China’s maritime body urges greater oversight after several boxship fires
19.08.2024
In light of recent explosions and fires on the container ships Northern Juvenile, Maersk Frankfurt, and YM Mobility, China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has called on liner operators to exercise more supervision on carrying dangerous goods.
MSA said, “Shipping lines must deeply learn the lessons of the accidents, draw inferences from the cases and resolve to prevent such accidents from happening again.”
On 26 May, a fire broke out in the cargo hold of the 2009-built, 8,814 TEU Northern Juvenile that was operated by CMA CGM on its Asia-West Africa service. The ship was 600 nautical miles from Malaysia’s Port Klang at the time and is now undergoing repairs. General average was declared by ship’s owner, Norddeutsche Reederei.
Similarly, Tokei Kaiun, the Japanese owner of the newly built 5,500 TEU Maersk Frankfurt, which was chartered to Maersk Line, declared GA after an explosion on the ship on its maiden voyage off Goa, India, on 19 July. One seafarer was killed in the incident.
MSA’s advisory was issued shortly after an explosion on Yang Ming's 2011-built, 6,589 TEU YM Mobility on 9 August in China’s Ningbo port, which is the world’s third-busiest container port.
The administration stressed that ship operators must remember that lives are at stake and safety must always come first.
Just days after the YM Mobility incident, an explosion occurred in the lower deck of MSC Capetown III, a 2006-built 2,824 TEU ship owned by MSC, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Except for the death on Maersk Frankfurt, there were no fatalities or injuries in the other incidents.
MSA said, “Operators must fully recognise the severe and complex situation relating to dangerous goods transported on board ships, especially during the summer. Eliminate the mentality of luck, and strengthen the monitoring and rectification of hidden dangers in the transportation of dangerous goods. The safety awareness and sense of responsibility of crew members must be enhanced.”
Yang Ming vessel explosion reportedly linked to HMM-booked container
13.08.2024
The container that exploded on Yang Ming's ship YM Mobility on 9 August was reportedly booked by the Taiwanese operator’s fellow THE Alliance member HMM.
The incident, which occurred around 1.40 pm local time that day, originated from a reefer that was used to carry dry goods, according to Yang Ming.
The container has been speculated to have been carrying lithium-ion batteries or organic peroxides, which are flammable.
An HMM spokesperson told Container News: “We’re waiting for an official announcement from the authorities in Ningbo port, who are investigating the cause and extent of the damage.”
Ship repair specialists estimate that YM Mobility will need to undergo at least three months of repairs, and the costs could exceed its current market value, which is around US$55 million.
Yang Ming said today (12 August) that the damages are estimated at between US$1.5 million and US$9.5 million. The company noted that currently, there are no visible flames on board, and cooling efforts with water sprays are ongoing. All crew members and on-site personnel are safe and sound.
“The exact cause of the incident remains to be clarified under professional assessment. Meanwhile, to ensure the safety of the vessel and expedite further response, six tugboats have been dispatched for safeguarding. Representatives from P&I Clubs, Classification Societies, and surveyors have been arriving on-site to coordinate with the authorities. Yang Ming’s technical personnel are providing 24/7 on-site support to assess the impact of the fire and the seaworthiness of YM Mobility," stated Yang Ming.
YM Mobility has protection and indemnity coverage from Britannia P&I Club and the vessel is classed by American Bureau of Shipping.
Container explodes on Yang Ming ship in Ningbo
09.08.2024
One of Yang Ming Marine Transport’s ships suffered an explosion today (9 August) around 1.40 pm local time, while berthed in Ningbo, China.
Video footage taken by office workers in a nearby office building shows smoke billowing from the ship.
The Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Centre said the 6,589 TEU YM Mobility was berthed in Ningbo’s Beilun terminal and was carrying hazardous goods.
None of the crew on the 2011-built YM Mobility and the port workers were injured, although office buildings near the port were hit by shockwaves from the blast.
According to EconDB, YM Mobility is deployed to the China-Gulf Express (CGX) service that calls at Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Umm Qasr, Hamad and Jebel Ali. The service is run by Yang Ming, Ocean Network Express (ONE) and HMM.
Yang Ming issued a statement today saying that preliminary findings suggest that an explosion occurred in a container loaded with dangerous goods on board.
The Taiwanese liner operator said, “According to the shipper’s declaration, the container was a reefer used as a substitute for a dry container, without requiring power connection.
“Immediate fire control measures were taken, and the situation is now under control. All crew members have safely evacuated. Huan Ming (Shanghai) International Shipping Agency Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Yang Ming Group, is actively coordinating with the authorities to manage the situation.”
Panama Canal introduces new long-term slot allocation method
05.08.2024
The Panama Canal announced the introduction of a Long-Term Slot Allocation (LoTSA) Method for Neopanamax vessels, as part of the Transit Booking System.
With this new measure, Panama Canal aims to increase transit certainty and flexibility for its clients.
Currently, the slot offering in the Transit Booking System is done daily with an anticipation period before the required transit date.
Through this method, explains Panama Canal, several transit booking slot packages corresponding to January of the following year will be offered to different market segments; meaning a single client will be able to obtain multiple bookings in one transaction.
Each package will include a specific number of slots with weekly or monthly frequency per year, for both northbound and southbound transits.
These packages, and their characteristics, will be announced through the Booking Slot Projected Availability published on the website pancanal.com and will be awarded to the highest bidder through an auction.
The auction amount of the sealed bid will refer to the maximum amount the customer is willing to pay for each slot included in the package with a starting base of US$200,000.
DP World supercharges Asia Pacific trade with expanded network
29.07.2024
DP World has inaugurated 51 new freight forwarding offices across Asia Pacific (APAC), aiming to enhance its position as an end-to-end supply chain solutions provider.
This brings the number of DP World’s active trading offices globally to 161.
The expanded network, focused on air and ocean freight, is backed by DP World's infrastructure from ports and terminals to warehouses, trucks, rail and vessels.
Glen Hilton, DP World's CEO and Managing Director in Asia Pacific, commented, “Global trade is in the midst of an unprecedented era of flux in the face of growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty. We have an opportunity to help businesses navigate increasingly complex supply chains, as they seek enhanced market access and streamlined but resilient logistics from factory floor to customer door. With our expanded regional freight forwarding network backed by decades of experience in managing ports and terminals, our customers can count on us to support them in achieving their growth ambitions.”
The full range of logistics services, include order and origin management, port handling and freight management for ocean and air, as well as at-destination services such as customs clearance and bonded warehousing services. The company also offers a variety of value-added services including embedded trade finance, commodity-specific services, cars in containers, transload and advanced hubs and more.
These services can all be accessed through a single digital window that is backed by an integrated Global Services Centre that centralises back-end processes and is manned by over 500 IT specialists.
"This advanced digital system allows customers to track their goods in real time and easily manage their cargo journey," said DP World in a statement.
APAC region is the largest and fastest-growing in the world for outsourced logistics, and is projected to account for 40% of global revenues for contract logistics services by 2027. This year, it is also the fastest-growing region in the world in terms of both exports and imports – at over 5% growth each.