Dear All,
It’s Thursday again and 20th June 2019. This is the second-to-last newsletter before the summer break that lasts until our next issue, due out on August 8th. Eight, as you may know, is a lucky number, especially for the Chinese. So, let us hope that we will have also have plenty of readers in China on that day.
I’m visiting my native country of Denmark this week, mainly to see my parents and to let them see a couple of their grandchildren. ‘East, West, home’s best’ as they say, and I suppose we cannot escape where we come from although my having left Denmark in 1986 when I was twenty-three does make it all-the-more difficult to move back. One may even say that living in Sweden is almost the same, but still there are striking differences overall.
I visited London as well for a couple of days as Ryanair has a direct flight to London Stansted. London is what I call daylight robbery in terms of prices and it has been for years. The overall costs in London are excessive, be they for train, taxi or hotels. But still, tourists keep on pouring in. I was lucky though to be able to speak to a few natives born in the UK during my two nights’ stay there. I mainly went there to see my two oldest working in the city (still a financial centre and hub of the world) and showing the two youngest the world’s largest toy store: Hamley’s on Regent Street. This Friday it is again back to Stockholm and ‘normality’.
In politics this week the focus is still very much on the recent spat between Iran and the USA about explosions in the Middle East, but also about the protestors in the hundreds of thousands coming out in Hong Kong and protesting the extradition bill recently introduced by the local administration. It hurts to see my favourite city of the world in the throes of protestors and riot police. I hope that consensus will be found, the bill will be taken off the table and life can get back to normal, because ultimately that is what Hong Kong is about: business, the rule of law and a geographical position in the world that is second to none. Let us not forget the local Hong Kong population though. It seems to me that the ‘great powers’ of the world often claim to have the locals’ interest at heart as a pretext to interfering in the affairs of the places. Speaking of which, just give a thought to the state of Libya. Are they better off or worse since the west intervened there? Or was the real reason not to bring democracy but find oil?
Business-wise, we have this week some very interesting interviews for you. We start off by speaking to AAL in Singapore, a well reputed and modern vessel ship owning entity that is increasing its involvement in the Europe trade big-time. We then talk to another reputable company, i.e. their independent engineering division in Germany that offers services to anyone in need of port captains, stowage experts and the like. It’s a service that is often out of in-house reach for smaller companies, so do take heed of this. Finally, we interview an expert from the insurance world, a world that is incomprehensible to most of us, particularly when it comes to dealing with the fine print of an insurance policy that you thought covered you, only to show that you have just fallen between two chairs and that this event is not covered thanks to this and that. This expert may guide you in avoiding the pitfalls.
With shipping news, trade intel and wise words etc. we leave you in peace. Until next week, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
AAL – Europe
Interview with
Mr. Marc-Oliver Brockmann
Commercial Manager, Europe
AAL calls regularly in Europe, so can you tell us more about your plans in this regard? Also, could you elaborate for our readers on whether the service is liner, semi-liner or tramp and perhaps a bit about your overall plans and port call rotation?
We operate a Europe – Far East service, offering fixed route sailings and flexible port calls between the north of the continent (ARA range and Baltic), Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East. The service currently employs three 19,000dwt S-Class vessels (700t max lift) and provides a thirty to forty-day frequency. The route is usually via the Med, but we can sail via West Africa or PG/Middle East, depending on cargo flows. We aim to soon establish monthly calls from Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg and one or two additional loading ports in the Med.
Rhenus Project Logistics – Transport Engineering Services
Interview with
Mr. Matthias Steffens
Head of Engineering
For starters Matthias, can you please tell us a bit about your background in shipping?
I began my career in 2001 as an apprentice in shipping. Over two and a half years in different positions, I learned a great deal about operating, chartering and agency work. I especially liked being on board as a water clerk and assisting the master and crew during their stays in every port from Bremen to Bremerhaven.
Afterwards, I became an Industrial Engineer (Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing.) at the Naval Academy in Leer, Germany and Auckland, New Zealand. During this time, I worked as a working student for the newly founded start-up H&P Logistics & Engineering from Harren and Partner. There, we took care of door-to-door solutions for heavy components and projects for the in-house carrier, Combi Lift.
Planck Marine Insurance – Denmark
Interview with
Mr. Søren V. Planck
Owner
First of all, Søren, please tell us a bit about your shipping background. As I understand it, you have experience in working with several ship owners?
