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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

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

FIRST VIEW:   GREEN MOUNTAIN 

• WHARF TALK: Federal German Navy Frigate – FGS BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG F222
• Rhenus goes BIG with state-of-the-art logistics facility in Johannesburg
• Van Oord completes major dredging project in Egypt’s Ain Sokhna port
• Kenya Railways metre-gauge locos brought back to life with RR engines
• Minister of defence hiding true state of SANDF fleet – Rise Mzansi
• Two German Navy ships visit Cape Town
• In Conversation: Mauritius has won back Chagos – but not all of it. Why the largest island, Diego Garcia, is so important to the UK
• WHARF TALK: cruise ship – AIDAstella
• State of SA & Regional Container Ports – Week 45
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen increases order for two additional 11,700-CEU Shaper class car carriers
• Eat more peas at sea: 35 tons less meat on Stena Line ships in 2025
• India donates two fast interceptor vessels to Mozambique
• Zutari appointed advisor to validate Durban’s Island View strategy
• Nautilus International: NATO nations called on to strengthen merchant navies
• Maersk Tankers turn to sail – bound4blue win orders
• Remembrance London 10 November
• Container vessel orders up by over 50% in 2024: Sector heading for record breaking year
• WHARF TALK: big, bigger, biggest – MSC EURIBIA
• Lack of serviceable vessels sees SA Navy miss time at sea target
• Exercise Grand African Nemo 2024 kicks off in West Africa
• Political Conflict in Mozambique Takes a Heavy Toll on South Africa – SAAFF
• IMO heads to COP 29: Promoting net-zero framework for shipping
• SA closes Lebombo border crossing as unrest and rioting sweeps across Mozambique
• Hapag-Lloyd on spending spree for 24 new container ships
• Xeneta: Trump Presidency will reignite US-China trade war
• TNPA switching to clean fuels for tug fleet

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

Africa Ports & Ships

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Masthead:  PORT OF CAPE TOWN

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FIRST VIEW:    GREEN MOUNTAIN

The general cargo vessel Green Mountain (IMO 9502312) of MACS Shipping, Hamburg, sails from Durban on 2  November 2024, having completed cargo working.  The vessel proceeded to Cape Town before moving along the west coast towards Walvis Bay.

From the  Namibian port she will sail to Northern Europe for a number of port calls on schedule and as required.

Built in China in 2013 by the Qingshan Shipyard at Wuhan, the multi-purpose Green Mountain has a length of 200 metres and width of 30 metres .  

With a deadweight of 37,511 tons, her container capacity is a modest 2,260 TEU but of course as a general cargo vessel she is designed to carry other types of cargo in addition.

Green Mountain is powered by a Diesel United Wartsila-Sulzer 7RT-Flex50 main engine producing 15,885 bhp (11,722 kW) which provides a service speed of 19 knots. The vessel has been a regular caller on this schedule since her launching 11 years ago.

This picture is by Benny Janse van Rensburg

Africa Ports & Ships

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WHARF TALK: Federal German Navy Frigate – FGS BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG F222

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’ 
Story by Jay Gates

There was a time when warships of the Federal German Navy were regular visitors to South African waters, along with warplanes of the German Luftwaffe, who held bombing tests and exercises with the SAAF at the Overberg Test Military Ranges. Sadly, these visits slowly petered out, and now it is almost a rare occurrence to see a Luftwaffe aircraft calling into Cape Town airport, or utilising the facilities of Air Force Base Overberg.

As with all military forces that are Western and NATO, the last few years have seen the current ANC government hierarchy deciding that BRICS means that they have to cosy up to members, and prospective members, some of whom are the antithesis of what Western values are considered to be. This is not just offering political hugs to authoritarian regimes, but also giving military hugs too. None of this gesturing has gone unnoticed in the geopolitical world.

The outcome of this is that Western military visits to South African ports have visibly reduced, although they have not disappeared entirely. So any arrival of a NATO warship is always a welcome sight for the casual maritime observer. That said, the obvious lack of a recognizable, respectful, and proper welcome by the South African Navy to most western warships is also becoming very apparent. The powers that be in Transnet may also be following a similar line.

On 12th November, at 09:00 in the morning, the Federal German Navy Frigate ‘Baden-Württemberg F222’ arrived off Cape Town, from Mormugao in India. She was in company with her fleet replenishment vessel ‘Frankfurt am Main A1412’, and one followed the other into Cape Town harbour, with both proceeding into the Duncan Dock for berthing.

One would have thought that a visiting naval squadron would have been berthed, if not together, then at least as close as possible due to the fact they have been together for months, and the two crews will have the opportunity to both interact, and socialize with each other. For reasons known only to the port berthing planners, ‘Baden-Württemberg F222’ was berthed at A berth, and ‘Frankfurt am Main A1412’ went alongside the outer berth of the Eastern Mole.

Whilst that berthing plan placed them only 100 metres apart, it may well have been five kilometres apart, as they were separated by the entrance channel to the Duncan Dock, and where it would require a five kilometre walk through the entire dock system for any crew interaction to take place between the two vessels, after being at sea together for 26 days. It beggars belief that this was the only sensible option available to the berthing planners. Would a Chinese PLAN flotilla receive the same treatment?

On arrival, both vessels were simply met, by just a few white cars, possibly of the government variety, and which will have included the diplomatic mission from the German Consulate to welcome them to South Africa. There were four such cars awaiting ‘Baden-Württemberg’ and just one to meet ‘Frankfurt am Main’. I have no doubt that had these vessels been of the Russian or Chinese variety that the welcome would have been more, shall we say, welcoming.

The official title of the lead vessel of the arriving flotilla was the Federal German Ship (FGS) ‘Baden-Württemberg’ with the pennant number ‘F222’. She is the lead vessel in a class of four warships known as the Type 125 Frigate, and which are considered to have the heaviest displacement tonnage of any frigate, from any navy, worldwide. All of the class are named after German States within the German Federation, with the state of Baden-Württemberg located in the south of Germany, and lying to the east of the River Rhine, forming the border with France and Switzerland.

Laid down in November 2011, and launched in December 2013, ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’ was only commissioned in June 2019. The long delay between launching and commissioning was because she was sent back to the builders due to major issues with her construction. She was well over her design weight, she had a seemingly permanent starboard list of 1.7°, and had some teething problems with her Operations Room. She was the first German warship ever to be refused initial acceptance by the German Navy.

After her commissioning in June 2019, it took a further four years of further sea trials, equipment and armament trials, before she was considered to have the required operational capability for her to enter full service with the German Navy. This was only achieved in mid-2023. Her first major overseas deployment saw her being sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in October 2023, from her base at Wilhelmshaven, as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel and, due to Hezbollah actions in Southern Lebanon, she was tasked to provide support to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The build of ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’ was split between the Lürssen Werft GmbH shipyard, at Bremen, who built the bow section, and the Blohm+Voss shipyard, at Hamburg, who built the stern section, and who were responsible for joining both sections, and then the completion and outfitting of her. She is 150 metres in length, and has a displacement tonnage of 7,200 tons. The total cost of her building, and that of her three other Type 125 sisterships, was €uro2.2 billion (ZAR42.41 billion).

She has an unusual warship propulsion combination of CODLAG, which means ‘Combined Diesel Electric and Gas Turbine’. She has a single General Electric (GE) LM2500 gas turbine engine producing 20,000 kW, and for her diesel-electric propulsion she has four MTU 20V4000 M53B generators with each providing 2,900 kW, with power transferred to two Siemens electric motors, each providing 4,700 kW, and which drive two controllable pitch propellers. With just her diesel-electric propulsion in service ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’ has a service speed of 20 knots, and with her gas turbine engaged, her service speed increases to 26 knots.

For added manoeuvrability she has a single transverse bow thruster providing 1,000 kW. She has a range of 4,000 nautical miles, and carries a normal operational crew of 110 officers and ratings, with accommodation for up to a maximum of 190 persons, which includes an embarked aviation wing, and a marine naval infantry assault company. She is normally assigned to the 4th Frigate Squadron, of the Federal German Navy, based at Wilhelmshaven.

She was designed as a post-cold war warship, suitable for low intensity maritime stabilization operations, providing tactical fire support for land forces, asymmetric maritime threat control, peacekeeping missions, and as a Special Forces support command vessel. She can be deployed away from her home base for a period of up to two years, without requiring any maintenance support, and is able to spend up to 5,000 hours a year at sea.

Her gun armament consists of a single 127mm OTO Melara Vulcano lightweight gun, which is capable of firing 32 rounds per minute, for a distance of up to 23 kilometres for surface targets, and up to 9 kilometres for air targets. Her gun also has the ability to fire specialised ammunition capable of hitting a target that is a full 100 kilometres distant. She has two Rheinmetall MLG27 27mm autocannons, and five OTO Melara Hitrole-NT 12.7mm remote controlled heavy machine guns, and two standard, manually fired, 12.7mm machine guns.

Her missile armament consists of two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) surface to air launchers, each with a cell of 21 missiles, and eight RGM-84 Harpoon surface to surface missile launchers. She is also fitted with four MASS decoy launchers. Her main radar system is an active scanned array system , mounted on two masts, and which can track up to 1,000 separate targets simultaneously, out to a distance of 250 kilometres. She has a flightdeck, and hangarage for two NH90 helicopters, and carries four Fassmer 11m Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIB), each capable of 40 knots, and utilised for marine assault, and boarding, parties.

In May 2024 she departed from the Rota NATO naval base, near Cadiz in Spain, on a seven month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. She was joined in mid-Atlantic by ‘FGS Frankfurt am Main A1412’, which had departed from the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven, and both vessels conducted exercises with both the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Navy, before conducting a transit of the Panama Canal, and crossing the Pacific Ocean to take part in a major naval exercise in the Western Pacific, and the South China Sea.

The annual trilateral exercise ‘Noble Raven 24-3’ took place between 27th and 29th August and included warships from the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Italy, and both ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’ and ‘FGS Frankfurt am Main A1412’. ‘Exercise Noble Raven’ took place in the South China Sea, and the purpose of the exercise was to enforce the premise of a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’. It was very clear as to who the message of the exercise was aimed at, that of China and their predatory behaviour in the South China Sea. The message was amplified in a statement promulgated by Boris Pistorius, the German Federal Minister of Defence. He stated;

“In the Indo-Pacific region, what is particularly important is freedom of navigation, freedom of shipping, freedom of trade routes,” explaining the overarching background of the German Naval Indo-Pacific Deployment. International Law was an essential cornerstone of the rules-based international order, which was repeatedly being put under pressure or questioned. “We want to contribute to compliance with international law and expand our relationships with our partners there in the region,” in regard to the defence diplomacy mission. “Looking the other way, not showing a presence in the Pacific, and not standing up for the rules-based order is, and will not be, an option for Germany.”

