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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

Newsweek commencing 25 August 2024.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return.  

FIRST VIEW:   TEAM BRAVO

• Port News and Advisories
• US$115 million upgrade of Onne’s West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) is completed
• Kotug to support ENI’s Congo LNG project
• Grindrod’s locomotives return from West Africa
• WHARF TALK: multi-purpose offshore support vessel – BOURBON TRIESTE
• Red Sea attack on tanker Sounion: IMO S-G statement
• Mercy Ships new hospital ship to use energy efficient compressed air system
• Eni’s offshore Angoche concession to drill for oil extended by 8 years
• Uganda company launches second new tanker on Lake Victoria
• Port of Beira: Significant growth in throughput for July
• Transnet Pipeline fuel thief gets 35 years jail time
• Robust result for Sea Harvest, despite challenging environment
• WHARF TALK: cable laying vessel – CS RECORDER
• Port Advisories latest
• Transnet falls back under Transport Ministry
• PLAN hospital ship Peace Ark joins forces with SAMHS in Cape Town
• Malawi’s dry port concession at Nacala to follow legal procedures
• FLNG Coral Sul delivers 5 million tons of LNG from Rovuma Basin
• Ultra Galaxy shipwreck – oil and fuel removal a lost cause as ship breaks apart
• Automotive parts manufacturing boost at Durban’s Dube Trade Port
• Port News & Advisories – UPDATED 26/08/24
• Transnet welcomes lengthy jail sentences for infrastructure thieves
• Grindrod reports sustained performance for 1H 2024
• MOL retrofits Norsepower Rotor Sails to Capesize bulker
• Feature: Development of deepwater container port at Banana, DRC
• The Future is Now: AAL Limassol record-breaking maiden voyage
• AAL introduces monthly express heavylift Europe-Asia liner service
• Maersk opens its largest Middle East Logistics Park in Jeddah

 

• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND UNDER NEWS CATEGORIES…….

Africa Ports & Ships

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Masthead:  PORT OF CAPE TOWN

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Africa Ports & Ships

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FIRST VIEW:   TEAM BRAVO

Team Bravo (IMO 9539341) is a General Cargo vessel built in 2012 at the Shin Kochi Jyuko Co Ltd shipyard (Shin Kochi Heavy Industries Co., Ltd) in Kochi, Japan as the Sunlight Lily.

In 2019 the general cargo vessel was sold to Greek interests for a reported US$12.4 million and renamed Team Bravo. Her ship manager is Team Fuel Corp of Piraeus, Greece which operates a fleet of five general cargo ships, Team Bravo, Team Focus, Team Samba, Team Tombi and Team View.

Team Bravo has a length of 180 metres, a width of 28m and a deadweight of 33,642 tons. Three deckside cranes each with a lifting capacity of 30.5 tons cover the vessel’s five cargo holds.

Team Bravo arrived in Durban from Saldanha Bay and departed later for the South Korean port of Seosu where she was due to arrive this weekend. The ship operates under the Marshall Islands flag.

Picture by Benny Janse van Rensburg

Africa Ports & Ships

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• News continues below

Port News and Advisories

Africa Ports & Ships

Port Advisories

FEA-SAF Trade – Service rotation

Maersk advises that in connection with the upcoming Chinese Golden Week Holidays and to balance their network to match the expected reduced cargo movement caused by this holiday, Maersk plans to remove one voyage on the M-Express service from Far East Asia to Indian Ocean Islands, voyage 443W.

Impacted Trade :

Far East to Indian Ocean Islands

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SAECS : Service slide

Faced with exceptional delays in the past few weeks in South Africa with extreme weather conditions and South African terminal inefficiencies, and more bad weather expected in the current week, the operators of the South Africa-Europe Container Service (SAECS) state they are unable to maintain schedule integrity.

The service will slide in Rotterdam, which will create a blank position in Rotterdam in Week 37 and Port Elizabeth in Week 41.

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Mirador Express 435W – Luanda Omission

The vessel Mirador Express, operating from Tanger Med to West Africa ports, will omit the Angolan port of Luanda, due to delays experienced in West Africa.

It’s been advised that all bookings currently intended to load on the Mirador Express 435W ex Luanda will be moved to the Irenes Wisdom 437W, ETA Luanda 18th September.

Unfortunately, this will delay cargo on the ground even further for delivery to its final destination, however we are hypercaring same to ensure there are no additional delays.

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MSC Carmen 434N – Phase Out Cancelled

MSC has advised that the MSC Spring III will no longer phase into the Amex service.

Instead, the MSC Carmen 434N will remain in the service with the following rotation:

Ngqura ETA – 9th September
Cape Town ETA – 14th September

Durban export cargo will be loaded on the MSC Spring III 434R to connect onto the MSC Carmen in Ngqura for onward connection into USA.

MSC Spring III rotation and dates:

Durban ETA – 5th September
Ngqura ETA – 8th September

Durban import cargo currently onboard the MSC Carmen will be discharged in Ngqura to connect onto the MSC Sariska V 437R into Durban.

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APM Terminals Apapa

APM Terminals, Port of Apapa reminds customers that starting from 1 September 2024, all Fast Track Customers will be required to submit their request for Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) exclusively through APM’s online platform.

The terminal will “no longer provide counter services for Fast Track customers from this date going forward.”

Online TDO requests are attended to from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday while Saturdays and Sundays, requests close at 3 p.m.; requests received after these times will be attended to the next day.

For online TDO account registration and access to online TDO via TERMView please visit: https://www.apmterminals.com/en/apapa/e-tools/customer-service

For further assistance, contact the terminal at +2348097627965 or via email at APPAPMTCTO@apmterminals.com

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Port of Apapa: Final Reminder

APM Terminals at the Nigerian Port of Apapa Container Terminal has issued a reminder that tomorrow, Saturday 31 August 2024, is the final day in which to have 2024 Letters of Authority (LOA) stamped at the Customer Care counter.

Effective Sunday, 1 September 1, 2024, the acceptance of the 2024 Letter of Authority (LOA) will be enforced, APM Terminals advises.

LOAs for 2024 can be stamped at the Apapa Customer Care counter

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Namibia blocks ship over Israel war-crime concerns

According to a BBC report, a vessel suspected by the Namibian authorities to be carrying military cargo intended for Israeli use in the ongoing war in Gaza was prevented from docking at the port of Walvis Bay.

According to the report, this was announced by Namibian Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab who told state media the Madeira-flagged general cargo ship Kathrin (IMO 9570620) had been barred because it was carrying “explosive material destined for Israel”.

The MV Kathrin was en route from Vietnam and Singapore and had requested permission to dock in the port of Walvis Bay, presumably for bunkers, before heading sailing north towards the Mediterranean. The ETA at Walvis Bay was set to be 25 August 2024.

Various rights groups intervened, saying that admitting the ship into port would implicate Namibia in potential human rights violations.

Minister Dausab said that a police investigation had revealed the ship was indeed carrying explosive material destined for Israel and was therefore prohibited from entering Namibia’s waters.

Added 30 August 2024

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US$115 million upgrade of Onne’s West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) is completed

Africa Ports & Ships

A US$ 115 million upgrade of the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) at Onne in Rivers State, Nigeria, has been completed and will be commissioned this coming Wednesday by President Bola Tinubu.

WACT, operated by APM Terminals, is Nigeria’s biggest and busiest container terminal outside of Lagos (including Lekki). Work on the upgrade commenced in 2021. Managing Director of WACT, Jeethu Jose called it a milestone in the history of Nigerian ports.

He said the upgrade will prove to be a game-changer for Nigeria. “We’re thoroughly excited about it.”

Jose said the investment of $115 million in the terminal is a testament to the trust and confidence that APM Terminals has in the Nigerian economy. “It contributes to our purpose of improving lives for all while lifting global trade,” he added.

The investment has included the acquisition of three additional Mobile Harbour Cranes, bringing the total in operation to five, 20 Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes, three Reach Stackers, 13 terminal trucks and trailers and two container empty handlers.

WACT was one of the first greenfield terminals developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with the Nigerian government in 2003 and is strategically situated within 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.

The terminal has evolved into the premier gateway for accessing markets beyond the Lagos region and is a vital conduit to Eastern Nigeria’s burgeoning economy.

Added 30 August 2024

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Kotug to support ENI’s Congo LNG project

Africa Ports & Ships

Dutch towing company Kotug International BV announced on Wednesday (27 August) that it has been awarded a contract for ENI Congo to deliver marine services for the Congo LNG project.

This significant project, situated offshore the Republic of Congo, includes the Tango FLNG and the Excalibur Floating Storage Unit (FSU), with a second FLNG currently under construction.

Under the terms of the contract, Kotug will deploy three powerful Rotortugs to support a range of operations, including mooring and unmooring of vessels, handling mooring equipment, providing stand-by services, transporting pilots, and offering antipollution, oilfield goods, and passenger transport services.

The Rotortug, with its patented triangular propulsion design, ensures enhanced safety and highly accurate manoeuvring. Each tug delivers over 80 tons of bollard pull and features a unique propulsion configuration consisting of three thrusters, which provide a high level of redundancy, cost savings, and faster handling under all circumstances.

Kotug is dedicated to maximising local content by collaborating closely with local suppliers and utilising local goods and services. This initiative will promote the employment and training of Congolese nationals, contributing to the sustainable development of the local economy.

“We are proud to be part of the Congo LNG project, providing our expertise and innovative Rotortugs to ensure the safe and efficient operation of this critical infrastructure,” said Ard-Jan Kooren, President and CEO of Kotug.

He said the partnership underscores Kotug’s commitment to supporting the sustainable development of the local economy by leveraging local talent and resources, and underscores Kotug’s commitment to excellence in the LNG sector.

“We look forward to a successful collaboration with our partner ENI Congo and contributing to the project’s success.”

Congo LNG is a natural gas liquefaction (LNG) project in the Republic of Congo, implemented with a zero-flaring technological approach to reduce methane emissions.

The project’s first phase involves the nearshore development with the positioning of the Tango FLNG unit, which has already commenced LNG production and exports as of February 2024.

