Awilco LNG ASA – Vessel and contract update

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June 26, 2019

With reference to press release no. 2/2019 and stock exchange announcement 3 June 2019, WilForce is currently at yard in Singapore for repairs following a collision which caused only hull damage and no harm to life or environment. Repairs are progressing as planned and are expected completed by end-August / early September. Cost of repairs are covered by insurance.

At the time of being struck by the other vessel, the WilForce was employed on a 9-12 month time charter contract which commenced in September 2018 as announced 5 July 2018. The Charterer has notified Awilco LNG of its decision to cancel the remaining period of the time charter contract due to the prolonged off-hire period required to repair the Vessel. This is a right the Charterer has in accordance with the Charter Party Terms. The Vessel has loss of hire insurance in line with market rate levels which compensates for most of the lost time charter hire.

To reiterate, based on a preliminary assessment of facts Awilco LNG holds the other vessel fully and completely liable for the collision, and the Company expects to recover all costs and expenses, including insurance deductibles, off-hire and lost time charter hire in due course.

The WilForce is expected to be available for new chartering opportunities ahead of the seasonally stronger Northern Hemisphere winter period.

The Company sees the chartering market tightening in Q4 2019 on the back of newbuilding deliveries tapering off in the second half of 2019 coupled with most of the new LNG production capacity scheduled for start up in 2019 being commissioned in the second half of the year and of course increased demand ahead of winter. This view is already supported by the current soft rates in the prompt compared to higher rates obtainable for contracts starting in Q4.

Hutchison ports crowned best global container terminal operator

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June 26, 2019

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At the 2019 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards presented in Hong Kong, Hutchison Ports was named Best Global Container Terminal Operator while Hutchison Ports Yantian was honoured Best Green Container Terminal.

The awards, hosted and organised annually by Asia Cargo News, recognise leading service providers including air and shipping lines, airports and sea ports, logistics, 3PLs and other associated industry professionals.

Paul Fan, Executive Director of Hutchison Ports, said,

“As a Hong Kong-based company, we found receiving the award of the Best Global Container Terminal Operator to be particularly meaningful. It is a testament to our contribution to the growth of Hong Kong as a global trading centre.”

“Starting out as a single berth 50 years ago, Hutchison Ports has developed into the world’s leading port network that it is today. In an increasingly competitive regional and global environment today, there are challenges from geopolitical uncertainties; at the same time, we also see lots of opportunities from digitalisation. Hutchison Ports remains positive about the opportunities ahead and we will continue to play our part in the growth of the logistics business in Asia and afar,”

said Paul.

“It is encouraging to note that while accomplishments in the conventional categories are being recognised, there is an increasing focus on companies’ efforts to reduce carbon footprints and limit impacts on the environment. We believe that protecting the environment and creating a green port will greatly benefit future generations in many years to come.”

Paul continued.

The AFLAS Award was attended by over hundreds of industry professionals. The nomination and voting process allowed more than 10,000 readers of Asia Cargo News and e-news subscribers to first determine the leading companies in the market, and then determine the winners.

MEYER WERFT hands over Spirit of Discovery

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June 25, 2019

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Today MEYER WERFT handed over Spirit of Discovery to the British cruise line Saga Cruises. The vessel with a rating of 58,250 GT is already the second new build completed by MEYER WERFT in 2019 after Spectrum of the Seas was delivered to Royal Caribbean International in April.

“With great team effort we already completed two modern cruise ships this year”,

says Tim Meyer, Managing Director of MEYER WERFT.

Spirit of Discovery stands out with an environmental friendly and resource conserving Design. For the first time MEYER WERFT equipped a ship with the eSiPod propulsion system delivered by Siemens.

Earlier this month, the keel laying for Spirit of Adventure, Saga Cruises’ second new build, was celebrated at MEYER WERFT. Spirit of Adventure will be completed in summer 2020. The ships each have an overall length of 236 metres, a width of 31.2 metres, 999 passengers can be accommodated.

Therefore MEYER WERFT will complete three new cruise ships in 2020 as well. In au-tumn 2019, Norwegian Encore is scheduled to be the third vessel delivered by MEYER WERFT this year.

