Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 11th of January, 2024, and we have entered a New Year!
For me, it means turning 61 in a month, and for our wonderful Danish Queen, it means also the year …. the month when she will abdicate. Funnily enough, speaking of that, I am right now in Australia which in many ways is the “lucky country”. Our Queen to be is actually from Tasmania/Australia. She married our crown prince Frederik, and she is indeed popular. Her popularity also helped me when checking in at the local airport where you might say that Qantas (like SAS) are running a ‘service-low’ airline countrywide. I mentioned for fun that I was from Denmark and should receive “special attention”. Most had a laugh about it and were not offended like so many PC can be these days.
Freedom is under attack in many ways, and several countries around the world seem to find solace in being BRICS partners etc. What it often boils down to is greed. Do the ones telling you they are “green” protect the environment or are they just plain greedy?
I arrived here (Australia) via Qatar/Perth and am now in Melbourne and had a nice time onboard the Airbus A380 with a couple of mining guys (FIFO fly in/fly out) in the back. We quickly came to an agreement about the “green hoax” which means that everything which is woke nowadays or connected to political correctness is in fact “tyranny with manners” as the old US gun-slinger Charlton Heston correctly stated.
Electrical cars? Yes it is wonderful—and I am sure that the child labour in Madagascar, Congo, etc. are happy that their USD 8/day remuneration is for the environment. Where are you TESLA/VOLVO mega corporations who can make a proper impact? You make sure the minerals and metals for your booming business are available, but how about working conditions? You COULD do more on this! Strutting the “green face” around leaves a bitter taste afterwards. Not to forget the Chinese investments which totally are for the “mother country”, and if anyone could care less about the environment then we know which country indeed.
About woke and putting people in their place, do see this sequence where a Swiss ignorant leftist is finally placed where she belongs…
It is indeed, like the US commentator says, a good lesson in telling someone off. They and many with her claim to be “cleaner than thou” but are in fact ignorant, dumb, and just ripe for take over by the very countries that are NOT democratic.
The EU has been grandstanding lately with a new migration pact. I lived in Malta from 2003-2006. The island of Lampedusa was the transit point. Now it is 2024… talk about a big thing for the EU (see here for the latest on the Italian Island of Lampedusa). Besides taking care of their own pensions, many of our EU politicians are indeed not following the times or the voters. Ah yes I forgot: they are NOT elected in. Like the useless president of the EU commission telling a democratic country that “we have tools” if the vote doesn’t go in the direction we want. EUSSR….
As for Russia, Belarus and China, part of the BRICS conglomerate, well, look at who is in charge there. “That should tell you a lot”, as the informer “Deep Throat” said to journalist Woodward in the garage after the Watergate break-in…
Now for shipping, today we have:
1. Being selfish, I re-publish an interview with the undersigned, so that any new-comers may know more about this newsletter and the editor’s background.
2. We visit Elkenz Maritime, a reputable shipowner in Turkey founded by an ex-marine captain, who tells us a story about the services they can offer.
3. Traveling by cargo ship is paradise… at least for me, so I re-publish 2 reports from my trip last year on mv Bright Sky. This year I shall go from Sri Lanka to Japan with COLI SHIPPING/CPC.
I, of course, provide you with shipping news, trade intel and featured video and movie. As usual, I also have wise words…and don’t forget to download our mobile app.
Until the 25th of January I remain…
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Video Interview
Bo H. Drewsen – PCW Editor in Chief
We turn the tables on our Editor in Chief by interviewing him about his background in shipping, the places he has called home, traveling by container ship and more…
Elkenz Maritime – Turkey
Interview with
Mr. Besim Tolga Buzluk
Deputy General Manager
Could you, first of all Besim, tell our readers a bit about the history of Elkenz? Who are the owners?
We are a shipowner company located in Istanbul Turkiye [Turkey] with a fleet size of 11 multipurpose tweendecker vessels between 3.000 to 9.000 DWAT. The company was established by an ex-marine captain who can understand the risks and avoids them by taking the necessary precautions. We are providing transportation solutions to our clients with our experienced team and our management who have over 35 years of experience within the sector. Since 2000, we have been operating container line service from Turkey to Algeria and providing worldwide breakbulk and project cargo service. The secret of our exclusive high-quality service is our reliable and experienced business partners, strong agency network and our MPP fleet. Our target is to be the long-term and reliable partners of our clients.
