diesel electric powered vessel, and has four Wärtsilä 9L38B generators providing a total of 26,100 kW for both propulsion and domestic power requirements. For propulsion, power is given to two VEM electric motors producing 8,500 kW each, to drive two fixed pitch propellers for a service speed of 20.3 knots. For added manoeuvrability she has two bow transverse thrusters providing 1,000 kW each.

Built for the high end, ultra luxury, expedition cruise market, ‘Silver Spirit’ is nominally owned by Silver Spirit Shipping Co. Ltd., of Nassau in the Bahamas, but forms part of the fleet of Silversea Cruises Ltd., of Monaco, who are part of the Royal Caribbean Group. She is operated by Silversea Cruises Ltd., of Fort Lauderdale in the US State of Florida, and is managed by V Ships Leisure SAM, of Monaco.

She has nine passenger decks, and can carry 608 passengers, with a crew of 412. She has 270 cabins, of which 256 of them, or 95% of the total, have balconies. Her cabin sizes run from the smallest Vista Suites, with no balcony, with an area of 312 sq.ft/29m2, up to the Grand Suite penthouses, with two bedrooms, which have an area of 1,772 sq.ft/164m2.

Her onboard passenger facilities include eight restaurants, six bars, four lounges, including a smoking lounge, a theatre, a café, card room, library, conference room, casino, boutique, beauty salon, spa, thermal suite, fitness centre, gymnasium, aerobic centre, swimming pool, whirlpool, three Jacuzzis, and a jogging track. This is quite a broad range of facilities for 600 well-heeled passengers.

As with many smaller, upmarket, passenger vessels that have been calling into South African ports over the past few years, ‘Silver Spirit’ arrived off the coast in January and carried out one 17 day coastal cruise, covering all ports from Walvis Bay in Namibia, all the way round to Richards Bay. She called into Cape Town on 27th January to begin a 62 day cruise, which would culminate in Piraeus in Greece on 29th March. The cruise would start with another coastal cruise, and then back to Cape Town on 11th February to continue on with the full itinerary being;

Cape Town- Lüderitz- Walvis Bay (both Namibia)- Mossel Bay- Durban- Richards Bay- Cape Town- Port Elizabeth- Tolagnaro (Madagascar)- St. Denis (Reunion)- Port Louis (Mauritius)- Antsiranana (Madagascar)- Port Victoria- La Digue (both Seychelles)- Muscat (Oman)- Fujairah- Ras Al Khaimah- Abu Dhabi (all UAE)- Doha (Qatar)- Manama (Bahrain)- Dubai (UAE)- Khasab- Salalah (both Oman)- Aqaba (Jordan)- Safaga- Sokhna (both Egypt)- Suez Canal transit- Heraklion- Piraeus (both Greece).

However, as everybody now knows, the security risks posed to passengers by the Houthi menace was such that Silversea Cruises took the decision to terminate the cruise at Port Victoria in the Seychelles when ‘Silver Spirit’ arrived on 26th February. On arrival all passengers were disembarked, and flown home. Being a luxury end passenger liner, her passengers had paid, literally, top dollar for the 62 day cruise, with cabins starting from US$34,700 (ZAR648,048) for a Vista Suite. Such a cancellation would cost her owners a pretty packet.

She then sailed out into the Mahé Anchorage, off Port Victoria, and went to anchor for the next two days to await orders. On 29th February ‘Silver Spirit’ sailed from the Seychelles, bound now for Cape Town without any passengers, and on a positioning voyage en route back to the Mediterranean.

After receiving her bunker uplift from the harbour bunker tanker ‘Southern Valour’, and after a quick nine hours alongside, ‘Silver Spirit’ sailed from Cape Town at 20:00 in the evening of 8th March, with her AIS showing Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, as her next port of call, ostensibly another bunker call. She is scheduled to return to South Africa in January 2025, to repeat her programme of a double coastal cruise, before ending in March 2025 with an itinerary that follows that of the failed cruise of this year.

This is not the first time that ‘Silver Spirit’ has cruised along the South African coast. Back in January 2018 she received that rare occurrence of actually having a Port State Inspection in a South African port. Her inspection, taken under the auspices of both the Abuja MoU, and the Indian Ocean MoU, took place in Cape Town. The outcome of the inspection was that not one single deficiency was recorded against her.

When she was lengthened back in 2018 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, she received a 15 metre long new midsection. The work on her lengthening was completed by 500 workers, and took over 450,000 man hours to complete. The new section required 846 tons of steel, carried 110,000 metres of new cabling, 8,000 metres of new piping, and increased her capacity by 12%.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, ‘Silver Spirit’ was prevented from docking in the Myanmar (Burma) port of Thilawa, outside the capital city of Yangon (Rangoon). She had arrived from Phuket in Thailand, on 4th March, with over 400 passengers onboard, but the local authorities refused her entry due to fears that the Covid virus was being carried aboard ‘Silver Spirit’. She instead headed for Penang in Malaysia.

It was only on 19th March, when she arrived at the port of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, that passengers were permitted to disembark. Berthed away from the normal passenger facilities, ‘Silver Spirit’ was brought alongside the Iron Ore Wharf in Darwin. The Australian health authorities allowed passengers to disembark, but they were required to undergo a self-quarantine period of four days.

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In Conversation: Technology to protect South Africa’s oceans: experts find that a data-driven monitoring system is paying off

Ocean Azul, a Uruguayan-flagged fishing vessel based at Cape Town for part of the year. Picture by ‘Dockrat’ 

Africa Ports & Ships

Marjolaine Krug, University of Cape Town

Nine years ago South Africa put in place an innovative information management system designed to monitor and protect its seas. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian oceans on its southern, eastern and western borders.

The oceans are an important source of income and employment. The ocean economy contributed about R110 billion (around US$5.7 billion) to South Africa’s GDP in 2010. A 2019 government report projected that, by 2033, this would rise to R177 billion (US$9.2 billion), as well as creating just over one million jobs. The main sectors in ocean industries are maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture, mineral resource exploitation and tourism. The potential for economic growth is also reflected in the country’s Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy plan.

But, while the sheer extent of its maritime domain presents many opportunities, it also comes with governance challenges. It’s hard to monitor and plan for ocean-related economic development and conservation.

That’s where the National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System (OCIMS) comes in. It was conceptualised within the country’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in 2012 and officially launched in 2015 in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

While the system is tailored to South Africa’s national priorities, it was inspired by other mature ocean information systems around the world, such as those in Australia and the US.

The system brings ocean observations made by various national agencies into one platform. The major users are also partners who contribute to the system by sharing data and expertise.

For example, data capture apps on the system are used to share measurements made on aquaculture farms and inform users on the potential risk of red tides (a common name used for harmful algal bloom). Boat-based whale watching operators contribute their marine species sightings data towards biodiversity assessments. All this data can be analysed by scientists and their findings used to advise on policy options or compliance and enforcement actions.

In a recent paper we looked at how the system emerged and why it’s been important for the protection of the country’s oceans. We found that it was providing value for money: it helped mitigate environmental or security risks, resulting in significant cost savings for the public and private sectors. It also promoted dialogue across government departments, non-profit organisations and the private sector. This facilitates a coordinated approach to ocean governance.

The approach taken to establish the system could benefit other countries looking to build their own ocean and coastal system knowledge platforms.

Data-driven

As the COVID pandemic demonstrated, informed decisions cannot occur without access to data. Historical and operational data provides situational awareness, informs policy and supports long-term planning and management.

To this end, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, working with the South African Environmental Observations Network, created the Marine Information Management System. It’s an essential component of the overall OCIMS system. It preserves, discovers and disseminates long-term data. It is internationally accredited and bound by best international standards and practices.

The system also makes data more accessible by providing user-specific data capture applications, complemented by data visualisation platforms such as webmaps and dashboards.

Supporting decisions

Another of the system’s aims is to provide tools for supporting decisions. Such tools can be used for coordination and response (for example, monitoring avian influenza). They can also be used in compliance and enforcement initiatives, such as tracking vessels.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture tool, for instance, supports both the public and private sectors by providing warnings on potentially harmful algal blooms, a phenomenon that can threaten aquaculture farms or affect fish and lobster populations. It detects algal blooms through satellite observations; this satellite data is complemented by information from those in the field, combining to create an active, interactive decision-making tool.

Then there’s the Integrated Vessel Tracking tool. It monitors vessels’ movements and is used daily by the institutions mandated to enforce security at sea, such as intelligence services and the navy, to detect or intercept illegal activities at sea. Researchers say the tool has worked to prevent illegal fishing and marine pollution. It’s also been instrumental in the interception of drug-loaded vessels.

Collaboration

All of these successes have been made possible by secure, sustained funding by the South African government. That has instilled a sense of security in collaborators and partners; they provide invaluable co-funding, expertise and data, saving money and building resilience into the system.

Some of the system’s tools have been shared with other countries in the southern African and Indian Ocean regions.

As the project’s visibility increases, new opportunities for collaborations are emerging. Government departments, non-profit organisations and the private sector are coming forward with offers to share data. The system is also being proposed for use by academic scientists in their proposals.

One of the main lessons emerging from our research, which may be of interest to other countries wanting to launch similar initiatives, is that it’s crucial to involve a system’s major users in development from the start. Formalised stakeholder interactions ensure that the system directly responds to major user needs. That makes it immediately relevant and useful.