The second phase will include the installation of another FLNG unit offshore.

Added 30 August 2024

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Grindrod’s locomotives return from West Africa

Africa Ports & Ships

Grindrod has returned 13 of its diesel-electric locomotives from Sierra Leone. These arrived in the Durban port on Thursday, 22 August 2024.

The 13 locomotives were deployed by Grindrod Rail to the West African country to operate a heavy haul rail service during which over 18 million tonnes of iron ore was hauled from the mine in the interior to the coast over a three year period.

This successful project is a reflection of Grindrod Rail’s extended expertise in managing heavy-haul trains. The Sierra Leone project alone extends back more than 15 years. In 2012 Grindrod Rail was contracted to haul iron ore from the Tonkilili Mine in central Sierra Leone to the Pepel Port, a distance of approximately 200 kilometres from the port.

In addition to providing the locomotives and performing maintenance, Grindrod also ran the train operations including providing drivers, planners, and controllers.

In 2017 Tonkolili’s mining operations came to a halt. In 2019, in a very complex logistical operation, 24 locomotives were placed on a ship for Durban, with four of the locos taken to the DRC Port of Matadi on the Congo River, where they were to take up duty on another contract.

The remaining 20 that returned to South Africa were then redeployed. Another ten units remained in Sierra Leone in support of the country’s efforts to revive its iron ore exports.

Grindrod locomotives were also involved in operations at the Marampa Mine in Sierra Leone as from 2019. This mine, located in the Port Loko District about 150km from Freetown, is known for producing high-grade iron ore concentrate branded as Marampa Blue™.

In 2020 five of Grindrod’s 10 locomotives stationed in Freetown were deployed to haul iron ore from Tonkolili Mine to Pepel Port. This was after the new Tonkolili Iron Ore Project had recommenced operations in September of that year, led by a privately-owned Chinese company.

A year later the company announced its full-scale operation covering an area of 408 square kilometres with a resource capacity of 13.7 billion tons and equipped with a complete railway and port logistics transportation system involving Grindrod locomotives.

Grindrod Rail is one of South Africa’s privately owned heavy haul rail operators and is active within SADC and East Africa regions where its rail strategy is centred on fostering partnerships with rail authorities and operators and expanding and enabling rail growth opportunities.

Added 29 August 2024

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WHARF TALK: multi-purpose offshore support vessel – BOURBON TRIESTE

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’ 
Story by Jay Gates

The French owned Bourbon Offshore oil and gas industry offshore support company has, for many years, been very active in both the offshore fields of West Africa and the offshore fields of East India. In recent months there have been one or two of their support vessels making their way from one region to the other, with recently ‘Bourbon Explorer 514’ making its way from Kakinada in India, around to Soyo in Angola, via Cape Town as reported in Africa Ports & Ships in the 31st July edition. These routings are, thankfully, unaffected by the Houthi idiocy.

Back on 2nd August, at 19:00 in the evening, which was exactly 24 hours after the departure from Cape Town of ‘Bourbon Explorer 514’ to Angola, the multi-purpose offshore support vessel ‘Bourbon Trieste’ (IMO 9394258) arrived off Cape Town, from Luanda in Angola. She entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and in an unusual move, was placed alongside the Passenger Cruise Terminal at E berth. Whilst not always the case, such a move is indicative that a major crew change is planned, and Immigration Services are required.

Built in 2007 by Scheepwerf De Hoop International BV, at Tolkamar in Holland, which lies on the River Rhine bordering Germany, ‘Bourbon Trieste’ is 86 metres in length and has a deadweight of 3,210 tons. She is a diesel electric vessel, and is powered by four Caterpillar 3512B generators producing 1,360 kW each, providing power to Alstom MV3000 variable speed drives, which drive two stern Rolls-Royce US205 fixed pitch azimuth thrusters for a service speed of 10 knots.

The auxiliary machinery of ‘Bourbon Trieste’ includes a single emergency generator providing 320 kW. For added manoeuvrability she has two bow Roll-RoyceTT1650 DPN transverse thrusters providing 780 kW each, and single bow Rolls-Royce Aquamaster UL901/4420 retractable azimuth thruster providing 600 kW.

Her full suite of azimuth and transverse thrusters gives ‘Bourbon Trieste’ a dynamic positioning classification of DP2. This is provided by a Converteam ADP-21 system, where her dynamic positioning references are from two DGPS receivers, a Cyscan Laser reference system, and a Sonardyne USBL acoustic reference system. Her DP2 classification allows her to maintain position with wind speeds up to 30 knots, and with a sea state wave height of 3.5 metres.

Designed for light subsea works, and precision seabed lifting down to a depth of 2,300 metres, ‘Bourbon Trieste’ has an aft working deck with an area of 800 metres, with a forward deck strength of 5 tons/m2, and an aft deck strength of 10 tons/m2, with her working deck able to carry a full cargo load of 1,245 tons. Additionally, she has an aft mezzanine deck with an area of 260 m2, and a deck strength of 5 tons/m2.

Her overside operations are carried out by a NOV knuckleboom crane with a lifting capacity of 110 tons, and able to work to a depth of 1,600 metres, and a SMST knuckleboom crane with a lifting capacity of 24 tons, and able to work to a depth of 2,300 metres. Both cranes have active heave compensation. Two Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), producing 500 kW each, are operated from the mezzanine deck using bespoke lifting ‘A’ frames and cable winches.

She has limited underdeck cargo tank capacity to carry 841 m3 of fuel, with cargo pumps able to transfer at a rate of 150 m3/hour, and a fresh water tank with a capacity of 524 m3, and cargo pumps able to transfer at a rate of 150 m3/hour. She has underway water making systems able to produce fresh water at a rate of 20 tons/day.

She has a firefighting classification of FiFi1, with two monitors capable of throwing a water deluge at a rate of 1,200 m3/hour each, and has a water spray system that covers the vessel when involved close to fires. For firefighting operations she also has a tank with a foam capacity of 25 m3. For anti-pollution operations ‘Bourbon Trieste’ carries oil skimmers and dams aboard, where the skimmed oil can be pumped aboard into a 300 m3 tank, for disposal ashore.

She has accommodation for up to 80 persons, and with a tropical rescue capability of 150 persons. She has a range of 9,360 nautical miles, and an endurance of 50 days at sea. Owned by Bourbon Supply Investissements SAS, of Marseille in France, ‘Bourbon Trieste’ is operated by Bourbon Offshore Surf SAS, also of Marseille, and is managed by Bourbon Offshore Greenmar, of Nyon in Switzerland.

Her call at Cape Town was not her first call at a South African port, as she called into Durban back in April 2017, as recorded in the Africa Ports & Ships edition of 2nd May 2017. Prior to her arrival in Cape Town, ‘Bourbon Trieste’ has been working in the offshore oil and gas fields of Angola, and had been based out of Luanda since April 2024.

After her clearance period at E berth, she was shifted down the Duncan Dock to the Landing Wall, where she remained for over one week, before finally moving across to the Eastern Mole, prior to sailing. At 2100 in the evening of 16th August, she was finally ready to sail and she departed from Cape Town with her AIS indicating that her next destination was to be Kakinada in India.

For the nomenclature aficionado, and the casual maritime observer, it is clear that her prefix name is that of her owners, Bourbon, but contrary to popular belief she was not named after the Italian port of Trieste, located in the far north of the Adriatic Sea. She was, in fact, named after the Bathyscaphe ‘Trieste’, which created the world record for the deepest manned dive ever undertaken on 23rd January 1960.

The Bathyscaphe, which is named from the Ancient Greek words of ‘Bathys’ which means ‘Deep’, and ‘Scaphe’ which means ‘Bowl shaped boat’. Designed by the Swiss engineer Auguste Piccard, the hull of the ‘Trieste’ was built in 1953 by the Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico shipyard, at Trieste, with the manned pressure sphere being built by Acciaierie d’Italia SpA, at Terni. Both the hull and pressure sphere were completed and fitted out by Cantiere Navali di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, near Naples.

She entered service with the French Navy for deep diving operations in the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1958 ‘Trieste’ was sold to the United States Navy (USN). On 23rd January 1960, crewed by Lieutenant Don Walsh, a Submariner of the USN, and Jacques Piccard, who was the son of Auguste Piccard, the ‘Trieste’ dived into the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, which is the deepest known point of the oceans, anywhere on Earth.

After a dive that took over 4 hours, she touched bottom at a depth of 10,916 metres, or 35,814 feet, to break the deep diving record. To put it into context, this depth is more than the equivalent of the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, whose summit sits at 8,849 metres, or 29,032 feet. Retired in 1966, ‘Trieste’ has been saved for posterity, and is on permanent public display at the National Museum of the United States Navy, in Washington D.C. in the USA.

Added 29 August 2024

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Red Sea attack on tanker Sounion: IMO S-G statement

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

On 28 August and following the recent attack on mv Sounion in the Red Sea Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO said:

“I am extremely concerned about the situation regarding the tanker MV Sounion which was targeted while transiting the Southern Red Sea. The tanker is carrying some 150,000 tonnes of oil on board, that is approximately one million barrels of crude oil.

“This is yet another unacceptable attack on international shipping, putting the lives of innocent seafarers at risk. I am grateful to all those involved in the rescue efforts for ensuring the seafarers have now all been safely evacuated.

“The risk of an oil spill, posing an extremely serious environmental hazard, remains high and there is widespread concern about the damage such a spill would cause within the region.

“IMO is in communication with national, regional and UN entities, as well as other stakeholders regarding the ongoing incident, and we are ready to offer support with any technical assistance to address the ongoing safety, security and environmental challenges posed by the stricken vessel.

“I continue to monitor the situation closely and reiterate my call for an immediate end to the illegal, cowardly and unjustifiable attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea area. Merchant ships trading essential supplies and the seafarers serving on them should be free to navigate worldwide, unhindered by geopolitical tensions.”

