FT.com: How China Rules The Waves (Shipbuilding Tech, Port Tech, Shipping & Maritime Network)

[JSCh]

COSCO’s bid approved
Source: Agencies | 00:01 UTC+8 July 9, 2018 |

PRINT EDITION

CHINA’S COSCO Shipping Holdings said yesterday a key US review body has cleared its planned US$6.3 billion acquisition of shipping firm Orient Overseas International.

COSCO said on June 30 that all pre-conditions for the OOIL offer made last year had been met after receiving approval by the Chinese anti-monopoly regulator. It already has approvals from European and US anti-monopoly regulators.

In a regulatory filing yesterday, the company said the US Committee on Foreign Investment had notified it that it does not have any outstanding security issues following an agreement with the US government to divest the Long Beach container terminal business to a third party. COSCO said ownership of the container terminal business will be transferred to a trust while a buyer is sought.

COSCO’s acquisition of OOIL will see the Chinese shipper become the world’s third-largest container shipping line.

The deal is the latest in a wave of mergers and acquisitions in global container shipping that has left the top six shipping lines controlling 63 percent of the market.

 

[JSCh]

Myanmar negotiating with Chinese consortium on deep-sea port project in western state
Source: Xinhua 2018-07-08 10:51:33

YANGON, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is negotiating with a Chinese consortium to carry out a strategic deep-sea port in Kyaukphyu, western Rakhine state, as part of the planned special economic zone (SEZ) in the region, according to a report of the official Global New Light of Myanmar Sunday.

The negotiation between Myanmar's Commerce Ministry and the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) is expected to reach an agreement soon.

Kyaukphyu deep-sea port project represents part of the economic corridor of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the two countries are approaching this in a way to ensure it become a win-win situation all round, said Myanmar Minister of Commerce Dr. Than Myint.

The sea-port project will bring about the development of Rakhine state, the emergence of job opportunities for local people and the development of the country, he said.

A consortium of six group companies, led by China's CITIC, won tender in December 2015 for the implementation of two projects -- an industrial park and a deep sea port on 1,737 hectares of land, two of the three components of the project of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The CITIC Consortium also comprises China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), China Merchants Holdings (International) Co. LTD(CMHI), TEDA Investment Holding(TEDA) and Yunnan Construction Engineering Group(YNJG) as well as Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited (CP Group).

The CITIC Consortium will form project joint ventures together with Myanmar local enterprises for the construction and operation of the two projects which will be implemented under the framework of the "Myanmar Special Economic Zone Law" promulgated by Myanmar government in 2014.

The deep-sea port project consists of the MADE Island Terminal and YANBYE Island Terminal, totally with 10 berths. It also includes the road and bridge connecting the industrial park and deep sea port. The deep sea port project will be constructed in four phases, with a total construction duration of 20 years.

After the completion of project, the expected annual capacity of the deep sea port will be 7.8 million tons of bulk cargo and 4.9 million TEU containers. With the increased container throughput, the deep sea port may update to the complete container terminals, with the annual capacity of 7 million TEU containers.

Myanmar's parliament voiced support of the SEZ project saying that it would be beneficial for the economic growth of the country, particularly for that of Rakhine state, while CITIC consortium said the SEZ development would improve local people's employment and livelihood as more than 100,000 new jobs will be created for local people every year.

By the year of 2025, 90 percent of the project managers' positions will be undertaken by Myanmar local people. Once in full operation, the two projects will bring approximately 10 billion U.S. dollars in annual GDP growth for Myanmar.

According to the plan, Myanmar government will accumulatively receive 15 billion U.S. dollars of tax revenue from the two projects during the whole concession period. When the concession period is expired, both projects will be handed over to the Myanmar government.

CITIC consortium has pledged to build a "green, environment-friendly, beautiful" industrial park and deep sea port with consistent environmental evaluation to be made during the operation period, while attaching importance to corporate social responsibility and public welfare.

 

[atan651]

This Burma seaport is important as an alternative/option to the Strait of Malacca.