Traveling as Passenger on mv Bright Sky
Special Travel Report Parts 1 & 2
Global Shipping’s Chokepoints
Editor’s Note:
An interesting newsletter focusing on the chokepoints of shipping. Enjoy this reading as we start up Project Cargo Weekly, slowly here in January 2024.
With more and more shipping companies extending full or partial closures of Red Sea shipping routes due to attacks by Yemeni rebels, global trade could be seriously affected. According to a new analysis based on 2019 data published in academic journal Communications in Transportation Research, 22-23 percent of maritime-traded goods between non-neighboring countries pass through the Red Sea, more specifically its chokepoints Bab-el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal. Other estimates even put the share of seaborne cargo passing through the area as high as 30 percent.
Container xChange Unveils January’24 Container Market Forecaster – Global Trade Braces for Unprecedented Geopolitical Challenges in 2024
Editor’s Note:
Industry forecast this time from Container xChange, might be useful for you.
In response to these geopolitical risks, majority of shipping professionals surveyed in the month of December 2023, by Container xChange, are gearing up to enhance resilience through strategic initiatives like – ‘risk assessment and scenario planning’, ‘diversification of routes’ and ‘suppliers and regulatory compliance’. The biggest ‘headache’ resulting from geopolitical upheaval is the ‘associated costs’ that they will have to bear on top of the rising operating costs that they have to already face.
Missile attack underlines continued threat to shipping in Red Sea
Editor’s Note:
We have all noticed the increasing dangers of transiting via the Suez Canal and Red Sea. Let us hope that once Egypt sees that many ships are deviating and not using the Suez Canal they will – together with other “Arab brothers” – help to do something about the situation in Yemen… it’s a massive loss of income and a massive increase of cost for all involved.
US Central Command reported that two anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into the Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen at around 21:30 hrs local time. UKMTO has a report dated January 2 of up to three explosions between 1 and 5 nautical miles of a merchant vessel in the Bab el Mandeb strait which connects the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.
Cargo Ship Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries Anchored Near Dutch Harbor After Fire
Editor’s Note:
Again an example of the apparent dangers of shipping lithium batteries.
The M/V Genius Star XI, carrying lithium-ion batteries, has been anchored near Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and poses no immediate risk following last week’s fire in one of the cargo holds, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
New Drones for New Zealand Army
The contract, awarded to a partnership of military technology firm EPE New Zealand and drone manufacturer Skydio, is part of the New Zealand Ministry of Defence’s Network Enabled Army (NEA) program.
Posco and Zhongtai to build rare gas plant in South Jeolla
The Korean company said Wednesday that the joint venture will break ground on the facility, which will have an annual capacity of 130,000 normal cubic meters, in 2024. Production will begin at the end of 2025
China’s travel products company to build factory in Egypt’s economic zone
Henneway’s new factory will be established on an area of 120,000 square meters at the West Qantara Industrial Zone and is expected to provide 2,000 job opportunities to Egyptians, Waleid Gamal El-Dein, chairman of the SCZone General Authority, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the SCZone.
Solarpack begins construction on 300MW ‘largest’ PV site in Peru
Spanish PV developer Solarpack has begun construction on its 300MW San Martin solar project in Peru. It said that the site will be the “largest” in the country upon completion in Q2 2025.
Aqua Spirit Bar at Middle Road, Hong Kong
Editor’s Note:
PCW is starting the 2024 season in a relaxed mood thus I have chosen this great video overlooking the Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island from the rooftop nightclub called Aqua on Middle Road, Hong Kong. Although there were not many ships to be seen, the skyline was incredible!
Editor’s Note:
Staying in Hong Kong we also share a great photo from the regional CLC Projects & Cross Ocean meeting that took place on the 15th of December and was covered by the undersigned as editor of Project Cargo Weekly. A great day indeed!
