[ad_1]
Bringing you shipping, freight, trade and transport related news of interest for Africa since 2002
Stay Well, Stay Safe, Stay Patient, don’t become one
Advertise here – strengthen brand awareness at affordable rates – email us for a Rate Card to terry@africaports.co.za
Would you like to receive our free daily newsletter via email? Send your email marked NEWSLETTER to terry@africaports.co.za
♠♠♠
Join us as we report through 2021
‘and learn with Africa Ports & Ships’
TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
These news reports are updated on an ongoing basis. Check back regularly for the latest news as it develops – where necessary refresh your page at www.africaports.co.za
Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return
FIRST VIEW: STAVANGER PIONEER
EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND HERE AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….
The Monday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town Elliott Basin
The Tuesday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town Dry Dock
The Wednesday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town Tanker Basin
The Thursday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town Duncan Dock
The Friday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town from V&A Waterfront
The Saturday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town
The Sunday masthead shows the Port of East London West Bank
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
SEND NEWS REPORTS AND PRESS RELEASES TO
info@africaports.co.za
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
FIRST VIEW: STAVANGER PIONEER
The Norwegian chemical and oil products tanker STAVANGER PIONEER (IMO 9835044) is seen leaving Durban on Wednesday, 22 September, bound for Paranagua in Brazil where she is due on 6 October. The ship had arrived in Durban from South East Asia.
Stavanger Pioneer is owned by a Norwegian company, Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab AS (DSD), based in (where else) Stavanger. DSD is also the ship and commercial manager with Wallem GMBH & Co in Hamburg the ISM manager and operator.
The 49,999-dwt tanker was built in 2019 and has a length of 183 metres and a width of 32 metres. Her current reported draught is 12 metres.
The above pictures are by Keith Betts
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
♠♠♠
Photographs of shipping and other maritime scenes involving any of the ports of South Africa or from the rest of the African continent, together with a short description, name of ship/s, ports etc are welome.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
NEWS
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Seafarer access to medical care now a matter of life and death
Joint Statement by IMO and ILO highlights need for prompt access to medical assistance for vital key worker seafarers
On 24 September the Secretary-General of the IMO and the Director-General of the ILO issued a joint statement calling for port and coastal States to facilitate the prompt disembarkation of seafarers for medical care as a matter of ‘life or death’: to prioritise seafarers for Covid-19 vaccination; and to designate seafarers as key workers, recognising seafarers’ valuable contribution to world trade.
In the joint statement (Circular Letter No.4204/Add.42), IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim and ILO Director-General Guy Rider said seafarers are facing difficulties in accessing medical care and highlighted the: “…moral obligation to ensure seafarers can access medical care ashore without delay, whenever they need it, and to extend medical assistance on board should the need arise by allowing qualified doctors and dentists to visit ships. It is also important that a medical assessment be conducted prior to administering any treatment, which could include telemedicine assessment provided by international health providers.”
The Secretary-General and Director-General, respectively, continued by saying: “Receiving such care can be a matter of life or death for seafarers who fall ill while working on ships. The international community should do its utmost to support those who have maintained the global supply chain under pandemic conditions over the last 18 months and keep carrying on often despite enormous personal hardships.”
The joint statement noted that: “…almost 14 months after issuing the Recommendations for port and coastal States on the prompt disembarkation of seafarers for medical care ashore during the Covid-19 pandemic (Circular Letter No.4204/Add.23), seafarers are still struggling to access such care when needed. Advocacy from Member States, the maritime industry, social partners and seafarers themselves has once again brought the plight of seafarers to the fore.’
Remembering the MLC
As enshrined in ILO’s 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), it is incumbent upon Member States to ensure seafarers on board ships in their territory are given access to medical facilities ashore, should they require immediate medical care, including dental care (See the Resolution concerning the implementation and practical application of the MLC, 2006 during the Covid-19 pandemic, adopted by the Special Tripartite Committee of the MLC, 2006 in April 2021).
The legal obligation to render assistance to seafarers in distress, including medical assistance, is also an intrinsic component of IMO conventions, namely the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS); the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR); and the Convention on the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL).
The joint statement once again urges Governments to recognise the strategic importance of the maritime sector and, in line with UN General Assembly resolution A/75/17 adopted on 1 December 2020, to designate seafarers as key workers and to treat them as such by providing access to medical care.
