Western India News

SAFEEN Feeders, part of UAE-based AD Ports Group’s Maritime Cluster, has acuired two Supramax bulk carriers Al Saad and Aleena-1.Built in in 2010, the Al Saad has 57,124 deadweight tonnage with an overall length of 200 metres and a draft of 12.5 metres. The vessel is equipped with four cranes with a lifting capacity of 30 tons per crane. The addition of Al Saad follows the acquisition of Aleena-1, which was also built in 2010.Since being acquired, these ships have been deployed as part of a collaboration between SAFEEN Feeders and Saif Powertec Limited…

Exports of gasoline and blend stocks from Asia to the United States rebounded in May from April, including two rare shipments from India, to meet rising summer demand in the west, industry sources and analysts told Reuters.Global gasoline demand growth has shifted back to the United States and Europe, where widespread COVID-19 vaccinations are spurring more travel. In contrast, fuel use in Asia outside China has slowed recently as India, Malaysia and other key fuel markets were hit by lockdowns, prompting traders to send fuel westwards.In May, traders loaded about 3.8 million barrels of gasoline and blending components from Asia, mainly South Korea and India…

Abu Dhabi Ports has established a new feeder services company, SAFEEN FEEDERS, to serve the group’s mainliner shipping clients in the Gulf region.SAFEEN FEEDERS will introduce a new feeder service linking Abu Dhabi to ports serving the UAE, the broader Gulf region and Indian Sub-Continent. The service will be executed in partnership with feeder service operator Bengal Tiger Line (BTL) through a vessel sharing agreement.The service will allow for exchange of container cargo between mainliner vessels and the vessels within the rotation calling at nine regional ports located across the UAE…

At least five fully-laden liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are idling offshore India, as yet unable to discharge their cargoes, after importers there declared force majeure earlier this week, according to an analyst and shipping sources.Gas demand is falling globally amid the fast-spreading coronavirus which has capped industrial output, forcing LNG tankers in several regions to remain at sea fully laden with no immediate destination, the sources said.At least three major buyers in India…

U.S. crude oil exports to India hit a record in June and so far this year are almost double last year's total as the Asian nation's refiners move to replace supplies from Iran and Venezuela in a win for the Trump administration.U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been pressuring its allies to cut imports of Iranian goods to zero by November and India's shift advances the U.S. administration efforts to use energy to further its political goals.The United States has become a major crude exporter…

Farmers and fishermen in western India have welcomed a U.S. Supreme Court decision to hear their lawsuit against a World Bank agency, which financed a power plant they blame for damaging the environment and their livelihoods.The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal by the villagers of a lower court ruling that the International Finance Corp (IFC) was immune from such lawsuits under federal law.The court must now consider for the first time whether international organisations are immune from such suits under federal law…

India's state-owned GAIL (India) Ltd on Friday said it would be annually receiving about 90 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Sabine Pass and Cove Point LNG terminals in the U.S.   GAIL has long-term deals to annually buy 5.8 million tonnes U.S. LNG. GAIL would be procuring about $2 billion worth of LNG per annum from USA from the fiscal year 2018/19.   GAIL on Saturday received its first consignment of LNG from the U.S. under the long-term deals at Dabhol terminal in western India. Reporting by Nidhi Verma

India imported a record 4.93 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) in January to feed its expanded refining capacity and meet rising demand, ship tracking data obtained from sources and data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research & Forecasts showed. The world's third-biggest oil importer shipped in 13.6 percent more oil in January than a year earlier and about 12.5 percent more than the previous month, the data showed. Imports in January were high as state-run refiners, which operate two-third of India's nearly 5 million bpd capacity…

APM Terminals Pipavav welcomed the Hoegh Tracer, one of the world’s largest pure car and truck Carrier (PCTC), and the largest to ever call an Indian port. At 14 decks high, the Hoegh Tracer has a capacity of 8,500 vehicles, and loaded 1,700 cars at Pipavav for export delivery on the Hoegh Middle East, India and Africa (MIAF) Service. APM Terminals Pipavav, in partnership with NYK Auto Logistics (India), opened a dedicated common user integrated RoRo terminal in August of 2015, with a capacity of 250,000 vehicles annually. The port is equipped to accommodate 4,500 to 5,000 cars and a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facility. There is also a mobilization yard for 150 cars, with a capacity to accommodate approximately 500 cars on the Quay.

