Endeavour Issue 11-25

STRENGTHENING QUALITY & SAFETY

IN INDONESIA’S CCUS AND OIL & GAS SECTOR

Bureau Veritas empowers the oil and gas industry with world-class testing, inspection, and certification solutions. From upstream to downstream, we help businesses ensure safety, optimize performance, and meet global compliance standards. Trust our expertise to enhance operational integrity and sustainability—because your success is built on quality and reliability

Heads of Departments

Editor-in-Chief Carley Fallows editor@littlegatepublishing.com

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Lead Designer Adam Knights

Research Kristina Palmer-Holt

Editorial Research David Craig

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Editor’s Note

Welcome back to Endeavour Magazine!

With just a month left until 2026, we are starting to see companies across the world begin to wind down their operations for the year and reflect on all their success in 2025.

One company that has seen significant success in 2025 is the Port of San Diego, which has continued to see vast development across its port operations. We were thrilled to catch up with the Port of San Diego once again, who told us all about the port’s expansion over 2025, its plans for the coming year, and the role sustainability continues to play across all of its port operations. We thank the Port for once again choosing us to tell their story, and we look forward to catching up with them in 2026 to see how its cargo, trade and cruise line operations continue to expand.

This month, we also got to see the innovative engineering solutions delivered by Seatrium Limited. Here, we saw how Seatrium has continued to grow its solution portfolio across the world, delivering vital turn-key solutions designed to harness the energy developments of the world. Here, we are glad to see Sword Pte Ltd. and SSB Cryogenic Services showing lead support for this feature, along with Best Tech.

We then turn to the Port of Djibouti to hear all about how the port has developed a seamless logistics structure to serve the cargo needs of Ethiopia and the surrounding region. With the port playing a vital role in Ethiopia’s economy, we got to see how the infrastructure of the port’s 7 facilities has been developed into a thriving hub for cargo shipment. I’m thrilled to see Djibouti Shipping Company, JJ Kothari & Co. Ltd. and MIT Logistics supporting this feature.

by Carley Fallows

Port of San Diego

Asia/Oceania

New Species Discovered in Australia

Researchers from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have discovered a tiny semi-transparent crab and a glowing lantern shark during a research voyage. The research took place in the Gascoyne Marine Park, which lies 20km off the western coast of Australia. This is home to a hotspot of biodiversity, where more than a million different species are through to live. This area is unique, as it is home to species that are not found anywhere else on earth, and thus provides a unique research opportunity –especially as large parts of it remain unexplored.

Amongst the hundreds of specimens collected, a new type of porcelain crab was discovered, measuring only around 1.5cm in length, which uses hairs to catch food rather than claws. Also discovered was the newly named West Australian Lantern Shark, which has large eyes and a glowing belly. These discoveries are exciting to better understand the rich biodiversity of the region. So far, the voyage has uncovered around 20 new species

Jersey Cows Improving Milk in Nepal

A program has been launched to help farmers in Nepal improve the quality of milk produced in the country through the cross-breeding of cows. The cows in Nepal are being cross-bred with Jersey cows, in an effort to produce more milk that is of a better quality. The program aims to help farmers in Nepal, whose cows often produce very little milk that is not of high quality. This, in turn, means it can only be sold for a low price, leaving many farmers experiencing poverty.

Therefore, Jersey Overseas Aid, Project Heifer and the Royal Agricultural Society are working with three cooperatives in Nepal to deliver genetic material from Jersey cows, which can be used to cross-breed cows in Nepal to produce greater milk production. By helping farmers to produce great amounts of milk, which is of better quality, the initiative hopes to help farmers in Nepal battle poverty and make more money from their cattle.

Blizzard Leaves Hundreds Stranded on Mount Everest

Hikers visiting Mount Everest in early October became stranded when a shock blizzard hit on the eastern slope. Heavy snowfall began and intensified, leaving more than 200 climbers stranded, battling against hypothermia as they awaited rescue. Rescuers and those from the local village were deployed to clear out the snow which had blocked the area, whilst 350 hikers were guided to safety in the local township of Quadang. The large-scale rescue operation saw a total of 580 hikers, and more than 300 local mountain guides and yak herders rescued from the slopes.

The hike up Mount Everest is a popular one, but also one that is dangerous, with overcrowding along the trails and many fatal climbing attempts. However, October is typically an ideal time to hike Mount Everest due to the clear skies and favourable temperatures, and so the extreme weather event was unexpected for many.

Second Smallest Nation Reaches World Cup

As teams continue to play against each other in the hope of reaching the World Cup, Cape Verde has begun celebrating as the second smallest nation to have qualified for the competition. Cape Verde played against Eswatini, beating the team 3-0 in a home match. This scored the team the top spot in their qualifying group and confirmed their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026. This is the first time Cape Verde has qualified for the competition, and it will play off for the title across the international stage. Cape Verde topped their group, beating five-time Afcon winner Cameroon, who have experienced poor away performances in the qualifying campaign. Cameroon will now play off in the African and interconfederation play-offs in the hope of making it to the World Cup.

Final Ebola Outbreak Patient Discharged

Following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September, the United Nations has announced that the last patient has now been discharged. The initial outbreak saw 64 cases reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) across the Balupe and Mweka areas of the Kasai province in the south-west of the country. These cases included 53 confirmed cases and a further 11 probable cases due to patients showing typical Ebola symptoms.

The outbreak in Kasai province led to 45 deaths. The final patient has now been released from the treatment centre in Kasai, and as long as no new cases are discovered in the next 42 days, the outbreak will be declared to be over.

G20 Summit in Cape Town focuses on Clear Air

Heads of state and government figures from across 20 countries have met at the G20 summit held in Cape Town to discuss major issues related to the global economy – covering everything from financial stability to sustainable development and climate change. For the first time ever, one of the central focuses of the meeting was to discuss air quality, a growing global concern. Whilst clean air has often been discussed, this is the first time the concern features on the agenda as a standalone point of discussion in the forum’s history. This is a vital development for the G20 and highlights a key movement towards protecting health and climate change.

Air pollution is a serious concern that claims the lives of millions across the world each year. For South Africa, where the summit is being held, the focus on air quality is an essential part of its overarching mission to deliver a living environment that is not harmful to the health or well-being.

Americas

ChatGPT Releases New Browser to Rival Web Search Competition

ChatGPT Atlas is the newest launch from AI company OpenAI, which is designed to change the future of web searches, delivering an artificial intelligencepowered web browser. The browser will be in key competition with the likes of Google, who operate Chrome, which is the most popular browser in the world. ChatGPT Atlas will no longer have the typical search bar we may be used to, and instead, it will be built around its existing ChatGPT model. According to OpenAI, Atlas will also offer a paid agent mode, which will be able to conduct searches on its own for users.

To help promote the new search engine, OpenAI has entered into partnerships with Etsy, Shopify, Booking.com and Expedia to encourage more users to adopt the browser. However, the competition with Google’s Chrome will be hard to beat, as search engines have already started implementing their own AI technologies to enhance searches.

Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica

A Category 5 Hurricane made landfall in recent days in Jamaica, bringing with it widespread destruction and flooding. When the hurricane first made landfall, it was classed as a Category 5 hurricane and has since been downgraded. The hurricane is the most powerful of its kind to hit Jamaica this year, with wind speeds reaching up to 185 miles per hour (mph), and the worst storm to hit Jamaica since records began 174 years ago. 530,000 homes were left without power, with blocked roads, fallen trees and major flooding across almost every parish. Damage was caused to four main hospitals along the coast, with one losing power altogether, forcing it to evacuate 75 patients.

The full extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa is yet to be fully seen, and the Hurricane is now making its way to Cuba, where wind speeds of 115mph have already been recorded. Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Bermuda are currently preparing for hurricane-like conditions as the weather event moves across the region.

Taylor Swift Breaks Records with 12th Studio Album

October marked an important month for Taylor Swift fans as the singer released her 12th studio album titled ‘The Life of a Showgirl’. On its opening week, the album broke records, selling 304,000 copies in the UK, making it the biggest opening week for an album in 2025. This has broken the first week sales of her last two albums in the UK. However, Swift also broke records in the US, selling 2.7 million copies of the album on the release day alone.

The launch of the album was accompanied by a cinema launch event, where fans could see the premiere of the new music for the first track on the album, as well as behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the album. Since the launch, the singer has announced a new filmed version of her global tour, ‘The Eras Tour’, as well as a six-part series showing behind the scenes of the tour. .

Middle East

Qatar Qualifies for the first time for the FIFA World Cup 2026

For the first time, Qatar will play in the 2026 World Cup through qualification. The team previously played when they were the host of the competition; however, this time, they will enter the competition via qualification alone. Their qualification came when the side achieved a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates. This defeat of the United Arab Emirates team placed Qatar at the top of the group, granting them automatic entry into the competition.

The United Arab Emirates team will now have to enter the playoffs in November and then the Intercontinental Playoffs in March to decide if they will have the chance of reaching the final tournament. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held between June 11th and July 19th in 2026, hosted by 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Ronaldo Reaches Billionaire Status

According to the latest Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Cristiano Ronaldo is the first footballer to reach billionaire status. This status has been achieved following the signing of a new contract with the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr. This contract, along with the various other work the player does with brands such as Nike and Armani, as well as earnings, investments and endorsements, has collectively pushed the player into billionaire status with a net worth of $1.4 billion according to Bloomberg.

The contract signed at Al-Nassr was reported to be worth more than $400 million. However, when Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023, he was already reported to be the highestpaid player in football history, receiving a reported salary of £177 million.

6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Western Turkiye

Western Turkiye was struck with a 6.1 magnitude earthquake centred in the Sindirgi, Balikesir province. The quake with a depth of 5.99km hit at 10.48 pm local time, causing damage to buildings across the province. Three buildings, which were already damaged from a previous tremor, collapsed, as well as a two-story shop. Following the quake, aftershocks were felt across Istanbul, as well as in the nearby provinces of Bursa, Manisa and Izmir.

No deaths were reported from the earthquake; however, 22 people are reported to have been injured. Turkiye has experienced many earthquakes in 2025, and is still dealing with the aftereffects of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit in 2023, killing 53,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings across the southern and southeastern provinces.

Europe

Mosquitoes Found for the First Time in Iceland

For the first time in the country’s history, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland. Iceland has long been one of only two places in the world where mosquitoes had not previously been found, due to the cold climate across the country. The only other place that has no mosquitoes is Antarctica. However, an insect enthusiast encountered mosquitoes whilst in Iceland, including two female mosquitoes and one male, which were later confirmed as Culiseta annualata. The species is one of the few species of mosquitoes that can successfully survive winter in colder conditions.

The mosquitoes were sent to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History to be identified, where the species was confirmed. Whilst the species has been seen across Europe and North Africa, its presence in Iceland is something new. Iceland is known for its cold conditions and little stagnant water, which makes it difficult for mosquitoes to breed. However, temperatures in Iceland have reached record highs in recent years, and this could be the cause of mosquitoes being able to survive in the country more easily.

Famous Portrait of Marie Antoinette Actually of Sister

A researcher from Oxford University has found that one of the most famous paintings of Marie Antoinette as a child is actually a painting of her older sister Maria Carolina. The researcher had been studying portraits of Marie Antoinette and noticed details that didn’t line up. The painting from Swiss painter Jean Etienne Liotard features a girl who has long been thought to be Marie Antoinette, holding a shuttle used for weaving and staring directly at the viewer. However, Professor Catriona Seth noticed that what was thought to be a brooch was in fact a medal of a specific order of chivalry, which was given to Marie’s siblings, but as the youngest, she would not receive hers until 4 years later. This highlighted to Seth that the portrait was likely that of her older sister Maria, and not of Marie.

Seth also believes that another portrait thought to be of Maria Carolina is actually a young Marie Antoinette, due to the distinctive earrings and the rose the girl in the painting is holding, which was seen across many paintings of Marie Antoinette throughout her life.

Jewellery Heist at Louvre

Thieves broke into one of the most popular museums in the world to steal a plethora of priceless crown jewels. The thieves carried out the theft in broad daylight, arriving at the museum around 9.30 am, not long after the museum had opened its doors to visitors. The suspects are reported to have used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Gallery of Apollo via its balcony, where they cut through the window with power tools. Two display cases containing jewels were cut, with the thieves stealing a variety of items, including a tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, an emerald necklace and pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie Louise, a tiara, necklace and single earring from the sapphire set belonging to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense, and a brooch.

The thieves also almost got away with Empress Eugénie’s crown, but this was found damaged, having been dropped on the escape route. Police are currently working to track down the thieves and stolen goods before they are broken down and sold. Currently, two suspects have been arrested, but no further progress has been reported.

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Port of San Diego

As the 4th largest port in California, the Port of San Diego is a leading hub of maritime operations along the U.S. West Coast with a wealth of cargo and cruise operations under its portfolio, as well as shipbuilding and repair, and commercial and sportfishing operations across the maritime sector. We are thrilled to be catching up with the Port of San Diego once again, hearing from Michael LaFleur, Chief Operations Officer and Joel Valenzuela, Vice President, Maritime & Operations, in addition to Principal of Maritime Business Development, Greg Borossay, at the Port of San Diego. We are excited to bring you first-hand updates from across the Port’s expansive maritime portfolio, to hear how it has continued to develop its business lines over the last year, the Port’s plans for 2026, and how it remains committed to supporting a sustainable maritime sector.

The Port of San Diego benefits from a natural deep-water harbour and two cargo terminals, which provide easy access to regional freeways and an on-dock Class I rail service. This infrastructure has long made the Port ideal for cargo shipping, offering the space, expertise and flexibility to move cargo – particularly cargo that does not fit into standardised containers. As a result, the Port now plays a vital role in shipping specialised cargo, including breakbulk, roll-on/rolloff, dry bulk and refrigerated cargo.

With its growing cargo business supported by its infrastructure and location, the Port of San Diego is known as the speciality cargo gateway to the Pacific for the U.S., with a wealth of cargo travelling along regular trade routes across the globe.

