UK Suspends Contract for Port of Ramsgate “Brexit” Ferry

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February 15, 2019

The government of UK Prime Minister Theresa May has canceled a contract with a newly-formed ferry company for a backup service between Ramsgate and Ostend, Belgium. The startup, Seaborne Freight, lacked prior experience and did not own vessels for the service; an expected financial backer, Arklow Shipping, exited the plan, prompting the Department for Transport to withdraw from the agreement.

Last year, in preparation for the potential disruption from a "no-deal" Brexit, the DfT chartered new ro/ro capacity from Seaborne Freight, DFDS and Brittany Ferries. The additional vessels were intended as a contingency plan, and would provide up to 4,000 trucks per week of freight capacity to offset expected bottlenecks at busy ro/ro ports. In particular, the services were earmarked for priority shipments like medicine. The contingency agreements with DFDS and Brittany Ferries remain in effect.

At present, trucks can transit between ro/ro ports in Britain and the EU without customs paperwork at the terminal. This longstanding trade arrangement will end on March 29, "Brexit Day," unless British and EU negotiators can reach an acceptable "transition period" agreement. However, analysts suggest that such a deal may prove elusive before the deadline, given the challenges of finding a compromise that can pass muster in both Brussels and in the UK Parliament. In the event of an abrupt Brexit, new customs measures may lead to extended delays at key Channel crossings. In addition to the charters, Britain intends to temporarily suspend customs inspections for most truck-borne EU goods, but checks are expected on the European side of the Channel.

The Ministry of Transport's vessel charter with Seaborne came under fire in December when it emerged that the firm lacked vessels and crew. The contract received more scrutiny after reporters found that Seaborne appeared to have copied text for its website from a takeout food delivery company: The Terms & Conditions section of Seaborne's home page noted that “it is the responsibility of the customer to thoroughly check the supplied goods before agreeing to pay for any meal/order,” and that “delivery charges are calculated per order and based on [delivery details here].”

While Transport Minister Chris Grayling has indicated that no money has been spent on the Seaborne contract, an audit revealed that the Department for Transport had spent about $1 million on consulting fees related to evaluating Seaborne's bid – and had proceeded with the contract despite a consultant's misgivings of "significant execution risks." After the release of the audit results early this week, shadow transport minister Andy McDonald called on Grayling to resign.

In a statement, DfT said that it remains focused on averting disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit. “We have procured a number of routes to ensure resilience through our contracts with DFDS and Brittany Ferries. These routes will be used for priority goods, including medicines," said DfT in a response. “We are continuing to work with key sectors to understand their capacity needs and ensure that supplies of priority goods continue in any scenario."

Source:maritime-executive

Six Dead in Fishing Vessel Fire in Durban

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February 15, 2019

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Six are dead following a fire aboard the fishing vessel Tropical 1 at the port of Durban, South Africa, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported Friday.

The fishing vessel was docked at Durban for repair work when it caught on fire at about 1430 hours on Thursday, killing six crewmembers and injuring three more. Firefighters with KwaZulu-Natal EMS responded to the scene and brought the blaze substantially under control by about 1800 hours, with response efforts continuing through the night. The bodies of the victims were discovered at about 0200 hours on Friday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and an inspection of the vessel will begin once conditions allow.

SAMSA said Friday that bodies of the deceased crew have been brought to a mortuary in Durban. Five of the deceased were Mozambican nationals, and the sixth crewmember was of Portuguese origin. 12 surviving crewmembers are receiving assistance from South African authorities.

It is the second deadly casualty at the port of Durban this week. On Tuesday, a heavy truck accidentally drove backwards off the pier during stevedoring operations at the port's M-Shed, leading to the death of the driver. The victim and the truck were recovered from the water, and local police have launched an inquest.
Source:maritime-executive

Equinor forges Korean floating wind ties

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February 15, 2019

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Norwegian energy giant Equinor is to work with Korea National Oil Corporation to jointly explore the development of commercial floating offshore wind projects in South Korea.

Korea National Oil is setting up a floating offshore wind business and plans a 200MW project at its existing Donghae platform 58km off the coast of Ulsan City.

KNOC is 100% owned by the South Korean state and has a mandate to ensure South Korea’s energy security.

South Korea plans to increase its renewable energy generation share to 20% by 2030, which translates to a target of 49GW of new clean power capacity by 2030, Equinor said.

