Endeavour Asia Pacific

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ADD Systems has been providing solutions to the energy distribution industry –retail and wholesale fuel, propane, convenience stores and more – since 1973.

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Editor’s Note

When you think of the Asia-Pacific region, you would probably imagine beautiful beaches and forests, alongside amazing wildlife and marine animals. Although this is most certainly true from a tourism point of view, in a business mindset, all these specialised resources make it the perfect place for technological and industrial growth.

Consequently, across Asia and the Pacific region, what can be witnessed is the rapid increase in new technology, globalisation, and market-orientated reform. This points towards vast innovation and enhancement of industry. Thus, here at Endeavour, we have been very lucky to witness how such companies have drastically grown, as business advancements have swept across the vast region. This is also helped by the growing demands of a rapidly increasing population. This means that the Asia-Pacific region can afford a greater workforce and economic advancement.

It is for this reason that the Asia-Pacific region deserves its own specific publication. Within this issue, you will find out about brand new innovations in engineering, sailing and biscuits! Thus, we will not only discover the business behind the lavish and decadent Asian skylines but how such companies face the challenges of the ever-modernising world.

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PSA SINGAPORE

As the energy demand continues to soar across the globe, companies such as SBM Offshore are working to create new and innovative solutions which hope to make energy more accessible. However, SBM Offshore is doing this by harnessing the ocean to move the world towards a future of renewable energy.

SBM Offshore utilises its vast expertise across the sector to bring energy to some of the world’s biggest cities whilst constantly working to protect to planet and its people.

To achieve carbon neutrality across the energy sector, SBM Offshore uses its technological expertise to design, build, install, and operate offshore floating facilities across the worldwide energy industry. According to SBM Offshore, twothirds of the world’s cities are located near a shoreline, therefore the need for energy solutions on coasts has the potential to bring significant local prosperity. However, a key focus for SBM Offshore is harnessing the natural power of the ocean to bring energy to local communities whilst not putting these communities or the environment at significant risk. This attention to protection and energy infrastructure building is what positions SBM Offshore as such a significant player in the future of energy development.

SBM Offshore specialises in a range of offshore deepwater solutions including floating production storage and offloading (FPSO), oil and gas production operations and installation services, offloading terminals, TMS LNG, wave converters and floating offshore wind terminals. It has positioned itself at the top end of the FPSO market and deals with some of the largest and most complex projects in the sector. SBM Offshore focuses on using innovation to deliver high-performance solutions which always aim to meet and exceed its client’s expectations, often going beyond what is available across the market. Its deepwater systems work to tackle unique sets of engineering challenges and make energy infrastructure possible through its comprehensive research and development teams.

A key pioneering strategy of SBM Offshore’s operations is its Fast4Ward program which includes its Multi-Purpose Floater (MPF). The MPF is a generic hull which can accommodate an internal turret, external turret, or spread-mooring solution to facilitate topsides for increased production capacity. The Fast4Ward program has been designed to transform its operations by reducing the cycle time to energy delivery by de-risking projects and improving the quality and safety of its solutions. Therefore, the resulting energy solutions produced by SBM Offshore are paving the way towards future generations of FPSOs across the energy sector.

The Fast4Ward program hopes to add value to its clients’ operations by improving the economics of their deep-water projects which in turn will lower break-evens. To achieve this, SBM Offshore has leveraged its experience by standardising its designs to improve execution of multiple projects which has knock-on benefits across the deepwater

Connecting the future: Cables International leads the global market through innovative cable management

Becoming the world’s leading supplier of specialty cables for the marine and offshore sectors is no mean feat. Yet with more than 50 years of experience, research, and innovation behind them, Cables International have firmly established themselves as global market leaders. Their history, however, is only part of the story. Today, the company’s exceptional range of partnerships has allowed Cables International to continue building momentum: a steadfast customer-centric focus provides a continuous impetus to pioneer new, creative solutions.

One such partnership, namely with the Prysmian Group, has resulted in Cables International’s marketleading offering of offshore cables.

Required to deliver reliability and quality results in the harshest environments, these cable solutions provide high-performance power, instrumentation and control systems. Offshore oil and gas locations all around the world are served from Cables International’s distribution centers in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Australia and Dubai.

Meanwhile, Cables International’s extensive range of cable cleats from industry leaders Ellis Patents has been designed specifically to meet the gruelling needs of the energy sector.

As a matter of course, the design is driven by safety, and the products are measured against stringent quality standards. Designed for heavy-duty use, they can be relied upon consistently in the most testing environments.

While safety and longevity are at the core of Cables International’s entire product offering, these design pillars also support one of their core values –sustainability. The first industrial company in Southeast Asia to achieve carbon neutrality, they are strongly committed to maintaining an environmental focus throughout their business and supporting their customers in their own sustainability goals.

These products provide enhanced protection against the intense forces associated with short circuits, pulling and slamming that are often found in industrial environments. Manufactured from superior metallic and composite materials, the components have international industryappropriate certifications, making them a vital addition to any high-risk, high-load energy installation.

Similarly, through working closely with cable specialists Tecnikabel and APS Finland, Cables International’s portfolio of telecommunications cables now satisfies the widest range of customer requirements and meets or exceeds the strictest international standards. Reliable and longlasting performance is thus a given no matter the conditions.

In addition to offshore cabling solutions and cable cleats, Cables International also provides plugs and sockets, an offering that the company has diversified and honed with expert support from partner Marechal Electric.

Sustainability, in fact, forms a key part of Cables International’s strategic partnership with SBM Offshore, a global frontrunner in the supply and installation of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and a pioneer in developing a sustainable and affordable energy source from the world’s oceans. Significant collaborations to date include the supply and installation of cables for the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré, Mero 4 and FPSO One Guyana.

A crucial factor in making the collaboration run smoothly has been Cables International’s flagship program, Cable Management Solutions. This service guarantees that a customer’s cables and wiring are carefully devised, exactingly installed, and meticulously overseen, ensuring that every system works at maximum efficiency from day one. The company’s team of experts offers support with every aspect of design, engineering, procurement, installation, and ongoing maintenance for all kinds of cable management systems, providing regular and detailed communication with customers throughout the entire process.

Through their continued focus on developing productive partnerships and anticipating customers’ needs, Cables International have earned their place at the head of the cable industry. With so many changes, developments, and innovations happening throughout the sector, however, they refuse to leave space for complacency. Look out for more exciting news from Cables International in the coming year.

www.cablesinternational.com

SBM Offshore

solution industry due to their repeatability. In addition to this, SBM Offshore has worked to seamlessly incorporate digital solutions into its offshore solutions, which allows its models to constantly improve their performance whilst also remaining continually optimized for the specific needs of its client’s operations. At present, SBM Offshore has completed the construction of two Fast4Ward hulls with more planned in the future.

In addition to this, SBM Offshore has its Ocean Infrastructure program which delivers value platforms that are safe and sustainable, whilst also creating a more affordable energy solution. This includes a fleet which has been made increasingly efficient by SBM Offshore to lower the carbon footprint of its solutions and produce a leading uptime and safety track record. Therefore, SBM Offshore leads the market with its leased FPS solutions and currently has multiple units in operation across the globe which continue to provide the company with a unique breadth of operations experience across the energy sector.

However, everything that SBM Offshore does is framed by climate change mitigation which can be seen throughout its operations with its strong commitments to net-zero by building facilities and infrastructure in a carbon-reduced way. A key way SBM Offshore does this is through its emissionZERO program which aims, as the name suggests, to

achieve near-zero emissions from its operations. To do this SBM Offshore has set targets in line with the net-zero emission of its key stakeholders and continues to develop products in an emissionreducing way. This is seen in its continued product developments which not only provide a platform for stakeholder engagement but uses the development of its FPSOs to show the energy industry what is possible when strict emission targets are put into place across such a global company. Its Fast4Ward programs are the foundation of this for SBM Offshore.

Furthermore, SBM Offshore remains committed to these carbon-neutral goals through its 3 key strategy pillars of environment, social and governance. As we have seen, in terms of the environment, SBM Offshore is continually investing in energy-efficient technologies whilst also working to bring environmentally friendly solutions to a global market. In addition, the company continues to work closely with its suppliers to encourage innovation and ensure that sustainable solutions encompass its supply chains at every level. We see this in its zero-emission solution for hydrocarbon production which, as the company moves towards the future, is hoped to continue to create value for all of its stakeholders as it leads the market with carbon-zero energy solutions.

Additionally, SBM Offshore fosters a safe and inclusive environment where the people are at the heart of its every function. The company aims to inspire and empower people by focusing on strict guidelines on workplace health, safety and security, community relations, human rights, diversity, and inclusion. It is this keen focus on its people that has earned SBM Offshore global recognition as a responsible corporate citizen. In turn, those who choose to use SMB Offshore as their energy solutions provider, know they are working with a company that has a reliable reputation as a reliable and supportive partner across international markets.

Throughout SBM Offshore there is a strong commitment to achieving high operation performance which focuses on a value-based approach. This approach prioritizes strong leadership, clear decision-making processes, effective communication between management and stakeholders, as well as strong ethics and

SBM Offshore

compliance. All of these factors are part of the company’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement which helps it achieve operational excellence and consistently high-quality solutions. As the company moves towards the future, it has continued to incorporate digitalization into its operations and governance to help it remain ahead of the curve. However, what remains the same about SBM Offshore is its central values of integrity, care, entrepreneurship, and ownership which can be seen throughout every single aspect of its operations.

As SBM Offshore looks towards the future its key focus is on its new-build FPSOs with oil production volumes of up to 250,000 barrels per day which previously was the focus of the Fast4Ward FPSO. The large conversion FPSO with an oil production volume of up to 150,00 barrels per day will rival traditional FPSO markets as it continues to convert oil tankers to FPSOs. Furthermore, SBM Offshore will continue to take a selective approach to market opportunities

with a key focus on the main FPSO markets in Brazil and Guyana where the majority of low breakeven oil-price prospects are concentrated. In addition, SBM Offshore continues to develop its business across the globe which hopes to see up to 35 FPSO projects reach a Final Investment Decision (FID) between 2021 and 2023.

Overall, SBM Offshore continues to strive to keep pushing the boundaries across the energy sector to produce solutions which respect the planet whilst also bringing essential energy infrastructure to coasts across the globe. What separated SMB Offshore from its competitors is it commitment to sharing its experience with the industry to continually deliver safe, sustainable, and affordable energy solutions from the oceans which can provide essential energy for many generations to come. We look forward to seeing how SBM Offshore continues to develop the offshore energy industry and continues to show the industry how crucial sustainability is in the energy sector.

As a leading manufacturing company that pioneers all of its operations with innovation, it is no surprise that JCB is a globally recognised brand playing a vital role in sculpting the modern world. JCB is trusted for its reliable machinery, and, thanks to this reputation, its products can be seen across project sites all over the world. However, more recently the company has been making vital developments towards sustainability as it works to meet global demands for decarbonisation. Therefore, with its legacy, reputation, and experience behind it, JCB is stepping into 2024 with its sights set on introducing renewable energy options across its machinery and equipment portfolio.

JCB found its origins in agricultural tipping trailers and has spent the last 79 years developing its manufacturing offerings of heavy machinery and equipment, and now is a globally recognised brand with 22 plants in operation across 4 continents. In addition to the plants, JCB has more than 750 dealers globally with roughly 11,000 employees in over 150 countries around the globe. Therefore, as the company approaches its 80th birthday next year, we simply can look back over all of the projects that JCB’s equipment and machinery have been a part of to see the vital role the company continues to play across the world.

Having established itself as a leading manufacturer in the world of construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition, JCB is now focused on developing renewable energy machinery. The push towards sustainability starts all the way at the top with Lord Bamford, Chairman of JCB, who outlines that “I set the challenge that we should be making hydrogen engines for the construction industry and for agriculture. Two years later, we have hydrogen engines working in the kind of equipment that JCB makes. A solution that delivers power in the same way as conventional engines, but with none of the fossil fuels. We’re proving daily that hydrogen does work, that it’s clean, renewable, transportable fuel”.

