SNM Events (Aug-Sep 2011) by Sachin Bal

www.snmevents.com

Volume 1 Issue 1 August - September 2011 `100

For Shipping and Marine Events and Milestones

Cargo Volumes Organic Linkages

Investment Economies of Scale

Tectonic Shifts

Landmark Events

The Maritime Logistics in

Evolution

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011

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Contents 18 30

40 2

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Volume 1 Issue 1 August - September 2011 `100

The Maritime Logistics in

ClassNK Supports Hybrid Developments

Evolution E l ti

TRADEWINDS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Scenario 06 Upgradations Promise Efficiencies at Major Ports 10 Indian Ports Sector â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sloughing off its past 12 Liner Market Outlook

SPOTLIGHT 14 First Convocation of the First Maritime University 16 Indian Registry appointed as recognised Organisation by Liberia

PEOPLE 18 It is vital to diversify in shipping

TECHNOLOGY - State of the Art from ClassNK 22 ClassNK Supports Hybrid Developments

TECHNOLOGY - In brief 24 Ballast Water Management

HR TRENDS Career Track 30 I am not afraid of the storms, - I am learning how to sail my ship

Testing Tools 32 Psychometric Testing for Seafarers

Milestones in Training 35 Novel commercial cum training ship launched 36 Advanced Training in the Maritime Industry

Training Highlights 38 FOSMA offers Free Course for Ratings at Don Bosco Maritime Academy

EVENTS 46 FOSMA offers free Course for Ratings at Don Bosco Maritime Academy 50 First ever International Seafarer Family Convention 51 A plea for safe seas from CMMI

INSIGHT 28 42 44 54 56 58

Slow Steaming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Some thoughts The Maritime Logistics in Evolution Food for thought â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MLC 2006 Workplace Discrimination Scraping out of a death defying ordeal Oil spillage and its effect on marine population

04 EDITORIAL 60 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 62 NEWS UPDATE 63 OVERSIGHT

SNuM lars

Reg

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Editorial

Can India become a future maritime hub? W hy can’t we become a maritime nation again and become a maritime hub, after all this country is surrounded by the seas on three sides and our people are excelling in almost every field?” Captains of India’s maritime industry have been pondering this question again and again. It all sounds so simple, and yet we must approach the ground realities. True, India enjoys a huge coastline of more than 7000 km. We are blessed with a population of 1.2 billion that is mostly young and talented. Our economy is growing at above 8 percent. Until recently our EXIM trade was growing at nearly 15 percent, albeit it has slowed down due to recent recessionary trends in Europe and USA. All these statistics augur well to make India into a maritime hub. Indeed, we should have been a maritime hub long ago. Unfortunately we have not paid sufficient attention to the shipping sector and our policy makers have not realised its potential to contribute in the growth of the economy. For India to become a maritime hub we need a growing shipping tonnage, shipbuilding capability, ship repair facilities, port facilities, design and research capabilities, total logistics solutions, constructive policies by the Government and a bureaucracy which believes in facilitating rather than obstructing growth. To be a maritime hub we have to perform not only better and achieve more than before, but we have to do better than other countries that are competing for the same spot. Given our attitudes and present style of functioning can we compete with Singapore in attracting investment in shipping or specialised new building in the offshore sector? Can we compete with China in shipbuilding and labour productivity / cost of labour? Are we aggressively investing in our infrastructure sector? India allows 100 percent foreign investment in shipping, but how much investment have we been able to attract so far? Government cares little, Bureaucracy is living in the past, and Industry is only interested in concessions and subsidies. A sincere joint effort is required by all the players in the sector. A frank dialogue is needed rather than holding periodical seminars on the subject where everyone pats each other’s back. Who should facilitate and coordinate such a dialogue? Is there some responsible body under the Ministry of Shipping? Let us find the answers to these questions and we will see the way forward. Launching SNM Events we feel proud in contributing our mite. In this edition, we make a humble attempt to place some aspects of interest to the community. We will be coming again with more in depth reporting and ideas in the forthcoming editions.

Sadanand Subramanian Editor-in-Chief

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Publishers of SNM Events convey their heartfelt gratitude to all the Advisors and Guides for their encouragement and support throughout the development of the magazine. Their views and contributions will be essential in sustaining the quality, fairness, and enterprise of SNM Events.

Ca Suresh Bhardwaj Capt. Vice Chancellor Vi A AMET University

Capt. Tushar Gangoly Vice President (Projects) Willow Logistics

Dr Pradeep Mahajan Dr. Mahajan Hospital & Trauma M Centre Ce

Ms. Nafeesa Moloobhoy Managing Partner A.S. Moloobhoy & Sons

Ca Navin Passey Capt. Managing Director M Wa Wallem Ship Management (I(India)

Mr. B. N. Prasad Managing Director Bernhard Schulte Ship Management (I)

Mr. R. C. Bhavnani Vice President (Global Marketing) ab Viswalab Mr. S. S. Kulkarni Secretary General Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association

Mr. Chilikuri Maheshwar Manager â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Training Fleet Management Ltd.

Mr. R.S. Nakra Managing Director ABG Shipyard

Mr. A. V. Pradhan Regional Manager ClassNK

Mr. Saibal Roy Chief Manager (Head â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Production Management) Siemens Ltd. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011

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9000 certification. The Mumbai port is planning to construct a second liquid chemical berth at New Pir Pau, near the port. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 116 crores .It would add a 13 million ton crude oil capacity to the port. The berth would handle vessels upto 37,000 DWT. The port would also set up a 5th oil berth at Jawahar deep, located at an island near the port. To be set up an estimated cost of Rs. 661.50 crores the 5th oil berth would handle vessels upto 1,50,000 DWT. “We are awaiting feedback from state owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited for construction of berths as they would be the users of the 5th oil berth at Jawahar deep,” informs an official at MbPT. Construction would involve reclamation of land for setting up of storage farms. MbPT will allocate 24 hectares of land to HPCL and BPCL for transferring crude to their refineries in Trombay near Mumbai. The project will add 17.78 mt crude oil handling capacity to MbPT. The official further informs,

“Expression of interest for second liquid chemical berth at Pir Pau has been floated for construction of the berthing structure and approach access to the jetty. We are waiting for the bids. Dredging work for the project would be undertaken by MbPT. Storage and pipeline will have to be constructed and maintained by the user.” The shipping ministry has decided to put both the projects on fast track as both have been on the back burner for long. The projects have been targeted for completion during 2011. Mumbai Port’s installed tank storage facility is of

2,16,089 kilolitres for petroleum. For chemicals and lube oil it is 1,25,000 kilolitres.

Trans-loading Kolkata Port

facilities

The Ministry of Shipping has decided to set up new trans-loading facilities at Sand heads at the Bay of Bengal and at the extendable limits of Kolkata Port. The move is likely to boost bulk traffic of Kolkata port comprising Haldia Dock Complex and Kolkata Dock System under Kolkata Port in the near future, bypassing the issues of draft

The new facility apart from bypassing the issue of draft restrictions would be commercially viable for the twin ports of Kolkata Port and its users. This is because, bulk cargo vessels destined to call at Haldia or Kolkata Dock System, primarily carrying coal, would not require dead freighting at Paradip, Vizag or Gangavaram ports. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011

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2,16,089 kilolitres for petroleum. For chemicals and lube oil it is 1,25,000 kilolitres.

Trans-loading Kolkata Port

facilities

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TRADEWINDS SCENARIO www.snmevents com restrictions. According to Joint Secretary, Ports, Rakesh Srivastava, “the new trans loading facility is well expected to neutralize the issues of acute draft restrictions presently being faced by the two major port facilities under Kolkata port.” He adds, “The new facility apart from bypassing the issue of draft restrictions would be commercially viable for the twin ports of Kolkata Port and its users. This is because, bulk cargo vessels destined to call at Haldia or Kolkata Dock System, primarily carrying coal, would not require dead freighting at Paradip, Vizag or Gangavaram ports.” To make the project commercially viable, the trans-loading facilities will provide economies of scale to Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Complex based on its location advantage and higher draft. This would facilitate mother vessels calling in at the trans-loading facilities, within the close jurisdictions of Kolkata port and unload the cargo from where they can easily be transported through barges to Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex. Deeper drafts would ensure quicker turn round of mother vessels. The component of the trans-loading facilities would essentially consist of floating platforms. Concor has recently set up a container freight station at Majerhat near Kolkata Port. New CFS facilities have also been set up by Century Plyboard near Kolkata Port. In the meanwhile Unitech has recently commissioned a logistics park at Howrah, in close proximity to Kolkata port. The park is well connected by road to Kolkata Port. The park however does not have a rail head. The logistics park is expected to utilize its full capacity by 2012. Exporters in Kolkata will be able to use the new facility as an alternate option for shipping their containers through Kolkata Port in case of pile up at the nearby CFS of the Port. Kolkata Port provides transshipment vessel sailings through Singapore, Port Klang and Dubai to Far East destinations like Japan and Indonesia. Optimum capacity utilization of the new facilities can be achieved by adequate rail connectivity. Deficient rail

connectivity has on the other hand led to cargo pile up at the ports as a result of slow evacuation. The situation has been cause for much consternation at JNPT port as well as Paradip, the prime bulk cargo handling port in Eastern India.

Paradip Port looks for sustained support from Railways Senior officials of Paradip Port inform, “We have made a detailed presentation to the Ministry of Railways on imported coking coal piling up due to non availability of sufficient number of rakes. The coal loading situation improved after we took the matter to the Ministry of Railways. Following our appeal, the railways have increased the supply of rakes. Nonetheless, the situation shall take time to improve. Improvement in the situation will require sustained support from the railways.”

Paradip port is also in the process of getting connected through the Haridaspur-Paradip rail link project being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL). Paradip Port has 10 percent equity in the project. The project is likely to get completed by the year 2011. However, the project has been facing a slow down due to land acquisition issues. However, railway connectivity to the new facilities is likely to improve through the Dedicated Freight Corridor that will connect the western and eastern major ports. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFFCIL) is likely to award 660 kilometer link for the western stretch connecting Delhi NCR-JN Port during 2011-12 itself. Connectivity support is also expected in accordance to the railways plan to provide last mile connectivity to major ports for ensuring operational viability to their new projects during the 12th plan.

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TRADEWINDS SCENARIO

Indian ports sector

sloughing off its past!

the Central Government control) are being privatised through the PPP mode, the nine coastal States have also been drawing up ambitious programmes for developing greenfield/brownfield ports and jetties (typically called the non-Major/ Intermediate ports) under their jurisdiction, through private investment.

Stumbling blocks Shashank S Kulkarni, Secretary General of the Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association, provides a comprehensive overview of the current developments taking place in the Indian ports sector which is in the process of shedding its old image.

raditionally, Indian ports have been synonymous with congestion. But thanks to the strong GDP growth of the country during the past ten years, almost kissing the double digit figure, the government and other stakeholders have been compelled to take a serious note of the creaking maritime infrastructure*.The scene is now rapidly changing. For the past few years, the sector is witnessing two parallel but independent developments. While more and more terminals at the 12 “Major” ports (those operating under

International norms recommend a gap of 30% to be maintained between the installed capacity and the actual throughput. But for Indian ports, this gap works out to just about 8% for certain types of cargo handling, which ultimately leads to a substantial increase in the waiting time for ships and a strain on the port equipments and other infrastructure. While the ship turnaround time in most of the leading ports of the world is in few hours, for Indian ports, the counting still continues to be in number of days, but, of course has vastly improved from ‘weeks’, to about 3-4 days now. The other stumbling block has been the poor draughts which prevents bigger sized ships calling at the ports and the trade losing the benefits of economies of scale.

As mentioned earlier, the consistent growth in the economy witnessed since the start of the new millennium led to the cargo movement registering impressive upswing, which prompted the Ministry of Shipping to finally launch a massive USD 21 billion National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) in 2005, with a view to bring about a sea change in the maritime infrastructure of the country. For the Major ports, 276 projects with investment worth USD12 billion were identified which included construction of additional jetties/ berths, augmenting port equipment, deepening of channels, improving port connectivity, etc. The programme, envisaging enhanced private investment, improving service quality and promoting competitiveness amongst ports, is to be implemented by FY 2012. But until six months ago, in the penultimate year of the NMDP, not even 25% of the projects had been completed. Several major projects have missed the deadline and are dragging with a tardy pace due to a variety of factors.Analysts feel that a bulk of them may not meet the 2011-12 deadline and will have to be carried forward. According to the Ministry’s report card, till

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www.snmevents com 31st March 2010, 50 projects involving a capacity of about 70 million tonnes were executed. Seventy four were underway, 16 projects were approved but yet to be awarded, 29 projects had been firmed up and were under approval and 82 projects were still under planning stage.

Ambitious plan But this has not stopped the Ministry from announcing yet another ambitious plan titled “Maritime Agenda 201020.” In January, this year, the Shipping Minister, G K Vasan, released a 400-page document outlining the Government’s wish list for the maritime sector. It encompasses all the segments like ports, shipping, ship-building, inlandwaterways, maritime training, et al. As per the Maritime Agenda, Indian sea cargo traffic is likely to grow 3 folds in the next decade. It is estimated that the ports in the country would need to handle 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo by 2020 and the required capacity would be 3.2 billion tonnes.This would call for an investment of Rs. 3 Iakh crores (USD 66 billion). It is further estimated that out of the 2.5 billion tonnes of traffic, 1270 million tonnes will be handled by the non-major ports and the balance 1215 million tonnes by major ports. Currently the total installed capacity of Indian ports is just over 1 billion tonnes, with the major ports’ capacity at 617 million tonnes.The ‘port to coastline ratio’ of India is lower compared to some of the major maritime nations. When the length of the total coastline in India is divided by the number of large ports, there is 1 port every 583km, whereas it is 1 per 467km in China, 441km in Brazil and 437km in USA. Even countries like Vietnam, South Korea and South Africa fare better in this regard.The Indian Shipping Ministry has therefore announced the 13th major port of the country at A&N Island. Furthermore, the Maritime Agenda mentions of setting up 4 more major ports – two on the east coast and two on the west coast along with conversion of the existing Cochin and Jawaharlal Nehru ports into major hub ports. The Ministry has also decided to corporatise the JN Port, i.e. from a ‘trust’ to a ‘company.’

Further, the Maritime Agenda envisages giving a thrust to coastal shipping, since in spite of immense potential (the country has 7500km coastline and its coastal hinterland comprises of 40 districts across 5 states on the west coast and 4 on the east coast – the hinterland spreading across nearly 3.8 lakh sq km including Lakshadweep and A&N islands), the share of coastal cargo in the total maritime trade is just 7% in India, while it is 15% in the US and 43% in EU.The coastal cargo comprises only 15% of the cargo handled at various ports.

Private sector participation Private sector participation, which has worldwide proven to be a panacea for highly capital-intensive infrastructure development, has gained a fair amount of success in the port arena in India when compared with other sectors. It was in 1997 that the Government of India, with a view to provide the much needed boost to the port sector, ushered the era of privatisation and the first concessionaire agreement was signed at JNPT.The birth of NSICT at JN Port virtually heralded a revolution in cargo handling and the success story got repeated at other ports of Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kandla.Today, there is more than one terminal operator successfully handling the same cargo in a single port giving rise to the much needed competition. As stated earlier, the 9 Indian coastal states have also jumped into the fray of maritime infrastructure creation with each one announcing independent development plans of the various minor ports and jetties under their jurisdiction in the next 10 years.The provincial governments have framed their own maritime policies but largely based on the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) developed by the Planning Commission. Most of the projects will be on BOT basis with the private sector contributing to 96% of the project cost. The total investment is expected to be Rs.167930.84 crores.

The hot spots to watch The state of Gujarat tops the list with a proposed investment of Rs. 75000

Climate change is a huge challenge for all, and we believe that shipping is not only part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution. We hope that the SSI will deliver an action plan that can strengthen the role of in shaping

crores (USD16.6 billion) to develop sites at Simar, Dholera, Positra, Maroli, Chhara,Vansi-Borsi, Bedi, Nargol,etc. Gujarat is followed by Andhra Pradesh, which has identified plans worth Rs. 33500 crores (USD 7.44 billion) for Gangavaram (Phase II), Krishnapatnam (Phase II and III), Machilipatnam and Kakinada. Next in the list is Orissa with proposed investment of Rs. 24000 crores (USD 5.33 billion). Some of projects that have been identified/being developed are Dhamra, Kirtania, Astaranga, Gopalpur and Chudamani. Maharashtra state government intends to develop Rewas, Dighi, Vijaydurg, Jaigad, Redi, Dharamtar with total investment of Rs. 20417 crores (USD 4.53 billion) The other coastal states are also upbeat Continued on page no.16

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TRADEWINDS SCENARIO

Liner market outlook If anything, 2011 holds promise of yet another turbulent year for the liner shipping, and it will be wrong to picture that the headwinds faced by carriers will not have ramification for other stake holders in the sector says Nikhil Chitkara.

here is little debate that the liner industry with its large capital requirements, structural inflexibilities and undoubtedly high gestation period has been marred by modest returns and a stalled growth in real ocean freight rates. It has been for some time now, a highly competitive industry with a tendency to resort to destructive pricing mechanism as means to gain competitive advantage. These prices (freight rates) often bear little coherence to cost components and are

instead driven largely by demand-supply fundamentals.

