Dear Readers,
It is week 39 and the last issue before the golden week in China, their National Day (国庆节 Guó qìng jié).
Perhaps if they stop exporting for a week, and we stop buying from China for a week, we can clear some of the backlog now clogging their ports and in particular US ports. The global supply chain is out of whack, the global debt has reached astronomical heights, and one of many (no doubt) real estate developers (this time, the Chinese developer Evergrande) is about to default on massive debts almost the size of the Swedish BNP.
What is going on? Do we need all the stuff from China? What is it we import particularly to the west that we don’t already have? To my mind, we should spend more time being happy with what we’ve already got and take a moment to reflect on life: We may have everything we need materially (particularly in the west), but we’ve also got an enormous bunch of unhappy and lonely people out there that for some reason cannot find happiness or are living in pain.
Living in pain and being prescribed medication by big pharma (and their doctors in tow) is another one of the scandals besides the global debt crisis that I have looked into in during the past week. I saw a very scary documentary on HBO called “The Crime of the Century” which mainly focused on the opioid disaster in the US. It reported that the total number of deaths from prescription drugs has surpassed by far the number of deaths from wars in which the US has participated.
I ask again: ”What is going on?” Indeed, what kind of democracy or system of society is it exactly that some of our leaders feel we should “export” to others? The US debt ceiling needs to be raised yet again (see here), so overall, for how long can we continue to keep on printing money? I am no economist and not an alarmist either, but I do feel that something ain’t right, and let us see if I am right about it in the near future.
I have embarked on a trip, and since I am “green”, I am taking the train from Stockholm to Copenhagen – Hamburg – Gdansk – Rostock – Aarhus before finally flying back. Each train ride is between 5-10 hours, but it’s a pleasant way of being transported and with wifi (not wife) onboard, you can get work done, watch a movie, or listen to your favourite music. Before I turn to what’s in store today, let me share some pictures from a great Sunday last I had when visiting the Port of Södertālje – Stockholm gateway where a seldom seen Swire vessel (mv NEWCHANG) in the Baltic was present discharging housing modules from Malaysia.
Today, we start off by visiting the land of many governments since WWII, great food, & design, and also a place where you will find the headquarters of ALN or Africa Logistics Network & Logimar. They tell us why you should consider joining their club.
We then remind you of 2 interviews we had with a couple of major shipowners starting with SAL Heavy Lift in Hamburg, a provider of very specialized heavylift tonnage, and finally, with COSCO Shipping in Hamburg who, as you know, offer both container and breakbulk services particularly to Asia.
We let you off the hook as usual with shipping news, trade intel and wise words. Reminding you as usual about our PCW APP that you can download here.
Until next week, we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Logimar Srl / Africa Logistics Network (ALN) / Exclusive Project Network (EPN)
Interview with
Mr. Marcello Saponaro
CEO of Logimar Srl and founder of ALN and EPN networks
First of all Marcello, please tell our readers about your own shipping and logistics background. When did you start in this line of business, and what is your current role(s) in shipping & networking?
I always say that despite suffering from the Peter Pan Syndrome, I have been in this business for a little less than 30 years. More than 10 years ago, in Logimar, we decided to focus the company on Project Cargo, and 6 years ago we founded Africa Logistics Network. A few months ago, together with a partner, Juergen Weyhausen, CEO of 7WL, we also founded Exclusive Project Network.
I think these are the huge niches in which we had to specialize, and we did.
Video Interview
SAL Heavy Lift – Hamburg, Germany
Juergen Kuntz – Senior Manager Chartering & Projects at SAL Heavy Lift speaks with Bo H. Drewsen – Editor in Chief of Project Cargo Weekly. https://sal-heavylift.com
Video Interview
COSCO Shipping Lines (Germany)
An interview with Dennis von Gogh, Deputy Manager, Special Traffic / Project Department – COSCO Shipping Lines (Germany) GmbH https://www.coscoshipping.de
Lack of Truck drivers in the UK Causing Shortage of Goods
Editor’s Note:
The UK is in direct need of 50,000+ truck drivers, if not more, in order to keep the supply chain and logistics moving. It does seem that due to both COVID-19 and the return of “immigrant drivers” to their home countries, that is certainly a major headache, and there will be spillover effects everywhere!
