This week's round up of news from the world of heavy lift and project forwarding.
Another busy week in the multipurpose shipping sector has seen SAL Heavy Lift charter two additional ships; the EMS-Fehn Group acquire two additional coasters; and Saga Forest Carriers International and Westfal-Larsen Shipping plan a shipping pool - Saga Welco.
Along with Coscol's announcement of the construction of a new 90,000 dwt semi-submersible vessel, is this a sign that the struggling shipping sector is finally picking up? HLPFI definitely hopes so. Although some might have concerns over further newbuild capacity in what is already a stacked market.
This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by C.H. Robinson Project Logistics, which plans and delivers over-dimensional, heavy lift cargo by land, sea and air. This division of C.H. Robinson is headquartered in Calgary, Canada and specialises in the oil and gas, mining, wind energy and power generation industries.
In business
Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced a ten-year vessel sharing agreement (VSA) on the Asia-Europe, transatlantic and transpacific trades.
This week saw the formation of the Trident Alliance - a shipping industry initiative for the enforcement of maritime sulphur emissions.
Wisconsin increased the overall length that permitted loads may run during weekend daylight hours from 110 feet (33.5 m) to 150 feet (45.7 m) in 67 of the states' 72 counties.
The United Nations TIR executive board called on the Russian government to lift current TIR restrictions and fully reinstate the TIR system across the whole Russian Federation.
Total E&P appointed GAC South Africa to provide shipping and logistics support for its drilling project off the coast of South Africa.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) submitted a paper to the IMO proposing a means of overcoming problems associated with the Ballast Water Management convention.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into tax exemptions granted to five Netherlands based ports, to verify that they are in line with EU state aid rules.
Capacity developments
Baukran Logistik placed an order for six new Liebherr mobile cranes with load capacities between 45 and 200 tonnes, while the Port of Drammen purchased an LHM 550 mobile harbour crane.
Heerema Marine Contractors selected Kongsberg Maritime's K-Sim offshore simulation platform to enhance its crane operator training.
NIRAS is developing a process tool - ODIN-WIND - to optimise the decommissioning of offshore wind turbines, in conjunction with Vattenfall, Maersk Broker, DTU-Wind and The Welding Institute (TWI).
SDV and Bolloré Africa Logistics launched Speed to Africa, a new air based logistics service operating between Europe and Africa.
Atlantic Towing (USA) is to take delivery of four newly-designed ice-strengthened PSV 5000 vessels from Damen Shipyards Group.
Allseas Group's vessel Pieter Schelte is to be completed at the Port of Rotterdam.
TTS Group has signed four contracts with China's Huanghai Shipbuilding for eight SWL 250-tonne capacity multipurpose cranes.
Shipments of the week
Coscol's semi-submersible vessel XIANG RUI KOU transported and installed an 18,500-tonne topside, which had the dimensions 171 m x 58 m x 118 m (pictured top right).
Crane Rental Corporation transported and lifted the 37.6-tonne hub of the new Orlando observation wheel into place (pictured second right).
Wagenborg transported eight LPG bullet tanks, each weighing 330 tonnes, from Willebroek, Belgium to the Shell oil terminal in Denmark.
For the past two months, Tradelossa has been carrying out the transportation of 34 turbines, with components weighing up to 84 tonnes, for the Sureste II project in Mexico (pictured bottom right).
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
Capital projects and contracts
Maersk Oil decided to pull out of the Brazilian exploration market, writing off its USD1.7 billion investment in the Wahoo and Itaipu oil fields, while divesting its shares in the Polvo field.
Larsen & Toubro's construction division won a new order for the construction of the Kannur International Airport in Kerla.
Gamesa and AREVA signed a binding agreement for the creation of a joint venture in the promising offshore wind energy industry.
For a fuller round up of capital projects and contracts announced this week please visit the HLPFI website or contact David Kershaw.
On the move
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics opened a new office in Yangon, Myanmar as part of a joint venture with Carrier King Logistics. Henrique Wohltmann (pictured) joined Hansa Meyer Global Transport as its new director of projects and services, while Gebrüder Weiss appointed Stefan Eberl as its regional sales manager of air and sea for Central and Eastern Europe. UTC Overseas appointed Mirko Knezevic to the newly created position of global chief operating officer.
Network news
The CLC Projects network added two new members to its roster, including Fiji's Trans Pacific Projects, and Mercomar SA representing Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The newly founded All in One (AiO) logistics network gained Carloking Services as a new member in Ghana, while the Pacific Power Logistics (PPL) network welcomed Agape International from Qatar. Platetrade SA from Asunción in Paraguay was appointed an exclusive member of the Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC).
All about Evie
Evie was pleased to hear that old friend of HLPFI and intermittent correspondent for the magazine, Gavin Van Marle, has written a new book titled 'Around the World in Freighty Ways'.
She is looking forward to attending the book launch later this month, after Germany's victory in the World Cup final on Sunday - apologies to all our readers in Argentina.