Equinor senior vice president for wind and low carbon in new energy solutions Stephen Bull said: “South Korea has large potential and offers attractive opportunities within offshore wind."

We are pleased to sign a MoU with KNOC to strengthen our collaboration. We look forward to evaluate how we can further expand our portfolio within offshore wind and contribute to develop renewable energy solutions in South Korea.

Korea National Oil senior vice president Jae-Heon Shim said: “Executing a MoU with Equinor will become a critical opportunity that will advance to practical steps of floating offshore wind in Korea."

We plan to actively focus on progress and de-risking studies including feasibility studies in collaboration with Equinor.

We will make every endeavor to meet the government initiative and create lasting values for local communities.

Equinor operates the world’s first full-scale commercial floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland (pictured) off the coast of the UK.

Source:renews

Saudi Ports Authority sets ambitious goals for 2019

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February 15, 2019

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Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced ambitious goals for 2019 and revealed its recent progress across the nine ports it manages.

Mawani recently launched an integrated shipment scheduling system at Abdul Aziz port to enable clients to electronically schedule their appointments and choose a carrier. According to Mawani, this saves time down to only 17 minutes at the port.

A shipbuilding and repair agreement at the King Abdul Aziz port was also sponsored by Mawani alongside the Ministry of Transport, between Al Blagha Industrial and International Maritime Industries. This agreement aims at attracting several vessels and offshore rigs to the port, settling many specialised maritime jobs, training, and improving national personnel.

The port is continuing its efforts to become an international logistics and digital hub in line with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision, which includes efforts to become a global investment powerhouse, expansion of digital services to reduce delays and cut bureaucracy and increasing transparency across both success and failures.

The port aims to make operations much easier and more practical over the next several years. An increase of more than 19 per cent has been achieved in cargo handling throughput in the first half of 2018 comparing to the similar period in 2017. In addition, more than 13 million TEUs can be handled annually, totalling 615 million tons, where exports and transshipments form 55 per cent.

Mawani is continuing to ensure a safe working environment and maritime navigation, using modern aids to navigation and safety systems in the fields of IT, navigation, pollution and fire control, while also applying international safety and security codes for ships and port facilities.

Source:thedigitalship

Saudi Aramco, Total in USD1bln Pact

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February 15, 2019

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Saudi Aramco and Total hasve signed a joint venture agreement to develop a network of fuel and retail services in Saudi Arabia.

The 50:50 JV plans to invest around $1 billion over the next six years in the Saudi fuel retail market and start providing motorists with premium fuels and retail services in the Guf kingdom.

“This is a major milestone which will help establish a quality retail fuel network in the Kingdom. We look forward to working together with our long-term partner Total and draw on their extensive experience in the retail fuel market,” said Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, Saudi Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Downstream and Chairman of the JV Board.

He added: “With this new business, we aim to enhance the quality of services, as well as create jobs and additional investment opportunities in the Kingdom. This JV aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and supports the goals of the Infrastructure and Transportation Initiative under the Quality of Life program. This project is designed to also help optimize the total value of our hydrocarbon resources.”

Momar Nguer, President of Marketing and Services and Executive Committee Member at Total, said: “Total is proud to be the first international major oil company to invest in Saudi Arabia’s fuel retail network. This joint agreement is in line with our strategy to expand in fast-growing markets worldwide. This new agreement is also reaffirming our long-term partnership with Saudi Aramco. Following our joint investments in SATORP refining and petrochemical complex, we are pleased to bring to the Saudi market our expertise and customer-minded approach in retail and contribute to local employment development.”

The two companies have also signed an agreement with the owners of Tas’helat Marketing Company (TMC) and Sahel Transport Company (STC) to acquire TMC and STC, thereby jointly acquiring their existing network of 270 service stations and their fuel tanker fleet. Saudi Aramco and Total plan to modernize this network and build high-quality service stations at selected locations. This transaction is subject to approval of regulatory authorities.

Ahmed Al-Subaey, Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Supply Planning and Chairman of the Board of RetailCo., said: “This venture will strive to exceed customer’s expectations. We aspire to become the retailer of choice in Saudi Arabia, providing customers with a unique experience and premium offerings. Saudi Aramco is building on its position as the world’s oil powerhouse and international retail experience, coupled with Total’s experience in this field.”