On 13th September, after completion of Exercise Noble Raven 24-3, ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’, accompanied by ‘FGS Frankfurt am Main A14112’ became the first German warships in twenty years to conduct a passage through the Taiwan Strait, much to the chagrin of the Chinese Government, who not unexpectedly criticized the passage, claiming “it provokes and endangers China’s sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation.”, and followed it with “Germany’s actions have increased security risks and sent the wrong signals.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz countered with a statement stating “There isn’t much to say about the passage of these ships. It’s an international waterway.”

After making courtesy port calls in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, both vessels made their way to India, where they undertook a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with the Indian Navy. The exercise took place between 21st and 23rd October, both in the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean, with Indian Navy Ship (INS) ‘Delhi D61’, a guided missile destroyer. The final courtesy call, prior to making the voyage to Cape Town was to the Indian port of Mormugao, which is located in the Vasco da Gama region of Goa State.

Once her courtesy port call in Cape Town is complete, it is expected that both ‘FGS Baden-Württemberg F222’ and ‘FGS Frankfurt am Main A1412’ will head north back to Germany, and the transit back to their base at Wilhelmshaven. The transit voyage will include one or more courtesy calls within Africa, before arriving home ahead of the Christmas holidays in early December, and the completion of a voyage of circumnavigation, and a major deployment which will have lasted for seven months.

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Rhenus goes BIG with state-of-the-art logistics facility in Johannesburg

Africa Ports & Ships

The Rhenus Group, one of the leading globally-operating logistics service providers, has strengthened its presence in Gauteng by relocating operations to a new facility in Meadowview, Johannesburg, South Africa.

This R440 million investment spans 28,000 m2, including a 24,500 m2 warehouse and 3,000 m2 of office space, effectively doubling the company’s operational footprint.

Cornell van Rooyen, CEO of Rhenus Warehousing Solutions MEA, says the move was driven by growth and the need for increased efficiencies.

“Our former facility in Long Meadow had high warehouse utilisation, and we operated across three separate buildings limiting future expansion,” he said. “The decision to consolidate our operations in Johannesburg under one roof has already introduced greater operational efficiency streamlining workflows and enhancing our ability to scale as we continue to grow in the region.”

The new facility is close to the OR Tambo International Airport and City Deep Container Terminal while remaining within range of current customers and not disrupting staff travel.

Capacity increased by 100% plus

By consolidating operations under one roof, Rhenus expects to see efficiency improve significantly with optimised resource utilisation. Capacity has been increased by over 100%. The introduction of advanced technology and upgraded equipment will further streamline operations and reduce processing times.

According to Dirk Goedhart, MD of Rhenus Air & Ocean South Africa, the integrated facility enhances productivity, allowing seamless cargo flow across the different divisions of the Rhenus Group.

“We have customised the entire facility to meet our exact needs which in turn allows us to deliver tailor-made solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers,” Goedhart said.

Security a top priority

Security is a top priority. More than 600 CCTV cameras, robust access control systems, a 2,4 metre clear-view electric fence, 5 metre perimeter walls and a dedicated security tower monitoring the facility around the clock make the warehouse one of the most secure in South Africa.

Sustainability is central in the facility’s design. It features a 500kW PV system with 1,600 solar panels, an 800Watt lithium-ion battery plant and a 500kW diesel generator, ensuring energy efficiency and reliable backup for up to eight hours. LED lighting and motion sensors throughout the facility contribute to further energy savings.

Water management systems support sustainable operations and include a borehole, a 120,000 litre rainwater harvesting setup and a 40,000 litre fire sprinkler reservoir. An additional 1,1 million litre stormwater tank adds to the facility’s eco-friendly features.

“These premises not only meet our current needs but have been designed for growth,” says Goedhart, adding that it includes 4,700 m2 for future expansion.

Refrigeration

Other key features in the warehouse include a 1,300 m2 refrigeration area with one section at -20 °C and 100 deep-freeze units situated within the groundfloor racking. This unique feature, not commonly found worldwide, is another first in the South African warehousing space.

The warehouse, with a total capacity of 25,000 industrial-standard pallets, is also the only one in the country fully compliant with storing lithium-ion batteries. It has 1,600 battery-compatible pallet positions.

In addition, the warehouse is designed to cater to high-value cargo and has a 250 m2 secure vault.

According to Van Rooyen, moving to the new premises will result in some immediate workforce expansion. Several new positions will be created, including a new warehouse manager. Training programmes are being implemented to upskill employees with the latest technology and equipment introduced at the facility.

“This investment underscores our confidence in the local market and supports our 2030 growth targets. Over the past five years, we have consistently invested in South Africa and this new facility will be a relevant part of our expansion strategy going forward,” says Goedhart.

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Van Oord completes major dredging project in Egypt’s Ain Sokhna port

Africa Ports & Ships

Van Oord has finished dredging two new port basins in Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt.

This successfully completes a project that forms part of a port expansion programme meant to improve and develop the Suez Canal Economic Zone and harness the enormous potential of the Suez Canal as a global hub for maritime transport.

That’s once the Houthi problem in the lower Red Sea has been successfully resolved.

The General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Egypt awarded Van Oord the contract to dredge approximately 21 million cubic metres of soil to create two new port basins.

To be able to dredge the hard soil, Van Oord deployed its self-propelled cutter suction dredger Artemis and trailing suction hopper dredger Vox Amalia, along with a versatile fleet that supported them in achieving a high level of productivity.

The dredged material was deposited in a designated zone approximately 9.5 kilometres offshore. Van Oord completed the project within 14 months.

Ain Sokhna Port is located on the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, about 120 kilometres east of Cairo and 40 kilometres south of Suez. Thanks to this strategic location and extensive investment, the port is growing rapidly into a major industrial hub.

It will soon be the largest port along the Red Sea and serve commercial shipping between Asia, Europe, and North Africa.

Expansion plans include new container, dry bulk, general cargo, and liquid bulk terminals, as well as logistics, warehousing, distribution centres, and a dry port.

A further aim is to establish Africa’s first green hydrogen port. A high-speed electric railway will connect the port and Ain Sokhna, Alexandria, and New Alamein, boosting supply routes and New Cairo’s development.

“After our involvement in the second Suez Canal in 2015, Van Oord is extremely proud to have once again contributed to the economic growth of Egypt and the transformation of Ain Sokhna Port into the largest hub in the Red Sea,” said Van Oord’s director of Dredging & Infra at Van Oord, Martin Smouter.

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Kenya Railways metre-gauge locos brought back to life with RR engines

Africa Ports & Ships

Refurbishing Kenya Railways Retired Locomotives

Rolls-Royce has successfully repowered three retired Kenya Railways diesel-electric locomotives as part of a significant railway refurbishment project for the East African country.

The refurbishing project conducted by SMH Rail for Kenya Railways will sustainably boost East African regional trade.

Rolls-Royce repowered the three Kenya Railways heavy haulage locomotives with state-of-the-art 16V Series 4000 mtu engines – each producing 2,200 kW.

This pilot project initiated by Kenya Railways was carried out by Rolls-Royce in collaboration with SMH Rail (SMH), a leading rail engineering services provider from Malaysia, which conducted the broader refurbishment.

The mtu Series 4000 engines represent the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce’s technology for high-performance and low-emission power systems. Known for their reliability, durability, and fuel efficiency, these engines are designed to withstand the demanding conditions of freight transportation and provide cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable operations for Kenya Railways.

The refurbishment has given new life to the retired locomotives. It is part of an initiative by Kenya Railways to revive locomotives that are over 40 years old and no longer in service.

Kenya Railways continues to use the older metre gauge railway, in particular from where the modern standard gauge railway terminates at Naivasha. The metre gauge continues to the Uganda border at Malaba and into that neighbouring country and also to the Lake Victoria port of Kisumu.

Rolls-Royce’s engines

Rolls-Royce’s advanced engines deliver increased horsepower, enabling the locomotives to handle heavier loads across challenging landscapes with improved fuel and oil economy.

These bespoke upgrades will enhance the overall efficiency of Kenya’s rail transport system, contributing to national economic development by supporting faster, more reliable transportation of goods across the country.

Commenting on the project, Philip Mainga EBS, Managing Director of Kenya Railways Corporation, emphasized the role of rail in enhancing transportation of goods across the region.

“With the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), we are experiencing an increase in cross-border trade,” he said.

“By reviving this fleet, we are confident in our ability to meet the rising demand effectively, affordably and sustainably, contributing to the growth of our East African economy.”

According to Andreas Görtz, President Business Unit Mobile & Sustainable of Rolls-Royce Power Systems division, Rolls-Royce is committed to refurbishing more locomotives by replacing the engines of the old fleet and extending their operational lifespan.

“We are honoured to partner with SMH and Kenya Railways on this important, first-of-its-kind project that has already proven successful,” Görtz said. “By integrating our advanced mtu Series 4000 engines into these locomotives, we contribute to a more sustainable and efficient rail transport system in Kenya.”

Globally, the transport sector remains significantly carbon-intensive. However, Kenya is among the many African nations embracing innovation to promote decarbonisation through initiatives such as producing non-fossil replacement fuels, such as biofuels and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and developing synthetic fuels.

All new mtu diesel engines from Rolls-Royce are proven to run on 100% HVO and alternative liquid fuels.

Rolls-Royce Solutions Africa is headquartered in South Africa and opened an office in Kenya in June 2023 to enable more effective and direct service to its East African customers.

Added 13 November 2024

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Minister of defence hiding true state of SANDF fleet – Rise Mzansi

by Guy Martin

Rise Mzansi believes Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga is hiding the state of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) prime mission equipment, and has warned that if the decline of the military continues, South Africa will soon have an SANDF in name only.

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi asked Motshekga to provide details on the percentage of SANDF equipment that has reached the end of its lifespan but is still being operated, and a breakdown of this in each division as well as the cost to replace outdated equipment.

