BTI Winter 2021-22

BULK TERMINALS WINTER 2021-22

international

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF BULK TERMINAL OPERATORS

blue sky thinking Efficient, eco-friendly cranes and grabs for a new generation

future perfect A buoyant shipbuilding market enables more efficient designs

state of play An in-depth look at China’s position in the industry

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EDITOR’S LeTTER

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NEW YEAR, NEW HOPE?

BY SANDRA SPEARES After the tumultuous events of the past year, what will 2022 bring for the industry?

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s the bulk cargo sector gets into the New Year, operators will be hoping that demands of meeting new environmental regulations and restrictions in ports will ease up.

The past 12 months have not been easy ones for ports, which have had to deal with a series of crew crises, shutdowns and government tightening of restrictions, not to mention new regulations.

As some countries – although not all – begin to move away from coal-fired facilities, coal-dominated ports such as Newcastle in Australia have begun the process of finding new sources of revenue. In the case of Newcastle, the port is going through an assessment process with a view towards moving to ammonia production.

Countries such as China continue to dominate where the bulk cargo industry’s best efforts are concerned and it can have – and has already had – dramatic effects on the segment’s success.

Shipowners, meanwhile, are continuing to see slots for new and perhaps more eco-friendly tonnage

to be built, whether in Chinese yards or elsewhere.

Other sources of energy are coming through the system, although considerable investment will be needed to plug the fuel gap. In addition, owners and operators cannot ignore existing legislation in the sector: ballast water treatment, for example, has passed the adoption stage, but needs to be seen to be complied with in practice.

The past year has also underlined the importance of collaborative efforts between companies to solve problems or come up with solutions at a time when the pressure is on to reduce costs and meet environmental requirements.

These collaborative efforts, either between companies or trade associations, seem to be proving more effective than the well -publicised words of international political leaders.

The maritime industry as a whole needs to continue to pull together in coming up with solutions as the deadlines for new legislative requirements arrive.

There have been a number of initiatives to support seafarers during what has been an incredibly difficult

period and new ones are appearing as the industry’s most important workers continue to face ongoing difficult working conditions.

Charities have had a starring role to play in fighting for seafarers rights at a time when these rights are very often forgotten. Although the Ever Given grounding in the Suez Canal resulted in huge costs and bottlenecks, it also provided a glimpse for those outside the industry of exactly how important shipping actually is.

Sadly, face to face meetings between industry players have continued to be much restricted in recent months as the effects of the circulation of different covid variants continue to be felt.

If all goes according to plan, NorShipping should take place in the first week of April with, hopefully, a face-toface conference for ABTO later in the year. In an industry like ours, face-to-face opportunities continue to be vital and cannot be entirely recreated via on-line communication platforms.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this edition of Bulk Terminals International and look forward to meeting readers at a real-time event in 2021.

BULK TERMINALS

international | WINTER 2021-22

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international

Published by Editor: Sandra Speares speares1@aol.com Designer: Justin Ives justindesign@live.co.uk PROJECT DIRECTOR: Jonathon Ferris jonathon.ferris@bulkterminals.org PROJECT MANAGER: Alex Corboude alex.corboude@bulkterminals.org Sub-editor: Samantha Robinson Sam.robinson.journalist@gmail.com Publisher: Bill Robinson production@bulkterminals.org ABTO 35 Beacon Drive Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 1GG Chief Executive: Simon Gutteridge ce@bulkterminals.org Technical Adviser: Ian Adams tech@bulkterminals.org

COVER IMAGE: © NEWMAG

The views expressed in Bulk Terminals International are not necessarily those of ABTO or the publisher unless expressly stated to be such. ABTO disclaims any responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences or for advertisements contained in this magazine and has no legal responsibility to deal with them.

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CONTENTS 1 editor’s letter

40 viewpoint: dust

Sandra Speares looks at what 2022 will bring for the industry

Mike Lewis of BossTek examines the options to provide an environmentally friendly, efficient dust control solution

7 welcome ABTO has a wealth of knowledge to share, says ABTO CEO Simon Gutteridge

9 world news round-up Investment may be on the up, but the industry is still feeling the effects of the pandemic in many ways

» p17

17 grabs and cranes Supporting efficiency and ecofriendliness are key in ports when installing new crane and grab systems

25 viewpoint: conveyor systems » p25

» p30

Martin Engineering takes a look at which new equipment and design options provide the best return on investment

30 cement

Why the most effective solutions when it comes to paints on newbuilds are not necessarily the most eco-friendly ones

47 shipbuilding Shipbuilders are creating ever-more effective designs to overhaul the shipbuilding process

50 spotlight: china The country continues to dominate the maritime sector - an issue that is causing concern to other international players

53 spotlight: us ports US ports are rejoicing in a range of funding that is improving both infrastructure and environment

56 spotlight: german ports

Efficient, environmentally friendly equipment is vital when it comes to cement loading and unloading

33 coal handling Firms are devising viable alternatives to coal, or minimising its detrimental effects with innovative machinery

38 viewpoint: grains » p44

44 paints

Basil Karatzas looks at why it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to containerised shipping

New systems are improving flow and efficiency at a time when goods handling has been beset with difficulties

59 spotlight: united arab emirates The UAE has been exploring opportunities to trade with countries in the region, boosting trade locally

64 last word Terminal tales from around the globe

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WELCOME

A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE

SIMON GUTTERIDGE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE ABTO

From insightful seminars to focused workshops, ABTO has myriad ways for those in the industry to gain insight into the subjects that make a difference

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s well as with our quarterly editions of Bulk Terminals International and every six weeks the ABTONews e-newsletter, we aim to keep you in the picture about developments in our industry at our annual Bulk Terminals conference and throughout the year with a programme of our own and supported events.

Last year, we had to hold the ABTO Bulk Terminals Conference online. There was a full report of the conference online in the Autumn 2021 edition of Bulk Terminals International, which you can read on the BTI magazines page on our website: bulkterminals.org.

With thanks to our 2021 conference chairman Professor Mike Bradley, director, The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology at the University of Greenwich, and the session chairmen: Basil M Karatzas, CEO, Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co; Edgars Suna, deputy CEO for Port Development, Freeport of Riga Authority; Richard Morton, secretary general, International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA); Richard Steele, head of ICHCA International and all the presenters. You can view their presentations on the YouTube recordings via the link on our Events page.

BULK TERMINALS

Each year, the ABTO Bulk Terminals conference presents a full programme focused on the concerns of operators, offering sound practical solutions for improving safety, streamlining operations and ensuring environmental protection, as well as market analysis and development opportunities

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ABTO is also very grateful to BRUKS Siwertell, Igus, Buttimer, Bedeschi and SAMSON Materials Handling for their generous sponsorship of the conference, making the event possible.

Assuming the Omicron or other new covid-19 variants do not prevent it, the ABTO Bulk Terminals 2022 Riga conference will be held on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 October at the Freeport of Riga Authority conference venue, with a pre-conference terminal visit for early arrivals on Tuesday 25 October.

While we finally hope to be able to meet you all physically in Riga and are working on the assumption that this will be possible, in the event of covid-19 in October preventing this we will split the sessions and run the conference online over four or five days during the week commencing 24 October – just as we did last year.

Each year, the ABTO Bulk Terminals conference presents a full programme focused on the concerns of operators, offering sound practical solutions for improving safety, streamlining operations and ensuring environmental protection, as well as market analysis and development opportunities.

WELCOME

The effect of covid-19 on terminal operations and measures to minimise its impact will naturally continue to feature, as well as the increasing importance of digitalisation – already very much on the agenda of operators.

Given the importance to Riga – as well as other ports in Latvia and the rest of the Baltic region – of transit cargoes, there was also a focus on rail and transport connectivity. We will be keeping a close eye on how Riga and other ports in the region will be affected by political developments in Belarus, as well as Russia and Ukraine.

Last November, we ran a new online short course entitled Understanding the total cost of ownership – how to avoid future problems and buy bulk solids handling equipment intelligently.

All too often, the operational requirements of the equipment to be supplied is not properly understood by either the buyers or the sellers. Purchase decisions purely based on price fail to understand the true cost of a bulk solids handling system to a business in terms of downtime, energy, maintenance and manning.

Facilitated by The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology and members of the Solids Handling & Processing Association (SHAPA), this course gave both terminal operators and equipment manufacturers an insight into what should on the one side be specified and on the other supplied.

The course was well received, with a healthy 50/50 terminals and supplier mix of attendees.

Professor Mike Bradley from The Wolfson Centre and Ian Birkinshaw, General Secretary, SHAPA, were the course leaders for days one and two respectively. Bradley was joined by his colleague Dr Baldeep Kaur and the other course tutors were all drawn from SHAPA’s Technical Committee: Eddie McGee, managing director, Ajax Equipment Ltd; Peter Slee-Smith, technical manager, Dodman Ltd and Charles Williams, director, Promtek. A big thank you to all of them.

Bradley introduced the course with an explanation of the nature of the

problem, going on to examples of projects that have gone off the rails and identifying the problems with solids handling plant procurement.

The two days continued with a consideration of the importance of bulk solids characterisation; understanding and managing the total cost of ownership of bulk solids processing plants; the practical approach to design to accommodate material characteristics; the value of custom a design over off the shelf equipment; and understanding the true cost of a solids handling system and case studies of risk management in solids handling projects.

Each day, the course split into groups for discussion of the issues raised – how well delegates currently apply best practice, what they can improve for the future and the difficulties to be overcome.

The course will be running gain this year, as will the popular Port and Terminal Operations for Bulk Cargoes short course, online on 14-17 March 2022, and Biomass Operations & Handling Technology, 21-25 February 2022.

The key thing to understand about the handling of bulk materials – and no less so at bulk terminals – is the characteristics of the cargo. This affects the suitability of the machinery, the sizes and throughputs, safety hazards, dust emissions and also the susceptibility of the cargo to damage in handling.

Usually when a shipment is contracted, the paperwork is signed without reference to these things. So, if dealing with a range of different cargoes, or the same cargo but from different sources, it is important to understand how the character might change and how this might affect operations.

The Port and Terminal Operations for Bulk Cargoes short course will cover cargo characterisation; ship unloading; shore side transport; storage and discharge; wear and maintenance; rail Interfaces; cargo quality; safety issues; fire, explosion protection & ATEX regulations and autonomous vehicles.

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Delegates will gain an understanding of the reasons for the varied behaviour of powders and particulate materials as they travel across the seas or are stored and transported from ports. Each day will provide the opportunity to discuss operational issues with the presenters and other delegates.

The course is aimed at anyone working in bulk terminals and ports or at sea, who handles or is responsible for the safe transportation of bulk materials.

Biomass Operations and Handling Technology, meanwhile, is designed to help delegates identify and resolve common problems when handling various biomass materials.

The subjects covered will include material types, flow properties and handling equipment requirements; self-heating, fire, explosion protection, ATEX regulations and safety; dust and degradation, pneumatic conveying and wear; dust control and management; engineering of equipment for storage and discharge; ship unloading; biomass potential and possible future trends.

The course is aimed at the manufacturers and suppliers of biomass materials, at the users – particularly those responsible for maintenance and management on site – and at the manufacturers and installers of equipment used to transport and store biomass materials.

To register an interest in attending any of these short training courses, contact events@bulkterminals.org Tel: +33 (0)3 21 47 72 19.

Keep an eye on the Events section of our website for developments and registration details.

Enjoy our winter edition of Bulk Terminals International. Keep in touch and stay safe.

Simon Gutteridge Chief Executive, ABTO Tel: +33 (0)321 47 72 19 Email: ce@bulkterminals.org Web: bulkterminals.org

BULK TERMINALS

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Posidonia 6 -10 June 2022

Metropolitan Expo, Athens Greece

www.posidonia-events.com

NEWS

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WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP

Investment is on the up, in spite of the constrictions of the pandemic, but the industry has felt the effects of covid-19 in many other ways

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he charter market for multipurpose vessels (MPVs), including both breakbulk and project cargo carriers, is expected to remain strong through 2022, supported by the continued prevalence of covid-19 and the resultant global supply chain disruption, according to consultants Drewry.

However, Drewry says that charter rate inflation will be checked by slowing cargo demand growth and expanding capacity in the competing fleets of dry bulk and containerships from 2023, according to its recently published Multipurpose Shipping Forecaster.

“It is clear that 2021 consolidated our belief that the charter markets for containerships and dry bulk carriers have as much of an effect, and sometimes more, than the pure economics relating to the MPV fleet,” the report says. “Although it was not always clear that weak charter rates pre-2021 were exacerbated by the competing fleets driving them lower, it has been very apparent that the current booming market is underpinned by even higher rates in these other sectors.

“The demand for MPV tonnage, from both breakbulk and project cargo, rose

by almost 9% over 2021, following a drop of 2.5% in 2020. Although the majority of this increase is accounted for by stronger global dry cargo demand, a significant element of it is also down to improved market share for the MPV fleet.

As the well-documented supply chain problems have caused unprecedented capacity constraints for the container sector, breakbulk cargoes have returned to the MPV fleet as shippers struggled to secure cargo space.”

Capacity constraints are expected to last well into 2022, Drewry adds. “The New Year has started with a number of reports of MPV vessels carrying cargoes usually associated with containers, such as bagged coffee.

“With the Chinese government’s zero tolerance covid-19 policy continuing to put port operations at risk, even as the rest of the world considers the Omicron variant to be less threatening than initially feared, the supply chain issues are far from over.”

There has also been a significant increase in consumer demand over the past 12 months, as public health restrictions have led to a switch of spend from services to consumer goods, the consultant adds.

port boost for libya US-based The Guidry Group has signed an agreement with Archirodon Construction (Overseas) Company setting the main terms of its co-operation for the design and construction of the US$1.5bn Susah Secure Port in Libya. The Susah Secure Port, conceived as a multi-use port, will be the deepest water port in Libya, the first public-private ownership port project to be undertaken in the country, the first port to be built to a globally competitive and efficient standard and the largest port infrastructure investment by a US company in Libya’s history.

The Susah Secure Port project is critical to the rebuilding of Libya and was recently endorsed by the Libyan Government of National Unity. It will provide a secure means of trade for international companies and governments and become a centre for economic development for Libya.

There is an expectation for greater US involvement in the development of Libya, with the Susah Secure Port being the a first step in the right direction.

The Port of Susah is located about 240km east of Benghazi in Eastern Libya.

The seaport in Susah serves as the main

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NEWS

artery and entry port for goods into Libya by sea. A natural self-dredging port with a sea depth of 18m, the proposed newly developed Port of Susah will enable ships to offload their containers of goods with ease.

The US$1.5bn port will be constructed in four phases. The total development cost projection of the first phase of the project is approximately US$200m. It will primarily focus on container handling, grain handling and other bulk cargoes, general cargo and as a logistics base.

Competition complaint The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has written to the UK government asking it to investigate the state of competition within the current deep sea container shipping market.

The UK’s main trade association for freight forwarding and logistics companies says that its members are concerned that certain practices undertaken by the principal container shipping lines, as well as easements and exemptions provided to them under competition law, are distorting the operations of the free market to the detriment of international trade.

In a letter to Robert Courts MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, BIFA’s Director General Robert Keen expresses the trade association’s concern that during a period of welldocumented chaos within the container shipping sector, commercial power is becoming increasingly concentrated, resulting in diminished market choice and competition, and distorted market conditions.

Keen says: “BIFA members fully accept that a free market economy is open to all, but are increasingly concerned that the activities of the container shipping lines, and the exemptions from legislation from which they benefit, are distorting the operations of that market to the shipping lines’ advantage, whilst adversely and unfairly affecting their customers, especially freight forwarders and small and medium-sized enterprises.

“The facts speak for themselves.

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During a period that has seen EU block exemption regulations carried forward into UK law, there has been huge market consolidation.

“In 2015, there were 27 major container shipping lines carrying global containerised trade, with the largest having a 15.3% market share. Today, there are 15 shipping lines, organised into three major alliances carrying that trade, with some analysts observing that the market share of a single alliance on certain key routes could be over 40%.

“The pandemic has highlighted and accelerated this development, which has also contributed to dreadful service levels, and hugely inflated rates, with carriers allocating vessels to the most profitable routes with little regard to the needs of their customers.

“Drewry recently issued a profit forecast of more than USD150bn for 2021 for the main container shipping lines for which financial results are available.

“To put that into perspective, this is more than has been achieved in the previous 20 years combined, and many BIFA members consider it to be a case of blatant profiteering,” Keen concludes.

BIFA is joining a growing number of organisations, including CLECAT and FIATA, the US Federal Maritime Commission, and the Australian Productivity Commission, in calling for governments at a national and pan-national level to give careful consideration to the evolving business arrangements in the container shipping market to see whether they are in breach of competition law.

Derivatives volumes The freight derivatives market for dry cargo vessels saw increased traded volumes in 2021, according to data released by the Baltic Exchange.

Dry Forward Freight Agreement volumes hit 2,524,271 lots, up 61% on 2020. Options trading in the dry market hit an all-time high of 409,255, up 25% on the previous year. The most heavily traded contract was settled against the Baltic Exchange’s panamax timecharter assessment (PTC) which saw 1,202,432 lots traded in 2021.

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Tanker FFA volumes were down 16% on the previous year, reaching 553,535 lots. Middle East Gulf to China was the favoured tanker contract with 304,719 lots changing hands.

One lot is defined as a day’s hire of a vessel or 1000 metric tonnes of ocean transportation of cargo.

Commenting on the figures, Baltic Exchange chief executive Mark Jackson says: “2021 was another impressive year for the Dry FFA market. Underpinning these volumes are volatility, world class clearing, trust in the Baltic Exchange’s settlement data and increased participation by owners, charterers and traders. Our status as a regulated benchmark provider has allowed more hedge funds and banks to enter this mature, liquid market.”

He adds: “Last year, the dry bulk market experienced considerable swings as a result of ongoing supplychain challenges caused by the covid19 pandemic.

“With low freight rates, the tanker FFA market was more subdued 2021 due to a lack of sellers. But there are signs of confidence in the market. Our benchmark Middle East Gulf to China crude oil route (TD3C) has open interest going out five years, which shows the excellent depth of this market.”

Weather routing Technology company ZeroNorth recently highlighted the changing role of weather routing in the maritime industry, as new technologies shift responsibility for mastering the weather to more individuals within shipping companies and amplify the influence that voyage planning has on commerciality.

