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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

Newsweek commencing Sunday 17 March 2024.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return.  

FIRST VIEW:   Port of Dar es Salaam

• UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update: Encouraging signs
• Quissanga and Quirimba Island retaken by Mozambique armed forces
• SAMSA receives reports of oiled Cape Gannets on Bird Island
• Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 Recovery will take another 3-5 months
• WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker – ZEZE START
• Exercise Ibsamar 2024 looks likely later this year
• Pirates move Abdullah into Somali territorial waters to avoid rescue attempt
• New Indian Navy survey vessel INS Sandhayak
• Xeneta Update: How low will spot rates go from Far East into Europe?
• WHARF TALK: cable laying ship – ISAAC NEWTON
• Port of Namibe staff to receive training in Germany
• Funcionários do Porto do Namibe receberão formação na Alemanha
• Be my witness: Taiwanese container ship takes out four ship-to-shore cranes
• Air Cargo Digitalization Leadership Charter: First Signatories per IATA
• WHARF TALK: cable laying vessel – ENDEAVOUR
• Ports Regulator of South Africa and B-BBEE Commission Sign MOU
• Xeneta Update: Mexico amid ongoing US trade war
• In Conversation: Undersea cables for Africa’s internet retrace history and leave digital gaps as they connect continents
• Introduction of third-party access to Transnet’s rail network a step closer
• WHARF TALK: small gearless bulk carrier – ELECTRAMAR
• Pirated ship Ruen and crew freed by Indian Navy
• NATO Exercise Dynamic Manta: Mediterranean showcase
• GEFO chemical tanker Tosca is a certified industry pioneer
• APM Container Freight Station commissioned in Onne, Nigeria
• IMO and Madagascar: Duties and obligations of a Flag State
• Drama in South Atlantic as yacht sinks, sailors rescued
• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND UNDER NEWS CATEGORIES…….

Masthead:  PORT OF CAPE TOWN

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 FIRST VIEW:   Port of Dar es Salaam

Port of Dar es Salaam. Picture: Rob Beechey / World Bank via Flickr

Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam, which is set to undergo additional development. This follows the recent awarding of a 30-year concession to the UAE’s DP World to manage and operate and modernise the multi purpose port, with an emphasis obviously on containers. The concession was not without strong opposition which eventually extended to the Tanzanian High Court who ruled for the concession to go ahead.

In the initial phase DP World will invest $250 million, with the potential for the investment to increase to $1 billion during the concession period.

DP World said it will make future investments in modernising the port, including potential investments in temperature-controlled storage to enhance Tanzania’s agricultural sector, as well as greater connections to rail-linked logistics. “Investments will also potentially include the future development of a special economic zone together with the broader port’s logistics sector, which will increase Tanzania’s role and influence on the future of global trade.”

The primary objective of optimising the port’s operations is to improve transport and logistics services throughout Tanzania and its hinterland. The Dar es Salaam port handles over 90% of Tanzania’s imports and exports.

In addition to certain recent investments made by the Government of Tanzania to improve the port’s infrastructure, DP World says it will work with the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) together with the port’s existing stakeholders to build on this progress to allow faster cargo clearing and improved cargo planning.

While aiming at improving efficiency and attracting more shipping lines, and ultimately to lower ocean freight costs for Tanzanian importers and exporters, it will seek also to strengthen Dar es Salaam’s critical role as the maritime gateway for green energy metals from the copper belt in Southern-Central Africa, where it faces competition from South African and Mozambican ports, and now the Angolan port of Lobito.

“Improved efficiency will attract more shipping lines and bigger ships into Dar es Salaam, which will ultimately lead to lower ocean freight costs for Tanzanian importers and exporters,” is the prediction.

Certainly, the investment that DP World brings will have a positive impact on Tanzania’s socioeconomic development, including job creation and increased access to products and services. DP World however included a number of “potential” investments in its statement mentioned above. One of TPA’s tasks now will be to see that ‘potential’ is turned into reality.

Africa Ports & Ships

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UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update: Encouraging signs

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

After facing declines over several quarters, international trade is poised for a rebound in 2024, according to the latest Global Trade Update from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) issued from Geneva on 21 March.

In 2023, global trade saw a 3% contraction, equaling roughly $1 trillion, compared to the record high of $32 trillion in 2022. Despite this decline, the services sector showed resilience with a $500 billion, or 8%, increase from the previous year, while trade in goods experienced a $1.3 trillion, or 5%, decline compared to 2022.

Trade stability in 2023 Q4 + African growth

The fourth quarter of 2023 marked a departure from previous quarters, with both merchandise and services trade stabilising quarter-over-quarter. Developing countries, especially those in the African, East Asian and South Asian regions, experienced growth in trade during this period.

Regional dynamics; India growth

While major economies generally saw a decline in merchandise trade throughout 2023, certain exceptions emerged, such as the Russian Federation, which exhibited notable volatility in trade statistics. Towards the end of 2023, trade in goods saw growth in several major economies, including China (+5% imports) and India (+5% exports), although it declined for the Russian Federation and the European Union.

During 2023, trade performance diverged between developing and developed countries, with the former experiencing a decline of approximately 4% and the latter around 6%. South-South trade, or trade between developing economies, saw a steeper decline of about 7%. However, these trends reversed in the last quarter of 2023, with developing countries and South-South trade resuming growth while trade in developed countries remained stable.

Geopolitical tensions continued to impact bilateral trade flows, as shown by the Russian Federation reducing its trade dependence on the European Union while increasing its reliance on China. Additionally, trade interdependence between China and the United States decreased further in 2023.

African economies

Regionally, trade between African economies bucked the global trend by increasing 6% in 2023, whereas intra-regional trade in East Asia (-9%) and Latin America (-5%) lagged behind the global average.

Mixed Sectoral Picture

At the sectoral level, most industries experienced declines in trade value, with exceptions such as pharmaceuticals, transportation equipment (largely due to increased demand for wide-body aircraft) and motor vehicles, which grew by 14%, primarily fueled by the demand for electric vehicles.

Prospects for 2024

Available data for the first quarter of 2024 suggests a continued improvement in global trade, especially considering moderating global inflation and improving economic growth forecasts. Additionally, rising demand for environmental goods, particularly electric vehicles, is expected to bolster trade this year.

Tensions and disruptions; Red Sea, Suez and Panama

However, geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions persist as pivotal factors influencing bilateral trade trends and require ongoing scrutiny. Disruptions in shipping routes, particularly those related to security issues in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, as well as adverse climate effects on water levels in the Panama Canal, carry the potential to escalate shipping costs, prolong voyage times and disrupt supply chains.

For the report readers are invited to see here

Added 23 March 2024

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Quissanga and Quirimba Island retaken by Mozambique armed forces

Africa Ports & Ships

After being in the hands of Islamist insurgents for a number of weeks, Government forces in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province have retaken the town of Quissanga and nearby island of Quirimba.

It is not clear which armed forces, those of Mozambique, Rwanda or SAMIM were involved in retaking the area which lies a short distance to the north of Pemba, the provincial capital and chief port.

The action was announced by the provincial governor, Valigy Tauabo, who said that that food and other essential supplies were being taken to the town and island to replace those looted by the terrorists.

There is an ongoing resurgence of activity from the insurgents after it had been thought the situation in the north of Mozambique was under control. Instead the terrorists have moved further south away from the presence of the combined military forces and are threatening areas previously considered safe.

As a result it is being reported there is now something of a rethink involving the withdrawal of SAMIM armed forces from the country, though no official announcement has been made.

Terrorist activity commenced in Cabo Delgado in October 2017 in the area of the small port town of Mocimboa da Praia (MdP), and spread gradually to a wider area culminating with the seizing and ransacking of MdP and the other small port town of Palma close to the Tanzanian border.

This activity brought a halt to construction of TotalEnergies’ liquefaction plant on the Afungi Peninsula near the town of Palma, which remains at a standstill to this day.

The eviction of the insurgents from the two port towns was only achieved with the arrival of armed forces from Rwanda, followed a short while later by the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) drawn from eight regional countries – Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

Added 22 March 2024

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SAMSA receives reports of oiled Cape Gannets on Bird Island

Africa Ports & Ships

Cape gannets oiled with suspected fish oil are being reported on Bird Island in Algoa Bay.

According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the first reports were received on Sunday 17 March 2024 by the Bird Island ranger for the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), who reported at least 20 Cape gannets found oiled.

A subsequent field assessment made with South African National Parks (SANParks) rangers revealed over 100 oiled gannets, some of which were heavily oiled and preliminary estimates are that at least 50% will have to be rescued.

The most compromised birds, presenting as underweight and/or heavily oiled have already been rescued and transported to SANCCOB Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), which has prepared its facility to receive the birds for stabilisation and subsequent washing and rehabilitation.

Following the report made to SAMSA, a contingency plan was activated along with several other organisations and the first 24 oiled Cape gannets were transported from Bird Island and admitted to SANCCOB Gqeberha.

SANCCOB Cape Town is currently on standby to deploy additional capacity to Gqeberha should the need arise. It is anticipated that more affected birds will be rescued in the coming days.

This incident is the third occurrence of suspected fish oil affecting Cape gannets on Bird Island and has not been reported at any other colony. The first incident occurred in January 2023 where seven Cape gannets were rescued, covered in what was suspected fish oil and again in January 2024, a further 15 were rescued, covered in the same suspected fish oil substance.

Alarming

What started as a minor concern has become increasingly alarming with a higher number of birds being affected. The substance appears as a yellow stain on the feathers and has a distinct fish smell. Affected feather samples have been taken for analysis and work is underway to try and determine the exact type of pollutant.