Risk Intelligence signs agreement with Reederei Nord Group for the Risk Intelligence System

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June 25, 2019

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Risk Intelligence A/S (“Risk Intelligence”) today announces that the company has signed an agreement with Reederei Nord Group for the Risk Intelligence System (MaRisk+PortRisk).

“The new agreement with a shipping company that over the years has built a reputation for quality ship management across the dry (container and bulk) and wet (tanker) segments is important for Risk Intelligence and underlines our ability to build close client relationships with leading players in the various shipping segments.”

states Jan Michelsen, Sales Director of Risk Intelligence.

About Reederei Nord Group
The Reederei Nord Group currently comprises of three separate management companies Reederei Nord GmbH located in Hamburg, Germany with focus on the dry (container and bulk) tonnage and Reederei Nord B.V. located in Amsterdam Netherlands with its main focus on the wet (tanker) tonnage, as well as Reederei Nord Shipmanagement ltd, located in Limassol, Cyprus focusing on the manning of Tankers and also provides third party management services for a number of container vessels.

Valhall Flank West successfully installed

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June 25, 2019

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The Valhall Flank West topsides were installed on the Valhall field on Saturday, 22 June. This is just 14 months after the first steel was cut at Kværner’s yard in Verdal. Both the topsides and the jacket were delivered ahead of schedule, under budget and with no serious injuries.

Aker BP is the operator of the Valhall Flank Vest with Pandion as partner. The platform is the first to be delivered under the wellhead platform alliance between Aker BP, Aker Solutions, Kværner and ABB. It sailed from Kværner in Verdal on Sunday 16 June and arrived at the field with no carry-over-work from the yard. That means a significant reduction in the work scope offshore.

“This is probably the most complete platform ever installed in the North Sea. All planned construction work is complete and just seven per cent of the commissioning phase remains. I am truly impressed by the job the alliance has done here,”

…says CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik in Aker BP.

“We see a definite effect from the alliance model in the Valhall Flank West project. Compared with similar projects, we have seen substantial reductions in both cost, engineering hours and construction of the topsides and jacket. Quality has been delivered from day one of the project, and we have not experienced any serious injuries,”

…says Hersvik.

Good cooperation

Heerema’s Thialf lifting vessel placed the 2000-tonne topsides on the jacket at Thursday evening. The entire operation was complete on Saturday morning. Everything went according to plan.

The critical hook-up work starts almost immediately. Initially, crews will be transported to the platform using vessels. The Maersk Invincible rig is expected to arrive at the field sometime next week. It will drill six wells as part of the project and will function as a living quarters platform in the hook-up and commissioning phase.

“So far, Valhall Flank West has been a fantastic journey and I am proud to lead this team. All the alliances are delivering and the project is successful because we have a solid team that cooperates really well across companies,”

…says project manager Michael Joseph Bible.

At the Valhall Field Centre, the Modification alliance has carried out extensive modifications over the past year to prepare the centre to receive the production from Valhall Flank West. In addition, the Subsea alliance has laid pipelines and umbilical which are ready to be pulled in now that the platform is in place.

“We are now entering a demanding offshore period, and we will continue the good work in this phase of the project. The most important thing for us is that everyone working in the project return home safely,”

…says Bible.

Vessel training simulation underway at Tema Port’s new Terminal 3

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June 25, 2019

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The first vessel has successfully docked at Tema Port’s new MPS Terminal 3, Ghana. The container vessel will be used for training purposes over the coming weeks, to ensure that the terminal runs smoothly from day one, when operations begin later this month on June 28.

Chartering the test vessel will cost around 250,000 Dollars. Over the coming weeks it will be used to run a full-scale test of the port and for final staff training.

“When it comes to training, the benefits significantly outweigh the cost involved,”

explained Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Port Services Ltd, Mohamed Samara.

The MPS Operations Team are shifting gear, from systems and equipment commissioning, and integrated testing, to simulating a full-fledged container terminal operation between yard and vessel.