He was told in a written parliamentary reply last month that, “the RSA has established a practice and norm consistent with international practices that matters of combat readiness of the country’s military capabilities are only discussed in a closed session, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) at the behest of the legislative authority. Should the Parliament schedule such, the DoD will comprehensively discuss its readiness inclusive of the history, serviceability and availability of its platforms.”

Rise Mzansi MP and National Assembly Caucus Whip Makashule Gana responded to this “non-response” by saying this is “a selective application of the aforementioned ‘norm and standard’ given that the Ministry has previously provided responses to written questions that relate to maintenance of if its fleet and the capabilities of the Force to defend the Republic’s sovereignty, for an example.”

Gana said in a statement that the Minister’s non-response reeks of an attempt to hide what the true state of the SANDF’s fleet is and its ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate.

In 2023, three SA Navy submariners lost their lives during a training accident described as a “freak accident”. The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, said before a Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident that training does not happen as it should “due to ongoing budget constraints that impede platform or vessel maintenance, resulting in reduced sea time, which impedes training and, ultimately, experience.”

“The SANDF is in distress, and it is costing lives both locally and on foreign missions, as we learned when two SANDF soldiers lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June of this year,” Gana said. “The veil of secrecy thrown over the SANDF’s fleet comes off the back of the Auditor-General’s report painting a picture of a defence force that is financially crippled and with a stretched mandate. For example –

• The SANDF is seeing a decline in prime-mission equipment
• The SA Air Force is seeing a decline in the number of hours flown
• The SA Navy is seeing a decline in the number of hours at sea
• A whopping 62.5% of SANDF commitments are unfunded.

“If these matters, among others, are not addressed, we will soon, if not already, only have an SANDF in name. Therefore, as a matter of urgency, Minister Motshekga needs to commission a Defence Review, which considers the current economic climate, the effectiveness of the current SANDF leadership and management, our involvement in foreign missions and the Force’s aging personnel, to name a few issues.”

Gana pledged that Rise Mzansi will continue to hold the Executive accountable by conducting oversight, asking questions, and doing the work of Parliament. “South Africans expect honesty and transparency from its public represents, Departments and Entities,” he concluded.

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

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Two German Navy ships visit Cape Town

Africa Ports & Ships

Two naval visitors at the Port of Cape Town this week are the German Navy frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg (F222), berthed at A berth in the Duncan Dock, and the auxiliary support vessel, FGS Frankfurt am Main (A1412) which is at the Eastern Mole.

The two ships arrived from Murmugao in the Indian state of Goa. Deployed on a round the world cruise, they took part in naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean following which they became the latest non-Chinese naval ships to sail through the contested Taiwan Strait, to the somewhat annoyance of China.

In October the German ships exercised with the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

The lead ship of four Baden-Württemberg-class frigates, F122 displaces 7,200 tonnes and has an overall length of 149.5 metres and beam of 18.8m, with a draught of 5 metres.

Propulsion comes from a CODLAG system single gas turbine, two electric motors, four diesel generators linked to three gearboxes – one for each shaft and a third to cross-connect to the gas turbine. The motors drive twin shafts connected to controllable pitch propellers and producing a maximum speed of 26 knots (20 knots using diesel only).

For additional manoeuvrability the frigate has a 1 MW bow thruster. FGS Baden-Württemberg has a range of 4,000 nautical miles. She was built by a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen known as a ARGE F125.

Her main weapon is a 127 mm lightweight Otobreda naval gun using guided Vulcano ammunition for land-attack missions with a range of over 100 km, and an array of smaller mounted weapons. The frigate is also equipped with 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. This is an interim measure until the joint sea/land attack Naval Strike Missile becomes available.

Her array of weaponry, or rather the lack of certain elements gives reason as to why the two warships are currently in Cape Town harbour. As already reported in this publication (see here) the frigate lacks suitable long-range defences and has been forced to round the Cape rather than risk possible Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea.

It was the German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius who issued instructions for the frigate and the fleet auxiliary Frankfurt-am-Main to avoid the shorter and obviously much cheaper route into the Mediterranean due to because the frigate lacking suitable long-range defences.

Surprisingly, given the number of US and European and allied naval forces cooperating in the region, there were no naval assets available to escort the two through the dangerous waters.

Her accompanying vessel, the replenishment vessel Frankfurt am Main (A1412), was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft and launched on 5 January 2001. Commissioned the following year she is the second vessel of the Berlin-class replenishment ships of the German Navy.

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In Conversation: Mauritius has won back Chagos – but not all of it. Why the largest island, Diego Garcia, is so important to the UK

Africa Ports & Ships

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WHARF TALK: cruise ship – AIDAstella

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’ 
Story of Jay Gates

She is just a tiddler. Well, in terms of what has come before, it seems strange to come to think of a passenger cruise vessel with a gross registered tonnage of just over an impressive 70,000 tons to be considered of a size that in any other world would be looked at to be simply run of the mill. That is what happens when you get, in short succession, the luxury of seeing two passenger vessels that are more than twice her tonnage, with more to come.

And yet, she is still very much a big girl when compared to the vast majority of passenger vessels that are usually to be seen calling on the South African coast. Once more, courtesy of the idiocy of the Houthis, the casual maritime observer is spoilt with yet another visitor, one that should not have been here, but is avoiding the Red Sea transit from the completion of a Mediterranean European summer cruising season, and heading east to warmer winter climes.

On 7th November, at 05:00 in the morning, the passenger cruise liner ‘AIDAstella’ (IMO 9601132) arrived off Cape Town, from Walvis Bay in Namibia. She entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock, and went alongside the Passenger Cruise Terminal at E berth. As with the previous recent arrival of a German owned passenger vessel, she was not simply on a positioning voyage, avoiding the Suez Canal, but was engaged on a passenger carrying cruise.

Built in 2013 by Meyer Werft GmbH at Papenburg in Germany, ‘AIDAstella’ is 254 metres in length and has a gross registered tonnage of 71,304 tons. She is a diesel-electric vessel, and is powered by four MaK 9M43C generators producing 9,600 kW each. Power is transferred to two Siemens DTMSZ 3352-16YS electric motors, producing 12,500 kW each, which drive two fixed pitch propellers for a maximum speed of 22 knots, and a normal cruising speed of 9.5 knots.

Her ancillary machinery includes a single Caterpillar 3508B emergency generator producing 800 kW. She has two TPK Nova d.o.o KIP 2DV 195 exhaust gas boilers, and two TPK Nova d.o.o KN/VIC 9-7 oil fired boilers. For added manoeuvrability ‘AIDAstella’ has two Brunvoll FU-100-LTC-2750 bow transverse thrusters providing 2,300 kW each, and two Brunvoll FU-80-LTC-2250 stern transverse thrusters providing 1,500 kW each. She is also fitted with twin rudders.

She is the seventh built of seven sisterships, which were originally collectively known as the ‘Sphinx’ Class. The final four sisterships built were increased slightly in size, and given other internal improvements, based on the first three sisterships of the class and, along with ‘AIDAstella’, these last four sisterships are known as the ‘Modified Sphinx’ class.

The ship is owned by Costa Crociere SpA, of Genoa in Italy, and is operated by AIDA Kreuzfahrten GmbH (AIDA Cruises), of Rostock in Germany. She is managed by Carnival Maritime GmbH, of Hamburg in Germany, with all three companies falling within the overall ownership of Carnival Corporation & plc, of Miami, in the US States of Florida. As expected, AIDA Cruises cater mainly for the German tourist market, with German being the main ‘lingua franca’ used onboard the vessel, although announcements made onboard are given in German, as well as in English.

With a total of fifteen decks, of which twelve are set aside for passenger use, and of which seven of those decks are for passenger cabins, of which she has 1,097 cabins, ‘AIDAstella’ can carry a maximum complement of 2,194 passengers, who are looked after by an operating crew of 620 persons.

As expected of a vessel of this size, ‘AIDAstella’ has a broad variety of onboard facilities for her passengers comfort and convenience. They include nine restaurants, nine bars, four lounges, a show theatre, library, casino, a German beer brewery and spirit distillery, cinema, conference centre, art gallery, boutique shops, wine tasting venue, florist, a TV and Radio studio, nightclub, outdoor movie screen, spa, beauty salon, barber shop, wellness suite, sauna, treatment rooms, teens club, kids club, three swimming pools, and four jacuzzi whirlpools.

She is well kitted out for those passengers seeking leisure and sporting activities, and her facilities include a gymnasium and fitness centre, a golf driving cage, putting green, golf simulator, volleyball court, basketball court, boccia court, dart boards, table tennis tables, deck chessboards, deck shuffleboards, and a power walking and jogging track.

Her voyage to South Africa is part of a 43 day cruise, which began in the Mediterranean Sea on 20th October, and will terminate in the Persian Gulf. The cruise itinerary is Palma de Mallorca (Spain)- Gibraltar- Las Palmas (Canary Islands)- Praia (Cape Verde Islands)- Walvis Bay- Lüderitz (both Namibia)- Cape Town (7th-9th November)- Port Elizabeth (11th-12th November)- East London (13th November)- Durban (14th-15th November)- Reunion Island- Port Louis (Mauritius)- Victoria- La Digue- Praslin (all Seychelles)- Muscat (Oman)- Port Rashid (Dubai UAE), where the cruise will terminate on 1st December.

For the casual maritime observer the timings of arrivals and departures from South African ports are Port Elizabeth (ETA 08:00 on 11th, ETD 19:00 on 12th), East London (ETA 08:00 on 13th, ETD 14:00 on 13th), Durban (ETA 11:00 on 14th, ETD 16:30 on 15th). On arrival in Dubai, ‘AIDAstella’ will commence a further cruise to Singapore, and conduct a season of cruises around the Far East until May 2025, when she will conduct a return voyage to begin a Summer Mediterranean cruise season, and will once more return via the Cape sea route.

Her itinerary on this returning cruise will begin on 6th May and will route from Singapore- Port Klang- Langkawi (both Malaysia)- Hambantota- Colombo (both Sri Lanka)- Male (Maldives)- Victoria (Seychelles)- Port Louis (Mauritius)- Reunion Island- Port Elizabeth (28th May ETA 08:00, ETD 23:00)- Cape Town (30th May ETA 08:00, 1st June ETD 23:00)- Lüderitz- Walvis Bay- Praia- Las Palmas- Gibraltar- Palma de Mallorca, with the cruise terminating on 14th June.

