Weekly edition 17 May

Minister rules out existing rail connection for use in new Hastings port development

VICTORIAN ports minister Denis Napthine has ruled out using the Frankston to Stony Point rail line as the future means of moving freight to and from a Hastings container terminal.

Bad bulkers causing major concerns in grain trade

DEFECTIVE bulk carriers risk jamming the grain supply chain, Victorian Transport Department freight logistics and marine executive director, Terry Garwood, has warned.

New CSIRO study finds nothing fishy in Gladstone harbour metal levels

A REPORT by the CSIRO has found that levels of heavy metal levels in Gladstone Harbour are within acceptable water quality guidelines.

Port Hedland still sees exponential growth

LATEST figures from Western Australia’s Port Hedland show year-on-year growth of over 30% for iron ore being shipped from the port.

Making Hay: planning to get more coal on board

Port authority North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) recently released its preliminary, ten-year master plan for Hay Point, which is one of the world’s largest coal export ports.

The environmental issues and how they will be dealt with

According to the ten year preliminary master plan, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared by North Queensland Bulk Ports for development of the two coal terminals on the Dudgeon Point site, separate from the master planning work.

New player in grain to open in Newcastle

Graincorp has a new competitor in the grain export business with the approval last month of a new grain terminal processing facility at Carrington dockyards in Newcastle.

Still no end in sight for the great shipping recession

IF 2012 is arguably year five of the great shipping recession, many are asking how long this will continue and what we can do to prevent it getting worse. I would add to these questions one more important one; what needs to be done to rebalance the industry and return it to profitability?

China offers yuan loans to foreign ship buyers to develop market for its currency

CHINA is offering foreign shipowners yuan financing for discounted newbuildings at Chinese yards to develop the offshore market for its currency.

Daily LNG vessel spot rates could hit US$155,000 by mid-year

SPOT market rates for liquefied natural gas carriers are rising again, having slid this year and could reach highs of US$155,000 per day in the northern summer, when the Middle East imports LNG for electricity to power air conditioning, analysts said.

China set to break record for monthly coal imports

A WIDENING spread in domestic and international coal prices could lead to record imports by China in June and July, supporting supramax and panamax dry bulk carrier demand as more is shipped in.

Rise of the modern day dry bulk operator

ICAP Shipping head of dry freight research Georgi Slavov says he smiles when people assume fluctuations in dry bulk freight rates are down to vessel availability in spot markets, because the changes in cargo demand and supply are far more important to owners’ earnings.

Fremantle boost to meet continued growth

Fremantle Ports CEO Chris Leatt-Hayter says the name of the game is preparation. With growth “positive on all fronts,” Mr Leatt-Hayter tells Lloyd’s List Australia’s OLIVER PROBERT the main focus of the Fremantle Port Authority (FPA) is setting the port up for continued growth into the future, on all sides of the business.

‘Growing ports is hard to do’

WESTERN Australia has 21 portsk,which handle a combined total trade tonnage of approximately 517m tonnes in 2010/11.

Geography, infrastructure are the challenge

LOCATION, location, location. Knowing all about location is the bread and butter for many professions: real estate agents being the obvious example, but true also for retailers, bus drivers, footballers – the list goes on.

Maersk sees the economic incentives of greener ships

ECONOMIC drivers are pushing large European shipping companies to support global environment initiatives, not just stronger environmental awareness and ethical considerations, according to AP Moller-Maersk.

More fuel bill transparency needed to fight emissions

DANISH shipowners want the whole industry to reveal its annual fuel consumption figures to show it is committed to reducing emissions.

Asia-Pacific and India boost DP World results

A FIRST-quarter surge in Asia-Pacific and Indian container throughput helped DP World to report a 9.5% rise in gross network volumes to 13.8m teu, up 7.4% excluding new capacity.

Singapore is named the top shipping city

SINGAPORE is the most important shipping centre in the world, followed by Oslo, London, Hamburg and Hong Kong, according to research commissioned by Nor-Shipping and Oslo Maritime Network.

All eyes on Asian port development

UKTI launches a handy guide to regional port project opportunities, reports ROGER HAILEY

French state in talks for investment in CMA CGM

FRENCH sovereign wealth fund Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement (FSI) is in talks about a €150m (US$197m) cash injection into container shipping line CMA CGM, according to reports in France.

Casualty briefs 17 May 2012

Maritime

IMO to tackle armed guards and cruiseship safety

THE INTERNATIONAL Maritime Organization’s maritime safety committee (MSC) will meet for its long-awaited 90th session this week, which will tackle two of the most hotly debated issues in shipping; private maritime security and passenger ship safety.

Fighting piracy on land said to be inevitable

EU NAVFOR’S controversial decision to extend the rules of engagement to allow for activity along the Somali coast is an inevitable step which acknowledged that piracy cannot be eradicated by action at sea alone, according to law firm Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW).

Nigerian pirates step up use of motherships

THE use of motherships in the Gulf of Guinea has been proven “beyond a doubt” and Nigerian pirates are likely to continue to hijack commercial vessels and use them as staging platforms, according to Bergen Risk Solutions.

How the UK probes shipping accidents

PRINCIPAL inspector at the Marine Accident Investigation Branch Nick Hughes says the UK has a long history of accident investigation involvement.

India releases Enrica Lexie after shooting

ENRICA Lexie has been released after being held for two and half months off the Kochi coast, leaving owner Dolphin Tankers to count the cost of lost business.

LA to protect discretionary cargo in new five-year plan

ENSURING that discretionary cargo continues to move through Los Angeles is at the heart of a new five-year strategic plan for the largest port in the US.

Lenders’ enforcements showing upward trend

There have already been 26 arrests in Singapore in the first quarter of this year compared with 84 in 2011 and 63 in 2010, writes KATE SHERRARD*

Bulker company bottomline boosted by share sales in Fortescue

BELGIAN dry bulk shipowner Bocimar has posted a 40% profit increase for the first quarter of 2012 compared with the same period of last year, after divest ing shares in Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group (FMG).

Defending US maritime sector via the Jones Act

In tough times, hard-won rights are worth defending writes DEAN CORGEY*

Lloyd’s List view

Dilemma and cure

When the ship master is cast as a criminal

Seafarers’ Rights International survey exposes shocking treatment of crew, writes MICHAEL GREY

Logistics, freight conference wows sector movers

DELEGATES came from as far away as Europe, Asia and Africa for the 2012 ICHCA International 2012 Biennial Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne. Held at the swanky Langham Hotel in the Melbourne Southbank precinct (from May 8 to 11) the conference included discussion on a wide range of important issues in the logistics and freight moving sectors.

This week in maritime history

First Chinese vehicle imported in 1987

The Grill

This week’s subject of The Grill is Julie Nash, who recently joined as sales & marketing executive for the Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA). In the coming months, Julie will replace Mike Julian as AUSMEPA’s executive director. OLIVER PROBERT asks the questions.