The central cargo trade regions for the Port are Europe, Asia and Latin America. For Europe, the Port handles inbound cargo including automobiles, steel products, yachts, fertiliser, machinery and components for wind and energy development. The primary cargo inbound from Asia includes automobiles, machinery, project cargo, energy components, transformers and generators, steel products, ship engines, paper rolls and bauxite. Then, for Latin America, the Port’s import cargo includes bananas and other fresh fruit, perishables, seafood, and bulk sugar. The Port is also responsible for exporting beef, retail goods and other light manufacturing goods to Latin America.

Of note, the Port currently has breakbulk contracts with G2, US Ocean and Norden (formerly Thorco) as well as a weekly container service with Dole Fresh Fruit at the Port’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. The Port also has relationships with Eastern car carriers, Eukor, Glovis and NYK together with Pasha Automotive at its National City Marine Terminal.

When we last spoke with the Port of San Diego, we learned about the increase in the Port’s cargo lifting capacity thanks to the introduction of electric cranes in 2024. Speaking once again to Greg Borossay, Principal of Maritime Business Development at the Port of San Diego, he outlined that in 2025, the cranes have continued to deliver significant cargo operations for the Port. Borossay shares that in the first year alone, the cranes have been invaluable in growing the Port’s cargo

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Vital Maritime Developments

business, including helping to offload specialised cargo, supporting rail to ship transfers and aiding in the movement of project cargo. Thus, Port of San Diego is now primed with the facilities and equipment to handle cargo that was previously only handled by ports along the Gulf Coast, highlighting it as a vital hub for trade for the U.S.

Reflecting on the expansive growth of the Port in recent years, we asked Greg Borossay about the Port’s goals towards expanding its trade links across the world over the coming years. Borossay outlines that, “The Port of San Diego is looking to increase our container business in the coming years across more international markets. Now that we can handle up to 400MT lifting capacity with our new electric mobile harbour cranes, we are working to recruit a monthly or twice-monthly container service to focus on Japan and Southeast Asia.”

The Port presently has sister port relationships with Ensenada Mexico, Nanjing China, and Sasebo Japan with an intent to expand these relationships to include Korea and Vietnam. With the expansion

of the Port’s relationships across more markets around the globe, the Port looks set to grow its container business, further solidifying the Port of San Diego as a hub primed for international cargo operations.

When we last spoke to the Port of San Diego, we also heard about how one of the Port’s goals for 2025 was to expand its cruise line operations. Therefore, we were excited to speak to Joel Valenzuela, Vice President, Maritime & Operations for the Port of San Diego, about the developments of the Port’s cruise line operations. Valenzuela outlines that the Port has seen an upward trajectory in its cruise calls, and in turn, the number of passengers travelling through San Diego. However, the upcoming season looks set to be even more pivotal for the Port, as Valenzuela highlights that, “Next season (20262027), we are expecting to reach 190 calls and 800,000 passengers. It will be our biggest year since the 2007-2008 season, and it’s thanks to the addition of Norwegian Cruise Line’s homeports starting this season, as well as next season’s new

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Port of San Diego

Royal Caribbean homeports plus Disney Cruise Line’s expanded service.” As the Port’s cruise services continue to expand over the coming season, Valenzuela highlights the great partnership the Port has with cruise lines and says that the Port “will be looking to continue growing with them as well as partners for needed development of our facilities to support future cruise growth.”

In Valenzuela’s comments on the expansion of the Port’s cruise services, he highlighted that Norwegian Cruise Line has added San Diego as a homeport for the first time. This addition will be vital for the Port of San Diego, with Norwegian Cruise Line expected to make 21 calls this season. In addition, Royal Caribbean will also utilise San Diego as a homeport for the 2026-2027 cruise season, expecting to make 45 calls during this period. This means that in total, the Port of San Diego is a homeport across four major cruise lines, with Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean joining Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line also recently announced that it would be expanding its service, which will see it bring two ships to San Diego during

the 2026-2027 cruise season, making an anticipated 60 calls and attracting an estimated 285,000 total passengers.

The expansion of the Port of San Diego’s cruise line business is significant because when operating as a homeport along cruise itineraries, the cruise industry brings approximately $2 million in regional economic impact, and $600,000 when a visitation port. This means that on average, San Diego’s cruise season generates anywhere between $125 and $250 million each season. In fact, according to the Port’s most recent economic impact report, in the fiscal year 2023 (FY 2023), the Port of San Diego’s cruise industry injected $184 million into San Diego County’s economy. This massive economic impact of the cruise industry highlights just how vital the expansion of the Port’s cruise line operations is for supporting the local economy in San Diego.

Across all of the Port of San Diego’s operations, sustainability remains a firm priority. A recent significant development in the Port’s sustainability initiatives is the active leadership role it has taken in its Blue Economy Incubator, as outlined

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

by Michael LaFleur when we spoke. LaFleur, Chief Operations Officer at the Port of San Diego, outlines that, “As part of our commitment to promote the development of a sustainable ocean economy, we established the Blue Economy Incubator in 2016. It serves as a launch pad for Port-related sustainable aquaculture and blue technology ventures.” LaFleur continued, “Through the Blue Economy Incubator, the Port is building a portfolio of new businesses and partnerships that deliver multiple social, environmental, and economic cobenefits to the Port and the region. To date, the Port has provided $2.35 million in funding to support the launch of 11 innovative pilot projects.” As we can see from LaFleur’s comments, sustainable business development remains at the heart of the Port, with its development of projects across the aquaculture, coastal resilience and maritime decarbonisation sectors designed to help reduce the environmental impact of maritime operations across San Diego.

In 2021, the Port of San Diego adopted the Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS), which was designed to improve environmental and public health through cleaner air for all who live and work around San Diego Bay. LaFleur highlighted that the Port has been implementing and making significant progress across 80% of the objectives that were outlined by MCAS, delivering a notable decrease in emissions related to maritime operations. LaFleur told us that, “In recent years, the Port and our partners have committed more than $227 million toward projects including electrical infrastructure, electric cargo handling equipment and technology deployments, berth rehabilitation, and at-berth emissions reduction equipment.” This vital investment towards sustainable development across the Port’s infrastructure highlights its future-focused outlook to deliver a cleaner and more sustainable maritime sector now and for the future.

A significant site of current development of the Port is at the National City Marine Terminal, where the Port is focused on berth repairs. LaFleur outlines that the Port is working with the Oregon Shipping Group, the Port of Bellingham, MARAD and Caltrans to open a new coastal shipping corridor: the West Corridor M-5 Coastal Connector. This will allow barge transportation for building materials,

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Port of San Diego

containers, and general cargo for both north and south routes. The goal of this is to provide supply chain resiliency and reduce truck trips by introducing a coastal connector. The development of the West Coast M-5 Coastal Connector is one of the major developments being carried out at the Port of San Diego as we enter 2026, in the hopes that it will provide flexibility and cost savings for domestic cargo customers and help to get more heavy-duty trucks off the road to reduce air emissions and traffic along the Interstate 5 corridor in the process.

In addition, the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal is also being developed towards several zeroemission initiatives. These include the upgrading of the existing electrical system to support the

installation of additional shore power systems and more battery electric cargo handling equipment. The current plan is in its second phase of development, with on-terminal rail track replacement, realignment and local capacity improvements being carried out. The plan will also see seismic upgrades, concrete resurfacing, the potential for additional stormwater improvements, water and utility reconfiguration and upgrade, as well as a front gate, perimeter fence and an operations centre developed. LaFleur highlights that, “These improvements will maximise operation areas on the terminal, make cargo handling and movement more efficient, and support future charging technology for electric vehicles and equipment.” This development project is vital for the Port of San Diego as it supports its speciality

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Vital Maritime Developments

cargo advantage by providing laydown space and flexibility for project, roll-on/roll-off, and breakbulk cargo.

As the Port of San Diego looks toward the future, infrastructural development, strengthening of the Port’s cargo services and delivering additional trade routes across the globe are the central priorities of the Port. Greg Borossay outlines that the Port’s strength remains in speciality cargo, and so it will continue to prioritise and develop opportunities in the bulk and breakbulk sectors. Alongside the opening on the M-5 Coastal Connector, Borossay says the Port wants to, “further develop our bulk sector to make the Port of San Diego a premier clean bulk gateway for medium-sized export and import bulk like sugar, bauxite, sand and soda ash – something the other Southern California ports don’t have the space or operational capacity to accommodate.” Then, for global trade development, the Port hopes to continue outreach to European carriers regarding niche service potential to Asia and Europe, and extend its trade connection across the globe. With these vital developments

established to lead the Port into the coming year, the Port of San Diego continues to grow as an expansive, competitive and sustainability-focused port delivering significant economic developments for San Diego and beyond.

From all of our conversations with the Port of San Diego, development towards the future remains a key priority. With its cargo and trade business positioning the Port as a hub for cargo trade along the West Coast of the U.S., the Port is continuing to diversify its cargo operations and connect the port with more markets across the world. Alongside this, the Port is establishing a lucrative cruise line business through its partnerships with key cruise liner operators across the world. To facilitate all of this, the Port continues to expand its infrastructure, whilst remaining sustainable, and serving as a thriving hub of economic development for the San Diego region. We look forward to catching up with the Port of San Diego again soon to see how its cargo, trade and cruise line operations continue to grow over the coming years.

Photo Credit. Port of San Diego

Maritime safety has never been more vital; with millions of vessels navigating the globe daily, ensuring seamless and efficient communication among these vessels remains crucial for safety, operational efficiency, and fleet management. With so many vessels communicating worldwide, mermAId, an innovative AI electronic product, was created and designed to improve inter-vessel communication. We were excited to speak with Dean Mancini, CEO and Chairman of Mermaid AI, Inc., the company behind mermAId, to see how this advanced AI product has already been making waves globally by enhancing safety and communication in the maritime sector.

MermAId originated within the US Navy, where the technology was developed following a research and development project aimed at enabling unmanned ships to autonomously communicate with manned ships over VHF radio. This program, the US Navy Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) program, led to the development of mermAId, a sophisticated AI technology that scans all marine VHF channels simultaneously and transcribes all messages into text displayed in real time. These messages can be translated from 54 languages into English using advanced AI technology, ensuring users understand what is being communicated over the airwaves and allowing actions to be programmed based on this information.

When I spoke to Dean Mancini, CEO and Chairman of Mermaid AI, Inc., I asked him what role mermAId played in everyday maritime operations. Mancini outlined that ‘mermAId provides enhanced situational awareness to all aspects of maritime operations.

The Future of Maritime Safety

In the commercial industry, fleet managers and dispatchers can remotely monitor all communications of their vessels from land via any computer or the mermAId app on their mobile phone. They can even be alerted on their phone if one of the vessels issues a distress call.” Mancini continued, “Port and vessel traffic services and emergency personnel can have a better understanding of what is happening in their harbour by aggregating the radio traffic across all channels and can program automated alerts customised to their area of interest. If there is ever an incident, a date/time stamped log of that radio traffic, both in audio and text formats, are available to authorities and insurance companies in a searchable database online”.

Mancini’s comments here highlight just how valuable mermAId is across so many aspects of ports and harbours to enhance awareness of vessel activity, and to allow for a quick response should an emergency occur. In the event of an emergency, mermAId is an essential tool because the technology can be used to automatically alert authorities of a dangerous situation. Giving an example, Mancini outlines that “in the event of a disabled vessel that is on a collision course with a bridge, mermAId can

be programmed to send a text message to port authorities and police to close the bridge”. This ability to proactively respond to emergencies ensures an extra layer of safety across the maritime landscape, supported by this innovative AI product.

With so much great technology behind it, mermAId today is being utilised by the US Navy to support harbour surveillance operations. The technology stands head and shoulders above its rivals as the first of its kind, as a vital patented technology, which has proven its success with an institution such as the US Navy. In addition to the US Navy, the Port of Baltimore has been one of the most recent ports to adopt mermAId to improve safety across its harbour by rapidly disseminating critical information. The adoption of mermAId came following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, when a container ship struck one of the bridge’s piers. In an effort to increase safety across the Port of Baltimore, it has adopted mermAId technology to allow it to help monitor vessels across the port and prevent such events

from occurring in the future. Since it adopted mermAId, the Port of Baltimore has benefitted from enhanced port management and visibility, whilst maintaining reliable communication with all vessels travelling through Baltimore’s waters.

The company behind mermAId is Mermaid AI, Inc., with the technology having been developed by TDI Innovations Inc., part of a family of operations. TDI Technologies, and its affiliate company, TDI Novus, Inc., have been leaders in the engineering, research and design sector for the Department of Defence for over 35 years, with a central part of its research and development being focused on AI. With the increase of AI across the maritime sector, mermAId benefits from TDI’s expertise in this field to deliver greater awareness, faster and automated actions, which support increased efficiency and improved safety, whilst reducing costs in the process.

VHF Traffic captured by mermAId in Baltimore, MD after the M/V W Sapphire explosion on 18th August 2025

The Future of Maritime Safety

As Mermaid AI, Inc., and its mermAId technology look towards the future, I asked Mancini what the goals of mermAId technology over the coming years were. Mancini outlined that the central goals of mermAId are to transform VHF communications into a more powerful, actionable, and automated tool to improve safety and awareness in the maritime community. As the company moves towards this goal, mermAId technology has continued to be piloted with several of the largest tug companies in the inland waterways sector to monitor their vessel operations and assist with dispatch operations. Mancini outlined that the company is “developing a version 2.0 of our software which will include a map view to show vessels which are associated with radio transmissions, as well as a new mobile app to allow for remote monitoring and notification anywhere in the world”.

With this development, Mancini hopes to see mermAID being utilised across ships and harbours worldwide. For Mancini, “There is a multitude of communication being used out there and the technology in mermAId will allow us to unlock and fully utilise all that information. I believe it will ultimately save lives and being a part of that is

hugely fulfilling to me on a personal level”. Mancini’s comments here highlight that mermAId is not just technology to enhance fleet communication, but in the long term, it is a vital tool that will improve safety and save lives in the future. With safety being such a crucial aspect of maritime operations, the development of AI-powered technology such as mermAId that can improve awareness, communication, and emergency alerting will help to shape the future of ports and harbours worldwide. We look forward to catching up with Dean Mancini again soon to see how more stakeholders in the maritime sector continue to adopt the company’s mermAId technology to improve communication and safety in their ports and harbours.

