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Happy New Year! It’s 2025, and we can’t quite believe 2024 is over – but that means one thing, a whole new year of great articles spanning some of the largest companies operating across the world!
We kick off 2025 with Heritage Petroleum Company Limited which has been developing Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector since 2018. We got to see how its operations are working to deliver significant positive impacts for its local stakeholders every day. We were glad to see key suppliers such as Bandera Oil Tools, New Order Security Services (NOSS), D&B General Contractors & Marketing Ltd., and Technical Construction Support Services Ltd. supporting the article, and reminding us of the vast role they play in working with Heritage to help it achieve its operations across Trinidad and Tobago.
We then turn to TotalEnergies E&P Angola to see their vital energy expansion supported by Hamad Energy, Machimpor and XPTS LDA, and then to Repsol who are committed to delivering low-emission energy supported by its suppler BCQS International. Across all of these energy features, there is a real commitment to shaping their respective energy developments towards the future.
This month we also cover a whole range of ports and shipping companies playing their role in supporting international shipping, as well as mining and restaurant management companies. Each is developing its operations to see significant economic development for its stakeholders, whilst supporting its customers every single day.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Endeavour Magazine and wish you all well for the New Year!
by Carley Fallows
Asia/Oceania
Lights to Deter Shark Attacks
Researchers from the Macquarie University of New South Wales have conducted research which outlines that lights could be the answer to prevent shark attacks on humans. Most shark attacks on humans are caused by Great White Sharks, which are known to attack their prey from underneath with humans/surfboards being mistaken for the outline of a seal. This can make spotting the sharks difficult before it is too late.
However, Great White Sharks are thought to be colour-blind, which could be how they mistake surfboards for their prey. So researchers began experimenting by attaching lights to the sealshaped board to see which attracted the most and least attention. They found that by attaching bright horizontal lights to the boards it distorted the shape enough that sharks showed little interest in it. These findings mean that attaching the same horizontal lights to surfboard could help improve surfer safety in the water by reducing the possibility of them being mistaken for a seal by sharks. The researchers are now building a prototype which they will test across surfboards and kayaks.
Air Pollution in Delhi Reaches Extreme Levels
Delhi has long dealt with air pollution in recent years which has disrupted flight services and led to breathing difficulties across the capital. However, in recent weeks Delhi’s air pollution level has soared covering the city in a thick smog, choking residents and causing widespread disruption. Whilst air pollution is not uncommon in Delhi, it is particularly hazardous yearly between October and January when temperatures and wind speed drop, and smoke, dust and vehicle emissions rise.
The pollution level at its peak reached 1,500 on the Air Quality Index, which is 15 times the level deemed safe for breathing by the World Health Organisation. WHO deems any AQI level above 300 to be unsafe, and so this high reading is extremely hazardous to health. The smog led to flights being disrupted, schools were closed, employees were told to work from home, and all construction in the city was banned.
Flooding in Malaysia and Thailand
Heavy rainstorms brought extreme flooding across parts of neighbouring Malaysia and Thailand which led to more than 122,00 people being forced to evacuate their homes in Malaysia, and a further 13,000 in Thailand. More than 534,000 homes were flooded in the area, as emergency services personnel were deployed across the region to rescue people who had become stranded by the flooding. Across the flooding, 6 local provinces declared a disaster due to the extensive flooding.
Heavy rains were expected to continue in the coming weeks, which could lead to further flooding across the regions. The worst affected areas were in the northeastern state of Kelantan in Malaysia, which sits on the border with Thailand.
Africa
Namibia Elects First Female President
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected in early December as the first female president of Namibia. Nandi-Ndaitwah won more than 57% of the vote representing the Swapo party and has over the years risen to be a prominent woman in Nambian politics. Her election campaign focused on transforming Namabia’s economy, but she has long been a supporter of women’s rights.