Added 28 August 2024

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Mercy Ships new hospital ship to use energy efficient compressed air system

 

Africa Ports & Ships

The Guangzhou Shipyard in China, which is building Mercy Ships new hospital ship, has ordered what is claimed to be the marine market’s most energy efficient marine compressed air system for use on board the latest addition to the Mercy Ships fleet.

Under the contract, TMC Compressors (TMC) will provide a complete marine compressed air system based on Smart Air compressors, which offer up to 40 per cent energy saving compared to conventional compressors. The system will consist of control and service air compressors.

“Mercy Ships aims to make their mark on the world by helping people,” said Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.

“There is something poetic about then choosing the marine compressed air system that leaves the smallest mark on the globe, through lowest possible energy consumption, emissions to air and operating cost,” he said.

The Smart Air compressors are based on a frequency-controlled technology that offers precise control of the compressor speed.

Simply explained: the speed of the electrical motor will adjust itself according to what is required to produce the exact air volume necessary to meet the actual compressed air consumption at all times. In turn, lower air consumption requires less speed on the compressor, and this directly results in less power consumption.

TMC, which is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and which supplies marine compressors solely for marine and offshore use, will manufacture and assemble the equipment in Europe.

Mercy Ships’ new hospital ship will be 174 metres long and can accommodate 500 people at sea and 950 people in port. The vessel will feature six operating rooms, training areas and a fully equipped laboratory.

Added 28 August 2024

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Eni’s offshore Angoche concession to drill for oil extended by 8 years

Africa Ports & Ships

Italian oil major Eni, which is successfully productive in LNG extraction from Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, has had its concession contract for oil exploration in the Angoche A6-C offshore area of Mozambique, extended by eight years.

This has been announced by way of a document from the Council of Ministers and seen by Lusa and reported, the Mozambique news agency.

The extended concession contract stipulates that in the event of a commercial discovery, the development and production phase will be extended by an additional period of 30 years.

The concession stems from confirmation by the Mozambique National Petroleum Institute (INP) in 2022 saying that Eni had submitted a proposal to explore area A6-C on a 60/40 partnership with Mozambican state company ENH.

Eni is involved with two other explorations offshore of Mozambique, both of them in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin well to the north of Angoche. The first has entered into production using the FLNG vessel Coral Sul while the second has yet to commence proper exploration.

Added 28 August 2024

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Uganda company launches second new tanker on Lake Victoria

by Terry Hutson 
Africa Ports & Ships

Shipping on Lake Victoria has recently taken a step forward with several new ships launched or under construction, while some older vessels have undergone refurbishment and general refits to cater for a resurgence in lake shipping. A number of the ports and landing places have also undergone refurbishment.

In February we reported the launching of the cargo ferry vessel MV Mpungu, in which South African shipping and logistics group Grindrod has a stake as the operator of the vessel – see that report ‘Red-letter day as mv Mpungu is launched into Lake Victoria‘ here.

Earlier this month (16 August 2024), the Uganda-built tanker MT Elgon (MMSI 675010015) became the latest new vessel to enter service when the double-hulled tanker was commissioned in Entebbe.

Classified under the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), MT Elgon was built by the Mahathi Shipyard Uganda Ltd company to the same design as another vessel, also built by the Ugandan shipyard, named MT Kabaka Mutebi II which was commissioned in January 2023.

Like her sister tanker, MT Elgon will operate on Lake Victoria serving the countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and indirectly, several landlocked neighbours. Oil and fuel will be loaded at the Kenya port of Kisumu for delivery in Uganda and to other states.

MT Elgon is a modern tanker featuring a double hull steel construction, and utilises a conventional twin-screw propulsion system, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 10 knots. The vessel is designed with dedicated machinery and pump room spaces to ensure optimal performance during operations and will have a complement of 18 crew members.

The vessel was designed by a Dubai-based design company and built by a skilled Indian workforce and officers in Bugiri Bukkasa, Uganda, marking a significant achievement in international collaboration and engineering excellence.

During the delivery ceremony Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni praised those involved in the design, construction and registering of the new vessel, acknowledging those responsible for their role in the successful construction and delivery.

His words underscored the importance of international partnerships and the positive impact of such collaborations on Uganda’s maritime capabilities.

A spokesman for the owner of the two tankers said another two similar vessels are to be built. The company has also built a fuel storage terminal in Uganda with a capacity of 70,000 kilolitres.

The 50,000-dwt MT Elgon has an overall length of 118 metres and a width of 23m and has a fuel capacity of 4.5 million litres – the equivalent of 200 road tanker trailer outfits. The twin-engined tanker has an operating speed of 10 knots.

The tankers are owned by Mahathi Infra Uganda Ltd and managed and operated by FML Ship Management.

Watch this YouTube video [19:37] for more about these Lake Victoria tankers.

Added 28 August 2024

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Port of Beira: Significant growth in throughput for July

Africa Ports & Ships

The Port of Beira, Mozambique’s second busiest after Maputo, is reporting significant growth for the month of July.

During the month it is reported that Beira recorded a volume growth of 112% to reach a total of 442,000 tonnes in July 2024.

During the same period of July 2023 the port handed 199,000 tonnes.

The information was made available by Cornelder de Moçambique operations director, Miguel de Jenga. Cornelder is the concessionaire managing and operating the port and was quoted on Radio Moçambique.

The report ascribed the growth to increased imports of clinker and corn for the domestic market. It added also a considerable increase in imports of wheat, equipment and sulphur destined for Mozambique’s neighbouring countries.

In addition, Beira’s advantageous geographic position ensures that Zimbabwe continues to be the biggest user of the Port of Beira for its exports, involving products such as chrome, lithium, petalite and tobacco.

The report said the port’s general cargo terminal had recorded an increase of 24% during the first seven months of this year, compared with the same period in 2023.

The port’s container terminal also showed significant growth of 40% by handling 226,000 container TEUs compared with 160,000 for the same seven month period of 2023. sources 360 Mozambique & Radio Moçambique

Added 28 August 2024

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Transnet Pipeline fuel thief gets 35 years jail time

Africa Ports & Ships

Crime doesn’t pay, goes the Victorian proverb, something a Zimbabwean national will have an effective 20 years to reflect on.

Shedi Mhlanga, found guilty of stealing fuel from the Transnet pipeline, received a total 35 years sentence at the Pretoria Regional Court this week, after being apprehended while hiding in some bushes in the Boschkop area, along the Kendal to Waltloo Transnet pipeline route.

The case goes back to 31 December 2022 when Transnet Pipelines (TPL) personnel at the Network Operations Centre detected a significant pressure drop at around 01:55 that morning.

Security teams deployed to investigate identified a suspicious fuel tanker near a known hotspot in the Boschkop area. The driver fled into nearby bushes from his moving vehicle but was pursued by the security team who quickly made the capture.

Subsequent investigations revealed that an illegal fitting had been welded into the pipeline, facilitating the theft of 33,994 litres of petrol. The stolen fuel was recovered and confirmed to match the TPL product from the pipeline.

TPL chief executive, Sibongiseni Khathi, welcomed the court’s decision and said it sent a clear message that tampering with critical infrastructure and stealing national resources will not go unpunished.

“The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and its impact on both the economy and society. We are proud of the swift and effective response from our security teams and the collaboration with law enforcement that led to this outcome,” Khathi said.

In July this year the court found the accused guilty and this week sentenced him as follows:

• Count 1: Tampering with essential infrastructure – 20 years imprisonment
• Count 2: Theft of fuel – 10 years imprisonment (to run concurrently with Count 1)
• Count 3: Possession of stolen property (fuel tanker) – five years imprisonment (to run concurrently with Count 1)

In total, Mhlanga has been sentenced to 35 years, with 20 years of direct imprisonment.

In a statement, TPL said it encourages the public to report any suspicious activities or incidents along its pipelines to the Tip-Offs Anonymous Hotline: 0800 003 056

Added 27 August 2024

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Robust result for Sea Harvest, despite challenging environment

Africa Ports & Ships

Despite a challenging environment in the six months to 30 June 2024, the Sea Harvest Group has delivered an EBIT of R373 million, 6% ahead of 2023, and a HEPS (Headline Earnings Per Share) of 50 cents.

The Group benefited from significantly improved pricing and strong demand in wild-caught fish that saw the Group’s revenue increase by 3% to R3.3 billion (2023: R3.2 billion). The performance was however, constrained by continued low hake catch rates, deteriorating market conditions in abalone markets and higher interest rates in both South Africa and Australia.

“The first six months of this year have been some of the toughest months in the history of the group with the tragic sinking of the MFV Lepanto,” reported Sea Harvest Group CEO, Felix Ratheb.

“The Board, management and staff extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones to the 11 crewmen lost at sea. As, a group, we continue providing support to the affected families, whilst continuing to cooperate with the investigation into the incident by the South African Maritime Safety Authority.”

During the period, the group completed the acquisition of Aqunion and Saldanha/Westpoint Fishing which has seen the Sea Harvest group diversify into pelagic (anchovy and pilchard) fishing and completing the group’s exposure to all material wild-caught fisheries in South Africa.

This was while the abalone business doubles in size, and creating a world-class and competitive aquaculture business of scale.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sea Harvest Group Chairman, Fred Robertson, described the transaction as of strategic benefit to Sea Harvest.

“It has increased the group’s hard currency earnings, created a stronger merged business, increased black ownership in the fishing and abalone industries, and broadened Sea Harvest’s shareholder base,” Robertson explained.

Focusing on the group’s segmental performance, the lower catch volumes in the hake fishery in its South African fishing operations resulted in lower sales volumes. However this was offset by significantly improved pricing during the period.

The group’s dairy operations at Ladismith performed well despite a tough local consumer environment, benefiting from increased milk flow and good cost control.

Whilst the Sea Harvest’s abalone business recorded good animal stock growth on its farms, the markets have been particularly tough in the second quarter of 2024 with reduced demand and increased competition in the sector impacting selling prices.

Overall, the group’s earnings continue to be weighed down by persistently higher interest rates.

“As we continue into the second half of 2024, we look forward to the fish volumes still available to be caught by the group, supported by firm local and international hake markets, and the improvement of our H2 weighted operations in Australia,” reported Ratheb.

