Turku’s STX shipyard is expected to receive a new owner by the end of June. Prime Minister Katainen denies that the early public announcement of the sale is politically motivated.

According to Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition Party), state involvement in the ownership of STX’s Turku shipyard is difficult to avoid.

Prime Minister Katainen told Yle’s Radio Suomi that the government could, over time, sell its stake to private owners if the planned buyout took place. The State of Finland and German cruise liner builder Meyer Werft are considering the purchase of STX Finland's Turku operations from the current Korean owner.

“The state’s central goal is not to own the shipyard or to be a shipbuilding entrepreneur,” says Katainen. “But if the shipbuilding business in Finland is to be seen as competitive in the future, then the central goal is that it should be possible. As a result we are ready to take part as a minority shareholder.”

According to Katainen, the State's participation will depend on finding a private industrial majority shareholder. He says that Meyer Werft, or any other similar firm could be considered.

Katainen denies that the upcoming race for NCP leadership had a bearing on the early publication of the letter of intent related to the sale.

“These issues can''t be politicised,” said Katainen.

*NEWS SOURCE

The adjustment of global ports to handle larger containerships is well underway, but the first objective in many cases is well shy of the trend of the order book. While attention is focused on the new fleet of 18,000 teu vessels, the upgrades contemplate ships just over half that size.

That is certainly so in the Americas, where the Panama Canal is being enlarged to accommodate up to 13,000 teu, not the larger ships, and collateral ports up and down the East Coast are planning on the services of the 10,000-teu variety.

The 18,000+ teu ultra large container ship (ULCS) is being built for the Asia–Europe market, and their usage may be locked in there, due to its dependency on accompanying investments in deep ports and inland distribution capabilities, and access to major cargo markets.

Meanwhile, ports eager to achieve a place in the container sun have purchased larger container cranes and are committing to a $1bn port upgrade that has become ubiquitous.

Ports up and down the U. S. East Coast have been dredging and upgrading to adjust to the future sizing of the Panama Canal, which is now being pushed back to 2016.

Last week, U.S. House and the Senate conferees agreed to end a torturous legislative deadlock and permit ports to pay the cost of deepening harbors and then seek reimbursement from the government once the project is authorized. The last dredging legislation was passed seven years ago.

If finally approved, this would clear the way for various projects, starting with the deepening of the Sabine-Neches Waterway that connects the oil-refining hub of Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. Another would permit the start of dredging the 30-mile run to the Port of Savannah so as to accommodate larger ships transiting an expanded Panama Canal.

A new entrant has joined the Panama expansion parade. In Cuba, that island is extolling the virtues of its newly opened port at Mariel, outside of Havana. The $1bn Brazil-sponsored port, designed to handle up to 1 million teu, is deemed a keystone in the eventual lifting of the US trade embargo.

In Angola, the port has installed new cranes and reduced cargo unloading time as the government reviews a plan to build Africa's biggest shipping terminal to challenge the current leader at Durban. The port would handle ships up to 13,000 teu, according to its backers, but funding has not been arranged.

*NEWS SOURCE

THE Port of Los Angeles April container volume increased 10.26 per cent year on year 706,036 TEU, the harbour's busiest month since September 2013 the port authority announced.

Container imports rose 11.43 per cent year on year to 537,071 TEU in April 2014. Exports rose eight per cent to 172,945 TEU.

Combined, total loaded imports and exports increased 10.30 per cent to 537,071 TEU in April 2014. For the first four months of calendar year 2014, overall volumes (2,626,647 TEU) have increased 8.21 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

*NEWS SOURCE

Triton Overseas Transport, an American-owned and operated non-vessel owning common carrier and international freight service provider, has announced the appointment of Robert Blair to the position of Outside Sales Representative. Focused on positioning Triton as the Gulf Coast gateway to the world, Blair will offer competitive rates, outstanding customer service and strategic transportation solutions to develop new business relationships within the burgeoning oil and gas industry.

“We’re very excited to welcome Robert Blair to Triton’s leading sales team. Robert brings with him years of sales and business development experience. His well-honed skill set will be an asset to our team,” commented William Onorato, CEO of Triton.

Prior to joining the sales division at Triton, Blair served as a sales representative at a national construction supply company. In 2013, he earned a company-wide qualifying award for opening and developing new business accounts.

As a member of the Triton team, Blair will concentrate on new business development in the southern United States. Specifically targeting the oil and gas industry, Blair will utilize Triton’s end-to-end service offerings to attract new sales leads.

