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

This week brought the news that following months of tensions between the Russia and Ukraine, the latter's national aircraft manufacturer is seeking new partners after cutting its business ties with the former.

Dmytro Kiva, Antonov's president and general designer, told Reuters that Antonov has lost more than USD100 million in business after Russia's annexation of Crimea made cooperation between the two countries impossible,

Kiva added that his company is looking to companies in Europe, Asia and North America for partnership opportunities.

Today's Friday Flyer is sponsored by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers (NBPC). Formed in October 2013 via the merger of NYK-Hinode Line and NYK Global Bulk Corporation, NBPC combines one of the world's largest specialists in handy bulk carriers, with Hinode's advanced maritime know-how in the transport of various cargo, such as plant and heavy equipment.

In business

Sarens USA and Sarens Canada are now the official trade names under which the Sarens Group market its North America services.

DONG Energy and Blue Water Shipping have agreed to expand their existing lease agreement in Esbjerg.

The International Chamber of Shipping submitted comments, to a comprehensive competition policy review being conducted by the Australian government.

Fleet Line Shipping Services achieved global ISO 9001:2008 certification, accredited by UKAS.

TNT Crane & Rigging has purchased the assets of Oklahoma based Rent-A-Crane.

SOHAR Port and Freezone announced its intention to strengthen economic interests with global shipping powerhouse, Singapore.

Dimerco Express Group launched Straits Continental Logistics, a joint venture with its Cambodian partner Straits International.

Capacity developments

Netherlands based Tower-Bridge has unveiled a brand new transport system for wind turbine tower sections (pictured).

Antwerp handled 98,229,046 tonnes of freight in the first six months of 2014 - 2.7 percent more than the same period last year.

In the first quarter of 2014, the turnover of OJSC Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg (SP SPb) was up by 4 percent compared with the same period in 2013, at 4.1 million tonnes.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) made its maiden call at the port of Tyne, near Newcastle in the UK, with a shipment from Asia.

The Manitowoc MLC650 crawler crane has successfully completed the required load test to validate its maximum lifting capacity of 650 tonnes.

Shipments of the week

BBC Chartering's Peter R?nna (pictured top right) arrived at the Port of Duluth-Superior to discharge the 15th shipment of wind energy components for Minnesota Power's Bison 4 project in North Dakota.

Stella Line SA handled the shipment of 18 empty steel tanks, each weighing 70 tonnes from Mexico's Veracruz Port to San Juan in Puerto Ric on Royal Wagenborg's Americaborg.

Wagenborg lifted and installed six 98.5-tonne absorbers, each of which had the dimensions 13.5 m x 4.25 m x 4.12 m, at Statoil EGL job site in Etzel, Germany (pictured second right).

Antonov Airlines transported a 139-tonne heat exchanger on board an AN-255 freighter from Leipzig, Germany to Edmonton, via Keflavik, Iceland and Goose Bay (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

STRABAG SE was contracted by Russia's Tula-Steel Company to build a steel production and rolling mill in Tula, south of Moscow.

Petrofac received an award notification for Kuwait Oil Company's gathering centre 29 (GC29) 70 km north of Kuwait City.

Balfour Beatty's Hong Kong based joint venture Gammon Construction won two building contracts with a combined value of HK$3.91 billion (USD504 million).

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

DB Schenker opened a new office in Maputo, Mozambique, and integrated its former Angolan partner Bochimar into the company's network. Bertling Logistics opened a second office in Kurdistan, Iraq, in the town of Zakho. CEVA Logistics opened the City of Energy: a new hub in the UAE's Jebel Ali Free Zone dedicated to the warehousing and handling of oil and gas products for the energy sector. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) appointed Henrique Schlaepfer (pictured) as its new managing director in Brazil. The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) appointed Amar More, senior vice president of Kale Logistics Solutions, to its board in order to help support wider adoption of e-freight. Crane Worldwide Logistics appointed Janine Seemke as country manager for Germany. The UAE's Emirates National Shipping Services joined the Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN). After 7 years of working at Huisman Equipment, Gert Geeve had joined SBM Offshore as discipline manager, logistics and material control.

ICHCA International appointed Jan Boermans of DP World and Bill Brassington of ETS Consulting as the new chair and deputy chair of its ISP technical panel, while Patrick Hughes joined Ports America Stevedoring as breakbulk sales director.

Network news

The Project Cargo Network (PCN) welcomed Aysa Shipping as a new member representing Iraq, and Scandinavian Express Poland Ltd as a new representative in Poland. The XLProjects (XLP) network gained Panamá Soluciones Logísticas Int SA in Panama. Famous Pacific Shipping (FPS) Group appointed Morocco's Light Shipping Lines (LSL) and Singapore's FP Shipping to its network. The CLC Projects network appointed three new members: ABC International Logistics representing Laos; Ethiopia's Carmi Logistics Co; and RBS Logistics as a representative in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

All about Evie

Evie wishes Liebherr Sunderland Works a very happy 25th anniversary of crane manufacturing in the UK city.

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