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

Popular opinion in the global business media is that the election of Narendra Modi as India's new prime minister could have huge significance for a country that has disappointed for so long.

Many see Modi's victory as giving India a government with the potential to deliver sensible economic policies, growth and prosperity.

Modi's election pledge was to make growth the priority, as well as making India's economy function effectively.

An Indian growth miracle to match that of China over the last 30 years would be fantastic news for Indians, as well as the world.

HLPFI expects that companies around the globe that are hoping to capitalise on the opportunities that such growth would bring, will be wishing Mr Modi every success. HLPFI certainly is.


In the corporate world

IronPlanet, an online marketplace for buying and selling used heavy equipment, is partnering with VeriTread, an online heavy haul transportation marketplace.

Barnhart Crane & Rigging reached a definitive agreement to purchase Hite Crane & Rigging.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has acquired Dhamra Port in Odisha in a deal worth approximately USD941 million.

Blue Water Shipping signed a contract with Ramboll Oil & Gas to provide transport, warehousing and other logistics-related services.

The IMO confirmed that the Maritime Safety Committee approved draft amendments to Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) chapter VI to require mandatory verification of the gross mass of containers.


Capacity developments

Höegh Autoliners' Höegh Jacksonville (pictured top right) is now in service.

JSC Shipyard Lotos launched the 7,240 dwt dry cargo vessel Anatoly Sidenko (pictured bottom right) for Ankor LLC.

A2SEA's vessel SEA CHALLENGER is ready for its first project at DONG Energy's Westermost Rough offshore wind farm.

Jumbo displayed its new super fly-jib on board the vessel Jumbo Javelin in Schiedam.

Saudia Cargo is to operate two weekly B747 freighter services from Europe to Doha from June 1, 2014.


Shipments of the week

Wijngaard Natie transported a 266-tonne transformer (pictured top right) to its terminal in Antwerp, by loading the cargo on a 22-axle SPMT and rolling it onto a barge for river transportation.

Ruslan International carried a deck loader (pictured second right) for the Boeing 747 Dreamlifter from the Riverside Air Force Base in California to the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina.

Damani Shipping handled the import of a 51-tonne telescopic crane, which arrived at Mumbai Port from Shanghai in China.

ALE loaded out a 47,830-tonne topside (pictured bottom right) for the Arkutun Dagi oilfield off the east coast of Russia, which the company claims is the heaviest unit to be loaded out in the world.

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

Technip secured a EUR4.5 billion (USD6.14 billion) contract from JSC Yamal LNG for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility.

Subsea 7 was awarded its largest UK EPIC services contract, valued in excess of USD460 million, by Premier Oil UK Limited.

A consortium including RWE Dea and Petrofac signed a contract for the construction of a natural gas processing plant and infrastructure in the Algerian Sahara for the Reggane Nord 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

Robert Song (pictured top right) has left Cargolux as senior vice president, head of Asia & Pacific, and Kevin Shek has been appointed to take over the role. Mark Middleton - ex-commercial director at Chapman Freeborn - has joined Air Partner as director of business development for freight - Asia Pacific, while Stuart Smith also joined Air Partner as business development manager for freight - MENA and CIS. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) appointed Matthew Phelps as senior vice president of procurement and operations integration. Following the retirement of Phil Nichols, Roberts Kempkens has joined the TT Club as claims director. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) appointed Captain Rahul Khanna (pictured bottom right) as global head of marine risk consulting.


Network news

The Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) welcomed Falcon International Inc. from Canada and Tecniproject from Chile to its group this week, while Brazil's Wasa Projects & Logistics joined the XLProjects (XLP) network. The CLC Projects network added Togo's Torecom Transit to its roster. Elsewhere, Vietnam's Cu Chi Shipping was appointed member of the Cargo Equipment Experts (CEE) network. The Project Cargo Network (PCN) welcomed representation in Uganda with the addition of Kenfreight Limited.


All about Evie

This week, Evie has been spending her evenings reading Nigel Draffin's new book, Shipping: An Introduction to the Technical, Operational and Commercial Aspects.

So far Evie has learnt a lot about safety, training, classification and insurance, and she is now looking forward to expanding her knowledge of maritime law.

Regular HLPFI correspondent, James Graham, is turning from weighty matters to wine with his first full length novel, Clouds Over The Vineyard, an ebook about a couple who have taken the step many in the project cargo business may dream of - to leave the business and buy a vineyard. Evie is adding it to her book pile and suggests you download it now for Kindle or via lulu.com.

Evie was also amused this week by news that French train operator SNCF had ordered 2,000 new trains which are too wide for many of the country's platforms.

Perhaps project forwarders could cash in on France's miscalculation, she wonders, when the oversize trains have to be returned to sender or platforms and railways reinforced.

 

Lift & Shift Engineering Middle East completes the load-out and transport of heavy offshore decks in Oman (May 19).

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