ABG Shipyard Ltd, which was one of the largest shipbuilding company in the country operating in the private domain, has decided to divest its entire stake in its subsidiary Western India Shipyard Ltd (WIS). The company’s board has agreed to invite suitable bid from the prospective investor and negotiate the deal including best price,  it said in a filing with stock exchanges. "Board of Directors of the company, in their meeting held today, i.E. October 6, 2016 have decided and approved, inter alia, divestment of its subsidiary Western India Shipyard Ltd and authorised Executive Director and other company officials, jointly to invite suitable bid from the prospective investors and negotiate the deal including the best price, terms and conditions with them," it said in a regulatory filing.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd) reports it has completed its capacity expansion project on time and within budget, increasing its annual container throughput handling capacity from 850,000 TEUs to 1.35 million TEUs. As part of the expansion plan, APM Terminals invested around Rs. 400 crore. The investment included buying new STS cranes, strengthening the existing berth, dredging and the improvement of the container yard and internal roads at the port. For the bulk cargo handling business segment…

Worldwide, International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 37 piracy and armed robbery incidents in the first quarter of 2016, down from 54 in the same period last year. Three vessels were hijacked and 29 boarded, with 26 crew kidnapped for ransom and a further 28 held hostage. As piracy on the world’s seas continues to fall, new figures from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and IMB highlight growing violence off the coast of West Africa, where 44 seafarers have been captured so far this year. With Nigeria and Ivory Coast accounting for two of the three hijackings recorded globally, and all 28 hostages, the Gulf of Guinea dominates world piracy in terms of numbers and severity.

As piracy on the world’s seas continues to fall, new figures from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) highlight growing violence off the coast of West Africa, where 44 seafarers have been captured so far this year. Worldwide, IMB recorded 37 piracy and armed robbery incidents in the first quarter of 2016, down from 54 in the same period last year. Three vessels were hijacked and 29 boarded, with 26 crew kidnapped for ransom and a further 28 held hostage. With Nigeria and Ivory Coast accounting for two of the three hijackings recorded globally, and all 28 hostages, the Gulf of Guinea dominates world piracy in terms of numbers and severity. Additionally the region saw 16 crew kidnapped from chemical and product tankers in four separate incidents.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd), one of western India’s gateway ports, today announced the commencement of the INDFEX service at Pipavav. The INDFEX ( India – Far East Express ) is run in consortium with Wanhai, K-Line, Shipping Corporation of India, Pacific International Lines ( PIL ) & Simatech, with Wan Hai deploying two vessels, and the others deploying one each. The service provides a weekly connection between the Far East and India. The first vessel m.v. WANHAI 509 berthed at Pipavav at 1048 hours / 14 March, 2016. Officials of APM Terminals Pipavav accorded a grand welcome to the vessel and her crew, captained by Capt. Ma Ke Zeng. The operations were carried out successfully, using the new Post Panamax cranes, recently installed at the port.

APM Terminals Pipavav one of Western India’s gateway ports, in collaboration with Tata Trust CSPC (Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell) has launched Kharash Vistarotthan Yojana (KVY), a project which aims to strengthen community based institutions through promotion of improved farming practices and water management for 32 coastal based villages in 3 years. The launch ceremony was attended by about 775 farmers (both male and female) across the Rajula district. The project intends to scale up agricultural interventions for over 3000 farmers spread across 32 coast based salinity affected villages of Rajula block under the guidance of natural resource management (NRM).

APM Terminals Pipavav welcomed the IDM Symex, which arrived with a cargo of 800 Hyundai cars loaded at the Port of Chennai on February 5th, in a pioneering use of economical and environmentally-friendly coastal transportation of Indian-manufactured automobiles. APM Terminals Pipavav, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, commenced export Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) services in August 2015, after NYK Auto Logistics India (NALI) invested in a state of the art stock yard and PDI [pre delivery inspection] facilities. The new cars destined for Western India dealerships originated at Hyundai Motor India Limited’s (HMIL) automotive manufacturing facility near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu State.

