Emirates Shipping Line strengthens its Far East/Middle East service network
04.03.2024
Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) has announced the introduction of its new COSMOS (CMX) service and the enhancement of its existing GALEX (GLX) service aiming to optimize transit times and increase frequency between the Far East and the Middle East.
The port rotations of ESL's services will be as follows:
COSMOS: Shanghai (China) – Ningbo (China) – Da Chan Bay (China) – Jebel Ali (UAE) – Sohar (Oman) – Port Klang (Malaysia) – Shanghai (China)
GALEX: Busan (South Korea) – Qingdao (China) – Xiamen (China) – Nansha (China) – Da Chan Bay (China) – Port Klang (Malaysia) – Jebel Ali (UAE) – Dammam (Saudi Arabia) – Khor Fakkan (UAE) – Busan (South Korea)
ESL said these services, combined, significantly reduce transit times from East Asia to the Middle East and enhance overall service frequency.
With the addition of the CMX service, the company now offers nine services via Jebel Ali, providing access to key ports in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. The CMX service marks the carrier's second service from Central China and third from South China to the Middle East.
Furthermore, the revamped rotation of GLX service benefits customers in the Upper Gulf, Red Sea, and Africa, ensuring reduced transit times to major ports in Asia via Jebel Ali, according to ESL's statement.
Red Sea crisis milder than Covid-19, challenges to be seen in 2025
26.02.2024
The impact of the Red Sea crisis is less severe than Covid-19, although the TEU-mile boost has been significant.
Clarksons’ latest Container Intelligence Monthly stated that compared with December 2023, TEU-miles have gone up by around 11%, as around 620 ships of 8.5 million TEUs are rerouting from the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks from Houthi rebels.
Contextualised against Covid-19, where surging e-commerce sales and heightened inspections caused logistical bottlenecks worldwide, Clarksons said that the Red Sea effect has been milder.
The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) hit 5,110 points in January 2022, but currently, the index has been hovering around 2,200 points.
Clarksons said, “Indeed, while shipper costs have increased significantly amid current disruption, they remain well below those during the pandemic.”
The world’s largest shipbroker illustrated that the cost of shipping a pair of shoes from Asia to Europe went up by 21 US cents in early December 2023 to 78 US cents in mid-January 2024, but remains below the January peak of US$1.95.
Clarksons continued, “So, while major Red Sea disruption is not currently yielding container market impacts as severe as those seen during Covid-19 disruption, effects are still material with a significant TEU-mile demand ‘boost’. Uncertainty remains around the duration of disruption, and how long current strong market conditions will last; it is clearly important to keep an eye on (difficult) ‘underlying’ supply-demand fundamentals but for now the events in the Red Sea remain top of the agenda.”
Amid increased demand, tonnage supply has been increasingly absorbed and this has been compounded by a range of other supply impacts; for example, schedules faced delays and cancelled sailings as rerouting meant port calls were late or missed entirely, while inefficiencies were created by the need to reposition vessels and adjust ‘hub-and-spoke’ services. Elsewhere, capacity on some routes, such as the Far East-Middle East lane, have been impacted by the diversion of Far East-Europe services that would have previously called at Middle Eastern ports, while disruption has also caused a shortage of containers in some regions.
However, once the crisis is resolved, 2025 is expected to become a challenging year for container shipping, with more than 2 million TEU of newbuilding deliveries that year, amounting to fleet growth of 5%.
Clarksons cautioned, “Capacity management is likely to be difficult, given the scale of cumulative supply growth (end-2025 fleet set to be more than 20% bigger than start 2023). A reasonably 'solid' year for container trade volume growth is projected though, at 3%, and further reductions in vessel speeds could mitigate some of the supply pressure (efforts to cut emissions and green policies continuing to support), helping markets to potentially reach a 'floor' as macroeconomic headwinds ease.”
Dubai to host key FIATA-RAME 2024 logistics conference
23.02.2024
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the 2024 FIATA RAME Field Meeting and Conference, hosted by the UAE National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), is set to redefine logistics strategies in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
The pivotal event, scheduled for March 5-6, 2024, in Dubai, is a must-attend for professionals in the logistics sector.
Strategic discussions on future logistics trends
With the logistics market projected to reach USD 16.36 trillion by 2027, the MEA region emerges as a key player.
The conference will bring together industry leaders to discuss sustainable strategies and innovative solutions against global trade challenges.
A primary focus will be on environmental sustainability in logistics, with discussions on green initiatives, carbon-neutral technologies, and leveraging advancements in automation, blockchain, and AI to optimise supply chains.
Multimodal transport and resilient supply chains
Dr Stéphane Graber, FIATA Director General, emphasised the conference’s role in exploring resilient supply chain solutions in light of the ongoing crises in the Middle East.
He stated, “This is an opportunity to explore how to build a more resilient supply chain given the ongoing crises in the Middle East, with the use of multimodal transport to support and facilitate the industry cargo flow.”
Nadia Abdul Aziz, President of NAFL, pointed out the UAE’s strategic importance as a logistics hub for the GCC and wider MEA region.
She highlighted, “With its focus on key themes, insightful discussions, and networking opportunities, the conference will contribute to shaping a more efficient, sustainable, and collaborative future for the logistics and trade industry in the MEA region and beyond.”
CMA CGM receives first container ship in a series with unique design
16.02.2024
The CMA CGM Group has announced the delivery of the pioneering CMA CGM Mermaid, the inaugural vessel in a series of 10 cutting-edge 2,000 TEU container ships propelled by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). These vessels will gradually serve routes in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Distinguished by their innovative design aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, these new boxships will increase CMA CGM's extensive fleet of approximately 620 vessels, including over 30 already utilizing alternative energies. Their operation will result in emissions of up to -20% CO2 compared to conventional maritime fuel designs (very low sulfur oil).
