Rognac (France), April 2018 – The recently concluded agreement between Lyon Terminal S.A. and Liebherr is a cause for celebration: By the end of the year, two new Liebherr Reachstackers of the latest generation will be operating in a French harbour, with the first unit already being delivered to the customer in May. During the branch opening of the new Liebherr facility in Rognac, a Member of the Board of Management of Liebherr-International AG handed over the first device in a ceremonial act.

The river port of Lyon, which is located in the southeastern part of France, is one of the highest-turnover ports in the region. Thanks to its location on the Rhone River and the accompanying direct connection to the Mediterranean Sea, the Lyon Terminal achieved a total turnover of approx. 137,000 TEUs in 2017. With its infrastructure and constantly growing traffic volume, the terminal is the first multimodal platform in the province. Furthermore, the French logistic company is well known as a European rail
terminal, which can handle 20' and 40' containers up to semi-trailers.

In spring, Lyon Terminal S.A. decided to make a major investment to further advance the progressive technical expansion of the port. Until May 2018, the first Liebherr Reachstacker LRS 545 will operate on Lyon’s port site, followed by the second device by the end of the year. These two machines will increase the terminals efficiency enormously. The Reachstacker LRS 545 Toplift has a maximum lifting capacity of up to 45 t. It scores particularly highly with its unique hydrostatic transmission, which ensures stepless speed control for highly sensitive and smooth operation without gear changes, which means components such as torque converter and differential are obsolete. Thanks to the closed hydraulic circuit and the hydrostatic braking system, the reachstacker works with an almost maintenance-free system.

Beyond its remarkable capabilities, the LRS 545 amazes with its slim and compact design. Due to its wedge-shaped appearance, small turning radii and great manoeuvrability can be ensured even in narrow ports. Furthermore, the excellent all-round view from the driver's cabin and the rear view camera ensure an absolute safe driving experience for the operators in the port of Lyon.

"In addition to the exceptional view of the driver's cabin, its special feature is the 30 % lower fuel consumption of 12 to 14 l/h compared to the market average. Furthermore a maintenance interval of 1,000 hours significantly reduces the machine's idle times," says Anthony Martin-Garin, Divisional Manager for Maritime Cranes at Liebherr France.

Ceremonial handover at Rognac branch opening

Together with 400 customers, Liebherr inaugurated its new location in Rognac on March 9, 2018. From now on, 60 employees will be responsible for the sale, rental and maintenance of the division’s earth moving, construction machinery and maritime. The family business invested a total of 12 million Euros in the new, almost 43,000 m² facility in the southeast of France. The new branch is regarded as an important milestone in its development within the region. During the opening ceremony of the new Liebherr branch, Patricia Rüf, Member of the Board of Management of Liebherr-International AG, solemnised the contract signing of the two units with Samira Himeur, Head of Development at the Lyon Terminal.

Image Caption: Patricia Rüf, Liebherr Member of the Board of Management, Samira Himeur, Head of Development at Lyon Terminal and Anthony Martin-Garin, Divisional Manager Maritime Cranes at Liebherr France, presenting the keepsake at the branch opening in Rognac, France.

Press Release Date 17 May 2018

Non-self-propelled tank barges of Project ROB20 are intended for transportation of petroleum products with a flashpoint of 610C and above. With their double sides and double bottoms the vessels feature an improved level of environmental friendliness. The barges will be operated on the Belaya, Kama and Volga rivers.

The contract for construction of the barges was signed on 31 October 2017 with the keel of the first barge laid on 22 November 2017.

Key particulars:

About Okskaya Sudoverf
Okskaya Sudoverf JSC is a modern shipbuilding enterprise, a part of VBTH division of the international transportation group UCL Holding. Okskaya Sudoverf specializes in the construction of oil tankers, medium-tonnage dry cargo vessels of mixed 'river-sea' class, containerships, special crafts and barges. In 2015, Okskaya Sudoverf became the second largest shipyard in Russia in terms of the total newbuilds' tonnage.
UCL Holding (Universal Cargo Logistics Holding) is an international transportation group consolidating a number of Russian shipping, shipbuilding, railway, stevedoring and logistic companies. VBTH, the group's division, also comprises North-Western Shipping Company, Volga Shipping Company, V.F. Tanker, shipbuilding and logistics assets.