Previously the responsibility of multiple, unconnected individuals with different priorities, weather routing through interconnected and integrated data is having an increasing impact on commerciality – and ultimately on the industry’s ability to decarbonise – ZeroNorth argues.

In many cases, today’s services tackle different elements of successful ship operation and offer operators siloed recommendations. While the future of weather routing will continue to enable

NEWS

masters to fulfil their critical role of vessel and crew safety management, shipping’s data landscape has matured enough through technology platforms, ZeroNorth says, that the benefits of weather data and applications no longer need to be siloed from each other.

New technology advancements enabling optimisations in real time mean that shipping companies will be able to act on voyage planning recommendations with a clear view of their commercial and sustainability impacts. ZeroNorth says that these evolutions mean that vessel routing decisions will become even more closely tied to successful commercial and sustainability performance, above and beyond the critical baseline of ensuring vessel safety.

The positive impact of optimisation with integrated weather routing on commercial performance will only become more important as the industry transitions to cleaner fuels. Revenue upsides will allow the industry to manage its transition to more expensive, low carbon alternative fuels because every ton of fuel saved through weather routing represents more money that the sector can inject into clean fuel adoption.

ZeroNorth is also launching a new 24/7 weather advisory service. The weather advisory team comprises seasoned experts who are available 24/7 to support customers – including operators and masters – to navigate any situation that a vessel might encounter. The team, which includes meteorologists, master mariners, and routing experts, offers advice while in the voyage planning phase, as well as for specific queries during a particular passage.

Shuttle tanker investment AET, a leading owner and operator of maritime transportation assets and specialised services, took delivery of Eagle Campos, the first of another three Suezmax Dynamic Positioning (DP2) Shuttle Tankers. These are purpose built for long-term charter to Brazil Shipping Limited, which is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Shell.

AET’s commitment to moving energy in an increasingly responsible and ecofriendly way led to the agreement with Shell in December 2019 to operate these three Suezmax DP2 shuttle tankers in the international and Brazilian Basin on a long-term charter, with Eagle Campos being the first in this series. She was delivered to AET on 5 January 2022 and will commence her operations in Brazil, joining Eagle Pilar, which AET already operates for Shell.

Eagle Campos’ two sister vessels are currently under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea, and are due to be delivered later this year. AET and Eaglestar site teams have been working closely together with the HHI team to ensure all health and safety precautions were in place to safeguard the construction and delivery of the vessels during the ongoing pandemic.

Biosafety initiative A newly signed project is set to provide pilot projects in developing countries in order to demonstrate technical solutions for biofouling management, address the transfer of invasive aquatic species and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.

Biofouling is the accumulation of aquatic organisms on wet or immersed surfaces, such as ships and other offshore structures.

The TEST (Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies) Biofouling Project will run for four years (2022-2025), following an agreement signed in December by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

Norad funding amounts to US$4m.

The project complements the existing Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Programme/IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project, which aims to support its lead partnering and partnering countries to implement IMO’s Biofouling Guidelines.

The TEST Biofouling Project will focus on demonstrating technical solutions in the GloFouling partner countries. TEST Biofouling will feature some of the latest

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advances in technological solutions for managing biofouling, such as remote operated vehicles for in-water cleaning and underwater cameras for monitoring anti-fouling coating status. Additionally, the project will provide capacity building courses in developing countries.

IMO Secretary-General Lim says: “I am pleased to sign this agreement with Norad for the TEST Biofouling Project. We need to showcase solutions to today’s challenges, including preserving the oceans’ biodiversity and tackling climate change.

“In 2022, IMO’s World Maritime Theme will be ‘New technologies for greener shipping’, so it is particularly pertinent to launch a project which is going to focus on demonstrating just what can be done. This project will work with developing countries, ensuring that they can lead in demonstrating solutions.”

co2 project underway Equinor, Shell, TotalEnergies, Gassco and classification society DNV announced the kick-off of a new joint industry project (JIP) to develop low-pressure solutions for the transportation of CO2 by ships. The CO2 Efficient Transport via Ocean (CETO) JIP will carry out the technology qualification of a lowpressure ship design and identify solutions to scale CO2 transportation volume, while reducing the associated risks, to support the development of opportunities in CCS. CETO is funded by the project partners and GASSNOVA through the CLIMIT programme and is expected to be completed in 2023.

SIRE overhaul The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is overhauling its Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE) by introducing tablet-based inspections, a more comprehensive inspection process, and enhanced policies and procedures from Q2 2022.

The new programme, SIRE 2.0, will facilitate a risk-based approach to assessing the safety and quality of a vessel and its crew on an ongoing basis, but will require a “change in mindset” from industry, OCIMF warns.

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Under SIRE 2.0, accredited inspectors will complete a Compiled Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (CVIC) in realtime using a tablet device. Unlike the existing paper-based questionnaire, the SIRE 2.0 CVIQ uses a sophisticated algorithm to select questions from a question library based on the type of vessel, its outfitting and operational history to create a bespoke risk-based inspection questionnaire. This means no two inspections will be the same.

In another significant change to the reporting process, most questions require the inspector to provide responses based on hardware, processes and human factors, with observations graded from not as expected through to exceeds expectation. Observations will also be supported with documentary and photographic evidence, where permitted.

As a result of these enhancements to the programme, each inspection question set is varied, providing vessel operators and crews greater opportunity to demonstrate their best practices, and for the first time both positive and negative observations can be documented.

Enhanced governance processes will ensure greater transparency and control for OCIMF and other parties involved in the programme, with stringent compliance requirements enhancing accountability, creating an altogether more robust and programme that can more easily be adapted to the evolving risk profile of the industry.

Electronic certificates Classification Society ClassNK will make electronic certificates and reports issued for ships as standard service from 30 January 2022.

ClassNK has been providing an environment in which documents can be used in electronic data upon request since the early 2000s for survey records and since 2017 for class certificate and statutory certificates issued on behalf of flag states.

Electronification has become widespread due to its benefits in reducing the burden of handling papers, preventing loss, damage, and falsification of papers, and facilitating information

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THE BPA IS PUBLISHING NEW DATA ON UK PORT INVESTMENT ALONGSIDE ANALYSIS OF NEW Q3 TRADE STATISTICS

sharing among stakeholders such as crew and management companies.

Especially, electronic certificates have been introduced in major flag states, including Panama, Liberia, Singapore, Marshall Island, Bahamas, Malta, and so on, and accepted by regional port state control.

As the environment has been improved after many years of operation, ClassNK will make the electronic documents as standard service for class/statutory survey records and International Safety Management (including Document of Compliance to a company)/International Ship and Port Facility Security Code/Maritime Labour Convention audit records issued for ships, as well as for certificates of the flag states that authorise electronic certificates from 30 January 2022.

The documents are available by the links sent to the e-mail address registered on “e-Application”, the online application system for ships in service, and on “NK-SHIPS” storing information of ClassNK related ships. Certificates of the flag states that have not authorised electronic certificates yet, and some other certificates continue to be provided in paper form.

british boom New research published by the British Ports Association (BPA) reveals that UK port investment topped £1bn in 2021, despite continuing pandemic volatility. The figures are being published alongside BPA analysis of new trade data that shows how continued

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depressed demand for fuel is masking a strong recovery across multiple cargo segments.

Investment in port infrastructure in 2021 stood at over £1bn, swelled by several big projects such as the £300m fourth berth at DP World’s London Gateway, which will raise capacity at the container port by a third.

Significant investment in modernising port machinery, pilot vessels and buildings adds at least another £75m to the total, although this is almost certainly an underestimate as the value or existence much of this investment is not routinely published.

Other notable port infrastructure investments announced this year include: » £25m development of the Port of Lowestoft’s Eastern Energy Facility » a £50m expansion at the Port of Cromarty Firth » Teesport’s new £9.2m bulks terminal » the start of a new £60m programme of works to redevelop areas within Pembroke Port » £40m of investment in the Port of Leith by Forth Ports Port infrastructure investment remained strong at over £600m despite the pandemic. Notable projects include Harwich Haven’s £120m channel deepening for the Port of Felixstowe, which is currently underway. The Harwich channel deepening will mean that the biggest container ships in the world will be able to access Felixstowe, which handles more than a third of the UK’s containers.

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These investment figures follow new data for Q3 2021 that show that most cargo types have returned to prepandemic volumes or are stronger than they have been for years. Weak liquid bulk volumes due to a drop off in transport demand during the pandemic have masked what is shaping up to be a very busy year for many ports.

For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/BPA-PortReport

TT CLUB highlights the risk of theft Freight insurance specialists TT Club and the supply chain services and solutions team at business improvement and standards company BSI have highlighted the increased risk of theft from storage facilities seen over the past few months in the US. The changes in theft patterns from the same quarter last year highlight a trend away from ‘on the move’ targets to those locations where cargo is temporarily stored and delivered.

These locations include traditional warehouses and depots where containers and trailers are being held awaiting collection, many of which are temporary facilities in port areas without adequate security regimes.

As the report’s diagrammatic comparisons show, the largest rise in the methods and locations for cargo theft was from facilities: the percentage of the total increasing to 25% in the third quarter this year in contrast with just 7% in 2020. At the other extreme, theft of vehicles fell from a dominant 47% in 2020 to a surprisingly low 15%; in addition, hijackings halved from 20% to 10%.

Commenting on some of the more contrasting figures, Mike Yarwood, TT Club’s managing director, Loss Prevention says: “The is little doubt that the problems of supply chain disruption that are currently bedevilling the US freight transport system, particularly that of container congestion at ports and inland hubs, is creating increased opportunities for thieves.

“The static nature of cargo in these circumstances, often stored in temporary and less secure facilities, leads to criminal ingenuity adapting the modus operandi of theft in a typically resourceful way.”

TT is keen to use the insightful data provided by BSI Screen in identifying shifts in cargo theft trends and bring them to the attention of operators in as timely as a fashion as possible. Those concerned with risk management in the supply chain both in the US and throughout the world should be aware of such patterns and hopefully take measures to reduce losses, costs and insurance claims.

TT is committed to providing resources to help supply chain stakeholders to enact such mitigating measures.

Yarwood explains: “Whatever the location and means of cargo theft such incidents can often be averted through straightforward due diligence, management processes and employee vetting and training. ”To this end, TT has a webpage dedicated to advice on improving supply chain security. For more information, visit: ttclub.com/loss-prevention/supply-chain-security/?

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NEGRINI: ADDING REMOTE ASSETS COMPANY NEWS Negrini has introduced a new tool to further enhance its extensive range of electro hydraulic grabs.

Remote Control Industria 4.0 is ideal for routine maintenance, as well as to improve the efficiency and operation of customers’ production processes.

REMOTE MONITORING IS SIMPLE WITH INDUSTRIA 4.0

state-of-the-art features » Monitoring and control of processes in electro-hydraulic equipment » Real-time scans and diagnostics » System communication via wi-fi or data sim » Notifications via email, sms or smartphone, tablet and PC » Preliminary production analysis » Routine maintenance alert » Failure prediction » Immediate alarm in case of failure or malfunction

THE SMART GRAB With Remote Control Industria 4.0 installed, the grab parameters automatically adapt to the type of material being handled without the need for human intervention, therefore maximising production and reducing costs.

In the presence of high-density materials such as mineral, the grab speed is reduced and the hydraulic pressure is increased – parameters that are not suited to lighter materials such as coal or cereals, where we see a change in speed

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GRAB SPEEDS ARE EASILY CONTROLLED

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and reduction in hydraulic pressure – thereby reducing energy wastage and wear.

THE GRAB CAN BE EASILY ADJUSTED TO SUIT MATERIALS

The most important advantage offered by the Remote Control Industria 4.0 device installed on Negrini’s equipment concerns the processing of data, thus allowing preliminary production analysis and failure prediction. Notifications are sent via email and sms and each time an event occurs, either an incident, arrest or maintenance request is recorded.

Costly machine downtime is therefore avoided while maximis ing production, reducing periods of non-activity and minimising expenses normally incurred by corrective maintenance works. The client and Negrini Srl have total control over the condition of the equipment via wi-fi or a data sim, using a smartphone, tablet or PC, and will receive all notifications sent by the system so as to always be informed of machine requests and events.

For more information, visit negrini.org

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NEUERO: KICKSTARTING INNOVATION COMPANY NEWS

French agri-food group Soufflet in Rouen recently took delivery of the new Neuero Kiko (kick-in kickout) shiploader, which has a loading capacity of up to 1,200t/h of grain with minimal dust emission. After four successful installations in the region, the Neuero Kiko DSH (dust suppression head) has impressed port operators with its efficient operation and high dust suppression, due to mass flow control.

of planning and preparation. Therefore Neuero and Soufflet already agreed on this shipment method at the beginning of the project so that lifting points and lashing points could be integrated into the machine design.

The shiploader was assembled in Germany and transported using a heavy lift ship to France. The most significant advantage of this means of transport is the short downtime of the terminal. However, such transport is not easy and requires a lot

So what is the difference that makes the Kiko DSH operate so efficiently and with the highest environmental standards available today? The answer is a combination of mass flow and pendulum movements. The mass flow allows loading

Heavy lift cranes set the shiploader into position at the site and Neuero was able to begin dry testing. The next step was hot commissioning after the site conveyor was ready.

of the cargo at low speeds, reducing dust emission. The shiploader does not eliminate dust completely, but reduces it significantly, therefore avoiding product segregation and slow material discharge speed. Older systems throw the product at boom height and try to stop it at arrival, especially during hatch trimming work where it is needed to fill all gaps.

The pendulum movement that we call Kiko allows the loading head to move simultaneously with the vertical telescope and enclosed system. Additionally, the slewing movement allows all areas of the hold to be reached, including the corners.

For more information, visit: neuero.de/en

READY FOR HOT COMMISSIONING

DEPARTING FROM GERMANY

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cranes and grabs

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GEARIN G UP FOR CHANGE

Coming up with innovations that support efficiency and eco-friendliness are key in ports and when installing new crane and grab systems

D

emand for Liebherr mobile harbour cranes with an e-drive rose sharply in the 2021 sales year, the company says. Compared with 2019, the number of units equipped with an electric motor has doubled.

Liebherr has been successfully using a hybrid drive concept consisting of a diesel engine and an electric drive for the mobile harbour cranes product segment for more than 20 years. In addition to emission-free handling, the benefits of e-drive include cost savings and less maintenance.

Electrification is entering a new market phase and a significant shift in focus towards electrified cranes, the company says. All Liebherr mobile harbour cranes are equipped with the hydrostatic drive concept, based on a main drive that supplies power to pumps and a hydraulic transfer gearbox. The drive can be a diesel engine or an electric motor. All energyconsuming movements are connected to a closed hydraulic circuit and are fed by it when required.

Compared with 2019, the demand for LHM cranes with an e-drive has doubled. In the meantime, more than a third of all Liebherr mobile harbour crane orders have an e-drive installed

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cranes and grabs

– and the number is on the increase.

Retrofitting electric drives is also possible and is increasingly being used by mobile harbour crane customers.

Liebherr will be supplying Euroports Germany with an all-electric portal crane this year. All crane movements of this pioneering machine will be carried out by means of emission-free electric motors. With this sustainable investment, Euroports is increasing the handling capacity of its bulk terminal at Rostock’s overseas port.

make our contribution to sustainability.

We have opted for a fully electric crane, the LPS 420 E. In future, the crane will be used to handle all types of goods at this terminal. In addition to building materials, this also includes ores, lime, gypsum, wood chips and many more.”

THE LPS 420 E IS EQUIPPED WITH DYNAMIC ELECTRIC MOTORS AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS.

THE ALL-ELECTRIC LPS 420 E GANTRY CRANE

Euroports Germany is the largest port-handling company in the Rostock overseas port and in the whole of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In recent years, Euroports Germany has invested in two Liebherr cranes for its general cargo terminal in Rostock’s overseas port. The two LHM 550 mobile harbour cranes are used for the handling of wind turbines and allow for increased container handling resulting from China’s New Silk Road initiative.

The equally increased volume of bulk goods prompted Euroports to put an LHM 280 into operation at short notice.

In order to further increase the handling capacity and to create the necessary replacement for two harbour cranes, a further machine will soon strengthen the Euroports crane fleet. In the summer of 2022, Liebherr will deliver an all-electric LPS 420 E to its neighbour in Rostock’s overseas port.

“We want to further strengthen the handling performance at our bulk terminal” says Karsten Lentz managing director of the Euroports Germany Group. “In the coming year, we are not only investing in a new crane to be even more efficient, but we also want to

Liebherr Rostock has already sold numerous LPS 420 E all-electric portal cranes to its international customers. The unit for Euroports Germany is now the first in the European market.

The all-electric gantry crane is designed for ports and terminals with electric infrastructure. All crane movements such as luffing, lifting, slewing and travelling movements are carried out by means of emissionfree electric motors and are therefore not hydraulic.

With an outreach of up to 48m, ships up to post-panamax class can be served. The LPS 420 E has a maximum lifting capacity of up to 124 tonnes and has several decisive technical advantages.

The main components of the electric drive are liquid-cooled and the heat is dissipated via heat exchangers mounted outside the crane.

Externally mounted cooling units have the advantage, especially in bulk handling, that no air is brought into the interior of the crane. This keeps dust contamination down to a minimum.

With a Liebherr active front-end

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frequency converter, deviations in the power supply can be easily compensated in order to ensure safe and stable operation.

The machine is equipped with highperformance power accumulators to reduce the peak load in the crane’s main power supply and to use regenerative energy within the system.

In addition, the synchronous electric motors have a low moment of inertia and provide fast response for precise driving characteristics.

MOVEMENTS ARE CARRIED OUT BY EMISSION-FREE ELECTRIC MOTORS

All crane movements such as luffing, lifting, slewing and travelling movements are carried out by means of emission-free electric motors.

Duqm cranes boost Liebherr has also won a contract to supply automated cranes to the Port of Duqm in Oman. The Port of Duqm development is a greenfield project and is part of the ambitious SEZAD project (Special Economic Zone of Authority at Duqm).

This new port has been designed to be a world-class, multi-purpose commercial gateway and is destined to become one of the largest ports in the region. It is being developed into an integrated, multimodal logistics hub and is well connected via road, rail and

cranes and grabs

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MRS Greifer GmbH_MRS Greifer 30/11/2017 10:45 Page 1

OUR EXPERIENCE – YOUR ADVANTAGE Rope-, Motor-, Hydraulic-Grabs The perfect grabs with unbeatable reliability, leading in efficiency and quality, expedient and economical.