Mr. Al-Subaey emphasized that the decision to acquire TMC came after extensive feasibility studies of the local fuel and retail market and its promising opportunities. He added: “Our goal is to provide high-quality services that support the tourism industry in the Kingdom and reflect our country’s progress in developing the infrastructure and a reliable service industry.”

The JV will take a phased approach to expanding its network of domestic fuel retail stations, with a plan to reach the goal of owning and operating hundreds of stations by 2021.

Source:marinelink

Consortium Buys Veja Mate Offshore Wind

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February 15, 2019

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A consortium led by asset manager Commerz Real AG, WPD Invest, KGAL and IKEA franchisee Ingka Group will acquire an 80% stake in the 402-MW Veja Mate offshore wind park in the German North Sea.

Veja Mate offshore wind park in the North Sea is the second-largest German offshore wind farm with 67 turbines and a capacity of 402 megawatts. The total investment comes more than two billion euros

Commerz Real and Ingka Group said in a joint statement today that they will each invest more than EUR 200 million (USD 226m) in the project company for the 67-turbine wind park.

The other members of the buying consortium are Wpd invest GmbH and investment manager KGAL, while the sellers are Highland Group Holdings, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Siemens Financial Services. The latter will keep a 20% interest in the offshore wind park, which is Germany’s second largest.

The sellers of the wind farm, which has been in operation since 2017, are the project developers and owners to date, Highland Group Holdings and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, as well as Siemens Financial Services. The latter continues to hold the remaining 20 per cent stake and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy acts as the technical partner in the framework of a full-service agreement.

Veja Mate is located in Germany’s exclusive economic zone in the North Sea about 95 kilometres to the North West of the island of Borkum and covers a total area of 51 square kilometres.

The mean wind speed there is more than 10 metres per second. The rotor diameter of the 180 metres high turbines is 154 metres. The foundations have a diameter of 7.8 metres and are as much as 84.5 metres long, making them the largest of their type to be manufactured to date. The turbines are designed for an operating period of 25 years.

The maintenance agreement with Siemens has initially been concluded for 15 years. In accordance with Germany’s Renewable Energy Act (EEG 2014) a 20-year promotional period through to 2037 is foreseen for the feed-in tariff. The operation of the wind park will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of some 950,000 tonnes per year.

"Veja Mate has an optimum risk-return ratio. A future technology that is already very well established was commissioned on schedule and to budget; it produces stable cash flows and also makes an effective contribution to achieve the climate protection targets," Johannes Anschott, a member of the board of managing directors of Commerz Real said.

Source:marinelink

AAPA issues port-related funding programs for FY’19

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February 15, 2019

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The Congress announced, on February 13, that the American Association of Ports Authorities (AAPA) will fund US port-related programs, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Important for the AAPA is the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) funding for a dedicated port infrastructure program in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT's) Maritime Administration.

Thus, House and Senate appropriators agreed to provide $292.73 million in funds for U.S. coastal port grants to be distributed by the Maritime Administration as part of its Port Infrastructure Development Program.

The minibus funding agreement includes $900 million for USDOT’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants, which when combined with funding for MARAD’s infrastructure program, brings USDOT’s multimodal grants funding level to almost $1.2 billion.

Although less than the $1.5 billion provided for BUILD grants in fiscal 2018, the difference is the dedicated infrastructure funding for ports.

The minibus agreement also provides increased funding for MARAD’s America’s Marine Highway Program from $5 million last fiscal year to $7 million in 2019.

Also, the funding includes $255 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program, which can be used for multi-modal port access projects.

In addition, Kurt Nagle, AAPA president and CEO commented that the Association is dedicated to port infrastructure development funding, while recently it identified $66 billion in port-related infrastructure needs over the next decade to build projects that better connect ports to the freight network, with rail and road access points.

The funding will ensure US job creation, economic growth and tax fairness.

Except THUD, there are several programs that ports will depend on, that will get increased funding, such as:

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants program appropriation will rise 1%, from $75 million last year to $87 million in 2019.

Ports will benefit from this grant to decrease air emissions through various initiatives as clean truck programs, retrofitting or replacing yard equipment, installing shore power for vessels at docks, and retrofitting dredges and tugs.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency staffing, which rose by 325 officers in 2018, will increase by 600 officers this year.

AAPA, which supports increasing CBP officers by at least 500 per year, is concerned in recent years over CPB understaffing at America’s seaports.

NOAA’s Navigation, Observations and Positioning (NOP) program is set to receive $227 million, a $7.8 million rise above fiscal 2018 funding.

