Kolkata facility breaks record

PSA’s Bharat Kolkata Container set a new monthly throughput record of 61,755 teu this October. During the month the facility also handled its 3 millionth teu since it started operations in November 2014.
PSA Kolkata has furthermore recently upgraded its equipment stock with the commissioning of eleven new reach stackers, both expanding its landside container handling fleet and replacing older equipment. In addition, PSA Kolkata will receive new and replacement tractor trailers by the end of the year. Trial mobile harbour crane operations have recently started at a berth previously only used for geared vessels, increasing both productivity and capacity at PSA Kolkata.
Mike Formoso, PSA India’s Managing Director, commented, “Despite global trade uncertainties and a uniquely challenging operating environment, we are pleased to continue to grow at PSA Kolkata, with the support of our stakeholders. We see strong potential for West Bengal, not only for growth as a cargo generating zone but also as a logistics gateway to neighbouring states and nations.”
PSA’s Bharat Kolkata Container Terminals is located in the riverine Kolkata Port with a 203km channel leading to the sea. The port is a gateway to the hinterland comprising eastern and north-eastern India, as well as two landlocked neighbouring countries, Nepal and Bhutan.

Landmark container shipment leaves Haldia

As part of the Indian government’s ongoing efforts aimed at improving connectivity to the North Eastern Region (NER), a landmark container cargo consignment sailed from Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) to the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) terminal at Pandu in Guwahati on 4th November this year.
MV Maheshwari transported a total of 53 teu of containers containing petrochemicals, edible oil and beverages. The 12-15 day long voyage included passages on the River Ganga, Sunderbans, the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and the River Brahmaputra. This was the first ever containerised cargo movement on this particular route, although an initial consignment of containerised cargo on National Waterway-1 (NW1) – the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system – took place in November last year, following the opening of the new Multi Modal Terminal at Varanasi.
Traffic on NW-1 has grown from 5.48 million tonnes in 2017-18 to 6.79 million tonnes in 2018-19. Of this approximately 3.15 million tonnes is export-import traffic moving between India and Bangladesh using the IBP routes.

MV Maheshwari transported a total of 53 teu of containers on its maiden voyage

Malaysia Prohibits Open-Loop Scrubbers in Its Waters

Malaysia has decided to ban the use of open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) by vessels operating in the country’s waters.
“Malaysia prohibits the discharge of washwater from EGCS open-loop system whilst in Malaysian Water (12 nautical miles from the nearest land),” Marine Department Malaysia said in a shipping notice.

“Ships calling to the Malaysian Ports are advised to change over to compliance fuel oil or change over to close loop system (if hybrid system) before entering Malaysian Waters and Ports.”
The measure comes ahead of the entry into force of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sulphur cap on January 1, 2020. Under the new regulation, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emission control areas will be reduced to 0.5% from 3.5%. This is expected to significantly reduce the amount of sulphur oxides emanating from ships.
In order to comply with the upcoming regulations, shipowners can install scrubbers or use compliant fuels. Many shipowners have opted for open-loop scrubbers that use sea water as the process fluid and discharge the treated water overboard.

Concerned about the negative impact of wash water discharges in areas with higher vessel traffic density, some ports such as the Port of Singapore and the Port of Fujairah have banned the use of open-loop scrubbers. In addition, China has prohibited the discharge of wash water from open-loop scrubbers in coastal waters.

Contrary to the above decisions, recent studies, including the one presented by the Clean Shipping Alliance 2020, have shown that scrubbers “are effective and safe for the environment.”
World Maritime News Staff

MSC Enters into Container Services Agreement with Mwani Qatar

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Mwani Qatar have signed a container services agreement that will see MSC use Hamad Port as a regional hub for transshipment.
As outlined, starting from January 2020, MSC will manage up to 150,000 TEUs per year at the port, growing to one million TEUs by 2023.

“The agreement between “Mwani Qatar” and MSC is part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ strategic plan to transform Qatar into a vibrant regional trading hub in the region,” Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications and Board Chairman of Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar), commented.

