Shipping International News

International marine fuels group Baseblue, created through the merger of three bunker players, aims to hone in on green shipping as part of the growing push to decarbonize the industry, executives said on Tuesday.Shipping, which transports around 90% of world trade and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, is under growing pressure from environmentalists to deliver more concrete action including a carbon levy.Baseblue, which will have offices in Greece, Argentina, Cyprus, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands, has been formed through an agreement between European companies BMS United B

Dozens of seaports across Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Americas have pledged to remain open to merchant vessels to ensure the flow of essential goods throughout the coronavirus pandemic.To date, more than 50 port authorities have signed on to support the Port Authorities Roundtable (PAR) COVID-19 declaration, initiated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for ports to commit to staying open to merchant vessels and work together to share best practices in ensuring that port operations can remain undisrupted.“Now is the time…

China National Offshore Oil and Gas Company (CNOOC) is on the hunt for liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to charter, several industry sources told Reuters, looking to replace ships it had previously hired that are linked to a Chinese company sanctioned by the United States for allegedly transporting Iranian oil.The company, COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian), is one of four Chinese firms on which the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Sept. 25, in what it described as the biggest sanctions taken by the U.S.

Designed for heavy duty propulsion and genset applications, Volvo Penta has revealed a D8 engine and after treatment system that meets the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III at the Nor-Shipping international exhibition and conference in Norway.Volvo Penta is launching a new D8 engine and after-treatment concept to comply with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III standards. The IMO Tier III regulation will stipulate a reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted of around 75 per cent – depending on engine size – when compared to current IMO Tier II levels.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Facilitation Committee addresses the efficiency of shipping by dealing with all matters related to the facilitation of international maritime traffic, including the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo from ports.The Committee is meeting for its 43rd session (8-12 April), coinciding with the entry into effect of new requires for all public authorities to introduce electronic exchange of information between ships and ports.Alongside other agenda items, the Committee is expected to continue its ongoing work on harmonization and standardization of electronic messages and develop…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s  Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA) brought together a wide range of industry stakeholders to discuss how to operationally make “Just-In-Time” (JIT) a global reality.Convening at IMO Headquarters in London (31 January), representatives from shipping companies, port authorities, terminal operators, service providers (including ship agents, bunker providers and tug operators) and other maritime organizations, discussed in detail how to tackle existing operational barriers.Implementing “Just-In-Time” (JIT) operations to cut the time ships spend idling outside ports can help cut emissions. This is good for the environment and can cut costs too.

A group of leading environmental and maritime shipping organizations have called for the prohibition of transporting non-compliant marine fuels once the global 0.5 percent sulfur cap takes effect in 2020. The United Nation's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed that from 1st January 2020 the maximum permitted sulphur content of marine fuel (outside Emission Control Areas) will reduce from 3.5% to 0.5%. Unless a ship is using an approved equivalent compliance method, there should be no reason for it to be carrying non-compliant fuels for combustion on board. The 2020 sulphur cap will provide substantial environmental and human health benefits as a result of the reduced sulphur content of marine fuels used from 1 Jan 2020.

The offer by Cosco Shipping International (Singapore) Co. to acquire all the issued ordinary shares of Cogent Holdings has turned unconditional. The former had launched a cash buyout of the latter recently. Bank of China (Singapore Branch), acting on behalf of Cosco Shipping International, says , the offeror has received valid acceptances representing 440.5 million shares or 92.05% of Cogent. "BOC wishes to announce that the Offeror has received valid acceptances (which have not been withdrawn) in respect of such number of Shares which, when taken together with Shares owned, controlled or agreed to be acquired by the Offeror and parties acting in concert with it (either before or during the Offer…

Cosco Shipping International has issued formal offer documents for its S$1.02 per share bid to privatise Cogent Holdings, reported Business Times. Cosco said that acceptances of the offer must be received no later than 5.30pm on Jan 5. Cosco Shipping had announced on Nov 3 that it is acquiring and privatising Cogent for S$488.07 million. Cosco Shipping had announced on Nov 3 that it is acquiring Cogent for S$488.07 million. The report quoted Cosco Shipping as saying that the rationale for the acquisition is to acquire control in one of Singapore's leading full service, integrated logistics service providers with a track record of over 40 years. Shipowner also announces plan to buy Indonesian shipping logistics company PT Ocean Global.

Cosco Shipping International said its net profit rose 42% in the first half of 2017, thanks to higher net exchange gains and net finance income. In the first half of 2017, the global economy saw an upward trend in growth with improving market confidence. The solid economic and trade growth brought about long-awaited signs of recovery for the shipping industry. The rational competition and cooperation in the shipping industry further facilitated the positive growth momentum in the shipping market. However, the shipping industry will remain subdued by excess shipping capacity for a prolonged period of time. During the period, Cosco Shipping  International actively coped with market changes…

Volvo Penta’s new IMO Tier III concept was revealed for the marine sector at the Nor-Shipping international exhibition and conference in Norway, ahead of further regulations coming into force in Europe. Volvo Penta is launching a new engine and aftertreatment concept to comply with the forthcoming implementation of IMO Tier III standards, enabling a global solution for commercial marine operators. The solution is based on both the company’s own experience along with expertise from the Volvo Group in leading selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Germany’s 10th National Maritime Conference in Hamburg (4 April), which focused on issues including sustainable growth and the importance of new technologies for the future of the shipping industry. Addressing Chancellor Merkel, the Mayor of Hamburg, German Government ministers and other stakeholders in his keynote speech, Lim emphasized that shipping, supported by IMO’s global regulatory regime, will be central to sustainable global development and growth in the future. He said that Germany provides ample proof that maritime activity can both drive and support a growing national and global economy…