Marjolaine Krug, Senior Scientific Advisor, University of Cape Town

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

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IMO and Tunisia: Port security audit training

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

Senior officials from Tunisia have completed training in conducting port facility security audits. This was reported by IMO on 12 March.  (Picture above: IMO)

SOLAS + ISPS Code

The IMO National Training Course for Port Facility Security Auditors, held in Tunis from 4 to 8 March covered relevant provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter XI-2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code).

These instruments form the basis for a comprehensive mandatory security regime for international shipping, including assistance on how to conduct port facility security audits and the effective preparation of reporting and follow-up actions those generate.

Twenty-four participants from the Designated Authorities (DA), which are specified organizations responsible for port security nominated by the national Government, Port Facility Security Officers and their deputies gained the knowledge and skills to effectively conduct oversight, in line with IMO maritime security measures.

UK-funded

The training was hosted by the Office of Merchant Marine and Ports (Ministry of Transports), Tunisia, with the General Directorate of Maritime Transport and Merchant Marine. It was funded by the UK Department for Transport and closed with a keynote address by the Minister of Transports of Tunisia, Mr Rabie Majidi.

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Bulk carrier Abdullah, sailing from Maputo, is highjacked by pirates

Africa Ports & Ships

Pirates have seized a Bangladeshi-flagged and owned ship, the bulk carrier Abdullah (IMO 9745598), en route from the port of Maputo in Mozambique, which has been boarded by a reported 20 pirates who have taken the crew of 23 seafarers hostage.

The 58,068-dwt bulker was en route to the UAE port of Al Hamriyah with a cargo of 58,000 tons of coal. Abdullah is nominally owned by SR Shipping, a sister company to a Bangladeshi steel manufacturing outfit based in Chattogram, Bangladesh, and is managed by Brave Royal Ship Management also of Chattogram.

A spokesman for SR Shipping told a Bangladeshi newspaper that they were in communication with the ship’s crew through the WhatsApp social media service. This has continued to be possible using a hidden cell phone and the shipboard Wi-Fi.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has been notified as well as the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region, which is hosted by the Indian Navy. Likewise the Bangladeshi Navy has been made aware.

Though not initially confIrmed, it is believed the pirates are from Somalia and will be taking the ship towards that country.

Abdullah was boarded while sailing opposite the Somali coast but at some considerable distance out at sea, and north of the Seychelles.

This is the second ship associated with the Brave Royal Shipping Ship Management. In December 2010 the Jahan Moni was highjacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. All 25 crew plus the wife of the chief officer were held hostage before being rescued almost 100 days later.

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Near-tripling of EU ETS costs due to Red Sea crisis, analysis shows

Africa Ports & Ships

Persistent missile attacks by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea route have led to soaring emissions liabilities for shipping companies under the EU ETS as lengthy voyage diversions for Europe-bound vessels have multiplied fuel consumption, an analysis by according to Hamburg-based maritime technology firm OceanScore.

An increasing number of commercial ships have been taking the alternative route to Europe via the Cape of Good Hope – adding around 9,000 nautical miles, or 80%, to the distance sailed – to avoid the Houthi threat as over 50 vessels passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait have so far been targeted by the Iran-backed militant group despite protective measures by a broad multi-national coalition.

Latest figures from Clarksons Research show that container ship transits via the Gulf of Aden to the Mediterranean have dropped 91% from the first half of December as around 620 vessels have been diverted, while bunker and crude tanker transits are down 37% and 31%, respectively.

Conversely, Cape of Good Hope tonnage arrivals have risen 81% since December.

Higher emissions fuel voyage costs

The consequent disruption to critical trade routes has resulted in spot freight rates increasing by two to three times versus pre-disruption levels while charter rates are up 28% from December, according to Clarksons.

Oceanscore meanwhile, has calculated the widescale diversion of marine traffic is fuelling the costs of shipping companies due to significantly higher exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which imposes liability for 50% of emissions for voyages to and from the EU and 100% for port calls and transits within the bloc.

OceanScore has estimated the route via the Cape has tripled bunker consumption due to the longer distance and an approximate 25% increase in sailing speed from 16 to 20 knots, based on its AIS tracking of mainly container vessels.

“We have observed increased speeds to compensate for at least some of the longer distance – to keep sailing times and the need for additional tonnage to be deployed at acceptable levels – and this has an inevitable impact on fuel consumption and emissions,” OceanScore’s co-Managing Director Albrecht Grell says.

Rising EUA requirement for boxships

Modelling analysis conducted by the firm, based on the case of a 14,000-TEU container ship, has shown the number of EU Allowances (EUA), or carbon credits, necessary to cover emissions would rise from 1,800 per voyage to 5,200 per voyage with the current 40% liability requirement under the three-year phase-in of the EU ETS from 1 January 2024, rising to 70% next year and 100% in 2026.

This would translate into a near-threefold increase in EUA costs from €98,000 to €285,000 per voyage this year, based on the current carbon price of around €55 per tonne of CO2, or a hike of €18 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), according to OceanScore, which is supporting companies with its web-based ETS Manager application for tracking, accounting and allocation of EUAs.

Grell points out that, if the volatile carbon price returns to the level of around €100 that it reached a year ago, these costs would nearly double. “With complete phase in of the EU ETS to 100% of emissions, we would see another 250% increase that would bring the cost mark-up per box to around €80,” he says.

“It goes without saying that changes in sailing speeds, different vessel sizes, utilizations and the overall energy efficiency of the vessel used will all have a significant impact on the above analysis – but the general trend will be the same,” Grell adds.

Uncertain outlook for ocean freight

While €80 per box “sounds like a lot of money”, Grell underlines that EUA liabilities are still not the major cost driver for current high freight rates that reflect increased bunker expenses and tonne-miles sailed with the Cape route.

“The threat level to Red Sea shipping remains high and it is uncertain how long this situation will persist for ocean freight given the Houthi attacks continue unabated. Shipping companies must therefore prepare and take account of higher emissions liabilities for the foreseeable future,” Grell says.

“Ultimately, however, the issue of EUA and other costs is secondary to ensuring the safety of crews and ships, which of course is the primary consideration and must remain paramount.”

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WHARF TALK: Pure Car Carrier – WON SHIN

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

The South African ports of Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London all regularly get to host the large, ocean going, Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC), which both deliver cars, trucks and heavy wheeled plant to South Africa from all around the world, as well as loading South African made cars from these ports. These three ports are utilised based on the fact that the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are where the manufacturing plants are located.

I would suspect that the list of motor vehicle car manufacturers, that are present in South Africa, is longer than most folk realise. I doubt that many of these folk would be aware that the first motor vehicle manufacturer to set up a factory in South Africa was the Ford Motor Company, and this was in Port Elizabeth as far back as 1924, in order to build the Model T Ford.

The list of all other foreign motor vehicle manufacturers based in South Africa, and the year that they began production in the country, includes Volkswagen (1951), Mercedes-Benz (1958), Toyota (1962), Nissan (1966), BMW (1973), Isuzu (2002), Hyundai (2014), and latterly the Indian manufacturer Mahindra (2018).

According to the National Association for Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), vehicle manufacturing contributed 2.4% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, and the industry supported over 110,000 jobs. Many of the cars made in South Africa are top sellers locally, including models such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Volkswagen Polo, which further supports the 1.9% of GDP that is contributed through Retail Vehicle Sales.

The casual maritime observer in Cape Town is not blessed with seeing the regular arrival of the PCTC fleets, as there are no manufacturers in the Western Cape, nor any future plans for there to be any. For the casual maritime observer in Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, they get to see a PCTC on a regular basis, and from the fleets of all of the major PCTC operators.

An idea of the amount of vehicles that are exported through these three ports is given focus when you realise that of the 555,889 cars made in South Africa in 2023, 351,785 of them, or around two-thirds of the total, were exported for sale elsewhere. That total makes for a fair number of PCTC vessels to be arriving for collecting that export trade.

The effective geographical isolation of South Africa, from the mainly first world that purchases South Africa’s output of motor vehicles, means that the PCTC visitors are of the large variety, i.e. truly ocean going, with the newest class of PCTC capable of carrying up to 11,000 cars. What is now never seen in South African ports is the small, short sea, Pure Car Carrier (PCC).

With few exceptions, not since Unicorn Lines sold off ‘Mkuze’ and ‘Boundary’ have the short sea PCC vessels been seen in South African ports. Not unexpectedly, the rash of diversionary traffic being sent around the Cape sea route, as a result of the Houthi menace, has seen a number of unusual arrivals in Cape Town, one of which has been a PCTC, but not a PCC, at least not until now, when one eventually did arrive recently.

On 7th March, at 21:00 in the evening, the Pure Car Carrier ‘Won Shin’ (IMO 9179983) arrived off Cape Town, from Singapore, and entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and going alongside the outer berth of the Eastern Mole. This berth is a non-commercial berth, and the only reason for a small Ro-Ro to berth there would be for a bunkers uplift.

Built in 1998 by Detlef Hegemann Rolandwerft GmbH shipyard, at Bremen in Germany, ‘Won Shin’ is 100 metres in length and has a deadweight of 3,346 tons. She is powered by two MaK 8M25 eight cylinder, four stroke, main engines with each producing 3,264 bhp (2,400 kW), driving two controllable pitch propellers for a service speed of 15.5 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two Yanmar 6N16SL-EN generators providing 441 kW each, and a single Caterpillar 3304B emergency generator providing 120 kW. For added manoeuvrability, ‘Won Shin’ has a bow transverse thruster providing 700 kW.