Whilst not toxic to seabirds, fish oil disrupts feather microstructure and their waterproofing. The fish oil removes waterproofing qualities, so the cold water can penetrate the skin. The birds are unable to regulate their body temperature, making them more susceptible to hypothermia.

In addition, they become water-logged and are unable to fly or swim effectively and can drown. Birds that are unable to swim or fly will eventually die from starvation or dehydration. Affected birds in this condition need to be stabilised before undergoing a washing process and rehabilitated to restore feather waterproofing and overall body condition.

The entire process of washing and rehabilitation takes a minimum of four weeks for an otherwise healthy bird (no secondary complications) but can be longer.

Cape gannets are endemic

Cape gannets are endemic to South Africa and Namibia and found only at six colonies worldwide. These are Possession, Ichaboe & Mercury Islands in Namibia, and in South Africa, on Lambert’s Bay, Malgas Island (Saldanha) and Bird Island in Algoa Bay.

The species is listed as Endangered since 2017 globally and Critically Endangered in Namibia. Bird Island, where the oiled birds have been found, is home to 90,000 to 100,000 breeding pairs, thus the largest Cape gannet colony in the world.

“SANCCOB is concerned that this is becoming a more regular occurrence,” said Monica Stassen, SANCCOB’s Preparedness and Response Manager.

“This is the third time that Cape gannets have been recovered on Bird Island with suspected fish oil contamination. At this time, we do not know what the cause of the contamination is, and we strongly urge management authorities to investigate these incidents. Cape gannets are an Endangered species and therefore we need to do everything we can to protect them.”

SAMSA said it is concerned by the reports of oiled wild seabirds and has, together jointly with other relevant state departments and institutions, already taken action considered necessary and appropriate to both assist the evacuation and cleaning of the affected wildlife, as well as determination of the source of oil, so far believed to be ‘fish-oil’.

“To this end, the activation of the draft National Oiled Wildlife Preparedness and Response Contingency Plan (NOWPRCP) is intended as a joint effort towards management of incidents of this nature and shall remain active until the sources of the oil is established and dealt with in such manner as necessary and appropriate.”

Sightings of oiled seabirds

Sightings of oiled seabirds can be reported to SANCCOB Gqeberha on 041 583 1830 or emergency after hours on 064 019 8936. Financial support to the rehabilitation of the recovered gannets can be made at https://donations.sanccob.co.za/ and selecting ‘Gqeberha Cape gannets’.

Added 22 March 2024

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Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 Recovery will take another 3-5 months

Africa Ports & Ships

Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 (DCT2)

It is going to take another three to five months before the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 will be back to normal.

This revised update extends Transnet’s own recovery period from 8 – 12 weeks, without giving reasons.

Ship waiting time at the terminal currently sits at between 22 and 28 days. On Tuesday 19 March a total of 13 container ships waited outside at the port’s outer anchorage – not all necessarily for DCT2 it must be emphasised. This number fluctuates as ships enter port and others arrive.

Terminal users report that productivity at DCT2 remains well below target, with STS breakdowns reported and problems with the reliability and availability of straddle carriers. According to Transnet OEM agents are working within the terminal or on standby to maintain the equipment.

Recommissioning of the STS on the South Quay is set for June/July and the straddle carriers as from mid year.

It is reported that the limiting of scheduled trucks is impacting the collection of imports and stacking of exports.

Pier 1 Durban Container Terminal (DCT1)

Waiting time for a berth at Durban Container Terminal, Pier 1, has deteriorated from an average of 2-3 days, to 5 days waiting time.

It’s also reported there is a poor STS crane and RTG reliability and availability, resulting in productivity remaining below target.

The Recovery Period estimated for Pier 1 sits at 3-4 weeks.

Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT)

The situation at the Cape Town Container Terminal is more encouraging, with waiting time at the anchorage for container ships reported as stable at 3-5 days. Some wind impact is however reported.

Productivity is reported as close to target and full recovery at CTCT is estimated in another 2 weeks, subject to possible Southeaster wind delays.

Transnet is reported to have released a Wind Recovery Plan to mitigate the effect of wind delays and to speed up operations start-up.

Cape Town MPT

As a result of intermittent mobile harbour cranes breakdowns, productivity at the CT MPT is reported as very low, with no improvement on previous weeks.

Port Elizabeth Container Terminal (PECT)

Waiting time for container ships arriving for PECT is reported to be 1-2 days. The terminal has two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and one mobile crane fully operational.

Productivity at the terminal is said to be just below the expected rates.

Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT)

The situation at the NCT remains stable, with a 2-3 day waiting period for ships arriving.

There are two berths in operation, with Berth D102 out until end March.

Cranes 6, 7 and 8 are each out for repairs.

The recovery of this section is estimated for early April.

RAIL OPERATIONS

Durban-Johannesburg

Rail container operations between Durban and JnB (City Deep and GLO Denver) are fully operational, with some limited restrictions on capacity.

Road transport alternatives are available.

Johannesburg-Durban

Rail container between City Deep and GLO Denver remains fully operational with some restrictions on export rail intents.

Road transport alternatives are available.

NIGERIA: APM Terminals, Apapa

APM Terminals Apapa report that on Monday 25 March 2024, the Terminal Operating System will undergo scheduled maintenance to enhance service delivery and performance. This will occur between the hours of 01:00 to 07:00 local time.

During this period, gate operations and digital services including TERMView, Track & Trace and Shipping Line Dashboard will be unavailable.

Clients are requested to plan their transactions accordingly.

PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS

Waiting time at Port Louis Container Terminal is reported as improving with delays having been reduced from 4 days down to 2 days.

Recovery of operations post the recent cyclone is estimated at 1 week, with full productivity restored.    source: Maersk & AP&S

Added 20 March 2024

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WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker – ZEZE START

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Despite all the uptick of maritime traffic being diverted, in ever greater numbers, around the Cape sea route and away from the risky business of making a transit through the southern Red Sea, and past Houthi territory in Yemen, there is still the normal traffic servicing South Africa’s economic and social needs, and which the shenanigans of the Red Sea plays little, or no part.

One of those crucial trades is that of the energy industry. The ongoing lack of domestic oil refining capacity means that the country is not able to meet the fuel requirements using its own infrastructure. With a lack of power station capacity, you cannot do much about it, other than plan for hours of darkness and no internet, but at least with a lack of oil refining capacity you can at least still import what you need from elsewhere.

Cars need fuel, aircraft need fuel, ships need fuel, homes need heating, and so the list of needs goes on. For the casual maritime observer, and especially for those whose penchant is for tankers, this is a time of plenty, and likely is going to stay that way, as the refinery situation is not going to be alleviated any time soon. And so the flow of product tankers arriving from all points north, to fill up the oil storage terminals of South Africa, continues daily, and apace.

On 18th March, at 14:00 in the afternoon, the MR2 class products tanker ‘Zeze Start’ (IMO 9392781) arrived off Cape Town, from Durban, and entered Cape Town harbour. She proceeded into the Duncan Dock and went alongside the outer berth of the tanker basin to begin her discharge of much needed fuel products.

Built in 2009 by Hyundai Mipo shipyard at Ulsan in South Korea, ‘Zeze Start’ is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 49,999 tons. She is powered by a single HHI MAN-B&W 6S50MC-C7 six cylinder, two stroke, main engine producing 12,880 bhp (9,480 kW), which drives a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes three Hyundai Himsen 6H21/32 generators providing 730 kW , and a single emergency generator. She has a single Kangrim CHR Economiser exhaust gas boiler, and a single Kangrim CHO auxiliary oil fired boiler.

She has twelve cargo tanks, and has a cargo carrying capacity of 51,907 m3. Able to carry seven grades of product at the same time, ‘Zeze Start’ has twelve Framo Deepwell tank cargo pumps, each with a pumping capacity of 600 m3/hour, and she is able to run six tank cargo pumps simultaneously during loading operations, or when discharging.

One of a large class of product tanker, of which 18 were built for the same owner, Diamond S Shipping Group Inc., of Greenwich, in the US State of Connecticut. In 2021, Diamond S Shipping Group Inc., merged with International Seaways Inc., of New York City, and shortly afterwards ‘Zeze Start’ was purchased by her current nominal owner, Zeze Shipping Co. Inc. She is operated and managed by Anglo-Eastern Shipmanagement (Singapore) Pte., Ltd., of Singapore.

On her current voyage to South Africa, ‘Zeze Start’ arrived first in Durban, from Singapore, on 13th March, at 14:00 in the afternoon. She proceeded to her working berth at Island View, and at 10:00 in the morning of 15th March she sailed from Durban to Cape Town. Her voyage had begun at Pasir Gudang in Malaysia, where she had loaded for South Africa.

Located at 01°56’ North 104°07’ East, directly opposite the north shore of Singapore Island, in the Malaysian state of Johor, Pasir Gudang is the world’s largest Palm Oil storage terminal, with a total of 468,000 m3 tank storage capacity provided for Palm Oil. The oil terminal has four jetties, consisting of nine berths, and the storage terminal itself has a tank storage capacity of 1,000,000 m3, with biodiesel being a major storage product, as a result of the Palm Oil capacity.

Interestingly, the EcoCeres company announced in June 2023 that they were going to build a new Biofuel production facility in Pasir Gudang. The facility will serve as a major production hub for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO), Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and bio-naphtha, with an annual capacity of 350,000 tons. Used cooking oil, and wastewater from local Palm Oil mills, will be used as feedstocks, which will then be refined into high-value sustainable Biofuels.