Press Release Date 21 May 2018

In the reporting period, Sea Port of St. Petersburg saw a 10-percent increase in ferrous metals volume reaching 1.1 million tonnes. The growth is contributed to the expansion by the port's anchor clients in their export cargo range, including iron rod, reinforcement and railway rails. SP St. Petersburg ensured the efficient handling of increased ferrous metal exports at its quays thanks to the implementation of a range of activities. Overall, Sea Port of St. Petersburg is able to handle more than ten types of the cargo simultaneously.

However, shipments of non-ferrous metals in the three-month period at Sea Port of St. Petersburg terminal fell 11%, to 356,000 tonnes, due to volatility in the aluminum markets followed by a decline in the product exports.

Since the beginning of the year, Sea Port of St. Petersburg increased handling of scrap metal. The cargo volume rose twofold on the same period last year, reaching 160,000 tonnes, due to growing scrap exports to the Republic of Turkey. The company provided additional solutions for its customers arranging dedicated sites for accumulation of the cargo shipments and increased ship loading rate. Thanks to the undertaken measures, cargo owners, when shipping from the SP SPb's terminal, were able to adjust their logistics costs by reducing the charter costs.

In the first quarter handling of fertilizer in "big bags" at SP St.Pb terminal soared by 65% to 64,000 tonnes, of wood pellets – by 11% also to 64,000 tonnes. This result is attributed to the available warehouse infrastructure, which enabled the terminal operator to improve storage efficiency and to expedite accumulation of particular shiploads.

In general, handling of general cargo by SP St.Pb increased by 5% to 1.75 million tonnes.

The three-month volume of bulk goods handled at the berths of Sea Port of St. Petersburg was down 8% on the same period a year ago, to 48,000 tonnes.

In the reporting period container throughput at SP St.Pb terminal rose 40% on the same period last year to 6,062 TEU. Sea Port of St. Petersburg continued to develop its own range of container services, in addition to transshipment operations providing additional container handling solutions.

Since the beginning of this year, exports accounted for 97% of total throughput, imports - 3%. As compared to the first quarter of 2017, the volume of exports handled at SP St.Pb increased by 10%, to 1.83 million tonnes, while imports dropped by 2.5 times, to 56,000 tonnes.

About Sea Port of St. Petersburg
Sea Port of St. Petersburg JSC (formerly Leningrad Sea Commercial Port) is the largest in Big Port of Saint-Petersburg terminals operator specialising in handling of a broad range of freight, including heavylift, oversize, general, dry bulk and Ro-Ro cargoes. Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg is part of UCL Port, a stevedoring division of international transportation group UCL Holding comprising Container Terminal Saint-Petersburg JSC, Multipurpose Reloading Complex LLC both based in Russia's North-West and Tuapse and Taganrog sea ports located in the country's southern region. UCL Port's development program includes modernization of the existing terminals and construction of new ones for handling general, bulk and container cargoes.
Sea Port of St. Petersburg operates 31 berths of total length of 5.3 km, indoor and outdoor storage facilities of 46,000 and 412,200 sqm, respectively. The port's fleet of handling equipment includes 39 gantry cranes of hoisting capacity of 40 tonnes, a floating 300-tonne crane, two Liebherr RTG 140-tonne cranes LHM 600, two Mantsinen 200ES cranes with capacity of 32.2 tonnes, one truck-mounted 55-tonne crane and 213 different specialized loading mechanisms.

Press Release Date 25 May 2018

The three-month result was attributed to a 25.4-percent decline in liquid bulk cargo segment, to 1.7 million tonnes (-25.4%), following a downward trend in customer requests for the commodity transshipment. In the reporting period handling of coal exports fell to 700,000 tonnes compared to 740,000 tonnes a year earlier.

At the same time, handling of ferrous metals rose 26.3% to 0.79 million tonnes thanks primarily to a 63.5-percent growth Y/Y in slabs exports.

"The upward trend in cargo throughput seen in recent years is the result of successful partnership with the port's strategic partner - the NLMK Group, increasing the efficiency of operational cooperation. In addition, TSCP Group was consistently implementing its development program, including the modernization of its berths and storage facilities, the upgrade of a fleet of gantry cranes and rubber-tired vehicles," the TSCP press office said.

Handling of grain exports in the first quarter increased by 18%. Strong growth in the commodity volume was due to demand prevailing in grain export markets and to constant improvement of routine handling operations by the TSCP Group, in particular, the synchronization of railcars spotting for unloading and docking of ships for loading.

