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PCN are pleased to introduce Eastrong International Logistics as new members in Taiwan.

Located in Taipei City, they offer professional services in project cargo handling, planning and management.

Eastrong International Logistics will be in attendance and represented at the PCN 2023 Annual Summit taking place in Thailand on 12-14 November.

“Our reliable logistics capacities allow us to create unique and customised services for the most complex challenges. Specialised in breakbulk, RORO, heavy lift and integrated projects, we manage various types of industrial projects and oversized cargo.

We are well aware of the challenges, requirements and risks involved with handling special cargo and provide effective transportation solutions with rigorous planning and continuous supervision.”

The post PCN welcomes Eastrong in Taiwan appeared first on Project Cargo.

What is it like to work in a constantly moving workplace? Life aboard WALLENIUS SOL’s state-of-the-art vessels is quite different compared to that on most other RoRo ships.

EVEN FOR the most seasoned sailors, stepping aboard Botnia Enabler is an experience. Not only due to its impressive size and modern technology, but also due to the tangibly warm and welcoming atmosphere. Great emphasis has been placed on creating a homely environment that boosts camaraderie and motivates people to socialise beyond their own cabins. One example is the lounge adjacent to the mess; devoid of walls, spontaneous socialising is encouraged.

From the day room, laughter and singing can be heard as crew members sing karaoke to the tunes of “I Ain’t Worried” by One Republic. The spacious sauna with a sea view provides a relaxing moment after a shift, and in the gym at the front, a sweaty strength training session has just concluded.

A significant factor behind the cosy atmosphere on board the Wallenius fleet is the personal commitment from board member and shipping magnate Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg. Margareta passed away in April 2023, but her memory lives on through her interior work onboard. Before her passing, she and a decoration team hung about 200 paintings and decorated with lighting, cushions, and teddy bears.

“I admire what Margareta did with the decorations on board. She was not only committed to the vessel, she also was committed to the well-being of the crew,” says second officer Val Jaruda, continuing:

“We’re like a family. Botnia Enabler is a home away from home.”

The post What it is like aboard WALLENIUS’s state-of-the-art vessels appeared first on Project Cargo.

In order to guarantee its high-level storage services and secure simplified customs procedures, Rhenus has recently added two sites to its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO-Full) status: Ayguemortes-les-Graves, near Bordeaux, and Ennery in Moselle.

In a fluctuating international economic environment and with ever-increasing demands from clients and authorities when it comes to securing merchandise and flows, Rhenus aims to continuously meet the highest standards. AEO is one of the most widely recognised authorisations in the international trade sector. In France, Rhenus has held an AEO authorisation since 2009.

In Ayguemortes-les-Graves, Rhenus validated the addition of the AEO-Full authorisation (Security/Safety and Customs Simplification) to its current authorisation for the multi-user logistics site. This allows Rhenus to unify procedures for one of its clients, who is present on several Rhenus sites across France.

In the Eastern part of France, Rhenus secured continuation of its AEO-Full authorisation for three additional years. The new agency, now located in Ennery (replacing the Saint-Avold site), will immediately benefit from the AEO authorisation. The teams and procedures remain the same. They meet all requirements of the AEO status.

“The quality of services we provide to our clients is of the utmost importance. The AEO guarantees the security and conformity of procedures. It allows us to accompany our clients in their international trade operations and to meet complex customs needs by relying on our teams of experts and partners, including customs authorities,” explains Laurent Schuster, CEO of Rhenus Logistics France.

The post Rhenus obtains AEO-Full authorisation for new sites in France appeared first on Project Cargo.

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, together with ATS in the UAE, has established a specialized joint venture HellmannATS Road Solutions.

Through this powerful partnership Hellmann expands its road logistics business in the Middle East enhancing the range of services that already includes the segments airfreight, seafreight, customs brokerage and contract logistics since entering the market in 1999. With ATS, Hellmann joins forces with a major road transportation provider in the UAE market, gaining access to a fleet of more than 600 vehicles operating in the region.

