Qing He News

COLI Group’s subsidiary Asia Break Bulk (Singapore) has entered a strategic partnership with CSL Shipping (China) to market CSL’s multi-purpose carrier Jian Yang Hua Qing.The vessel has 2 x 250mt cranes for loading breakbulk, heavy lift and project cargo and is already active for both companies.Felix Peinemann, Managing Director of the COLI Group, said the partnership will expand our footprint in the multi-purpose (MPP) market. “COLI is steadily expanding its activities to offer clients more sailing possibilities and increase its footprint in the Chinese market.

A dynamic era in naval oceanography recently ended as the iconic Floating Instrument Platform — popularly known as FLIP — was officially retired from service.Built in 1962 with funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), FLIP helped generations of scientists and oceanographers better understand the mysteries of the sea, including internal waves, air-sea interaction and long-range sound propagation. Sadly, age and exorbitant life-extension costs resulted in the platform being disestablished.On Aug.

China Classification Society (CCS) has issued a first Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate for the marine liquid hydrogen fuel supply system developed by Weishi Energy Technology Hebei.The system design includes a marine liquid hydrogen tank and cold box, supercooled hydrogen storage technology, heat exchange technology, regulated hydrogen supply technology and subcooled hydrogenation technology. Dual-boost functionality ensures rapid system startup, says CCS, and the system…

In its 36th run, The CadetsPlus program has benefitted close to 3,000 cadets across 15 cities in six countries.A historical training collaboration between the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), the Thai Seafarers’ Association (TSFA) and various shipping companies in Thailand, upskilled close to 90 Thai cadets who are ready to be deployed onboard Singapore’s shipping fleet having completed a two-week CadetsPlus pre-sea preparatory program developed by Singapore’s Wavelink Maritime Institute (WMI).In conjunction with SMOU’s first Bangkok Nite for its Thai union members…

A delegation from Hamburg was in China from 14 to 18 May, visiting companies in Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Organized by Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) in cooperation with the Hamburg Representative Office in Shanghai, the delegation’s tour was led by Axel Mattern, HHM’s Joint CEO, and Mathias Schulz, its Head of Market Development Asia. The delegation included representatives of TCO Transcargo, Rostock Port, Trelleborgs Hamn, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Hamburg Invest. The focus was on discussions with leading import and export companies, along with Chinese logistics providers for sea and rail services. In addition, the delegation was extremely impressed by developments on the expansion of Chinese infrastructure.

Chemical shipping freight rates will weaken through 2018 due to the depressed outlook on overtonnaged long haul routes, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. The global chemical trade grew by a little over 4% in 2017, while overall tonne-mile demand expanded by almost 5%. Despite continuing global economic growth, Drewry expects seaborne chemical trade to grow by 2.5% in 2018 and tonne-mile demand by 1.6%, reflecting a slowdown in long-haul trip growth. Increasing self-sufficiency in base chemicals in Asian countries is a definite threat to long-haul trades. The global chemical capable fleet increased by 3.9% in tonnage terms in 2017.

Subdued ordering and a narrowing in the tonnage supply-demand gap from late 2018 is expected to support a recovery in the chemical shipping market, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Drewry estimates that tonne-mile demand of chemical commodities will grow at 3.8% on a year-on-year basis in 2017, of which the organic trade is likely to grow only at 1.5%. By contrast, inorganic and vegoil tonne-miles are expected to increase by 6.3% and 6.5%. Drewry estimates that the global chemical trade will grow at 3.3% in 2017, owing to the strong vegetable oil trade from Southeast Asia to South Asia.

The shipping fleet trading in chemical and vegoil markets is expected to accelerate at a much faster pace than demand, weakening earning prospects, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Drewry estimates that tonne-mile demand will grow at 2.9% in 2017, and the fleet trading in chemicals/vegoils will expand by 9.5% by the end of this year, the highest fleet growth observed in recent years. The chemical shipping market is facing severe oversupply because of new deliveries and swing tankers returning to the chemical/vegoils trade and seeking employment in this market. The orderbook still contains 9% of the existing capacity to be delivered by 2021 and the deliveries of MR tankers will also contribute to rapid growth.

Demand for methanol and vegoil will moderately support global seaborne trade causing the shipping fleet trading in chemicals and vegoils to expand, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. A press release from Drewry said that the orderbook contains 144 stainless steel vessels totalling 3.4 mdwt for delivery by 2020, almost 22% of the existing capacity for such vessels; 63 of these vessels are in the size range of 25,000-40,000 dwt, while in the existing fully stainless steel fleet, there are 143 vessels in the size of 25,000-40,000 dwt category. These large vessels are meant to be employed in the pure chemical trade.

Chemical shipping vessel supply on major routes has been in surplus with many newbuilding deliveries and swing tankers flooding the market. As a result, freight rates on long-haul routes will continue to be challenged by surplus large vessels over the next two years, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Time charter rates weakened in 2016, especially for larger tankers, and freight rates on major long-haul routes dropped. Although the trade volume from the US to Europe and Northeast Asia surged in 2016, the appearance of speculative vessels brought rates down. The fleet will continue to expand because of the large number of orders placed in previous years, but growth will be subdued compared to 2015-16.

The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) flagship operation and the Philippines’ largest container terminal, capped 2016 with a milestone as it reached its first year-to-date two millionth TEU move last December. The MICT has an annual capacity of 2.75 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The two millionth TEU container was offloaded from SITC Osaka, which is operated by Chinese megaliner SITC Container Lines. The container vessel originated from Ningbo in China. SITC is one of MICT’s longtime clients with regular vessel calls to the Port of Manila. MICT reached its first one million-TEU move back in December 2002. A ceremony held to commemorate the milestone was led by Christian R.