Bamford’s call for zero-carbon alternatives has propelled the company’s mission to find ways to replace fossil fuels whilst still fuelling heavy machinery that can meet the same high-demand workloads of its carbon-emitting counterparts. This high demand payoff means that batteries are not the solution JCB were looking for as they can weigh too much, are costly, and then need the time and infrastructure to recharge. Therefore, the alternative green energy choice for JCB is hydrogen, and so JCB Power Systems has developed the first hydrogen motor in the industry. The hydrogen motor takes advantage of existing technology and adapts it to establish a new engine technology with readily available components. The motor will combust and deliver power in exactly the same way as a diesel engine but with zero emissions.

To make the most of this hydrogen engine development, JCB has made a Backhoe Loader with can do everything its diesel-powered equivalent

can do but is a lot less complicated than hydrogen fuel-cell technology and emits no steam from its tailpipe - so no carbon dioxide is released at the point of use. To support the Backhoe Loaders and future hydrogen-powered machinery, JCB has also developed a mobile hydrogen refuelling unit which allows for easy transportation of hydrogen on-site. This will increase the efficiency of its fuel delivery and continue to make the hydrogen-powered solutions a preferable choice over previous fossil fuel options. In 2023, the 50th JCB hydrogen combustion engine came off the production line and continues to move the company towards a sustainable future.

JCB has also been making waves in the electric equipment sector, and last year saw the company launch two articulated boom aerial work platforms which give its customers the choice of having fully electric or diesel-electric hybrid drivelines. JCB’s A45E is a fully electric option which produces zero emission whilst not compromising on performance. Inaddition,JCBhasalsoexpandeditsequipmentline further with the launch of a compact 403E, which is the first full electric wheel loader for the company. It boasts the largest standard battery pack in its class which matches the productivity seen by the popular 403 diesel model. The strong focus on

renewable and green energy sources shows the innovation that has allowed JCB to remain ahead of its competition across the globe. The company continues to strive for the best technologies, and with the help of its global network, it can achieve these and move the industry towards sustainable solutions.

A crucial aspect of JCB’s worldwide network is its subsidiary in India, where JCB began its joint venture in 1979. The now fully owned subsidiary of J.C Bamford Excavators has 5 state-of-the-art factories where it manufactures an array of the company’s world-class equipment for the domestic market in India, as well as for exports overseas. These exports are delivered to more than 124 countries worldwide, via a network of 60 dealers and 700 outlets and thanks to its 8,00 employees. The headquarters for JCB in India can be found in New Delhi where the company has its Ballabgarth Factory.

The Ballabgarth Factory is the world’s largest factory for Backhoe Loaders and also manufactures Skid Steer Loaders, Telehandlers, Diesel Generators and Diesel Engines. However, for India, a crucial

focus is ensuring local workers and companies are benefitting from the company’s operations. Therefore, JCB in India has close to 380 world-class Indian suppliers throughout its supply chains and manufacturing lines. This, along with a range of community initiatives, ensures that JCB’s operations in India are always looking to bring economic and infrastructural development to the region for the benefit of those who live there.

Overall, JCB is a brand that fosters innovation as it works to supply sustainable and efficient machinery to make projects a breeze for its customers whilst helping them to achieve carbon reduction in their projects. For JCB, the future of heavy machinery needs to be geared towards sustainability to keep up with the worldwide demands for carbonreduced options throughout every industry, but especially in industries such as construction which was previously very fossil fuel-dominated. We look forward to seeing how such a global company continues to lead the manufacturing industry and exemplify how focusing on sustainability is key to continued success.

Operating the world’s largest transhipment hub, PSA Singapore provides unrivalled connectivity in the heart of Southeast Asia. PSA Singapore is a world-leading ports and terminals group which handled 37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of containers in 2022. Therefore, as the flagship terminal of PSA International, PSA Singapore leads the industry across the region providing handling, management, depot, and warehousing services to a whole range of container vessels.

PSA Singapore began as the Port of Singapore Authority, which was a statutory board responsible for regulating, operating, and promoting the Port of Singapore in the 1960s. However, in the 1970s its container port and handling facilities were established which over the next few decades saw expansive growth reaching 5 million TEU by 1990. By this point, Singapore was the largest container port in the world, and so in 1996, the regulatory functions of the original company were transferred to Singapore’s new maritime regulator, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). In 1997, the Port of Singapore Authority converted into an independent commercial company which kept the PSA initials and added Singapore removing the original acronym meaning. Since the container port and handling services began as the central focus for PSA Singapore, it has continued to expand and play a vital role in the overarching multinational PSA International group.

The core business of PSA Singapore is the movement of cargo from one vessel to another whilst in transit to its destination. This vital role is due to its strategic location at the heart of

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Southeast Asia, at the crucial crossing point of many major shipping routes. Therefore, the PSA Singapore has become an important hub for global supply chains as feeder vessels bring containers to the Port of Singapore which are then loaded onto larger vessels which are then taken on shipments to their final destinations.

This transhipment method is both costeffective and efficient because it allows vessels to make a single voyage to the port, rather than multiple journeys to each individual destination. Consequently, approximately 85% of the containers that arrive in Singapore are transhipped to another port of call, and so the role that PSA Singapore plays in facilitating and maintaining this system of transhipment can be felt across the local and international cargo industry.

Across PSA Singapore there are 55 berths at the Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Brani and Pasir Panjang ports. These ports all are equipped with container handling equipment and have a combined capacity of 50 million TEUs. The largest facility is at the Pasir Panjang Terminals (PPT) which has 3 dedicated births and is supported by an open car yard and multi-storey car storage yard which accommodates 20,000 car park lots. In addition, PSA Singapore has its Jurong Island Terminal which is located on the western corner of Jurong Island and has 2 berth terminals with a capacity of 400 TEUs.

A significant part of the development of PSA Singapore is the Tuas Port which is currently under development to consolidate all the company’s container terminals into a single location on the western seaboard of Tuas. The finished port is planned to have an automated and integrated operations system which will be deployed to tackle the next generation of cargo demand. Construction of the first set of berths began in 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2040. The entire project is part of PSA Singapore’s vision to form a holistic ecosystem which will bring goods anywhere in the world faster and more reliably.

For PSA Singapore sustainability is not just an option but a responsibility. It is working constantly to ensure that in order for the business to retain its resilience and continue to grow without compromising the environment it has set out on a mission to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the next generation. It has committed to a range of targets which are in line with Singapore’s climate ambitions. A crucial step towards these initiatives came in a recent partnership between PSA Singapore and the Pacific International Lines (PIL). As announced this month, the two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop sustainable solutions to cut carbon emissions and optimise maritime efficiency. This includes the development of a set of low-carbon emission routes for containers shipped by both companies.

PIL is the largest home-grown carrier in southeast Asia with strong shipping links in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Oceania. As leaders in their respective industries, the partnership signifies a crucial move towards sustainability throughout the shipping industry. Mr Nelson Quek, Regional CEO of Southeast Asia for PSA International discusses the partnership between its flagship

Singapore division and PIL in the company’s recent press release, stating that “PSA is pleased to partner with PIL as we take the bold and essential step towards decarbonising the global supply chains that power our economy. We remain committed to working hand-in-hand with likeminded stakeholders as we spur concerted action towards our transition to a cleaner and sustainable future beyond the areas served by our ports”.

Therefore, this crucial partnership is set to drive change across the industry and allow each company to meet the common goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is these joint ventures with other respected stakeholders within the shipping and cargo industry, that have allowed PSA Singapore to develop its operations and establish itself as a crucial hub for these industries on a global scale. Through strategic partnerships, PSA Singapore continues to deliver productivity and efficient terminal services.

Overall, PSA Singapore has worked tirelessly over the last 50 years to move from a regulatory board into the world-leading ports and terminal group,

which has continued to expand across the globe. PSA Singapore plays a crucial role in an international network of port and container handling services both under PSA International, but also in the shipping industry as a whole. Consequently, through this work to develop its facilities and through strategic partnerships with significant stakeholders across the industry, PSA Singapore continues to foster a leading supply chain which is powered by its innovation, technology, and sustainable practices.

The Australian mining industry is one of the largest in the world, bringing significant profit to the nation. Gold Fields’ collection of mines certainly stands as a key contributor to the Australian mining industry. Operating across four mines in the Southwest region of Australia, a lot can be said for the rapid growth that the mining entity has experienced in the last 20 years, reaching an unprecedented position in Australian mining.

As suggested by the name, Gold Fields mines are located across the Eastern Goldfields region in Western Australia. The company is comprised of four mines: Agnew, St Ives, Granny Smith and Gruyere. The first two mines were acquired over 20 years ago, operating a tiny production, before growing into the mining entity it is today. Such success was further advanced with the attainment of Granny Smith and Lawlers gold mines from Barrick Gold towards the end of 2013. Furthermore, in 2016 Gold Fields created a vital joint venture with Gold Road, so that the Gruyere mine could be utilised more efficiently, in the form of an open pit. Such an acquisition was a solidifying moment of Gold Field’s success.

The prosperity of Gold Fields is represented by the Yilgarn South Assets, which is a measurement of the company’s contributions to the Australian mining sector. Currently, the Yilgarn South Assets provide an additional 452,000 ounces of annual production to the country’s mining sector, with 2.6 million reserve ounces and 1.9 resource ounces. In reference to the former, this is the projected figure of materials that are expected to be recovered and produced at the four mines. Alternatively, resource ounces refer to the economic interest in mining operations. This is indicative of the external investment in Gold Fields operations, and how this translates financially. It is therefore no wonder that Gold Fields Mines is the largest regional Australian production centre, responsible for 40% of total production.

If we take a closer look at each individual mine, we can begin to see how each site has a specialism which contributes to the bigger picture of Gold Fields success. For example, St Ives is the oldest mine out of the four mines. Having been in operation since the mid-1980s, it has produced over 10.5 million ounces of gold. This makes it the leading gold producer out of all the mines, as it produces more than 350,000 ounces of gold each year. Such discoveries are made through the successful exploration of the extensive greenfields project

Gold Fields Australia

pipeline, as the mine is characterised by both underground and surface mining. Over the years, St Ives has had many significant findings, such as the discovery of an impressive high-grade deposit, which was viewed as such an impressive venture, that it earned the name of ‘Invincible deposit’.

Moving on to the Gruyere Mine, it is heralded as one of Australia’s largest underdeveloped gold deposits. Located about 200km east of Laverton in Western Australia, it has an accumulated mineral resource of 148 million tonnes, grading at 1.2 grams per tonne for 6.2 million ounces of contained gold.

The Gruyere Mine is so successful that is projected to become Australia’s deepest open-cut gold mine. Currently, the mine consists of one main open pit which will be developed in stages to incorporate an approximate depth of 500 meters below the surface.

The main mining activities that occur at Gruyere mine include loading, hauling, drilling, blasting and equipment maintenance, which is carried out by specialised contractors. Subsequently, the Gruyere Mine is projected to continue prosperous exploration until at least 2031.

Located to the northeast of Perth, is the third mine; Granny Smith Mine. This particular mine

demonstrates the unwavering dedication of the Gold Fields team, as four days a week the team fly to the site via a chartered jet from Perth Airport, taking nearly an hour and a half to travel to work.

Thankfully, Gold Fields recognises the strain that this may have on employees, consequently, some members of the team live in host community towns such as Laverton and Kalgoorlie. Granny Smith’s most active mine can be found at Wallaby, where the Granny Smith Carbon-in-pulp processing plant is located and metal ores are processed under campaign milling conditions.

Finally, the Gold Fields Australia mining network is made from the Agnew Gold Mine. Located in the Eastern Goldfields region, it produces more than a quarter of a million ounces of gold a year.

The Agnew mine was acquired by Gold Fields in 2001, which allowed the mine to source gold from underground and be processed by the CIP plant. Similar to Granny Smith, the 650-man workforce flies in from the outpost location of Perth. The commitment of the Gold Fields team stems from underground production, development, and maintenance, to low-voltage electrical works.

Going for Gold

Gold Fields has a clear devotion to diversity and inclusivity in the company. The company has a strong belief in a rich culture throughout the organisation. Consequently, diversity is not just a tick box, but a valued contribution to the company, as the experience, knowledge, and creativity of each individual is a key asset to the success of the business. This is demonstrated by the meritocracy system that the company operates on, as each employee is encouraged to reach their full potential.

