Dear Readers,
Today it is the 15th of the month, the last month of the year, and this ought to make this editorial a special one.
There is always a certain feeling of “Where has time gone?” when you are looking back at the year passed. The year had many highlights. Indeed, one of which was known to me just recently. The first one was the incredible voyage onboard mv UHL FABLE of United Heavylift in Hamburg during which me and my middle son embarked in Klang, Malaysia and disembarked in Rønne, Denmark. The voyage included 38 days around Cape of Good Hope. Here is a link to the movie (57minutes) made by a compilation of short videos taken during the whole trip.
Enjoy watching it as background with a coffee or a drink in hand!
The second very recent news is that I will become a grandfather AGW in March, 2026. Never tried that before and that is indeed a special feeling – and a reminder that the age IS creeping up when you are being called “granny” or “old man”… Still we soldier on right ? 🙂
Most of the past month has been spent in Grenaa to look after my mum who fell and broke her hip. However, I am happy to say that things are improving as we speak. Still, recovery is never easy, and at 82, there is, of course, always a timeframe that is longer.
I need to applaud the home services in DK-Grenaa for a job well done. It is not like that in all parts of Denmark (or Sweden for that matter). Several scandals have come to light where “the old” were left to their own devices. There was even a case in Sweden where in spite of the lunch boxes piling up outside, the home service didn’t enter the premises. The occupant was later found dead.
Family and friends can never be replaced by a system built on the NPM (New Public Management) utopian idea of efficiency, control, time sheets and lack of respect for people which rewards the mediocre against the one taking initiative. Some of our authorities have also become activists. This suggests that staff allow their personal political views to influence how they carry out their daily professional duties.
The EU is, as you know, now under scrutiny by the US. We never fulfilled our 2% duty of contributing to our own defence. Only after pressure are we now committed to raising it to 5%. Trump lines out his thoughts on Europe very clearly in the sense that he claims (with some justification) that we talk a lot but achieve little. We don’t or didn’t contribute to our own defense. We allow our countries to be overrun by illegal immigration. And to show that things seem to be changing is that just this week the EU finally decided to implement some new laws to stem the tide — something that was impossible just a couple of years ago.
It must be wonderful sitting in a Brussels Ivory Tower without much feeling for how things are developing on the ground.
Trump also made a comment regarding Sweden in his recent Politico speech naming it once a safe country but now increasingly no more. He is telling the truth pure and simple!
In addition, we now have learnt to take whatever the BBC is reporting with a grain of salt. When you, in a government institution can edit a speech in-line with the publisher’s own political views, then I can’t see what we have to boast about in ways of democracy or fair and unbiased reporting. See the video: Trump vs BBC: The $1 Billion Lawsuit Explained. The fact is that there is an elite group of politicians and policy makers in the EU totally out of touch with their electorate.
Now reverting to where my interest really lies, shipping & project cargo logistics. I am happy to note that things are looking up.
If the cease fire holds, it seems the Suez Channel will be more accessible again. Already, some lines, most notably CMA CGM, have started transiting the channel again starting with their INDAMEX service if I am not mistaken. Yes, what is the point in shooting at defenseless ships and crew transiting the Red Sea was always beyond me and most of us I should think.
It will mean, however, as predictions note that the happy days of inflated freight rates are over. Plus, with huge cascades of new tonnage entering the market and increasingly avoiding the long route south of Africa, there is no doubt shipowners will need to get their sales team in gear to attract cargo. They may even invite you (the forwarder) out to lunch again. Then you know that times have changed :).
A final note before I get to the interviews we’ve got in store for you today.
I will be taking a break from publishing Project Cargo Weekly during the first 3 months of the year. Being a one man band that also has several private obligations means that it is the right moment for a short time-out.
Our publishing plan is thus as follows:
| December 15 | 📰 Our newsletter (today) |
| December 30 | ⭐ “Most Watched” newsletter |
| January | 💤 Month off |
| February 16 | 📘 Project Cargo Weekly Yearbook 2025 |
| March | 💤 Month off |
| April 15 | 🔄 We start again |
Circling back to the interviews we’ve got today please find below:
| 1. VERKAIK EXCEPTIONAL TRANSPORT — a newly established company with a true specialist from the heavy haul sector in Europe. |  |
| 2. ISTAMCO, DAKAR, SENEGAL — a shipping agent, covering most of West Africa including the interior. |  |
| 3. DEUGRO, CHILE — a well known global project logistics company with a famous reputation. |  |
| 4. TOTAL MOVEMENTS, INDIA — a strong and asset-based Indian heavy haul and project logistics company. |  |
| 5. GAC Gulf Agency, KUWAIT — a global well-reputed brand in shipping, agency, oil and gas. |  |
| 6. PBL LOGISTICS, SANTOS, BRAZIL — a family-owned Brazilian logistics company with a tradition for excellence. |  |
We, of course, provide you with shipping news, trade intelligence and wise words. We’ve also got a featured picture collage and video of the month which I hope you will like. Remember also: when on the go, you may access our interviews and podcasts through downloading our AD free APP here.
Meantime, wishing you all a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON and a HAPPY NEW YEAR of 2026!
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
Bo H. Drewsen
bo.drewsen@projectcargo-weekly.com
Video Interview
Verkaik Exceptional Transport
Ronald Verkaik, Managing Director at Verkaik Exceptional Transport was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
Video Interview
ISTAMCO Senegal
Ali Issa, Managing Director of ISTAMCO, Dakar, Senegal was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
Video Interview
deugro Chile
Rafael Avila, Branch Manager at deugro (Chile) Ltda. was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
Video Interview
Total Movements
Satish Kumar Singh, Chief Executive Officer | Board Member at Total Movements Group – UAE / India was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
Video Interview
GAC Kuwait
Billy Jacob, Business Manager – Shipping & Logistics at Gulf Agency Company Ltd. (Kuwait) was interviewed by Bo H. Drewsen, Editor in Chief at Project Cargo Weekly.