 

[JSCh]

Advanced rescue ship planned
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2018-07-20 07:29

An artist's rendering of the planned rescue ship. [Provided to China Daily]​

Primary task will involve search operations in the South China Sea

China State Shipbuilding Corp is designing what it says is the world's most advanced rescue ship, and plans to commission it around 2021.

The State-owned shipbuilder's Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute said in a statement that the ship, which has yet to be named, will be tasked with conducting search-and-rescue operations in the South China Sea with the Transport Ministry's Nanhai Rescue Bureau.

It will be powered by two 7,000-kilowatt engines and have a displacement of more than 16,000 metric tons. It will be 133 meters long and 26 meters wide, making it the heaviest and largest of its kind in China.

It will be capable of sailing nearly 30,000 kilometers or operating 90 days in a single operation without needing to reach port or receive supplies, the institute said, adding that the ship's cruising speed will be 17.5 knots, or 32 kilometers per hour.

The vessel will be able to conduct search, rescue and salvage tasks for ships, aircraft and submarines in very tough conditions, as it can withstand typhoons as strong as 12 on the Beaufort scale, the statement said.

In addition to rescue and salvage operations, the ship can also be used to tow disabled ships, monitor oil spills, perform deep-water scanning and surveys, extinguish fires or ferry supplies to vessels in emergencies.

Shi Gongqian, the ship's project manager, said the craft is designed to carry 30 crew members and up to 90 search-and-rescue personnel, and it will be capable of accommodating as many as 200 people rescued from disasters.

"The ship will be able to operate independently in any ocean worldwide," he said. "It will have cutting-edge equipment such as rescue submersibles that can dive 300 meters below the surface and remotely operated underwater vehicles or autonomous underwater vehicles capable of reaching a depth of 6,000 meters."

He added that it will also have a landing pad to handle large helicopters.

A ship-mounted crane will be able to salvage capsized vessels or wrecks as heavy as 350 metric tons, Shi said. Moreover, the ship will be equipped with medical facilities, such as operating rooms.

"Once the ship is put into service, it will strongly improve our country's maritime search-and-rescue capability and offer better services to any party that uses the South China Sea for peaceful, civilian purposes," he said.

According to the 2017 Report on Navigation in the South China Sea, which was published in June by the China Institute of Navigation and Shanghai Maritime University, the South China Sea is one of the busiest waterways in the world and is crucial to the global shipping industry. Nearly 8,000 large ships passed through the sea every month in 2017.

China has been an active contributor when it comes to search missions and saving lives at sea. Figures from the Nanhai Rescue Bureau show that from June 2003, when the bureau was founded, until January this year, it carried out 4,136 rescue operations in which 1,136 ships and 17,322 people were saved.

 

[JSCh]

China invests in 42 overseas ports under Belt and Road project
by Janne Suokas Jul 27, 2018 13:44 INVESTMENT BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE

The container terminal at the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, the second largest in the country, was acquired by COSCO last year. Marcel Musil Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

Chinese companies have participated in the construction and operation of a total of 42 ports in 34 countries under its Belt and Road initiative launched five years ago, according to China’s Ministry of Transport.

These ports include Piraeus Port in Greece, Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka and Gwadar Port in Pakistan, Wu Chungeng, the ministry’s spokesperson, told a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

Wu said China has also signed 38 bilateral and regional maritime agreements covering 47 countries along the Belt and Road trade routes.

A signature foreign policy plan of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Belt and Road initiative was proposed in 2013 to boost China’s trade with some 70 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa through massive investments in railroads, ports and power plants.

It consists of a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt running from China’s western parts towards Europe and the Middle East, and the 21st Maritime Silk Road that links China’s coastal parts to the South Pacific and Australia and to Europe and Africa through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean and the Arctic.

Beijing’s maritime ambitions reflect the fact China is the world’s largest exporter and the second largest importer, and wants to secure access to infrastructure and resources that it considers critical to its economic development.

A large part of the overseas port investments has been carried out by state-owned companies, especially China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) and the China Merchants Group.

COSCO owns and operates Greece’s Piraeus Port, among others, while ports managed by China Merchant Groups include the Hambantota Port, which Sri Lanka gave to China on a 99-year lease last December after being not able to pay back loans to Chinese banks.