This is refreshing to see when the company is placed in a mining landscape where indigenous Australians, as well as women, lack overall representation. In response to this, they have created initiatives that help support these groups, which include bursaries, and trainee apprentice and graduate programs, which help mentor the next generation of talent in Gold Field mines. In particular, the conviction in a women-led workforce is coming to fruition: over 45% of the Perth office comprises of women, with 40% of women in leadership roles. The notion of gender equality is so deeply rooted in the value of the company, that they are working hard

towards the representation of women in all roles, with the goal of 25% representation by 2025, and 30% by 2030. This is further indicated by the indigenous populous that makes up 3.6% of the entire workforce, with clear efforts to expand in the future.

Overall, Gold Fields Australia has created a tenacious reputation in the Australian mining industry. With a wide variety of services available, spanning across mining sites, they are going through a period of exponential expansion. Consequently, they are one of the most valued added mining companies in Australia, with no plans of stopping!

Boskalis is raising the stakes in maritime services and dredging solutions. Having been in operation for more than a century, they have built up an impressive repertoire of projects that have helped sustain their position as a leading offshore contractor. Most recently, they have reached new heights in their offshore sector, with their hundredth offshore windfarm project. Such prosperity in the marine sector is attributable to the unique amalgamation of expertise, a dedicated workforce, and a fleet of mighty vessels. Thus, Boskalis has become a flagship for Dutch marine success, as they tenaciously operate across 90 countries.

Based in the Netherlands, they provide the most diverse range of dredging, offshore transport, and installation solutions, amongst other marine services such as towage and salvage. Consequently, Boskalis are always one step ahead of their competitors, due to their unique use of over 600 vessels and other floating equipment, which makes them ideal for unlocking complex infrastructure potential across the global maritime sector.

The notion of marine services is a broad sector to cover, but when looking at their activity in closer detail, dredging has remained a main focus for Boskalis since 1910. Through their initial projects, such as the Zuider Zee inland restoration project, they quickly became recognised for their dredging excellence. So much so, that they obtained a landmark project in 1953, playing a major role in the Delta Works Project. As one of the seven wonders of the modern world, Boskalis were instrumental in the reconstruction process following the tragic flood disasters in the Netherlands, helping protect the county from any future flooding. Further notable events include the acquisition of a Royal designation. Receiving such a seal of approval was further recognition of the dedicated work that Boskalis conducted at the time and continues to do for their country.

In regard to global expansion, venturing out of the Netherlands first occurred in the 1930s, when they broke out to the UK by establishing the Westminster Dredging Company in London in 1933. Twenty years later, Boskalis and Westminster Dredging Company further collaborated on innovative projects all over the world, including Australia, Canada and the Middle East. Other notable international projects include the mighty Oresund Tunnel and Bahia Blanco port construction in Argentina, as well as the highly complex Hong Kong international airport and land reclamation in Singapore. Therefore, with an extensive network of branches across 6 continents, Boskalis has become a leading name in the international maritime industry.

So, what does Boskalis look like today? Greatly evolving from their standardised dredging services, they offer a wide range of end-end to offshore energy services. Such activities include but are not limited to, the development, construction, transport,

installation, inspection, repair & maintenance (IRM) and decommissioning of oil, offshore platforms, pipelines windfarms, and much more. The company also offers vital protection in marine services, with towage and emergency response being a major priority.

As Boskalis expands its practices, the completion of offshore energy projects crucially serves the international energy sector, particularly in oil, gas, and renewable energy sorts. Boskalis has recently announced its acquisition of a contract to construct a large offshore windfarm off the coast of the United States. It marks the 100th offshore windfarm constructed by Boskalis in the past decade. This new windfarm shows the leading role Boskalis plays in the offshore wind market. With their combination of hydraulic engineering and offshore activities, they are making a crucial contribution to the global energy transition.

Boskalis has also become a market leader in dredging. For those that aren’t hot on logistics terminology, the dredging activities include the construction and maintenance of ports and

waterways, coastal defence riverbank protection, and land reclamation. Often dredging projects are on a very large scale and require multi-disciplinary expertise and a versatile fleet. To mitigate any damage done by large-scale operations, the Boskalis dredging team are known for specialist environmental-friendly dredging techniques, as well as safety and cost-efficiency.

Moreover, as an alternative to their offshore activity, Boskalis also conduct inland infraactivities, which require the preparation and execution of dry-earth moving and large-scale civil works. These projects are completed by Boskalis Nederland; an offshoot of the company specially created for inland operations.

Boskalis also diligently completes projects in towage and salvage. Regarding the former, Boskalis will provide a helping hand to terminal services across the world, through a strategic collaboration with Smit Lamnalco. As part of the joint venture, they

send out a fleet of over 150 vessels to ports in the Asia-Pacific area, all controlled by an experienced crew. Their salvage operations offer a similar sentiment, providing an emergency response for those that are in distress. Again, the vital services are not limited by geographical location, thanks to four well-equipped locations in Rotterdam, Houston, Cape Town and Singapore. Plus, a bonus can be found in the offering of environmental care services, which can involve the safe disposal of hazardous cargo and fuel that has escaped from vessels that have run aground.

As oil spillages and carbon emissions from ships have a detrimental impact on climate change, Boskalis has created an environmental initiative to help offset and reduce the dangerous contributions that the marine industry is having on the environment. Named the ‘Building with Nature’ program, it utilises elements of nature to influence environmental policy. Especially influential is the impact that natural forces such as wind and currents have in the design of hydraulic engineering solutions. Consequently, a balance can be found between economic development and environmental care. The initiative is quickly

becoming influential across the Netherlands, as Boskalis has been working closely with the Dutch government, as well as universities and knowledge institutes, to build an environmental entity that will have a meaningful impact on the marine industry’s environmental footprint.

Unlike many other maritime service providers, the highly qualified research and development department has become essential to Boskalis. With a consistent stream of investment in new methods and state-of-the-art technology, their clients and stakeholders witness increased efficiency and environmental sustainability in their offshore and dredging activities. Boskalis have a highly comprehensive research team who operate in the in-house test facilities, as well as collaborating with international peer group companies, universities, and research institutes so that Boskalis can tackle the most complex of projects.

Overall, the work of Boskalis has become indispensable to the global maritime industry, with a fleet of ships and dedicated services that are seldom seen elsewhere in the maritime market. As a result, they have made a significant impact in both the Netherlands and beyond for over a century.

International Thai ship management company, established in 2009, with support from an international ship manager, combining worldwide experienced Thai sea and shore staff with high standards, integrated online systems and experienced buying power.

Highland Shore Team: presently 25 growing to 30 Thai ship management staff with on average 15 years of experience each in managing bulk carriers, containerships, offshore vessels etc.,

Highland Sea Team: over 1,500 Thai sea staff available, Officers on average 10 years’ experience each and Ratings 5 years’ experience.

Location: We operate in a low overhead location, using a full cloud access management data system with seamless e-procurement and 24/7 in-house cyber security.

Fully certified: Lloyd’s DOC and ISO Accreditation.

Frequent Client vetting: e.g. NYK, CHEVRON etc.

Fully insured: by ITIC London

As a financial hub of the world, many industries in Singapore greatly utilise the transport and logistics industry, as an exemplar of professionalism across the world. This is indicative of the number one standing that Singapore has in the global logistics sector, primarily due to its excellent positioning as a connectivity hub, and its relevance within the supply of many international businesses. Such a vast sphere of influence means that Singapore Logistics Association (SLA) can provide a strong network between companies in a way that is efficient and trustworthy, solidifying their expertise in the industry since its founding in the early 1970s.

First and foremost, SLA places connectivity and networking is the company’s primary focus. It is for this reason that their name was altered from Singapore Freight Forwarders to Singapore Logistics Association in 1999. This name was chosen to reflect the point of progression and the wide range of members that have continued to grow since the turn of the millennium. Today, SLA represents an impressive 600 logistics enterprises across the world. To each one of its associates, it remains committed to supporting and sustaining a vibrant and thriving habitat for successful logistics businesses. Such a habitat is sustained by appreciating the value of collaboration and participation, as each member is a vital building block of the entire system.

Associate members include both local and international logistics companies. This provides an array of active industry ideas, which SLA greatly values. Each treasured input helps formulate targeted programmes for each company, so they are prepared for any future challenges. This is guaranteed by SLA as they consistently revise their strategies and actively seek out forward-thinking initiatives that help implement progress and even transformation for each company.

This is most aptly demonstrated by what SLA calls ‘Strategic Thrusts’. As a set of values, it guides the company through professionalism and change. Firstly, SLA are great supporters of innovation and the use of advanced technology. This helps drive awareness of SLA’s brilliant work, whilst utilising the most state-of-the-art technologies. Secondly, as a logistics company, it is important to consider capacity building, as it helps rejuvenate businesses and supports human capital development, allowing businesses to meet and further surpass their potential. Finally, in keeping with the logistics sector in general, SLA greatly values internationalism. This opens the door to studying the best practices, as well as clearly identifying business opportunities that may not be immediately obvious to smaller companies in their isolation. Again, this emphasises the importance of a strong network that can provide guidance to elevate companies to the next level. SLA was first founded in September 1973. Then named Singapore Freight Forwarders Association, it had a membership of 70 companies. With such an impressive membership from its founding, they

FOUNDING MEMBER OF AEROSPACE LOGISTICS GROUP

Silk Express Freight , incorporated in Singapore 1994, Malaysia 1999 and Japan 2012.

Our experience team provides General Freight nationwide and specialized in Aviation Spares and Engines, Military and Defence.

We are aware of the stringent demands of the internati onal trade and we are committed to provide effective solutions with competitive pricing.

For more information, visit www.silk.com.sg

group-enquiry@silk.com.sg

Est.1994

Est.1999

Est.2012

participated in the PSA Quarterly meetings, which were at the time one of the leading port and supply chain businesses in the world. This enabled SLA to gain a greater understanding of the cooperation between the haulage industry and the ports. From then on, SLA went from strength to strength, becoming part of many international freight associations. During the late 1980’s, SLA took greater steps toward accountability by revising the SFFA Constitution, promoting Singapore’s reputation for integrity and high standards that have carried the company to where it is today.

The changing of the name to Singapore Logistics Association in 1999 was a highly significant event in the company’s history as the Constitution was also altered to reflect the wider scope of SLA’s enterprises. Subsequently, the early 2000’s bore witness to the creation and implementation of The Diploma/Certificate in Integrated Logistics Management, which taught and prepared a large group of young professionals for the logistics industry and was launched officially in February 2002.

Later on, in 2008, the SLA Training Centre was launched at the Spring Singapore Building. This marked a greater advancement from the previous diploma as it became more specialised and specific to the company. Over the next few years SLA could boast many more publications and events that brought together a variety of industry experts and academics, providing a reliable source of logistics knowledge.

To this end, in 2011, the company set up the SLA Lead Programme that effectively demonstrated the Strategic Thrusts of the company and was used throughout the business. More recently, SLA has organised and completed operations in Surabaya and Jakarta, as well as Beijing and Yinchuan, solidifying themselves as international entities. Finally, over the last few years, SLA has worked on their e-trading platform named HIVE: Highly Interconnected and Vibrant eTrade. This highly efficient network connects together 11 Logistics, Freight, and Transport Associations from ASEAN and other major trading countries. This particular initiative was expanded last year to benefit over 900 companies, making it an integral part of the business.

As presented in their 50-year history, SLA greatly values the notion of education, offering great teachings in the expertise of logistics. It is therefore no wonder that they channelled their educational status into The Logistics Academy, a subsidiary of the company which was fully incorporated in 2010. The Academy is above all committed to providing quality training and lifelong lessons in the logistics workforce.