MRS GREIFER GmbH Talweg 15-17 • 74921 Helmstadt • Germany Tel: +49 7263 912 90 • Fax: +49 7263 912 912 export@mrs-greifer.de • www.mrs-greifer.de

air. The deep-water port and new cranes will allow the port to handle the world’s largest container vessels as it expands its existing cargo and bulk services with container handling.

The new ship-to-shore cranes will have an outreach of 71m, a back reach of 18m and a lift height over rail of 50m.

The cranes have a safe working load of 65 tonnes under twinlift spreader.

Supplied without a cabin, the cranes will be operated utilising a combination of remote control and automation.

Automation will take care of the majority of the cycle with operator intervention only required when operating below a predefined safe height. Each Liebherr STS will be connected to its own dedicated robot operation system (ROS).

The centrally located remote operation facility will also host the ROS for control of the automated

rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. The cabinless RTGs feature automation over the stack with remote control only required for container pick or place from the truck trailers, or for exception handling. Four ROS operators will operate the 12 RTGs. Liebherr’s hybrid drive concept consisting of a diesel engine and an electric motor means the diesel engine is used exclusively for moving the crane along the quayside. As soon as the crane has reached the desired position, the machine is connected to the local power grid by cable. The actual handling of goods is possible without emissions.

If required during operation with an electric drive, the energy recovered from the lowering can be fed into the local power grid. In this way, the operational cost of electrically driven cargo handling can be reduced even further.

All Liebherr mobile harbour cranes

are equipped with a hydrostatic drive concept. The principle is based on a main drive that supplies power to pumps and a hydraulic transfer gearbox.

The main drive can be a diesel engine or an electric motor.

All energy-consuming movements are connected to a closed hydraulic circuit and are fed by it when required.

Closed hydraulic loops are used for all main functions such as hoisting, slewing and luffing.

The benefits of the hydrostatic drive are extremely precise control, a minimum number and size of components and reduced fuel consumption thanks to the standard use of reverse power. Compared with other drive systems in the market, this innovative drive principle generally saves diesel or energy during crane operation and enables sustainable and efficient operation.

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cranes and grabs

Konecranes developments Konecranes has won a contract to supply 6 Waste-to-Energy (WtE) cranes to Singapore’s Tuas Nexus - IWMF. Tuas Nexus - IWMF is Singapore’s first integrated facility to treat incinerable waste, source-segregated food waste and dewatered sludge from Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (Tuas WRP).

It will also sort household recyclables collected under the National Recycling Programme. It is set to be completed in phases from 2025 onwards and Konecranes’ cranes will be delivered in February 2023.

The contract calls for Konecranes’ MHE-Demag unit to provide cranes with a full automation package to enhance operations and reduce manpower needs. The contract was awarded to Konecranes by a Keppel-led consortium appointed by the National Environment Agency to develop the WtE facility and Materials Recovery Facility as part of IWMF Phase 1 development.

Meanwhile, Terminal San Giorgio (TSG) has ordered an Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 Mobile Harbour Crane for its terminal in Genoa, Italy. Booked in November 2021, it is the very first Generation 6 crane to go to Italy and will be delivered in June this year.

Established in 2006, TSG has become the largest multi-purpose terminal in

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Genoa, the busiest port in Italy. It is equipped to handle all kinds of freight including containers, breakbulk, project cargo, yachts, steel, and ro-ro. Part of the Autosped/Gavio Group, a leading Italian logistics company, the terminal includes a number of intermodal rail and road connections to destinations around the country.

Innovative digital features and a fueloptimised diesel generator set bring the crane in line with EU Stage V emission standards and Italy’s National Industry 4.0 Plan, a state strategy that encourages industrial innovation. The crane also has built-in readiness for an external power supply, so conversion to electric operation will be easy when resources allow.

An additional service agreement will ensure that the cranes stay in good condition and provide TSG with maximum uptime.

The Generation 6 crane on order is a Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 Mobile Harbor Crane, with a working radius of 54m and a capacity of 150 tonnes. A natural successor to the two Generation 5 cranes already on-site, it features stronger lifting capacity curves for improved performance and a higher classification for container handling, which doubles its service life in container handling operations.

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Guven grabs to the rescue A bulk carrier held in Singapore contracted Alatas Singapore for the commissioning of four Guven Grabs.

This bulk carrier urgently needed to replace the old and wasted motor grabs on board.

As the region’s official Guven Grab Service station, Alatas Singapore supplied four brand new grabs.

The Singapore station arranged the transport and supply on board and dispatched a Guven Grab engineer to carry out the grab commissioning.

Schuch modernisation Crane and heavy haulage contractor Schuch is modernising and expanding its mobile crane fleet. With this in mind, the company, which has several outlets in the Rhine-Main and Rhine-Neckar conurbations, has ordered 15 new mobile cranes from Liebherr with lifting capacities between 90 and 750 tonnes.

The company is readying itself to face current and future challenges on the market by means of continuous new and replacement purchases, as well as innovative crane technology.

Schuch has already taken delivery of the first of these cranes with the delivery of the last ones being scheduled for the end of 2023.

PORT AND TERMINAL OPERATIONS FOR BULK CARGOES – Short Course 14-17 March

2022 range r a o t l l ry - ca

elive

d on-line

Subjects covered include: » » » » » » » » » » » »

Ship unloading technologies Conveying technologies Storage and discharge technologies Loading and unloading control Rail and road out loading equipment and control Explosion and fire risks and management Mobile plant and safety Developments in automation and autonomous vehicles Dust control and environmental protection Controlling cargo damage Wear protection and maintenance Cargo characterisation for handleability and other issues

an

urse

y co n a p m o in-c

For anyone concerned about or For anyone concerned about or responsible for the safe handling responsible for the safe handling and storage of bulk materials in and storage ports of bulk materials in and on the sea ports and on the sea Course Leader: Mike Bradley, Course Leader: MikeParticulate Bradley, Professor of Bulk and Professor of Bulk and Particulate Technologies and Director of Technologies andof The Wolfson Centre, University Director of The Wolfson Centre, Greenwich University of Greenwich

To register an interest in attending and further course details, please contact Simon Gutteridge events@bulkterminals.org +33 (0)321 47 72 19 or see bulkterminals.org/events/courses-and-training.html

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NEMAG: WHY THE NEMAX SIMPLY SELLS ITSELF COMPANY NEWS Headquartered in Convent, Louisiana, Associated Terminals (AT) is the leading stevedore and terminal operator on the Lower Mississippi River and beyond. It operates 14 midstream river anchorage facilities in the region as well as additional dockside and on-site facilities. “When we first visited AT in 2018, we presented them with a 3D-printed model of our innovative, award-winning nemaX dry bulk grab and they were immediately interested,” explains Rudy Bovée, account manager at Nemag. “They next decided to trial the grab in practice for a month as part of the nemaX world tour. Shortly thereafter, they placed an order. The nemaX simply sells itself!”

Of course, AT is not the only terminal to have adopted the nemaX; the dry bulk grab among other things offers versatility, cost-effectiveness, efficiency and ease of maintenance. However, Boveé and his team are particularly proud of the fact that the operator decided to opt for a Nemag product. “AT’s mission, core values and vision perfectly align with our Passion for Performance concept,” says Boveé.

“Like Nemag, it values customer relations highly and is always looking for ways to innovate and improve operations. After years of development and co-operation between engineers, customers and users, it is really great that the nemaX exceeds everyone’s expectations. To

Zeljko S. Franks II, Senior Vice President of Associated Terminals

NEMAX GRAB AT WORK AT THE ASSOCIATED TERMINALS ON THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER

RUDY BOVÉE

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Even if the nemaX had the same productivity as the clamshell, we would still opt for the nemaX

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have a customer actually confirm this is a great source of pride for us at Nemag – especially such a unique customer as AT, with its strong emphasis on midstream transloading activities and the use of floating cranes.”

High productivity Shortly after commissioning the nemaX in 2019, AT was already achieving the promised productivity increase of 13% – and sometimes more. It has also experienced many of the other benefits of the grab. For example, the fact that the nemaX has far fewer moving parts substantially reduces the need for maintenance. Furthermore, it is able to handle 20% more cargo with the same closing cables, further boosting the cost-efficiency of the grab.

“Even if the nemaX had the same productivity as the clamshell, we would still opt for the nemaX, purely based on the operational advantages it offers,” says Zeljko S Franks II, AT senior vice president of Associated Terminals.

CAPEX and OPEX When assessing the financial aspects of a grab, two elements are key: the asset

investment costs (CAPEX) and the operating expenditure (OPEX). Bulk terminals with clear insight into maintenance costs have concluded that the total maintenance costs of a grab constitute a more significant factor than its asset investment costs. Calculated over the grab’s lifespan, the average asset investment costs of a four-rope grab amount to around 1 eurocent per tonne of cargo transferred. In terms of grab maintenance costs, this can however be as much as 2-3 eurocents per tonne of cargo handled.

Minimum downtime “The nemaX will immediately bring down costs, but other advantages such as maintenance do not become apparent until after a couple of years,” explains Boveé.

“Especially when transloading on the water, it is important that the cranes can continuously operate and that downtime is kept to a minimum.

“For customers such as AT, ease of maintenance is therefore crucial. Since operations take place from a floating pontoon on the Mississippi, any maintenance work will have to be performed right there. So, the less maintenance, the better.”

Long-term partnerships Associated Terminals handles a highly diverse range of cargos, ranging from dry bulk such as grains, minerals and coal to windmills and project cargo. The nemaX is currently only used for Iron ore pellets.

Close co-operation with AT and a continuous focus on improvement and innovation will, however, make it possible to deploy the grab for other types of bulk as well.

“We are proud that our grab helps AT to boast productivity and lower the costs,” explains Boveé. “Together with AT, we are currently assessing which other commodities might benefit from the nemaX. We do this in close co-operation and based on trust. After-sales is just as important as sales. This is how we build long-term partnerships. In that respect, we are proud to say that AT has placed an order for a second nemaX grab, which will be delivered in January 2022.”

For more information, contact: Tel: +31 (0)111 418 948 nemag.com

Innovative design features Regular wear and tear can never be fully prevented, but the nemaX allows users to achieve substantial savings in terms of maintenance. This helps to reduce operational expenditure and downtime significantly, crucial in view of the pressure on handling rates that terminals are experiencing due to overcapacity in the dry bulk sector. Through exhaustive computer simulations, the nemaX offers numerous key innovative design features. The most important ones are: 1. Minimal number of moving parts The nemaX design features a minimal number of moving parts: only two sheaves and 70% fewer moving parts than in a comparable clamshell grab.

2. Only 2 main pivot points The nemaX has only two main pivot points, with highquality spherical roller bearings. In comparison, a comparable clamshell grab with slide bearings features 12 main pivot points.

3. Durable closing cables The way in which the hoisting wires have been reeved reduces flexing along the sheave blocks by 75% compared

to a 2x5-part clamshell grab. Metal fatigue in the closing cables is reduced proportionately, resulting in a longer operational lifespan for these cables. And nemaX’s unique operational design minimises the clogging and wear of sheave blocks and closing cables and significantly extends the lifespan of the closing cables.

4. Closing cables are easy and safe to switch The anchor points of the closing cables are located at an accessible working height, making it easy and safe to reeve in new closing cables without needing to set up an elevated work platform of scaffolding.

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MACHINE, REPAIR AND SERVICES COMPANY NEWS

Established in 1977, MRS Greifer GmbH is a leading engineering company providing design, manufacture, supply and after sales services for grab buckets up to 30m³ capacity. Our commitment to continuous research and development ensures our grabs are world leaders in terms of technology, quality and performance.

Each grab is manufactured under the industry’s strict quality controls, according to the QAP approved by our experts. We are only too aware that delays in shipping can result in exorbitant costs so we keep a full stock of spare parts, and our committed after-sales service team is available to see to all our customers’ needs in the quickest possible time.

With five decades of experience in the design, manufacture, research and development of grabs, plus an extensive after-sales service backed by our team of highly skilled engineers, MRS Grabs has clients from every corner of the world.

With grabs to handle bulk, logs, scrap, underwater dredging and more, please don’t hesitate to contact us to talk through your needs.

We design grabs to fully meet the needs of our clients and the parameters within which they work, producing equipment capable of unloading all kinds of bulk cargo. Our machines include the latest features and are of optimal weight, ensuring an exemplary performance for a longer period of time. When it comes to hydraulics and other outsourced parts, we only use trusted brands so the highest quality is ensured.

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For more information, contact: MRS Greifer GmbH Talweg 15 - 17 74921 Helmstadt Tel: +49 7263 9129-15 Fax: +49 7263 9129-12 Email: export@mrs-greifer.de mrs-greifer.de

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Viewpoint: conveyor systems

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INNOVATING THE PRESENT

R. TODD SWINDERMAN, CEO EMERITUS OF MARTIN ENGINEERING

Higher production demands across all bulk handling segments require increased efficiency at the lowest cost of operation, in the safest and most effective manner possible. As conveyor systems become wider, faster and longer, more energy output and more controlled throughput will be needed. Add an increasingly stringent regulatory environment and cost-conscious plant managers must closely review which new equipment and design options align with their long-term goals for the best return on investment, as Martin Engineering explains

Safety at Higher Belt Speeds Safety is likely to become a new source of cost reduction. The percentage of mines and processing facilities with a robust safety culture are likely to increase over the next 30 years to the point where it is the norm, not the exception. In most cases, with only a marginal adjustment to the belt speed, operators quickly discover unanticipated problems in existing equipment and workplace safety. These problems are commonly indicated by a larger volume of spillage, increased dust emissions, belt misalignment and more frequent equipment wear/failures.

Higher volumes of cargo on the belt can produce more spillage and fugitive material around the system, which can pose a tripping hazard. According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slips, trips and falls account for 15% of all workplace deaths and 25% of all workplace injury claims.[1] Moreover, higher belt speeds make pinch and sheer points in the conveyor more dangerous, as reaction times are drastically reduced when a

worker gets clothing, a tool or a limb caught from incidental contact.[2] The faster the belt, the quicker it can wander off its path and the harder it is for a belt tracker to compensate, leading to spillage along the entire belt path.

Caused by uncentred cargo, seized idlers or other reasons, the belt can rapidly come in contact with the mainframe, shredding the edge and potentially causing a friction fire. Beyond the workplace safety consequences, the belt can convey a fire throughout the facility at extremely high speed.

Another workplace hazard – one that is becoming progressively more regulated – is dust emissions.

An increase in the volume of cargo means greater weight at higher belt speeds, causing more vibration on the system and leading to reduced air quality from dust. In addition, cleaning blade efficiency tends to decline as volumes rise, causing more fugitive emissions during the belt’s return.

Abrasive particulates can foul rolling components and cause them to seize, raising the possibility of a friction fire and increasing maintenance costs and downtime. Furthermore, lower air quality can result in fines and forced stoppages by inspectors.

Correcting Misalignment Before It Happens

WHEN A CONVEYOR ISN’T CENTRE-LOADED, THE CARGO WEIGHT PUSHES THE BELT TOWARD THE MORE LIGHTLY-LOADED SIDE © MARTIN ENGINEERING 2022

As belts get longer and faster, modern tracking technology becomes mandatory, with the ability to detect slight variations in the belt’s trajectory and quickly compensate before the weight, speed and force of the drift can overcome the tracker. Typically mounted

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Viewpoint: conveyor systems

on the return and carry sides every 21-50m -- prior to the discharge pulley on the carry side and the tail pulley on the return – new upper and lower trackers utilise innovative multiple-pivot, torque-multiplying technology with a sensing arm assembly that detects slight variations in the belt path and immediately adjusts a single flat rubber idler to bring the belt back into alignment.

THE PIVOTING RIBBED ROLLER DESIGN GRABS THE BELT AND USES THE OPPOSING FORCE TO SHIFT IT BACK INTO ALIGNMENT © MARTIN ENGINEERING 2022

Modern Chute Design To drive down the cost per ton of conveyed material, many industries are moving towards wider and faster conveyors. The traditional troughed design is likely to remain a standard. But with the push toward wider and higherspeed belts, bulk handlers will need substantial development in more reliable components, such as idlers, impact beds and chutes.

A major issue with most standard chute designs is that they are not engineered to manage escalating production demands. Bulk material unloading from a transfer chute on to a fast-moving belt can shift the flow of material in the chute, resulting in off-centre loading, increasing fugitive material spillage and emitting dust well after leaving the settling zone.

Newer transfer chute designs aid in centring material on to the belt in a well-sealed environment that maximises throughput, limits spillage, reduces fugitive dust and minimizes common workplace injury hazards. Rather than material falling with high impact directly onto the belt, the cargo’s descent is controlled to promote belt health and extend the life of the impact bed and

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idlers by limiting the force of the cargo at the loading zone. Reduced turbulence is easier on the wear liner and skirting and lowers the chance of fugitive material being caught between the skirt and belt, which can cause friction damage and belt fraying.

Longer and taller than previous designs, modular stilling zones allow cargo time to settle, providing more space and time for air to slow down, so dust settles more completely. Modular designs easily accommodate future capacity modifications. An external wear liner can be changed from outside of the chute, rather than requiring dangerous chute entry as in previous designs.

Chute covers with internal dust curtains control airflow down the length of the chute, allowing dust to agglomerate on the curtains and eventually fall back on to the belt in larger clumps. And dual skirt sealing systems have a primary and secondary seal in a two-sided elastomer strip that helps prevent spillage and dust from escaping from the sides of the chute.

MODERN STILLING ZONES FEATURE COMPONENTS DESIGNED TO REDUCE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVE SAFETY © MARTIN ENGINEERING 2022

Rethinking Belt Cleaning Faster belt speeds can also cause higher operating temperatures and increased degradation of cleaner blades. Larger volumes of cargo approaching at a high velocity hit primary blades with greater force, causing some designs to wear quickly and leading to more carryback and increased spillage and dust. In an attempt to compensate for lower equipment life, manufacturers may reduce the cost of belt cleaners, but this

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is an unsustainable solution that doesn’t eliminate the additional downtime associated with cleaner servicing and regular blade changes.

As some blade manufacturers struggle to keep up with changing production demands, industry leaders in conveyor solutions have reinvented the cleaner industry by offering heavy-duty engineered polyurethane blades made to order and cut onsite to ensure the freshest and longest lasting product.