Another company, Vance Bioenergy, already produces fatty acid methyl ester (Biodiesel), from its production plant in Pasir Gudang. Vance Bioenergy benefits from both its access to fresh vegetable oil from the refineries in Pasir Gudang, who have an annual vegetable oil refining capacity of 7 million tons. The Vance Bioenergy plant in Pasir Gudang has an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of Biodiesel.

Previous callers at both Durban and Cape Town, who loaded in Pasir Gudang, have delivered parcels of Biodiesel for discharge at these two ports. The current call of ‘Zeze Start’ to South Africa is thought to be the same, and that she is not delivering parcels of Palm Oil for the local pharmaceutical and foodstuff manufacturing industries.

Added 20 March 2024

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Exercise Ibsamar 2024 looks likely later this year

defenceWeb

A recent flurry of ashore activity at SA Navy (SAN) fleet headquarters in Simon’s Town signalled earnest intentions for a multinational naval exercise later this year.

Flag Officer Fleet, Rear Admiral Musawenkosi ‘Kop’ Nkomonde, received the Brazilian and Indian defence attachés along with SAN Captain SM Majozi, the designated exercise director for Ex Ibsamar 2024, ahead of the initial exercise planning conference for Exercise Ibsamar later this year. Indian Navy Captain Atul Sapaphia, according to Commander Leverne Nsibande, is India’s defence advisor to Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, with Marinha do Brasil Captain Rodrigo Mynssen Fonseca Dos Santos the South American country’s defence and naval attaché to South Africa.

The initial planning meeting held between 11 and 15 March for the eighth iteration of the tri-nation naval exercise led by the Joint Operations Division of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), Nsibande reported, “underscored the commitment of all three nations” to making Ex Ibsamar 2024 a success.

The exercise is seen as a symbol of the shared Brazilian, Indian and South African commitment to maritime security, stability and freedom of navigation in the world’s oceans. “As maritime powers, these nations recognise the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing common challenges such as piracy, illegal fishing and maritime terrorism,” the commander wrote.

Ibsamar is testament to the growing strategic partnerships between the three participating countries. By leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise, Brazil, India and South Africa enhance their maritime capabilities and contribute positively to regional and international security architecture, the SA Navy said.

The successful execution of Ex Ibsamar VIII – with no date given as yet – will show the operational readiness of the three participating navies and provide for an exchange of best practices and boost co-operation and friendship. This extends to support elements such as the SA Air Force (SAAF), SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) and the SAN maritime reaction squadron (MRS).

The previous edition of Exercise Ibsamar took place in October 2022 around Algoa Bay, but there was no Brazilian participation that year. Also notable for the most recent edition was the participation of the first SA Navy multi-mission inshore patrol vessel (MMIPV), SAS King Sekhukhune I (P1571), which had been taken into service in May that year. A total of three are joining the SA Navy fleet.

The South African Navy has already hosted one international exercise this year, with Germany, although on a small scale. Exercise Good Hope VIII took place in Saldanha on the Cape West Coast from 21 January to 6 February and was more modest than previous editions in scale due to real-world commitments affecting the German Navy’s ability to send vessels to South Africa and the South African Navy facing challenges in providing vessels.

The German contingent consisted of a Boarding Company from the German Navy Sea Battalion based in Eckernfoerde. The South African contingent was primary represented by the Maritime Reaction Squadron (MRS) including the Operational Boat Element, Navy divers, 13 Provost of the Military Police, and the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS).

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

Added 20 March 2024

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Pirates move Abdullah into Somali territorial waters to avoid rescue attempt

Africa Ports & Ships

The Somali pirates who captured the bulk carrier Abdullah (IMO 9745598) 600 miles off the African coast, have moved the ship close inshore to the Somali coast and are taking advantage of international maritime law.

It’s ironic that such laws can be used by those who flaunt it when boarding and taking possession of a ship sailing in international waters.

The Bangladeshi-owned bulker was en route from Maputo in Mozambique with 55,000 tons of what was likely to be South African or Botswana-mined coal destined for a UAE customer.

The ship has a crew of 23 who are now being held hostage and for ransom.

The move inshore by the pirates follows the seizure of pirates on board another vessel, Ruen, by an Indian frigate assisted by another from the EU. It is thought the Ruen was intending a rendezvous with the Abdullah when the captured ship was intercepted. After a short exchange of gunfire the pirates on the Ruen surrendered to the Indian Navy ship and have been taken into custody .

By moving within the 12-nautical mile limit off the coast of Somalia the pirates on Abdullah have avoided being outgunned and captured by international navies that are patrolling in the area.

The pirates had previously warned the respective naval forces that they still had the 23 crew on board who would be at risk if an attempt at boarding the ship was made.

Abdullah is now anchored 4 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia, where a fresh contingent of 11 pirates have taken over control of the ship, replacing those who captured it. The ship’s crew are reported as being unharmed and in good health.

In 2010 another ship, Jahan Moni, owned by the same owners and operators of Abdullah, was released after a ransom was paid more than three months after being captured. The owners of Abdullah have indicated their willingness to cooperate with the current pirates and secure the release of the ship and crew.

In 2010 an aircraft was chartered in Kenya to take the ransom money in two waterproof bags which were then dropped by parachute near the Jahan Moni. After recovering the bags from the sea the release of the ship and departure of the pirates took place.

Bring back the sailors safely

There are also reports that a joint team of Somali police assisted by international navies is preparing a rescue mission of the Abdullah and its crew. A spokesman for the owners however said they are not aware of such a move.

“Our priority is to bring back the sailors safely,” said Mizanul Islam, the company’s media spokesman. “A clear message has been given by the government to various international navies regarding such operations. We have no idea about the operations of the international navy.”

“An attack on the ship would put the lives of our sailors at risk. So, our company will not walk that path. We want to return the sailors alive to their families,” he said.

Added 20 March 2024

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New Indian Navy survey vessel INS Sandhayak

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

INS Sandhayak, the first of the class of Survey Vessel Large (SVL) and was commissioned into the Indian Navy with due ceremony at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, on 3 February.

The primary role of the ship is to carry out full scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbours, navigational channels/routes, coastal areas and deep seas, towards enabling safe marine navigation. In its secondary role, the ship will be capable of undertaking a range of naval operations.

Indian Ocean threats

In his address Shri Rajnath Singh, the Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) termed the Indian Ocean as a hotspot for global trade. “Many choke points like the Gulf of Aden are present in the Indian Ocean, through which a large amount of international trade takes place,” he said. Many threats remain at these choke points, the biggest being from pirates.”

He continued by referring to the recent hijack attempts on merchant vessels in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Navy’s courage and promptness to rescue the ships from the pirates.

The pledge of New India

Shri Rajnath Singh assured that those involved in maritime piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated under any circumstances, describing it as the pledge of New India.

Indian Navy’s prompt response

At the commissioning ceremony of Sandhayak the Minister lauded the Indian Navy for providing security not only to Indian vessels, but also to those from friendly countries.

He referred to the recent drone attack on a British ship in the Gulf of Aden which resulted in the oil tanker catching fire. He commended the Indian Navy for its prompt response in extinguishing the fire, stating that the effort was recognised and appreciated by the world.

Kolkata-built

Sandhayak, of 3,400 displacement tons and 110 metres loa, is understood to be the largest survey vessel built and commissioned in India. The vessel was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineers (GRSE) of Kolkata. GRSE’s origins can be traced back to 1884.

GRSE yard’s capabilities

GRSE has developed in-house capabilities to design and build most modern warships in India. Presently the shipyard is building the P17A Advanced Frigates, survey vessels (large), shallow water craft and a fast patrol vessel.

With regard to exports an ocean-going passenger and cargo ferry is slated for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and six patrol boats for the Bangladesh Government.

Taking the Government’s Make in India Initiative forward, the ASW Corvettes and Landing Craft Utilities delivered by GRSE over the last few years, had an indigenous content of over 90%, a major step towards achieving self-reliance in advanced warship design and construction.

For more on GRSE see here

Added 20 March 2024

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Xeneta Update: How low will spot rates go from Far East into Europe?

Africa Ports & Ships

Average spot rates from the Far East into Europe are continuing to slide from their Red Sea crisis peak – the question now is how low will they go?

Rates from the Far East into the Mediterranean hit a peak of USD 6,020 per FEU on 16 January, but have since fallen back to USD 4,370 on 18 March, including a drop of USD 450 on 1 March.

Similarly rates into North Europe have fallen from their Red Sea crisis peak of 4,860 per FEU on 16 January to USD 3,600 on 18 March including a drop of USD 400 on 1 March.Rates ST FE to MED 18 March

Rates on both trades are still significantly above their pre-Red Sea crisis level in mid-December, but they are currently only headed in one direction.

“Shippers are pushing back hard against additional costs related to the Red Sea, whether that is through surcharges or base rate increases,” says Emily Stausbøll, Xeneta Market Analyst. “The question is how low will rates go while ships continue to sail around Africa.

“We have seen average spot rates fall gradually throughout March following a significant drop on the first day on the month and early data on the Xeneta platform suggests a further sizeable decrease on 1 April.

“We’re still a fair way off returning to pre-Red Sea crisis levels, but the data suggests there is still room for rates to fall further.

Stausbøll says the market will also be looking towards whether rates into the US from the Far East continue to follow the pattern of rates into Europe, as they have done since the escalation in the Red Sea.

