Ships Agency News

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) CEO Frank Olsen opens up on the challenges of COVID-19, the benefits of a global network, and a fundamental shift in the established ships agency marketplace. Change, he says, is coming.“I haven’t spent this much time in Norway, without international travel, since I was at school,” laughs ISS CEO Frank Olsen over a call on Microsoft Teams.With a career that’s taken in seven years at sea, mostly on RoRos with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, living in Costa Rica (where he briefly captained a dive vessel)…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service has been selected to help develop the future Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) regulatory framework for Singapore and will receive dedicated funding for their shore-to-ship delivery project.Wilhelmsen Ships Service is one of only four companies to have received the funding, following a Call-For-Proposal (CFP) by CAAS and the Ministry of Transport. The CFP aims to support the development of systems and technologies to enable innovations within the wide-ranging use of UAS. The maximum funding available for each project is SGD1.5 million, or up to 50% of the total project qualified costs.Outlining the potential development of UAS for shore-to-ship deliveries…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service lifts off with Airbus, bringing drone delivery to one of the world’s busiest portsPairing Wilhelmsen’s ships agency expertise and safety standards with Airbus’ expertise in aeronautical vertical lift solutions, the Agency by Air project brings shore-to-ship drone delivery to one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore.Launching at Singapore port’s Marina South Pier in quarter three 2018, Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Airbus will be piloting the delivery of spare parts…

Marking a seismic shift in just how ships agents can support their customers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) will soon be delivering its agency essentials via drone. A much talked about technology, with obvious applications for the shipping industry, it is WSS’ ships agency team, rather than the company’s supply chain, or product divisions, which have been assessing the business opportunities offered by drones. Marius Johansen, VP Business Solutions & Marketing, WSS Ships Agency explains, “Whether it is deliveries of critical documents or vital medical supplies, tank inspections, or monitoring cargo and stockpile levels, we believe semi-autonomous drone flights can support and further enhance what our ships agency team can offer our customers”.

Marking a shift in how ship agents can support customers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) said it will soon begin delivering its agency essentials via drone. A much talked about technology, with obvious applications for the shipping industry, it is WSS’ships agency team, rather than the company’s supply chain, or product divisions, which have been assessing the business opportunities offered by drones. Dispensing with the need for launch boats to deliver such essentials to vessels at anchorage, along with cutting delivery times, Johansen estimates drone flights will also slash costs.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is moving to ensure that its customers’ vessels pass through the new Panama and Suez Canals with the optimum efficiency, speed and safety thanks to a fresh Ships Agency ‘canal transit’ solution. The service, which will be run by dedicated local teams, has already picked up its first contract, securing an agreement with leading very large gas carrier (VLGC) owner and operator Avance Gas for the Panama Canal transit of its neo-panamax ships Passat and Breeze. WSS, the leading global provider of products and services to the shipping industry, has created 24/7 Transit Desks in both Panama and Egypt. These combine local knowledge with global support and service standards…

Ship operators who rely on a myriad of companies for their global bunkering needs are wasting time, money and energy, with no guarantee of standardized quality of products and services, says Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS). In an industry defined by tight margins and cost constraints this approach, WSS believes, is ultimately bad for business. The global provider of maritime products and services WSS says it offers an alternative, with its global Bunker Service Agreements. These provide shipping firms with peace of mind and uniform quality…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is aiming to consolidate its position within the Ships Agency segment by building stronger agent-customer relationships. By doing so, Frederic Fontarosa believes the firm can offer enhanced efficiency, understanding and value. Frederic Fontarosa is a people person. Mixing an easy going, laid back French-American drawl with suddenly energetic outbursts on subjects close to his heart, he’s engaging to talk to and easy to like. Seated  in his Houston office…

China travel services provider Ctrip has furthered its expansion into the cruise market with the appointment of Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) as its General Agent in China. The partnership, which was announced at the official Ctrip vessel naming ceremony last week, will see WSS China providing full ships agency services in Japan to Ctrip’s brand new fleet, the M/S ‘SKYSEA GOLDEN ERA’, cruise vessel operating across routes between China and Japan. This new relationship comes as the Chinese cruise market continues to expand at a rapid rate.

With Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas home-ported in Shanghai for 2015 and TUI Cruises launching its inaugural Asian season, eyes are on Asia’s expanding cruise market. However, while Asia may be unexplored territory for many cruise owners and ships service suppliers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is established and already servicing numerous local and international cruise customers across the entire Asia Pacific region. Boasting an industry-leading cruise-specific ships agency network…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) and Solstad Shipping have announced that they have entered into a two year Global Agency Agreement with a two year option. WSS will provide Global Agency Services to Solstad’s 48 vessels worldwide. “We were previously using around 50 different agencies across the world, which was a complex task within itself. Dealing with several different agents can be time-consuming and unpredictable due to varying performances from port to port,” says Malcolm Rosie, Technical Director, Solstad Shipping.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) the world-leading marine, cargo and supply chain solutions provider has announced another key hire to its African regional management team as the company gears up for ambitious growth across the region in 2015. Joining ISS on 1st January, Riaan Blom takes up the position of Vice President Sales, Africa and will be based in Nairobi. With a career spanning over 20 years, Riaan brings to the role extensive ships’ agency experience with specialisms in project management, freight forwarding and large oil & gas contracts. His most recent appointment was as Regional Manager Oil & Energy, East Africa at DHL Global Forwarding, also based in Kenya.