As a PCC Ro-Ro vessel she provides a total of 4,300 lane metres, and has a cargo carrying capacity of 850 cars. As well as having a side loading ramp on her starboard side, ‘Won Shin’ has a stern ramp, also offset to her starboard side, which is 14 metres in length, and 5 metres in width, with a hull door sill height of 3.8 metres. The stern ramp has a deck strength of 5 tons.

One of a series of four sisterships, built for the short sea routes of the North Sea, and Baltic Sea, ‘Won Shin’ was built to export Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Kia motor vehicles from ports in Northern Germany to ports in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland and Sweden, and also to export Toyota and Ford motor vehicles from two ports in the United Kingdom to the same European destination, plus to the ports of Emden and Cuxhaven in Germany.

They were operating under the Japanese K-Line banner, with full K-Line funnel colours, and the hull logo of K-Line European Sea Highway Services (KESS). In January 2023 she, and one of her sisterships, were sold Doriko Ltd., of Seoul in South Korea, and operated by CIG Shipping, also of Seoul.

They were used on a short sea route between Masan in South Korea, and Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East. This was a weekly service, and was for the export of used, and second hand, Korean manufactured motor vehicles to Russia, and included the occasional call being made at the Japanese ports of Senboku, near to Osaka, and to Kisarazu, near to Chiba.

CIG Shipping advertised shipping rates, between Masan and Vladivostok, of US$1,750 (ZAR32,781) for a car, US$1,850 (ZAR34,654) for an SUV (Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sportage, Kia Sorento), and US$1,950 (ZAR36,527) for a Van/People Carrier (Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Staria, Kia Mohave, Kia Carnival). The last service to Vladivostok by ‘Won Shin’ was advertised as being in the second week of November 2023.

On 19th January 2024 it was announced that ‘Won Shin’ had been sold to new owners in Turkey. Her nominal new owners were Mediterra Indian Co., with her being managed by Erkdeniz Denizcilik Isletmeleri, of Izmir in Turkey. She had departed Masan in early February, and called at Yantai in China, and Singapore for bunkers, before proceeding to Cape Town for a further bunker uplift.

Interestingly, her previous operators, CIG Shipping Ltd., also carried out the export of second hand vehicles from Korea to ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt (Port Said), Turkey (Iskenderun), Greece (Piraeus), Libya (Benghazi and Misurata), Albania (Durres), Slovenia (Kopor), and Spain (Tarragona), as well as to ports in the Red Sea, including Yemen (Aden), Sudan (Port Sudan), and Jordan (Aqaba).

CIG Shipping Ltd., have continued to direct all of their vessels, that are employed on the Mediterranean and Red Sea trades, to route via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. At present there are no fewer than four of CIG Shipping vessels underway in, or recently through, the Red Sea. Interestingly, one of the Ro-Ro vessels is currently steaming northbound abeam Yanbu, in Saudi Arabia, and is broadcasting her destination on AIS as ‘VL NO CONTACT ISRAEL’.

After just 17 hours alongside at the Eastern Mole, and having completed her uplift of bunkers, stores and fresh provisions, ‘Won Shin’ was ready for departure. At 14:00 in the afternoon of 8th March she sailed from Cape Town, with her AIS showing her next destination being Gibraltar, which is another regular bunker uplift stop for many vessels.

Clearly, the previous owners of ‘Won Shin’ seemed to consider the risks of their vessels proceeding up, and down, the Red Sea and the possibilities of coming under a Houthi missile attack, as low, and one would have assumed that this would have been the obvious routing for ‘Won Shin’ to take from South Korea to Turkey. Because she did not route that way, again one can only assume that her new owners took a completely different risk viewpoint for their new acquisition, and requested that she route to them via the Cape sea route.

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Two centuries of the RNLI

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

On 4 March the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) celebrated 200 years of saving lives at sea – thanks to volunteers giving their time to save others, all funded by public donations.

The RNLI has been saving lives at sea around the UK and Ireland for 200 years, since the charity was founded in 1824, its volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 146,277 lives.

Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.

Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed boats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1850s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.

The RNLI’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of two centuries. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.

While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.

For more see here

Two special stamps from An Post, which depict the charity’s lifesaving work in Ireland, were issued. Dublin based artist David Rooney has created two images which show the moment of rescue between the lifeboat crew member and the person in the water.

RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie, commented: “It has been an honour and a privilege to be at the helm of the RNLI for the past five years, and to see the charity reach its bicentenary. For a charity to have survived 200 years based on the time and commitment of volunteers, and the sheer generosity of the public donating to fund it, is truly remarkable. It is through the courage and dedication of its incredible people that the RNLI has survived the tests of time, including tragic losses, funding challenges, two World Wars and, more recently, a global pandemic.

“I am immensely grateful to everyone who is involved with the charity – our volunteers, supporters and staff. This is our watch and it is our role to keep our charity safe and secure so it can continue to save lives into the future, as we strive in our vision to save every one.”

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In Conversation: Somalia-Turkey maritime deal is a win for both countries, and not a power play for the Horn of Africa

Africa Ports & Ships

Brendon J. Cannon, Khalifa University

A recent defence deal between Somalia and Turkey has great significance for Somalia and the region’s security. The agreement, which covers both land and sea, aims to enhance defence cooperation between Turkey and Somalia. It includes the possibility of Turkey providing both training and equipment for a Somali navy.

Its near-term impact should, however, not be exaggerated.

Instead, it should be understood as a good-faith agreement signed between asymmetric powers whose interests overlap a little, at present. My research on the geopolitics and security agreements over the past few decades covering Turkey, Somalia and the wider east African region leads to my analysis that Mogadishu and Ankara entered into the agreement for different reasons.

Turkey, the more powerful partner, signed the agreement to bolster its reputation as a security partner and important actor in sub-Saharan Africa. It wants to cement its role as a critical player in Somalia’s future, and improve its international visibility and prestige domestically.

Turkey plans to expand its training role to the maritime realm in Somalia and complement its terrestrial military training facility in Mogadishu. It may also provide – but is unlikely to sell (given Somalia’s severe budgetary constraints) – arms to Somalia now that the arms embargo has been lifted.

Somalia, as the less powerful partner, signed the agreement to build its defence capacities, particularly offshore. It entered into the deal eventually to gain the capabilities to project force throughout the territories it claims.

Mogadishu’s means to project force in its territorial waters are currently limited. Hence, the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and piracy.

Somalia’s leaders likely hope that Turkey will be able to train and equip Somali soldiers and sailors. This would give Mogadishu the capability to project limited force and thus better police its territories, both maritime and terrestrial. In doing so, it hopes to eventually gain a monopoly on the use of force within its borders, including semi-autonomous regions such as Jubaland and the de facto independent state of Somaliland.

Limited scope

In my view, there are limitations to what Turkey can achieve through this agreement in terms of its ambitions in the region. Even if the agreement were fully implemented, Ankara would not be involved in confronting Mogadishu’s rivals (including Ethiopia) within the region.

In short, the agreement is limited in scope and in terms of capabilities being offered. It will need to be long term to accomplish anything close to affecting political and military outcomes on the ground – inside and outside Somalia.

It does not, in my view, represent the beginning of a new system of regional alliances that will pit Turkey and Somalia along with Egypt against Ethiopia, Somaliland and possibly other regional states such as the United Arab Emirates.

The background

The Turkey-Somalia agreement should be seen in the light of what the deal gives each signatory. Not as part of a new system of regional alliances that are adjusting to the deal signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland at the beginning of 2024.

Under this agreement, Ethiopia will get a 50-year lease on a strip of land on Somaliland’s Red Sea coast for naval and commercial maritime use, and access to the Berbera port. In return, Addis Ababa would recognise Somaliland’s independence from Somalia.

This deal has set off a diplomatic storm in the region. It has been opposed by Somalia and Turkey, as well as the US, China and Egypt. The agreement is certainly important. It has the potential to make an impact on the political and security fabric of the region as Ethiopia may eventually have a maritime security and commercial footprint in the Gulf of Aden.

These two recent deals in the Horn of Africa, however, are driven by the national interests of Somalia, Ethiopia and Somaliland. They speak to their primary interests – territory and sovereignty.

The genesis of engagement and agreements with external actors has come from one or more of these Horn of Africa states. This was similarly the case with the 2017 Berbera Port deal between Ethiopia, Somaliland and Dubai’s DP World. It was the case with Qatar’s engagement with Somalia on electoral politics, also in 2017.

It should come as little surprise that the region’s states – like others in the international state system – work to further their interests in their own back yard.

For its part, Turkey’s interests, like those of other foreign powers in the Horn of Africa, are generally opportunistic. Their intent is short-term gains. In my view, Turkey doesn’t have military interests in the Horn of Africa, and Ankara has limited capabilities even if it did.

This isn’t a criticism of Turkey. All states have limited capabilities and they generally prioritise them – especially when it comes to security architecture – close to home, where it matters. Turkey is no different.

No gunboat diplomacy

Turkey will be a good partner for Somalia and vice versa. They have a decade of history together and the agreement gives both Ankara and Mogadishu something of value.

In Turkey, Somalia has found a capable partner that can offer training, expertise and some arms. And this means that the context was only partially about the recent Ethiopia-Somaliland deal.

Mogadishu’s leaders are under no illusion.

