Dear Readers,
It is time for another newsletter and this week it will be a bit special. I attended the breakbulk expo in Shanghai, on my way there I visited Singapore and Hong Kong.
Generally the mood in Singapore was a bit down and it always pays to speak to the taxi drivers and bartenders as they often are the ones listening to people’s real feelings. It comes as no surprise that the shipping business seems a bit low at the moment, but even Singapore as such seemed slightly gloomy.
Apparently the price of water was just hiked by 40%, in a place where everything is already very expensive that means a lot to most. Singapore still looks nice, is pleasant to visit and has an abundance of awesome restaurants, but it was clear that there are now fewer expatriates staying permanently helping to fill the coffers of the city state. The advantages of Singapore remain unchanged though, particularly with regards to safety, ease of doing business etc., but it is clear that the paramount leader Mr Lee Kuan Yuew is no longer there.
I then proceeded to Hong Kong for a couple of days at the Seaman’s Hotel. Although I wasn’t in town long I learned that the hot topic was apartment prices and the price level overall, so here Singapore & Hong Kong share some common “values”. Both cities are world class.
After Hong Kong I proceeded to Shanghai and landed at Pudong Airport in order to attend the breakbulk expo. China is big, factories are huge, development is impressive and compared to when I first visited in 1986 the country is un-recognisable. Pudong was just a field with cows back then, now it’s a powerhouse in its own right as part of Shanghai.
In this issue:
Factual information and useful contacts for people that I met at breakbulk expo in Shanghai
Sector news as usual
Photo of the week
Video of the week
Until next week, when we start again with formal interviews and intel, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Bo H. Drewsen’s Breakbulk Expo Meetings Report
Editor’s Note:
During the Breakbulk Expo, I met with about two hundred people over the course of two days. I have collected some of the information and you will find a variety of personal contacts that I made below. Feel free to contact them directly as they were all present at the expo to drum up more business and to meet more people. Read below.
Power Generation
Attarat Power Secures Financing for $2.1bn Oil Shale Power Plant in Jordan
Foster Wheeler will be responsible for providing the circulating fluidised bed boilers for the project while Siemens will supply the steam turbine generators. Worley Parsons will provide the plant design. Read more…
Oil & Gas
Insolvent Romanian Energy and Oil Industry Equipment Producer Vulcan Signed a $10 Million Contract with State Owned Kuwait Oil Company
This is the biggest contract signed in the 113-year history of Vulcan, Euro Insol said in a press release. Under the contract, signed on March 12, Vulcan will provide 270 pumping units to KOC until December 31, 2017. Read more…
Wastewater Treatment
Veolia Technology to Treat Effluent at Munksjö’s Tolosa Mill in Spain
Veolia’s solution includes the new generation of Z-MBBR carriers. The 3D design allows the biofilm to grow in a controlled and protected way until reaching a predetermined thickness. The use of these supports will eliminate the biodegradable filtered COD from the water and avoid the possible formation of calcium precipitates. Read more…
Renewable Energy
Italian Solar Company has Secured an Engineering Contract to Build Two PV Plants Totalling 50 MW in the United States.
The engineering services will be provided by Enertronica Inc, a new subsidiary, which will be based in Delaware and will have two offices in Massachusetts and Nevada. The plants will be installed between 2017 and 2018, the company reported. Read more…
Mining & Minerals
Atlas Copco Wins Several Orders for Equipment that Will Be Used in the Construction of Vital Road Projects in Colombia
The Atlas Copco machines include drilling rigs, concrete spraying mobiles, and more. The products are known for their high productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The equipment will be delivered in 2017. Read more…
Become a Contributor for the Doing Business World Bank Report
As an expert in the field of international trade, we invite you to contribute to the ‘Trading across Borders’ indicator of the World Bank Group’s Doing Business project. Doing Business report is widely cited by major global and local media outlets. The indicator measures the time and cost of all border and documentary requirements associated with the importing and exporting processes.
To participate simply fill the online questionnaire for your country of expertise and the “Trading across borders” topic.
Editor’s Note:
Atlantic Ocean on a calm day filmed from a cargo ship between the Azores and Jamaica. Calm enough to do some swimming and/or fishing indeed.
A shipping view indeed, looking at a 13,000 TEU MSC vessel passing under the Tsing Ma Bridge.