Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 30th of November, and we are about to enter the final month of the year.
I am writing this editorial from the capital city of Chile, Santiago, where I arrived after some days in Brazil, Paraguay (a first for me). Today I shall be visiting the port cities of Antofagasta and Puerto Angamos where a lot of the mining equipment and minerals are imported and exported to and from this incredibly narrow but very long country.
Chile is the longest and narrowest country in the world and is blessed with a 4300 km long coastline and an abundance of minerals and other things that particularly the Chinese are keen to get their hands on. We can only hope that Chile and other countries in Latin America don’t sell out their independence for a quick fix in investment. There is always a catch, and if in doubt, look at some of the investments made in both Sri Lanka and Africa. Now having said that, there is no doubt that there is a catch, particularly here in Latin America where certainly democracy and fairness was never in the minds of various US governments who seemed to have had a finger in some of the coups and overthrowing of governments. Pointing a finger at someone only means that 4 fingers are pointing back at you.
The Andes mountains which one invariably need to pass when coming to Santiago (at least if flying in from Europe or east of Chile) always seem impressive. However, more often than not, the ride is bumpy. Here are a few pictures from the flight across the Argentinian plains towards Santiago crossing the Andes only a week or so ago after a great visit to Asuncion, Paraguay. I also shot a short video here having passed over the Andes now towards landing Santiago.
I will be flying to Asia on the 10th of December and have a conference / regional network meeting in Hong Kong on December 15. I am looking forward to the best and most inexpensive harbour tour sightseeing, i.e., the ferries plying between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island – not to mention of course the dim sum and having a drink overlooking the Hong Kong Island skyline. I am sorry for Singapore, but no matter what, to my eye at least, the skyline of Hong Kong is amazing… no matter who is politically in charge. 😁😁😁
After that I will make a quick stop in Bangkok and then Christmas in Stockholm where a white Christmas has been promised (or so they say). At least right now it is minus 8 and dark there. Indeed, I can’t say that I miss the darkness, but on a clear day with minus degrees and a blue sky, it can be a wonderful experience, too.
I normally express my political views in each editorial, but actually, I haven’t had much time to look at things lately except to note that Argentina has got a new government. If the measurement is chaos, Argentina surely fits the bill even for South American standards. No doubt, here a whole new bold approach is needed to straighten up a country that by all means is perhaps not only the richest in terms of farmland, energy, tourism, etc., but also has a generally well educated population – or so I am told – a kind of “Italy” of LATAM.
Europe is Europe, and with Mr. Sunak in the UK now having to look at reasons for how immigration into the UK has swelled to frankly astronomical numbers which was not expected when Britain left the EU… let us see what happens. For sure a strain on resources of all kinds and a downward spiral on salaries is to be expected.
Shipping-wise this week we’ve got some interesting interviews in store for you–as usual I might add:
1. Zenith International Freight in England is a versatile all around & project freight forwarder with just the kind of personal service to all that is in short supply nowadays with many of the larger companies.
2. Megagon Project Solutions of the Netherlands is a similar company, relatively recently established and already with some impressive references to show
and finally we re-visit
3. Atlas Heavy in Houston, USA which is an asset-based logistics provider with superior experience in trucking, inland transport in the US, and all that it entails; the U.S. is a country where you certainly can lose a fortune if you don’t know what you are doing or with whom you are contracting the inland part. Atlas is the solution!
Of course, we provide you as usual with shipping news, trade intelligence, featured pictures and video of the week… and here I may direct you to the featured picture collage of the week showing off an MPP vessel close to the COCOS Islands: a place that no one (or few) ever heard about but ASC Asia has a service there which also includes Christmas Island now when speaking of December!
You can download our APP through the link here.
And our final note is that you keep an eye out for our PROJECT CARGO WEEKLY YEARBOOK 2023 which will be published on FEBRUARY 15th, 2024. With a limited number of advertisers being allowed, it is indeed a sought after yearbook with lots of intel, wise words, etc.
Until our final issue to be published on DECEMBER 14, 2023 for this year, I remain
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Video Interview
Zenith International Freight
Jacob Aaholm Jensen, Business Development & Key Account Manager at Zenith International Freight was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at PCW
Megagon Project Solutions B.V. – Axel, Netherlands
Interview with
Mr. Omer Omeroglu
Managing Partner
Omer, you are based in the Netherlands. For how long have you been there; why did you move there; and when did you originally start your logistics career? Also, why logistics?
I will try to make it shorter because that question has a long answer. 😊
I studied Air Transportation & Logistics at Istanbul University, Turkey. This was the first logistics university in the country at that time. So, I have been in logistics since 2002. I worked all summer when I was a student and little by little, I started to have some ideas about what I wanted to do after graduation.
Lots of my school friends continued their career in different sectors but I liked logistics a lot ! It’s such a dynamic sector, not just like a ‘sitting behind the computer and working 0800 – 1700’ kind of job. If a person is wide open to learning, they will discover everyday that a job in logistics can be such a nice option. I am so happy about my selection.