My shipping background goes years back. I started my education in 1980 as shipbroker at Lehmann Junior in Copenhagen. I had an all-around education within chartering, operation and liner department. After ending my education, I continued working for five more years for the company. During this period, I got a very wide education within
Liburnia Secures EU Funds for Expansion
Editor’s Note:
Liburnia Maritime (with whom we recently published an interview in PCW) has apparently been successful in securing EU funds to further expand and develop their business, including implementing ISO standards. It does show that the EU also has many positive sides to its business model.
The End of The Arctic As We Know It
Editor’s Note:
We have focused a bit recently on the NSR – Northern Sea Route. It is important for shipping but the whole area is also vital to observe the apparent degradation of our environment. Listening to the experts (of whom there are many), we seem to have reason to be worried. Perhaps we do need to reduce our footprint overall, but we are the human race, a figurative bull in a china shop.
The first fragment of ice appears off the starboard bow a few kilometres before the 79th parallel in the Fram Strait, which lies between Greenland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The solitary floe is soon followed by another, then another, then clusters, then swarms, then entire fields of white crazy paving that stretch to the horizon.
The First Biggest Volume Loading 40.000 MT CR Coils on M.V AS Valdivia at ODA Thi Vai Port
Editor’s Note:
I’d never heard of the Thi Vai port in Vietnam before, but as we all know, you never really get to know everything in shipping. You may think so for a while, only to be surprised. See this nice video showing a huge export shipment being loaded there.
Oil Tankers Attacked: Explosions on Two Oil Tankers in Gulf of Oman
Editor’s Note:
Tension is on again in the Persian Gulf, this time near Oman. It’s almost easier to say when there’s not tension in that region and it seems that USA has clearly taken sides with Saudi Arabia against Iran, although it is still unclear who is to blame. There is only one winner in the geopolitical battle nowadays and that is the weapons industry. Perhaps shipping as well.
Machinery Exporter Hopes for Hemp Hub in Geelong
An Australian-made hemp processing machine has
been shipped to Canada, and the company behind it believes the technology could
enable a new textile processing industry in Geelong.
The exported decortication machine was developed by TCI and Geelong engineering
firm Austeng. Its technology allows the woody fibre from hemp hurd to be
harvested without the step of “retting” or drying, which makes for improvements
in processing speed and in how much of a plant can be used. Hemp is a useful
material in textiles, insulation, composites for building materials and other
applications.
Tunisian Dairy Firm Land’Or to Build Plant in Morocco
Rabat – Tunisian dairy manufacturer Land’Or seeks to expand its presence by building a new plant in Morocco.
Jeune Afrique reported that the company wants its plant to be operational in the first quarter of 2021. The company’s objective is to “consolidate its position in Morocco and conquer West Africa,” the news outlet added. The plant, which is expected to be in Kenitra, near Rabat, seeks to increase the group’s production.
New CBD Line from Layn Inspires $60m Manufacturing Facility
Layn Corp has launched its new line of CBD ingredients at this year’s IFT19 in New Orleans. The company, a Chinese natural ingredients manufacturer, has embarked on building a new manufacturing facility to support this new line. The facility is expected to be operational by Autumn 2020.
The new plant will be Layn’s first in the US. It has been designed to have the capability of processing a minimum of 5,000 tonnes of hemp biomass per year. This will yield 160 tonnes of high purity CBD and 290 tonnes of full spectrum oil annually. Upon completion, the facility will be the company’s fourth factory globally.
22KYMCO to Set Up Manufacturing Plant in Haryana; Launches 3 New Products
22KYMCO, a joint venture between 22Motors and Kwang Yang Motor Company (KYMCO), on Wednesday announced its plan to set up a manufacturing facility in Bhiwadi, Haryana with an annual production capacity of 200,000 units.
The company also launched three products in premium maxi scooter segment for the Indian market including its electric two-wheeler offering – the iFlow priced at Rs 90,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). The other two models Like200 and the X-Town 300i ABS
CS Wind Orders Tower Production Lines for Taiwan Facility
CS Wind has ordered three offshore wind tower production lines from the Denmark-based Blaaholm for its first manufacturing facility in Taiwan.
According to CS Wind, the production lines will provide a high welding capacity on a defined production area and will be optimized for existing crane capacity and height.
The factory is currently being established, with the production of first offshore wind towers expected to start at the end of 2019.
Editor’s Note:
Here’s a very impressive video showing the Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers in action in the Arctic.
Editor’s Note:
For many a seafarer, this is a wonderful sight. When you see this rock, you know you’re close to Europe or Africa (whatever your preference may be). Here’s a well-known British outpost in Spain that we hope will remain so, in line with the wishes of its inhabitants. For those of you who didn’t guess it yet, it’s Gibraltar.