Under the terms of the joint venture, HellmannATS Road Solutions will exclusively handle all road transport operations for Hellmann in the UAE. The joint venture will be managed by Mutasim Abuhmaidan, who comes with 20 years of Middle East road freight experience having led and developed regional road freight departments with global and regional freight forwarders.

With the joint venture, Hellmann and ATS responds to the fragmented FTL trucking sector in UAE, providing not just a seamless end-to-end road transport experience, but also enhancing supply chain visibility for local and international customers. The partnership combines the decades of cross-border expertise of a leading global freight forwarder with the modern fleet capabilities of one of the largest transport companies in the UAE. On this basis, the joint venture will offer a comprehensive technology-based range of B2B logistics solutions to meet the evolving needs of global trade. HellmannATS aims to significantly increase its market share in the road transport sector in the Middle East over the coming years, with a particular focus on FTL business for global and regional customers.

“As Hellmann, we are pursuing ambitious solutions in all product areas in the UAE and greater Middle East to support our customers with the strongest all-round solutions. In this context, the establishment of the joint venture with ATS is an important milestone in the expansion of our road network across the region. As globalization continues to shape the future of international trade, the joint venture stands as an unwavering partner, delivering tailor-made solutions and revolutionizing the way B2B logistics are managed,” said Madhav Kurup, Regional CEO IMEA, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

“As two industry titans unite, the shared commitment of excellence and innovation shines through promising unparalleled reliability, efficiency, and sustainability in the transportation of goods. This joint venture brings forth a dynamic force that not only streamlines supply chains but also paves the way for a brighter, more connected future“, shared by Amit Gandhi, CEO, ATS.

The post Hellmann expands road business in the Middle East appeared first on Project Cargo.

The Panama Canal, a key player in global shipping, faces a dire crisis due to an unprecedented drought, casting shadows over trade dynamics and supply chains.

The Panama Canal, an 80-kilometre-long, man-made waterway connecting the Atlantic with Pacific Ocean, is experiencing a severe drought with water levels at record lows not seen since 2016. The passage has been in operation since 1914 and is a key maritime transit point for global trade with 13,000 vessels transiting the canal in 2022. Container ships and dry bulk carriers are the top two segments that transit the canal.

When a vessel transits the canal, around 50 million gallons of water is thrown out of the lake which needs to be replenished, but with less rainfall in the past few months, this is unlikely to happen. The authorities are working on possible solutions – reducing the cargo level, helping ships maintain draft levels and measures to reduce the amount of water lost from the lake.

To preserve fresh water in the Gatun lake, which is also the only fresh water source for Panama country, the Panama Canal authority imposed draft restrictions from 24 May at 45.5 feet, which was later revised to 44.0 feet for Neo-Panamax locks with water levels not improving and forecast to remain at five-year lows until October.

The Panama Canal Authority has also restricted the number of vessels transiting through the Panamax locks from the usual 23 slots to 14 slots – 10 large vessels and 4 regulars with premiums on heavier and larger ships. The imposed restrictions have increased the vessel backlog to a high of 162 vessels on 8 August, with the average waiting time rising to over 20 days. As the holiday season approaches, the movement of merchandise will soon pick-up, potentially leading to further congestion.

The current draft restriction of 44 feet is expected to remain so for the next 10 months. The draft restriction will increase the number of vessel trips required to move the same amount of cargo, squeezing fleet efficiency. Another solution is moving on alternative routes, such as the Suez Canal and Cape of Good Hope, which will again increase transit time and hurt fleet efficiency.

All three situations – waiting at the Panama Canal, reducing the cargo level and moving on alternate routes – will tighten vessel availability, leading to increased freight rates.

The post impact of the Panama drought on bulk shipping appeared first on Project Cargo.

Vestas has received a firm order from Windpark Engelhartstetten GmbH, a subsidiary of WindLandKraft GmbH, for the Engelhartstetten wind park in Lower Austria.