Circular Letter No.4204/Add.35/Rev.7 contains the current list of IMO Member States having notified IMO that they have designated seafarers (and other marine personnel, as appropriate) as key workers.
To prioritise seafarers
Governments are urged to prioritise seafarers in their national Covid-19 vaccination programmes, in accordance with the WHO SAGE Roadmap for Prioritising uses of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Context of Limited Supplies, as updated on 16 July 2021, and to offer WHO-approved Emergency Use Listing (EUL) vaccines to ensure their vaccination status is recognised internationally.
The list of WHO-approved EUL vaccines is accessible HERE
The ILO and IMO heads also encouraged Governments to recognise the role other marine personnel play in facilitating global trade and, wherever possible, to also vaccinate them on a priority basis.
Information received by IMO and ILO indicates that 24 countries have thus far answered the clarion call by implementing seafarer vaccination programmes, or signalling their intent to do so, in designated ports within their jurisdictions.
CLICK HERE for a list of these countries and their constituent ports.
The joint statement said: “We are extremely grateful to these countries but urge more to step forward to accelerate, in particular, the vaccination of seafarers serving international shipping. Government agencies, industry, labour and seafarer welfare groups continue to work assiduously to facilitate and/or deliver vaccines for seafarers. However, much remains to be done. We shall continue to work with our sister UN agencies, Governments and industry bodies to address the ongoing needs of seafarers and to safeguard their basic rights, so that they may continue to facilitate the global economy.”
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
New senior appointments by TNPA
On Wednesday last week (22 September) we published news of the appointment of the Port of Durban’s new Port Manager, Ms Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana – SEE HERE. She transfers from the Port of Cape Town to take over responsibility for the country’s busiest port as from 1 October.
Four other senior appointments at Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) have also been announced. According to TNPA the appointments followed extensive interview processes and consultations and are in line with an approved executive structure aimed at capacitating and delivering TNPA’s new operating model.
Mr Anthony Ngcezula becomes General Manager: Commercial Services, with effect from 27 September 2021.
Ngcezula has extensive experience in property development and management, and strategic leadership and governance,
having worked in reputable financial institutions and in the banking sector including being directly involved in business transformation.
In his most recent role as Chief Executive Officer at the Johannesburg Development Agency, he was responsible for managing a capex budget of R1.3 billion and a complement of 112 employees. His profile includes setting up and leading the Property Management Directorate and housing department in the City of Johannesburg.
Mr Menzi Mbina is appointed as General Manager: Risk & Regulatory, effective 1 October 2021.
Menzi is an admitted attorney with 22 years of working experience and has occupied various senior leadership roles in public sector entities. His specialties and knowledge areas include public sector laws and regulations, corporate governance, contract, and commercial law as well as commercial litigation.
He joins TNPA from the Coega Development Corporation Pty Ltd (CDC), where he served as the Unit Head Legal & Risk and Company Secretary for nine years. A key highlight of his career was negotiating a concession agreement for the construction of the Central African Republic logistic bases for the storage of goods and the conduct of customs operations in Douala and Kribi.
He also successfully negotiated a Tripartite agreement for the appointment of the CDC as an implementing agent to negotiate and operate the Tshwane Automotive SEZ.
Ms Miranda Nyathi becomes Head: Information & Communication Technology – Digital Transformation, with effect from 1 October 2021.
Her IT experience is largely in Corporate South Africa, working with some of the country’s leading brands including PPC-Cement, Pivot Sciences and T-Systems.
In her most recent role at the Standard Bank Group, where she worked as a Lead, Information Technology (IT) Security Practice Development, where she accumulated extensive experience in assessing the bank’s technology utilisation and optimisation of the most expensive technologies used in IT Security.
Ms Thecla Mneney, General Manager: Infrastructure, effective 1 October 2021.
Mneney has experience of over 20 years, gained in various roles across diverse industries in both the public and private sectors. She has worked in engineering roles at different companies including Steffen Robertson & Kirsten Consulting Engineers & Scientists (SRK) and Bigen Africa.
In her most recent role as Head of Project Management at Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), she was responsible for overseeing and coordinating the project management function.
She is not new to TNPA, having served as the Deputy Chief Engineer between 2018 and 2021, and occasionally acted as Chief Engineer and GM: Infrastructure. Mneney is a professional engineer registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.
