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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

Newsweek commencing 15 September 2024.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return.  

FIRST VIEW:   IRENES RULE

• RFA Warns of Dangerous Conditions on the Roads due to Snowfalls
• South Africa and the Maritime Single Window
• Grindrod acquires full control of Maputo/Matola coal & magnetite terminal
• Beira port general cargo terminal hits historic July volumes
• Green Hydrogen programme makes progress
• Meet SANPC, South Africa’s new petroleum company
• Port News & Advisories  updated
• In Conversation: South Africa needs more nautical scientists and maritime engineers – if you love the sea these may be the careers for you
• IMO and marine fuels: Assessment of life cycle GHG intensity and sustainability
• 9,300-TEU Ammonia-fueled container ship approved by KR
• Transnet in court with APM Terminals over DCT Pier2 concession
• WHARF TALK: German research vessel – SONNE
• Additional ShoreTension mooring units arrive for Cape Town & Ngqura ports
• IMO S-G on geopolitical conflicts and life threats to seafarers
• AD Ports sending STS & RTG cranes for ports of Pointe Noire and Luanda Terminal
• Mozambique’s Chongoene ‘port’ terminal concessioned to China for 15 years
• MPDC to expand Maputo port grain terminal capacity
• Shipping Dangerous Goods: Reminder of need for accurate reliable emergency contact information
• SA Port Statistics for August 2024
• TAZARA, one step away from 30-year Chinese concessioning
• Transnet and SAPS sign MoU regarding theft & vandalism affecting logistics network
• Crew safely rescued from burning OSV AM Pride off Mossel Bay
• Namibia: Effective port security training
• Walvis Bay Container Terminal concessioning process completed – October handover
• Reforming Alliances and Standalones as shipping lines reshuffle
• Reinventing the logistics sector at the heart of the South African economy
• Transnet Freight Rail resumes operations on the Cape Main Line
• Oil spill in Algoa Bay sees IMOrg launch an investigation

• 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:   IRENES RULE

The container vessel Irenes Rule (IMO 9953561), owned and operated by Tsakos Shipping & Trading, which was listed as operating on the CMA CGM Intra Afrique or Africa 4 service, on a port rotation of Durban – Luanda – Durban. In the two photographs shown here, Irenes Rule is shown leaving Durban on 27 August 2024.

Having since called at Luanda the gearless container vessel then proceeded to north Europe to make several port calls, including Le Havre in France. On completion of that call earlier on Sunday, 15 September, Irenes Rule was in the English Channel headed south once again with Tanger Med as her next call.

The vessel is one of 10 container ships in the Tsakos fleet, of which eight use the prefix ‘Irenes’.  Irenes Rule has a deadweight of 38,605 tons, a length of 185 metres and width of 35m and was built in 2023 as a Feeder 3 type container vessel. She flies the Marshall Islands flag.

The Tsakos Group traces its shipping history back to the early 1970s and the Aegean archipelago island of Chios. Its founder was Captain Panagiotis Tsakos, who himself came from a long tradition in shipping. Having risen through the ranks he became a shipmaster and then a shipping executive who led a group of investors to the acquisition of his first ship.

Joined by his brother and friends and with the support of his wife Dr Irene Saraglou-Tsakos, the little company grew to its current size and diversity with close to a hundred vessels of various types, including the ten container ships already mentioned.

Since the start and early growth the Tsakos Group has expanded in several directions involving affiliated and associated companies worldwide, while continuing with providing reliable maritime transport services. One of its affiliated companies, Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd, is listed at the world’s leading stock exchange in New York and thereby embarking upon a massive newbuilding program.

Today the Tsakos Group is a substantial worldwide name in ship ownership, shipbuilding, ship repair and ferry services to oil exploration and real estate, agriculture, forestry and renewable energy projects along with cultural, educational, philanthropic and charity activities.

Picture by KEITH BETTS

Africa Ports & Ships

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RFA Warns of Dangerous Conditions on the Roads due to Snowfalls

Africa Ports & Ships

South Africa’s Road Freight Association (RFA) has issued a warning to members of the public and media about the situation on the roads due to the heavy snowfalls.

In a note received on Saturday 21 September, Gavin Kelly, RFA chief executive wrote saying many of the major routes in KwaZulu-Natal – especially the N3 and N11 – are closed. “There is no way to move through portions of the routes that have seen up to two metres of snowfall.”

Reporting that the RFA is receiving numerous calls on the matter, Kelly advised all road users to “ascertain road conditions before they set out: N3TC, TRAC N4, Bakwena N1 and provincial road authorities provide regular updates on routes.

“Please check with these organisations. There are large sections of KwaZulu-Natal , Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng that are heavily affected and impassable.”

Kelly said that whilst the RFA focuses on commercial road freight, it is concerned about the general public either being unaware of the conditions, or presuming that it is easy to travel through the snow. It is not!

“This can be a life-threatening event if no preparation has been done, and there is no emergency protocol in place (someone who checks in on you and monitors progress).”

The RFA advises: “Please do not risk travelling whilst the current reality of road closures and / or becoming stuck in snow drifts is a very real possibility.”

Added 21 September 2024

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South Africa and the Maritime Single Window

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

This year, 2024, marks a milestone in the acceleration of digitalization in shipping – the mandatory Maritime Single Window.

The FAL Convention is now in force

The requirement under the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL), requires Governments to use a single digital platform or Maritime Single Window to share and exchange information with ships when they call at ports, since 1 January 2024. This will streamline procedures to clear the arrival, stay and departure of ships and greatly enhance the efficiency of shipping worldwide.

Groundwork in SA

It is reported that leading maritime stakeholders in South Africa are laying the groundwork to advance maritime digitalization in the country through the establishment of a Maritime Single Window (MSW) system.

IMO and DoT workshop

A multi-stakeholder workshop was held in Durban from 10 to 12 September, organized by the IMO and South Africa’s Department of Transport. This event focused on the next practical steps to implement the mandatory digital platform.

Simplifying processes

Since 1 January 2024, all IMO Member States are required to use a single digital platform or Maritime Single Window for collecting and exchanging information with ships during port calls. This system simplifies the processes for the arrival, stay, and departure of vessels, significantly improving the efficiency of global shipping operations.

Broad representation

Over sixty representatives from key government agencies participated in the workshop, including the Department of Transport (DoT), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), South African Revenue Service (SARS), Border Management Authority (BMA), as well as ship agents and the South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (SAASOA).

Bringing all relevant stakeholders together, the workshop examined the key requirements of the International Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (the FAL Convention) concerning the digitalization of ship clearance processes at ports.

Shared experiences

Participants heard from two IMO experts from the Port of Bilbao, one of the largest ports in Spain, and from International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) who shared their experiences in maritime digitalization.

Discussions explored the potential challenges that South Africa could face in developing an MSW, as well as success factors.

Added 20 September 2024

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Grindrod acquires full control of Maputo/Matola coal & magnetite terminal

Africa Ports & Ships

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Grindrod Limited revealed it is in the process of acquiring the remaining 35% interest in Terminal de Carvão da Matola Limitada (TCM), which handles the export of coal and magnetite at the Matola port.

The R1.346 billion (US$ 77 million) acquisition is expected to be finalised within the next six months, pending regulatory approvals and fulfilment of key conditions.

As a member of a consortium with CFM and DP World, Grindrod already owns and operates terminals at the port, and the acquisition of the remaining interest in TCM marks a crucial step in the company’s growth plans.

TCM, a private entity based in Maputo, operates a dry bulk terminal with an annual export capacity exceeding 7 million tonnes, specialising in critical commodities like magnetite and coal.

The terminal’s sub-concession with the Maputo Port Development Company allows it to handle cargo via rail and road, offering an integrated pit-to-port logistics solution.

Grindrod said the acquisition aligns seamlessly with it’s long-term vision of enhancing its integrated logistics services along the Maputo corridor.

According to the company, TCM is a “strategic asset” that will play a pivotal role in unlocking value across the corridor. By fully consolidating its ownership of TCM, Grindrod aims to maximise the terminal’s potential, delivering more efficient and cost-effective logistics solutions for its clients.

Grindrod’s plan to boost the port’s throughput capacity is bolstered by a new agreement with Vitol Coal South Africa.

This agreement, set to potentially last up to nine years, has an initial capacity allocation of 2.25 million tonnes per annum and replaces the current agreement.

Grindrod says this long-term partnership highlights its commitment to maintaining stable and consistent cargo flows, further strengthening its competitive position in the region.

Additionally, the acquisition marks a significant investment by Grindrod and seals Grindrod’s alignment with Maputo Port’s expansion plans. The group’s intention to further develop the TCM terminal will likely result in increased capacity and operational efficiency.