In the reporting period TSCP handled 10,300 tonnes of fruits and vegetables.

The volume of exports, which forms the bulk of TSCP throughput, in the first quarter declined by 9.8% on the same period in 2017 to 3.8 million tonnes, while imports and coastal trade volumes totaled 59,000 tonnes.

Overall, between January and March of the year, TSCP Group handled 193,000 commercial ships, including 90 dry cargo carriers and 103 oil tankers, and 31,500 railcars.

About TSCP
Tuapse Sea Commercial Port Group JSC (TSCP Group) is the major port and terminals operator at the Port of Tuapse, one of Russia's largest ports. TSCP is a member of UCL Port, a stevedoring division of the international transport group UCL Holding. UCL Port also comprises Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg JSC, Container Terminal Saint-Petersburg JSC, Multipurpose Reloading Complex LLC based in North-West of Russia, and Taganrog Sea Commercial Port in the South. The fleet of TSCP's cargo handling equipment comprises 27 gantry cranes with capacity of 10 to 124 tonnes, 65 loaders and bulldozers. In 2017, TSCP handled 14.2 million tonnes of different types of cargo.

Press Release Date 25 May 2018

Rostock (Germany), May 2018 – Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) has recently taken delivery of a new Liebherr Mobile Harbour Crane LHM 420, which was delivered fully assembled by sea from Liebherr's factory in Rostock.

Shannon Foynes Port Company opted for a new Liebherr mobile harbour crane type LHM 420. The addition of this new state-of-the-art crane will help maximise the potential of the deep water port at Foynes and contribute to the creation of up to 3,000 jobs along the Shannon Estuary. The crane was procured by Shannon Foynes Port Company through a competitive tendering process. The tender documentation paid particular attention to the machine's quality and technical innovations along with ongoing aftersales support.

The new LHM 420 was delivered fully assembled to the Port of Foynes by the MV Papenburg heavy load carrier. Loading took place at the Liebherr production facility in Rostock, Germany and the sailing time to Foynes was six days. On arrival in Foynes, the crane was simply driven off the vessel by Liebherr engineers and was ready for work the same day. Traditionally, cranes would have had to be delivered in component form with a lengthy onsite assembly and testing programme. This would have necessitated a large area being made available for the entire assembly process, which in turn would have hampered port activities. But with direct sea access to the factory in Rostock, Liebherr can now deliver cranes fully assembled to destinations all over the world to save customers time and inconvenience.

Reduced noise emissions

The new crane will primarily be used in the handling of bulk products at the port. The LHM 420 benefits from an industry-leading grab curve of 75 tonnes. This allows larger grabs to be installed, which results in increased turnover per cycle and ultimately reduced fuel consumption. To prevent dusty cargos from entering the machinery room, the crane is also fitted with a positive air pressure system that pressurises the machinery room with clean air. In addition to bulk products, the new crane will also be handling project cargo, in particular wind turbines. Thanks to the precise handling and control offered by the Liebherr hydrostatic drive system, the LHM 420 is the ideal machine for the handling of delicate cargos like wind turbine blades. With a maximum lifting capacity of 124 tonnes, the LHM 420 will also give the port a heavy lifting capability.
Due to the port’s close proximity to the town of Foynes, the new crane had to be near silent in operation. Additional sound proofing was installed to reduce noise emissions to ensure that the crane could not be heard by nearby residents and business owners.

Investment in our customers

Shannon Foynes Port Company CEO Pat Keating said: “We need efficient jetties but we also need efficient plant and machinery and this crane gives us all of that and more. This piece of equipment is future proofing the port. It's something we need for the here and now but it's also planning ahead. The greater lift capacity and reach it provides us with enables us to bring in new business. That means more ships, bigger ships and processing them with faster turnaround times. So it’s an investment in our customers. And with the LHM 420’s very low emissions and lower noise levels, its environmental footprint is minimised.”
John Carlton, Engineering & Port Services Manager for Shannon Foynes Port Company, explained that the crane has been in the planning for a number of years and added: “The LHM 420 mobile harbour crane from Liebherr is the biggest crane we have ever had in the port. Its lifting capacity is just over double our existing capacity at 124 tonnes per single lift. It also has a grab curve of 75 tonnes, which is 45 per cent larger than what we currently have. Everything about this crane is bigger, better, faster, stronger: it's a very significant piece of equipment for the port.”
Robert Alexander, Sales Manager at Liebherr-Great Britain and Ireland, said: “Liebherr is proud to be working with Shannon Foynes Port Company and we would like to thank the Port for its professionalism throughout the entire tender process. We wish SFPC every success as it expands its operations and look forward to working with the company in the future.”

