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Shipping
SLPA to avert shipping sector slumps
Sri Lanka is trying to position itself to attract the growing ship
lay-up business triggered by the global economic slump and has earmarked
safe anchorages for vessels, a senior Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA)
official said.
"The SLPA has received clearance from the security authorities to lay
up vessels in safe anchorages outside Colombo harbour," said SLPA
managing sources.
However, there have been several requests from shipping lines on the
possibility of laying up their ships in our anchorages.
Trincomalee harbour being one of Asia's biggest natural harbours,
used for ship lay-up during downturns in the shipping market before the
outbreak of the ethnic war in the early 1980s. The SLPA is currently
holding talks with the defence authorities on using the eastern port of
Trincomalee for laying up ships. The worst hit by the downturn were
container ships and bulk carriers with tankers also getting affected
because of the lower oil market. Shipping industry officials said the
country can earn fees for laying up vessels and also providing services
to maintain the ships until they are recalled for service when the
market recovers.
The demand for ship lay-up arose with the collapse in the shipping
market caused partly by the global economic crisis which has reduced
trade and partly by a huge over-supply of vessels. Shipping lines seek
to lay up their vessels when it becomes uneconomic to operate them when
the slump in the market hits earnings because of reduced demand,
delivery of new vessels and fewer ships being scrapped. With charter
rates plunging and earnings poor, loss-making shipping lines are
scrambling to pull ships out of the market and lay them up until the
market recovers. Some container lines have almost a quarter of their
ship capacity in lay-up with the average figure being nine percent for
the top 24 container lines. The situation is so bad that some newly
built vessels are heading straight for lay-up. Countries such as
Malaysia have been successful in promoting some of their anchorages for
ship lay-up. HHS
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Colombo Dockyard’s repair facility
bustling with activity, Mt. Baratidasan accommodated in
drydock and Mt. Karam Singh accommodated alongside the
repair berth. |
Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has been recently been busy with repairs
specialised Dredgers and tankers, currently two massive tankers owned by
Shipping Corporation of India are undergoing repairs, MT. Baratidasan
and MT. L N Karam Singh along with a dredger, DCI Dredge XVI, owned by
Dredging Corporation of India.
The Dock No. 03 is busy with MV. Mutha
Supreme, a general cargo vessel owned by Mutha Group, India.
The yard is also busy with repairs to a tug Michael Amos owned by
Northern Transportation Company Ltd. Canada and Research vessel Geo
Explorer owned by TDI Brooks, Ltd. Texas, USA.
On the shipbuilding
sector ship yard is getting ready to deliver the 4th Anchor handling Tug
Supply vessel Great Ship Aditi , while the MV. Arabian Sea, 250
passenger vessel; to be delivered during September 2009 is also a hive
of activity.
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 she spearheads the frontiers of Sri
Lankan Industrialization.
Australia to seek US $ 18m over oil spill
Australia will seek more than US$ 18 million in compensation from a
Hong Kong-based shipping company over a massive toxic oil spill during a
wild storm, officials said Wednesday.
Swire Shipping's cargo liner Pacific Adventurer released about
200,000 litres of heavy fuel oil off the coast of Queensland state as it
travelled through cyclonic weather.
Vast stretches of popular tourist beaches were blackened by the
sludge, which spilled from the hull after it was pierced by fertiliser
containers as they fell overboard in heavy seas.
It was one of Australia's worst-ever oil spills.
Queensland Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the two-month
clean-up was officially over and had cost a total of 25 million
Australian dollars.
"We have a guarantee from Swire for 20 million dollars and we will
now pursue them for the remaining cost," Nolan told Australian
Associated Press.
"The taxpayers of Queensland did not cause this disaster and they
should not end up paying for any part of it. I would hope that Swire
will cover this cost as a simple matter of corporate responsibility."
Nolan said more than 3,000 tonnes of contaminated sand had been
removed from Moreton Island, the nearest land to the spill site, and
restoration work was still being done at a number of local wetlands.
The ship's Filipino captain, Bernardino Gonzalos Santos, 47, has been
charged with illegally discharging oil, and faces fines of up to 350,000
dollars.
AFP
Hanjin Shipping's new port terminal starts operation
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Vessel
Hanjin |
Hanjin Shipping announced its Busan New Port Phase 2-1 Terminal
started its operation as Hanjin Shipping's 4,000TEU class ship Hanjin
Los Angeles made its call at the terminal.
Operated by Hanjin Shipping's subsidiary, Hanjin New Port
Corporation, this new terminal is sitting on an approximately 696,300 of
land with 3 berths that can accommodate 3 of 50,000Ton class ships at
the same time.
With depth of 18m, mega-sized vessels over 10,000TEU can sail in and
out freely.
In cooperation with Hanjin Shipping's logistics IT specialist,
Cyberlogitec, Busan New Port Phase 2-1 Terminal established the world's
first automated horizontal yard crane system. Also, they are expecting
most efficient terminal operation by using OPUS (Optimizing Powerful
Ultimate Solution), a specified terminal operation solution.
According to Hanjin New Port Corporation, Busan New Port Phase 2-1
Terminal is expected to handle more than 2 million TEU of cargo
annually. Moreover, with state-of-the-art equipment and system combined
with Hanjin Shipping's terminal operation skills this new terminal is
expected to become an example for successful automated terminal. |
