NEWS SHIPPING & TRANSPORT
North P&I and Standard Club announce merger plan North P&I and Standard Club have entered formal discussions for a proposed merger to create a new global marine insurer and one of the largest providers of mutual cover in the maritime industries. With 300 years of shared P&I heritage, the combined mutual insurer would provide cover for vessels equivalent to 400M GT. “Standard Club and North now have the opportunity to create one of the world’s leading and most influential P&I clubs, founded on exceptional service and innovation, a broader diversified product range, scale economies and global reach,“ said Jeremy Grose, CEO, Standard Club. “The merged club would maintain an unwavering commitment both to member service and to the International Group system and offer marine insurance products, services and solutions relevant to the broadest range of shipowners worldwide”, said Grose. “With stronger financial resilience, the newly created club would be wellpositioned to thrive in all conditions”,
commented James Tyrrell, Chairman at North. “In a changing and sometimes volatile maritime sector, North’s Board has long recognized the potential value arising from considered and balanced consolidation in P&I,” he said. “Choosing the right partner is the first critical step towards success.” The merger would help the new club navigate the continuing disruptive change affecting the maritime sector and better anticipate challenges ahead. Backed by a strong capital buffer over regulatory requirements, the combined club’s capital strength would allow for significant reinvestment in enriching member services, innovative technology and more tailored and sustainable solutions for the longer term. The formal announcement follows the approval of the proposal by the boards of both clubs and notification to principal regulatory authorities of their intention to merge. A joint North and Standard Club working group has been appointed to evaluate how a combined entity would maximize value for
members. The working group is following a structured methodology, allowing the case for a merger to be objectively explored and assessed by both clubs. “The ambition behind the merger is to deliver tangible benefits to shipowners. The boards of both clubs have played a key role in guiding and shaping the proposal. Combining will provide greater financial resilience, efficiency and an even deeper pool of talent to maintain and strengthen the focus on service excellence and close member relationships for which both clubs are renowned,” said Cesare d’Amico, Standard Club’s Chairman. The proposed merger remains subject to the approval of the full mutual membership of both clubs and of all the appropriate regulatory authorities. Member voting procedures are anticipated to conclude by the end of May. If approved by the membership, the formal merger of both clubs is expected to complete by 20th February 2023.
MARCH 2022
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Boers Crew Services reports high demand for specialist services at German ports
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The uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations from seafarers entering German ports has been strong in 2021, according to Boers Crew Services Germany – bucking the trend of relatively few mariners around the globe getting jabbed. Since Hamburg and Bremerhaven port authorities launched vaccination programmes in July, around 75–80 crewmembers each week have received the vaccine. Boers Services Germany, the crew services specialist covering ports in Germany, has supported the operation by handling the logistics and paperwork for seafarers wanting the treatment. By October 2021, Boers had helped vaccinate 500 seafarers at German ports and assisted with carrying out 915 PCR tests. Two months earlier, the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator revealed that only 15.3% of crewmembers globally were vaccinated, a figure which Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, believes has since doubled to 30%. “The German vaccination programme was organized by the local port authorities, especially in Hamburg, with great
co-operation from the Shipbrokers Association, Seamen’s Club and the German Red Cross team,” said Fabian Krause, Managing Director of Boers Crew Services Germany. “We were more than happy to support and Fabian facilitate a programme that Krause. has been incredibly well organized. Germany was one of the first countries in Europe to offer seafarers the vaccine, with the costs of the scheme covered by the government.” Krause added that while the vaccination programme had been scaled back due to most crew at German ports getting jabbed, it could ramp up again to tackle the Omicron variant. “Things may kick up a gear to meet growing demand for the booster,” he said. Boers Crew Services also provides crew services for seafarers at ports in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, dealing with everything from entry visas and
Covid-19 tests to medical services, hotel bookings and taxi services. Boers Crew Services Group established Boers Crew Services Germany and opened its Hamburg office in August 2020, amid the Coronavirus pandemic, to service Europe’s thirdbiggest port and to support ship owners and operators struggling to source crew for their vessels. “The Covid-19 pandemic was the catalyst for us setting up Boers Crew Services Germany, because maritime companies needed help with navigating the crew change crisis,” said Krause. “They were faced with several challenges such as transporting seafarers, getting cash to master and applying for visas, creating big demand for a crew services specialist.” In its first year, the German operation has managed crew changes in Germany for nearly 1,600 seafarers and provided transit visas for 415 mariners.
