Gmb News

The Government of India signed a loan deal worth USD 76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for a project to upgrade the environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards. The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as soft loan from JICA. Out of the remaining amount, $25 million as taxes and fees will be borne by Government of Gujarat and the balance $10 million will be shared by Ministry of Shipping & Government of Gujarat. The project will be executed by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and is likely to be completed by 2022. This project will help the Alang-Sosia ship-recycling yards to comply with international safety & environmental regulations.

In the waning days of 2016, the outlook brightened dramatically for the big U.S. dredging contractors. Just before Congress dispersed for the Holidays, then-President Obama signed a pivotal piece of legislation – the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, S612. Authorized needed investment in America’s ports, channels, locks, dams, and other infrastructure that supports the maritime and waterways transportation system and provides flood protection. Authorized U.S.

All the hazardous waste generated in ship recycling at Alang are being disposed off in safe and environmentally sound manner in Gujarat Pollution Control Board authorized Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) site operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. Landfills are constructed as per the Guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board and provided with liner system in bottom which prevents leachate to percolate to the sub-soil. Monitoring of environmental parameters is done by Gujarat Pollution Control Board regularly. Regular health checkup for the workers is also conducted by GMB. Environmental Impact Assessment is carried out whenever creation of new yards or expansion and upgradation of existing yards is taken up.

Essar Bulk Terminal Limited, Hazira, a subsidiary of Essar Ports Limited, which is a part of Essar, has received an approval from Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to handle 15 million tonnes of merchant cargo over three years. Based on this approval, the Hazira Terminal, in keeping with its design and capabilities, will be able to handle a range of cargo for merchant customers, including dry bulk, liquid bulk, containers and so on. The approval was granted under GMB’s captive port policy where jetties built on captive licenses can handle third-party cargo up to a maximum of 50 percent of the total cargo handled. This approval stands to benefit the local industry who will now have access to a modern port facility.

India will soon get its second maritime university, Gujarat Maritime University (GMB), which will primarily be focusing on the commercial maritime courses. According to sources, the first course likely to be rolled out in 2018. The government of Gujarat has already given an in-principle approval for the establishment of the university. The new Gujarat Maritime University will focus on commercial maritime courses instead of technical programmes that are being offered in over 130 Indian training institutes and the existing Indian Maritime University, say sources. A report in DNA quoted AK Rakesh, chairman and chief executive officer of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) as saying: "At present, the Indian maritime institutes offer pre-sea and post-sea training programmes.

The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) visited ship recycling yards in Alang, India this week and took the opportunity to hold dialogue with SRIA, following the first meeting in March this year in Singapore, to exchange views on future actions to be jointly implemented. Purpose of this visit was to get the first-hand look at current status of Indian ship recycling facilities and to confirm actions that should be taken next for achieving green ship recycling. Throughout the visit, the ASF was convinced that advanced recyclers, some of which had recently obtained Hong Kong Convention Statements of Compliance issued by ClassNK, operated their services with close attention given to ensure the safety of workers and environmental protection in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention.

Trade unions Unite and GMB said members working offshore in Britain's North Sea oil and gas industry had shown overwhelming support for industrial action in a consultative ballot which closed at 1200 GMT on Friday. Unite's members covered by the Offshore Contractors' Agreement delivered a 93.5 percent vote in favour of proceeding to a strike ballot, increasing the likelihood of North Sea strike action for the first time in a generation, the union said. GMB's members also voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of an official ballot for strike action over proposals from clients and contractors to change the terms and conditions of employment, GMB said. Reporting by Claire Milhench

Port of Amsterdam signed a Letter of Intent (Lol) with Gujarat Ports Infrastructure & Development Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Gujarat Maritime Board. The intention is to enhance trade between Gujarat and Amsterdam and intensify existing cooperation. The signing of LoI by AK Rakesh, Chairman of Gujarat Ports Infrastructure & Development Company Limited and CEO and Vice-Chairman of Gujarat Maritime Board and Anthony Van Der Hoest, Commercial Director-Logistics, Port of Amsterdam took place in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Attending the summit was part of a trade mission of several Dutch companies. Port of Amsterdam will increase cooperation in the development of ports in Gujarat state.