In her youth, Nandi-Ndaitwah was detained during a clampdown on Swapo activists, which led to her fleeing to Southwest Africa. It wasn’t until 1988 that she returned to Namibian following the country’s independence, which is where she began to take on prominent roles across the country’s political sphere. She has held various ministerial roles in foreign affairs, tourism, child welfare and information. Her win signifies a vital step for Namibia with Nandi-Ndaitwah now leading the country’s political landscape that previously has been largely male-dominated.
Kenya Hosting the 2024 African National Championship
Kenya was awarded hosting rights, along with Tanzania and Uganda for the upcoming African National Championship (CHAN) for 2024, which is set to begin in February 2025. Kenya will provide host to games across two venues, the Nyayo National Stadium and the Kasarani Stadium. The event will be the first time three countries have worked together to jointly host CHAN.
Recent local media reports suggested that following a recent inspection, Kenya could see their hosting rights taken away. However, this was refuted by the Confederation of African Football, and Kenya is still set to hold the games at their two venues early next year. Qualification for CHAN 2024 will be completed by the end of 2024.
Malaria Vaccine Rolled Out in Nigeria
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun introducing a malaria vaccine across Nigeria which will be given to children between 5 and 15 months old. Nigeria is one of the worst affected areas in Africa for malaria deaths, where in 2022 the country accounted for almost 30% of global malaria cases and 31% of global malaria deaths.
The vaccines will first be rolled out in Bayelsa and Kebbi where malaria deaths are particularly high. However, the rest of the country will receive the vaccinations over the next year. The hope is that through the vital vaccination programme, it can significantly cut malaria deaths in the country.
From Seaweed to Biofuel
A group of scientists and researchers across the Caribbean have been working together to turn an invasive species of seaweed into biofuel that can run cars. The seaweed was deemed a vital threat to the tourism industry as its emergence on Caribbean shores carpeted the region’s beaches and emitted a foul smell as it began to rot. The group of researchers took the seaweed, called sargassum, and began working on a way to transform the algae into biofuel that could be used to produce bio-compressed natural gas.
The group recently launched the first vehicle that can be run on this natural gas, which also uses wastewater from a rum distillery and dung from sheep to produce anaerobic bacteria which fuelled the car through the production of gas. The development at the University of the West Indies in Barbados highlights a more sustainable future for vehicle gas production and will hope to allow the country to step away from fossil fuels. With the influx of sargassum as a natural energy source that is not finite, the development could shape the future of the country’s energy development.
Coffee Prices Soar as Weather Affects Bean Crops
Arabica beans are responsible for around 75% of global coffee production, however, after a year of extreme weather conditions, two of the largest producers in Brazil and Vietnam have been largely affected. However, coffee remains an ever-indemand product, and so the price of coffee has continued to rise. The price of arabica beans has jumped more than 80% this year. In previous years, many coffee roasters have absorbed the price of coffee beans, however with the growing price it could start affecting customers on a global scale. However, it is not Arabica beans that have felt the effects of drought and heavy rain across Brazilian plantations, instead, robusta beans which are largely grown in Vietnam have experienced a reduced crop yield caused by both droughts and heavy rainfall over the year. Therefore, as the demand for coffee beans continues to soar, it is expected that with fewer beans available the price of the average cup of coffee could be on the rise.
Outbreak of Dengue Fever in the Americas
Dengue fever cases have been growing over recent months across South America, with Brazil, Argentina and Columbia, as well as Mexico, hit particularly hard with thousands of cases recorded as well as many deaths. Currently, there have been more than 12.6 million cases reported in Central and South America, as well as 7,700 deaths. The disease is spread by mosquitoes and can lead to serious illness, and in some extreme cases, it can result in death.
Dengue fever symptoms include a fever, headache, pain in the eyes, muscle/joint pain, and a blotchy rash. In the worst affected cases, some people can experience severe stomach pain, fatigue and vomiting. Vaccines have begun to be introduced across the affected regions, with others expected to begin vaccination distribution early next year.
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Middle East
Dubois and Parker to Face Off in Saudi Arabia
In February 2025, Daniel Dubois the current world heavyweight champion will defend his IBF title against Joseph Parker. Parker, from New Zealand, previously held the world heavyweight title between 2016 and 2018 before he lost it to Anthony Joshua.
