Stowage Plan News

Newport Shipping and NSB Group announced a plan to work together to develop their ship widening proposition for its customers. The NSB Group design will increase container capacity by up to 30% by implementing its unique widening concept, according to the company improving profit and resulting in a better Energy Efficiency Design Index for Existing Ships (EEXI).The concept is about widening a container vessel in breadth while the existing main engine remains the same. Furthermore, other options are for bulbous bow optimization and propeller retrofit. During the widening process, the amount of reefer plugs can be increased to get more flexibility in the stowage plan. NSB has already carried out three ship widening projects for vessels in service for MSC, at the HRDD shipyard in China.

In addition to fuel, modern ships also run on paper or their electronic equivalent. Vessels are required to keep written or electronic records of many things – and the list is growing.There is the traditional Ship’s Log, which records the vessel’s position, course, speed, weather, and unusual events to name a few. The Oil Record Book (ORB) has been around for a long time and tracks all movement of oil throughout the vessel, including its loading, consumption, and discharge (generally via the oily water separator and overboard discharge piping).

With the m.v. Marietje Hester discharged bridge sections in Frederiksværk, Denmark, Royal Royal Wagenborg shipping in total 492 concrete segments in 44 voyages from Szczecin, Poland to Denmark and successfully closes the Geodis project.Early 2018 the project started after the Danish authorities have initiated the Fjord Link project to build a new bridge over the Roskilde fjord. The 8.2 km four-lane link will be located just south of Frederikssund.The bridge is planned to open in 2019, so the final sections of the bridge need to be in Denmark by early 2019. That’s a logistical challenge where everything depended on planning, timing, and professionalism.Because of the 3.5 meter depth restriction and the length limitation of 100 meters at the loading location in Szczecin…

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has introduced a new breakbulk cargo stowage solution, the Breakbulk Optimizer, which enables operators to rapidly and optimally plan the stowage of many different cargoes."The MacGregor Breakbulk Optimizer is the first automated, cloud-based application for the optimized stowage of breakbulk and general cargoes," said Magnus Sjöberg, Senior Vice President, Cargo Handling, MacGregor. "It makes full use of MacGregor's expertise in cargo handling systems combined with Navis' expertise in loading computers and stowage planning know-how on container ships." Navis is also part of Cargotec.The new application from MacGregor optimizes breakbulk vessel stowage plans by taking into consideration all influencing factors including what cargo is already on board…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. introduced an upgraded stowage planning system for car carriers called “MOL-CAPS”. The MOL-CAPS system generates a voyage-by-voyage stowage plan that determines where to stow specific vehicles in consideration of different factors, such as the onboard structure, the type of vehicles being transported, and calling ports. The company introduced MOL-CAPS in 1999, and will adopt this new version for the next-generation car carriers, the FLEXIE series, which will be delivered starting in March 2018. The new version of the system allows optimal stowage, with the maximum use of the FLEXIE series’ new deck structure (Note) , which offers a greater range of adjustment in the liftable deck height, providing greater flexibility compared to car carriers now in service.

A new regulation requiring the gross mass of a container to be verified before it is loaded onto a ship enters into force today (1 July 2016). It will assist in ensuring that the millions of containers carried on ships each year are optimally stowed, thereby helping to prevent container stacks collapsing and containers being lost overboard, and the associated injury and loss of life. Some 170 million[1] containers are loaded onto ships each year, bringing vital commodities as well as consumer goods to billions of people around the globe. In 2011, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships…

With new rules regarding the declaration of the accurate gross mass of a packed containers due to enter force, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) answers the industry’s frequently asked questions (FAQ). What are the new rules? On July 1, 2016, new requirements to verify the gross mass of a packed container enter into force under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Why have the requirements for verification of the gross mass of the container been introduced?

As of July 1st, 2016, the enforcement of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) requirements regarding the verification of the gross mass of packed containers will be applicable. A packed container will not be allowed to be loaded on board vessels to which the SOLAS Convention applies unless the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of the container has been provided to the ship’s master or his representative and to the terminal or its representative sufficiently in advance to allow for the preparation of the ship stowage plan. The responsibility for obtaining and documenting the Verified Gross Mass of a packed container lies with the shipper. The Verified Gross Mass means the total gross mass of a packed container as obtained by one of the two methods described below.