Press Release Date 24 May 2018 

The performance result was attributed primarily to a decline in liquid bulk segment.

Handling of dry cargo across the division's assets rose 3% to 7.6 million tonnes, while export of liquid oil products dropped by 25.4% to 1.8 million tonnes following a decrease in customer orders at oil ports of Tuapse and Taganrog.

Exports share accounted for 86% in the 1Q volumes, down 1% year-on-year, while imports totaled 13% or 1.2 million tonnes, and short sea traffic volume accounted for 1% of the three-month throughput.

The best performance was reported in a break-bulk segment: a 9.3-percent increase to 2.6 million tonnes, primarily due to a 14.5-percent growth in ferrous metals shipments (1.9 million tonnes) and more than a twofold spike in scrap metal exports (160,000 tonnes).

Container traffic* in tonnage volume rose 6% to 2.2 million tonnes. In the first quarter Container Terminal St. Petersburg updated its previous record handling 168,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), which represents a 7% gain year-on-year and retained its top position among leading terminal operators in Russia. The growth of container business was reported by Sea Port of St. Petersburg JSC. Since the beginning of the year, container traffic at SP St.Pb surged by 40% to more than 6,000 TEUs.

In the reporting period handling of dry bulk segment (grab / suction cargoes) by UCL Port's companies decreased by 4.2% to 2.8 million tonnes as coal exporters reduced (by 17% to 1,8 million tonnes) the commodity shipment through terminals in Tuapse, Taganrog, and due to adverse ice conditions prevailing during the period at Port of Ust-Luga. The decline in bulk cargo segment was partially offset by a 25-percent growth in grain exports through Tuapse Grain Terminal and in the Port of Taganrog to 770,000 tonnes.

About UCL Holding
Universal Cargo Logistics Holding (UCL Holding) is the international transportation group established in 2007. The Group consolidates Freight One, an independent railway operator of a rail network throughout Russia, Russia's North-West based stevedore companies Sea Port of St. Petersburg (SP St.Pb), Container Terminal St. Petersburg (CTSP) and Multipurpose Reloading Complex LLC (MRC), Tuapse and Taganrog sea ports located in the country's southern region. Volga Shipping, North-Western Shipping companies, VF.Tanker and Okskaya Sudoverf Shipyard are also members of UCL Holding. The Holding's business is split into three main activity divisions: UCL Rail, UCL Port and VBTH.

* - Including container throughput at Container Terminal St. Petersburg, Sea Port of St. Petersburg and Taganrog Sea Commercial Port (TagSCP).

**- Including volumes of alumina handled since 2017

Press Release Date 28 May 2018

Kalmar has announced that it will deliver the fully autonomous equipment, software and services for to Yara's Porsgrunn facility in Norway during the second quarter of 2020.

Tove Andersen, EVP Production, Yara, said: "With this agreement, Yara Birkeland is not just the world's first electric and autonomous container vessel; it is the world's first fully digitalised and electric supply chain, with all operations, including loading, unloading and sailing conducted in a fully autonomous manner with zero emissions.

"Kalmar has the proven equipment and software, and the know-how to integrate their solutions into our supply chain."

Yara, a world-leading mineral fertilizer company that helps feed more than 300 million people worldwide, last year announced a partnership with technology company Kongsberg to build the world's first fully autonomous, battery operated container vessel.

Yara Birkeland will reduce emissions and improve road safety by removing up to 40,000 truck journeys annually in a densely populated area of Norway.

The vessel will transport fertilizer from Yara's Porsgrunn plant via inland waterways to the deep-sea ports of Larvik and Brevik, a journey of 31 nautical miles.

Kalmar will provide the autonomous loading and unloading solution for Yara Birkeland, as well as transportation between the fertilizer production facilities and the quay.

The Kalmar solution consists of one Kalmar Automated Rail Mounted Gantry Crane (AutoRMG), three Kalmar FastCharge AutoStrads, a FastCharge charging station and related automation and safety systems.

Kalmar will implement the system in phases, with the level of automation gradually increased over time.