Added 26 September 2021
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
WHARF TALK: Cape Town visit for USS HERSHEL ‘WOODY’ WILLIAMS
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
The arrival of any warship, from any nation, at any South African port, always attracts great interest, despite the fact that some warships look anything but warlike, or even look like they might be warships. What is equally nice is that this visit is from a major naval power, despite it being the only warship from that nation to have visited in a space of a year, albeit twice.
On 25th September at 10h00 the United States Navy ship ‘USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams (IMO 9804306) arrived from Walvis Bay, in Namibia, and entered Cape Town harbour. She berthed at E berth in the Duncan Dock, and was escorted into port by two armed Namacurra harbour patrol craft, of the South African Navy, namely craft Y23 and Y24.
One of the Lewis B. Pullen class of support vessels, known in the United States Navy (USN) as an Expeditionary Mobile Base, USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams holds the pennant number ESB-4. There are currently three active Lewis B. Pullen vessels in commission with the USN, with a further two being built. They are an improved derivation of the two Montford Point class of Expeditionary Transfer Dock vessels (ESD).
Built in 2018 by the NASSCO shipyard at San Diego, located in California, in the USA, and based on a commercial design of the Alaska class of merchant tanker, originally built for BP, USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams is 239 metres in length and has a deadweight of 71,955 tons. She cost US$498 million (ZAR7.43 billion) to build.
She is a diesel-electric powered vessel, with four Morse-Fairbanks MAN-B&W 6L48/60CR 6 cylinder 4 stroke main engines, producing 8,690 bhp (6,480 kW) each. Propulsion is provided by two Alstom 6.6 kV electric propulsion systems, driving twin propellers, with twin rudders, and giving her a service speed of 15 knots. She is capable of a maximum speed of 20 knots.
The vessel is named after Hershel Woodrow Williams, of West Virginia, who is the sole surviving American serviceman of the Second World War, and the the recipient of the highest American award for bravery, namely the Congressional Medal of Honor. A member of the United States Marine Corps, he received his award after gallant action on Iwo Jima in the Pacific theatre in 1945. The story of his valour which gained him his Medal of Honor is worth a read on its own.
Originally intended to be a support vessel of the Military Sealift Command (MSC), she originally entered service on 22nd February 2018, as the civilian manned United States Naval Ship USNS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams with the pennant number T-ESB-4. However, the USN decided that the operational requirements of this class of vessel were such that they should have naval crewing and on 7th March 2020, she was re-commissioned as USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams.
She carries a mixed navy and civilian crew, and currently operates with 101 USN crew and 44 MSC crew, but is capable of accommodating a total crew of 250. She is nominally unarmed, although she has defensive machine guns and grenade launchers.
Her flight deck has four operating positions for both helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft, and she has a hangar capable of housing both Sikorsky MH-53 Sea Stallion, and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. She can also operate a Northrop-Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle), which is a rotary drone, and can be used for reconnaissance, situational awareness, fire support and precision targeting.
As a unit of the USN Sixth Fleet, who are responsible for security and stability in both Europe and Africa, USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams is based at the USN base of Souda Bay, on the island of Crete, in Greece. She falls under the 6th Fleet Africa Command (AFRICOM) and is a constituent part of Naval Forces Africa.
She is designed for, and capable of, operating in a wide spectrum of deployment scenarios. These include special forces missions, piracy suppression, counter smuggling, maritime security, search and seizure, mine clearance, command and control, crisis response, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
All of these requirements are considered low intensity missions, hence a mixed naval and civilian crew. High intensity operations are conducted by Marine Expeditionary Groups and Naval Support Forces. Her main peacetime naval function in AFRICOM is to show the flag, provide co-operation, and give interoperability training with other naval forces around Africa.
To support all of these missions, USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams can provide aviation facilities, including helicopter refueling and vertical replenishment, equipment staging support, troop and support staff accommodation, stores and storage facilities, workshop and repair facilities, and offer magazine space.
This is not her first call at South African ports, as she made her maiden call to Cape Town on 20th February this year. At the time it was the first visit to South Africa, by a USN vessel, in almost a year. Unfortunately, it occurred during a period of Covid-19 lockdown in the country, and no crew were allowed ashore, nor were any general public ship tours allowed either.