Race for market share However the industry appears more in a self-destruct mode now, more than any time in the past. The race for market share and fleet size is fast contracting the structure and if the current trends prevail further consolidation appears inevitable. Over the past two years alone the combined share of total container fleet capacity of the three biggest carriers has

Over the past two years alone the combined share of total container fleet capacity of the three biggest carriers has increased cumulatively from roughly 34 percent in 2008 to 37 percent today. increased cumulatively from roughly 34 percent in 2008 to 37 percent today. The past few years have also been the most volatile for container freight rates globally. Up till mid 2008, freight rates were moving up from the turf reached in 2006. The period witnessed steady

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www.snmevents com increase in demand and corresponding freight rates but was matched by soaring bunker costs. As per Drewry estimates, in 2008, the aggregate average margin per TEU for major global carriers was as low as $ 31 per TEU - An operating margin of under 2 percent. This cyclical uptick in container freight rate was chocked to a sudden death by slowdown in global commerce in 2008-09. As per Drewry estimates, global container traffic contracted roughly 10 percent between 2008 and 2009. In comparison to the larger eastwest trades, India trades fared better and recorded only a marginal dip of near 1 percent year-on-year in throughput. Although a moderate overall dip, key sectors for Indian trades namely Europe and North America, took the bulk of the hit and this deficit was made up by growth in short sea trades within Asia.

Low aggregate margins Freight rates for this period however spiralled at an unprecedented pace. Benchmark freight rates as recorded in Drewry Container Freight Rate Insight From Mumbai to UK, fell to $ 1,290 (all inclusive) for a 40 ft container from $ 3,710 recorded for the same period a year earlier. Mumbai to North America freight rates have shown largely similar but little less volatile fluctuations. The aggregate average margins for top carriers in this period was a negative 17 per teu despite a sharp fall in input costs including bunkers that dipped overall slot cost by roughly a fourth from $ 1,600 to $1,256. This is notwithstanding lower utilisation levels that in theory helps distribute overall costs. From a logistics perspective, lower freight rates helped shippers lower their own transport costs. It also created a high level of uncertainty in shipping costs, reductions in direct calls and decline in overall service levels.

Period of uncertainty The following year (2010) witnessed rampant recoveries in freight rates as carriers responded to a rebound in trade united with a shortage of container fleet by showing diligence in capacity

management, and adoption of slow steaming techniques. Carriersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fresh out of a disastrous period thrust sequential and untimely rate increases on unsuspecting shippers, often disregarding existing rate agreements and leading to high level of uncertainty in the market. Drewry global freight rate index, a weighted average of spot freight rates on key routes globally, at its peak in July 2010 reached $ 2,953 for a 40 ft container, up 81.4 percent from $ 1,628 just a year earlier. Even as bunker costs soared yet again, we estimate aggregate carrier profitability to have recovered to $ 16 per teu for full year

Quest for economies of scale again Quick recoveries in 2010 and low prices for ship building yards renewed optimism amongst ship owners who invested heavily in new-builds, especially in the ultra large vessel category to gain lead in the capacity race and gain from the economies of scale. It is interesting to note that it is the biggest carriers that also have the largest order books. According to Drewry container forecaster a quarterly publication covering developments in the Liner industry, newbuilds to be delivered till 2015 are roughly at 28 percent of the existing fleet. Even with an optimistic outlook on demand, this will add drastically to the existing structural overcapacity and add to the burden of mid-size carriers that would lack a clear competitive advantage or financial backing to retain profitably their existing market share. For Indian trades the consequences of this ordering spree is a growing vessel size as larger vessels are cascaded from Asia-Europe and Transpacific trades

which are being replaced by even larger vessels. This has added further to volatility in freight rates and reduction in absolute number of services, which have not shown any real increase even over the past four to five years (for North America or Europe sectors)

Freight rates on a downward spiral For the current year itself development of freight rates showcase that the focus for carriers has yet again moved on capturing market share as opposed to cost recovery. For this reason freight rates have been on a downward spiral since the start of the year. First half results declared by midsized carriersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; like Hapag-lloyd and Hamburg Sud for instance, are in red. Large carriers like Maersk line on the other hands made profitable (although low) returns and were supplemented further by healthy returns in container terminal and oil businesses. Worryingly for carriers, barring some seasonal corrections freight rates are still on there way down and demand outlook in the west looks dismal, to say the least. In absence of collaborative monitoring and self regulation, it is only plausible that the liner industry structure will contract notably before the next boom. Till such time freight rates are likely to remain highly volatile and pricing policies will be guided by very near term fluctuations in supply and demand. This will no doubt weigh on the trade growth and create difficulties for shippers that need to find means to mitigate risks involved. The premise holds especially true for shippers that lack the weight to negotiate favourable long term deals.

In absence of collaborative monitoring and self regulation, it is only plausible that the liner industry structure will contract notably before the next boom. Till such time freight rates are likely to remain highly volatile and pricing policies will be guided by very near term fluctuations in supply and demand. The author is Research Analyst at Drewry.

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SPOTLIGHT

Country’s Premier Maritime University

Holds First Convocation Within the faculties of Engineering & Technology, Science and Management Studies AMET has established 19 departments in all, offering 3 Diploma, 10 Under Graduate, 7 Post Graduate courses, apart from M.Phil and PhD programmes. All these are designed exclusively for the Maritime domain.

pearheading its status as India’s first maritime university, AMET University held its first convocation at its campus near Chennai during July 2011. Capt. J.C. Anand, Varuna Awardee and Chairman of Indian Register of Shipping graced the function as the Chief Guest. Whilst Capt. Anand gave away the various prizes and awards, eminent former bureaucrat and Chancellor of the University D.T. Joseph performed the honours of the Convocation by handing over the degrees to the successful students. Speaking during the function Capt. Anand praised the institution for its inspiring leadership in the area of maritime education in the country. A

AMET University today is a hub of activity with 2727 students; 2672 boys and 55 girls. There are 99 foreign students. Within the faculties of Engineering and Technology, Science and Management Studies AMET has established 19 departments in all, offering 3 Diploma, 10 Under Graduate, 7 Post Graduate courses, apart from M.Phil and PhD programmes. 14

Amet Convocation-Capt Bhardwaj and Capt Anand mariner to the core, he said with emotion, “it was great meeting the young cadets and it also made my day.” AMET had acquired its prestigious University status in August 2007 and was formally inaugurated by The Secretary General of IMO Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos himself in February 2008. The passouts at the function included included graduates from Naval Architecture, Shipping Business Management and Post Graduates with M. Tech. in Marine Engineering Management, M.Sc. in Marine Biotechnology, M.Phil. in Marine Microbiology and MBA in Shipping Finance graduating in 2011 . While others graduating out are from its

well established and highly recognized continuing programs of B.Sc. Nautical Science, B.E. Marine Engineering as well as MBA in Shipping and Logistics Management. AMET University today is a hub of activity with 2727 students; 2672 boys and 55 girls. There are 99 foreign students. Within the faculties of Engineering and Technology, Science and Management Studies AMET has established 19 departments in all, offering 3 Diploma, 10 Under Graduate, 7 Post Graduate courses, apart from M.Phil and PhD programmes. All these are designed exclusively for the Maritime domain.

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AMET University Set to Expand its Scope to Related Sectors By SNM Bureau

AMET University’s Vice Chancellor, Capt. Suresh Bharadwaj expresses great satisfaction in the way things have shaped up in the recent years and especially for the confidence and encouragement coming from the industry and from the vast numbers of career aspirants towards the University. He says that getting the status of University was a major turning point in that the institution can now adapt and innovatively plan, produce, and deliver programs with a long term view keeping in mind the dynamics of the industry with a global perspective. After achieving the distinction of a deemed university status, AMET University went on to build the numerous streams of academic excellence in various maritime domains including shipbuilding and naval architecture, harbour management, marine electronics, shipping finance, marine microbiology and research. Giving due respects and honour to the senior-most mariner in the country, Capt. S. Bhardwaj, Vice Chancellor of AMET University earlier welcomed the Chief Guest, Capt. J.C. Anand, Varuna Awardee, and inspiring Master Mariner who has served and charmed the industry for over 6 decades. By the sheer dint of his sustained efforts Capt. Anand succeeded in raising the stature of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) to a truly international Class by its inclusion as a full member of the prestigious International Association of Classification

Strong Research Credentials Capt. Suresh Bharadwaj asserts that “Research” was a strong area for AMET University. He informs that the University has already enrolled 25 Ph.D. scholars under various disciplines and some of the aspirants are master mariners and marine engineers. AMET had held an important international level symposium during 2010 in which senior delegates from some of the top universities and institutions across the globe participated. The seminars produced stimulating brainstorming sessions which culminated in a better understanding of the requirements of skills and attitudes for the maritime industry apart from the opportunity the participating institutes had with regard to sharing one another’s best practices towards achieving excellence.

As Knowledge Partners AMET University is currently Societies. Very well deservingly he has been singled out on numerous occasions by national and international committees for “Life Time Achievement Awards.” The Vice Chancellor and Registrar of AMET University then proceeded to receive the Chancellor, D.T. Joseph in all regality. Needing no introduction to the shipping and maritime fraternity, Chancellor Joseph has relentlessly worked for sweeping changes for the betterment of the industry both as a serving bureaucrat in the topmost echelons of the shipping industry as well as after his

channelizing a part of its resources to serve the Renewable Energy sector. The Vice Chancellor informs with optimism about the successful round of talks the University had with Dr. Farook Abdullah, Minister in charge of New and Renewable Energy for availing their expertise in the country’s Wind Energy projects. Capt. Bharadwaj informs that while India was in a pre-eminent position with respect to onshore wind energy, there was tremendous scope in exploring opportunities in the offshore wind energy sector. AMET University is keen on offering their services as knowledge partners in keeping with their in-depth expertise in various maritime domains. Capt. Bharadwaj goes on to explain that AMET University’s strengths lay in their excellent infrastructure and faculty base. The latest Ship in Campus, high-tech simulators, and the Cruise-cum-training ship were a few of the proud acquisitions. superannuation from services. The Chancellor in his turn led the procession to the dais, to the standing ovations from the graduates and others present. Declaring the convocation open, the Chancellor invited Chairman of AMET and the Chief Guest to deliver their felicitation address and the Convocation address respectively. The convocation came to a close of after the awards were given away and the degrees handed over by Honourable Chancellor. The function ended with the National Anthem.

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SPOTLIGHT www.snmevents com

Indian Registry appointed as Recognised Organisation by Liberia By our Bureau The Liberian Registry has accorded the status of Recognised Organisation to classification society IRS (Indian Register of Shipping), to act on behalf of vessels operating under the flag of Liberia.

aptain J C Anand, Chairman of IRS, says, “This recognition by Liberia is a matter of great significance and prestige to IRS, coming as it does from one of the world’s leading flag states, which has an enviable reputation for quality and service and an outstanding safety record. The Liberian Registry and IRS look forward to working together so that IRS can discharge its delegated authority, in accordance with the registry’s established high standards.” Scott Bergeron, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the USbased managers of the Liberian Registry, says, “The Liberian Registry adopts a proactive approach to the service which

it provides to the record numbers of ships which fly the Liberian flag. This involves using our own highly trained staff to carry out audits, inspections and certification and, where appropriate, delegating authority for those activities to Recognised Organisations which we know and trust. Subsequent to IRS’s admission to IACS as a full member, we conducted our own audit of IRS’s systems and procedures and are satisfied with their competence and capability to provide statutory services in accordance with Liberia’s robust standards. “India is a global economic power which generates increasing demand for shipping. It is a very important market for the Liberian Registry. As we increase our market share in India, we have

great confidence in IRS’s ability to work alongside us to help maintain the quality of our fleet to the highest standards and beyond.” The Indian Register of Shipping is an internationally recognised ship classification society founded in India in 1975. It provides professionally competent, completely independent and highly efficient third-party technical inspection and certification services for all types of ships, marine craft and structures. In 2010 it was recognised as a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records.

Continued from page no.11

on developing non-major ports falling under their respective jurisdictions. Tamil Nadu intends to develop Katupalli, Thiruchopuram, Kaveri, Vanagiri, Thirukkuvalai, Manappad, Koodankulam, Parangipettai, Udangudi as well as Karaikal (Phase IIA and IIB) in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Kerala is developing Vizhinjam, Azhikkal,

Ponnani, Beypore and Alappuzha while Karnataka intends to build up 2 ports at Tadri and Uttar Kanada.West Bengal has lined up development at Kulpi, Kanika Sands and Sagar Island. All the top names in the global port industry are vying for the projects in India, a few of whom have been debarred from participating in the tenders on account

of security-risk issues. The investors are keenly watching the new port policies being framed by the government like the Port Regulatory Authority Bill and the Indian Ports (consolidated) Act which is in the drafting stage. All in all, a lot is happening in the Indian port sector. Keep watching! Courtesy: World Port Development

* As per recent reports, looking at the economic growth of the country, the Govt.’s intended investment in the overall infrastructure development has got enhanced to US$ 1 trillion from US$ 514 bill., out of which 1/3rd is expected from private participation. The Planning Commission of India, taking note of the “ports” bottleneck in the country, had estimated that, between 2006 and 2012, the development of Major ports would require Rs. 57450 crores (USD 12.76 billion), while non-major ports (under the various state governments) would need Rs. 36000 (USD 8 billion) crores totally amounting to over Rs. 93000 crores (USD 20.66 billion) Of this, Rs. 68,800 crores (USD 15.28 billion) was expected through PPP. (1 billion = 100 crores and 1 $ = 45 INR, approx). (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not the Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association) 16

T b t e l

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Playing a pivotal role in the development of a modern and vibrant port sector in India

The apex body playing a pivotal role in the Indian maritime industry by facilitating the development of a modern and vibrant port sector through the promotion of private ports and terminals which will coexist and compete with state owned ports in a dynamic, healthy and level playing environment.

IPPTA

Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association

Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association, Darabshaw House, Level 1, N. M. Marg, Ballard Estate, Mumbai - 400 001, Tel. No. :022-22610599, Fax. No.: 022-22621405, www.ippta.org.in

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PEOPLE

“It is vital to diversify

in shipping” F

ondly remembering his Dufferin days through a picture hanging from the wall of his cabin, he gives credit to unavailability of good work opportunities and excessive migration during post-Indian independence to join merchant navy. The managing director of IMS Ship Mangement, Capt Satish Sood cherishingly accepts Varuna with humble gratitude but affirms that he isn’t in the industry to count awards on his mantelpiece but for the love of the profession. This imminent seafarer was trained by training ship Dufferin during 1953-54 and later worked as a cadet

with MS Scandia Steam Navigation in 1955. Then Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) paved ways for Capt Sood where he served from 1956 to 1966. He also worked as a pilot for Bombay Port Trust during 1966 to 1974 and later sailed with Torvan Ship Management, Hong Kong during 1975-76 as a Master. As the Indian ship manning industry eventually set out on its commencement and growth trajectory, IMS Ship Management under Capt. Sood played its part creditably and attained many an inspiring milestone. Vijaya Kandpal in a tete-e tete with

If more severe competition were to happen, the proportion of Indian seafarers in the manning sector will be in jeopardy because of overpricing themselves. Capt. Sood tries to have his views on the current situation of Indian seafaring, market demand and problems like piracy and criminalization which are of high concerns for the shipping industry. Excerpts:

As a motivation to young seafarers who are opting for a seafaring career, could you

Address during National Maritime Day 2011

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www.snmevents com share with our readers a few highs and lows that have made your career exciting? Indian seafarers have provided a steady supply to international markets on the strength of being technically sound. We have advantages over the other nationalities as far as liquid cargo and gas carriers are concerned. Indians come with a good educational background. I hope that whatever we have we are able to maintain it, because other nationalities are also catching up. We can also say that these inherent qualities of Indian seafarers have led them to overprice themselves. If more severe competition were to happen, the proportion of Indian seafarers in the manning sector will be in jeopardy because of overpricing themselves. The downturn is still persisting and there are recent mentions of debt in US which can have adverse effect on the market. We need to strategize to keep moving. The whole shipping fraternity should be considerate towards the downturn so that ship-owners merely should not be burdened with it. In our times, shipping was different from today. We had no contract periods. We served for as long as possible with dedication and loyalty. The whole scenario of work has metamorphosized because of supply and demand situation. We have to produce more and more seafarers.

In the recent years, we can witness a demographic shift with regard to people who opt for a career in seafaring from the coastal areas and metro cities to small towns and interiors. How much can one tap this source and prepare such folk for a successful career at sea? The shipping industry and various shipping associations have put ideas into practice to promote shipping as a profession to opt in the small towns. Now people in these areas are aware of it. We are trying to count more on populace of small towns if people are not coming from metros, to meet the demand. There have been road

Capt. Satish Sood

shows in small towns and tier-2 cities, to promote shipping as a profession. Shipping associations, Foreign Owners Representatives and Shipmanagers Association (FOSMA), Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA), and Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers & Agents (MASSA) have visited colleges and universities to promote the industry. We generally receive youth from these areas to meet our demand for officers from tier-2 cities and ratings from small towns. But with the passage of time, now we are able to meet the demand for officers from here. China also caters to their shipping industry through youth from small towns.

