Dear Readers,
It’s Thursday 1st February, one month has already passed – I just wonder as I am sure many of you do, where did the time go? I was told by my parents once that as one grows older the time passes more quickly. I will have to face that in about 2 weeks time when I turn 55. Still, it’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years.
I am writing this editorial to you from Stockholm, Sweden, it was a bit of a hardship to return from Asia (Hong Kong and Malaysia) to the darkness of Scandinavia. Every place in the world has its good and bad and I suppose no place has it all.
What I found upsetting during my trip to Malaysia was the apparent rubbish being dumped in many places and it seems to me that we have a general rubbish problem in most parts of the world and here I am not only talking about “developing countries” but also of “developed countries”, people tell me that it’s about education but then how is it that here in Scandinavia where we are supposed to know better.
It looks awful after almost every weekend, or is it because the curling generation that got most handed to them on a plate have started to go out partying? Beats me, but I know this: I prefer the Singapore style of being a “fine” city when it comes to rubbish and dumping it where it doesn’t belong and I also believe in harsh punishments to corporations that pollute in order to increase their bottom line.
If the ocean could speak I am sure we would hear it protest, albeit with a voice muffled by vast amounts of plastic.
I spent 18 years in China and traveled extensively in Asia including India and I saw the downside of the economic boom, ie. gigantic amounts of waste, corrupt environmental agencies, fixing the numbers when inspections were due and a long list of other contributing factors. It’s a global problem and it affects us all!
I think the only solution is education from day one for all and hefty fines for polluters, especially for those who should know better.
Well, back to the business world and in today’s edition we start off interviewing a Belgian in Croatia successfully moving cargoes around the world.
We then visit the African continent and the country of Ghana where we speak to a Dutch gentleman who has been active in West Africa for many years.
We provide news about the startup of “ONE” the Japanese alliance and we bring you interesting project cargo pictures, our sector news with interesting projects and contracts signed and the video, photo and wise words of the week.
Wishing you a good read and until next time, I remain,
R&B Global Projects Ltd – Croatia
Interview with
Mr. Dave Roosen
Director
Can you please tell us a bit about your background, your country of origin and how you got into shipping & chartering?
After 23 years working mainly in the Antwerp shipping Industry, as well as 5 years in the Netherlands, and becoming a bit bored of bigger company structures where I was having a managerial position for quite some years, I decided to take on a new challenge and start my own company with my wife who has also been in the shipping industry for over 20 years now.
What made me become so interested in this industry is actually the fact that I have a shipping family behind me for three generations. My late grandfather was the co-founder of an Antwerp shipping company in the 1950’s (still going strong today), he traveled around the world and later in his career became a maritime judge.
Ports Marine Ltd – Part of the Portside Group of Companies
Interview with
Mr. Bas de Vaal
Managing Director
Tell us about Ghana, I know from many forwarders that it has been difficult to find a reliable freight forwarder there. What makes you different and what are the obstacles generally for working in Ghana?
The freight forwarding market is very competitive in Ghana, however as every other country there are some operating here to only achieve personal gain, and there is still the perception that Ghana is not a safe place. However, my experience is that you can walk freely over the streets of Accra. Last but not least everyone smiles here, even though there is still a lot of poverty. So it is safe to send your cargoes to Ghana, the country is ranked among the top growers of Africa for 2018 with a predicted growth of 9%.
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Three Japanese Majors are Merging Into One
Here is the official press release which you will find interesting no doubt, as all 3 carriers are reputable in the market.
The Belt & Road Initiative is Extending to the Arctic
Beijing will encourage companies to build infrastructure and conduct commercial trial voyages that will ‘bring opportunities’ to the region. According to an article recently published in the South China Morning Post.
Power Generation
MHPS to Upgrade Unit 1 of Hartha Power Station in Iraq
MHPS will replace core equipment of the Unit 4 which includes boilers, steam turbines and generators as well as install a new distributed control system (DCS), in order to significantly enhance reliability of the power station. Read more…
Marine Equipment
MISHA to Install DESMI BWMS Fleet-Wide
Danish firm DESMI Ocean Guard A/S said it has finalized a contract to supply CompactClean ballast water management systems (BWMS) to the entire fleet of Turkish ship owner MISHA Shipping. Read more…
Construction
Jordan Contract Marks Romanian Construction Firm’s Overseas Push
Jordan-based Arab Potash Company has awarded Romanian civil engineering firm Hidroconstructia a $115m contract to supply infrastructure at its production site. Read more…
Pulp & Paper
Valmet to Supply a Waste-Fired Bto Shanying Huazhong Paper in China
Valmet and Shanying International Holdings have signed a contract regarding a delivery of a mill waste-fired boiler plant to Shanying Huazhong Paper’s paper mill in the city of Jingzhou in Hubei, China, as was told on a press release. Read more…
Oil & Gas
Samsung Wins Contract for Thailand Olefins Project
Samsung Engineering stated that it will execute the EPCC contract on a lump-sum turnkey basis. The $820 million ORP plant will produce 500,000 tons per annum of ethylene through the major naphtha cracker unit and produce 250,000 tons per annum of propylene. Samsung noted that work on the plant should conclude by the end of 2020.Read more…
Plants & Processing
Siempelkamp to Supply a New MDF Production Line for Rushil Decor in India
The Indian wood-based materials manufacturer Rushil Decor commissions Siempelkamp as the single-source supplier of a MDF plant in India. With the new plant in Atchutapuram, the manufacturer will produce MDF from eucalyptus grown in plantations and from over-mature mango trees. To meet local market needs Rushil Decor will significantly expand its pro-duction capacities above its current 3.5 million m². Read more…
Chinese Supplier Zhongding to Open Tech Center in Northville Township
China’s Anhui Zhongding Holding (Group) Co. Ltd. plans invest $6.9 million in a 30,000-square-foot technology center in Northville Township. Read more…
Project: AGL Silverton Windfarm
Customer: COLI Schiffahrt & Transport Bremen GmbH
Industry: Energy
POL: Ferrol, Spain
POD: Adelaide, Australia
Vessel: AAL Newcastle (A-Class – 31,000dwt)
Cargo: 45 windmill blades – 65.058m (length), 18.74 mt
Fleet Line’s project operations team coordinated well with the Port, Customs and the vessel operator. The job was well executed by placing 4×40’ empty flat rack containers on board then the cargo was loaded using a shore crane. The shipment was discharged in Mombassa port in a record 9 days time from pick-up date.
Photo credit: peter@fleetlineshipping.com
Website: http://www.fleetlineshipping.com
