Cargo Management News

Ascenz Marorka, a GTT Group company, has been granted a type approval for cybersecurity for its digital solutions by Bureau Veritas.The type approval highlights the ability of the Ascenz Marorka solutions to meet the cybersecurity challenges of the maritime sector with resilience and reliability. Benefiting from robust protection for its computer systems, encrypting the data used and being able to isolate the networks are some examples of approved functionalities. This approval demonstrates the Ascenz Marorka commitment to helping build a sustainable future…

SAAM reported net income of US$501 million in 2023, representing its best-ever results thanks to the sale of its port and logistics assets to Hapag-Lloyd, which generated a net gain of US$422 million.Sales for the year totaled US$540 million and EBITDA was US$160 million, surpassing the prior year by 17% and 9%, respectively."The sale of our port terminal and inland logistics operations leaves us in a solid position to move forward on the path we have set for ourselves: to lead the consolidation process in the towage industry and grow in air cargo logistics services.

This is the dawning of the age of AI and Big Data, huge agglomerations of new and transformative energy; almost self-generating, always strengthening and pulling at the reins, seeking to break free and run, a prospect both exciting and terrifying. That image can imply a human is holding the reins. How quaint: these days, AI itself may be holding the reins.In a review of innovation in 2023 – across any industrial or economic sector, not just maritime – AI looms large, a game-changer equivalent to IBM’s programming advances in the 1940s.

Market drivers have created a significant opportunity for Wallem to grow a specialised area of business, according to Capt. Anurag Mathur, Managing Director, Commercial Services, Wallem Group.Wallem’s portfolio of commercial services is ideally placed for expansion across a full range of vessel types, according to the executive appointed to drive for growth in January 2023. And Capt. Anurag Mathur, whose previous roles include senior managing directorships at leading ship owning and ship management companies…

BMT appointed Hittesh Gupta as Head of Casualty Investigation, Asia, a key position as BMT looks to expand its office presence for Marine Surveys in Singapore and strengthen its marine consulting services hub position in Asia.With more than 23-years of experience in the shipping industry, Gupta has a deep understanding of marine surveying having served on product and crude oil tankers and offshore oil & gas production units. He has worked extensively for underwriters and leading P&I Clubs undertaking casualty investigations across the full spectrum of vessels and provided assessments of their Cargo / Seaworthiness – Oil, Chemical, Gas tankers…

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy Ports America, one of the largest marine terminal operators in the United States, from investment firm Oaktree Capital Management LP.While no valuation was given in the announcement statement, the deal values Ports America at over $4 billion, according to two sources familiar with the matter.The transaction comes amid heightened interest in logistics, with supply-chain disruption in focus as the…

Italian firm Fratelli Cosulich Group has ordered a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel. The ship, which will be built in China, at the CIMC SOE shipyard, with its approximately 5,300 tons of DWT will be able to transport over 8,000 m3 of LNG and 500 m3 of MGO for bunkering. The vessel will be equipped by Wartsila, a Finland-based company specializing in the manufacture of propulsion and power generation systems for marine use with Dual Fuel technology. According to Fratelli Cosulich…

Better connectivity, easier data sharing and a thriving IoT start-up scene demonstrate that maritime digitalization is flourishing according to satellite service provider Inmarsat.For many, the lasting consequence of COVID-19 may be the upheaval it brought to the familiar rhythms of daily life. Thankfully the internet enabled a semblance of routine activity to continue, as they worked from home while their children attended digital classrooms.The outbreak forced us to work together yet apart through video conferencing and collaborative online platforms…

In its storied 135-year history of NYK, Akihiro Mori now holds a distinguished place in the company, as effective April 1, 2020, Mori becomes the first internally trained seafarer promoted to captain.The story is an important one for the maritime industry as a whole, as the plight of the seafarer and the ongoing quest to find and groom the ‘next generation’ is universally shared in 2020.In fiscal 2006, NYK became the first shipping company in Japan to hire graduates from ordinary…

CargoSmart, the provider of global shipment management software solutions, announced its brand-new CargoSmart Connected Reefer Solution, a one-stop reefer cargo management solution for ocean carriers and shippers.The AI and IoT-enabled solution features end-to-end information transparency, including enhanced reefer container Pre-Trip Inspection (PTI) support, real-time container status monitoring updates, and predictive cargo arrival status. It allows carriers to offer best-in-class performance to shippers with lowered operating costs. COSCO SHIPPING recorded substantial in reefer container PTI costs after adopting the solution, while…

Guatemala’s Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), customs entity, has recognized APM Terminals Quetzal’s transparency and security through its accreditation as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO). The terminals achieved a 100% compliance rating.The terminal uses a state-of-the-art terminal operating system to optimize security, control and cargo management. It also enables customs and customers to work together as efficiently as possible.Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) recognized the terminal’s compliance with international and local security standards, customs legislation and regulations in areas such as administrative processes and document management…

If autonomous vessels are the future of maritime shipping, then cyber threats may be its Achilles heel. Congested shipping, restricted visibility, limited maneuverability, and intensive docking activities all contribute to port hazards – 42 percent of EU reported marine accidents (injury/death/damage to ships) took place in port areas and 44 percent of workboat fatalities occurred on Tugs. Autonomous shipping should provide numerous benefits including increased safety by relieving crewmembers of unsafe and repetitious tasks.