The Port of Civitavecchia has become the first port to perform Truck to Ship bunkering of LNG to a seagoing vessel within an Italian coastal port or any port in Italy and this part of the Mediterranean, say LNGEurope. The tugboat Bokn owned by Buksér og Berging AS, was bunkered by LNGEurope at the Port of Civitavecchia (Rome) recently for the Italian sector of her voyage from the Turkish shipbuilder towards final destination, Karsto in Norway. On arrival she will begin a long-term charter to Statoil. To fuel up on LNG for the delivery voyage, the new tug will also be calling at the ports of Cartagena, Vigo and Zeebrugge. The LNG fuelling operation was executed by one of LNGEurope’s trailers. The trailer is positioned alongside the ship and connected to the ship’s fuel tank.

Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) has announced three new senior appointments aimed at boosting its presence in key international maritime centers. The new appointments in Singapore and London are part of IRClass’ strategic plan to expand its capabilities and geographical reach to meet growing demand in these vital markets. Mr. Narayanan Shankar joins as Senior Vice President of Business Development in Singapore. He will co-direct business development and strategy with Mr Anil Devli, Chief Operating Officer (Commercial) of IRClass.

Despite tight budgets and uncertain economic forecasts, demand for WSS services in Japan remains solid, the company said. Speaking after last week’s Bariship Japan event in Imabari, General Manager WSS Japan Yoshihiro Iizuka said that for ship-owners and vessel operators, a combination of increased regulation and continued pressure on budgets means that the cost of products and services is more crucial than ever. However, according to Iizuka, the company has seen steady demand for its services such as Life Raft Exchange program and Ships Agency Re-Defined.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) announced the launch of a new service for the ship repair market. The offer aims to streamline drydocking operations by allowing customers to take advantage of integrated ships agency, safety and equipment services from a single source. Paul Rogers, WSS Commercial Director for North East Asia, says the service has been developed to create added value in the dry docking process by enabling owners to take advantage of trusted business relationships during drydock planning and execution.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has opened a new office in Western Australia to meet increased business opportunities as the port of Geraldton continues to grow. “By concentrating on the growing port of Geraldton, we are putting ourselves in a strong position to provide ship owners with easy access to our globally-renowned agency services. The new office has been operational from day one, with a number of experienced local staff on hand to utilise existing relationships with the port.

Regional Vice President Asia Pacific, Neal De Roche says Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) remains focussed on providing innovative solutions to client needs. Speaking as he takes up his new role in Singapore, following five years in Shanghai, De Roche says the recent recovery of some shipping segments should not be taken as a sign of a return to a simple ‘business as usual’ scenario. “It has been struggle over the last few years. We are still in a challenging market and Asia is no exception. Despite perceptions to the contrary, China is a quality not a quantity market,” he says.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has appointed Antonio Carvalho Junior as its new General Manager for Brazil. A former mariner, Carvalho brings 26 years of direct industry experience to this role from previous positions in logistics, shipping and ships agency. Discussing challenges that WSS customers face in the coming year, Carvalho raises concerns about shipping and offshore industries development: “2014 has been a challenging year. GDP will grow less than 1% and prospects are not very encouraging for 2015.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) says it is expanding its network of supply points across Asia as it responds to an increasing level of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. The first new WSS supply point, at Songkhla, southern Thailand opened in January 2014 and other locations have been identified to enable WSS to work closer to areas of emerging demand. New supply sites are under consideration in Kemaman, Malaysia, Balikpapan, Indonesia and in Myanmar. Countries including Malaysia…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) advises that it has strengthened its Singapore-based management team with the appointment of Ms. Hege Solstad as Regional Director, WSS Asia Pacific, and Harald Lundestad as General Manager in the Singapore office. WSS say that these appointments reflect increased levels of business and a focus on expanding service provision across the Asia-Pacific region. Both individuals bring key skillsets to the WSS Asia operations, having worked across global…

Speaking ahead of Sea Japan today, WSS General Manager for Japan Yoshihiro Iizuka says that although the Japanese market is moving towards growth for 2014, the recovery will be stronger in the second half, with an increase in newbuilds expected towards the end of the year. Iizuka says:  “Overall, the Japanese market is in recovery, with annual pay raises by the major corporates estimated at around 2-3% for 2014. However, the weakened Japanese Yen relative to the past couple of years has contributed to the widening of the trade deficit with particular reductions in export value.

International maritime logistics expert Cory Logistics, part of Braemar Shipping Services plc, has formed a joint venture with universal supply chain specialist Navarm Limited to create a single source provider for a full suite of maritime and land based services for the nuclear new build industry. Based in Somerset, U.K., Cory-Navarm will serve the nuclear industry, particularly in the West Country where EDF Energy is developing the Hinkley Point C power station, and other energy-related projects with a need for maritime and land-based services.