Using a twist, spring or pneumatic tensioner, the primary cleaners are forgiving to the belt and splice but are still highly effective for dislodging carryback. For the heaviest applications, one primary cleaner design features a matrix of tungsten carbide scrapers installed diagonally to form a threedimensional curve around the head pulley. Field service has determined that it typically delivers up to four times the service life of urethane primary cleaners, without ever needing re-tensioning.

Taking belt cleaner technology into the future, an automated system increases blade life and belt health by removing blade contact with the belt any time the conveyor is running empty.

Connected to a compressed air system, pneumatic tensioners are equipped with sensors that detect when the belt no longer has cargo and automatically backs the blade away, minimising unnecessary wear to both the belt and cleaner. Additionally, it reduces labour for the constant monitoring and tensioning of blades to ensure peak performance.

The result is consistently correct blade tension, reliable cleaning performance and longer blade life, all managed without operator intervention.

Power Generation Systems designed to operate at high speeds over considerable distances are generally powered only at vital locations such as the head pulley, disregarding adequate power for autonomous “smart systems”, sensors, lights, accessories or other devices along the length of the conveyor. Running auxiliary power can be complicated and costly, requiring transformers, conduits, junction boxes

Viewpoint: conveyor systems

and oversized cables to accommodate the inevitable voltage drop over long runs. Solar and wind can be unreliable in some environments, particularly in mines, so operators require alternative means of reliable power generation.

By attaching a patented mini-generator to idlers and using the kinetic energy created by the moving belt, the accessibility obstacles found in powering ancillary systems can now be overcome. Designed to be self-contained power stations that are retrofitted on to existing idler support structures, these generators can be employed on virtually any steel roller.

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widespread, allowing conveyors to autonomously operate and predict maintenance needs. Eventually, specialised autonomous agents (robots, drones, and so on) will take over some of the dangerous tasks, particularly in underground mining as the return on investment for safety provides additional justification.

Ultimately, moving large quantities of bulk materials inexpensively and safely will result in the development of many new and higher capacity semi-automated bulk transfer sites.

Previously fed by truck, train or barge, long overland conveyors transporting materials from the mine or quarry site to storage or processing facilities may even impact the transportation sector. Stretching vast distances, these long bulk handling networks have already been built in some places with low accessibility but may soon be commonplace in many areas around the world.

REFERENCES [1] “SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION;” OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION; SACRAMENTO, CA 2007.

OSHA.GOV/DTE/GRANT_MATERIALS/FY07/SH-16625-07/SLIPSTRIPSFALLS.PPT [2] SWINDERMAN, TODD; MARTI, ANDREW D.; MARSHALL, DANIEL: “FOUNDATIONS FOR CONVEYOR SAFETY;” MARTIN ENGINEERING, SECTION 1, PG. 14. WORZALLA PUBLISHING COMPANY, STEVENS POINT, WI 2016.

MARTIN-ENG.COM/CONTENT/PRODUCT/690/SAFETY-BOOK

A SINGLE ROLL GENERATOR HAS ENOUGH POWER OUTPUT TO RUN A VARIETY OF ACCESSORIES © MARTIN ENGINEERING 2022

The design employs a magnetic coupling that attaches a “drive dog” to the end of an existing roller, matching the outside diameter. Rotated by the movement of the belt, the drive dog engages the generator through the outer housing’s machined drive tabs. The magnetic attachment ensures that electrical or mechanical overload does not force the roll to stop; instead, the magnets disengage from the roll face. By placing the generator outside the material path, the innovative new design avoids the damaging effects of heavy loads and fugitive material.

Bulk Handling, Safety and Automation in the Future Automation is the way of the future, but as experienced maintenance personnel retire, younger workers entering the market will face unique challenges, with safety and maintenance skills becoming more sophisticated and essential. While still requiring basic mechanical knowledge, new maintenance personnel will also need more advanced technical understanding. This division of work requirements will make it difficult to find people with multiple skill sets, driving operators to outsource some specialised service and making maintenance contracts more common.

Conveyor monitoring tied to safety and predictive maintenance will become increasingly reliable and

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800-544-2947

VISIT MARTIN-ENG.COM ® Registered trademark of Martin Engineering Company in the US and other select locations. © 2021 Martin Engineering Company. Additional information can be obtained at www.martin-eng.com/trademarks and www.martin-eng.com/patents

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N.M. HEILIG: A ONE-ST OP SHOP COMPANY NEWS

STACKER CONVEYORS AS MOBILE SHIP LOADERS FOR TRANSSHIPMENT OF BULK MATERIALS

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Dutch family-owned enterprise N.M. Heilig is known throughout the world as one of the leading suppliers in bulk material handling and recycling equipment, contributing to many plants and production facilities in all kinds of industries. With more than 40 years of experience, gained knowledge and in-house expertise, N.M. Heilig is considered a specialist in the field of engineering.

Every day, a wide variety of bulk material is being shipped, transshipped, processed, stored and transported again. N.M. Heilig has been specialising in the handling and recycling of bulk material since it was founded in 1978.

solutions to suit As every request requires a different approach, N.M. Heilig offers customised solutions, whether for transport, storage or processing of dry bulk ingredients or solid bulk materials, or sorting recyclable waste. We like to challenge ourselves and want to create the best and most efficient solution for our customers. Direct communication is important to us and sets clear expectations, so when we start a new project, we comprehensively review the entire scheme with our customer.

BELT CONVEYOR OF FULLY AUTOMATIC SAND DEPOT INSTALLATION

We are fully committed to every project that we undertake. With our years of experience, we know how important it is to work together, taking all specifications into account during the development stage, such as throughput, storage capacity, bulk characteristics, and so on. Our equipment can process high capacities and throughputs if needed. We aim for high purity and recovery rates and, according to our customers’ requirements, we match the best-suited dosing and feeding equipment.

The variety of project requests is endless –and so are our solutions. At N.M. Heilig, we work with dedicated employees that go the extra mile to ensure a successful project. We want satisfied customers and we want to meet and preferably exceed expectations in line with international health and safety standards.

working closely together N.M. Heilig is part of Heilig Group.

This enables N.M. Heilig to access the other companies within the group and work closely together. Each and every company has its own expertise that can add value to certain projects, providing a successful solution from concept to installation.

With its own manufacturing facilities, Heilig Group is independent, flexible and fast. We have skilled technical engineers for the development process and we programme the software ourselves to operate the bulk handling and recycling systems. Our technicians and mechanics are on site to carry out works, while technical support offers maintenance services to keep the systems operating at all times at full speed, minimising downtime and preventing unexpected maintenance.

As N.M. Heilig operates within Heilig Group, we are able to offer a full package of support, from project management, engineer ing, de velopment and manufacturing, to commissioning turnkey solutions on site and providing maintenance services, including 24/7 emergency services.

However, we also advise on stationary and mobile units for optimising bulk material handling and recyclable waste streams.

We offer machinery that pre-sorts, sorts, separates, cleans and dries bulk material from a waste stream. We implement strong, durable high-quality components that last.

Screens, conveyors, dosing bunkers, silos, hoppers, crushers, eddy current separators, overbelt magnets, optical sorting (NIR), classifiers and air separators are just a few of our products.

Contact us now and let us find out how we can design and manufacture a system that meets exactly your standards and requirements.

For more information, contact: N.M. Heilig B.V. Newtonstraat 17 1704 SB Heerhugowaard The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)72 5716688 Email: info@heiligbv.com heiligbv.com

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cement

GREY MATTERS

With environmental issues top of the agenda for many countries, port equipment that is both efficient and environmentally friendly is increasingly important, particularly when it comes to cement loading and unloading

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btaining the necessary equipment to improve handling capacity and speed up production is essential at times when financing is tight. Coming up with environmentally friendly solutions is also essential in the current environment.

For example a new ship unloader ordered from Siwertell for use in Kuwait is set to double cement handling capacity at Shuaiba Port.

Bruks Siwertell has won a repeat order from Kuwait Portland Cement for an ST 490-M Siwertell ship unloader, equipped with a new side tilt motion for enhanced through-ship efficiency. It will join another cement handling Siwertell ship unloader in Shuaiba Port, Kuwait City, Kuwait, which has been securing environment-friendly material handling for the operator for over two decades.

“Kuwait Portland Cement has benefited from 20 years of experience using our Siwertell screw-type technology,” says Peter Göransson, sales manager at Bruks Siwertell.

“It knows what our unloaders deliver. Time and again the technology has proven its capabilities, demonstrating reliability, efficiency, and environmental protection in terms of emissions and noise. In fact, the main reason why the operator returned for a second unit is the outstanding operational performance of its original delivery,” he says.

The new unloader, Göransson explains “features a new side tilt motion, which offers an enhanced

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cement

reach into the corners of the cargo hold, as well as under the hatch coamings,” he adds. “As a result, less material is left for the clean-up phase, which reduces vessel turnaround times, raising the utilisation rate of the jetty and therefore profitability.

“Also, all Siwertell unloaders offer a layer-by-layer unloading process, which minimises the chance of airborne emissions from avalanches in the cargo hold. The side tilt function adds to this capability,” Göransson notes.

“The new unloader is part of the operator’s long-term vision. It has been designed as a fully assembled, heavy-lift mode delivery, but will actually be transported in break bulk,” he explains. “This enables it to be relocated, fully assembled, to a new location should the customer wish to do so in the future, minimising any transition downtime.”

Planned for delivery to the port in mid-2023, the rail-mounted unit will handle various cement types and deliver a continuous material handling capacity of 800t/h, discharging vessels up 50,000dwt. It will be installed on an existing jetty next to the operator’s older ST 490-F, rail-mounted Siwertell unloader.

Both the current and new unloader will be equipped with a total capacity regulating system, maximising the use of each unit, but ensuring that they do not overfill the downstream conveying system. They can also directly discharge to bulk trucks via a truck loading arrangement underneath the ship unloader’s gantry.

“The new unloader is equipped with two out-loading units,” says Göransson.

“This is a great asset, delivering increased redundancy and ensuring that any demurrage costs are kept to a minimum if there is an issue with the downstream conveying system.”

Like its predecessor, the new unloader is also designed to operate in Kuwait’s extreme climate. To accommodate predicted temperature rises in the region, the latest unit can withstand ambient summertime temperatures of up to 55°C.

call for duty The South Indian Cement Manufacturers’ Association (SICMA) has asked the government to impose higher duty on the import of clinker and cement into India to retaliate against moves by neighbouring countries to implement anti-dumping duties on imports of cement from India.

“South India has excess cement capacity but companies are unable to export to neighbouring countries,” said a pre-budget memorandum submitted

by SICMA president, N Srinivasan in December last year. “Meanwhile, India is providing free access to cement from other countries. We therefore request the Finance Minister to impose higher duty for import of cement and clinker from other countries.”

South India – with 180m tonnes per annum capacity – accounts for almost 40% of India’s cement production, although other parts of the country are expected to experience cement shortages going forward.

“We request the government to facilitate movement of cement by providing either telescopic railway freight or some other method,” the memorandum said.

Port investment Sri Lanka’s Insee Cement has been boosting its activity in recent months, recently signing a memorandum of understanding with the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) to supply the Galle cement facility through the port.

The cement company was the first dry bulk customer for the port and the move is a step towards building up its handling of dry bulk cargoes. Chief executive of HIPG Johnson Liu says the port handled a dry bulk volume of over 1m tonnes last year, the first time it has exceeded the 1m figure, with a single customer.

Gustavo Navarro, chief executive of INSEE Cement, says: “Due to the limitation we have experienced in our previous operations, we couldn’t bring bigger vessels with larger volumes.

HIPG has been a great business partner

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for us and the port came up with some creative solutions to get our raw materials delivered efficiently and in a timely manner, which made a positive impact on our operation. This has not only benefited our company, but also the local economy in terms of dollar savings because it reduced freight costs we otherwise paid to foreign vessels.”

INSEE not only helped to develop the dry cargo segment, but brought in a dust controlling mechanism for environmentally friendly operation.

The port is going ahead with plans to position itself as a multi-purpose facility.

MacGregor approach Over the past 60 years, MacGregor cement handling systems have been installed on more than 140 cement carriers sized between 500 and 40,000dwt. Most of these are still in operation.

The system comprises a range of distribution arrangements, both mechanical and pneumatic, which can be combined to deliver the required function and cargo handling rates.

Easily adaptable to any size and shape of vessel, the system is suitable for newbuildings as well as conversions.

Overall, the system ensures the reliable and highly-efficient seaborne transportation of cement from producers to consumers all over the world. It is designed for use with a range of different receiving systems and is therefore able to load and unload in many different terminals.

The equipment offers dust-free material handling. MacGregor shipboard solutions for cement carriers are designed with unique screw conveyor technology, which incorporates a totally-enclosed conveying line for environmentally-friendly operation in all weather conditions.

MacGregor screw conveyors are used both for mechanical loading and unloading of cement carriers and for the transfer of cargo between ships and shore based facilities. Screw conveyors are designed to handle powdery cargoes such as cement, fly ash and limestone powder under tough conditions.

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BEUMER: SIMPLY OVERCOMING OBSTACLES COMPANY NEWS

In the mining industry, modern technologies require systems capable of transporting bulk materials efficiently from the quarry to their destination, through rough terrain or populated areas. Beumer Group supplies customised systems such as open troughed belt conveyors and closed pipe conveyors to carry out these essential tasks.

These systems operate quietly and avoid emissions of dust or exhaust gases.

Compared to trucks, they are often more energy efficient and can be adjusted to the structure of the premises. They are also able to safely handle steep sloping routes, rivers or road crossings.

The system provider determines the best conveying route and adopts project

planning and installation. Beumer Group also ensures that the owner remains sustainably competitive, with cost efficiency aas well as comprehensive customer support.

Essential features As an essential feature, this technology enables horizontal and vertical curves.

Angles of inclination of up to 15° are possible, depending on the characteristics of the material to be transported and the topography, with lengths of several kilometres.

Due to the ability to navigate curves, fewer transfer towers are required – in some cases none are needed at all. This results in substantial cost savings for the customer.

The system continuously transports the material even over challenging ascending and descending sections. Furthermore, the open troughed belt conveyors are particularly suitable for high throughputs.

The operator can significantly save energy costs by using belt conveyor systems.

This is because electric drives and lowenergy belts are installed. These are less polluting than trucks and also have a positive effect on operating costs.

The engines used in the systems are usually designed to be controllable. This allows the loads to be optimally distributed among the drive units in different operating conditions. If the belt conveyor system is moving downhill, it can operate in regenerative mode. The electrical energy generated from this is then fed back into the public grid via a regenerative unit or can also remain in the system. It is not burned up in braking resistors.

Using Beumer calculation programs, the experts precisely calculate the static and dynamic tractive forces of the belt during the development phase of the system. This is the prerequisite for the safe dimensioning of the curves. Beumer engineers select the type of drive technology and conveyor belts needed on the basis of these calculations, thus ensuring the longevity of the entire system.

THE OVERLAND CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THE COAL FROM THE MINE TO THE MAIN PROCESSING PLANT (© BEUMER GROUP GMBH & CO. KG)

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For more information, visit: beumer.com

coal handling

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ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES

Coal use is under pressure due to environmental concerns, so companies are coming up with viable alternatives to its use, or minimising detrimental effects with innovative machinery

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he Australian port of Newcastle in New South Wales is moving ahead with a project to diversify away from its reliance on coal handling, with plans afoot for a multipurpose cargo terminal at the port in Mayfield precinct.

The long-term plan is to transform the port into a multi-purpose facility, which will extend the range of goods handled by the port and expand outside the coal handling arena. Tenders for construction have already been issued, using the Mayfield site, formerly a centre for BHP Steelworks, as a base for the construction of the new cargo handling facility.

The construction work will support the port’s $20.7m investment in two Liebherr mobile harbour cranes, which are set to arrive in July 2022.

As the world’s largest coal port, Port of Newcastle handles 4,400 ships and 164m tons of cargo annually, including dry bulk, bulk liquids, ro-ro, general and project cargoes and containers. It is particularly interested in expanding its containerised cargo facilities, as an alternative to coal handling.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) recently announced $1.5m in funding to support a feasibility study into the development of a 40MW hydrogen hub located at the port.

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coal handling

SOME THINK THAT RAW MATERIALS EXTRACTION MEANS TRUCK TRANSPORT. WE THINK DIFFERENT. beumer.com

PipeConveyor_Truck_BulkTerminalsInt_178x124_EN.indd 1

The $3m study will be led by Port of Newcastle and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group and supported by project partners Idemitsu, Keolis Downer, Lake Macquarie, Snowy Hydro, Jemena and project collaborators Macquarie Agriculture and University of Newcastle. It will determine a broad and comprehensive range of potential use cases for green hydrogen, including customer-led studies into mobility, bunkering, energy production, and industrial applications such as renewable ammonia at scale for domestic fertiliser use.

The study will ultimately determine the optimal site within the Port for the hub as a springboard for renewable hydrogen to flow within the region and future export.

The study will also investigate the potential to scale up hydrogen production for export, leveraging

BULK TERMINALS

the port’s existing domestic and international supply chain links. While stage one of the project is underpinned by a 40MW electrolyser, the study will also consider the future staged scale up of an electrolyser to around 1GW with the ability to produce up to 150,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year for domestic and export use.

Port of Newcastle is the largest port on Australia’s east coast and currently utilises less than 50% of its channel capacity and is considered a good location for a hydrogen hub due to the existing industries, infrastructure, access to a deep-water port, and a highly skilled workforce. Its existing export routes to Japan and Korea represent potential renewable hydrogen export markets in the future, ARENA suggests.

Since the release of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy by the Council of Australian Government’s

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(COAG) Energy Council in November 2019, the Australian government has been advancing international collaborations, undertaking national coordination and supporting priority industry projects to grow a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry.

ARENA has also recently launched its new 2021 investment plan, with the project strongly aligned with the strategic priority of commercialising clean hydrogen, which aims to support a viable domestic and international clean hydrogen economy.

ARENA chief executive Darren Miller says if the study proves the project to be feasible, it could enable Newcastle to become a major player in producing clean hydrogen.

“We’re excited to be a part of this feasibility study which presents an opportunity to accelerate the

coal handling

diversification of Port of Newcastle, which is crucial as Australia starts its journey to net zero by 2050.

“Newcastle is an ideal location for this project due to existing infrastructure and skilled workforce, both of which will be so important as we scale up.

With the backing of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, Newcastle could become a hub for the production and use of hydrogen for domestic and export opportunities for Australia.”