"Koselig" is a Norwegian adjective used to describe situations that give a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation. The NorShipping exhibition and conference, one of the largest in northern Europe, could definitely be described as koselig. Occurring in Oslo, Norway between June 4-7, 2019, the conference featured close to 1,000 exhibitors from around the world. With the prominently featured Blue Economy Hall, terms such as marine sustainability and environmental ocean awareness held the center stage at a number of the events. In true Norwegian fashion, most of the major press announcements were delivered in semi-intimate gathers with copious amounts coffee by maritime CEOs and VPs who enjoyed being called by their first names.

Port Canaveral has taken the delivery of mobile harbor crane - 270-foot-tall Liebherr LHM 600 - the largest of its kind in the US.The huge LHM 600 crane arrived at the port on January 18, 2018 aboard the “Happy Dover”, a heavy load carrier and  will be operational in the second quarter of 2019. It joins two 270-foot-tall ship-to-shore cranes in service at the port since 2014.The Canaveral Port Authority purchased the mobile harbor crane to accommodate the Port’s growing diverse cargo throughput, adding handling flexibility and extended lift capability, including heavy cargo and space components for the Port’s cargo operations.“Port Canaveral has added a new dimension to our harbor and cargo management capability,” Port CEO Capt.

ABS Launches New Guide for Liquefied Gas Tank Barges with Remote Control and Monitoring of Essential Systems; outlines requirements for design and construction of unmanned barges equipped with various degrees of automation. ABS released guidance to assist shipyards and barge operators:  The Guide for Building and Classing Liquefied Gas Tank Barges with Remote Control and Monitoring of Essential Systems.The Guide provides requirements for the design and construction of barges equipped with various degrees of automation…

Dania Ship Management has announced plans to extend ship management capabilities to include dry cargo in a partnership agreement with Clipper Fleet Management, part of the Clipper Group. The partnership, which strengthens the commitment by V.Group, Nordic Tankers and Clipper Group to create a compelling platform for Copenhagen based ship management solutions, will see the transfer of 28 shore-based employees and around 1,000 seafarers to Dania Ship Management. With access to V.Group’s global marine services offering and Dania’s ship management platform, the partnership will support Clipper Group to deliver high quality and efficient management of their fleet.

Unreliable communication networks may render logistics businesses unable to capture full value from the Internet of Things (IoT), says Inmarsat. Top three challenges to successful IoT deployments in transportation sector: IoT skills (54 per cent), integrating IoT with existing systems (43%) and connectivity (40%). The research by the global mobile satellite company for its ‘The Future of IoT in Enterprise – 2017’ report suggests that while 96 per cent of transportation and logistics organisations believe that the success of their IoT deployments is based on reliable ubiquitous connectivity, many businesses are still struggling to access the connectivity they need.

Growing options emerge for ever-increasing data and Comms demand. In the United States alone, 625 million tons of cargo is transported along the more than 12,000 miles of commercially navigable waterways each year, moving vital commodities to and from 38 of the nation’s 50 states. The advent of subchapter M has raised the bar significantly for as many as 5,000 inland vessels, both in terms of safety and the need to document and more closely control this tonnage. At the same time, domestic coastal transport and offshore energy support vessels also face growing communications requirements.

Software solution provider for ship design and operation NAPA Group (Napa Ltd.) has appointed Ilmo Kuutti as its new President. Kuutti assumes the position from Juha Heikinheimo, who served as President of NAPA Group for five and a half years. Kuutti holds a master’s degree in naval architecture from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. He started his career in shipyards, where he undertook various roles throughout the 1980s. Since joining NAPA in 1991, he has been taken on various leadership positions…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News caught up with Frank Coles, the ubiquitous leader of Transas, fresh from his company’s user’s conference in Malta. In typical candor, Coles paints his picture of maritime and shipping’s future. With a captive audience of more than 400 clients in scenic Malta for several days earlier this year, one might be surprised when Frank Coles admits that the meeting was not all about Transas. “I wanted something completely different. I didn’t want to talk about Transas, I wanted to talk about the industry and what we can learn from aviation.

Companies are becoming increasingly alive to the importance of cyber-security and the need to protect themselves against the risk of cyber-attacks; the marine sector is no exception, says Clyde & Co’s Shipping Newsletter. Earlier this year, BIMCO published guidelines to assist the shipping industry identify, prevent and mitigate the risk of such attacks on board ships. The guidelines, which are the first to address this issue specifically, were jointly produced by BIMCO, Cruise Lines International Association, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO with support from the International Union of Maritime Insurance, ship managers, security and cyber-security companies, and ship owners and operators.

From Brazil to China and then back to Brazil, five pipe racks and three modules weighing a total of 1,871.51 metric tons and measuring 24,075 m³ will be transported by heavy lift shipping specialist HANSA HEAVY LIFT for a new floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) to eventually operate off the coast of Brazil. With the heaviest piece weighing 730 metric tons, the cargo was loaded onto the HHL Valparaiso at the ports of Itajaí and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil before being transported to Qingdao…

Taking live monitoring of reefer cargoes beyond temperature and humidity tracking, APL is introducing real-time oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring capabilities to its industry-pioneering satellite tracking system, SMARTemp. Designed to offer more well-rounded visibility for precise cargo management and protection throughout a voyage, these added features further distinct APL’s groundbreaking SMARTemp® technology which was launched in 2010. Ng Kar Loke, APL Head of Special Cargo said, “As a leading and trusted reefer expert whom shippers have counted on in bringing their exports across the globe, APL deploys only the best reefer solutions that protect cargo integrity during every APL voyage.