Dear Readers,
It is Thursday, 5th of November and we are here again.
I am writing this editorial on the Wednesday [Nov. 4], and the results from the US election are still trickling in. Although Mr. Trump already kind of announced that he was the winner and that further counting should be stopped, this election 2020 is really turning out to be a nail biting experience.
But that is what democracy is all about: voting, counting and then respecting the result. Still, knowing the US a bit, there is a lot of job in store for lawyers on both sides – they certainly don’t have to fear a glut in their business volume the way that the politics and general litigation system has been on-going in the US for decades. We are all waiting now for the result, and come what may, we need that sorted and a vaccine distributed then all is forgiven, so to speak. Whoever comes with a workable vaccine would get my vote in any subject and I believe many with me.
Europe is down for the count in most places, not only in the 2nd wave of COVID-19, but also it seems further waves of homegrown terrorism on the streets of France and now Austria. Witnessing European leadership and forceful action (or rather lack of) makes me almost wish that we had a Mr. Tough Guy here, but alas, we must make do with the muddle and piecemeal solutions and the usual statements such as : “Our open societies will not be broken”, “Our thoughts are with the victims”, and then hurrying to walk hand in hand and lighting candles and singing songs. Have you heard and seen that before?
I drove back from Denmark last week to Stockholm using the same route as I arrived by and as usual, I herewith share a few of the nice pictures that I took along the way: Grenaa to Frederikshavn 200 km, then a 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride to Gothenburg, then 480 km to Stockholm. Enjoy the pictures here.
I managed to do a bit of footage as well which you will find that in the featured video of the week. A small correction to my message in the video: it turned out that the oil rigs that I thought were stored there temporarily were actually in for dismantling and decommissioning some sources told me. A big US company into dismantling apparently opened shop for this in Frederikshavn recently.
My online interviews have taken off as well, and after a slow start, they have now come into their stride. So in this respect, I was happy to have the chance to speak to Mr. Christian Monsted of United Heavylift Marguisa Lines (UHL), a relatively new cooperation in the field of project cargoes to and from Africa. Although UHL is known already in the market, this new venture in a growing market does seem to make a lot of sense. See the interview here and do make yourself a coffee first, since its duration is about 20 min.
Before I tell you about what’s in store this week regarding interviews, the Freeport of Malta welcomed the arrival of the worlds largest LNG-powered, giant container vessel, the mv CMA CGM Jacques Saade—who was a true visionary in shipping, the kind of person that is seldom found nowadays. View this beautiful photo provided by Christian Cauchi, GM of CMA CGM Malta.
Returning to the business of shipping and interviews, this week, we have in store for you something that we don’t often have in PCW. We speak to one of the ports this time: the PORT OF SODERTALJE which located close to the Swedish capital and offers great hinterland and excellent forward connections for any project cargo to be loaded or discharged in the port. Also renowned for roro traffic due to car imports for the Swedish East Coast, the marketing manager there tells us an interesting story.
We then visit a small country known for huge gas reserves and a wonderful airline, and the place is Qatar and Doha. MILAHA tells us a story about project logistics and how they solve it in their resource-rich country in the Middle East.
Finally, we visit a country known for hot springs and a big population and a long history, and here we talk about Ethiopia. GINCHI TRADING there informs us about how they solve logistics in their huge landlocked country on the Horn of Africa.
We, of course, finish off with shipping news, trade intel and our usual features of the week, letting you all off the hook with wise words.
Until next week, we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Port of Södertälje – Sweden
Interview with
Mr. Per Fredman
VP Marketing and Sales
Can you perhaps explain the advantages of the location of the port of Södertälje?
We have short sea carriers, connecting the UK, Netherlands and Sweden. We also have commercial feeders arriving from the continent. The commercial feeder continues to the north of Sweden and back via Södertälje. This gives us an opportunity to offer coastal domestic transport solutions. As you know, Sweden is a rather long country, so this might come in handy as a good alternative.
Milaha – Doha, Qatar
Interview with
Mr. Elias Abou Jawdeh
Senior Manager – Commercial
What can you tell us about the ports of Qatar. Do you have several available ports handling project cargo? I recall personally that I once handled project cargo destined for Mesaieed. I think our readers would like to know about the different ports, or sections of port available in Qatar to handle project cargo.
Qatar currently have 3 major ports with main focus commercially on the newly inaugurated “Hamad port“. The port is managed by Qterminals which is a Milaha Joint Venture (Milaha has 49% share). The decision of which port to use is usually cargo determined when it comes to projects and of course the proximity to the final destination. Messaid port on the other hand receives all project cargo destined to Messaid industrial city strictly and in the North of Qatar, Ras Laffan port receives cargo destined to Ras Laffan industrial city.
The General cargo terminal in Hamad port is around 190,000 m2 with a capacity of 6.3 million freight tons and has a berth length of 1,200 meters.