She will then conduct a Mediterranean cruise season until November 2025, and her owners are again planning that the Houthi menace will be a thing of the past, as they are planning a season end cruise from Palma, via the Suez Canal and Red Sea, to terminate in Port Louis, where she will be mostly based for her winter cruise season. The season also includes a number of cruises that take in South Africa ports, which will once more allow the casual maritime observer a chance to see ‘AIDAstella’ once more.

She is due to depart from Port Louis in early January 2026, with her itinerary calling in at Maputo (Mozambique)- Durban (14th January ETA 13:30, 15th January ETD 16:00)- East London (16th January ETA 10:00, ETD 19:00)- Port Elizabeth (17th January ETA 08:00, ETD 21:00)- Cape Town (20th January ETA 06:00), where the cruise will terminate for a two night stay, before she begins her next Southern African cruise.

The itinerary for this cruise will be Cape Town (22nd January ETD 21:00)- Port Elizabeth (24th January ETA 08:00, 25th January ETD 19:00)- East London (26th January ETA 08:00, ETD 16:00)- Lüderitz (29th January ETA 07:00, ETD 16:00)- Walvis Bay (30th January ETA 09:00, ETD 23:00)- Cape Town (3rd February ETA 06:00), where the cruise will terminate, before ‘AIDAstella’ begins her final cruise in South African waters.

On this final local cruise, the itinerary of ‘AIDAstella’ will be Cape Town (4th February ETD 21:00)-Port Elizabeth (6th February ETA 08:00, 7th February ETD 19:00)- East London (8th February ETA 08:00, 9th February ETD12:00)- Durban (10th February ETA 07:00, ETD 14:00)- Maputo- Reunion Island- Port Louis, where the cruise will terminate on 16th February. She will then conduct a final Indian Ocean cruise, before once more returning to the Mediterranean, via the Red Sea and Suez Canal, to begin her summer 2026 cruising season, again based out of Palma.

Her owners, AIDA Cruises, are another of the dynamic European shipping companies who generously raise, and donate, funds to run schools around the world, especially in those developing nations from where AIDA cruises draw their crews, and in which they are frequent visitors. In May 2024 they funded their 60th school, which was located at Okanguati in Namibia. The school, which was opened in 2020, caters for 160 local children from the Kaokoveld region.

Whilst ‘AIDAstella’ was alongside in Cape Town it was noted that something not normally seen was on offer next to the vessel, There were two rows of bicycles laid out alongside the vessel, presumably for the use of any passengers, or even crewmembers, who desired to risk a bicycle ride around the docks, and the Cape Town CBD. On return to the vessel, passengers were greeted with an AIDA Cruises gazebo, in front of, and immediately adjacent to, the boarding gangway. It read ‘Willkommen zu Hause’, which translates as ‘Welcome Home’. A nice touch.

After her scheduled two night stopover in Cape Town, ‘AIDAstella’ was ready to sail, and at 23:00 in the late evening of 9th November, she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Port Elizabeth, with an ETA of 07:00 on 11th November. On the afternoon of 10th November, when she was 20 nautical miles to the southeast of Cape Agulhas, she declared an onboard medical emergency with a 72 year old passenger requiring an urgent transfer to a hospital.

A South African Air Force Oryx helicopter, of 22 Squadron based at Ysterplaat Air Base in Cape Town, was dispatched to the scene with her flight operating crew of three, plus three NSRI Rescue Divers, and a Western Cape Paramedic. The four were winched down to the ‘AIDAstella’, where the patient was stabilised, and then transferred to a stretcher, and brought up on deck. All were then winched back aboard the Oryx helicopter.

The return flight to Ysterplaat was uneventful, where the Oryx arrived back safely, and the passenger was then transferred by road ambulance to a local Cape Town hospital for further treatment. There was no delay to this segment of the cruise of ‘AIDAstella’, and she arrived on schedule in Port Elizabeth on 11th November at 07:00 in the morning for her overnight stay.

For the nomenclature aficionado, the name of ‘AIDAstella’ is that of her company in bold letters, followed by the Latin, or Italian, word for ‘Star’, in lower case letters, all joined as one word, which is no doubt an abomination to a language and grammar scholar. The company only took its present name as recently as 2000, despite being founded in 1952 in the old Communist East Germany (hence her headquarters being in Rostock), becoming a part of Carnival Corporation & plc in 2003.

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State of SA & Regional Container Ports – Week 45

Africa Ports & Ships

South African terminal performance remains challenged, reports one of the country’s most important container port users. Equipment downtime – quay and yard, it says – is the leading cause reducing productivity and driving port congestion.

“To ensure our customers are kept informed during this period of high operational volatility, here is our latest update on conditions across the terminals and mitigating actions being taken to address the delays on our services,” – Maersk.

Durban Container Terminal (DCT) is the major terminal bottleneck with waiting time at +3-4 days. Gate appointments are highly constrained.

Dry equipment remains tight in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

All services have fully reopened for EXPORT Bookings – with no constraints

Civil unrest has occurred in Mozambique but Maputo and Beira Ports remain fully operational. N4 border crossing at Lebombo was closed due to violent action and there are long truck queues at the South African border.

Some good news: Maersk reports the Expiry of Congestion Fee Destination (CFD) for Far East Asia to Durban & Cape Town South Africa. Current USD 200/400 has expired from 8th November – new rate USD 0.

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Local & Regional Ports and Terminals Situation

Cape Town CTCT

At CTCT the waiting time is at 0-2 days. Seven of the eight STS cranes are operational.

There have been some wind stoppages (South Easter) – Productivity remains above target.

Cape Town MPT

At Cape Town Multi Purpose Terminal there is zero waiting time at present. Some wind stoppages have occurred. The terminal has three mobile cranes (MHC) operational. Productivity however is below target.

Port Elizabeth Container Terminal (PECT)

At PECT the average delays are between zero and one days. Only one of the three STS cranes is operational, with crane 3 under repair for the next 4 weeks. One mobile crane is operational. Productivity is reported as above target.

Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT)

At NCT the average delays are between zero and one day.

At NCT the average delays are between one and three days, on account of the previous week’s bad weather. Waiting time is expected to decrease during week 46.

Six of the eight STS cranes are operational but productivity is reported as well below target.

Durban Container Terminal Pier 2

At DCT2 the delays are between 3 and 4 days. Eleven STS cranes are operational. Persistent equipment breakdowns and reduced number of straddle carriers (47) are however reported.

Productivity remains below target.

The terminal recovery is now expected only in the second quarter of 2025 due to equipment reliability and availability.

Durban Container Terminal Pier 1

At DCT1 the delays or waiting time is 3-4 days. Five of the (6) terminal’s STS cranes are operational and productivity remains below target.

Port Louis (Mauritius)

The delays at Port Louis Container Terminal are between 3 – 5 days, with low productivity reported due to equipment and labour challenges – there has been political unrest during Mauritius elections. [It has just been announced that Mauritius’ opposition coalition has won the country’s election by a landslide, taking all seats in the country’s parliament – a major rejection of the current government.]

Move count restrictions are reported and strong wind gusts are expected. Productivity is below target.

Port of Walvis Bay Container Terminal (Namibia)

At the Walvis Bay Container Terminal the delays average between 1 and 2 days.

Three of the four STS cranes are operational and productivity remains on target.

Maputo Container Terminal (Mozambique)

The delays at the Maputo Container Terminal average between 3 – 4 days.

Of the three mobile cranes (MHCV) two are fully operational with one under maintenance.

Productivity is below target.

The Port of Maputo remained fully operational during the recent political unrest during which the N4 South African border crossing at Lebombo was closed due to violent action nearby. This has resulted in long queues of trucks from the South African side of the border.

Beira Container Terminal (Mozambique)

The delays at the Beira port container terminal average between 9 – 10 days waiting time for ships outside.

At the Beira Container Terminal four STS cranes are operational, but productivity remains below target. The port remains fully operational despite the recent political unrest.

Rail Services

The container rail service between Durban (Kings Rest) and Johannesburg City Deep and GLO Denver remains fully operational.
Likewise the rail service Johannesburg (City Deep and GLO) to Durban (Kings Rest) is fully operational.

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Wallenius Wilhelmsen increases order for two additional 11,700-CEU Shaper class car carriers

Africa Ports & Ships

Two additional vessels to be upsized

“Exercising our options and upsizing further Shaper class vessels fit seamlessly with Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s net-zero ambition,” says Xavier Leroi EVP & COO Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

The specialist shipping company has declared an option for two additional 11,700 CEU Shaper class vessels at China Merchants Jingling Shipyard Co., Ltd.

The two declared options are part of the four previously announced outstanding options. Delivery is expected in H2 2028. As part of the agreement, Wallenius Wilhelmsen will continue to hold options for two more vessels declarable by H2 2025. See that report here.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen also intends to upsize two additional vessels from 9,300CEU to 11,700 CEU, bringing the total of upsized Shaper vessels to eight.

“The vessels are prepared for net-zero and future fuels from day one and will reduce fuel consumption and emissions considerably,” Leroi says, adding….

“With our sight set on a net-zero future for shipping, upsizing and expanding our Shaper class is a step in the right direction toward that goal.”

The cost of the two optional vessels and the upsizing of the two of the vessels on order will be in line with the previous order of Shaper class vessels.

Following this announcement, Wallenius Wilhelmsen will have a total of 14 Shaper class vessels on order, 8 x 11,700 CEU and 6 x 9,300 CEU vessels.

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Eat more peas at sea: 35 tons less meat on Stena Line ships in 2025

Africa Ports & Ships

By replacing half of the meat in their meatballs with yellow pea mince, Stena Line aims to reduce meat consumption by 35,000 kilos next year.

Honestly, we’re not making this up. An official quote from Stena Line reads:

“Taste and quality-wise, it is exactly as good a product as before. But it makes a difference from a sustainability perspective,” says Jakob Lells, Group Executive Chef at Stena Line.

A huge change that will hopefully go unnoticed. That’s one way of describing Stena Line’s initiative on 50/50 meatballs, where half of the meat in the popular dish meatballs with mashed potatoes will be replaced next year with a plant-based mince made from yellow peas.

“We want to show our passengers that this is nothing to be afraid of. It is still a delicious and classic home-cooked dish with creamy mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and gravy. All the flavours are there, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to notice any difference in a blind test,” says Jakob Lells.

Stena Line’s Food & Beverage team has made several sustainability efforts in recent years. After standardising the menu on all ships, data could be collected to create a calculation tool that allowed food to be cooked fresh on order. An initiative that has led to a significant reduction in food waste.

