Cts News

In 2023, the container market grew 0.2% year-on-year, ending at 173.8 million TEU. Compared to 2019, before the COVID pandemic hit, the market grew 1.5%.“Container market growth has lagged behind overall economic development significantly, as the world economy has grown 10% since 2019,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Highlighting the challenge for liner operators, the container fleet capacity in 2023 grew 21% vs 2019 and 8% vs 2022. The order book of new ships will add nearly 25% to the capacity during the next four and a half years.

In its latest Container Freight Rate Update note, Xeneta covers the average capacity and blank sailings on the Far East to the US West Coast while we head into the not-so-traditional peak season.The average capacity offered from the Far East to the US West Coast has fallen to its lowest since February in the past four weeks. Over this period, an average of 275,000 TEU has left the Far East heading for the US West Coast, about 50,000 TEU less than the peak in early August.Compared to the same four weeks in 2021…

South American spot rate gap set to narrow as shippers take advantage of lower Far East to West Coast ratesThe latest ocean freight rate data from Xeneta reveals that spot rates are currently $3,700 more expensive for shipping 40-ft. containers from the Far East to the South American East Coast, compared to the West Coast corridor. This huge gap – the norm is usually around a $55 East Coast premium – has opened up since 1 July. However, shippers looking to take advantage of the disparity should move quickly…

For almost three months now, the spot freight rate for containerized goods shipped by sea from North Europe to the U.S. East Coast has been 210% higher than last year (July 1 – September 23), according to shipping organization BIMCO.It wasn’t until April 1, 2021 that we saw the ripple effects from the globally stretched supply chains impacting front-haul freight rates on the Transatlantic container shipping trade lane. At that time, spot freight rates for a 40-foot container jumped 52% from $2,329 to $3,544 on average for the trade lane.

The surge in U.S. container imports continued in April when West Coast loaded imports amounted to 1.10m TEU. Imports had never exceeded this level until August 2020, and developments in the past nine months mean that April imports are only the sixth highest on record. In the first four months of the year volumes are up by 40.3%, representing an increase of 1.2m TEU from the same period in 2020. Compared to 2019 volumes are still up by an impressive 22.8% (+793,500 TEU).Imports decreased in April compared to March when volumes were record high at 1.16m TEU.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a pandemic. There is little doubt that this will have significant implications for the shipping industry. But to what extent? BIMCO expects that the strict containment measures imposed by governments around the world will result in substantially lower global economic growth and consequentially, lower demand for shipping. Container and dry bulk shipping are at the front line when it comes to feeling the fallout…

Global growth in container volumes has picked up slightly in the second quarter of the year, with growth in the first seven months reaching 1.2%, compared to the just 0.8% in the first quarter.Global growth in container volumes has picked up slightly in the second quarter of the year, with growth in the first seven months reaching 1.2%, compared to the just 0.8% in the first quarter. Despite this rise, the growth figure remains substantially below what the industry has been used to…

Taiwanese ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation has announced new China-Thailand direct service and Thailand - Indonesia express service.Under the impact of rising global trade tensions, a relocation and adjustment of cargo flow and supply chains is expected. To cope with this trend, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. continuously strengthens its Asian service network as well as the quality of Asian routes.Yang Ming has announced the launch of a new Intra-Asia service, China-Thailand Service (CTX service). The first sailing is scheduled for July 12th 2019, departing from Shanghai.A total of three container ships with loadable capacity of 1,200 TEU will be deployed for CTX service, of which one is contributed by Yang Ming.

South Asia container trade with Europe continues to outpace the Middle East, says Drewry in its Container Insight Weekly report.Container shipments in the combined eastbound Europe to the Middle East and South Asia trade performed well in the first quarter, rising by 5.2 percent year-on-year according to Container Trade Statistics. However, that aggregate rate hides two very different performances by the two destinations. CTS reports that inbound traffic to South Asia soared by 18 percent in 1Q18 to reach approximately 410…

Container shipping: Change required for higher ratesDemandThe growing imports of loaded containers into the U.S. East Coast (USEC) continues to be a focal point for the container shipping industry. Growing by 10.4 percent in Q1-2018, the first three months saw 215,000 TEU more entering the USEC than in Q1-2017. Exports grew by 55,000 TEU in the same time span, growing outbound loaded containers by 3.8 percent.This illustrates the constantly changing imbalance in U.S. foreign trade. For every five containers entering the USEC in 2013, four were exported.

For 2018, the world containership fleet is expected to grow in step with global demand, according to BIMCO’s latest container shipping market outlook. Having experienced falling freight rates from August to year-end in 2017, most liner companies were successful in pushing rates higher in early January 2018. Most of them managed to hold onto most of the gains they achieved, considering October and November were challenging in terms of very low demand growth. The weak demand came from the Far East to Europe trade, and on the Intra-Asian transport.

The most recent available data show that demand for the container shipping grew by 2.7 percent in 2016. With the supply side growing by only 1.3 percent, this meant that the fundamental market balance improved for the first time since 2011. This development is primarily due to decisive actions by ship owners who sold excess tonnage for demolition. Hopefully, improved earnings will also follow soon. The metric-ton-mile demand side has grown by an average of 3.4 percent annually during 2012-2016. This is a new and lower growth level that has taken some time for the industry to get used to.