This is achieved by maintaining and continuously upgrading their Quality Management System that objectively reflects on how they organise the Academy so that it can continue to meet professional developments, as well as anticipate

future challenges. Furthermore, the Academy facilitates the creation of neutral platforms for the interest of members and logistics professionals that enables a sufficient networking platform. Singapore Logistics Association is effectively committed to the active collaboration and participation of its membership. This means that not can they provide world-leading services for their clients, but they are also dedicated to passing on their knowledge to further advance the logistics sector. This is present through the countless initiatives that they offer their members, as well as the highly significant of The Logistics Academy, which brings together thousands of excited new professionals and paves the way for a bright future for SLA.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association

The Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association (or MPIA, as it’s better known) looks out for the interests for Photovoltaic companies and operations within Malaysia. What does ‘photovoltaic’ mean? The conversation of light in energy. In other words, this association looks out for all things regarding Solar Power – the largest renewable energy source available within the country.

The science of photovoltaics was first observed in 1839 by Edmund Bequerel, a French physicist, who noticed that some materials absorbed light on an atomic level and released electrons. These, when captured, could make electricity: a process better and more thoroughly described by Albert Einstein in 1905. This understanding, then, has existed in some form since electricity’s early days, and yet the first photovoltaic module was not built until much late in 1954. This invention was known as a solar battery, and yet, despite how long a form as this technology has existed, it was decades again before solar energy and its potential was being seriously invested in and considered.

It is interesting to view the solar power industry with this long history behind it – a reminder that it is nowhere near the new concept we sometimes take it for. However, it has taken many years to get where it is today, and this is partly due to a lack of education, lack of normalisation and a lack of investment. Critically, all of this comes down to support by governments, as well as interest from the private sectors. All of these areas are exactly what associations exist to protect and interact with: their goal is to further an industry’s interests, and when it comes to solar power, this is something extremely needed and worthwhile. After all, imagine where we would be if solar had reached its current point ten years ago? The best thing we can do for this sector is to keep driving it forwards, which is why work like that of the MPIA is so important.

For Malaysia, solar power is an extremely potential-filled avenue for renewable energy, due in part to the extremely sunny weather that the country often enjoys. This potential was highlighted in a Renewable Energy Roadmap that was published for the country by its Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, December 2021.

Currently, the amount of solar power produced by Malaysia is relatively low, but the future looks bright, and the country intends to make this potential into a reality. MPIA is here to make it happen. The country’s current capacity is less than two gigawatts (GW), but the roadmap predicts its potential as being as great as 269 GW solar PV capacity. This is because the country receives approximately 1,575 – 1,812 kWh

Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association

per square metre of solar irradiance, which is close to the average solar irradiance for Southeast Asia. This is even higher than India, which is currently a leader in solar power capacity.

The roadmap proposes various ways to promote the development of solar technology, including the acceleration of the country’s Net Energy Metering program and the introduction of new, incentivising business models that will implement peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, and as well as corporate power purchase agreements.

The development of these ideas and incentives all relies on the input the MPIA, which is currently the only trade association representing the solar PV industry in Malaysia: governments rely on such expert input from the relevant industries to put through rulings and measures, and now is clearly a crucial period for MPIA’s continued lobbying, input, advice and involvement to keep Malaysia’s government and its solar industry moving towards the same goal in the same way. This input goes in both directions – it is also able to work with solar

and solar-associated companies to make sure that they understand the views of the government, what support and incentives exist for them etc. The association also provides training in all matters solar, which is another essential offering in a young but growing industry.

Progress is going well. According to MPIA President Davis Chong, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) approved more than 350 MW solar photovoltaic projects under the Net Energy Metering program in 2020; the highest in a year since the program was introduced in 2016. This suggests a strong and rising interest in the sector. Chong pointed out that many businesses were moving towards a partially solar energy system, in order to cut down on costs, but were not moving fully over, as the technology is not yet at the point where it could comfortably fully support these companies’ total power needs.

“SEDA revealed that there were close to 4,000 completed NEM installations towards the end of year 2020. In fact, the entire 500 MW NEM quota was fully taken prior to the deadline, and a further 500 MW quota under NEM 3.0 was subsequently announced,” Chong explained.

Chong also explained that the Large-Scale Solar program that had begun in Malaysia in 2016 had reached more than 850 MW operational capacity by the end of 2020. 2,400 MW of projects were also awarded to successful bidders. All in all, this line of development is moving along at a very promising rate. As Chong put it, “All this will translate into a significant milestone for Malaysia in terms of sustainability and renewable energy accomplishment.”

As the only association promoting the solar industry in Malaysia, it is down to the MPIA to raise public awareness and make opportunities for those involved in the sector to come together. This occurs through the MPIA’s Solar Roadshow, which takes awareness around the country through a travelling event. These offer b2b level opportunities, but also serve as a major piece of public outreach, with the main aim being to educate home and business owners who do not yet use solar power on their buildings. According to the MPIA’s statistics, there are over four million buildings in Malaysia that could install solar paneling on their rooftops, and yet have not done so yet. If every one of these buildings joined the movement, they could generate

a collective estimated 34,194 MW of electricity, which would be enough to meet the country’s entire collective need! Malaysia’s current aim is to increase its renewable energy generation from the 2% it was at in 2018 to 20% in 2025 - it is no wonder, then, that effort is being poured towards reaching these property owners and attempting to interest them in the benefits that solar paneling would offer. In fact, the association is meeting with people at all levels, and even with those abroad. In November 2021, MPIA President Davis Chong and Vice President Dato’ Ir. Guntor Tobeng met with H.E. Bulat Sugurbayev, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Malaysia, as well as Counsellor Samat Zhanabay, also from the Embassy of Kazakhstan. During the discussions, the possibility of MPIA members participating in Kazakhstan’s solar projects was discussed: the country has also begun its green transition, with an ambitious target to have half of its power generated by renewable sources by 2050. These are fantastic opportunities to get involved with, and are an example in action of how MPIA can benefit its members.

A bright future

One-Stop-Solutions Provider for renewable energy towards a greener Malaysia

JJ-LAPP together with business partners in the solar industry, Huawei, Clenergy and Trina Solar, is well positioned as a one-stop solutions provider for solar systems with a complete range of products and high-quality standards. Our range of solutions which include ÖLFLEX® Solar Cables and Accessories, PV-ezRACK® Mounting Panels, Huawei Smart PV Inverters and Smart Energy Storage and Trina Solar Panel Module, enable us to support a wide range of solar projects for residential, commercial and industrial and utilities. JJ-LAPP’s extensive network and presence across the ASEAN countries combined with a regional partnership with Huawei also allows quick and seamless support for our customers not just in Malaysia, but throughout ASEAN.

Connect with JJ-LAPP at sales_jjlm@jjsea.com or 03-50306322 to get the one-stop solutions for your solar project.

Optimal Electricity Cost & Active Safety

J-LAPP

Malaysia is a value added partner of Huawei Smart PV Solutions

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

A subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, a global natural resources company, Hindustan Zinc is one of the world’s leading zinc producers. We took a look at the company’s impressive portfolio, and the ways in which it is aiding and safeguarding the communities and environment it operates in.

Hindustan Zinc has a lot of claims to fame: amongst others, it operates the second largest zinc mine in the world, and the largest in India. Not only this, its operations are ranked globally as the 5th most sustainable in the field of metals and mining, according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. As a company, it has been in operation for over 50 years, and in that time the Vedanta Limited subsidiary has evidently risen to the top of its field, both in output and in clean conduct.

Despite its name, Zinc is not the only resource that Hindustan mines. It also deals in silver, lead and sulphuric acid, and it is excelling in some of these areas, too. For example, the company is amongst the world’s top 10 silver producers, with an annual capacity of 600 MT. In total, it currently operates five live mines, all located in Rajasthan, northwest India: all five of these focus on zinc, but also mine and deal with the other metals and mineral resources that are found, hence its presence in these other markets. Currently, its collective reserves for these resources sit at 305.6 million MT.

India’s

one and only

However, zinc is its main pride and joy. In total across its five mines, the company has a reserve base of 105.7 million MT of the metal, with an average zinc-lead grade of 10.5%. This collection of sites has a predicted minelife of over 25 years, which is fantastic news for the country’s zinc market, as the company holds an incredible 78% market share of this industry within India.

What does India use its zinc for? 70% of it is used for galvanizing steel. Galvanized steel makes it far hardier and able to withstand the elements, including moderately corrosive environments, which means this form of steel is used in car production, and this use is on the rise in the country. It is also used in industrial alloys and die cast alloys – a use which is again on the rise, thanks to new IS277 coating standards. Between these two uses, zinc has been key in the government-supported construction push happening in Indian infrastructure right now, including projects such as the recent investment in metro rails, Smart Cities and Swachh Bharat

Abhiyaan (the Clean India Mission). Lastly, zinc has many uses within India’s pharmaceutical sector, providing a range of benefits that means it is used to treat poor eyesight, respiratory infections, acne, age-related diseases and even the common cold.

As for Hindustan’s other products, as well as coins, jewellery and cutlery/crockery, silver has industrial applications, too. Its highest use is in industrial fabrication, and it is also essential in technology such as solar power, which makes it an essential metal as India, and the world, moves deeper into the use of renewable energy. It is also used in the construction on engines, batteries, some detergents, 3D Printing and vehicle construction. Lead, too, is used in the automotive industry (in the batteries), is used in construction for roofing and cladding, and can even been used as a coolant for nuclear reactors! Finally, sulphuric acid is also industry-essential, this time in the production of other chemicals.

Any metal you could mine has a plethora of uses, but Hindustan has many resources

Hindustan Zinc

available to it, and also extremely useful in a country that is pushing and growing its construction and industrial output. The India IT industry is on the rise, as is its construction of renewable energy plants, public transport and green cities. So, with such a solid and healthy slate of reserves, and a market such as this, Hindustan is sitting in a very enviable position indeed.

As well as its five lead-focused mines, Hindustan’s operations also include one rock phosphate mine, four hydrometallurgical zinc smelters, two lead smelters, one pyro metallurgical lead-zinc smelter, and a number of sulphuric acid and captive power plants. All of this is based in Rajasthan, in Rampura Agucha, Chanderiya, Dariba, Kayad and Zawar, apart from one zinc-lead refinery and a silver refinery at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. In total, all of this gives Hindustan a production capacity of 834,000 MT for zinc and 201,000 MT for lead. In total, of its combined metals, Hindustan currently produces around 1.2 million MT per annum. Over the course of 2020, the company aims to raise this total to 1.35 million MT,

whilst it aims to raise its ore production capacity from 17.7 million MT to 20.4 million MT.

Over the years, Hindustan’s operations have transitioned from being predominantly above ground, in open cast mines, to now being completely underground. In 2018, the company completed and closed its operations at its Rampura Agucha open cast mine, which was its final above ground operation. Transitioning from above ground work to fully underground work is a challenging shift –one that requires attention to detail, the correct expertise on the team and the wisdom to see gaps in this expertise that need filling, and the careful training and support of all staff.

However, as we all know, it isn’t just internal support that is essential from a mining company – outward support to the local community is also extremely important. Hindustan’s CSR programmes reach out to over 500,000 rural and tribal people throughout Rajasthan. These programmes include investment into education, health, water and sanitation, security, sports and culture, women’s empowerment and the establishing of sustainable livelihoods for after the mines close. This outreach isn’t just going to one or two communities – there are an incredible 184 villages around Hindustan’s operations. Through its programmes, Hindustan attempts to facilitate cooperation between these groups and local businesses, government, NGOs and academic institutions to work together towards a better future for these communities.

The environment is also a cause for careful practices. In Hindustan Zinc’s words, “With more than 50 years of operational experience, we give highest priority to the safety of our people and the conservation of scarce natural resources through technology and innovation.” Working closely with its partners, stakeholders and shareholders, Hindustan, and even more predominantly, its parent company Vedanta, has numerous policies in place to manage its water, waste, energy, air emissions and the protection of local biodiversity. A strong example of this in action is Hindustan’s investment into renewable power: as well as solar power and green waste, it has invested heavily in wind power, to the point where Vedanta, a globally diversified natural resources company, is one of the leading wind power producers in India. In total, it has

88.8MW in Gujarat, 49.4 MW in Karnataka, 88.8 MW in Rajasthan, 25.5 MW in Maharashtra and 21 MW in Tamil Nadu.

Hindustan Zinc sits in an extremely secure position in its market, with a rich series of operational mines and a market that has many uses for all of the resources they yield. Given this position, it is good to see both Hindustan and Vedanta putting effort towards sustainability and care for the communities the mines affect – impact that will continue on long after the mines themselves are no more. Mineral resources are finite, but the impact of mining them lives on, whether positive or negative, so it is uplifting to see mines like Hindustan taking care to create positivity in their communities, mitigate the damage they do, and invest in other technologies that will help the world work towards a cleaner future.