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WHARF TALK: cable laying ship – ISAAC NEWTON

Pictures by Dockrat
Story by Jay Gates

Another Red Sea diversion, but in the reverse direction, has made the long voyage around the Cape sea route, and given the casual maritime observer the opportunity of setting eyes on yet another vessel that would not ordinarily be seen in South African waters. By now the same casual maritime observers will be coming to the realisation that the offshore Wind Power industry is a massive worldwide undertaking, but sadly not in South Africa.

There are three kinds of cable layers. One is the type that most folk associate with cables, those which lay submarine communications cables. The second type is the one that supports the offshore oil and gas industry, laying control cables and umbilicals to subsea structures. Both of these have been seen regularly in South African ports, with the Western Cape having a permanent cable repair vessel on local standby for the past five decades.

The third type of cable layer is the one that lays power cables, and is associated with the offshore electricity industry, mostly the Wind power industry. As with the offshore oil and gas industry, who build bespoke sophisticated vessels that specialise only in those construction and maintenance elements that are present in the oil and gas industry, so it would not surprise anyone to learn that the wind power industry also build vessels that are unique to their needs.

On 14th March, at 15:00 in the afternoon, the cable laying vessel ‘Isaac Newton’ (IMO 9707297) arrived off Cape Town, from Zeebrugge in Belgium, and entered Cape Town harbour. She proceeded into the Duncan Dock and went alongside the Landing Wall, which along with her voyage details, gave a good indication that she was a Red Sea diversion, and in for bunkers. Shortly after tying up, the arrival alongside of the harbour bunker tanker ‘Lipuma’ confirmed that her call was indeed one for bunkers.

Built in in 2015 by Uljanik Brodogradiliste DD shipyard at Pula in Croatia, ‘Isaac Newton’ is 141 metres in length and has a deadweight of 13,433 tons. She is a diesel electric vessel, and has four MAN-B&W 9L27/38 nine cylinder, four stroke generators producing 11,880 kW for both propulsion and domestic requirements. Propulsion power is transferred to two Schottel SRP3030 azimuth thrusters producing 3,000 kW each, to give a transit speed of 12.5 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes a single MAN-B&W D2842 LE201 emergency generator providing 585 kW. She has two Alfa Laval Aalborg EXV boilers, and a single Alfa Laval Aalborg TFO boiler. For added manoeuvrability she has two Schottel STT5 bow transverse thrusters providing 1,500 kW each, a retractable Schottel SRP510R bow mounted azimuth thruster providing 2,000 kW, and a single Schottel STT5 stern transverse thruster providing 1,500 kW. Her extensive fit of thrusters gives her a dynamic positioning classification of DP2.

She is the largest cable laying vessel of her kind in the world, and she is fitted with two cable carousels. She has a below deck carousel with a cable carrying capacity of 5,000 tons, and an above deck carousel with a cable carrying capacity of 7,400 tons. For her overside operations she has an actively heave compensated aft deck crane, with a lifting capacity of 50 tons, and a working operating depth of 200 metres, plus an actively heave compensated forward deck crane, with a lifting capacity of 25 tons, and a working operating depth of 200 metres.

For her cable operations ‘Isaac Newton’ has a bollard pull of 100 tons, and provides accommodation for 75 persons, comprising her marine crew, and her cable laying crew. For her offshore logistic needs, and crew change requirements, she is fitted with a forward, raised, helideck with a diameter of 23 metres, which allows the largest offshore helicopter, the Sikorsky S-92A, to utilise her helideck.

Nominally owned by Vasco SA, of Luxembourg, ‘Isaac Newton’ is properly owned by European Dredging Co. SA, of Capellen in Luxembourg, and she is operated by Jan de Nul Luxembourg SA, also of Capellen, who are a subsidiary company of the Jan de Nul Group of Hofstade-Aalst in Belgium, and whose houseflag she displays on her exhaust funnel casing. She is managed by Dredging and Maritime Management SA, also of Capellen.

Prior to her current positioning voyage to her next contract, ‘Isaac Newton’ was operating off the coast of the US State of Massachusetts, and laid 130 nautical miles of inter array cables between the 62 General Electric (GE) Heliade-X wind turbines, that go to make up the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 wind farm, which is located 15 nautical miles off the famous Martha’s Vineyard. She operated between September and November 2023 on this cable laying contract, connecting the wind turbines to the offshore field substation.

Before this ‘Isaac Newton’ was active in July 2023 laying the 33 nautical mile long export cable from the Hollandse Kust (West Alpha) wind farm offshore substation to the receiving station ashore. In 2021 ‘Isaac Newton’ laid 114 nautical miles of inter array cables between the Hollandse Kust (Noord) wind farm, and the Hollandse Kust (West Alpha) wind farm.

The 700 MW output from the West Alpha wind farm is scheduled to become fully operational in 2026, and will provide 3% of the current daily electricity consumption in Holland. Together with the 700 MW output from the Noord wind farm, they will provide sufficient electricity to provide power to 1.4 million homes in Holland.

As well as conducting cable laying for offshore wind farms, ‘Isaac Newton’ has also been utilised for laying electrical transmission lines linking the Greek island of Crete, with the Greek mainland of the Peloponnese region. In 2020 she connected the two with a 74 nautical mile long HV interconnector cable, laid in water depths as deep as 900 metres.

Anyone who has ever smoked a pipe will know of the wonderfully aromatic smell of a pipe when the tobacco used was Cherry flavoured Borkumriff tobacco. In 2019 ‘Isaac Newton’ had completed a cable repair to the export cable that connects the offshore DolWin Alpha substation, which connects the output of the three Borkumriff wind farms, to the German mainland. In June 2023, just before she had moved on to complete the work on the West Alpha wind farm, she had again been working in the German Bight area, and had laid a short 20 nautical mile long cable linking the output of two further wind farms to the German mainland.

Whilst most oil and gas field rigs produce their own power requirements with either diesel generators, or jet turbines, back in April 2019, ‘Isaac Newton’ laid the power cable installation that connected the Nasr field development project of the Abu Dhabi state owned national oil company ADNOC. The development included the installation of 30 nautical miles of infield power cables, to connect the platforms of the Nasr Field complex, and 24 nautical miles of export power cables to enable the Nasr Field to draw power from the existing power generation facilities at the Umm Shaif Super-Complex, and Das Island.

Back in Cape Town, and after only 18 hours alongside, ‘Isaac Newton’ had completed her uplift of bunkers from ‘Lipuma’, her stores, and her fresh provisions. At 09:00 in the morning of 15th March, she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Again, a voyage from Belgium to the UAE would suit a Suez Canal transit, thus indicating that such an important asset as ‘Isaac Newton’ was not to be risked with a passage past the Houthi menace.

Her passage to Abu Dhabi is to undertake further power cable laying operations for the ADNOC oil and gas facilities. On this occasion, the contract is scheduled to reduce carbon emissions from the offshore oil and gas fields of ADNOC by more than 30%. The contract is known as the ‘Lightning Project’ by ADNOC, and it will connect Abu Dhabi’s onshore electricity grid to all of ADNOC’s offshore production facilities.

Two cable clusters will be laid, with one connecting Das Island to shore, and which will comprise three 73 nautical mile long cables. The second cluster will connect Al Ghallan island to shore, and will comprise four 68 nautical mile long cables. The commissioning of the project is scheduled for 2025. The total cost of the Lightning Project cable laying operation is US$725 million (ZAR13.74 billion), with the whole project being US$3 billion (ZAR56.87 billion).

In 2025, on completion of this project ‘Isaac Newton’ is scheduled to return to the North Sea, and the United Kingdom, where she will undertake cable laying operations for the Hornsea 3 wind farm development, which is located 87 nautical miles off the coast of Yorkshire. She will lay 189 nautical miles of both inter array, and export, cables back to the mainland for connection to the UK National Grid.

The Hornsea 3 wind farm will produce 2.9 GW of electricity, making it the largest single wind farm in the world. Taken together with the existing Hornsea 1 wind farm, and the Hornsea 2 wind farm, the entire Hornsea wind farm development will produce a total of 5.4 GW of electricity, making it the largest wind farm development in the world.

For the nomenclature aficionado, and for scientific history buffs, ‘Isaac Newton’ is named after the great English Polymath, who lived between 1642 and 1727, and the scientist responsible for the three Newton’s Laws of Motion, the Newtonian Reflecting Telescope, and Universal Gravitation, where Isaac Newton came to his conclusions on gravity when seeing an apple fall from a tree, whilst he was a Fellow of Trinity College at Cambridge University. He is buried with the Kings and Queens of England, at Westminster Abbey in London, and was the first scientist to be buried there.

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Port of Namibe staff to receive training in Germany

Africa Ports & Ships

Over 30 employees at the southern Angola port of Namibe are to receive additional training in Germany, it has been disclosed.

The announcement coincided with a visit to Namibe last week by the German ambassador to Angola, Stefan Traumann.

Making the announcement, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Namibe port, Nazaret Neto, said the employees will benefit from the additional training they will receive in Germany, which will go towards the strategy of modernising and improving the port.

As part of the agreed programme, the initiative will enable experienced German port personnel to promote training in Namibe.

Neto told journalists that German businesspeople have been invited to invest in the Southern Angola Corridor Project, specifically in the port sector and with the railing of ornamental stones (granite and marble) to the port for export.

Ambassador Traumann emphasised the importance of diversifying the economy by way of the railways, ports and logistics.

“We have strong companies in the area of logistics, railways and port management. Therefore, we will arouse the interest of the business class, taking into account the potential of the port of Namibe,” he said.

