Saudi Customs eyes the first blockchain shipment to Rotterdam

By

-

May 21, 2019

Saudi Customs, in light of their partnership with TradeLens, experienced the arrival of their first shipment powered by the blockchain technology.

The shipment left from the Dammam Port in Saudi Arabia bound for Rotterdam while its data and documents were handled by all parties to the shipment on a national single window, FASAH.

Specifically, TradeLens is a collaboration between Maersk and IBM, as they use blockchain technology as the foundation for digitizing supply chains, enabling increased industry innovation, reduced trade friction and, ultimately, increased global trade.

H.E Mr. Ahmed Al-Hakbani, Governor of Saudi Customs, commented..'To establish the Kingdom as one of the world’s premier logistics hub we needed to create a paradigm shift in the way we handle our shipping processes and explore futuristic approaches with our peer-to-peer business ecosystem worldwide. We hope our pilot program will stand the test of time to include other ports as well."

Concerning the shipment, the container gated into Dammam Terminal on March 27. Later, the commercial invoice and packing list were uploaded by the customer to the TradeLens platform in a structured format, with their export customs broker using the data in these documents to submit export declaration to Saudi customs.

Saudi Customs were provided with the shipment’s information when accessed and were able to use them.

Then, the container was loaded onboard Maersk Sebarok, transmitted in the Port of Tangier and then headed to Rotterdam, where Dutch Port Community System Portbase provided the Dutch customs release messages and gate-out information directly to the TradeLens platform.

Next the container was transported by truck to a location close to Antwerp, Belgium and its final destination.

The shipment was monitored in the TradeLens platform for key shipment events and document milestones. Using blockchain-backed structured documentation, data from the shipment’s documents were analyzed by both the export and import customs authorities and the cargo owners via the platform.

Source:safety4sea

Search Called Off for Missing Maersk Boxship Officer

By

-

May 21, 2019

0

The search for a Maersk container ship officer who went overboard last weekend was unsuccessful and has been called off, according to Maersk Line.

At about 0930 on Sunday morning, the sub-Panamax container ship Maersk Patras reported that the second officer had gone overboard in the Saint Lawrence River, about 100 nm to the northeast of Quebec City. The Marine Search & Rescue Centre (MSRC) of the Canadian Coast Guard immediately lauched a search effort with the help of several vessels, including Maersk Patras, the CCG response vessel Cap de Rabast, the pilot boat Grandes Eaux, and the CCG hovercraft Sipu Muin. Airborne assets also participated in the effort.

The search was not successful, and MSRC called it off on Sunday evening at about 2000 local time.

“It is with regret we have received the news that the search and rescue operation was unsuccessful and we must conclude that we have lost our colleague. It is a tragic situation for the family and we have offered them our full support. My deepest condolences and thoughts go to them,” said Søren Toft, COO of A.P. Moller – Maersk.

According to Sûreté du Québec, the officer went overboard during a pilot change maneuver near the pilot station at Les Escoumins. Canadian media reported that he was not wearing a personal floatation device when he went over the side, and that the water temperature was about 43 degrees Fahrenheit – a dangerously cold level for an unaided swimmer.

The second officer is from Sri Lanka. Maersk is in contact with the relatives as well as the crew members of Maersk Patras, who will receive crisis counseling. Maersk says that it will cooperate fully with the authorities in the investigation of the incident.

The 1998-built Maersk Patras is a 2,900 TEU container ship flagged in Singapore. As of Monday afternoon she was under way once more on the St. Lawrence River near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. She is expected in Montreal on Monday night, where she will be met by Sûreté du Québec's Major Crimes Investigation Division for interviews with the crew. Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has also launched an inquiry into the circumstances of the incident.

Maersk Patras was last in the news in November 2016, when she suffered an engine room fire off Las Palmas.

Sapura Energy Bags Five Contracts

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Malaysian integrated oil and gas services company Sapura Energy Berhad has been awarded five new contracts valued at approximately RM1.3 billion ($US311 million).

All five contracts have been awarded to the Sapura’s wholly owned subsidiaries, with works to take place in Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the Gulf of Suez.

"The contract wins demonstrate Sapura Energy’s continued pursuit to deepen its presence in existing core markets, break into new markets and expand its scope of services," said a press release.

The growing orderbook is expected to increase asset utilisation for the Group and contribute to improving its financial performance. The Group now has 10 key operating centres to execute work strategically around the globe.

Marking a new footprint in Egypt, Sapura Offshore Sdn Bhd (Sapura Offshore) has been awarded a subcontract by Pan Marine Petroleum Services Company.

The scope of work comprises the installation of six new subsea pipelines in the Gulf of Suez for the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO), a joint venture between BP plc and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, the National Oil Company of Egypt. Works will be carried out in various locations in the Morgan field, with an expected total pipelay of approximately 57 kilometres.