India’s one and only

Epiroc offers a comprehensive portfolio of mining equipment as well as digital solutions to drive efficiency and productivity for our customers.

Products like Certiq, Mobilaris, Teleremote operation and battery products are already leading the global market. They helps our customers increase their safety and profitability with sustainability.

We have now gone one step further launching 6th Sense Services to optimize system integration and connect processes, people and equipment for optimum productivity.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

These days, electronic data makes the world turn around. Data storage and data speed: it affects the day-to-day of our lives, and there’s nothing more frustrating than when something goes wrong.

Speed and reliability are the cornerstones of what we, as companies and individuals, seek from data services, and it is these qualities that AIMS Data Centre is shooting for and hitting with success. We investigated this Southeast Asian provider to see how it delivers in this challenging and essential sector.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, AIMS’ reach extends throughout Southeast Asia, from its home of Malaysia and over to Thailand and Vietnam. The company was founded in 1990 (young compared to many companies, but long in the tooth for any company in the data and computing space.) Well established and with a healthy reach, the company never-the-less prides itself on paying attention to the little things. In its own words; “At AIMS, we believe that no problem is too small, no client too trivial.” When it comes to data and tech support, there is nothing more demoralising than feeling undervalued or overlooked: AIMS knows this, and strives that no customer of theirs ever feels this way. Instead, the company treats every customer as equally important, and every issue is one that demands immediate attention and resolution. Music to our ears!

No wonder, then, that AIMS is an industry leader. It isn’t its customer service attitude, however, but its reach and its technology that allow it to claim this status (though its service certainly helps to obtain and retain those clients!) “As an industry leader in data centre operations, AIMS combines state-ofthe-art technology with innovative solutions and decades of experience to provide the best possible service for our customers. Businesses have the opportunity to connect with their partners, users and employees via our interconnected ecosystem of data centres across Southeast Asia.”

This is important now more than ever, after the pandemic moved much work home, and video and telephone calls were all that people had to turn to when it came to seeing their loved ones. Even now, much more work is done at home than it was before 2020, and in many companies, that change is set to stay.

When remote working is on the table, it is not only clear connection for telephones and video calls that matters, but the smooth connecting of networks and safe, protected sharing of data between devices. With corporate information being sent to devices in private homes, this security is paramount: this information can be disastrously costly to lose or leak, and so, this data sharing must not only be smooth, but secure. It is also of particular importance between international offices. Thankfully, AIMS has invested in this area

AIMS Data Centre

through its holding company, TIME dotCom. This company possesses a vast global network through which AIMS is able to connect its various Points of Presence, of which it has one in Thailand (Bangkok), two in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Cyberjaya) and three in Vietnam (Tan Thuan, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi). In each of these locations, it is able to offer a single platform for everything from data storage to international connectivity.

Focusing locally, AIMS also serves as the anchor site for the Malaysian Internet Exchange. This is no small feat: the company hosts not just some, but all domestic Telecommunication carriers in the country, as well as 80% of the foreign carriers. This position allows AIMS to connect its customers to whichever telecommunication company they favour, at a favourable rate. No matter who you pick, however, the chances are your business is going through AIMS, and this unstoppable data centre supports and benefits from its customers’ business, whoever they are signing with.

AIMS’ many locations, and the many service providers it links to, has created a rich network for it to both operate in and offer to its clients. As the

company describes, “as a result of our dynamic ecosystem, our customers enjoy instant and direct access to major players in important industries, among them networks, carriers, content and IT service providers.” Both these providers and AIMS’ own operations are kept and assessed to a high standard on a par with the world’s very best:

“We are fully committed to ensuring that our operations meet not only our stringent quality standards, but global benchmarks as well.”

“Our goal is simple – to align ourselves with your interest to ensure that you get the service that you need.” This attention to detail here, both in terms of service offerings and in terms of a customer’s needs, is exactly what sets AIMS apart. It is doing more than just talking about it, too – the company puts this promise into action by studying its clients’ individual needs and customising its solutions accordingly, both at first contact and as the relationship continues. “We can customise our solutions and provide tailored options to help your business evolve,” the company offers, and knowing

that this evolution will happen, it develops its solutions to keep them helpful and relevant as its clients’ success and needs grow and change.

So, what services does it offer? Connectivity, safeguarding and even crisis recovery, AIMS is ready to help its clients through the day-to-day, to protect against the worst, and even to step in should the worst take place. Its colocation facilities – data centres where companies can rent server space – boast more secure storage for its clients’ data than their own local servers. These spaces offer configurable cage, suite and rack options, adjustable to budget, as well as direct crossconnectivity to any other customers signed with AIMS. Clients enjoy direct internet access to Tier 1 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack network, along with 10G direct peering with the Malaysia Internet Exchange. It promises an uninterrupted power supply to these hired servers, including the less-than-desirable, but sometimes necessary diesel generators kept as an emergency backup. Cold Aisle Containment technology works to keep its computer banks cool, to avoid any lag or issues, and as well as their tight cybersecurity,

the facilities are also guarded by around-theclock, physical security measures of various kinds. These physical elements do not immediately spring to mind when thinking about data services, and yet, they are just as essential as anything else. The company even has advanced fire-combatting safety measures built in – far more so than most of their customers can claim when it comes to dedicated protection around their computers.

All in all, AIMS knows about data storage, and it knows about connectivity. Its list of certifications goes on and on, from the Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility to Data Centre Risk Assessments to the Green Building Index. It knows what it is doing and it does it well, with careful attention to its customers’ needs and to every small detail of its operations, with performancedriven objectives and, as much as it can do, with perfect aim.

Servicing the offshore oil and gas industry, Promor has garnered itself a reputation as a premier solution engineering operation in just a few short years and it looks as though it is just getting started.

Founded in 2011, Promor is the toast of the Singaporean engineering industry, thanks to its focussed appetite for problem solving specifically for the offshore oil and gas sector. Employing only the very best people, Promor specialises in working with Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessels and has sought to harness a range of targeted engineering

for clients on a global scale.

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As the company says of itself, “Promor has developed its own unique proprietary technology, covering internal and external turret moorings, spread moorings, dis-connectable turret moorings, CALM buoys, fluid swivels and offloading systems. These can be supplied in complete turnkey packages to suit our client requirements.”

No messing about, just astute industry observations and beautifully designed solutions for key sector concerns. That’s what Promor stands for in a bid to provide clients with not only the best service that they have ever encountered, but also a simple and transparent transaction that will take them from concept through to installation and beyond.

Of course, there’s more to any engineering project than just ‘designing’, but Promor makes the entire process look so simple that detailed modelling, manufacturing and commissioning just appears to flow as one seamless motion. That is the inherent genius of this innovative, though still young, company. Nothing is too much trouble and even if it does cause headaches, the client will never know and will only ever be in receipt of a perfectly tailored product that solves a number of operation dilemmas.

Problem solving is a tricky business and not one for the easily disheartened or distracted, which is why Promor is flourishing so well. With almost 40 members of staff in place, each as experienced, dedicated and adventurous as the last, there will always be a bright mind that can visualise a solution to any given issue, allowing for the company’s mandate of remaining cost-effective as well as invaluable, to be realised. What’s more, these projects are opportunities for staff to prove themselves:

“Our approach is to use skills training and on the job mentoring and talent development. Promotions generally come from within, except where some new skill set is required and nobody already possesses it.”

By rewarding existing staff before looking to external recruitment, a spirit of community has been put into place at Promor and a sense of innovative working practices dominates everyday activities as well. With the team being expected to remain cutting edge and aware of industry developments, there is a sense of professional pressure, but this

is precisely what has set Promor apart from its nearest competitors:

“The industry is starting to pull out of recession thus there is strong competition due to the current state of the market. The challenges are meeting clients’ needs and providing cost effective solutions. We set ourselves apart by managing this through the development of innovative solutions to our clients’ needs that are drawn from our extensive experience and backed up by research and close working relations with suppliers and manufacturers.”

No man is an island, even when working offshore, so it seems, and by embracing collaborative working practices, Promor is laying the foundations for future growth and increasingly larger projects.

For those in the know, Promor’s list of services and products will be impressively all encompassing, demonstrating a clear domination over clients’ needs and a definite grasp of the industry, from within. As an independent provider of both services and products, Promor doesn’t hide behind other brands, it is out there, under its own name and steam, supplying turret moorings, sub-sea systems and a host of other necessary elements:

“The staff at Promor Pte. Ltd. has over 50 years of experience and a proven track record

in successfully providing complete engineering services, adaptable designs which provide a flexible approach and solution and proprietary designs for bearings, fluid swivels and major components.”

Imagine doing all of this, whilst also actively protecting the environment and looking for opportunities to increase safety and diversity within the staffing body. That’s a heavy responsibility by anyone’s standards, but Promor takes it all in its stride, having been founded on these principles. Customer satisfaction is always priority number one, but by retaining a firm grip on responsible operating methodologies and being vigilant to support the human resource element of the operation, this is a company that chases more than just the profit margins.

The ‘human’ approach is one that works, if Promor’s huge list of former and repeat clients is anything to go by. Including big names, such as Samsung, Petrofac, Rubicon, Quadrant Energy, Bumi Armada and PTSC, the portfolio is certainly strong and only getting more solid by the day, thanks to increasing numbers of new projects being won:

“Promor is currently supplying an external turret on and EPC basis to a S.E Asian client for operation in the harsh South China Sea. We are also involved in ongoing operations support for several FPSO’s operating in the region as well.”

By cutting its operational teeth in notoriously difficult locations, Promor is, effectively, proving its mettle from the moment of inception. Lesser companies would try to get settled by taking on relatively easy or straightforward tenders, but that’s not the way this fresh and fearless team works.

Promor has made incredible ground in just 8 short years, but it’s the future that looks really exciting. With the perfect foundations in place for expansion and consolidation, these are the focus points for the management team in the next twelve months. As more viable projects materialise, Promor will be there, offering a unique and tailored set of engineered solutions. As the industry develops, so too will the team, ready to adapt and go with the flow and as the oil and gas sector becomes increasingly concerned with greener initiatives, Promor’s ethical mantra will play a hugely important role in helping other companies to meet their eco targets. You really couldn’t write a better success story for such a fledgling operation and it’s going to be fantastic to watch it grow.

Engineering the best solutions

“Over 15 years SBS prides itself to have been the partner of choice for many leading offshore equipment specialists.”

Our approach is practical yet professional, bringing smart and cost-effective bearing solutions to each customer, in respondence to their individual application needs.

A vast track record for tailor-made Sliding Bearings in critical offshore applications include:

• Turret and spread mooring systems

• Pipe-lay equipment

• Cranes and LARS systems

• Deck-handling equipment

• Renewable energy installations

CLIMATE CHANGE: ENERGY FOR BISCUIT BAKING

In past issues of Endeavour, we have featured biscuit oven and baking company, Baker Pacific, on several occasions. We’re always keen to hear what Iain Davidson, company ROLE, is up to, whether it’s releasing a latest book or revolutionising biscuit oven design. Lately, Iain has been looking into the relationship between biscuit baking and climate change, and how to improve matters for a greener future. Below is an article and report penned by Iain that further explores the issue, breaks down the science, and looks at what can be done.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

1. Combustion Data: Natural Gas

Gas has been and continues to be the predominant fuel for biscuit baking ovens. The development and availability of natural gas supplies have made gas the main fuel for the baking industry throughout the world. Countries where electricity was the main energy source, for example China and countries where diesel oil was used for example India and the Middle East now use gas as the lowest cost energy source.

The combustion of natural gas is a major source of greenhouse gases which are causing climate change. This has become a major concern throughout the world. This situation makes it essential that we seek ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the biscuit baking industry.

1.1 Combustion Process

The combustion process is a reaction of rapid oxidisation started by the correct mixture of fuel, oxygen and an ignition source. In order for complete combustion of natural gas, excess air is supplied.