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Across the global shipping industry, A.P. Møller – Mærsk (Maersk) is likely to be a name you are very familiar with, especially for its integrated transport and logistics services across the world. The company, a global leader in logistics services, today operates across more than 130 countries worldwide, supported by approximately 100,000 employees across the globe. With such a vast array of experience behind the company, it is no surprise that companies across the world choose to move their products with Maersk, knowing each and every delivery is supported by their full sea and inland transportation service. Across these services, Maersk ensures that no matter the cargo or destination, the company is committed to getting its customers’ products where they need to be – and in a cost-effective and timely manner. For North America, Maersk brings its expertise together to deliver full inland services that ensure cargo can smoothly travel across the region and onto key trading markets through its transportation routes.

Across North America, Maersk is committed to delivering well-connected, agile and reliable logistical solutions supported by its global network. In North America, there is a wealth of commodities being shipped locally across the region, as well as overseas to partners in places such as Europe. For Canada specifically, mining and technological development are at the forefront of the country’s development, and so these resources are vital for exporting within and across the country. These materials can include things such as fuel, vehicles, and machinery, which play a valuable role in supporting the economy of Canada. The United States of America (USA) sees a similar array of products shipping to and from its shores, with vehicles, electrical machinery, and even petroleum and gas products making up its key shipped commodities. Across Mexico and the rest of North America, items such as manufactured goods, electronic components, fuels and other energy products lead its import and export operations. Therefore, with such a wealth of products being shipped both within and from North America, it’s no surprise that Maersk is relied upon heavily for its services spanning across the region.

Across North America, Maersk offers regulated shipping services across many major ports. For Canada specifically, Maersk offers regular shipping services across its ports spanning both the east and west coasts, including services to the Port of Montreal, Port of Prince Rupert, Port of Halifax, Port of Surrey and Port of Vancouver. In the USA, Maersk calls at ports along the entire coastline, including large-scale ports such as Port of Los Angeles, Port of New York, Port of Savannah and Port of Seattle – to name just a few. In Mexico, Maersk serves the likes of Port Altamira, Port Lazaro Cardenas, Port of Manzanillo, Port Progreso and Port Veracruz with shipping services. Across these ports, customers gain access to Maersk’s international ocean fleet, which ensures that all shipping operations from North America can reach global markets more easily.

One of the things that separates Maersk from its competitors is its international network, which is committed to delivering effective solutions that extend beyond the ports. Once cargoes reach end

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ports, both across North America for imports, or across the world as exports, Maersk provides fullinland services, which help to move the cargo from end ports to its end markets. It achieves this through its own transportation fleet supported by local transportation companies that help move cargo across roadways, railways and inland waterways.

Many of the countries operating under Maersk in North America are vital trade partners, with Canada, the USA and Mexico playing a vital role in each other’s import and export markets. Across these markets, Maersk delivers its expertise to streamline supply chains to help get cargo from manufacturers to end markets much quicker. Across all of these services, Maersk is committed to delivering a full inland service, which ensures that whether travelling by sea, road, railway or barge, its customers’ supply chains are continually supported by its fleet and global network of expertise.

When dealing with such a diverse array of cargoes across North America, Maersk is committed to delivering the perfect shipping solutions that meet the needs of each cargo. This can include break bulk or refrigerated items, all of which require specific shipping needs, and it is these cargospecific requirements that Maersk thrives on

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providing. A great example of this is across Maersk’s operations in Mexico, where it provides specialised refrigerated cargo services which ensure produce and temperature-controlled items arrive in perfect condition. This attention to detail helps Maersk support North American supply chains by providing a cost-effective and reliable service that meets the exact needs of each cargo. However, this seamless movement of cargo wouldn’t be possible without Maersk’s network of local suppliers to help provide complete and integrated supply chain logistical solutions that cover cargo from the start to the end of its journey.

In July, Maersk released its North American Market Update, which outlined that the shipping links between Europe and North America have remained strong, whilst shipping between the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa to North America is beginning to enter peak season. The demand for shipping between North America and West Africa remains firm, with garment and coffee volume expected to rise between North America and East Africa. In terms of shipping between Asia-Pacific and North America, Maersk outlines that trans-Pacific import demand increased in June. To meet the demand, Maersk

Leading Shipping Solutions

have reinstated its vessel capacity that has previously been downsized. The larger capacity should help meet the growing demand. These market updates remain vital to helping Maersk stay ahead of the game in delivering the best shipping facilities possible, which meet and expand its offerings based on demand. This ability to stay on top of current and predicted cargo demands helps Maersk remain a leader in the industry, set on delivering its customers’ supply chains in the most effective way possible.

Across Maersk, there is a firm commitment to simplifying global logistics to help connect key markets and, through this, deliver an integrated world where shipping and logistics solutions like we have seen across North America can connect the whole way round. As the company looks towards the future, we look forward to seeing how it continues to enhance the shipping and logistics sector of North America, whilst working to continually build its network spanning all corners of the globe. With such a wealth of expertise behind it, it’s no surprise that Maersk is a leading shipping and logistics provider for North America and its customers’ supply chains.

Seatrium Limited

With over 60 years of experience in the energy and marine design and construction sector, Seatrium Limited (Seatrium) delivers innovative engineering solutions that span across the development of offshore platforms, rigs, floating vessels, and specialised vessels, as well as in its delivery of repair, upgrading and conversion services. With these extensive solution offerings, Seatrium serves the maritime and oil and gas industries well, positioning itself as a premier global player offering solutions that are underpinned by the company’s commitment to high standards, safety, sustainability and performance. With such a pivotal reputation within the energy and maritime sectors, Seatrium is now a leading engineering company operating across the world.

The Seatrium we know today was formed when Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Offshore & Marine, two heavyweights in the engineering sector, came together to form a single group that would harness both companies’ extensive expertise and knowledge in the industry. Together, these companies hoped to deliver leading solutions that could better serve their customers and stakeholders by leveraging the synergies between the two companies. Thus, Seatrium was formed in 2023, delivering high-quality and high-performance engineering solutions that are purpose-built to meet its customers’ needs. This innovative approach ensures that Seatrium can continue to work with its clients to develop offshore and maritime solutions that meet their specific needs, enhancing global energy and maritime sectors, whilst solidifying Seatrium’s place as a leading engineering company across the world.

Today, Seatrium’s operations span across the world with the company operating shipyards, engineering centres and technology facilities in places such as Singapore, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Across these hubs of operations, Seatrium is set on delivering vital solutions that explore new spaces, technologies and applications even under the most challenging of circumstances. With innovation at the heart of its development, Seatrium’s key business segments include oil and gas new builds and conversions, offshore renewables, repairs and upgrades, and new energies, with a growing focus on sustainability.

For the oil and gas sector, Seatrium delivers complex rigs and turnkey solutions, which are designed to harness the global network to deliver vital energy developments. Its products include the new builds and conversions for Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) units, Floating Production and Storage (FPSO) Units, Floating Drilling, Production, Storage and Offloading (FDPSO) units, and Mobile Offshore Production Units (MOPUs). In addition to this, Seatrium also delivers gas terminals, Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) units, Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) and Gravifloat solutions, as well as Offshore Oil and Gas Fixed Platforms.

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Seatrium has already shown its expertise in this field, with the development of Shell Vito RPF (Regional Production Facility), a deep-water floating production unit that is delivering oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico. The unit was delivered in late 2021 and is a compact and efficient solution that incorporates advanced technology. Shell Vito RPF was one of the first of two new build FPUs Seatrium has delivered and will provide a great model for future compact, efficient FPU developments within the deep-water sector.

In July, Seatrium further cemented its place as a leading FPSO provider across the world with the delivery of PETROBRAS 78 (P-78) to Brazil’s national oil company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras). P-78 delivers a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), 7.2 cubic metres (mcbm) of gas per day, and provides storage capacity for 2 million barrels of oil. The FPSO will be deployed across the Búzios Field, which is one of the most prolific oil and gas deposits offshore Brazil, providing essential oil and gas production for Brazil’s energy sector. P-78 ranks among the largest in the global operating fleet of FPSOs, highlighting Seatrium’s engineering expertise and innovation in delivering the vessel

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SSBCSPL is the first Singapore company certified by Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) to conduct Global Testing for LNG membrane vessels. Supported by a skilled in-house engineering team and certified by GTT to perform testing in accordance with its methodologies, the company ensures the highest standards of safety and reliability.

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to support the energy sectors across the world. In fact, Seatrium has previously delivered FPUs, FPSOs, FSRUs, drill rigs and accommodation vessels to Brazil’s energy sector already, highlighting its robust relationship with the country as a leading engineering solution provider.

Another key sector of Seatrium’s business is focused on offshore renewables and delivering new energy. For this, the company delivers turnkey solutions including fixed platforms, offshore wind and new energy solutions that focus on being cost-effective and highly adaptable, whilst also meeting the highest of technical specifications for global clients. Seatrium delivers offshore wind farm fixed platforms, including High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) converter stations, High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) substations and wind turbine foundations. In addition to this, Seatrium is also focused on delivering Wind Turbine Installation Vessels (WTIVs), Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) and Floating Wind-HVDC and HVAC stations. This focus on delivering engineering solutions for the offshore renewables and new energies sector highlights Seatrium’s commitment to delivering

designs that are helping customers across the world to meet their sustainability goals, and in the process, solidifying Seatrium’s role as a key provider of solutions that are designed with sustainability and emission reduction in mind.

Aside from its role in the offshore energy sector, Seatrium also provide specialised shipbuilding services to deliver high-performance specialised vessels that are designed with the global energy transition and decarbonisation in mind. These vessels are ‘future-proofed’ utilising Seatrium’s award-winning, high-performance and specialised expertise in vessel construction to deliver vessels that meet the highest of technical specifications for clients across the globe, both for today and for the future. However, alongside its development of new vessels, Seatrium is also passionate about repairing and upgrading existing vessels. For this, the company has developed strong relationships with its clients to repair, refurbish, retrofit and extend the life of existing vessels, including FPSOs, FSOs and FSU units. This focus on refurbishment and repairs to existing vessels helps to promote sustainability by utilising existing vessels rather

Seatrium Limited

than developing brand new ones. Ultimately, this helps to extend the lives of vessels already in operation or give them a new purpose to limit the necessity for new vessels to be made to support the planet, whilst saving its customers both money and resources.

In August, Seatrium signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Karpowership for the development of 4 New Generation Powerships, with the adoption of two additional units. Karpowership will deliver the hulls and key equipment for the powerships, where Seatrium will complete the bulk of the mechanical and electrical equipment integration, mechanical completion and pre-commissioning work. The agreement also outlines the conversion, life extension and repairs to three existing LNG carriers to deliver them as FSRUs. The LOI marks a milestone agreement between Seatrium and Karpowership and deepens the strategic partnership between the two towards delivering more sustainable, mobile and scalable energy solutions for the future.

Alvin Gan, Executive Vice President of Repairs and Upgrades at Seatrium, outlined the following announcement: “This LOI marks a pivotal step in our journey to build a global franchise in floating power infrastructure. Our successful collaboration with Karpowership goes beyond FSRU conversions – its about enabling energy access through innovative maritime platforms. With four FSRUs delivered, a fifth due later this months, and two more underway, we are proud to be a long-term trusted partner in delivering greener energy and sustainable solutions; through a variety of innovative solutions in new generation powerships, FLNGs, floating battery, floating data centres and water de-salination vessels. These projects demonstrate our engineering excellence

Engineering Excellence

and our commitment to supporting the energy transition”. Gan’s comments highlight just how valuable this LOI is in strengthening Seatrium’s position as a leading engineering and development company for the energy sector. By working with other leaders in the maritime construction and engineering sector, such as Karpowership, the two can leverage their expertise to deliver more sustainable, efficient and reliable power ships for the future of energy development.

Across Seatrium’s operations, there is a primary focus on delivering engineering expertise that

can harness the energy and maritime sector, whilst working to do this in the most sustainable way possible. With sustainability taken into consideration across every single development or redevelopment, Seatrium can play a valuable role in helping its customers deliver the vital resources needed for operations, whilst meeting global sustainability goals. With a plethora of projects and developments under the company’s belt, it’s no surprise that Seatrium is now a leader in the global offshore, marine and energy sectors, focused on engineering for the future.

The Utah Juniper Tree: Growing Against All Odds

Written by Carley Fallows

If you’ve ever been to Utah, the likelihood is you’ve seen the Utah Juniper, a species of tree that covers nearly one-fifth of the land area in the state. These trees, most easily identified by their unique appearance across vast dry lands, are a thing of incredible resilience, often thriving in even the most extreme conditions with little water. From housing animals to being an ideal wood for use in construction, the Utah Juniper Tree is a reliable and interesting tree that is determined to grow against all odds.

The Utah Juniper, most commonly seen across dry plains, plateaus, and lower elevation areas of mountains, is a slow-growing tree that rarely reaches more than 30 feet in height or three feet in diameter. The size of the trees is one of the things that makes the species so durable, as each one hides a secret network of roots that can account for up to two-thirds of the tree’s total mass. This expansive root network is designed to help the tree penetrate up to 25 feet into the earth in search of water, whilst lateral roots can extend more than 100 feet from the tree. Therefore, the trees remain firmly planted in their place, meaning that even in extreme weather conditions such as high winds, the Utah Juniper is solidly placed and will not move easily.

Many Utah Juniper trees are very old and typically live anywhere between 350 to 700 years, with some even passing the millennium mark. In fact, the oldest Utah Juniper tree has been dated to be over 1967 years old. One of the ways that the trees remain so durable is their ability to self-prune, which allows them to stop their nutrient supply to one branch in favour of another that has a better

chance of survival. This self-pruning is what gives the tree its unique shape, with some having lots of leaves, some having multiple trunks, and others having poorly formed crowns. Across its structure, the juniper conserves its water, ensuring the best survival of the tree, even in the most barren of locations.

One of the best ways to identify a Utah Juniper is from its fruit. The tree is covered in ‘berry’ shaped fruits, which are actually small fleshy cones, which feature waxy scales. These provide ample food for animals across the land, with many birds relying on the juniper berry cones for fall and winter food. The foliage of the tree is also grazed on by deer, especially when foliage is scarce during winter periods, when few other plants can grow.

