Dear Readers,
It is the 16th of January, 2025 and as announced, from this year, I am publishing one issue per month around the middle of the month. I decided to keep the name PCW as it is now well-known. Every Thursday, we will still publish interesting interviews from the “archives” on LinkedIn.
I celebrated New Year’s Eve in Grenaa, Denmark together with my mum as we are now alone after my father’s demise in November. We cheered the New Year’s arrival and reminisced about the many memories we have whilst father was still alive. I am sure many of you would recognize this situation.
The 31st of December, 2024 was also the day the current Danish King gave his first New Year’s speech to the Danish people, the People of Faroe Islands, and not to forget… Greenland. Perhaps a certain incoming US president was listening and understood Danish because Greenland seemingly has become a “real estate deal” now for the US, along with including Canada as another state and taking over the Panama Canal. Well, education and understanding of world affairs was never a strength of many a politician, so I suppose we will have to see what comes of it all. One thing though: it surely sells newspapers!
We must, however, admit that the Western World may need a stronger capability to deal with other “dictators” of the world and where the EU stands in this debacle remains to be seen. I heard something in a podcast today stating that:
– The US innovates it
– China produces it
– The EU regulates it
I agree that there is some truth to this. In the EU, we simply need to stand up, decide quickly, and simply use the muscles that we (still) have. Perhaps we should spend less time on regulating and suffocating companies in Europe who wish to develop. If we don’t, we will end up as a museum, albeit a beautiful one.
What is happening for shipping in 2025? Well, the jury is out on that, and I don’t have many answers for now though incomes are still excessive in the shipping industry. However, should the Red Sea Crisis be ended and things quiet down in the Ukraine/Russia war, the vast amount of container ships will be struggling to fill up their endless capacity. As one of the shipping news items (below) mentioned today, the order book of container ships at the shipyards has never been more full.
For me, I shall be departing Santiago, Chile (where I currently am based) to Bali, Indonesia at the end of the month. I am covering Global Conference for CLC Projects & Cross Ocean Project Logistics Networks.
Already, the event is fully booked with more than 80 companies participating from around the world. After Bali, I shall attend the Breakbulk Expo in Dubai before visiting Hamburg, Stockholm, and Grenaa on the way back to South America. It should do wonders for the frequent flyer miles.
And what do I have in store for you today with this monthly issue of PCW ? Well here you go:
1. Melehk Logistics in Ethiopia
A logistics provider with solid experience in transhipment and logistics on the Horn of Africa via Djibouti. Do watch our video interview to learn more about an interesting country.
2. MB Projects and Logistics in Mumbai, India
Owned by a good friend of mine from my Martin Bencher days, and even before in his OOCL days as we did a lot with them in the past, so thanks to this link we met. Do read this interview.
3. WICE Logistics, Philippines
A logistics provider strong in South East Asia. With many countries involved and active in high tech and project logistics, you may well find this an interesting read as well!
We naturally provide you with shipping news, trade intelligence, and the featured picture and video of the month I should say (as we don’t publish by the bi-weekly now). I trust you will find my choice for this month to your liking.
Our wise words will never go out of fashion, so do pay attention to them. One may learn a lot and be guided by them more than listening to any politicians in our media outlets nowadays.
I also remind you to download our PCW APP which is freely available here and where you will find past podcasts, interviews, and so on which might interest you.
Time passes for all of us, and turning a new page in life is something we can’t avoid. Easy to talk about it but perhaps more difficult to face when the time comes. That much I have learnt in the past year.
See you on February 15th, and this time with our YEARBOOK of 2024!
See you again on September 5th!
Yours sincerely,
With best regards,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Melehk Logistics – Interview
MB Projects and Logistics (India) – Interview
Interview with
Mr. Vikas Karthikeyan
Managing Director
We know each other quite well, Vikas. But for our thousands of readers worldwide, please elaborate first a bit on your background in shipping. You had a long career with OOCL for one, right?
Thanks to my shipping mentor, Mr. Erik Gronkjaer, I got introduced to you and Peter way back in 2010, when I decided to take the entrepreneurial journey.