The business community in his country will be encouraged to establish partnerships with mutual benefits, Traumann added.

According to Joaquim Neto, coordinator of the Moçâmedes Bay Development Project, work on the container terminal of the Port of Namibe is 48% complete, while the terminal of the Mineral Port has reached the 38% mark. Completion of these works is expected in 2025. source: Angop

YouTube video produced by Angop covering the port of Namibe [English – 3:31]

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Funcionários do Porto do Namibe receberão formação em Alemanha

Africa Ports & Ships

Mais de 30 funcionários do porto do Namibe, no sul de Angola, vão receber formação adicional na Alemanha, foi divulgado.

O anúncio coincidiu com uma visita ao Namibe, na semana passada, do embaixador alemão em Angola, Stefan Traumann.

Ao fazer o anúncio, o presidente do Conselho de Administração do porto do Namibe, Nazaret Neto, disse que os colaboradores vão beneficiar da formação complementar que irão receber na Alemanha, que irá contribuir para a estratégia de modernização e melhoria do porto.

Como parte do programa acordado, a iniciativa permitirá que pessoal portuário alemão experiente promova formação no Namibe.

Neto disse aos jornalistas que empresários alemães foram convidados a investir no Projecto do Corredor Sul de Angola, concretamente no sector portuário e com o gradeamento de pedras ornamentais (granito e mármore) até ao porto para exportação.

O Embaixador Traumann enfatizou a importância de diversificar a economia através das ferrovias, portos e logística.

“Temos empresas fortes na área da logística, ferrovias e gestão portuária. Por isso, vamos despertar o interesse da classe empresarial, tendo em conta o potencial do porto do Namibe”, afirmou.

A comunidade empresarial do seu país será incentivada a estabelecer parcerias com benefícios mútuos, acrescentou Traumann.

Segundo Joaquim Neto, coordenador do Projecto de Desenvolvimento da Baía de Moçâmedes, as obras do terminal de contentores do Porto do Namibe estão 48% concluídas, enquanto o terminal do Porto Mineral atingiu a marca dos 38%. A conclusão destas obras está prevista para 2025. fonte: Angop

Adicionado em 19 de março de 2024

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Be my witness: Taiwanese container ship takes out four ship-to-shore cranes

Yang Ming container ship YM Witness collides with four STS cranes [2:19]

Africa Ports & Ships

The Yang Ming container ship YM Witness, under the command of the harbour pilot, was berthing at the Turkish port of Izmit (Evyap) when the collision shown in the YouTube video took place, with four cranes sent crashing to the ground.

The collision happened on Saturday 16 March 2024. There are no injuries reported by Turkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure

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Air Cargo Digitalization Leadership Charter: First Signatories per IATA

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

From Hong Kong the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the launch of the IATA Digitalization Leadership Charter at the IATA World Cargo Symposium being held in Hong Kong.

Cathay Cargo, CHAMP Cargosystems, Global Logistics System (HK) Company Limited, IAG Cargo, IBS Software, LATAM Cargo, and Lufthansa Cargo are the inaugural signatories of the charter, it has been reported.

The Digitalization Leadership Charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalization journey by committing to five key guiding principles.

Developed in consultation with IATA’s Cargo Advisory Council Members, airlines and the wider air cargo community, the charter seeks to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and promote a sustainable and harmonized digital transformation.

Central to the charter is the importance of data sharing using IATA ONE Record for smooth and efficient data exchange.

The Digital Leadership Guiding Principles include commitments to:

* Developing a unified and collaborative digital strategy that champions interoperability and the use of global standards across the entire supply chain.

* Enhancing organizational resilience through building robust digital infrastructure and implementing strategies that safeguard against cybersecurity risks while ensuring the responsible use of generative AI.

* Pursuing sustainable digitalization with a focus on supporting eco-friendly technology initiatives.

* Pursuing digital excellence by staying ahead of digital trends, ensuring secure and sustainable practices, and establishing industry best practices.

IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.

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WHARF TALK: cable laying vessel – ENDEAVOUR

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

No fewer than four important submarine communications cables get cut at pretty much the same time, in the same geographical area, and an area that is full of known malign actors. It matters not whether the cables are cut by accident, with one report saying it was due to the anchor of the sinking ‘Rubymar’, after her attack by Houthi terrorists, which caused the damage, or is some deranged state players had a hand in the loss of communications.

The point is that the loss is crippling to many who rely on these cables providing the very means for their business to survive. It is a time that South Africa, and South Africans, come to the realization that the world of internet contact, and information, is now pretty much tied up in intercontinental submarine communications cables, and the loss of these cables in, and around, the southern Red Sea, has great effect, all of it negative, in most everything that they do.

Despite the problems that this incident, or series of incidents, has caused, the laying of new, and the upgrading of existing submarine cables continues. Worldwide connectivity is paramount for all nations, even those in the region that the damage occurred, and adding spurs to existing submarine cables to increase that connectivity is an important part of every nation’s development, even if these spurs are in the affected region. The arrival in Cape Town of a cable laying vessel, heading for that region, is a sign that irrespective of the tensions, life must go on.

On 9th March, at 09:00 in the morning, the cable laying vessel ‘Endeavour’ (IMO 9203306) arrived off Cape Town, from a long, north-south, transatlantic voyage from Baltimore in the US State of Maryland. She entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and went alongside the outer berth of the Eastern Mole which, as most folk reading these articles are now beginning to acknowledge, is a near sure sign that the visit is primarily for bunkers.

Built in 1999 by Van de Giessen-de Noord shipyard at Krimpen aan den Ijssel in Holland, ‘Endeavour’ is 131 metres in length and has a deadweight of 7,693 tons. She is a diesel electric powered vessel, and has four Wärtsilä 9L26 generators, producing 2,790 kW each, to give a total power output of 11,160 kW for both propulsion and domestic needs. Power is provided to two Aquamaster propulsion azimuth thrusters, producing 2,200 kW each, and giving her a transit service sea speed of 9.5 knots.

For added manoeuvrability she has three KaMeWa TT2200 bow transverse thrusters, each providing 1,335 kW, and one KaMeWa TT2000 stern transverse thruster providing 925 kW. Her substantial set of thrusters, plus her azimuth propulsion thrusters, give ‘Endeavour’ a dynamic positioning classification of DP2, which is provided by a Kongsberg KPOS-21 DP system..

For her cable laying operations ‘Endeavour’ has an aft working deck of 525 m2, with a deck strength of 10 tons/m2. She can carry 3,052 tons of cable in her main below deck tank, and 945 tons of cable in each of her two freight tanks, plus a further 182 tons in her spare tank, giving her a submarine cable carrying capacity of 5,124 tons. She carries a total of 146 cable repeaters.

For deck work she has a single Haoyo C616 deck crane, with a lifting capacity of 7 tons, and a single HS Marine AK30 deck crane, also with a lifting capacity of 7 tons. She is fitted with two 30 ton cable sheaves on her stern for her cable laying operations, and her output power gives her a bollard pull of 60 tons when laying cables. She can lay cable up to a speed of 8 knots.

For her overside operations ‘Endeavour’ is fitted with a Triton ST-214 remote operated vehicle (ROV), capable of operating to a maximum working depth of 2,500 metres, and which is launched, and retrieved, from a port side, stern mounted ‘A’ Frame. She has accommodation for 65 persons, which includes both ship operations, and cable operations, crews.

Owned, and managed, by Transoceanic Cable Ship Co. LLC, of Baltimore in the US State of Maryland, she is operated by SubCom, of Eatontown in the US State of New Jersey. She was purchased by SubCom in 2023 to provide both cable transport, and to carry out surface cable laying, in support of their existing fleet of cable laying vessels.

In March 2023 SubCom announced that they had been awarded a contract to lay an extension to the existing Oman Australia Cable (OAC), with a 648 nautical mile submarine cable from Muscat to Salalah, both in Oman, and to be completed in 2024. The Oman Australia Cable had originally been laid in 2022 by SubCom, over a distance of 5,292 nautical miles, from Perth in Western Australia to Muscat, and with a spur to the Australian Cocos-Keeling Islands.

However, as the cable passed the British Indian Ocean Territory, which is the location of the large American military base of Diego Garcia, is was noted that the SubCom cable laying vessel that was laying the OAC cable made a detour which took it to a point just off Diego Garcia, and where she loitered for a number of days.

The unscheduled close approach of the cable layer to the US military base raised questions about American military use of the OAC, as Diego Garcia was not part of the published route of the cable, nor was a spur planned to there from the main cable. In July 2023 the US Navy, who administer the Diego Garcia base, confirmed that the OAC had been laid via Diego Garcia.

The cost of laying the cable was given as US$300 million (ZAR5.63 billion), and it was announced that the US Department of Defence, at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., had secretly paid for a third of the whole costs of the entire cable length, at a value of US$100 million (ZAR1.88 billion), on condition that a spur to Diego Garcia was included in the routing. The OAC has a large line capacity of 48 Terabits per second, and is the only high speed cable link between Australia and the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) region.

As well as the OAC, Oman is considered to be a submarine cable hub, with around 15 submarine communications cables currently terminating there, and which underscores the importance of Oman as a key hub in the EMEA region, and a major gateway between Asia and the EMEA region. SubCom have also been responsible for laying the Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE1) cable, between Djibouti and Mombasa in Kenya, via Mogadishu in Somalia. This cable runs for 2,621 nautical miles, and has a line capacity of 36 terabits per second.

