Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 8th of April and we are back.
I am writing this editorial from what you might call my “hometown” which is the port city of Grenaa, Denmark. My parents have lived here for 25 years, and I have kept a small condo available for a decade, enabling me and all of my 6 kids to have a place to stay when visiting. Rental yields in this small city in Denmark (some 15,000 inhabitants) don’t warrant renting it out, so much nicer to have it available if it’s suddenly decided that we visit. Grenaa has nice beaches; a deepwater, all year round, ice free port; and has developed itself into a versatile and fully functional port catering for different kinds of cargoes. Many summer houses are located here too, and it is only 15 km from the Aarhus Airport / Tirstrup which in non-Corona times has both domestic and international flights. If there was any justice in the world, Grenaa would have been the place of the largest container port in Denmark, but local politics, infighting, and special interest groups have put a damper on such ideas for years. Here are a couple of pictures from my visit this time to Grenaa.
And here is also a link to a video that I took yesterday morning when in port.
Of course, the highlight of the trip to Grenaa was enjoying time with my parents over a couple of Irish whiskies with my father whilst mum had white wine and cigarettes. We need to treasure the moments with our loved ones when they are here and not when they are no longer with us – life can be full of surprises and we never, perhaps luckily so, know what is around the corner good or bad. As you know from an earlier edition of PCW, I lost my only younger brother late December, and an event like that has again cemented the fact for me to live life a little DAILY. No point having money if you are dead, and no point lamenting about what you should have done when it’s too late.
Today, I am traveling back to Stockholm but will have a couple of stops enroute to visit the Baltic Shipping Company and WeShip before crossing the border to Sweden. I’ve got my 12-year-old son with me for company, although he is primarily interested in ice hockey or floorball through his iPad. I did manage to spark his interest when showing him this video of the fast ferry we shall be taking from Aarhus to Odden on the island where our capital, Copenhagen, is located. She was built in Australia/WA and sailed via the Pacific to Aarhus!
Rare as it may be, I don’t have any “political” comments to make this week. So best that I spare you whilst, of course, continuing to hope that there is light at the end of the vaccine tunnel also for the EU—not to mention so many other parts of the world, too. Inequality is a fact of life regrettably, and it surely can be seen from the vaccine rollout as well, although it is of, course, a gargantuan—if not impossible—task to supply everyone at the same time.
In today’s newsletter, we start off with a reminder to you about an interesting interview we had with a company based in Turkey called Lyonel A. Makzume Group. They’ve got offices in interesting countries, and as we all know, development nowadays can come from where it’s least expected, so do take your time to read it.
We then have got two interesting video interviews in store for you, and we start off by talking to a company based in the UK, Cory Brothers who—with a very long history—has an interesting and compelling story to tell about their shipping agency services.
We finally, and very befittingly in light of the recent grounding in the Suez Canal, interview a company called LETH Agencies in Copenhagen. They are a major player in facilitating Suez and other canal transits for shipowners worldwide. Do listen to this interview as it is most interesting and in light of recent occurrence, certainly brings to light the importance of the waterways we take for granted, but also the costs involved and the planning needed beforehand.
As clockwork, we, of course, facilitate also in this newsletter our trade intel, shipping news, wise words, whilst reminding you again that PCW can be downloaded into your smartphone for free in case you wish to listen to interviews or read interviews on the go.
Until next week, we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Lyonel A. Makzume Group of Companies – Istanbul, Turkey
Interview with
Capt. Umur Ugurlu
Head of Project Department
First of all, could you tell us a bit about your history? I understand that LAM is the abbreviation of Lyonel A. Makzume. Where is your head office located, and who are the owners today?
We are a family company with both a family and corporate culture. The company was founded by Lyonel A. Makzume in 1994 in Iskenderun, Turkey. Today, the group’s HQ is based in Istanbul, Turkey, overseeing a group of companies and its own presence in 11 countries.
Video Interview with:
Cory Brothers – United Kingdom
Jenny Butler, Liner Director at Cory Brothers Shipping Agency Ltd. was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly. https://corybrothers.com/
Video Interview with:
Leth Agencies – Copenhagen, Denmark
Jacob Guldager, Branch Manager at Leth Danish Straits Copenhagen was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly. https://lethagencies.com/
Lessons Learnt Over 100 Years
Editor’s Note:
News can also be “old news” as the saying goes since history does repeat itself. An interesting story here about shipping from 100 years ago to now and from Canada of all places, not a country necessarily associated with shipping but with a country of that size, it does exist there too, big time. Guy Toombs tells a story – Take your time to read it.