The company is now taking the next step towards a sustainable future by replacing half of the meat in the meatballs on board with vegan yellow pea mince. In numbers, this means that the 2.5 million meatballs served on board each year will contain 35 tons less animal protein, or 35,000 kilos less meat. In terms of climate impact, the new recipe means a reduction from 4.9 kilos of carbon dioxide equivalents to 1.3 per portion.

“Stena Line’s strategy is to be a leader in sustainability, and this is our way of showing that we are fully committed. We want to be the first with this fine product and thus make it easier for other major operators to make the same decision,” explains Jakob Lells

The new meatballs will be on the menu on all ships from 13 February 2025. [You have been warned]

Perhaps luckily for meat-loving consumers of Africa, Stena Lines operates its 40 vessels in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, leaving the rest of the continent spared from the pea-diet, for now!

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India donates two fast interceptor vessels to Mozambique

by Guy Martin

As part of capacity-building with friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region, India has donated two fast interceptor vessels to Mozambique during a ceremony in the port city of Nacala.

The vessels were formally handed over on 8 November after being delivered by the Magar class amphibious warfare vessel INS Gharial.

India’s Press Information Bureau reported the ceremony was attended by the High Commissioner of India in Mozambique, Robert Shetkintong, India’s newly appointed Defence Adviser at Maputo, Colonel Puneet Attri, and the Commanding Officer of INS Gharial, Commander Rajan Chib.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence, Augusto Casimiro Mueio, formally accepted the vessels on behalf of the Government of Mozambique.

Solas Marine water-jet-propelled boats

The Solas Marine water-jet-propelled boats have a top speed of 45 knots and a range of 200 nautical miles at 12 knots. They can carry a crew of five personnel and are equipped with machineguns and bullet-resistant cabins. The two vessels will significantly aid the Government of Mozambique in its effort to combat maritime terrorism and ongoing insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province, the Indian government said.

Earlier, to bolster Mozambique’s maritime security capabilities, India gifted two 30 metre long Larsen & Toubro interceptors (named Namiliti and Umbeluzi) in July 2019, followed in January 2022 by two fast interceptor craft of the same class as presently delivered (16 metre Solas Marine vessels).

On-job training on operating and maintaining the Indian-gifted vessels is also provided by the resident Indian Coast Guard Afloat Support Team at Maputo. The interceptor vessels gifted by India have played a pivotal role since 2019 in anti-insurgency operations, maritime patrol and interdiction, and logistics support missions, the Indian government added.

“The Indian Navy has been collaborating with several friendly littorals of the Indian Ocean Region to equip and train their maritime security forces to counter maritime security challenges like piracy, drug and human trafficking, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime terrorism, etc,” the Indian Government said.

“The Indian Navy has also been the first responder to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to several nations in the region during natural calamities and other contingencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“India and Mozambique share a robust strategic partnership that has grown even stronger with each passing year in multiple realms. India is thus fully committed to helping and supporting its maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region in line with the vision of Security and Growth for all in the region (SAGAR) advocated by the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.”

Cyclone Idai

In March 2019, Indian Naval Ships Sujata and Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi were diverted from their deployment to assist Mozambique when Cyclone Idai struck the Sofala province. Over a period of two weeks, the ships rescued more than 200 civilians, provided emergency medical treatment to over 2 300 people and supplied 10 tonnes of food material by boats and helicopter to flood-affected areas.

In March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India donated 100,000 doses and supplied over one million doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine to Mozambique under the COVAX programme.

India has provided training opportunities for the Mozambique Armed Forces in various professional institutions of the Indian Armed Forces. India also gifted an Infantry Weapons Training Simulator to Mozambique in November last year to be installed at the Army Practicing School Manhica, near Maputo.

Another sign of India-Mozambique cooperation came in April this year when the two nations held the inaugural India-Mozambique Defence Industrial Interaction in Maputo.

The High Commission of India in Mozambique said the first edition of this event gave an opportunity for government and private defence companies from India to come together with officials from the Ministries of Defence, Mozambican military (FADM) and Mozambican civil security agencies to discuss cooperation in defence production and procurement.

India has been cultivating good relations with Mozambique and other African nations for some time, notably taking part in the second Tri-Lateral Exercise (Trilat) in March 2024 with the Mozambican and Tanzanian navies. India this year sent two naval vessels, the cadet training ship INS Tir (A86) and the Sukanya-class patrol ship INS Sujata (P56), for the exercise, which was held from 21 to 29 March with the aim of strengthening cooperation between India, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania (IMT) Trilat exercise was conducted in October 2022, with the participation of the frigate INS Tarkash (F50) exercising with the Tanzanian and Mozambique Navies.

Previously, Indian Naval Ships Sujata, Sunayna and Sumedha undertook joint exclusive economic zone surveillance missions with the Mozambique Navy to strengthen maritime security in the region and undertook harbour and sea training for Mozambique Navy personnel.

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

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Zutari appointed advisor to validate Durban’s Island View strategy

Africa Ports & Ships

Zutari, an Africa-based infrastructure engineering and advisory practice, has been appointed by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to validate the Island View Precinct Strategy and implementation plan for the Port of Durban.

According to TNPA, this appointment is a pivotal move aimed at transforming the liquid bulk sector in South Africa while ensuring security of supply.

The Island View Strategy, originally approved in 2019, is now set to undergo a comprehensive revision to ensure it remains relevant in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Zutari’s role will be to analyse current market trends, review existing strategies and develop a revised comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing the sector’s sustainability and operational efficiency.

Island View Precinct

The Port of Durban’s Island View precinct is a South African national key point, managing approximately 74% of South Africa’s liquid bulk imports.

With 12 terminal operators over a 1,545,000 m² area, it handles a variety of products, including petroleum, chemicals and agricultural goods.

As part of the country’s transition to sustainable energy, the port will also facilitate the handling of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other cleaner energy sources.

Zutari’s role

The role of Zutari includes ensuring that the strategy benefits both TNPA and the liquid bulk industry while safeguarding supply chain integrity, especially in this major petrochemical hub.

TNPA’s role lies in a commitment to ensuring security of supply, improved terminal operational efficiencies, operational continuity, risk management and job preservation.

Island View Precinct supports nearly 2,000 direct and indirect jobs as of 2022.

“The Island View Strategy aims to accelerate transformation, ensure a reliable supply of liquid bulk commodities, and increase throughput efficiency,” said Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Acting TNPA Managing Executive for the Eastern Region.

“The appointment of Zutari is a significant milestone towards achieving these goals,” she said.

“Our collaborative engagement with stakeholders, including Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (formerly known as SAPIA), the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA), and terminal operators, has been crucial in building confidence and identifying areas for cooperation in safeguarding the liquid bulk sector.”

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Nautilus International: NATO nations called on to strengthen merchant navies

Edited by Paul Ridgway 
Africa Ports & Ships
London

Nautilus International, the union representing maritime professionals, has joined Nautilus Federation affiliate union leaders in voicing serious concerns over the poor condition of NATO member countries’ merchant navies.

The NATO Transport Group

At a meeting of the NATO Transport Group on 5 November, the unions called on allied nations to make substantial investments in maritime capabilities, strengthen their merchant marines, and support their maritime professionals.

Mark Dickinson, General Secretary of Nautilus International and Director of the Nautilus Federation, and Captain Don Marcus, President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots (IOMMP, a Nautilus Federation affiliate union), addressed the NATO Transport Group meeting at NATO HQ in Brussels.

Nautilus statement

They were invited following a statement issued by the Nautilus Federation at NATO’s 75th Anniversary summit in Washington, D.C. in July 2024.

In this statement, federation affiliates from NATO countries voiced shared concerns over how the rise of flags of convenience, such as those from Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands, has undermined national merchant marines.

“Across Europe, many states are facing historic lows in seafarer numbers and national-flagged merchant vessels,” Mr Dickinson said.

“Diminished merchant marines and a shortage of qualified officers and ratings impair our collective and individual ability to support military logistics and secure essential supply chains for energy, food, and medical supplies during conflicts and health emergencies. This decline exposes our nations to severe risks, with potentially disastrous consequences.

“We were therefore very pleased to accept NATO’s invitation to present on the crucial role of our maritime professionals to the security of NATO and to provide an update on the importance of commercial transport workforce in support of military movements.

“Sea blindness blights our industry, from schools unaware of career opportunities in shipping to governments that sidelined seafarers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There is widespread ignorance of the vital role of seafarers and shipping. We must work together to boost investment in and recognition of our maritime professionals.”

Captain Marcus added that it is critical that NATO recognises the vital role of its mariners and the mercantile marine in national resilience, security and defence.

“NATO’s attention to this issue is welcomed especially in today’s volatile geopolitical landscape with the vulnerability of supply chains most graphically illustrated during Covid.

“With rising geopolitical tensions threatening Europe, war in Ukraine, escalating violence in the Middle East, and as we witness efforts by other nations to dominate the high seas, our message is that NATO must confront the alarming decline in the numbers of qualified national merchant seafarers and national-flagged merchant vessels.”

Dickinson pointed out that at the turn of the millennium UK had 55,000 seafarers and 5.3% of the world fleet by gross tonnage. Fewer than 5,000 seafarers are employed today and a national fleet now represents less than 0.5% of the global fleet.

Captain Marcus added that there were approximately 180 US ocean-going merchant vessels which, with US flag military charters, government-owned and operated auxiliary vessels and US Ready Reserve vessels there was a total of 320-340 vessels at most and 12,000 US deep sea-qualified mariners with an average age of 46.

The unions conclude their briefing by calling for continued dialogue with NATO to tackle the ‘sea blindness’ affecting the industry and those serving in the merchant navy.

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Maersk Tankers turn to sail – bound4blue win orders

Africa Ports & Ships

Spanish renewable energy specialist bound4blue has been awarded a landmark contract with Maersk Tankers for the installation of 20 of the company’s approved 26-metre eSAIL® suction sails to be installed on five MR tankers in 2025 and 2026.

This is the largest wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) order for bound4blue to date.

Four of the turnkey units will be installed on each of the Maersk Tankers vessels – The Maersk Tacoma, Maersk Tampa, Maersk Tangier, Maersk Teesport, and Maersk Tokyo – and are expected to deliver double-digit percentage reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per vessel.

Maersk Tankers identified the eSAIL® as a solution of choice in partnership with green technology catalyst Njord, who assessed and evaluated a broad range wind-assisted propulsion systems to ensure optimal environmental and commercial impact on the target project vessels and their expected future trading.