Her stay on this occasion is expected to be for a longer period than the last time, and possibly for as long as a few weeks. It is hoped that the restrictions of her visit in February will not be in place this time around, and crew shore leave, and open ship guided tours will be on offer. Her berthing at the Cruise Terminal in the Duncan Dock certainly makes the latter a distinct possibility.
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Extra large first heavylift for Mammoet’s terminal crane at Lagos
Rising shipping costs are impacting numerous sectors, but they have been impacted particularly hard among industries that normally utilise heavy lift vessels.
This factor has made some transportations unviable and also resulted in a growing need for ports with greater crane capacity, as ports now need to be able to perform the offloading of increasingly heavy items from non-geared cargo vessels.
Without this capability, entire regions risk losing out on newer, more complex construction projects.
Procurement and logistics specialist provider CAB van der Vinne needed to transport a Multicat vessel from the UAE to Nigeria. The Rebecca Multicat tugboat was originally due to be transported on a heavy lift vessel, however, following the huge increase in global shipping costs this became unfeasible and the CAB van der Vinne turned to Mammoet for a more cost-effective alternative.
Mammoet came up with an efficient solution as a result of its global reach combined with the capabilities of its fleet. This enabled the company to project manage both the loading of the Multicat in Dubai, as well as propose a solution for the offloading at Lagos.
Following the strategic partnership agreement between Mammoet and Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base (LADOL) in 2020, Mammoet installed its Mammoet Terminal Crane (MTC 15) at LADOL’s quayside to increase the project cargo capacity of the ports for industrial projects.
The MTC 15 transformed LADOL’s quayside into a high-capacity fully independent heavy lifting terminal, unlocking faster and more efficient routes for project cargo in Nigeria. With a load moment matching a 1,200 tonne crawler crane or a large floating sheerleg, the MTC 15 offers capacity for loads up to 600t to be lifted to and from any quay.
The operation began in Dubai, where Mammoet’s team in the UAE oversaw the loading of the 320t multicat onto a vessel at SAQR Port in Ras-Al-Khaimah bound for Nigeria. Once the vessel arrived at the LADOL quayside, the MTC 15 carefully lifted the multicat from the vessel, then safely lowered it directly into Nigerian waters.
The multicat vessel, destined to undertake various assignments on a dredging project in Lagos, was the largest weight ever offloaded at the LADOL base. The MTC 15 was the only crane capable to receive the cargo in the ports of Lagos from a non-geared cargo vessel.
Commenting on the successful heavy lift, Joop van der Vinne, Director of CAB van der Vinne, said: “It has been a pleasure to be part of this record breakbulk lift in Nigeria. After a long journey that started in the UAE, the Rebecca Multicat Tugboat was safely lowered onto Lagos waters.”
van der Vinne said there are only two MTC 15 cranes in the world. “With one at the LADOL quayside, customers operating in Nigeria have the opportunity to use extremely cost-effective logistics and shipping solutions.” he added.
Jide Jadesimi, LADOL’s Executive Director, Business Development described the highly technical lift as having been carried out with all stakeholders involved in perfect unison.
“The decades of experience, unrelenting hard work and constant flow of communication between the entire team meant the project worked like clockwork,” he said.
“We’d like to thank the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), whose marine division supported the project, including the timely and skilled deployment of the NPA tugboats, which were instrumental in accurately maneuvering the large cargo vessel during the heavy lift. We look forward to supporting a range of local and regional projects in the near future.”
According to Olivier Dirkzwager, Sales Manager for Mammoet West Africa, “LADOL’s infrastructure combined with Mammoet’s MTC 15 crane – a unique piece of heavy lifting equipment, unlocks smarter, more efficient routes for heavy cargo in Nigeria. The successful delivery and discharge of the multicat is a testament to that and we expect it to be the first of many more successful projects.”
The installation of the MTC 15 stands to benefit numerous industrial sectors across West Africa, ensuring that the region is able to attract general fabrication jobs as well as the complex construction projects that are in increasing demand – in Nigeria and across West Africa.
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Ever Act, world’s biggest, now on her way into service
Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine has taken delivery of EVER ACT, hull #2359 (IMO 9893905), the second of a planned twelve A-class megamax container ships being built by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and two Chinese shipyards.
As with its earlier sistership, EVER ACE, which was delivered in July*, the new ship named EVER ACT (IMO 9893905) has a container capacity of 23,992-TEU and is the biggest boxship currently in service.