“With the addition of Sea Harvest Pelagics and Aqunion and the potential decrease in of interest rates, the group looks forward to an ease in operating conditions for the rest of the year,” he said.

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WHARF TALK: cable laying vessel – CS RECORDER

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

South Africa has seen its fair share of intercontinental, submarine, communications cables coming ashore in the last few years, as new fibre optic cables take over from the old copper cables. The importance of this web of cables linking South Africa with all points of the globe is such that a permanently based cable laying and repair vessel is stationed in Cape Town, and in constant readiness to sail at a moment’s notice to any point around the African continent to undo any damage that might occur to any one of the numerous cables that ring the continent.

Many folk in South Africa probably do not appreciate the fact that the vast majority of all of their daily overseas communications via the internet, video phone links, general phone links and data exchanges, takes place via these transcontinental submarine communications cables. As the new cables are brought ashore, this is done by the large cable laying vessels, which are not to be confused with the smaller cable repair vessels.

These cable vessels have been regular visitors to Southern African ports in the recent past as they both complete, and start, the various legs of the cable laying operations that they have been tasked to complete. So for the casual maritime observer the arrival of a cable laying vessel always invokes great interest, with a focus on what communications cable it has arrived to work on, or where it might be going to start a new cable laying operation as, after all, not every submarine cable is to be linked in with the usual South African receiving shore stations.

On 8th August, at 05:00 in the early morning, the cable laying vessel ‘CS Recorder’ (IMO 9207053) arrived off Cape Town, from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. She entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and went alongside the outer berth of the Eastern Mole, which is a usual sign of a caller for bunkers, stores and fresh provisions, as well as to receive light shoreside engineering assistance.

Built in 2000 by Volkswerft GmbH at Stralsund in Germany, ‘CS Recorder’ is 106 metres in length, and has a deadweight of 7,919 tons. She is powered by two MAN-B&W 8L32/40 MCR eight cylinder, four stroke, main engines producing 5,220 bhp (3,840 kW) each which drive two MAN Alpha controllable pitch propellers, linked to two Becker ZR-ZE/ZE-11/D45 rudders, for a transit sea speed of 11 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two Caterpillar 3508 DITA generators providing 875 kW each, and a single Caterpillar 3306 DITA emergency generator providing 183 kW. For added manoeuvrability ‘CS Recorder’ is fitted with a bow Wärtsilä Lips CT250-DP transverse thruster providing 1,200 kW, a forward retractable Wärtsilä Lips CS5200-244MCR azimuth thruster providing 1,000 kW, and two stern Wärtsilä Lips CT225-DP transverse thrusters providing 1,200 kW each.
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Her mix of propulsion propellers and thrusters gives ‘CS Recorder’ a dynamic positioning classification of DP2, which is provided by a Kongsberg K-POS DP21 system, which takes its positioning data from 3 Gyro Compasses, 2 DGPS receivers, 3 Motion Reference Units, 2 wind Sensor Units, a Taut Wire System, and a HiPAP system.

For her cable laying operations, ‘CS Recorder’ specialises in the laying of fibre optic cables, and has two main cable carousel tanks holding 2,600 tons of cable each, plus two spare cable carousel tanks holding 521 tons of cable each. She has a working deck of 60 metres by 20 metres, giving her a working area of 1,200 m2, and a deck strength of 5 tons/m2 forward, and 10 tons/m2 aft. For working cable operations on her aft deck she is equipped with three OMCK 1610 knuckleboom deck cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 5 tons.

For overside cable operations she has four stern sheaves, and a Hydralift ‘A’ Frame capable of lifting 60 tons. She has seabed ploughing remote operating vehicles (ROVs) that can open up a trench 3 metres in depth, and can carry out simultaneous cable laying and cable burial operations. For these operations she has a 60 ton towing winch, and a bollard pull of 110 tons.

For logistic support, and crew change requirements, ‘CS Recorder’ is equipped with a raised bow helideck, which has a ‘D’ Value of 19.5 metres, and an operating weight of 9.3 tons, which allows her to accept any offshore helicopter up to Airbus EC225 Super Puma size. She has accommodation for up to 68 persons.

Owned by Global Marine Group, of Chelmsford in Essex in the United Kingdom, ‘CS Recorder’ is both operated and managed by Global Marine Systems Ltd., also of Chelmsford. The design of ‘CS Recorder’ and the fact that she has a raised bow helideck, might indicate to the casual maritime observer that she was built for the offshore oil and gas industry. In fact she was built for Maersk Supply Service AS, of Lyngby in Denmark, and launched as ‘Maersk Recorder’.

She was built as a cable-laying vessel designed for a wide variety of offshore work roles including subsea infrastructure deployment and recovery, inspection, maintenance and Repair (IMR) services and well intervention work scopes, as well as cable laying. She was sold by Maersk Supply Service to Global Marine Group in 2017, who carried out a refit to focus on cable laying, with a specialisation on fibre optic cables, and renamed ‘CS Recorder’, where ‘CS’ is simply the acronym for ‘Cable Ship’.

Her voyage to Cape Town began from her United Kingdom home base of Portland Harbour, in Dorset, from where she sailed on 11th July, with a stop in Las Palmas for bunkers. Her call into Cape Town also required some shoreside engineering assistance, as diving teams were utilised to conduct maintenance work beneath her waterline whilst alongside the Eastern Mole.

It became clear that she was not in Cape Town to take part in any cable laying, or cable survey, operations in South African waters as, after just over five days alongside, she sailed from Cape Town at 10:00 in the morning of 13th August, with her AIS showing that her next destination was to be Moroni in the Comoros. Interestingly, ‘CS Recorder’ was the second cable vessel in recent months that had called into Cape Town, and then sailed on to Moroni.

The reason for her heading for Moroni became clear once she has arrived there, which was at 13:00 in the early afternoon of 22nd August. On arrival off Moroni, her AIS changed to show ‘Assumption Island Survey’. Now whilst Assumption Island is an integral part of the Seychelles, the port of Moroni, for logistic purposes, lies closer to it than the main port of Victoria on Mahé Island, with Moroni lying 226 nautical miles to the Southwest, and Victoria lying 614 nautical miles to the Northeast, or almost three time the distance.

It is as yet unknown if the Assumption Island Survey is being made to plot a route for a cable to link Assumption Island to nearby Aldabra Island, to Mahé Island, back to the Comoros, or elsewhere. Assumption Island itself is located at 09°45’ South 046°29’ East, and is one of the Aldabra Group of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. It is only 12 km2 in area, with a coastline that stretches to just 17 km in circumference, with the island being just 6.7 km in length and 2.9 km wide at its widest point.

It was the site of an agreement between the Governments of the Seychelles and India to develop an Indian Naval and Coast Guard base, to counter the expansion of the PLAN forces of China in the region. However, the deal never came to fruition, and now the Indian Government have signed an agreement with the Government of Mauritius to set up a similar Military base in the Agaléga Islands, which lie 599 nautical miles to the west of Assumption at 10°25’ South 056°38’ East.

Of interest is that another cable laying vessel, now the third, is also en route to Moroni. This is the ‘Ocean Link’ (IMO 7715434) which recently called at Durban, where she had arrived at 14:00 in the afternoon of 21st August for bunkers, and sailed for the Comoros at 22:00 in the evening of 24th August, after just over three days alongside in Durban. She is due to arrive at Moroni on 2nd September, and it will be interesting to see if she is linked to the proposed survey to be conducted by ‘CS Recorder’.

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Port Advisories latest

Africa Ports & Ships

Phase In / Phase Out

FO7 CMA CGM Mombasa 442N / S3E AS Christiana 433N

The container vessel AS Christiana 433N will phase out in Jebel Ali and the FO7 CMA CGM Mombasa 437S will phase into service in Jebel Ali.

All Mundra and Jawaharlal Nehru cargo will tranship in Jebel Ali for connection to the SA3 Stanley A 434N.

ETB of FO7 CMA CGM Mombasa 437S in Durban tentatively : 17 October 2024, dependent on berth availability at terminal as port is still congested.

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Revised Phase Out plan:

MSC Carmen 430S

Please note that MSC has advised a revised phase out plan for the MSC Carmen 430S.

The vessel was initially due to omit Cape Town, however, but will now omit Port Elizabeth instead.

All Port Elizabeth destined units will discharge in Cape Town to connect onto the next available Mesawa vessel to Port Elizabeth.

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Cape Town Terminal Change

MSC Lorena 432N

Please note that the MSC Lorena 432N will be calling Cape Town Multi-Purpose Terminal (CTMPT) instead of Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT).

ETB: was 26th August 2024

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Transshipment Connections

Horizon 413W Connection to CMA CGM Mekong 434N

Due to weather impacted delays on Horizon 413W berthing in Port Elizabeth and arrival into Durban, connection of transshipments to CMA CGM Mekong 434N is no longer feasible.

This connection will now be moved to GSL Dorothea 435N.

Due however to limited plug capacity on GSL Dorothea 435N, no reefer exports will be accepted for Maersk. Only the transshipment connection from Horizon 413W.

All Horizon Feeder connections will now be slid by one Safari vessel to accommodate these delays.

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Extreme Weather Warning : South African Coast

Extreme weather conditions are expected around the South African coast this week. The worst impact will be felt in Port Elizabeth (Algoa Bay region) on Tuesday and Wednesday (27-28 August) with Wave heights reaching 8 metres. This will negatively impact Terminal operations and Vessel movement.

Vessels may slow down and/or seek shelter for safety.

Further, Transnet is having challenges with their tug boat fleet in Eastern Cape, which is impacting vessel berthing and sailing – heavy delays are to be expected in both terminals in Port Elizabeth as a result of this.

source: Maersk and others

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Transnet falls back under Transport Ministry

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet, encompassing as it does the railways (TFR) and the country’s ports (TNPA and TPT), in addition to several other State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) is once again back under the Ministry of Transport, after more then 30 years split among several different departments and in particular, the Department of Public Enterprises(DPE).

