Dear Readers,
Friends, it’s Thursday the 26th of April and soon another 4 months of the year has passed. I had a depressing last few days mainly because 3 things happened that reminded me how fleeting life is.
First, my friend, a taxi driver in Grenaa Denmark who drives me around when I visit my hometown, passed away only a few months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Secondly, a business friend was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly thereafter. Thirdly I met a Finnish friend for the first time in eight years who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and can barely walk.
Yes, I know that “everyone has a hard luck story” and that we are all drowned with sad stories on the “news” however when it hits close to home, it’s different and hard to ignore.
All of this is a reminder for me to:
- Live your life a little every day!
- Do save for a rainy day, but it won’t rain for 3 months!
- Treasure your friends and the ones you really care about before they are gone.
What I mean to say is not necessarily to get drunk daily, but perhaps get in the mood (one way or the other) often and treasure the time we have on earth. Seems to me that we never appreciate a lot of things until they are beyond our reach and we care more about that airline upgrade and the “snob” factor than we do about what’s really important.
OK, enough of the philosophy 101, it’s business time and we need to move on. Today we speak to a project freight forwarder in the U.A.E., then we speak to a company that skillfully designs and constructs booths if/when you decide to join an expo somewhere in the world. We have the usual condiments of course and I wish you a very good week ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
MBM Logistics LLC – Dubai U.A.E.
Interview with
Mr. Haridas Kondath
Managing Director
Tell us about MBM Logistics. When was the company established, who owns the company? I understand that it is customary to have a local U.A.E. company as “sponsor” or back up as a business partner in order to establish yourself in the country.
MBM was established in 2014 by myself & H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Juma Al Maktoum. Currently, I own 80% of the company. Our intention was to create a company which caters to the Expo 20/20 and the projects that would be expected during that time.
You need a local sponsor, he could be part of the business or just a silent partner where 51% on paper belongs to the local. In our case, H.E owns 20%. He is not involved in any manner in the business.
MKT – Booth Design, Construction & Decoration
Interview with
Mr. Nicolas Aubert
Senior Managing Partner
In your opinion, what makes the booths that you design and construct better than others?
Compared to our competitors, the main difference is that we care about the details and our customers (mainly western) can rely on us, not having to keep checking the construction on site. We organize everything in advance. On a construction site, there are always things that can happen unexpectedly (especially in China), so if we know exactly what customers expect then we can move forward and make decisions very quickly.
Hence, the customer is able to relax and focus on their main business.
CMA CGM Presents its New Added Value Service: Serenity
CMA CGM like other shipowners now offers more than just port to port they also offer insurance and generally are on a trajectory to develop into a multimodal carrier being able to do also door to door – recently they bought or announced the intention to buy 25% of CEVA. Time will show if the shipowners will be successful in this field as well.
EU Suspects Tax Fraud at China’s ‘Gateway to Europe’ as State-Owned Shipping Firm COSCO Faces Mounting Opposition Abroad
Investigator says the agency has evidence that Chinese firms run by criminal groups were fraudulently avoiding the VAT and duties on large shipments through Piraeus port.
European Union and Italian authorities are investigating suspected wide-scale tax fraud by Chinese criminal gangs importing goods via Greece’s largest port, a trade gateway between China and Europe, officials said.
Thorco Projects Increases Lifting Capacity
“The project market is off to a good start and we have been able to find some new and interesting ways to expand and strengthen our fleet. We have worked up an appetite and are keen to maintain momentum. We have therefore added several heavy lift vessels to our fleet, and today, we are happy to announce that we will additionally increase our lifting capacity to 900 tonnes,” Thomas Mikkelsen, CEO & Partner in Thorco Projects, explains.
IMF Chief on Global Debt
Editor’s Note:
Apparently, most of the world is in debt. I am in debt myself to many and even in debt to many people for many things in the past however what this article portrays is a bit scary so perhaps we are approaching a bubble that will burst at some point.
Renewables
Nordex Group Awarded Contract for 147 MW in South Africa
With the signing of the power purchase agreement by public-sector utility Eskom, the contract for the installation of the South African wind farm “Roggeveld” has now also come into effect. This order for the Nordex Group entails 47 AW125/3150 and AW125/3000 turbines with a combined capacity of around 147 megawatts. Read more…
Colombian Utility EPM Planning 100 KW Pilot Floating Solar Power Project In Eastern Antioquia
Colombian utility Empresas Publicas de Medelin (EPM) will develop a floating solar PV plant at the El Penol reservoir in eastern Antioquia, Colombia. This 100 kW capacity pilot plant will be the first floating solar park project in Latin America, says EPM. Read more…
Oil & Gas
Schlumberger to Invest $60 Million
Schlumberger invested $60 million to build a center to improve its operational capacity in Egypt. The center will also offer competitive services and ease the availability of information exchange in the country’s petroleum and gas industry, according to Hussein el-Ghazawy, general manager of the company. Read more…
Power Generation & Distribution
DABS Signs Three Deals For Major Power Projects In Bamyan Afghanistan
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) on Sunday signed contracts for three power projects for Bamyan province with three separate companies.
According to DABS the first contract worth $43.8 million USD, involves the extension of a 220KV transmission line, with the capacity to carry 300MW of electricity from Dushi substation to Bamyan city. The length of this line will be 180km, and the contract was signed with KEC, an Indian Company.
The second contract is for the construction of a 220/20KV substation with the capacity of putting out 32MW in Azhdar area of Bamyan province. This agreement was signed with a Chinese company M/S XINJIANG Electric Power Construction Co. LTD, and the contract’s value is $11.6 million USD.
The third contract is for the construction of Bamyan electrification network, worth $24.1 million USD. This network will provide 20,000 new subscribers with power. The contract was signed with Shyama Power, an Indian Company. Read more..
Smooth Sailing
Shipping is also for Kids