Cosco Shipping International (Hong Kong) has seen its profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 drop 29 percent to HKD 236.5 million (USD 30.4 million) from HKD 362 million (USD 46.6 million) reported a year earlier. Although the company’s operating profit dropped to HKD 544.2 million for the full year from HKD 690.7 million reported in 2015, Cosco Shipping International said that its revenue for the period increased to HKD 7.4 billion from HKD 5.9 billion. In 2016, world economy has experienced deep adjustment, while international trade growth remained subdued. The international shipping market supply and demand remained unbalanced, while dry bulk shipping index and container freight rate index had hit a record low last year.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s response to the needs of developing countries for building capacity and facilitating technology transfer to promote low-carbon shipping was highlighted at the Environmental Sustainable Shipping Industry Conference (ESSIC), held in Panama City, Panama (14 March). The international conference was held in parallel with the Panama Maritime XIII World Conference and Exhibition. IMO’s Jose Matheickal talked through the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships Project (GloMEEP) funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), which focus on legal, policy and institutional reforms in developing countries to implement MARPOL annex VI requirements.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping has conducted in Mumbai, India with a train-the-trainer course on energy-efficient ship operation. The course (28 February – 3 March) is training maritime educators and officials to pass on expertise on the complex technical and regulatory aspects designed to make shipping greener. Thirty participants from Indian, Bangladeshi, Maldivian and Sri Lankan maritime training institutes, maritime administrations and classification societies are taking part. The training includes group exercises in which the participants develop and deliver presentations on barriers to ship energy efficiency.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)  Secretary-General Kitack Lim has spoken about the importance of a global approach to climate change regulation for the shipping industry. During the World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia (22-24 February), organised by The Economist,  Lim emphasized how global regulation through IMO has already established far-reaching mandatory technical and operational measures to reduce shipping’s carbon footprint and set out a “road map” to determine any further measures that may be needed. Participation in the summit was the culmination of a week in Indonesia during which Lim met the Minister of Transport,  Budi Karya Sumadi, and the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs,  Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim today (23 January) spoke to delegates at the Arctic Frontiers conference about new regulations for ships operating in polar waters. With more and more ships navigating in polar waters, IMO has addressed international concern about the protection of the polar environment and the safety of seafarers and passengers with the introduction of the Polar Code, which entered into force on 1 January this year. The Polar Code sets out mandatory standards that cover the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training and environmental protection matters that apply to ships operating in the waters surrounding the two poles.

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Mario Cordero announced that the Commission has completed compromise agreements recovering a total of $338,000 in civil penalties. The agreements were reached with one vessel-operating common carrier and six ocean transportation intermediaries (both non-vessel-operating common carriers and ocean freight forwarders). The agreed-to penalties resulted from investigations conducted by the Commission’s Area Representatives in Houston, Seattle, South Florida, and New York, and by Washington D.C. headquarters staff.

A two-day Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Awareness Campaign updated the seafarer public in Luneta Park, Manila of MPHRP’s programmes and services led by MPHRP Regional Director for Philippines/Southeast Asia Rancho Villavicencio and MPHRP Assistant Programme Director Hennie la Grange, July 23-24. In partnership with SEACOMS Maritime Development International, Inc., the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme Philippines held its awareness campaign for the second time in Manila where a seafarer crowd was gathered to be informed of the programme’s existence and how MPHRP assists piracy survivors and their families locally.

On Tuesday September 10, 2013, Reederei Hamburger Lloyd (RHL) took command of the fourth 4,600 TEU Containership newbuilding (hull No. H1026A) from CSSC Shanghai, Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. In the course of the festive naming ceremony, the vessel was named RHL Calliditas by Bettina Pane, wife of Managing Director of RHL Hauke Pane. The container vessel RHL Calliditas will enter a time charter for account of CMA CGM, Marseille,on September 20 2013, and will trade between the Far East and West Africa, including South Africa and Sri Lanka, under the command of Captain Oleg Taran.

While economies across Europe have essentially bumbled, stumbled and fumbled in the wake of the global economic meltdown, Germany has remained comparitively strong. Despite the general migration of shipbuilding to the Far East, we decided to check in on the current status of this proud nation with a strong maritime heritage. German shipbuilders concentrated in 2012 on building cruise ships, megayachts, freight ferries and additional high-value, specialty ships. In total, nine German shipyards across 12 shipbuilding sites supplied 21 sea going ships with a total tonnage of 473,700.

Long-term service agreement improves lifecycle cost control and fleet reliability. ABB signed a long-term Preventive Service agreement with China LNG Shipping International Co. Ltd (CLSICO) to provide maintenance services to all ABB equipment onboard of its six LNG vessels in the next five years. The contract commenced January 1, 2013. The new service agreement will help CLSICO with optimized vessels performance at a predicted minimum level of budget. ABB will provide annual site survey and on-call services to the six vessels covered by the agreement…

On Thursday, May 2, 2013, Reederei Hamburger Lloyd took command of the third of four 4,600 TEU Containership Newbuildings (hull No. H1025A) from CSSC Shanghai, Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. Another vessel of the same type (No. H1026A) is expected to follow in August this year. In the course of the festive naming ceremony, the vessel was named RHL Constantia by Ms. Christine Wegner, lawyer and partner in the shipping law firm Cyrus Makowski. The container vessel, RHL Constantia, will enter a time charter for account of Mitsui O.S.K.