The investment will not only boost the port’s throughput but also position it as a critical logistics hub for Southern Africa’s mining sector.

With continued global demand for commodities, particularly from Asia, the increased capacity at TCM is expected to attract more traffic through the port, enhancing its great potential.

The strategic location of Maputo Port, serving as a gateway to international markets, establishes it as a decisive hub for future investments in regional trade infrastructure.

Grindrod says its acquisition of the remaining 35% stake in TCM not only solidifies its presence at Mozambique’s Maputo Port but also aligns with its broader strategy to expand logistics and export capabilities across Southern Africa.

With the transaction expected to close within six months and a long-term throughput agreement secured, Grindrod is now well-positioned to leverage its assets and partnerships to meet the rising demand for integrated logistics solutions in the region.

Added 19 September 2024

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Beira port general cargo terminal hits historic July volumes

Africa Ports & Ships

The Mozambique Port of Beira General Cargo Terminal achieved a record throughput in July 2024 when it topped 442,000 tons.

This was a remarkable increase on the 199,000 tons handled in 2023.

According to Cornelder de Moçambique, which manages and operates the Beira port, this growth was driven by increased imports of clinker and maize for domestic needs, along with a significant rise in wheat, equipment, and sulphur imports for regional countries.

Exports came via three regional countries with Zambia providing manganese for export while Zimbabwe continues to lead the export market through its nearest port. Exports also included local eucalyptus.

Overall, the General Cargo Terminal recorded a 24% increase in volume over the first seven months of the year, compared to the same period in 2023.

Beira’s Container Terminal also saw strong growth, with a 40% increase in the first seven months of the year, handling 226,000 containers compared to 160,000 containers in the same period in 2023.

Zimbabwe remains a key driver of exports through Port of Beira, particularly with chromium, lithium, petalite, and tobacco.

Malawi registered significant growth in cotton and tea exports.

Tobacco volumes are expected to rise in the coming months, further strengthening the port’s position as a regional export hub.

Added 19 September 2024

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Green Hydrogen programme makes progress

Africa Ports & Ships

Since the gazetting of nine Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) at a Capex value of R300 billion, the Green Hydrogen National Programme (GHNP) has attracted projects with the Capex value of over R800 billion with about 20% of the total investments at the bankable feasibility stage.

This is according to Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister, Sihle Zikalala, who was speaking at the Green Hydrogen Devac conference in Sandton, Johannesburg on Wednesday (18 September).

The gazetting of the SIPs was done by Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) which is an entity of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in 2022.

According to Zikalala, most of these projects are at different stages of development ranging from prefeasibility to execution.

These projects include the Isondo Precious Metals (IPM) in Johannesburg which entails a fuel cell and electrolyser component manufacturing facility in Gauteng, the Prieska Energy Cluster Green Ammonia Production facility in the Northern Cape, Boegoes Bay Green Hydrogen Port Rail and Infrastructure Project driven by the Northern Cape provincial government.

Other projects include the Hive Green Ammonia export project in the Eastern Cape, Arcelor Mittal South Africa (AMSA) Saldanha Green Steel Project in the Western Cape and the Sasolburg 60MW H2 production in Gauteng.

Zikalala said South Africa only needed one percent of the country’s land area to support green hydrogen economy initiatives, creating jobs and improving the economy. He said this was unusable land for agriculture and human settlements.

The Deputy Minster said ISA acted as one of the government enablers for the South African green hydrogen opportunity.

He said that by gazetting the GHNP as a SIP, ISA enabled projects to be placed on an expedited path to development with prescribed and shortened timeframes for various project approvals and authorisations.

“The seventh administration has identified three priorities: driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living and building a capable, ethical and developmental state,” said the Deputy Minister.

He called on green hydrogen players to work with government in the creation of jobs in the green hydrogen economy.

“We look up to you to take a lead in facilitating green hydrogen manufacturing capability in a manner that localises the production of upstream and downstream value-added products. Working together, South Africa can realise its potential to produce six to 13 million tons of green hydrogen and derivatives per year by 2050.

“We reiterate that South Africa as a green hydrogen investment destination still offers substantial additional investment opportunities including green shipping, green fertiliser production, electrolyser manufacturing, pipeline development, green field port developments”, said Zikalala. source: SAnews.gov.za

Added 19 September 2024

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Meet SANPC, South Africa’s new petroleum company

A policy statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday (28 September) has resulted in the formation of a new state-owned petroleum company, the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC).

The SANPC has been formed following the merger of the Central Energy Fund (CEF) subsidiaries, iGas, PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund.

The SANPC is poised to become a leading player in the country’s energy sector ensuring energy security, driving new technologies, developing and enabling essential infrastructure, fostering strategic partnerships and propelling social and economic development.

It is also expected to oversee strategic planning, coordination and governance of the country’s petroleum resources, contributing to the country’s development and economic growth.

The company has been granted approval to start operating in terms of the s51(g) (h) of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999.

The formation of the state-owned company follows President Ramaphosa’s February 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA) wherein he announced government’s intention to repurpose and “rationalize” state-owned enterprises to support growth and development in South Africa.

Under this national directive, on 10 June 2020, Cabinet approved the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) request to merge the three subsidiaries of the Central Energy Fund (CEF); namely the South African Gas Development Company SOC Limited (iGas), PetroSA and Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF).

“The rationalization of these subsidiaries into one single SA National Petroleum Company is on the basis that each company be efficiently structured so as not to transfer operational inefficiencies and going concern issues into the new entity.

“Out of the three merging entities, only iGas and SFF are financially viable to be merged into the new entity subject to key legal requirements. However, following a rigorous assessment of the PetroSA business, the only financially viable division to be merged into the new company is Trading and the Ghana asset,” the new petroleum company said in a statement on Wednesday.

It added that the remainder of the business that does not form part of the SANPC will form part of legacy assets requiring further work to be done before they could be transferred into the SANPC.

“In the interim, the SANPC will be incorporated as a subsidiary of [the] CEF Group of Companies until the National Petroleum Bill is promulgated into law. For the SANPC to kick start its operations, it would use the Lease and Assign model wherein certain assets of the merging entities will be leased to the new company, the SANPC.”

The proposed Lease and Assignment model provides the opportunity to strategically select what is leased and assigned to the SANPC by ring-fencing or isolating PetroSA’s legacy assets such as decommissioning liability and current operating challenges of the Gas to Liquid Refinery.

“This approach will improve the financial risk profile for SANPC to secure funding as well as provide a legally sound solution to deal with the constraints associated with the non-profit status of [the] SFF. At the same time, work has begun to attend to the legacy assets which include the re-instatement of the Gas -To- Liquids (GTL) Refinery and the decommissioning liability methodology and provisioning.

“Once all the matters relating to these legacy assets are resolved, they would be ready for transfer to the SANPC.”

The company said that the Lease and Assignment transaction is deemed necessary and the most effective approach for the merger.

“With the combined strengths of the three subsidiaries, a solid financial position, and robust stakeholder support, the SANPC is well-positioned to leverage these benefits and seize the R95 billion market opportunity.

“The SANPC would be poised to become a leading player in South Africa’s energy sector, ensuring energy security, driving new technologies, developing, and enabling essential infrastructure, fostering strategic partnerships, and propelling social and economic development,” said the company. source: SAnews.gov.za

Added 19 September 2024

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Port News & Advisories

Africa Ports & Ships

Weather Alert – Port of Durban

The South African Weather Services have issued an Alert which has been relayed by the Port of Durban as a Weather Warning for its impact on port operations and vessels.

Port users are advised to ensure all the necessary mitigation measures deemed appropriate are actioned line with the impact of the warning issued.

“Kindly ensure where appropriate operations are suspended all superstructure, other equipment is made safe, and all vessel Masters are advised accordingly. All vessels to have crew available, engines and other auxiliary equipment are placed on immediate notice, extra moorings are put in place, anchors are prepared etc.

“Port Control is available on 031 308 8260/1/2/3 and VHF Ch. 09 and ch.16 should you wish to report any emergency.”

Date of Port Forecast – Wednesday, 18 September 2024.

Weather Alert. Valid from 12h:00 on Thursday 19 September until 04:00 Friday 20 September 2024.

Winds > 25KT, Wind Gusts > 35KT, Open Water Sea > 4.0 m, Long period swell > 15s

Detailed Additional Information

A cold front is expected to pass through tomorrow (Thursday) with a surface ridging behind it resulting in strong SW winds of up to 25KT gusting 35-40KT is expected from tomorrow late morning and will subside by Friday morning.

Waves are expected to reach 4.5 to 6.0m from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.

