Weekly Edition 16th of July 2009

Somalia calls for coastguard funding

SOMALIA will launch a legitimate armed coastguard service charged with anti-piracy duty, provided sufficient financial support from other countries is available, a senior official in the country’s interim government has stated, writes David Osler .

Turkish navy shadowing Horizon I after hijack

A TURKISH navy frigate is shadowing the handysize bulk carrier Horizon 1 after the 34,173 dwt vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden.

A fifth of German owners are victims of piracy

ONE in five German shipowners has been the victim of a pirate attack, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, writes Friederike Krieger in Cologne.

Nigeria attacks driven by crime not politics, says BRS

THE large majority of attacks on maritime targets in Nigeria are motivated by criminality rather than politics, even though in some cases the perpetrators may be the same, according to a new analysis from Bergen Risk Solutions, writes David Osler.

Stowaways on the increase again, warns London Club

A lack of regard for international security procedures in some countries adding to rise

Shipowners eye data interception to avert pirate attacks

SHIPOWNERS seeking to keep one step ahead of pirates intent on attacking their ships have been contacting Inmarsat about monitoring communications in the areas where the pirates are operating.

Sea Diamond senior officers and operator blamed in Greek probe

Scene of the accident: erroneous mapping of the shore area was the sole cause of the 2007 sinking, according to operator Louis.

Cruise passenger dies in norovirus scare

ONE passenger has died and a further four have been hospitalised after more than 150 people were taken ill following a suspected outbreak of norovirus on Transocean Tours’ cruiseship Marco Polo, which was alongside in the Scottish port of Invergordon last week.

MOL Prosperity fire believed to have started in dry freight box

FIRE department officers in Hong Kong have launched an investigation into a blaze onboard the 6,350 teu boxship MOL Prosperity after it emerged that the fire started in a container of dry freight rather than one carrying dangerous goods.

Crush accident on ferry sparks MAIB call for safety rethink

FREIGHT ferry Eurovoyager regularly compromised its watertight integrity by making the Ostend-Ramsgate Channel crossing with many of its internal doors open, according to a Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report, which bases the claim on data from the vessel’s voyage data recorder.

Casualty Briefs - 16th July 2009

 

Exporters exuberant

AUSTRALIA’S tourism and mining industries were hardest hit by the global financial crisis but there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel with the majority of exporters believing that sales will increase in the next 12 months.

Humpbacks entertain the marine world in Port Phillip Bay

WHALE SPOTTING: Correspondents from Melbourne report a fleet of humpback whales in Port Phillip Bay over the last fortnight. A ferry skipper sighted up to four of the whales next to the Queen of the Netherlands as she worked to dredge the bay. The ferry Sorrento (pictured above) had to give way to a whale on a sunny Sunday afternoon as crowds watched on from the shore.

Canberra to push against marine pests

THE FEDERAL Government has ramped up its efforts to combat marine pests.

Hunter coal producers asked to join export expansion plan

HUNTER coal producers have been invited to participate in a potential 30m tonne expansion of Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group’s (NCIG) export terminal in Newcastle.

2010 nominated to be the year of the seafarer

NEXT year will mark the Year of the Seafarer, the council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared in a session in London, endorsing a proposal from secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos.

More heat on Swire over spill

SWIRE Shipping has been asked to remove containers that have been on the seabed off southeast Queensland since the Pacific Adventurer casualty.

DP World invests in future of Port Botany

INTERNATIONAL stevedore DP World has committed to making new investments as part of an agreement to operate at Sydney’s Port Botany for another 15 years.

Hapag-Lloyd needs cash to survive

GERMANY’S largest container line, Hapag-Lloyd, needs fresh capital of more than €1bn (US$1.4bn).

Rowsthorn reduces stake in Asciano

CHIEF executive Mark Rowsthorn has reduced his stake in Asciano when taking up his entitlement under the company’s recent capital raising process, Asciano confirmed on Tuesday.

Third Sydney stevedore decision soon

SYDNEY Ports Corporation expects to announce its decision on Port Botany’s third container terminal operator by mid-August.