They know their own projection of limited power against what they see as encroachments on Somalia’s terrestrial and maritime territories is years in the future. But so is Ethiopia’s floating of a navy off the coast of Somaliland.

We should, therefore, not expect Turkish-trained and equipped Somali troops to be invading Somaliland, or Turkish ships crewed by Somali sailors to be skirmishing with Ethiopia in the Gulf of Aden any time soon. Instead, we should understand the agreement as one among many that may become embodied as something of strategic value only much later.

Brendon J. Cannon, Assistant Professor, Khalifa University

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

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TNPA begins rehabilitating Durban port roads

Africa Ports & Ships

TNPA has begun investing in a comprehensive road rehabilitation project at the Port of Durban. Many port users who make use of these roads are going to be relieved.

The programme to fix the roads is a result of intensified pressure from the influx of heavy trucks making use of the city and port road system, and is possible after an agreement reached between Transnet and the Ethekwini Municipality over responsibility for roads within or on the port boundaries.

Transnet has taken on the responsibility for some of these roads, thus enabling investment in their repair and upkeep.

As a result Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is investing R233 million to rehabilitate roads in key container handling port precincts – specifically, the Container and Maydon Wharf and the liquid bulk Island View precinct.

The Port of Durban remains a crucial contributor to the South African economy, handling approximately 60% of the country’s total container volumes. Most of the container volumes handled are moved through the southern road network of the port and over the years the influx of trucks entering the port has substantially increased.

The intensified surge has led to the deterioration of the overall road infrastructure.

“Embarking on this road rehabilitation journey will ensure that we deliver on our mandate of providing port infrastructure to ensure the port’s efficient functioning as the economic gateway to our South African economy,” says acting TNPA Port Manager for the Port of Durban, Nkumbuzi Ben-Mazwi.

Positive impact

The improved condition of port roads will positively impact on port operational efficiencies and the smooth flow of traffic in the targeted precincts.

Maydon Wharf is taking precedence, with 16 roads set for repairs. These will be followed by Island View with three roads and another two on Bayhead.

In addition to repairing the structural defects, the restoration of functional defects such as surface drainage issues due to damaged manholes and inlets caused by heavy vehicles is included in the project scope.

In addition, a traffic management plan has been crafted to assist with redirecting traffic flow during the project implementation period of two years.

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Nigerian Ports Authority to invest $1 billion in upgrading Tin Can Island and other ports

Africa Ports & Ships

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) intends investing USD 1 billion to reconstruct the Tincan Island Port complex and to undertake an extensive rehabilitation of a number of other ports in Nigeria.

These include Tincan Island’s neighbour, Apapa port, and Rivers, Onne, Warri and Calabar.

Also included in the plans, though no doubt more long-term, are the proposed Badagry Deep Seaport, Ondo Deep Seaport, Burutu and Snake Island.

The NPA will also introduce the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window across the ports.

According to the NPA the reforms will transform the Nigerian port system into Africa’s maritime logistics hub.

The extensive planning was revealed in a document with the title ‘Consolidation of Superior Performance at the Nigerian Ports Authority 2023-A Synopsis of the Authority’s Performance Improvement 2022-2023.’

Revenue improvements were achieved in 2023 that exceeded those of the previous year as were the remittances and taxes generated on behalf of the Federal Government.

The document stated that the NPA has contributed positively towards deepening Nigeria’s balance of trade through the promotion of in particular, exports of non-oil products. This in turn acted favourably towards strengthening of the Naira.

Barge operations

In a statement the NPA said that by initiating barge operations, it had not only enhanced port-hinterland connectivity but had helped reduce pressure on the roads.

The statement revealed that moving cargo by barge had seen an increase in the number of containers handled by this method from 80,244 TEU in 2022, to 118,046 in 2023.

“The NPA during the period under review licensed ten Export Processing Terminals to facilitate exports at Nigerian sea ports,” the NPA stated.

“This move which provided a one-stop shop for export processing where quality control, cargo assessment and statutory checks by all government agencies were carried out was geared towards eliminating bureaucracy and attendant delays that hitherto undermined the competitiveness of Nigerian Exports in the International market place.

“The resultant effect of this initiative, was a quantum leap in the numbers of Nigerian export-laden containers from 156,790 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2022, to 226,456 TEUs in 2023.”

Ship calls

During the 2023 calendar year the number of ship calls increased from 1,997 vessels in 2022 to 2,179 in 2023.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port, which is Nigeria’s first fully-automated container port, and which recently opened, handled 6,076 TEUs of transshipment cargo.

“To maximise the distinctive advantage of economies of scale that the Lekki Deep Seaport with its capacity to berth super post panamax vessels, the Authority in 2023 acquired and deployed two units of first-of-its-kind in Africa Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) 8213 model 80 Ton bollard pull tugboats to enable the berthing of very large vessels of 300 metres LOA and above,” the report stated.

These developments serve as an indicator of the NPA’s readiness to cater to the maritime needs of Nigeria’s landlocked neighbouring countries, and “win back cargo hitherto lost to our maritime neighbours.”

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WHARF TALK: passenger cruise ship – ISLAND PRINCESS

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Over the past few years, the number of passenger cruise liners arriving in South African ports has increased dramatically. The liners have mostly been of the upmarket section of the industry, and those liners suited for long, round the world, type of cruise. The big, seven day cruise market vessels, are not best suited to long ocean voyages.

The largest cruise liner company in the world, Carnival Corporation, has frequently sent their upmarket passenger liners on world cruises, and as such, South African ports have seen the top end ‘posh’ liners of the Carnival Corporation, such as those of Cunard, P&O and Holland America Line, but very rarely have the mass market, short cruise, liners of Carnival, Costa, and Princess Cruises arrived off South African shores.

On 6th March, at 05:00 in the morning, the passenger cruise liner ‘Island Princess’ (IMO 9230402) arrived off Cape Town, from Port Louis in Mauritius. She entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock and going alongside the Passenger Cruise Terminal at E berth. Her arrival in Cape Town took some casual maritime observers by surprise, as ‘Island Princess’ was never scheduled to call into any South African port, and her arrival was non scheduled.

Built in 2003 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, at St. Nazaire in France, ‘Island Princess is 294 metres in length, and has gross registered tonnage of 92,822 tons. She is an unusually powered passenger vessel, although not unique, in that she has CODLAG propulsion, more commonly known as Combined Diesel Electric and Gas propulsion.

She has two Wärtsilä 16V46C-CR sixteen cylinder, four stroke, main engines providing 16,800 kW each, which can be supplemented by a General Electric LM2500+ gas turbine engine providing 25,100 kW, driving two fixed pitch propellers for a service speed of 21 knots.

She is currently on what started as a 112 day around the world cruise, destined to visit 51 ports, in 27 countries, across 6 continents. Fly Cruise options for passengers were offered from no less than six of the destinations that she was schedule to call at. Her cruise itinerary began on 4th January, and was scheduled to be completed by 25th April, both starting and finishing at the port of Fort Lauderdale, in the US State of Florida. Her original published itinerary was:

Fort Lauderdale- Cartagena (Colombia)- Panama Canal transit- Punta Arenas (Costa Rica)- Huatalco- Puerto Vallarta (both Mexico)- Los Angeles (California)- Honolulu- Kailua (both Hawaii)- Pago Pago (American Samoa)- Suva (Fiji)- Auckland- New Plymouth- Picton- Dunedin- Fiordland (all New Zealand)- Sydney- Burnie- Adelaide- Fremantle (all Australia)- Bali (Indonesia)- Singapore- Port Klang (Malaysia)- Colombo (Sri Lanka)- Abu Dhabi- Dubai (both UAE)- Salalah (Oman)- Aqaba (Jordan)- Suez Canal transit- Limassol (Cyprus)- Rhodes (Greece)- Kusadasi (Turkey)- Heraklion – Mykonos- Athens (all Greece)- Valetta (Malta)- Catania – Naples- Rome- Livorno- Genoa (all Italy)- Villefranche- Marseilles (both France)- Barcelona- Ceuta- Cadiz (all Spain)- Lisbon (Portugal)- Agadir (Morocco)- Lanzarote- Tenerife (both Canary Islands)- Funchal (Madeira)- Hamilton (Bermuda)- Fort Lauderdale.

A wonderful itinerary, with just Agadir and Ceuta being placed on the African continent. The fly-cruise options offered to passengers on ‘Island Princess’ were from Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Singapore, Dubai, and Rome. The problem lay in her route into the Middle East, and through the Red Sea to Suez. It was clear that such a route would not be a safe option, and the itinerary between Fremantle and her Suez Canal transit was effectively cancelled.

Instead ‘Island Princess’ routed from Fremantle to Mauritius, and then directly to Cape Town, where both the Singapore and Dubai fly-cruise passengers were scheduled to be repatriated from, and new passengers were instead to be flown into Cape Town to continue her changed voyage itinerary north to the Mediterranean, where she would rejoin her original itinerary. She was effectively a Red Sea diversion, based on security risks due to Houthi activity.

With 16 decks, of which 9 decks are set aside for passenger cabins, ‘Island Princess’ has a total of 987 cabins, of which 735 of them have balconies, and range in size from Suites with an area of 470 ft2, down to Inside Cabins with an area of 156 ft2. She carries 2,214 passengers, who are looked after by a crew of 900.