Maersk Line said on Friday it had chosen four shipbreaking yards along India's Alang beaches to handle an increase in vessels that need to be scrapped, to the dismay of some organisations that say the operations there are polluting and unsafe. The world's largest container shipper says the four yards in the Alang coast of western India have been certified according to the Hong Kong Convention -- health, safety and environmental standards developed by the International Maritime Organisation.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd), one of western India’s gateway ports,  announced having hosted the maiden call by leading RORO operator Höegh Autoliners vessel – m.v. HOEGH ANTWERP at Pipavav Port. HOEGH ANTWERP berthed at Pipavav Port in late January, 2016, to load Ford’s small and midsized cars, being exported from its Sanand plant in Gujarat. Officials of APM Terminals Pipavav, and the senior management of Hoegh Autoliners, India, were present to welcome the vessel, when it berthed. The Master of the vessel, Capt.

January 28, 2016: APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd), operating one of western India’s gateway ports, reported a net profit of INR  533 million for the quarter ended 31st December 2015 as against INR 531 million in the previous quarter. Income from operations for the quarter ended 31st December 2015 stood at INR 1,521 million as against INR 1,404 million for the previous quarter. EBIDTA for the quarter was INR 1,001 million and EBIDTA margin stood at 61 %. Container cargo business for the quarter stood at 178K TEUs and Bulk business at 0.44 million MT during the quarter under review. Commenting on the results, APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd), Managing Director, Mr.

APM Terminals Pipavav one of Western India’s gateway ports, in association with Shri Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), Ahmedabad; SBI Mutual Fund and Shri Somnath Trust successfully organized a camp for the physically challenged individuals of Amreli of Rajula, Jaffrabad, Khamba, Savarkundla and Mahua villages. The camp was inaugurated by Mrs. Heenaben Shah, Director, APM Terminals Pipavav, Mr. P.K. Lehri, Director, APM Terminals Pipavav and  Mr. Lalitbhai Jain, Chairmen BVMSS. APM Terminals Pipavav employees volunteered to run a help desk at the camp site to guide the villagers and also helped the doctors and nurses throughout the program.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd) one of Western India’s  gateway ports, announced the acquisition of three new cranes. The new cranes will be commissioned and 3 existing old cranes will be simultaneously decommissioned in a phased manner to ensure business continuity. The new cranes will help to complete the vessel operations faster, reduce the turnaround time and increase efficiency & productivity. Mr. Keld Pedersen, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav said, “This is in line with our business expansion plan of increasing the capacity to 1.35 TEUs. We wish to continue to be prepared for growth and work closely with our customers in the EXIM trade’’

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd) one of western India’s fastest growing gateway ports, has commenced a new weekly double stack rail service to the industrial center in Faridabad in north India’s Haryana State, near the Indian Capital City of New Delhi. The dedicated double stack operations, which can efficiently carry two containers placed one on top of another in specially designed rail cars, will be operated in association with Gateway Rail and NYK India. Known as "Sakura II", the service will operate between Pipavav Port and ICD-Faridabad (Piyala)/ICD-Garhi Harsaru, covering a distance of 1,015 km (630 miles) exclusively for Japanese NYK Shipping Line.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port), one of western India’s fastest growing gateway ports has been awarded the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Preferred Terminal of the year at the 4th edition of the Gujarat Star Awards held in Ahmedabad. The port has been given this award for two consecutive years. Last year the port was awarded “ICD preferred port of the year 2014” at the 3rd Gujarat Star Awards. APM Terminals Pipavav received this award as it has always maintained highest standards of operational performance, year-on-year growth, hi-tech facilities and customer satisfaction. Organized by Daily Shipping Times, Gujarat Star Awards has set a benchmark for recognizing excellence of companies or individuals in the maritime and logistics sector of Gujarat. The award was received by Mr.