Panama Canal increases draft and daily transits
21.06.2024
The Panama Canal has announced that it will increase the number of daily transits from 32 to 33, starting 11 July.
This number will further rise to 34 as of 22 July, in response to the current and projected water levels of Gatun Lake over the coming weeks, and the onset of the rainy season in the Panama Canal Watershed.
With these gradual increases, by 22 July the Canal will have added two transits to the current schedule: one for the panamax locks (bringing daily transits to 25), and one for the neopanamax locks (raising daily transits to 9). Additionally, an increase in draft from 45 to 46 feet was announced, effective from 15 June.
The Panama Canal said it will continue to monitor weather conditions daily to implement the necessary operational actions in the event of increased rainfall in its watershed.
?✨ Eid al-Adha Greetings from FORWARD EXP DMCC! ✨?
17.06.2024
Dear colleagues, partners, and friends,
On behalf of the FORWARD EXP DMCC team, we are delighted to extend our heartfelt wishes to you on the blessed occasion of Eid al-Adha!
During this special time, we wish you and your families peace, happiness, and prosperity. May this sacred festival bring joy to every home, strengthen our faith, fill our hearts with love, and inspire us to perform noble deeds.
We are proud of our diverse and multicultural teams, and today's celebration reminds us of the importance of unity, mutual understanding, and supporting one another.
May Eid al-Adha be a time for reflection, gratitude, and new beginnings.
With best wishes,
The FORWARD EXP DMCC Team
HMM and IKEA forge alliance to advance ocean transport decarbonization
11.06.2024
HMM and IKEA Supply Chain Operations have entered into an agreement to utilize HMM's 'Green Sailing Service', a low-carbon ocean transport solution aimed at reducing environmental impact and supporting the decarbonization of ocean transportation.
Central to this collaboration is a significant reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions achieved by replacing conventional fossil fuels with environmentally responsible, waste-based biofuels for transporting IKEA products across the ocean.
The biofuels utilized for this service are ISCC-certified and derived from waste-based biomass. HMM is incorporating sustainable biofuel into its FIM service, which connects the Far East, India, and the Mediterranean.
Noteworthy, this agreement is expected to decrease approximately 11,500 tonnes of CO2e emissions from 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2025, through the use of such biofuels for all IKEA ocean cargo shipments with HMM.
IKEA aims to reduce the relative greenhouse gas emissions from their product transportation by 70% by 2030 and become a zero-emissions cargo owner by 2040.
"We will keep looking for ways to make sustainable development our top goal, which will help us make important progress towards carbon neutrality," stated an HMM official.
Singapore reopens disused container terminals to alleviate bottlenecks
31.05.2024
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on 30 May that operations at shuttered container terminals in the city-state’s downtown have been temporarily resumed to ease the backlog of ships queueing to dock in the world’s second busiest port.
MPA said, “We’ve seen large increases in container volumes and the ‘bunching’ of container vessel arrivals over the previous months due to supply chain disruptions in upstream locations.”
Singapore processed 13.36 million TEU between January and April, up nearly 9% over the same period last year.
More off-schedule boxship arrivals and the increased container volumes have resulted in longer vessels’ wait time for a container berth. While most container vessels are berthed on arrival, port operator PSA has worked with liners to adjust arrival schedules where feasible, and where this is not feasible, MPA said that the average waiting time for container vessels is about two to three days. However, other industry estimates are that ships have had to wait up to five days to berth.
The increased demand for container handling in Singapore is a result of several container lines discharging more containers in Singapore as they forgo subsequent voyages to catch up on their next schedules. The number of containers handled per vessel has also increased.
DP World and Mawani begin US$250M logistics park at Jeddah Port
28.05.2024
DP World and the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) have begun constructing a new US$250 million logistics park at Jeddah Islamic Port.
This state-of-the-art facility aims to enhance storage and distribution capabilities, bolstering trade within Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
Spanning 415,000 square meters, the greenfield facility will include 185,000 square meters of warehousing space and an expansive multi-purpose storage yard, making it the largest integrated logistics park in the Kingdom. It will accommodate over 390,000 pallet positions, providing customers with an efficient platform for the seamless movement of goods in and out of Jeddah.
Established in 2022 under a 30-year concession, Jeddah Logistics Park will be developed in two phases, with a planned opening in Q2 2025. The facility will feature a rooftop solar plant on the warehouse, generating 20MW of renewable energy, underscoring its sustainable design.
“This investment marks a significant step as we mark 25 years of operations in Jeddah and underscores our enduring commitment to facilitating the flow of trade," stated Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World.
Additionally, Mawani and DP World are collaborating on the management of the South Container Terminal through a separate 30-year concession signed in 2020. This terminal is in the final phase of a comprehensive modernization project, slated for completion in Q4 2024, which will increase its handling capacity to five million TEUs.
Together, these two DP World projects represent a combined investment of nearly US$1 billion.
“This new logistics area will be connected to DP World’s South Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, facilitating growth and increasing the number of containers handled at the terminal. The project is part of Mawani’s broader efforts to expand the number of logistics centres in Saudi ports, in partnership with major national and international companies, and in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Vision 2030,” added president of Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), Omar Bin Talal Hariri.
According to a statement, Mohammad Alshaikh, DP World Country Head, KSA, delivered details on the comprehensive project to attendees at the groundbreaking, including the UAE Consul General to Jeddah, Nasser Huwaiden Thaiban Ali AlKetbi, and senior Saudi government representatives and members of DP World’s leadership team.