Refer to the website for detailed information https://marine.weathersa.co.za/

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APM Terminals – Port of Apapa (Lagos)

APM Terminals Apapa advises “that our Customer Service office will open early on Saturday, 21 September 2024, and Sunday, 22 September 2024.

The office will be open on:
Sat.  21 September 2024 from 7am – 12pm
Sun. 22 September 2024 from 10am – 4pm

The cut-off time for online TDO request on:
Sat. 21 September 2024 is 11 am
Sun. 22 September 2024 is 3pm

In order to serve every customer in our waiting area, the turnstile and ticket machine will close at 11am.”

Customers are encouraged to take advantage of this information by processing all their transactions early.

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Shipping and Port Advisories

Port of Durban – Halsted split call

Vessel Halsted will perform a split call discharging at Durban Container Terminal, followed by a load call at a later date.

Halsted v.432S/437N Tentative schedule is:

21 September – discharge
28 September – load

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Port of Cape Town – SAECS vessel omission

Santa Cruz, v.243N will omit her scheduled call at Cape Town due to delays. Imports for Cape Town will be discharged at Ngqura to connect with the next SAECS vessel.

Maersk advises it aims to position vessels back in South Africa to provide best in class coverage for the upcoming deciduous fruit export season.

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MSC Resilient III – Durban terminal change, Port Elizabeth omission

update > update > update > update > update >>>>>

MSC Resilient III.GSL Lalo – Vessel Amendments (19 September 2024)

MSC has advised that the MSC Resilient III will no longer be taking exports i.e. will no longer be phasing into the Amex service due to delays experienced in Durban.  MSC Resilient III has since sailed from the Durban anchorage,  bound for Maputo.

Instead, the GSL Lalo (previously phasing out) will be used to cover her position. Thus, all exports currently booked on the MSC Resilient III will be amended to the GSL Lalo.  ….end of update 17:00 Thursday 19 Sept.

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MSC Resilient III v.436N (phase in) and MSC Jersey v.432S (phase out) will now call at DCT Pier 2 instead of DCT Pier 1.

MSC Resilient III will also omit her call at Port Elizabeth. MSC Resilient III is currently (18 September 2024 18:00) at anchor outside Durban. All Port Elizabeth exports currently booked on her will be amended to the call of Nele Maersk v.438N.

MSC Jersey will complete a port swap and call Durban first.

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GSL Lalo v.434S (phase out vessel)

GSL Lalo will call at Durban first to protect her berthing window.

Tentative schedule is:

25 September – Durban
01 October – Port Elizabeth
05 October – Cape Town

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SAECS/SRX Service Update

Phase out – Phase in

Vessel ONE Reassurance v 243N will phase out at London Gateway (ETA 03 October)

Rotterdam, Bremerhaven and Algeciras import cargo will be discharged at London Gateway.

Vessel ONE Resilience v.244S will phase in at London Gateway (ETD 05 October 2024) and will load the discharged imports from vessel ONE Reassurance v.243N, to discharge those at the required POD’s.

ONE Resilience v.244S:

PORT                 ETA              ETD
London Gateway 04-Oct-2024  05-Oct-2024
Rotterdam          08-Oct-2024   10-Oct-2024
Bremerhaven      13-Oct-2024   15-Oct-2024
Algeciras             21-Oct-2024   21-Oct-2024
Ngqura                06-Nov-2024   07-Nov-2024

Added 19 September 2024

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In Conversation: South Africa needs more nautical scientists and maritime engineers – if you love the sea these may be the careers for you

Africa Ports & Ships

Added 18 September 2024

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IMO and marine fuels: Assessment of life cycle GHG intensity and sustainability

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

Independent scientific experts have initiated a scientific and technical assessment of issues related to the implementation of the IMO Guidelines on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels (LCA Guidelines).

Recommendation taken up

Experts have been meeting under the auspices of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), which established the new Working Group on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels (GESAMP-LCA) following a recommendation by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).

It is understood that his work will support MEPC’s work on further developing the IMO LCA framework.

From 10 to 13 September the first meeting of this new GESAMP Working Group was held in IMO HQ.

Submission to IMO’s MEPC

The Group’s report will be submitted to MEPC 83 in April 2025, after its peer review by GESAMP.

During its first meeting, the Working Group discussed matters related to the methodological refinement of emission quantification in the IMO LCA Guidelines, sustainability themes and aspects, as well as methodological requirements with regard to certification.

Broad oceanic representation

Members of the GESAMP-LCA Working Group, acting in their individual capacity, are from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.

On GESAMP’s African connection

Since its inception in 1969, GESAMP has had twenty Chairs, representing thirteen countries. With regard to Africa there is the current chair from 2019, David Vousden of South Africa, and from 1994 to 1996 the chair was O. Osibanjo of Nigeria.

The New GESAMP: Science for Sustainable Oceans available through this link.

Added 18 September 2024

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9,300-TEU Ammonia-fueled container ship approved by KR

Africa Ports & Ships

Samsung Heavy Industries has received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from the Korean Register (KR) for Samsung’s ammonia-fueled 9,300-TEU capacity container ship.

As the global maritime industry intensifies efforts to meet stricter decarbonization targets, ammonia is gaining prominence as a potential zero-carbon fuel. In light of the current trends, recent LNG-fueled container ships have adopted designs that allow the use of ammonia fuel for its sustainable option.

Ammonia fuel presents advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness and efficiency compared to other alternative fuels.

However, due to its high toxicity and corrosive properties, it requires a specially designed fuel propulsion system, as well as additional safety assessments that take the operational requirements into consideration.

The development of this 9,300-TEU ammonia-fueled container vessel marks a key step in advancing ammonia fueled propulsion technology.

Samsung have developed an entirely new structural layout and the vessel’s design which includes specialised fuel tanks, fuel supply systems, ventilation, and gas detection systems, incorporating the unique properties of ammonia fuel.

Jang Haeki, executive vice president and CTO of Samsung, said Samsung’s 9,300 TEU ammonia-fueled container ship incorporates the leading eco-friendly technologies of Samsung.

“We will continue to accelerate the development of carbon-neutral solutions to secure our competitive edge in the next-generation ship market,” he said.

KR has verified this newly developed vessel’s design and ammonia fuel system, ensuring compliance with classification rules and international regulations, and granted AiP after confirming the integrity and safety of the entire system.

“This joint development is a significant step toward the commercialisation of large ammonia-fueled container ships,” Lee Hyungchul, chairman and CEO of KR said.

He gave an assurance that KR will continue to provide technical support for the innovations in decarbonisation solutions.

Added 18 September 2024

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Transnet in court with APM Terminals over DCT Pier2 concession

by Terry Hutson 
Africa Ports & Ships

The dispute between Transnet and APM Terminals over the awarding by Transnet of a concession to partner with Transnet Port Terminal (TPT) in managing and operating the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 (DCT2), has been heard over the first two days of this week in the Durban High Court of South Africa.

Some background

In July 2023 Transnet announced it had selected Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Incorporated (ICTSI) as the preferred bidder to partner in a 25-year joint venture to upgrade and manage DCT2.

This was after an appeal for interested parties had been was advertised, and amounted to an about-face by state-owned Transnet. In the early 2000s, a decision was taken then not to involve outside private interests in any form or shape or influence in how the country’s port container terminals would be run.

That decision was in itself a reversal of an even earlier post-1994 intention for the specially created Transnet Port Terminals to operate and prepare the country’s container and other terminals for privatisation, after which TPT would cease to exist. That was TPT’s original and sole destiny.

Around the turn of the century, as container volumes began to pick up, and with the container terminals – and Durban in particular – beginning to show signs of strain, there was some serious debate as to whether Transnet should bear the expense of replacing worn-out or inadequate infrastructure and equipment, or to wait a few years and leave it to future private enterprise.

It was in response to extreme pressure from political circles and from the relevant trade unions, that the decision was made, rather abruptly, which instructed Transnet Port Terminals to continue as the now permanent terminal operator within the wider Transnet stable.

All plans for outside involvement were scrapped as though they never existed!

Fast forward to the present, and by the 2020s it was patently clear even among senior circles within the pre-GNU government that if the South African port container terminals were ever going to meet the expectation of customers and rise above the World Bank’s classification of having the worst-run container terminals anywhere in the world, that it could only come after an injection of private enterprise involving a major overhaul of systems and policies.

That’s the situation Transnet finds itself in right now, having made the brave choice of calling for private enterprise, only to find themselves caught up in a legal dispute about their choice of partner for the future operation of the country’s largest and busiest container terminal.

It was only in July this year that Transnet’s board chairperson, Andile Sangqu, made the welcome announcement that a private sector partner would manage the terminal, calling it “…a longstanding priority of national government”.