For its Drilling segment, Sapura Drilling Asia Sdn Bhd (Sapura Drilling) has secured two new contracts. The first contract is from ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. for the provision of its tender assist drilling rig, Sapura T-9.

In Indonesia, Sapura Offshore, in a joint venture with PT Timas Suplindo, has won a contract from ENI East Sepinggan Limited, a subsidiary of multi-national oil company ENI S.p.A.

Undertaking its first contract for The Royal Australian Navy, Total Marine Technology Pty Ltd (TMT), a subsidiary of the Group, has been awarded key roles in the Submarine Rescue Service contract by Phoenix International (Australia) Pty Ltd.

Debmarine to Build $468mln New Vessel

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Namibia marine diamond mining company, Debmarine Namibia announced that its Board of Directors have approved the construction of the world’s first ever custom-built diamond recovery vessel.

The new vessel is expected to cost US$468 million and represents the largest ever single investment in the marine diamond industry, said a press release from the marine diamond exploration 50/50 joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group.

The ship will become the seventh vessel in the Debmarine Namibia fleet and is scheduled to commence operations in 2022. On completion, the vessel is expected to add 500,000 carats annually to Debmarine Namibia’s production, an increase of approximately 35 per cent on current production.

Following an extensive global tendering process, Damen Shipyards were selected to build the ship based on their strong track record for delivering quality vessels and their advanced technological capabilities. The new vessel will incorporate the latest marine technologies that will drive improved safety performance while optimising efficiency and utilisation rates.

Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy, the Government of the Republic of Namibia, said: “We note and appreciate the investment announced today by Debmarine Namibia. It is through investments like this we can continue to develop Namibia’s economy. As the Government we will continue to do what we can to promote and encourage investment in the mining sector.”

Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: “Some of the highest quality diamonds in the world are found at sea off the Namibian coast. With this investment we will be able to optimise new technology to find and recover diamonds more efficiently and meet growing consumer demand across the globe.”

The new vessel is expected to create more than 160 new jobs alongside Debmarine Namibia’s current workforce of 975 employees.

Formosa 1 vessels take shape

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Work is underway on a crew transfer vessel and accommodation ship designed by UK outfit BMT for work on the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

BMT has partnered with Singapore company Penguin Shipyard International to build a 36-metre accommodation vessel and 26-metre CTV.

Both vessels have been commissioned by Njord Offshore and PSA Marine.

The accommodation vessel is powered by twin MTU 16V2000 engines coupled to a Servogear CPP propulsion system.

It will travel at a top speed of 19 knots and cruise at a speed of 16 knots, with a deadweight capacity of 65 tonnes, BMT said.

BMT specialised ship Design director Jago Lawless said: “With increased investment and development potential in Taiwan and East Asia’s wind farm industry the most crucial issue, of course, is to be able to keep the turbines maintained and generating power, and to do so safely and as efficiently as possible.”

Source:renews

OPT PowerBuoy passes MWh milestone

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Ocean Power Technologies PB3 PowerBuoy system has delivered more than 1 megawatt-hour of electricity since deployment in the Adriatic Sea in November.

The company said the wave device has operated “continuously and error-free” while being controlled remotely from its New Jersey facility.

PowerBuoy is part of Eni’s MaREnergy project to demonstrate the suitability of wave energy renewable technologies in the oil and gas industry.

It is being tested as a standalone charging station and communications platform to enable the long-term remote operation of autonomous underwater vehicles.

Ocean Power Technologies president and chief executive George Kirby said: “We are excited to announce this major power generation milestone for our PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea."

Since the contract began in March of last year, OPT and Eni have been collaborating as a part of the Clean Sea initiative, and have achieved several important milestones with the PowerBuoy.

The PowerBuoy has been extremely reliable and demonstrated flexibility across a variety of applications.

This ongoing successful project with Eni makes it clear that the PB3 PowerBuoy is a valuable tool for a broad range of offshore oil and gas exploration and production operations, including charging of underwater unmanned vehicles, well monitoring, asset inspection, and decommissioning applications, and this project could lead to many new opportunities for our company going forward.

HMM unveils new Corporate Identity

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

South Korean shipping company Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced today the launch of its new Corporate Identity, in a bid to reflect its vision and ambition for the future.

The new CI features a pride of Korea’s national flagship carrier, as well as an intuitive grasp of shipping business, the company said.

"It is memorable and meaningful for HMM to introduce its new CI today, which is expected to elevate the brand equity and value of the company. Based on the strong dedication and willpower that all employees have demonstrated, HMM will make a fresh resolution to become a global top-rated carrier in 2022,"…stressed HMM CEO Jae-hoon Bae.

Last October, HMM had presented its target of expanding fleet capacity to 1 million TEU and posting USD 10 billion in annual revenue by 2022.

Mr. Bae was appointed President and CEO in March 2019.