ARENA recently approved $103m in funding to support three 10MW electrolyser projects through the Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Funding Round. Since 2018, ARENA has also invested $60m to support precommercial activities across 36 projects, including a number of feasibility studies focusing on smaller scale deployments with domestic end-use cases.

The project represents ARENA’s second feasibility study for a largescale hydrogen production project.

With funding previously announced for Stanwell to complete a feasibility study for a proposed hydrogen export market located in Gladstone, Queensland.

vale cuts out coal Mining company Vale decided early last year that its objective was to no longer own coal assets and to become a front runner in the low-carbon mining arena.

Over the past 15 years, the company has worked with governments in Mozambique and Malawi on the Moatize mine development and NLC’s 912km railway for coal transport among other projects.

Vale recently announced that it had reached agreement with Vulcan to sell the Moatize coal mine and the Nacala Logistics Corridor for $270m.

“We lead the world in supplying this type of ship unloader,” says Ola Jeppsson, sales manager at Bruks Siwertell. “Our good reputation is very important. The power plant is already served by two similar Siwertell ship unloaders, and their performance is one of many reasons why the company trusts our technology.“ The latest units have been ordered to support the first phase of development of the new two-unit 1,000MW coalfired power plant. The unloaders will be rail-mounted and offer a continuous rated coal handling capacity of 1,800t/h, discharging vessels of up to 100,000dwt.

The unloaders will be delivered under a turnkey contract, including commissioning, at the end of May 2022.

They will be delivered fully assembled to Nantong, China, and shipped to the site.

Energy efficient bulkers Teck Resources and Oldendorff Carriers recently announced an agreement to employ energy efficient bulk carriers for shipments of Teck steelmaking coal from the Port of Vancouver to international destinations, reducing CO2 emissions in the steelmaking coal supply chain.

This initiative is expected to achieve a CO2 emissions reduction of 30-40% for shipments handled by Oldendorff. The estimated savings can be of up to 45,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to removing nearly 10,000 passenger vehicles from the road.

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Oldendorff’s bulk carriers can achieve significant fuel savings due to an energy-saving design, fuel-efficient engines, maximising cargo size and utilising advanced voyage optimisation.

Oldendorff’s fleet of approximately 700 bulk carriers from handy size to cpe size gives Teck shipping flexibility and reduced carbon intensity on each voyage.

“Partnering with Oldendorff to reduce the emissions associated with transportation of our steelmaking coal is one of the ways Teck is reducing our carbon footprint and taking action on climate change,” says Don Lindsay, Teck chief executive.

“As part of our climate strategy, we are committed to working with transportation providers to reduce emissions downstream of our business.”

Peter Twiss, chief executive of Oldendorff Carriers comments: “Oldendorff Carriers is very pleased to collaborate with Teck on this effort to reduce CO2 emissions in the bulk supply chain.

“By working together with the Teck logistics team and challenging fundamental logistic concepts, we were able to develop an environmentally optimised delivery programme.

Using our fleet of ‘Eco’ bulk carriers in this re-envisioned delivery programme, the CO2 emissions will be reduced significantly.“ Teck aims to reduce carbon intensity across operations by 33% by 2030 and be a carbon-neutral operator by 2050.

china orders unloaders Bruks Siwertell will deliver two large-scale Siwertell ST 790-D-type ship unloaders for a new ultrasupercritical power station under construction in southern China, ensuring extremely efficient coal handling, free from spillage and dust emissions.

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MARTIN: V-PLOW DESIGN DELIVERS COMPANY NEWS The global leader in bulk handling conveyor accessories has redesigned one of its most popular tail protection devices to be a lighter-weight, modular unit delivered in a compact package for improved safety and convenience.

“The re-engineered Martin® V-Plow HD achieves the gains with no compromise in performance, while delivering a weight reduction of about 48%,” explains conveyor products manager Dave Mueller. While the previous welded design’s largest dimensions were 445 x 965mm, the new modular design’s widest component is less than 203mm and the longest is approximately 788mm.

“The result is a package that fits most local delivery trucks and can be easily carried by workers to sites that may have accessibility issues, with the components assembled as they are installed to reduce the risk of injury,” Mueller says. “ Tail pulley protection is essential to efficient conveyor operation, but because of their size, the components can be cumbersome to ship and install,” Mueller continues.

Mueller further points out that, once the previous design was delivered, getting it to the installation point could be a challenge with potential safety issues. Often workers needed to carry the oddly-shaped box by hand up several flights of stairs, through corridors, or to areas with limited

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accessibility. Workplace injuries caused by lifting, carrying and falling/dropped debris are among the most prevalent.

The Martin V-Plow HD prevents tail pulleys from becoming fouled and damaged by spillage traveling on the return side of the conveyor belt. Fugitive material commonly migrates from the cargo side to the return side during normal operation.

If this spillage reaches the tail pulley, two things can happen. One is lumps getting caught between the pulley and the belt, gouging and damaging both the belt and pulley face. The other is spillage being crushed by the pressure between the pulley and the belt, adhering to the pulley face and the return side of the belt, causing pulley slippage and fouling of idlers along the system.

The Martin V-Plow HD glides on the return side of the conveyor belt using a hinge system, deflecting any fugitive debris off of the belt. Replaceable blades are available in 60 Shore A durometer nitrile rubber or long-wearing 90 Shore A durometer urethane and the unit can be ordered with specialised chemical resistant or hightemperature blades.

For more information, contact: Tel: (800) 544-2947 Email: info@martin-eng.com, martin-eng.com

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THE V-PLOW HD HUB MOUNTS CAN BE WELDED OR BOLTED TO THE HANGER BARS. © 2021 MARTIN ENGINEERING

THE V-PLOW HD PREVENTS TAIL PULLEYS FROM BECOMING DAMAGED

BY SPILLAGE ON THE RETURN SIDE OF THE BELT. © 2021 MARTIN ENGINEERING

Designed to help delegates identify and resolve common problems when handling various biomass materials.

This new course is aimed at the manufacturers and suppliers of biomass materials, at the users – particularly those responsible for maintenance and management on site – and at the manufacturers and installers of equipment used to transport and store biomass materials.

BIOMASS OPERATIONS AND HANDLING TECHNOLOGIES SHORT COURSE – ONLINE

21-25 February 2022 Subjects covered include: » Material types, flow properties and handling equipment requirements » Self-heating, fire, explosion and safety » Dust and degradation, pneumatic conveying and wear » Dust control and management » Explosion protection and ATEX regulations » Engineering of equipment for storage and discharge » Ship unloading » Biomass potential and possible future trends For further course details, please contact Simon Gutteridge events@bulkterminals.org – +33 (0)321 47 72 19 – www.bulkterminals.org/events/courses-and-training

REGISTER NOW AT www.gre.ac.uk/engsci/research/groups/wolfsoncentre/coupro/sc/biomass

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viewpoint: grains

TIME TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ˆ BY BASIL KARATZAS The pandemic has played havoc with containerised shipping, with shippers used to exporting on cheap, ‘back-leg’ lines facing unprecedented – and expensive – circumstances

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upply chain disruption is the buzzword de jour as container ships have to wait for weeks before being able to dock and unload the boxes onboard. While most of the concern is focused on empty grocery shelves or delayed deliveries of non-perishables, one aspect of the containerised shipping has taken the back stage: unlike the “front leg” disruptions (delivering containers from China to North America and Europe) that are the visible part of the trade, there is also the less visible “back leg” – when empty containers accumulate in North America with no cargo to ship – which also has been impacted by the current state of the container line trade.

There have been imbalances of trade – and then there is that between China and the US (an estimated $340bn in 2021) and, accordingly, a permanent excess of containers in the US that have to be shipped back to China and Asia for re-loading.

In normal times, container liner companies were more or less obligated to take empty containers back to China to be re-loaded and this back leg was a complete deadweight as the containers were empty and container liner companies did not have any pricing power.

By some estimates, even in normal times, shipping empty containers from the US West Coast to China accounts for approximately 45% of the trade – that is one in every two containers gets shipped empty, not only forfeiting revenue, but actually costing money for the liner company. In general, empty containers from the West Coast of the US to China were shipped for a few hundred

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dollars, if that, while laden containers could bring more than a thousand dollars in revenue. It is estimated that it costs more than $16bn annually for container liner companies to reposition empty containers back to China for loading.

Many an entrepreneur looked into finding cargoes to load in these empty containers and have them shipped back full, a way to (highly) reduced freight cost and to the benefit of all.

Containerised cargo was a new concept, moving fast – literally and metaphorically – and there have been containers filled with used cars and scrap metal to be shipped to China.

Among the containerised cargoes were grains from the US to China, which could be exported quickly and efficiently, especially from the West Coast of the US, instead of being shipping on conventional dry bulk vessels.

Containerised cargoes, especially on the westbound lanes of the Pacific, were a win-win situation for all as shippers could get a reduced freight rate while the container liner companies would earn revenue at an otherwise lossgenerating voyage leg. A few days, or even weeks, of delay to have the empty containers filled with cargo was not a concern as the risk-reward was favouring the delay for the revenue generated.

Among the industries that have actively looked into containerised cargo is the US agriculture industry, for grains, corn and wheat. The soyabean market in the US, especially, took a deep interest in the possibility, given that soyabeans are a lesser value grain cargo, less time sensitive, used for animal feedstock primarily and also the US soyabean exporters – relative newcomers to the world stage – had to be extremely cost competitive heading against the market leader, Brazil, when landing cost was counted. Shipping soyabeans from California ports to China in containers that were meant to be shipped empty was a sure way to beat the Brazilians exporting soyabean by drybulk ships and sailing eastbound.

The recent crisis at the US container ports, especially on the US West Coast,

has been upending market trends. Given that approximately 5-10% of the world’s containers at any time in the past year were stuck onboard container ships waiting to dock to unload, and given the larger turnaround times to unload containers in the age of covid-19 (when port terminals, trucking and rail seem to be stretched to capacity), container lines companies have swiftly changed attitude toward the empty containers in the US heading back to China.

When the cost to ship a container from Shanghai to Los Angeles has increased from approximately $800 to $20,000 per container in the past two years, it makes no sense for the container liner company to delay the return of a container by a week or so for the container to be loaded and thus for the company to increase the freight on the back leg from $400 of an empty container to $1,500 for a fully laden container. There has been much more money to be made in the front leg and time has been of essence.

Shippers that hinged their export strategy on a cheap leg back were found facing unprecedented circumstances.

It is estimated that approximately 6-7% of US soyabeans exports occur as containerised cargo from the US West Coast ports and the exports are seasonal. In October and November 2021, container liner companies rejected an estimated 177,938 six-metre

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containers, costing approximately $640m in agricultural exports. From July to November 2021, a total of 297,997 TEUs were denied out of the biggest US, costing in total $1.1bn in lost agriculture exports.

The Federal Maritime Commission has opened an investigation into the matter, and it has warned the World Shipping Council, saying the refusal of US exports by major ocean carriers could be a violation of the US Shipping Act. Container line companies, of course, defend their position, claiming that they are acting for the benefit of all by trying to expedite the supply chains and repositioning containers as quickly as possible.

While the container line disruptions seemingly brought havoc to the obvious candidate importers from China, the small, unsung exporters – such as those agricultural exporters who were vital in normal times to subsidise the back leg of the voyage – are now left alone to sort shipping solutions. The agricultural export season is not over yet in the US and drybulk freight rates are at least twice as high from the past year. Expect this matter to get more front page coverage in 2022.

Basil M Karatzas is founder and CEO of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co in New York. For more information, please visit: karatzas.auction

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ViewPOint: dust

THE LOGISTICS OF PORT DUST CONTROL

Mike Lewis, dust specialist and VP of sales at BossTek, examines the options available to provide an environmentally friendly, efficient dust control solution

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t’s early morning and the wind rolls across the water, causing a moderate chop on the surface. It’s a sure sign that any dust generated that day will travel a long way, hopefully just down the port, but possibly further into the nearby community. Operators know it well and hope that any complaint calls come to them instead of the local authorities or Environmental Protection Agency. Community

relations is one thing, hosting inspectors and trying to avoid fines is another.

With no natural barriers other than landmasses, port waterways can concentrate winds and raise air speed.

Ocean and seaport breezes can be unpredictable and environmental conditions can affect the entire operation, from intake to storage to loading.

PROPER POSITIONING OF DUST CONTROL WHEN LOADING RAW MATERIAL REQUIRES MOBILITY

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Port Logistics and Dust The logistical journey of bulk material at a port begins when it is offloaded to the site up to the moment the material hits the deck or hold of a vessel.

Every port is unique, and some can be highly specialised. From a dust control standpoint, flexibility is needed to achieve tailored dust control solutions.

A dedicated system might cater to the standards of a specific industry.

Bulk grain, for example, must be kept dry to prevent mould, so an enclosed system of covered conveyors and silos limits the exposure to rain, but can still have dust emission points at unloading and loading. A specialised port without material-specific restrictions such as handling light and dusty petroleum coke (petcoke) might have a completely open system from train to storage to ship, with dust concerns at every logistical stage.

Some ports are generalised as to the type of material they handle from month to month. This introduces its own set of obstacles in preventing particle emissions. For example, a large nearby demolition and construction project can suddenly feed a port tons of scrap and

ViewPOint: dust

recycled material from metal to concrete, which can all carry different handling, storage and emissions requirements.

through a sock or down a metal chute, there is always a gap between the exit and the pile where the material is in a freefall and exposed to wind. This can be mitigated using a stainless-steel misting ring that surrounds the material flow with a curtain of light mist that falls with the material. When wind hits the stream, the mist travels with airborne dust, colliding with particulates and pulling them down, preventing the escape of fugitive material.

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reach the entire pile and introduce millions of tiny droplets to the ambient airflow, with the goal of stopping airborne particle emissions before they can travel.

MATERIALS SUCH AS SCRAP METAL AND DEMOLITION WASTE CAN HAVE HIGHLY VARIABLE DUST PROPERTIES

These examples require different dust control solutions and creating a comprehensive dust management plan using modern technology helps mitigate some of the issues around particulate emissions. With the right plan and technology, port managers can enjoy positive relationships with local government, nearby communities and the media over air quality issues.

Automated Dust Solutions Being able to control when and where dust solutions are operating in response to conditions from a central location is key. One major part of efficient port operation is automation. Ports are often massive, windy open areas and having staff spray down thousands of tons of bulk material stacked in large storage piles to mitigate dust is inefficient and minimally effective. An automated suppression solution is more efficient, safer and cost-effective over time.

There are various technologies for different applications, but many ports are choosing atomised mist technology because its use in shiploading and unloading over nearly two decades has proven its effectiveness in suppressing both airborne and surface particles.

Managers prefer atomised mist cannons for their ability to automatically control flow and direction with very little manual labour, using a fraction of the water of hoses and sprinklers.

Working backward from ship to train, some of the options for atomised mist are: Misting rings – No matter if material is discharged straight off of a conveyor,

A WELL-APPOINTED STORAGE AREA WITH PROPER DUST SUPPRESSION IMPROVES COMPLIANCE AND EFFICIENCY

A MISTING RING CAN ENSURE ADEQUATE SURFACE SUPPRESSION WHEN THE MATERIAL LANDS ON THE PILE

Transfer point misting bars – Most operations have several transfer points, particularly when directing material to different sections of the port. During transfer, dropping material separates, offering an excellent opportunity to introduce moisture from strategically placed misting bars or spray heads to prevent downstream dust emissions.

Accompanied by a dosing system, operators can introduce dust suppressing surfactants and other additives that promote clumping without saturation. Some units provide data on the volume of surfactants dispersed and chemical levels,.

Tower-mounted dust cannons – Storage areas and stockpiles experience a constant churn of material. Even with natural barriers, wind can lift dust off the piles and carry it long distances.

Consistent disruption from front loaders can cause dust to become airborne, eliminating any previous efforts at surface suppression with hoses or sprinklers. To address these conditions, many operators have turned to tower mounted cannon systems. Atomised misting cannons can be positioned around storage areas high enough to

Mobile dust control cannons – Whether mounted on trucks or trailers or equipped with a mobile carriage, these cannons can be called upon to suppress dust wherever needed. With a vertical throw angle of 0-50º, based on the maximum ship size allowed by the port, operators can choose models that can reach the height of an empty ship with enough power to stretch across the beam. When not in use on the dock, they can be easily moved to material storage or loading areas. They can also be used for large area cooling on hot days.

Misting heads – In ports handling raw material by train or hopper truck where dozens of cars are unloaded one after the other, atomised misting heads can be cost-effective compared with manual spraying. Since the unloading area doesn’t change, this allows operators to strictly control water output, as the units can be programmed to activate only when material is being unloaded into storage or on to a conveyor.

TREATMENT WITH SURFACTANTS IN STORAGE CAN HELP WITH EMISSIONS CAUSED BY DISRUPTION

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ViewPOint: dust Case Study 1 Hendricks River Logistics (HRL)

Located on the Mississippi River, a high-volume coal transshipping company handles 1.6 to 1.7m tons of coal per year from the Powder River Basin (PRB) in Wyoming.

Case Study 2 Servicios Especiales Portuarios (SEPSA) SEPSA is a leading-edge stevedoring and bulk cargo distribution company based in the Port of Veracruz, Mexico. The firm handles more than a million tonnes of bulk cargo per year, including shredded and structural scrap, pig iron, hot briquette iron, petcoke and fertiliser.

Along with dust emissions from loading raw material on to ships, dust was also being generated by the nearby storage yard. With sudden shifts in wind and weather along the waterway, crews struggled to control dust drifting over the company’s 5-hectare property.

ALTHOUGH THE STORAGE AREA HAS AN ADEQUATE WIND BARRIER, THE DOCK REMAINS EXPOSED

Trains carrying sub-bituminous coal unload approximately 3,175 tonnes per hour into the receiving area, where it’s then conveyed to the storage depot. The main discharge belt travels 304m uphill from the rotary dumper to the supply depot. The conveyor leading from the supply depot to the dock is 335m long, loading barges at a rate of 1,360 tonnes per hour. There, HRL has fleeting for 40 barges.

HRL employs two DustBoss® atomised misting rings at the site, a 1,219mm diameter unit on the smaller loading area and a large 1,828mm ring on the main loading area.

The rings are stainless steel circular manifolds that can be fitted with up to 38 misting nozzles. They are mounted on the conveyor 915mm under the discharge point, pumping 90.62 litres per minute of atomised water.