This was announced on Monday after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed proclamations transferring the administration, powers and functions entrusted by the specified legislation as follows:

South African Airways: Minister of Transport
South African Express: Minister of Transport
Transnet: Minister of Transport
Alexkor: Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources
Denel: Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Eskom: Minister of Electricity and Energy
South African Forestry Company SOC Limited (Safcol): Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

In addition, the Presidency said in a statement that certain sections of the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act of 1993 and Overvaal Resorts Limited Act Repeal Act of 2019 are “vested with the Minister of Water and Sanitation”.

The DPE will cease to exist once all the human and financial resources have been transferred appropriately.

President Ramaphosa also signed a proclamation appointing Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, as the executive authority of the DPE.

“[The department] will continue to exist and operate until the human and financial resources are transferred appropriately. This appointment empowers the Minister to exercise with respect to DPE all relevant powers and functions under the Public Service Act of 1994 and the Public Finance Management Act of 1999.

“The Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has also been assigned the responsibility to finalise the National State Enterprise Bill, which will set out the exercise of shareholder responsibility for respective SOEs, which will be transferred in a phased manner into the envisaged national enterprise holding company,” the statement concluded.

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PLAN hospital ship Peace Ark joins forces with SAMHS in Cape Town

Africa Ports & Ships

by defenceWeb

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) hospital ship Peace Ark is presently in Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred basin with Chinese medical personnel working alongside their SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) counterparts providing a variety of medical services aboard and ashore.

Officially Daishan Dao, a Type 920 PLAN hospital ship, she sails under the name Peace Ark during peacetime with the Cape Town stop one of 15 in the Indian and South Atlantic oceans during her current cruise, which started in June.

The Chinese hospital ship is in South Africa for the first time, according to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, for a humanitarian and medical exercise with South African military medics. Further South African hands-on medical involvement before Peace Ark departs on Wednesday (28 August) comes from the Western Cape provincial health department.

Apart from providing medical services, the exercise will, according to Minister Motshekga “improve medical skills transfers between the two militaries”. Joint medical consultation, medical technologies, skills and other related activities in the medical field are given as examples with “enhanced diplomatic relations” listed as another benefit from the exercise.

Reports have it Peace Ark personnel treated 1 658 patients in a day while berthed in Maputo on 14 August – a new record for the ship. Surgeries ranging from cataract removal to sub-mandibular gland and calculus, better known as stone, for example kidney, extraction were also successfully done. During her week long visit to Mozambique, Peace Ark treated more than 7 300 patients. Before Mozambique she was in Madagascar and Seychelles.

All told, Peace Ark is staffed by a thousand plus people made up of ship’s crew and military medical personnel. She has 300 beds, 20 intensive care beds, eight operating theatres, 17 clinical departments and five auxiliary diagnostic departments. An onboard medical rescue helicopter is used to airlift patients.

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

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Malawi’s dry port concession at Nacala to follow legal procedures

Africa Ports & Ships

Malawi’s search for a dry port facility close to the Mozambique port of Nacala will follow all legal procedures, says a Mozambican government spokesman, Filimão Suaze.

This follows reports that Malawi will be granted a piece of land near the Nacala port on which to develop a dry port facility principally for the import of fuel.

Malawi recently resumed receiving fuel requirements by rail from the port at Nacala, after years of having to rely on road transport for its fuel requirements, which included importing fuel through the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam.

An additional challenge was that the railway within Malawi between Blantyre and Lilongwe was out of use due to a lack of maintenance. That has now been attended to and the first trainload of fuel recently made its way from Nacala to Lilongwe.

With the resumption of rail transport from Nacala into Malawi, the landlocked country has turned its attention to establishing a dry port facility near the Mozambican port to better facilitate the importing of goods.

The Mozambique government however is making it clear that while it supports the proposal in principal, all correct processes will have to be followed.

“The granting of this concession for the dry port will follow the normal process, which all other concessions follow. That is, regulated by Mozambican law,” said Suaze speaking on behalf of the government.

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FLNG Coral Sul delivers 5 million tons of LNG from Rovuma Basin

Africa Ports & Ships

Since beginning operations in October 2022, the FLNG named Coral Sul has manufactured and delivered 5 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to its major client, BP. Most if not all has been exported to Europe.

Coral Sul is at anchor off the coast of Cabo Delgado, in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin which is regarded as having one of if not the largest offshore deposits of LNG anywhere in the world.

Since the FLNG began production of natural gas from deep beneath the ocean, turning it into liquefied natural gas on board Coral Sul, more than 70 shiploads of LNG and another 10 of condensates has been exported.

On 23 August Eni announced the milestone of 5 million tons for export. On behalf of the consortium it leads, a spokesperson said the achievement was a testament to the dedication, commitment and collaboration of the entire team and partners.

Area 4 is operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV), a joint venture co-owned by ExxonMobil, Eni and CNPC (China), which holds a 70 per cent interest in the concession contract. Galp, Kogas (South Korea) and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH, Mozambique) each have a 10 per cent stake.

There are three major licensed projects involving the exploitation of natural gas in the Rovuma Basin of northern Mozambique.

One of these involves the Eni-led consortium utilising the offshore FLNG Coral Sul in Area 4, which is the only one of the three in actual production. Others in this consortium are ExxonMobil and CNPC with a total investment of around US$ 4.7 billion.

The second is a larger project led by TotalEnergies (Area 1 consortium) which entails piping the gas from the seabed to the Afungi Peninsula near the little port town of Palma. Other investors led by TotalEnergies are Mitsui, ONGC Videsh, Beas Rovuma Energy, BPRL Ventures, PTTEP, and ENH.

Work of this major onshore production unit with an investment of at least US$ 20 billion, came to a halt with the incursion of Islamic insurgents in March 2021, forcing the halting of all work at the plant. TotalEnergies has stated it will not resume work on the site until the area is deemed fully safe.

The third project, led by ExxonMobil and also involving Eni and CNPC and said to require an investment of US$ 30 billion, has yet to be announced or commence operations for Area 4.

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Ultra Galaxy shipwreck – oil and fuel removal a lost cause as ship breaks apart

Africa Ports & Ships

Wreck removal the next target- SAMSA

The removal of all remaining oil and fuel onboard the grounded and now wrecked general cargo vessel, Ultra Galaxy (IMO 9449352), is no longer feasible, says SAMSA (South African Maritime & Safety Authority).

In its latest update on the state of the shipwreck, SAMSA says the salvage effort is now focused on the removal of the wreck.

In a statement issued on Friday (24 August), SAMSA said a tender invitation had been issued and that there was keen interest both locally and abroad. SAMSA said this is consistent with the authority’s directive to the vessel owners to have the wreck removed from the South African west coast on the Atlantic Ocean.

“As a result,” said SAMSA, “the P&I Club issued an invitation to tender to industry in the last week, with interest from both local and international companies.”

The shipwreck occurred when the vessel took an alarming list, while journeying down the African coast in early July on a voyage between Malaga to Dar es Salaam. This forced the crew to abandon ship, which then drifted down and went aground on the South African West Coast near Duiwegat, a little to the south of Brand se Baai.

The crew had meanwhile been rescued and taken to St Helena Bay and then Cape Town, from where they have been repatriated home.

The current condition of the shipwreck is that due to severe weather in recent days, the Ultra Galaxy has been overturned and has broken into two distinct pieces, with breached oil and fuel tanks.

“Following extensive assessments conducted over the past few days, it has been confirmed that the MV Ultra Galaxy has completely broken up due to the severe weather conditions experienced last weekend,” SAMSA confirmed.

Over 500 tons of oil and fuel, as well as the fertiliser cargo has been lost, thanks to the stormy weather and sea conditions. Much of the oil has spread out along the nearby beach where it is currently being collected.

The ship’s full cargo of fertiliser was packed in bags and stowed in the ship’s holds.

“Due to the extreme weather conditions at the time and the angle she was at, the ship’s hatch covers were dislodged and detached from the vessel.

“Without hatch covers the cargo holds were left vulnerable and consequently, the ship’s entire load of fertilizer cargo was swept away by the sea. As the fertilizer dissolves in water, water samples testing was done, and to date, zero reports of a negative impact to the environment has been received.”

With respect to the type of oil and fuel on board the ship when she went aground, in addition to low amounts of hydraulic and related oils the vessel had 332 tons of VLSFO (low sulphur) and 180 tons of MGO in her tanks as bunker fuel.

“Before she started breaking up salvors were able to remove eight tonnes of bunkering marine gas oil from the wreck.”

As extremely bad weather set back in, the rest of the oil unfortunately spilled out of the wreck and has landed up on the beaches directly in front of the vessel, said SAMSA.

On Friday SAMSA said that given the extent of the damage, the likelihood of any intact fuel tanks remaining on the vessel is highly unlikely. “Consequently, the initial plan to pump the remaining oil from the wreck with the assistance of the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) is no longer feasible.

“With all the fuel presumed to have been released and collected on the nearby mining beach, the focus of the operation has now shifted to a monitoring and caretaking phase.”

SAMSA added that inspections conducted by foot, drone, and helicopter on Wednesday last week indicated that the oil on the mining beaches has been cleaned and that there is no visible oil slick or contamination along the beaches, extending as far down as the Olifants River mouth and 5km north of the wreck.

“Cleanup crews remain on high alert and are on-site in full force, with any resurgence of oil only being sighted on the beaches immediately in front of the vessel. Despite the successful cleanup of all oil that was deposited onto the beach on Monday, the cleanup teams will remain on-site for at least the next two storm cycles as a precautionary measure,” said SAMSA.

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Automotive parts manufacturing boost at Durban’s Dube Trade Port

Africa Ports & Ships

Ogihara Thailand and Toyota Tsusho Africa forge Joint Venture in South Africa with R1.1 billion Investment

The over R1.1-billion automotive components manufacturing facility that was officially launched at Dube TradePort’s (DTP) TradeZone 2 on Thursday last week (22 August 2024) is not only a celebration of substantial foreign direct investment in KwaZulu-Natal but an indication that the province’s automotive sector is shifting up a gear.