PBL Logistics Brazil
Interview with
Mr. Philipe Costa de Lima
General Manager
First of all Philipe, can you tell our readers a little about the history of PBL? Who are you, who are the owners, and what is your main line of business nowadays?
PBL is a family business in which I represent the second generation alongside my sister. The company was founded by my father. It began in 1987, when several clients encouraged him to start his own firm so he could continue serving them.
Chevron Greenlights Gorgon Stage 3
Editor’s Note:
I actually visited the Gorgon Project in 2011 as part of a minerals and mining tour in Western Australia. Barrow Island, where the LNG “trains” were constructed, was spectacular. We flew in by helicopter and, in typical Australian fashion, were essentially shrink-wrapped before departure to protect the environment. It’s measures like these that help keep Australia remarkably clean—unlike some projects in Indonesia and elsewhere. There will no doubt be significant project shipping moving into this development again, which is great news for specialist owners.
The $3 billion backfill development will link the offshore Geryon and Eurytion natural gas fields in the Greater Gorgon Area to the existing subsea gas gathering infrastructure and processing facilities at Gorgon on Barrow Island. The project forms part of the Gorgon Project, operated by Chevron Australia.
COSCO Stuns Market With USD 7 Billion Megadeal for 87 New Ships in Landmark CSSC Pact
Editor’s Note:
COSCO is effectively an extension of China, as one government spokesman once remarked—and rightly so. Nothing is invested without long-term planning in Beijing, often looking 50 years ahead. With that in mind, the developments below should come as no surprise.
The ink is barely dry on a shipbuilding cooperation agreement that industry players are already calling historic. COSCO and China State Shipbuilding Corporation have finalised a domestic framework worth more than RMB 50 billion, just over USD 7 billion, covering 87 new vessels across multiple fleet segments. For an industry accustomed to big numbers, this one still stands out. It is described by Chinese sources as the largest single shipbuilding cooperation deal ever concluded between Chinese owners and Chinese yards.
Week #49 – Schedules Gold Star Line RoRo Services – Americas Trade
Editor’s Note:
We rarely publish individual sailing schedules in our shipping news, but this particular RoRo service from Gold Star Line deserves attention. Though less well-known, it serves an interesting range of ports between Asia, Latin America, and North America, and is certainly worth a closer look. There are alternatives to the WWLs of the world—perhaps ones that are even more service-minded.
Fire on Container Ship at Wilmington Injures Four
Editor’s Note:
A fire on board a vessel is everyone’s worst nightmare. Although the number of incidents is small compared to the sheer volume of global seaborne traffic, recent cases have shown how devastating the consequences can be. Misdeclared cargo, battery explosions, or hazardous materials overheating all pose enormous risks. It is essential that everyone in the logistics chain works together—never misdeclaring cargo and never relying on sub-standard materials. As we’ve seen in other tragedies, such as the recent high-rise fire in Hong Kong, the pursuit of profit at any cost can lead to disastrous results.
The Chiquita Voyager, a 2,700 TEU container ship operated by Chiquita’s Great White Fleet and specialising in refrigerated cargo, was berthed in Wilmington when the incident occurred. The blaze, which started in the engine room, took firefighters around three hours to bring under control.
Kumho Tire to Build New European Plant in Opole, Poland
According to Kumho Tire on Dec. 1, the new European plant is scheduled to begin initial operations in August 2028 following investment approval and licensing procedures. The first-phase production scale will be 6 million units annually, with plans to expand production capacity through phased increases based on market conditions. The total investment amount is $587 million (approximately 860.6 billion won).
Solar-Powered Avocado Plant in Kenya
The Netherlands-based AAAS Energy, focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, has raised €150,000 from 97 investors for a solar-powered avocado processing plant in Kenya. It raised the proceeds through the crowdfunding platform, bettervest. The money will be used to build a solar-powered plant to process Hass avocados in Rumuruti, Kenya.
6 GWh CATL Battery in Australia: Stanwell Locks in Massive Gas-Plus-Storage Hybrid Plant with Quinbrook
State-owned generator Stanwell has announced it has moved to lock in major shifts to the state of Queensland’s grid, as it signed an exclusivity agreement with Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners for the massive Gladstone State Development Area (GSDA) Energy Hub. This area is located some 500 kilometers north of Brisbane in the state of Queensland.
Elsewedy Electric and John Cockerill Signs Major Contract for Rabigh 2 Power Plant Extension in Saudi Arabia
John Cockerill announces the signing of a major contract with Elsewedy Electric Power Systems Projects and its partner POWERCHINA for the design and supply of two massive HAMON® cooling towers for the Al Mourjan Rabigh 2 Power Plant Extension in Saudi Arabia.
9AM on a Winter Day at the Beach in Grenaa, Denmark
Editor’s Note:
Wintertime in DK-Grenaa, Denmark. A short video from 9 AM in the morning here fresh but with a cold wind it can be very chilly. In the distance you can see the huge NOBLE owned offshore drilling rig which has rested in Grenaa for sometime but is rumoured to be moving out soon.
Editor’s Note:
Sunset on June 4th in the Atlantic enroute around Africa Cape of Good Hope to Las Palmas. Vessel mv UHL FABLE of United Heavylift Hamburg. A 38 day voyage as passenger onboard which your editor was privy to. A highlight of 2025!
