Ports & Ships Maritime News

Jan 12, 2010
Author: Terry Hutson

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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

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First View – Durban Car Terminal

Madagascar’s new port of d’Ehoala is in business

South Africa and South Korea in trade talks

News from the shipping lines – rates start going up

The Phoenicians draw near

Mozambique port volumes increase during 2009 despite economy

News clips – Keeping it brief

Pics of the day –NILEDUTCH SHENZHEN

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First View – Durban Car Terminal



The motor industry has been among the most severely affected sectors to be hit by last year’s economic downturn, with imports and exports decreasing by something in the order of over 20 percent, according to port statistics. However, there are occasions when a port like Durban can still have two or even three dedicated car carriers in harbour at the same time, working vehicles at the appropriate berths. 22 December was one such occasion with two car carriers in port together on that day, with one of the giant ships berthed at G shed and the other (dark blue) at M berth. Even the passenger berth known as t N Shed was occupied that day with a cargo vessel, in all likelihood taking on bunkers frm one of the barges, while a bulk carrier was at O berth on the opposite side of the T-Jetty.
Picture by Steve McCurrach




Madagascar’s new port of d’Ehoala is in business




A new port on the southern tip of Madagsacar opened for business last year – Port d’Ehoala near Port Dauphin.

Ehoala Port has been financed and developed jointly by the Rio Tinto mining group (USD240 million) and the Malagasy State (USD35m), through a World Bank-funded project aimed at developing the Anosy region of southern Madagascar.

Although the intention of the port is to handle bulk commodity exports mined in the region by Rio Tinto, the port will also come into use as a public service in helping improve accessibility and developing economic opportunities in southern Madagascar.

The primary purpose of Ehoala is to export mining commodities, mainly ilmenite which Rio TInto mines in the Fort Dauphin region nearby. But as a public service the port can also be useful in helping open up economic development opportunities in the region. The QMM mining operations have an expected lifespan of 40 years and on completion the port will revert to Malagasy State ownership.

Because of the port’s strategic position in the south of Madagascar, lying astride busy sea lanes linking the Far East with Africa and South America, Ehoala will play a significant role exposing and promoting Madagascar to international trade. On a regional level the port is expected to become attractive to sea traffic servicing the Indian Ocean.

Port d’Ehoala is a deep water port with a maximum draught of 15.75 metres and is protected by a 625m long breakwater. The port complies fully with ISPS Code certification. The single quay comprises three berths – a 275m primary berth dredged to 15.75m; a 150m secondary berth dredged to 8m which can accomodate several types of ships; and a 75m long third berth.

The port has a secure yard for storing containers and breakbulk type cargo, including power points for reefer containers, a large ilmenite storage shed (clearly visible in the picture above), two warehosues for general cargo storage and an adjacent 400ha industrial zone with ample supplies of water and electricity. The port management company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto QMM.


Two harbour tugs at Port d’Ehoala



South Africa and South Korea in trade talks


Pretoria, 11 January (BuaNews) - South Africa and South Korea are in talks which are set to consolidate economic relations between the two countries.

International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim is hosting his Korean counterpart Shin Kak-Soo in Pretoria this morning.

The two are expected to discuss the status of bilateral political and economic relations, including the prospect for a Free Trade Agreement between South Africa and Korea.

The department's spokesperson Saul Kgomotso Molobi said the agenda for the Group of Twenty (G20) meetings for 2010 will be high on the agenda as well as developments in the Korean Peninsula and SADC regions.

"It is expected that the high level visit will be discussed, as President Jacob Zuma will be attending the G20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010," Molobi said, adding that South Africa's participation in this multilateral organisation was important.

"The meeting comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate bilateral political and economic relations with the countries in Asia in order to strengthen the conditions imperative for the achievement of the developmental agenda of the South," he said.

Ebrahim's Korean counterpart will also meet with Deputy Minister of Economic Development Gwendoline Mahlangu-Nkabinde to engage about the 2010 FIFA World Cup.



News from the shipping lines – rates start going up

New West African service introduced

Hanjin Shipping, the South Korean container line has announced it is joining forces with United Arab Shipping to bring on a West African container service linking Spain with Lagos, Cotonou, Tema and Abidjan. The new service will commence on 1 March 2010 using two 1,700-TEU ships, with each line providing a vessel. The initial service commences with a sailing from Valencia in Spain but thereafter the service will make use of the new Algeciras terminal in that port.

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Maruba to go solo

Reports are circulating that Argentine container line Maruba will shortly go it alone on the East Coast South America to Far East service via South Africa. Currently the company operates in partnership with CMA CGM and China Shipping on the SEAS service. It is being reported in Europe that Maruba may seek a new partner but will otherwise go it alone. This follows the financial restructuring of the company which may have included loans from the Argentine government.

