Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 17th of October, and PCW is back with our latest issue.
I attended Breakbulk Americas in Houston this week. In fact as I am sending out this newsletter, I am on a flight from Houston via Atlanta to Santiago, Chile. Luckily, the time zone difference between Texas and Chile is only 2 hours, so except for being tired from the stress of travel, jet lag is not a big deal. My daughter joined me from Finland. Her time difference is 8 hours, so I really should not complain. I guess the grumpiness comes with age…😀
Houston is really spread out and covers a huge area. You do need a car to go everywhere. Whilst the downtown area is “virtually dead” in the evenings and weekends, I am reminded of just how big a state TEXAS is, not to mention the US itself. In fact, it is hard to comprehend but when looking at the departure and arrival monitors in the airport, you get a feeling of it.
We had 65 people for our joint CLC Projects & Cross Ocean luncheon at the Pappadeaux Seafood Restaurant, and if there is one thing Houston is good for it is food. Seafood here is excellent, but overall, they have a huge array of great dining places catering to any taste. You quickly learn NOT to order any appetiser because the main course is simply big enough to cover your “normal needs.” Here are a few pictures from the first full day in Houston which included a visit to the Johnson Space Center.
The 5 lane (each direction!) freeways are always impressive, too. See a short video here:
I am covering Breakbulk Americas as a media partner of the organisers. It has somehow become an institution to say “Let us meet at Breakbulk,” whether it is in Europe, the Middle East or the Americas, as it is generally a good place to meet and network. Where else can you gather some 65 people from shipowners, network members and a variety of countries worldwide for a 3-hr lunch? So when taking this into perspective, it is always worth it to invest in the travel, hotel, etc. to join the “Breakbulks” as the “cost” for each meeting (when gathering that many) is negligible. Good for the organisers, too, no doubt, and prices for booths, etc. have been rising over the years, pushing some mainly to just visit or roam the floor without a booth. Still, on balance, it is worth going. Thus, I am here promoting the event as well.
Otherwise, being in the US with only a few weeks left for the election, I can see that the mood is hardening. It seems it is too difficult to predict the outcome of the election firmly. There certainly are two clear alternatives, and I suppose we can only hope for a UNITED states after the election. The age of inequality in the US is definitely here, and if the size of a disenfranchised population becomes too great, then there are big problems ahead. If the money is not trickling down from de-regulation as the “tax cutters” claim, then their argument is moot, and sooner or later, the overall majority will rebel and voice their dissatisfaction. Looking at “Wall Street” from 1984 — the original one with Gordon Gekko 😀 — says it all. Indeed, how many jets can you waterski behind and how “fantastic” is it to live in a gated community 24/7?
The US really has been a beacon of light for decades and visiting the Johnson Space Center does impress anyone. It proves what they CAN do here which is why I cannot fathom why it is that hard to create a society that is just a bit more equal. It ought to be possible without over-regulating—like we are good at in the EU which frightens entrepreneurs away. Why can’t our politicians strike that balance ? Well, let us see what happens. At the very least, we CAN vote, and democracy is never to be taken for granted. Churchill said (as I have mentioned before) something to the tune of: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
Speaking of innovative people, I wish to direct you to an interview here with Nodal Networks. They are a tech start up for the port and logistics industry that I would like you to watch. They do have the people in this country who CAN do in many respects.
We further have the following two interviews in store for you:
1. UPCargo Logistics Panama tells us an interesting story of this centrally-located country in the Americas.
2. GAC Kuwait does the same but with a location in the Middle East.
Do enjoy all 3 interviews!
We, of course, provide you with shipping news, trade intel and wise words, including a featured video and photo of the week. Don’t forget that you can download our APP here for free.
I shall be publishing again on November 7th during which I shall be visiting Denmark & Sweden for my European end of the year tour until early January. See you then.