The autonomous eSAILs® work by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate lift and exceptional propulsive efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, OPEX and emissions.

“The trust Maersk Tankers has placed in our technology reinforces the proven capabilities of our solution in reducing fuel consumption and emissions, while contributing to CII and FuelEU regulatory compliance,” said José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder at bound4blue.

Describing the order as a ‘key milestone’, he added: “Designed to operate safely in challenging conditions, our system is particularly well-suited for safe, high performing and cost-efficient operation on tankers. We’re excited to work alongside Maersk Tankers as they progress in their decarbonization efforts.”

The contract marks the latest high point in a successful year for bound4blue, which has received orders from high-profile owners and operators such as Klaveness Combination Carriers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Marflet Marine, Amasus, and Louis Dreyfus Company.

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Remembrance London 10 November

Reported by Paul Ridgway
Africa Ports & Ships
London

HM The King laid his wreath at the Cenotaph during the National Service of Remembrance on 10 November.

Approximately 10,000 members of the public lined Whitehall in London to take part in the annual two-minute silence at the Cenotaph and to watch The Royal British Legion’s Veterans Parade.

Wreaths were laid by other members of the royal family, HM Government, the service chiefs and High Commissioners of the Commonwealth.

Of the 10,000 individuals marching this year in the region of 325 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations were represented.

Buglers from The Royal Marines Band Service sounded The Last Post.

Massed Bands of the Household Division played Beethoven’s Funeral March No 1 in B Flat Minor, followed by the hymn ‘O God our help in ages past’, which all personnel on parade sang as wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph.

The Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth joined The Central Band of the Royal Air Force and the Massed Bands of the Household Division to play martial music and popular arrangements of wartime tunes as around 10,000 veterans marched past the Cenotaph.

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Container vessel orders up by over 50% in 2024: Sector heading for record breaking year

Fuelled by high charter rates and post-covid container boom

Orders of new container vessels are up by ~52% year-on-year with 254 new contracts placed in 2024, compared to 167 in the corresponding period of 2023 according to a new report by VesselsValue, the data intelligence arm of maritime data and freight management solutions provider Veson Nautical.

The report, titled ‘Golden Age: Container shipping’s post-covid boom continues’, states that in addition to the huge uptick in orders, 2024 has seen 362 new container vessels entering the market with a further 169 to be set to be delivered in the last few months of the year.

“Thanks to the post-covid container boom, 2024 looks set to be a record-breaking year in terms of new container vessels entering the market,” says Rebecca Galanopoulos Senior Content Analyst at VesselsValue.

“The huge rise in new orders this year means that this trend looks set to continue for the next few years.”

Galanopoulos adds that removals also remain low with just 48 container vessels sent for demolition so far in 2024, a fall of ~45% year-on-year.

The research also states that the robust market conditions are reflected in charter rates which have doubled for the Post Panamax sector.

“Charter rates for Post Panamaxes have been hovering around the 72,000 USD/Day mark since July, an increase of 100% from the same time last year, where rates were around 36,000 USD/Day,” Galanopoulos says. “This type of bull market is what is driving the rise in new deliveries and new orders.”

Learn more at www.veson.com.

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WHARF TALK: big, bigger, biggest – MSC EURIBIA

Pictures as indicated 
Story by Jay Gates

Leviathan, Behemoth, and now Gargantuan, or big, bigger, biggest! With the change of cruising seasons now underway, and passenger cruise liners wrapping up their northern hemisphere summer cruising seasons, there is an increase in unintended traffic as cruise companies reposition their vessels from one operating hemisphere to another. The outcome of this additional passing trade is that some South African ports get to see something that would, in nearly all other circumstances, not be passing through our waters, or seen calling at our ports.

In just the last few weeks, South African ports have seen the giant cruise liners, an absolute ‘Marmite’ collection of ‘love them or hate them’, vessels that, to the maritime purist, are akin to a soulless block of flats, and to the casual maritime observer are another exciting ‘one off special’ to add to their notebooks and photographic files. So far we have had an arrival breaking local records with ‘Anthem of the Seas’ with a gross registered tonnage of 168,666 tons, followed by ‘Mein Schiff 4’ with a still impressive 99,526 tons, and now one to beat all of the previous records. As stated, Leviathan, Behemoth, Gargantuan, or big, bigger, biggest.

Again, thanks to the perverse terrorist activities of the Houthis, who are backed by a new BRICS, ANC approved government and terror regime, 60% of former east-west Suez Canal traffic is now diverting around the Cape sea route to avoid the risks of missile attacks in the southern Red Sea. The uptick in this diverted trade is, of course, a boon to TNPA in harbour dues, local fuel providers for bunkers, engineering companies for maintenance, and ship chandlers for all manner of stores and fresh provisions. The bigger you are, the more you need when you call in.

On 6th November, at 08:00 in the morning, the passenger cruise vessel ‘MSC Euribia’ (IMO 9901544) arrived off the Durban Bluff, from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. She entered Durban harbour, proceeding to the Point and going alongside the Nelson Mandela Passenger Cruise Terminal. Her arrival was not as part of a cruise, but as a result of a Houthi inspired diversionary, passenger free, positioning voyage, and solely for the purpose of taking on a bunker uplift, stores onload and replenishing fresh provisions.

Built in 2023 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard at Saint Nazaire in northern France, ‘MSC Euribia’ is a colossal 331 metres in length, with an air draft of 65 metres, and she has a gargantuan gross registered tonnage of 184,011 tons, which makes her the largest passenger liner, by far, to have called at any South African port, eclipsing that of the recent passing visit by ‘Anthem of the Seas’ by a mere 15,315 tons, which in normal speak is the weight of a handy size bulk carrier. It’s all about scale!

A diesel-electric vessel, ‘MSC Euribia’ is powered by two Wärtsilä 12V46DF generators providing 14,400 kW each, and two Wärtsilä 16V46DF generators providing 19,200 kW each. Power from her generators is transferred to two ABB azimuth propulsion pods, each generating 19,200 kW, to give her a maximum cruising speed of 22.3 knots. The DF suffix of her Wärtsilä generators indicates ‘Dual Fuel’, as ‘MSC Euribia’ can be powered by traditional marine fuels, fossil or biofuel, as well as by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG).

Her auxiliary machinery includes a single emergency generator providing 2,020 kW. She is able to operate solely from shorepower when berthed alongside. As a dual fuel vessel, ‘MSC Euribia’ is also fitted with a Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage and supply system. She has four Saacke Qingdao CHR exhaust gas boilers, and two Saacke Qingdao CHO oil fired boilers. For added manoeuvrability she has four bow Wärtsilä transverse thrusters providing 3,500 kW each, which along with her ABB azipods give her a Dynamic Positioning capability.

The design of ‘MSC Euribia’ gives her a very strong, and positive, environmental impact, with the use of LNG, rather than conventional fossil fuels, reducing emissions of Sulphur Oxide (SOx) emissions by up to 99%, and reducing emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) by up to 85%, as well as reducing emissions of particulates. The significant reduction of SOx emissions results in her not requiring the use of fitted Scrubbers. Use of LNG as a fuel also results in greenhouse gas emissions being reduced by up to 20%.

Built at a cost of US$850 million (ZAR 14.76 billion), she is the third of three sisterships, known as a ‘Meraviglia Plus’ class vessel, and is an improvement of the original two sisterships known as the ‘Meraviglia’ class. For the nomenclature aficionado, ‘MSC Euribia’ is named after Eurybia, who was the Greek Goddess who had power over, and mastery of, the sea. She also presided over those external forces which influence the world, such as the rise of the constellations, seasonal weather, and the power of harnessing the winds.

As expected with her name prefix, ‘MSC Euribia’ is owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, with her nominal ownership sitting with MSC Crociere SA, of Geneva in Switzerland. She is operated by MSC Crociere SpA, of Naples in Italy, and managed by MSC Cruise Management UK Ltd., of Uxbridge in the United Kingdom.

One of the first striking visual impressions of ‘MSC Euribia’ is that her owners, MSC Cruises, have followed the lead of many other major cruise companies by giving her bow, and hull form, a major artistic design. To symbolize MSC Cruises commitment to the sea, the artwork design is known as ‘Save The Sea’, and is both a unique, iconic, and permanent, hull design by German artist Alex Flämig. The design was chosen to represent MSC Cruise’s message of dedication to the marine ecosystem, and was as a result of an open competition initiated in 2021.

She has a total of nineteen decks, of which fifteen of them are solely for use by passengers, and eleven of those being allocated for cabins only, which gives her a total of 2,419 cabins. Whilst she can carry a maximum of 6,327 passengers, she will normally operate with a maximum passenger complement, based on double occupancy, of just 4,828 passengers, who will be looked after by a complement of 1,711 crew. Of interest is that her decks are identified by the use of Island names, and include Deck 8 ‘Marion Island’, and Deck 18 ‘Portuguese Island’, both of which have strong South Africa connections.

For such a vast amount of passengers, again a ‘Marmite’ figure in terms of cruising, ‘MSC Euribia’ has a vast array of passenger facilities. She has no less than 10 dedicated restaurants, and 21 bar and lounge combinations, 5 of which are on outside decks. She has a show theatre, nightclub, casino, a boutique shopping mall, games arcade, teens club, kids club, cinema, and a spa complex which includes a sauna, thermal rooms, treatment rooms, massage rooms, beauty salon, nail bar, and barber shop.

For those who search for more active adventure aboard, ‘MSC Euribia’ has no less than five pools, with associated whirlpools and Jacuzzis. She has a Sports Complex which includes a gymnasium, a bowling alley, Formula 1 driving simulators, a power walking track, and one of the largest aquaparks at sea, which includes four twisting slides, a swimming pool, and an 84 metre long, wraparound, Himalayan bridge, which is suspended above the deck.

Her journey to Durban began back on 19th October, when she concluded her last northern European summer cruise at Kiel, in Germany. From there she sailed to Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, for an uplift of bunkers, where she arrived for a 12 hour stop on 25th October, prior to her long positioning voyage to Durban. She is destined to take up a full northern hemisphere winter cruising season, mostly within the confines of the Persian Gulf, with a programme of seven day cruises out of her base of Port Rashid, in the Dubai UAE.