After due process, he said, ICTSI had been selected as the preferred bidder to partner [with TPT] in a 25-year joint venture to develop and upgrade the terminal.

It was weeks later when APM Terminals, which manages and operates container terminals worldwide, lodged its objection, saying it had applied for an interdict to prevent the deal from going ahead.

APM Terminals, which, according to some reports, was the runner-up to ICTSI in the bidding, claimed that ICTSI was unlikely to meet the contract’s financial requirement.

Transnet obviously disputed this, saying it conducted the necessary due diligence and was satisfied with ICTSI’s bid. And that was where things stood until this week in the Durban High Court.

At stake is who gets to run the nation’s most important port terminal. If APM Terminals is successful in blocking the appointment of ICTSI, then it’s all back to the beginning and another round of bids and, given our propensity for these things, possible future disputes.

Meanwhile the ships still line up outside port, and take up a further seven days to vacate a berth at DCT2, a ludicrous situation for the country’s most important port terminal and the busiest in sub-Saharan Africa.

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WHARF TALK: German research vessel – SONNE

Pictures as indicated
Story by Jay Gates

Whenever an international research vessel arrives at a South African port, the casual maritime observer would not normally know what kind of scientific mission that the particular research vessel was undertaking prior to its arrival, nor the fact that the arriving research vessel might be carrying a local scientist, or a group of scientists, that are representing one or more of the many South African universities, research institutions, or government scientific departments, and who are conducting scientific research of value to the understanding of South African ecology.

The vast majority of the visiting research vessels to South African ports are representatives of the nations of the major economies of the world, and who operate large, blue water, research vessel fleets conducting international research project voyages, such as the USA, UK, Germany, France, Japan, and Norway, plus those of China, whose research programmes are less inclusive, more secretive, and determined on a governmental level. There are also those of nations, who are only occasional visitors to the southern hemisphere, such as Holland, Spain, and India.

On 9th September, at midday, the German research vessel ‘Sonne’ (IMO 9633927) arrived off Durban harbour, from an oceanic voyage that has begun back on 8th August from Port Louis in Mauritius. She entered Durban harbour, and proceeded to her berth. According to her published itinerary she was due to spend three days alongside in Durban in order to conduct a full turnaround prior to her next scientific mission voyage.

Built in 2014 by the Meyer Neptun GmbH Shipyard at Papenburg in Germany, ‘Sonne’ is 119 metres in length, and has a deadweight of 2,351 tons. She is a diesel–electric vessel, with power coming from four Wärtsilä 9L20CR generators providing 1,620 kW each. Power is transferred to two VEM Sachsenwerk Dresden DKMEB1040-16U electric motors producing 2,350 kW each, and which drive two fixed pitch propellers for a maximum transit sea speed of 15 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes four generators from Anhaltische Elektromotorenwerke Dessau generators, providing 1,555 kW each, and a single Caterpillar C32 ACERT emergency generator providing 874 kW. She has no less than four EXV4-26-49-48-800DD exhaust gas boilers, and two H4-TFO-020 oil fired boilers.

For added manoeuvrability she has a bow Schottel SRP550 LSV transverse thruster providing 860kW, a stern Schottel SRP550 LSV transverse thruster providing 860 kW, and an azimuth Schottel SPJ520 RD pumpjet thruster providing 2,990kW. Her thruster configuration, and twin screws, give ‘Sonne’ a dynamic positioning classification of DP1 which allows her to conduct accurate station keeping when undertaking deepwater measurements and sampling.

She was launched by the then German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and built at a cost of EUR 124.4 million (ZAR2.14 billion) to replace an older research vessel of the same name, which was subsequently sold to the Argentine Navy. Built to operate mainly in the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, ‘Sonne’ is capable of operating in air temperatures ranging from -20°C to +35°C, and in seawater temperatures ranging from -2°C to +32°C.

Built as a multipurpose platform for marine scientific disciplines, ‘Sonne’ is equipped to undertake research into Physical, Chemical and Biological Oceanography, Marine Geology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Meteorology, Geophysics and Bathymetry disciplines. To highlight her role, the word ‘SCIENCE” is displayed prominently along her hull.

She is owned by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and managed by Briese Schiffahrts GmbH of Leer in Germany, with ‘Sonne’ being operated by the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) of the Carl von Ossietzky University, of Oldenburg in Germany, and whose acronym is displayed on her funnel, and not to be confused with Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).

For her operations over her stern ‘Sonne’ is fitted with a stern mounted A-Frame with a lifting capacity of 30 tons, and for use mainly with Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) activities. She also has four knuckleboom deck cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 12 tons. For overside coring and sampling operations she has one sliding beam with a lifting capacity of 20 tons, and for her Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) water sampling activities she has a single sliding beam with a lifting capacity of 7 tons.

Her aft working deck has an area of 600 m2, and she is capable of carrying 25 TEU, with 4 of these TEU being carried internally and equipped as additional laboratories. She operates with a total of 17 laboratories, which also include four dry labs, two wet labs, two climate labs, one cold lab, two electronic data processing labs, a hydro-acoustic lab, a gravimeter room, a salinometer room, and a mammal and seabird observation room, which is located above her bridge. Her onboard laboratory space covers a total area of 550 m2.

Her CTD and ROV equipment is all kept within onboard hangars. She has four air compressors, and is able to conduct both 2D and 3D seismic surveys utilising an airgun array. For her overside measurement and sampling operations ‘Sonne’ is fitted with two friction winches, each holding 12,000 metres of cable, two heave compensated winches, each holding 10,000 metres of cable, and a single serial winch, holding 6,000 metres of cable.

With accommodation provisions for 32 members of crew, and up to 40 scientific passengers, ‘Sonne’ provides voyage comfort for her crew and passengers with a dining room, bar, lounge, smoking lounge, library, conference room, gymnasium, sauna, and a self-service laundry provided on every deck.

She is a quiet ship with her machinery mounted on special rubber mounts to absorb vibration, and her hull form being both low noise and bubble free. She is fitted with both fin stabilisers, and anti-roll heeling tanks. Her scientific instruments include a multibeam deepwater echosounder, a multibeam shallow water echo sounder, a fisheries echosounder, a sub bottom profiler, and a Doppler current profiler.

The German National Meteorological Service have fitted a comprehensive automatic weather station on ‘Sonne’, and which both measures, and records, parameters taken from air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, ultra-violet light, seawater temperature, wave height, rainfall amount, and cloud levels.

Her arrival in Durban was at the conclusion of her 306th scientific voyage, which was simply numbered as SO306. The voyage was to study cold water corals within the Mozambique Channel, and given the voyage title of ‘Cold Water Corals in the West Indian Ocean’, with the acronym of COWIO, which included benthic studies in the near coastal waters of the Comores, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa. As mentioned earlier, the voyage began back on 8th August from Port Louis in Mauritius.

For the voyage she carried a complement of 37 marine scientists, who originated from universities and research organisations in Germany, USA, Holland and Spain, as well as carrying two fish scientists from the Tanzanian Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA), based in Zanzibar, two plankton scientists from the Oceanographic Institute of Mozambique (InOM), based in Maputo, and one coral scientist from the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), based in Cape Town.

As her published itinerary is promulgated over two years in advance, ‘Sonne’ was ready to sail, as advertised, after three days alongside, and at 14:00 in the afternoon of 12th September, she sailed from Durban with her AIS indicating that her next destination was to be Durban! She was now embarking on voyage number SO307, which will take place south of Madagascar, conducting oceanography and benthic studies on the Madagascar Ridge, and operating between 27°South and 36°South, and from 41°East and 51°East.

This current voyage is known as MADAGASCAR INDICOM, and unlike the previous voyage there appeared to be no local scientists aboard, and only scientists from German research institutions. She is scheduled to return to Durban on 28th October, and again will undertake a three day turnaround before sailing on her next voyage of discovery on 31st October. This voyage, numbered SO308, will be from Durban to Fremantle in Western Australia, and will be an equatorial oceanographical research transect voyage named GEOTRACES SIO.

Her published itinerary is forward planned for the next two years, and ‘Sonne’ will not be calling at any South African port in 2025 0r 2026, as she is scheduled to be operating solely in the Pacific Ocean. Prior to her current call in Durban, the last call of ‘Sonne’ to a South African port was as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic back in April 2021.

Her voyage was a Buoy retrieval operation to collect 12 scientific buoys that had been laid in the South Atlantic Ocean off the continental shelves of South Africa and Namibia in 2019. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 they could not be retrieved as planned. So in March 2021, ‘Sonne’ sailed from Emden with the explicit permissions, and instructions to sail purely to retrieve the buoys, before their batteries expired and all collected data was lost, and make a single call at Cape Town, solely to uplift bunkers, stores, and fresh provisions, prior to making a return voyage directly back to Emden with the collected buoys.

