MARITIME NEWS

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

International maritime news for seafarers

China will use coal plant to power Jamaica Port

A Chinese company wants to build its own coal fired plant in southern !amaica to "enerate the power needed for a hoped for #$% 1&' billion port that the Caribbean island en(isions as helpin" transform its chronically slu""ish economy& %urin" an update to )arliament, *ransport and Wor+s ,inister -mar %a(ies said that China .arbour /n"ineerin" Co aims to power the transshipment port with coal 0to pro(ide lower cost electricity for the pro1ect&0 !amaicans pay 42 cents per +ilowatt hour& *he Chinese company aims to de(elop a transshipment port in a swath of southern !amaica that would lure the deep draftin" ships e2pected to tra(el throu"h the )anama Canal when its e2pansion is completed& It is a +ey part of a de(elopment strate"y !amaica hopes would transform the island into a "lobal lo"istical hub in comin" years& 3lueprints also call for an e2pansion of !amaica4s e2istin" container terminal, airports and roads while the "o(ernment creates special economic 5ones to lure companies and usher the island into the "lobal supply chain& *he Chinese company has already applied for a license with !amaica4s en(ironmental a"ency to be"in "eotechnical wor+ in the )ortland 3i"ht area in southern !amaica& An en(ironmental impact assessment still needs to be done to "reen li"ht the port pro1ect in coastal )ortland 3i"ht, home to the island4s bi""est protected area& %a(ies said ta2 incenti(es, a re(iew of citi5enship laws for in(estors, land ac6uisition and authorisation for the coal fired plant also had to be addressed before any a"reement could be si"ned& 7A)8

SAFETY STUDY HEAVY WEATHER DAMAGE

A hi"h speed ferry encountered lar"e wa(es durin" a re"ular sailin", sustainin" se(ere indentations in the bow area and in1uries to some of its passen"ers&

NARRAT VE
%urin" a re"ular, scheduled crossin", a lar"e hi"h speed craft hit a series of wa(es while tra(ellin" at a speed of 99 +nots to 9' +nots& *he slammin" caused se(ere indentations in the bow area of the ship& Followin" the slammin", the speed was immediatelyreduced to about 21 +nots to 29 +nots& At this speed, the (oya"e to its port of destination was continued without further incident& $i2 passen"ers and one crew member were in1ured when the (essel hit the wa(es& #pon arri(al, two of the si2 in1ured passen"ers had to be treated at the local hospital& *he most se(ere in1ury was a bro+en hip&

C!NC"#$ !N
*he speed reduction from 41 42 +nots to 99 9' +nots was insufficient to ensure a safe crossin" "i(en the actual weather and wa(e conditions& When choosin" the speed he considered safe, the master did not pay sufficient attention to the weather, the sea state and the possibilities for obser(in" the wa(es and the "eo"raphic conditions in the area& *he %,AI3 reported that the operations manual for the hi"h speed ferry did not pro(ide the (essel4s master with sufficient information re"ardin" safe speed in hea(y weather&

REC!MMENDAT !N$
All the in1ured passen"ers were in1ured when they were thrown out of the fi2ed chairs in which they were sittin" or lyin"& It is recommended that the ship owner consider the appropriate means which will pre(ent passen"ers from bein" in1ured in similar incidents in the future& *he e2istin" 0ser(ice restrictions0 for the (essel stated in the appro(ed 0Craft -perational ,anual0 is considered insufficient as a tool for decidin" a safe speed in a "i(en condition in the actual "eo"raphic area& It is recommended that the ship owner de(elop a decision support system for assistance when decidin" on a safe speed in a "i(en condition& $uch a support system should consider local as well as actual conditions and, in this way, assist in ensurin" the safety of passen"ers and crew as well as in pre(entin" structural dama"es to the (essel& It is recommended that this support system be inte"rated in the e2istin" I$,:$,$ system for the (essel& $ource; %anish ,AI3