Wood from the Utah Juniper tree is used today across a plethora of construction projects. The wood is ideal for building structures, as well as for fence posts, firewood, pencils and Christmas trees, due to the decay resistance of the wood. The

decay resistance of the wood is due to the wood being one of the hardest and densest woods of all western juniper species, and it is this structure that makes it difficult for rot-causing organisms to enter the wood and damage it. Therefore, the wood is ideal for use in a variety of constructions due to its strong anti-rot nature.

Overall, the Utah Juniper is a unique tree that thrives in even the harshest of environments thanks to its unique root system and ability to selfprune. With the wood and berries providing a variety of uses, the tree is a vital species spanning across the Great Basin in the United States. With the tree able to withstand extreme temperatures and windy conditions, whilst also needing very little water, the Utah Juniper is a reliable and resilient tree that is determined to grow against all odds.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/ utahjuniper.htm

https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/shrubs-andtrees/juniper-utah

https://www.uvu.edu/crfs/native-plants/juniperusosteosperma.html

Port of Djibouti

Located along major shipping lines traversing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Port of Djibouti is a thriving shipping and logistics hub, delivering essential transhipment and cargo services. Thanks to its ideal location along many key international shipping routes, the Port is a valuable gateway to African markets, facilitating vital cargo and maritime services. These services have helped the port bring significant economic development to Djibouti, as well as its neighbouring countries, which rely on the port for trade. However, one of the most important roles of the Port of Djibouti is in supporting the trade of landlocked Ethiopia, which relies heavily on the Port to provide vital marine services to support the country’s import and export markets. With economies such as Ethiopia’s relying on the Port’s operations, the Port of Djibouti is continually focused on undertaking key development projects to help enhance the capability of the port, and allow it to continue to greatly serve the global trade operations it carries out for many years to come.

The Port of Djibouti encompasses 7 specialised facilities to deliver it as a major logistics hub for global trade. This 7-facility network is a rare model used in Africa, but allows the port to deliver focused logistics, transportation and trans-shipment services across East Africa. The Port is overseen by the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPFZA), a governmental entity that manages the administration, directives, and operations of Djibouti’s ports, free zones and special economic zones, as well as many of the port’s main infrastructures. Thus, DPFZA’s mission is to establish the Port of Djibouti as a trade and transportation hub for Africa, taking advantage of its strategic location at the centre of two of the world’s busiest shipping routes to connect markets in Africa with customers across Asia, Europe and America. Therefore, a key part of DPFZA’s role is to strengthen Djibouti’s role as a logistics and infrastructure hub through projects that can enhance the port and deliver the economic potential of Africa.

Ethiopia is one of the most significant countries to the port, as the Port of Djibouti is responsible for handling around 90% of Ethiopia’s trade in goods, which it moves to and from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, by either truck or rail. Therefore, Ethiopia plays a key role in the development of the port. Djibouti only has a population of around 1.18 million, and so the bulk of the port’s facilities have been built to take advantage of its position as a vital gateway to Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country. Thus, Ethiopia has helped to finance the construction and development of modern facilities at the port and deliver it as a key trans-shipment hub for other ports in the region. This has helped to enhance the Port of Djibouti’s network and deliver it as a major logistics hub, integrated into other transportation infrastructure to serve the East African region.

Across the Port of Djibouti’s 7 facilities is the Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port, located just 5km west of the city of Djibouti. The multipurpose port handles a range of cargo varieties, with the main commodities including oil, bulk cargo, containers and livestock. The port has the capacity to accommodate large vessels thanks to its deepwater berths. These berths mean that even large container vessels can arrive at the port, where

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cargo is then handled via modern equipment across several specialised terminals, which ensure the efficient management of different cargo types. The technical advancement at DMP is what has helped deliver it as an attractive destination along global shipping lines, ideal for customers seeking efficiency, reliable and seamless maritime logistics operations. Annually, the port has the capacity to handle 8.2 million tons of cargo. The Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port terminal then links to the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, which provides essential transportation needed to move cargo from the Port of Djibouti and to landlocked markets in Ethiopia. Another key facility of the Port of Djibouti complex is the Port of Tadjourah, which was primarily built to support potash export, but now serves as a key multipurpose port for the region. The port is capable of handling up to 2,000 tonnes of potash per hour, accumulating to 4 million tonnes per year. Across its infrastructure, the port has 2 linear quays of 455m in length and 12-15m draft (enabling it to accommodate 65,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) general cargo vessels), as well as a roll-on/

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roll-off terminal with a 190m quay and 12m of draft. To help deliver commodities from the port across the region, the Port of Tadjourah was developed in conjunction with other major infrastructure works, including the North Tadjourah-Bahlo corridor highway, providing an even more seamless network to move cargo from the port and onto end markets.

One of the most valuable infrastructures connecting to the Port of Djibouti is the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway line. The railway was the first cross-border electrified railway of its kind in Africa, and today provides 753km of single-track standard gauge connecting Ethiopia’s capital with the operations at the Port of Djibouti. In total, 45 stations span the rail line, and it serves as the central transport corridor to Ethiopia, passing through the cities of Adama and Dire Dawa. The railway is owned by Ethio-Djibouti Railway (EDR) and was constructed by the Chinese state-owned companies of China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), who operated the railway for the first 6 years following the completion of its construction.

However, the management was transferred to EDR in May 2024, which is owned by the Government of Ethiopia (75%) and the Government of Djibouti (25%). The railway is vital to the Port of Djibouti, as between 2018 and 2024, the line carried 9.5 million tons of freight and 680,000 passengers. Thus, the rail network and the Port of Djibouti work closely together to deliver vital cargoes both in and out of Africa, which brings vital economic growth for the local economies involved, whilst delivering the port into a hub for maritime trade where business

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development remains at the heart of the port’s infrastructure.

As the Port of Djibouti looks towards the future, it is set on enhancing its network through a range of mega projects which will enhance the Port’s infrastructure and deliver the port as a hub for logistics and trans-shipment along the African coastline. A key example of this was outlined in 2024, when the port completed a USD 70 million expansion of the Doraleh Container Terminal. This expansion allowed the port to accommodate the largest container ships traversing international waters, whilst adding 4 additional high-capacity gantry cranes. This development has helped the Port of Djibouti to position itself as a key trans-

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shipment hub servicing some of the largest vessels in the world, bringing key revenue and benefits to clients in both Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Overall, the Port of Djibouti provides a unique yet vital infrastructure where logistics and port services meet to deliver cargo across the globe. As we have seen, Ethiopia’s trade relies heavily on the network of the Port of Djibouti to efficiently deliver cargo to and from the country and support its growing economy in the process. We look forward to seeing how the port continues to expand its infrastructure, alongside its transportation networks, to bring continued economic benefits to those across Djibouti, Ethiopia and the surrounding region.

CMA CGM Brazil

CMA CGM are a shipping and logistics company that needs little introduction. With operations spanning more than 420 ports across the world, the company is known for its seamless delivery of efficient logistics solutions that take its cargo from customer to end markets across the world via sea, land and air logistics routes. Thus, CMA CGM is committed to ensuring that its customers’ goods reach their end markets, supported by the company’s comprehensive and innovative shipping solutions. A key area for the company’s current development is in Brazil, where CMA CGM are working to enhance the logistics sector of the country, and position the country as a hub for shipping solutions at the heart of Latin America.

CMA CGM has spent almost 5 decades developing its deep understanding and expertise of the global shipping and logistics industry to deliver a range of shipping solutions, perfectly suited to the needs of each customer’s cargo. CMA CGM began as a company that focused on providing a long-term strategic vision for the shipping industry, driven by expertise and passion. Today, with these same values, CMA CGM continues to grow and is now a leader in global shipping solutions. The Group is now present in 160 countries across its global network, with more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses worldwide. Therefore, CMA CGM offers one of the largest shipping networks in the world, with routes spanning the globe serviced by its environmentally friendly, high-performance ships. CMA CGM provide value-added solutions to protect, track and optimise the shipping of goods. Now, with more than 40 years of experience in deep-sea shipping as well a short-haul shipping lines, CMA CGM has services suited to every customer. It provides solutions ranging from fleet, port infrastructure or services through one of its specialist subsidiaries. Consequently, the company serves 420 trading ports across the globe. In terms of cargo shipping, CMA CGM is well equipped to

Connecting Brazillian Ports to the World

transport a range of materials, from liquid and perishable cargo to heavy goods such as yachts and industrial machinery. With such diverse cargo shipping offerings, CMA CGM can meet the needs of its clients and offer tailor-made solutions and services which are perfectly suited to the cargo and its transportation needs.

One of the most innovative solutions offered by CMA CGM is its dedicated door-to-door services, CMA-CGM Intermodal. This service combines the necessary train, barge, and truck services with its existing shipping vessel fleets to deliver its customers’ cargo directly from them, along its entire transportation route, until it reaches its destination. This is available all over the world and draws on the full strength of its land-based infrastructure to offer the best intermodal freight transport services to its customers. By utilising CMA CGM’s global networks, it can ensure the secure and reliable delivery of its customers’ cargo and ensure that it can be transported to anywhere in the world, including to and from landlocked countries. This makes CMA CGM’s services super competitive as it can cut down on the need for multiple different

shipping bodies and instead utilises CMA CGM’s network to make supply chains more seamless, and in the process more cost-effective.

These are some of the key services that are being developed across Brazil, where CMA CGM calls at 11 ports along the country’s coastline. CMA CGM has been calling at Brazilian ports since the 1980s, and in 2003, it launched its own maritime agency, CMA CGM do Brasil. With the introduction of this agency, CMA CGM has continued to expand its reach across Brazil, providing an increasing number of shipping

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Since 1978, Sulnorte Serviços Marítimos Ltda has been a family-owned leader in tugboat operations, boasting one of the largest coastal coverages in the country.

Asia Shipping: Navigating Global Logistics with Innovation and Trust

As the largest freight forwarder in Latin America and a top 30 global player, Asia Shipping expertly connects continents. With 45 offices across 12 countries and over a thousand professionals, we are a vital bridge for suppliers, shipowners, ports, and carriers, driven by a commitment to excellence. Innovation is central to Asia Shipping’s DNA. Our continuous investment in AI and cutting-edge technology ensures seamless operations, enhanced transparency, and data-driven efficiency, preparing clients globally for the evolving digital trade landscape. Beyond technology, premium service is paramount. We deliver bespoke solutions and personalized attention, fostering operational efficiency and lasting trust with every client.

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Connecting Brazillian Ports to the World

and logistics services. However, the company’s role in Brazil does not just end at the port; instead, the company offers intermodal connections across barge, rail, cabotage ship and trucks. All of these aspects make up the vast logistics chains that CMA CGM has become known for serving across vital shipping networks both on sea and land. CMA CGM’s particular specialities in Brazil focus on the delivery of project cargo operations, with the company being a leader in refrigerated cargoes, especially across the Northeast of the country.

One of the most significant ports served by CMA CGM, is the Port of Rio de Janeiro, where PortosRio is the port authority. The Port, located on the west shore of Guanabara Bay, is the third-busiest port in Brazil, specialising in general containerised cargo, electronics, rubber, petrochemicals, vehicle parts, coffee, steel products, press paper rolls, and solid bulk. These materials are vital for the Brazilian economy and are delivered in and out of the port via the 6.7 km-long pier and the port’s 31 berths. With such vital materials moving through the Port of Rio de Janeiro, the shipping and logistics operations

CMA CGM Brazil

at the port are vital in supporting the economy of Brazil. For this reason, CMA CGM provides services across the Port of Rio de Janeiro to help deliver materials across local and international markets.

However, as the largest port in Latin America, the Port of Santos is vital to enhancing the CMA CGM’s global port network in Brazil. The port connects to more than 600 ports in 200 countries worldwide. The port is vital to Brazil’s foreign trade, with roughly 29% of the country’s trade flow passing through the port. In 2023 alone, the port moved more than 173 million tons of cargo and 5 million TEUs, with its primary hinterland comprising 5 states that account for 50% of Brazil’s GDP. The port is overseen by the Santos Port Authority, which is focused on delivering operational efficiency, sustainability, agility, integrity, and competitiveness through its management of port operations. By continuing to promote the port in this way, the Santos Port Authority has harnessed the port’s infrastructure to now be one of the best and largest ports in Latin America. With this reputation, it is no surprise

• Expert opinions

Connecting Brazillian Ports to the World

that major shipping companies such as CMA CGM continue to arrive at the port to help it carry out its global shipping operations.

In April, CMA CGM announced that following the closing of its acquisition of approximately 47.9% of Santos Brasil Participações S/A (Santos Brasil) from funds managed by Opportunity, the Group will hold a 51% stake in Santos Brasil. These shares would be combined with a 3.1% stake from a subsidiary of CMA CGM, which it had previously purchased in September 2024. The acquisitions, following regulatory approvals from the relevant Brazilian authorities, will see the group take over as the controlling interest shareholder of Santos Brasil. This is a vital development for CMA CGM in Brazil, because Santos Brasil operates one of the largest container terminals in the Port of Santos. Thus, by now holding a majority interest in the terminal, CMA

CGM now has significant control over a key asset that will continue to enhance its own operations across Brazil to deliver seamless logistics and supply chain capabilities for the region.

In Brazil, the shipping and logistics industry is vast, with numerous ports playing a valuable role in supporting the economy and keeping global supply chains running seamlessly. With one of the largest ports in Latin America, as well as many vital ports serving both import and export markets, the country continues to enhance its shipping offerings to meet the growing global demand for cargo. For CMA CGM specifically, Brazil offers a vital gateway into the heart of Latin America, and through its various port operations spanning the country, the global shipping giant can continue to expand its logistics network and deliver even more seamless shipping solutions across every corner of the globe.

Port of Richards Bay

With the capacity to handle the largest volume of cargo compared to any other South African port, the Port of Richards Bay is a technologically advanced port designed to efficiently manage cargo across its entire network. As a result, the port is now South Africa’s leading port serving export markets worldwide. While the port plays a vital role in the movement of cargo in and out of South Africa, one of its key functions is the export of coal from the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, which is one of the world’s leading coal terminals. With such a wealth of operations behind it, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is responsible for overseeing the port’s operations and establishing it as a hub for marine services in South Africa.