Could you tell us about some of the milestones that IMS has achieved over the years to make you proud? There have been 35 challenging years with IMS. So far IMS has worked very professionally, keeping in mind that we are serving the shipping industry. We have promoted various shipping

businesses like manning, technical management and dredging. IMS has represented Malaysia Shipyard for sourcing Indian ships to dry dock in Malaysia. The company has built Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first LPG terminal of 8000 tons capacity in Gujarat collaborating with a Dutch company, SHV Energy. The company keeps on diversifying as shipping is a very cyclic industry and to keep it floating diversification is vital. (When reminded about Varuna as one of the achievements, he smiles and says), â&#x20AC;&#x153;Varuna has made me proud and to be frank with you, I was astonished to receive it.â&#x20AC;?

In your opinion, what critical roles Indian seafarers are playing in the global market? Indians seafarers are 7 percent of the world market. I think we can contribute up to 15 percent or more as we are a densely and largely populated nation with good educational background. To mention here, India must learn from Philippines which is contributing 15 percent of its population towards

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PEOPLE www.snmevents com shipping industry despite being a not so largely populated nation. The industry must make the populace of 1.2 billion aware of shipping industry and its benefits as a profession, train them to meet the expectations to increase the contribution of Indian seafarers up to 15 percent or more in the global shipping market. The scope for Indian seafarers is tremendous.

Capt. Sood Receives Varuna Award at the hands of Mr. K. Mohandas, Secretary of Shipping, GOI

Could you share with us your insights on the approach to bring about all round development of skills and aptitude of seafarers? I think it is necessary to upgrade our training efforts to meet demand. Problems are witnessed either if there is a lack of training or experience. To improve training, IMS organizes updated courses on board and ashore for officers and crew. So far our experience has taught us that better and upgraded training raises the bar of quality amongst seafarers.

I think it is necessary to upgrade our training efforts to meet demand. Problems are witnessed either if there is a lack of training or experience. Developments like shorter turnaround time at ports and use of high technology, increase in work pressure have taken away some of the romanticism in seafaring. How do you approach these developments? Seafaring has lost its charm, adventure and romanticism because of turnaround time. When I used to sail, the turn around time was slow which privileged us with opportunities to see many countries, know their history, heritage and cultural diversity. Now, even if they have time, there are port restrictions for security reasons. As the charm has dwindled, only high compensation keeps the seafarers interested. Tankers and containerization have emerged in a

big way, which wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t available at our times. The whole shipping scenario and pattern of trade has changed. Earlier on, we used to import food grains but now we export them. As is well known, in Europe no one is going to sea anymore. India might also face the same problem in the future. If this happens with Indian seafarers we will have to count on Africa to meet the demand. I think, for a countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy to keep going, mode of transportation which is in the interest of the nation has to carry on. India will always be a seafaring nation and we have to meet the demand for manning. We must explore options and be prepared for the coming times.

In your view, how can criminalization and victimization of seafarers at foreign shores be stopped? Criminalisation has been considered as an issue not only in India but many other countries. India as a seafaring nation with the support of shipping associations has taken this issue very seriously with International Maritime Organization (IMO). The organization is responsible to handle such issues. It only can take it up to the international level. There has to be laws to safeguard the interests of innocent seafarers.

How is IMS contributing in the fight against piracy? Taking precautions and educating the staff to stay vigilant towards pirates can be one of the things to consider on board. IMS has armed guards available when needed. This is our way to ensure the safety for our seafarers. The choice of armed guards differs and varies from ship owner to ship owner. At the same time, to handle pirates, Navies of various countries including Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is vigilant and contributing immensely to curb pirate attacks. As far as pirates and their prosecution is concerned there must be exclusive laws. So far no solid and coherent law has come up, which has left countries in a dilemma while persecuting arrested pirates.

What sort of aim has IMS set up to gain more in the coming times with its strategies and future plans? History reveals that IMS has always developed in various fields of shipping with strategic planning. I would say that we would keep planning more and keep on diversifying as per the needs of the industry and opportunities available. Shipping is a cyclic industry and is still facing a downturn. We are always equipped with expansion plans but they will be executed at the right time.

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WALLEM SHIPMANAGEMENT INDIA PVT LTD 4 Brilliant promotion prospects 4Excellent shore-career possibilities 4Family carriage facilities for officers 4Home town repatriation 4Flag state licenses Paid for by company 4Unparalled in-house training facility 4Nurturing Indian Seafarers since 1978 4Come and see us –

HEAD OFFICE:

First Floor, Valecha Chambers, Plot B-6, Andheri New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 053. Tel: 91-22-40432338, Fax: 91-22-40432346 - E-mail: recruitbom@wallem.com

CHANDIGARH: Mr. Manjot Sandhu SCO- 75, First Floor, Sector 46/C, Chandigarh 160 047. Tel: 91-172-5088811 Fax: 91-172-5088812 Mob: 91-9501001651 E-mail: chd@wallem.com

CHENNAI: Mr. Rajiv Duraiswamy No. 2 & 3, First Floor, Salzburg Square, 107, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai 600 031. Tel: 91-44-45929800 Fax: 91-44-28363728 Mob: 9500022180 E-mail: maa@wallem.com

DELHI: Capt. Sanjay Vidyalankar CS 141, 4th Floor, Tower A, The Corenthum, Plot- A 41, Sec 62, NOIDA 201309, Uttar Pradesh. Tel: 91-120-4344766, Fax: 91-120-4344761, Mob: 91-9560398700, E-mail: del@wallem.com

KOLKATA: Ms. Kanchan Mukherjee 135/1, First Floor, Rajdanga Main Road, Kolkata – 700 107. Tel: 91-33-2441 6513, Fax: 91-33-2441 6511, Mob: 91-97487 72802, E-mail: ccu@wallem.com

MUMBAI: Ms. Firoza Bhot First Floor, Valecha Chambers, Plot B-6, Andheri New Link Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai -53 Tel: 91-22-4043 2222/4043 2100, Fax: 91-22-40432346, E-mail: bom@wallem.com

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License No. RPSL - MUM - 066

we take pride in finding solutions to your needs

28/08/2011 8:51:00 PM

TECHNOLOGY STATE OF THE ART FROM

ClassNK Supports Hybrid Developments Most major ports plan to increase capacity to accommodate an expected rise in cargo load. Investment proposals are under careful scrutiny as ports are set to be overhauled with new facilities.

n May 31, NYK took delivery of a new 180,000 dwt bulk carrier, Shin Koho, at the Tsu Shipyard of the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation (Tsu City, Mie Prefecture). Shin Koho is the first bulk carrier in the world to be fitted with a hybrid turbocharger, which was jointly developed by four companies: NYK, the Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Shin Koho will transport iron ore from Australia and other countries. While utilising waste energy, the turbocharger boosts the output power of the engine by enabling it to aspirate at a level higher than that for the original engine displacement. In addition to its basic functions, the hybrid turbocharger utilises the extra rotational power generated by the turbine for electric power

Transforming energy from exhaust gas into rotational force

Exhaust gas

Turbine

Exhaust gas

To funnel

Air

Compressor

Improving engine combustion by supplying air at high volume

Electric Electric power power generation generator

Combustion air

Engine

Only the exact energy required is sent to the compressor. The remaining energy is used for power generator

Newly developed area

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generation. Shin Koho can meet all of its onboard electric power requirements for normal operation by using the hybrid turbocharger instead of diesel generators. By reducing the use of the diesel generator, the hybrid turbocharger contributes to a reduction of CO2 emissions. The power generating system consists of a small high-speed generator and a power frequency converter within the turbocharger, which is installed on a low speed diesel main engine. The system can supply all the power needed on the ship during a normal voyage. The diesel power generator need not be operated during a normal voyage. The development of the hybrid turbocharger is part of a national project overseen by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the “Support for Technology Development for Curtailing CO2 from Marine Vessels” project, supported by ClassNK as part of a program to support innovative research in maritime industry. “Whereas in the past we may have focused our research & development efforts on purely classification related projects, we now look at R&D from the standpoint of better serving the entire maritime industry,” says ClassNK Executive Vice President Yasushi Nakamura, who oversees ClassNK’s expanding program of cooperative R&D projects.

“We are currently investing more than 10% of our turnaround into R&D development, and it’s our goal to support the development of new technologies that will benefit the entire maritime industry. Including the hybrid turbocharger project, we are providing financial and research support for 19 of the 22 projects being carried out as part of Japan’s efforts to reduce maritime GHG emissions, and we are currently working on more than 70 joint R&D with partners from throughout the global maritime community in order to help promote the development of safer and more environmentally friendly vessels. By providing funding and research support to promote the development of hybrid turbochargers and other new technologies, we hope to be a trigger for change in the maritime community and help create solutions to the technical challenges that face our industry.” Meanwhile NYK, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, MTI and ClassNK are also conducting shipboard tests of a jointly developed hybrid power supply system. The system, which makes use of Kawasaki Heavy Industries GigaCell battery technology, has already been installed on NYK Line’s solarpower-assisted car carrier Auriga Leader (60,213 gross tons), which was also retrofitted with a ballast-water

management system and adapted to use low-sulphur fuel to further strengthen environmental measures during a recent dry-docking. “With new hybrid technologies like these now receiving extensive testing onboard vessels, we expect that they will have an important role to play in securing a greener future for the entire maritime industry,” says Mr. Nakamura.

Particulars of Shin Koho Length Overall: 292m Breadth: 45m Designed Load Draft: 18.15m Gross Tonnage: 93,031 tons Deadweight Tonnage: 180,000 tons Builder: Tsu Shipyard, Universal Shipbuilding Corporation Courtesy: ClassNK

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TECNOLOGY IN BRIEF

Ballast

Water Management By our Bureau

hipping moves over 80 percent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commodities with the capacity poised to double in the next twenty years. It transfers approximately 10 billion tonnes of ballast water internationally each year including that transferred domestically within countries and regions each year. Ballast water is absolutely essential to the safe and efficient operation of modern shipping, providing balance and stability to un-laden ships. About 7,000 to possibly more than 10,000 different species of microbes, marine plants and animals may be carried in ballast water. This poses a serious ecological, economic and health threat Ecological - New invasion every 9 weeks Economical - Losses around tens of billion US$ per year globally Human health - Paralytic poisoning and Cholera outbreaks Ballast is any material used to weight and balance an object. One example is the sandbags carried on conventional hot-air balloons, which can be discarded to lighten the balloonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s load, allowing it to ascend. Ballast water is therefore water carried by ships to ensure stability, trim and structural integrity.

are being currently implemented with a moderate degree of success.

Storage facilities Every port will be equipped with Ballast Water Storage Facilities for supplying organism-free ballast water to ships calling at these ports. This ballast water is to be treated thoroughly ashore to be free of any organic matter using suitable shore-based treatment methods, which may be on-line or batch depending upon the capacity of storage space required to service ships calling at these ports within a reasonable and economical period. Ships to be charged for supply of treated ballast water on

per tonne basis just like other services like fresh water supply etc.

Heating All ballast water tanks to be provided with steam heating coils capable of heating the ballast water to 70-80 Degrees Centigrade to kill / destroy all organic matter. The extra heating requirement for this purpose has to be obtained from an additional dedicated low pressure exhaust gas boiler/ steam generator. As it is, there is a lot of heat in the main engine exhaust gases which is wasted away and let out to atmosphere. High temperature effects of this heated ballast water in the ballast tanks on the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure to be studied. All new ships must be mandatorily equipped with these 2 additional features. Reasonable time limit of 1-2 years must be given to all existing ships to fit these 2 new additional features. However, we need to know the minimum temperature at which most of the organic matter and invasive species are destroyed. Accordingly, the maximum temperature to be decided and operational safety design features to be incorporated.

Management of Ballast Water It is to be recognized that ballast water management is a responsibility which has to be shared by all the stakeholders in the shipping industry - ships as well as by shore-based service providers like ports etc. Ships are there to serve the shore requirements, they are just a means to achieve an end but they are not an end themselves. The following are some of the commonly advocated methods to mitigate this problem. Some of these methods

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Paints and Coatings All ballast water tanks interiors to be compulsorily coated with slow release / sustained release biocidal paints which can kill all invasive species contained in the ballast water within a reasonable period of time before the requirement time for deballasting. Paints should have enough potency to last for about 2 years after which repainting is to be done. All necessary personnel safety precautions to be taken when persons are required to enter and work inside these biocide coated tanks. Paint biocide potency testing kits and methods to be provided on board the ships. Tests to be mandatorily carried out by ship staff and recorded.

De-ballasting Deballasting to be carried out only to shore reception facilities/tanks through separate dedicated pipelines. All ports to be provided with reception facilities with shore based treatment plants to destroy any residual organic matter before being discharged into the sea. If any port has a limitation on the storage tanks area, they can opt on on-line treatment plants. Ships to be charged appropriately for this facility on per tonne basis of deballasted water received.

Ballast Water Record Book Ballast Water Record Book to be maintained by all ships mandatorily which is to be made available for inspection by surveyors. Entries in Ballast water Record Book to include the following:

Certificate Certificate to be obtained from shore supplying and receiving facility whenever any treated ballast water is received or shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ballast water is discharged ashore respectively and preserved for surveyorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

inspection. Operation of Ballast Water Treatment Equipment (dedicated exhaust boiler and tank heating pipelines), Periodic Testing of Ballast Water Tank Quality and Tank Paint Biocide Potency Test Results to be recorded in Ballast Water Record Book.

Emergency Ballasting Emergency Ballasting/ Deballasting Operations at sea to be permitted only if safety of ship is endangered. Same to

be recorded in the Ballast Water Record Book.

Training Training Module on Ballast Water Management to be mandatorily introduced for all pre-sea and postsea training courses for officers, cadets and ratings to cater for management, operational and support levels with facility for periodic up-gradation.

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TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Smart Packaging Solutions

amco – one of the world’s leading providers of freight forwarding and supply chain management solutions – recently began offering customers a state-of-the-art packaging optimisation service for cargo shipments with potential savings lying in the 10– 20% range of the total supply chain cost. “In most companies packaging remains a stepchild even though the potential for cost savings is massive,” explains Erling Johns Nielsen, Damco’s Global Head of Supply Chain Development. “Very few companies focus on the power of packaging to reduce costs. Typically they will look into reducing air freight, increase container utilisation, use larger containers or optimise the routing of traffic. But if you really want to save money on transporting goods from A to Z you should start by looking at the initial unit; the box. Ultimately this is what determines the entire set-up of the supply chain,” says Erling Johns Nielsen. To provide the packaging optimisation service Damco has teamed up with Supply Chain Optimizers (SCO) - a recognised consultancy specialised in packaging optimisation with more than 25 years of experience. Over this time span more than 500 projects have been completed for numerous global

companies delivering millions of dollars in annual savings to them. On average projects have produced total supply chain cost savings in the 10–20% range. “Partnering with Damco has been an excellent fit for us. Not only due to its size and large customer portfolio, but also because of its strong focus on delivering value-added services to customers that eliminate waste and remove cost from their supply chains,” says Jack Ampuja, President of SCO.

Three questions not asked “In collaboration with SCO we approach customers with a risk free offering where we are paid on a gain sharing basis for the savings we are able to generate. In other words if there are no savings, there is no payment. That’s how confident we are,” says Erling Johns Nielsen. While package optimisation is highly specialised, it often comes down to three very practical questions that are not asked by customers. “Do current packaging dimensions optimise handling and storage costs? Do cartons have the minimum thickness to guarantee strength? How much air is being transported and paid for in the shipper’s supply chain? These are the key questions we encourage customers to ask themselves,” he says.