Prior to 2020, ‘Sonne’ had made a number of calls into South African ports. She had sailed from Cape Town on March 7th 2020, immediately before the Covid-19 outbreak, to undertake a geophysical and geological scientific voyage on the Marion Rise, an area of tectonic plate activity located north of South Africa’s only overseas possession, namely Marion and Prince Edward Islands in the South Indian Ocean.

The logistical travel problems of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the voyage had to be cut short and on 21st March after getting as far south as 46 South 38 East, north of Prince Edward Island, ‘Sonne’ turned and returned to Cape Town, arriving on March 26th 2020. She disembarked her sole South African cruise participant, took on bunkers, stores, and fresh provisions, before sailing directly to Emden, where she remained for the whole of the year.

In fact, ‘Sonne’ has undertaken a further seven research cruises in the South Atlantic and South Indian Oceans between 2014 and 2019, including port calls at Port Louis in Mauritius, Toliara in Madagascar, both Durban and Cape Town in South Africa, and Walvis Bay in Namibia. On all of these cruises, research scientists from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Cape Town, the University of Namibia and the Comores Bureau of Geology, as well as Government scientists and observers from Madagascar, South Africa and Namibia had been invited to participate in these cruises by various German scientific institutions.

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Additional ShoreTension mooring units arrive for Cape Town & Ngqura ports

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of additional hydraulic ShoreTension mooring units for the ports of Cape Town and Ngqura.

The arrival of this latest batch of six more hydraulic mooring units will enhance the ability of curbing shipping and cargo-handling delays caused by long waves impacting vessels berthed at the ports.

From the 52 units procured by TNPA in September 2023, this batch brings the total number of mooring units delivered to 12 and adds to the eight that were installed in the Cape Town and Ngqura ports prior to this acquisition.

Shipping and cargo handling operations at the Cape Town and Ngqura ports are often impacted by strong winds reaching 35 to 50 knots and high sea swells exceeding 3.5 metres. These weather conditions cause operational and safety disruptions leading to delays in vessel movements.

A hydraulic tension mooring unit (see video below) is a system placed on the quayside to ensure the safety of docked vessels by mitigating the severity of long-wave effects on vessels. The benefits include minimised downtime and safety incidents during operations.

Commenting on the delivery as one of the shipping lines that are benefiting from the installed shore tensions, National Operations Manager at CMA CGM South Africa, Leon Reddy, said the introduction of the shore tension units at the Port of Cape Town has significantly improved their vessel operations.

“With the ability to keep our vessels stable and secure alongside the berth, we have seen a notable reduction in vessel movement and ranging,” Reddy said.

“This has resulted in increased container productivity and reduced port stay times, leading to improved overall efficiency and reduced costs. We support TNPA’s initiative to invest in additional shore tension units and look forward to continued cooperation to enhance port operations.”

TNPA has procured 52 shore tension units with an allocation of 16 units for the Port of Cape Town with six delivered, 14 for the Port of Durban, eight for the Port of Port Elizabeth, six for the Port of Ngqura with all six delivered, four for the Port of Saldanha and four for the Port of Richards Bay.

The phased delivery of the rest of the units will be completed by early 2025.

ShoreTension – How it works: YouTube video [4:08]

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IMO S-G on geopolitical conflicts and life threats to seafarers

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

At IMO on 16 September the Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez addressed the opening of the tenth meeting of the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers otherwise known in IMO parlance as CCC 10*. The gathering is due to run until 20 September. We reproduce here highlights from his address.

‘Good morning distinguished delegates,

‘Let me begin by expressing my grave concerns about the geopolitical conflicts that are affecting shipping and threatening the lives of seafarers.

‘Ships and seafarers must not be targeted for political reasons. Shipping serves all States and serves the common interest whether it be in the Black Sea or the Red Sea.

‘IMO and all its Member States have a responsibility to protect the lives of all seafarers.

‘The attack on the bulker Aya on 11 September in the Black Sea is unacceptable and will again create risks for the food security of developing countries.

‘The attack on mv Sounion and the major threat it now poses to the environment is also unacceptable. The ship is now being towed, and I am very grateful to the EU and its Operation ASPIDES for the assistance it is now providing.

‘I also reiterate my call for the immediate and unconditional release of the mv Galaxy Leader and its crew.

‘I would like to inform you that I am planning to invite the families of the crew of Galaxy Leader to the IMO Headquarters on 5 November. I am coordinating this with the assistance of ICS and ITF and with certain Member States. I hope that I can count on your support, particularly financial support, to enable them to travel to London.

‘Several sets of safety provisions are being developed and continuous efforts are being made to address emerging challenges and foster innovation. The development of a safety regulatory framework to support the reduction of GHG emissions from ships using new technologies and alternative fuels is a crucial task for this Organization.

‘Another major task is the review of the IGC (The International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk). The ongoing revision of the Code involves a large number of amendments, and I am confident in your expertise and that you will take appropriate action towards finalization of the review.

‘I would emphasize the importance of the work on comprehensive review of the Recommendations on entering enclosed spaces on board ships, adopted by the Assembly by means of resolution A.1050(27), with a view to finalization.

‘Thank you.’

* The Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) deals with the carriage of packaged dangerous goods, solid bulk cargoes, bulk gas cargoes, and containers. The Sub-Committee keeps updated the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC Code) and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

It also keeps under review other Codes including the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) and the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code). The Sub-Committee closely collaborates with other UN bodies dealing with the multimodal transport of goods.

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AD Ports sending STS & RTG cranes for ports of Pointe Noire and Luanda Terminal

Africa Ports & Ships

AD Ports Group has awarded Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC) contracts worth over US$ 114 million to supply six ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and 17 hybrid rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, for its terminal projects in New East Mole Terminal in Pointe Noire (Republic of the Congo), and Noatum Ports, Luanda Terminal (Angola).

The contracts for the terminal equipment fall within the framework of AD Ports Group’s 30-year concession agreement to develop and operate a multipurpose terminal in Pointe Noire Port in the Republic of the Congo, and a 20-year concession agreement to modernise and operate the Luanda Terminal in Angola.

AD Ports said these agreements are in-line with the Group’s strategy for advanced development within emerging markets for mutual and sustainable economic growth.

Under the awarded contracts, the Pointe Noire, and Luanda terminals will each receive three Super Post-Panamax STS cranes, which are able to reach across 21 container rows, a distance of 60 metres.

The Pointe Noire will receive nine hybrid RTGs, while Luanda terminal will receive eight hybrid RTGs.

The hybrid RTGs can save up to 60% diesel in comparison to the traditional diesel RTGs which use the equivalent of one million litres per year and produce approximately 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said the cranes play a crucial role in modern port operations.

AD Ports is committed, he said, to investing in the terminals’ infrastructure and adopting advanced, innovative technology solutions to add value to their customers and partners and to benefit the economies of countries where AD Ports’ operate.

“We are pleased to advance our concession agreements in Angola and Congo.”

Concessions

In June 2023, AD Ports Group signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Government of the Republic of the Congo for the management and operation of the multipurpose New East Mole Terminal in Pointe-Noire. With an estimated US$ 500 million to be invested over the duration of the concession, the terminal is set to handle container, general cargo, breakbulk and various other types of cargo.

In addition, in April 2024 AD Ports Group signed agreements for a 20-year concession (extendable for another 10 years) with the Luanda Port Authority for the operation and upgrade of the existing Luanda multipurpose port terminal in Angola.

For this project, AD Ports Group has committed an estimated US$ 250+ million towards the modernisation of the terminal and development of the logistics business over the next three years, with this investment potentially increasing to US$ 379 million over the concession term and in line with market demand.

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Mozambique’s Chongoene ‘port’ terminal concessioned to China for 15 years

Africa Ports & Ships

The Mozambique government has granted a 15-year concession to a Chinese company, Desheng Port, in a public-private partnership with state-owned Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), to construct and operate the Chongoene Port Terminal in Gaza province, Mozambique.

Chongoene is situated slightly to the north-east of Praia do Xai Xai. The ‘port’ consists of a long jetty into semi-deep water.

According to documents quoted, the terminal will be exclusively engaged in the storage and handling of heavy national sands in bulk, within the perimeter of the concession, with a minimum capacity of exporting eight million tonnes a year that may increase depending on demand.

The mining is being carried out by the Sofala Mining and Exploration, Ltd company, which is extracting ilmenite, zirconium and rutile, which are used in the manufacture of paints, electrodes for welding and metal alloys, among other purposes.