The Port of Richards Bay, located in the north of KwaZulu-Natal province, was developed in 1976 in response to the growing industrial expansion of South Africa, which brought with it a growing need for new port facilities to handle the vast potential of the raw materials that were being mined by the country. For this reason, the coal mining industry of South Africa relies heavily on the port’s infrastructure to help it deliver its mining resources, predominantly coal, to markets across the world. As the mining industry has continued to expand, the need for more adequate rail and port facilities has arisen to accommodate large vessels that can export these goods to international markets. Therefore, over the last 49 years, the infrastructure at the Port of Richards Bay has been vastly expanded, and today it serves as a key cargo port, dealing with both bulk cargo and coal exports. Today, the Port of Richards Bay is a deep-sea water port spanning 13 berths, with terminals handling dry bulk ores, minerals and break-bulk consignments. Divided into the three precincts of South Dunnes, Bayvue and Newark, the Port spans around 3,773 hectares (ha) and features a computer-controlled network of conveyor belts

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Port of Richards Bay

that span 40km, focused on 7 key industries. The conveyor belts are vital to the Port’s efficiency; 30 conveyor belts move materials in and out of the port 24 hours a day, which helps to keep transfer times to a minimum and promote more efficient supply chains. These conveyor belts ensure speed without compromising on the quality of service, which allows the port to maintain its vast capacity without delays.

In fact, this technologically advanced network of conveyors highlights the integration of digitalisation across the port’s infrastructure, to help deliver it as a smart, safe and secure port. By delivering the port as a smart port, where its infrastructure and capacity are supported by digitalisation, the port can promote economic growth, job creation, and prioritise sustainability for the entire port community. To achieve this, the port operates a Smart People’s Ports Programme (SPPP) which is an integrated solution designed to deliver a more streamlined and connected port where logistics, operations, infrastructure, assets, traffic and trade operations use the latest single-view digital technology.

The Port of Richards Bay is overseen by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), which is the governing body responsible for managing all the commercial ports in South Africa. As part of its role,

TNPA is responsible for the management, control, license oversight and compliance of all port operations. In addition to this, TNPA is responsible for the maintenance and development of the Port’s infrastructure, as well as for overseeing land leasing for all port-related activities.

One of the key terminals at the Port of Richards Bay is the Multi-Purpose Terminal, which is the result of a merger between the previous Bulk Metal and Combi Terminals. The resulting integration of these two facilities means that the terminal now handles break bulk, neo-bulk and containers across its 6-berth facility. Annually, the Multi-Purpose Terminal handles 5.6 million tonnes of cargo, which has access to 10,000 square metres (m2) of covered storage space across two warehouses, as well as an additional 8,000m2 of covered storage for sensitive cargo and 4,500m2 of shed space. In addition to this, the terminal also has 330,000m2 of open storage areas, 75,000m2 of ferro handling facility, and 55,000m2 of log terminals, which are currently leased. In addition to the Multi-Purpose Terminal, the Port of Richards Bay also has a Dry Bulk Terminal, which is one of the founding developments at the port. The Dry Bulk Terminal today handles more than 13 million tonnes of cargo, served by unique terminals that can handle multiple products across its conveyor system.

However, one of the most significant facilities at the Port of Richards Bay is the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). As previously mentioned, coal has long been a vital industry for the port, and the coal

terminal itself is one of the key reasons why the port was developed in the first place. Today, RBCT is one of the leading coal terminals in the world, delivering 91 megatons a year (Mt/a) of coal through a 24-hour-a-day operation. RBCT spans 275 ha, and a 2.2km long quay, with 6 berths and 4 ship loaders, with a stockyard capacity of 8.2 megatons (Mt). The terminal is responsible for offloading and managing stockpiles of coal, which it then loads into vessels.

RBCT is overseen by TNPA and works closely with Transnet, the largest freight logistics chain company operating across rail and ports to deliver goods across South Africa. Thus, Transnet works with RBCT to deliver the essential railway services needed to link coal mines to the port, and support the seamless shipment of coal from the coal fields to more than 900 vessels that arrive at the port every year. At present, RBCT receives coal from 65 collieries, and so the Port of Richards Bay plays a vital role in delivering coal from these to the world, and in the process, supporting the development of South Africa’s coal industry. Thus, RBCT is the leading coal terminal for South Africa, delivering

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both the terminal and the Port of Richards Bay as a competitive coal export avenue for South Africa’s Coal Exporting Parties (CEPs), with world-class logistics services that support the Port and RBCT’s coal operations.

In May, the Port of Richards Bay announced that it was developing a new container handling facility within the Bayvue precinct of the port. The new container handling facility is planned to increase the port’s annual capacity from 50,000 twentyfoot equivalent units (TEUs) to 200,000 TEUs, whilst diversifying the cargo handled by the port. The new container handling facility will be built with the same smart technology as has been seen across the port, including specialised equipment to ensure the timely turnaround of vessels entering the port. The development of the facility will also create over 100 new jobs for the local community. The new container handling facility agreement was signed between Grindrod Eyamakhosi Joint Venture and TNPA, with Grindrod Eyamakhosi being the preferred bidder for the 25-year concession in June last year. Therefore, the project reflects TNPA’s keen commitment to developing its infrastructure and unlocking the Port’s capacity through privatesector partnerships such as this. The container facility is expected to begin commercial operation in 2028.

Across the Port of Richards Bay, digitalisation and infrastructure development remain at the heart of its operations to ensure it can maintain its position as the largest port by volume in South

A Smart Port for South Africa

Africa. With the support of TNPA, as well as various private-sector partnerships, the Port is slowly being developed to handle the growing cargo demand at the port, whilst implementing smart technologies that enable to port to diversify its cargo capacity for the future. With the development of the new container terminal at Bayvue underway, we look forward to seeing how the Port of Richards Bay will unlock greater diversity for the future, supported by its vast transport networks that help deliver cargo to and from the port every day.

Kenya Tourism Board

Home to breathtaking views, rich culture and an extraordinary array of wildlife, Kenya is a highly sought-after tourist destination that saw over 2.4 million visitors arrive in the country in 2024. With such an influx of tourists every year, the tourism industry of Kenya contributes significantly to the local economy and thus is a vital contributor towards the country’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, with tourism playing such a vital role in the economy, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) was established to help develop, implement, and coordinate the national tourism strategy of the country, and deliver Kenya as the destination of choice for tourists all over the world.

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KTB was established in 2011 as a state corporation regulated under the Tourism Act, with the central goal to market Kenya as the ideal all-year-round destination where you can experience the beauty of what the country has to offer. To achieve this, KTB is focused on overseeing and implementing the National Tourism Market Strategy of Kenya. This strategy is a multifaceted approach which is focused on developing the tourism industry, whilst also boosting the agricultural exports of Kenya and increasing the digital transformation of Kenya through e-commerce. In achieving this, KTB hopes to promote Kenya as a year-round, sustainable and highly sought-after tourist destination, bringing new and returning customers to the country every year.

KTB are vital to the development of the National Tourism Market Strategy, with its function dedicated to marketing Kenya on a local, national and international level as the premier destination of choice. To continually promote Kenya, KTB is focused on identifying tourism market needs and trends, which it can then work alongside its stakeholders and governmental figures to deliver on. Across its entire operation, KTB is passionate about positioning Kenya as the most visited tourist destination in Africa.

A key facet of KTB’s operations is ‘Magical Kenya’, which is a slogan used for the country’s tourism marketing. This phase is designed to highlight the magical experience that Kenya has to offer across its diverse array of travel experiences beyond just safaris and beaches. It’s clear that for Kenya, one of the most significant avenues of tourism is wildlife tourism, driven by the national parks and reserves that the country has to offer. However, as part of its ‘Magical Kenya’ marketing push, KTB has been set on also highlighting the key adventure activities the country has to offer, as well as the rich culture and heritage experiences available to tourists across the country.

For adventure, tourists can experience everything from mountain trekking to hot air balloons or waterbased sports in the Rift Valley. Then, for culture and heritage tourism, tourists can experience rich and immersive experiences that showcase the country’s diverse ethnic groups, historical landmarks and unique traditions. Ultimately, Kenya offers so many

Kenya Tourism Board

different and unique experiences, making it the perfect destination for all types of tourists, and this is something KTB are passionate about promoting across the global tourism market, whilst supporting the people who live and work across Kenya in the process.

One of the key roles of KTB is to work with key stakeholders across the tourism sector to help develop Kenya as a thriving hub for global travel. In February, KTB announced that it had signed an agreement with Tour Operators Society Kenya (TOSK) to help deliver Kenya as the preferred tourism destination globally. The partnership will see the two entities carry out collaborative marketing campaigns aimed at highlighting all 47 counties in Kenya, in order to promote many of the lesserknown destinations across the country. Through joint marketing campaigns, KTB and TOSK will be able to leverage traditional and digital platforms to attract domestic and international travellers. This partnership aims to open new opportunities for joint promotion and growth for the sector, as outlined by June Chepkemei, CEO of KTB, in the announcement: “This partnership formalises and solidifies our long-standing collaborative efforts. We have jointly undertaken numerous initiatives and programs, and we will continue to work together synergistically, as it is crucial for us to tap into the vast potential of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the sector.”

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Chepkemei continues, “Our tour operators are at the forefront of promoting Kenya as a destination therefore this pact creates a framework for us to work closely with TOSK, leveraging their expertise in identifying hidden gems across the country and beyond that, supporting upcoming entrepreneurs in the tourism sector.” These comments by Chepkemei highlight just how vital this partnership is to businesses working across Kenya to deliver a greater influx of tourism to support local businesses economically, whilst recognising the soughtafter beauty that Kenya has to offer. Furthermore, this partnership will continue to develop training and capacity-building programs to support TOSK members in order to enhance the service delivery and the growth of businesses. These will then be even better placed to serve the growing local and international tourism industries of Kenya for many years to come.

To promote tourism in Kenya, KTB also recently attended the annual Zambian Travel Expo (ZATEX). Every year, ZATEX brings together exhibitors from

Promoting Tourism in Kenya

across both local and regional tourism sectors, as well as National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), government agencies, conservation groups, nongovernmental groups, investors and hosted buyers from across international markets to promote tourism within their respective countries. Many of these represent both small and medium-sized businesses that are at the heart of Africa’s tourism industry. For KTB, ZATEX provides the perfect setting for which it can deepen its collaboration within Africa’s tourism ecosystem and highlight the ‘Magical Kenya’ spirit.

Commenting on KTB’s presence at ZATEX 2025, Chepkemei outlined, “We are aware of the immense potential that lies in leveraging collaboration and our participation in ZATEX is part of a continuing MOU made between Zambia and Kenya. We will continue to partner in ensuring that the private sector on both ends and partners national carriers Zambia Airways and Kenya Airways can close any gaps that can give both destinations more arrivals. The EXPOs

are a perfect platform to build the bridges we need for our destinations.” Chepkemei’s comments here highlight just how valuable networking is for KTB to allow it to work together with other countries and tourism key figures to develop the tourism industry of Kenya alongside those across Africa in the process. This collaborative effort helps to strengthen marketing initiatives between countries and will hopefully be a fundamental step in helping KTB achieve 5 million tourists to Kenya by 2027.

As KTB looks towards the future, the tourism industry of Kenya looks set to vastly expand over the coming years. With goals to reach 5 million visitors to the country by 2027, KTB is primed to enhance Kenya’s tourism industry through its networking, promotion and partnership operations. With so many different aspects drawing tourism from across the world, KTB exhibits the ‘Magical Kenya’ spirit, highlighting for every tourist across the world why Kenya is the destination of choice.

Tanzania Ports Authority

On a mission to lead the regional maritime trade and logistics services of Tanzania towards excellence, the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) are vital to developing the country’s role as a leading hub for maritime operations serving the region’s ports and facilities for more than 20 years. Since its establishment, TPA has been delivering vital port operations and developing the essential infrastructure to serve the country’s trade industry, as well as the trade of the surrounding hinterland.

For over two decades, TPA has been operating the ports serving Tanzania and its neighbouring countries via its diverse system of sea and inland waterways across the country. The port, established in 2004 by the Ports Act No.17, today operates as a landlord and operator of the country’s major seaports, as well as many other smaller seaports and lake ports. Across all of its port locations and operations, TPA are delivering worldclass services across Tanzania’s maritime industry, to sustain trade on both a local and international scale. In Tanzania, TPA oversees 3 main seaports, which include Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara.

Dar es Salaam alone is vital for Tanzania’s international cargo trade, with the port being responsible for handling around 95% of the country’s international trade, with a rated capacity of 14.1 million metric tons of dry cargo, and an additional 6.0 million metric tons of bulk liquid cargo. Due to the port’s significant capacity, 2,600 metres of quay, and 11 deep-water berths, it is the principal port for the country. With the infrastructure to handle large quantities of cargo, the Port of Dar es Salaam today services many key landlocked countries in Africa, including Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. However, even beyond the port’s links with local trade to neighbouring countries, the port is also playing a key role in international markets across places such as the Middle East, Europe, Australia and America.

The Dar es Salaam port is also linked with the Tanga Port, which helps enhance the country’s trade and

maritime operations. The Tanga Port and the various seaports under TPA along the north of the country provide Tanzania with further interconnectedness that continues to help deliver the country as a hub for local and international trade within Africa. In addition to the seaports of Tanzania, TPA also oversees some key lake ports, including the Lake Nyasa Ports, Lake Tanganyika Ports, and the Lake Victoria Ports. These lake ports help to further extend TPA’s trading power across the country and allow it to better position itself as a key shipping country along the East African coastline.

Across these sea and lake ports, TPA are focused on providing the necessary facilities, development and coordination to deliver them as hubs for trade. A significant aspect of this trade is facilitated through TPA’s cargo services, which provide world-class cargo operations supported by the Authority’s highly skilled personnel. The combination of advanced technology and years of expertise has ensured that the port can provide safe, reliable, and seamless handling of maritime cargo, which meets the highest standards across the international cargo sector.