M! hosts E%pert Wor&shop on #n'erwater Noise

I,- is hostin" an /2pert Wor+shop on #nderwater <oise and its Impacts on ,arine and Coastal 3iodi(ersity from February 2' to February 2=, 20148& *he wor+shop is bein" or"anised by the $ecretariat of the Con(ention on 3iodi(ersity 7C3%8 with financial support from the /uropean Commission& I,-4s ,/)C 66th session, which will be held from ,arch 91 to 4 April, will consider draft >uidelines for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shippin"& Wor+shop participants will share, throu"h open discussions, their "lobal, re"ional and national e2periences and +nowled"e on underwater noise and its impacts on marine and coastal biodi(ersity, includin" information on short and lon" term ne"ati(e conse6uences for marine animals and other biota in the marine en(ironment, I,reported& )articipants will also focus on the de(elopment of practical "uidance and tool +its to minimise and miti"ate the si"nificant ad(erse impacts of anthropo"enic underwater noise on marine and coastal biodi(ersity, includin" marine mammals, in order to assist )arties and other "o(ernments in applyin" mana"ement measures&

tal()s captain $chettino returns to site o* 'isaster

*he captain of the wrec+ed Costa Concordia cruise ship, Francesco $chettino, returned to the site of the disaster for the first time on *uesday after the 1ud"e at his trial ruled he could board the stric+en (essel& $chettino too+ a ferry to >i"lio Island off the coast of *uscany in central Italy, where the "iant ship has remained stranded since it crashed on the ni"ht of !anuary 19, 2012 in a tra"edy that claimed 92 li(es& *he chief 1ud"e at $chettino4s trial in nearby >rosseto earlier on *uesday accepted a re6uest from his defence that he be allowed to ta+e part in an inspection of the ship by a "roup of e2perts from the court on *hursday& Contacted by AF), his lawyer %omenico )epe was not able to say what $chettino would be doin" on Wednesday before boardin" the ship& *he island4s ,ayor $er"io -rtelli said he +new nothin" about $chettino4s (isit& )epe said his return would be a 0"reat emotion0 for $chettino and 0could help establish the facts0& !ud"e >io(anni )uliatti on *uesday said $chettino would be allowed onto the ship 0as a defendant, not a consultant0 and would therefore ha(e permission only to 0be present durin" the wor+ but not to inter(ene0& 7AF)8

$in+apore plans to ,uil' -n' "NG terminal

$in"apore is plannin" to build a second ?i6uefied <atural >as 7?<>8 recei(in" terminal, followin" its lon" term strate"y to become Asia4s ?<> tradin" hub& )rime ,inister ?ee .sien ?oon", who inau"urated $in"apore4s first terminal on *uesday, said that the city state had already started a feasible study to find out suitable locations on the eastern part of the country to construct a new facility& $in"apore4s "eo"raphical ad(anta"es and its stature as Asia4s oil tradin" centre will support it to become an ?<> leader& *he International /ner"y A"ency un(eiled that Asia, with 46@ of "lobal trade, has already o(erta+en /urope as the world4s bi""est "as importer& *he a"ency has also rated $in"apore as the best place to be the hub for ?<>&

PORT NEWS Piraeus li&el( to ,ecome one o* top . container/shippin+ hu,s

*he port of )iraeus is li+ely to become one of the top fi(e container shippin" hubs as the "o(ernment spurs lo"istics acti(ities in a bid to +ic+ start economic "rowth, %e(elopment ,inister of >reece Costis .at5ida+is said in an inter(iew with 3loomber" news a"ency in 3russels on *uesday& 0)iraeus could become one of the fi(e bi""est ports in /urope (ery soon& *he "eostrate"ic position of >reece is such that we can ha(e de(elopment in the area of lo"istics,0 .at5ida+is said, addin" that 0what the state can do is to "i(e incenti(es0& .at5ida+is said ta+in" full ad(anta"e of )iraeus4 potential to become a bi""er trade "ateway will re6uire further de(elopment of the >ree+ railway networ+ and "reater e2ploitation of port and rail lin+s in the country& .e also cited the need to impro(e hi"hways and re"ional airports& In that conte2t, he said le"islation is in the wor+s to encoura"e in(estment in the lo"istics industry& 0It will ma+e life easier for in(estors in lo"istics,0 .at5ida+is told A<A& 0It will modernise the institutional framewor+, mainly by simplifyin" the licensin" framewor+,0 the minister added& $otiris *richas, )resident of the Athens based >ree+ ?o"istics Association, a non profit or"anisation that promotes the industry4s de(elopment, told 3loomber" that the lo"istics industry, includin" transportation, contributes around 10@ to 12@ to >ree+ "ross domestic product and can help re(i(e economic "rowth&

ENVIRONMENT

0un'in+ ,oost *or Cana'a)s sur1eillance o* ship pollution

*he "o(ernment of Canada has announced a fundin" boost for marine pollution sur(eillance& *he new fundin" for the <ational Aerial $ur(eillance )ro"ramme will be utilised to increase the number of fli"hts to monitor and detect pollution from ships in Canadian waters& *he fundin" will be increased from #$% ' million to rou"hly #$% 10 million a year o(er the ne2t fi(e years& It will help the "o(ernment to increase the number of sur(eillance aircraft to three to spot oil spills off Canadian coast& *he sensors laced aircraft were specifically desi"ned to detect oil spill as small as of a litre of oil on the ocean surface&

