World Maritime News
WMNF 2018/08/23
INTERTANKO calls for action on contaminated fuel oil
INTERTANKO has called for immediate government action to prevent the sale of unsafe bunker fuel, with hundreds of vessels having been damaged by contaminated product over the past five months. With ships in several locations still receiving contaminated bunker fuel, INTERTANKO has called for authorities to act to ensure that fuel delivered to their port does not expose ships, their crew and the environment to serious risks.
So far authorities have made no attempt to identify the cause of the problem, identify any remaining contaminated batches, or issue alerts to the whole industry.
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China to back LNG as marine fuel
China’s Ministry of Transport has made a proposal to promote the use of LNG as marine fuel, as shipping is facing tighter emission regulations both in the country and the international arena.
The draft plan, which is pending further reviews from other government agencies and industry players, looked to achieve some initial success by 2025, such as establishing an efficient, fully functional LNG water transport system and comprehensive bunkering networks. The MoT added that the central government would offer support for the development of LNG-powered vessels and other equipment.
More details:
https://fairplay.ihs.com/ports/article/4305306/china-outlines-plans-to-boost-lng-as-ship-fuel
https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1123831/China-to-back-LNG-as-a-marine-fuel
Europe assesses aviation-style central data hub to exchange port call information
The Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center (HVCC), which co-ordinates vessel traffic visiting terminals at Port of Hamburg, is launching collaborative projects that will help determine if it makes sense to continue with bilateral exchanges of information around port calls or if it would be better to replace it with a central data hub to support improved terminal asset utilization and liner route and network planning. HVCC rolled out a first-of-its-kind collaborative data exchange initiative with Port of Rotterdam earlier this year. The initiative involves the exchange of data related to planned and actual arrival and departure times for ships coming from or heading to Hamburg and Rotterdam.
More details:
http://www.hvcc-hamburg.de/en/press/increased-networking-for-the-benefit-of-ports-and-ships/
Maersk and Vopak to launch 0.5% sulphur fuel bunkering facility in Rotterdam
Maersk is joining forces with independent tank storage operator Royal Vopak to launch a low- sulphur bunkering facility in Rotterdam that will cater for up to a fifth of Maersk’s fuel demand after 2020. Maersk will become the anchor tenant at the facility, where it will be able to deliver 2.3 million tons of fuel a year. The facility, at Vopak Terminal Europoort, would allow Maersk to safely blend, store and handle different fuel types to ensure full compliance with the 0.5% sulphur cap.
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Cargo rollovers cause chaos on transpacific
US importers are paying premiums to find open slots and avoid cargo rollovers on transpacific services from Asia because of surging demand and lack of capacity, according to leading forwarders.
Most of the beneficial cargo owners are having difficulty getting sufficient space from carriers and some customers are willing to pay premiums for the space to resolve the issue. A forwarder said demand for transpacific eastbound slots increased by 20% to 25% compared with the same period of last year. With no sign of transpacific demand slacking, Maersk has added additional capacity on the route. Other carriers are expected to follow, according to Alphaliner.
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