Dear Readers,
There are just 6 weeks remaining in the year and it’s newsletter time. I just finalized my travel plans for this month, I will visit Dubai and Cape Town. Next week I will be attending and speaking at a global conference for a network of project freight forwarders. I look forward to meeting old friends, networking, visiting Table Mountain and enjoying Stellenbosch wine farms outside of Cape Town.
The ideal life is a solid combination of travel, leisure, and work. In other words, if you like your job, you won’t work a day in your life.
The US president has been traveling too and just finalized his longest trip since taking office, visiting many countries in Asia. The media followed him and his wife extensively so I don’t believe he is, or ever will be, in need of a marketing person.
As a resident of Sweden, I was pleased to notice that Sweden managed to ensure that Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup Championship in football next year. Italy seems to be in all sorts of trouble, and not only with football these days.
On the shipping front, things are looking good, several owners have announced excellent results and forecasts for 2018, thus let us hope it continues because a cascade of mega containerships is due to enter the market again soon.
In today’s newsletter, we focus on South America. We have a couple of interesting project freight forwarders in store for you. One is located in Panama and the other from Colombia.
We have news of the ambitious move by the Chinese to control the “transport chain”, courtesy of an article in SCMP (South China Morning Post).
Finally, we round off with a couple of featured project cargo shipments , sector news, video and photo of the week and last but not least, wise words to take inspiration from.
Reporting next week from Cape Town, until then wishing you well.
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
AD Transport Solutions – Panama
Interview with
Ms. Dorita de Bolaños
Commercial Director
Can you give us more details about the ports of Panama, both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts?
Panama has an interesting port infrastructure capable of handling not only containers but also special cargo such as oversize project cargo, vehicles, reefers, LNG, DGR, and others. Due to the strategic position, over 20 shipping lines are actually operating in Panama. This provides a good selection of alternatives in terms of capacity and connectivity.
In the Atlantic area, we have three ports: Manzanillo, Cristóbal and Colon Container Terminal. In the Pacific, we have three ports: Balboa, PSA, and PATSA. In addition to the port capabilities, we can add internal connectivity between the ports through rail and road systems, and the Panama Canal.4
Blu Logistics – Colombia
Interview with
Mr. Seigler Ocampo
Business Development Manager
Interview with Mr. Seigler Ocampo – Business Development Manager
Tell us about Blu Logistics. When did you start the company, who owns it today and what is your main line of business?
Blu Logistics was established in September 1997. We have had such an incredible journey during these years which has given us the chance to conquer new markets besides Colombia. Today Blu Logistics is the first international logistics service provider with headquarters in Colombia, with Colombian management and resources. Blu Logistics has offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Mexico, USA, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, China and Hong Kong.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is in Full Swing
China is expanding their global shipping fleet, purchasing and running a pearl string of container terminals around the world (either in whole or partly), developing the ancient Silkroad by railway and now being part of developing the Arctic – including accessing the NSR Northern Sea Route.
Two Yankee Cylinders Shipped ex Sweden via Rotterdam to Shanghai
Shipped from Sweden via Rotterdam to Shanghai onboard mv Munich Maersk, a 20,500 TEU behemoth. Credit: Martin Bencher Group
http://www.martin-bencher.com
AAL Completes Shipment of Iconic Johnson Street Bridge Replacement
13 November 2017 – The multipurpose shipping sector’s most highly decorated carrier, AAL, has successfully completed the transport and discharge of the replacement structure for the iconic Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, British Columbia – shipped from Shanghai along the carrier’s popular Pacific Service (Connecting North Asia and The Americas), aboard its 31,000dwt A-Class vessel, the AAL Singapore and for leading freight forwarder, Deugro.
At 42.7m in length, 18.6m wide, and 4.1m tall the bridge section is the largest component of the biggest single-leaf bascule bridge in Canada and one of the largest in the world. When the new bridge officially opens in March 2018 it will create a new historic structure and destination within Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The architect who designed the original Johnson Street Bridge, Joseph Strauss, would later go on to design the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Shipping News from PACC Line Singapore
PACC Line recently completed an internal restructuring and rebranding. The new arrangement and in partnership with the parent shipping company PCL, they now have around 65 geared vessels under their control, from handy, supra and ultra-max class, mostly modern OHBS, Loggers, Bulkers and MPV’s.
Renewables
Solar Steel to Supply 345MW of Single-Axis Trackers for PV Project in Mexico
In addition, the company noted that it will manufacture parts of its TracSmart tracker components at the Gonvarri plant, located in Tijuana, Baja California. The TracSmarT single-axis trackers are able to cut down on both time and installation costs by covering a large amount of uneven terrain — helping to reduce the cost of civil works. Read more…
World’s Biggest PV Solar Plant to be Operational in Abu Dhabi by 2019
The world’s biggest photovoltaic (PV) solar plant is set to start operating by April 2019, a managing director of China’s Jinko Solar Holding Co. said. The 1.2-gigawatt project in Abu Dhabi is “well on track and on schedule,” Mothana Qteishat, Jinko Solar’s managing director for project development in the Middle East and North Africa, said. Read more…
Serbia Eyes Construction of HPPs in Bosnia’s Serb Republic
In June, the Serb Republic government said it signed an agreement with China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation on the construction of a 93.52 MW hydro power plant, named Buk Bijela, in the upper part of the Drina river. Read more…
Mining & Minerals
Thiess Wins A$300m Coal Contract
Project house Cimic has been awarded a A$300-million contract to expand operations at the Sangatta coal mine, in Indonesia. Read more…
Marine Equipment
GTT Receives Order to Design LNG Fuel Tanks for Nine Biggest Container Ships
Engineering company GTT will design cryogenic tanks for nine LNG-fuelled container ships. The membrane tanks will be built by Hudong-Zhonghua, who will also be in charge of building five vessels, with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding building the other four. Read more…
Construction
Vanachai Orders Longest 4’ ContiRoll from Siempelkamp Qingdao
The Thai Vanachai Panel Industries Company Limited placed its 12th order with Siempelkamp in October, Siempelkamp reported. The order includes a 4’ x 48.7 m forming and press line for particleboard production – the longest 4’ ContiRoll ever supplied by Siempelkamp. The scope of supply also includes a cooling and stacking line, an automatic storage system as well as a sanding line. Read more…
Moving Along the Panama Canal in Rainy Weather