This delivery signifies a milestone in the French ocean carrier's fleet modernization initiative, reflecting an investment exceeding US$15 billion, while it also propels the Group closer to achieving its Net Zero Carbon objective by 2050, with nearly 120 ships anticipated to be powered by low-carbon energies by 2028.
The inception of this new generation of container ships stems from collaborative efforts among industry stakeholders. Distinguished by their unconventional lines and architecture, these ships were meticulously crafted in partnership with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a renowned French company based in Saint-Nazaire, globally acknowledged for its ship design and construction prowess.
The transformation of the conceptual design into an industrial prototype was overseen by the Danish engineering firm Odense Marine Technique (OMT).
Construction of these vessels was entrusted to Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in South Korea, the leading shipyard worldwide in terms of performance, overseeing every aspect of container ship assembly.
Furthermore, GTT, a French firm specializing in technologies for maritime transport and liquefied natural gas storage, played a pivotal role in the project by contributing to the design and conception of the gas chain and storage tank with a combined capacity of 1,053 m3.
Committed to enhancing energy efficiency across its operations, CMA CGM made the strategic decision to optimize the design of its latest series of ships. A defining feature of this new design is its ratio of 204.29 meters in length to 29.6 meters in width, meticulously crafted to enhance both hydrodynamic and aerodynamic performance.
Distinguishing themselves as the first ships in the CMA CGM fleet to feature superstructures at the front, these vessels position the bridge and accommodations upfront, ensuring superior aerodynamic performance and increased loading capacity compared to conventional designs.
Further enhancing hydrodynamic efficiency is the incorporation of an innovative almost inverted straight bow, complete with an integrated bow bulb. This design refinement translates to a significant 15% reduction in fuel consumption per trip.
Powered by LNG, a cleaner alternative to conventional fuels, these ships achieve remarkable reductions in emissions: sulfur oxide emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 92%, and fine particles by 91%. The 12-megawatt MAN engine, fueled by LNG cooled to -161°C, propels these ships, which are also equipped to carry biogas produced from bio-waste (-67% eq. CO2) and are adaptable to e-methane (-85% eq. CO2) derived from decarbonized hydrogen.
Furthermore, each of the 10 new container ships will feature an alternator coupled to the main propulsion engine, ensuring the seamless provision of power for onboard electrical systems during voyages.
A pinnacle of innovation within this new generation of container ships is the installation of a highly potent fuel cell, set to be incorporated into the final vessel of the series slated for delivery in January 2025. This fuel cell, powered by hydrogen with a 1MW energy capacity, ensures zero emissions while the ship is berthed.
Beyond their groundbreaking technologies aimed at maximizing energy efficiency and environmental performance, these ships prioritize the comfort and well-being of their crew members with modern interiors and amenities.
From February 2024 to January 2025, the delivery of the ten new vessels will be staggered, serving primarily in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean for short-haul transportation of goods.
Between April and July, six ships from the series will commence operations on the Intra-Northern-Europe route, linking Baltic and Scandinavian ports to the hubs of Hamburg and Bremerhaven. Subsequently, from late September to late November, four additional vessels will be deployed on the Intra-Mediterranean route.
These vessels, equipped to accommodate 45’ containers that can be directly loaded onto trailers, present a more energy-efficient solution compared to road transport across Europe and the Mediterranean region. Embarking on its journey to Northern Europe, the CMA CGM Mermaid will set sail from the port of Busan in South Korea.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges enhances bollard capacity at Noordzee Terminal
12.02.2024
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has recently enhanced the bollard capacity at PSA Antwerp's Noordzee Terminal by upgrading four bollards from 150 tonnes to seven new 250-tonne bollards.
This upgrade aims to minimize wasted space between vessels during docking. Dynamic mooring analysis revealed that the older bollards were at risk of overloading due to the increasing size of ships mooring at the terminal.
The Noordzee Terminal was established approximately 26 years ago when most ships had a capacity of around 5,000 TEUs. Since then, the quay wall has been deepened by three meters to accommodate larger drafts of incoming vessels. Various technical interventions have been implemented over the years to optimize the use of quay length.
Installing the new bollards represents the final step in ensuring that multiple 24,000 TEU ships can dock at the terminal most efficiently, minimizing wasted space.
Furthermore, calculating bollard capacity involves considering numerous factors such as the speed of passing vessels, their water displacement, wind, tide, and the type of mooring ropes utilized. The existing quay structure comprises an anchored diaphragm wall with a quay wall head at the top.
To accommodate the new bollards, cutouts were made in the quay wall head at four locations, where steel frames were sequentially installed. The new bollards were then mounted on these frames, which were chemically anchored and recessed into the completed cutouts. Additionally, to enhance overall stability and accommodate higher bollard loads, the frames were anchored into the subsoil using 50-meter-long tensioned anchors.
Before the implementation of this bollard expansion project, extensive study and review were conducted by the engineering, architecture, and consultancy firm Sweco, along with independent technical expert SECO Belgium. This comprehensive analysis pushed the boundaries of what was achievable.
"Collaborating closely with PSA Antwerp, we identified the optimal locations and prerequisites for the project. The construction works were executed by Hye NV from Burcht, showcasing excellent coordination and teamwork among all involved parties," stated a Port of Antwerp-Bruges spokesperson.