Original news was published on 24 March 2019

The Port of Durban has noted growth in volumes in the container, liquid bulk and dry bulk sectors in 2018, according to recent data released by Transnet National Ports Authority.

Container volumes in the Port of Durban ended 9.5% higher for the year ending December 2018 at 2,956 670 TEU compared to 2,699, 978 TEU handled in 2017, stated TNPA. Of this, container imports grew by 10% in 2018 and exports by 17%. These are the highest volumes handled by the port in the last seven years, noted the authority.

Dry bulk volumes grew by 5.8% from 2017 to 2018, driven mainly by dry bulk exports while imports remained fairly stable. The biggest growth in imports was seen from rice and associated products, wheat, malt, fertiliser products, coal and coke, while maize, sugar and chrome ore exports also bolstered dry bulk volumes.

Liquid bulk volumes grew 3.1% from 28.231M kilolitres in 2017 to 29M kilolitres in 2018. This was mainly attributed to demand factors as well as South Africa being a net importer of crude.

The port also noted growth in its automotive throughput with imports growing by 4% and exports by more than 15% year-on-year excluding transhipment and coastwise cargo. The Port of Durban thus handled a total of just over 487,000 units in 2018, which is the highest since 2013 when a throughput of 503,000 units was recorded.
 
Breakbulk volumes in 2018 were relatively on par with 2017 volumes. Throughput in this sector is erratic with some cargoes migrating to other forms of handling such as the containerisation and dry bulk sectors.

Port of Durban Acting Port Manager, Nokuzola Nkowane, said: “The Port of Durban continues to work with terminal operators and other stakeholders to ensure improvements in terminal productivity levels for quicker ship turnaround times. Operational efficiencies are the focus to drive volume performance.”

*NEWS SOURCE

Dear All,

Good News...

We are delighted to share that Overseas Project Cargo Association (OPCA) supports: 13TH INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION FORUM

Original news was published on 20 March 2019

Polish natural gas companies PGNiG and LOTOS recently completed two commercial bunkering ops of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in what PGNiG says are the first operations of this kind carried out at seaports in Gdańsk and Gdynia.

The first bunkering took place on March 13 and saw chemical tanker Fure Valo receive 54 tonnes of LNG fuel.

In the second bunkering, which took place on March 18, bulk carrier Ireland received 18 tonnes of LNG fuel.

Worth noting is the fact that the 4,500 dwt Ireland previously became the first vessel to be successfully bunkered with LNG at the Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) in May 2018.

“Bunkering of ships with natural gas in liquefied form is another of many possibilities of using gas, which PGNiG imports to Poland from Qatar, Norway and the USA through the President Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal in Świnoujście,” commented Maciej Woźniak, Vice-President of the PGNiG Management Board for Trade.

According to the directive on the development of alternative fuels infrastructure, by the end of 2025 at the latest, a sufficient number of LNG bunkering points should be created in seaports. In case of Poland, these are to be: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście.

PGNiG and LOTOS said LNG bunkering services are now a permanent offer of both entities and can be provided in both Tri-City ports.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 19 March 2019

Australia’s Port of Newcastle hosted the largest fuel tanker in its 220 years of commercial operations on March 18.

The 244-metre LR2 tanker, Pro Alliance, berthed at Stolthaven’s bulk liquids terminal Mayfield 7, marking the culmination of a significant investment in Newcastle. The milestone follows the arrival of the port’s first LR1 tanker in early January.

Receiving vessels of this size was made possible following a four-year collaborative project between Stolthaven, Port of Newcastle, Port Authority of NSW and Svitzer to expand channel capacity and accommodate deep-draft inbound tankers up to 245 metres LOA.

The project partners committed to increasing the port’s capacity through a number of activities, including detailed channel simulation investigations, adding active escort tug capability to the port’s fleet and the development of a dynamic under-keel clearance system (DUKC) for deep draft inbound ships to complement the existing outbound DUKC system.

“In our 220th year of commercial shipping, milestones such as this signify the evolving role of the port in facilitating global trade through our harbour and driving growth in the regional, state and national economies,” Keith Wilks, Port of Newcastle Executive Manager Marine and Operations, said.

