shipping

Policy to ban ship breaking contracts

Hiran H. Senewiratne

Shipping industry officials said workers' safety was one of the concerns taken into consideration when the decision was taken to ban ship breaking.

Evading environment pollution is also one of the contributory factors for the ban. The new draft policy to this effect said that ship demolition work has much potential as large numbers of vessels are being sold for scrap and because developed nations are reluctant to allow ship breaking on their coasts. Therefore, Sri Lanka has ruled out to undertake ship breaking contracts as an industry under its efforts to promote the island as a maritime hub.

The policy, the draft of which was released recently, cited environmental concerns and lack of tidal differences for the decision, which causes environment issues, industry sources said.

The draft policy stressed that the Sri Lankan government will not encourage ship breaking. Ship breaking is known to create environmental pollution, including oil pollution," the draft policy said.

However, previous shipping policies have mentioned ship breaking as one of the maritime sector industries that could be promoted to take advantage of Sri Lanka's geographical position close to international shipping routes. Developed countries have had to face pressure from the public as well as environmental groups to discourage ship breaking, considered dirty and dangerous work.

Further, ship breaking yards in the world ports have become notorious for poor safety standards, which regularly result in the deaths of workers or serious injury.

Ship breaking in India and Bangladesh has generated much controversy because of environmental pollution problems as well as worker safety concerns. The lack of significant tidal differences on the coasts of Sri Lanka does not facilitate ease of handling of ship breaking activities. The policy also said the island's coast have to be protected for the development of the tourism industry.

Achieving interantional level:

CDPLC specialises on speedy repairs

Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has been busy with specialised dredgers during the recent past, currently two international dredgers are undergoing repairs in the yard. CDPLC's having a wide expertise in handling a spectrum of vessel types from tankers to dredgers to trawlers.

Since the inception in 1974 this marine engineering outfit has managed to grow from its humble beginnings to versatile player serving the nation/international clients as it spearheads the frontiers of Sri Lankan Industrialization.

Currently the shipyard is busy with extensive repairs to dredge, namely DCI Dredge XVI - owned by Dredging Corporation of India. Recently extensive repairs were carried out on Cutter Suction Dredger Kaveri - owned by International Seaport Dredging Ltd. India.

The work packages of both the dredgers are complicated, will utilise all the production sectors of the yard. These sophisticated dredgers carry out all major repair work during the major lay-up repairs as any down time during their operational phase will be costly to the owners.

Dredgers from various countries have been calling CDPLC for repairs, owing to the experience and the splendid facility at hand for the owners.

Cutter Suction Dredger Kaveri, owned by International Seaport Dredging Ltd. India/Dredging International, Belgium called at Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) during November 2008. Yard was entrusted to carry out a comprehensive repair package covering all areas from machinery and equipment to surface preparation/coating.

The main scope consisted of repairs to Main and Aux Spud doors, Spud doors hinge in situ boring and Aux. spud door steel renewal taking precautions in maintaining alignment.

Crane repair (20T), entire crane jib off and replace the bearing, In-situ facing Flange face which was onboard. Renewal of hollow shaft of spud carrier and leveller. Machining on the faces where landing the filling plate of dredge P/P housings (2 nos.) Renewal of 2 meter section of the anchor boom. In-situ drilling of dredge p/p holding down holes.

In addition to the above scope the routine drydocking repairs and surface preparation/coating work was also carried out. The CSD Kaveri was accommodated in DCPLC's Dock No. 04 along with another dredger, Flat Barge and one of our own newbuilds.

The attending superintendents for this drydocking were Rudi Bulckaert and Kris Gijbels. The repair work was carried to meet with the requirements of the owners and the classification society Bureau Veritas. The local agents GAC Shipping handled the local husbanding work during this drydocking call.

 Ongoing port projects will

be a reality soon - Minister

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

The development of a state-of-the-art Port in Hambantota Oluvil and Colombo South port development project which work has already begun and much headway made are steps towards the realisation of the vision incorporated in the Mahinda Chintana in regard to the sea port development in Sri Lanka.

To accelerate the activities in the realisation of this vision Ports, Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management Minister Chamal Rajapaksa has taken steps to expedite the work in all the ongoing port projects. One of his aims was to organise a workshop for all stake holders and officers connected directly or indirectly to make the mission a success.

The workshop was organised to keep abreast of all technological developments, the new trends adopted in other countries to have modernised port services and global changes identifying policy avenues of this realisation of the Mahinda Chintana.

The advantageous location of Sri Lanka for trade, transport and transhipment activities has seen major strides in development spanning over a century of progress.

"My special attention will be drawn to see that the completion of the ongoing port projects throughout the country would be in place ahead of schedule" the Minister told the seminar. The policy of developing an international Air Port in Katunayake has kept the country abreast of global progress in aviation activities while the policy of establishing a National Airline has paid rich dividends over the years, a port official said. The policy to encourage related activities including ship repairing, ship building has seen vast progress. Other related activities including ship agency companies, ship owning Sri Lankan shipping lines, ship supply associations, freight forwarding activities container depot operations, consolidators, transporters, marine insurers, ship finance ship mortgage entities etc. have also progressed contributing in no small measure to the countries economy. Similar developments are taking place in the Aviation industry especially in Air Cargo activities.

The policy of the government towards encouraging air sea related activities such as multimodal air-sea, sea-air transport is also beginning to attract greater traffic, the official said.

Crude shipping charges high

The cost of shipping the Middle East crude to Asia, the world's busiest market for supertankers, may drop as oil companies resist paying record prices to hire ships.

Very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, are making about $300,000 a day on benchmark international trade routes to Asia, according to prices compiled by Bloomberg. In 2004, the previous record year, they made $290,000 a day, according to London-based shipbroker Galbraith's Ltd. Bloomberg

Rare honour in maritime shipping

Wijitha Lal Munidasa who has been engaged in the field of marine consultancy, maritime arbitration and ship surveying of hull, stowage and containers for nearly 02 decades for worldwide leading shipping lines has been admitted as a member to the world recognized UK based maritime professional surveying body, "The society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors, in UK.