The result will be a fully autonomous, mixed-traffic and zero-emission solution in an industrial environment. 

Kalmar will also support Yara's operations with a full-scale service contract.

The Kalmar Care contract includes full maintenance with parts for Kalmar FastCharge AutoStrads including an availability agreement as well as preventive maintenance for the Kalmar AutoRMG crane.

Furthermore, Kalmar personnel will provide operational, automation and software support for the whole solution.

Tero Kokko, Senior Vice President, Automation and Projects, Kalmar, commented: "We are very excited to work with Yara on this unique groundbreaking project.

“The project involves several firsts for us, including the first fully automated RMG for vessel loading, unloading and container storage management.

“Furthermore, the Kalmar FastCharge AutoStrads will drive along the public roads in the Porsgrunn industrial park, which is also used by normal road traffic.

“We are working closely with local authorities and other parties to ensure the safety of passengers and vehicles at all times.”

May 24, 2018 by Port Technology

According to TagSCP statement, the growth should be attributed to the increased market demand for key types of cargo handled at TagSCP's terminals and thanks to favorable weather conditions during winter navigation season.

In the first three month, cargo handling in dry bulk segment (grab / suction cargoes) increased by 36% to 235,000 tonnes, primarily thanks to a five-fold surge in grain volume to 82,000 tonnes following the 2017 high yield in the country and favorable global market environment. Besides, volumes of ore rose 49% to 16,000 tonnes. At the same time, a 3-percent decline was reported in coal exports to 136,500 tonnes

There was a 38-percent decrease in break bulk cargo to 53,000 tonnes in the reporting period as the port saw a 43-percent slump in ferrous metal volumes (31,000 tonnes) since shippers of the export commodity reduced shipments. Handling of 'big bags' and crate cargo fell by 27% to 22,000 tonnes.

Negative trend was also seen in liquid bulk segment: the cargo volume shrank by 28% to 43,500 tonnes. Container throughput of TagSCP remained unchanged year-on-year, at 550 TEUs (1,200 tonnes).

TagSCP handled 260,000 tonnes of export cargo and 21,000 tonnes of import cargo. Short-sea traffic via the company's berths totaled 52,000 tonnes. Exports and imports accounted for 78% and 6% of the total three-month cargo volumes with domestic shipments making 16%.

In January-March 2018, Taganrog Sea Commercial Port handled 4,264 rail cars and 80 merchant vessels.

About TagSCP
AO Taganrog Sea Commercial Port (TagSCP, a company of UCL Port, which is a stevedoring division of the international transportation group UCL Holding) is a major stevedore operating at Russia's southern Port of Taganrog. The company provides cargo handling services at the Taganrog port's Berths No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. In 2017, TSCP handled 1.59 million tonnes of cargo.

Press Release Date 

This March, Container Terminal St. Pb beat its monthly throughput record handling 64 802 TEUs, which is 15% more than in March 2017. Main customers of CTSP contributed to strong performance results increasing their containerized flows to the terminal.

Handling of import containers in the first quarter increased to 83,400 TEUs, including 19,000 TEUs of reefer containers, and export containers volume reached 85,100 TEUs. So, the share of outbound containers handled at the facility account for 55% while inbound containers – 44.5% of the CTSP total three-month volumes.

Following the 1Q results CTSP retains its market share at 32% among other container terminal operators in the ports of St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga.

In the reporting period, handling of alumina cargo at the terminal leaped by 21.8% year-on-year to 163,000 tonnes.

In January-March, 144 vessels made calls at the container terminal with an average container ship cargo of 1078 TEUs. The share of rail freight shipments was 28% of the total cargo traffic at CTSP.

About CTSP
Container Terminal Saint-Petersburg ZAO (CTSP, part of UCL Port, a stevedoring division of UCL Holding) is a modern facility specializing in handling of all types of container cargo, including refrigerated containers, oversize and hazardous cargoes. In 2017 container throughput at CTSP reached 643,700 TEUs.

Press Release Date 28 May 2018

In March this year, DP World and Andino Investment Holding announced an agreement for DP World to acquire 100% of the shares of CAM for USD 315.7 million.

This also includes 100% of the shares in Triton Transports and Neptunia, and 50% in Terminales Portuarios Euroandinos in the Port of Paita, which is the second largest container terminal in Peru.

As explained, the transaction expands DP World's footprint in Peru by adding another container terminal to the existing one at Callao as well as integrated logistics services.