Guy Tombs Limited’s first day of business was December 1, 1921. We were from our inception international freight forwarders. The company was founded by my grandfather, Guy Tombs (1877-1974), who was then 44. I will recount several formative experiences from the company’s early years, as I can see important lessons learnt in their telling.
Liburnia Projects & Chartering s.r.o. Opens a New Branch in Prague
Editor’s Note:
This renowned chartering and project cargo specialist with a base in the Adriatic city of Rijeka is now expanding into the Czech Republic. An interesting move being a landlocked capital, but it shows that business can be developed anywhere.
This April, Liburnia joined forces with Mrs. Petronela Galambošovà, and opened the Czech office – Liburnia Projects & Chartering s.r.o. in Prague. Petronela has extensive experience working for different renowned companies and being also on different sides of the table.
Why the Suez Canal and Other Choke-Points Face Growing Pressure
Editor’s Note:
Given (not Ever Given) that the Suez Canal has been much in the news and is finally recognized for its importance by the wider public by now, the newsletter here from Dryad Global elaborates more on the strain these vital but limited waterways are under…
Apologies do not come much bigger. This week Shoei Kisen Kaisha, a Japanese firm, issued a groveling press release after its ship, the Ever Given, became wedged in the Suez Canal. High winds supposedly blew it off course on Tuesday, preventing other ships from passing through the seaway. The Ever Given’s stubborn refusal to refloat has launched a thousand memes, but the economic damage is no joke. The canal carries 12% of global trade by volume, and an alternative route between Asia and Europe, around the Cape of Good Hope, adds more than a week to a ship’s journey. The Suez Canal is one of many narrow choke-points on which maritime trade relies. Others include the Panama Canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Even without a ship as long as the Empire State Building is tall stopping traffic, these choke-points are under more pressure than ever.
Redningsaksjon Eemslift Hendrika
Editor’s Note:
“Only a fool doesn’t fear the ocean” is a translated old Danish saying. And watching this footage from the mpp vessel in distress outside the Coast of Norway gives credit to that statement. By now, I believe even the Captain has abandoned the vessel, and it remains to be seen if she will indeed capsize finally. One might say that the vessel certainly has “life boats” enough on deck here.
Soltec Signs 852 MW in Brazil for the Largest Bifacial Tracker Project in Latin America
Soltec Power Holdings, through its subsidiary Soltec Energías Renovables S.L., has signed a contract with Focus Energia to supply solar trackers for a project in Brazil amounting to 852 MW. The project will begin installation phase in July 2021.
Denmark’s Cadeler Hired to Transport, Install Sgre 14-Mw Offshore Turbines
The turbine maker awarded Cadeler a contract worth around USD 90 million (EUR 75.3m) with an additional USD 30 million in options, with the Danish company saying that this is the largest contract in its history.
Assoufid Development Phase 2 Construction to be Managed by Hill International
Phase two construction of Assoufid development in Marrakech, the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco is set to be managed by Hill International, Inc.
The American construction consulting firm was appointed by United Real Estate Company (URC), one of the Middle East’s leading real estate development companies and the developer of Assoufid.
Dangote Group Plans Advanced Refinery Project in Nigeria
The new refinery is the most ambitious peroject of its kind in Africa.
To support the drive for growth, Africa is looking to reduce reliance on imports; producing more of its own energy and raw materials. In Nigeria, this drive is led by businesses such as the Dangote Group of companies, which is putting the finishing touches on the continent’s largest oil refinery in Lekki Free Zone, Lagos State.
mv Ever Given Fresh Off the Shipyard
Editor’s Note:
An impressive video here of the mv Ever Given fresh off the shipyard. It gives you an idea of the size of the vessel and the complexity in dislodging it from the Suez Canal. I suppose there IS a limit to the size of ships but….
Editor’s Note:
A selection of photos from the editor’s recent visit to the port city of Grenaa, Denmark. A deepwater port strategically located in Denmark, it has developed itself into a hub port also for project cargoes destined for other points in the Nordic region. For more information about the port check out:
www.port-of-grenaa.com