The extensive onboard passenger facilities of ‘Island Princess’ include 6 restaurants, 6 bars, 4 cafés, 3 lounges, a theatre, casino, art gallery, library, card room, internet café, shopping arcade, night club, chapel, outdoor cinema, spa, fitness centre, gymnasium, beauty salon, saunas, treatment rooms, 3 swimming pools, 5 Jacuzzi hot tubs, youth club, teens club, and a sports deck which includes a tennis court and a 9 hole mini-golf course.

One of two sisterships, known as the Coral Class, due to her sistership, as first launched being named ‘Coral Princess’, ‘Island Princess’ cost US$330 million (ZAR6.21 billion) to build. She is owned by Carnival Corporation & PLC, of Doral in Florida, and is both operated and managed by Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., of Valencia in California, whose famous company logo adorns her funnel. The Coral Class vessels are the only ones in the Princess Cruise Lines fleet that are built to Panamax size, allowing them to utilise the Panama Canal on their cruise itineraries.

For those casual maritime observers who recognise the logo, it may be because it the same as that of the vessel that appeared in the famous American TV series, that ran from 1977 to 1986, known as ‘The Love Boat’. The original ‘Island Princess’ was one of the vessels that starred in ‘The Love Boat’. She was built in 1971, served with Princess Cruise Lines from 1974 to 1999, and was eventually scrapped on the beaches of Alang, in India, back in 2014.

Despite the fact that Princess Cruise Lines are not known for assigning their vessels to cruises that call at South African ports, this is not the first time that ‘Island Princess’ has called into Cape Town. As with this voyage, her previous call was also an unscheduled stop, with no passengers involved. The cause of her calling was the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Along with her fleetmate ‘Crown Princess’, she called into Cape Town to repatriate South African crewmembers who were stuck aboard the liner.

The ‘Crown Princess’ and the ‘Island Princess’ both arrived in Cape Town on 16th May 2020. The ‘Crown Princess’ had 2,139 crew members onboard, taken off various Princess Cruise Line vessels, of which 30 were South African, and all of whom were being taken home for repatriation at various ports around the world. As well as disembarking the South African crew members, ‘Crown Princess’ also changed over her medical team, who were also South African.

The number of persons being repatriated by ‘Island Princess’ numbered 1,416 crew members, of which 62 of them were South African. All disembarking crew were subject to strict quarantine conditions on disembarking, and were placed into isolation for 14 days. Both vessels on the day took bunkers, stores and fresh provisions, prior to sailing on the same day.

In September 2019, when operating a cruise in the waters of Alaska, one of the passengers aboard ‘Island Princess’ needed to be evacuated as it was suspected that she was suffering symptoms of a stroke. A United States Coast Guard (USCG) Search and Rescue MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, out of the USCG Air Station at Kodiak, in Alaska, safely airlifted the passenger to Cordova, in Alaska, where a USCG Dassault HU-25A Guardian fixed wing Air Ambulance was waiting to transfer the passenger onto a specialist Stroke unit at a hospital in the Alaskan city of Anchorage.

Earlier in June 2019, another passenger aboard ‘Island Princess’ during another Alaskan cruise, whilst cruising off Prince William Sound, was reported to be suffering from Cardiac symptoms, and was transferred to a USCG Cutter and taken to USCG Station Valdez for onward transfer to a hospital with a specialist cardiology unit.

After an overnight stay in Cape Town, and change over of her fly-cruise passengers, ‘Island Princess’ was ready for departure on her changed itinerary. At 18:00 in the early evening of 7th March she sailed from Cape Town, bound now for Walvis Bay in Namibia. From there she would head to Porto Grande, in the Cape Verde Islands, and then was expected to travel onward to the Canary Islands, before heading for the Mediterranean Sea to continue her previously, published, and original scheduled cruise itinerary.

In all, Carnival Corporation have diverted no less than 12 of their passenger vessels away from the Red Sea, due to the Houthi menace. A number of these vessels, as well as some MSC passenger vessels, have made the trek around the Cape of Good Hope to get back to Europe and the USA, many of them bypassing all ports, and sailing directly to their next cruise starting port. Casual Maritime Observers can expect to see a few more of these passenger liner diversions over the next few months, and possibly even another Princess Cruise Lines vessel.

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Cyclone Filipo 17S now in Mozambique Channel, threatens southern Mozambique

Africa Ports & Ships

Cyclone Filipo (17S) is currently in the Mozambique Channel and was in position approximately near 20.4S 37.0E, roughly 200 nautical miles northwest of Europa Island at 09:00 on Monday morning.

The tropical cyclone was then tracking west-southwestward at 6 knots over the previous six hours. Wind speeds of between 40 and 45 knots, gusting to 55 knots were reported. Filipo is expected to continue on this track for the next 24 hours.

Landfall over southern Mozambique is expected late Monday to Tuesday night between the extreme south of Sofala Province and Inhambane Province, north of Vilanculos.

After landfall and moving south across Mozambique Filipo should cross back over the lower Mozambique Channel and continue on a southeasterly track to dissipate towards the southern latitudes.

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TotalEnergies takes participating interest in Orange River Basin Block 3B/4B

Africa Ports & Ships

TotalEnergies together with QatarEnergy, has agreed to acquire a participating interest in Block 3B/4B in the Orange River Basin offshore South Africa.

The acquisition is from Africa Oil South Africa, Azinam, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas, and Ricocure.

TotalEnergies, which becomes the operator, acquires a 33% participating interest with QatarEnergy holding 24%. Existing licence holders, Ricocure (19.75%), Africa Oil SA (17%), and Azinam (6.25%) will hold the rest, all subject to final approvals from relevant authorities.

Drilling Schedule:

The drilling schedule will be decided by TotalEnergies, anticipated within the next 12 to 18 months.

Block 3B/4B is adjacent to the Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) license operated by TotalEnergies (50%) alongside QatarEnergy (30%) and Sezigyn (20%) and is within the prolific Orange River Basin, 200km offshore the coast of South Africa’s Northern Cape.

The block covers an area of just over 17.5 km2. source Petroleum Africa and Eco Atlantic

Last year TotalEnergies said it has set out plans to drill as many as 10 exploration wells in South Africa’s part of the Orange Basin, over the border from its major Venus discovery.

The company intends to carry out sonar bathymetry surveys, drop core sampling and exploration drilling in the 12/3/343 ER licence, also known as the DWOB.

Although drilling plans may change, the application suggests a point between the first quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter. Results from the first well would inform plans for additional drilling, says TotalEnergies.

The area specified as the area of interest for drilling covers 9,711 square km, roughly between Port Nolloth and Hondeklip Bay. At its closest, the area is 188 km offshore, at its furthest, 340 km.

Water depths range from 1,000 to 3,000 metres.

Success

Total has enjoyed significant success off southern South Africa, at the Luiperd and Brulpadda finds offshore the Southern Cape, where it has applied for a production licence. Partner Africa Energy has predicted the government would approve the production right in early 2024.

Total is also drilling the Venus-1A well, to appraise the Venus discovery in Namibia, where the French company has described its Namibian licence as a new “golden block”, drawing a comparison with its successes in Angola.

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IMO and MENA regional training: Seafarers’ assessment, examination and certification

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

Officials responsible for the assessment, examination and certification of seafarers updated their knowledge and skills during a regional training course held from 25-29 February and delivered by IMO along with the Jordan Maritime Commission
(JMC).

This was reported by IMO on 7 March.

The course covered the provisions of training, assessment, examination and certification of masters, officers and ratings under the International Convention for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping of Seafarers (STCW).

Implementation of these provisions under national laws; the selection of assessment methods; and the organization of assessments and the issuance and control of certificates were all considered.

STCW Code and Convention

A key part of the course involved the sharing of knowledge and experience in administering, supervising and monitoring the training, assessment and certification of seafarers, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention and Code.

Participants included thirty-one from training and academic institutions and Maritime Administrations in seven countries in the region.

Five of the participants attended as a result of outreach to the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA), in line with the IMO efforts to support and empower women in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) on Gender Equality.

A side meeting was held with the Jordan Women in Maritime Association in the margins of the course.

The event was hosted by HE Eng. Omar Mustafa Al-Dabbas, Director General of the JMC.

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MSC opens R350 million new cold storage facility in Durban

by Terry Hutson

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has officially opened a R350 million cold storage warehouse facility in Chesterville, Cato Manor in Durban.

At the unveiling and official opening of the facility on Thursday night (7 March), KwaZulu-Natal premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the investment will go a long way in boosting the provincial economy and creating jobs for the local community.

MSC has its South African head office and container depots in Durban and makes greater use of the Durban port than any other shipping company.

The new cold storage warehouse complex has the capacity to accommodate 10,000 pallets and is poised to meet the growing demands of the cold logistics market and ensure the preservation of temperature-sensitive goods, guaranteeing their quality during transit.

Delivering the keynote address, Dube-Ncube expressed her appreciation to MSC for choosing KZN as their investment destination of choice, noting the state-of-the-art facility represents an investment in the development and construction of a cutting-edge cold storage facility.

“The investment by MSC is not only a vote of confidence in our economy but it shows that if we work together as government and the private sector, there is so much we can achieve.

“The fact that MSC has invested R350 million in the construction and development of this cold storage facility, is a clear demonstration that you share our positive outlook for the future growth of KwaZulu-Natal,” Dube-Ncube said.