Dubois comes to the fight having just beaten Antony Joshua in 5 rounds, to take on the heavyweight title. However, he also won against Filip Hrgovic last year and took home the world champion title when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
Also on the card is Artur Beterbiev who will be defending his light-weight title in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol. Hamzah Sheeraz will also take on Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title, and Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith will face off for the WBO interim title.
Verstappen wins Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has secured his ninth win in 2024 and the 63rd win in his career. Verstappen drives for McLaren and crosses the lines at the Qatar Grand Prix 6 seconds before Charles Leclerc drives for Ferrari. Verstappens win left McLaren top of the leaderboard with 640,21 points, providing it with a clear win for the team ahead of Ferrari even with one race to go.
However, the race came with controversies as penalties and stewards’ decisions saw mixed reactions. This included a late 10-second stop for Lando Norris, also of McLaren, and an unusual onplace grid penalty on Verstappen for impeding driver Geroge Russel during qualifying. However, this did little to stop Verstappen from taking home the victory on the day.
Oman in Talks with Big Energy Companies Over LNG Project
According to local news, Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals has opened discussions with companies such as BP Plc, Shell Plc and TotalEnergies set to begin next year. The country is hoping to gain investment into the country’s liquefied natural gas production facility. The economy of Oman largely relies on its oil and gas industry, and expanding its energy sector would bring great economic prosperity to the country too.
The need for investment in Oman’s economy is vital following the large hit it took in 2020 during the pandemic. Whilst its financial situation has improved in recent years, it hopes by focusing on development it can further support the economy. Additionally, LNG is a vital energy resource set on the future of energy development due to it being lower in emissions than typical fossil fuel operations. For this reason, it can expand its role as the second largest LNG exporter in the Middle East and provide continued financial development for the country for many years to come.
Europe
Sablenka Named Player of the Year
Aryna Sabalenka, 26, has been named by the Women’s Tennis Association after she secured 4 major titles in the same year. Sabalenka, from Belarus, has won the Australian Open, US Open, Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open between January and October in 2024. With the winning of these 4 major international titles, Sabalenka confirmed her place as the world number one with a win-loss record of 56-14.
Sabalenka did not participate in either Wimbledon or the Olympics as she wanted to focus on her health. However, it would be no surprise to see her playing a major role in the tournament next year as she continues her role as the player of the year.
Iga Świątek previously held the WTA Player of the Year award in both 2023 and 2022, with Ashley Barty given the award in 2021.
Iceland Authorizes Whale Hunting
Much to the dismay of animal rights activities and environmentalists, Iceland has outlined new permits outlining that 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales can be caught during each whaling season. The typical whaling season in Iceland runs from June to September, but the permits are hoped to provide some regulations on the number of whales that can be hunted.
Iceland is only 1 of 3 countries, with Norway and Japan, where whaling is legal. Whales in these areas are hunted for their meat, blubber and oil, however many countries banned the practice in 1986 after some species of whales had become extinct. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) were behind the ban.
For Iceland, the permits are normally delivered in 5-year periods, with the previous one expiring in 2023. The permits hope to only focus on specific types of whales (the fin and mike whales) and protect other species, while also providing more regulation to the practice.
Notre Dame Re-Opens
Five and a half years after the famed Notre Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire, the landmark has been reopened bringing politicians and tourists alike to witness its reconstruction work. A key part of the reconstruction work was towards the roof of the Cathedral where a key part of the fire broke through, including restoring the spire which fell during the blaze.
The reconstruction has seen new stained-glass windows put in and the statuary and artwork, as well as the holy relic known as the Crown of Thorns. A key fear when the original blaze broke out was the cathedral’s organ, as it is the second largest in France. Thankfully it has not seen too much damage other than being badly affected by dust and smoke, and so this has been repaired.