SubCom also laid the Indian Europe Express (IEX) cable, between Mumbai in India through to Marseilles in France, via the Red Sea, and with a spur to Salalah in Oman. The other major SubCom laid network cable is the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE-6), which runs from Singapore to Marseilles, and which has a spur to Muscat in Oman.

Whilst alongside at Cape Town, ‘Endeavour’ also received some local shoreside underwater engineering assistance, with divers from the OSC Marine Group operating around the stern of the vessel. She spent a total of three days alongside, and at 09:00 in the morning of 12th March, with her bunkers, stores and fresh provisions loaded, and her maintenance requirements completed, she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Salalah in Oman. It is thought that ‘Endeavour’ will be undertaking the OAC Muscat to Salalah cable spur on arrival.

As an American owned vessel, and known to have undertaken submarine cable operations on behalf of the US Military, a voyage from Baltimore to Salalah would have made a lot of sense to have been completed via the Suez Canal, but the obvious issues in relation to the Houthi menace targeting American vessels made such a voyage one of high risk.

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Ports Regulator of South Africa and B-BBEE Commission Sign MOU

Africa Ports & Ships

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at addressing transformation in the ports sector has been entered into between the Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA) and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Commission.

In a joint statement by the regulator and the commission it was explained that the MoU provides for the exchange of information, strategies, expertise and research related to B-BBEE and transformation.

Furthermore, the MoU will provide a platform for strengthening the partnership on the sector’s economic transformation.

“It is intended that the partnership between the PRSA and the B-BBEE Commission will help address the slow pace of transformation,” the statement reads.

The PRSA report on Implementation of Broad- Based Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa indicates that Black Ownership in port terminal operations hovers below 20%, for leases 18%, and 12% for services and facilities. The ownership by Black Women in the sector is worryingly below 15%.

“On the other hand, the B-BBEE Commission’s National Trends and Status report on B-BBEE for the year 2022, shows that while the Integrated Transport sector managed [to] reach 58% of Black Ownership by JSE listed entities in 2022, and 25% for Black Women, the Ports sub-sector still lags behind.

“This demonstrates that an overarching challenge faced by the PRSA and the B-BBEE Commission is the issue of enforcement and accountability for non- compliance with the B-BBEE Act,” the statement read.

The statement said the commission has played a leading role in “strengthening of accountability and enforcement” of the act but the MoU will enhance monitoring.

“It is anticipated that the collaboration between the B-BBEE Commission and the PRSA will enhance monitoring of transformation activities within the Ports Sector to ensure that black operators and port users benefit in [the] future. [The] MoU states that both partners may from time to time engage in awareness and advocacy programmes concerning B-BBEE.

“In this regard, it should be possible for example, where the PRSA identifies sub-sectors of the Ports where compliance and enforcement should be strengthened to collaborate with the B-BBEE Commission on research and appropriate interventions required, based on the respective mandates of the two entities,” the statement says.   source: SAnews.gov.za

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Xeneta Update: Mexico amid ongoing US trade war

Africa Ports & Ships

Growth in demand for container shipping imports from China into Mexico in January 2024 increased by 60% compared to 12 months ago, further fuelling suspicions it has become a ‘back door into the US’.

This is now one of the strongest trade lanes in the world according to analysts at Xeneta, the leading ocean freight rate benchmarking and intelligence platform, with 117,000 TEU (20ft equivalent container) shipped in January of this year compared to 73,000 TEU in January 2023 (source: Container Trades Statistics).

Annual growth in container shipping between China and Mexico had already increased by 34.8% in 2023 compared to just 3.5% in 2022.

Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, believes the latest data may be further evidence of businesses attempting to circumvent tariffs on goods imported from China into the US, which have ramped up during the ongoing trade war between the nations.

He said the strength in trade between China and Mexico was building during 2023 but the latest data for January 2024 reveals a massive increase. “It is probably the fastest growing trade on planet Earth right now.

“A sizeable proportion of the goods arriving in Mexico by ocean will likely be trucked into the US, which gives rise to the suspicion that the increase in trade we are witnessing is due to importers trying to circumvent US tariffs.

In a purely hypothetical scenario, if this growth rate continues, by the year 2031 there will be more containers imported from China into Mexico than the US West Coast. That demonstrates just how rapid the increasing rate of demand for ocean freight shipping has been.

“Only last year Mexico City opened a new cargo-only airport, which is another sign that imports are scaling up. I doubt this is happening due to increased demand in Mexico only, but more likely because it is a back door into the US.”

Importing into Mexico West Coast ports from China is seen as a viable alternative to goods arriving directly into the US West Coast, but importers will face a potentially volatile ocean freight shipping market as volumes continue to increase.

In April 2023, Xeneta data shows long term rates for ocean freight shipping from China to Mexico West Coast dropped below rates into the US West Coast at USD 2,110 per FEU and USD 2,190 per FEU respectively.

Since that point, long term rates have swapped over five times in terms of which trade is the more expensive before finally converging to almost the same level on 14 March this year at USD 1887 per FEU into Mexico West Coast and USD 1892 per FEU into the US West Coast.

Sand said a maturing trade is also a potentially volatile trade in terms of both the cost of ocean freight shipping rates and service reliability.

“If importers are choosing to switch ocean supply chains to the Mexico West Coast there are risks associated with it. This is a prime example of how the ‘best option’ for shippers is likely to change over time as the market develops.” source: Xeneta

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In Conversation: Undersea cables for Africa’s internet retrace history and leave digital gaps as they connect continents

Africa Ports & Ships

Jess Auerbach Jahajeeah, University of Cape Town

Large parts of west and central Africa, as well as some countries in the south of the continent, were left without internet services on 14 March because of failures on four of the fibre optic cables that run below the world’s oceans. Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Ghana, Burkina Faso and South Africa were among the worst affected. By midday on 15 March the problem had not been resolved. Microsoft warned its customers that there was a delay in repairing the cables. South Africa’s News24 reported that, while the cause of the damage had not been confirmed, it was believed that “the cables snapped in shallow waters near the Ivory Coast, where fishing vessels are likely to operate”.

Jess Auerbach Jahajeeah, an associate professor at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, is currently writing a book on fibre optic cables and digital connectivity. She spent time in late 2023 aboard the ship whose crew is responsible for maintaining most of Africa’s undersea network. She spoke to The Conversation Africa about the importance of these cables.

1. What’s the geographical extent of Africa’s current undersea network?

Fibre optic cables now literally encircle Africa, though some parts of the continent are far better connected than others. This is because both public and private organisations have made major investments in the past ten yea s.

Based on an interactive map of fibre optic cables, it’s clear that South Africa is in a relatively good position. When the breakages happened, the network was affected for a few hours before the internet traffic was rerouted; a technical process that depends both on there being alternative routes available and corporate agreements in place to enable the rerouting. It’s the same as driving using a tool like Google Maps. If there’s an accident on the road it finds another way to get you to your destination.

But, in several African countries – including Sierra Leone and Liberia – most of the cables don’t have spurs (the equivalent of off-ramps on the road), so only one fibre optic cable actually comes into the country. Internet traffic from these countries basically stops when the cable breaks.

Naturally that has huge implications for every aspect of life, business and even politics. Whilst some communication can be rerouted via satellites, satellite traffic accounts for only about 1% of digital transmissions globally. Even with interventions such as satellite-internet distribution service Starlink it’s still much slower and much more expensive than the connection provided by undersea cables.

Basically all internet for regular people relies on fibre optic cables. Even landlocked countries rely on the network, because they have agreements with countries with landing stations – highly-secured buildings close to the ocean where the cable comes up from underground and is plugged into terrestrial systems. For example southern Africa’s internet comes largely through connections in Melkbosstrand, just outside Cape Town, and Mtunzini in northern KwaZulu-Natal, both in South Africa. Then it’s routed overland to various neighbours.

Each fibre optic cable is extremely expensive to build and to maintain. Depending on the technical specifications (cables can have more or fewer fibre threads and enable different speeds for digital traffic) there are complex legal agreements in place for who is responsible for which aspects of maintenance.

2. What prompted you to write a book about the social history of fibre optic cables in Africa?

I first visited Angola in 2011 to start work for my PhD project. The internet was all but non-existent – sending an email took several minutes at the time. Then I went back in 2013, after the South Atlantic Cable System went into operation. It made an incredible difference: suddenly Angola’s digital ecosystem was up and running and everybody was online.

At the time I was working on social mobility and how people in Angola were improving their lives after a long war. Unsurprisingly, having digital access made all sorts of things possible that simply weren’t imaginable before. I picked up my interest again once I was professionally established, and am now writing it up as a book, Capricious Connections. The title refers to the fact that the cables wouldn’t do anything if it wasn’t for the infrastructure that they plug into at various points.

Landing centres such as Sangano in Angola are fascinating both because of what they do technically (connecting and routing internet traffic all over the country) and because they often highlight the complexities of the digital divide.

For example, Sangano is a remarkable high tech facility run by an incredibly competent and socially engaged company, Angola Cables. Yet the school a few hundred metres from the landing station still doesn’t have electricity.

When we think about the digital divide in Africa, that’s often still the reality: you can bring internet everywhere but if there’s no infrastructure, skills or frameworks to make it accessible, it can remain something abstract even for those who live right beside it.

In terms of history, fibre optic cables follow all sorts of fascinating global precedents. The 2012 cable that connected one side of the Atlantic Ocean to the other is laid almost exactly over the route of the transatlantic slave trade, for example. Much of the basic cable map is layered over the routes of the copper telegraph network that was essential for the British empire in the 1800s.