Speaking at the launch of the joint venture manufacturing operation between Toyota Tsusho Africa (Pty) Ltd (TTAF) and Ogihara Thailand Corporation Ltd (OTC), MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), Rev Musa Zondi, said that this launch was indicative of continuing momentum in the KwaZulu-Natal economy.

He said that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) such as the Dube Trade Port would play a strategic role in further development of the vital automotive sector.

Ogihara SA’s 32,000 m2 site at DTP’S TradeZone 2 will include a manufacturing and assembly plant relocated from Thailand that will produce pressed steel components for supply to Toyota South Africa Manufacturing.

Construction of the facility has commenced and the company aims to resume its manufacturing operations in June 2025.

Ogihara SA is the single largest investment secured by DTP since its inception, alongside Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.

This is the second automotive sector investor to set up in DTP after Mahindra South Africa commissioned its state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility in 2018.

Rev. Zondi said it would not be the last, as, based on its successful track record to the north of Durban, the DTP will be both the developer and operator of the proposed Durban Automotive Supplier Park, in collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality.

In the advanced planning stage, the Durban Automotive Supplier Park (ASP) will be located to the south of Durban and also aims to attract component manufacturing and car assembly firms.

“We are exceptionally pleased that after an extensive site selection process, Ogihara SA decided to locate its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Dube TradePort’s TradeZone 2,” said Hamish Erskine, CEO of Dube TradePort.

“We believe that is because we can meet the needs of the private sector in a stable environment that is secure, well operated, and has sustainable and green energy, as internationally, green supply chains and green production are becoming very important for the final product and market.

Ogihara SA, which was registered in 2023 to manufacture automotive components for on-line fitment to support the localisation efforts of Toyota South Africa Manufacturing’s next generation Hilux IMV build programme, marks a significant step towards Toyota Tsusho Africa’s local value addition improvement strategy as well as achieving national targets.

It is one of the largest localisation projects undertaken by TSAM to date and an important benchmark for further large-scale localisation projects under consideration.

“This joint venture marks a significant step towards our Local Value Addition improvement strategy by localising the production of these critical components,” said Andrew Kirby, CEO and President of Toyota South Africa Motors, speaking at the event.

The inclusion of Ogihara SA in our local manufacturing ecosystem will not only create new job opportunities but also enhance our capabilities in producing high-quality body parts for the automotive industry.”

Kirby described the collaboration as exemplifying Toyota’s commitment to localisation and underscores the possibilities for growth and development in the KZN province.

The automotive industry is South Africa’s largest manufacturing sector. Currently, KZN’s automotive manufacturing sector is concentrated in the south of Durban, contributes about R21 billion to the local economy per year, and employs some 20,000 people.

According to the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (dtic), the manufacturing segment of the automotive industry currently employs around 115,000 people across its various tiers of activity (from component manufacturing to vehicle assembly), which, combined with the industry’s strong multiplier effect, leads to it being responsible for around 320,000 jobs in the South African economy.

According to the Automotive Business Council (formerly Naamsa), the automotive industry contributes 5.3% to national GDP.

In 2023, record-high vehicle exports ensured that the automotive industry outperformed the rest of the manufacturing sector. The export value of vehicles and automotive components increased by R43,5 billion, or 19.1%, from R227,3 billion in 2022 to a record R270,8 billion in 2023, accounting for 14.7% of total South African exports.

“As outlined in the South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM 2035), a key objective of the country’s automotive industry is to increase domestic vehicle production to 1.4 million units by 2035, representing approximately 1% of global output,” pointed out MEC Rev Zondi.

“Achieving this goal requires progress across several key industry goals, including increasing local content, employment, industry competitiveness, and driving transformation in the local industry.”

Rev Zondi noted that the economic knock-on effects of this investment should not be underestimated. With the short-term creation of 230 jobs, which will scale up to 300 within five years, this would have a material impact.

Through manufacturing products for TSAM in Durban with indirect exports of the finished product through TSAM’s distribution network, Ogihara SA also offers an important lifeline to South Africa’s troubled steel sector, where the future of mining giant ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in KwaZulu-Natal still hangs in the balance.

“Through its commitment to source 90% of steel sheets locally, Ogihara SA will strengthen South Africa’s steel manufacturing sector, which is critical for the country’s industrialisation objectives,” Zondi said.

“The industry is known to accelerate economic growth through its contribution to large infrastructure and manufacturing projects. Because 54% of a vehicle’s manufacturing comprises steel, this investment is an important contributor to the growth and sustainability of this sector too,” he added.

In addition to sourcing steel locally, Ogihara SA will further contribute to the local economy by sourcing services related to packaging, pallets, office supplies, garden services, building maintenance, canteen services, and maintenance consumables from local businesses.

Ogihara SA is one of seven private sector investors secured for Dube TradeZone 2, with a total private sector investment value of close to R2 billion and an expected job creation of around 600 within the next five years.

Going forward, the 45-hectare Dube TradeZone 2 will continue to target further investors in the manufacturing and assembly, logistics, and automotive sectors.

To date, Dube TradePort Corporation has attracted a total of R4.6 billion in private sector investment and created more than 5,000 permanent jobs.

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Port News & Advisories

Africa Ports & Ships

UPDATE…..

Extreme Weather Warning : South African Coast

Extreme weather conditions are expected around the South African coast this week. The worst impact will be felt in Port Elizabeth (Algoa Bay region) on Tuesday and Wednesday (27-28 August) with Wave heights reaching 8 metres. This will negatively impact Terminal operations and Vessel movement.

Vessels may slow down and/or seek shelter for safety.

Further, Transnet is having challenges with their tug boat fleet in Eastern Cape, which is impacting vessel berthing and sailing – heavy delays are to be expected in both terminals in Port Elizabeth as a result of this.  /UPDATED 26 Aug 2024

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AMEX – Phase in/Phase out:

MSC Carmen & MSC Jersey

MSC has announced changes to their American Express (AMEX) service.

MSC Carmen and MSC Jersey are phasing out of the AMEX service.

MSC Carmen will be replaced by the MSC Spring III. Cape Town imports currently handled by the MSC Carmen will discharge in Durban and connect to the next SAECS vessel into Cape Town.

Cape Town exports will be moved to the MSC Spring III.

Phase-out schedule for MSC Carmen 430S:

Ngqura: ETA 3rd September
Durban: ETA 7th September (OMIT Cape Town)

Phase-in schedule for MSC Spring III 434N:

Durban: ETA 4th September
Cape Town: ETA 7th September

MSC Jersey:

MSC Jersey will be replaced by the MSC Resilient III. Cape Town imports currently handled by the MSC Jersey will discharge in Durban and connect to the next SAECS vessel into Cape Town.

Cape Town exports will be moved to the MSC Resilient III.

Phase-out schedule for MSC Jersey 432S:

Ngqura: 12th September
Durban: 18th September (OMIT Cape Town)

MSC Resilient III 436N – phase in schedule:

Ngqura:  6th September
Durban: 11th September
Cape Town: 18th September

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NGQURA expected delays

Ngqura Expected delays and Maersk Cap Carmel : Change of Terminal

The Ngqura Container Terminal is expected to be extremely congested over the next week due to a distress vessel occupying a berth for at least 10 days. Also due to weather and productivity issues.

As a result the vessel Maersk Cap Carmel will call at Port Elizabeth Container Terminal (PECT), where berthing is expected around the 29th of August – weather permitting.

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CAPE TOWN Port Omission

Maersk Cubango – Cape Town omission

Due to berthing delays in West Africa, the Cape Town call of the vessel Maersk Cubango has been omitted to protect her onward schedule.

Maersk Cubango will instead proceed to Ngqura. All Export bookings will be amended to the Maersk Danube.

All Import containers expected to Discharge in Ngqura and loaded onto different service to the respective destinations.

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South African Terminal and Service Update: Week 33

Maersk has issued its latest update on conditions across the terminals and the mitigating actions being taken to address the delays on their services.

After some markers of improvement through June and into July, performance across South African terminals has deteriorated. Equipment downtime – quay and yard – remains the leading cause reducing productivity, driving port congestion. Winter weather patterns in Cape Town are beginning to ease with more benign weather forecast as we transition into Spring. DCT remains the major terminal bottleneck with waiting time at +10-16 days. Gate appointments remain highly constrained.

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Ports and Terminals Situation

Cape Town CTCT

Waiting time at 2-4 days
The waiting time has increased due to heavy winter weather patterns
4 ex 9 STS cranes under maintenance and repair (M&R)
Productivity below target.

Cape Town MPT

Waiting time 1-2 days delay
Productivity target has been met
The waiting time has increased due to heavy winter weather patterns.

Port Elizabeth PECT

Waiting time 2-4 days delay-some wind delays forecast
2x STS (ship to shore) and 1x MHC operational are fully operational
Productivity exceeding target rates.

Port Elizabeth COE

Waiting time 1-5 days delay
Some wind delays forecast over weekend
Productivity rate below target
8 cranes operational– with crane no.4 under maintenance.

Durban DCT Pier 2

Waiting time 10-16 days delay
Clear week ahead in terms of weather
Productivity remains well below target
Persistent equipment breakdowns and reduced straddle (STR) operational
Terminal recovery expected in the next 3-4 months due to equipment reliability and availability.

Durban Pier 1

Waiting time 7-9 days delay
Poor STS and RTG reliability and availability
Productivity below target
Recovery estimated in 2 weeks.

Port Louis (Mauritius)

Waiting time 0-1 day
Some wind delays
Productivity well above target.

Rail DUR to JNB (City Deep and GLO Denver)

Fully operational

Rail JNB (City Deep and GLO Denver) to DUR

Fully operational

Depots

Durban dry depot capacity improving

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Port News in Brief

Durban wind and fire disruptions

As if operational delays at the Durban container terminals were not enough, an engine room fire on the container ship MSC Monica last week resulted in another disruption, albeit of short duration. MSC Monica was alongside DCT South Quay, also known as the cross-berth 108/109.