The chemical reaction for natural gas combustion with 20% excess air is:

Air is composed of 20.9% of oxygen, 78% of nitrogen and 1% of other gases. For most applications, every 1 m3 of natural gas, approximately 10 m3 of air is required to provide complete combustion of natural gas. To ensure complete combustion of the fuel, excess air is drawn in by the burners. The combustion efficiency will increase with increased excess air, until the heat loss in the excess air is larger than the heat provided by more efficient combustion.

When fuel and oxygen in the air are in perfectly balance and the fuel is burned completely, the combustion is said to be stoichiometric. Typical excess air to achieve the best efficiency for combustion is 10-20%.

Carbon dioxide is a product of the combustion and the content in the flue gas

is an important indication of the combustion efficiency. The content of carbon dioxide after combustion with excess air is approximately 10.5% for natural gas and approximately 13% for light fuel oils.

FIG.1 Stoichiometric combustion Ref. engineeringtoolbox.com/ /stoichiometriccombustion-d_399.html

CLIMATE CHANGE: ENERGY FOR BISCUIT BAKING

1.2 Carbon Dioxide Emission from Burning Natural Gas

To calculate the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission from a fuel, the carbon content of the fuel must be multiplied with the ratio of molecular weight of CO2 (44) to the molecular weight of Carbon (12) -> 44 / 12 = 3.7

Carbon Dioxide emission from burning a fuel can be calculated as

qCO2 = cf / hf MCO2 /Mm where:

qCO2 = specific CO2 emission [kgCO2/kWh]

particularly fossil fuel use and distribution and agriculture. Work on reducing air pollution is valuable and can lead to lasting cuts in methane emissions.

Water vapour is also a potent greenhouse gas, but it has a short lifetime and is an amplifier, not a driver of climate change.

Human activities currently emit an estimated 10 billion tonnes of carbon each year, mostly by burning fossil fuels.

Ref. The Royal Society www.royalsociety.org

cf = specific carbon content in the fuel [kgC/kgfuel]

hf = specific energy content in the fuel [kWh/kgfuel]

MC = Molecular weight Carbon [kg/kmol Carbon]

MCO2 = Molecular weight Carbon Dioxide [kg/kmol CO2]

Emission of CO2 from methane, natural gas is given below:

Note Heat loss - 55-75% - in power generation is not included in the numbers.

Ref. Engineering Toolbox – carbon dioxide emissions

2. The Biscuit Industry Carbon Footprint

2.1 Climate Change and Green House Gases

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb heat energy from the sun and emit it, keeping the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere warm. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide. The biggest contributor to the warming of the climate is carbon dioxide, CO2. Since preindustrial times the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by over 40% and methane by over 150%. More than half of this increase has occurred since 1970.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas which leaks during industrial processes,

The biscuit industry now uses gas as the fuel for baking in almost every country. Natural gas is now widely available and economic. However this gives our industry a large carbon footprint. It will attract pressure in many countries to reduce the use of gas, by using electricity from renewable sources and improving efficiency.

Efficiency can be improved by:

• Effective insulation of the baking chambers and return band

• Burner specification and adjustment for low CO2 emission

• Baking chambers of minimum cross section to increase radiation from the surfaces

• Heat recovery systems for Indirect Fired ovens

• Using the extraction from the flues for heating factory services such as heating water

• Using hot flue gases to pre-heat combustion air

BAKER PACIFIC

2.2 Energy Usage For Baking

The table below indicates some typical values for energy usage for baking.

Note: 1 From actual installation

Note: 2 From calculations see Chapter 20

The calorific value, density and energy for natural gas vary with the source, process and delivery. The values above are from the sources listed under references.

Average

Average

2.4 The Carbon Footprint

The combustion of 1.0kg of natural gas produces 2.75kg of CO2 and 0.18 kWh of energy. www.engineeringtoolbox.com

The average production of CO2 for one tonne of product range (short dough / semisweet, cracker) is: 37.8 x 2.75 = 104 kg

CO2 emissions: 104 kg per tonne of product range

A bakery with three production lines producing a total of 50 tonnes per 8 hour shift and 20 shifts a week will produce approximately 1000 tonnes of biscuits per week.

The CO2 emissions will be approximately 104,000 T per week and over 5,200,000 T per year.

CLIMATE CHANGE: ENERGY FOR BISCUIT BAKING

Biscuit consumption and CO2 emissions in several countries

In these countries the total population of 2327 million produce 960500 T of CO2 emissions each year from biscuit production. Per capita emissions: 0.413 kg/year

The total global CO2 emissions in 2016: 35,753,305,000 T.

The world population is 7.46 billion. Per capita CO2 emissions: 4.79 T www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions

2.5 Energy Sources For Biscuit Baking

The current energy source for biscuit baking world-wide is gas. The option in some countries is fuel oil. However oil has a higher CO2 emission rate than gas, 3.15 kgco2/kg fuel compared to 2.75 kgco2/kgfuel for gas.

Electricity has substantial advantages for baking, but currently is expensive and the main generation systems involve substantial CO2 emissions. Fossil fuels have been the cheapest source of power for generating electricity. However, burning fossil fuels for generating electricity and heat is the largest source of greenhouse gases, causing 30% of global emissions.

3. Generating Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources

The concern over climate change and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions has

led to rapid development of renewable energy sources, solar, hydropower, wind and biomass. In addition nuclear power is an important source for the generation of electricity. The methods of the generation of electricity have changed during the last 10 years and now energy from some renewables is less costly than energy from new fossil fuel sources.

LCOE (Levelised costs of energy): based on the cost of building the power plant and the costs of fuel and operation during the plants lifetime.

www.ourworldindata.org

Electricity costs from solar fell 13% yearon-year reaching USD 0.068 / kWh in 2019. Onshore and offshore wind costs fell about 9%

year on year to USD 0.053 / kWh and USD 0.115 / kWh respectively for newly commissioned projects.

Renewables made up 26.2% of global electricity generation in 2018. It is expected to rise to 45% by 2040. Over half of all utility scale renewable capacity additions in 2019 achieved lower costs than the cheapest equivalent new coal plant.

www.c2es.org www.energypost.eu

3.1 Power Generation Costs For Renewable Energy

www.energypost.eu

The price of generation from onshore wind and solar PV-generated power have both fallen below USD 0.05 / kWh. Fossil fuel powered generation usually costs between USD 0.05/ kWh and 0.18/kWh.

These developments will continue based on concerns over climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions. This will affect the options for energy for biscuit baking.

3.2 Development Of Electricity Generation From Renewables

Renewable energy became the biggest source of electricity in the European Union

in 2020 reaching 38% of the total electricity generated. For several individual countries it is now the main source of electricity, including United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. In United Kingdom 54% of electricity came from low carbon sources. In 2020 renewable energy sources accounted for 12% of the total energy consumption and 20% of electricity generation in the USA.

Japan’s government has pledged to increase renewable sources, solar and wind, for electricity generation from 10% in 2018 to 2224% by 2030.

The Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) for Nigeria seeks to increase the supply of renewable electricity from 13% of total electricity generation in 2015 to 23% in 2025 and 36% by 2030. Renewable electricity would then account for 10% of Nigerian total energy consumption by 2025. REMP targets higher electrification rates, from 42% in 2005 to 60% in 2015 and 75% by 2025.

In a number of countries in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa energy from biomass contributes a significant source of energy with low carbon dioxide emissions. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, such as corn and soy and wood. The energy from these materials can be burned to create heat or converted into electricity. Some coal fired power stations are now being converted to burn biomass.

Renewables will become the largest source of energy by 2025, surpassing coal.

FIG 2 After Lazard

FIG 3 Increase in energy from renewables 2019 - 2025

BAKER PACIFIC

3.3 Future Developments For Biscuit Baking

It is predicted that electricity will in the future be a preferred energy for many industries, based on competitive costs with current gas supplies and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. In addition electricity is a clean and easily controlled energy source. Electric baking ovens have the following features:

• Radiant heat transfer which is penetrative and achieves optimum volume and texture of the products

• Clean energy that does not contaminate the products or the baking environment. There are no products of combustion.

• Dry heat which is efficient in reducing moisture content. Steam application and turbulence systems provide humidity as required by the baking process

• Electric heaters are easily and accurately controlled

• Minimum oven maintenance is required.

4. Solar Energy

4.1 New Biscuit Bakeries

Modern biscuit bakeries have long flat roofed production areas. The image above is an example of modern bakery design. New bakeries now often have production areas of around 150m x 30m, 4,500m2. This area could be used for solar panels.

4.2 Solar energy for a new bakery

A bakery roof of 4,500m2 could support 2000 solar panels of 96cells and 350W capacity for each panel. The panel size is 1.90m x 1.0m.

Energy = solar panel watts x average hours of sunlight per year x 0.75

0.75 typical efficiency factor. Hours based on mid Europe: 2000 hours per year

Calculation:

350 W x 2000 hrs x 0.75 = 525,000W per year per panel

525 kWh/panel x 2000 panels = 1,050,000kWh per year

Vivint Solar www.vivintsolar.com

Power Requirement For A Production Line: Average power requirement for producing 1000kg of cracker, semi-sweet and short dough biscuits: 509kWh

Our 2000 solar panels would power the production line for approximately 2000 hours.

Average hours of sunlight per year:

• Europe: Paris 1660, Rome 2500

• USA: Chicago 2508

• Brazil: Sao Paolo 1948

• Asia: Bombay 2680, Jakarta 2975

• Africa: Lagos 1885, Johannesburg 3182

• China: Shanghai 1874

• Australia: Sydney 2426

Solar panels

Photo by MICHAEL WILSON on Unsplash

CLIMATE CHANGE: ENERGY FOR BISCUIT BAKING

So there you have it! A bit dense? For more information and a bigger break-down on this and other biscuit over matters, you can check out Iain’s various books, as well as his contributions on www.biscuitpeople.com

Iain Davidson graduated from the School of Industrial Design (Engineering) at RCA in London in 1965 and joined Baker Perkins Ltd as an Industrial Design Engineer. He worked in the Technical Department on the design of new biscuit and bakery processing machines until 1975, gaining a thorough technical knowledge of the machines and processes. He rose through the ranks at Baker Perkins, until he was appointed leadership roles such as Managing Director of Baker Perkins (Hong Kong) Ltd and Director of Baker Perkins Japan KK. Iain established PT Baker Pacific Mandiri in Indonesia in 2000, and in Hong Kong in 2004. Baker Pacific Ltd is now a UK registered company.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

Hong Kong Shipowners Association

Now more than ever, logistics are what keep the world turning, whether the rest of the world is at standstill or moving with it. Supporting Hong Kong’s shipping industry through multiple strategic approaches and specialist partnerships, the Hong Kong Shipowners Association has enjoyed fast growth and global recognition since its formation in 1957.

Having identified a need for dialogue and mutual support, 11 shipowners came together to create a forum for their interests. That was in 1957, when the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (“HKSOA”) was first incorporated and since then, what was an intimate forum has grown into one of the world’s largest shipowners groups. Today, the HKSOA represents members that own and/or manage a total deadweight carrying capacity in excess of 182 million tonnes and offers two distinct tiers of membership, allowing more than just shipowners to benefit from the collective’s experience, as Sandy Chan, Managing Director, revealed:

“There are two categories of membership: ‘Ordinary’ membership for Hong Kong domiciled shipowners, managers and operators; and ‘Associate’ membership for other professions and services upon whom the industry would rely in the performance of their business.”

with a vision of global shipping business

Hong Kong Shipowners Association

By bringing two different yet intrinsically connected factions of the same industry together, under the umbrella of an association, everybody benefits, from the members themselves to those who require their services. The reason for such far-reaching positive results? Sandy believes it is the nature in which the HKSOA encourages and facilitates communication and collaboration:

“The Association arranges forums in which members are able to meet and discuss issues of concern, informs the membership of important changes in the shipping environment through educational seminars and circulars, and represents the interests of members in national and international fora.”

Operating at the behest of a mission to protect the interests of all members, solidify Hong Kong as a maritime superpower and promote value-added services for the general public, the HKSOA now operates on a number of levels, including internal, local, national and global. Each level requires vast amounts of dialogue and plays a vital role in the overall aims of the Association, the most important being the acknowledgement of being a recognised and respected voice for the shipping sector.