But the port shopping spree by state-controlled Chinese companies has raised concerns in recipient countries, particularly in Asia and Europe.

The European Union is currently considering a mechanism that would allow to review foreign direct investments to critical sectors and infrastructure, including technology, power plants and ports. The legislation could be adopted by the end of this year.


China invests in 42 overseas ports under Belt and Road project | GBTimes

 

[JSCh]

Sun Jul 9, 2017 | 11:21pm EDT
China's COSCO Shipping offers $6.3 billion for Orient Overseas Ltd
By Brenda Goh and Matthew Miller | SHANGHAI/BEIJING

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co Ltd (601919.SS) has offered to buy Orient Overseas International Ltd (OOIL) (0316.HK) for HK$49.23 billion ($6.30 billion), in a deal that will see the mainland China group become the world's third largest container liner.

The proposed deal is the latest in wave of mergers and acquisitions in global container shipping that has left the top six shipping lines controlling 63 percent of the market. OOIL's shipping subsidiary, OOCL, has a 2.7 percent slice of the market.

COSCO Shipping is offering HK$78.67 for each OOIL share, a premium of 37.8 percent over OOIL's closing price of HK$57.10 on its last trading date, the companies said in filings with the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges on Sunday.

OOIL's controlling shareholders had on Friday agreed to sell their 68.7 percent stake at that price to COSCO Shipping, which is making the offer with Shanghai Port International Group (SIPG) (600018.SS) that will take 9.9 percent, they said.

COSCO Shipping will have a fleet of more than 400 vessels and capacity exceeding 2.9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) should the deal go through, it said.

This would make it the world's third largest container shipping line after Denmark's Maersk Line MAERSKb.Co and Switzerland's Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), according to Singapore-based transport research firm Crucial Perspective. It is currently the fourth-largest behind France's CMA CGM [CMACG.UL].

"COSCO Shipping Holdings believes this acquisition will enable both COSCO Shipping Lines and OOIL to realize synergies, enhance profitability and achieve sustainable growth in the long term," the Chinese group said in the statement.

OOCL was founded in 1969 by Hong Kong shipping magnate Tung Chao-yung, whose son, Tung Chee-chen is chairman, president and chief executive of the company, while several Tung children are in senior management roles.

The two companies in January dismissed merger rumors but analysts said that OOCL was still a likely bid target due to its long profitable history and relatively low leverage.

Both firms are also part of the "Ocean Alliance" partnership, which also includes CMA CGM and Evergreen Marine Corp (2603.TW), that was formed last year to take on the rival grouping of Maersk Line and MSC.

COSCO Shipping itself was created from the state-driven merger of former rivals China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company and China Shipping Group. Shares in the firm, which flagged a return to first-half profit last week, have been suspended since May 16.

It said it would finance its part of the deal through external debt financing and that the transaction was still subject to anti-trust reviews by Chinese and U.S. government authorities.

The companies said that they plan to retain OOIL's listing status and maintain its global headquarters and presence in Hong Kong to support the city as a global maritime center.

Should the deal fall through, COSCO Shipping has also agreed to pay OOIL a reverse termination fee of $253 million, they said

UBS AG Hong Kong Branch (UBSG.S) is advising COSCO Shipping and SIPG, while J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited (JPM.N) is advising OOIL.

(Reporting By Brenda Goh in SHANGHAI and Matthew Miller in BEIJING; editing by John Stonestreet and Jane Merriman)



China's COSCO Shipping offers $6.3 billion for Orient Overseas Ltd | Reuters

Completion of Offer Jointly Made by COSCO SHIPPING Holdings and Shanghai Port Group
Date：2018-07-27

(27 July 2018) － COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. (“COSCO SHIPPING Holdings”), a subsidiary of China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation, announced that the offer jointly made by the Company and Shanghai Port Group through their respective subsidiaries to acquire shares of Orient Overseas (International) Limited (“OOIL”) closed at 4:00 p.m. on 27 July 2018. The offer received valid acceptances of approximately 616 million OOIL shares, representing approximately 98.43% of OOIL’s issued share capital.