"Latin America is a very important market for us and this move adds value for our customers in the region with logistics services to our existing container terminal in Callao and inland container terminal in Lurin," DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, commented.

May 28, 2018 by World Maritime News

The delivery and naming ceremony for CMA CGM Jean Mermoz was held at Subic Bay Philippines yard on May 25.

Featuring a length of 400 meters and a width of 59 meters, the ultra large container vessel (ULCV) flies the flag of Malta.

CMA CGM Jean Mermoz is the company's second of three identical giant ships ordered at Hanjin Subic. The first ship from the batch, CMA CGM Antoine de Saint Exupery, was delivered to its owner earlier this year and the third vessel is expected to be delivered in September 2018, the shipbuilder said.

According to data provided by VesselsValue, CMA CGM Jean Mermoz currently has a market value of USD 138.23 million.

The newbuild will be deployed in French Asia Line 1 which connects Asia to Northern Europe.

May 28, 2018 by World Maritime News

The cargo handling company's senior vice president for Mobile Equipment, Dan Pettersson, said that this will change "pretty much everything", that the future for all-sized machines is "electric" and that electrically-powered models will soon overtake diesel-electric hybrid models in both economy and performance.

Expanding demand

Mr Pettersson said that Kalmar will make all its products available as electrically-powered versions by 2021 due to both industry demand and the fact that this is increasing much quicker than could have been anticipated just a few years ago.

The senior vice president explained that currently, the strongest demand for all-electric container and material handling solutions is from "forward-looking customers in several different markets", with these solutions' development being accelerated by multiple regional and state ventures globally, many of which are very ambitious and being implemented very quickly.

Engine and driveline technology suppliers have noticed this and have been eager to partner with Kalmar while investing rapidly in electrification, he noted.

Mr Pettersson also said that moving to electric will have "major implications" for cargo and material handling operations' infrastructure and that the change will cause a big shift in the competences needed for the equipment's maintenance.

"Moving to electrically powered equipment will require careful planning to minimise the impact on operations, and the end result should obviously be the same level of performance — or better — than with diesel-powered solutions," he commented.

Looking ahead

The senior vice president additionally touched on the requirement for a form of "power and charging infrastructure" for the development, claiming that this affects the whole operating model and that due to battery technology developing so quickly, moving towards performance-based solutions — which see a trusted partner manage the infrastructure — may be attractive for some operators.

However, a great thing about moving to electric driveline technology is that it can also allow upgrades to current fleets, and diesel-powered equipment still in the middle of its life can be retrofitted to completely-electric drive, he said.

Concluding his article, the senior vice president said that going electric comprised just "one step in a larger future roadmap" and that although cargo and material handling evolution's ongoing next stage comprises automated and driverless systems, electrification forms the basis for their take-up.

Additionally, although the transformation that digitalisation has caused is now a reality, and Kalmar already has near to 5,000 mobile equipment machines connected worldwide — offering data helping customers better their service offering and terminal performance — it can offer much more value over future years, Mr Pettersson explained.

"The electric future is coming so fast that the discussion of how and when to accomplish this transformation needs to start now," he said.

May 27, 2018 by Port Strategy

Intermodal said that “according to Morgan Stanley’s latest report, besides key fundamentals and political externalities, oil prices will be severely impacted as new international shipping regulations takes effect, overhauling the types of fuels produced by refiners, and will push Brent crude reaching $90 a barrel by 2020. An increase in demand of low sulphur fuels will hike demand of middle distillate products (diesel and marine gasoil), that will result a significant need for more crude; this will drive crack spreads higher and will boost oil prices. Consequently, several hybrid fuels (Ultra low sulphur Fuel oils) will be marketed by refineries and traders; however they have several red flags (compatibility issues among others). Hence, it seems very unlikely that refiners, traders and bunker suppliers will manage to market a “one spec fits all” low sulphur fuel oil product. This will create an oversupply of high sulphur fuel oil that is expected to put pressure on refineries to produce more distillate fuels”.

