This week's round up of news from the world of heavy lift and project forwarding.

Just one week after China torpedoed the P3 Network, the European Commission has extended by another five years until April 2020 the validity of the existing legal framework exempting, if certain conditions are met, liner shipping consortia from EU antitrust rules.

After a public consultation, the Commission has concluded that the exemption has worked well, providing legal certainty to agreements which bring benefits to customers and do not unduly distort competition, and that current market circumstances warrant a prolongation.

This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by Canada States Africa Line. CSAL is a vessel-owning common carrier offering direct monthly service between South Africa, Namibia and Eastern Canada/USA. The fleet of ice-classed multipurpose vessels is capable of carrying bulk, breakbulk, projects, rolling stock and containers.


In business

TT Club's Mike Yarwood has warned that as invasive cyber-technology becomes more widely available, a greater risk to legitimate trade is emerging, exposing operators in the supply chain to economic and commercial damage.

DHL Global Forwarding has signed a contract with Airbus to provide transportation of A319, A320 and A321 aircraft components.

Begbies Traynor, the business rescue and recovery specialist, has been appointed as administrator of Hunterstrong Engineering Limited, which traded as Northover Heavy Logistics.

Allseas Global Logistics has established a partnership with Pakistan's Raaziq International.


Capacity developments

Jumbo has awarded a contract to Huisman for the design and construction of a second Deepwater Deployment System (DDS) to be integrated on the shipping line's Jumbo Javelin.

A2SEA's new offshore installation vessel Sea Challenger (pictured top right) is set for its first project - the installation of 35 Siemens 6MW turbines on DONG Energy's Westermost Rough project. Aeolus, Van Oord's first transport and installation vessel for the construction of offshore wind farms is also now operational.

Port Canaveral has signed a 35-year agreement with Gulftainer USA (pictured bottom right) to operate and further develop its container and multipurpose cargo terminal.

Romanian transport company RonTransMar has purchased a Faymonville MegaMAX lowbed trailer equipped with the manufacturer's independent wheel suspension Twin Axle II.


Shipments of the week

Fairmount Marine managed the towage of the West Ariel jack-up rig (pictured top right) from Vung Tau, Vietnam, to Singapore, whilst SAL Heavy Lift's Lone transported two shiploaders with a combined weight of approximately 1,900 tonnes from Germany to Northern Colombia, becoming the first ship to call at the newly constructed pier in Puerto Bolivar.

Two 9-tonne artificial grass machines (pictured second right) arrived in Maastricht onboard one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines' IL-76TD-90VD freighters.

Topline Express Logistics shipped a consignment of cryogenic liquid storage tanks (pictured bottom right) from Shanghai to Costa Rica's Port Caldera on board the multipurpose vessel Du An Chang, whilst Van der Vlist transported two cement kiln sections from Magdeburg, Germany to a factory in north Lincolnshire.

Other notable projects reported by HLPFI this week can be seen on the archive news area of our website.

Got some shipment news of your own? Send it in to editorial@heavyliftpfi.com


Capital projects and contracts

The Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) won a USD300 million contract for the construction of pipelines for two sections of Doha's Mega Reservoir Corridor Main 1 (Packages A & B) for KAHRAMAA - Qatar's General Electricity and Water Corporation.

HLG will be responsible for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 120 km of 16 cm diameter ductile iron pipes and fittings. Works also include trench excavation, backfilling and construction of all valve chambers.

Maersk Oil awarded Technip two contracts for the Valdemar & Roar Gas Lift project as well as the Rolf Replacement Pipeline project, located on the Danish Continental Shelf. Technip's operating centre in Oslo, Norway, will execute the project.

For a fuller round up of capital projects and contracts announced this week please visit the HLPFI website or contact David Kershaw.


On the move

GAC appointed Fredrik Nyström (pictured right) as its new group vice president for the Asia Pacific region. Hill Dickinson made five promotions in its commodities and marine, trade and energy teams, while Panalpina named Karsten Breum as its new chief human resources officer and member of the company's executive board. Mammoet moved to a new office in São Paulo, Brazil, which serves as the company's main office for the whole Latin America region, whilst Damco opened a warehouse and container freight station (CFS) facility in Myanmar.


Network news

Translog Senegal has joined the PPL Network. The XLProjects network has named three new members this week, including V.Alexander Transport System for Bremen, Germany; Falcon Shipping & Logistics for Sohar, Oman; and AMC Air Marine Cargo Inc for Calgary, Canada. Meanwhile, the SC&RA has announced five new members including All America Service, Beasley Forest Products, Diamond Plus Specialized, Northwest Logistics Heavy Haul and Straightpoint.


All about Evie

It is nice to hear that ex-DHL Industrial Projects boss, Hans Toggweiller, is back in the industry and about to start in a new role with Panalpina as global project and oil and gas consultant. Evie also hears that following the departure of its projects head, Nils Wolf earlier this year, Kuehne + Nagel is set to beef-up its projects team with some senior appointments.

Evie was sad to miss out on two events this week, where trailer manufacturers showcased their respective innovative solutions for the transport of heavy modules.

She heard on the grapevine that HLPFI's staff writer Annie Roberts thoroughly enjoyed Scheuerle's singing robot and meeting the owner of the TII Group, and even managed to catch a dance with the ceo of Goldhofer.