Original news was published 02 March, 2018

The port of Everett has awarded approximately USD25 million in construction contracts for the second phase of its south terminal modernisation project.

The first phase of the modernisation project strengthened 140 ft (42.6 m) of the dock structure in 2015. The USD36 million second phase will strengthen the remaining 560 ft (170.7 m) of the 700 ft (213.4 m) dock structure and make electrical upgrades at the wharf.

"Completing critical infrastructure upgrades like this will better position the port and its facilities to handle the larger vessels now calling at Everett and accommodate the next generation of over-dimensional cargo on the horizon, including aerospace parts for the new 777X," said Glen Bachman, port of Everett commission president.

The south terminal facility is the largest of the port's docks by land footprint; however, in its current state, it can only accommodate 500 lbs per sq ft (2.44 tonnes per sq m). Modern cargo operations require a minimum of 1,000 lbs per sq ft (4.88 tonnes per sq m), says Everett.

Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2018 and is expected to be complete in December 2019. 

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published 02 March, 2018

This has been a very busy week for the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), as it has won orders for a total of seven ships worth a total of USD 800 million.

The orders include a contract for the construction of three very large crude carriers from an undisclosed owner. The three 300,000 dwt vessels are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2020.

Separately, an unnamed European owner ordered two VLCCs at the yard paying USD 170 million for the vessels.

DSME said the two VLCCs would be built at its Geoje yard, featuring a length of 336 meters and a width of 60 meters.

The duo is also set to be completed and handed over to its owner in the first half of 2020.

The crude carrier orders are being reported on the back of DSME’s announcement on Monday that it had secured a contract for the construction of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The deal was signed with an undisclosed Oceania shipowner and is worth around KRW 394.3 billion (USD 366.7 million).

Under the terms of the contract, the shipbuilder is scheduled to deliver the LNG carrier pair to their owner by the end of September 2020.

Worth noting, this is the first time for the owners in question to contract with DSME, the company said.

In total, the Korean builder has secured orders for ten ships this year worth USD 1.2 billion.

The rebound in order intake has been ascribed to improved conditions on the shipbuilding market and rising vessel prices, especially with respect to LNG carriers, large containerships and oil tankers when compared to the previous year.

DSME added that its restructuring scheme agreed with creditors is in full swing and that it has considerably improved its financial structure and stabilized its operations.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published 27 February, 2018

Finland-based RoRo and passenger services operator Finnlines has signed a letter of intent for the construction of three new 7,300 lane metre ro-ro vessels.

The move was made in response to growing volumes and market demand, as the company continues to invest in its fleet.

Finnlines did not unveil any further details related to the shipbuilding order. The company revealed the letter of intent as part of its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017.

During the three-month period ended December 31, 2017, Finnlines recorded a 17.1 percent rise in its revenue, which stood at EUR 131.8 million at the end of the quarter, compared to EUR 112.6 million reported in the same period a year earlier.

The company’s result for the reporting period was also up to EUR 14.9 million from EUR 7.3 million seen in the fourth quarter of 2016.

“Looking to 2018 and beyond, there are three strictly connected key elements in the way we are running our shipping business, worldwide in the Grimaldi Group, and also in Finnlines, that is – to grow together with the customers, to increase efficiency of capital employed on our fleet and to continue investing in sustainable development,” Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO, said.

Under Finnlines’ investment programme, launched in 2017, the company was to lengthen four of its Breeze series ro-ro vessels, built in 2012 and 2013. After the works are finalized, the ships’ capacy will increase by 30 percent to 4,200 lane metres of rolling cargo.

Two vessels have already been lengthened successfully and the remaining two will be completed by the end of April.

*NEWS SOURCE

New members are going on to join Overseas Project Cargo Association from all around the world. Today we are happy to announce you that LOMBARD SHIPPING & FORWARDING LIMITED is our new member from UNITED KINGDOM.

Let's welcome our new member on board of Overseas Project Cargo Association! Have a great cooperation together!

LOMBARD SHIPPING & FORWARDING LIMITED
ADDRESS: Lombard Centre, Link Road, Huyton Business Park, Liverpool L36 6AP, U.K.
CONTACT: Frank Fox / Managing Director
TEL: +44(0)151 449 3535
FAX: +44(0)151 489 1229
WEB: www.lsfuk.com

COMPANY PROFILE

Lombard Shipping & Forwarding Limited was established in 1976, it is an independent Liverpool based logistics and freight forwarding company providing air, sea and road, import and export services globally.