For many companies answering these questions make it very clear that changing their packages’ characteristics and packaging practices can remove cost. A simple step such as reducing boxes’ height by two centimetres for example may mean that another 100 boxes can be fitted into the same container, saving money on the box, transport, warehousing and possibly even on damaged goods. In addition to this packaging optimisation almost always contributes positively to reduce a company’s climate and environmental footprint. “Air in containers that are not fully utilised is probably the most expensive commodity being shipped around the world today,” says Erling Johns Nielsen. By optimising the carton box you do not only reduce the raw materials’ cost. In fact the biggest benefit lies in transportation. If you split the savings on the different factors, the triggered beneficial impact on costs approximately lies as follows: 10% of the savings in the box 65% of the savings in transportation 25 % of the savings in warehouse costs/efficiency Thus by focusing on the box you can trigger additional savings in a number of areas. Ensuring optimal packaging is a task involving many functions within a company and therefore Damco follows a proven methodology developed in collaboration with SCO. “We start by taking for instance the 15 or 20 biggest volume products at a time. This way it is manageable for all parties involved. Right now we are working on a project with one of the leading department stores in the US. So far we have managed to save more than $250,000 (20% of the supply chain cost) and more than 370,000 kg of CO2 emissions by just looking at 15 different products,” Erling Johns Nielsen says. Courtesy: Damco

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KOEL strengthens its With a strong focus on the navy and coast guard, KOEL is simultaneously working towards expanding market share in the private and government shipyard markets as well.

ounded in 1946, KOEL is an acknowledged leader in the design and manufacturing of diesel engines and generating sets. It manufactures a wide range of diesel engines ranging from 4 hp to 800 hp and from 2,400 hp to 11,000 hp. KOEL sees its marine auxiliary division driving growth this fiscal. Kirloskar currently has a range of IRS approved Auxiliary Marine Genset from 20 KVA to 625 KVA. Kirloskar Marine Gensets meet Marine agency classification requirements, engine meets IMO NOx norms. Mr. Sanjay Gowaikar, Senior Manager Marine Marketing says, “We provide customized Genset to meet the requirements of our customers. We believe in providing total power solution for every marine application i.e. Main Gensets, Harbour Gensets & Emergency Gensets. We also provide single window

hold in Marine Market

warrantee for Marine Genset. ” KOEL has a State of the Art Manufacturing facility at Khadki, Pune where Marine Gensets are manufactured, assembled and tested by classification society as per their requirement. The scope of supply includes Marine duty heat exchanger, sea water pump etc. Kirloskar Marine Genset provides power to run diverse range of Marine Applications from small to large recreational boats, commercial shipping to ocean going vessels, pleasure craft to mega yachts such as short trip coastal freighters, luxury yachts, fishing vessels, ferry boats, tow boats, tugs, trawlers, harbor tour boats, various Naval and Coast Guard vessels such as IPV’s, FPV’s, Interceptor boats, Fuel Barges, Survey vessels etc. World’s Largest Genset Manufacturer KOEL is now all set to soar high along the coast with its Flagship Product DV Series

Engines. DV Series Engines is an in-house, indigenously made engine available in the Market in 320 to 625 KVA range. It is most compact in size in its range and has the highest Power to weight ratio with less maintenance cost. Already a success in Industrial Market, KOEL has its hope high on extra ordinary performance by DV Engine is marine market as well. While focusing at Navy and Coast Guard as bulk customers, KOEL is simultaneously focusing on increasing its hold over Private as well as Government Shipyard Markets. Mr. Mukesh, Manager Marine Marketing says, “The key to win customers is to focus not only on Presales but to provide extra ordinary post sales services also. We are looking at prudent development of service dealers along the coast to ensure customer satisfaction throughout the service life of the product.” KOEL is also developing Main Propulsion Engines in house and plan to venture into Main Propulsion Market by next year. With Navy and Coast Guard coming up with new projects to safe guard coast and increase naval strength and government formulating liberal policies for expansion and development of ports across the country, KOEL is all set to tap tremendous growth opportunities available in the marine market

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INSIGHT

SLOW STEAMING

Some thoughts By R.C. Bhavnani Slow steam shipping has its various benefits. It also has its flip side. Is there a way to exploit the advantages without having to pay the price?

n the three decades financial Gurus began to leading upto about take their toll leading one 2008, the consumer to wonder if the great demands world over grew management institutions at a very fast pace. Articles had produced managers of mass consumption who had a rather disappeared from the narrow and short term shelves of the retail stores vision based on current soon after they were management Mantra placed there leading to “ GREED IS GOOD “. the demand for quick They certainly proved replenishment. Everyone it as they collected fat MR.R.C. BHAVNANI was consuming AND bonuses for themselves wasting thoughtlessly. while everything around The popular strain was “I want it them was in shambles brought about bad, I want it now. “ Capitol goods to essentially by them. produce consumer goods also saw their The outcome was that demand growth came to a halt and turned demand going up which was natural. negative in many countries leading to Ships carrying these goods, especially over capacities in various sectors including the container carriers, grew in size and shipping. Container shipping in particular speeds increased to cater for the ever was severely affected as demand fell by increasing demands. Costs did not seem 10 percent while at the same time the to matter. The focus was to deliver as fast capacity increased by 10 percent due as possible. The shipping industry grew to vessels, which were already on order, eight folds from 1985 to 2007. continued to be delivered. Adjustments Then came the steep increase in oil had to be made to accommodate this prices. Crude prices touched USD 165 over capacity either by laying up the per barrel and the IFO 380cst bunkers ships or by adopting slow speeding. As (intermediate fuel oil used by ships) of beginning of this year 500 container reached USD 700 per ton as compared ships were idle. As the demand has to USD 300 per ton in January 2007. picked up to some extent and freight Currently the price is hovering around rates are showing signs of strengthening USD 500 per ton. Simultaneously we most vessels are back in service and the had the financial crisis upon us. Banks owners / charterers are adopting slow and financial institutions began to steaming strategies to address the over fail; markets collapsed leaving millions capacity issues and surges in fuel cost. suffering from severe financial losses. The mathematics is simple. If you reduce Reckless policies propagated by our

If you cut the speed of the vessel by 30 percent the power requirement would reduce approximately by 50 percent and the fuel consumption per day would reduce by an amount close to 50 percent and the total fuel consumption for a thirty day voyage would come down by approximately 30 percent depending on the type of engine, hull form, and weather during the route. the speed by a certain percentage, you have to increase the number of ships in employment by the same percentage and the number of idle ships comes down. One very positive effect of the slow steaming is that it reduces the power requirements in a big way. For example if you cut the speed of the vessel by 30 percent the power requirement would reduce approximately by 50 percent and the fuel consumption per day would reduce by an amount close to 50 percent and the total fuel consumption for a thirty day voyage would come down by approximately 30 percent depending on the type of engine, hull form, weather during the route etc. This helps to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. Emissions are proportional to the amount of fuel burned. Approximately 3.17 Kg of CO2 is emitted per Kg of fuel burned. Container ships represent 4 percent of the international shipping but generate 20 percent of emissions due to their higher speeds and consequently much

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www.snmevents com

higher power requirements. A reduction of 30 percent in the speed will provide for total emission being reduced by a similar percentage even though the specific fuel consumption would marginally increase. Considering the high cost of fuels in the current operational scenario this is a huge saving in cost and helps to control the damage to the environment. However the slow steaming also has its flip side. The engines are designed to operate at their maximum efficiency at about 90 percent of the maximum continuous rating. As the load factor is reduced, the combustion quality goes down leading to higher carbon deposits and increase in specific fuel consumption and increased maintenance. Some operators, even while generally adopting slow steaming, follow a policy of running the engine at full load periodically (say one

hour in every 12 hours) to minimize the engine problems. Over a long term the engine would suffer increased wear and tear leading to higher costs. Slow steaming would also mean that the number of ships required to deliver same amount of cargo in a given period will be higher. Building more ships mean using more materials, using more energy and so increasing emissions in the atmosphere. More ships would also require a larger number of crew. All this leads to higher capitol investments and operating costs. Higher inventories are required ashore and at sea to ensure smooth flow of supplies. Thus some of the gains of slow steaming are offset. The current slow steaming policy is not by choice but it is forced on the operators by over capacity and high fuel prices. Nobody wants to build a ship of high capacity and then under-utilize it.

Slow steaming would also mean that the number of ships required to deliver same amount of cargo in a given period will be higher. Building more ships mean using more materials, using more energy and so increasing emissions in the atmosphere. More ships would also require a larger number of crew. In the long term a detailed and carefully considered study is required which would take into account the world economic scenario, a realistic growth in demand as against speculation, freight rate changes, bunker prices, operating costs, inventory costs, carbon foot prints etc. A sincere and honest unbiased approach is what is needed. The author is Vice President (Global Marketing), Viswalab

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HR TRENDS

CAREER TRACK

I am not afraid of the storms, - I am learning how to sail my ship

In a seafaring career one must be prepared to work hard and erratic hours and be prepared to face a real prospect of monotony and loneliness and lack of social interactions. Sanndhya Pillai says, despite it, the career holds a charm like no other – you will attain everything, attractive monetary compensation, opportunity to travel, superb skills and job satisfaction.

Ms. Sanndhya Pillai

hipping - The word conjures up images of treasure laden ships and tumultuous oceans and of course the quintessential pirates which but is true only for a person uninitiated in the ways of the Industry. For an initiate within the Industry or who eats and dreams of a career in Shipping the images may be somewhat more prosaic- not the pirates of yore and the bottle of rum yet with a heart of gold but the murderous mercenaries and the romantic sailing vessels of yore replaced by the ultra modern ships with instant communication capabilities carrying much of the world’s cargo. Shipping is so integral to world trade that it is but natural that any setbacks will have an immediate impact upon the trade and vice versa. It can be easily surmised that

considering the enormity of the trade, the Industry will require a vast number of people not only to run these ships but also the shore staff, the logistics personnel, the ship owners, the charterers, the non vessel operating carriers, the insurers, the underwriters, and the agents to name only a few. What then about the career avenues in the Industry? The avenues in keeping with the demands of the trade would be phenomenal to suit individual choices and personalities. The most traditional career choice in shipping continues to be that of the merchant navy. Traces of the glamour and prestige attached to the profession remains. But this profession is not for the faint hearted. Intrinsic to the profession is a wild passion for the sea, an un-consumable desire for travel,

prepared to work hard and erratic hours, face demanding situations, people and uncertain weather, and has an unsatiable love for adventure. They must also be prepared to face a real prospect of monotony and loneliness and lack of social interactions and family while readily adopting the shipboard family as the family. Above all they must strike a balance between the owners, managers, charterers, port authorities, customs, port regulations, pollution issues etc. Despite the apparent problems this is a most attractive career choice and rewarding too in terms of remuneration and job satisfaction. As Louisa May Alcott said, “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship”. If sailing is not your cup of coffee, then the shore options that warranty serious introspection may include-working with a ship owner or a manager, with a port agent or a manning agent. Chartering is another career where one can transform into a huge success. The work could be with a broker or a shipowner. But success here does not come easy. Perseverance, the ability to take disappointments when deals slip at the 10th hour and yet continue working by summoning up one’s individual strengths and resources, quick actions, communication and social skills and of course oodles and oodles of luck is needed. A very lucrative and promising field of career choice is what is loosely termed as logistics; which is in short, the process of achieving the timely and safe delivery of a product, goods or services from the point of origin to the point of destination. As more than 90 percent of the world merchandise is carried by sea and of that volume 50 percent being containerized, one can imagine the magnitude of

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www.snmevents com the trade and the careers that can be made here. Managing, coordinating and enhancing complete supply chain management encompassing warehousing and distribution, purchasing, planning, statistics, sales, marketing, operations, freight, maintenance, handling - the choices are immense. Containerisation being the much preferred modern means of sea carriage and a most integral part of the logistics chain offers immense possibilities. The choices are many - right from container inspections, to work in container yards or freight stations, to container inspections and vetting, cargo consolidation and stowage to clearance and forwarding. The qualities required for a successful career in logistics broadly classified would be: the ability to perform under strict deadlines, analytical and numerical ability, knowledge of geography, a capability to think on the feet and an innate capacity to manage people. A port agent’s office would seem like one’s worst nightmare when there are ships in port or one is about to berth at a most unearthly hour. To add to this mayhem you have boarding officers walking in and out, crew changes taking place, the Master having his problems with the port or customs, one of the crew is invariably ill and needs medical attention, cargo work may have been interrupted due to a suspected contamination and to add to this bizarre drama is the background score of the constant radio conversations. Arguments do erupt frequently due to the heightened activity and frayed tempers that, however, do not in any way stop the team from getting together again as one big happy family. The situation seems even more precarious and uncontrollable with a cruise vessel in question. The cruise vessel will have in addition ‘the passenger’ with their individual peculiarities, idiosyncrasies and untenable requirements. The port agent is to provide and act as a panacea for all requirements whether tangible or not. All of this will lead one to surmise that a person must indeed be insane to want to even think about a job in a port agent’s office. However the work though demanding can be highly satisfying. And

also it is not every working day that one faces such quizzical situations. At the most it can be very boring and staid with routine work and time enough for an afternoon romantic conversation with the current sweetheart. Agents may be of the other variety known in common parlance as manning agents. The job is tougher here with not only having to deal with berated and incongruous officers and crew but also having the ability to locate a qualified and willing crew expeditiously in these times of crew shortages and rising wages. However much a manning agent may plan crew changes, requirements have a habit of cropping up at the most inappropriate times like holidays or weekends and from locations where crew change may be a remote possibility or inordinately expensive. To add to the woes is the challenge of balancing the budget with the demands of the seafarer

- the manning agent all the time feeling as if he’s held to ransom both by the principals and the crew. But with good communication and negotiation skills, people skills, including the inclination for talking to all sorts of people all the time and yet retain ones sanity, a crew manager will enjoy the work and also get to meet a large number of varied and interesting people. Further careers in shipping would include an owner’s office, work as a P&I Correspondent, a maritime lawyer etc. A perceptive person once said, “People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life’s circumstances to push them down and hold them under.” So be not afraid, join the bandwagon and all aboard!

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HR TRENDS

TESTING TOOLS

Psychometric Testing for Seafarers S

In the present modern industrial scenario with a great degree of complexity, in personal life and professional life in general, there has been increasing awareness of interdependency of tasks / roles and the need to understand the individual’s preferred / dominant patterns of behaviour, particularly in

Perceived limitation of Personal Interviews as a tool for Selection and Internal sourcing Interviewing is an art and not many interviewers are trained in the art of interviews; Little or no advance preparation by the interviewer; Tendency of interviewers to play pop psychologists; Insufficient time invested in the process to look for evidence and consistent patterns of behavior; extrapolations, assumptions and conjectures are made about how a candidate is likely to be / behave from limited data about the candidate; There is a great degree of subjectivity as decisions are made on perceptions and gut feelings because of Interviewer’s own worldviews, biases and prejudices (personal stances) which cloud his judgment; 32

relation to people and in to get unbiased reports groups. of the candidates. It has been found The job demands that knowledge and skills and requirements of assessment alone are crew vary depending inadequate in predicting upon whether the success in organizations. candidate is an officer or Presence of knowledge a rating, whether he is a and skills alone is no new entrant or if he had guarantee that individuals sailed earlier, whether will be deployed as desired he belongs to the deck and perform to the deptt., engine deptt. MR. C. MAHESHWAR optimum. or saloon deptt. etc. Factoring an Psychometric Testing for individual’s values, motives, traits and these candidates varies accordingly. other components that constitute the Psychometric Testing is also carried core of personality in decision making out by many shipping companies for on selection, fitment and development senior officers on board to assess their planning makes sound business sense as they have a more enduring influence on Applications of patterns of deployment of energies and Psychometric Testing behaviour. Assessment tools developed by in Shipping Industry experts to profile aspects of personality a) For Recruitment provide a reliable basis for data generation and selection about individuals and are time and cost b) To identify training needs effective! Many organizations have a team of c) Career counseling psychologists as part of their HR team d) Career progression and conduct periodic psychometric e) Competency mapping testing of the entire group of employees f) Appraisal encompassing all levels of hierarchy and g) Team building exercise all stages of employment – new entrants, existing employees and outgoing employees. Various Types of

Psychometric Testing Shipping Industry

for

DG Shipping recommends psychometric testing of all new entrants aspiring for sailing jobs in the shipping industry as part of the selection process. Many shipping companies conduct psychometric testing of the new entrants in house. Some of the companies prefer to outsource the same

Psychometric Testing a) Myer Briggs Type indicator b) The Disc personality model c) The 16 Personality factor model d) T group e) Johari’s window

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www.snmevents com managerial and leadership skills and risk taking tendencies. Of the above, 16 PF is the most preferred for seafarers and is the favourite for most of the professional psychometric testing agencies. The 16PF provides behavioral science professionals with a quantifiable, welldocumented instrument for measuring the sixteen normal adult personality dimensions. From the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to the questionnaire, scores for 16 personality factors are derived and a personality profile of the individual is drawn. It can help in personnel selection and development by identifying the nature of personal qualities that influence behavior in work-settings, such as problem-solving style and interpersonal style, plan work and career performance objectives / directions, assess management style and provide effective training for career development.

The following 16 Personality Factors are measured: Warmth Reasoning Emotional stability Dominance Liveliness Rule-consciousness Social boldness Sensitivity Vigilance Abstractedness Privateness Apprehensiveness Openness to change Self-Reliance Perfectionism Tension Overall Personality Grades Based on the analysis of the 16 PF stated above, a Detailed Personality Report is generated covering specific evaluative

areas and a general overall grade is given as follows A Outstanding B+ Very Good B Good B-Fairly Good/Above Average C Average D Can be taken with Caution E Not Recommended Generally, candidates falling below Grade B- are rejected. Candidates obtaining less than B- grade are counseled by a qualified counselor either in person or telephonically in exceptional cases. A time lapse of at least two months is recommended after counseling before a candidate is allowed to appear for the psychometric test again as no perceptible change in personality can be noticed in shorter periods. Effectiveness of Psychometric Testing Just like other testing methods, even Psychometric testing is not 100 percent reliable. A candidate who has obtained A Grade may not be a good seafarer and a candidate who has obtained D Grade could turn out to be a very successful seafarer. By and large, we

can comfortably say that Psychometric Testing provides a reliable and measurable data on the personality of an individual through assessment of various attributes. A lot depends upon the interpretation of the result by a qualified and experienced psychologist. The major challenge is to co-relate the information provided in the psychometric report with the actual behavior in the work place and work situation. The data obtained has to be used in assigning the right job for the right person for optimizing economy, efficiency and safety in the work place and work situation.

Future Testing

Psychometric

The success of psychometric testing in the work place has prompted psychologists to carry out trials in non work atmospheres with encouraging results. Psychometric Testing can be extended to the social domain viz., child, adolescent and adult counseling, matrimonial matters including alliance fixing, marriage counseling, divorce and suicide counseling.