According to the requirements of the Listing Rules of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, to ensure that sufficient public float exists in the OOIL shares , COSCO SHIPPING Holdings, through its subsidiary, shall transfer approximately 13.53% of OOIL shares to certain investors pursuant to sale and purchase agreements such that the public float of OOIL shares will be restored to at least 25%.


Completion of Offer Jointly Made by COSCO SHIPPING Holdings and Shanghai Port Group | COSCO Shipping

 

[JSCh]

As big as 3 football fields! China builds giant ore carrier
New China TV
Published on Aug 15, 2018

A Chinese-built ultra-large ore carrier has been put into service. What else makes it stand out except its impressive size? Find out.

 

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1030019112808771585

China Xinhua News Verified account @XHNews
Sri Lanka is reaping early harvests from #BeltandRoad as Hambantota Port gears up to become a leading hub in the Indian Ocean region with Chinese company’s investment and management

5:11 PM - 16 Aug 2018

 

[JSCh]

今日，国内首艘安装风帆装置的30万吨VLCC顺利出坞 | 大船集团

8月16日下午，大船集团为招商轮船建造的国内首艘安装风帆装置的30万吨VLCC 80号船顺利出坞，为风帆样机后期在VLCC实船工程中的示范应用打下了坚实基础。下一步，该船将进行系统安装、调试等工作。

On the afternoon of August 16, the 300,000 tonne VLCC No. 80 ship built by CSIC group for the China Merchants Energy corp. was successfully undock, which laid a solid foundation for demonstration and prototyping of wind-sail technology for VLCC ship. Next, the ship will perform system installation and commissioning.

“风帆技术示范应用开发”项目，是由大船集团牵头承担的国家高技术船舶科研计划，是国家工信部批复的围绕主力船型节能减排的创新性重点项目，在VLCC实船上的应用在国内尚属首次，该项目不论从风帆样机的尺寸，还是所安装船舶的吨位，均属国内和国际业界的创新和填补空白项目。自2017年9月1日风帆样机开工以来，大船集团组织参研单位陆续攻克风帆样机研制工艺技术、工艺流程、工艺装备等大量技术难题，完成了结构部件制作、陆基试验等重要节点。近日，首台风帆样机研制成功并圆满完成路基试验，按计划实现了风帆项目的重要节点，使项目取得了重要阶段性成果，为后续实船安装调试及航海示范等任务创造了有利条件。

The “Wind Sail Technology Demonstration Application Development” project is a national high-tech ship scientific research plan led by CSIC. It is an innovative key project approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology intended for energy conservation and emission reduction for large ship. The application on the VLCC ship is first in China. Whether considering the sail prototype size or the tonnage of the installed ship, the project is considered a domestic and international industry innovation and fills in blank project. Since the start of the project on September 1, 2017, CSIC organized the participating units to successively overcome a large number of technical problems such as the development of technology, equipment and procedure for the sail prototype, and completed important parts such as structural component production and land-based test. Recently, the first sail prototype was successfully manufactured and roadbed test was successfully completed. All important milestones of the sail project were realized as planned, which created favorable conditions for subsequent ship installation and commissioning and navigation demonstration.

​

 

[JSCh]

China completes its first twin ships for land reclamation
By CGTN's Han Peng and Ding Yi
2018-08-20 18:52 GMT+8

For the first time, China has built two identical giant vessels for land reclamation. They will be used in infrastructure projects both in China and in countries along the Belt and Road.

Their completion is a milestone, marking the beginning of China's mass production of ships for land reclamation.

The construction team says each ship is able to hold 65,000 cubic meters of mud. That's equivalent to the size of an eight-story apartment building. But engineers say the 100-meter-long and 30-meter-wide ships are just "medium-sized."

One land reclamation vessel seen in water /CGTN Photo

"China has built much bigger ships than these two. But the purpose of having smaller ones is to make them more nimble in narrow rivers or shallow waters," said Zhu Lin, general manager assistant of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC)'s Shanghai Dredging Company.

The two ships were completed in 10 months. Just like building an urban high-rise, it takes scaffold, cranes, and hardworking engineers.

They were built simultaneously in the dry dock in Nantong, about 100 kilometers north of Shanghai. A high dam had blocked the Yangtze River. When the gate was opened and water flowed in on Sunday, the ships were able to sail.