A MISTING RING CLOSES THE EMISSION GAP BETWEEN DISCHARGED MATERIAL AND THE CARGO HOLD

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PROPER POSITIONING OF DUST CONTROL WHEN LOADING RAW MATERIAL REQUIRES MOBILITY

With mobility and versatility among its primary needs, SEPSA mounted an atomised mist cannon from BossTek® on a tanker truck that could be easily driven and parked wherever dust suppression was needed. The unit features a manifold with 30 brass nozzles that create millions of water droplets per minute within a range of 50-200 microns, the optimum size for particle attraction and coverage area. It launches the mist with a powerful 18.6KW fan, delivering a range of more than 60m.

Equipped with full 359º oscillation, it can cover more than 1.1 hectares with a fine, dust-trapping mist.

EASILY MOVED THROUGHOUT THE DOCK, THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH POWER AS WELL

ViewPOint: dust Case Study 3 River Port A busy port in New England operates a dock and industrial park with bulk material storage. About 40-50 vessels per year arrive from Europe, delivering nearly 30,000 tonnes) per week of clinker. When the ship arrives, large clamshell shovels controlled by tower cranes unload the material from the ship’s cargo hold, over the ship’s deck – up to 36.5m in the air – to a 6m hopper, which discharges into a 36 tonne haul truck. The truck drives the material the short distance to the adjacent industrial park, where it is stored for further transport.

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Case Study 4 Port Panama City The Panama City Port Authority in Florida needed a dust suppression system for its wood pellet loading operation to help retain high air quality and prevent negative effects on workers, local residents and manufacturing operations.

The facility receives about 30,000 tonnes of pellets each month by rail car, creating stockpiles more than 30m wide, with an enormous potential for dust. Dock workers can load about 1,000 metric tons of material per hour.

MOBILITY IS KEY TO POSITIONING THE CANNON AND ADJUSTING FOR CHANGING WIND CURRENTS

PLACED BY CRANE ON A PLATFORM OVERLOOKING THE SCRAP YARD, THE DUSTBOSS CONTROLS AIRBORNE PARTICULATES

The port purchased two cannons, one for mounting above the scrap yard and one mounted on a wheeled carriage to remain mobile so it can be moved wherever it is needed. Both cannons feature a 18.6KW fan producing 849.5m3 of airflow to propel the engineered mist in a 60m long cone that can reach high over the deck of the ship.

Operators chose a mid-sized atomised mist cannon.

Once crews started working, they aimed the plume of water mist into the dust cloud and it made an immediate difference. Port officials report that the equipment has been very efficient, helping to protect ambient air quality and prevent negative effects on workers, as well as local residents and manufacturing operations.

VERSATILITY IS PART OF WHAT ATTRACTED PORT OPERATORS TO ATOMIZED MIST TECHNOLOGY

Conclusion THE MOBILE CARRIAGE ALLOWS THE UNIT TO BE QUICKLY MOVED WHEREVER NEEDED

Operators report that air quality at the port has significantly improved during the unloading of clinker and other dusty materials, and that fugitive dust emissions have not been seen leaving the site since adding the units to the facility’s dust management plan.

Ports that create a comprehensive dust management plan are better equipped for clean, sustainable operations. These plans generally involve a thorough assessment of logistical throughput, revealing where dust emissions originate and identifying other potential issues that need to be addressed.

For port operators, changes in weather, varying materials and strict air quality standards can be difficult to traverse, but with the right dust control technology and approach, each unique situation has a solution. Contacting a dust control specialist from a reputable company to help with the dust management plan and customised solution is a good first step.

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paints

FALLING FOUL

The use of paints on newbuildings has gone through many evolutions in the past few years – not least because the most effective solutions are not necessarily the most eco-friendly ones

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he use of different hull coatings has been affected by changes in ship usage, as some solutions do not work effectively during periods when slow steaming is the preferred option.

One recent order has been for Jotun’s Hull Skating Solutions (HSS), which has gained the approval of U-Ming, in a new commercial agreement with Jotun and SWS. Jotun’s HSS solution is to be used for U-Ming’s 190,000dwt dual fuel bulk carrier newbuilding project at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard (SWS) in China after an agreement was signed last year.

Coming up with coating solutions that fit the bill as far as sustainability is concerned is vital in the current environment. “U-Ming is committed to

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be the front runner of sustainable marine transport services and our customers’ first choice in dry bulk shipping,” says U-Ming president C K Ong. “As part of our decarbonisation strategy, we have been involved in many initiatives driving meaningful changes to reduce emissions.

The recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirement on Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) is an opportunity to differentiate ourselves by offering our customers highly efficient vessels with significantly reduced operating fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Collaboration with stakeholders is the key to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and the Hull Skating Solutions offered by Jotun

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certainly supports and enhances our green ambitions.”

Jotun’s HSS combines the Hull Skater, an underwater robotic device with hull inspection and cleaning capabilities, and SeaQuantum Skate, an antifouling coating. The solution will be fitted on one of U-Ming’s four LNG dual- fuel Tier III 190,000dwt bulk carriers to be built

by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) to support the long-term charter with mining giant Anglo American.

“SWS is proud to be the first shipyard in China to offer Jotun’s HSS to our customers,” says Zhang Qi Peng, vice general manager of SWS. “It is a groundbreaking technology and fits well into our programme for green capesize bulk carriers developed

by SWS. This development adds to our green and modern shipbuilding model and aligns with our pursuit of sustainable development and environmental protection.”

“I am very happy with the positive response from U-Ming and SWS to adopt Jotun’s HSS at the newbuilding stage. They are shaping the future of a sustainable shipping industry,” states Morten Sten Johansen, regional marine director, North East Asia for Jotun.

“With HSS we can deliver the promise of an ‘always clean hull’” from day one, helping our customers to maximise the benefits of lower fuel costs, full flexibility in operations and effective biofouling management.

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“Bulk carriers have sailing patterns that are highly dependent on market forces. Shifts in global commodity markets can change the expected idling time, geographical routes and port calls, exposing the vessel to high risks of biofouling that coatings alone may not be sufficient to address.

“On top of the advanced robotics, Jotun’s HSS also includes proactive condition monitoring – using vessel data, oceanographic assessments and predictive algorithms to adapt the system on the fly”, Johansen says.

U-Ming’s vessels are expected to be delivered throughout 2022/2023.

Low carbon intensity A new Jotun study based on European Union Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) data has revealed vessels using Jotun Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) reported a 20% lower carbon intensity in operations.

This is compared to non-HPS peers in 2019 and 2020.

Cross-checked statistics also indicate lower carbon emissions than from vessels known to be sailing with some “low-friction” foul-release silicone coatings that claim to offer marketleading performance. Only coatings applied within the three years preceding the emissions report were considered.

The internal study carried out by Jotun investigated major cargo vessel types, including bulk carriers, chemical tankers and oil tankers, with a dataset of almost 9,000 vessels, and the emissions report was verified by accredited parties.

The CII set to be implemented by IMO in 2023 focuses on the yearly reduction in emissions during operations.

Vessel owners cannot just rely on the

“out-of-dock” effect of hull maintenance, Jotun says.

Maintaining a cleaner hull with minimal fouling means a vessel has less resistance when sailing through water. Consequently, less power and fuel are required for the same speed and this directly reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released. Jotun’s HPS have a proven track record of longterm reliability and will become more important than ever for vessel owners to gain a competitive advantage, the company adds.

Stein Kjolberg, global category director for hull performance at Jotun, says: “Vessels using Jotun’s HPS typically have far-sighted owners and operators that are willing to invest to achieve the most efficient operations. They are not too focused on the immediate cost of dry docking or short-term returns. They know the resulting fuel savings will eventually outweigh the upgrade cost of antifouling and other similar investments many times over.

“The fact that fuel savings translate directly into lower carbon emissions will further add to the return on investment in that stakeholders in the shipping industry will more strongly prefer and reward vessels with lower carbon emissions moving forward.”

Jotun says that while vessels may be technically designed to be energy efficient and meet the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and EEXI requirements, in actual service, however, marine fouling, weather conditions and operational factors come into play.

While there are multiple ways to reduce the carbon intensity of operations, fouling protection is perhaps one of the most important and easiest

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to take advantage of. It is already part of every maintenance docking. It is also the one with the most crucial aspect, as the increased resistance of a fouled hull can easily negate efficiency gains from energy saving devices and modifications.

The best approach is to use a combination of approaches. In the study based on EU MRV data, container vessels with Jotun HPS reported 49% lower carbon emissions compared to their non-HPS peers, and a 10% advantage over vessels using some “low-friction” foul-release silicone coatings.

Hull performance Japanese paint manufacturer, Chugoku Marine Paints (CMP) has also been concentrating on developing products that fit in with IMO goals as part of EEXI .

It is CMP´s ambition to provide premium coatings that will contribute to reducing the environmental footprint from shipping. By good hull performance, vessels will be able to reduce their CO2 emissions.

IMO has set a target to reduce the total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. To accelerate the decarbonisation of the marine industry, there has been pressure to do more to improve vessel´s efficiency.

IMO has developed two measures, which will come into effect in January 2023; the EEXI and the CII. The new IMO regulation will apply to all oceangoing ships over 400GT. All ships will be categorised and given an efficiency index number that they will need to achieve. Alongside engine power limitation, alternative fuel choices and the introduction of energy saving devices, hull coatings will also be a

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significant player in reducing shipping’s carbon footprint.

More than half of the worldwide existing ships might need to reduce average operational speed to be graded higher than C of the CII. At the same time, operating at slow speeds in warmer leads to a higher risk of biofouling In 2010, CMP launched the low friction antifouling series, SEAFLO NEO followed by SEAFLO NEO Z and SEAFLO NEO CF series as well as CMP BIOCLEAN series, which are premium products upgraded with ultra-low friction technology.

These coating systems have been applied to more than 5,000 vessels and have proved to be highly efficient during the past 11 years, CMP says.

SEAFLO NEO CF PREMIUM, the latest in the line of premium antifouling with ultralow friction technology offered by CMP, now has five years’ use on a MR tanker and three large size containerships.

CMP says the MR tanker operated for 63 months with an average speed of 12 knots and 59% activity. During its five-year operation, the hull was never cleaned while the vessel spent time |both idling and operating in high risk areas for fouling and had a low activity period of less than 27% over four months.

However, during hull inspections, no fouling was observed. Consequently, a reduction of 9,450 tons of CO2 emission was achieved over the five-year period.

CMP has recently announced the release of the ultra-low friction, hydrolysis antifouling “SEAFLO NEO SL M” with the latest silyl methacrylate antifouling technology from January 2022.

In 1995, CMP launched the original silyl acrylate antifouling under the brand SEA GRANDPRIX to replace TBT antifouling coatings without sacrificing antifouling performance.

SEA GRANDPRIX quickly became the first product of its kind widely applied for shipbuilding and dry-dockings for maintenance.

The antifouling surface built by TIPSMA technology provides for a minimal average leach layer under all

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operation conditions including high seawater temperatures and low activity, continuously renewing itself by a controlled self-polishing mechanism allowing for ultra-low friction and antifouling protection over a longer period of time

Turkish drydockings Nippon Paint Marine has announced that it has seen a significant spike in Turkish drydockings as operators of small to mid-size tonnage redirect vessels from Asia due to capacity issues and a general tightening of covid rules.

According to the Japanese paint manufacturer, one of the global suppliers of marine coatings, ship repair projects at repair facilities in the Tuzla district increased by 15 to 20% over the 12 months to September last year, with many yards close to capacity.

Historically high freight rates resulted in owners deferring scheduled drydockings to allow vessels to keep on trading, but many of these certificates were due to expire, resulting in increased drydocking activity.

Captain Baybora Yildirim, managing director of Nippon Paint Marine Turkey, says the confluence of a number of market dynamics has had a beneficial impact on the region’s maritime cluster.

In particular, he singled out the expiry of drydock extension combined with capacity issues at Asian facilities amid a resurgence in covid cases. Shipowners were also being hit by a tightening

of covid restrictions in China and Singapore, where vessels are waiting at anchorage for up to two weeks.

With shipowners looking at keeping their vessels trading for as long as possible, the company was seeing more ships heading directly to Turkey – in some cases on the last day of their drydock extension – rather than lose any trading days.

Yildirim added that market dynamics are also resulting in an increase in orders for higher value coating systems designed to keep drydock time to a minimum. “When times are bad, shipowners will consider cost over performance, but we are seeing the reverse today: it is quality over cost.”

John Drew, director of Nippon Paint Marine Europe, says: “I have never seen a supply and demand imbalance quite like the one we are seeing today. Freight rates have quadrupled; they are so high at the moment that every shipowner wants to be at sea with a cargo earning money, rather than in drydock.

“When you consider the time charter rate for a handy size bulker is about US$30,000, then a drydocking can be a very a costly business. It is for this reason we developed FASTAR.” Nippon Paint Marines’ new antifouling system minimise the time in drydock required for hull coating work.

Depending on the vessel, a FASTAR application can reduce drydock time for a two-coat system by one day, the company says.

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE COMPANY’S TIPSMA ANTIFOULING RANGE IS EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE 7.5% REDUCTION OF CO2 EMISSION OVER A 60-MONTH OPERATIONAL PERIOD (UTILIZING ISO 19030)

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shipbuilding

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DESIGN S FOR THE FUTURE

As the shipbuilding market remains buoyant, shipbuilders are devising ever-more effective designs that will improve the efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness of fleets and overhaul the shipbuilding process

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THE COMPACT AND CONTAINERISED WÄRTSILÄ HY MODULE FOR BULKERS INSTALLED ON BOARD THE M/V PAOLO TOPIC © MARFIN

here was a strong start to the year in the shipbuilding market with a number of orders, many of them being placed with Chinese yards, emerging during the first few days of the New Year.

There were a lot of orders placed in the gas segment, although a slow start as far as dry bulk orders were concerned, although shipbroker Allied said recently that it expected dry bulk orders to pick up. There were orders from Bocimar for two bulkers and an order by Wisdom Marine for one. There was also activity in the sale and purchase market for dry bulk ships.

Allied said in its weekly assessment that “a modest start took place in the SNP market, given the fair number of units changing hands during the first few days of the year. We already see that buying appetite is firm, while being relatively fairly distributed across the different size segments and age groups. Given that we are only at onset of the year, a lot will depend on how things develop from the side of earnings in the near term.

“To be more precise, as to whether we are about to witness a continuation of the robust momentum, similar to that took place during the previous year or so, or if things are on the verge of a shift.

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shipbuilding

“On the tanker side, it was a relatively strong start in terms of activity taking place. We have repeatedly mentioned that given the current freight market regime, we can hardly expect any sort of balance in the SNP market as well for the near term (at least). However, given the recent trend noted, we may well being amidst a more sustainable path with an improvement to be noted during the course of the year”.

simulation approach In a paper produced by Siemens marine industry expert Dejan Radosavljevic, it was revealed that a simulation-driven approach to ship design can reduce costs and speed up design times. As the shipping industry is facing the challenge of reducing emissions and improving vessel efficiency, the greatest impact on meeting these targets “can be made during the ship design phase”, the white paper says.

The paper looks at the simulationdriven design process – “a new approach that moves away from the inefficient ship design spiral and instead makes full use of the digital technology available today. Naval architects can evaluate many more designs and focus on improvements or novel solutions to find the most efficient design.”

According to Radosavljevic: “The traditional ship design process typically starts with a mission statement for the new ship and the process then looks

at many different aspects of the design in turn, such as proportions, hull form, general arrangement, structure, ship weight, and so on. Often these evaluation stages are performed by separate teams with no link between the tools they use or the data produced.

“Any changes in requirement or ship design require all aspects to be re-examined, but because of the delay in data transfer, detailed analyses often lag behind the current design. This process increases pressure on profit margins and reduces the time available to create the best possible design.”

The simulation-driven ship design process outlined in the paper rethinks ship design basics. The method uses connected analysis tools and centralised data storage to remove silos and connect all analysis stages to one central master model.

Teams have access to the required data and can always work on the current design. This enables faster design updates and integrated analyses.

To find out more, visit: tinyurl.com/SiemensPaper

Solar solutions Technology group Wärtsilä has completed the installation and commissioning of a ground-breaking hybrid power system combined with a PV solar energy system in collaboration with Marfin Management and Solbian,

THE COMPACT AND CONTAINERISED WÄRTSILÄ HY MODULE FOR BULKERS INSTALLED ON BOARD THE M/V PAOLO TOPIC © MARFIN

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on a bulk carrier, making it one of the most technologically advanced vessel of its type in the global fleet.

The installation was carried out on the Paolo Topic, a bulk carrier built in 2016 at the Onomichi Dockyard in Japan and managed by Marfin Management.

The fully integrated Wärtsilä HY Module solution includes an energy management system and batteries that deliver auxiliary power to the grid.

When coupled with other sources of energy such as PV panels, the benefits are enhanced. It will address the marine sector’s major challenges to lower operating costs while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.

The solution achieves this through significant reductions in fuel consumption and maintenance needs, while offering cleaner, safer, and more efficient operations. It also contributes to placing the vessel in a positive position regarding the industry’s Energy Efficiency Existing Ship and Carbon Intensity Indicator indexes.

“This is an extremely exciting development that will lead the way to a more sustainable future” says Alex Albertini, chief executive Marfin Management. “We will be able to provide our customers and partners with the most advanced vessel performance and environmental quality, and it is without compromising operational effectiveness or flexibility. We would like to thank all our partners who worked on

THE PV PANELS INSTALLED ON BOARD THE M/V PAOLO TOPIC © MARFIN

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the project for this highly innovative and effective solution.”

“This installation represents a truly significant breakthrough in enabling the bulker fleet to increase both its economic competitiveness and environmental performance. The decarbonisation of shipping is a major priority for stakeholders throughout the maritime sector, and this unique solution helps us take a long step towards reaching this goal,” says Giulio Tirelli, director, business development, Wärtsilä Marine Power.

The Wärtsilä HY Module for bulkers is a compact containerised solution that cuts a vessel’s emissions by optimising the onboard power production, consumption, and management. The HY module gives the possibility to combine and integrate an energy storage system and additional energy sources, such as solar power, with Wärtsilä’s Energy Management System (EMS) to deliver auxiliary power. The EMS has overall control of the engines, batteries, power distribution and, with the installation of solar panels on the weather deck, it is a maritime industry first.

The containerised solution has been placed on the ship’s deck to save space and has been installed without the need for dry-docking.

Steel ship construction Leading Classification Society ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships.