Courtesy: Mr. C. Maheshwar, Manager, Fleet Management Limited

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HR TRENDS TRAINING HIGLIGHTS www.snmevents com

Well-trained resource form the basis for your

company’s profitability By Kaushik Seal

L Academy, Hamburg opened its doors in 1995 with an initial series of seminars. The services provided by the GL Academy as we know it today developed out of these small beginnings. The idea was to convey the experience and know-how that was available at Germanischer Lloyd, which was founded in 1867, to our customers and to demonstrate ways of simplifying everyday business dealings encountered by shipping companies. This original objective has remained unchanged to this day. Since then GL Academy has evolved attained the status of an aspiring, advanced training institution in the maritime sector and, more recently, in the field of management systems as well. We now have 24 Academies worldwide. Last year over 250 seminars with more than 4000 participants were conducted worldwide and brought to a successful conclusion. There is now a much wider selection of seminars than the 10 themes that originally appeared on the agenda. Today, we are pleased to offer you a comprehensive range of attractive courses (and workshops) on various topics and modules. We are continually working on concepts for new

seminar themes based on actual developments. The highlight of the moment is The Modular System for Further Education in Maritime and Management Systems in which we have over 90 different topics. The team at GL Academy has steadily grown in number during the course of the past few years. What has remained unaltered are the high standards we set for good quality training programmes: GL Academy is the place “Where the Experts learn more”. It is for this reason that these highquality seminars are regularly revised to deal with new, interesting topics. The question of whether sufficient funds are being invested in human resources is more acute than ever before, because well-trained resource form the basis for your company’s profitability. And it is precisely this aspect that we at the GL Academy are aiming to contribute towards. GL Academy Mumbai was started in 2009. Our courses are under various categories such as maritime regulations, ship types, ship t e c h n o l o g y, m a r i n e Mr. Kaushik Seal signing MoU with Capt. Bob Logan of CINEC, Sri Lanka

A Training Session environmental protection, management of risks, ship security, human resources, ship operations, quality, environmental and safety management. Various courses under these categories, in turn, fall under three levels; basic, advanced, and advanced plus. Depending on one’s existing experience and exposure to relevant area, he can choose an appropriate course. We also have a vast array of customised training solutions for in-house seminars and courses for our various clients in the maritime, energy and oil & gas sector. Our immediate plan is to enter into other cities not only in India but also in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and create a trainer base which would be the best in the industry. We are also keen on tie-ups with good quality maritime and industrial training institutes so that we can reach out to a much wider audience. We really want to expand our ambit into the oil and gas industry and the energy sectors. Our focus will always remain to be provision of quality education and training. Only then we can emerge as the best in today’s ever challenging world of a competitive economic environment. The author is Head of GL Academy (South Asia)

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HR TRENDS www.snmevents com

Novel Commercial cum Training Ship Launched By SNM Events Team It is widely acknowledged that planned training at sea is essential for a successful seafarer and for him to imbibe much needed skills, knowledge and attitude.

AMET TRAINING SHIP

nion Minister for Shipping G. K. Vasan formally launched MV AMET Majesty a state of the art passenger cum RoRo cargo ship for the purpose of both commercial as well as training cadets on board. Commencing operations on 9th June 2011, AMET University notched up another feather in its cap by being the first to launch India’s first commercial cruise cum cadet training vessel. Directorate General of Shipping, Government of India has approved this ship in principle to train cadets for a period of 6 months of their required post sea training mandatory to appear for the competency examination conducted by them. Various certificates of Competencies stipulate the requirement of compulsory sea time training. It is widely acknowledged that planned training at sea is essential for a successful seafarer and for him to imbibe much needed skills, knowledge and the attitude. However,

lack of adequate training berths on ships has been a major concern of the shipping industry globally. MV AMET Majesty has been certified to provide sea time training to 90 deck cadets and 120 engine cadets under exclusive and planned training regime with dedicated instructors, assuring quality and effectiveness and complying with maritime administration requirements. The vessel is also certified to carry 1150 passengers on international voyages.

Training advantages on this ship As the trainees will be individually trained by the dedicated Instructors and training officers on board the training ship the trainees have a better chance in the development of the skills, knowledge and experience, needed and mandated for officer. Thus they will fare much better when they appear for their certificiate

MV AMET Majesty has been certified to provide sea time training to 90 deck cadets and 120 engine cadets under exclusive and planned training regime with dedicated instructors, assuring quality and effectiveness and complying with maritime administration requirements. of competency examinations. They will also be more confident to take up their responsibility when they are employed subsequently as independent watch keepers in Navigation and Engine room. The Indian maritime industry associations of INSA (Indian National Ship Owners Association), FOSMA (Foreign Owners Representatives and Ship Managers Association) and MASSA (The Maritime Association of Ship owners Ship managers and Agents) have evinced great interest and expressed all support for this novel venture. In as much as freeing up their own training berths, they also are convinced of the high quality training that will be imparted on this ship with dedicated training instructors, facilities and environment.

Boost to the tourism sector The potential of the tourism sector to stimulate economic and social development thereby transforming economies has been internationally acknowledged. Tourism has been placed on a priority platform in India with the Governments at the centre and the states making directed efforts to exploit the tourism resources offered at the national and local level. ‘Cruise Tourism’ represents one such avenue where far reaching developments have been witnessed worldwide with India having no claim to even a marginal positioning.

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HR TRENDS

MILESTONES IN TRAINING

Advanced Training in the Maritime industry I

ndia is an emerging shipbuilding nation and has expanded its yards capabilities. India’s share of the global shipbuilding market is expected to increase to 5 per cent by 2020 from the current one per cent. Traditionally, Indian yards focused on the small and medium segments but the current orders are dominated by bulk carriers and offshore supply of boats. Indeed, Indian shipbuilding firms are expanding capacities to exploit the

With most of the oil production in the next five years likely to come from offshore oilfields, exploration firms are scouting for oildrilling rigs like shallowwater jack ups and deep water semi-submersibles, which are in tight supply. 36

offshore oil exploration segment as record oil prices create huge potential for deepsea drilling, pushing demand for rigs and service platforms. With most of the oil production in the next five years likely to come from offshore oilfields, exploration firms are scouting for oil-drilling rigs like shallow-water jack ups and deep water semi-submersibles, which are in tight supply. Given these aspirations, advanced

Advanced training is a prerequisite for quality, safety and efficiency. Indian clients have recognized that advanced training is the key to personal, professional and corporate success.

training is a prerequisite for quality, safety and efficiency. Indian clients have recognized that advanced training is the key to personal, professional and corporate success. The growing demand has led GL Group, based in Germany to set up a new branch of its advanced training institute “GL Academy” in Mumbai. The GL Academy, representing a global network of 19 training institutes is known for good knowledge transfer, focus on key topics, high relevance for

daily work and high trainer competence. More than 23,000 participants in over 1,500 seminars worldwide have made GL Academy since 1995 into a well-established training provider within the maritime industry which offers more than 80 different seminar topics. GL Academy has one of the broadest and most comprehensive portfolios in the industry. GL Academies in India, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, USA, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, China,

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www.snmevents com Korea, Singapore, and Japan conducted more than 600 courses in 2010 for clients. GL Academy India was initiated in 2009. Due to the personal network of the training coordinator GL Academy was invited to forge cooperation agreements with various maritime and academic organisations. This approach opened the door to shipping companies in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Customized training programmes, GLapproved local trainers and up-to-date seminars combining maritime as well as offshore topics are in demand. There is a vast training potential in the oil and gas and renewable sectors. The GL Academy is well suited to cover these requirements since it can rely on the technical expertise of a classification society as well as on the expertise of an international technical assurance and consulting company for oil and gas as well as renewables. As part of the GL Group (GL) the GL Academy is able to recruit experts from the classification and certification branch or from technical assurance and consulting. GL headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, employs more than 6,100 engineers, surveyors, experts and administrative staff in 80 countries. GL is dedicated to ensuring the safety of life and property at sea, and the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. As an independent third party, GL experts develop state of the art rules, procedures and guidance for ship owner, ship yards and the maritime supply industry in order to offer relevant answers in times of economic challenges and tight regulatory regimes. For the worldwide energy industries GL provides assurance, inspection, and consulting as well as project management in particular in the offshore area. Within its business segment renewables GL provides technical expertise to all stakeholders in the expanding renewable energy markets, especially wind, around the world including certification, measurements and consulting. Due to the time constraints of participants GL Academy offers a modular system of seminars which is tailored to the gaps which conventional

educational institutes cannot cover. The seminar topics deal with maritime regulations and environmental protection, maritime security, marine safety management systems, ship technology, risk management and quality and environmental management systems. They arise from daily demand, following latest developments. Interactive case studies and a practical approach are an integral part of all courses. The participants often receive tools and checklists which can simplify the daily business activities. In February 2011, GL Academy conducted an advanced seminar on „Port State Control Inspections – Best Industry Practices“ in Mumbai. It was just the beginning of a series of seminars which is jointly organized by GL Academy India and the ISF Maritime and Offshore Institute as well as Mumbai and Marex Media Pvt. Ltd. The goal of

the cooperation is to provide a wider platform in order to focus on issues that will keep the maritime society abreast of the latest developments as well as enhance the knowledge of seafarers onboard ships. More than 500 participants have so far attended training seminars in Mumbai and other places. There will be more to follow due to the major changes in the country’s shipping sector. Companies which were not in shipping are now entering the business of operating ships and these include both private and public sector players while traditional shipping companies, both in the private and public sector, are moving into nonshipping activities such as shipbuilding, terminal operations, and dredging. Quality trainings will continue to be in high demand. Courtesy: GL

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HR TRENDS TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

FOSMA offers Free Course for Ratings at Don Bosco Maritime Academy By Vijaya Kandpal

oreign Owners Representatives and Ship managers Association (FOSMA) has launched a free course on skill enhancement for ratings at Don Bosco Maritime Academy. Inaugurating the program for deck and engine ratings, Dr. Shanti Patel, president of National Union of Seafarers India (NUSI) said that more and more ratings should avail of the opportunity to hone their skills at the centre. FOSMA Chairman Capt. KS Paintal praised Don Bosco Maritime Academy stating that the institute has excellent facilities and dedicated faculty members. He said that FOSMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top most agenda was training. The skill enhancement course for ratings at Don Bosco Maritime Academy also includes simulators and other equipment. FOSMA has also oriented the course towards meeting the expectations of employers. To make ratings comfortable dormitory has been renovated with air conditioning facility. Accommodation facility for the course would be provided by individual companies.

Paintal informed that Global maritime distress and safety systems (GMDSS) training was earlier available only in UK but now FOSMA was the first to provide it in this country. The training is available at Mumbai and New Delhi in accreditation with Maritime and Coast guard Agency (MCA). He said the facilitation has relieved many maritime companies and officers. FOSMA has also signed a MoU with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Haldia Institute of Maritime Research and Training for Mercantile Courses for training. Father Furtado, principal of Don Bosco School conveyed his appreciation to FOSMA. He said because of FOSMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support, the maritime academy has improved its training. He stressed that shipping can get better with increased safety of seafarers as well as their skills in general. Abdul Ghani Serang, secretary general, NUSI, said that the course lent Ratings an opportunity to upgrade themselves. He also threw light on DGS (Directorate General of Shipping)

circular which mention ratings with the background of IT or mechanical education will have an added advantage of selection in maritime colleges. Murli Iyer, Vice Chairman, FOSMA said they were keenly providing value added courses to enhance performance on board. GS Soman, principal of Don Bosco Maritime academy stated that the academy was raising its standards to meet industry demands. He thanked FOSMA for providing state of the art equipment and enhanced facilities at the dormitory. Don Bosco Maritime Academy is also planning to start modules on carpentry, blasting and painting for ratings in the coming times according to Soman. Amongstseniorofficialsofthemaritime industry present were Capt Suresh Sood, MD, IMS Ship management, Capt Navin Passey, MD, Wallem Shipmanagement, Capt Ajay Achuthan, member of Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers and Agents (MASSA), Krishnan Iyer of DG Shipping and Maruti Retrekar, Vice President of NUSI .

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HR TRENDS SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

HIMT rates the Rating Agencies Only Institute in India to be rated by all four DGS approved rating agencies. HIMT Retains the Position of No. 1 for over a decade in respect of number of DGS approved courses.

he name HIMT automatically comes to mind when one thinks of leading establishments catering to maritime training in India. HIMT has remained dedicated- for over a decade- to offering the best in training to the maritime community. It has been a leader; it has always set standards for others to follow, as is evident from the number of DGS approved courses conducted by the Institute. Detractors may say that it is very easy to make claims based on statistics alone.

However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In HIMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, there are no boundaries for applicants for their courses; they come from all parts of India- including Kashmir- and from many foreign countries. Small wonder that HIMT is considered a leader, not a follower! It has been the single-minded pursuit of the Government of India- through its main regulatory body, the Directorate General of Shipping - to ensure that the training imparted at maritime academies

is of a high standard. It was therefore mandated that all maritime training academies be graded by an independent authority approved by the DGS. What purpose does grading serve? Pause to consider- grading by an independent agency that has no stake in the academy being audited determines whether the unit under inspection adheres to established guidelines and whether it is capable of delivering the desired product. A progressive grade automatically indicates the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher efficiency and capability. Ever since benchmarking and grading came into being, HIMT has always retained an outstanding grade - GRADE 1, a position it has maintained against all odds. Recently, though, HIMT received a unique distinction. It has now been graded by all the four grading agencies in India; the process started with ICRA in 2004 and now includes CARE, CRISIL and SMERA. Although there is no difference in the modus operandi of these agencies, their initial foray into the

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maritime field was somewhat tentative. Even though they have become more stringent, HIMT’s standards of quality have ensured that it has retained the topmost grade. This has given HIMT an edge over the industry. In fact, HIMT is in the unique position of being able to grade the grading agencies! A word of caution here lest anyone reads too much into the last statement. All the grading agencies took on the services of specialists in the field and have been meticulous and scrupulous in their conduct. Though they earlier lacked a complete understanding of the maritime training industry and worked on a basis on viability, they have now done their homework well and paid heed to what the industry needed from them. They now carry a consultant from the maritime profession within their team. These maritime professionals are all experienced mariners with several

years of experience in both sailing and training. The resultant grading is now more accurate and transparent. Of course, there is a slight variance in the outlook of the different agencies but this is expected. HIMT however, did not rest easy and would not accept this anomaly. It was then decided by the top management that they would seek grading by each of these agencies, one at a time. The results came in and HIMT was unanimously assessed as having reached the pinnacle of quality in its quest for excellence. For all the courses being conducted at both Pre Sea and Post Sea centres, HIMT recently received ‘GRADE I’ from the recently DGS approved rating agency SMERA. Speaking to HIMT, we found that the institute rates the four rating agencies as follows: SMERA - GRADE A+ because a four member team- including two professionals

from the Shipping Industry visited the institute and carried out a thorough grading exercise. Every record was checked. Mr. Vakil states that, compared to any other inspections and rating exercises carried out by other agencies, the SMERA exercise was the best and the most memorable. Grading was carried out by the four members for three days. HIMT rates SMERA the BEST and thereafter the order of rating has been CRISIL, ICRA & CARE. Having ascended dizzying heights, HIMT says it will not rest on its laurels but will continue to strive to ensure improvement towards perfection. HIMT welcomes all aspirants to their fold and declares that everyone is “welcome to HIMT, where knowledge is wealth and is meant to be shared by all”.

Source: HIMT

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INSIGHT

The Maritime

Logistics in Evolution It is now almost a truism to reiterate that shipping transportation market has suffered a severe setback in the light of what appears to be a virtual crash in freight prices and more ominously, a dramatic fall in the cargo volumes, with shrinking trade volumes, looming recessionary trends and a deep-rooted financial crisis. A bloated global shipping fleet has seen tonnage supply going awry across the key trade routes, while considerable fresh tonnage awaits deliveries. Vijayendra Acharya puts forth a perspective.

or a whole has to be called into generation of question. Can shipping economists and instead provide some analysts, who have answers to this looming believed in the promise economic crisis? of â&#x20AC;&#x153;derived demandâ&#x20AC;? Two critical issues especially; for the assetneed to be reckoned intensive segments like with here which have shipping in particular; the all along reinforced the inevitable logic of growing conventional argument. recessionary conditions, Firstly, it is necessary to the enveloping gloom understand implications appears even a shade of ever-rising high MR. VIJAYENDRA thicker. Speculations on capital costs of being in ACHARYA the world economy and the shipping business. trade are now running Ocean shipping is wild â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ranging from wishful optimistic among most exorbitant capital cost forecasts of an early or even imminent intensive industries in the world and end to the recessionary crisis, some prone to repeated bouts of market forebodingly suggesting further cyclicity, concurrent to larger global worsening of the crisis. The gravity of trade and economic cycles. the global economic crisis still in an unfolding stage with its far-reaching implications for shipping industry and The deterministic framework markets however calls into question that says shipping demand is a such habitual and self-effusive mere function of cargo volumes responses.

has to be called into question.

Cargo Volumes How indeed, is the global shipping market and the world economy interrelated in these moments of crisis and how indeed, they feed on each other is a seminal question that few have asked. It is perhaps necessary to simply raise the question in itself. The deterministic framework that says shipping demand is a mere function of cargo volumes

Investment Typically, in an ascending cycle marked by peak-level freight rates, supply of shipping tonnage tends to steadily fall short amidst growing cargo demand. This up-cycle leads to frenzy of fresh investment in building new ships (such as was seen after 2004 when shipping

capacity was blocked up until almost 2012) and as market estimation of fresh shipping tonnage build up, the freight rates began to loose momentum with fears of market getting swamped by surplus of shipping tonnage with fewer cargoes in chasing. The neatness of this logic however, does not often factor in more lasting impact of certain evolutionary and innovative milestones of shipping can leave on the economy and structural changes in the shipping industry itself brought about by the cyclical crisis in the shipping markets.

