October 5 - SAL and the Rolner Foundation have donated EUR20,000 (USD26,350) to the International Seamen's Club Duckdalben in Hamburg, whilst the crew of Anne-Sofie has donated EUR9,000 (USD11,800) to projects in Germany and the Philippines.

SAL and the Rolner Foundation say that the donation honours and supports the activities of the Duckdalben team and their dedication to the Seamen's Club which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. 

At the same time the crew of the SAL heavy lift vessel Anne-Sofie donated their HSE award of EUR9,000 to two projects close to their heart: EUR3,000 (USD3,900) went to the German Maritime SAR-Service (DGzRS) in Bremen and the remaining EUR6,000 (USD7,900) went to the Rayomar Foundation in the Philippines.

The HSE award followed the completion of heavy lift transportation services to the Cossack Wanaea Lambert Hermes (CWLH) project, which saw the crew of the Anne-Sofie reawarded for their good performance in aSafety and Environmental Recognition Scheme (SERS), which was set up by the contractor Technip Oceania Pty Ltd in cooperation with SAL Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land. 

This SERS programme was set up to encourage, promote and, or maintain high standards of health, safety and environmental practices on board vessels deployed in the project. Technip Oceania Pty Ltd as contractor,Woodside Energy Ltd as client and SAL as carrier have contributed to this award with equal shares of one third each. 

The CWLH project is located on the North West Shelf of Western Australia. The overall CWLH redevelopment project involved the replacement of the oil-producing Cossack Pioneer floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, located offshore in the Carnarvon Basin, as well as the refurbishment of associated subsea infrastructure. For this project SAL deployed only Anne-Sofie for the transportation of reels, rim work over platforms and various project cargo. 

Under the SERS rules, the award must be donated to any charity chosen by the entire crew. 

SAL project director Sune Thorleifsson and HSE project manager Felix Meboka present the check toNicolaus Stadeler, managing director of Business and Financial Management of the German Maritime SAR-Service (DGzRS). The Philippine crew decided to donate the remaining amount to the Rayomar Foundation in the Philippines supporting charitable projects focusing on children and adolescents in need.

Lars Rolner, CEO of SAL, and Toshio Yamazaki, executive officer of SAL, visited the International Seamen's Club Duckdalben in Hamburg for the handover of a cheque for EUR20,000. 

The cheque was received by the director of the club, port chaplain Jan Oltmanns and his deputy Anke Wibel. "As ship owners we know the importance of the international seafarers' missions and we appreciate their commitment and important work. The Duckdalben team achieves great things for seafarers from all over the world, whose vessels call the port of Hamburg," emphasised Lars Rolner when handing over the cheque. 

Port chaplain and director of the seamen's mission, Jan Oltmanns, expressed his gratitude: "We would like to thank SAL and the Rolner Foundation for their generous donation. Over the past 25 years we have welcomed more than half a million seafarers from around 160 countries to provide them with everything they need after their long journey. We strongly rely on this type of charitable engagement. The donation means a significant support for our commitment to create a safe and enjoyable setting of relaxation, recreation, sports, entertainment and communication right here in the port of Hamburg for hard working seafarers. The money will be invested in the maintenance and renewal of furniture and communication technologies. The donation will help us to ensure long-term sustainability of our work." 

500f the EUR20,000 donation was made up by the Rolner Foundation, part of which was derived from the proceeds of a benefit concert by the Australian Chamber Choir hosted by the foundation which took place in Hamburg during the summer. The other half originated from SAL Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land which is a member of the Japanese "K" Line Group

As SAL executive officer Toshio Yamazaki underlined: "This donation is a clear commitment to the port of Hamburg and to our head office just outside of the city."

Toshio Yamazaki, executive officer SAL (left), und Lars Rolner, CEO SAL (right), presenting a cheque of EUR20,000 to port chaplain Jan Oltmanns, director of Duckdalben International Seamen's Club.

The handing over of the cheque of EUR3,000 euros took place onboard of the maritime salvage cruiserBernhard Gruben. From left: SAL project director Sune Thorleifsson, rescue helper Ralf Jüttner, Nicolaus Stadeler, managing director of Business and Financial Management of the German Maritime SAR-Service (DGzRS), and Felix Meboka, HSE project manager at SAL.