Her seven day cruise itinerary is Dubai- Doha (Qatar)- Mina Salman (Bahrain)- Abu Dhabi- Sir Bani Yas Island (both UAE)- Dubai. Her 2024 season starts with her first cruise being undertaken from Port Rashid on 16th November, and will conclude with her last cruise ending at Port Rashid on 30th March 2025. She will then do the reverse of her current voyage, with a non-passenger positioning voyage back to Europe, and almost certainly ’MSC Euribia’ will be calling once more in South Africa for a bunker uplift, again probably at Durban.

On her arrival back in Europe, she is scheduled to start her 2025 northern summer cruise season on 3rd May 2025, again with mainly seven day cruises out of northern European ports, which is scheduled to conclude on 23rd October 2025. MSC Cruises are showing confidence that the Houthi idiocy of the southern Red Sea will have concluded by then, and normal traffic via the Suez Canal will once more be possible.

This confidence is borne out by the fact that MSC Cruises have ‘MSC Euribia’ scheduled to conduct a cruise from Civitavecchia, in Italy, via Alexandria – Suez Canal transit (both Egypt)- Aqaba (Jordan)- Muscat (Oman)- Doha (Qatar)- Port Rashid (Dubai UAE), where she is scheduled to arrive on 8th November 2025. She will then conduct an almost identical programme of cruises as now, with seven day cruises around the Persian Gulf, before her return to the Mediterranean Sea, again via the Suez Canal, on 4th April 2026.

In Durban, ‘MSC Euribia’ had concluded her logistical visit after a stay of 17 hours, and at 01:00 in the early morning of 7th November, her uplift of bunkers, stores and fresh provisions was concluded, and she sailed from Durban. Originally, her itinerary was for a direct voyage to Port Rashid, in the UAE, but in a strange twist, on departure from Durban her AIS indicated that she was now bound instead for Maputo, in Mozambique, with an ETA of 11:00 in the morning of 7th November, and where she arrived in the outer Maputo anchorage at 16:00. It is assumed this is a courtesy call, based on MSC Cruises long connection with cruises to Mozambique, and after a short visit to show local dignitaries the vessel, she will proceed onto Port Rashid.

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Lack of serviceable vessels sees SA Navy miss time at sea target

defenceWeb

By its own admission and not entirely its own fault, the SA Navy (SAN) fell woefully short of its planned time at sea in the 2023/24 financial year, with some improvement on the way according to the October Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).

The latest Department of Defence (DoD) annual report has it the maritime service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) logged a paltry 2 641 hours at sea. Of these 1 680 are listed as force preparation hours with the balance of 961 being force employment time.

The hours logged make up a third of the planned target – 8 000 hours – set by Vice Admiral Monde Lobese’s service for the 2023/24 financial year.

On the maritime defence programme, the DoD annual report notes “most of the SAN vessels in commission were undergoing maintenance and repair during the reporting period. An added constraint was the unavailability of SAN vessels at the directed level of capability due to a lack of repair capacity at the Armscor Dockyard and related procurement challenges”.

This has been echoed by Lobese on, among others, the official SAN publication Navy News and a Simon’s Town medal parade. He is on record as saying he is prepared to “divorce” his service from the Armscor facility.

Aside from budget restrictions, he told the medal parade another factor severely limiting the SAN’s ability to get ships to sea, is the “non-performance of the Armscor Dockyard”.

“As Chief of the Navy, I have reached the end of my patience with their inability to repair the SAN ships. I have engaged the Chief Executive of Armscor on numerous opportunities to resolve this situation,” he said at the Martello sports ground parade.

“The SA Air Force and the SA Navy were detrimentally impacted by the lack of maintenance contracts for prime mission equipment not being in place, resulting in the unavailability of spares, which affected the number of hours flown/hours at sea, level of force preparation and accreditation of pilots,” the annual report read.

“Given the lead times required to finalise maintenance and repair of specific naval platforms designated to conduct long-range maritime patrols, and given that most naval platforms were undergoing maintenance and repair, no Op Copper long-range maritime patrols were conducted during the strategic period.”

The lack of performance at sea in the 2024/25 financial year was noted by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in last month’s MTBPS.

The MTBPS reads, in part: “Although the department [of defence] had conducted only one maritime coastal patrol by mid-year against an annual target of four, it remains on track to meet the target by the fourth quarter.

“Similarly, only 3,290 hours were spent at sea by mid-year against an annual target of 12,000, with the expectation that this target will be met in the fourth quarter. Delays in the maintenance and repair of vessels resulted in only 1,721 hours at sea against an annual target of 8,000 hours. Performance is expected to improve in the second half of the year once the maintenance and repair work is completed.”

Respected defence analyst Helmoed Heitman has long been against the use of hours at sea as a performance indicator saying days is widely used internationally. Using his preference the SAN planned to spend 333 days at sea in 2023/24 but managing to log a third – 110 – of the target.

The major contributor to Godongwana’s expectation of increased time at sea will be the Valour Class frigate SAS Amatola (F145). Following participation in last month’s Exercise Ibsamar she is scheduled for an extended anti-piracy mission in the Mozambique Channel. It is in line with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) anti-piracy initiative off the east coast of the region involving Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania. The South African commitment is codenamed Operation Copper by the Joint Operations Division of the SANDF.

The 2023/24 DoD annual report noted that “Maritime Defence continues to experience challenges with sourcing critical ship spares that are required to effect repairs on the SA Navy legacy vessels. Progress is being made to ensure the availability of combat-ready ships to meet the Joint Force Employment Requirements. With additional funding received from the National Treasury during FY2023/24 for the refit of Strategic Defence Package platforms, the Armscor Dockyard is in progress with the refit(s) of the frigate SAS Isandlwana. The appointment of a Commercial Refit Partner/Specialist Engineering Service for the Submarine is still to be finalised and will be unpacked during the next reporting cycle.”

Last year, the SAS Mendi and elements of the Maritime Reaction Squadron conducted three Operation Corona maritime coastal patrols in conjunction with the SAPS and Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, namely in the Eastern Cape over the period 3 July to 1 August; in the Gansbaai area from 11 October to 8 November; and in the False Bay and Saldanha area from 20 October to 17 November 2023.

The annual report explained that the SA Navy’s inability to meet the set target of four coastal patrols for FY2023/24 was due to ongoing challenges experienced with preparing ships to be operationally available for deployments.

“The underachievement can be attributed to the unavailability of the SA Navy vessels at the Directed Level of Capability due lack of repair capacity at Armscor Dockyard and related procurement challenges. The Concept of Operations for Op Copper is being reviewed and efforts are being undertaken to improve the situation and ensure the availability of platforms for East Coast patrols.”

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

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Exercise Grand African Nemo 2024 kicks off in West Africa

defenceWeb

The 2024 edition of Exercise Grand African Nemo has been launched off West Africa, with more than two dozen nations participating.

The eight-day exercise was kicked off on 4 November with the aim of safeguarding Gulf of Guinea waters and demonstrating a united front to secure West Africa’s seas.

It aims to strengthen cooperation among regional naval forces to counter the growing challenges of piracy and transnational maritime crimes. It includes participation from naval forces across multiple African countries alongside international partners, engaging in simulated scenarios focused on piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing.

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Ghana’s Western Naval Command, Commodore Emmanuel Ayesu Kwafo, representing the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, said efforts like Grand African Nemo have led to a significant reduction in transnational crimes within the Gulf of Guinea and Zone F maritime zones.

Yakubu emphasized the necessity of multinational coordination, noting that transnational crimes require unified action. This year’s exercise aims to build upon past achievements, particularly in enhancing interoperability, information sharing, and trust among participating forces to ensure security across the Gulf of Guinea, the Ghana Navy said.

This year’s exercise will focus on strengthening coordination across five operational zones in the Gulf of Guinea while participating forces conduct exercises in national and zonal phases.

The Nigerian Navy is deploying five ships, helicopters, and specialised units, which will operate alongside ships from the United Kingdom and Spain. The lead Nigerian ship is the NNS Kada.

Nigerian Navy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, said the importance of the exercise cannot be overstated as it would tackle maritime challenges such as piracy, sea robbery, and crude oil theft.

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

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Political Conflict in Mozambique Takes a Heavy Toll on South Africa – SAAFF

Africa Ports & Ships

The geopolitical conflict in Mozambique comes at a very delicate time for South Africa, when logistics and the supply chain are under pressure from several other disruptive challenges says Dr. Juanita Maree, Chief Executive of the Southern Africa Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).

South Africa’s business sector has voiced concern over the Southern Africa Development Community’s (SADC) slow response, calling on member states to move immediately into a leadership position as mediator, to restore law and order and stabilise trade operations, which are critical to the regional economy.

These actions, they assert, are critical to the safety of the citizens on both sides of the border and to stop the destruction of critical infrastructure that enables the efficient flow of regional and international trade and cargo through, to and from the Port of Maputo, as well as inland and further afield.

Barbara Mommen, Trade and Transport Corridor Specialist said that while there is an acute awareness of, and appreciation for, the complex and difficult circumstances which have given rise to the current situation, the uppermost concerns relate to the extreme challenges which now face trade, not only in South Africa and Mozambique, but the entire region as it attempts to grapple with the aftermath of the destabilisation of the Maputo Corridor.

SADC, as the regional body responsible for trade, development and investment, must be tasked with addressing the escalating post-election violence in Mozambique. Infrastructure at the Ressano Garcia Border Post and the KM4 facility has been severely damaged, and on-going violence threatens to cause further disruptions. Lives are being lost and livelihoods are threatened across the Southern Africa region.

Border closure

The need for the temporary closure of the Lebombo border have intensified the crisis. The economic impact of this situation is long-term and extends beyond Mozambique to all other countries in the SADC region but in particular South Africa and Zimbabwe, as halted trade raises the risk of economic setbacks.

The supply chains currently utilising the Maputo Corridor compete internationally, and the predictability required for ensuring international competitiveness is putting these fragile supply chains at significant risk.

Maputo has long been a vital port for regional and international trade, growing significantly in importance over the last 15 to 20 years as a successful public private concessionary – an operating model that has increased capacity, driving growth and investment into Mozambique – one of the world’s poorest economies, and indeed into Southern Africa.

To varying degrees, the implications of this crisis will have a long-term negative impact on all the countries in the SADC region, explains Dr. Maree, as it will take time for traffic to and from the Port of Maputo to stabilise and to restore to previous volumes.

Loss of important infrastructure

The loss of important infrastructure servicing trade and transport on the corridor will be felt for many months and even years, and places government coffers under enormous pressure for rebuilding and repairs to infrastructure, and replacement of essential equipment.