Testing the Terminal Operating System

“Testing will not only involve operations at the waterfront and yard, but also more importantly the Terminal Operating System (TOS) and the full planning process for receipts and delivery,”

says Mr. Cyrille Lemee, Head of Business Transition. We will pull together results from this trial operation, analyse them, identify all gaps and prepare for the next vessel call.

Referring to how prepared the Operations Team were for the scheduled Go- Live, Operations Manager, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene Addo was reassured that the right team were in place for the beginning of operations.

“For the Go- Live, every member of the operations team has undergone training and retraining. So far, the training process has yielded the expected results and we anticipate more improvement going forward, especially as result of running simulations using test vessels. I can confidently say that the team is ready and come June 28, we will Go-Live.”

Phase-two construction

Project Director, Mark Nolet explained that in the run up to Go-Live, the construction team would hand over the facility – including all installations in the yard space, quay side and offices – fully to the operations team.

“As this is a continuing project, the construction process will continue, but will have no impact on daily operations once the port goes live,”

he says. We hope to achieve our target of completing phase two of the project in record time as we are already two years ahead of schedule.

Most efficient port in West Africa

The Tema Port Expansion Project is spearheaded by Meridian Port Services (MPS), a joint venture between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (30%), APM Terminals (35%) and Bolloré Transport and Logistics (35%). On completion it will be the largest and most efficient container terminal on the Western Coast of Africa with a deep-water draft of 16 meters. It has the potential to catapult Africa into a different level in the world shipping industry by creating new service routes and connections, and opening up the market for Africa. It will also reduce freight costs and position Ghana as a model maritime nation.

The terminal is projected to handle throughput of 2 million TEUs with the opening of phase 1 and 3.7million TEUs when fully completed.

Sealand – A Maersk Company Launches Hispaniola Service

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June 25, 2019

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Sealand – A Maersk Company, the Intra-Americas regional ocean carrier of the Maersk Group, today introduces Hispaniola, a new direct, all-water service that connects South Florida’s Port Everglades with the Dominican Republic (Rio Haina) and Haiti (Port-au-Prince). This service provides another connection to the entire Sealand network. The first sailing is July 7, 2019 from Port Everglades, July 11, 2019 from Port Rio Haina and July 12, 2019 from Port-au-Prince.

Sealand – A Maersk Company continues the expansion of its comprehensive Americas service network by extending its coverage of Southern Florida via the Port Everglades gateway. The full scope of services now includes four weekly sailings which connect to Sealand’s dedicated hubs in Manzanillo and Cartagena, allowing for secure connections to the entire Sealand network. The Hispaniola service serves customers within Southern Florida and the Caribbean region with special focus on time-sensitive commodities

“Sealand continues to invest in the Americas to create trading and sales opportunities for our customers. Reliable transits and service options are critical to ensuring our customers’ transactions are fully supported and create further opportunities for their businesses. Sealand has built a strong reputation for service delivery with a local touch, and is returning to this key market. The Hispaniola service is a great compliment to our wide network in the Americas and directly helps support trade between the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the USA via Southern Florida,”

said Jairo Zapata, Sealand’s Caribbean Commercial Manager.

Sealand has a network of local offices throughout Latin America to provide personalized service to customers, as well as a suite of e-commerce solutions, including a mobile app, for fast and easy access to digital freight management tools for customers.

ONE’s Operating Vessel Rescued Crew Members from Sinking Coastal Vessel in the Eastern Gulf of Aden

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June 25, 2019

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Ocean Network Express (ONE) operated vessel, NYK EAGLE, was involved in a combined rescue operation involving Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres. NYK EAGLE safely rescued 6 crew members from a sinking coastal vessel in the Eastern Gulf of Aden.

NYK EAGLE was navigating the ocean when it received a request from CMF to assist a small sinking coastal vessel, as NYK EAGLE was closest to the affected vessel. A thorough and cautious rescue approach was carried out by NYK EAGLE on the small sinking coastal vessel, rescuing 6 crew members. 2 other crew members were airlifted by the Japan Navy helicopter and taken to the Japan Naval. NYK EAGLE then sailed to Djibouti to disembark the 6 crew members on 22 June 2019. NYK EAGLE then resumed her sea passage to Rotterdam and there was no delay caused in this situation.