The minerals will be exported to China.

Additional exports may come from another Chinese company, Dingsheng Minerals, which has been exploring heavy sands in the nearby district of Chibuto since 2018.

It was previously reported that Dingsheng, which operates a US$ 700 million process plant in a mining concession area of 3,000 hectares, would invest in and export its product through the Chongoene Port Terminal.

The Dingsheng facility has two production lines with the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of minerals a day – mostly titanium ore.

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MPDC to expand Maputo port grain terminal capacity

Africa Ports & Ships

The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) on Friday (13 September 2024) entered into an agreement with local company Maputo Grain Terminal SA (MGT), in partnership with MEREC Industries, a national producer of grain products, to expand the capacity of the Port of Maputo’s grain terminal.

The project will increase the terminal’s ‘static’ capacity from 25,000 tons to 45,000 tons, representing an increase in installed capacity from 170,000 tons to 350,000 tons per year.

The volume of grain handled at the Port of Maputo has grown consistently in recent years, reaching 166,000 tons in 2023, a reflection of the growing demand for grain handling services in the region.

With the planned expansion, MPDC says the next phase of the project will include extending handling services to other grain producers, as well as exploring new opportunities for the export and transit of grain destined for neighbouring countries and the international market.

The current terminal consists of five silos, each with a capacity of 5,000 tons. With the new agreement, MGT plans to build four additional silos, which will significantly increase storage capacity.

In addition, investment is planned in improving the rail infrastructure in order to optimise the logistics and efficiency of the terminal.

The total investment for the expansion of the terminal is estimated at approximately 5 million (US) dollars. The construction of the new silos is expected to take 18 months to complete.

MPDC says this investment underlines the partners commitment to strengthen the logistics capacity and competitiveness of the Port of Maputo in the regional and international market.

This is within the scope of the concession extension agreement signed in February this year. The expansion of the grain terminal reflects MPDC’s wider strategy of better positioning the Port of Maputo as a strategic and convenient logistics hub within the SADC region.

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Shipping Dangerous Goods: Reminder of need for accurate reliable emergency contact information

Africa Ports & Ships

An urgent reminder has been issued by the Cargo Integrity Group* for an emergency contact telephone number to be provided for shipments of dangerous goods.

This follows recent experiences reported by partner organizations.

The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code** is in force worldwide to ensure the safety and security of people, the environment and assets, and must be followed by all parties with regards to the transport of dangerous goods.

Recommended industry practices have also been developed for the packing and securing of goods in cargo transport units, such as the CTU Code***.

The majority of dangerous goods shipments are carried and handled without incident. Nonetheless, should an incident occur despite all safety precautions, it is essential that the necessary steps to respond to the dangers can be taken swiftly and reliably by those attending the scene.

A requirement of many national dangerous goods regulations for transport by sea, in order to comply with international dangerous goods regulations, including the IMDG Code, is that a suitable 24-hour emergency response number be provided within shipping documentation, safety data sheets or other compliant means for each shipment of dangerous goods.

The phone number must be answered by a person who is knowledgeable of the dangerous goods being shipped and has comprehensive emergency response and incident mitigation information for the product or products in the shipment, or has immediate access to a person who has that information.

This phone number must not have a call-back function, such as the use of voicemail or pager, nor be a general answering service. The number must be current during the shipment and monitored 24 hours a day.

Shippers of dangerous goods must therefore take appropriate measures to establish access to an appropriate and knowledgeable person or persons and include their telephone contact number on the transport documents and safety data sheets, to ensure full compliance with this requirement.

The Cargo Integrity Group points out that the IMDG Code starts from the premise that the transport of dangerous goods is prohibited, unless they are shipped in accordance with the applicable regulatory provisions.

Only when mandatory regulations and guidelines are followed can it be expected that such cargoes are able to be transported safely. Extreme diligence and accurate emergency response information is necessary to prevent minor incidents from becoming major casualties.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in shipments being refused for transport by terminals or shipping lines and parties may incur heavy fines and product liability risks in any legal actions.

* For more about the Cargo Integrity Group see here.

** The International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, Amendment 41-22, effective from 1 January 2024 (The IMDG Code) is published by the International Maritime Organization and specifies the standards to which packaged dangerous goods must be consigned, handled and carried for transport by sea.

*** The IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units, 2014 Edition (CTU Code).

The CTU Code is published jointly by the sponsoring organizations and is a compendium of recommended practices to be followed by those packing or loading intermodal containers, road vehicles and railway wagons for international transport.

The Cargo Integrity Group has published a ‘Quick Guide to the CTU Code’ and a ‘Container Packing Checklist’ in seven languages to support compliance with these requirements and recommendations. Safety — World Shipping Council

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SA Port Statistics for August 2024

Africa Ports & Ships

Port statistics for the month of August 2024, covering the eight commercial ports under the administration of Transnet National Ports Authority, are now available.

The statistics here reflect port cargo throughputs, ships berthed and auto and container volumes handled together with liquid and dry bulk volumes.

Motor vehicles are measured in vehicle units being the equal of 1 tonne per unit.

Containers are counted in TEUs, with each TEU representing 13.5 tonnes.

Figures for the respective ports during August 2024 are:

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

PORT	August 2024 million tonnes
Richards Bay	6.070
Durban	6.509
Saldanha Bay	5.543
Cape Town	1.235
Port Elizabeth	1.085
Ngqura	1.340
Mossel Bay	0.000
East London	0.195
Total all ports	21.978 million tonnes

CONTAINERS (measured by TEUs) during August 2024
(TEUs include Deepsea, Coastal, Transship and empty containers all subject to being invoiced by NPA

PORT	August 2024 TEUs
Durban	247,170
Cape Town	60,015
Port Elizabeth	18,896
Ngqura	52,683
East London	2,816
Richards Bay	0
Total all ports	381,626 TEU

MOTOR VEHICLES RO-RO TRAFFIC (measured by Units- CEUs) during August 2024

PORT	August 2024 CEUs
Durban	52,027
Cape Town	1
Port Elizabeth	20,501
East London	4,749
Richards Bay	0
Total all ports	77,277 CEUS

SHIP CALLS for August 2024

PORT	August 2024 vessels	gross tons
Durban	223	7,571,484
Cape Town	158	3,122,656
Richards Bay	100	4,237,169
Port Elizabeth	67	1,878,548
Saldanha Bay	56	3,122,656
Ngqura	53	2,354,014
East London	20	623,524
Mossel Bay	12	6,332
Total ship calls	689	23,565,678

— source TNPA, with adjustments regarding container weights by Africa Ports & Ships

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TAZARA, one step away from 30-year Chinese concessioning

Africa Ports & Ships

During the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in China early in September, one of the more significant moments, as far as East Africa, Central Africa, and Tanzania in particular are concerned, came with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that is aimed at the concessioning of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA).

The concession agreement referred to with the MoU, involving the three governments of Tanzania, Zambia and China, will enable the original builder of the former ‘Freedom Railway’, China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC), to rehabilitate the infrastructure and rolling stock of the TAZARA, before taking on the management and operation of the railway for a period of 30 years.

The rehabilitation phase of the 1,860-km Cape gauge (3ft 6ins/1067mm) railway that extends from Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia to the port at Dar es Salaam, is expected to take two years.

Cape gauge is used throughout Southern Africa and extends into the DRC as well as to the Atlantic coast port of Lobito in Angola.

Witnessing the signing of the MoU were the heads of state of China, Tanzania and Zambia.

Lobito Atlantic Railway

With the refurbishment and operation of the now renamed Lobito Atlantic Railway connecting the DRC Copperbelt with the port of Lobito on the Atlantic coast, it’s become increasingly important for Zambia and Tanzania to restore the TAZARA to the position of an important and convenient railway linked to an equally competitive port.

Emphasising the importance of this is the news that in early September the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a US$1,990,000 grant to Africa Finance Corporation to fund the Regional Zambia – Lobito Railway Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

This refers to evaluating the environmental and social implications of building a 780km greenfield railway connecting the Lobito Atlantic Railway at Luacano in Angola with the Zambia Railways line at Chingola. Both the Zambian and DRC Copperbelts – and cobalt mining – would then have direct rail access to the port at Lobito. The Americans have put down their marker.

U.S. interests already have a strong financial and strategic influence with the railway consortium operating the Lobito Atlantic Railway between the DRC and Lobito.

TAZARA concessioning

Once concessioned, it’s expected that the TAZARA’s operational capacity will increase substantially. The annual tonnage carried should rise from the current combined average of 500,000 metric tons for all operators to approximately 2 million metric tons.