Over the past years, Lombard Shipping & Forwarding has acquired an excellent reputation within the freight forwarding and warehousing industry for the delivery of a reliable and professional service.

As one of the freight forwarding market leaders Lombard Shipping & Forwarding place great emphasis on gaining a clear understanding of their customers’ specific requirements and on developing innovative logistics solutions to add value to their businesses.

They are renowned for providing a high quality, dependable freight forwarding service with prompt delivery and they have built their reputation on their consistency in offering customer satisfaction at a price that is right.

Constant monitoring of all U.K. and international shipping requirements, fast accurate freight documentation and cost effective solutions are just some of the value added services they offer.

Lombard Shipping & Forwarding ship a large variety of cargo and have long standing partnerships with many businesses. Examples of the type of cargo they ship includes; machinery, wheeled or tracked machines and vehicles, chemicals, foods, textiles, electronics, toys, metals, timber and timber products.

You can click here to review the services of our new member.

VISIT WEBSITE (CLICK HERE!) | VISIT OPCA PROFILE (CLICK HERE!)

Original news was published 23 February, 2018

The renovated Stena Line Terminal at Europoort is officially taken into operation.

As well as upgrading the existing berth, the terminal was expanded with a second berth to handle roll-on/roll-off vessels. The expansion means that Stena Line is prepared for the anticipated further increase in freight volumes between Rotterdam and the United Kingdom. The renovated quay with two berths comprises a total of 212 metres.

“We are delighted with the new quay and the doubling of the berths,” said Annika Hult, Trade Director of Stena Line Noordzee.

“We firmly believe in Europoort’s future as a strong freight hub on the North Sea. The number of departures has increased in recent years, and ship capacity has also increased. Last January we replaced three of the four ‘Europoort vessels’ with larger vessels. The second berth will enable us to further respond to increasing demand on our routes to Harwich and Killingholme. Modifications to the site also offer space for further growth.”

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published 22 February, 2018

The renovated Stena Line Terminal at Europoort at the port of Rotterdam has officially started operations.

As well as upgrading the existing berth, the terminal was expanded with a second berth to handle ro-ro vessels, meaning the renovated quay now features 212 m of berthing capacity.

"The number of departures has increased in recent years, and ship capacity has also increased," said Annika Hult, trade director of Stena Line Noordzee. "Last January we replaced three of the four 'Europoort vessels' with larger vessels. The second berth will enable us to further respond to increasing demand on our routes to Harwich and Killingholme. Modifications to the site also offer space for further growth."

Ronald Paul, chief operating officer at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, explained that the new quay strengthens Europoort as a ro-ro hub. "We aim to enable further growth in this segment. Last year the ro-ro sector in Rotterdam grew by 6.2 percent through the use of larger vessels."

*NEWS SOURCE

New members are going on to join Overseas Project Cargo Association from all around the world.

OPCA valued member PROJECTS FPS (PVT) LTD., Sri Lanka referred one of its experienced, reliable and productive partners CONSOLIDATED SHIPPING SERVICES CO WLL, Kuwait.

Today, we are happy to announce you that CONSOLIDATED SHIPPING SERVICES CO WLL successfully completed membership requirements and joined among OPCA professionals from KUWAIT.

Let's welcome our new member on board of Overseas Project Cargo Association! Have a great cooperation together!

CONSOLIDATED SHIPPING SERVICES CO WLL
ADDRESS: Suhair Commercial Centre, Opp. Sharq Fire Station, 1st Floor Al-Hilali Street, P.O. Box 12075, Shamiya 71651, Kuwait City, Kuwait
CONTACT: Hussain Munim / Company Manager
TEL: +965 22493957
FAX: +965 22493956
WEB: www.cssgroupsite.com

COMPANY PROFILE

Consolidated Shipping Services W.L.L. Kuwait was established in association with the Al Bader Group, one of the well known business houses in Kuwait with ‘Commitment to Quality Service’ across all facets of the freight forwarding and logistics industry to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction.

The Services Offered;

    NVOCC
    Air Freight Exports & Imports
    International Land Transportation
    Projects Handling
    Personal Effects – Packing & Crating
    Warehousing, Distribution & Transportation
    Transshipment of cargo to Iraq via KFTZ
    Specialized in handling dangerous goods

The Facilities / Strengths;

    Office in the heart of the city and Hawally
    Warehouse area of over 10,800 sq.ft. at Shuwaikh for storage and export cargoes
    16,000 sq.ft. bonded warehouse facility in the Kuwait Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) for import cargoes
    Operating own fleet of trucks, trailers and other vehicles
    Well trained and experienced professionals

  They can provide their customers a varied selection of services under one roof, and being a well established and reputable company, their Credibility, Reliability & Professionalism is of the highest order.

You can click Group Project, Oil and Energy pages to see project photos.

VISIT WEBSITE (CLICK HERE!) | VISIT OPCA PROFILE (CLICK HERE!)

Original news was published 20 February, 2018

Spanish Port of Bilbao recorded a 7% cargo volume growth by handling 34.2 million tons in 2017, a 2.2 million-ton increase over 2016.

As informed, this is the greatest yearly tonnage increase in the port since 2006.

The main tonnage increases were in the liquid bulks segment and in goods such as natural gas (811,000 tons), gasoil (470,000) and crude oil (277,000). In the dry cargo segment, increases were seen in scrap iron, iron and steel products and other minerals, the port authority said.

Container traffic stood at 604,870 TEUs, a rise of 1.37%.

In addition, 5,514 pieces classified as heavy loads were shipped. This figure represents a 23% increase over the previous year.

Ferry and cruise passenger traffic moved 186,546 people, a drop of 2%. There were 123 ferry calls and 61 cruises.

Turnover rose to EUR 68.8 million (USD 84.9 million), 5.47% more than EUR 65.2 million seen in the previous year, according to the port authority.

*NEWS SOURCE

New members are going on to join Overseas Project Cargo Association from all around the world. Today we are happy to announce you that MAINSTREAM GLOBAL LIMITED is our new member from NEW ZEALAND.

Let's welcome our new member on board of Overseas Project Cargo Association! Have a great cooperation together!

MAINSTREAM GLOBAL LIMITED
ADDRESS: 3 Kiwi Street, Otahuhu, PO Box 58 961, Botany, Auckland, New Zealand
CONTACT: Matt Pearson / National Operations Manager
TEL: +64 9 265 1290
FAX: +64 9 273 8550
WEB: www.mainstream.co.nz

COMPANY PROFILE

Mainstream Logistics can manage all goods from country of origin through to devanning, storage, pick-and-pack and final delivery to customers.

Mainstream Special Cargo caters to challenging or difficult international movements.

They can help with movements that require special attention, equipment and skills to deliver them safely and securely to their correct destination.

Their Special Cargo global transport services include: Vehicles, Motorbikes/Motorcycles, Caravans and Motorhomes, Helicopters, Aircraft, Boats, Machinery, Marine, Personal effects, Out of gauge cargo, Heavy machinery and project shipments, International transport of hazardous and perishable goods, Event and Show freight or demonstration equipment, Motorsport Rally's, Emergency shipments such as A.O.G, J.I.T and V.O.R along with Medical Supplies, Product sourcing from the USA and China by qualified specialists.

Mainstream's Global and Special Cargo divisions have over 30 years experience moving a wide range of non-traditional and 'project' items. Staffs are proven and passionate about 'unusual', valuable and highly-prized equipment - meaning goods transported by Mainstream Special Cargo are in very safe hands.

VISIT WEBSITE (CLICK HERE!) | VISIT OPCA PROFILE (CLICK HERE!)

Original news was published 15 February, 2018

The top three performing bulk terminals in the world are Santander and Bilbao in Spain and Quebec in Canada, according to a report released by BIMCO.

Santander was rated first in all four major categories, including terminal handling of loading/unloading; terminal mooring and berthing arrangements; information exchange between the ship and the terminal and terminal equipment.

This second issue of the report includes data during the period from January 2015 to December 2017; 115 ships, provided 598 reports, from 278 different terminals around the world.

“In general, we see a good standard across the world, but with some complaints, for example due to language problems. But even with an increase of 35% of reports coming in this year compared to 2016, we still need more data to make valid global statistical analysis,” Aron F. Sørensen, Head of Maritime Technology and Regulation at BIMCO, said.

Generally, the standard is good with over 93% of ports reviewed as average or better, with positive feedback coming from the communication between ship and terminal, the loading and unloading and the standard and maintenance of equipment.

At the other end of the spectrum, a number of ships complained of a lack of language skills when visiting certain ports; permanent pressure on ship/crew and master; unexpected claims; and unnecessary bureaucratic and offensive port authorities. In addition, ports rated badly when the cost of terminal services was either too expensive or the service was non-existent.

BIMCO’s future plans for the vetting of dry bulk terminals will be based on a two-step approach, with step one being to have at least 1000 ships participating in the survey in order to provide a robust annual report. Step two will follow up on the results by communicating with terminals and other stakeholders with the aim of improving procedures and best practices.

*NEWS SOURCE