Spears Manufacturing Company awarded U.S. The Spears EverTUFF CTS CPVC Hot & Cold Water Distribution System is now U.S. Coast Guard approved for use in marine applications. The EverTUFF system combines the durable lightweight and corrosion resistant properties of CPVC with the traditional flow properties of copper tube size (CTS) pipe in a complete system rated to 100psi at 180° F. The EverTUFF CPVC system is the first of its kind with USCG approval and can be installed in concealed spaces in accommodation…

Clyde Training Solutions (CTS) opened central Scotland’s first dedicated marine and offshore international training centre. CTS – a newly established Clyde Group company -  is now offering an extensive range of onsite accredited maritime safety courses to an international market at its new complex on the banks of the River Clyde in Clydebank. Phase one of operations at the centre has created in the region of 30 jobs with potential operational growth likely to create future employment. The centre offers multiple classrooms, dedicated deep-water pool, HUET (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training module), and full fire training ground complete with training stack and helideck, all within easy reach of Glasgow Airport and Glasgow city centre.

The demand for container shipping is really not going anywhere at the moment. Indicators for growth in the first months of 2016 point to limited overall demand and huge variations from trade to trade. In addition, all numbers are impacted by Chinese New Year, which disrupts most trade figures for the first months of any year. BIMCO’s own data for the United States (US) imports on the east coast shows an increase of 6.5%, a significant rise even above the strong level seen in 2015. The west coast imports of loaded containers are only impressive in comparison with the very poor volumes seen in 2015. These were impacted heavily by the conflict between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) which clogged up the main ports.

In a refurbishment program to upgrade lifeboats on offshore platforms, Ampelmann completed a second successful reinstallation using its full motion compensation technology. The eight-metric-ton lifeboat was kept completely stationary above the vessel deck, to allow lifting by the platform’s davit cranes. Traditionally, refurbished lifeboats are reinstalled on the offshore structure in the following manner: a platform supply vessel takes the lifeboat offshore, where it is lifted from the deck to the sea.

The Polar Code has been under development at the IMO for a considerable length of time but will reach fruition during 2014 after which it will be offered to the various nations to ratify. The Code seeks to provide a common reference for those ship owners, designers and – more importantly, perhaps – the ship users who will be operating inside the Arctic or Antarctic regions. The South Polar Region is already covered for a host of aspects by the Antarctic Treaty which has now been in force for many years.

Transas, Seaways Europe & Serco Marine: Working together to create the world’s best tug simulator, and along the way training Tugmasters in the absence of the actual vessels. When UK-based Serco Marine Services acquired 29 new vessels from Damen to replace older assets and augment their growing fleet and contract obligations, they also knew that that they simply could not wait until the boats arrived to begin training their tugmasters in the fine art of ASD operations. Serco Tugmaster and National Training Manager Steve Sandy eventually turned to SeaWays Consultants to get help with that training. Utilizing the cutting edge, Transas-built Seaways Tug Training Simulator, neither Serco nor Sandy has ever looked back with regret on that decision.

GE’s Power Conversion business has taken a step in testing a viable way of producing large amounts of electricity from renewable resources using superconductors running at relatively high temperatures. The company completed trials of Hydrogenie, a power generator incorporating technologies that enable highly efficient production of electricity in a small space. Hydrogenie makes use of superconductors instead of copper for the rotor windings on the motor, operating at 43 Kelvin or -230°C.

Ernst & Young conducted a study that presents an integrated analysis of the value creation potential of wind energy. The study was commissioned by Acciona and EDP Renováveis and compares two energy technologies, Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) and wind, to analyze the impacts of microeconomic factors such as direct costs as well as macroeconomic factors including job creation, Gross Domestic Product contribution, energy security, grid integration costs, CO2 and the impact of wind power on electricity pool prices. Wind energy has a higher impact on tax revenues than other technologies. In addition, wind energy creates a positive effect on the wholesale market by lowering the electricity spot prices which in turn, compensates for the premium tariff received.

Clarkson Technical Services (CTS) provided staff and know-how to the Euronav / OSG joint venture as they converted the FSO Asia and her sister ship FSO Africa from ULCCs to FSOs. They are now two of the largest and most sophisticated double-hulled FSOs in the world. Euronav / OSG announced their plans to convert the vessels into stationary FSOs back in February 2008, by August 2010 both were fully operational and stationed in the Al Shaheen oilfield near Qatar. The FSO Africa and FSO Asia are two of four sister ships; All were launched in 2002/2003 and went straight into the record books as the first double-hulled ULCCs. At 441,500 DWT with a cargo capacity of more than 3 million barrels, they were the largest ocean-going ships in the world and even had their own size designation V-Plus.

Dapeng Sun, the first LNG carrier to be built in China was delivered to its owner in Shanghai at the beginning of April 2008, with Kongsberg Maritime's K-Gauge Custody Transfer System (CTS) onboard. Province's Dapeng, China's first LNG receiving terminal. The delivery of Dapeng Sun represents a major milestone in China's shipbuilding history. shipbuilding technology since LNG is such a difficult cargo to handle. Installation of the K-Gauge CTS commenced in May 2007 and was completed in October 2007 with the final SAT taking place in February 2008. K-Gauge automatically logs LNG tank levels, temperatures and pressure measurements, and calculates the tank volume during the loading-/unloading operation.

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has recently won a number of orders for its cargo monitoring systems in Japan and Korea. These new orders are collectively worth over $1 million and firmly establish KMSS as a major player in these lucrative markets. The first order is for a Custody Transfer System (CTS) for MOL and Qatar Gas Hull 1561 currently under construction at Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan. The second order is also for a CTS cargo system for Shell Hull 2183 currently under construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., in Nagasaki, Japan. The ship is the last to be built in a series of three, which have also been fitted with equipment from KMSS. currently under construction at Daewoo in Korea.