*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 DAP CARGO LINE SAS is our new member from COLOMBIA.

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

DAP CARGO LINE SAS_COLOMBIA
ADDRESS: Km. 19 via Mosquera Madrid, Parque Industrial San Jorge Int. 143 Bogotá, Colombia
CONTACT: Jennifer Bohorquez
TEL: +57 1 893 3588
WEB: www.dapcargo.com

COMPANY PROFILE
Dap Cargo Line is a company specialized on handling and advising of logistics in international and national cargo transportation, customs and storage. They can transport any type of merchandise as power generators, tanks and isotanks, vehicles, pipe, agricultural and industrial machinery.

Their success consists of an excellent project planning and execution before and after the handling of multipurpose cargo in order to guarantee full customer satisfaction not only in the logistics that demand cargo handling but also in the minimization of time and costs, delivering as a result a route plan with equipment recommendations for handling your cargo, of port or airport operators, ports or airport more convenient, type of ship or plane, permit requirements, and in general everything necessary to minimize the risk of eventualities that may affect the logistics, for the end to reach the success of their service and guarantee their customers the security of continuing to entrust their loads to Dap Cargo.

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

Original news was published on 12 March 2019

Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has received a DNV GL technology qualification certificate for its QUAD lifting method, which has been established to install and/or remove oversized topsides or jackets.

HMC tested the lifting method in the Gulf of Mexico in October 2018. The solution deploys two dynamically positioned vessels and uses the combined capacity of the ships' four cranes in tandem. HMC’s semi-submersible crane vessels Thialf and Balder were used to compete the test.

The QUAD lifting method is, according to HMC, suitable for installing topsides on any type of foundation, from jackets to floating structures. HMC added that the method guarantees lower overall project costs.

The certificate from DNV GL recognises that HMC is able to prepare and execute this method.

According to HMC, when its largest semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir enters commercial service, the company will be able to use the combined lifting capacity of Thialf’s 14,000-tonne capacity cranes and Sleipnir’s 20,000-tonne capacity.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 12 March 2019

In a dramatic move away from Cummins, Hyster Europe has revealed that its Stage V lift trucks for European customers will be powered by Mercedes-Benz/ MTU engines.

“Our heavy industry and port customers in Europe, who will require a Stage V driveline, can continue to expect highly efficient trucks with low fuel and DEF consumption, benefiting from high productivity levels and fast operations with the power available,” said Jan Willem van den Brand, Director Big Truck Product Strategy & Solutions at Hyster Europe.

All Hyster lift trucks over 8 tonnes - FLTs, ECHs, reach stackers and LCH mast trucks - will be equipped with the Stage V-compliant Mercedes-Benz/ MTU Series 1000 (OM 934, OM 936) and 1100 (OM 470) engines. The exact availability varies per series and will be communicated in due course.

All the new engines combine EGR, DOC, SCR and DPF technologies. The OM 934 has a displacement of 5.5 litres, the OM 936 7.7 litres and the OM 470 10.7 litres. This compares with the Cummins Stage IV QSL 9 (8.9 litres).

The engines have been specially designed for industrial applications such as material handling and further developed to meet EU Stage V regulations. They are based on commercial vehicle engines from Daimler.
 
Lars Kräft, Vice President Industrial Business at MTU, said: “We are very pleased, that Hyster, one of the leading global brands of materials handling equipment, decided to power its new vehicles with our engines.”

“Mercedes-Benz/MTU engines have a highly successful track record in both on-road and off-road applications such as forestry or agriculture. They are also particularly suited to intermittent applications like our business serves,” says van den Brand, explaining that the power ratings range from 129kW to 280kW depending on model.

“With the optimal match of engine sizes to the trucks and applications, customers can handle the heaviest of loads all day long, with quick turnaround times,” he says. “Customers can expect to boost productivity with more power available for faster operations whether it is handling containers in the Swedish winter or steel pipes in the hot Italian summer.”

With service intervals of 1000hrs, good access to main service parts and outstanding durability, the Mercedes-Benz/MTU engines are expected to help reduce service costs.

Hyster Europe will work in close cooperation with MTU to ensure its dealer network, familiar with Cummins engine used up to now by Hyster Big Trucks, will be fully trained and equipped for service support, meaning that end users will receive optimum support throughout their entire product life cycle.