The order consists of 11 V136-4.2 MW wind turbines and includes supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines. Upon completion, Vestas will service the turbines under a 25-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement designed to ensure optimised performance of the assets.

“Windpark Engelhartstetten is a big project for the Austrian market, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” says Christoph Manseder, Lead Director Sales for Austria at Vestas. “This is a privately developed wind project within the Austrian Renewable Energy Act and contributes to Austria’s energy transition strategy. Our thanks go to our customer for their trust in our technology”.

“We are glad to continue our cooperation with Vestas and are proud to expand our portfolio by a further eleven wind turbines after the successful construction and commissioning phase,” says Clemens Regehr, managing director at WindLandKraft GmbH.

Turbine delivery is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024 with commissioning scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The post Vestas wins 46 MW project in Austria appeared first on Project Cargo.

Rhenus is set to continue its growth and increase its presence in Venlo, with the construction of a new 33,000 square metre building.

Rhenus and asset manager abrdn signed a sustainable redevelopment agreement for a period of 20 years. The building, located in Greenport Venlo, will be redeveloped into a BREEAM Excellent and Well Silver building, as per the requirement of Rhenus.

Construction begins on new sustainable 33,000 square metre building for Rhenus in VenloConstruction begins on new sustainable 33,000 square metre building for Rhenus in Venlo
The building will be divided into 16,000 square metre warehouse, 12,000 square metre transshipment, 3,300 square metre mezzanine and 1,400 square metre office. Construction will start in September is is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024.

“This location next to the motorway forms an important link in our international groupage 2.0 network”, says Michael van Ooijen, Regional Manager at Rhenus Road. “From Venlo, we can easily drive to other countries or trans-shipment centres in Europe. We will have 12,000 square metre at our disposal for trans-shipment. With groupage 2.0 we want to create a pan-European, full-coverage network for our customers based on daily departures with reliable transit times. Our aim is to become one of the five largest European service providers for groupage transport.”

Nick van Loon, Managing Director Rhenus Road adds: “Additionally, we can offer our customers transport-related storage of 16,000 square metre in Venlo. Moreover, we have all the space here to shape and give substance to the cooperation with other Rhenus divisions and to grow along with our customers. After the redevelopment, the premises will meet our specific needs and requirements.”

Abrdn was supported commercially in this transaction by JLL and M2 Real Estate. Rhenus Road was assisted in this transaction by VSR Vastgoed Advies. Savills advised abrdn in the technical process, Volantess advised Rhenus Road in the technical process, and DLA Piper Nederland assisted abrdn during the legal process.

The post Construction begins on new sustainable building for Rhenus appeared first on Project Cargo.

Schryver Logistics del Peru are new PCN members.

Schryver are a well-established company founded in 1929 and hold numerous accreditations including ISO and BASC. Their Ecuador and Colombia companies are already trusted PCN members and we are delighted to welcome Schryver Logistics del Peru.

Darwin Torres (General Manager) says; “Our Projects & Special Cargo Division offer the perfect solution regardless how big, long or heavy the cargo is. Our specialised team are ready to meet all sorts of project demands that require technical expertise and multimodal transportation experience.”

“Schryver Logistics del Peru offer all the necessary services for complex projects and special cargo by sea, land and air including breakbulk, RORO, chartering, project planning, studies & surveys, lashing & packing, loading & unloading, documentation & permits, customs brokerage and warehousing.

We offer support to all the main project cargo industries – mining, oil & gas, power & energy, construction, heavy machinery, manufacturing, infrastructure, EPC, marine, automotive and more.”

The post PCN welcomes Schryver as new members appeared first on Project Cargo.

Mammoet’s creative engineering and innovative equipment deliver safe and efficient load-out and offshore installation operations for the Azeri Central East (ACE) production, drilling and quarters platform in the Caspian.

Mammoet is pleased to announce the successful completion of a remarkable project that showcases its commitment to efficient solutions and safety.