Golar enters liquid natural gas market with WA joint-venture

JOHN Fredriksen’s Golar LNG is expanding its presence in the liquefied natural gas logistics chain with its first floating liquefaction unit.

Deltec buy extends Toll’s presence in Asia market

THE TOLL Group, which has expanded into freight forwarding in Asia, is planning a similar move into the express parcels and courier sector after acquiring three mainly Hong Kong-based outfits.

Newbulker ‘deluge’ to counter congestion

OWNERS of dry bulk tonnage hope chronic delays at ports in China and Australia will continue to prop up freight rates, as a “deluge” of new ships is delivered from yards this quarter.

Caution on rates despite iron ore trade imbalance

COAL and iron ore seaborne trade hit 460m tonnes in the second quarter of 2009, the fifth highest volume recorded since 2004 and up from 419m tonnes the previous quarter.

Centre simulates real sea situations for Australian Maritime College

AFTER more than two years in the making, the Australian Maritime College (AMC) this month unveiled its new $7m simulation complex.

Coal demand returning to Queensland

THE PORT of Abbot Point set a monthly tonnage record in June, exporting almost 1.66m tonnes of coal in a reflection of improving export numbers for other Queensland ports

Retiring after 33-years of helping seafarers

Canon Bill Christianson has vacated his position as general secretary of the Mission to Seafarers. Sandra Speares speaks to him about his time with the organisation that still has a hold on him

Marine equipment makers reveal more fake cases

THE JAPANESE Marine Equipment Association (JSMEA) has revealed further incidents of counterfeit marine products following a high-profile case in Pusan that led to an out of court settlement.

Singapore box traffic falls 18%

SINGAPORE container volumes were down 18% during the first half of the year mark at 12.3m teu.

Pirates attack VLCC as first female is taken hostage

A LIBERIAN-flagged very large crude carrier was attacked this week by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement from the Maritime Security Centre, Horn of Africa (MSCHOA).

Norway getting ready for an LNG-powered future

OVER a third of the global shipping fleet could easily switch to liquefied natural gas as a fuel source, according to Per Magne Einang, research director at Norwegian research group Marintek.

Smart system that can save fuel

WITH bunker prices hitting US$700 per tonne in the middle of last year, up from US$330 per tonne in January 2007, shipowners and charterers looked at myriad ways of cutting fuel consumption.

Slow steaming gives way to new focus

SHIPPING companies started taking green innovation more seriously when bunker prices soared past US$700 per tonne last year, at a time when regulatory pressure to reduce air emissions was coming to the fore.

Hybrid locomotive proves its worth in port

TEST results from a two-month trial involving a hybrid shunting locomotive at work in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands should prove the benefits of dual diesel and electric power.

Lloyd’s insurance up impacting all lines

INSURANCE costs at Lloyd’s have edged up steadily this year by an average of 5% across all lines, according to market specialist Hampden Agencies.

NOL distances itself from transpacific rate rise talk

NEPTUNE Orient Lines has cast doubt on planned rate increases on the transpacific trade, saying there was “no assurance” they can be successfully implemented.

Capesize rates plummet despite fixture flurry

THE LONG-anticipated drop in the capesize market has begun after rates fell dramatically after weeks of buoyant prices.

No slowdown for biggest Sydney projects despite global gloom

Awareness of long-term needs keeps expansion of Port Botany and proposed Enfield intermodal terminal firmly on the agenda, reports Sam Collyer

Sydney set to cast off landside sloth

Years of neglect have caused NSW to fall behind other states in essential infrastructure projects. But now things are moving, reports Sam Collyer

Logistics hub: cleaner, greener

MEMBERS of Sydney’s logistics and supply chain industry gathered on June 29 for the official launch of a state-of-the-art complex which opened for business in May.

Newcastle poised to catch new wave

THE NEWCASTLE Port Corporation remains optimistic about how it is positioned to facilitate new trade through the port, despite conceding that many prospective customers had been forced to re-evaluate their potential trade opportunities through the facility.

