This week's round up of news from the world of heavy lift and project forwarding.

The Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) is putting the finishing touches on preparations for its annual conference, which takes place in Boca Raton, USA from April 22-26.

All indications point to this being a successful event and HLPFI is looking forward to meeting up with the 700 or so delegates who have registered so far, as well as visiting the sold-out exhibition area.

If you have not registered yet, you will still be able to do so on-site but to simplify that process, SC&RA suggests that you download a registration form at the Annual Conference website, complete it beforehand and bring it with you to Boca Raton.
        
        
In the corporate world

Four Hamburg commercial bodies called for improvements to the operational parameters for the transport of oversize and heavy cargoes and less limitations on heavy loads.

IATA released data for global air freight markets in February showing a 2.9 percent increase in demand compared to 2013.

ALE Heavy Lift acquired a majority shareholding in the ECR Group, following a successful joint venture between the two companies.

Saltchuk entered into a binding purchase and sale agreement to acquire Tropical Shipping and its related transportation, consolidation and cargo insurance companies.

The ECSA, ISC and WSC supported the European Commission's proposal to extend the period of application for the so-called liner consortia block exemption regulations by another five years.

HSH Nordbank revealed that it lost EUR814 million (USD1.13 billion) during its 2013 financial year.
        

Capacity developments

ANA Airline Management is to move its freighter managed fleet of aircraft from Ostend to Liège airport.

Saudia Cargo upgraded its Shanghai service to operate three weekly B747-8 freighter flights from Shanghai to Europe and KSA.

Cargolux will begin a regular scheduled service between Luxembourg and the capital of China's Henan province, Zhengzhou.

WWL expanded its ocean service to South America's west coast by adding a monthly call to San Antonio, Chile.

Malina Crane Hire took delivery of the first Terex Explorer 5800 all terrain crane in the Czech Republic, while Vancouver's Seaspan Shipyard received a new 300-tonne capacity gantry crane.

Northern Stevedoring Services (NSS) ordered a Liebherr LHM 420 mobile harbour crane, to operate in the Port of Townsville.


Shipments of the week

Almajdouie Logistics transported four 1,394-tonne advanced gas-cooled reactors from Zamil-Rabigh to Saudi Aramco's Wasit Gas Plant using two 36-axle SPMTs (pictured top right).

The Port of San Diego handled a 300-tonne generator, which arrived in the USA on Combi Lift's Palabora and was destined for the Agua Prieta power plant in Mexico (pictured second right).

Nurminen Logistics transported two 95-tonne converters, each of which had the dimensions 10.1 m x 5.44 m x 5.37 m, by road from the Finnish city of Outokumpu to the port of Pori.

ZPMC's Zhen Hua 29 delivered 13 new Damen pontoons along with ten other Damen vessels from Shanghai to the Port of Rotterdam (pictured bottom right).

Volga-Dnepr delivered the Luch-5V and KazSat-3 telecommunications satellites from Krasnoyarsk in Russia to Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on board its AN-124 freighter.

Other notable projects reported by HLPFI this week can be seen on the archive news area of our website.

Got some shipment news of your own? Send it in to editorial@heavyliftpfi.com

        
Projects and contracts

Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and the Investment Corporation of Dubai announced the official incorporation of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), formed by integrating the two shareholders' respective aluminium interests.

The U.S. Department of Energy and ROSATOM have suspended several joint projects in peaceful use of atomic energy, with the US side of the venture citing "Russia's actions in Ukraine" as the reason for the decision.

Pakistani company Techno Engineering Services won the contract from Gazprom Neft to lay the pipeline connecting Iraq's Badra oilfield to the power station in Zubaidiah.

Skanska has been awarded a contract to build a wastewater treatment plant for a mining client in Peru.

For a fuller round up of projects and contracts announced this week please visit the HLPFI website or contact David Kershaw.

        
On the move

Scott Henderson was appointed managing director of GAC Australia, following the retirement of Phil Coolican. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) promoted Gavin Griffin (pictured top right) to the role of vice president of sales for Europe and North Africa, while Jason Leonard was appointed the company's global HSSE manager. Terex Cranes opened a new product support facility in Singapore to be headed up by newly appointed sales and customer support leader for Southeast Asia, Bradley Abrahams. OIA Global opened a new Bellville Rodair International office in Sao Paulo, while Greencarrier Freight Services opened a new branch in Minsk, which will be managed by Aurimas Digrevicius. Claus Freydag (pictured bottom right) joined BDP International as country manager for its German subsidiary. BBC Chartering has established a new representative office in Bilbao, Spain to be managed by Josu Iturri Bilbao.


Network news

DDS Prolinair joined the Project Cargo Network (PCN) as a representative in France, while International Maritime Agency Ltd (IMA) joined the Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) with its offices in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania. Japan's Top Shipping Co Ltd joined the Pacific Power Logistics (PPL) network.


All about Evie

Evie was in awe this week of a video detailing the process of constructing the huge ark featured in the new movie Noah. What a feat, she thought, and recommends you give it a watch here.

Another video also caught Evie's eye, but with which she was less impressed. The clip captures the moment that a huge containership sailed straight into the side of a park in Hong Kong.

Evie wonders what could possibly have been the reason for this detour. See for yourselves here.

 

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