“This marks an exciting new chapter for TAZARA. We are enthusiastic about the railway’s transformation into a key driver of regional economic development, aligning with the aspirations of the people of both Tanzania and Zambia,” said a spokesman for TAZARA.

He said that active negotiations were currently taking place with the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC). We aim to finalise the concession agreement by the end of the year,” he said.

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Transnet and SAPS sign MoU regarding theft & vandalism affecting logistics network

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet SOC Ltd on Friday (13 September) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South African Police Service (SAPS), aimed at strengthening collaborative efforts between Transnet and SAPS in the fight against theft and vandalism affecting essential infrastructure across Transnet’s logistics network.

Enhancing security at Transnet’s key operations is paramount for maintaining operational efficiency, economic stability and national security, Transnet said.

The signing of the MoU took place at the Transnet School of Rail at Esselen Park in Kempton Park.

Michelle Phillips, Transnet Group Chief Executive, described the signing of the MoU between Transnet and the SAPS as representing a critical step forward in securing the country’s essential infrastructure and combating organised crime.

“Our partnership with SAPS has already yielded significant successes. One notable example is the dedicated support that SAPS provided to Transnet Pipelines where specialised resources helped us combat the theft and damage to our fuel infrastructure.

“By working together, we can ensure the continued reliability and efficiency of our critical infrastructure,” Ms Phillips
said.

General Fannie Masemola, SAPS National Commissioner, said the MOU will ensure joint implementation of optimised policing and security of Transnet’s critical and essential infrastructure.

“It will ensure effective deployment of SAPS personnel in conjunction with existing Transnet security resources and coordinate each other’s performance to minimise duplication of functions,” he said. “The MoU will coordinate and integrate SAPS and Transnet roles to maintain a safe and secure Transnet critical and essential infrastructure.”

General Masemola said the protection of critical and essential infrastructure is a priority for the SAPS.

“A partnership such as this one is greatly welcome as it will enable better coordination of resources between the SAPS and Transnet. Damage to Transnet infrastructure constitutes economic sabotage, and in line with our mandate, we must act against any form of attacks on Transnet infrastructure.”

Added 15 September 2024

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Crew safely rescued from burning OSV AM Pride off Mossel Bay

Africa Ports & Ships

All 15 crew members of the offshore supply vessel AM Pride (IMO 9359167) have been rescued from their burning vessel off the South African south coast some 48.5 nautical miles off Mossel Bay.

It’s reported the fire broke out in the vessel’s messroom and quickly spread out of control, causing the crew to abandon ship. This occurred at 10:30 on Thursday 12 September 2024 as the OSV was close to a FA platform.

The rescue of the crew involved the PetroSA helicopter from Mossel Bay as well as nearby vessels, Angelic Peace and Thunderbird, who responded to assist.

The weather conditions at the time were reported as poor to bad with strong winds gusting up to 30 knots and swells of between 3.5 and 5 metres. Visibility was a reported 7 miles.

With the crew of the OSV in a liferaft, the helicopter first lifted eight of the seafarers and flew them to the nearby platform, followed by a second lift of seven who were flown direct to George.

According to SAMSA they were to be flown to Cape Town on Friday, together with the other eight who spent the the night on the FA platform.

The OSV AM Pride, built in 2006, has a length of 66.6 metres, a width of 16 metres and flies the flag of the Marshall Islands.

In the meantime the AMSOL emergency towing vessel Mkhuseli was despatched to rendezvous with the burning OSV and to tow it to a place of refuge, as agreed with the owners.

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Namibia: Effective port security training

Edited by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

It was reported from IMO on 13 September that Namibian officials have completed a week-long training on implementing control and compliance measures for ships arriving in the country’s ports.

The National Port State Control Workshop held from 9 to 13 September, led by IMO, brought together twenty-nine maritime professionals from various agencies to discuss the issue at Walvis Bay, home to Namibia’s largest harbour.

Enforcing international safety standards

The aim was to enhance the country’s capacity to enforce international safety standards under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), particularly SOLAS Chapter XI-2 on special measures to enhance maritime security.

This includes control and compliance measures to be carried out on incoming ships, verifying that they fulfil the requirements of IMO international regulations, and to ensure maritime safety and security.

Broad representation

Workshop participants included representatives from the Ministry of Works and Transport (Directorate of Maritime Affairs), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ministry of Home Affairs, Safety and Security, Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, the Namibian Ports Authority and the National Petroleum Corporation.

Knowledge-sharing; best practices

The workshop encouraged knowledge-sharing and exchange of best practices to promote proper understanding of an effective and adequately control and compliance regime.

The initiative was part of the EU-funded project* on Port Security and Safety of Navigation in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Project.

Under the project, IMO assists nine participating countries to enhance maritime security and safety within the region, in line with the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy.

* The South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, joining the Americas, East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, contain maritime trade routes critical to the economic development and prosperity of the Global South.
For this reason, the port facilities that link these routes require strong regional cooperation, robust maritime enforcement institutions, and rigorous compliance regimes, that adhere to international standards for safety and security.

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Walvis Bay Container Terminal concessioning process completed – October handover

Africa Ports & Ships

With due diligence and other necessary checks and balances completed to everyone’s satisfaction, the concessioning of the New Container Terminal at the Namibian Port of Walvis Bay is about to be finalised.

Namport said on Wednesday evening (11 September 2024) that Terminal Investments Namibia (TiN), a subsidiary of Swiss firm Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), itself a division of the giant shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), will receive the handing over of the Walvis Bay New Container Terminal as from 1 October 2024.

“Namport and TiL are now pleased to announce the handover of the container handling operations at the New Container Terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay to TiL (through its newly incorporated Namibia subsidiary, Terminal Investments Namibia – TiN) and this marks the commencement of the concession effective 1 October 2024.”

The Walvis Bay New Container Terminal was commissioned in November 2019 boasting a capacity of 750,000 TEU. The agreement between Namport and TiN is expected to play a crucial role in bolstering Namibia’s position as a key logistics hub in Southern Africa, through, inter alia, increased shipping connectivity, heightened vessel traffic, enlarged container handling capacity and enhanced operational efficiencies.

The concession agreement will enable TiN to operate and manage the terminal for 25 years, a move aimed at significantly enhancing operational efficiencies while increasing revenue and cargo throughput. The collaboration between Namport and TiN is expected to advance service delivery and create and preserve numerous employment opportunities for Namibians.

Andrew Kanime, Namport CEO, said Namport is excited about this partnership and this watershed development underscores its commitment to improving port operations, and addressing the growing demands of the Namibian and regional markets.

“It will without doubt entrench Namibia and Namport’s competitiveness amongst other coastal states and developing ports in the region and significantly contribute towards the attainment of Namibia’s vision to be the logistics hub for the region,” he said.

Alexandre Reali, chief executive officer of TiN said the award of the New Container Terminal concession to TiN represents a strategically important addition to its vast global network of terminals.

“The integration of the New Container Terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay and its portfolio aligns with TiN’s objective to strengthen the logistics network in Southern Africa and beyond.”

He said that notably, TiL is a subsidiary of the renowned global shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Hence, leveraging off both MSC and TiL’s expertise, TiN aims to introduce advanced operational standards and innovative practices to Namport and Namibia.

Handover & dredging

The handover signifies the commencement of substantial operational improvements at the New Container Terminal. It includes immediate dredging activities aimed at widening and deepening the entrance channel to -16 metres CD to accommodate larger vessels.

TiN is dedicated to expanding the terminal facilities to ensure long-term growth and adaptability, prioritising increased storage capacities and improved cargo handling processes.

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Reforming Alliances and Standalones as shipping lines reshuffle

Africa Ports & Ships

The months are ticking down to the time when Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd enter their previously announced ‘Gemini Cooperation collaboration’ on 1 February 2025.

With both companies having been working on finalising the details of the operational cooperation which covers a joint ocean freight network on East-West trades, both companies say they are ready to share an update covering finalised service maps and how the network has evolved since the announcement in January 2024.

Additionally, the companies are also presenting an alternative Cape of Good Hope network due to the on-going disruptions in the Red Sea.

Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, said reliability, connectivity and sustainability are the keywords in the networks they are jointly presenting.

“We are pleased that we now can give our customers full transparency about how we will deliver a best-in-class ocean network so they can begin planning despite a highly dynamic situation,” he said.

In October 2024, the Gemini Cooperation will announce which network it expects to put to sea in February 2025.

“We are looking forward to the launch of our completely redesigned network next year, and we are happy to reconfirm that our schedule reliability target remains unchanged irrespective of which network we will phase in,” says Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk.

“We believe our collaboration will raise the bar for reliability to the benefit of our customers and set a new and very high standard in the industry.”