The working and living conditions at the shipbreaking yards of Alang, India, remain alarmingly poor, argues a new study published in the Economic & Political Weekly, an Indian Social Science journal. The research was commissioned and financed by the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and was coordinated by Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISS’ findings are based on field work in Alang from April 2013 to May 2014 including interviews with 300 shipbreaking workers as well as stakeholders from the industry, trade unions and authorities.

The CMA CGM Group announced that it has signed with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and part of Adani Group, an agreement for the development of a new common user Container Terminal at Mundra Port. This will be the fourth Container Terminal in Mundra and will be a 650 meters terminal along with 27 hectares of back area capable of handling 1.3 million TEUs annually. Following this announcement, the construction phase will be initiated immediately and completion will be in a record 24 months.

CMA CGM Group has announced that it has signed with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and part of Adani Group, an agreement for the development of a new common user Container Terminal at Mundra Port. This will be the 4th Container Terminal in Mundra and will be a 650 meters terminal along with 27 hectares of back area capable of handling 1.3 million TEUs annually. Following this announcement, the construction phase will be initiated immediately and completion will be in a record 24 months. The project comprises design and construction of 650 meters jetty with a water depth of 16.5 meters. This world class terminal will initially have four units of 65 tonne capacity of Rail Mounted Quay Cranes capable of handling 18…

The new IMO convention on Ship Recycling and the EU Proposal for Regulation of Ship Recycling are being viewed with concern by ship recyclers in Alang, India. If these come into force it is possible this world’s biggest grave yard for ships will have to close down. Alang is considered natures’ gift to the Indian ship recycling industry. Located in Gujarat, on the West coast of India, the shipyards in Alang recycle approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world. Having come into existence in June 1983, Alang, today encompasses over 180 ship yards stretching across 11 km of the coast line and is presently engaged in dismantling over 150 ships simultaneously. During 2011-12, Alang had achieved a record 415 ships’ demolition.

Alang ship-breakers decide to keep their facilities shut in protest against the arrest of shipbreakers arrested for culpable homicide. Three ship-breakers were booked for culpable homicide after six labourers were killed in a fire on an oil tanker on October 6. Those arrested included the owners of Kiran Ship Breaking Company Ram Krishna Jain and Vipin Jain along with the manager Rajesh Jugud, reports 'The Times of India'. It was the first time that ship-breakers have been booked and arrested under these charges. If convicted, they face a minimum of three years jail and a maximum life imprisonment. Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has sealed off the site of the tragic ship dismantling blaze as their investigation continues. Source: The Times of India

Workers from Appledore Shipbuilders, who face losing their jobs later this month, are meeting with senior civil servants today to urge the government to act. Appledore workers and union Amicus say that the government can save their jobs by reducing an equity payment and eliminating the indemnity guarantees for a lucrative order already won by the yard. Appledore workers and union representatives are meeting with senior civil servants representing Jackie Smith, the new Minister for Industry this afternoon to make their case. They say a contract, to build a unique barge to carry and erect sea wind turbines, would keep the yard open for at least eighteen months and allow it to win other orders.

Cammell Laird Plc has axed another 146 jobs in the U.K., but a proposed management buyout of one of its yards held out the prospect on Wednesday of saving hundreds more. Cammell Laird, which called in the receivers in April, has announced over 600 job cuts in Britain this year after a series of cancelled orders hit its finances. A spokeswoman for accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), acting as receivers for the group, said that a management team had made an indicative offer for the Tyneside shipyard in northeast England. And PwC expects another management offer for Cammell Laird's plant at Birkenhead, northwest England, which was first established in 1824. The company has a current UK workforce of around 770.

Northrop Grumman Corporation won a contract from General Marine Business Inc. Korea (GMB) to supply an integrated cockpit navigation and control system for the Republic of Korea Navy’s new LSF-II program, a high-speed hovercraft landing ship. The firm fixed-price commercial contract, valued at $5.6 million, for the delivery of the first two craft in 2006, was awarded to Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit.