The Friday Flyer - December 13th 2013

Received economic wisdom suggests that a clever company can prosper in a market facing difficulties just as much as it can when the market is rising, if its business model is robust and its management have a certain nerve to capture the opportunities.

A report on the Shippingwatch website suggests that Intermarine is just the type of business which has those qualities at the moment and says that the multipurpose shipping line, which merged with the former Scan-Trans last year, is in talks with a number of shipowners, industry investors and stakeholders to discuss the opportunities it can offer for the management of their vessels.

The article indicates that Intermarine would be interested in creating a relationship with anyone considering making an investment to build an 8,000 to 12,000 dwt ship, equipped with cranes able to lift from 150 to 500 tonnes.

At the same time as Intermarine would appear to be seeking new capacity, media reports in Asia are flagging up a new Chinese ship scrapping policy. Beijing is reported to be ready to offer subsidies for the decommissioning and demolition of older vessels, and streamline the overall efficiency of the shipping sector. New shipping created with this support will have to be equipped with green technologies and be Chinese-flagged. The scheme should work to reduce pollution hazards from older, single-hull vessels.

In London this week, the Seahorse Club, the maritime industry PR and press club, presented a quartet of HLPFI writers with awards. Marcia MacLeod walked away with the Personality of the Year award. Megan Ramsay was named Air Cargo Journalist of the Year for work undertaken for our magazine and HLPFI staff writer David Kershaw, was named Newcomer of the Year; HLPFI's Friday Flyer author James Graham was declared Environmental Journalist of the Year.

This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by DHL Industrial Projects, which aims to be the logistics partner of choice to the oil and gas, mining, power generation and construction industries. Its expertise in cargo scheduling and materials management means it can offer tailored solutions for unique outsize cargoes and heavy lifts.

In the corporate world

The Port of Fremantle in Western Australia is seeking expressions of interest from the private sector to build and operate a new automotive and ro-ro terminal at its Victoria Quay.

Cosco Shipping Co Ltd (Coscol) has reported that the heavy lift ship owned by its subsidiary, COSCOL (HK) INVESTMENT & DEVELOPMENT CO LTD, which was arrested in Singapore because of a contractual dispute with a charterer has now been released and the dispute is being arbitrated in London.

Anyone intending to ship cargo in the USA over the festive period is advised to study the holiday restrictions on over-dimensional cargo transportation published on Logisticus Projects Group's website.

Gebrüder Weiss has purchased the Austria headquartered freight forwarder, Far Freight Speditions und Handelsgesellschaft.

The board of directors at Cargolux Airlines International has approved entering into a Commercial Cooperation Agreement with Henan Civil Aviation and Investment Co Ltd (HNCA).

Meanwhile, Cargolux Airlines International has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aeroscraft Corporation (Aeros), the innovator of the new cargo ship, the Aeroscraft.

Capacity developments

Faymonville has delivered a VarioMAX trailer, designed specifically for the transportation of wind power equipment, to Sweden's Uddevalla Specialtransporter AB.

The Hartmann Group will open an additional liner service from Europe to Gabon, the Republic of Congo, DRC and Angola during the first quarter of 2014, which will be marketed under the Hartmann Project Lines brand. The new service, which will be operated by Maritime Transport + Logistik and use 17,500 to 25,000 dwt geared vessels, is due to commence in February, 2014.

Turk Heavy Transport plans to become the second freight agent in the Gulf to bring the Antonov AN-225 freighter aircraft to Bahrain.

It was fingers-crossed as the 7,150 dwt dry cargo carrier, NEVA LEADER 7, built by Nevsky Shipyard LLC for Russia's North-Western Shipping Company (NWSC) embarked on her sea trials.

The Port of Tyne has taken delivery of a 144-tonne USD5.72 million mobile harbour crane, capable of handling project cargoes as well as bulk and conventional freight.

Notable shipments

Two 40 ft flat rack containers were called into service by Tuscor Lloyds to ship a steam generator and three compressors from Felixstowe, UK to Durban, South Africa.

Base has been awarded a significant contract to move 576 valves from China to southern Iraq via Italy for use in the Rumaila oilfield development project. The cargo weighs in at nearly 400 tonnes.

Coordinadora Internacional de Cargas transported a 30.9 m 445-tonne reactor from Arles to the TOTAL refinery in Normandy, France.

INTERTRANSPORT Hohnholz has transported a large drill, weighing over 40 tonnes, from Schwalmstadt to the port of Bremerhaven in Germany, for shipment to Korea.

Agility has managed the delivery of two Siemens 500-tonne energy modules for an offshore oil and gas rig in Brazil, from Sweden to Norway.

Chapman Freeborn has chartered one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines' IL-76TD-90VD freighters to transport an 18 m long 20-tonne Irisbus Citelis bus from Turin, Italy to Astana, Kazakhstan.

The world's oldest clipper ship, City of Adelaide, with historic links to South Australia, is being returned to Australia on board Combi Lift's CL-990 multipurpose vessel Palanpur.

Conxion Logistics & Heavy Equipment has shipped two 115-tonne heat exchangers from Italy to Qatar for the Qatar Fuel Additives Company Limited (QAFAC).

People and places

Media reports suggest that Abu Dhabi-based freighter airline Maximus has replaced its longstanding president and ceo, Fathi Buhazza, with Samir Ramadan.

Air Partner has named Kiran Parmar its group marketing director.

Geodis Wilson has appointed Dean Devasia its new global chief information officer, and member of the freight management board.

Network news

Auckland based Freight Direct has joined Project Cargo Network (PCN) representing New Zealand, and InterMax Logistics Solution Ltd has also joined the PCN network as a representative in Taiwan.

Project Cargo & Int'l Transportation Company has become the latest project forwarder to join the XL Projects (XLP) network in Karachi, Pakistan.

Primacosped's new office in Rijeka, Croatia, which will focus on heavy lifts, has joined the Project Partners network.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has added its offices in Ghana and Uganda to the Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN), giving GPLN coverage in two countries not yet represented by the network.

All about Evie

You wait ages for a drone and then three come along all together. Following recent announcements from Amazon.com and Domino's Pizza that they would start drone deliveries, Deutsche Post (DHL) has now flown into the arena with the announcement of a live test of its Copter delivery drone. DHL said the flights this week are strictly a research project to see if the technology works.

Evie is already picking out her party dress in readiness for the Southern Heavy International Transport Society's January meeting in London next month. The first Southern Heavy International Transport Society gathering of 2014 will bring friends, colleagues, strangers, people you barely know, that bloke you have talked to for years at the other office, but never met, clients, contractors, significant others and possible future significant others together.

The event is to be held on January 24, 2014 at the Downstairs bar of The Tokenhouse, 4, Moorgate, City of London. EC2R 6DA from 18:00.

Let Andy Miller know if you want to attend -
Tel: +44 (0) 1372 866157 or email: andy.miller@kbr.com