"Each ship is equipped with a long cannon-like pipe where the mud can be blown out of the ship for short-distance land reclamation operations. Thus the ship can carry out land reclamation in a distance of one kilometer away," said Feng Peihong, project manager of CCCC's Shanghai Dredging Group.

One land reclamation vessel seen in dock, with its long cannon-like pipe /CGTN Photo

The land reclamation site is in southeastern Fujian Province. Authorities are making more land for local islanders in the hopes of improving their livelihood.

Some Chinese call the work "map editing" – a term in video games meaning users can change terrain into whatever form they like. Those twin vessels can exactly change water into land in just a few months.

But land reclamation is just one function. The ships are more commonly used for dredging – removing mud and sand from the shores – in order to make ports deeper for larger ships.

Huo Shengyong, general manager of CCCC's Shanghai Dredging Group, said that the dredger is smaller and costs less, which makes it "a good choice for developing countries."

He added, "We hope they can be used in the much-needed infrastructure construction along the Belt and Road."

China is globally known for its strength in construction. And many hope that the two new ships will play a role in future infrastructure projects.

 

[JSCh]

Feature: Brazil hopeful of rise in trade after inclusion in Belt and Road, Chinese investment in port
Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-09 09:02:47|Editor: Yang Yi


PARANAGUA, Brazil, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Since China Merchants Port (CMP) set up shop in Paranagua, things have picked up in this small southern Brazilian city of 151,000 residents.

In February, the company acquired a 30-year concession for 90 percent of the Paranagua Container Terminal (TCP), the country's second largest, and launched operations there, including expansion work to handle Brazil's growing commerce with China.

"We have everything to develop China-Brazil ties even more. We are expanding the terminal to raise the annual shipment of 1.5 million containers to 2.4 million," TCP's CEO Luiz Antonio Alves told Xinhua. "We are investing 165 million U.S. dollars to expand the port by 1,100 meters, and that will bring development to the whole region.

Underwater drilling machines have been working nonstop to install the pillars needed to expand the dock in Paranagua Bay, located 91 km east of Curitiba, capital of Parana state.

The project puts Paranagua on the map of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to promote trade and development along the ancient Silk Road routes and beyond by building a network of infrastructure across continents.

The TCP employs about 1,000 people, and generates another 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to Alves.

"This has an impact on the whole city of Paranagua and on the state of Parana by improving logistics, rail lines and highways. We are generating wealth among the local population," Alves said.

Lu Yongxin, CMP's vice president, explained why the company chose Paranagua as its foothold in Latin America.

"In Brazil, the main ports are on the coasts of the states of Sao Paulo, Parana and Santa Catarina. These three states are in the TCP's sphere of operations. (They) account for 45 percent of Brazil's population, and concentrate 48 percent of its gross domestic product. That's why we chose to invest in Paranagua's terminal," Lu said.

The TCP's financial chief Luiz Alberto Bressan, who just returned from four weeks of training in China, said he expects closer ties between Brazil and China.

"China continued to invest in Brazil ... despite tough times (for) the Brazilian economy. Through the TCP, we are expecting stepped-up exchange, stepped-up shipments and stepped-up importing from China," he said.

Bressan said he values Brazil's inclusion in the BRI because it opens up opportunities for more investment and business.

In addition to the TCP, Paranagua is home to a public container terminal that handles grain shipments, mainly to China, and auto exports to Mercosur (Southern Common Market) countries.

Luiz Teixeira, director of operations of the Paranagua Port Authority, said the port moved 51.5 million tons of goods in 2017 and expects to see a 2-percent increase this year.

Over 19 million tons of soy, corn and soy meal were exported in 2017, and the volume is expected to go up to 20 million tons this year.

"This is the country's second leading port, after Santos (in Sao Paulo), and of strategic importance to Brazil's economy," Teixeira said.

The BRI, launched five years ago, is helping to draw investment and bolster infrastructure, he said.

"All of this investment doesn't just generate market confidence, it also generates positive needs, such as infrastructure, and that boosts our activity in Paranagua," he said.

