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

Shipping lines have been warning customers this week to expect delays at North American terminals linked to the continuing negotiations between west coast dock workers and port bosses.

Fears of a strike or lockout at the west coast ports have prompted shippers to increase their import volumes in anticipation of industrial action while talks continue. In some ports this has now led to major terminal congestion and delays.

Canada National Railway (CN) has already imposed restrictions on handling goods bound for the US after a surge in cargo diverted to the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert in British Columbia.

This week's Friday Flyer is sponsored by Crowley Solutions, an organisation offering turn-key solutions for clients with marine infrastructure, offshore construction and marine cargo and logistics projects. Crowley provides project management, marine engineering, heavy lift barge transportation, ocean towing, marine project logistics, DP2 tugs to 150 tonnes and barges to 400 ft x 130 ft.


In business

A report published by the IMF claimed that bad loans in the shipping sector held by German banks pose a concern to the country's overall banking system.

The International Chamber of Shipping wrote to the Paris MOU regarding its concerns over the sulphur emission control area (ECA) implementation.

Effective August 2014, ANL reached an agreement with Toll to take over the Perkins International Service.

Geodis and AF Logistics agreed on the sale of Züst Ambrosetti and the formation of a partnership between the two groups.

In South Korea, Dachser rebranded as Dachser Korea Inc following its full acquisition of the shares in MGI & Dachser Inc.

UTC Overseas restructured its Baku based Azerbaijan operation from UTC Overseas Ltd to UTC Caspian Ltd.


Capacity developments

Wagenborg Nedlift expanded its crane fleet with a brand new 700-tonne capacity Demag AC-700 mobile crane.

Hegmann-Gruppe received approval to construct a new multimodal heavy cargo terminal in Wesel.

Modulift launched a new spreader beam calculator on its website.

Cargolux is to take delivery of its tenth 747-8 freighter from Boeing.

Terex Cranes launched its new CTL 1600 luffing jib tower crane.

Crowley welcomed FEC's new ICTF in Port Everglades, saying it would allow more efficient handling of breakbulk and OOG cargo.

The 28,000 dwt multipurpose heavy lift vessel DA XIN joined Coscol's fleet.

Regs4ships launched the 19th flag in its Digital Maritime Regulations (DMR) product and now offers a Luxembourg regulations product.

Pan Ocean placed an order with Amarcon for two OCTOPUS-Onboard ship monitoring systems.


Shipments of the week

Croatia's R&B Global Projects chartered space on a multipurpose heavy lift vessel in order to ship three crewboats from Kobe, Japan to the UAE's Sharjah Hamriyah free zone port (pictured top right).

Tuscor Lloyds transported an 80-tonne shipment from Mexico to Libya via the port of Antwerp.

Harms Bergung Transport und Heavylift's anchor handling tug AHT Orcus towed Transocean's semi-submersible rig Development Driller II from the Gulf of Mexico to Palermo (pictured second right).

C.H. Robinson Project Logistics transported two tanks, weighing a total of 86.2 tonnes, for a mine construction project in Saskatchewan, Canada (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

German transmission grid operator Amprion GmbH commissioned Alstom to deliver six large power transformers.

Carillion and Balfour Beatty are engaged in preliminary discussions in relation to a possible merger of the two companies.

ABB won an order worth USD35 million from Hydro-Québec to upgrade the 350 MW Madawaska HVDC transmission link.

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

Peel Ports Group appointed Patrick Walters as group commercial director, while UTi Worldwide named Naran Andreyev as senior manager of trade services for the company in the Asia-Pacific region. The British International Freight Association (BIFA) named Robert Keen (pictured) as its new director general to succeed Peter Quantrill. The American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) board of directors elected Kristin Decas as incoming chair for its 2014-2015 activity year.


Network news

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) welcomed the new members: ATS Specialized, LLC; Balboa Capital Corporation; ILoca Services, Inc; J. E. Dunn Construction Company (doing business as Blue Hat Crane and Equipment Rental); Jim's Heavy Hauling LLC; Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co Ltd; and welcomed back returning member, Oklahoma College of Construction. The Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) added Emirates National Shipping Services from the UAE to its network, while the Project Cargo Network (PCN) was busy with the appointment of Colombia's Anker Logistica & Carga; Kazakhstan's SRX Transcontinental; and Transnetwork Logistics as a member representing South Africa, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Finally, the Project Partners network enlisted DAMFO Group with its two offices in the UAE, while the Pacific Power Logistics (PPL) network gained Holleman Ukraine.


All about Evie

Evie congratulates the winner of Allseas Global Logistics' World Cup predictions competition, Alan Mackinnon, who won two tickets to a Premiership game of his choice.

Evie was also intrigued this week by stories about marine-themed Lego pieces still being washed up on Cornish beaches after a container filled with millions of the items fell into the sea in 1997.

She has enjoyed reading Tracey Williams' Facebook page, Lego Lost At Sea, which documents all of the Lego discoveries. Check it out here.

Evie also takes her hat off to C.H. Robinson's new global business brand Robinson Fresh, which teams up with Cub Foods in Maple Grove this weekend to top the Guinness World Record for Largest Fruit Display.

 

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