After working in Turkey till 2016, I had a very nice work & life experience in Slovenia. That place added a lot to myself & to my family. In the summer of 2022, we moved to the Netherlands (NL) due to family reasons, and the Megagon B.V. story started.
Video Interview
Atlas Heavy – Houston, USA
Frank Scheibner – President & CEO at ATLAS Heavy Transport LLC & ATLAS Heavy Projects LLC was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen – Editor in Chief at PCW
Swire Projects Launches a Transpacific Semi Liner Service, Enhancing Cargo Connectivity between Asia and West Coast North America
Editor’s Note:
Swire Projects is expanding and will now be competing more directly and head on with the likes of AAL Shipping and Chipolbrok who also have MPP calls between China/SE Asia and US West Coast with regularity. It remains to be seen who will be more successful.
Swire Projects, the projects and heavy lift shipping arm of Swire Shipping, has officially launched a dedicated semi liner service connecting East Asia with the West Coast of North America. Previously offered on an ad hoc basis, the service will provide enhanced cargo connectivity and support the growing demand for reliable breakbulk and project cargo transportation into the West Coast and a gateway to the interior of the Continent avoiding the need to route cargo via the Panama Canal.
Galaxy Leader Arrives in Yemen – What Could The Ship Have Done – What’s Next for the Ship & Crew?
Editor’s Note:
Shipping has been targeted again this time by rebels from Yemen doing a commando raid on a commercial roro vessel chartered to NYK. See this video which is hosted by a shipping interested person who runs a regular youtube shipping channel.
In this episode, Sal Mercogliano – maritime historian at Campbell University and former merchant mariner – updates with the arrival of Galaxy Leader in Yemen, discusses why the ship was captured without a fight and what is in store for the ship and crew.
Visualizing All the World’s Carbon Emissions by Country
Editor’s Note:
Interesting and important for business & shipping
According to the Global Carbon Atlas, the world’s top polluters are China, India, and the U.S., which accounted for 52% of the world’s CO₂ in 2021. This visual, breaking down all carbon emissions by country, captured our audience’s attention highlighting it as our spotlight piece this week.
Port of Bilbao, duisport and Port of Amsterdam announce development of intra-European corridor for renewable hydrogen
Editor’s Note:
Latest news on the renewable corridor front in Europe. It seems like green corridors, blue highways etc are the order of the day also for ports and they cooperate to this effect.
Port of Bilbao, Port of Amsterdam and duisport, together with the Energy Agency of the Basque Government, Petronor, Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy Terminals, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of an intra-European corridor that allows for Basque produced renewable hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives to be exported to the port of Amsterdam for local offtake and, With the addition of duisport, opening up the possibility to supply Basque hydrogen to the large industrial offtakers located in the Rhine-Ruhr region.
EAM invests $650M in New US Anode Materials Plant
Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM), an Indian battery materials company, plans to build a USD 650 million graphite anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The facility is the first and largest Indian investment in the US EV battery industry.
Scania receives big new order for hybrid buses
Tenerife company TITSA’s 231-vehicle purchase includes 173 hybrid-electric buses, giving it one of the largest hybrid fleets of any Spanish or Portuguese public transport provider. Scania has received a large new order for hybrid buses from Canary Islands-based public transportation company Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife S.A.U. (TITSA).
ITT to acquire Danish pump supplier Svanehøj in US$395mn deal
Headquartered in Svenstrup, Denmark, Svanehøj is a supplier of pumps and related aftermarket services for the marine sector. The company’s product portfolio primarily consists of deepwell gas cargo pumps, fuel
and energy pumps and tank control systems. These products manage critical liquids for the energy transition, including ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, hydrogen and
CO2. Svanehøj also has an established global aftermarket business.
Falcon Capital Dakhla and Hydrogene de France Unveil Plans for Massive 8-GW Green Hydrogen Project in Morocco
In a groundbreaking collaboration, Morocco-based Falcon Capital Dakhla has joined forces with French hydrogen energy promoter Hydrogene de France SA (HDF) to embark on an ambitious venture, the White Dunes project. The initiative aims to develop an extensive 8-gigawatt (GW) green hydrogen production facility in the southern region of Morocco.
Project Cargo – Turning Complexity into Solution
Editor’s Note:
Brazilian project freight forwarder ES Logistics (member of www.clcprojects.com network) recently concluded a major project cargo shipment from Houston to Santos.
For further contact them direct at dimitri.mattos@eslogistics.com.br
Editor’s Note:
ASC Liner Services is a Singapore based, family operated company which specialises in the carriage of breakbulk, heavy lift, multi purpose cargo and containerized goods. Our main trade is between South East Asia, West Coast Australia and the Northern Territories; however, what sets us apart is our liner service from Fremantle to the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Here are some beautiful pictures of one of their operated vessels nearby Cocos Islands. Contact them at: www.asc-asia.com