Included is $2 million that will go to funding hydrographic surveys to update nautical charts. NOAA’s popular PORTS program is a component of NOP, and fiscal 2019 funding is the same as last year.

Source:safety4sea

Luxury cruise ship VIKING JUPITER damaged in maiden voyage

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February 15, 2019

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Brand new cruise ship VIKING JUPITER in understood, her maiden cruise, collided with pier in the morning Feb 14, while berthing at Piraeus, Greece, with 607 passengers on board.

Ship sustained stb damages above waterline, including a small breach of some 10 centimeters. VIKING JUPITER was assisted by tugs during mooring, strong wind is blamed for accident. VIKING JUPITER was detained for survey, as of morning Feb 15 she was berthed in Piraeus.

Cruise ship VIKING JUPITER, IMO 9796262, GT 47861, built 2019, flag Norway, operator Viking Ocean Cruises, capacity 930 passengers.

Source:fleetmon

Three piracy incidents reported to ReCAAP ISC the previous week

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February 15, 2019

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In its weekly report for 5-11 February, ReCAAP ISC informed of three incidents that took place. Of the three incidents, one occurred on February 6, whereas the other two occurred in January. The incidents in January 2019 were reported to ReCAAP ISC by Contact Point Hong Kong after verification with the relevant agencies.

The two incidents both happened in China.

Specifically, the first piracy attack occurred on a bulk carrier in Hong Kong, that while at anchor, two perpetrators armed with a steel bar came
alongside the ship in a boat and boarded the ship via the port quarter using a rope.

As the crew spotted the perpetrators who upon realising that the crew had been alerted, they escaped empty-handed immediately.

After the incident, the duty officer and duty AB conducted anti-piracy measures.

The second incident was on a bulk carrier called 'FMG Northern Spirit', in Hong Kong.

While at anchor, the crew on the bridge wing saw a barge close to the ship side on the starboard quarter and raised the alarm.

As the crew rushed out to the bridge wing starboard side, they noticed two perpetrators on board.

The perpetrators were lowering hoses to the barge from the starboard quarter. Once the hoses were lowered, the perpetrators slid down a rope tied to the gangway base onto the barge, where another perpetrator was waiting.

The barge went astern and escaped. Upon checking the area where the perpetrators were sighted, the sounding caps of MDO storage and MDO service tanks were found opened.

The MDO storage tank had oil stains around the sounding pipe. Yet, nothing was missing.

The actions that were taken after the attack were that the master:

raised the alarm;
mustered the crew;
carried out search;
informed VTS.

In both piracy attacks, nothing was reported stolen and there were no injuries concerning the crew.

Moreover, the third piracy attack occurred in Indonesia and to the vessel 'Maersk Capri', a Petroleum/chemical tanker, Singapore.

Specifically, while at anchor, the duty AB conducted a security round and noticed a perpetrator at the forecastle.

When the perpetrator saw him, he escaped through the hawse pipe and jumped into a wooden boat.

After that, the master raised the alarm, mustered the crew, and conducted the search.

There were no injuries reported. However, the fire hose nozzle was stolen.

The ReCAAP ISC urges ship master and crew to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, exercise vigilance and adopt relevant preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.

Source:safety4sea

Shell negotiates farm-ins to two gas-prone UK offshore licenses

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February 15, 2019

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Cluff Natural Resources has entered into a conditional farm-out agreement with Shell U.K. concerning two UK southern North Sea licenses.

Shell will take a 70% operated stake from Cluff in license P2252 in return for covering 100% of the costs of an agreed forward work program.

This will include acquiring no less than 400 sq km (154 sq mi) of new broadband 3D seismic data over the 566-bcf Pensacola prospect during 3Q 2019, followed by processing of the new and existing seismic data and subsurface studies to support a well investment decision before the end of 2020.

Following that decision, both parties will bear the costs according to their 70-30% interests.

Shell also has the option to acquire a 50% stake in license P2437 by the end of April.Cluff would retain a 50% operated interest until the partners take a well investment decision, with Shell again paying all costs to date.

If they do commit to drill an exploration well Shell would pay 75% of the costs, including a well test, up to a total of $25 million.

The license contains the 509-bcf Selene prospect and is adjacent to Shell-operated infrastructure associated with the producing Barque gas field.

Both deals remain subject to approval by the UK’s Oil and Gas Authority.

Source:offshore-mag