We remain,
With best regards,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Video Interview
UPCargo Logistics Panama
Rolando E. Álvarez Viera, President at UPCargo Logistics Panama was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
GAC Kuwait
Interview with
Mr. Sudesh Chaturvedi
Managing Director
First of all Sudesh, please tell our readers a little about yourself. When did you start in logistics, and how many years have you lived in the Middle East?
I started my journey in the shipping and logistics industry over 32 years ago, in New Delhi, India, where I gained essential experience in express supply chain management. About three years later, I moved to the Middle East to work for GAC, initially in Oman, then the UAE and now Kuwait. I have been actively contributing to the growth of the region’s shipping and logistics sector ever since.
Ocean7 appoints Duo Shipping & Trading Ltd. as commercial agent in Turkey
Editor’s Note:
Ocean7 appoints a commercial agent in Turkey. Working a lot with UHL and knowing the importance of Turkey as the Europe/Asia cross roads it seems wise to have a formal official representation in this country.
Ocean7 CEO Stefan Petersen said, “Turkey has been an important market for Ocean7 for years and by appointing Duo Shipping as our commercial agent, we will further strengthen our presence with our Turkish customers,” while Duo Shipping Managing Partner Dağhan Engin said that the collaboration will encourage growth in the market.
India Growth News – An Excerpt
Editor’s Note:
India is growing and thus it pays off to keep an eye out for what is going on in this great country. Samsara’s newsletters generally tells it all…
The World Bank on Thursday uped India’s economic growth forecast for the current fiscal year, ending in March 2025, to 7% year-on-year, up from April’s estimate of 6.6%, helped by a rebound in agricultural output and increased private consumption.
CakeBoxx Appoints Tobias Rossel as VP of Product Development
Editor’s Note:
Latest here from Cakeboxx. An interesting product altogether that they have… take a look.
CakeBoxx Technologies has appointed Tobias Rossel as the company’s new Vice President of Product Development. Tobias brings over 14 years of expertise in product innovation, system, and component level optimization, as well as project management in the wind energy domain. He will play a vital role in driving CakeBoxx’s expansion into new markets.
MapsMapped: Just Five Countries Make Up Half of Africa’s GDP
Editor’s Note:
Although not directly shipping news still this graphic about Africa if correct does provide food for thought on this continents development also for shipping and logistics people.
Africa’s GDP stands at $2.8 trillion in 2024, the combined economic output of 1.4 billion people. But not all of that productivity is distributed equally.
Dixstone awarded contract for Perenco’s Gabon LNG project
This project is a nearshore type LNG facilities that will produce 0.7 million tpy of LNG and 25 000 t of LPG per year (phase 1) with a storage capacity of 137 000 m3 in an ex gas tanker converted to FSO.
Sinoma Overseas to build Votorantim Z02 grinding
Sinoma Overseas has secured an engineering and supply contract for the Z02 cement grinding station project in Edealina Brazil, along with a technical cooperation framework agreement, with Votorantim Cimentos SA. The contract scope includes the design, equipment supply, and technical services for the 150tph cement grinding expansion project costing BRL200m (US$36.47m).
India’s Lohum to set up $30 million battery facility in US
India’s battery-tech startup Lohum Cleantech will set up a lithium-ion battery materials processing facility in the US in partnership with ReElement Technologies and American Metals for USD 30 million.
Trina plans 2,640 MWh battery storage project in Western Australia
With the proposed power of 660 MW and storage capacity of 2,640 MWh, the Kemerton Battery Energy Storage System would be the largest battery storage facility in Australia
Sunset at Buchupureo, South Chile
Editor’s Note:
Sunset not many days ago at Buchupureo, South Chile… an incredible day in a tiny part of the massively long Chilean Pacific Coast…
Editor’s Note:
65 Project Shipping & Forwarding Professionals joined our great event in Houston at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen! Delicious food was plentiful, talks were great and networking between us all including many of the shipowners present was fruitful.