Landmark Events The logistic footprints of the opening of Suez and Panama Canals, the birth of container shipping in lack-lustre decade of 1950s; the creation of container transshipment hubs like Singapore, Dubai and Salalah have been events that have re-defined shipping. Whether it was the discovery of new sea trade routes and subsequent development of shipping and commodity trade during 18th and 19th century led to the industrial development in Europe or was it the latter that actually gave rise to the former is not a matter of historical tautology. Shipping and transportation at large, in their evolutionary and historical contexts have not only connected distant lands and peoples but more significantly expanded the scope of production and exchange of value inherent in the goods, be it manufactured or just raw materials that was transported by them.

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www.snmevents com The fact of the matter is the “mega carrier” trend is not the last word on shape of things to come, economies of scale in shipping also favours small and mid-size deployments and many cargoes and trade routes clearly do not favour “mega carrier” deployments. Economies of Scale The second issue of critical concern is the hoopla over ever growing economies of scale and size in shipping – be it vessel size or the cargo parcel size. There is indeed, a visible bias towards ever increasing vessel sizes across all trades – large, very large, ultra large, mega carriers – the trend is indeed intimidating. Yet the fact of the matter is the “mega carrier” trend is not the last word on shape of things to come, economies of scale in shipping also favours small and mid-size deployments and many cargoes and trade routes clearly do not favour “mega carrier” deployments. While in the container shipping market, deployment of large carriers has been justified by wellestablished hub-spoke networks in case of dry bulk presence of large Capesize fleet has often proved to be fraught with consequences of uncertainty for the whole market. Sustained movement of Cape size parcels and available cargo volumes for mega bulk carriers (including Valemaxes in the range of 300-350,000 dwt currently being built) is difficult to obtain in conditions of global trade volatility and this in turn has consequences for the shipping market. Arguably, it was the large Capesize ships that proved to be the nemesis of shipping boom in recent past. “Size does matter but all sizes do” – the lesson of latest market downturn is still a refreshing thought. Economies of size in shipping is not essentially about being big or small, it’s rather do with what would make better logistics sense. Transportation, even in its most generic sense only represents a movement towards some form of logistics rationalization. It enhances value of

goods by giving rise to modus vivendi of comparative costs of production and helps in relativising cost and price on a global scale. The theoretical underpinnings of the economics of transportation and logistics - from a broader standpoint of evolution of industrial and post-industrial society - are thus, not yet adequately apprehended but cannot be ignored either. Some of the contemporary economic trends such as global sourcing oroutsourcing,distributedmanufacturing, etc would be thus, inconceivable without the innovative transportation networks and modern logistics management practices.

Economies of size in shipping is not essentially about being big or small, it’s rather do with what would make better logistics sense. Organic Linkages Generically, shipping has evolved as a colateral activity with strong organic linkages to other sectors like the manufacturing industry (closely related to development of liner shipping with its modularization of cargo pellets and containerization of cargo), banking and financial institutions (closely related to ship building and sale and purchase (S&P) of ships and physical commodity and paper trades (linked to liquid and dry bulk shipping) and in more recent years, development of the freight derivatives market, that has introduced elements of commoditization of shipping services and enable risk management of long-term capital investment.

Tectonic Shifts There is further growing separation of ship ownership from actual ship operations, increasing substitution of shipping with oil and gas pipeline logistics networks and more discerningly, a radical restructuring of the global trade and commodity flows that shift focus to regional trades, especially in Asia Pacific region. These tectonic shifts in the market landscape demand refreshingly new responses and service propositions

from shipping industry, such as would drive new demand for their services. The shipping world, not oblivious to challenges has made few bold strides. A diversified fleet that caters to different cargoes and trades; “door-to-door” logistics in place of mere “port-to-port” haulage of cargo, horizontal integration of services such as ocean haulage, port and terminal handling of vessels and cargo, inland haulage, running freight trains and warehouse services – the response of shipping majors like Maersk, APL, NYK have been exemplary. Yet, shipping industry and market structure still spawn a number of competing business models. In understanding role of transportation and logistics - not merely as a facilitative or external component of value chain but as source of value creation – it would be only apt to see shipping and maritime logistics chain essentially as a step towards logistic rationalization of global trade and exchange. It is mistaken to think shipping industry and market were merely surf-riding on globalization and now facing consequences of demand recession. Shipping has instead, always enabled great economic revival and resurgence until recent times. It has ejected old ideas and upturned orthodoxies paving the way for new. It has in recent history served as real backbone of economic emergence of China, Singapore and now India. It will indeed, continue to do so in the times to come.

It is mistaken to think shipping industry and market were merely surf-riding on globalization and now facing consequences of demand recession. Shipping has instead, always enabled great economic revival and resurgence until recent times. It has ejected old ideas and upturned orthodoxies paving the way for new. It has in recent history served as real backbone of economic emergence of China, Singapore and now India. The author is Head of Research at J.M. Baxi Group. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

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INSIGHT

FOOD FOR thought - MLC 2006 Rooting for the legislation, Mahendra Singh explains how a seafarerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work life would change.

t is auspicious and note worthy that the ILO and IMO have considered it desirable to give the seafarers their Charter of rights, their Certificate of recognition. It is earnestly hoped that the Seafarers will now be treated with greater respect making their lives smoother and tension free. The biggest problem for seafarers has been the lack of shore leave. ISPS provisions made this even more difficult coupled with faster turn round time. It is hoped that the IMO and the ILO will support the clubs for seafarers so that they can visit the ship and take the seamen ashore while also bringing them back. This can easily be sanctioned. Looking towards the near future, I hope that MbPT will see to it that at least the seafarers of Indian Origin are allowed unhindered access to shore without restricting the shore leave to 2000Hr. In this matter, the joint effort of the Port Trust, INSA, DGS and Port Security head will bear fruit faster. For every local provision, we need not look up to IMO and ILO. Here, I will also appeal to Authorities to at least allow some hours of shore leave to a Pakistani Master. If you feel that they are accompanied by local security personnel, then that can be done. This will ensure that when we visit their ports, we will also be able to go ashore there. When we work with good co-operation with each other aboard a ship, we can also co-operate when it comes to shore leave for a few hours. Another matter that affects seafarers poignantly and becomes a pain to manning departments is the innumerable

and indiscriminate visa requirements of many countries. Seafarers must be granted visa on arrival because our schedules can change on short notice and we may need to sign on and off urgently due to various reasons. Upon a seafarer holding a valid and acceptable identity document, the issuing of a Visa should not be a hindrance. A few months ago I signed off from Zeebrugge and was issued a visa for moving out within five minutes. Same is the case inward and that is why it is a preferred port for many manning agencies. At Singapore, we used to go out from gate No: 4 of Pasir Panjang by simply showing our passport but these days the procedure has become rather cumbersome. I hope MLC 2006 shall address such concerns because Singapore is a very good port and a speedy one most of the time; we get just two hours to rush out and come back. Let us restore the same good old days with the co-operation of Singapore immigration authorities as a

MR. MAHENDRA SINGH

goodwill gesture to seafarers. America is the most troublesome in this manner. With gentle persuasion and appeal to their graciousness, the seafarers can be granted visa on arrival. It would also generate tremendous goodwill for US immigration authorities. Hitherto, we have been packing our medicine chests on board with Antibiotics and other allopathic medicines. Let us approach the IMO to allow certain Homeopathic and Ayurvedic medicines and tonics to be included in the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medicine list. Prevention is better than cure. I have seen that foreign national also like Ayurvedic and Homeopathic

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www.snmevents com medicines while many seamen go out and buy these from India. Triphala tablets, Chandraprabhavati, Chyavanprash etc; should be allowed and in this matter we should seek the assistance of registered Ayurvedic and Homeopathic practitioners of repute. Going a step further, I will say that at least in major ports, the port doctor should visit the ship for a brief period to provide advice and medication, if needed. In most of the foreign ports now, especially in the UK and USA, you cannot buy a medicine even if you have a prescription written out by an Indian Doctor. The Port doctor can write-out such prescriptions or even dispense medicines upon payment. Visit by a Doctor, or even a Priest is favored by seamen and they shall whole heartedly accommodate them on board. Fanciful accommodation is no doubt liked by all but it does not provide emotional solace. It is akin to a parrot living in a golden cage.

Bring all your complaints to your Master on board and don’t depend on some third person to give you succor. Many years ago, on an SCI ship we had one Capt Singh Sahni who was very popular amongst us. On one crew sign off time, a seaman produced in front of the Shipping Master a bottle containing brownish water to claim compensation. Later on, the purser told us that the Captain chastised the seaman then and there in a very pained manner to the approbation of all present shaming the particular crew member. Bring all your complaints to your Master on board and don’t depend on some third person to give you succor. In MLC 2006 I can see the complaints procedure remedying such wrong tendencies. An outsider (Inspector) is my “Maibap” and not my own Master. I spoke elsewhere about five yearly reviews of Masters to see that they have not lost their fatherly instincts. I firmly believe that the Master, Chief Engineer, Chief officer, Second engineer and the Bosun sitting together (The

Ship’s Panchayat) and offering you some solution being better than anyone else’s. MLC document has been prepared well in a proper fashion and it is a land mark Charter of Rights; however, it would have been more wholesome if the subject of Spiritual development of seafarers would also have been addressed. Similarly, though there are provisions for medical check ups but further provisions regarding development of health of seafarers should also have been incorporated. Such things can be taken care of if we arrange to facilitate priests belonging to various religions to visit the seamen onboard so as to provide them moral and spiritual support. In a similar manner, let us say, if the ship is in china, a specialist in Chinese medicine could visit

the ship to advice seafarers on various ailments and preventive care. Similarly if the Ship is in an Indian port, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic practitioners may visit the ship to enlighten the seafarers with their medicines and tonics. A seafarer finds solace when someone visits him to facilitate his communication with his family and friends and give him inputs on various facets of improvement of physical and moral well being. Of Course, no document can be prepared in an all encompassing manner. It is, therefore, earnestly hoped that MLC 2006 will evolve itself as it its provisions start getting implemented. Let us welcome and adopt it. The author is a veteran Marine Engineer

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EVENTS

INMEX India 2011 foresees breakthroughs By Vijaya Kandpal

The Seventh International Maritime Exhibition and B2B Forum in its series – INMEX 2011 is taking place from 29th September to 1st October 2011 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India. The Industry awaits the show with great anticipation.

ill INMEX India 2011 exhibit robotic systems to reduce labour? Will there be tailor made equipments to tackle tasks with tact? Such questions would intrigue and pique the interest of the players in the industry. Anjan Mukherjee, director of HyCa Technologies who would be participating as a delegate, looks forward orward to INMEX India 2011y ass a promising opportunity to network. Mukherjee sayss his company is one of the e rare Indian companiess who are on the forefront nt of research in its domain. ain. He adds their HyCator reactor system for ballast water treatment would be unveiled at the appropriate time to safeguard environmental standards. Mukherjee states, “Unless the market for this equipment opens up, it would not make sense for a company of our size to make investments in publicity or educating the customers which is why exhibitions are important.”

Exposure to latest trends He adds that maritime technology and services must not be restricted to a particular domain but instead be domain and geography independent. Mukherjee assumes INMEX India 2011 as a means of exposure to latest trends and also as a platform where one can catch up with the industry virtuosos. The trade exhibition of three days shall also witness Classification firms like Bureau Veritas, which gives consultation

in compliance with quality, health and safety, environmental protection standards and regulations, particularly in the shipping and construction industries. Mahesh Nair, assistant manager of administration at Bureau Veritas, informs that the bureau would be participating as an exhibitor. For him INMEX India 2011 will provide opport opportunities of contact, and improve the visibility of their brand. Mahesh also states that they would be ex exhibiting classification services, an rating of vessels in different and ar areas (condition, energy efficiency, valu through INMEX India 2011. value) Whil listing their products, Nair says, While r T “Our rules are regularly updated. Today ion there has been an important evolution ls on offshore rules and inland vessels de rules. A lot of effort has been made ps on energy efficiency of the ships and we are offering an energyy re efficiency rating. In addition we are now offering new services such as bunker analysis called Verifuel.” Nair adds that shipping and construction is a growing activity in India. There is a need to have a local

manufacturer for provision of the requisite equipment. Nair hopes to acquire more contacts to attain the company’s long term objectives.

A very good platform

networking

Participating as an exhibitor in INMEX India 2011, Nafeesa Moolabhoy, partner at Moloobhoy and Sons, sees the three day trade expo as being informative, with greater visibility and better business prospects. Moloobhoy affirms that at INMEX India 2011 suppliers and vendors would exhibit their latest products or their catalogues so the industry will be aware of upcoming products in the market. She adds, trade exhibitions are actually a good networking platform as many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) visit them and shipping companies would often also send in their officers, especially the technical and pu purchase departments. She thinks that INMEX Indi India 2011 shall pave the wa for a good dialogue way wh which would be healthy fo for the industry. As an ex exhibitor at INMEX India 2011 Moloobhoy will be 2011, displaying the products of their new OEMs like Simrad - gyro and autopilot along with the existing OEM’s new product line - like Furuno - Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System and electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS). Moloobhoy and Sons would also be showcasing videos of OEM’s latest innovations. She adds that they would also display PSM, their tank gauging systems and FLIR’s thermal imaging cameras which are very impressive. What are the challenges? Moloobhoy finds governmental rules and regulations

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www.snmevents com very challenging as they are often ambiguous, one sided and arbitrary. She adds if her company gains right support from the government, especially customs and vat authorities, her company could achieve greater heights.

We need support from government to seek income tax benefits for seafarers like the European and other Asian countries. There must also be special provisions for coastal shipping for making such operations economical and viable. Creating awareness for the industry and employers Ravi Sastry, CEO of Chandra Maritime Pvt Ltd finds INMEX India 2011 a good mode of exposure for marine and offshore industry. Sastry, who would be participating as a delegate, mentions that trade exhibitions like INMEX India 2011 creates awareness for the industry and employers. Referring to the challenges the company is facing whilst serving the maritime industry, Sastry asserts, “We need support from government towards various tax benefits for our seafarers like the European and other Asian countries. There must also be special provisions for coastal shipping for making operations economical and viable.”

Enabling industry specific flow of information Vijayendra Acharya, head of research at JM Baxi, one of India’s biggest shipping and logistics agencies would be participating as a delegate at INMEX India 2011. Acharya would be looking forward to getting acquainted with the latest trends and developments in the industry and trade. According to him, the Indian maritime industry had a long history and was highly diversified, yet it was only in the last decade or so that it had seen radical developments that changed the industry structure while favoring the private sector. “There is a need for a more advanced technology base and a bigger scale of investments both in the marine infrastructure as well as other operational assets,” states Acharya.

Acharya adds that industry-specific flow of information is enabled by trade exhibitions and conferences, which act as a platform to exchange business communication, build technology awareness and introduce new products. He looks forward to examining new products and technologies at INMEX India 2011. Acharya states, “I look forward to seeing many new products and technologies that will have a bearing on the further evolution of this industry. For instance, India needs to develop indigenous competency to handle growing number of cases of salvage and marine wreckage, against the backdrop of recent incidents of ships grounding and consequent oil spills, damaging the coastline and marine life.” Acharya says that unprecedented economic resurgence in the Asian economies have brought about a

The service part is a question of attitude and mind set. Indians tend to look at service as something which should come free. And, perhaps as a consequence of this attitude, service providers do not deliver well unless and until service is tied to supply. This is a very unhappy scenario. Service is as important as supply and the two should necessarily not be tied together. paradigm shift to shipping worldwide. He believes that the resultant developments have had a cascading effect that appears perplexing on one hand while it paves the way to ever new breakthroughs on the other. “Rapid pace of growth of China is a case in point,” he says. “India needs to take bold initiatives in the maritime sphere to be able to take on China as its competitor.”