MEPC 74: IMO completes 2020 guidelines

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

The 74th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74) concluded on Friday with a comprehensive set of guidelines for the consistent implementation of the 2020 sulphur cap.

IMO also approved draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI relating to enforcement of the 0.50% sulphur limit, with a view to adoption at MEPC 75, under regulations 1, 2, 14 and 18, appendix I and appendix VI of MARPOL Annex VI, according to IBIA.

MEPC 74 approved the following guidelines, guidance documents and MEPC Circulars that are pertinent to the successful implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit:

2019 Guidelines for consistent implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit under MARPOL Annex VI: These guidelines are for administrations, port states, ship owners, shipbuilders and fuel oil providers to ensure implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit.
2019 Guidelines for port State control under the revised MARPOL Annex VI: It is aimed to provide guidance to PSC officers on verifying compliance with requirements of MARPOL Annex VI.
Guidance for port State control on contingency measures for addressing non-compliant fuel oil: It refers to PSC guidance on how to deal with non-compliant fuel.
MEPC Circular on the 2019 Guidelines for onboard sampling for the verification of the sulphur content of the fuel oil used on board ships
MEPC circular on Early application of the approved amendments to the verification procedures for a MARPOL Annex VI fuel oil sample
MEPC circular on Guidance on indication of ongoing compliance in the case of the failure of a single monitoring instrument, and recommended actions to take if the EGCS fails to meet the provision of the Guidelines
MSC-MEPC circular on Delivery of compliant fuel oil by suppliers, subject to approval by MSC 101 in June: It urges member states to take action to ensure that fuel oil suppliers deliver compliant fuel meeting all respective requirements.

The consistent implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit was key on the agenda during IMO's Sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) in February 2019.

"IBIA is pleased that these guidelines are now ready, giving more clarity to all stakeholders. We fought for acceptable and common sense outcomes, and while we would have wished for some things to have gone differently, workable compromises were found in most cases,"…IBIA stated.

The ICS also welcomed the additional guidance to assist smooth implementation of the global sulphur cap on 1 January 2020.

ICS will be using these latest IMO guidelines to update its well received ‘Guidance on Compliance with the 2020 Global Sulphur Cap’ which is available to all ship operators via the ICS website free of charge.

Partnership to deliver ‘Intelligent Efficiency’ for offshore operations

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Kongsberg Maritime is part of a new collaboration scheme, along with DOF, SINTEF Ocean and NORCE, aiming to decrease fuel consumption and GHG emissions for complex offshore operations, while also streamlining fleet-wide maintenance.

Specifically, this collaboration will provide a sophisticated new Decision Support System (DSS) for offshore vessel operations.

In addition, the new tool will be the basis for DOF to simplify operational complexity with objective measurement, ultimately enabling optimal utilisation and more sustainable fleet management.

It will affect how marine operational decisions are supported by providing more accurate, timely and easily consumable information to decision makers; from the vessel’s Chief Engineer to the Chief Operation Officer based shore-side.

As Eirik Mathiesen, Director of Energy Products Integration, Kongsberg Maritime commented.."The partnership is focused on building a platform for intelligent efficiency, made possible only through the integration of operational, information and communication technologies."

Concluding, in light of the project, Anders Valland, Research Manager, Maritime Energy Systems, SINTEF Ocean stated…"This is an exciting project that strengthens Norway’s position as the world’s leading offshore and maritime innovator with focus on efficient and sustainable operations."

Source:safety4sea

Singapore maritime internship programme sees growing demand technology students

By

-

May 20, 2019

0

Reflecting increasing impact of technology on shipping the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) global internship award is seeing an increased demand computing and data analytics skills.

On Friday 47 students received internship awards under the programme which is now in sixth year. A total of 33 companies participated in the programme this year including eight new participants, including Alpha Ori, Jurong Port, DNV GL and Lloyd’s Register.

The programme does not just cater to maritime studies students and awards come to students from multi-disciplines, including IT and computer science to data analytics. The 12-week programme covers local placement and an overseas attachment of up to six weeks.

MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon noted that there over 5,000 companies in Singapore offering maritime careers. “This is also an exciting time for Maritime Singapore as we embrace the latest technologies to position Singapore as a leading global maritime hub,” she said.

“The demand for data analytics, IT and computer science students will grow. MPA will continue to work closely with industry stakeholders and institutes of higher learning, to sustain the pipeline of skilled talents for Maritime Singapore.”

Leonard Wong, an Information Systems undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, was awarded an internship with maritime technology company Alpha Ori. “I have always been intrigued by the maritime sector and the people working behind the scenes to manage highly interlinked global supply chains and facilitate transnational movement of goods,” Wong said.

“Moreover, the industry is undergoing digital transformation and I want to be part of this exciting revolution, leveraging technology to make sea-bound trade more productive and cost efficient and for countries to prosper along the way.”

Source;seatrade-maritime