Most of Africa’s cables are maintained at sea by the remarkable crew of the ship Léon Thévenin. I joined them in late 2023 during a repair operation off the coast of Ghana. These are uniquely skilled artisans and technicians who retrieve and repair cables, sometimes from depths of multiple kilometres under the ocean.

When I spent time with the crew last year, they recounted once accidentally retrieving a section of Victorian-era cable when they were trying to “catch” a much more recent fibre optic line. (Cables are retrieved in many ways; one way is with a grapnel-like hook that is dragged along the ocean bed in roughly the right location until it snags the cable.)

There are some very interesting questions emerging now about what is commonly called digital colonialism. In an environment where data is often referred to with terms like “the new oil”, we’re seeing an important change in digital infrastructure.

Previously cables were usually financed by a combination of public and private sector partnerships, but now big private companies such as Alphabet, Meta and Huawei are increasingly financing cable infrastructure. That has serious implications for control and monitoring of digital infrastructure.

Given we all depend so much on digital tools, poorer countries often have little choice but to accept the terms and conditions of wealthy corporate entities. That’s potentially incredibly dangerous for African digital sovereignty, and is something we should be seeing a lot more public conversation about.

Jess Auerbach Jahajeeah, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town

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

Added 18 March 2024

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Introduction of third-party access to Transnet’s rail network a step closer

Africa Ports & Ships

On Friday 15 March 2024 Transnet published the draft Network Statement, a critical milestone in the rail reform process and the successful introduction of third-party access onto South Africa’s rail network.

The draft Network Statement, published by Transnet’s interim Infrastructure Manager (TRIM), will be gazetted this week by the Interim Rail Economic Regulatory Capacity (IRERC) for public comments.

The draft Network Statement contains – inter alia – rules, time limits, timelines, procedures, services, charging principles, and terms and conditions governing the use of the railway infrastructure by Train Operating Companies (TOCs).

It also contains information regarding Transnet’s operational corridors which make up the network; and Service Level Agreements to be entered into between the Infrastructure Manager and the TOCs.

Separation of Infrastructure and TFR Operating

Rail Reform, which has been brought about by the White Paper on National Rail Policy, given expression in the Economic Regulation of Transport (ERT) Bill, and further articulated in the Freight Logistics Roadmap, entails vertical separation of the infrastructure and the train operating businesses of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR).

Vision

The Rail Policy’s vision is to position rail as an affordable, competitive, reliable, sustainable and valued transport mode that provides the backbone of the South African freight logistics and strengthen the country’s economic growth and social development by 2050.

Transnet Group Chief Executive, Michelle Phillips, said Transnet is committed to the creation of a financially viable core network, which will culminate in the successful introduction of competition in freight rail operations.

“Through this rail reform process, we are going to witness a significant transformation in the sector which will see Transnet become both a provider of world-class infrastructure and a user of the infrastructure,” she said.

“The rail reform programme is an integral part of our Recovery Plan. We are confident that these changes in the freight logistics sector will ultimately increase exports, economic growth, and jobs, while we provide much-needed support to critical sectors of the South African economy,” said Phillips.

To give effect to the reform process, in October 2023 Transnet announced the establishment of an interim Infrastructure Manager (TRIM), to assume ownership of the rail infrastructure, capacity allocation, train scheduling and access charges.

Since then, work has been underway to develop the draft Network Statement, in consultation with key stakeholders. The publishing of the draft Network Statement on Friday is the culmination of this work.

Transnet aid engagements with stakeholders continue.

In the 2024/25 financial year (commences 1 April 2024), the Network Statement will be finalised, and it is expected that the process for third party-access will then commence in the second half of the year.

The draft Network Statement is available on the Transnet website

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WHARF TALK: small gearless bulk carrier – ELECTRAMAR

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

The current spate of diversionary traffic passing through the Cape sea route, is providing the casual maritime observer with a plethora of every unusual arrival one can think of. Not only are the rarer types of vessel are calling, but generally these are tending to be vessels that are positioning back to Europe on delivery voyages from the shipyards of Southeast Asia.

One of the rarer vessel types that, in even normal circumstances, is a rare caller at South African ports is the traditional European coaster. In this modern era, where climate change concerns are making the more progressive shipowners embrace new technology that will assist in the drive to become carbon neutral, what the Houthi menace is providing is the arrival of one such vessel having to make the long voyage back to Europe directly from the shipyard.

On 8th March, at midday, the small gearless bulk carrier ‘Electramar’ (IMO 9951824) arrived off Cape Town, from Ngqura in the Eastern Cape, and entered Cape Town harbour. She proceeded, not into the Duncan Dock, as one might expect, but into the Ben Schoeman Dock, where she went alongside berth 501, which is the bespoke Dormac Ship Repair quay, and a possible indication that she had arrived for some shoreside engineering support.

Built in 2023, and only entering service in December 2023, ‘Electramar’ was built by Chowgule and Company Pvt. Ltd. Shipyard, at Loutulim in the State of Goa in India. She is 90 metres in length and has a deadweight of 5,350 tons. She is powered by a single Yanmar 6EY26W six cylinder, four stroke, main engine providing 2,575 bhp (1,920 kW, and driving a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 12 knots. For added manoeuvrability she has a bow transverse thruster providing 300 kW.

For cargo handling, ‘Electramar’ is a gearless vessel, but unlike most vessels of this type, her accommodation is placed as far forward as is possible. Also, her engine, and generator, exhaust pipes are offset to the starboard side, resulting in her having a long, and unobstructed, cargo deck which is perfect for outsize and project freight. This design gives her 20% greater cargo carrying capacity than similar sized vessels.

She has a single hold, measuring 60 metres by 13 metres, and with a cargo carrying capacity of 7,650 m3. Her deck tanktop strength is 20 tons/m2, and she has a container carrying capability of 100 TEU. Her hatch covers are of the pontoon type, and she has a travelling deck gantry crane which is used to lift and stack the hatch covers when working hold cargo. Not only can she provide a large single hold, but her versatility is shown by her having e set of three moveable bulkheads in her hold, and six moveable tweendecks.

Known as an Energy Efficient Plug-In Hybrid General Cargo vessel, ‘Electramar’ is owned by ESL Shipping Ltd., of Helsinki in Finland, whose houseflag is displayed on her hull, due to the lack of a traditional funnel, and she is operated by ESL subsidiary company AtoB@C Shipping AB, of Ystad in Sweden, and managed by GoTa Ship Management AB, of Gothenburg in Sweden. She also displays the words ‘Hybrid Power’ on her hull to indicate her green credentials.

Her owners plan to establish a green coaster pool for energy efficient electric hybrid vessels, to be operated by AtoB@C Shipping, and which will include all of the sisterships of ‘Electramar’. The first of a series of twelve sisterships, ‘Electramar’ has an ice classification of ICE 1A, which allows her to navigate in first year Baltic Sea Ice up to a thickness of 0.8 metres, and first year Polar Sea ice up to a thickness of up to 0.7 metres. Her sisterships are expected to be delivered at three monthly intervals through to the end of 2026.

She has been built, ostensibly for the short sea bulk trades, but her green credentials make her a very impressive vessel. For her hybrid propulsion requirements, ‘Electramar’ has a Corvus Orca Energy Storage System (ESS) based on a lithium battery pack of a massive 1MWh. To put this in perspective, this is the equivalent of her carrying a total of 25,000 standard 40 kWh electric car batteries, to provide the same power requirements.

The battery technology applied on ‘Electramar’ can provide all of her onboard requirements, when in port, thus enabling her to provide both an emissions free, and a noise free, port visit by not having to run generators. She can also plug-in to those ports which have shoreside power provision and receive sufficient shoreside electrical requirements for onboard needs.

Her large battery power also enables her to provide her propulsion requirements when both entering, or leaving port, without the need of the use of her main engine, and can also be used at sea for main engine peak shaving. On top of this, ‘Electramar’ is capable of running on special renewable biofuels, provided by the Finnish oil refiners, Neste.

She will burn Neste Marine 0.1 Co-processed Marine Fuel, which is a low sulphur fuel comprised of a combination of sustainable, renewable, biofuels, and a fossil fuel component. It is known as a drop-in fuel, enabling up to 80% reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the lifecycle of ‘Electramar’, compared to a similar sized vessel running on pure fossil fuels.

She will also produce 50% less CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than similar sized vessels. Her ultra-modern fuel efficient, and highly reduced emissions capability, is further future proofed as she is designed to be retrofitted with wind power propulsion, should it be desired.

This is her maiden voyage, as well as her positioning voyage, back to her owners in the Baltic Sea, and the decision was taken not to risk her with a passage into the Red Sea, as a routing for a coaster from India to Sweden would have been best served with a Suez Canal transit. On departing from the Chowgule shipyard in Goa, she proceeded to Visakhapatnam in India to load some project freight, which is visible on her hatchtops, before sailing for home.

The reason for her arrival in Ngqura is not known, but she arrived there on 4th March at 10:00 in the morning, and stayed within the port for just twenty hours, sailing for Cape Town on 5th March in the morning.

Whilst alongside at the Dormac facility, a barge carrying equipment, and containers, from the Schomberg company came alongside ‘Electramar’. Schomberg provide specialist underwater hull cleaning services, especially the removal of marine growths from hull plates and seawater intakes, which may give some reason for her need to seek shoreside engineering assistance.