The original reconstruction brough forward questions of whether it should be rebuilt in the same gothic style or provide a new modernized way. This was met with a lot of disagreement, and so the reconstruction has remained as close as possible to the original, with only a few modernised tweaks for added safety.
Heritage Petroleum Company Limited
The energy market in Trinidad and Tobago has been rapidly expanding over the years with many big names across the energy sector playing a vital role in its development both onshore and offshore. Every year the region exports billions of dollars’ worth of crude oil to local and international customers. Crude oil developments in Trinidad and Tobago are overseen by the government, and in 2018 Heritage Petroleum Company Limited (Heritage) was formed as a stateowned oil and gas company with a focus on the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil for the nation. Heritage now plays a vital role in harnessing the crude oil potential of Trinidad and Tobago for the continued economic prosperity it brings the region. However, throughout every operation, you can see Heritage’s commitment to safety, environmental protection and social responsibility to ensure that the energy sector can support the region’s people both today and in the future.
Incorporated in 2018, Heritage is a relatively new company operating within Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector. Its operations began in the southern part of Trinidad and Tobago, and this is where the bulk of its operations exist today. In the last 6 years, the company has continued to develop and Heritage now has various nonoperated assets off the east coast of Trinidad too. Across these assets, Heritage’s central vision is to be a company that brings together financial profitability, operational excellence and a plethora of world-class expertise within the oil and gas sector to deliver energy projects that will further consolidate Trinidad and Tobago’s position as an energy powerhouse in global markets.
Heritage’s operations span 5 key areas: offshore, land, business development, subsurface and midstream operations. Across its offshore operations, Heritage plans, executes and operates a range of upstream projects within the Soldado Fields. Within this rich oil area, Heritage has developed surface and subsurface activities, which are delivering significant oil results offshore from Trinidad and Tobago. Then, in understanding Heritage’s subsurface operations, we must look at its Field Development Plan (FDP). The FDP is utilised across all of Heritage’s subsurface operations to develop and execute vital drilling programmes which will maximise the recoverables from each drilling operation and bring significant and longlasting benefits from its current and future fields of operations. A key project of this division currently is to extend the existing boundaries of many of its current fields to see higher recoverable reserves.
On land, Heritage is responsible for drilling and workover activities designed to increase the production of crude oil. Across this division, Heritage’s teams work to discover new oil deposits and put together strategic drilling programmes that are designed to enhance Trinidad and Tobago’s existing reservoirs. Throughout all of its land assets, Heritage maintains and develops each operation to meet its production targets and to deliver vital energy to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Alongside its land operations, are Heritage’s midstream development operations which are focused on receiving crude oil from offshore, land and lease oil operators, and delivering this to the Paria Fuel Trading Company which refines and sells the crude oil products to local markets within Trinidad and Tobago.
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Heritage Petroleum Company Limited
Across all of these operations, we can see that Heritage Petroleum is committed to providing vital profitability legacy for Trinidad and Tobago by being a company that is passionate about developing the oil and gas sector towards the future of energy development. This drive for future development was highlighted in April 2024, when Heritage announced the commissioning of a new offshore well within the Soldado East Field development block. The offshore well, S-938, is the third well to be put into production by Heritage in the region since the beginning of its Offshore Drilling programme. The drilling began in August 2023 following rigorous design and engineering development by Heritage’s teams of exports. The topsides of the well were completed in March 2024 and then underwent inspection and statutory approvals before it was fully commissioned. With an expected average daily rate of 500 barrels per day (bopd), S-938 looks set to provide a significant boost to the company’s revenue, and in turn the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. Now completed, the well is a vital asset
Why Choose Us
for Heritage in the Soldado East Field, which will position Trinidad and Tobago’s energy development prominently within the global energy market.
CEO of Heritage, Erik Keskula, actually commented in the press release announcing the commissioning of the new well that the well will be operated with “a goal of optimising fluid production rate to maximise oil recovery and cash flow”. Keskula’s comments were followed by his emphasis on the importance of the new well highlighting Heritage’s performance and role in developing new offshore wells and facilities. By playing a vital role in this, it seems Heritage is set on shaping the future of oil development for Trinidad and Tobago for many years to come.