“The agreement also enhances the competitiveness of Qatar and Hamad Port on the regional and international maritime transport map, as it will help attract more trans-shipment containers as well as encourage more international shipping lines to add Hamad Port to their regional routes and sign similar agreements in the future.”

“The agreement also contributes to the utilization of the differential advantages of Qatar’s strategic location on international maritime trade routes and enhances Hamad’s position and role in the national economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030,” Captain Abdullah Al Khanji, Mwani Qatar CEO, added.

Qatar Charters Two MSC Cruises Ships for FIFA World Cup 2022

Qatar has entered into an agreement with MSC Cruises for the charter of two cruise ships during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Berthed at Doha Port, the cruise liners will offer a combined capacity of 4,000 cabins and act as floating hotels during the tournament.
Chartering cruise liners for fans has long been part of Qatar’s accommodation strategy, with the country keen to offer sustainable solutions for the month-long tournament, which will kick-off on November 21, 2022.
Under the terms of the agreement, the State of Qatar will charter MSC Cruises’ newbuild MSC Europa and the 2008-built MSC Poesia.
Scheduled for delivery in 2022, MSC Europa is currently under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France. As the first liquefied natural gas-powered ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, she will run on this fuel while at berth in Doha.
“The Ministry of Transport and Communications has completed the development of Doha Port to accommodate multiple large passenger ships and enable the port’s capacity to receive the largest cruise ships in the world, serving fans and visitors who come to Qatar during the 2022 World Cup,” Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transports and Communications, commented.

Gasum to Use Swedegas’ Gothenburg Facility for Bunkering of LNG Ships

Finnish gas company Gasum has reached an agreement with Swedish gas grid owner Swedegas to use the latter’s facility for liquefied gas in the Port of Gothenburg for bunkering of LNG fueled vessels.
On October 24, the first bunkering operation involving the oil and chemical tanker Tern Ocean was carried out. Tern Ocean is chartered by Preem and the ship loaded its cargo simultaneously from Preem’s refinery in Gothenburg.
“For years we have bunkered LNG at the quayside from diversified delivery points in the Nordics,” Jacob Granqvist, sales director in Gasum, said.

“The benefit of the Swedegas set-up is that our customers can solve two issues at the same time, both getting fuel and handle cargo. Increased operational efficiency is important in the maritime sector and we are happy to make it possible,” he added.

As explained, Swedegas’ gas infrastructure at the jetty of the Energy Port in Gothenburg enables Gasum to broaden its services to meet the increasing LNG demand in the maritime sector. This demand comes from stricter climate and environmental goals in the sector.

The LNG facility can be used for the storage and transport of biogas. This means that vessels can bunker not only LNG but also liquefied biogas (LBG). LBG is renewable and can as well be used as vessel fuel.

LNG consumption within the global maritime sector is rising. Consumption is expected to accelerate even more rapidly, as compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 sulphur regulation, which requires over 85% reduction in sulphur emissions, comes into effect next year. IMO has also set a target to reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050.

Euroseas Buys Containership Quartet

Greek ship owner and operator Euroseas has entered into agreements to acquire four secondhand 4,253 TEU containerships.
As informed, the vessels will be bought from companies controlled by Synergy Holdings Limited for about USD 40 million.

According to Euroseas, the acquisition will be financed by bank debt, existing funds of the company and USD 6 million raised in private placements. As a result of the private placements, the company will have issued approximately 8.45 million new common shares at a price of USD 0.71 per share representing about 19% of the Euroseas’ ownership after the acquisition.

Built in South Korea, the ships in question are the 2009-built Synergy Busan, the 2008-built Synergy Antwerp, the 2009-built Synergy Oakland and the 2009-built Synergy Keelung. The company will also assume the charters the vessels are currently under.

As part of the transaction, the company has agreed to acquire certain management services of Synergy Marine Limited for the next three years. Andreas Papathomas, Chairman of Synergy Holdings Limited, has joined the Board of Directors of Euroseas.

Euroseas has also agreed to issue an additional USD 0.5 million in shares of its common stock to Synergy Holdings Limited if certain conditions are fulfilled in one year.

One of the vessels was handed over to Euroseas on November 18 while the remaining three are expected to be delivered within a week subject to certain closing conditions being met.