Depending on which network the cooperation will phase in, the new network consists of either 27 or 29 ocean mainliner services supported by an extensive network of 30 intraregional shuttle services. The collaboration will comprise of either 300 or 340 vessels.

Premier Alliance

With the impending withdrawal of Hapag-Lloyd from THE Alliance, to join with Maersk on the two companies’ Gemini Cooperation collaboration, surviving THE Alliance members Ocean Network Express (ONE), HMM, and Yang Ming Marine Transportation will commence a new alliance named ‘Premier Alliance’, as from 1 February 2025.

The Premier Alliance will exist for a period of five years, focusing also on the East-West trades and including both Europe and North America.

These moves are resulting from the termination in January 2025 of the agreement between MSC and Maersk, known as the 2M Alliance.

MSC unveils future standalone East-West network

MSC’s future standalone network will replace the current 2M VSA agreement that MSC has with Maersk on East-West trades. As from February 2025, MSC will provide an independent, competitive and complete network for East-West trades including:

Five trades with 34 loops incorporating 7 loops for Asia North Europe, 6 loops for Asia Mediterranean, 4 loops for Asia North America West Coast, 6 loops for Asia North America East Coast and 11 loops for the Transatlantic Network.

There will be an optionality of weekly services via Suez with more than 1,900 direct port pairs or the Cape of Good Hope with more than 1,800 direct port pairs.

“As we assume full operational control of our network, we can today offer clients both Suez and Cape of Good Hope routing options,” said Soren Toft, CEO of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.

“This announcement represents an important milestone in the evolution of our global network and the vision of MSC’s founding family,” he added.

MSC to Cooperate With the Premier Alliance

In addition MSC announced a slot exchange cooperation with the Premier Alliance involving nine services across the East-West North Europe and East-West Mediterranean trade lanes. The cooperation will be effective from February 2025 onwards and cover Asia to North Europe and Asia to Mediterranean trades.

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Reinventing the logistics sector at the heart of the South African economy

Africa Ports & Ships

A strong contingent of industry leaders, representing all modalities in the logistics sector, air, sea, road, rail, freight forwarders and e-commerce from the public and private sectors, has gathered in Johannesburg to position an industry-wide collaborative drive to accelerate transformation for the logistics sector.

The logistics sector is at the forefront as a key contributor to the national economy, an enabler of trade and a central pillar to the country’s growth strategies.

Co-hosted by the Logistics Network Transformation Group and the Southern Africa Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), the forum also welcomed delegations from Academia, NPOs and Regulatory bodies, to make it, arguably, the most representative session of its kind in the history of Logistics locally.

Vincent Zikhali, chairperson of the Logistics Network Transformational Group, says timing is a make-or-break factor in Logistics. In step with the nation’s current transformational wave, Zikhali reports that the meeting secured the commitment of all entities represented on the day to engage as a cohesive transformational force towards stabilising sector performance at world-class levels of excellence.

Provoking analyses of pressing issues were delivered by speakers, engaging delegates to broaden the perspective, with employment creation and the placing of an alarming number of unemployed graduates being placed at the top of the agenda.

“It is clear that, for South Africa to compete effectively on the world stage, capacity building, skills development and new capabilities are all fundamental for growth and stability, alongside the government’s imperative to restore and develop supporting infrastructure,” said Zikhali.

“To reinstate the country’s leadership position as a destination and gateway to Africa, we need to reawaken a culture of relentless improvement and continuous innovation, digitisation and automation. This is recognised as a collective imperative – so we should leave no one behind.”

Deepening partnership

Success in transformation for a broad and diverse sector such as Logistics needs to be anchored by well-defined, unified principles. This is now made possible by what President Ramaphosa calls “the deepening partnership between government and business”

“This in itself is a transformation and clearly a work-in-progress,” says Dr Juanita Maree, the Chief Executive Officer of SAAFF.

“South Africa plays a significant role in continental and world logistics, a vantage position that must be strengthened,” she said.

“The pace of change and operational complexities of today threaten core transformational deliverables. It becomes clear that demanding unequivocal inclusivity right at the core of the sector’s overarching transformational strategy as undertaken by the meeting, sets the pace for the bigger picture.”

Sub-working groups

The introduction of sub-working groups was a strong and very important outcome. This structured approach will ensure that issues of transformation in the logistics sector and sub-sectors are systematically and efficiently addressed through unified strategies and collaborative solutions, underpinned by open communication across all stakeholder circles.

South Africa has entered a most significant transformational phase. The winds of change are already showing signs of positive realignment in critical areas of governance, policy, and economic stabilisation, already impacting positively on investor confidence here and abroad, lifting sentiment among the business sector.

Transformation is not only a race and gender thing – but an ‘all of us’ thing from international conglomerates, to SMMEs.

As an independent body, the Forum of the Transformation Working Group is tasked to provide the platform for dialogue and engagement going forward as all participants, together, get down to reinventing the logistics sector which is at the heart of the South African economy.

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Transnet Freight Rail resumes operations on the Cape Main Line

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) confirmed on Thursday (12 September) that operations on the Cape Mainline had been returned to full capacity as from 6 September 2024.

This followed the refurbishment of the rail section that was heavily damaged by flooding in July 2024.

In July the rail infrastructure was significantly damaged in De Wet and Sandhills, which necessitated the closure of the Mainline between the Worcester and De Doorns section.

TFR’s technical teams tackled significant challenges during the recovery process. Critical activities included river diversions, embankment stabilisation, and the reconstruction of superstructure elements such as ballast beds, sleepers, and rails.

The complexity of the project was heightened by severe weather, difficult terrain, and strict environmental regulations.

Despite these challenges, TFR’s teams were able to ensure the line was restored to a safe operational standard.

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Oil spill in Algoa Bay sees IMOrg launch an investigation

Africa Ports & Ships

An investigation is underway into an oil substance spillage believed to have come from the container ship MSC Apollo (IMO 9247730) at anchor in Algoa Bay on Saturday afternoon.

According to the South African maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the oily substance was reported after a vessel in Algoa Bay spotted oil blobs and an oily sheen on the water. Following this the TNPA Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) investigated.

“The preliminary response craft found an oily substance on the water at about 5pm on Saturday. The launch reported that the oily substance on water was coming from the motor vessel MSC Apollo.

“However, due to the onset of darkness late Saturday, further investigation was postponed. During the course of the Saturday evening SAMSA approached the vessel insurers to provide oil spill trajectory modelling from ITOPF (International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited). This would ensure that the next day’s spill response, would be focused in the appropriate area.”

The following day an Incident Management meeting was held by the South Africa Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg) members, consisting of SAMSA, TNPA, DFFE, SANPARKS, Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), as well as the vessel agent and vessel insurer’s representatives in South Africa.

IMOrg, a virtual organisation chaired by the Department of Transport (DoT) and SAMSA as the co-chair and secretariat, is South Africa’s preparedness forum for Government and industry joint response to oil spills within South Africa’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of approximately 1.5-million km² across the Atlantic, Southern and Indian Oceans.

IMOrg’s membership is drawn from across various sectors of society inclusive of State departments including the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) and public institutions, private companies as well as non-governmental organisations. IMOrg is responsible for implementation of South Africa’s national oil spill contingency plan (NOSCP).

During the meeting,” said SAMSA”, “arrangements were made to speedily launch the necessary efforts to both determine the cause of the oil spillage from the MSC Apollo, the extent of the reported oil spill, as well as how to contain its spread in the Algoa Bay region and to protect the wildlife on the nearby islands of St Croix and Bird Island.”

Surveillance has since been carried out involving sea patrols by boat, aerial surveillance by helicopter and drones launched from oil response boats, as well as coastal foot patrols along the beach areas that were identified as likely to be impacted.

SAMSA reported that on Monday, 10 September, SANParks rangers accessed St. Croix Island and identified six oiled penguins — three heavily oiled and three lightly oiled. The penguins were captured and transported to the local SANCCOB facility for treatment. However, two additional oiled penguins evaded capture. “Efforts are ongoing to locate and capture them.”

SAMSA reported that MSC Apollo is scheduled to dock at the Port of Ngqura as soon as a berth is available.

“The vessel’s Classification Society (dealing with technical matters on board the vessel, on behalf of the vessel’s Flag State) has been called in to assist. A thorough inspection will be conducted to identify the source of the oil leak. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” said SAMSA.

Added 15 September 2024

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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

• see full report for the month in the news section here

PORT	August 2024 million tonnes
Richards Bay	6.070
Durban	6.509
Saldanha Bay	5.543
Cape Town	1.235
Port Elizabeth	1.085
Ngqura	1.340
Mossel Bay	0.000
East London	0.195
Total all ports during August 2024	21.978 million tonnes

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Terry Hutson