Dear Readers,
It is Thursday the 3rd of June and 2nd to last publication from Project Cargo Weekly before the summer break.
Summer is now here, and I have continued my visit to ports in Sweden. I visited the Port of Oskarshamn and you will find an interesting video from that trip below under our featured video of the week.
Apart from that, I have kept myself busy in the wonderful capital city of Sweden, otherwise known as Stockholm. It is a great place to live and lies beautifully among hundreds of islands. It is what one might call a capital yet still a small city in the Nordic region, although it has grown immensely in recent years.
My editorial this week is a kind of a tribute to the city where I have now lived for some 8 years since I returned from Beijing in 2012. Originally, I arrived here in 1986, only to depart for Asia in 1992. Thus, I was away for about 20 years before returning with the final choice of wife to settle here.
Stockholm has given me a lot. Sweden has provided a lot of opportunities for both me and my family, and I wish to state that anyone stands a chance here in Sweden. For those who moan, complain, and cannot find their feet in the modern day welfare state of Sweden, they should consider whether or not to return to where they came from or choose to live elsewhere. The Swedes need to stand up more for themselves, be proud of what they have achieved, and stop accepting people who wish to change their way of life and disrupt the circle of trust for which Sweden and greater parts of Scandinavia is known.
Why do we always immediately blame ourselves? Perhaps people arriving here do NOT ALWAYS have something to teach us. It should be a two-way street, not always one-way!
I remind our readers that you don’t need to travel very far south in Europe to go back in time when it comes to arrogance, old time ways of administration, cheques and telefaxes still in use, and a hierarchical system where no one has a chance to influence anything and all is covered up in a cloak of “style”, “history”, and “tradition”. In fact, come to think of it, the Nordic region is in many ways the most modern, versatile and friendly place to live in the world. It is a region in which everyone has a chance, if you take it that is!
I only wish our politicians would show a bit more backbone to stand up for the country they are elected to protect instead of looking after their “party” and their own career. Politicians: you should NOT worry. There will always be a bone for you to bite into either in the EU or in one of the many embassies worldwide! But whilst you are here, the least you can do is to stand up, stand strong, and be counted!
As a credit to Sweden which has given me so much, I share this relaxing video filmed during my short ferry ride from home to downtown for a meeting. Enjoy the nature and surroundings of this wonderful city.
I was also busy in Stockholm this week shipping-wise as the Hutchison Port of Stockholm/Norvik inaugurated the first ever inland waterway barge to cover regions in the Stockholm hinterland. The barge departed June 1st to the city of Västerås, and it is hoped that once fully developed, it will be able to remove hundreds, if not thousands, of trucks from the roads—good for the environment! See here the press release from the port and the footage that I made from my visit in port which, as the only one (almost) in the Baltic, has giant STS cranes and a draught of 17 meters alongside.
All in all a fantastic week in Stockholm and a tribute to the Swedish capital.
Business-wise this week, I am reminding you of 3 interviews that we had in recent months. Each covers, shall we say, their part of the world although, of course, they sometimes also overlap. Starting with the global breakbulk ship owner AAL Shipping with head office in Singapore, we continue with US/Mexico and South Africa specialist Hugo Stinnes based in Rostock, and we finally give an Africa specialist, UAL Chartering based in Copenhagen and Rotterdam a chance to be heard. Hope you will enjoy if you have not already seen these interviews which are VERY informative if you can find the time to listen!
Naturally, I also provide you with shipping news, trade intel, wise words and featured video and photo of the week.
Until next week and the final issue before the summer, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Video Interview
AAL Shipping (AAL)
Felix Schoeller – General Manager, AAL Shipping (AAL) speaks with Bo H. Drewsen of Project Cargo Weekly. https://aalshipping.com/
Video Interview
Hugo Stinnes Schiffahrt
Steffen Wiegratz, Line Manager SanMex Service and MPP Transatlantic at Hugo Stinnes Schiffahrt is interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief of Project Cargo Weekly. https://www.stinnes-linien.de
Video Interview
UAL Chartering
Samir Ferguen, Managing Director at UAL Chartering interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly. https://www.ualchartering.com
Suez Canal Chairman Hits Back Over Ever Given Blame and Claim
Editor’s Note:
Latest here from Loadstar on the Ever Given grounding in the Suez Canal. A field day for the lawyers no doubt!
Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabie has defended the handling of the Ever Given grounding and revealed there had been a death during the operation to free the ship.
During a visit by Panama’s ambassador to Egypt, along with the director general of the Panamanian Maritime Authority (under which the Ever Given is flagged), Admiral Rabie claimed vessel owner Shoei Kisen “did not show the due recognition deserved, which did not reflect an understanding of the huge losses incurred by the authority due to the incident, that can be seen in the damage to a number of participating marine units and the sinking of one of SCA marine units during the salvage operations, resulting in the death of one of the participants in the salvage operations, as well as the material and moral damages that the reputation of the Suez Canal has sustained by the suspension of navigation traffic”.