Rules and Guidance revisions reflect the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations, requests from the industry as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) unified requirements and national regulations.

More specifically, some of the requirements amended this time are as follows: In response to industry requests: » Amendment related to the “Material Marking Methods” In response to changes in

international conventions: » Amendment related to the “Ballast Water Sampling Analysis During BWMS Commissioning Testing”, the “Bulkhead Valves”, the “Fuel Oil Sampling Points” and the “Energy Efficiency of Ships” In response to changes in IACS unified requirements: » Amendment related to the “Welders and Welders Qualification Tests” and the “Anchoring, Towing and Mooring Equipment”.

The PDF files of ClassNK Rules and Guidance are available free of charge via ClassNK’s website at classnk.com for those who have registered for the ClassNK “My Page” service.

Ammonia fuel initiative Sumitomo Corporation is to launch a full-scale project to design and develop an ammonia-fuelled dry bulk carrier jointly with Oshima Shipbuilding.

In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. In this strategy, the IMO upholds the target of improving the average fuel efficiency of ships used for international shipping by 40% relative to the 2008 level by 2030, and of halving the total GHG emissions from the ships by 2050.

In response, companies in the maritime industry are required to replace the fuels for their ships with ammonia, hydrogen and other substitutes with low environmental impact, and to

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introduce the equipment that will help them reduce their GHG emissions.

As ammonia can be liquefied more easily than hydrogen, the substance is attracting much attention as a substitute fuel for ocean-going ships that navigate a long distance at one time.

Oshima Shipbuilding has been building and selling dry bulk carriers jointly with Sumitomo Corporation since 1973. Sumitomo, jointly with the shipbuilder, will work on the design and development of an ammoniafuelled dry bulk carrier for completion in 2025. After the completion of the bulk carrier, Sumitomo Corporation will own and operate it, thereby helping users of the ship’s transportation service to reduce their GHG emissions across their supply chains.

Sumitomo has been looking at the launch of an ammonia supply business to fuel ships in Singapore. In addition to building an ammonia supply chain, the company, in association with the Singapore government, is putting together operational guidelines and regulations.

Sumitomo is implementing initiatives for the entire ammonia supply chain, including developing an ammoniafuelled ship and making ammonia fuel available at ports, thereby contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry.

The company will also speed up its measures to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 as the long-term target for the mitigation of climate change and to create a sustainable energy cycle.

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Spotlight: CHINA

CHINA CRISIS

Although Chinese ports may have been affected in recent time by closures due to covid restrictions, the country continues to dominate the maritime sector – an issue that has been causing concern to other international players

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SUEZ CANAL

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ovid restrictions, as well as the overall effect of events like the grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal have given people outside the industry a better idea of the importance of global shipping to the world economy.

Commentators have been focusing not only on how choke points can affect the smooth flow of trade on a global basis, but also how Chinese investment in shipping is liable to play out in the future.

The country has not only been investing heavily in port facilities, but is also a leading manufacturer of equipment, including ship-to-shore cranes and containers, alongside being a key player in shipbuilding.

China is reported to have received nearly 50% of shipbuilding orders in 2020, a major move in recent years when Japan and South Korea were two of the most dominant players.

China’s expansion outwards has been given a major push in recent years with the Belt and Road Initiative, which is designed to increase the country’s connectivity with other countries and multiple continents. It has been described as the “New Silk Road”, which in its day had a major role to play in

Spotlight: CHINA

China’s development and role on the international stage.

Analysis suggests that China is home to seven of the 10 busiest ports in the world and also owns more than 100 ports in approximately 63 countries.

More than 80% of China’s overseas port terminals are owned by the “big three” terminal operators: China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), China Merchants Group (CMG), and CK Hutchison Holdings. The first two are state-owned enterprises, while CK Hutchison is a private company based in Hong Kong with close ties to mainland China.

Overseas investments include Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, Gwadar port in Pakistan, and a $350m investment in the port of Djibouti. In 2018, Chinese Harbor Engineering started construction on a port terminal at the Sokhna port in Egypt.

European investments include France’s Le Havre and Dunkirk, Belgium’s Antwerp and Bruges, Vado port in Italy, Turkey’s Kumport port, and Piraeus.

In 2019, COSCO signed a $225m agreement with Volcan at Peru’s Port of Chancay for a 60% stake in the port and there are numerous other examples of port investment on a worldwide basis.

Port activity From January to November, cargo throughput at China’s ports totalled 14.21bn tonnes, up 7.2% year on year, according to ministry of transport figures.

In common with other countries, China is seeking to improve its position as far as carbon output is concerned and this was cited as a reason for the drop in steel output last year to 1.03bn tonnes – a fall of 35m tonnes from the 2020 figure, according to the China Iron and Steel Association.

In the first 11 months of last year, the country’s steel production was about 946m tonnes, a drop of 2.6% from the previous year. Combined projects from the steel and iron industry grew substantially during the same period because of rising costs and demand.

Profits totalled an increase of 86% year

on year for the first 11 months of last year. The association suggests that total steel demand for this year will be similar to that of 2021.

Ports in China, as across the globe, have felt the effects of the pandemic.

However, Tianjin port announced in the first week of the New Year that while coronavirus cases had been confirmed at the facility, operations were continuing as normal. The port is the ninth largest in the world in terms of cargo handling and is a key centre for supplies destined for the 2022 Olympic Games due to take place in Beijing.

Ningbo port, meanwhile, has been experiencing backlogs because of lockdown restrictions and testing requirements have slowed down movement through the facility. It has experienced shutdowns due to covid outbreaks and delays with vessels waiting outside the port for a berth.

Coal production

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to Asia as Europe is reducing its coal demand.

In terms of coking coal, Mongolia’s exports in 2021 were affected by the uncontrolled covid19 pandemic, Zhang Juntian, deputy general manager of supply chain management and investment group Xiamen Xiangyu, said at a recent conference.

He said the governments of China and Mongolia agreed to boost bilateral trade along the border and plan to empty existing coal stocks in Chaganhada, on the other side of Ganqimaodu Port in Mongolia, by the end of February 2022. In addition, unmanned transport equipment, including automated guided vehicles and container-hoisting facilities, will be deployed in multiple ports that connect Mongolia, to reduce the risks of infection for workers.

While countries across the globe are encouraging a move away from coal use, China has been increasing its production and transport of coal as well as oil and gas. China State Railway Group was reported to have carried 118m tons of thermal coal in November last year, an increase of more than 34% and many countries that produce coal are seeking export business with the country, including Russia, Mongolia and Indonesia.

Recently, 12 Chinese coal import enterprises signed medium- and long-term thermal coal supply contracts for 2022 with 12 coal export enterprises from Russia, Indonesia and Mongolia. This first tranche of contracts was valued at $2.49bn, according to some sources. Further contracts were expected to follow.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs released on December 7, China imported 292.3m tons of coal in the first 11 months of 2021, a yearon-year increase of 10.64%. The centre of coal use continues to turn

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Spotlight: CHINA

Regional activity According to data tracked by SMM, 73 ships arrived at domestic main ports in the first week of January. Arrivals of cargoes are estimated to stand at 11.07m tonnes, down 0.47m tonnes from the previous week and down 5.22m tonnes year on year.

Shipments that departed Australian ports were estimated to increase 1.71m tonnes week on week to 19.31m tonnes up 2.64m tonnes on the year. And that from Brazilian ports increased 0.98m tonnes to 4.8m tonnes on a weekly basis, down 6.38m tonnes over the year.

The blast furnaces in east, north-east, south-west and north-west China partly resumed their production after fulfilling their crude steel output control target, leading to more purchase demand.

The iron ore prices hence gained momentum coupled with the support from the macro front.

On the other hand, however, the shipments departing overseas ports and arriving at domestic ports increased, pressuring iron ore prices to some extent as the port inventory was at a high level. In general, the iron ore prices will still carry some upside potential in the short term.

Commodity performance If 2021 was a year of volatility and uneven performances for commodities, then 2022 is shaping up as a rinse and repeat as uncertainty over the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic remains the dominant theme.

On the surface, commodities had a strong year, outperforming other asset classes with the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index index rose 35% in 2021, out-performing the US equity index S&P 500 for the first time in a decade.

However, it was a volatile year for major commodities, with record highs followed by lows and swings as supply and demand issues came into play.

China played a huge role in many commodity markets, given the world’s second biggest economy’s status as the top importer of crude oil, iron ore, coal and copper. Whether more stimulus measures will be considered to boost performance this year remains to be

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seen. Much will also depend on how construction activity develops during the year, following debt problems for property developers in China.

“We normally stockpile steel products in winter at relatively lower prices and sell them after the new year holidays when consumption resumes. But we are holding off this year,” Qi Xiaoliang, a Beijing-based steel trader was recently quoted as saying by Reuters.

“There’s still uncertainty in the real estate market for 2022 and the situation is not expected to be fully reversed for another six to 12 months,” he added.

“With building activity likely to remain depressed for quite some time, growth will inevitably shift down a gear or two.”

Club activity Meanwhile specialist marine and energy insurer Standard Club is expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region with some key appointments and an enhanced suite of services.

Jeremy Grose, Standard Club chief executive, says: “The Asia-Pacific region continues to power ahead. We are proud to be able to support its growth from our world-class marine and energy insurance platform based out of Singapore and Hong Kong offering a diverse range of products, with local decision-making authority.”

The club is building on its longstanding regional presence and products by introducing its Coastal & Inland class into Asia early this year and growing existing products such as Strike and Delay, while developing the team and enhancing communications with members.

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In a move signalling its long-term commitment to the North Asia and Greater China markets, Standard’s current managing director for Ireland, Robert Drummond has been appointed as group commercial director and will be based in Hong Kong from where he will lead the club’s commercial development in the region. Drummond has worked in various senior roles in his 37-year career at the club, including his previous role as head of Standard Asia.

To support its expanding business in Greater China, the club has recruited a marine surveyor and an additional underwriter to join its Hong Kong team.

These appointments will enhance the service to members and will assist in the development of the club’s facility with Ping An, the leading insurer in China.

To improve communications for Asian members and brokers, Standard Club has launched a Japanese hub within the club website and a Mandarin language hub is currently being developed. The WeChat social media platform will soon also be available, offering news, insight and guidance to Chinese members.

Standard Club is also enhancing its existing suite of services with the launch of its Coastal & Inland class in Asia in February 2022. The class provides specialist cover to commercial coastal vessels – typically up to 10,000gt – operating in harbours and coastal areas.

The club’s ability to offer localised services to members from its Singapore and Hong Kong offices, with underwriting carried out locally and an in-house team managing claims and loss prevention, showcases its strength as a market leader in the P&I sector in Asia.

SPOTLIGHT: US PORTS

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FUNDIN G FRENZY

US ports are rejoicing in a range of funding from a variety of sources, improving both infrastructure and environment and, importantly, creating more jobs

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iscretionary port funding worth more than $241m was announced by the US Department of Transportation in December last year which aims to improve port facilities in 19 different states including Gulf ports. The money is to be used for 25 projects provided through MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

The PIDP is in its third year and has already awarded $492m for 32 projects of regional and national economic significance within its first two years. The programme supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure the nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met.

It provides planning, operational and capital financing, and project management assistance to improve ports’ capacity and efficiency.

The projects that were awarded grants include coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland river ports.

“These investments will support the shift to cleaner transportation, which will create more economic activity and good paying jobs,” says the acting maritime administrator Lucinda Lessley. “The PIDP is an important part of building back

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SPOTLIGHT: US PORTS

better for our ports, our communities, our economy and our people.”

By announcing these awards now, the department is carrying out a promise in the Biden-Harris Port Action Plan that will take action to address supply chain disruptions by helping to increase federal flexibilities for port grants; accelerate port infrastructure grant awards; initiate new construction projects for coastal navigation, inland waterways and land ports of entry; and launch the first round of expanded port infrastructure grants funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law aims to rebuild the US’s roads, bridges and rails; upgrade and expand public transit; modernise ports and airports; improve safety; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.

In the future, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide $450m annually in funding for the PIDP programme for fiscal years 2022-2026, or a total of $2.25bn.

Some of the projects to be funded under this announcement include: Bayport Container Terminal expansion at the Port of Houston, constructing a fourth ro-ro berth at the Port of Brunswick, a new rail storage yard at Bay St Louis, a river pier project at Tell City, Indiana, port resiliency improvements at Delcambre, Louisiana and $52.3m to help boost rail capacity at the port in Long Beach, with a new locomotive facility, 3,048m support track and extensions of five existing tracks to speed up freight movement while cutting down the number of truck trips required.

all systems go Vopak Moda Houston has announced that its marine terminal in the Port of Houston is now fully operational.

Located in Houston’s refining and petrochemical region and close to multiple ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen pipelines, Vopak Moda Houston is the first greenfield terminal development in the Port of Houston in more than a decade. It is a joint

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venture between Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream.

Designed to handle very large gas carriers, as well as smaller vessels and barges, Vopak Moda Houston is the only waterborne ammonia terminal in the Port of Houston with deepwater capabilities. The facility is directly connected via pipeline to the Port of Houston petrochemical complex.

It also operates a unit train rail loop served by all three main rail lines. The company has completed construction of its rail infrastructure for the storage and handling of pressurised gas for a global energy company.

East Coast first and foremost. “The West Coast is getting all the US government and private investment attention, while the East Coast is long overdue for improvements.” Frodl said ports with easy access to highways and rail lines would be a priority.

“We’d be looking at ageing mediumsized ports south of Boston and north of Jacksonville,” he added.

A Middle East-based source said the investments would be backed by debt, which would be linked to the port assets, adding that Qatar was in early discussions with banks to look for a structuring adviser.

Houston hits top spot

on the up

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority has announced the US Army Corps of Engineers has ranked the Houston Ship Channel Number One in total tonnage in the US. The channel handled more than 275 million short tons of cargo during 2020, exceeding the next largest port by more than 50 million tons.

“This ranking highlights the need to continue to make channel improvements and expedite Project 11 through the widening and deepening of the Houston Ship Channel, to ensure sustainable opportunities for our community and industry for generations to come,” says chairman Ric Campo.

The channel helps sustain 3.2m jobs and contributes $802bn annually to the US economy.

Galveston Wharves has had a phenomenal year, according to Rodger Rees, port director and chief executive.

He describes it as a strong year for cargo.

“We expect to end the year with total cargo of 5m tons, the highest since 2016. We saw growth in almost all types of cargo, including bulk liquids, bulk fertiliser, wind and general cargo, roll-on/ roll-off cargos, and new cars. More cargo tonnage means more jobs for union workers, ship pilots, stevedores, truck drivers and others who move these cargos. Improvements to our West Port Cargo Complex and a new, privately operated cargo laydown yard also contributed to our growth.”

He also highligted the cruise business.

“After a one-and-a-half-year suspension, the cruise business began operating safely and sustainably this year. This is great news for the port because our cruise business typically generates about 65% of our annual revenue. We use net revenues to fund critically needed maintenance and capital improvement projects prioritised in our master plan. It is also great news for cruise fans and the thousands of people working in cruiserelated jobs.”

The port is also undertaking a dredging programme. “For the first time in a decade, the US Army Corps of Engineers is dredging the federal portion of the Galveston Ship Channel to its maximum permitted depth of 47 feet [14m]. When completed next year, we

Qatari investment The government of Qatar has announced plans to invest at least $10bn in US ports and has approached international banks for financing to help boost its ties with the US. “The Qataris have been preparing for almost a year to test the waters with US port investments,” Michael Frodl, a US-based adviser on projects including maritime security, commerce and infrastructure, was quoted as saying.

“We think that a shrewd investor with the US$10bn the Qataris desire to put into American port infrastructure is likely to look at the under-served

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SPOTLIGHT: US PORTS will be able to bring in larger grain ships, which should boost our cargo numbers,” he adds.

With funding unavailable to dredge the federal portion of the ship channel for more than a decade, silting has prevented larger bulk cargo ships from calling on the port. The project is expected to remove 5-6m3 yards of silt and allow the port to reach its full potential. Liquid cargoes such as fuel and bulk cargoes such as grain and fertiliser account for more than half of the port’s tonnage each year.

In June, the port became the second Texas port to be certified by Green Marine, a voluntary environmental programme for North America’s maritime industry. Guided by this scheme, the port staff is researching, planning and implementing several environmental programmes. From improving air quality to reducing waste, Galveston Wharves is identifying ways to make long-term changes to improve the environment.

In 2021, the port’s engineering department undertook major capital improvement projects, including the port’s portion of Pier 10 improvements, new interior roadways, and the West Port Cargo Complex.

The port is also looking to improve the West Port Cargo Complex to accommodate more cargo. The $30m expansion and improvement project will increase the cargo area to almost 90 acres, improve infrastructure and position the port to further diversify its business.

giant developments Titan Florida, a subsidiary of Titan America, has announced the construction of a 70,000 ton dome at its Port Tampa Bay Terminal, making the terminal one of the largest of its kind in the US. The new $35m investment in its Tampa mega-terminal will increase and upgrade Titan’s import capacity and expansion of its low carbon cements and cementitious products, such as fly ash and slag. Apart from the new dome, the investment will bolster Titan’s existing 60,000-ton bulk storage and logistics infrastructure.

“Florida is one of the 10 US mega regions and has a booming economy,” says Randy Dunlap, president of Titan Florida. “Titan’s investment in our state signifies a commitment to support our customers in the infrastructure,

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residential and commercial sectors with high-performance products, while contributing to mitigating climate change.”

With an expected completion date of early 2023, the new dome follows other recent investments at Titan’s Pennsuco plant in Medley, Florida. These projects, exceeding $20m, include the construction of a processed engineered fuel facility and investments in natural gas infrastructure and equipment.

Together, these projects enable the conversion of kiln fuel at Pennsuco from coal to lower carbon alternatives, substantially reducing the plant’s environmental footprint as well as eliminating municipal waste from local landfills.

“The major expansion and upgrade of our Port Tampa import terminal comes ahead of accelerating market growth and major investments in Florida’s infrastructure,” says Guillermo Haberer, commercial vice president of Titan Florida. “It is welcome news for our customers, who seek high performance green products and solutions that support their critical growth initiatives.”

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SPOTLIGHT: german ports

EFFICIENT ADVANCES

German ports have been introducing new systems with the aim of improving flow and efficiency through facilities at a time when goods handling has been beset with difficulties arising from the pandemic

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amburg Port Authority (HPA) recently announced a collaborative venture with HERE Technologies to improve truck traffic through the port using the company’s location data and technology platform.