In needs to develop India indigenous in competency to handle growing n number of cases of salvage and marine wreckage, against the backdrop of recent incidents of ships grounding and consequent oil spills, damaging the coastline and marine life. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011

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EVENTS Service is as important as supply INMEX India 2011 will witness the presence of many shipyards from India. Arindam Ganguli, di director of Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd would Shipy participating be as a delegate in the seminar. He th perceives INMEX pe India 2011 as a In means to increased me visibility while also visibi meeting national and international vendors. He observes that through trade exhibitions equipment manufacturers get to know end users and vice versa. Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd would have concentrated on displaying dredgers if exhibiting this year. Presenting his views on the products and equipments going to be displayed this year, Ganguli says, “My personal (and therefore debatable) opinion is that in this day and age, existing technology is not an issue, it can be and should be bought from wherever it is available and with whatever price it is available. The service part is a question of attitude and mind set. Indians tend to look at service as something which should come free. And, perhaps as a consequence of this attitude, service providers do not deliver well unless and until service is tied to supply. This is a very unhappy scenario. Service is as important as supply and the two should necessarily not be tied together.”

economics and the subsequent impact on India’s maritime sector. Chowgule Ports and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd would be exhibiting services offered by the entire Chowgule group that includes ship building, agency, warehousing, shipping, maritime training apart from the new ship repair and port facility which will start commercial operations early in the year 2012. Throwing more light upon their latest activities, Patwardhan informs, “The new port facility is a green field project coming up on the west coast

Competition from Singapore and Dubai is challenging. Our local regulations are not changing with the times and there is a dire need for a secure environment to promote business.

of India mid way between Mumbai and Goa. The facility will open with 700 m berthing length and handling equipments suitable to handle both bulk and containerized cargo. The ship repair yard will have shiplift and 6 repair berths on land to provide an integrated ship repair facility to undertake underwater as well as afloat repairs together with equipment and naval aids.” Parwardhan finds it challenging to have high cost of funds and a shortage of skilled manpower in the maritime sector. Delegates from shipping associations would be a part of INMEX to assess new products. President of Mumbai and Nhava Sheva Ship Agents Association (MANSA) and chairman of Shaan Marine Pvt Ltd, P.P. Singh, would be a part of INMEX India 2011 as a delegate. Singh thinks that INMEX India 2011 will benefit the industry. He expects INMEX India 2011 to display ship repair and ship building as more focused fields. About the challenges in

Deliberating upon challenges arising out of new fangled global economics M.P. Patwardhan, managing director of Chowgule Ports and Infrastructure Company terms INMEX India 2011 as an ave avenue for sharing thoughts, innovations thou an and developments in technology and efficient an operations. He also op seeks opportunities seek to d deliberate on ch the challenges that are emerging out of the new-fangled global

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the area of maritime technologies, Singh states, “India has many a challenge to encounter.” He expresses his concern ing and repairs that in India ship building ubjects have not been prim e subjects in the industry. to Companies into er marine products consider n INMEX India as an rk opportunity to network rs. and meet other vendors. Capt. Raj Chakravorty, MD, Jepessen India Ltd, A Boeing Company will be exhibiting in INMEX India 2011. The company would display electronic charts for vessels which will effectively combine two services into a single offering that ensures mariners’ easy access to the most authoritative charts available. The chart ensures that mariners are always navigating by an approved Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) from PRIMAR or other hydrographic offices, when these are available, informs Chakravorty. “When an ENC is not available, the service notifies the navigator (during route planning or navigation) and runs from the high-quality private vector data.” Elucidating further, Chakravorty

observes, “Competition from Singapore and Dubai is challenging. Our local regulations are not changing with the times and there is a dire need for a secure enviro environment to promote business.” The field of maritime training is al also looking optimistically towards th mother of all Maritime Events this he in India. G.A Soman, principal held of Don Bosco Maritime Academy info informs that his institution would be partic hibitor. participating as an exhibitor. Soman says that discovering ring y, new areas of technology, y, manufacturing, supply, ng innovations, exploring or new clientele ing customers, networking with various categories of stakeholders are some of the benefits of being a part of this show. The academy would be exhibiting maritime training with focus on welding and fabrication, machinery and electro technology. Soman adds, “These areas of training are relevant to both shipyards and the shipping companies. We have a large training facility which has delivered results to several industries and shipping companies both in India and abroad. We

offer on site training too. Trained and certificated workforce is the need of the hour. We offer world class training in India at Indian (affordable) costs.” According to Soman there is stiff competition from Singapore, Sri Lanka, China and Dubai. He says, “There is a distinct deficit of knowledge, skills and attitude so essential for the proper upkeep and development of maritime technology and services.” Som Soman believes that lack of subs substantial government support is a pr prime challenge confronting the in industry. He believes India has th the potential to turn into a top ra ranking maritime nation by paying so some attention to development of comp competencies and commensurate suppor support in the form of conducive policies and gestures from the government. While the industry awaits the international trade exhibition with eagerness, there are hopes that breakthroughs are about to happen in the areas of technology, training and development, shipbuilding and repair, and by means of a host of innovative products and services during INMEX India 2011.

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EVENTS INTERNATIONAL

First Ever International Seafarer Family Convention and Exhibition, celebrated at Manila

irst ever International Seafarers Family Convention and Exhibition was held at International Convention Center at CCP Grounds, Manila, Philippines on 04 and 05 Aug’2011 with the theme, “The Bonds of Families, the Success of the World.” The objectives of the convention were: Promote the upliftment of the quality of life, bonds and relationships with seafarers Bring together all seafarer families Discover the success stories behind every seafarer family Inspire and motivate seafarers of their moral, spiritual and emotional being Instill Family Values amongst Seafarers

Experts from their respective fields discussed various topics pertaining to the seafarers and their families like the role and importance of Trade Unions, and various actions taken to enhance the well being of Seafarers and their families. Other topics of discussion were ‘how to cope with loneliness upon prolonged separation when a seafarer is away performing his duties at high seas,’ and challenges in modern Maritime Education and Training. ITF assistant general secretary Stuart

The highlights of the convention were on: Effective Parenting Government programs on families Family bonding through reading habits Gender Equality Maritime PiracyHumanitarian Response Health and Wellness HIV Awareness

Howard while delivering a message of ITF President Paddy Crumlin said that the status of seafarers had to be considered to be equal to that of other workers, regardless of the flag of the ship on which they worked. Their frontline role in servicing the global community also needed to be acknowledged. The work of seafarers must be given the same recognition as

any other category of worker regardless of where their vessels are registered. It was emphasized the need for the governments to sign up to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), the Seafarers Bill of Rights and International Labour Organization convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents. He thanked all seafarers including their families for the contribution made towards seafaring and highlighted the important role seafarers played in moving cargo around the world. It is said that without involvement of seafarers half of the mankind will stave and remaining half will freeze. Mariner’s daughter, Marissa Oca, spearheaded the First International Seafarers’ Family Convention (ISFC). It aimed to promote bonding among seafarers’ families and improve their quality of life. The convention provided the opportunities for both local families and their foreign counterparts. Participants had the chance to meet and mingle with the maritime industry’s stakeholders and leaders.

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www.snmevents com Experts from their respective fields discussed various topics pertaining to the seafarers and their families like the role and importance of Trade Unions, and various actions taken to enhance the well being of Seafarers and their families. Other topics of discussion were ‘how to cope with loneliness upon prolonged separation when a seafarer is away performing his duties at high seas,’ and challenges in modern Maritime Education and Training. ITF assistant general secretary Stuart Howard while delivering a message of ITF President Paddy Crumlin said that the status of seafarers had to be considered to be equal to that of other workers, regardless of the flag of the ship on which they worked. Their frontline role in servicing the global community also needed to be acknowledged. The work of seafarers must be given the same recognition as any other category of worker regardless of where their vessels are registered. It was emphasized the need for the governments to sign up to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), the Seafarers Bill of Rights and International Labour Organization convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents. He thanked all seafarers including their families for the contribution made towards seafaring and highlighted the important role seafarers played in moving cargo around the world. It is said that without involvement of seafarers half of the mankind will stave and remaining half will freeze. Mariner’s daughter, Marissa Oca, spearheaded the First International Seafarers’ Family Convention (ISFC). It aimed to promote bonding among seafarers’ families and improve their quality of life. The convention provided the opportunities for both local families and their foreign counterparts. Participants had the chance to meet and mingle with the maritime industry’s stakeholders and leaders. Rosalinda Baldoz, secretary of the department of labour and employment of

Philippine who was delivering a speech on behalf President Aquino of Philippine said that MLC 2006 is close to her heart and assured the gathering that process of ratification of MLC 2006 is already on and in all probability it is going to be ratified by year end. The convention was jointly organised by the ITF-affiliated Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines and the Gig Foundation. Around 1350 delegates attended the convention and it was also supported by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust through the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare. Philippine, known as crewing capital of the world, is the number one seafaring labour supplying country in the world with total 3 lac seafarers present at any given time of the year on board the vessel and adding approx 4 billion dollar per year to the Philippine economy. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) are among the major problems plaguing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including seamen, today. Because of this concern, Dr. Asif Altaf, Aids advisor of the ITF Seafarers Trust in the United Kingdom was invited to deliver a lecture on HIV/Aids which was aimed at strengthening the ties among seafarers’ families and heralding the contribution of the maritime industry to the Philippine economy. Also emphasized was the need for all stake holders including NGOs to keep the families of

seafarers together. Many countries, associations, organizations, manning agencies, shipping lines, housing and real estate, banking and finance sector, health, car companies, appliances, and maritime schools exhibited their services and products to the seafaring families in the convention. The ISFC was the first gathering of seafarers’ families which intended to strengthen the ties of every member of the household. It was also a tribute to the contributions and support of the families of seafarers who had put the Philippines into the map of maritime world. 22-Points Labor Policy Agenda of Philippine government and “Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016,” and “Philippine Development Plan 20112016” will continue to guide Philippine policymakers in ensuring that the seafarer and his family gets the best social protection from the present administration. “We shall not fail you,” Baldoz said, quoting the President of Philippine. India is number three in seafarers supplying country in the world, number one and number two positions are being held Philippine and Ukraine respectively. The response and involvement in first ever family convention was of very high order it is therefore expected from our Government to also take lead in organizing in future Family conventions and exhibitions for our seafarers so that we have the chance to interact with our seafarers’ families and try to ascertain their requirements so that we can endeavour to solve their needs.” Courtesy: Capt. D.K. Singh, Marine Consultant, FSUI

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EVENTS

A Plea for Safe Seas from CMMI T

he company of Master Mariners India (CMMI) in a media release has expressed grave concern over the unabated and violent acts of piracy on unarmed ships and seafarers in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. “On this day, marked as the International Day of the Seafarer, we implore the citizens of the country to spare a thought for the brave, unarmed sailors on merchant ships trading in such hazardous waters. The industry, governmental and non-governmental bodies both at the national and international level have responded with great alarm at this scourge. CMMI acknowledges with gratitude the protective escorts and offensive actions taken by the navies of the world in keeping these shipping lanes secure at least in the limited theatre of the Gulf of Aden. CMMI also acknowledges the guidelines in Best Management Practices against Piracy published and widely disseminated by the International Chambers of Shipping as well as individual initiatives by shipowners

and managers in defending their fleets through effective implementation of their Security Procedures, including placing armed guards on board merchant ships during such high risk voyages. “However, CMMI believes these are temporary, unsustainable measures which only address the symptoms. While such measures are imperative in order to keep the wheels of international trade and commerce in motion, the root cause which is leading to such rampant and prolific acts of piracy lies on land in Somalia . There is a complete lack of governance, law and order or any form of administrative machinery in Somalia. This is a breeding ground for all forms of terrorist activities from where attacks are being launched on soft and easy assets on the high seas. “CMMI expects the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Shipping to expand the theatre of naval operations deep into the Arabian Sea to seek and neutralise pirate craft on the high seas in accordance with the Rules of engagement.

CMMI expects the government of India to stop its passive posturing on this critical issue in its own neighbourhood. Instead the GOI should engage pro-actively with the comity of nations through the auspices of the United Nations to develop and execute a military strategy that will permanently neutralise the piracy bases in and around Somalia. This scourge is not just a terrorist threat to shipping and seafarers; it is a threat to global trade, commerce and economy as well. The human and economic cost of passive inaction is unacceptably high. Only after such a cleanup military action can the Prime Minister’s vision of developing the Horn of Africa into a vibrant and sustainable economy can be realised. Submitted by Capt VN Aindley

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INSIGHT

WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION Capt. Augustin Parackal brings forth the different hues of workplace discrimination and the effect it has on personnel employed in an organization.

orkplace discrimination is any group without that attribute, for example, practice that distinguishes a selection process that rejects an applicant between individuals or groups solely on the basis of age. On the other that results in giving an unfair advantage hand, indirect discrimination refers to to some, creating a partisan environment. practices that may appear to be fair on the Unfair Workplace discrimination results surface but result in a large disadvantage to in discriminative decisions an individual or group, for about current or potential example, promotion that employees being made requires an uninterrupted on a criterion that has no service record. Such bearing on their actual a policy would ability to do the job. It can disadvantage women occur as a result of direct or who have interrupted indirect discrimination. their employment due to Direct discrimination childbearing. refers to the direct and less There are a favourable treatment of an number of grounds individual or group with for discrimination. a certain attribute when These include age, CAPT. AUGUSTIN compared to the treatment career, criminal record, PARACKAL of another individual or disability, marital status,

physical features, political belief or activity, pregnancy, race/communal and race vilification, religious belief or activity, gender, and association.

Communalism Communalism is defined as pervasive and systematic assumptions of the inherent superiority of certain groups and the inferiority of others based on differences in values, norms, beliefs and behaviours. Those who are assumed to be inferior are treated differently and less favourably in multiple ways. Modern communalism is more insidious. It cloaks itself in acceptable values, thereby justifying discrimination. The failure of organizations to consider the indirect discrimination resulting from the policies and practices of the dominant group values can result in communal / racial discrimination. Communalism oppresses members of the dominant group as well as the minority group. While gaining social and economic advantage, by communalism, members of the dominant group can feel disquiet, guilt and fear as a result of existing in a communal society or organization. They may blame and seek to exclude persons from minority groups, thereby justifying their advantage or avoiding confronting the reasons for their advantages and perpetuating communalism. They may also seek protection, reassurance and approval from members of the minority group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in effect, asking and requiring minority group members to conspire in their oppression and those who do might gain a slight advantage and some protection from the majority group. Legislation, for example, equal opportunities for all, can cause peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behaviour to change, which can cause changes in attitude and beliefs. It is

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important therefore, for an organization to have a clearly stated and disseminated policy against communalism /racism/ religious discrimination in employment and workplace practices. The managers must vigorously and publicly support such a policy and discriminatory attitudes and behaviours must be dealt with in an appropriate, open and prompt fashion. Training programs that explore communalism should be conducted to counter stereotypical views that adversely affect minority group employees. Efforts should be made to minimize identification by communal/religious/racial background so that each individual is appreciated for him/herself, rather than classified in accordance to bigoted ideas about members of that group. Efforts should also be made to breakdown such enclaves within the workplace. Teams, for example, should not be allowed to be formed on such criteria.

the organization appear inefficient or sloppy. In certain cases it can be illegal and unwarranted. At the worst it could insult an individual or group leading to unnecessary acrimony. A language code that specifies the language that must be avoided at the workplace shall help prevent internal differences between employees from surfacing in the presence of other colleagues and external customers. Quickly reprimanding an individual using such a discriminatory language shall inhibit others from doing the same. Organizations that take workplace equity seriously will ensure use of nondiscriminatory language in all their written and verbal communication, both internal and external. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive market we cannot afford to insult or exclude our internal and external customers through either inadvertent or deliberate use of discriminatory language â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for language that discriminates is bad for business.

Discriminatory Language

Sexual Harassment

Language is a powerful tool used by people to establish recognition or even shun an individual. The words we use can build bridges or invite hatred, fear or paranoia. Words are far more trenchant than sticks or stones. Discriminatory language at the workplace is unprofessional and makes

Sexual harassment at the workplace can have enormous personal and professional impact on the individual concerned. The physical and psychological manifestation of the damage caused by sexual harassment can include degradation, shame, embarrassment, guilt, intimidation,

frustration, a sense of hopelessness, stress, tension, fear, emotional breakdown etc. This psychological damage may manifest itself in an identifiable medical sense. To ensure a workplace free from sexual harassment, the organization can develop a policy statement that makes it very clear that sexual harassment will not be tolerated or condoned at any level. Secondly, all employees, new and old, can be trained to identify inappropriate workplace behaviour. Thirdly the organization can develop a mechanism for reporting sexual harassment, which will encourage people to speak out. Finally management can prepare to take prompt disciplinary action against those who commit sexual harassment as well as appropriate action to protect the victim. To conclude, discrimination of any kind at the workplace is detrimental to optimal productivity. It is a form of mental torture exerted on the victim of discrimination. The organization also stands to lose out on the benefits of an efficient workplace as much of the potential talents and energies of the employees are utilised in the senseless planning of discriminatory attacks and its defence by the one discriminated against. The management must interrupt such efforts by its employees and channelize their potential towards more constructive goals.

The author is Chief Operating Officer, Board of Examinations for Seafarers Trust

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29/08/2011 3:19:42 PM

INSIGHT

Scraping out

of a death defying ordeal By Vijaya Kandpal

While venturing out from Kandla port on May 2010, he never imagined that he would witness the veiled and gory faces in waters. Chirag Bahri, a second engineer from Ghaziabad, UP, was sailing on MV Marida Marguerite which was hijacked for eight months. He narrates the harrowing ordeals of the crew of the ill-fated vessel.

en on MV Marida Marguerite were prepared to venture into the den of water devils – Gulf of Aden. Best Management Practices were employed, fire hoses were arranged and the crew received a final briefing from the captain of the vessel, Mahadev Makne. MV Marida Marguerite slithers into the waters of Gulf of Aden and the nightmare begins as a fast skiff looms up as if starving to gobble up the chemical tanker. The six feet goons use a ladder to climb the vessel and in no time they were on the bridge of the vessel. The second engineer after venturing into Somalian waters heard the worst call of his life in his engine room, “Vessel is hijacked, come on the bridge.”

Hi tech Onslaught The days of yore when pirates used daggers to loot and pillage vessels are gone. “Now we have web friendly, technology devouring, updated with vital information (well the job profile demands it),” says Chirag with sarcasm. The crew was shocked and frightened for their very lives as each of the pirates had AK-47 and machine guns, he informs. Chirag says their perpetrators were callous and devoid of emotion. Six of them, aged 25 to 30 were headed by the financier of the whole piracy plan. He knew English and also a smattering of Hindi. “Their religion is to get maximum ransom at any cost,” says Chirag. These so called illiterate Somalians

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www.snmevents com also knew how to use satellite phones. Through phone calls between pirates and people involved in the nexus, Chirag came to know that piracy was not just a Somalian local business but had its has roots and arms extended to Europe and other western countries. This second engineer dreams of making seafarers aware that piracy was a dark comedy, dark for the captives and a comedy in a sadistic fashion for the pirates. He hopes wistfully that the shipping administrations would resolve the issue so that one would not have to narrate their ordeal of captivity. “The predicament of captivity cannot be weaved in a few words.” “The crew on MV Marida Marguerite was fast losing hope and believed death fast approaching each dreadful moment in captivity,” says Chirag with a hint of fear reminiscent on his visage. To add to their woes, one of their fellow members betrayed them by sharing vital information with pirates out of fear.