Fire and emergency services from the Durban port together with similar services from the eThekwini Municipality Fire Service responded and were able to contain and then extinguish the fire. The cause and extent of any damage is not known. Services at the terminal resumed at 08h30 the following morning, 21 August 2024.

CMA CGM Belem to take up Ngqura berth

It is reported that the distressed container ship CMA CGM Belem (IMO 9938286), which lost 99 containers overboard while navigating along the northern KZN coast on Thursday 15 August, will enter port at Ngqura to attend to any damaged resulting from the stow collapse.

The exercise may take up to 10 days, it has been estimated, which will add to the delays being experienced at the Eastern Cape port. Ngqura was adjudged as the only deepwater container port able to handle the 13,000-TEU CMA CGM ship.

CMA CGM Belem is a new vessel making her first voyage from the Far East to Europe and having to travel the long way round the Cape to avoid facing the challenge of Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea. What wasn’t taken into account was having to face unexpected extreme weather and rough sea conditions along the southern African coast that has claimed two container ship victims with boxes lost overboard – both of them CMA CGM ships.

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Transnet welcomes lengthy jail sentences for infrastructure thieves

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of four people arrested in connection with the theft and damage of essential Transnet infrastructure that seriously impacted the rail operations.

On Monday last week (19 August 2024), at the Nxuba Magistrate’s Court (formerly Cradock) in the Eastern Cape the four were found guilty and sentenced to a collective 50 years in prison.

Charlie van Dyk, 43, Elandre Senekal, 29, Michelle van Straaten, 23, and Kwakhanya Bolowana, 28 were convicted on charges of housebreaking, damaging essential infrastructure and theft.

This relates to an incident which took place at the Scalen Rail Station on Mortimer Road in Nxuba in March 2023, in which four batteries, transformers, and cables, valued at R57,000 were stolen.

The four individuals received five years for housebreaking and 15 years for damage to essential infrastructure, and 15 years for theft. Senekal and Van Straaten were jailed for an effective 20 years, while van Dyk and Bolowana will serve 30 years.

TFR Acting General Manager Security and Forensic, Shawn Johnson said that security-related incidents on TFR’s rail network continues to have a crippling impact on its operations, leading to train delays, cancellations, and tonnage losses.

“Criminal syndicates attack the rail network, targeting essential rail infrastructure by damaging, tempering, vandalising, and disrupting rail operations,” Johnson said.

“In July this year, we had 481 criminal-related incidents on our rail network, including cable theft and vandalism.”

Johnson added that the TFR security department continues to collaborate with law enforcement agencies, customers, and other state-owned companies to address the ongoing criminal attacks on the rail networks.

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Grindrod reports sustained performance for 1H 2024

Africa Ports & Ships

Despite challenging markets conditions and lower commodity prices, the JSE-listed freight logistics company, Grindrod Limited, has reported sustained performance driven by its core operations.

“In the face of global challenges such as higher interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions, as well as volatile commodity markets, we are pleased to have achieved sustained performance in our core operations,” stated Xolani Mbambo, CEO of Grindrod Limited, in commenting on Grindrod’s interim financial results.

The Durban-based company’s key highlights include:

– Headline earnings of R561.9 million from core operations
– Cash generated from operations up 13% to R425 million
– Growth in volumes handled in the Port of Maputo up by 18% to 6.9 million tonnes
– Increase in volumes handled at Grindrod’s dry bulk terminals up by 3% to 8.4 million tonnes
– Ships agency, and clearing and forwarding businesses achieved headline earnings growth of 38%

Rail is critical

Rail is critical in Grindrod’s integrated logistics solutions due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly for dry-bulk and container flows. The strategy which emphasises partnerships with rail authorities and operators, aims to expand rail growth opportunities within the SADC and East Africa regions.

The return of thirteen locomotives from Sierra Leone this week will bolster the sustainability of cargo flows on trade corridors, further enhancing operational capabilities.

Looking ahead, Grindrod says it remains committed to focusing on operational efficiencies, technology, and growth strategies. Capital expenditures will be directed towards supporting the rail expansion and the upgrading the terminals in Maputo, demonstrating the company’s dedication to sustainable growth.

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MOL retrofits Norsepower Rotor Sails to Capesize bulker

Africa Ports & Ships

Mitsui OSK Lines and Vale International, the Brazilian mining conglomerate, have successfully retrofitted two 35m x 5m Norsepower Rotor Sails to a 200,000-ton class bulk carrier.

The Capesize bulker, Camellia Dream (IMO 9658017), built in 2014, is currently employed under a mid–term contract for transportation of iron ore for Vale and recently completed its first call at Ponta da Madeira in Brazil.

The vessel is expected to achieve about 6-10% fuel and GHG emissions reductions on Brazil – Far East routes, combined with voyage optimisation technology.

MOL, which established the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2., has set the target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

One of the key actions to achieve this target is the ‘introduction of clean energy, further energy-saving technologies,’ which includes installing wind propulsion systems such as rotor sails and Wind Challengers.

MOL says it will contribute not only to the reduction of GHG emissions from its own group, but also to the reduction and decarbonization of society as a whole through the safe management and efficient operation of its environmentally friendly fleet that combines wind propulsion technology.

Vale in turn is committed to supporting the maritime industry in achieving the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonization targets.

Aligned with the ambition of the Paris Agreement, Vale also has a target of a 15% reduction in scope 3 emissions by 2035, related to the value chain, of which shipping emissions are part, since the ships are not owned by the company.

Since 2018, the Brazilian company has been operating second-generation Valemaxes (capacity of 400,000 tons) and, since 2019, Guaibamaxes (capacity of 325,000 tons) – these vessels are among the most efficient in the world.

As part of the Ecoshipping program, Vale developed innovative energy-efficient projects, such as the rotor sails project, and a pioneering project to incorporate multi-fuel tanks on iron ore carriers.

Having focused on adopting and leveraging technologies and fleet modernization to reduce GHG emissions, Vale created the Ecoshipping program, a R&D initiative based on a strong partnership with shipowners.

As a result, MOL and VALE say they will continue to work towards both the stable transportation of iron ore and the reduction of GHG emissions, to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society.

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Feature: Development of deepwater container port at Banana, DRC

Africa Ports & Ships

British International Investment (BII) has committed up to $35 million alongside DP World into the development of a deepwater container port at Banana in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Banana port deal is an extension of the partnership that commenced with the modernisation and expansion of ports in Senegal, Egypt and Somaliland.

The new port will serve as the maritime gateway for containerised imports and exports in the DRC, providing the country with logistical independence and ensuring sovereignty over its foreign trade.

BII, the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has committed to invest up to $35 million towards the development of the first phase of the new DRC container port.

The DRC currently relies on the port of Matadi, which lies 150km upstream of the Congo River, through which 90 per cent of its imports and exports of containers and general cargo is handled. The Matadi port does however have limitations on the size of ships it can accommodate, due to the Congo River’s depth and width that create challenges on larger vessels safely navigating the river to access the port.

The DRC is Africa’s second largest country and the fourth most populous on the continent. The Port of Banana will become the country’s first deepwater container port with an initial container capacity of 450,000 TEU annually. By enhancing the DRC’s direct access to international markets, it will unlock the country’s international trading potential for the benefit of millions of its people.

The commitment to the Port of Banana is an extension of the partnership between BII and global ports and logistics operator, DP World, that commenced with the modernisation and expansion of ports in Dakar (Senegal), Sokhna (Egypt) and Berbera (Somaliland) in 2021.

As with the other ports in the partnership, BII will be a minority investor in the new port.

The three ports under the original partnership agreement between BII and DP World will improve access to vital goods for approximately 35 million people, support 5 million jobs (including the creation of 138,000 new ones) and enable an additional $51 billion to total trade by 2035, says BII.

Additionally, it adds, the three ports will reduce further logistics costs, generate employment, transform lives, and stimulate economic growth across these markets and the continent.

Unlocking trading potential is a key driver of economic growth in African economies.

Port of Banana

With a draught of 17.5m, the Port of Banana will receive large container vessels from around the globe and will become a gateway for imports and exports of containers in the DRC.

These efficiencies are expected to cut the cost of trade in DRC by 12 per cent, says BII. Its development will enable the creation of approximately 85,000 jobs and c. $1.12bn in additional trade and $429m in increased economic outlook – equivalent to a 0.65 per cent increase in the DRC’s GDP, according to an evaluation commissioned by BII.

The port is being developed in multiple phases and its capacity is expected to gradually increase over time. It will be connected to a network of additional infrastructure, including a free zone and multimodal logistics infrastructure to the country’s largest urban centres.

These include Kinshasa and its almost 17 million inhabitants, via the cities of Boma and Matadi. The 578km Banana-Matadi-Kinshasa trade corridor is home to about 54 million people, who will benefit economically from the new port.

As the single maritime window for all containerised goods transported by sea in the DRC, the port will provide the country with logistical independence and ensure sovereignty over its foreign trade.

The Port of Banana will greatly improve economic welfare for the lowest-earning rural households in the DRC. About one-third of the new jobs supported by the trade through the port are expected to be in agriculture, benefiting thousands of farmers and sector workers.

Increased containerised trade in Western DRC will also make essential imported goods like clothing, textiles, food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products cheaper and more accessible.

“This investment from BII will help transform DRC’s economy, establishing the country as a major trading hub on the continent, and providing a significant boost to local sectors from infrastructure, logistics and green energy,” said the UK Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury.

“Today’s announcement is a brilliant example of the UK-DRC partnership in action, working together to increase trade opportunities and drive sustainable economic growth that creates full and productive employment for many”.

Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa for BII, said the development impact case for investing in ports is irrefutable.

“Africa has a sixth of the world’s population, but accounts for just 4 per cent of global containerised shipping volumes. Ports are vital to the long-term prosperity and wellbeing of countless people across the continent.”

According to Chijiutomi, the Port of Banana will play a major role in supporting the economic aspirations of millions living in DRC. “This investment forms part of BII’s ongoing commitment to investing in key sectors in Africa, with further projects under development in the region.”