Two NYK Ships Receive Japanese Pilots’ Best Quality Ship Award

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June 25, 2019

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The wood-chip carrier Forestal Reina and the methanol tanker Kohzan Maru III, both NYK-operated vessels managed by NYK Group companies, have been awarded the 2018 Best Quality Ship Award by the Japan Federation of Pilots’ Associations (JFPA).* An awards ceremony was held on June 21 at the Todofuken Kaikan in Tokyo and was attended by Shinya Hitomi, NYK corporate officer and related parties.

The Best Quality Ship Award was founded in fiscal 2003 with the aim of enhancing awareness of not only safe vessel operations but also the need for environmental conservation within our ports and oceans.

Pilots performed comprehensive evaluations of vessels that had requested pilot operations at pilotage districts throughout Japan during the months of September and October 2018, and then selected seven vessels, including two NYK ships, to be recognized for their excellent operations.

The ships were evaluated for their sure implementation of safety measures, sufficient training of bridge crew in Bridge Resource Management** directive and command systems on board the vessel, crew awareness for safe operations, and systems in place for easing cooperation with pilots.

The NYK Group will continue its efforts to ensure safe operations, positioning safety as our most important task.

* Japan Federation of Pilots’ Associations (JFPA): Under the revised Pilotage Law, the JFPA was founded on April 1, 2007, as an incorporated national federation comprising district-wide pilot associations.

** Bridge Resource Management: Management method employing the concept of Cockpit Resource Management developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This method aims to improve interactions among human resources on the bridge from where a ship is controlled.

MOL signs deal on a long-term charter contract to utilize “MOL FSRU Challenger” for Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project

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June 25, 2019

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Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced that MOL has entered into a long-term charter contract with Hong Kong LNG Terminal Limited (*1), to supply a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) (*2), as well as Jetty Operation & Maintenance Services and Port Services for the Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project ("Project"). MOL will utilize the "MOL FSRU Challenger" built in 2017 with a storage capacity of 263,000m³ which remains the largest FSRU in the world today, to provide services to this first FSRU project for Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the historical center of MOL's extensive overseas network and such business experience in Hong Kong has led MOL to the participation of this project.

The FSRU was constructed at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. in South Korea and is currently employed on a mid-term charter for a project in Turkey (*3). The Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal will be located at the southern waters of Hong Kong and to the east of the Soko Islands. The FSRU will be delivered to Hong Kong to begin testing and commissioning when the Project finishes construction, currently expected in 2021. The FSRU will supply gas to two destinations in Hong Kong, the Black Point Power Station located in the New Territories and Lamma Power Station located at Lamma Island. The project is being developed to support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's plan to increase the percentage of power generation from natural gas to meet its pledged environmental targets.

In addition, MOL has entered into an agreement with Royal Vopak (*4) (Chairman & CEO: Eelco Hoekstra) for this project. Royal Vopak is the world's leading independent tank storage company and will assist in the project development related to the Jetty Operation & Maintenance Services, leveraging upon its global track record in LNG terminal operation.

In MOL's management plan, "Rolling Plan 2019", MOL has positioned its Offshore Business as a field where MOL can leverage its strengths. FSRUs are drawing attention as a solution for flexibility and mobility in both the LNG and Electricity supply chain. MOL will promote the FSRU business and its associated services, which meets customer needs for diversified energy procurement and SDGs achievement (i.e., environmental condition and stable development), as the Asian leading company of FSRU business.

(*1) Hong Kong LNG Terminal Limited is a joint venture between the Castle Peak Power Company Limited (CAPCO) and The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited. CAPCO is a joint venture between CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and China Southern Power Grid International (HK) Co., Limited.

(*2) Floating Storage Regasification Unit. A floating facility for storing and regasifying LNG, which is then pressurized and piped ashore.

(*3) Please refer to the June 25th 2018 press release:
MOL In Exclusive Discussions To Utilize "MOL FSRU Challenger" For Hong Kong Offshore LNG Terminal Project

(*4) Royal Vopak is the world's leading independent tank storage company and headquartered in the Netherlands. Vopak operates a global network of terminals located at strategic locations along major trade routes.