Projects Division News

AAL & PD have followed up their cooperation on a range of global multipurpose tramp solutions with the launch a new joint semi-liner service - ‘Asia - Middle East - Europe’. The route will connect mature and developing markets with regular fixed route sailings, flexible port calls and multiple classes of modern heavy lift MPP vessels and represents a highly competitive solution for the transport of project, breakbulk, container and dry-bulk cargo – big and small. This launch marks further expansion of AAL’s Tramp & Projects Division and a step forward in its cooperation with Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG (Peter Döhle). The joint semi-liner service will offer best-in-class multipurpose heavy lift tonnage and a full-service of chartering, engineering and operations.

AAL announced that AAL Galveston will join its fleet on long-term time charter and add capacity to its Tramp and Projects division; providing worldwide trade for customers, with a specific focus on EU and US trades. AAL Galveston is a multipurpose, heavy lift ‘Super A-Class’ vessel, which AAL has re-classified under its own fleet classification criteria, to ‘G-Class’. At 160 meters in length and 25,800 dwt, she is highly versatile and robust, with a combined lifting capacity of 240 mt and large, strengthened cargo holds.

Drum Cussac and Ambrey Risk have agreed the sale and purchase of Drum Cussac’s maritime transits security division. Drum Cussac’s transits security division provides security consultants in all marine environments to protect commercial shipping from seaborne piracy threats, predominantly in the Lloyds of London High Risk Area (HRA) of the Indian Ocean. Drum Cussac has provided this service to a large number of clients since 2008. Ambrey Risk will integrate Drum Cussac’s maritime transits operations staff and equipment into its existing business.

Geodis Wilson appointmented Santiago Jimeno as the new Managing Director of Colombia with immediate effect. Santiago will have full responsibility for all Geodis Wilson operations in the country and will report directly to John Gallahan, Regional Vice-President – Americas. Santiago is replacing Leif Voelcker who has relocated to India to accept the position of Cluster Managing Director – South Asia. Commenting on the appointment Gallahan said, “Having worked at a senior level within the freight forwarding sector in South America for many years…

Turbine Transfers Ltd will increase its fleet to 20 vessels by the end of 2011. With the fast growing development of major offshore wind farms in Britain, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark, Captain Mark Meade of Anglesey UK-based Holyhead Towing, has seen the potential for larger fleets of crew transfer vessels dedicated to the offshore wind farm industry. Often customers now require four or five boats at the larger and further offshore sites, and that demand cannot easily be supplied by the smaller companies in the field.

MC Shipping announces that with effect from August 1st, Tony Crawford, CEO of V.Ships Financial Services & Projects Division, will take up the position of CEO and President of MC Shipping. On secondment from V.Ships, Tony takes over from Enrico Boggazzi as CEO and Guy Morel as President. Crawford will also replace Tullio Biggi on the Board of Directors of the Company. The new management will implement a business plan which will grow MC Shipping's activity around a number of market opportunities including the LPG sector. The Board also announces the formation of a Nominating and Governance Committee made up of the independent directors. This Committee is being formed a year ahead of the time mandated by current legislation.

ASRY (Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard) in Bahrain has appointed Franciszek Magnowski as the head of its Technical and Marketing Department. Magnowski, whose expertise encompasses not only the ship repair and conversion market, but also the offshore sector (particularly the FPSO and FSO market), will work to expand further the company's business into major conversion and offshore projects. Prior to joining ASRY in Bahrain, Magnowski spent more than 20 years in the ship repair and conversion business - the last nine with Remontowa Ship Repair in Gdansk as director of its Offshore Projects Division.