Original news was published on 29 June, 2015

NYSE-listed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipping company Dorian LPG has taken delivery of its sixth very large gas carrier (VLGC) newbuilding, the ECO VLGC Cobra.

The 84,000 cbm LPG carrier was built by South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

Upon delivery, the Cobra will enter into a one year time charter with an unnamed oil major through the Helios LPG Pool.

The Cobra will fly under the flag of the Bahamas.

Including the newly-delivered Cobra, Dorian LPG currently owns and operates nine VLGCs and one pressurized LPG vessel.

In addition, Dorian LPG has thirteen ECO VLGC newbuildings under construction.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 25 June, 2015

United Arab Shipping Company’s (UASC) newest vessel, the 18,800 teu Barzan, has made its maiden call at the Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain.

The biggest container ship in the UASC fleet arrived at the UK’s largest container port from Port Kelang in Malaysia. The Barzan is deployed on UASC’s AEC1 service between Asia and North Europe.

“Our investment in new infrastructure, equipment, systems and people has ensured that we are the clear port-of-choice for the latest generation of mega vessels employed on the Asian trade,” said Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of HPH Europe division.

“Our ability to handle these huge vessels will be further enhanced when the Berth 9 extension is completed at the end of the year. Beyond that we will continue to enhance facilities and improve still further levels of productivity.”

The Barzan, named the world’s most environmentally friendly ultra large container vessel, is the first of a series of six 18,800 teu vessels being acquired by UASC for the Asia – Europe trade.

Barzan is also a part of the industry’s first LNG-ready fleet and will set new standards for fuel and energy efficiency, due to optimized vessel design and an array of efficiency technologies. Preliminary calculations indicate an EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) value that is close to 50% below the 2025 limit set by IMO.The new class of vessel has an overall length of 400 metres, breadth of 58.68 metres, depth of 30.6 metres and a draught of 16 metres.

As well as Felixstowe, the AEC1 service calls at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Port Kelang, Rotterdam, and Hamburg.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 24 June, 2015

According to reports in the international media, Nigeria's Indorama and OIS have said they intend to develop a world-class terminal at Onne Port, Port Harcourt, at a cost of around USD130 million.

Reports suggest the new terminal is over 70 percent complete and will primarily be used for exporting Indorama's dry bulk fertiliser, and for handling breakbulk and containerised cargoes.

The terminal will have a 320 m quay and be able to handle vessels ranging from 5,000 dwt to 35,000 dwt, while 6.2 ha of terminal space will be used to house cargoes. It is estimated that it will be able to process around 150,00 tonnes of breakbulk cargoes annually, in addition to 1 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 22 June, 2015

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered a 28-ton shipment of power stations from New York to Cairo, Egypt, to be used to supply the Suez Canal widening project, as dredgers continue at an expedited pace to meet the project deadline.

Before transportation onboard one of Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD freighters, the airline’s engineers provided technical expertise to ensure the power stations would fit into the aircraft’s cargo hold. The units, mounted into special 6-meter cradles, were originally too high for the IL-76, the company said in a statement.

Volga-Dnepr engineers recommended demounting the top and side parts of the cradle to allow the cargo to be loaded using the airline’s wing-lift system, skates and rails.

Volga-Dnepr completed the transportation on behalf of the Egyptian air charter broker Wi Fli Aviation Solutions, one of the airline’s longstanding partners.

Dredging will be completed in July and the official opening of the new Suez Canal has been set for Aug. 6.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 18 June, 2015

HHL Valparaiso’s two 700-ton cranes have lifted a new luxury yacht built by Sunrise Yachts from the dock to the sea for its world premiere in Antalya, Turkey.

“This was a very sensitive heavy lift operation that required special engineering expertise at each stage, from planning to execution,” said Emek Takmaz, Project & Transport Engineer, Hansa Heavy Lift, said in a statement.

The yacht Irimari measured 63.1 meters long and weighed 900 tonnes.

“During the project’s planning stage, we determined the most suitable lifting arrangement and operation steps that helped us to eliminate all of the possible risks involved,” Takmaz said. Damage to the structure, including scratches, were of primary concern.

Hansa Heavy Lift engineers carefully select the frames to carry the yacht in order to maintain its structural integrity. Close attention was also paid to suspension stability due to the difference in the shapes of the frames.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 15 June, 2015

Scotland’s largest container port,  the Port of Grangemouth, has embarked on a major investment program this month to increase the terminal’s capacity for storing containers.

The port’s owner, Forth Ports Limited, is investing in surface upgrading works on an area of some 6,325 square metres.

The investment is designed to increase the busy container terminal’s total capacity to 12,000 TEUs, a 50% increase since 2005.

The resurfacing at the terminal will see the construction of a heavy duty concrete pavement and other works which will create additional storage lanes for laden containers in addition to improved equipment access to landside and shipside operations.

This work is expected to be completed and ready for business in October 2015 and represents the second phase of a five year investment plan to improve the storage capabilities of the terminal. It is expected that the capacity will grow by a further 10% over the 5 year period in line with market demand.

In addition to this upgrade, the port has commissioned a feasibility study to assess the viability and cost of deepening the shipping channel within the port to enable it to bring larger, heavier container ships and bulk vessels to the quayside. This deepening project, which would see the dock water depth taken from 7.5 metres to over 10 metres, is expected to entail a multimillion pound capital investment and would take around three years to complete.

Both projects have been commissioned in response to changes in the container shipping market where there is a trend towards larger capacity feeder vessels which require deeper water to access the port’s quaysides.

“This is an important investment for the business which will further secure Grangemouth’s position as Scotland’s largest container terminal. We have analysed the shipping trends and identified the growing demand to accommodate larger vessels from around the world. Through this investment, we will ensure that the Port of Grangemouth remains front and centre for Scotland’s importers and exporters,” said Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 11 June, 2015

Tokyo-based ocean cargo carrier Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has rebranded its car carrier service into MOL Auto Carrier Express (MOL ACE).

MOL will start to use MOL ACE as global brand beginning July 1, 2015.

MOL’s car carrier service network includes offices and agencies in about 140 nations around the world, and the MOL Group operates about 120 car carriers.

MOL launched the world’s first newbuilding hybrid car carrier, the Emerald Ace, in 2012. And in April of this year, it announced the next generation of car carriers, the FLEXIE series, which adopt a new deck design.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 10 June, 2015

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 08 June, 2015

The NYSE-listed dry bulk shipping company Diana Shipping Inc. has, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a time charter contract with China Shipping Bulk Carrier Co., Ltd., Hong Kong, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Calipso.

The gross charter rate is USD 6,000 per day for a period of minimum ten months to maximum fourteen months. The charter is expected to commence tomorrow.

The Calipso is a 73,691 dwt Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2005.

This employment is anticipated to generate approximately USD 1.8 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

The Calipso’s previous employment was a two-year stint with Cargill International, with a gross charter rate of USD 8,100 per day.

The company also announced that, in connection with its previously announced USD 55 million public offering of 8.500% senior unsecured notes due 2020, it has sold to the underwriters an additional USD 8.25 million in aggregate principal amount of the notes on the same terms and conditions, pursuant to the exercise of their over-allotment option.

As previously announced, Diana plans to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes and working capital, which may include the acquisition of additional new or secondhand vessels or the construction of newbuildings.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 03 June 2015

Dubai has launched an ambitious initiative to engage more closely with maritime businesses as it looks to consolidate its position as one of the world’s foremost shipping centers. The newly created Maritime Advisory Council (MAC), led by the Dubai Maritime City Authority, will now foster collaboration and coordination between industry stakeholders from both the private and public sectors.

The MAC push supports both the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, which aims to build a truly integrated and sustainable maritime economy, and Dubai Maritime Vision 2030, a plan conceived to strengthen the emirate’s unique competitive advantages. A "who’s who" of major private businesses operating out of Dubai have already signed up as members.

“This initiative will nurture closer collaboration and mutual understanding between all the key maritime industry stakeholders in Dubai,” Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA, said. “By engaging with businesses on this level Dubai can achieve buy-in from industry to support its ambitious, strategic maritime objectives, while we also build our own understanding of exactly what our private partners want from a global shipping hub.

With its business friendly environment, tax-free advantages, supportive regulations and world-class infrastructure, Dubai is proving a major pull for international maritime firms. Over the last two years alone some 75,000 new job opportunities have been created in the sector, while maritime now contributes some 4.6 percent of Dubai’s total GDP (equivalent to 14.4 billion AED).

The Maritime Advisory Council is composed of key figures from prominent businesses operating in the sector. The members include DP World, Dry Docks World, Emirates Classification Society TASNEEF, DIFC Courts, Clarksons, Tufton Oceanic, Gulf Energy Maritime (GEM), United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), Maersk Line, Emarat Maritime, Fichte and Co., Partner Ince and Co., Global Marketing Systems (GMS), and Dubai Trading Agency (DTA).

Further members include senior partners or executives from Clyde & Co., Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Topaz Energy and Marine Engineering, Al Tamimi & Company, National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFAL), UAE National Ship Suppliers Association (UNSSA), Hadef & Partners, Mubarak Marine, Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla, Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW), Wilhelmsen Ships Service, DHL Express, Rais Hassan Saadi, and Aramex 3PL.

*NEWS SOURCE