MSC South Africa Chairperson, Captain Salvatore Sarno, said the establishment of the cold storage facility underscores MSC’s commitment to enhancing supply chain reliability for perishable goods, and playing a pivotal role in facilitating the international trade of temperature-sensitive products worldwide.

Sarno said South African exporters are set to benefit from a comprehensive logistics solution enabling their perishable products to reach global markets seamlessly via sea transport.

“We are proud to unveil this state-of-the-art cold storage facility, which not only reinforces our dedication to supporting the South African economy but also underscores our commitment to job creation and economic growth.

“This investment exemplifies our ongoing efforts to provide value-added services to our customers while contributing to the development of the local economy,” Capt. Sarno said.

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WHARF TALK: multi-purpose heavylift vessel – REGINE

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

The flow of heavylifters continues, dropping in for bunkers, although not all of them belong to the BBC fleet, and not all of them are carrying outsize cargoes associated with the wind farm industry. However, as with the recent flood of BBC heavylifters passing through, the reason for their call is almost universally down to the Houthi menace in the Southern Red Sea.

Heavylifters, by their very nature and description, are usually carrying large, outsize, cargoes that are generally bespoke, one-offs, not easily replaceable, and thus extremely expensive. They carry the kind of cargo that insurers, charterers, and owners are not willing to risk being at the wrong end of yet another indiscriminate missile attack, by an Iranian backed, and supplied, terrorist organisation who seem unable to distinguish targets that they state they are after.

On 3rd March, at 09:00 in the morning, the multi-purpose heavylift vessel ‘Regine’ (IMO 9383242) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, from Kandla in India, and went to anchor for 24 hours, whilst awaiting a berth in Cape Town harbour. At 09:00 on 4th March ‘Regine’ entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and went alongside the outer berth of the Eastern Mole. Shortly afterwards she was fast alongside, the harbour bunker tanker ‘Lipuma’ came alongside, thus confirming her visit was purely for bunkers.

Built in 2009 by J.J. Sietas KG Schiffswerft at Hamburg in Germany, ‘Regine’ is 160 metres in length and has a deadweight of 12,007 tons. She is powered by a single MAN-B&W 9L58/64CD nine cylinder, four stroke, main engine providing 17,131 bhp (12,600 kW) to drive a Schottel 154/14 XG controllable pitch propeller, and a flap type, spade, high efficiency rudder, all of which gives her a service speed of 20 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two Mitsubishi S12R-M(P)TA generators providing 1,040 kW, and a single S6R2-M(P)TA generator providing 560 kW, plus a single MAN D2866 LXE20 emergency generator providing 200 kW. She has a single PWT Prozess-Wärmeträgertechnik AWE 1200V60 exhaust gas boiler, and a single PWT Prozess-Wärmeträgertechnik DWE 1000V60 oil fired boiler. For added manoeuvrability she has a Brunvoll FU63LTC bow transverse thruster providing 900 kW.

She has a single hold measuring 107 metres in length, with a width of 17 metres, and a depth of 13 metres, and with a cargo carrying capacity of 19,299 m3. Her deck area is 2,918 m2, with MacGregor folding type, and lift and roll hatch covers. Her hold and cargo deck are served by two port side and offset NMF electro-hydraulic cranes with a heavy lifting capacity of 700 tons each, and an extra heavy lifting capacity of 1,400 tons when used in tandem. She also has an aft single starboard side NMF electro-hydraulic crane with a lifting capacity of 350 tons.

Owned by Regine SAL Shipping UG, of Hamburg in Germany, ‘Regine’ is operated by SAL Heavy Lift GmbH, also of Hamburg, and managed by SAL Shipmanagement UG, of Bremen. The company name SAL is an acronym for Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land, which was founded as a specialist heavylift carrier in 1986 by the Heinrich family, and named after a region that lies along the River Elbe, leading to Hamburg. The company was originally founded in 1865 by the Heinrich family, and in 2011 came under the ownership of the Japanese ‘K’ Line.

The company was rebuilt after the Second World War by Paul Heinrich, whose initials are displayed on the houseflag that adorns the funnel. Named after the wife of Paul Heinrich’, ‘Regine’ was the last built of a class of four sisterships, all named after members of the Heinrich family, and is known as a Type 176 High Speed Heavy Cargo Vessel. She differs from the first two of her sisterships by having an extra deck of cabin accommodation, which allows her to be assigned to offshore contract work.

As expected, ‘Regine’ was carrying an interesting mix of outsized, heavy deck cargo. As well as a large pressure vessel, she carried three pontoon barges. The barges are all newbuilds, having been built in late 2023, and commissioned in early 2024. They have been built by Yahua Shipbuilding of Nantong in China, in partnership with TAB Marine BV, of Rotterdam in Holland.

The two largest barges are 50 metres in length, with a beam of 19 metres, and have a deadweight of 1,880 tons. They have a deck area of 920 m2, with a deck strength of 20 tons/m2, and have deck fittings for a total of 4 TEU. Interestingly, both are fitted with two Spud Poles, 23 metres in length, which can be lowered into the seabed, and which allows the barges to be fixed in position whilst undertaking construction work.

The barges are named as TAB 2306, which identifies it as being part of the working fleet of TAB Marine BV, and CW9, which identifies it as being part of the working fleet of Coastworks Ltd., of Fairlie in Scotland. Both companies provide barges, pontoons, tugs, work boats and safety boats for marine construction works. An Additional deck cargo on ‘Regine’, which appears to be accompanying each barge is a 20 foot container, marked with the name of each barge, and presumably carrying additional operational spares of working chains, wires, ropes, hooks etc.

Prior to her departure from Kandla in India, ‘Regine’ had made a short bunker stop at Singapore, and prior to this had been up the Yangtze River, between Taicung and Nantong, where she had loaded the barges, for delivery in Europe. As with all other heavylift vessels arriving for bunkers in Cape Town, her departure confirmed that she was a Red Sea diversion.

After just 24 hours alongside in Cape Town, and having completed her uplift of bunkers, stores and fresh provisions, ‘Regine’ was ready to depart, and at 09:00 on 5th March she sailed from Cape Town, now bound for Tuzla in Turkey, located in the Sea of Marmara at 40°49’ North 029°18’ East. A vessel on a voyage from China to Turkey, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and lying directly north of the Suez Canal, with heavylift project cargo, would not normally route via the Cape sea route on such a routing.

It is not the first time that ‘Regine’ has called at South African ports. Back in the winter of 2019, she called into Durban, for bunkers. Whilst in Durban harbour she was looked after by the Hull Blyth Shipping Agency, with their South African office being in Durban North. The British owned Hull Blyth agency is also active in Ghana and Nigeria, specialising in the West African trades, and providing agency support for the West African oil and gas industry.

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Humanitarian aid to Gaza: US military to construct temporary pier

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

According to Matthew Olay compiling US Department of Defense news at the end of the week just gone, the Department will undertake an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza to deliver up to 2,000,000 humanitarian aid meals per-day. This was announced by the Pentagon on 8 March.

The announcement came less than a day after the State of the Union address, when President Joe Biden called on the military to lead such an operation.

The mission, which will be under the command of US Central Command and conducted by the 7th Transportation Brigade from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and other forces, will deploy DOD’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability, or JLOTS, with a goal of beginning delivery operations in approximately sixty days.

Floating pier, causeway, logistics support

Components of the JLOTS include a floating pier, approximately 1,800-feet (550 metres) of causeway that will be attached to the shore, and a group of logistic support vessels and barges that will transport the aid from the pier to the causeway. Once the aid has reached the two-lane causeway, it can be transported to the land and distributed to Gaza, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder, who explained the planned JLOTS mission to the media briefing on 8 March.

This is part of a larger operation by the United States to not only focus on working on opening up and expanding routes via land, which are the optimal way to get aid into Gaza, but also by conducting air drops, said Ryder, in reference to the more than 100,000 meals that have been dropped into Gaza by the US and Jordan during week commencing 3 March.

Ryder commented: “As the President has said, not enough aid is getting in [to Gaza] so [JLOTS] is a capability… that we are going to execute and enable us to get… up to 2,000,000 meals in a day.”

Ryder stressed that, just as now, there will be no US boots on the ground when the JLOTS mission begins.

No US boots ashore

He continued: “The ability to do this without putting forces on ground is due to the fact that the causeway is essentially modular, built at sea, and then driven into the ground from offshore.

“We’ll be working with partners in the region to be on the receiving end of [the JLOTS installation], but at no time will we require U.S. forces to actually go on the ground. Our role will be essentially to provide the service of getting [the aid] to the causeway, at which point it will then be distributed.”

Embarkation, Cyprus?

Ryder added that mission planners have suggested Cyprus as one possible location where aid could be loaded onto commercial vessels for transport to the floating pier off Gaza.

Security under consideration

In terms of security for JLOTS and who will provide it, Ryder said DOD is currently working with partners in the region, including Israel, to make that determination.

The sixty-day timeline for JLOTS to become operational off Gaza includes the time it will take to transport some of the JLOTS components from Virginia to the Middle East, it was reported.

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Anglo American takes delivery of 10th LNG-fuelled bulk carrier, Ubuntu Liberty

Africa Ports & Ships

Anglo American has taken delivery of the last of 10 chartered Capesize Liquefied Natural gas-fuelled bulk carriers, the Ubuntu Liberty (IMO 9957036).

This completes the fleet of lower emission LNG dual-fuelled vessels, all named with the prefix Ubuntu.