Ginchi Trading – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Interview with
Ethiopia is a rapidly developing country with a strategic location. Tell us about the seaborne trade. How does it reach Ethiopia mainly, and can you tell us about the ports and airports that are primarily used since Ethiopia is landlocked?
Ethiopia is the world’s 12th most populous country (estimated at 114,963,588 according to 2020 data from the UN) and at the same time, the fastest developing country. We say we are a land-linked country. Our main sea gateway is Djibouti Port which handles more than 85% of the volume of both imports and exports to Ethiopia. We use Port Sudan in North Sudan and Berbera in Somalia for the balance of the volumes. Our main airport gateway is Addis Ababa International Bole Airport with a capacity of 22 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year.
CMA CGM Jacques Saade LNG-powered containership – Maiden Call at Malta Freeport Terminals
Editor’s Note:
It was a fantastic day in Malta when the LNG-powered giant newbuilding on its maiden voyage to Europe, mv CMA CGM Jacques Saade, arrived after passage via the Suez. The vessel has made headlines along the way, and with such an investment, CMA CGM has indeed shown “action green” instead of “talking green”. See video here from Malta Freeport Authority
U.S. Justice Department Sells Off Seized Iranian Gasoline
Editor’s Note:
Modern day hijacking on the high seas is not only perpetrated by rogue pirates off the Somali or West African coast but also perpetrated by “democratic” states, and selling off Iranian oil that was destined to Venezuela hardly constitutes real business. Sanctions hurt normal people, never hurt people in power—it ought to be evident by now, even to the most ignorant.
the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has sold four cargoes of Iranian gasoline that were seized from commercial tankers on the high seas. The sale totaled about 1.1 million barrels and netted about $40 million in proceeds. The buyers were not disclosed.
Register for free for the ADIPEC 2020 Virtual Exhibition
Editor’s Note:
Although not directly shipping news, still we are linked to oil/gas, especially if you are doing heavylift shipping. An interesting virtual expo is taking place in Abu Dhabi from November 9-12. Perhaps it’s an idea to visit it online. You may not be able to have a drink in Abu Dhabi, but you can have one in hand whilst enjoying it online.
ADIPEC 2020 offers an opportunity for global industry leaders to assess the emerging landscape of the oil and gas sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, ADIPEC 2020 will focus on the strategies that will lead to long-term success – considering the long-term impact of the crisis on the global economy, supply and demand for energy, and the implications COVID has had on the global energy transition.
Permission granted to dredge port entrance to Thyboron Port
Editor’s Note:
And from the international world and the high seas to the more local news which can be big as well. The West Coast port of Thyboron, Denmark has gotten the go ahead for developing the facilities. Small wonder in a country known for shipping but rather less for expediency when it comes to deciding about infrastructure. It can take years between the talk to the action, but that is the price to pay for being consensus-seeking and politically correct. Still here you go…
Queensland Govt Clears 500-MW Wind Project by Cubico
Cubico Sustainable Investments and Renewable Energy Partners (REP) have secured planning permission for their 500-MW Wambo wind farm project in Queensland.
Kotkamills to Establish Sales Office in North America
Kotkamills, a manufacturer of fully recyclable food service board, is currently exploring the possibility of establishing its own sales office in the North America. The launch of production in the still growing North American food packaging market is also being explored.
Hanwha Bags US$185m Solar-storage Contract for Hawaii
Hanwha Energy is to develop a hybrid solar-storage facility on the Hawaiian island of Oahu after landing a US$185 million contract. The deal, signed with local utility Hawaiian Electric, will see the developer build a 60MW solar array to be connected with a 240MWh energy storage system, set to come onstream by 2023.
Duqm Cement to Build Oman’s Largest Integrated Cement Facility
Oman’s Duqm Cement Projects International (DCPI) will build the country’s largest Integrated Cement Manufacturing Facility in the Special Economic Zone, at Duqm, according to Times of Oman.
Seven Seas Company, the lead promoter, has announced the release of the EPC Tender to world’s leading equipment suppliers. The Usufruct Agreement has been signed with Sezad.
Nature Energy Begins Construction on Large-Scale Biogas Plant
Major Danish biogas producer Nature Energy has started construction on a large-scale biogas plant near Aabenraa, southern Denmark. The biogas plant, Nature Energy Kværs, is expected to be ready to produce large quantities of climate-friendly biogas by April 2022. The project will take place in collaboration with the local supplier association, BioenergiSyd, which will supply a large part of the biomass to the plant.
Onboard Stena RORO from Frederikshavn, Denmark to Gothenburg, Sweden
Editor’s Note:
Returned from Denmark to Sweden this week. I was one among some 20 passengers only on the ferry where it mainly was trucks. Face masks were required at all times onboard, so being outside was more pleasant. Managed to film this during departure.
Editor’s Note:
Morning view at 08:00am onboard Stena Jutlandica in the port of DK-Frederikshavn with laid up oil rigs in the mist—an impressive sight before steaming across the seas to SE-Gothenburg, Sweden.