Her stay in Cape Town lasted for just over two days, and with her uplift of bunkers, stores and fresh provisions completed, plus any shoreside assistance provided by both Schomberg and Dormac complete, she sailed from Cape Town at 13:00 in the afternoon of 10th March, with her AIS indicating that her next destination, a presumed further bunker stop en route home to her new owners, was to be the Cape Verde Islands.

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Pirated ship Ruen and crew freed by Indian Navy

Africa Ports & Ships

An Indian Navy ship has recaptured the merchant vessel Ruen, which was seized in mid December by Somali pirates along with the crew. The latter were being forced to sail the Ruen under the command of pirates.

It appears that Ruen was being used as a pirate mother ship to seek out other merchant ships in the north-western Indian Ocean that could be captured and held for ransom.

It is reported that the Indian naval vessel, believed to be INS Tarkash, and the pirates on board the Ruen exchanged some gunfire and a 24-hour standoff from last Friday through to Saturday 16 March before the pirates finally surrendered.

A total of 35 pirates were taken prisoner with the surrender of the Ruen. The original crew on board are all reported unharmed.

The Indian Navy ship, together with another ship from the EU NAFOR Operation Atalanta, had been monitoring the movements of the merchant ship, the bulk carrier Abdullah, seized some days earlier. Abdullah had sailed from the Mozambique port of Maputo with a cargo of 58,000 tons of coal and a crew of 23 mostly Bangladeshi nationals.

The Indian naval ship attempted to engage with the pirates on Abdullah and an exchange of gunfire took place before the pirates warned the Indian ship that the lives of the the Abdullah’s crew were also at stake. The Indian ship then stood off at a distance of about 20 miles to monitor the situation.

On Friday afternoon (15 March) the pirated Ruen was identified approaching Abdullah. When intercepted by the naval ship a firefight followed. A stand-off resulted until the following day, 16 March, when the pirates on the Ruen agreed to surrender.

It’s not known whether some of the crew on the Ruen were going to take over control of the Abdullah, though that appears to have been likely.

Abdullah and her crew remain as captives of the Somalis and are being held on board the ship off the coast of Puntland.

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NATO Exercise Dynamic Manta: Mediterranean showcase

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

From Northwood, NW London, NATO has reported the conclusion of its anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare exercise Dynamic Manta (DYMA24) in Catania, Italy, on 8 March.

Led by Commander, Submarines NATO at Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood, Dynamic Manta converged ships, submarines, aircraft, and personnel from nine Allied nations in the Mediterranean showcasing the Alliance’s commitment to collective defence.

Variety of scenarios

According to Public Affairs Office at MARCOM participating units had the opportunity to conduct a variety of exercise serials across multiple warfare domains including a submarine emergency surface, winching exercise between both Spanish and Turkish helicopters and submarines, and extensive tactical communication and manoeuvring drills.

Submarines took turns hunting and evading, closely coordinating their efforts with the air and sea surface units. By fostering increased proficiency and interoperability among member nations, DYMA24 underscored the Alliance’s readiness to address evolving security challenges in the maritime environment.

Special forces inclusion

This year, for the first time at a tactical level within DYMA, Special Operations Forces (SOF) added another layer of complexity to the exercise. Greek maritime Special Operations Forces rehearsed daytime and nighttime boarding operations at sea with an Italian submarine and then conducted a special reconnaissance training ashore, increasing the Alliance’s readiness for discreet insertions and extractions when and where required.

Nine nation involvement

The exercise involved units and personnel from nine NATO nations: surface ships from Greece, Italy, Spain, Türkiye, and the United States including the ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2; submarines from France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Türkiye; maritime patrol aircraft from Canada, Germany, Greece, Türkiye, the UK, and the US; and maritime patrol helicopters support from Italy.

As the host nation, Italy provided support in Catania and Augusta Harbours, the naval helicopter base in Catania, Naval Air Station Sigonella, and Naval Base Augusta.

MARCOM’s In-stride Debriefing Team was an invaluable training tool and provided immediate feedback to participants. This capability optimized the training experience enabling real-time adjustments and improvements.

Comment

In the words of Commander, SNMG2 Italian Navy Rear Admiral Pasquale Esposito: ‘This kind of major exercise allow us to understand where our doctrine can be improved, and where the technology has to improve, giving us the chance to find the key factors of development that deserve research efforts.

“In the complex scenarios that our units have to face, technological superiority is a key factor that has to be maintained, and this kind of exercise allow us to lead the improvements where they are needed.”

Annual maritime exercises

DYMA is one of nearly a dozen MARCOM-led maritime exercises held each year in addition to numerous national exercises that increase readiness in defence of the Alliance. Its sister exercise, Dynamic Mongoose, is held in the cold waters of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) Gap.

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GEFO chemical tanker Tosca is a certified industry pioneer

Africa Ports & Ships

German shipping company GEFO’s LNG dual fuel tanker Tosca is the first chemical tanker in the maritime industry to be awarded the Green Award CO2 label, setting a new benchmark for environmental performance and responsibility.

The certification underlines GEFO’s commitment to sustainability and means that the vessel is eligible for financial incentives for sustainable ships in ports worldwide.

“This external validation emphasises the pioneering role of our fleet in developing commercially viable solutions as regulators catch up,” says Sven von Appen, CEO of the GEFO Shipping Group. “Differentiation as a pioneer will be critical as the energy transition in the industry continues.”

GEFO operates with a fleet of 150 vessels (both inland and ocean-going), of which 92 are Green Award certified. The shipping company has made significant investments in emission-reducing technologies, and Tosca’s CO2 label is an important milestone in the company’s sustainability efforts.

As Tosca is largely powered by LNG, the ship is consistently achieving lower carbon emissions.

“This achievement not only places Tosca at the forefront of the specialty chemical tanker segment but also cements Tosca’s status as a trailblazer,” says Sven von Appen.

“The vessel was also the first chemical tanker in the 7,000 dwt range to run on LNG.”

Jan Fransen, Executive Director at Green Award Foundation said that Tosca’s Green Award certification and Green Award CO2 label promises to drive further incentives and support for voluntary impact industry wide. He added that all 18 deep sea vessels in the GEFO fleet have Green Award certification.

“I confidently predict that where Tosca has led, others in the speciality chemical tanker segment and beyond, will follow.”

According to GEFO, other projects involve the use of green fuels such as green methanol, ammonia or hydrogen for alternative propulsion systems of inland barges or deep-sea vessels and the role of a logistics service provider to transport these new alternative energy sources within the whole European inland barging and shortsea region.

The quest for saving fossil fuels poses huge challenges for chemical tanker operators on short sea trades. One step beyond switching to alternative fuels, is installing aids to mechanical propulsion. GEFO says it is close to installing a Flettner Rotor on one of its larger deep-sea vessels. This will provide extra thrust and could reduce traditional fossil fuel consumption by up to 15%.

GEFO was founded in 1961 and was originally called Gesellschaft für Oeltransporte. The fleet operates 150 specialised tankers, half of which are owned and half chartered, for the transport of chemicals, mineral oil and gas. GEFO recently invested 400 million euros in 26 newbuildings and 13 modern second-hand vessels.

The shipping company says it is also working on the development of carbon capture and storage and has presented plans for a hydrogen propulsion system for its first zero-emission cargo ship.

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APM Container Freight Station commissioned in Onne, Nigeria

Africa Ports & Ships

A new container freight station (CFS) has been commissioned at the Nigerian port of Onne, by the APM Terminals-operated West Africa Container Terminal (WACT).

The investment brings WACT a step closer towards its strategic vision of becoming the ‘gateway to Eastern Nigeria and beyond’, providing a comprehensive suite of logistics solutions to empower Nigerian businesses and further boost efficiency and access.

The Onne CFS acts as a central hub for various trade-related activities. These include interaction with regulatory authorities and seamlessly connecting businesses in Eastern Nigeria to the global marketplace and vice versa. Other benefits are streamlined processes for import and export operations, and reduced time and cost for customers.

Seamless connectivity to the port

WACT Managing Director, Jeethu Jose said the CFS will expedite the movement of key Nigerian commodities like agro products and solid minerals, ensuring Just-in-Time service delivery through efficient stuffing and swift transfers to the port. It also offers a reliable warehousing service for both import and export cargo across diverse sectors.

“The CFS will serve as a one-stop-shop where all our customers can consolidate their exports,” Jose said during the ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Container Freight Station.

WACT Commercial Manager, Ismaila Badjie, described the facility as the first of its kind in Onne Port.

“The Container Freight Station is cost effective and also ensures that keeps time wasted to a minimum. The facility will help customers with non-oil exports,” Badjie said. “This facility will also continue to support and ensure that natural produce is shipped abroad efficiently and will directly or indirectly aid the creation of jobs.”

Supporting economic growth

WACT was one of the first greenfield terminals to be built in Nigeria under a public, private partnership with the Nigerian government in 2003. Located in the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone near Port Harcourt, WACT caters to the greater Port Harcourt area and Eastern Nigeria, including the Nigeria Oil Industry.

Since its inception, WACT has played a pivotal role in successfully connecting East, North, West Central Nigeria and River State to the world.

In 2020, WACT announced a further investment of US$ 115 million (Onne Terminal Upgrade Project) that included the acquisition of three additional mobile harbour cranes, bringing the total in operation to five, 20 Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes, three reach stackers, 13 terminal trucks and trailers and two container empty handlers.

The upgrade also includes the deployment of reefer racks with a 600-plug capacity, as well as expansion of the current yard, a new workshop, a new terminal auto gate, modernised offices, and state of the art technology.

The final phase of the project is expected to be completed this year.

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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.

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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 15 March 2024

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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