Weekly Edition 23rd September

Botany rail provokes new NSW minister to action

NEW SOUTH Wales ports minister Eric Roozendaal will regulate freight prices at Port Botany in response to what he describes as an “unacceptable” move by stevedore Patrick to lift its rail window fees by 67%.

Australian wheat exports set for bumper increase

PRODUCTION volumes and exports of Australian wheat will likely increase, according to the latest commodity outlook from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Business opportunity seen from hazard-shy shipping lines

ENTREPRENEURS believe they have spotted a new opportunity that has arisen to carry a particular cargo from China to Australia, particularly Western Australia. The cargo is calcium hypochlorite (chemical symbol Ca(ClO)2). It is highly sought by end users and freight transport is highly demanded by shippers. It is used to sanitize drinking water and swimming pools.

Freight forwarders bulking up to stay in the race

THE FREIGHT forwarding industry is poised to see more consolidation in coming years as smaller companies look to stay competitive in the current environment.

New South East Asia service kicks off

THE NEW South East Asia-Australia service jointly operated by China Shipping Container Line, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine and United Arab Shipping Corp has completed its first southbound voyage.

EDITIORIAL: Pirates are vicious criminals not loveable scallywags

Yesterday, the world 'celebrated' International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Indeed, in a statement, Tim Pallas, the roads and ports minister in Victoria declared that: "Victoria was prepared for an inundation of landlubbers speaking like pirates and being all round scallywags . . . International Talk Like a Pirate Day is obviously an opportunity for landlubbers to hoist the Jolly Roger and go sailin’, fightin’, and a-piratin’ in search of booty."

Brisbane pilots try guide ACCC in their direction

AN APPLICATION for exclusive piloting rights at the Port of Brisbane by the Brisbane Marine Pilots Association (BMP) has attracted a total of six submissions with some for and some against.

Brisbane surcharges bring surge of complaints

FIGURES in the transport industry say they will consider asking the ACCC to act after stevedores Patricks and DP World imposed extra charges on transport operators at the port of Brisbane.

Shipping sees good news in major electricity project in Victoria

A PROPOSED coal-fired power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley could yet prove a tidy little earner for an international shipping company.

Box lines prepare to cut back Asia-Europe capacity

CONTAINER shipping lines on the Asia- Europe trade are preparing to withdraw capacity in anticipation of flat volumes and to prevent falling freight rates.

Maersk to flag 30 new vessels in Singapore

AP MOLLER-Maersk is to register more than 30 new vessels under the Singapore flag over the next three years.

MSC poised to order extra-wide vessels

MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Co is poised to resume newbuilding activity after a three-year gap.

For hire: anti-piracy patrol boat with armed personnel

Sea Marshals is offering protection in the Gulf of Aden using converted naval vessels crewed by Ukrainian former special forces soldiers, writes DAVID OSLER

Guards run risk of prosecution if they fire

PAOLO Ghiradani, partner at London maritime law firm Stephenson Harwood, points to some of the legal hurdles involved in using private armed guards on board.

SLOW STEAM: Why a change of pace may be best for all

The days of full speed ahead may not return for the foreseeable future but as markets recover, intermediate speeds may prove most economic for owners and shippers alike, writes STEVE MATTHEWS

Surprises are lurking in uncharted territory

Which way is global economic growth really going? Here be dragons, warns TOM LEANDER from Hong Kong

Cargill reveals size of stake in derivatives market

AGRIBUSINESS giant Cargill International has been revealed as the largest player in the dry freight derivatives market, trading between 230m-250m tonnes of freight annually, comprising as much as 25% of the entire market.

Shanghai exchange has no plans for rival to Baltic Exchange’

THE SHANGHAI Shipping Exchange says it has no plans to develop any international dry bulk freight indices to rival London’s Baltic Dry Index.

Hong Kong lines to sign low-sulphur fuel pledge

IN A first for Asia, members of the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association are expected to agree to a set of voluntary clean fuel initiatives aimed at reducing air pollution caused by emissions from ships.

Insurers in Cargo market set for loss

THE GLOBAL cargo insurance sector is to report a technical loss for 2009 for the first time in almost a decade, with the marine insurance market struggling to break even as excess capacity forces rates ever lower.

Three in race to seize top IMO job

THREE names have now been confirmed as proposed candidates to replace International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Efthimios Mitropouloswhen he steps down next year.

Becker duct device offers up to 8% energy saving

SIGNIFICANT savings on energy consumption and emissions are possible from use of a device placed in front of a propeller to control the flow of water to it.

European engine makers broaden green fuel options for shipowners

Wartsila develops a waste heat recovery system, while MAN Diesel tests gas powered engines, reports CRAIG EASON

Bangladesh breakers suffer fresh setback as land leases frozen

INDIAN breakers have continued to lead the pack this month as rivals in Bangladesh were dealt another blow in their tortuous bid to return to business.

CMES to double dry bulk capacity

CHINA’S dry bulk and oil shipping giant China Merchants Energy Shipping is aiming to more than double the carrying capacity of its dry bulk fleet by the first quarter of 2012.

Maersk Line widens fuel switching

MAERSK Line will this month introduce its fuel-switching technology on its vessels tied up at the quayside of Hong Kong.

Shippers step up pressure for liner shipping reform

THE Global Shippers’ Forum, (GSF) representing shippers’ organisations in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, has slammed what it describes as “unacceptable practices” by liner operators and called for liner conferences to be outlawed in Asia.

Capesize market dealt major blow by Chinese cuts in steel production

“NO-ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition”, ran the Monty Python gag about extraordinary events delivering a blow to normality.

Patjens to pioneer LNG as fuel for deepsea boxship

GERMAN owner Reederei Stefan Patjens is to convert the first large deepsea containership to use LNG as fuel, it emerged at SMM in Hamburg.

Dalian port chairman blames profits dip on pipeline blast

DALIAN port, China’s sixth largest in terms of total cargo throughput, says the explosion at the port in July will hit profits this year.

Energy insurers need more discipline to cut losses

THE ENERGY insurance market is in need of underwriting discipline to correct the “unacceptable” 125% five-year loss ratio the sector has reported.

Ship safety sidelined by green agenda

BASIC principles of shipping safety are being sidelined by the environmental agenda and undermined by poor quality training, according to one of the world’s largest classification societies.

Karachi Port gets World Bank funding for upgrade

THE WORLD Bank has endorsed a US$115.8m improvement project for Karachi Port, to help reconstruct Pakistan’s largest hub and cut delays for bulk cargo.

Qinzhou eyes new routes in Asean deal

QINZHOU port in southern China is looking to open new routes to Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore, following the introduction in January this year of the Asean China Free Trade Area agreement.

SPECIAL REPORT: Dredging

 

SPECIAL REPORT: Containerisation

 

Boxship demand poised to outstrip supply this year

DEMAND for containerships is set to exceed supply in 2010,with the key Asia to Europe trades forecast to grow by 15%this year and the trans-Pacific route by 12%.