McDonald’s has become the latest chain restaurant to be hit by the UK’s truck driver shortage, with no milkshakes or bottled drinks available at any of its British locations. Meanwhile, the British government has rejected calls from UK trade and retail bodies to recruit more truck drivers from Europe. There’s a serious shortage because thousands of drivers went home during the COVID-19 crisis and haven’t returned. New Brexit immigration rules make it much harder for new drivers to work in the UK, and it’s led to warnings of possible shortages of basic supplies across all parts of the economy. Francis Collings has more.
FBI raids ZPMC Delivery Vessel
Editor’s Note:
It seems the Federal agencies are on the move, even in shipping, having boarded a Chinese-owned breakbulk vessel in US waters recently. The relationship between the 2 big ones in the sandbox is already strained so…
The Washington Times is reporting that FBI counterintelligence agents searched the ZPMC crane delivery vessel Zhen Hua 24 in Baltimore harbour on September 15. The vessel was delivering four new STS cranes to Ports America Chesapeake Bay.
Thailand Planning National Shipping Line to Boost Status as Logistics Hub
Editor’s Note:
I worked before with Unithai (they had a slotcharter deal with COSCO back in the day when I was one of the COSCO agents), and it does seem that Thailand who, besides being tourism-friendly, are VERY nationalistic once you look through the veneer. But that is often not a bad thing and certainly not in shipping. Latest here from fellow media GCaptain on plans in Thailand.
Trade-reliant Thailand plans to launch a national shipping company next year to bolster its trade capabilities, reduce transport costs and become a bigger player in global logistics as the Malacca bypass opens.
“With Covid, we’re facing container shortages, so a lot of our goods can’t be shipped and some products will perish. Losses are incalculable,” Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said in an interview. “The shipping line can increase security and support the country’s ambition to become a logistics hub.”
Biggest Container Ship Ever Ace Maiden Call at Rotterdam Port
Editor’s Note:
Evergreen just received what can only be described as a behemoth of a container vessel – the world’s largest by a few hundred teu to no. 2 but still an awesome sight to behold. Let us hope and take it for ever given that she won’t come across any shipping lanes in the near future…
Japan’s Renova Joins Hydroelectric Power Project in Philippines
Japanese renewable energy firm Renova Inc. is participating in a hydroelectric power project in the Philippines by concluding loan agreements with the Philippine Development Bank and other financial institutions.
Renova said the Kiangan project in the northern Philippine province of Ifugao is its first hydroelectric power project and its first investment in the Southeast Asian country.
Construction of Auas-Gerus Transmission Line Project in Namibia Begins
Construction works has commenced on the Construction of Auas-Gerus transmission line project in Namibia. The country’s power utility, NamPower made the announcement and said the project is critical in ensuring that it keeps pace with the country’s evolving electricity needs.
Hydro Announces Power Purchase Agreement for its Cressona Operations in the U.S.
Hydro has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Competitive Power Ventures (CPV). CPV will start supplying power to Hydro Cressona in 2022.
CPV’s PPA with Hydro consists of about 48MW of generation and is the first long-term energy contract signed by Hydro in the U.S.
Gold Fields CEO Looking for Value Beyond Peak Production in 2024
Mining giant Gold Fields, one of the world’s top 10 gold producers, has no plans to drop out of this ranking until at least 2030. At least that’s what we should remember from the words of its CEO Chris Griffith who, on the occasion of the publication of the first half results on August 19, explained that the company will seek opportunities for expansion of its asset portfolio.
Discharging Wind Turbine Blades at Port of Oskarshamn, East Coast of Sweden
Editor’s Note:
Being in port and close up to see the discharging of mega long blades for the wind turbine industry is always a sight and an impressive one at that. Enjoy this footage that I took not many months ago in the Port of Oskarshamn, East Coast of Sweden courtesy of TSA Agency Sweden
Editor’s Note:
A Swire bulk carrier with project cargo (prefab housing modules) seen on a beautiful day here in Port of Södertälje, Stockholm Gate last week. Impressive to say the last and whilst TSA Agency Sweden were acting as vessels agents, the charterer Frontlog both liked to use the Port of Södertälje, Sweden for their efficiency in handling.