Other dimensions of Ever Act are a deadweight of 241,900 tons, a length of 399.9 metres and a beam of 61.5 metres, enabling rows of 24 containers across.
The next four sisterships are to follow from SHI during 2021 and 2022, with the following two already named as Ever Aim, hull #2360 (IMO 9893917), and Ever Alp, hull #2361 (IMO 9893929).
The second batch of six A-class ships are being built in two Chinese yards, two at the Jiangnan Shipyard and four at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding.
Ever Act has an 11-cylinder WinGD two-stroke diesel engine, model XD92B which provides the megamax vessel commercial speeds of up to 22.5 knots.
The vessel is fitted with an exhaust scrubber to meet existing IMO emission control requirements.
Evergreen has positioned the first two A-class ships on the Ocean Alliance NEU-6 Far East – Northern Europe service, coded CEM by Evergreen.
After leaving the SHI’s Geoje Island shipyard in South Korea, Ever Act moved to Qingdao in China to commence loading her first cargo.
The Suez Canal Authority can anticipate even more giant Evergreen ships in its waterway.
* You can see our report of Ever Ace sailing in August HERE
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
WHARF TALK: tale of tanker in a predicament – ENERGY CENTAUR
Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Most folk who have been to sea know how soothing, and reassuring, it is to have the steady throbbing of a marine diesel engine in the background when underway. They also know how concerning, and focusing, it is when that background noise simply stops when out at sea. Worse still is hearing the Engineer’s reporting that said dead engine is not likely to be restarted any time soon, if at all. Which leaves the worry of the indeterminate wait, under the prevailing wind and wave conditions, for a friendly tug to arrive and get you out of the mess you now find yourself in.
The Isle of Man flagged LR1 tanker ENERGY CENTAUR (IMO 9387281) was on a voyage from Mangalore in India, carrying a full load of fuel products, when off the South East Cape coast, her engine failed and her engineers could not restart it. After informing the relevant authorities of her predicament, she switched her AIS to read ‘Not Under Command’ and proceeded to drift with the Agulhas current.
Whilst the South African Navy Hydrographic Office put out a Coastal Navigation Warning (CNW), to warn all passing vessels of the position that Energy Centaur found herself in, AMSOL was preparing their new Anchor Handling Tug Umkhuseli to sail from Port Elizabeth at 22h00 on 20th September, and to proceed to the position of the casualty, promulgated by the CNW as being at 36° 06’ South and 19° 37’ East, well offshore and to the South West of Cape Agulhas.
On arrival at the location of Energy Centaur, the Umkhuseli took the towing bridle and proceeded on the slow 4 knot tow towards Cape Town, where they both arrived safely at 13h00 on 22nd September. With Umkhuseli at the bow and with the additional guidance of three Transnet harbour tugs, Usibi, Enseleni and Merlot, Energy Centaur was berthed safely on the Landing Wall in the Duncan Dock, where essential maintenance and repairs will be carried out.
Built in 2008 by Sungdong Shipbuilding at Tongyoung in South Korea, Energy Centaur is 228 metres in length and has a deadweight of 74,995 tons. She is powered by a STX MAN-B&W 6S60MC 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine, producing 16,646 bhp (12,240 kW). Her cargo carrying capacity is 80,440 m3.
Her auxiliary machinery includes three Yanmar 6N21AL-EW generators providing 970 kW each, and a Cummins NT855 emergency generator providing 150 kW. She has an Alfa Laval Aalborg Mission XS-2V exhaust gas boiler, and an Alfa Laval Aalborg Mission OL oil fired boiler.
One of two sisterships, Energy Centaur is owned by Blackstone Marine of Douglas, in the Isle of Man, and operated by Golden Energy Management, of Athens, whose colours adorn her funnel. She is managed by Enterprises Shipping and Trading, also of Athens, and who operate out of the same offices as Golden Energy Management.
As with most tankers that operate through the North Indian Ocean, and especially if voyaging through the Gulf of Oman, and in the vicinity of the coast of Somalia, Energy Centaur displays some necessary anti-piracy measures. In this case, it is probably the most amount of razor wire seen on any one vessel, and it is deployed in great swathes around the accommodation access points, on the boat deck, and on the catwalk separating the accommodation block from the engine room exhaust block and funnel housing.