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MSC rates increase between Northern Europe and South Africa

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has increased its shipping rates between Northern Europe and South Africa/Namibia including Portugal and Ireland. As from 1 January the cost of shipping containers increased by USD200 per 20ft and USD400 per 40ft container.

MSC also announces a bunker contribution payment on westbound Asian containers with effect 1 February. The surcharge of USD505 per TEU will apply on all containers loaded in Asia and bound for destinations in the Red Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Northern Africa, Northern Europe (NWC), Scandinavia and Baltic Sea.

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Maersk Line increases rates between South Asia/Middle East to Europe

Maersk Line has revealed increased shipping rates for containers heading to Europe from ports in South Asia and the Middle East. The increases amount to USD300 per 20ft and USD600 per 40ft container and will take effect from 1 February 2010. A statement issued by Maersk Line said that the situation had become unsustainable in the longer term – “trading conditions for carriers operating in these markets are still subject to unacceptable rate levels.”



The Phoenicians draw near




Remember the Phoenician replica ship that set off to circumnavigate Africa? PORTS & SHIPS first reported on this in Jun 2008 CLICK HERE. The story related how a group of adventurers intended setting out to retrace the fabled voyage of the ancient Phoenicians of two and a half thousand years ago who became the first people known to circumnavigate Africa.

They sailed at the request of the Egyptian Pharaoh Necco from what is modern day Cairo, through the ancient canal linking the River Nile with the Red Sea and headed off south, returning several years later, according to the Greek historian Herodotus. He wrote that they returned through the Gates of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar), something possible only if they had sailed completely around Africa. (Like all good traders they kept most of their secrets to themselves, hence the air of mystery that still surrounds this account.)

In 2008 a replica Phoenician sailing ship, all of 70ft long, was built in a Syrian port using ancient building methods and with a volunteer crew on board. Under the leadership of Philip Beale and with a crew of 20 (since reduced to 11), they set off for Egypt, passed through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, ran the gauntlet of Somali pirates and headed off into southern climes. That they have so far been successful can be seen from the fact that on New Year’s Day the expedition was safely approaching the port of Beira where they arrived the following day to a warm welcome.

The expedition was due to head off for South Africa this week, with the first South African port of call being Richards Bay. As far as is known Duran is not on the list of calls but Cape Town is.

Philip Beale was last in South Africa as leader of the 2003-04 Borobudur Expedition That particular voyage set out in a 9th century replica sailing ship to prove that it was possible for Indonesian seafarers to have sailed from Indonesia to Ghana in West Africa 1200 years ago.



Mozambique port volumes increase during 2009 despite economy

Mozambique’s ports and railway company CFM says that for the period January – October 2009, the country’s ports experienced a 4.2% increase in cargo carried as compared with the same period in 2008.

Rui Fonseca, chairman of CFM said the Mozambique ports handled a total of 10.16 million tonnes of cargo during the period, compared with 9.76mt handled for the 10 months of 2008.

He revealed that the country’s railways experienced a decrease in cargo carried over the same period, dropping to 528.8 million tonne kilometres compared with 599 million in the 10 months of 2008.

The number of passengers carried on Mozambique railways increased 28.6%, rising to 2.19 million passengers from 1.7m in 2008.

CFM’s provisional profits for the same period amounted to 569.3 million meticais (approx USD20.7m).

“The economic recession was mostly felt in our railway system, particularly in the south, the only one of the systems which is directly operated by CFM, and which did not meet the established targets for the first half of 2009,” he said.



News clips – Keeping it brief

India says no to single hull tankers

The Indian Government has decided against granting any further special exemptions to existing Indian flag tankers allowing them to register single hull tankers after 31 December 2009. As a result any single hull tanker registered from 2010 onwards will be banned from trading in Indian waters. The move is designed to prevent the importing of single-hull tankers that are coming available at scrap values on the international market as other countries follow the IMO phase-out.

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US unlikely to meet its own container scanning deadline

US Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano has been quoted as saying that her department will be unable to meet the Congress-mandated 2012 deadline requiring all containers entering the United States to undergo scanning for potential weapons of mass destruction. Reports say the Department has totally underestimated the enormity of the task. Napolitano is expected to request an extension of the deadline from Congress.

“Expanding screening with available technology would slow the flow of commerce and drive up costs to consumers without bringing significant security benefits,” Napolitano said. “In order to implement the 100 percent scanning requirement by the 2012 deadline, [the Homeland Security Department] would need significant resources for greater manpower and technology, technologies that do not currently exist, and the redesign of many ports. These are all prohibitive challenges that will require the department to seek the time extensions authorised by law,” she added.



Pics of the day – NILEDUTCH SHENZHEN



The 1,800-TEU containership NILEDUTCH SHENZHEN (18,327-gt, built 2007) was in Cape Town last week, being assisted (upper picture) by the NPA harbour tug MERLOT. Pictures by Aad Noorland





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