According to Mr. Ilias M. Lalaounis, SnP broker with Intermodal, “data from the report suggests that middle distillate markets are already pretty tight in matters of supply; i.e. diesel and gasoil stockpiles in key storage hubs in Europe, the U.S. and Asia are currently below their 5-yr seasonal averages. At the same time, demand for these distillates is growing annually by 600k barrels/day since 2011, accelerating to 800,000 barrels/day in recent quarters. According to recent studies, the IMO regulation is expected to boost demand by an additional 1.5 million barrels/day by 2020, which should boost crude prices. While global crude production will most likely rise, it probably won’t increase by the 5.7 million barrels/day needed by 2020 to meet the additional demand for fuels. Since current fundamentals as well as the IMO regulation impact point to higher bunker prices, speed & consumptions of ships are once again on the spotlight. Consequently, the instalment (or not) of scrubbers is already a big debate among owners and charterers. If the above analysis is proven correct, and a sudden increase in demand of middle distillates is combined with tight distillate product supply as well as high crude oil prices and an oversupply of high sulphur fuel oil, then the price differential between low sulphur marine gasoil and high sulphur fuel oil will be definitely significant. The question is how long will a large price gap exist for and if it will suffice for the payback of the initial investment cost to install a scrubber. In other words, will this price differential incentivize refiners to invest in high cost cocker installations and upgrade their current infrastructure and how long will this process take”.

Lalaounis added that “amid the high cost of bunkers post 2020, charterers will most likely request owners to slow steam; whereas ships with scrubbers will enjoy the flexibility and maximize ton-mile revenue. Similarly, if the majority of the fleet is slow steaming, and in combination with a possible increase of scrapping tonnage that can’t adapt on the new environmental regulations, we see less vessels competing over cargos; that will probably drive the market upwards. All in all, although the advantages of installing scrubbers especially on thirsty ships are clear, we see only a few owners and newbuilding orders that include scrubbers on board, with the vast majority of orders being “scrubber ready”. Our feeling is that due to current market condition, most owners adopt a “wait and see approach” and currently hold their horses”, he concluded.

May 30, 2018 by Hellenic Shipping News

Oman has been recently experienced rapid growth in the aggregate market, and the partnership looks to develop the countries existing capacity for export.

The project will utilize the existing Bulk terminal No. 25 at SOHAR port and will develop a new stockpile yard, bringing the total area to 200,000sqm.

When completed, the new terminal is expected to have an annual loading capacity of 8 million tonnes.

The development works will be carried out over a 20 month period, during which temporary hybrid solution will be established to allow aggregate export to move freely.

The hybrid solution will be located on terminal 2D with a total area of approximately 100,000sqm, featuring two mobile ship unloaders with a capacity of 750MT/hour.

Mark Geilenkirchen said, “SOHAR is ideally equipped to develop high-capacity aggregate facilities, especially when you consider most of the quarries producing mineral aggregate are in close proximity to the port.

“As a result, the port provides easy access for export and a great opportunity for development.

“We are proud to join hands with such a forward thinking company as Marafi SOHAR, who has a long-term strategy in place to expand their horizons internationally, through business partnerships and relations, with SOHAR as their gateway to the gulf and beyond.”

May 30, 2018 by Port Technology

The Yunlin project, located eight kilometers (five miles) from shore, has a contract value of approximately $580 million and is being developed by the Germany's wpd. Van Oord is responsible for the design, manufacturing and installation of the windfarm's 80 foundations.

Taiwan's offshore wind strategy is driven by the desire to phase out nuclear energy, and high wind speeds, manageable distances in terms of coastal and water depth and a progressive government policy are making offshore wind an attractive energy alternative. The government aims to install 5.5GW of offshore wind projects by 2025.

The Yunlin project is part of the Taiwanese government's feed-in tariff program which is connected to the Taiwan network and allows a long-term power contract of 20 years. In 2020, about 350 MW must be connected to the grid, with the remaining part following in 2021.

Taiwan announced the results of its first major offshore wind farm auction at the end of April with wpd awarded one GW of capacity and Ørsted 900MW.

The Yunlin project is the first Van Oord offshore wind project in Taiwan and also its first wind contract outside Europe. However, Taiwan is familiar territory due to previous dredging and offshore projects. At the end of 2017, Van Oord completed one of Taiwan's largest land reclamation projects with the creation of 250 hectares of new land in the Port of Kaohsiung.

May 30, 2018 by Maritime-Executive

The 300,000 ton artificial deep-water port, the largest port in Northern China and the gateway to Beijing, achieved fully integrated terminal operation and management across its entire terminal network in less than eight months, the quickest implementation ever undertaken by Navis.