Going forward, it is not clear whether the new arrangements in Europe will have any bearing on Hyster Big Trucks sold in North America.

*NEWS SOURCE

Good News...

Proud to share with you the professional performance of OPCA member EUROPRIM SHIPPING SRL, Romania.

Europrim Shipping recently completed the river/road multi-modal shipment of an automotive press weighing 285 tons, dismantled into 3 pieces of 75, 100 and 110 tons.

The pieces were received from the shipper in the Slovakian Port of Bratislava and loaded on a barge chartered by their special projects team for a 7 days further Danube River voyage to the Romanian Constanta Port.


After receiving the cargo in Constanta, their operational team successfully managed the transshipment of the pieces onto special road trailers and organized the further door delivery to the consignee at Pitesti destination city, 350 km inland from the port.


The three press components were safely and just in time delivered to the final consignee according to the agreed schedule.


With this success, Europrim Shipping has proven once again its skills and expertise in the Romanian project cargo industry field, regardless size or weight.

Congratulations to EUROPRIM SHIPPING SRL, Romania for their excellent job.

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

Original news was published on 07 March 2019

The construction of the Port of Tilbury’s new multimillion pound port terminal, Tilbury2, will begin immediately after the UK-based company GRAHAM was appointed to carry out the work.

In late February 2019, the port received development consent from the Secretary of State for Transport to build the new port.

The project will involve the creation of a new port terminal and associated facilities on land at the former Tilbury Power Station on the north bank of the River Thames at Tilbury.

When operational in spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port and the country’s biggest construction processing hub.

GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for both the Terrestrial and the Marine Package. The Terrestrial contract incorporates a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo), highway works, the relocation of the existing railhead, and a fixed structural steel bridge to the linkspan. The Marine contract includes works within the tidal estuary beyond the existing sea wall/flood defences, including a floating pontoon, link-span/articulated bridge, associated pilings and river bed preparation for the berth.

“Tilbury2 is a significant project for our business and our customers… There is a great deal to do over the next 12 months and we look forward to opening our new port in 2020,” Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Group (owners of the Port of Tilbury) said.

“The Tilbury2 project is a complex scheme that will facilitate the expansion of the Port of Tilbury and support its continued local, regional and national economic growth. We look forward to working collaboratively with The Port of Tilbury and local stakeholders to deliver this transformational scheme,” Michael Graham, GRAHAM Executive Chairman, commented.

Tilbury2 is central to the Port of Tilbury’s GBP 1 billion (USD 1.3 billion) investment program during 2012-20.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 04 March 2019

The offshore wind sector is set to install more than 69 gigawatts of new capacity through 2027, driving breakbulk demand globally, according to the latest research from consultancy Navigant Research.
 
The firm predicts that operating capacity will exceed 100 gigawatts by 2030 thanks to offshore wind projects “quickly becoming more cost-effective.”
 
“Power purchase prices for projects are dropping, driven by turbine size and other technology improvements, economies of scale, faster installation cycles, and increased supply chain competition,” a spokesperson for Navigant said.
 
New Markets Emerging
 
Navigant highlights the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Belgium as “industry-leading countries” already well into the transition phase to market-oriented policies where highly competitive bidding for power contracts dominates.
 
However it also notes that more developed countries are reaching maturity for offshore wind auctions, with bidding already started in the U.S. ahead of offshore project installations along the northeastern seaboard.
 
Vineyard project gets CRMC backing
 
One of the largest of these projects on the U.S. Northeast coast is the Vineyard Wind development off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, which was recently approved by the Coastal Resources Management Council.
 
The 84-turbine project is expected to generate 800 megawatts once complete and drive demand for offshore breakbulk handling skills not yet established in the U.S. following backing from the island’s dominant fishing industry.
 
"We are confident that today’s vote, combined with the US$16.7 million comprehensive funding package developed in consultation with Rhode Island fishermen and CRMC staff, will allow the Ocean State’s fishing industry to safely operate and grow side-by-side with our project and future offshore wind developments,” said Lars Pederson, CEO of Vineyard Wind.

*NEWS SOURCE