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Synergy Group takes over Maersk tankers’ technical management business
Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore and a subsidiary of Synergy Group, has signed an agreement to take over Maersk Tankers’ technical management business.
Synergy Group’s position within technical management will be strengthened by the purchase, and Maersk Tankers will become a service company focused on commercial management.
“Maersk Tankers has been transformed from a traditional tanker company into a service company over the past few years. The agreement with Synergy Group marks the next big step on our strategic course, offering both the technical and commercial businesses optimum conditions in which to thrive,” said Christian M Ingerslev, CEO of Maersk Tankers.
“Maersk Tankers will become a service company focused on the commercial management market, delivering financially and environmentally viable solutions for shipowners.”
The technical management business, which has been part of Maersk Tankers since 1928, maintains vessels to ensure their safe, efficient and cost-competitive operation. It employs close to 3,300 people, of which 140 work onshore.
Synergy Group, a leading ship manager founded in 2006 and with 14,000 seafarers and more than 1,000 shore-based employees, has been chosen as the new owner to grow and develop the technical management business.
“At Synergy, we have always strived to provide high-quality services to our ship-owning partners,” said Captain Rajesh Unni, founder and CEO of Synergy Group.
“Being considered the right owner of Maersk Tankers’ technical management business is testament to our beliefs and philosophy of working towards creating a platform for high-quality and technically adept services. The crew’s well-being is paramount, and we are committed to providing sustainably responsible services.”
Under the agreement, Synergy Group will take over the entire technical management business of Maersk Tankers. This includes customer and supplier contracts, as well as the technical management of 82 vessels, including the vessels in Maersk Product Tankers.
More vessels mean access to more data, which Synergy Group will use to optimise vessel performance and reduce the environmental impact of shipping.
The majority of the employees in Maersk Tankers’ technical management business will become part of the Synergy Group, which will strengthen the company’s presence in Denmark, Singapore and India.
Following the takeover, the two companies will work together on the management of the vessels in Maersk Product Tankers. The takeover of the technical management business is expected to be completed during November 2021.
About the two companies
Synergy Group has its HQ in Singapore. Spanning across a network of 22 offices in 13 countries and employing more than 17,000 seafarers, Synergy manages a fleet of almost 500 vessels including the most complex LNG (including FSUs), LPG and vast 20,000+ TEU container ships, as well as oil and chemical tankers, car carriers and bulk carriers.
Maersk Tankers is a service company that provides commercial management solutions for shipowners in the tanker industry, operating one of the largest tanker fleets in the world. Founded in 1928, Maersk Tankers employs approximately 300 employees in Denmark, Singapore, India and the U.S. and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Added 26 September 2021
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
French warship seizes over $5 million haul of illicit drugs
Not for the first time, the French frigate FS LANGUEDOC has been instrumental in the seizure of a substantial haul of narcotics being transported across the North Indian Ocean in the direction of the African coast.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) reports that the French ship intercepted more than 1.6 tons of illegal drugs following the interception and search of a vessel suspected of smuggling. The captured drugs consisted of 1,525 kg of hash and 166kg of methamphetamine with a combined value of over $5.2 million.
FS Languedoc was conducting patrols in support of CMF’s New Zealand-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 when it stopped the motorised dhow for an inspection.
“The seizure of narcotics from a dhow in the Indian Ocean is testament to the strong partnership between CMF, the Marine Nationale (French Navy) and CTF 150, said Royal New Zealand Navy Capt. Brendon Clark, commander of CTF 150.
“Languedoc has once again demonstrated that through collaboration with like-minded partners, CMF is able to seize and destroy millions of dollars’ worth of narcotics, the income from which would otherwise be used to fund illicit activities and terrorism.”
CTF 150’s mission
CTF 150’s mission is to disrupt criminal and terrorist organisations and their related illicit activities, including the movement of personnel, weapons, narcotics and charcoal. CTF 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf to ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region freely from non-state threats.
CMF is a multinational maritime partnership of 34 nations that includes three task forces. It exists to uphold international rules-based order by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters encompassing some of
the world’s most important shipping lanes.
Added 26 September 2021
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Second cyber attack in a year for CMA CGM
French shipping giant CMA CGM last week announced it has suffered a cyber attack on its IT system in which it said a “limited” leak of contact information related to some of its customers has been detected on one of the Group’s mobile apps.