In terms of cargo types, Tanzania sees containerised, break-bulk, dry bulk and bulk-liquid cargoes. Typical dry bulk cargo handled by TPA includes rice, wheat, maize, beans, fertiliser, sugar, cement, sodium nitrate, gypsum, and coal, as well as iron and zinc ores. For break bulk, TPA sees iron, steel, metals, motor vehicle parts, trailers and parts, agri-products, machinery, copper, railway vehicles, tractors and tractor parts, as well as containers. Then for bulk-liquid, the most commonly transported products include crude oil,

Tanzania Ports Authority

petroleum products, chemicals, liquified natural gas (LNG) and edible oils. These products allow TPA to play a key role in many industries, including food production, manufacturing and even energy development. Therefore, with such a variety of products being moved through the ports of Tanzania, TPA continue to expand its offering to serve these industries on both a local and international scale, bringing with it economic development for Tanzania and the surrounding region.

Across all of TPA’s operations, its stakeholders remain vital to every development. TPA works with government agencies, shipping lines and banks to help deliver the smoothest port experience for customers across all of the ports in Tanzania. By working so closely with such stakeholders, TPA can develop

Tanzania’s import and export markets, supported by laws and regulations to deliver world-class operations that are competitive on a global scale. In August, TPA highlighted its commitment to working alongside its stakeholders as it held a Stakeholders Meeting on Cargo Transport Through Central Port. The meeting outlined the steps TPA has taken to improve the infrastructure of Tanzanian ports, including the establishment of better IT systems as part of this. The meeting engaged private sector stakeholders, which included the likes of port operators, to work alongside them to increase the efficiency of handling domestic and international cargo across Tanzania.

The Deputy Director General of the event, Dr Baraka Mdima, outlined the importance of

A Gateway for Global Trade

stakeholders participating in the session, as these are essential in understanding the challenges facing the transport sector. By working with these stakeholders, TPA can help deliver more efficient, cost-effective and simplified trade opportunities through the central corridor to deliver significant returns for the ports and the stakeholders. Dr. Mdima also reiterated TPA’s commitment to continuing to work with its stakeholders to ensure the future of the Central Corridor and maintain its role as a modern, efficient trade corridor delivering significant economic development to Tanzania and the surrounding countries.

In July, TPA announced that I had signed an agreement on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which will aid the transfer, storage and transportation of cargo from the Port of Dar es Salaam to the Kwala Dry Port. The agreement involved key cargo stakeholders in the country, including TPA, the Tanzanian Railways Corporation (TRC), and the port operators, DP World and the Tanzania East Africa Gateway Terminal Limited (TEAGTLG). The Director General of TPA, Mr. Plasduce

Your Trusted Logistics Partner in Tanzania

Blue Axis Logistics positions itself as a comprehensive logistics partner in Tanzania, equipped to handle end-to-end freight operations—spanning forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, packaging, labeling, and quality assurance. Their pitch emphasizes professionalism, global connectivity, and a client-first attitude, backed by a valid regulatory license.

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Tanzania Ports Authority

GF Trucks & Equipment

Leading Commercial Vehicle & Construction Equipment Solutions in Tanzania

Established in 2007 by the Karmali family, who have been prominent and successful entrepreneurs in Tanzania since 1931, GF Trucks & Equipment began operations with two franchises and quickly made its mark in the commercial vehicle market.

The company relaunched Jiefang light and heavy commercial trucks, which were rebranded as FAW, becoming the authorized distributor for FAW in Tanzania. Within just a few years, GF Trucks & Equipment successfully established FAW as a leading brand in the Tanzanian commercial vehicle market.

Expanding into construction and mining equipment, GF Trucks & Equipment introduced the XCMG brand to Tanzania at a time when it had no presence in Africa. Today, XCMG is a strong competitor in the local construction equipment market, with GF Trucks & Equipment as the sole authorized distributor of the full range of XCMG Mining & Construction Equipment in Tanzania.

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A Gateway for Global Trade

Mbossa, outlined that the agreement is designed to reduce the time it will take to unload cargo at the port, reduce congestion for large vehicles, increase efficiency and reduce cargo handling costs. Therefore, this agreement outlines the role of each institution across Tanzania’s transportation chain to enhance the overall transportation of cargo from the Dar es Salaam port, highlighting each stakeholder’s role in delivering such a vital transportation development.

Across Tanzania, TPA are providing leading regional maritime trade and logistics services to deliver significant economic benefits for the country and the surrounding region. With the country providing

a vital gateway to many neighbouring landlocked countries on the East Coast of Africa, Tanzania is a vital hub for trade, traversing international shipping lines to arrive at one of the many key ports serving the region. In recent months, TPA have highlighted just how valuable cooperation across the country’s entire cargo industry is with the meeting of key stakeholders to deliver Tanzania as a global cargo gateway for Africa. Therefore, with the support of local stakeholders, TPA can continue to develop the country’s maritime sector and deliver it as a vital hub for global trade.

Grand Bahama Shipyard Limited

Located just 93 nautical miles from the Florida coastline, Grand Bahama Shipyard Limited (GBSL) sits primed to deliver world-class ship repair services to vessels travelling across the major routes extending along the U.S. eastern seaboard and the Caribbean. From this pivotal location, Grand Bahama Shipyard is ready to provide a range of repair, refit, refurbish and revitalisation projects to deliver satisfaction for its customers and keep the vessels of the world safe, operational and ready to meet their transportation needs.

For over 25 years, GBSL has been delivering vital repair and refurbishment operations from Grand Bahama in the heart of the Caribbean. The mission of GBSL is to repair and revitalise all types of ships and marine assets safely and to the complete satisfaction of all its stakeholders, whilst protecting the environment. To achieve this, GBSL has a 35,000 sq. ft. workshop based in Freeport, where it provides its services. The shipyard has been developed with a deep-water pier designed to service deep draft vessels ranging up to 300m in length, as well as underwater propulsion systems supported by the pier’s 14m draft.

A few years before the shipyard was built, the Freeport Container Port was opened in Grand Bahama, which provided shipping services across the region. Thus, the need for a shipyard was essential to service these vessels and keep supply chains moving. Therefore, the Grand Bahama Shipyard was built in 1999 as part of a larger plan to develop the maritime operations of the island. Today, Freeport Container Port is capable of handling the largest container vessel in the world and serves as a major world container transhipment hub located between the Eastern Gulf Coast and the US. This provides the port with vital access to shipping lines travelling across the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, as well as for trade lanes reaching Europe, the Mediterranean,

the Far East and Australia. Thus, with the Freeport Container Port being such a vital hub for shipping in the region, the need for a shipyard that can continue to provide repairs, refurbishment and revitalisation services is essential to help support the vessels traversing these waters. Therefore, GBSL is utilising its expertise in the ship repair world and its vital location to deliver world-class services with the central vision to be the shipyard of choice for customers along the U.S. Eastern seaboard and the Caribbean.

GBSL’s services span from dry docking and afloat repairs to project planning, fabrication and mechanical services. GBSL has floating dry docks, a pier and a wharf, all of which are certified and maintained to ABS certification regulations. Across its dry docks, GBSL has a 92% annual occupancy rate, serving 100 cruise and commercial vessels every year. These vessels are serviced by GBSL’s fabrication team, who are the most experienced zipod repair team in the world. This team are responsible for thruster repairs, which can be conducted in drydock and underwater, as well as delivering overhauls of engines, pumps and valves on site. Furthermore,

GBSL has a range of certified mechanics and pipe welders that are delivering vital mechanical and pipe work to vessels. In addition, GBSL also provide hull treatment, electric services, and tank clearing operations. These operations ensure that every aspect of vessel repair and redevelopment can be carried out by GBSL’s teams, and thus the shipyard is now a key hub for vessels seeking repair or refurbishment services along these routes. With the shipyard being located so close to the Freeport Container Port, GBSL also deliver materials handling and brokerage services due to its unique

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Lynx Marine Services

Lynx Marine Services is a young and ambitious organization that operates in The Bahamas and the Caribbean dedicated to providing efficient technical solutions to clients. We possess a team of captains, engineers and technicians with over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry. Lynx is a mechanical and marine engineering services and repair company that specializes in engineering project management, hydraulics repairs, diesel generator maintenance and vessel repair. We also offer condition monitoring services such as engine oil, gear oil and hydraulic oil analysis.

position on an island. This means that GBSL can deliver customs clearing and brokerage services for equipment and materials that are needed for work at the shipyard. However, all of its development work and its brokerage services wouldn’t be possible without the help of GBSL’s suppliers. GBSL believes that strong and resilient supplier relationships are essential to helping the shipyard meet the needs and expectations of its customers by focusing on procuring products and services globally from suppliers. These supplies share GBSL’s same commitment to quality, safety, innovation and customer satisfaction. Therefore, GBSL can work with its suppliers to create value by ensuring that materials are of the right quality, are delivered on time, and at the lowest total cost possible. Thus, GBSL can bring the best of the best across the ship repair and materials networks to deliver the shipyard as a hub for vessel works supported by the best practices in the industry.

In April, GBSL announced a significant development for the shipyard, as it reported the first of its new docks was nearing completion and is

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expected to be ready for delivery to Grand Bahama by November. The development of new docks for GBSL makes an important step in the development of the shipyard, especially in helping the shipyard to accommodate a broad range of vessel types, including existing and currently in development cruise ships. The first dock to be developed is ‘East End’, which is a 357m long, 76m wide dock, with the capability of lifting 93,500 tons, thanks to the 4 state-of-the-art modern cranes and control systems at the new dock disposal. Further development will see the second and larger dock of ‘Lucayan’, expected to arrive in 2026, whilst the work on the shipyard, including the extension of the pier, continues. The shipyard is expected to be ready to receive the East End dock in November.

In the announcement of the new dock’s completion, Dave Skentelbery, CEO of GBSL, said, “We are close to reassuming our position as a leading, world-class cruise ship repair facility. The investment by our shareholders will be a significant boost to the economy of Grand Bahama, providing both direct and indirect employment opportunities. We have engaged another 20 apprentices this year and are already in the process of recruiting crane operators to train for the new docks.” Skentelbery’s comments highlight just how valuable this development is for the shipyard and, in turn, the local economy of Grand Bahama. The shipyard will provide vital employment to support the local economy, whilst furthering the vital role GBSL will continue to play for shipping lines across the region.

The overall development is part of a wider $600 million transformation project, which includes the construction, delivery and commissioning of two world-class floating docks to Freeport. Once completed, the shipyard will have the largest lifting capacity in the world, primed to serve the entire range of cruise ships, as well as much of the world’s commercial shipping fleet, to help the shipyard continue to meet the current and growing demands from vessels arriving to the Caribbean. Thus, through the continued investment, GBSL is delivering vital infrastructural development to deliver its shipyard as a hub for repairs, refits, refurbishments and revitalisation projects at the heart of the Caribbean.

Across GBSL, there is a key focus on delivering the vital operations needed to keep the vessels of the world running smoothly, in order to support supply chains and ensure that economies around the world can thrive from the cargo and trade that comes with even the largest of vessels traversing international shipping lines. With the Caribbean being such a vital hub for ships, whether for cargo or for tourism, located along multiple key shipping lines travelling across the US Eastern Seaboard, and beyond, Grand Bahama serves as the perfect location for such a shipyard, ready to deliver the vital services needed to keep the industry running smoothly. With the continued development over the next year to deliver two world-class floating docks at Freeport, GBSL is primed to serve the global shipping industry as the yard of choice along major shipping routes.

ROYAL MINT E-WASTE RECYCLING

Written by Carley Fallows

When we think of the Royal Mint the first thing we often associate it with is not recycling, but instead money as the official maker of the British pound, and maybe even a commemorative coin or two. However, in recent months the Royal Mint has announced the development of its precious metals recovery factory that aims to take waste metals from electronic waste (e-waste) and turn them into new products – saving precious metals and excessive waste in the process.

Currently, only 17% of e-waste is actually recycled and so many precious metals are lost to landfill. This is something that the Royal Mint was concerned about, especially as precious metals have been fundamental to its operations over the last 1,100year heritage. Therefore, it set out on a mission to recycle these often-wasted precious metals, with the goal of developing a new and sustainable solution to process up to 4000 tonnes of e-waste every year. E-waste includes anything from phones, computers and various tech pieces which are made using small bits of precious metal across its components and circuit boards. With so many of us likely having a phone and various gadgets, tablets, laptops and computers lying around, the prevalence of this type of e-waste has become increasingly concerning as more and more devices are introduced to the market. Therefore, effectively recycling this type of material is essential for limiting environmental waste, and to keep such precious metals that have been mined, such as gold, in use.

To achieve this feat, the Royal Mint has developed the world’s first precious metals recovery factory which leaches 90% of gold contained within e-waste. The factory utilises patented chemistry created by Excir, a Canadian-based clean tech company. The plant’s process is simple; it heats the e-waste to remove various components, and the various components

including coils, capacitors, pins and transistors are sieved, sorted and sliced as they move along the conveyor belt. Gold pieces are set aside and are processed at the on-site chemical plant where they’re chemically treated to leach the gold. Once recovered, the gold is then used to make jewellery and commemorative coins.

Head of Sustainability for the Royal Mint, Inga Doak has spoken on the project outlining that “We’re [The Royal Mint] taking products that are being produced by society and we’re mining the gold from that waste product and starting to see the value in that finite resource”. Doak’s comment highlights how gold is a precious resource that often requires extensive mining projects to retrieve, and so it is committed to ensuring that it does not needlessly end up in landfill from e-waste. In delivering the recycling scheme, the Royal Mint is effectively urban mining for the benefit and value of the future of the planet.

Recycling is such a vital aspect of protecting the world for future generations, and so seeing large companies such as the Royal Mint actively working to reduce excessive waste, particularly in the evergrowing market of e-waste, is a key step in moving towards a more sustainable future globally. With precious metals being a finite resource, we must make the most of them and ensure that all activities associated with obtaining them in the first place do not simply go to waste and end up in landfills.

Sources:

https://www.royalmint.com/gold-recovery/ewaste-recycling/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2k11e41po

Chevron Corporation Guyana

On a mission to provide affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy, Chevron Corporation (Chevron) is a leader in the global integrated energy market. Across its wide sphere of operations, Chevron delivers crude oil and natural gas, whilst manufacturing fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and additives to support human progress. From this basis, Chevron has been carrying out vital energy projects across the world, with Guyana being one of the newest sites for the company’s development. Following key acquisitions, Chevron is now one of the largest acreage holders along the US Gulf Coast, delivering significant energy and economic development for Guyana in the process.

