Dear Readers,
Thursday the 8th of February is here and it’s time for our newsletter. I spent 4 days in Malta last weekend. Malta is an island full of history, it is only 90 km from Sicily and 240 km from Libya. The strategic location in the Mediterranean also makes it a business hub. The economy in Malta is currently booming and lots of youngsters from Spain, Italy (in particular Sicily) have found work on the island. Malta is worth a visit, for both business and pleasure.
As a matter of fact, I lived on the island from 2003-2006 and still maintain a property there, it seems that a lot of Scandinavians, in particular, Swedish, live on the island. The e-gaming industry is big in Malta, so there are many call centers there providing customer service to the huge number of people who like to spend their money gambling online.
I wasn’t aware of how large the e-gaming industry was in Malta, it’s understandable given that there is only 1.5% tax levied in Malta (if I’m not mistaken).
I would defend Malta in this case because I believe that if a country (no matter how small) is not allowed to take matters into their own hands and attract business, what is the point of joining the EU club? Nobody wants the world to be run from Brussels, a place where survival of the un-fittest (bureaucrats) seem to be the order of the day.
Brexit occupies much of the conversation about Malta, mostly because it was an English colony until 1964 and the island still has a significant population of UK retirees, with many direct flights to/from the British Isles.
I even managed to get a few solid pints in while watching my favorite football team, Arsenal, playing on the telly.
World news of the week includes a sad story from Pakistan where a COSCO executive was shot to death and also an update on the piracy situation in West Africa. So sometimes it is dangerous out there and I hope you are all careful whenever and wherever you go.
Our interviews in today’s issue include one of the major local freight forwarders of Malta and an interview with a shipowner that is the product of a Norwegian joint venture. We all know the Norwegians have oil and fish but perhaps it was less known that they are active in moving project cargo around the world too.
The newsletter also features shipping news, sector news, a video and photo of the week (from Malta of course) and wise words.
Wishing you a good read and until next time, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
G2 Ocean
Interview with
Mr. Arild Samland
Director Project Cargo
Do you run liner services on certain routes or are you tramping worldwide? Is there a sailing schedule available online or one that could be subscribed to?
Our open hatch fleet of approximatively 90 ships is organized in trade routes, while our bulk fleet of 40 ships is mostly tramping. Sailing schedules are available by contacting one of our offices. The trading routes are available with an interactive map on our website at https://www.g2ocean.com/trades/.
Carmelo Caruana – Malta
Interview with
Mr. Dwayne Caruana
Senior Logistics Manager
Give us a few examples of cargoes that you have handled.
We have handled a pipe-laying project between Libya and Italy, Our teams have also been entrusted with the transportation of turbines, large storage tanks, yachts, industrial steel wire reels, industrial reactors, the Valletta breakwater bridge, the new LNG power station at Marsaxlokk Port and international yachting events organized locally, among others.
COSCO Pakistan Executive Shot Dead
A senior executive from COSCO Shipping Line Pakistan was shot dead in the Pakistani financial hub of Karachi earlier this week, with police saying that this is a targeted attack. The man was Chen Zhu and he was the Pakistan general manager of Cosco Shipping Lines. Chen Zhu was in his car when he was attacked in the port city of Karachi.
Pirates Free Tanker, Crew in Gulf of Guinea
Pirates freed a ship carrying 22 Indian crew and 13,500 tonnes of gasoline on Tuesday, Hong Kong-based Anglo-Eastern, which was managing the ship, said in a statement.
Joint Service between AAL and HMM
Specialist multipurpose carriers and long-standing collaborators, AAL and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), are entering an exciting global cooperation that will see both carriers expand their trade route coverage, sailings frequency, and MPV fleet capacity. The cooperation will create a joint Far East – Middle East MPV Liner Service, served by five MPV vessels and a scheduled bi-monthly rotation.
Hansa Heavy Lift Transports Huge Shiploader from Belgium to Angola
Hansa Heavy Lift has safely transported a huge shiploader, with the largest unit weighing 513 metric tonnes and measuring a total of 65,480 cbm, from Antwerp, Belgium to Namibe, Angola.
Mining & Minerals
Awale Resources Secures New Gold Mining Permit in Cote d’Lvoire
Awalé Resources has secured a new prospective gold permit ‘Amélékia’, in the Comoé district of south eastern Côte d’Ivoire. The permit is the first granted of three Awalé applications, forming the Company’s Abengourou Project. Read more…
Renewables
The Yingli Green Energy has Secured an EPC Contract from Jenner Renewables for Solar Projects in Chile
The deal covers 12 ground-mounted plants, with the total capacity of 146MW. The project is divided into 2 phases: Cluster 1 includes 4 PV plants and the construction will begin in February 2018 with expected operation by June 2018; Cluster 2, including 8 PV plants, will begin by the completion of Cluster 1. Read more…
One of China’s Biggest Makers of Solar Panels said Tuesday it will Invest $309 Million to Expand Manufacturing in India
Longi Solar Technology Ltd.’s announcement follows the Trump administration’s Jan. 24 decision to impose an extra 30 percent duty on imported solar modules. An Indian regulator says it is considering a “safeguard tariff” of 70 percent on solar panels from China and Malaysia. Read more…
Pulp & Paper
Iggesund UK Renews its Finishing Area with Pasaban Machinery
Pasaban will substitute the old equipment for two KB-2300 sheeters with highly automated rotary unwind stands able to process 170 to 400 gsm folding box board (FBB). Read more…
Plants & Processing
Electrolux Investing $500 Million in U.S. Product Innovation and Manufacturing, also Consolidating Production
Stepping up a strategic initiative to drive profitable growth in North America with new lines of innovative Frigidaire kitchen products. The company also said it will consolidate freezer production into its Anderson, South Carolina refrigeration facility. Read more…
Phillips-Medisize to Expand Molex Little Rock Facility
Phillips-Medisize, a Molex company, is expanding the Molex Little Rock, Arkansas facility for an undisclosed fast-growing medical customer that provides consumable diagnostics cancer testing, with its take-home diagnostic kit. A second set of moulding and dedicated automation machines to package and assemble the device will be installed for the expanded production footprint in Little Rock. Read more…