The Ubuntu Liberty’s maiden voyage from China to Saldanha Bay to collect a cargo of high quality iron ore will mark the successful on-time delivery of all 10 ships built over the last three years with a zero incident safety record together with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

“Launching the final vessel of our Ubuntu fleet is a very large manifestation of our commitment to more sustainable shipping,” said Matt Walker, CEO of Anglo American’s Marketing business, said.

“This milestone is testament to our dedication to a sustainable path forward for our controllable ocean freight, ensuring the delivery of essential resources to our customers around the world while minimising our environmental footprint.

largest LNG dual-fuelled Capesize+ fleet

Walker said it also puts Anglo American in a market leading position as the charterer of the largest LNG dual-fuelled Capesize+ fleet in the world.

“By adopting more sustainable and lower carbon fuel options like LNG, we are actively contributing to a cleaner, greener future for the maritime industry,” he added.

“Our customers have shown keen interest in accessing our Ubuntu freight, demonstrating growing recognition of the value of sustainable shipping as part of a more sustainable supply chain that end consumers increasingly expect.”

The Ubuntu fleet has become a key component of Anglo American’s ambition to achieve carbon-neutrality for its controlled ocean freight by 2040, aligning with Anglo American’s Sustainable Mining Plan commitment to carbon neutral operations across our mines by the same year.

The LNG dual-fuelled vessels offer an estimated 35% reduction in emissions compared to ships fuelled by conventional marine oil fuel and are the most efficient vessels of their type today.

Since the first vessel was loaded in early 2023, the Ubuntu fleet has successfully and safely moved 6.4 million tonnes of iron ore and steelmaking coal across global shipping routes.

Additionally, the Ubuntu fleet has conducted over 30 refuelling stops for LNG in strategic locations such as Singapore and Malaysia.

In 2022, the shipping industry was responsible for nearly 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This underscores theI importance of implementing targets and initiatives that work towards a more sustainable business by adopting cleaner fuel alternatives such as LNG in shipping operations.

The full fleet and flags as below:

Vessel Name            Flag State          Date Delivered
Ubuntu Harmony      Singapore            19th December 2022
Ubuntu Equality        Singapore            3rd January 2023
Ubuntu Integrity        Singapore           31st January 2023
Ubuntu Loyalty          Singapore           22nd March 2023
Ubuntu Unity             Greece               28th February 2023
Ubuntu Community    Greece               18th April 2023
Ubuntu Empathy        UK                     9th May 2023
Ubuntu Humanity       UK                     18th May 2023
Ubuntu Sincerity         UK                     29th January 2024
Ubuntu Liberty            UK                    27th February 2024

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Port of Douala flourishing since MSC takeover

Africa Ports & Ships

The current concessionaire at the Cameroon port of Douala, RTC, says it has invested a greater amount in the port in the four years since becoming the concession holder, than was invested over 15 years by its predecessor.

The Container Terminal Authority (RTC), operated by Terminal Investments Limited (TIL), was awarded the concession amidst some controversy to manage and operate the port in 2020, taking over from the previous concession holder, Douala International Terminal (DIT).

Terminal Investments Limited (TIL) is a subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). DIT is/was a joint venture between Bolloré and Maersk. Ironically, all the Bolloré Group’s African logistics assets have since been acquired by TIL on behalf of MSC.

According to RTC managing director, Lin Dieudonné Onana Ndoh, RTC has so far invested over CFA44 billion (roughly USD 76 million) in order to upgrade and improve port performances.

Ndoh was speaking to the media at a business fair, Promote 2024, which was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital.

The Port Authority of Douala (PAD), listed the major improvements that have taken place since the advent of RTC at the port. These included acquiring the latest software applicable to terminal operations, yard gantries, quay cranes, port tractors, and utility vehicles.

In addition some 16,000 m² of storage area has been provided, together with the reconfiguration of the container yard management system, gantry crane tracks rebuilt, and the adoption of 4G LTE communication technology.

It is reported that RTC revenue has consistently grown since being awarded the concession, despite having to cope with the period of the Covid-19 pandemic almost as soon as the new concession was awarded. However, the reopening of China has since made a difference with an improvement in imports. source: Business in Cameroon

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Beware the Chinese harbour cranes – US Homeland Security

Africa Ports & Ships

An interesting development has taken place in the United States concerning the widespread use of Chinese built harbour cranes.

More specifically these are the ship-to-shore (STS) cranes visible at every major container terminal, responsible for lifting the millions of containers that pass through the world’s ports.

The US security concern centres around Chinese built STS machines, similar to those in use at the Durban Container Terminal on Pier 2, North Quay, the cranes painted in red.

Other makes of cranes such as Liebherr, although a European company, can also be built in China and apparently all of these raise the same concerns with the Americans.

It’s not a matter about the US authorities worrying only about possible sinister cyberspying methods by the Chinese, but also about an infrastructure dependence of China for critical US port operations.

The fear that spares may suddenly be made unavailable is a real one, which has some resonance here in South Africa with the current situation between Transnet Freight Rail and Chinese locomotive manufacturers.

It’s well-known by now that the Richards Bay coal line was effectively crippled for well over a year because of a refusal by the Chinese loco builders to provide spares for Chinese-built diesel and electric locomotives.

That refusal has cost the South African economy and particularly its mining sector, billions of rands.

In the US during a Capitol Hill enquiry, Christa Brzozowski, acting assistant secretary for trade and economic security at the Department of Homeland Security, told representatives on the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security who were examining the port cybersecurity threat, that 80% of cranes in operation at US port were made in China.

“We do see an overreliance on these People’s Republic of China (PRC) manufacturer cranes,” said Brzozowski.

Last year US defense officials said the use of the Chinese-built STS cranes manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. (ZPMC), could be used by Beijing as a possible spying tool.

Chinese authorities at the time dismissed these fears, saying they were ‘paranoia-driven’.

The real point is, these high-tech electronic STS cranes can be used in collecting data, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told CNBC.

“The Port of Los Angeles opened the nation’s first port Cyber Security Operations Center in 2014, and in 2023, the centre stopped nearly three-quarters of a billion intrusion attempts, an average of about 63 million intrusion attempts each month,” Seroka said said.

More than 99% of cargo arriving in the USA from overseas comes by sea, with 31 million American jobs dependent on the ports. These generate US$ 5.4 trillion in economic value, or more than one quarter of the nation’s economy.

The Biden administration has meanwhile issued an executive order aimed at securing the country’s ports, with the aim of ensuring all critical port infrastructure adheres to international and industry recognised safety regulations.

The order enables a port captain to take action should he or she determine there is a threat or has been some disruption due to a cyber intrusion. The port captain can then secure the crane or terminal as necessary.

“The bottom line is that today’s high-tech cranes can collect data and that is why this executive order is so important,” said Seroka. source: CNBC

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Houthis & Yemen – first casualties on merchant ship True Confidence

Africa Ports & Ships

Early on Wednesday morning, 6 March 2024, the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence (IMO 9460784) was sailing southwest of Aden in southern Yemen, bound for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, when a message was received over VHF from the Houthis, warning them to alter course away from their intended path through the Bab al-Mandeb.

The crew obliged and turned away some 30 n.miles southeast where the ship then commenced drifting. It was here in this position that the Houthis fired an anti-ship missile which landed on the bulker, causing damage to the superstructure.

As a result of this, three of those on board were killed. Two of the crew who died were Filipino nationals, the other was Vietnamese. Several other crew received serious injuries. The full crew consisted of one Indian, four Vietnamese, 15 Filipino crew, plus one Nepalese and two Sri Lankan guards.

As a result of this, the 21 surviving crew took to the ship’s liferaft and were rescued at 16h45 by the helicopter and boat from the Indian Navy destroyer, INS Kolkata. Injured crew were treated on board the destroyer which later delivered them to Djibouti.

While claiming responsibility for the missile attack, the Houthis characterised the bulker as being ‘American’.

According to security agency Ambrey, though owned by a non-US national through a Greek-based company, the bulker True Confidence was formerly financed through US company Oaktree Capital Management. The vessel remains listed as owned by Oaktree Capital Management. – source: Ambrey and Indian Defence Ministry

Watch account of crew rescue on X Twitter, courtesy of Indian Defence Ministry   CLICK HERE

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New vessels needed for the SA Navy more than ever

Guy Martin

With Houthi rebels attacking ships off the Horn of Africa and Red Sea and consequently diverting shipping around the Cape, SA Navy (SAN) Chief Monde Lobese believes more than ever that additional vessels are needed to fulfil the Navy’s constitutional mandate and protect South Africa’s maritime environment.

Speaking at a 20 years long service medal parade in Simons Town on 29 February, the incumbent Chief of the SA Navy said he has made it a priority to see his ships sailing at sea, conducting the roles for which they were designed and procured for. However, “I do not have to say to you that this will be difficult under the current financial situation that we are subjected to, but we must not allow ourselves to lose hope.

“Each of you who are following the news each day will notice that the message spread by the leadership of the SANDF [South African National Defence Force] – namely that the constant budget cuts must stop – is slowly filtering through the news media, and reaching the ears of the Government leadership,” he told those at the parade.

“We must spread the message with every opportunity that the SAN stands ready and willing to do our duty. However, we are not always able to do our duty, because of the constant budget cuts,” Lobese cautioned.

Nevertheless, the Chief believes the tide is slowly turning, “and within a few months our ships will be sailing and doing what they are supposed to do.”