The SOLAS amendment coming into force on 1st July 2016 requires, as a condition for loading a packed container onto a ship for export, that the container has a verified gross mass (‘VGM’). As from 1st July 2016, it would be a violation of SOLAS to load a packed container onto a ship if the ship operator and marine terminal operator do not have the VGM of the container. All 163 Signatory States to SOLAS will need to implement this SOLAS amendment through their national legislation. With the entry into force date just over two months away, some terminals and shippers still seem unprepared or even unaware of this SOLAS amendment. Unless practical steps have been or are being taken to address the requirements brought in by this amendment…

A number of reporting and operational errors caused the list and grounding of Höegh Osaka on January 3, 2015 according to an investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, UK. The report into MAIB’s investigation of the listing, flooding and grounding of pure car and truck carrier Hoegh Osaka on the Bramble Bank, The Solent on 3 January 2015 is now published. In his statement to the media, Steve Clinch, The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents stated, "The MAIB’s investigation found that Hoegh Osaka’s stability did not meet the minimum international requirements for ships proceeding to sea. The cargo loading plan had not been…

The Port of Barcelona reports it has become the first port in Spain to complete and make available a procedure for its customers and users in line with the container weighing new rules adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and incorporated into Chapter VI of the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention specifying that shippers (forwarders, logistics operators or owners of the goods) shall be responsible for weighing each full container before shipment. The obligation…

The new rules, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and incorporated into Chapter VI of the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention, specify that the shipper (forwarder, logistics operator or owner of the goods) shall be responsible for weighing the full container before shipment. The Port of Barcelona is the first port in Spain to complete and make available such a procedure to its customers and users in line with the new rules, and its Port Community is preparing to adapt to the new requirements. The obligation to declare container weight before shipment is designed to improve the safety of seafarers and of everyone involved in the logistics chain.

Fuel saving measures can have a negative effect on the lashing forces on the containers, according to Maritime London member BMT Surveys. The company's risk & quality manager and marine surveyor, Olivier van der Kruijs, bases this warning on audits on more than 100 container vessels last year. He says that the latest generation of container ships have been designed not only to increase capacity but also to improve energy efficiency and environmental performance. The rise in fuel prices in combination with a continuing pressure on freight rates has forced ship owners and operators to look closely at the amount of fuel being used. This has resulted in economical steaming and other fuel efficiency measures.

Boxco Logistics has set the bar high yet again, by moving the LONGEST COLUMN EVER that was transported in and out of Mumbai Port. It all started in the industrial township of Dahej in the state of Gujarat at ISGEC Heavy Engineering’s manufacturing plant. The multimodal logistics, involving engineering and execution of transporting the equipment from Dahej to Mumbai for further export to Mexico, were carried by the team at Boxco Logistics. Apart from the C2 Splitter, a 380 MT Quench water tower and a 250 MTDemethaniserwere also to be transported along with their accessories. The transportation of the columns from ISGEC plant to Adani port was a challenge for C2 Splitter which measured 91 m x 9.5 m x 9 m in dimensions.

Three major maritime organizations, the Company of Master Mariners of India, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and Shipping Professionals Network-Mumbai teamed up to focus on the recent International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) initiative on container weight verification. In this regard, a joint conference was held last weekend to deliberate on “Container Weights – Vagaries and Variances’ at the Maritime Training Institute of the Shipping Corporation of India’s auditorium, Powai, Mumbai. The event saw a record number of participants from not just the shipping companies but also those into maritime training, exporters and importers, ship charterers, MTOs, freight forwarders, insurance firms, manning and ship management, logistics, et al.

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) says it welcomes the recent decision of IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) that containers must be weighed before being stowed on board ship; however it  stresses that the weighing of containers should not burden port handling activities. ESPO explains that the verification of a containers’ weight can indeed play an important role in enhancing safety in maritime transport and the whole transport chain. Ports confirm that misdeclarations of container weight do occur and cause safety risks. ESPO says it hopes though, that the implementation of this new amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulation in EU and/or national legislation…

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) has sold LPS-Bulk to Seaway Marine Transport of St. Catharines, Ontario, for four vessels: M.V. Canadian Enterprise; M.V. Canadian Transport; M.V. Canadian Transfer; M.V. Canadian Olympic. LPS-Bulk is a state-of-the-art load planning system. The program allows users to simulate loading cargo in any number of configurations, taking into account all relevant cargo properties (including angle of repose and density). 3D modeling of both vessel and cargo ensure the highest accuracy in both stowage plan development and stability and strength analyses. LPS can also take real-time sensor input, and can thus be used to monitor stability after the stowage plan has been finalized.

In line with its commitment to constantly improve operational efficiencies for customers, global marine terminal operator DP World has introduced 3G internet service for container liner operators calling at its flagship Jebel Ali Port. Jebel Ali is among the first global ports to offer this vital communication service using the 3rd generation mobile telecommunications (3G) service in operations. The enhanced e-service enables carriers to connect to the port through the Dubai Trade portal www.dubaitrade.ae and quickly file BAPLIE (Bay Plan/Stowage Plan of Occupied and Empty Spaces) information as the vessel departs for Jebel Ali, or acquire the data for onward ports. The data identifies each container and its location, and also identifies spaces available on board the vessel.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued the interim rule regarding importer security filing and additional carrier requirements (better known as “10 + 2”). The rule will require importers to notify CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is loaded on a vessel bound for the United States of the following: (1) manufacturer or supplier name and address; (2) seller name and address; (3) buyer name and address; (4) “ship to” name and address; (5) container stuffing location; (6) stuffer name and address; (7) importer of record number; (8) consignee number(s); (9) country of origin; and (10) the commodity’s Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States [HTSUS] number.