I started my career in the logistics industry during the late 90’s with Sembcorp Logistics (Singaporean – Indian venture) and later with the OOCL group in 2001. I had the opportunity to be part of the OOCL India migration from agency to own setup. I was their first employee and was part of OOCL till 2010. My last role with them was General Manager and Country Head of OOCL Logistics India.
WICE Logistics – Singapore
Interview with
Mr. Michael Tan
Managing Director SE Asia
Michael, can you please introduce the company WICE Logistics to our readers? It would be interesting for them to know, for example, where you have your offices located currently; what is your headcount; and is there a specific part of logistics that you feel particularly competent in handling?
WICE Logistics is a company with 32 years of history. Our headquarters is in Bangkok, and we are publicly listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Currently, we have offices in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Hong Kong, with over 800 staff.
Our key verticals are Electronic, Semiconductor and Hi-Tech where we serve our customers global supply chain needs.
Arctic Roundup of 2025
Editor’s Note:
Mr Trump is active with a new “real estate deal” as he calls it. Interesting and perhaps scary times ahead. Arctic Today newsletter has more meaning than ever to read!
Greenland is the hottest topic in the region right now, thanks to Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring the world’s biggest island. His idea is far from original though. Trump’s comments have shone a spotlight on Greenland’s complex relationship with Denmark. Our second story explains why the former colony will ultimately determine its own future – whatever that looks like.
A Timeline of Suspected Baltic Sea Sabotage Incidents
Editor’s Note:
The Finns know how to deal with suspected sabotage. They board the ship and deny it to go further after its been substantiated that an anchor was used to rip up subsea cables – an apparent attempt of sabotage. Wonder who might be behind it?
A Finnish court has denied a request for the release of an oil tanker suspected by police of damaging an undersea power line and four telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea last month.
Why The U.S. Is Freaking Out Over China’s New Peru Port
Editor’s Note:
Cosco Shipping Ports now are active in Latin America as well with the Port of Chancay in Peru which was reently opened by Xi Jinping the Chinese president himself. See this video:
Discover why the U.S. is on edge over China’s newest $3.5 billion mega-port in Peru and how it could shift power and trade routes across the Americas. This video unpacks the real stakes behind Chancay’s launch, from economic dominance to global influence—tune in to see how this port might change the balance between two superpowers.
US East Coast ports strike averted
Editor’s Note:
Thank God for this!
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have struck a tentative deal on a new six-year labour contract.
J&V Energy Enters Philippines Utility-scale Solar with 180 MW Acquisition
The transaction marks J&V Energy’s first utility-scale renewables investment in the Philippines, and comes on the back of J&V Energy’s joint venture with SolarNRG Philippines in June to develop and construct rooftop projects for commercial and industrial customers.
Munters Data Center Technologies wins order for Coolant Distribution Units
Munters has received an order with a value of MSEK 375 (appr. MUSD 35), from a new customer who is a leading data center colocation provider in the US. The order is for the Munters LCX system, a water-to-water
cooling distribution unit (CDU) utilized for liquid cooled servers.
Vale and GEM Co. Ltd to develop net-zero nickel smelter
GEM Co., a Chinese battery-metal producer, and Vale SA’s Indonesian unit signed an agreement to build a $1.42 billion nickel plant in the Southeast Asian nation, highlighting the country’s drive to boost processing.
Canadian Solar granted consent for 250MW solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales, Australia
According to planning documents, the development will feature two 330kV transmission lines running through the site. An electrical substation will be developed, transferring electricity to transmission system operator Transgrid.
On the Aft Deck of GMA CGM Sailing Towards Fremantle
Editor’s Note:
Underway in the Indian Ocean towards Fremantle… I was passenger onboard along with my daughter.
Editor’s Note:
Stockholm is known as Venice of the North and also recently as the shooting capital of Scandinavia, however it does have commercial activities in shipping too!
See here an Oldendorff vessel recently alongside downtown discharging housing modules from Malaysia.