After the TOS was implemented at the sixth and final terminal, Tianjin Orient Container Terminal (TOCT), Tianjin Ports is now the largest N4 terminal complex by TEU — handling 15 million TEU annually.

Head of Tianjin Port Information Technology CO, Zhao Decheng, commented: "As we continue to grow and expand our services, it was critical that we implement a plan to consolidate and integrate all container terminal operations and support our multi-facility network under a single database.

"In our search for a TOS provider, we also had high expectations for system stability and scalability and needed a partner who could support our clear roadmap to automation – we knew that Navis would be able to deliver on most of our goals."

"In the end, we got exactly what we expected and thanks to the preparedness of the project team, including Navis' operational consultants, we accomplished the transition faster than we ever could have hoped."

Prior to implementing N4, Tianjin Port’s six container terminals operated on three different systems, each running with six different versions, which added complexity to the planning and execution of the transition.

The fragmented system cause many operational challenges for the port, including a lack of shared resources and uniform technical architecture across terminals, a lack of data standardization due to heavily siloed information, and substantial risks to data security and integrity.

VP and General Manager APAC of Navis, Mark Welles, said: “There were several challenges associated with a multi-terminal go-live of this size and multiple operational issues that needed to be planned for and addressed.

“The Navis and Tianjin teams worked tirelessly to complete a seamless transition and as a result, the port can now support the operations of all six container terminals through a single application portfolio and unified database.

“The implementation of the integrated system has improved the overall security of the application system, reduced the operating risk and operating costs and at the same time, the data standardization under N4 has provided a solid foundation for big data analysis to help with future planning.”

May 31, 2018 by Port Technology

The ultra large boxship, which was hit by a serious fire on March 6, berthed at Jebel Ali port on Sunday, 27 May, after spending over two months at sea.

"Containers which have been declared sound and for which all General Average and Salvage securities have been submitted are being released now and will be loaded on other vessels for transport to their final destination," the Danish shipping major said in a statement.

The company added that the condition of the vessel will be further evaluated after berthing, confirming its earlier announced plans to repair the Maersk Honam.

A full investigation in collaboration with relevant authorities is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

Maersk Honam was hit by a serious fire while sailing around 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman. The fire claimed the lives of a total of five crew members.

June 1, 2018 by World Maritime News

Speaking at the 15th ESPO conference, the CEO said that stepping up the EU's investments into port infrastructure would help strengthen and improve Europe's economy and competitive position.

Castelein commented: "A port is only as strong as its hinterland connections.

"Solid infrastructure connections to and from ports and port-industrial complexes are of crucial importance for European prosperity and employment."

Castelein wants the EU to free up more financial resources for infrastructure developments in the EU's upcoming long-term budget and recommended that the Connecting European Facility (CEF) should be extended to include European energy transition projects — ensuring the future proofing of ports.

Focusing further on energy transition, Castelein drew attention to the challenges faced in realizing the emissions target set out by the Paris Agreement — commenting that ports need to take responsibility and show leadership.

Castelein said: “In this major transition, we are completely dependent on each other.

“No organisation can realise the energy transition on its own.

“It requires us to all put sustainability high on the agenda.

“The need to make this energy transition is so urgent that in addition to collaboration and decisive action, we count on the EU and local authorities to offer generous support and constructive policies.”

June 1, 2018 by Port Technology

Blockchain technology acts as an open digital ledger that can be used by trade actors to record and extract details regarding transactions with greater security, transparency and efficiency.

Silsal was conceived to address the gap in the market for exporters and importers, to provide easy and public access to transaction status updates, reduce the need for paperwork, calls and physical visits as well as to speed up information exchange overall. Maqta Gateway will be able to encrypt all transport documentation, including the Bill of Lading, Delivery Oder, Booking and Transport Orders.

The project was developed internally in the Digital Innovation Lab without external partners, and has been field tested with customers of Abu Dhabi Ports. Initially, the technology will be offered to freight forwarders and their customers. It will subsequently extended to the rest of the trade community as a complementary tool to the existing Maqta's Port Community System.

According to the World Economic Forum, potential savings from blockchain technologies range from 20 percent of the total physical transportation costs, amounting to $1 trillion addition to global trade. For shipping, the system offers real-time cargo and document tracking.

The system joins a growing number of blockchain applications including systems developed by Maersk, the Port of Brisbane, the Port of Antwerp and the Port of Rotterdam.

June 3, 2018 by Maritime-Executive