 

[TaiShang]

China completes its first twin ships for land reclamation
By CGTN's Han Peng and Ding Yi
2018-08-20 18:52 GMT+8

For the first time, China has built two identical giant vessels for land reclamation. They will be used in infrastructure projects both in China and in countries along the Belt and Road.

Their completion is a milestone, marking the beginning of China's mass production of ships for land reclamation.

The construction team says each ship is able to hold 65,000 cubic meters of mud. That's equivalent to the size of an eight-story apartment building. But engineers say the 100-meter-long and 30-meter-wide ships are just "medium-sized."

One land reclamation vessel seen in water /CGTN Photo

"China has built much bigger ships than these two. But the purpose of having smaller ones is to make them more nimble in narrow rivers or shallow waters," said Zhu Lin, general manager assistant of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC)'s Shanghai Dredging Company.

The two ships were completed in 10 months. Just like building an urban high-rise, it takes scaffold, cranes, and hardworking engineers.

They were built simultaneously in the dry dock in Nantong, about 100 kilometers north of Shanghai. A high dam had blocked the Yangtze River. When the gate was opened and water flowed in on Sunday, the ships were able to sail.

"Each ship is equipped with a long cannon-like pipe where the mud can be blown out of the ship for short-distance land reclamation operations. Thus the ship can carry out land reclamation in a distance of one kilometer away," said Feng Peihong, project manager of CCCC's Shanghai Dredging Group.

One land reclamation vessel seen in dock, with its long cannon-like pipe /CGTN Photo

The land reclamation site is in southeastern Fujian Province. Authorities are making more land for local islanders in the hopes of improving their livelihood.

Some Chinese call the work "map editing" – a term in video games meaning users can change terrain into whatever form they like. Those twin vessels can exactly change water into land in just a few months.

But land reclamation is just one function. The ships are more commonly used for dredging – removing mud and sand from the shores – in order to make ports deeper for larger ships.

Huo Shengyong, general manager of CCCC's Shanghai Dredging Group, said that the dredger is smaller and costs less, which makes it "a good choice for developing countries."

He added, "We hope they can be used in the much-needed infrastructure construction along the Belt and Road."

China is globally known for its strength in construction. And many hope that the two new ships will play a role in future infrastructure projects.

My friend, look more islands in the SCS for Vietnam tourists to come and buy duty free stuff in the future.

 

[JSCh]

China tops the table: DNV GL and Menon Economics release “Leading Maritime Nations of the World” 2018 - DNV GL
Published: 05 September 2018
Nikos Späth Head of Media and Public Relations, DNV GL - Maritime

The new report follows up the 2017 report by Menon and DNV GL on the “Leading Maritime Capitals of the World”, but shifts the focus to an extensive review of the maritime industry at the national level. The 30 nations were ranked by size and magnitude on all four key maritime pillars and their subgroups. As the shipping sector is the main engine of the entire maritime industry, more weight was given to the shipping sector.

The 2018 report ranks China as the world’s leading maritime nation, due to its top four ranking in all of the maritime pillars. China’s position is particularly strong on the ports and logistics pillar, with the world’s largest container and bulk ports. “The strength of China is overwhelming, particularly on the pillar of ports and logistics, but also in shipping,” says Erik W. Jakobsen, Managing Partner in Menon Economics and co-author of the report. “It should not surprise us, though, since China is the largest exporting and importing country of the world. The other economic superpower, USA, follows China on the ranking, with major ports and maritime cities both on the east and west coast.”

USA is placed second, scoring high on all four dimensions, followed by Japan. Germany, Norway and South Korea, share the 4th place. Germany’s strength lies in its consistency, with a top 5 spot in three categories, whereas Norway has its strongest position within Maritime Finance & Law and maritime technology. South Korea scores top in Maritime Technology and is among the top 10 in Shipping and Ports & logistics.

"For the top 3 maritime nations, the study’s rankings mirror the size of their national economies,” says Shahrin Osman, Regional Head of Maritime Advisory for South East Asia, Pacific and India, at DNV GL Maritime, who co-authored both the 2017 and 2018 reports. “Interestingly however, in the joint fourth position of Norway, South Korea, and Greece in the 7th position, we can see that ‘smaller’ countries can still have an outsize influence and importance to the maritime world, due to their traditions, history and innovations. We hope that this report will be a valuable resource for national maritime authorities or governmental ministries, serving as an inspiration, a benchmark, and demonstrating a development path to leadership in the shipping world.”