Internally, the HKSOA hosts events for members that serve to inform new developments, which are then relayed locally, to relevant government departments and stakeholders. Taking conversations to a national level requires close working relationships with mainland authorities, other associations and business partners and finally, international information sharing consolidates all of the hard work completed on a smaller scale:

“At the international level, the Association is well known as the “Voice of Asia”. We support the principles of free trade, fair competition and a levelplay field, and we participate actively in the global and regional maritime arenas. Presently, both the Marine Committee of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Ship Insurance and Liabilities Committee of the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) are chaired by HKSOA representatives.”

Having become woven into the fabric of the shipping industry over the last 63 years, the HKSOA has seen a great deal of industry instability, with 2019 being a particularly challenging year. The trade disputes, coupled with stunted global economic growth meant that many shipowners felt the pinch, but then came the 2020 shipping sulphur cap to make things even more challenging. Sandy

recognises these difficulties for the industry and is resolved to assist:

“In the new year, it is even more important for the Association, as a trade organisation representing the local shipping community, to continue to do things that are positive and encouraging.”

This brings us to the future. What has the HKSOA got planned, in terms of helping its members through the mire of industry uncertainty? A great deal as it happens, much of which is a continuation of carefully laid groundwork. This is particularly true when it comes to enhanced global collaboration, as the International Chamber of Shipping has accepted the HKSOA’s offer to host a representative office, namely the International Chamber of Shipping (China) Liaison Office, away from London, cementing Hong Kong as a leading maritime entity in the region. Another future focal point to identify is next generation shipping professionals. Not enough is being done to encourage young people to follow a career into the industry and Sandy reflected on how this should change:

“Grooming young talent is especially crucial for the shipping industry as the sector is

With our 200-year old roots in the maritime world, we have experience, knowledge and an unparalleled reputation.

Our marine practice has more than 100 dedicated marine legal experts based around the globe including the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Monaco and Piraeus.

Many of our lawyers have first-hand industry experience in P&I clubs, ship management companies, with international brokers, traders and charterers.

Please contact us:

Damien Laracy

Damien.Laracy@HillDickinson.com

Edward Liu

Edward.Liu@Hilldicikinson.com

Antony Cowie

Antony.Cowie@Hilldickinson.com

experiencing a period of unprecedented change on all fronts – operational, technical, commercial, legal and financial. We must have the right people to cope with these changes.

In the years ahead, the Association will work closely with both the government and member companies in maritime education and training.”

Involvement in a significant Greater Bay Area (GBA) development plan is also an exciting longterm initiative that would transform Hong Kong’s shipping industry into a modern, innovative and efficient enterprise. Two months ago, the HKSOA hosted its first GBA Forum in the annual Hong Kong Maritime Week to explore the growth potentials for, and business opportunities of, the GBA for maritime and maritime services sectors. It was well received, and the HKSOA is planning another one this year.

Sandy is also keen to highlight a recent success of Hong Kong. In the past few years, the HKSOA has been working hard in seeking BIMCO’s (The Baltic International Maritime Council) agreement to add Hong Kong as a named arbitration venue in the dispute resolution clause in the BIMCO’s standard

contract. In December 2019, BIMCO accepted the suggestion that Hong Kong be included as a named arbitration venue in its Dispute Resolution Clause in the standard contract.

“We are very pleased with this announcement. The arrangement will further boost the use of Hong Kong’s maritime arbitration services worldwide, and consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a leading, international maritime centre.”

The importance of this should not be underestimated. BIMCO is an international shipping association with members in more than 120 countries. To be an important part of such an enterprise will raise the profile of Hong Kong’s maritime industry no end, whilst adding credence to the work being done by the HKSOA.

By actively seeking out new and important global relationships, nurturing the shipping industry professionals of the future and always retaining a local connection, the HKSOA is maintaining a difficult balancing act. Protecting the interests of those members that look to the Association for support now and being ready for what lies ahead requires significant expertise, but that’s exactly what the HKSOA is built on.

Expert legal advice across all areas of maritime law

MAKING IT STICK

Bharathi Cement Corporation

Private Limited (BCCPL) is an Indian producer of superior quality cement that has set new standards in the industry. It is a joint venture of the French Vicat Group, themselves true pioneers in artificial cement. We took a look at Bharathi to see how they have changed since Vicat purchased a 51% majority stake in the company, and made it the Group’s flagship India-based operation.

TWritten by Alice Instone-Brewer

91 40 3000 6999

o understand the expertise that Bharathi brings to the table, once must first understand the almost 200-year-old heritage and legacy that it is a part of. Vicat has been a pioneer in cement manufacturing since it was founded by Louis Vicat in 1817. Today, the Vicat Group is a global organisation with offices in 11 countries and a global turnover of €2,292 billion; its main business interests are cement, ready-mixed concrete, concrete products (precast) and aggregates, with three verticals within the company organising these operations into cements, aggregates and polymers. Each vertical has a team of over 850 professionals, with their operations spreading out across seven states in India.

Louis Vicat was not only the founder of the Vicat Group – he invented artificial cement. This is how cutting-edge the Vicat Group’s beginnings were. In 1853, Louis’ son Joseph Vicat established the first cement factory. Today, the company is present in France, the US, Turkey, Senegal, Switzerland, Egypt, Italy, Mali, Kazakhstan, Mauretania and India, with more than a 30 million tonne cement capacity and over 7,700 team members across the globe. Over the last decade, the group commissioned multiple new plants, including its entry into the

BHARATI CEMENT

Indian cement industry in 2008 with a joint venture, followed by its acquisition of a major stake in Bharathi Cement in 2010.

As for Bharathi Cement itself, the company has a two state-of-the-art production lines with a total capacity of five MTPA. This facility in Nallalingayapalli, in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The company was established on 25th October 2006, after taking over from Raghuram Cements Private Limited. Eventually, the company’s ownership changed and Raghuram Cements was renamed Bharathi Cement Corporation Private Limited on 6th August 2008, two years before its majority share was acquired by the Vicat Group.

On its founding in 2006, the company started the construction of its first production line, with a capacity of 2.25 MTPA, at Nallalingayapalli. The company selected leading German and Danish technology for their production line in order to strive for the highest quality they could. Additionally, to avoid human error, the facility

was given a robotics lab that analyses raw materials remotely, taking corrective measures if required to avoid human errors and deliver the best quality of cement.

On 4th February 2011, the company’s second production line of 2.75 MTPA was added, and in 2015, a 30MW Captive Power Plant was set up to allow the company to supply its own power needs. Finally, the facility was given a supporting back-end rail and road transport system ensuring the delivery of cement within 24 hours of placing an order. The ability to support Bharathi’s operations with such hefty infrastructure was a boon that came from Vicat’s involvement, and the boost that it allowed Bharathi eventually also allows the establishment of its own subsidiaries: a laminated PP bag manufacturing unit called Bharathi Polymers India Private Limited, and an aggregates division called Bharathi Rock Products India Private Limited.

Even within Bharathi Cement itself, the company offers more than the manufacture and supply of cement alone. For example, the company’s Mobile Construction Advisor offers laboratory testing facilities of concrete at your doorstep, providing portable lab conditions for concrete testing, with test certificates issued. These tests can be performed on fresh or hardened concrete using non-destructive test facilities.

Other services and facilities offered by Bharathi’s Mobile Construction Advisor include demonstrations and tips on good construction practices, informative lectures and on-site video presentations, on-site training for masons and site supervisors, and advice on concrete mix proportions.

The company also offers Help@Bharathi out of their Pune and Hyderabad offices, with a view to expanding this service further. The aim of this service is to work with Bharathi’s stakeholders by educating and empowering their end-users and influencers (civil engineers, consultants and architects) by providing them with onsite advice on good construction practices, as well as value added services for building strong structures. They also provide education and certification for unskilled or semiskilled masons

CEMENT

and contractors, and information on materials and the latest technology used in the sector.

They are also able to help those planning a build with areas such as material selection and construction estimates: these sorts of consultations can be offered to a client from just a blueprint of the proposed construction project. Help@Bharathi seeks to empower the future of the industry, and encompasses multiple levels of innovative and experimental formats to keep them well informed and ahead of the times, so that they can continue to inspire and help the end user to make the right decision whilst purchasing cement.

In recognition of their excellent product standards and efficient facilities, Bharathi Cement has twice received the award for Asia’s Most Promising Brand. The survey was carried out by KPMG, with 150 top brands selected from 1,500 brands throughout Asia. The company has also received the CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management, which

is awarded as a part of the Energy Efficiency Council’s aim to advance India’s sustainable energy practices. This award was the 17th edition of the Energy Efficiency Council’s series covering over 150 energy efficient companies across various sectors such as pharma, cement, and power.

Of course, as we’ve seen time and again, high-quality performance isn’t possible without the staff that deliver it, and a wise company therefore takes good care of its employees. As Bharathi say about their working environment; “We endeavour to provide a balanced environment to our people where fun and work go hand in hand, not only for our employees but for their families as well. We continuously strive to provide world class facilities to our employees that take care of their personal and family needs.”

True strength comes from unity. As Aesop illustrates in one of his many fables, an individual stick can be broken, but a bundle of sticks is extremely hard to break. Working together, what we create is often stronger than the sum of our parts, benefitting from the best of everyone involved and supporting each other where that support is needed. This concept is clearly true for Reitz India, an Indo-German venture that seems to bring together the best of both teams and countries as they unite to create industrial-grade fans. We spoke with Anurag Tej Kotagiri, Reitz India’s

Reitz India is an Indo-German joint venture collaboration. Its German counterpart, Konrad Reitz Ventilatoren GmbH (KRV), was founded in 1948, whilst Reitz India was founded in 1998, meaning it is now closing in on its 25th year of operation. Overall, the Reitz Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of top-quality industrial fans, with manufacturing facilities in Switzerland as well as its German and Indian locations. The German company is one of the biggest centrifugal fan manufactures in Europe, and Reitz India is also prolific in its own right. In its own words, “Since its inception, Reitz India has remained as a progressive organization offering tailor-made solutions to its customers, thus earning its name as a leading fan company in India and abroad.” As Anurag further told us, “We have supplied over 36,000 fans in over 60 countries so far.”

As a Group, Reitz puts an emphasis on the importance of tailor-made solutions to suit each client’s specific needs, whether that is the commissioning of a new fan or a retrofit of an existing system. There is also an emphasis on building long-term relationships with their customers, in order to keep them up to date with their fan needs. This approach requires two aspects from Reitz: strong technical expertise, and the ability to build lasting bonds. Reitz India has both.

Firstly, its technology. As Anurag told us; “We believe, and I think we’ve proved over time, that quality is paramount to our organisation. That quality comes, in part, because we have been able to define certain parameters in the way our manufacturing process is designed. We invest in machinery such as laser welding, laser cutting technology, and even a spinning machine that no other fan manufacturer in South Asia has. We also have an exchange technical knowledge [with KRV].”

“We pay attention to detail in every part of the process, and we’d like to thank our partners and colleagues in Germany in relation to this. We have been able to work with them in tandem and implement their processes, and that success shows in our product.” With more years behind them and a strong tradition of precise German engineering in their company culture, it is no wonder that KRV has information to share with Reitz India. This exchange goes both ways, however, with both companies able to learn from each other, and in closely

Reitz India

following the advice from its German counterpart, it is the dedicated team in Reitz India that puts this knowledge into practice. “We’re always refining – it’s a continuous development. We work with KRV every week – we have weekly meetings about how we could make our productivity better or how we could have a leaner manufacturing process.”

This relationship is fruitful in terms of its exchange of ideas, but that isn’t all: as we said, the two aspects Reitz requires is technical know-how and also the ability to make and sustain bonds, and in its joint venture with KRV, we can see both. “It’s been 24 years now, so we’ve come a long way in terms of how we communicate. Our collaboration with Germany has gone even beyond the professional front. Some of them are family friends now – I know their kids and we interact. I myself am 30 years old, so, you could say I’m a second generation in this company, and they’re the third generation in KRV. So, we have a culture and family ties.”

