The Friday Flyer - December 6th 2013

Like all maritime conventions, the devil is in the detail and trying to work out from the statement on the IMO website what this week's approval actually means has had the editorial team at HLPFI a little foxed.

In summary it would appear that this week's approval of the resolution will effectively postpone the date from which shipowners must be able to prove that their ships have a system in place for treating ballast water, until their first renewal survey following the date of entry into force of the convention.

This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by Broekman Project Services, located in the Port of Rotterdam, which offers a total solution for handling and assembly of project cargoes - www.broekman-group.com/bps

In the corporate world

Reports suggest that Hapag-Lloyd and CSAV are currently holding discussions over a possible business combination or other form of association. Meanwhile a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Group and Schmitz Cargobull has broken ground on a new USD136 million trailer manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China, which will have an annual capacity of up to 40,000 semi-trailers. Also in China, Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) and Lloyd's Register China have agreed to develop a LNG-powered 28,000 dwt general cargo ship. Across the Pacific, the Aeroscraft lighter-than-air rigid airship project is buoyant after winning support from Capitol Hill following US Congressman Mike Honda's backing for its use in relief operations.

Capacity developments

The Saudi Railways contract with Freight Car America to supply 500 100-tonne capacity freight cars should have project cargo forwarders and shipping lines licking their lips in anticipation of business to come in 2014.

Jaxport's Blount Island Marine Terminal has completed its heavy lift cargo berth reconstruction project, which has seen a doubling of its Berth 31's weight bearing capacity and a significant increase in its pounds-per-axle rating.

COSCO Shipping Co (COSCOL) has revealed plans to build a further four 36,000 dwt multipurpose vessels at CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Shipbuilding.

Nicolas has delivered a 20 axle-line MHD G2 SPE trailer to Addax Petroleum in Nigeria tailored for use in the oil and gas industry.

Fast Lines has time-chartered the multipurpose ship Flinterbright to operate between Antwerp and St Petersburg for the next six months.

Notable shipments

Manica Group Namibia is handling a significant consignment of various abnormal loads destined for an acid plant in Tsumeb, Namibia. Some 630 tonnes of parts and equipment for the project have been moved to date, with a 115-tonne heat exchanger to be moved next month.

The first AN-225 to fly into the Philippines was used to deliver a 150-tonne power generator from Zagreb, Croatia to the country last month. Royal Cargo Combined Logistics handled the transport of the generator from Mactan, Cebu to a plant site in Batangas City.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has landed the first AN-124-100 freighter in the Russian city of Salekhard. The debut arrival, delivering a 26-tonne turbine for the Salekhard electric power station from the Ukraine, followed the debut of the aircraft type at Khrabrovo Kaliningrad Airport in October when it was used to deliver an 80-tonne mobile power plant.

A record for the highest count of independent, over-dimensional trains used for a single heavy haul project has been set at the Port of Duluth following the landing of 16 electrical transformers, each weighing over 300 tonnes, destined for a major power transmission line in Alberta.

Combi Lift has inked a contract to transport a 1,400-tonne subsea cable from Donghae, South Korea to Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the Westermost Rough offshore wind farm project.

Agora Logistics & Distribution has shipped a compressor and tractor a distance of 1,450 km for Cimencam from Doula port in Cameroon, to the Figuil cement plant in the far north of the country.

People and places

Ruan Courtney has been promoted to managing director of global air charter broker  Air Charter Service (ACS), replacing current managing director Tony Bauckham who will continue to work with ACS for an additional year as joint-managing director.

Glenn Bai is settling in at Gruber Logistics' recently established Shanghai office as managing director of the facility, which will serve the Chinese and Asian market.

Sarjak Container Lines has established a new standalone office in Malaysia after switching its representation in the country from Jardine Shipping Services to Mitra Jasa Maritim (Malaysia).

Captain Sunchai Sanguanpao will head up Inchcape Shipping Services' new office in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, while Captain Farooq Umar leads KOG Transport's new Pakistan office.

Donald E. Rupert its now vice president East Coast for APS Stevedoring, responsible for developing and overseeing business opportunities for the company in the US East Coast and Gulf regions, while at Geodis Wilson, Igor Muñiz is now competence head for industrial projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

All about Evie

Evie was intrigued this week with the news that Amazon is investigating the viability of using drones to deliver packages from its warehouses directly to the front lawns of its clients and left wondering if the plan is feasible, or just a publicity stunt. Friday Flyer readers not based in the UK may not be familiar with the Waterstones book chain, which has long been a critic of Amazon. In a very fast riposte, Waterstones' said it plans to train owls to deliver books under the Ornithological Waterstones Landing Service (OWLS).