Leading Maritime Nations report 2018 - DNV GL​

 

[JSCh]

Chinese yards picked to build world's largest boxships
China Plus
Published: 2017-08-21 17:22:21

Two Chinese shipyards have reportedly signed a letter of intent with French liner CMA-CGM Group for the construction of up to nine 22,000 TEU (twentyfoot equivalent unit) megaships, reports Huangqiu.com.

File photo of the current largest ship, the 'OOCL Hong Kong'. [Photo: ifeng.com]

The Chinese companies have reportedly secured the $1.4 billion US dollar order after out-bidding South Korean rivals including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding will be in charge of constructing five of the ships. Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding will build the remaining four units. Both companies are major shipbuilding firms owned by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

The new class of ships are going to have a world-record displacement as compared to the current largest ship, the 'OOCL Hong Kong,' which has a displacement of 21,413 TEU worth of capacity.

The ships are going to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas.

It's being reported the ships will be delivered by 2020.

After lagging behind their South Korean counterparts for years, Chinese shipbuilders are said to be making significant headway.

Industry analysis out of South Korea is predicting China-based shipbuilders are likely to start surpassing South Korean shipmakers in the production of high-end vessels by 2020.

Megaships being built in Shanghai
By ZHAO LEI | China Daily | Updated: 2018-09-14 07:16

Design sketches of the world's largest container ship. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
​

Massive vessels, the biggest in world, will be able to carry 23,000 containers

China is building the world's largest container ships, each of which will be able to carry more than 23,000 standard containers, which together can hold, for example, more than 1 billion units of the Apple iPhone X.

The construction of the first two megaships started in late July. They're being built by Jiangnan Shipyard Group and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, both of Shanghai, according to China State Shipbuilding Corp, a State-owned giant that owns the two companies.

The ships are expected to be delivered to the customer, CMA CGM, a French container transportation and shipping company, in 2020.

The Marine Design and Research Institute of China, a CSSC research arm that designed the ships, said they will be the latest and biggest in its Heracles class－named after the hero of Greek mythology.

Each of the vessels will be 400 meters long and 61.3 m wide, and will be capable of moving 220,000 metric tons of cargo.

They will be propelled by liquefied natural gas, making these the first large container ships to be driven by the eco-friendly fuel, as opposed to diesel, the traditional propellant for large vessels, the institute said. Polluting emissions will be exponentially reduced, it added.

CSSC beat five world-class competitors－including Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding Co and South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co and Hyundai Heavy Industries－before signing a contract for nine 23,000 container-capable vessels with the French carrier.

Yu Lai, chief designer of the new ships at the Shanghai institute, said on Thursday that the design and construction of the gigantic vessels makes China a leader in the field of container shipping.

"In the past, we followed others; now we are running ahead of them," he said. "Compared with its predecessors, this new class of container ship is larger, has a high level of automation and features better safety and environmental performance. Its construction requires state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques."

Yu said the ships will require only about 30 crew members to operate. The maximum design speed will be 22 knots, or about 41 kilometers per hour.

Currently, the largest container ships are the six vessels built by South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries for the Hong Kong-based container shipping and logistics service company Orient Overseas Container Line. They can hold 21,413 containers.

The second-largest is the COSCO Shipping Universe, which was designed and built by China State Shipbuilding Corp and which can hold 21,237 containers.

 

[JSCh]

China's CCCC wins $398 mln contract to build Mombasa oil terminal | Reuters

NAIROBI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - China Communications Construction Co has won a $398 million contract to build a new oil terminal at Kenya’s main port of Mombasa, the acting head of the Kenya Ports Authority said on Thursday.

Daniel Manduku said the new terminal, whose construction will take 18 months, will raise the port’s oil handling capacity to 100,000 dead weight tonnes from the current facility’s 20,000-tonne capacity. (Reporting by John Ndiso; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Jan Harvey)