Some positive news on the SA Navy’s fleet was the blessing ceremony of the third and final Multi Mission Inshore Patrol (MMIPV) at Damen Shipyards Cape Town on 1 March. This vessel (P1573, future SAS Chief Adam Kok) will join her sister ships, SAS King Sekhukhune I and SAS King Shaka Zulu, in leading the rejuvenation of the South African Navy along with the acquisition of a new hydrographic survey vessel under Project Hotel.

“Although we are grateful for our Government to procure these ships for us, we must repeat the message that in order to do our Constitutional Mandate effectively, we need at least 15 of these vessels [MMIPVs], as well as 15 larger Offshore Patrol Vessels,” Lobese emphasised.

“This requirement is again made clear with the current geo-political tensions that are taking place in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. These tensions have resulted in many of the world’s largest shipping companies diverting their cargo around our coastline.”

Lobese explained that on 28 February, there were 1,528 ships in South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and this is what the picture looks like each day of the year.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, our country is located at a strategic geographic choke-point around the world. We are living in a world where tensions can easily escalate into conflict. Our country is ravaged by international fleets of ships who come at night and strip our seas of fish that belong to us,” Lobese said.

“International terrorists can threaten the ships traveling past our coastline, thus dragging us into their conflicts. Our country’s largest external security threat will come from our seas, and not from land. If we cannot secure our coastline, the consequences for our country will be disastrous. That is why our government must capacitate the South African Navy with more funds, more ships, better and more modern equipment and more personnel.

“If all of us do our part, then the South African Navy can again deploy our ships at sea, and together we can take the Navy to Greatness,” Lobese told those at the parade.

Defence expert Dean Wingrin believes that further acquisitions in such numbers “is just wishful thinking with no chance of fruition. But, he must say it. Inshore patrol vessels and offshore patrol vessels are more useful than frigates for local patrols and many anti-piracy duties.”

Lobese’s comments came a day after Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise hinted at the procurement of offshore patrol vessels during a question and answer session in Parliament. While the defence budget has shrunk in real terms, National Treasury has allocated some additional funding for things like border protection equipment and transport aircraft maintenance, suggesting the possibility that additional funding could theoretically be allocated for additional naval vessels.

Written by defenceWeb and republished with permission. The original article can be found here

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Jeddah Amendment: Bahrain signs

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

IMO reported on 7 March that the Kingdom of Bahrain has signed the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC-JA), a regional initiative to combat piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

The Ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom, Mr. Shaikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, deposited the instrument with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at IMO Headquarters in London the previous day.

Eighteen signatory states

Bahrain joins seventeen other Signatory States in working together to develop a common regional maritime security strategy, coordinate a robust information-sharing network and strengthen capacity-building programmes on various thematic areas, from human trafficking to port and ship security.

IMO supports the implementation of the DCoC-JA, alongside other partners, with funding from donor States.

Crucial role in the region

The Jeddah Amendment plays a critical role in ensuring communication and cooperation among countries in the region, with Signatory States meeting regularly to discuss key issues and challenges.

An Extraordinary Session was held in December 2023 in response to the increased volatility and attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area. Since then, the DCoC-JA States have drawn up an eight-point action plan to further boost capacity in the region to tackle maritime security threats.

The DCoC-JA builds on the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), which was first adopted in 2009 to tackle piracy and armed robbery against ships. This scope was significantly expanded since 2017, with the revised Djibouti Code of Conduct, known as the Jeddah Amendment (DCoC-JA).

Broad range of measures covered

The Jeddah Amendment covers measures for suppressing a range of illicit activities, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, arms trafficking, trafficking in narcotics, illegal trade in wildlife, crude oil theft, human trafficking and smuggling, and illegal dumping of toxic waste.

Signatory States have embraced the IMO’s ‘whole of government’ approach to maritime security. This includes the establishment of national maritime security committees, development of national maritime security risk registers and producing national maritime security strategies by all participating States, with support from IMO.

Wide regional spread of signatories

Of the twenty Signatory States to the original DCoC, seventeen have signed up to the expanded DCoC-JA, including: Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen.

Bahrain is the first Member State to join beyond the signatories of the first DCoC.

To find out more about the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment readers are invited to see here

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In Conversation: West Africa’s coast was a haven for piracy and illegal fishing – how technology is changing the picture

Africa Ports & Ships

Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, University of St Andrews

The Gulf of Guinea – a coastal region that stretches from Senegal to Angola – is endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, mineral and fisheries resources. It is also an important route for international commerce, making it critical to the development of countries in the region.

For a long time, however, countries in the Gulf of Guinea haven’t properly monitored what’s happening in their waters. This has allowed security threats at sea to flourish. The threats include illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, drug trafficking, piracy and armed robbery, and toxic waste dumping.

For instance, in 2020, the International Maritime Bureau reported that the region had experienced the highest number of crew kidnappings ever recorded: 130 crew members taken in 22 incidents. In 2019, 121 crew members were kidnapped in 17 incidents.

Regional action to address these threats is being taken. In 2013, heads of state signed the Yaoundé Code of Conduct – a declaration to work together and address the threats. This also involved setting up a large hub, known as the Yaoundé Architecture (made up of different divisions), which coordinates and shares information on what’s happening at sea.

Since the Yaoundé Code of Conduct was signed in 2013, there has been some progress. As we found in a new study, tech-driven tools have been playing a vital role in addressing security threats at sea in west and central African countries.

For instance, Nigeria was once designated a piracy hotspot but, in 2022, was delisted. This was in large part due to the use of technology.

Tech tools have helped countries to more efficiently manage and monitor the marine environment. They also support information sharing among law enforcement agencies. This has led to successful interdictions and enabled the prosecution of pirates in the region.

The tech tools

Cargo and fishing vessels are required, under international law, to be fitted with systems that transmit data showing where they are.

Since the signing of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, we found that new technology is now using this location data to help countries in the Gulf of Guinea monitor their waters.

Tools and systems – like Radar, Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information System (Yaris), Sea-Vision, Skylight and Global Fishing Watch – are integrating information from various surveillance and location monitoring systems and satellite data to identify suspicious behaviour. This has significantly helped to improve efforts to combat security threats.

Countries in the Gulf now have increased awareness of vessel activity in their waters and are able to make more informed responses in emergencies, like piracy or armed robbery and oil theft.

For instance, in 2022 the Heroic Idun tanker, evaded arrest in Nigeria for suspicious behaviour, then travelled on to Equatorial Guinea. Using the Yaoundé Architecture system, Equatorial Guinea held the vessel at Nigeria’s request and it was later fined.

Without the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, and the new tech that it has introduced, the sharing of information, capture of evidence and cooperation between countries would not have been possible.

Nigeria’s tech advancements

Nigeria is a prime example of a country where investment in technology-based infrastructure has helped it to tackle threats to security and development.

Over the past three years, Nigeria has deployed a range of tech tools. For instance, the navy deployed the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability facility, which receives, records and distributes data and the
mass surveillance FALCON EYE system.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has also made advancements through its Deep Blue Project. This includes a central intelligence and data collection centre which works with special mission vessels (like unmanned aerial vehicles) to take action against threats.

Nigeria has since had a reduction in piracy and armed robbery at sea. Once designated a piracy hotspot, the country was delisted as a hotspot in 2022.

Cautious optimism

Evidently, technology has an important role to play in enhancing safety and security at sea. But it’s not without it’s challenges, as we identified in our study.

First, an over-reliance on external tech tools has resulted in a lack of ownership of the technology. This affects the sustainability of the projects. For instance, once EU funding for YARIS expires, the operating costs will be transferred from the EU to Yaoundé Architecture states. But there are still no clear plans from regional states on how to sustain YARIS.

Second, people with specific expertise are needed to use the tech. But many countries can’t afford to hire them, or aren’t producing human resources with this expertise. Even when personnel have received training, they may not have access to the tools (which aren’t available at the country level) to apply what they have learnt.

Third, existing monitoring systems such as AIS and VMS can be switched off, a vulnerability that criminals continue to exploit. Radar systems can fill these gaps, but there’s a lack of RADAR coverage along coastlines. Related to this, the scarcity of national data centres for long range vessel identification and tracking (due to lack of investment) makes using existing technology difficult.

Fifth, there are challenges related to communication difficulties, the absence of internet connections onboard some vessels or low internet speed.

Finally, private operators like the shipping industry aren’t using the services provided by the Yaoundé Architecture. This smacks of politics and lack of trust in the regional solutions.

Vessel operators report incidents instead to agencies outside the region, such as Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (based in France) or the International Maritime Bureau in Malaysia and these agencies often broadcast the information without confirming with the regional architecture. This undermines the ability of regional agencies to do their work effectively.

It’s in the best interests of Atlantic nations to cooperate and coordinate on meeting maritime security challenges.

Technology can play a key role in this. But it’s vital that countries enhance technological know-how, and ensure that external partners and businesses use the available technological services. This will be a big step towards a secure and collaborative maritime environment.

Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer, University of St Andrews

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

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

Total cargo handled by tonnes during January 2024, including containers by weight

PORT	January 2023 million tonnes
Richards Bay	7.141
Durban	6.112
Saldanha Bay	4.619
Cape Town	1.021
Port Elizabeth	1.018
Ngqura	1.050
Mossel Bay	0.126
East London	0.157
Total all ports during January 2023	21.244 million tonnes

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Terry Hutson