*NEWS SOURCE

Intradco Cargo Services and operator National Air Cargo have successfully managed a high-profile project to fly 47 horses from Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) as part of the world-famous Cavalia equestrian tour.

The charter on a B747-428(BCF) aircraft was the inaugural flight to make use of the newly-constructed horse loading ramp at DWC, a unique facility designed to allow for the increased import and export of live animal cargo.

Livestock and bloodstock transport specialists Intradco, recently acquired by global aircraft charter firm Chapman Freeborn, coordinated the project to fly the horses to Ostend in Belgium following their recent performances in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

*NEWS SOURCE

For use in Petronas’ Bintulu LNG Train 9 project

SAL Heavy Lift has delivered a cryogenic heat exchanger for use in Petronas’ LNG Train 9 project in Bintulu, Malaysia.

SAL Heavy Lift’s Annagret, a Type 161A vessel with 650-tonne lift capacity, carried the 257-tonne exchanger manufactured by Air Products. The cargo measured 50.7 meters long, 5.66 meters wide and 6.06 meters high, SAL said in a statement.

“A cryogenic heat exchanger is the effective heart of an LNG plant,” Justin Archard, managing director for SAL Heavy Lift across Southeast Asia and Australasia, said. “They are incredibly valuable and tremendously sensitive pieces of technology and require very special handling.”

The cryogenic heat exchanger was collected in Fairless Hills, Penn. in the U.S. for transport to Bintulu.

The LNG Train 9 project will add 3.6 million tonnes per annum to the Bintulu complex’s existing 24 mtpa capacity.

JGC with its Malaysian subsidiary JGC (Malaysia) was in 2013 awarded the US$2 billion engineering, procurement and construction contract. LNG Train 9 is scheduled to begin production by the end of 2015.

*NEWS SOURCE

It is our pleasure to announce A PLUS LOGISTICS LIMITED's arrival from HONG KONG to Overseas Project Cargo association. Welcome on board !

A PLUS LOGISTICS LIMITED_HONG KONG

ADDRESS : Unit 17, 11/Fl., Block F, East Sun Industrial Center, 16 Shing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon
CONTACT : Mr. Kenneth Yip- General Manager
TEL : 00 852-23899800
FAX : 00 852-23895379
WEB:www.a-pluslog.com

One of two 53-tonne slag posts bound for Lackenby steel mill.
 
Two 53-tonne slag pots shipped on Hoegh ro-ro vessel

Denholm Global Logistics  and BNSF Logistics cooperated for a significant steel mill transport.

BNSF shipped the steel mill pieces from Shanghai on a Hoegh ro-ro vessel. The cargo was loaded on 100-ton mafis and then rolled on the vessel for transport to Newcastle in the UK, Worldwide Project Consortium said on behalf of its members, U.K.-based Denholm and U.S.-based BNSF.

The cargo consisted of two slag pots, each measuring 6.25 meters long, 4.83 meters wide and 3.51 meters high with weights of 53 tonnes.

BNSF was responsible for controlling the delivery through to Lackenby near Middlesbrough.

DGL was contracted by BNSF to arrange customs clearance, mobile crane hire at the port and delivery to a steel mill in Lackenby, a distance of about 45 miles.

*NEWS SOURCE

Our group is growing with strong steps and it's our pleasure to introduce new participants every day. LE GIA TRAVEL & LOGISTICS SVC CO., LTD. recently has joined OPCA from VIETNAM.

Let's flourish business together!

LE GIA TRAVEL & LOGISTICS SVC CO., LTD.

ADRESS: LOTUS BUILDING, Ground floor, 16 Cuu Long St, W.2, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
CONTACT: Thanh Vu Le- General Director
TEL: 00 84 - 8 - 62968653
FAX: 00 84 - 8 - 62968652
WEB: www.legia-corp.com

Iraq has approved two deals worth nearly US$1 billion to run operations at Rumaila, the country’s largest oil field.

UK-based Petrofac was awarded a US$538.5 million management contract for Rumaila field projects, while China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corp. won a US$425 million engineering, procurement and construction contract to build a new power station. Rumaila is located in southern Iraq, about 32 kilometers from the Kuwaiti border.

The Iraqi government plans to triple oil production capacity from today’s 3 million barrels a day to 9 million. Production from Rumaila accounts for more than a third of the country’s total output. The oilfield is being developed by Britain’s BP and Chinese partner CNPC.

*NEWS SOURCE