History

The port of Banana dates from the 19th century when it developed in part to serve the slave trade. Following the Conference of Berlin in 1884-85, the Congo Basin came under the control of Belgium’s Léopold II and the little port near the mouth of the mighty Congo River became the main Belgian naval base in Africa which continued until 1960. Today the Chinese are said to have an influence in this facility.

The original port was established in Banana Creek on the north bank of the Congo River, separated from the ocean by a spit of land 3km long and between 100 and 400m wide – see image. The small port is on the creek side of this spit in coordinates: 6°1′S 12°25′E.

The original port has a single 75m long wharf with a depth alongside of 5.18m, equipped with a couple of small cranes and several small jetties. Upriver at a distance of about 4km is an oil terminal to which tankers discharge their products while at anchor in the creek.

Work on the development of the new deepwater port and container terminal with an initial 600m long quay and draught alongside of -17.5 metres commenced in 2002 with an estimated investment of US$ 1.2 billion. This will have a significant effect on Banana and the DRC generally, turning a sleepy backwater port into a major central African maritime venture but having a somewhat less advantageous effect on the DRC’s only other port of Matadi.

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The Future is Now: AAL Limassol record-breaking maiden voyage

Africa Ports & Ships

With the arrival of the newbuild heavylift vessel AAL Limassol (IMO 9958755) in Cuxhaven, the first Super B-Class vessel in AAL Shipping’s fleet has completed her highly successful maiden voyage to Europe. This is seen as the perfect test of her cargo handling capabilities, including the ‘AAL Eco-Deck’ retractable deck extension system.

AAL Limassol safely delivered over 89,000 freight tons of multipurpose cargo on a single sailing. This is not only a record cargo intake for the carrier, but a significant step forward for project owners needing to move their time-sensitive and valuable cargoes safely and efficiently.

“The delivery and maiden voyage of the AAL Limassol has been a highlight of the year for AAL,” said Christophe Grammare, Managing Director at AAL Shipping.

“We were confident about the design of the Super B-Class and its capability and cargo intake. The completion of the first maiden voyage of these third generation newbuildings demonstrates that that confidence was well placed. The Super B-Class vessels are everything we have been hoping for and more.”

Grammare said the second ship in the series, AAL Hamburg, is now also in service and the AAL Houston will shortly follow, with another five of these vessels to also join the roster. “Further reinforcing our fleet of highly capable multipurpose heavy lift tonnage,” he added.

AAL Limassol’s cargo was made up of a wide variety of heavy lift and project cargo. In China, a dismantled crane, transformers, modules, trucks, rotor houses as well as two 135 m-long barges, which weighed 1,650 tonnes and 1,425 tonnes respectively, were loaded onboard.

Her last call in Asia saw the vessel stop at the Indian port of Tuticorin. Here, the ‘AAL Eco-Deck’ was called into action to facilitate the loading of 15 onshore wind turbine blades, weighing 30.6 tonnes each. This cargo combination meant AAL Limassol’s maiden voyage accommodated 89,000 freight tons of cargo in total.

Once the cargoes were secured, AAL Limassol departed Tuticorin on course for Europe, transiting around the Cape of Good Hope and the English Channel to Klaipeda – her first European port of call – to discharge the wind turbine blades. AAL Limassol then continued her journey to deliver the remaining heavy cargoes in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Cuxhaven.

The AAL Eco-Deck is a revolutionary deck extension system that will be fitted on all 8 Super B-Class vessels joining the AAL fleet. It increases the clear weather deck space to over 5,000m2, using the vessel’s triple deck panels.

With the deck extended, AAL Limassol was able to stow the 80.5 m-long wind blades alongside the sizeable barges and other cargoes already loaded onboard. They were positioned into place using the ship’s own heavy lift cranes that are capable of lifting a combined 700 tonnes.

“The maiden voyage of the AAL Limassol is the perfect example of the flexibility and functionality of the Super B-Class vessel design and its ability to accommodate a large and varied cargo intake,” Valentin Gherciu, Head of Operations at AAL Shipping, said.

“Compared to our A-Class vessels, which have a similar deadweight and underdeck volume, the Super B-Class fleet can handle more cargo as there are no restrictions with regard to the line of visibility.”

He said the highest volume carried on the A-Class fleet to date has been approximately 64,000 freight tons. “AAL Limassol’s maiden voyage already set a record of more than 89,000 freight tons – roughly 40 percent more cargo volume in a single voyage – demonstrating what we can now offer to our worldwide project customers.”

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AAL introduces monthly express heavylift Europe-Asia liner service

Africa Ports & Ships

AAL Shipping, the premium project heavy lift carrier, is expanding its multipurpose cargo services and tonnage capacity between Europe and Asia, with a scheduled monthly ‘Europe – Asia Express Liner Service’.

The Europe-Asia Express Liner Service will utilise AAL’s global fleet of multipurpose vessels, including its newbuild Super B-Class vessels (see preceding report above).

In order to meet growing market demand for dependable multipurpose heavy lift cargo coverage ex Europe, AAL has added a scheduled monthly fast-track ‘Europe – Asia Express Liner Service’ to its existing portfolio of services from the continent.

The existing services comprises its popular ‘Europe – Middle East/India – Asia (EUMEIA) Monthly Liner Service’, as well as a monthly ‘Mediterranean – Middle East – India Pendulum Service’.

“We have listened to the market and increased our already popular, premium multipurpose services to support a plethora of customer needs with more tonnage and more connections,” said Eike Muentz, General Manager of AAL Europe.

AAL’s portfolio of three distinct monthly services provides customers with regular, trusted and flexible sailings between Europe and its key trading markets around the world.

While all three services utilise AAL’s global fleet of heavy lift multipurpose vessels, ranging from 19,000 DWT up to 33,000 DWT, the ‘Europe – Asia Express Liner Service’ will also employ Super B-Class vessels, offering lifting capacity up to 700 tonnes and a clear weather deck space of over 5,000m2.

This provides AAL with the cargo handling capability and intake capacity to parcel any cargo on any sailing, from outsized heavy lift units to smaller breakbulk, general cargoes and even bulk.

Jan-Henrik Heyken, Senior Chartering Manager at AAL Europe, said the Europe – Asia Express Liner Service will depart key project cargo hubs in Western Europe and connect them directly with Taichung, Shanghai, Masan and other port calls considered on inducement along the route.

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Maersk opens its largest Middle East Logistics Park in Jeddah

Africa Ports & Ships

Maersk has opened the doors to its Logistics Park at Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia.

The 225,000m2 facility on the Red Sea, involving an investment of USD 250 million, is the largest single-site logistics & services facility in the Middle East.

The opening was announced formally by A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and the General Ports Authority of Saudi Arabia ‘Mawani’ in the presence of various dignitaries.

Saudi’s port sector is undergoing several major and unprecedented leaps in terms of operational performance efficiency and increasing maritime connectivity with the countries of the world.

The Maersk Logistics Park at Jeddah Islamic Port will contribute to service and development in supporting economic activity in the Kingdom and providing highly efficient logistics services to support the movement of trade and export to foreign markets and enhance the work of supply chains and logistics.

Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk, said the Maersk Logistics Park represents a significant milestone for Maersk.

“It is a testament to our commitment to be an enabler of global trade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which sits strategically at the crossroads of three continents,” he said. “I am proud to see that our logistics park in Jeddah has become a living example of our integrated logistics strategy, supporting our customers with resilient logistics while implementing the right initiatives to take our decarbonisation journey forward.”

Ahmed Kadous, Unilever’s Head of Supply Chain Personal Care Middle East and Turkey, said that through its strategic partnership with Maersk, Unilever is consolidating its logistics operations into one hub, “which will help reduce our energy consumption and CO2 emission, moving us closer to Unilever’s sustainability ambition of achieving Net Zero emissions across our value chain by 2039.

“We will continue to harness the power of our brands, our people, and our partners through collaborative actions that will positively impact societies and the planet,” he said.

“As we witness how this collaboration with Maersk is contributing to the logistics ambition of Saudi Vision 2030, Unilever remains committed to the Kingdom and will continue to invest in its growth and empowering local and diverse talent.”

The Maersk Logistics Park provides for integrated logistics solutions under one roof with the provision for:

Multi-modal connectivity between ocean, land and air transport
Warehousing solutions catering for B2B and e-commerce requirements
Temperature-controlled warehousing
Custom-bonded setup
Dedicated designed for a wide range of industries and verticals, including FMCG, Frozen Food, Automotive, Retail & Lifestyle, Petrochemicals, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals etc.
Distribution solutions that include first- and last-mile deliveries
Customs clearances, visibility solutions and control tower.

Maersk has implemented several initiatives as part of its decarbonisation ambitions to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The facility will draw up to 70% of its electricity from 32,000 solar panels installed over 64,000m2 on the rooftop. The Maersk Logistics Park will use electric equipment and electric trucks within the facility, have low electricity-consumption LED lighting optimised with light sensors, etc.

Training academy for women

Maersk has established an in-house women’s academy offering tailored training programmes to ensure stronger diversity and inclusion. Through this academy, women will be empowered to work in the logistics and supply chain sector through specialised training and career development.

Besides training and mentorship, this academy also strives to create a supportive environment for Saudi Arabian women to thrive in what has been a male-dominated industry.

Safety

Safety is of paramount importance for Maersk. Built on the foundation of ‘Safety by Design,’ the facility boasts world-class fire fighting systems, segregated paths for pedestrians and equipment, and comprehensive surveillance camera systems, among other safety measures. The most modern and state-of-the-art implementations promote the safety of people as well as the customers’ cargo.

Maersk Logistics Park has been built at the Jeddah Islamic Port, which has an advanced infrastructure with berths capable of accommodating new generations of giant ships and modern, automated, environmentally friendly equipment that contributes to raising the efficiency of its operations and competitiveness and increasing its capacity.

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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

PORT	June 2024 million tonnes
Richards Bay	6.879
Durban	6.511
Saldanha Bay	6.203
Cape Town	1.419
Port Elizabeth	1.049
Ngqura	1.401
Mossel Bay	0.100
East London	0.167
Total all ports during June 2024	23.370 million tonnes

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Terry Hutson