One of the ways in which this Indo-German collaboration has benefited Reitz India is through thinking up ways to make the company’s production methods cleaner and more sustainable. For example, as Anurag told us:

“We have a very specific waste management system, which is oftentimes missing in industrial manufacturing companies in India, though that is starting to change. For us as an organisation, it is not just the products that matter: we like to show that we’re an organisation that takes responsibility by adapting these sustainable approaches, not just towards manufacturing, but towards the environment as well.”

Speaking of the environment, Reitz India has gone above and beyond to protect its environment in an unusual and, depending on your view on certain creatures, arguably adorable way. Anurag told us all about it:

“India has a lot of snakes. Where we are in the South of India, in the suburbs, you could literally call it an urban forest. Snakes are everywhere, and they usually curl up wherever they find piles of iron.” For Reitz, who work with iron to make sometimes giant industrial fans, that means everywhere. Which, when these snakes are sharing their homes with a busy team of workers, can be a problem. “We have a factory of about 400 people here, and people, in general, are scared of snakes. So, in the past, they would get scared and kill them. Snakes are

very defensive animals, and we are in their territory too – it isn’t just our territory. We’ve got to learn to coexist.”

“I am fortunate to have a friend from an organisation called Friends of Snakes. What they do is spread awareness about each and every snake that is present in this eco system. So, we had a workshop, and we conducted it twice over the past two years. Now, my blue-collar workers – they encounter these snakes quite a bit – proactively come up to me and say, ‘Sir, I spotted a snake. I knew it was a non-poisonous one because I could tell from the scales, so we let it go’, or sometimes they even see the poisonous one but just let the snakes pass by, because they’re very defensive creatures and they’re good for the ecosystem. And it doesn’t end at the workplace - they go back home, they talk to their kids, they educate their families. So, it’s nurturing minds. We take our CSR seriously.”

This wider impact will benefit not only the snakes and the local ecosystem, but it is also a form of educational outreach. This outreach has also been offered by Reitz India in other ways, such as a Safety Week that uses a range of events to educate young people about safety. In more bricks-and-mortar

CSR, the company has also built the sanitation for a local government school, but it really is the snakes that stood out to us as a unique way to improve both workplace safety and the wider environment and community.

When it comes to outreach and aid, sometimes events take us by surprise, and a need arises that grabs the world’s attention. As we spoke with Anurag, the conversation couldn’t help but turn to what is happening in Ukraine. Whilst far away from both of our offices (Anurag in India, we in the UK), the situation never seems far from the mind. For Reitz India, the situation was seeming particularly relevant because the company has several important customers out there, with real human relationships attached.

As will came as no surprise, the company has some high-value goods that it has constructed for Ukrainian clients who, of course, cannot currently take possession of or pay for it. For Reitz, the response to this is a no-brainer: “Of course, we are human beings first, so we said alright, we’ll let it be, we’ll let time pass.” What silenced our phone-call with Anurag, however, was hearing about an email they received from another major client – a steel

company – that had reached out to its suppliers to ask for humanitarian aid to be sent to the company. Letting business in the country pause, Reitz – and we are sure many others – responded back to share their gladness to send over what non-perishable goods, such as first aid kits, that they could. As of our conversation, the back and forth about the logistics was still ongoing. Moments like this are reminders of how unpredictable our world is, and, as Anurag said, we may work in various industries, but we are all humans first. Whatever role we are playing in our market, that is an important fact to remember – especially when our world is so small these days, and aid and communications are more possible than ever to send.

Turning back to its business ventures, however, Reitz is very much on the move. Whilst the company encountered some challenges during Covid, such as needing to grapple with the shipping issues and delays that struck business the world over, it continued on and business did well. A move to digitisation was a boon that the company was able to implement and take away from the pandemic, with clients who were previously reluctant to have remote readings taken finally able to see

Reitz India

the benefit. As many businesses have seen, from necessity came innovation.

With business itself going well, Reitz has its eyes on new frontiers: currently selling products to 60 countries, there are still some areas of the world where the company doesn’t yet have a presence, but it intends to change all this. In particular, its eyes are currently looking to North America:

“The North American market is our focus in the coming two or three years. We’ve done very little business there in the past 10 years, compared to what we’ve done in India and the rest of the world. One reason was that we didn’t have someone on the ground to market, whereas now we have one, and we’re going to add another. One advantage we have is that we work with LafargeHolcim, one of the leading cement manufacturers in the world. They’ve absolutely been one of our top customers. North America really is where we want to be doing business in cement in the coming years.”

One edge that Reitz India offers is a low manufacturing cost compared to its European and American rivals, though at the moment, transportation costs are so high that this absorbs much of this. As mentioned before, the company continually seeks to further streamline its operations and up their efficiency, and saving expenditure in this way goes a way towards countering this effect. One such way in which Reitz India saved itself funds was a simple move inspired by the pandemic, rather than by its German cousins:

“We have a plasma cutting machine and we have a laser cutting machine, but the cost of running the plasma is ten times the cost of the laser. We got the laser cutting machine during the first pandemic: it’s a one-time investment that was quite high, but then it’s far cheaper. We were spending an average of about £2,500 a month for the plasma, just for maintenance and the consumables. The laser cost me hardly £200. It’s like an electric car: you buy it first, I know it hurts, but you save in the long run.”

Another edge that Reitz offers is its talent at retrofitting existing fans – coming in and making these already installed fans more efficient, which

A fan for all seasons

can save a company on energy costs as well as improve how green its emissions are. “The USA is big in energy savings and we are really good in improving the efficiency of an existing fan. So, our strategy is to add value and give energy savings to our customers in the USA. The USA has promised a lot at the COP summit. They promised to cut down their emissions, and if you want to cut down your emissions you need efficient machines, and we are there to help them do that.”

A global move towards this desire for energy efficiency, and even for renewable energy, has proven fantastic for the industrial fan trade. Not only do companies need efficient fans in order to cut down on their own emissions, but industries such as cement and steel rely on this technology, and whilst neither of those sound particularly green, they’re both needed towards the effort.

In fact, the effort can’t exist without them: “You cannot build a wind farm without cement and steel. A lot of investment is going into renewable energy, and so, into renewable steel and cement. To ramp up the sustainable approach, to ramp up renewable energy, you would need the cement and the steel

companies to ramp up their production, and that’s where we come in.”

It is always gratifying to hear that a push towards renewables really is happening, and equally, it is good to be reminded of the heavy industries that must, by necessity, support the move. You cannot have one without the other, but in companies like Reitz India, there are the means to reduce the impact of such operations, in their case through efficient fans. As for Reitz itself, it is also encouraging and rewarding to hear of its interest in its local community, the positive impact it is making for both people and animals in its area, and even, we can hope, those further afield. It is fitting that a company strengthened by a JV passes the benefits of collaboration and cooperation forwards by helping others, and we look forward to watching this company achieve more success in the near future.

REDEFINING HOSPITALITY

Forget what you think you know about the competitive world of hospitality - the Ormond Group, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is taking a hyperlocal route to global hospitality. We spoke with Julian Wong, Chief Technology Officer for the Group, to learn more about its latest properties.

It’s no secret that the hospitality trade is a speciality that’s hard to crack. Demanding clients, ever-evolving social media tools and online reviews all mean that hoteliers are increasingly exposed to real-time reviews that can make or break. The Ormond Group is a new hospitality group going global in this digital age, and is facing that challenge head-on with a commitment to great design, great service, great guest experience at a great price point.

The group’s portfolio includes legacy brand Tune Hotels and will shortly welcome two new brands – Ormond Hotels and MoMo’s. “Tune Hotels is a brand known for its combination of great value and practicality, located at transit hubs, for global travellers who value comfort, convenience and fun, while MoMo’s is our social hotel brand with micro-rooms that celebrate playfulness and spontaneity for the socially connected, generation Z travellers. Finally, we have Ormond Hotels, which is a collection of individually designed boutique properties for the contemporary traveller who appreciates design, culture and simplified luxury.”

Written by Amy Buxton

By identifying key demographics for their brands, the group has made light work of offering tailored accommodation and experiences for each, playing to its strengths as an adaptive

and multifaceted brand owner. Rather than trying to be something to everyone, the group has chosen to focus on providing a great guest experience to their target demographic.

“For now we are headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where most of our current properties are,” Julian told us. “We will debut our new brands Ormond Hotels and MoMo’s this December with The Chow Kit – An Ormond Hotel and MoMo’s Kuala Lumpur, and will be expanding into Europe with our second Ormond Hotel in Dublin, Ireland in 2021. This will be followed by our Melbourne site, which will host both a MoMo’s and Ormond when it opens in 2022.”

Given that both the travel and hospitality industries are showing signs of growth, and with it, growing competition, there is no point in thinking small. In fact, now is absolutely the time for big ideas and a creative presence, as social media has made it easier than ever before to reach new audiences and potential

customers. By recognising that social media is now a key platform where travellers discover and engage with new brands – these platforms are an important part of how Ormond Group engages with future guests and build a fan base of guests who will return. Digital tools and technology remain an important part of Ormond’s growth and guest experience strategy.

“Being in Asia,” Julian explained, “A big challenge is the of costs of systems originating out of the US or Europe, as the exchange rate makes it cost prohibitive for us. For example, we’ve been engaging with several self check-in kiosk vendors, but could never get it over the line because the costs, once converted, were too high for deployment in our hotels. Therefore, we have embarked on a project to develop our own self checkin kiosks locally and we aim to have them rolled out in out properties in the first quarter of 2020.”

Due to the highly competitive nature of the hospitality industry, those groups that manage to soar above the others only do so because they actively seek to go not just the extra mile, but an extra ten miles. Julian knows that the perfect combination of focussing on guests and providing unrivalled IT infrastructure is crucial to providing the best guest experience:

“We have a guest-comes-first approach to everything we do. Every decision we make from interior design to guest experience and technology is always centred around how we can make our guests’ stay more comfortable, more engaging and ever more special. The team is very much focused on delivering great design, great experience and great service at a great price point. Our technology strategy is focused on implementing best-in-class IT infrastructure to provide fast and reliable Wi-Fi for our guests.”

Their mission is anchored by a people-first strategy, and the group is focused on securing

and developing talent. With little more than 50 people keeping headquarters running smoothly and another 100 plus at the various hotel properties, the Ormond Group takes a quality over quantity approach to people. Management fully vets and assesses the potential of every prospective new team member, and there are management training programmes available to new and existing hires. This has created an inclusive and supportive company community, where hard work is rewarded with progression and there’s plenty of opportunity for growth.

“Recognising, training and keeping talent is a core strategy of growing the team. We always look internally first to fill new roles within our existing and new properties; we’re a growing company so there is a lot of upward momentum for our existing team. That being said, we also actively recruit senior talent to strengthen the team, and work with a local and international team of partners and vendors.” ��

Ormond Group’s design partners include design firms Studio Tack, Akin Atelier and AvroKO who are designing their Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Dublin properties.

Julian goes on to note that the Group’s IT partners, have also contributed to improved guest experiences across the board,

“We have partnered with major IT vendors such as Oracle Hospitality for our Property Management System (PMS), Sabre Hospitality for our Central Reservations, Cendyn for our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Agilysys for our Point of Sales (POS) as our core IT systems. On top of that we also utilise Guest Traction for our online pre-check in which allows guests to pre-check in 48 hours before their arrival to speed up the arrival experience at our hotels. For our infrastructure, we deploy best in class IT hardware such as Ruckus for our wireless Internet and network systems.”

“We hope to grow from 2000 to 3000 keys by 2022. This December, we will debut both

the Ormond and MoMo’s brand on a dual brand site in Kuala Lumpur. The Chow Kit, an Ormond Hotel, will be a 113-room boutique hotel designed by Brooklyn-based Studio Tack, while MoMo’s Kuala Lumpur will be a 99 microroom social hotel. We will also have flagship developments completing in 2020. The first will be our namesake, The Ormond Hotel, which will be a 120-key hotel, on a historically significant site in the heart of Dublin. This will be followed by the opening of Ormond Melbourne and MoMo’s Melbourne, on a 2-tower site on Flinder’s Street in Melbourne, in 2022.”

With fast changing travel trends, Ormond Group believes that one thing will always remain: the desire for great service and great design at an affordable price point. The Ormond Group is here to stay and so are its guests, in droves.