First Ships Dock at Kenya’s Lamu Deep Water Port
Editor’s Note:
East Africa, and in particular the port of Lamu in Kenya, has a high level of ambition to become a regional hub. Built, of course, by the Chinese who are investing big time in ports and terminals around the world.
The first ships docked at Kenya’s deep water Lamu Port on Thursday as the country looks to open a new transport corridor linking its vast northern region and neighboring nations to the sea.
Kenyan officials hope that the Indian Ocean port, the country’s second deep water facility, will attract cargo destined for neighboring landlocked nations Ethiopia and South Sudan, and offer transhipment services where large vessels bring in cargo for onward distribution by smaller ships.
Sarens Prepared for North America Offshore Wind Boom
Editor’s Note:
With President Biden at the helm, the renewable industry in the US seems to have gotten a new “breath of wind” so to speak. Latest here from Seatrade Magazine about the offshore plans in the US which bodes well for those involved in offshore wind logistics, etc.
Director of Sarens North America, Grant Mitchell, told Seatrade Maritime news that the company is mostly specialized in long-term crane rental and project and refinery work in the US, but offshore wind is expected to soon be a driver for crane demand and the company plans to leverage its experience in European offshore wind projects.
The company closely follows figures from the US government, which last year said offshore wind capacity under federal and state permitting with a signed offtake agreement was 6,439 MW, more than triple levels in 2019.
Big Ships & Heavy Load – Hard Work At The PORT OF HAMBURG | Full Documentary
Editor’s Note:
A great place to visit and a city with a mega port right in the heart of Europe, HAMBURG. Enjoy this video.
The Port of Hamburg in Germany: around 9,000 times a year, different ships dock at the 43 kilometer long quay walls of the third largest European container port. In 2015 alone, more than 137 million tons of freight were loaded here. But what distinguishes the Port of Hamburg and how has it developed further? Which ships dock here and what kind of people work here? Our documentation about the port in Hamburg offers a varied insight into the lively events in Germany’s largest seaport.
Kuwait Agro Partners with &Ever to Exclusively Distribute &Ever Kuwait Fresh Greens and Herbs
Kuwait Agro Co. has partnered with &ever, which has launched Kuwait’s first automated large-scale vertical farm. Under its &Ever Kuwait brand, the vertical farm cultivates a wide range of fresh leafy greens and herbs that are 100% pesticide-free, highly nutritious, and available all year round. The vertical farm is playing an active role in preserving the planet’s precious resources for future generations while transforming the global food production system to meet consumers’ evolving need for healthy and nutritious food for all. Given Kuwait Agro’s solid and reliable distribution capabilities, this partnership will enable &ever Kuwait to be efficiently distributed across all retail outlets throughout the country.
Ballard Secures Module Purchase Order for Fuel Cell-Electric Buses
Ballard Power Systems has received purchase orders from Solaris Bus & Coach for 13 Ballard FCmove fuel cell modules to power 13 fuel cell-electric buses (FCEBs) deployed with In-der-City-Bus GmbH (ICB), which operates bus routes in Frankfurt, Germany. Ballard plans to ship the modules this year, and the buses are planned for deployment in 2022.
FlexQube Receives Order from Siemens Mobility
FlexQube announces it has received a $430,000 order for additional material handling carts from Siemens Mobility in the U.S. Siemens Mobility designs and manufacturers rail vehicles, locomotives, components and systems to more than 30 transit agencies and cities across North America with manufacturing facilities in Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY and Marion, KY. The carts will be delivered during the second quarter of 2021. Siemens Mobility has been a continuing customer of FlexQube since 2017.
Welltec Signs Long-Form Contract with Saudi Aramco
Welltec has announced the agreement of a Long-Form Contract (LFC) with Saudi Aramco. Following an extensive approval process, the deal will see Welltec deliver Completion products and services across the Saudi Aramco portfolio in any environment.
‘Welltec began installing WAB® metal expandable packers for Saudi Aramco in 2014 as part of a technology trial, and the award of a long-form contract demonstrates how far we’ve progressed since then,’ said Kevin Wood, Well Completions Sales Director for Welltec Middle East.
mv Monika at Port of Oskarshamn, Sweden 31st of May, 2021
Editor’s Note:
Visited the Port of Oskarshamn in connection with the arrival of a breakbulk vessel with blades. Enjoy the video here:
Editor’s Note:
Close up of extremely long blades for wind turbines loaded on deck! You will see many such a view worldwide as the renewable industry continues to “heat up”.