Softening seaborne trade and rising fleet growth are expected to depress chemical shipping freight rates over the next few years, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Spot rates collapsed in the third quarter as some charterers who usually fix their cargoes on contract took advantage of low spot rates. This situation also weighed on time charter rates and asset values, especially for the larger chemical tankers. In particular, freight rates on major long-haul routes came under severe pressure in the third quarter due to a fall in demand for China origin cargo, unexpected plant shutdowns in the Middle East and fierce competition between operators.

Time charter rates in the smaller chemical tanker vessel sizes are expected to remain stable over the next two years, but rates for the larger sizes, especially MRs, will decline due to the impact of falling clean petroleum products (CPP) freight rates, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Weakened chemical tanker freight rates in the second quarter of 2016 have resulted in softer time charter rates. Drewry anticipates a modest improvement in the CPP market in the next two quarters, but expects chemical tanker freight rates to remain weak in the third quarter with a pick up in the fourth quarter of this year.

Chemical tanker shipping freight rates are expected to remain firm over the medium term, thanks to rising production capacity in key exporting countries, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Since 2015, the US has started to export more and import less volume of liquid chemical products. US methanol capacity surged 77% in 2015 with the addition of around 3.5 million tonnes per year of new capacity. As a result, US methanol exports are starting to change the pattern of the long-haul chemical shipping trade. The volume of US exports to Northeast Asian and Europe rose 12% and 20% respectively last year. As a result, Drewry expects eastbound transatlantic freight rates in particular to rise over the medium term.

U.S. arms sales to Taiwan attract strong opposition from Beijing. China expressed anger on Friday after the U.S. State Department said it had authorized the sale of two surplus U.S. Navy frigates to Taiwan for $190 million, subject to congressional approval, amid rising tension in the South China Sea. China considers self-ruled Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. U.S. arms sales to democratic Taiwan always attract strong opposition from Beijing, though they have not ended up causing lasting damage to ties between China and the United States or between China and Taiwan.

On the back of low bunker prices and more new buildings to be delivered in 2016, chemical shipping freight rates for both contracts of affreightment and spot cargoes will be under pressure throughout 2016, as there are some new operators looking to break into the long-haul trade routes, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. More and more larger vessels were delivered during 2015; a total of 193 ships, aggregating 7.4 million dwt with an average vessel size of 38,390 dwt hit the water during the year.

New US and Middle East methanol production capacity being added over the next two years will have serious implications for chemical shipping trade flow patterns, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Methanol is one of the top five seaborne chemical commodities accounting for 35 percent of the world seaborne chemical and vegoil trade in 2014. Despite being the largest producer, by both capacity and output,…

Chemical shipping faces another tough year, but prospects are improving thanks to the strength of the product tanker market which is attracting a growing number of swing ships out of chemicals into products, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Drewry estimates that seaborne trade in chemicals (including vegetable oils and fats) was stagnant in 2014 and is forecast to grow at less than 2.5% pa over the next few years.

China Cosco Holdings has scrapped 14 vessels between February 1 and March 31 this year, continuing progress with its ambitious fleet renewal plan. The 14 ships comprised of one container vessel and 13 dry bulk carriers, which have a combined capacity of 924,700 dwt. The vessels were disposed of as scrapped vessels to different purchasers at a total consideration of approximately RMB211 million (around USD 35.5 million). The Chinese ship-owner commented that the move would lower the average age of its fleet, reduce bunker fuel consumption and improve the environmental friendliness level of its operations. The vessels dismantled in the process were the Da Qing He container feeder (constructed in 1996)…

Students glimpse the U.S. On April 25 2013, my family and I went to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), Ship Systems Engineering Station (SSES), for national “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” Most of the people who work there are engineers. Personnel at SSES design and create extremely technological naval ships and submarines, while figuring out new means of power besides oil. Throughout the day, children and parents were put into nine groups, and each group visited nine stations throughout the facility.

This morning, the RCMP along with partners from the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police detailed circumstances that led to the arrest of 53 year old Qing Quentin Huang of Toronto. Mr. Huang has been charged under the Security of Information Act with two counts of attempt to communicate to a foreign entity information that the Government of Canada is taking measures to safeguard. On Thursday, November 28, 2013, the RCMP was informed that Mr. Huang was taking steps to pass sensitive information to authorities from the People’s Republic of China. The information relates to certain elements of the Government of Canada National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy which includes patrol ships, frigates, naval auxiliary vessels, science research vessels and ice breakers.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) announced it has completed another complex heavy-lift project in Africa, this time at the Port of Mombasa in Kenya. ISS was appointed as port and discharging agents for the COSCO-owned MV DADE, which arrived at the port in September 2014 with seven RTG cranes on-board. The cranes which were commissioned by the Kenya Ports Authority represent the first stage of the upgrade and expansion plans which will enable the port to develop its cargo processing and logistics activities at the container terminal facilities in the Port of Mombasa.

China is closely monitoring the policies of the new Greek government after Athens said this week it will stop the sale of a majority stake in Greece's biggest port, China's trade ministry said on Thursday. The Greek government last year had shortlisted China's Cosco Group as a potential buyer of a 67 percent stake in Piraeus Port Authority. But Greece stopped the sale this week, saying it would be put on hold as newly elected Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras halted privatisation plans agreed under Greece's bailout deal. "We are paying a great deal of attention," Shen Danyang, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, said when asked about the suspended deal.