SEIZURE New 2ealan' sei3es ship with cocaine on ,oar'

*he <ew Aealand 7<A8 )olice said that a shippin" container carryin" cocaine worth #$% B92,492 was en route from $outh America to /urope, when <ew Aealand )olice and Customs sei5ed it earlier this month& *he cocaine was found in a container at the Christchurch port of ?yttelton on February 10 and had been routed from $outh America to /urope, <A police added& %etecti(e Inspector Cir"inia ?e 3as said police suspected that the ori"inal destination was the port of Dotterdam in the <etherlands& 0Indications are that the pac+a"e had been in the container for some time,0 she said&

We nee' to pull to+ether to sa1e oceans4 5err(

#$ $ecretary of $tate !ohn Eerry warned royalty, corporate +in"s and en(ironmental warriors on *uesday that "o(ernments won4t sa(e the seas without 0si"nificant impetus0 from e(ery sphere of society& Eerry4s comments came (ia (ideo lin+ to a lar"e "atherin" at scenic .alf ,oon 3ay, California that has brou"ht to"ether countries bi" and small to find ways to pre(ent oceans from bein" destroyed by a rapacious "lobal appetite for food and resources& 0We don4t yet ha(e the political consensus or the ur"ency translated into political action,0 Eerry said durin" a (ideo chat that +ic+ed off the World -cean $ummit, or"anised by *he /conomist&

0And we +now that there4s no way that "o(ernments are "oin" to tac+le this enormous challen"e, fran+ly, without si"nificant impetus from the pri(ate sector, the <>community, academia, media and others&0 A note struc+ time and a"ain at the meetin", which continues throu"h Wednesday, was the need to translate the destruction of seas and marine life into economic (alues that e(eryone, from world leaders to fishermen, can ta+e to heart& 0/(ery human on /arth depends on the oceans for the food we eat and the air we breathe,0 Eerry said& 7AF)8

HI-TECH Technolo+( a use*ul component in *i+ht a+ainst pirac(4 NYA

/2perts on piracy related issues ha(e su""ested that the lon" term solution to piracy off the /ast and West Africa coasts may not be military inter(ention or armed security "uards alone, but it could be economic and political support as well& Alec+ 3urrell, <FA International4s maritime operations mana"er, said at a meetin" with WI$*A #E members on February 20 at *ower 3rid"e .ouse in ?ondon that piracy was not about to "o away in either re"ion in the short term& <FA is offerin" its clients a security blan+et usin" its ,ar*rac+ solution, which pro(ides real time (essel trac+in" and alerts& #sers are able to (iew li(e (essel trac+in", piracy and other essential information on a secure online portal& 0*echnolo"y tools li+e ,ar*rac+ are e2tremely useful to ship owners and operators as part of a layered approach to maritime ris+ mana"ement,0 3urrell said& <FA International, a leadin" crisis pre(ention and response consultancy, was in(ited to discuss the current piracy issues by WI$*A #E, the international or"anisation of women wor+in" in the shippin" industry representin" na(al architects, ship en"ineers, bro+ers, lawyers and other maritime related professions&

SHIPPING DATA
6A"T C E7CHANGE
Market snapshot: 1100 GMT Dry Index BDI 1197 Capesize Index BCI 177 #ana$ax Index B#I 11"7 &'pra$ax Index B&I 109! (andysize Index B(&I !79 +23 +!" %3 0 0

E7CHANGE RATE$

)e* +ork ,T'e C-s. /0n C'rren1y in 2&D Britain ,#o'nd. 13!!77 Canada ,Do--ar. 039024 China ,+'an. 031!33 5'ro 133743 India ,6'pee. 0301!1 Indonesia ,6'piah. 030000"! 7apan ,+en. 030097"" )or*ay ,8rone. 031! ! #hi-ippines ,#eso. 030224 #o-and ,9-oty. 033309 6'ssia ,6':-e. 0302"0 &in0apore ,Do--ar. 037917 2kraine ,(ry;nia. 031030

2&D in /0n C'rren1y 03 99! 1310"2 !31247 037277 !139" 0 11!! 300 10231!00 !303"9 443!100 330200 3 3720 132!30 9370 0