No brake on Hunter region

EXPANSION of the Hunter coal industry is expected to give a huge boost to the port of Newcastle’s 2008/09 non-coal trade results.

Coal comes out of too-hard basket as Newcastle dust settles

SEVEN cranes stand out when looking north across the harbour from the centre of Newcastle.

NSW farmers greet grain train move with caution

WHILE the NSW Farmers Association gave a qualified welcome to news in June that GrainCorp would gain branch-line locomotives and rolling stock, its concern for the lines themselves remained unabated.

Cars set to best coal at Port Kembla

CAR IMPORTS are expected to generate more revenue for Port Kembla than its coal operations in the next few years, according to chief executive Dom Figliomeni.

Floating oil platform spend to hit US$11bn

MORE than US$11bn of investment could be spent on deepwater floating oil production platforms in the next five years as oil companies continue to develop new fields. Deepwater operations are well insulated from the recent drop in oil prices and this year’s slump in demand for oilfield services.

ABB profit warning as Asian demand slows

ABB Grain has slashed its profit forecast for the 2009 financial year by more than 10% as Asian demand for malt, fertilisers and chemicals slows.

BDI doomed to the doldrums

THE cost of transporting coal, iron ore and grain by sea is forecast to decline this quarter as coal shipments ease.

Port Hedland iron ore shipments fall in June

IRON ore volumes exported from Port Hedland in June was 2.7% lower than May, the port authority’s latest figures show.

Port still loading despite Timbercorp collapse

THE PORT of Albany is continuing to export Timbercorp’s woodchip product, despite the imminent winding up of the company. Timbercorp has been in voluntary administration since April.

Evergreen Marine sheds old box ships

EVERGREEN Marine, Taiwan’s largest liner company, has confirmed it will either scrap or redeliver back to owners 31 containerships up to 26 years old in a program that will continue until 2013.

Rough seas – K Line shuffles pack

DESPITE the severe downturn in the shipping market, as of June Kawasaki Kishen Kaisha was still forecasting a modest profit for fiscal year 2009 which ends on March 31, 2010.

CSCL increases freight rates

CHINA Shipping Container Lines, China’s second largest box carrier, has raised freight rates by between US$200 and US$300 per teu on signs of improved market conditions.

‘If we do not get money we beat the crew badly’

A DEFIANT warning from a senior Somali pirate that violence could be used against hijacked crews has raised serious concerns that ransom negotiation tactics are being intensified as pirates push for more money.

Korean lines take up government handout

SOME of South Korea’s leading shipping companies are among maritime operators aiming to take advantage of a sale and lease-back fund led by state-run Korea Asset Management Corp.

Lashings of reform

LLOYD’S Register (LR) is preparing to introduce new provisional rules on ergonomic container lashing aimed at protecting stevedores and ships’ crews from the hazards of securing containers on deck.

Shanghai aims to halt slide with transhipment boost

SHANGHAI International Port Group (SIPG) says it will struggle to meet its 2009 throughput target of 29m teu due to the global shipping downturn.

Japan, Iran send more warships

JAPAN and Iran have strengthened their anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden by sending additional warships to the area.

Youth, experience meet to launch online shipping industry course

IN A first for the two groups, Young Shipping Australia and Shipping Australia held a joint function at New South Wales parliament house last month.

Young Shipping Australia and Shipping Photos

 

Owners enlist Inmarsat for communications aid

SHIPOWNERS seeking to keep one step ahead of pirates intent on attacking their ships have been contacting Inmarsat about monitoring communications in the areas where the pirates are operating, writes Steve Matthews .

Armed response Pirate attacks double

PIRACY attacks more than doubled in the first half of the year due almost entirely to attacks off Somalia according to the International Maritime Bureau, writes Marcus Hand.

News in brief

SHELL and Vopak are joining forces to develop a liquefied natural gas terminal in the south of France, writes Tony Gray .

Suspected Somali pirates appear in Yemen court

SOME 22 suspected Somali pirates have appeared in court in Yemen, after being arrested by international naval detachments in the Gulf of Aden.