They are fatigued and carry ailments like piles, asthma and STDs. They eat like beasts and drink filthy water while appearing to be emaciated.

The vessel saw more pirates stepping on its freeboard as it reached Somalia. The negotiator was a 55 years old man who used to be a driver in Mumbai. He could speak Hindi well, appeared to be educated and possessed an uncanny knowledge of India, as described by Chirag. “Pirates are not just mentally sick,” says the second engineer. They are fatigued and carry ailments like piles, asthma and STDs. They eat like beasts and drink filthy water while appearing to be emaciated. The crew on MV Marida Marguerite was scared that pirates shall exhaust the fuel as they never allowed them to put off generator and lights. Chirag and the other men in white were tortured and battered. They were not allowed to talk to one another; they were forced to lie facing the ground when not working. “We were tied with ropes for hours and hours,” says Chirag while narrating his horrendous ordeal. To keep them in a constant state of terror and to add to their paranoia, pirates also fired a gunshot close to a crew member’s ears which made them realize that they were indeed expendable. What was most disheartening was to see our superiors treated in an absolutely abhorrent fashion and were transformed into mere slaves of the pirates, says Chirag.

Chirag Bahri-with Dr. SB Agnihotri, DG Shipping, and Capt. MM Saggi, Nautical Advisor, GOI

Keep your hopes alive, the only fuel to your life. Don’t disregard the hierarchy during captivity, please respect your superiors as you used to before the hijack.

To keep them in a constant state of terror and to add to their paranoia, pirates also fired a gunshot close to a crew member’s ears. No foolish bravado – keep your hopes alive Chirag candidly states that he wouldn’t want to venture towards the Gulf of Aden again but would continue seafaring. He suggests saving fresh water before venturing into the piracy prone areas. “Keep your hopes alive, the only fuel to your life,” he asserts. While it is difficult to think about others during captivity but unity is crucial. Keep calm and save your energy. Listen to the pirates and follow their orders, do not risk your life with foolish bravado, advises Chirag. Use your energy when the time comes. “Don’t disregard the hierarchy during captivity, please respect your superiors as you used to before the hijack.” Remain patient and be friendly with them. He was rather flummoxed in the manner in which the way pirates became friendly with seafarers after receiving the ransom. Pirates offered the crew wine and dates after receiving the ransom and greeted them. They called the crew members their brothers and stated that they will miss them. They also sought forgiveness from the crew for their ordeal.

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03/09/2011 5:21:27 PM

INSIGHT

Oil Spillage and

its Effect on Marine Population

Avick Seal analyzes the impact of oil spill on marine life and its Avick Seal consequences.

cargo vessel MV Rak sunken in Arabian Sea on 11th August 2011 due to rough sea and approximately 150 metric tons of oil was leaked. It was transporting coal, 325 and 56 tons fuel oil and diesel respectively from Indonesia to Gujarat. This spillage could have short term and long term adverse impact in Mumbai’s ecosystem.

Oil Spillage: Facts When oil is spilled or leaked into the oceans or seas, it spreads rapidly under the influence of wind and water current. When crude oil mixes with water, it changes its composition and becomes “mousse”. This is a sticky substance that clings to other substances. Many marine animals and fishes get attracted to it as it resembles food. Sometimes though, the oil appears to have dissipated but it can still lurk beneath the surface of beaches and even the sea bed. This could severely affect marine burrowing organisms such as crabs, oysters, etc. on a long term basis. These burrowing creatures also act as food for other animals, so the cycle of poisoning continues for many years. Due to oil spillage there would be adverse effect on both marine as well as coastal environment. The closer the oil spill happens near the shoreline, the more pronounced is the damage on coastal ecosystems. The Gulf of Mexico, 2010 disaster was considered as the largest spill in U.S. history and it was also one of the biggest ecological disasters. This spill had killed thousands of sea birds, otters, hundreds of seals as well as killer whales, bald eagles and fishes. The effect of oil spillage was not only

concentrated at the locations where spillage took place but it also affected the locations at far distances.

Sometimes the oil appears to have dissipated but it can still lurk beneath the surface of beaches and even the sea bed. This could severely affect marine burrowing organisms such as crabs, oysters, etc. on a long term basis. These burrowing creatures also act as food for other animals, so the cycle of poisoning continues for many years.

Mumbai’s Oil Spil The oil spillage took place in the coast of Mumbai during the breeding season for most of the fishes. Due to this oil spillage, the breeding season would be affected and thus it could hamper the ecological system. Traditional fishes like Bombay duck, pomfret, rawas, ghol, surmai, catfish, prawn, lobster and crab could get adversely affected. Some of the other impact of this oil spill would be hypothermia and drowning of birds. Spilled oil could reduce the insulating capabilities of feathers, making them heavier and thus compromising the flying ability of birds that are of a migratory nature. It could damage the airway of birds and animals and cause hypothermia in seal pups as the oil destroys insulating fur. Immune system of animals would be affected from this oil spillage. It may interrupt the breeding and fouling

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www.snmevents com grounds of the migratory birds. Thinner bird and turtle egg shells could be directly damaged from this spillage. It may lead to deformities. If oil is ingested, it can poison the animals, make them extremely sick or increase the toxins level in their system that could cause poisoning of further food chain. Birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean them. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk in these scenarios as they cannot escape from an oil slick. Thus it might have a long term effect on the natural ecosystem. It would also affect the mangroves near the shoreline. Oil leaks and spills have a direct impact on tourism as well.

Not only are marine flora, fauna and microbes getting affected but these toxins are also entering into human body through marine food chain. Though, it seems to be at a superficial level, it can lead to tremendous adverse impact on long term basis on human beings.

Need for better Management Strategies Currently, India has a Notification G.S.R. 546 (E) for discharge of drilling fluids into marine environment. This notification is published by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), India. This notification states that LC50 (96 h) must be greater than 30,000 mg/L for drill cuttings or oil discharge in marine environment. In order to protect the environment, MoEF must consider framing better policies in terms of eco-friendly nature. Acute eco-toxicity testing is commonly used to predict the toxicity of drilling fluids or oil in marine environment. It is measured in terms of lethal concentration (LC50 for 96 h). LC50 means the concentration at which 50 percent of test organisms survive. There are three guidelines

available in the world such as USEPA guideline for Ecological Effects on Marine organisms, OECD Guideline for testing of Chemicals and OSPAR, Protocols on methods for testing of Chemicals used in Offshore Oil Industry. All these guidelines follow a single toxicity rating (Table 1). This rating shows a grade of toxicity, ranging from very toxic to non toxic range. MoEF must consider reframing the Notification G.S.R. 546 (E) for a better and eco friendly toxicity rating.

Table 1: Toxicity Grades for Drill Cutting Discharges Toxicity Rating

LC 50 (mg/L)

Very toxic Toxic Moderately toxic Slightly toxic Almost non-toxic Non-toxic

<1 1-100 100-1000 1000-10,000 10,000-100,000 > 100,000

Opportunities Ahead Toxicity assessment is a new and challenging field of research. In India, not much detailed research has been carried out in this field. Not only are marine flora, fauna and microbes getting affected but these toxins are also entering into human body through marine food chain. Though, it seems to be at a superficial level, it can lead to tremendous adverse impact on long term basis on human beings. Therefore, proper research needs to be carried out to understand the long term toxic impact of oil spillage on humans and environment. Also, the present marine microbial population could get mutated into new species. Hence, there is tremendous scope for microbiologists and genetists to evaluate the effect of frequent oil spillage on microbial populations. Finally the oil companies should manufacture the drilling fluids and oils which is easily biodegrade in nature. Hence, biodegradability assessment is the need of the hour. Government of India should develop a guideline to protect the coastal and marine environment. One should consider acute toxicity level both for marine and terrestrial ecology and biodegradability assessment while framing guidelines. The author is a post graduate in the field of Applied Genetics and has a M. Phil degree in Biotechnology. He has served at National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for 2 years as project assistant.

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Product showcase

Piracy Solution Jet gun_PSJ1008 = Actual Attack

= Attempted Attack

■ Background Somali Pirate Attack Success Rate (December 2008~ 20 April 2009) (Successful hijackings / Total Attempts) 43.0% 39.0%

45.0% 40.0%

Success Rate

35.0% 30.0%

27.0% 22.0%

25.0% 15.0%

20.0%

12.5%

15.0%

8.0%

10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean

0.0%

27.0%

0.0%

15.0%

0.0%

12.5%

8.0%

43.0%

0.0%

22.0%

39.0%

Dec-08

Jan-09

Feb-09

Mar-09

April-09

Always in pursuit of safety and environment excellence, TANKTECH has developed many products like pressure vacuum valves, fire fighting system, emergency towing system, tank cleaning machine, portable measuring system which are installed on various vessels around the world. TANKTECH is committed to innovation and is steadily developing new technologies. Recently, there has been an upsurge in maritime piracy around the world. It has affected shipping companies from all over the world. Ships are being attacked and boarded by pirates within a few minutes. In order to provide a solution to the above problem, TANKTECH which is renowned for its Tank Cleaning Machine has in collaboration with MOIM CONSULTING, developed the PSJ1008 (Piracy Solution Jet gun) system.

■ Introduction PSJ1008 is an innovative water-jet system which defends the vessel against forced boarding by the pirates. It consists of two water jet guns mounted on the shipside, rotating 90 degrees and continuously shooting a high pressure stream of water. It can be installed on all kind of vessels and is especially suitable for oil, chemical, LPG and LNG ships as it is intrinsically safe. PSJ1008 is easy to install and operate, because it uses the existing facilities of fire fighting pumps, pipelines and hoses. Therefore no additional installation is required onboard the vessel. However, special hoses can be supplied for the machine on demand. TANKTECH, has various series for PSJ1008 and the machine can be customized according to the need of the customers. In an effort to help better understand the machine’s installation, operation and effect we can provide a video.

August - September 2011

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www.snmevents com

Piracy Solution Jet gun_PSJ1008 Installation Before operating Set up the machine inboard of the handrail through the U-bolt connection. This will ensure that the machine does not fall overboard during installation. Preparation for Operation Turn the machine over the handrail to the outboard shipside. Adjust the bottom screw to point the nozzles at the desired angle. Connect to fire fighting hose with PSJ1008 quick connect coupling. When operating, the two water jet guns rotate in 90 degree, spraying the pressurized water jet along the shipside.

Arrangement plan

Set up

Turn over

Connect

Water-jet

Solution The machines using the water pressure from the fire fighting system pre-installed on all ships provides a continuous water curtain along the hull and makes boarding by pirates almost impossible. The system can be operated for an indefinite amount of time and can be started from a safe location within the accommodation. 127

257

â&#x2013; Specifications

575

798

Dimensions s &LOW ^ M H s *ET PRESSURE ^ BAR s 2OTATION SPEED !DJUSTABLE s 2OTATION ANGLE ÂŞ ÂŞ s ,ENGTH MM s 7EIGHT KG s #ONNECTION TYPE m ANGE OR COUPLING

Material Description Inlet body Jet gun Quick coupling

Material SUS316 ALBC/SUS316 On request

Supporting device

Carbon Steel Stainless Steel

â&#x2013; Advantages 69

131 200

[ Patent pending ]

s %ASY INSTALLATION s 1UICK OPERATION WHICH IS COMPLETELY SAFE FOR CREW ONBOARD AS THE PRESSURE works only along the shipside. s .O FURTHER REQUIREMENT FOR SETTING THE MACHINE ANGLE OR CHANGING THE CYCLE s 3IMPLE EFFECTIVE AND MAINTENANCE FREE DESIGN s #ONTINUOUS REPEATING CYCLE WITHOUT THE NEED TO FOR HUMAN INTERVENTION s #AN BE INSTALLED AND USED ON ALL KIND OF VESSELS SAFELY AS IS INTRINSICALLY SAFE s /PTION OF SELECTING THE VARIOUS ADDITIVES FOR MAXIMIZING THE EFFECT

TANKTECH CO., LTD.

3ONGJEONG DONG 'ANGSEO GU "USAN +OREA 4EL &AX % MAIL TANKTECH TANKTECH CO KR HTTP WWW TANKTECH CO KR

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NEWS UPDATE www.snmevents com

IMO agrees to reduce ship pollution T

CAPT. D.K.SINGH

final inside page.indd 62

he International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted regulations to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping. The measures agreed by the IMOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting which was held between 11 and 15 July 2011. It is important to note that this is the first-ever worldwide regulation of greenhouse gases for any international industry sector. Under the new regulations which apply to all ships of 400 gross tonnages and above and which are expected to

come into force on 1 January 2013. It would therefore become mandatory for all new ships to be built to energy efficient standards and existing ships will have to implement energy efficient management plans. However, the MEPC also agreed that some developing nations could apply for a waiver to delay application of the standards in their jurisdiction for up to five years. This could affect the worldwide impact of the ship pollution reduction measures if ship owners choose to have their new ships flagged in countries covered by the waiver. Courtesy: Capt. D.K. Singh, Marine Consultant, FSUI

29/08/2011 12:31:02 PM

OVERSIGHT www.snmevents com

Fire Prevention T

he best way to deal with fires is to prevent them and not let them occur. Breaking out of a fire where no fire exists is called “ ignition” while “flash” means that a new fire is caught in another place to which the flames spread from the existing fire ( the ignition source). Fires on board can be prevented by finding and rectifying leakages of fuel oil, lub oil and exhaust gases. In the generator room, the biggest danger of fire is from a leaky high pressure fuel pipe. Oil leaking from this pipe can fall on exhaust manifold or on the indicator cocks. In respect of modern engines there is a push type cover which conceals the indicator cocks but on older engines there is no such provision and it is quite difficult to provide lagging to these indicator cocks. These days the fuel HP pipes are sheathed and the leakage finds its way to a small tank at the bottom of the engine. We should keep this system in good order and regularly test the tank alarm, “fuel leak off tank high level”. Leakages are caused by pipes breaking due to vibration, clamp rubbing against the pipe and creating a hole, pipe connections getting damaged with the time behind the pressure gauges (we generally do not look here), leakages from fittings at boiler furnace front and incinerator front etc. Careful and periodical checking is also required on boiler smoke side and incinerator uptake. Fires can be largely prevented by providing effective laggings to hot surfaces such as generator turbocharger bellows, main engine exhaust uptakes after the turbocharger, various steam

pipes and pipes carrying hot oil. Laggings can be done by ship staff but these days specialist contractors are available to carry out this work more aesthetically. Whenever we remove lagging, we must always put back after the work is finished. We have fire detectors and it very important to keep them tested. In the engine room we should have bins with lids (covers) to store oily rags. Oily rags should not be lying or stuck up here and there. Have such receptacles with covers at each floor on both sides. Do not tighten fuel HP pipes to control a leakage while the engine is running. Do not try to take oil in turbochargers while in operation. Keep the short sounding pipes closed and do not keep them tied in open position for the sake of convenience. Cases have happened when oil spilled out from these short sounding pipes. Check that any pet cocks or small cocks on a common rail pipe are not getting loose. We need to be especially careful about galley fires and therefore keep the electrical equipment in good order. Senior officers must keep an eye in the galley especially while provision is being received because at these times the galley remains unattended. One of the patent methods of fire prevention is the effective and regular fire patrol. There is nothing to beat physical monitoring. Exhaust leakages and steam leakages are to be promptly attended. Fire caused by cigarettes is still the biggest cause. Take all care to dispose off the cigarettes (self closing ashtrays) and do not smoke in bed.

For Shipping and Marine Events and Milestones

Publisher: Sadanand Subramanian Editor-in-Chief: Sadanand Subramanian Dy. Editor: Lionel Alva Correspondents: Vijaya Kandpal, Zafrus Salaam, Avick Seal Business Dev. Manager: Poornima Sasidharan Head of Marketing: Naushad P.V. Art Director: Mary Varghees Subscriptions information: SNM Events is published 6 times per annum by Surya Media Ventures. In India – Rs. 500 – 1 year, Rs. 800 – 2 years, Rs. 1,000 – 3 years Other Asian Countries – 40 $ - 1 year, 65 $ - 2 years, 80 $ - 3 years Rest of the World – 60 $ - 1 year, 75 $ - 2 years, 100 $ - 3 years Editorial and Production Office Surya Media Ventures 211 B-Wing, Isha Complex, Plot No. 3C, Sector-15, Near Nerul Railway Station, Nerul (East), Navi Mumbai-706, India. 91-22-2770 6623, 2770 6624 Mobile: 91-8652081440 Email: editor@snmevents.com City Office 10, Hornby Building, 2nd Floor, 172/174, Dr. D.N. Road, Fort, Mumbai – 400 001, India. 91-22-2207 1227, 2207 3484 Fax: 91-22-2207 0396 Printed in India by Print World, Byculla, Mumbai. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this edition is correct, the publishers accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may occur. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by an means without prior written permission of the publishers.

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011

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