Chevron is focused on delivering energy infrastructure for the demands of today, whilst delivering reliable energy systems that can tackle the energy needs of tomorrow. To achieve this, Chevron focuses on sustainability and technology across its operations. Every project delivered by Chevron is designed to progress the energy sector, whilst reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations through things such as energy efficiency, flaring reduction and methane management. Along with this, the company has made major progress towards the development of renewable fuels, especially for use in transportation. As part of this, Chevron produces bio-based diesels, renewable and compressed natural gas, renewable gasoline blend, sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen. These help Chevron deliver a world where energy is accessible, but also build towards a lower-carbon energy future.

One of the central ways Chevron can deliver such a variety of renewable and energyefficient projects is thanks to the technology that underpins every operation carried out by the company. Through technology, Chevron can deliver the lower-carbon energy that the world needs, supported by scalable technological solutions. These solutions integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology, which can be utilised to enhance the energy industry’s operations. One of the central ways AI can be used is for improving seismic imaging in deep-water breakthroughs, which can help Chevron to transform how it finds and produces oil and gas, backed by the data to support developments. These help to deliver a more resilient energy system for the future, where lower-carbon energy can be found, produced and delivered to market.

With oil and gas production making up a significant portion of its development, it’s no surprise that Chevron has major operations in some of the world’s most important oil and gas regions across the world. Many of which are producing significant crude oil and natural gas resources for the company. In Guyana specifically, Chevron has been making significant steps towards the development of oil and gas resources within the Stabroek Block. The block is known as one of the most prolific oil and gas-producing blocks on the globe. In fact,

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the block is estimated to hold 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent, making it one of the most significant oil discoveries made in recent decades. With the oil and gas reservoir located just off the coast of Guyana it has brought significant developments to the country, while helping to deliver it as home to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The Stabroek Block was first discovered by ExxonMobil in 2015, who currently hold a 45% ownership, and is the operator of the block. The initial discovery was made in the Liza-1 Well, but in the last 10 years, development across the block has vastly expanded, with numerous subsequent discoveries having been made, highlighting the true potential of the region. Stabroek Block has remained under ExxonMobil’s operation, with Hess Corporation and CNNOC holding 30% and 25% ownership, respectively. Since its discovery, the Stabroek Block has transformed Guyana into a major oil-producing region, delivering significant direct and indirect jobs for those across the region to work or supply the development of the field.

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However, in July 2025, Chevron Corporation announced that it had completed the acquisition of Hess Corporation, which would see the two energy corporations join their world-class asset portfolios, people and capabilities. Thus, along with the acquisition of Hess Corporation, Chevron acquired the company’s 30% stake in the Stabroek Block, positioning Chevron in part ownership of the block alongside ExxonMobil and CNNOC. By combining two giants in the energy sector, Chevron now has one of the most differentiated energy portfolios in the industry, with operations spanning multiple critical energy markets around the world.

Following the acquisition, John Hess will now join Chevron’s Board of Directors, subject to the Board’s approval, to enhance the synergies between the two companies and offer his experience in the sector to Chevron. In the announcement of Chevron’s acquisition of Hess Corporation, Mike Wirth, Chevron’s Chairman and CEO, outlined that “the combination [of the two companies] enhances and extends our growth profile well into the next decade, which we believe will drive greater longterm value to shareholders.” Thus, following the acquisition, Chevron now has leading positions in energy markets around the world, delivering a high cash margin production profile with an expected

production volume of 4.31 million boe/d by 2030, which significantly enhances Chevron’s existing production as a standalone company.

The acquisition now positions Chevron as the largest acreage holder along the US Gulf Coast, with access to one of the world’s largest energy markets. However, even before the acquisition, Hess Corporation and Chevron had been partners in deepwater projects for many years, delivering vital energy resources to markets across the world. Thus, the two companies will now come together to deliver their vital oil and gas expertise to enhance Guyana as a new market for sustainable energy development for Chevron.

Ultimately, Chevron’s acquisition of Hess Corporation marks a significant milestone in the company’s entry into the Guyanese energy market. We can expect to see Chevron bring together its wealth of experience across its global portfolio, supported by the frameworks laid out by Hess Corporation, to deliver vital energy resources for Guyana. As Chevron now looks towards the future, with the wealth of expertise that Hess Corporation adds to its existing portfolio, we look forward to seeing how it will expand its role across the region to bring low-carbon energy to market, whilst delivering vital economic benefits for Guyana in the process.

Port Management Association of the Caribbean

The Caribbean is renowned for its stunning landscapes, crystal-clear waters, and pristine sandy beaches, which draw tourists from around the world to experience the delights that the islands have to offer. However, many of the ports across the Caribbean were built in the 1960s, and so the infrastructure of these ports has struggled to meet both the cruise and cargo demand of the region today. Therefore, significant development is needed to meet these demands and help maintain the competitive nature of the ports across the Islands. However, the ports of the Caribbean are not just commercial; many of the ports are relied upon to deliver food, clothing and shelter for the Caribbean, and so the ports are essential for the survival of the people across the region. Thus, with the ports of the Caribbean playing such a vital role on both a global and local scale, the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) was established to deliver a unified voice for the region to deliver a better quality of services and the necessary infrastructure needed to develop the Caribbean’s port industry for the future.

PMAC was formed in 1998, succeeding the previous Port Management Association of the Eastern Caribbean (PMAEC) to improve the proficiency of its member port authorities and the quality of the services provided to users. Through the establishment of human resources, networking and unification amongst the ports of the Caribbean, PMAC aims to meet the ever-changing challenges of the global environment and deliver the ports of the region as hubs for cargo and cruise operations. The need for such an association as PMAC arose after many small ports across the Caribbean were struggling to find a voice within the global shipping industry, with many facing scale issues, often in terms of capacity, due to many ports not having the necessary infrastructure in place to remain competitive in global markets. Therefore, PMAC was established to deliver critical services to its members, to encourage the sharing of experience, information and ideas, as well as advocacy and representation at multilateral levels to deliver a unified voice that can represent the region’s port management associations, and the Caribbean’s shipping industry on a global scale.

Membership across PMAC includes 27 full members, which include port management companies and associations across the Caribbean. The Association also has 41 associate members, including individuals, companies, and organisations that are associated with the port and maritime industry. Members from across PMAC come together for vital networking, collaboration and training to share their experiences, concerns and best practices to help deliver the most cohesive port industry for the Caribbean. One of the central

Delivering the Future of Caribbean Ports

challenges facing the region is that many of the islands across the Caribbean are under different governance, and so this results in varying tariffs, legislation and regulations, which often leaves the overall Caribbean port management industry feeling disconnected. Therefore, PMAC is on a mission to solve these challenges by driving regional integration, delivering a network where governments, international organisations and industry partners can come together with its members to deliver a better and more cohesive shipping environment for the Caribbean.

One of the central challenges facing the ports of the Caribbean is that the infrastructure across many of the region’s ports is not suited to the demands of the shipping and tourism industry of today. Many of the ports were built in the 1960s, and so the infrastructure is designed largely for break-bulk cargo, rather than the more commonly used large, containerised cargo or cruise vessels that we see today. This means that many ports require significant expansion and redevelopment works, to allow them to accept larger vessels and,

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Port Management Association of the Caribbean

in the process, enhance the country’s export market. Thus, PMAC acts as a vital hub for Caribbean ports, stakeholders and strategic partners to come together and deliver the necessary port development projects needed to allow the Caribbean to handle the vessels arriving at its shores every day.

Furthermore, networking remains vital to helping establish a more cohesive and competitive port sector for the Caribbean. Therefore, PMAC holds an annual meeting where port owners, operators and stakeholders can come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Caribbean Ports. The most recent Annual General Meeting was held in June in Curaçao, Willemstad, and marked the 28th annual meeting under PMAC. The meeting has provided a framework where all port management stakeholders can discuss the problems, successes and developments facing their ports over the last year on a localised level, to help address ways

Delivering the Future of Caribbean Ports

Across PMAC’s operations, there is a central focus to enhance the operations of the ports across the Caribbean to first deliver the vital resources needed by those living across the region, and then to optimise the cargo and cruise line industry of the Caribbean. One of the central ways that PMAC is able to achieve this is through the united voice it provides to ports of all sizes across the region. With one unified voice, PMAC can ensure that all ports in the region have a voice when it comes to decisions made on a much wider global scale. Ultimately, PMAC can bring together the vital stakeholders from across its association to work on a positive future for the ports of the Caribbean, with the people who live and work across the region at the heart of every development and infrastructural expansion carried out by PMAC.

Many industries worldwide rely on water for their operations; however, this can lead to polluted and contaminated wastewater that needs to be treated to help preserve the world’s clean water reserves. This is where APATEQ comes in with its range of turn-key customised water treatment and filtration systems designed to deliver cleaner water for customers across the globe. We are super excited to get to speak with Dirk Martin, Chief Sales Officer at APATEQ, to hear all about the company, its current development, and its goals for the upcoming year as it strives to deliver innovative solutions to tackle the treatment of water resources around the globe.

From its headquarters in Luxembourg, APATEQ’s teams bring together decades of experience in the water and wastewater treatment sector to deliver engineering solutions that help its customers with all their decentralised wastewater treatment requirements. When we spoke with Dirk Martin, Chief Sales Officer for APATEQ, about the central role of the company, he outlined that “We are an equipment manufacturer offering full solutions for the treatment of difficult waters. Based on a given analysis of the raw water and the required level of clean water by the customer, we engineer the treatment process, design the associated equipment, procure the necessary components, assemble the treatment plan, install and commission it at the customer’s premises and train the customer’s operators.” Martin’s comments here highlight how APATEQ is present across the entire water treatment process, from the manufacturing of such solutions to the delivery of its products, to support its customers’ water treatment projects every day.

The central products delivered by APATEQ are filtration systems, including ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. These provide the essential filtration processes needed to meet the water quality needs of its customers. In fact, one of the innovative things about APATEQ is that it chooses the suitable pre-treatment and, if required,

post-treatment solutions based on the quality of the raw water and expected clean water properties. This allows APATEQ to consistently deliver the most effective water treatment systems it can, to meet its customers’ expectations with every solution it delivers. This customer-focused strategy seems to be the foundation of APATEQ’s success.

APATEQ’s solutions are delivered by its 25 direct employees and a network of subcontractors it has worked with for many decades. A significant portion of subcontracting occurs within the production area, and this allows APATEQ to keep low overhead costs in production and scale up only when necessary. Martin states that the employee team behind APATEQ is one of the company’s greatest assets, as they embody its performance, dedication, and loyalty. Although APATEQ is a relatively young company, it is no longer considered a ‘start-up’. However, Martin notes that APATEQ has endeavoured to preserve the ‘start-up’ spirit

across the company to encourage employees to challenge new situations and never be satisfied with a given status. By inspiring this culture across the company, APATEQ aims to deliver vital solutions supported by a passionate team ready to find the best possible outcomes for its customers.

APATEQ delivers these solutions on an international scale, with operations currently in Europe, Asia and North America. Across these markets, APATEQ delivers its solutions across various targeted applications, including the treatment of produced water from oil and gas extraction, the treatment of landfill sites, the treatment of scrubber water from seagoing container vessels, and the treatment of biogas digestate residues. Across all of these applications, APATEQ delivers its vital solutions founded on its in-depth knowledge of the chemical characteristics of raw water, and what technology and process is needed to get water to a cleaner level.

This is one of the things that Dirk Martin feels sets APATEQ apart from its rivals. For Martin, a “careful choice of materials and processes, combined with an in-house automation development, enables us to focus on very complex and difficult waters to treat.” Martin continues, “By selecting niche applications, we cover parts of the market that the large water treatment companies cannot satisfy with their standard equipment and solutions. All of this, paired with a full understanding of customer service and fast reaction to customer needs, allows us to be reactive and of great interest to the market.”

However, APATEQ are operating in a sector where investments are often given towards production equipment rather than wastewater treatment. Therefore, APATEQ are working towards delivering a future where customers invest in treating the polluted water they produce proactively, and not

just in response to hefty fines for not complying with water treatment requirements. Dirk Martin outlined that for many customers, “Investing in waste management, i.e. in water treatment equipment, always comes as a second or third priority, unless imposed by sanctions if the water is not treated”. Thus, whilst APATEQ are primed to deliver vital water treatment solutions, they are tackling an industry where water treatment is only being adopted slowly.

As APATEQ looks towards 2026, it highlighted that it is continuing to work on projects across oil and gas, leachate, biogas digestate and scrubber water cleaning markets. Many of these projects were the first of their kind and were realised by APATEQ with the company’s innovation behind every development. These markets remain key to the company’s growth and enable the company to refer to other players in the respective markets, where APATEQ can encourage new customers to adopt its solutions. Dirk Martin was able to tell us about a major partnership with the German Industrial Group of

BOLL & KIRCH. The partnership sees APATEQ acquired by BOLL & KIRCH, which will strengthen APATEQ’s position to offer products on a worldwide basis, as it can rely on several sales offices distributed over all continents. Plus, with BOLL & KIRCH now operating as the financial backbone of APATEQ, it can expand its role across the water treatment industry and take on even larger projects with this added support. APATEQ’s central goal for the future is to increase its market presence and its business development. According to Martin, “We want to be recognised as a reference on the market. So far, all applications we addressed were the first of their kind in the respective market. Living innovation in all the aspects of our day-to-day life enables us to be a recognised company for its outstanding capabilities and ability to develop solutions that are not commonplace

on the market.” To achieve this, APATEQ remains focused on offering innovative solutions that can disrupt the global water treatment industry. With innovation and leading water treatment solutions at the heart of APATEQ’s operations, we can see how the company is expanding its treatment solutions across the world, underpinned by employees and a vital contractor network that enables it to remain competitive within the global water treatment industry. We look forward to seeing what exciting developments APATEQ will undertake in the near future, now under BOLL & KIRCH. We hope to catch up with Dirk Martin again soon to hear all about APATEQ’s operations across 2026 and as it works towards delivering cleaner water solutions for the future.

Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is such a popular destination across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) thanks to its rich culture, scenery and shopping facilities available across the capital. For this reason, millions of visitors arrive in Abu Dhabi every year on both business and leisure trips, ready to make the most of the expansive beaches, golf courses and conference centres that the city has to offer. With such a large portion of the city’s economic development focused on tourism, the government established a dedicated Department of Culture and Tourism, which could focus on promoting, protecting and progressing the tourism industry of Abu Dhabi to maintain its role as a leading global hub for tourism across the Emirate.

Led by an accomplished team of executives spanning industry professionals across a wide range of disciplines within the tourism sector, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) is on a mission to drive sustainable growth across Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sector, by forming a valuable and diverse ecosystem that works to preserve, promote and embody the Emirate’s heritage, innovative spirit and unparalleled hospitality. By delivering vital development to Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors, DCT – Abu Dhabi aims to deliver the city as a primed tourism destination, where culture, creativity and discovery are at the forefront of its reputation.

To promote and maintains the popular reputation of Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination in the UAE, DCT – Abu Dhabi sets about coordinating efforts and investments to regulate and use the best tools, policies and systems possible to support Abu Dhabi’s tourism development and deliver it as a leading global destination for both local and international travellers. In turn, it hopes to attract both national and international investment into its tourism sector, to continue to make it an appealing yet distinctive tourism and cultural destination across the Emirate.

Abu Dhabi has long been known as a world-class destination for tourism, with people travelling from all corners of the world to experience the diverse array of leisure, entertainment and cultural attractions on offer across the region. With so much to offer tourists, DCT – Abu Dhabi is passionate about working with industry partners, stakeholders and sponsors to continue to promote Abu Dhabi as a sought-after destination. To achieve this, DCT – Abu Dhabi actively engages with trade partners to convert interest in the city into concrete plans for both leisure and business travel. A key aspect of this is education and familiarisation of the city with international and local tour operations, which helps to encourage a higher uptake of trips to the region. DCT - Abu Dhabi can then work across the region to monitor guest arrivals, occupancy rates and visitor footfall to focus on the areas that need more development with both local and international visitors.

This development can then be carried out across Abu Dhabi’s tourism landscape to analyse trends and, from these, develop innovative programmes to raise Abu Dhabi’s profile as a leading leisure, culture

Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

and business tourism destination. Marketing initiatives are key to this, as so through DCT – Abu Dhabi‘s 10 offices, it carries out vital promotional activities and partnerships to grow tourism numbers from key tourism markets. In addition, DCT – Abu Dhabi is responsible for issuing licenses for hotels, tourism organisations, events and conferences, which ensure that all of these settings are met with the highest international standards. By upholding such strict standards, DCT – Abu Dhabi can continue to support the best possible travel opportunities, contribute towards the growing tourism industry, and improve infrastructure whilst promoting competitiveness for Abu Dhabi as a sought-after destination across the UAE.

One of the vital developments for DCT – Abu Dhabi is business tourism, which sees Abu Dhabi promoted as a great destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). By focusing on this aspect of business tourism, DCT – Abu Dhabi highlights the vital role the region plays as a meeting point for international business operations at the heart of the Middle East. By delivering popular and dynamic business tourism opportunities, supported by promotion at overseas trade conferences, Abu Dhabi can bring greater business tourism across the region.

For leisure tourism, cruises are a vital division which is at the forefront of developing Abu Dhabi

into a leading winter sun cruise destination. The city is home to the region’s only dedicated cruise stopover beach on Sir Bani Yas Island in the Emirate’s Al Dhafra region. This provides a unique offering to cruise operators traversing the Arabian Gulf. Currently, a range of cruise offerings arrive at the Abu Dhabi port, including those that include the port as a port of call when operating across the regional Arabian Gulf, international cruise lines that arrive on worldwide tours, and those that start and end in Abu Dhabi. With Abu Dhabi being a vital stopping point along many of these cruise itineraries, the cruise line industry remains a vital way that tourism is brought into Abu Dhabi every year. Therefore, DCT – Abu Dhabi works with such cruise line operators to continually enhance its cruise port terminal offerings and establish the region as a valuable stopping place full of culture and tradition in the Emirate.

For many tourists, the rich culture and heritage of Abu Dhabi are a big draw to the capital. Therefore, a key aspect of DCT: Abu Dhabi’s operations is to develop programmes which promote and support the culture of the region with events, exhibitions and museums that celebrate Abu Dhabi. Across Abu Dhabi, there is a range of UNESCO heritage sites, which are protected by DCT: Abu Dhabi, to preserve and promote the significance of the prominent archaeological and historical heritage of the capital, which draws tourists from across the world. This responsibility to promote the dynamic culture of Abu Dhabi is something DCT: Abu Dhabi is very focused on, as these are not only cornerstones of the region’s historical significance, but they also play a vital role in developing the cultural tourism of the region.

With so much on offer across Abu Dhabi, DCT – Abu Dhabi has set out a clear Tourism Strategy 2030, which it aims to bring a new era of expansion and strategic development for the region. The strategy, approved by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, plans to deliver the Emirate as one of the fastest-growing global destinations for international visitors. The plan outlines a boost to visitor numbers, with a goal to reach 39.3 million annually by 2030. With this, the strategy hopes to

see the tourism sector contribute further to the country’s GDP, with its annual GDP contribution totally AED 90 billion by 2030. To achieve this, the sector will undergo fast expansion, and with it, create 178,000 new jobs within the tourism ecosystem.

The Tourism Strategy 2030 is broken down into 4 strategic pillars, which can be utilised to foster sustainable growth. These pillars include offering and city activation, which is set out to enhance visitor experience, whether at a cultural site, hotel, or retail store. The strategy wants to ensure that every visitor across Abu Dhabi is met with only the best offerings. The second pillar covers promotion and marketing, which aims to work closely with partners to double the international reach of Abu Dhabi as a key destination, expanding its current reach from 11 markets to 26. The third pillar is focused on implementing infrastructure and mobility for visitors to the Emirate. This includes increasing room availability, flight seat capacity and the connectivity within the Emirate to make getting to the region easier. The final pillar aims to help all of these goals be achieved quickly, yet to a

Bringing Vital Tourism to Abu Dhabi

high standard, through the enhancement of visas, licensing and regulation processes. This ensures that guests know that they will be met with only the highest standards and regulations across their stay, supported by DCT- Abu Dhabi. All of these pillars really bring into focus the vital role DCT – Abu Dhabi plays in enhancing the region’s tourism and culture sectors to encourage more guests to the city and deliver a reliable future for Abu Dhabi’s tourism.

Ultimately, DCT – Abu Dhabi’s goal is to drive the continued and sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sector in order to fuel economic progress. By focusing on the heritage, culture, and landscapes that the city has to offer, DCT – Abu Dhabi continues to invest in the region by working with vital partners and stakeholders on a local and international scale to position Abu Dhabi as the sought-after location, whether for business or leisure. With innovative strategies, outlined by its Tourism Strategy 2030, Abu Dhabi is set to vastly expand its tourism industry over the coming years and continue to highlight why it remains such a vital destination for all types of tourism, all year long.

Solomon Islands Port Authority

Made up of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls, the Solomon Islands is a country located in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its vital location in the Pacific Ocean, the island’s main ports of Honiara and Noro are linked to key ports in Australia, as well as ports in New Zealand, Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Therefore, the shipping industry of the Solomon Islands is a vital aspect of the country’s economy, with the country’s main ports serving as a premier hub for port and maritime activities, providing the Solomon Islands as a gateway for international trade. To oversee such a vital aspect of the country’s economy, the Solomon Islands Port Authority (SIPA) was developed to oversee the development of the Island’s ports and deliver them as the South Pacific’s Strategic Gateway to the World.

Established in 1956, SIPA is a governmentowned authority responsible for overseeing the operation and development of the ports of Honiara and Noro for the Solomon Islands. The Authority is mandated to provide, maintain, and improve the port facilities of Honiara and Noro, whilst overseeing the maritime operations across the territorial waters of the Solomon Islands. Across these operations, SIPA is focused on harnessing the potential of the Solomon Islands’ shipping industry to deliver ports that can handle the cargo arriving and leaving its shores with seamless solutions.

In recent years, global cargo trade volumes have increased, and this has been seen across the port of the Solomon Islands. Therefore, a key part of SIPA’s role is to help support this growing demand and deliver vital commodity trade for the region, which will have knock-on benefits for the economy. However, SIPA achieves this, whilst also working to deliver this shipping capability in the most sustainable way possible. Therefore, in recent years, SIPA has been moving the ports across the country towards a more environmentally conscious future, helping them to lower their energy consumption and cost on the planet whilst still delivering the vital cargo services needed to support the Islands.

One of the central ports for the Solomon Islands is the Port of Honiara, which is the capital port for the Islands. The port is located on the northern side of Guadalcanal and deals largely with imports of consumer goods and machinery. For exports, the port is responsible for delivering copra, palm oil, fish and timber to international markets. Every year, around 190 vessels arrive at the port, and the majority of these are cargo vessels or tankers. As the main port for the Solomon Islands, SIPA has carried out works to ensure that the roadways around the port can maintain the delivery of cargo through the port and support the surrounding area. In February, SIPA helped deliver vital road upgrades around the Honiara port, focused on the Commonwealth Street entrance, and extended through the International Port Terminal, Yacht Club Mbokona bay Road and the entire Domestic Terminal area. The refurbishment was fully funded by SIPA and was completed by China Railway Construction Engineering Group.

However, one of the most significant new developments for Honiara is the development of the Millennium Terminal. In December 2024, SIPA opened the Millennium Terminal, which is the largest domestic seaport terminal in the South Pacific. The facility is a key milestone in the nation’s development, delivering a state-of-the-art terminal designed to cater to passengers and business. The terminal encompasses a three-story seaport terminal, offering amenities to passengers and is designed to improve efficiency and passenger service in the region. Thus, the Millennium Terminal is the largest of its kind in the region and is a beacon of growth and innovation, designed to bring enhanced connectivity for the people of the Solomon Islands and beyond.

The other major port for the Solomon Islands is Noro Port, located on a group of islands known as the New Georgia Islands, which are just southwest of the Solomon Islands Group. The port, under the management of SIPA, handled primarily copra and fish commodities; however, there is only 1 berthing wharf for all shipping vessels, whether travelling along domestic or international routes, and no designated wharf for landing craft. The Noro Port is vital to the Solomon Islands’ fishing and logging industries, whilst being a key asset to the Solomon Islands’ maritime infrastructure.

A Strategic Maritime Hub

SEAMLESS SHIPPING. SMART LOGISTICS. GLOBAL REACH.

From port to destination, we keep your cargo moving smoothly and on time — every time.

Port Agency Services

We handle it all — vessel coordination, customs clearance, pilotage, and cargo supervision — for commercial ships, luxury yachts, cruise liners, and special-purpose vessels.

Cargo & Freight Forwarding

Air, sea, or land — we move your cargo effortlessly to and from the Solomon Islands with trusted global partners. From LCL/FCL shipments to breakbulk and air freight, we deliver tailored, cost-effective solutions.

Landside Logistics & Warehousing

Efficient delivery from port to point of sale. We offer trucking, warehousing, 6PL logistics, e-commerce fulfillment, and reverse logistics — keeping your supply chain running at peak performance.

Your Cargo, Our Commitment.

From pharmaceuticals to industrial and project cargo, we ensure safe, timely, and professional delivery — every single time.

Solomon Islands Port Authority

Over the years, various refurbishment works have been undertaken to help maintain the port and its role in developing the Solomon Islands maritime industry. A key development was outlined in 2024, when SIPA introduced a new terminal operating system at Noro, designed to enhance port operation efficiency and improve the overall efficiency of service delivery. The ‘OCTOPI’ system was implemented at both the Noro and Honiara ports, following months of rigorous preparation and training delivered in collaboration with SIPA staff and key stakeholders. The system is designed to optimise port terminal operations by ensuring the container movements are processed in real time, which will improve the overall management of cargo and vessels. This more detailed view of cargo and vessel movements allows the ports to provide enhanced container handling services, and in the process speed up turnaround times to help position the port as a competitive hub for global shipping.

Speaking on the launch of the new system. Mr Ellison Pade, SIPAS’s Chief Information Officer and Manager of Special Projects, outlines that “We are proud to be the first Port in the region to implement and use this system, which is also a modern and latest system designed for medium-sized port terminals, which suits us well”. Pade continues, “This is a significant investment by SIPA, which puts the Port of Honiara and Noro fast forward into the future in terms of Port Operation efficiency and online container movement processing, which I trust will certainly support the ongoing development expansion and growth of the Port”. Pade’s comments highlight just how valuable the development of such a system is in enhancing the port operation of both the Port of Noro and Honiara to allow them to develop the ports as key shipping hubs supported by the top technology for optimised shipping movements.

In August, SIPA participated in the 47th Pacific Maritime Transport Alliance (PMTA) Conference, which brings together port stakeholders from across the region to discuss the shared challenges facing the sector and to find ways to improve these. CEO of SIPA, Georgia Rausi, was a key panellist at the opening session of the meeting, highlighting SIPA’s effort to address the challenges of the Solomon Islands’ ageing port infrastructure and the role of digitalisation and efficiency improvements for the ports. Rausi highlighted the importance of such events for PMTA; “This conference was an important platform for us to not only share our progress, but also to learn from the experiences of our regional partners. Collaboration is key to building stronger, more resilient Pacific ports that can withstand global challenges and drive economic growth for our island nations.” Rausi’s comments solidify the unifying role of SIPA in enhancing the role of the ports across the Solomon Islands, whilst working alongside key stakeholders of the Pacific maritime sector to deliver the entire region as a hub for global trade.

Overall, SIPA is a vital authority body working across the Solomon Islands to develop the ports of Honiara and Noro into hubs for global maritime development. With each port experiencing vital upgrades in recent years, from physical infrastructure to digital systems, SIPA has been able to position the port of the Solomon Islands as a key gateway from the Pacific region to the world. Therefore, in its mission to develop and promote the Solomon Islands as a premier hub for port and maritime activities in the heart of the South Pacific, SIPA has been largely successful with its delivery of world-class services in logistics, shipping and port management.