The cyber attack was detected during a routine surveillance operation on the Application Programming Interfaces (API).
It was the second cyber attack experienced by CMA CGM in a year.
According to the shipping company, the leak concerns limited personal data of customers’ first and last names, employer, position, business email address and phone number.
Confidential information secured
Confidential information related to commercial contracts, bank details and other information with CMA CGM has remained completely secured, CMA CGM said.
“There has been no operational impact on the Group’s activities and all our operating systems are working normally. All data exchanges with our customers and suppliers have remained fully secured.
“Our IT teams have immediately developed and installed security patches on mobile apps. We have informed all relevant authorities about this incident and are working closely with them.”
The announcement warned that this type of data could be used for phishing attempts. Customers were advised to remain vigilant to any suspicious activity and to follow the following best practices to keep thei accounts secure.
Among the precautions, CMA AGM advised customers not to share their account password or any personal information. “CMA CGM will never ask them from you.
“Always check the authenticity of an email requesting you to log in to our platforms (especially if requested to reset your password) even if it seems to be sent by the CMA CGM Group.”
A dedicated team has been set up to attend the matter and to respond to queries addressed to ho.datasecurity@cma-cgm.com
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
Leverage trade to build sustainable food systems – WTO D-G
In a video message to the United Nations’ Food Systems Summit on 23 September, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (pictured here) underscored the importance of international trade in building sustainable food systems.
Noting the opportunity provided by the 12th Ministerial Conference* in late November to make progress on critical agricultural issues, she called on world leaders to support and reinvigorate the trading system to ensure greater sustainability.
The DG’s video message can be seen HERE.
The United Nations’ Food Systems Summit, convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, is part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
This Summit will launch new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.
In the run-up to the Summit, the WTO Secretariat organised on 6 July a Global Dialogue on Trade in collaboration with the UN Food Systems Summit.
In her opening remarks DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the vital role of trade in ensuring global food security.
Participants discussed how the trading system could be reformed to address the food needs of tomorrow and to support sustainable development.
The dialogue can be viewed by CLICKING HERE
Access to vaccines
WTO’s Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang called on the global community to increase the access of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) to the Covid-19 vaccine and to achieve outcomes at the WTO’s Ministerial Conference that will support sustainable development.
DDG Zhang was speaking at the LLDC ministerial meeting held virtually on the margins of the UN General Assembly on 23 September.
“The decisions and agreements reached at the WTO will determine the future of the multilateral trading system and its potential to keep driving development,” he said.
For more SEE HERE
Vaccine policy key to sustainable economic and trade recovery
Speaking at the virtual White House Global Covid-19 Summit on 22 September, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said sustainable economic and trade recovery can only be achieved with a policy that ensures rapid global access to vaccines.
“We have a choice,” she said. “Either we converge downwards by allowing the virus to drag us all back down, or we converge upwards by vaccinating the world.”
For more CLICK HERE
* The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) will take place from 30 November to 3 December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
MC12 was originally scheduled to take place from 8 to 11 June 2020 in Kazakhstan’s capital, Nur-Sultan, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Conference will be chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Bakhyt Sultanov, as approved by WTO members in December 2019.
Reported by Paul Ridgway
London
Added 26 September 2021 Africa Ports & Ships
Sign up for free Newsletter
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
News continues below
GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
in partnership with – APO
More News at https://africaports.co.za/category/News/
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
♠♠♠
News continues below………
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Request a Rate Card from info@africaports.co.za
EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT
Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port
Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.
In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.
You can access this information, including the list of ports covered, by CLICKING HERE remember to use your BACKSPACE to return to this page.
News continues below
CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES
QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.
Naval News
Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
♠♠♠
For a Rate Card please contact us at info@africaports.co.za
Don’t forget to send us your news and press releases for inclusion in the News Bulletins. Shipping related pictures submitted by readers are always welcome. Email to info@africaports.co.za
SHIP PHOTOGRAPHERS Colour photographs and slides for sale of a variety of ships.Thousands of items listed featuring famous passenger liners of the past to cruise ships of today, freighters, container vessels, tankers, bulkers, naval and research vessels.P O BOX 809, CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA snai@worldonline.co.za http://home.worldonline.co.za/~snai |
[ad_2]
This article has been posted as is from Source