Through creative engineering and the use of its state-of-the-art equipment, Mammoet has achieved a significant milestone – the safe and efficient load-out and offshore installation of a massive offshore platform. This achievement is part of the Azeri Central East (ACE) project, the next phase of the development of the bp-operated Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) field in the Caspian Sea.

Mammoet’s scope included the weighing, jack-up, load-out and floatover installation operations of the 19,600-tonne production, drilling, and quarters (PDQ) platform. Leveraging its comprehensive engineering capabilities, Mammoet ensured the precise transfer of the platform’s topsides unit from the quayside onto the transportation barge STB-1 and subsequently onto the jacket foundation offshore. Prior to its departure, the topsides unit underwent meticulous commissioning and operational testing onshore, significantly reducing offshore installation and start-up activities.

At the quayside, the topsides unit was expertly jacked up to a height of 17 meters and then gently lowered onto a custom loadout support frame, utilising Mammoet’s largest jacking system – Mega Jack 5200. The unit was then smoothly skidded onto the barge, where it was sea-fastened and prepared for its voyage to the ACG field. The skidding operation onto the barge’s deck was accomplished using four 900-tonne strandjacks, break-out jacks, high capacity ballast system, load monitoring quay jacks comprising of six 600-tonne jacks, and mooring winches.

Upon its arrival at the designated field location, Mammoet executed the installation of the topside unit onto the jacket foundation through a floatover operation. The barge was precisely positioned over the substructure and the topsides unit was then lowered onto the substructure, while maintaining the barge’s position. The barge’s internal ballasting and winching system was enhanced with Mammoet’s float-over winches and configurable high-flow rapid ballast system. This enhancement added an additional flow capability of approximately 32,000m3/hr. This centrally controlled and monitored ballast system ensured real-time oversight, guaranteeing operational continuity and a safe floatover process.

The project’s success is not only marked by its technical achievements but also by its outstanding safety record. Throughout the construction of the 19,600-tonne topsides unit, more than 21 million hours were worked injury-free. This unit, comprising vital oil and gas processing facilities, an integrated drilling rig, a gas compressor, and living quarters, was expertly constructed by Azfen in the Bayil fabrication yard, utilizing local infrastructure and resources.

Mammoet played a key role in the integration of the platform’s DES and MDSM modules, totaling 2,400 and 2,350 tonnes respectively, showcasing the company’s multi-faceted capabilities. The combination of Mammoet’s advanced jacking and skidding systems, along with SPMTs, ensured a seamless and secure operation.

Looking ahead, drilling is expected to commence in the coming months with the delivery of ACE’s first oil projected to begin in early 2024.

Dan Kempin, Business Development Manager for Mammoet, commented: “As we continue to redefine industry standards through our innovative solutions and steadfast commitment to safety, the successful loadout of this massive topsides unit stands as a testament to Mammoet’s dedication to excellence in engineered heavy lifting and transport.”

The post Mammoet announces completion of project in the Caspian appeared first on Project Cargo.

Tera Shipping are pleased to report on the completion of their latest project, involving the transport of water tanks that they were nominated for in Malaysia.

Tera Shipping were nominated by their client to ship six water tanks and their accessories. The tanks were stationed at the client’s premises, before being lifted and loaded onto Tera’s vessel bridge trailer.

These tanks featured a gross weight of 13.4 MT with a total cargo volume of 757 CBM. The heaviest piece of cargo was measured to be 6.0 (L) x 4.9 (W) x 4.9 (H) meters and weighed 2.5 tonnes!

The collection for this delivery was arranged in Nilai, Malaysia and was transported in-land to Senawang.

“We coordinated this delivery at night to avoid traffic congestion during the daytime.”

Upon arrival at the final site, Tera Shipping executed the unlashing and unloading of the cargo using a mobile crane in Senawang.

The post Tera Shipping appointed for water tank transport to Malaysia appeared first on Project Cargo.