Additionally, many essential jobs are now at risk, while the ripple effects for informal, small and medium businesses will be felt for some time. Business will limp forward into an uncertain future after this troubled, disruptive period.

SAAFF, as an industry representative body, stands ready to actively collaborate with the authorities on the implementation of strategic processes that will restore and stabilise the flow of trade and cargo through ports, corridors, and transport networks – both road and rail – to and from Mozambique.

For Southern Africa to thrive as a unified, regionally integrated trading block, it must remain a reliable, competitive route and destination within the regional and global supply chains. To achieve this, it demands immediate consultation with apex bodies in the region, and the assurance that the leadership will address and confront the challenges impacting business in general due to the conflict and logistics specifically.

The disruption to the logistics activities cannot be allowed to continue, as it is a primary and critical enabler of economic growth and fiscal revenue in this region.

[See news report ‘SA closes Lebombo border crossing…. below]

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IMO heads to COP 29: Promoting net-zero framework for shipping

Edited by Paul Ridgway 
Africa Ports & Ships
London

At the time of writing IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez is preparing to lead IMO’s delegation to the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November.

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will bring together world leaders along with an estimated 40,000 delegates representing governments, civil society and the private sector for discussions on how to address climate change.

In line with the Paris Agreement, the global maritime sector has committed to ambitious goals of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping by or around 2050, as outlined in the 2023 IMO Strategy to Reduce GHG Emissions from Ships.

At COP 29, Secretary-General Dominguez will share the latest developments in delivering the Strategy, including those related to ongoing negotiations towards a new set of binding economic and technical mid-term GHG reduction measures to decarbonise the maritime sector.

COP provides an opportunity to stress the importance of cooperation with the energy and financial sectors as well as with cargo owners, given shipping’s vital role in the world’s energy transition and as the engine of global trade.

On IMO’s work to address GHG emissions from ships

Ahead of COP 29, IMO has made a submission to the 61st session of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 61) outlining the progress made and actions taken to date to support maritime climate action.

Among other issues, the paper covers the outcomes achieved at the 82nd session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82) held in September/October 2024.

At that meeting, the Committee advanced discussions on the proposed mid-term measures for GHG reduction, which include a global pricing mechanism for GHG emissions from ships and a global marine fuel standard.

Member States identified areas of convergence and discussions resulted in a draft legal text – the IMO Net-Zero Framework – to be used as the basis for the next phase of talks.

The aim is to adopt these mid-term measures in late 2025, with a view to entry into force in 2027.

The submission will be presented to SBSTA 61 by the IMO Secretariat.

Maritime events at COP 29

Secretary-General Dominguez will attend various events and bilateral meetings during the first week of COP.

IMO’s Climate and Clean Air Team will also participate in a number of maritime-related activities at COP 29 throughout the conference period.

A side event co-organised by IMO, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (20 November, 1500 to 1630, Side Event Room 6) will focus on the theme: ‘Decarbonising Transport: Policies & Strategies For Aviation, Maritime and Land.’

The full list of maritime-related events

Too see a full list of maritime-related COP 29 events readers are invited to use the link here

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SA closes Lebombo border crossing as unrest and rioting sweeps across Mozambique

Africa Ports & Ships

The South African Lebombo border crossing with Mozambique near Komatipoort has been closed by South Africa following an outbreak of unrest and rioting at Ressano Garcia, on the the Mozambique side of the border.

This is the main border crossing leading to the port at Maputo, some 110km away and will be affecting South African exports of chrome, coal and other commodities.

The closure of the border followed reports of vehicles being set on fire on the road in Mozambique leading to the Maputo port.

The unrest, in which a growing number of deaths have occurred, with reports of at least 20 people shot dead and about 400 injured by Mozambique police, comes after dissatisfaction with the announced presidential election results, in which the ruling Frelimo party candidate swept into power with a claimed 70% of the vote.

The police are accused of using tear gas indiscriminately and shooting rubber bullets into the crowds of people gathering at various places to protest.

According to reports from the country, security police are stationed along the roadside preventing people from entering Maputo city on foot. Tear gas has been used to control crowds from gathering.

The unrest is also reported from several other parts of the country, including in Niassa and Nampula provinces.

The unrest stems not only from unhappiness at the results of who supposedly won the election, but also at claims that widespread corruption from the highest political level is robbing ordinary citizens from enjoying the fruits of Mozambique’s natural wealth.

Reports say the country’s telecom operators have on instruction from government executed blackouts throughout Mozambique in an effort at controlling communication.

Border Management Authority officials, the South African police and the SA army have been engaged to stop the protests from spilling over into South Africa.

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Hapag-Lloyd on spending spree for 24 new container ships

Africa Ports & Ships

German container carrier Hapag-Lloyd has gone on a spending spree for 24 new container ships.

Twelve of the new vessels will have a 16,800-TEU capacity, with the balance a capacity of 9,200-TEU. They will be built at two Chinese shipyards.

The larger vessels will be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group and will be used to expand the capacity of existing services.

The 9,200-TEU ships have been ordered from New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd and will replace older units in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet that will be nearing the end of their service life in this decade.

Deliveries can be expected between 2027 and 2029.

Representing an investment of roughly USD 4 billion, a long-term financing of USD three billion has already been committed.

The newbuildings will be equipped with state-of-the-art low emission high pressure liquefied gas dual-fuel engines that are extremely fuel-efficient. In addition, these vessels can be operated using biomethane, which can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional propulsion systems.

The new ships will also be ammonia-ready.

Hapag-Lloyd’s chief executive, Rolf Habben Jansen said Hapag-Lloyd will continue to modernize and decarbonize the fleet.

“This investment is one of the largest in the recent history of Hapag-Lloyd, and it represents a significant milestone for our company as it pursues the goals of its Strategy 2030, such as to grow while also modernizing and decarbonizing our fleet,” he said.

“Operating a fleet of more efficient vessels will also enhance our competitive position, and thanks to the increase in capacity, we will continue to offer our customers a global, high-quality product.

Hapag-Lloyd controls 287 modern container ships with a total transport capacity of 2.2 million TEU, making the company one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. In addition, it operates the largest fleet sailing under the German flag.

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Xeneta: Trump Presidency will reignite US-China trade war

Africa Ports & Ships

Threats of a spike in ocean container shipping markets as businesses rush imports ahead of higher tariffs

Donald Trump’s victory in the US Presidential Election is ‘a step in the wrong direction’ for international trade as importers fear another spike in ocean container shipping freight rates.

Trump has vowed blanket tariffs of up to 20% on all imports into the US and additional tariffs of 60% to 100% on goods from China.

Data from Xeneta – the ocean and air freight intelligence platform – shows the last time Trump ramped up tariffs on Chinese imports during the trade war in 2018, ocean container shipping freight rates spiked more than 70%.

“Shipping is a global industry feeding on international trade, so another Trump Presidency is a step in the wrong direction,” said Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst.

“The knee-jerk reaction from US shippers will be to frontload imports before Trump is able to impose his new tariffs. Back in 2018, the tariff on Chinese imports was 25%, now it is increasing up to 100% so the incentive to frontload is even greater.

“If you have warehouse space and the goods to ship, frontloading imports is the simplest way to manage this risk in the short term – but it will bring its own problems. A sudden increase in demand on major trade lanes into the US when ocean supply chains are already under pressure due to disruption in the Red Sea will place upward pressure on freight rates.

“We saw the negative impact of tariffs during Trump’s first term in office in 2018 when ocean container shipping rates spiked 70%. Shippers will be fearing more of the same this time around.

“In the longer term, another Trump presidency will reignite the trade war with China and provoke retaliatory action. In 2018, we saw China respond to US aggression by imposing tariffs of its own, which added even more fuel to the fire, so there is a risk this situation could escalate further in the months and years to come.”

Average spot rates from the Far East to US West Coast and US East Coast have remained relatively flat in the weeks leading up to the US Election, down -3.5% and -2.5% respectively since 15 October.

However, the current average spot rates of USD 5,210 per FEU (40ft container) into the US West Coast and USD 5,820 per FEU into the US East Coast are 167% and 134% higher than 12 months ago, primarily due to the ongoing impact of conflict in the Red Sea.

Sand said that 2024 has been a brutal year for US shippers who have already endured massive disruption due to the Red Sea crisis and spiralling freight rates.

There is also the looming threat of further strike action at ports on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast in January next year, he said.

“Another Trump presidency will not be welcomed by US importers and exporters, but they needed a swift and clear result in the election. Uncertainty is toxic for supply chains, so at least the industry now has a clearer understanding of the financial and operational risk and can execute the plans they will have prepared in the event of another Trump presidency.”

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TNPA switching to clean fuels for tug fleet

Africa Ports & Ships

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has published a Request for Information (RFI) for a strategic pilot project to use green and cleaner fuels for its selected diesel-operated tugboat fleet.

The project forms part of Transnet’s commitment to bolster South Africa’s transition to a low carbon-economy focused on cleaner, renewable and green fuels.

The RFI invites interested parties to submit proposals for the technical assessment on old diesel tugboats. The scope of work includes information regarding assessing the condition of the existing tugboats, evaluating components such as the diesel engines, and inspecting the mechanical and structural compartments for potential new components or modifications.

This initiative is a pilot project to retrofit existing tugboats to utilise alternative fuels including Liquefied Natural Gas, Biodiesel, Hydrogen and Methanol.

Based on the success of the retrofitting pilot phase, the tugboats will be restored to optimal operational performance and efficiency, enabling them to service the ports with using improved fuel and sustainable environmental impact.

“The plans to retrofit TNPA’s tugboat fleet with low-to-no carbon fuel is a significant step towards decarbonising shipping and reducing the carbon footprint of our marine craft,” said NPA Acting Chief Executive, Phyllis Difeto.

She said this project stems from TNPA’s energy mix initiatives, which respond to the Ports Authority’s objectives of operating an environmentally sustainable port system.

RFI Documents

The RFI documents can be accessed on the Transnet tender portal by clicking here.

Added 10 November 2024

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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

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

PORT	September 2024 million tonnes
Richards Bay	6.501
Durban	7.340
Saldanha Bay	6.616
Cape Town	1.551
Port Elizabeth	1.231
Ngqura	1.585
Mossel Bay	0.059
East London	0.207
Total all ports during September 2024	21.978 million tonnes

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Terry Hutson