Within the port, digital information boards provide truck drivers with trafficrelevant information to navigate them through the port. With HERE’s Corridor Travel Time-as-a-Service solution, HPA can now provide improved monitoring of the traffic situation on relevant road corridors and manage the flow of traffic.

The existing information boards can then also show information on current travel times to key destinations such as cargo transfer points – all without the need for additional hardware in the road sections under consideration.

HERE’s solution is based on vehicle sensor data and utilises services such as HERE Real-Time Traffic and HERE Routeing to provide fresh and flexible travel time information. It is easy to set up via an application programming interface (API) and quick to deploy, minimising development and integration efforts for customers.

Rando Schade from HPA Traffic Management Road comments: “For the first time, we can display exact travel

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SPOTLIGHT: german ports

times in the port, which helps truck drivers to plan their arrival even up to the terminal entrances. Continuous comparisons with alternative routes enable concrete route recommendations and thus early avoidance of traffic jams or to drive around short-term openings of movable bridges. With additional information from the bridge control centres, the route recommendations adapt so that a traffic jam in front of one of the bridges does not even occur.”

“In the current supply chain crisis, the management of traffic within logistics hubs like ports is more critical than ever,” says Patrick Götze, head of transport and logistics Northern Europe at HERE Technologies. “With our Corridor Travel Time-as-a-Service solution we provide HPA a cost-efficient way to stay informed about the current traffic situation and update truck drivers about the travel times to their destination.”

hhla ups konecranes order

batteries with electricity from renewable energy sources.”

The 11 Konecranes Gottwald AGVs on order are software-controlled container transporters that travel between the quay cranes and container storage yard.

They have an optimised design with low vehicle weight while providing high load capacities.

Their Li-ion batteries provide costeffectiveness combined with low environmental impact. When power storage is low, they replenish their batteries by driving into any one of the 18 automated charging system stations located around the terminal for fast charging.

Expanding capacity Emission-free operation has also been at the centre of investment by Euroports Germany, which is expanding bulk cargo capacity at the Rostock Overseas Port with the all-electric LPS 420 E portal crane. The machine is equipped

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with synchronous electric motors and a high-performance energy storage system. There has been a significant shift towards electrified cranes in the maritime industry and Liebherr will be supplying an all-electric portal crane .

All crane movements using the equipment will be carried out using emission-free electric motors as Euroports seeks to expand its bulk handling capacity in Rostock.

The LPS 420 E is equipped with dynamic electric motors and highperformance energy storage systems.

Euroports Germany is the largest port-handling company in the Rostock overseas port and has already invested in two Liebherr cranes for its general cargo terminal in Rostock’s overseas port. The two LHM 550 mobile harbour cranes are the backbone of the handling of wind turbines and allow for increased container handling.

“We want to further strengthen the handling performance at our bulk

Port and transport logistics firm Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA) has ordered an additional 11 Konecranes Gottwald automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for operations at its Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) in Hamburg.

They were ordered under a frame agreement with Konecranes and are part of a long-term project to replace old diesel-electric AGVs with new ones powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Delivery is due in early 2023. When they arrive, the total number of Li-ion AGVs on-site will be 95.

Based in Hamburg, HHLA handles containers in seaports and container transport between ports, as well as a broad spectrum of port, consulting and other services. Using advanced technology and a high level of automation, the CTA terminal in Hamburg is the world’s first container facility to be certified climate-neutral.

“This AGV renewal programme is a big part of how we are taking responsibility to protect the environment,” says Thomas Förster, head of terminal technology at CTA. “The transition to purely electric drive technology gives us the opportunity to charge the AGV

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SPOTLIGHT: german ports

terminal. In the coming year, we are not only investing in a new crane to be even more efficient, but we also want to make our contribution to sustainability,” says Karsten Lentz, managing director of the Euroports Germany Group.

“We have opted for a fully electric crane, the LPS 420 E. In future, the crane will be used to handle all types of goods at this terminal. In addition to building materials, this also includes ores, lime, gypsum, wood chips and many more,” adds Lentz.

The all-electric gantry crane is designed for ports and terminals with electric infrastructure. All crane movements such as luffing, lifting, slewing and travelling movements are carried out by means of emissionfree electric motors and are therefore not hydraulic. With an outreach of up to 48m, ships up to post-panamax class can be served. The LPS 420 E has a maximum lifting capacity of up to 124 tonnes and has several decisive technical advantages.

The main components of the electric drive are liquid-cooled and the heat is dissipated via heat exchangers mounted outside the crane. Externally mounted cooling units have the advantage, especially in bulk handling, that no air is brought into the interior of the crane. This keeps dust contamination to a minimum.

Thanks to the Liebherr active frontend frequency converter, deviations in the power supply can be easily compensated for safe and stable operation. The machine is equipped with

high-performance power accumulators to reduce the peak load in the crane’s main power supply and to use regenerative energy within the system.

In addition, the synchronous electric motors have a low moment of inertia and provide fast response for precise driving characteristics.

Shore power signal To achieve the goals of its clean air plan and reach an important milestone towards climate neutrality in Hamburg, last year the city’s legislature commissioned Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) to supervise planning and construction of shore-based power facilities at the Burchardkai, Tollerort and Eurogate container terminals, as well as Steinwerder and HafenCity cruise terminals.

In expanding shore power supply, the Port of Hamburg is setting a clear signal of greater protection for the environment, also boosting the port’s attractiveness in terms of the continually growing demand for climate-neutral, environment-friendly logistics chains and ship voyages, the port says.

Sustained investments in the project are being boosted by public funds, as well as the German federal programme for promoting expansion of shore power supply facilities .

Following the successful conclusion of tendering last year, the project has now moves into the implementation stage. Siemens has been selected as prime contractor for Burchardkai and Tollerort container terminals, and

HPA STARTS CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL SHORE POWER FACILITIES PLUS KNOWHOW EXCHANGE

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PowerCon for the Eurogate container terminal and Steinwerder cruise terminal.

Ship connection systems for the container terminals are being developed

by Igus, and for the cruise terminal by Stemmann Technology. All partners in the project have substantial experience in building shore power supply units.

HafenCity Cruise Terminal will be equipped with a shore power unit by 2025. Others are being planned for additional terminals handling vessels of other types. On completion of these, seagoing ships can be supplied with green power in Hamburg.

With the test stage of operation commencing early in 2023, Hamburg will move towards decarbonisation of the port, years ahead of the EU regulation foreseen for 2030.

Along with the other North Range ports – Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Le Havre – Hamburg has set itself still more ambitious targets for contributing towards sustainable logistics chains.

HPA aims to offer innovative – and especially environment-aware shipping companies – climate-neutral and pollutant-free laytime from 2023 onwards. It is therefore inviting market players work with it on possible utilisation of the shore power supply infrastructure.

This will enable HPA to join potential customers in developing and establishing innovative energy solutions, and ensuring that this new facility meets the requirements of future users as comprehensively as possible.

SPOTLIGHT: United arab emirates

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TRADIN G PLACES

The UAE has been exploring opportunities to trade with countries in the region with initiatives in recent months to boost trade relations locally as well as further afield

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D Ports Group recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals, the commercial arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation, for the development and operation of a multipurpose terminal in Safaga Port.

Under the MoU, AD Ports Group will explore investment opportunities and conduct feasibility and local market studies related to developing and operating a multipurpose terminal in Safaga Port, with both parties benefiting from the exchange of expertise and best practices.

The MoU aims to support the growth of the Middle East’s industrial and logistics sectors, as well as assist in opening new markets for Egyptian exports via direct maritime routes across the Arabian Gulf, East Asia, and Africa regions.

It will also facilitate commercial activities operating within the Golden Triangle and Upper Egypt and will elevate the country’s ability to compete with other nations that manufacture similar industrial products.

Saif Al Mazrouei, head of the ports cluster at AD Ports Group, says: “We are pleased to sign this MoU with the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals, which falls in line with AD Ports Group’s efforts to promote trade

relations with Arab sister nations, as well as our commitment to expand regional and global reach as a leading enabler of global trade and logistics.

“The strategic location of Safaga Port on the Red Sea holds great potential for a significant role within the global supply chain. We are confident that the cooperation will prove beneficial for both sides, as it combines the unique characteristics of Safaga Port with the long-standing expertise offered

by AD Ports Group in managing and operating maritime terminals, along with the group’s extensive capabilities in delivering end-to-end services across the entire supply chain.”

“The investment environment in Egypt is rich with opportunities, and it is crucial that we advance and enhance seaports in Egypt so that they become centres for further commercial development, and competitive with other international ports. In turn, this will greatly benefit our nation’s national economy,” says Rear Admiral Abdul Qadir Darwish, chairman of the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals.

Export drive The UAE has been undergoing a strong export drive in recent months and crude exports to China hit a record 4.47m tonnes in November last year, making it the country’s third largest supplier.

The November volume represented

a 70.7% year-on-year increase, and an 120.6% surge from October the previous year.

In January-November, China’s crude imports from the UAE stood at 28.21m tonnes, declining 7.3% year on year in line with the country’s total crude inflow volume, according to GAC data.

AD Ports figures suggest that general cargo volumes rose to 37m tonnes in year-to-date September 2021, up from 22m tonnes in the same period in 2020, while industrial zones leased about 2.7m2 metres of land in this period, reflecting the wider global recovery from the impact of the pandemic, although some supply chain issues remained.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi group chief executive of the AD Ports Group, says: “We reported solid results for the nine months ended 30 September 2021, due to continuing growth in our core businesses and incremental returns from new investments. We are well-positioned for sustained growth as the world economy recovers from the impact of the global pandemic and as we take an active role in helping to resolve global supply chain issues.”

Operational highlights included the signing of a concession agreement with CMA CGM Group in July 2021 to establish a new terminal in Khalifa Port. AD Ports Group also signed a Heads of Terms agreement with Aqaba Development Corporation to build and

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SPOTLIGHT: United arab emirates

operate a new cruise terminal at the Port of Aqaba, Jordan, the first of its kind in the country and AD Ports Group’s first cruise facility outside the UAE. Martin Aarup, group chief financial officer at the group, says: “We have maintained our focus on delivering stable returns, building on the firm foundation of our long-term contracts backed by a prudent investment strategy. We are beginning to realise returns from our new investments, joint ventures and partnerships across feedering, offshore and transshipment services, as well as from our expansion of logistics services.”

Mugharraq expansion The UAE’s AD Ports is expanding Mugharraq Port as it prepares to receive international vessels and benefit from its proximity to oil and gas developments in OPEC’s third biggest producer.

“AD Ports Group is close to completing an extensive expansion project aimed at enhancing Mugharraq Port’s infrastructure and service capabilities to ensure it is better positioned to support offshore and mega projects related to the oil and gas field,” the port said in a statement.

The infrastructure improvements introduced include the extension of the quay wall, deepening of the facility’s depth to eight meters and the development of additional ro-ro ramps.

Mugharraq Port, which has received new certification to become an international facility, can now receive international and local vessels including container feeders, bulk and break-bulk carriers, mobile offshore drilling units, tugboats, chemical tankers and offshore support vessels, AD Ports said.

“The port’s load-bearing factor capability has also been increased up to 15 tons per square metre, which in addition to supporting heavy lift activities also accelerates the movement of cargo bound for oil and gas facilities,” AD Ports said.

“On the landside operations of the port, new elements include the development of liquid and dry bulk pipelines, which are expected

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to substantially benefit oil and gas customers using Mugharraq Port.”

The Port is located close to the industrial hub of Ruwais, where Abu Dhabi National Oil Co has a refinery, petrochemical projects and other downstream facilities.

Insurance risk A recent crime report from insurers the TT Club and BSI suggests that threequarters of cargo theft occurs in logistics hubs of warehouses, and free trade zones are particularly vulnerable.

The report, Cargo Crime in Gulf Countries and Regional Free Trade Zones, is Intended as a risk mitigation tool for transport operators.

Key findings of the report include: » 76% of cargo theft is from warehouse and storage facilities » Crime hot-spots in UAE & Saudi Arabia » High-value goods such as electronics targeted » Insider assistance and corruption plays a prominent role » Smuggling of illicit contraband prevalent in free trade zones.

TT Club’s Mike Yarwood comments: “Our reports are intended to alert those in the supply chain to the variable and developing trends in the risk of cargo theft during intermodal transportation.

The unique combination of BSI-sourced data on criminal activity and TT Club’s insurance claims records provides valuable intelligence to operators.

“Regular updates of this nature are essential as criminal gangs are constantly

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altering their points of attack. The current prevalence of supply chain congestion, delays, disruption and, in the Middle East region in particular, packed warehouses, makes such information critical.”

The report highlights that warehouse thefts and supply chain corruption are the stand-outs, with a concentration on higher risk areas across the UAE and in Saudi Arabia. The role special economic zones play in the Middle East also affects regional disparities in cargo theft.

Free trade zones are a significant feature of the regional economy and represent potential vulnerabilities for supply chains by virtue of facilitating high volumes of trade under simplified customs procedures that can provide opportunities for criminals to act.

There is also valuable guidance on mitigating the risk contained in the report. These guidelines cover avoiding the introduction of drugs into shipments, reducing theft from facilities and combating counterfeit smuggling, all of which are of particular concern in the Middle East region.

“TT’s intention is to help reduce theft related loss and to that end these reports offer loss prevention advice to complement the joint analysis of current trends,” says Yarwood. “As well as financial damage, these incidents can cause severe operational disruption and unquantifiable reputational damage to supply chain service providers. It remains of key importance to the transport industry to identify, prevent and report any criminal activity.”

PORT AND TERMINAL OPERATIONS FOR BULK CARGOES – Short Course 14-17 March

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Subjects covered include: » » » » » » » » » » » »

Ship unloading technologies Conveying technologies Storage and discharge technologies Loading and unloading control Rail and road out loading equipment and control Explosion and fire risks and management Mobile plant and safety Developments in automation and autonomous vehicles Dust control and environmental protection Controlling cargo damage Wear protection and maintenance Cargo characterisation for handleability and other issues

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For anyone concerned about or For anyone concerned about or responsible for the safe handling responsible for the safe handling and storage of bulk materials in and storage ports of bulk materials in and on the sea ports and on the sea Course Leader: Mike Bradley, Course Leader: MikeParticulate Bradley, Professor of Bulk and Professor of Bulk and Particulate Technologies and Director of Technologies andof The Wolfson Centre, University Director of The Wolfson Centre, Greenwich University of Greenwich

To register an interest in attending and further course details, please contact Simon Gutteridge events@bulkterminals.org +33 (0)321 47 72 19 or see bulkterminals.org/events/courses-and-training.html

Designed to help delegates identify and resolve common problems when handling various biomass materials.

This new course is aimed at the manufacturers and suppliers of biomass materials, at the users – particularly those responsible for maintenance and management on site – and at the manufacturers and installers of equipment used to transport and store biomass materials.

BIOMASS OPERATIONS AND HANDLING TECHNOLOGIES SHORT COURSE – ONLINE

21-25 February 2022 Subjects covered include: » Material types, flow properties and handling equipment requirements » Self-heating, fire, explosion and safety » Dust and degradation, pneumatic conveying and wear » Dust control and management » Explosion protection and ATEX regulations » Engineering of equipment for storage and discharge » Ship unloading » Biomass potential and possible future trends For further course details, please contact Simon Gutteridge events@bulkterminals.org – +33 (0)321 47 72 19 – www.bulkterminals.org/events/courses-and-training

REGISTER NOW AT www.gre.ac.uk/engsci/research/groups/wolfsoncentre/coupro/sc/biomass

Posidonia 6 -10 June 2022

Metropolitan Expo, Athens Greece

www.posidonia-events.com

and finally...

call for support Maritime charity Sailors’ Society has launched a new fund to provide urgent welfare grants for seafarers and their families in desperate need.

The Sea Change Fund has been set up in response to a huge increase in calls for the charity’s help, with demand for grants increasing by 850% in the first 18 months of the pandemic.

The fund will provide small emergency payments to seafarers and their dependents matching the grant criteria, to help address immediate needs.

Sara Baade, Sailors’ Society’s chief executive says: “Calls for support have never been greater than now. We launched our Sea Change Fund to help answer these cries, so seafarers and their families who need urgent financial assistance to pay for food, medical bills, schooling or a roof over their heads can get support quickly.”

Sickness, unemployment and bereavement have left rising numbers of seafaring families, who are often from deprived areas of the world, struggling to put food on the table. Just before Christmas, Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) struck the Philippines, where large numbers of seafarers live, killing hundreds and leaving many more without shelter when their homes were destroyed.

Grants are made via application and can assist with a range of pressing welfare needs, including help with vital bills like food and medicine, education costs, or in emergency situations such as natural disaster or cases of abandonment.

To find out more and to make a donation, visit: sailors-society.org/sea-change-fund

look smart Leading classification society ClassNK has released “PrimeShip-PSC Intelligence”, a mobile app to assist the improvement of ship management systems and port state control (PSC) performance – free of charge.

The application is the mobile version of PSC Intelligence PC version for ship management

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companies, which was released in 2018.

The application, developed for seafarers, enables them not only to manually input reports by PSC into data on their smartphones, but also to convert any reports shot with a camera into data using AI-OCR (artificial intelligence optical character recognition).

Furthermore, it is possible to report these PSC data and malfunctions of equipment to land staff in a chat format and manage any rectifications.

PSC Intelligence analyses accumulated PSC data by ship management companies and ClassNK using AI technology. It creates appropriate checklists, with the PC version based on investigation into typical deficiencies and actual results. The checklist function on the mobile app will be released soon.

There is even a movie to show how the mobile app works at youtube/lbv_SdzNVwo Now there are really no excuses for poor performance.

blue watch A new venture combining a dry bulk operator and a panamax pool has launched in Athens, backed by a range of blue-chip market participants – the first dry bulk platform of its kind in Greece.

Bluepool Trading will deploy its funds by chartering-in panamax vessels on period terms while systematically monitoring and hedging cashflow and market risks with freight derivatives. The company aims to quickly become a preferred partner of leading shipowning companies by applying its commercial strategy.

In parallel, Bluepool will operate a panamax pool. It will be a spot-only vehicle designed to outperform the index on behalf of its clients. It will do so by taking advantage of its size and by using advanced index-hedging techniques.

The pool will commercially manage Bluepool’s chartered-in fleet alongside third-party owned vessels.

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