In fact, as Heritage looks towards the future of the S-938 development, it is anticipated that 3 additional wells will be commissioned in the next few months. This will be a vital part of Heritage’s ongoing Offshore Drilling programme. What is clear to see across this development is that Heritage is committed to delivering a well that will
Sustainable Energy Development
see economic and energy development for the region, and in return see significant returns for its stakeholders which include the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago as a priority.
Ultimately, Heritage is a company that is set on shaping the future of Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector. Having been established as the state-owned oil and gas company that will be leading the exploration, production, development and marketing of crude oil, Heritage has made it its mission to ensure that every single operation delivers significant positive impacts on the local stakeholders and people of Trinidad and Tobago. With a development plan set on expanding its exploration both onshore and offshore, we look forward to seeing how Heritage will continue to play a vital role in leading Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector towards a future where social, environmental and economic development remains at the heart of the region’s energy sector.
TotalEnergies E&P Angola
TotalEnergies is an international integrated energy company on a mission to develop its energy portfolio spanning from oil to biofuels, natural gas, green gases, renewables and even electricity. With more than 100,000 employees across its 120 countries of operation, TotalEnergies works to strategically develop vital energy resources to ensure that people across the world have access to reliable, affordable and more sustainable energy options. A key area for development in recent months has been in Angola, where TotalEnergies has a diversified portfolio of deep offshore operated assets which account for almost 50% of the country’s oil production. The global giant has set out on a range of partnerships with leading local and international energy brands to bring the offshore potential of Angola into economic benefits.
The Kwana Basin in Angola is home to rich and economically lucrative hydrocarbons which are vital for the production of petroleum. The basin is the first to have undergone vital exploration and development, and so has played a vital role in the continued expansion of the energy sector for Angola and the surrounding countries of west southern Africa. Across this area, TotalEnergies operates several deep and ultra-deep offshore oil licences in production, including Block 17 containing 4 major oil fields including the Girassol, Dalia, Paxflor and CLOV which combined have developed the block into a thriving hub for Angola under TotalEnergies. Other key development includes Block 32 with the Kaombo Development, and Blocks 0, 14 and 14K. All of these operations take place across the Lower Congo Basin and Kwanza Basin.
The Kaombo project in Block 32 is an innovative ultra-deepwater offshore project in Angola spanning the Gengibre, Gindungo, Caril, Canela, Mostarda, and Louro oil fields. The project, in which TotalEnergies has a 30% stake, is unique and complex as its operations take place in water depths of up to 1950 metres, and so is subject to extreme temperature and pressure conditions. This requires a specialised type of technology to achieve, however, the entire project aligns with TotalEnergies’ strategy of developing ultra-deep offshore projects. The project’s reserves are estimated to produce 658 million barrels, with 230,000 barrels per day capacity. However, to access all of the oil deposits across the 6 fields under the project it required TotalEnergies to install 59 wells. These wells make it one of the largest subsea well systems in Angola, and a great technical achievement for TotalEnergies.
To manage the capacity and control the cost of the operations, TotalEnergies built two new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels; Kaombo Norte and Kaombo Sul. Production began from Kaombo Norte in 2018 across the Gengibre, Gindungo and Caril fields, with Kaombo Sul producing oil just eight months later from the remaining Canela, Mostarda and Louro fields. Each vessel can produce 115,000 barrels per day and continues to develop the oil industry for Angola every day. A recent development for TotalEnergies in Angola is the Kaminho Project which is the first
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TotalEnergies E&P Angola
large deepwater development to take place in the Kwanza Basin. The project will take place in Block 20/11 to develop the Cameia and Golfinho fields which are located just 100km off the coast of Angola at a depth of 1700 metres. The project just saw a Final Investment Decision announced between TotalEnergies (40%), Petronas (40%) and Sonangol (20%). The project would see a very large crude carrier (VLCC) converted to a FPSO to be connected to the two oil fields. However, the FPSO has been designed to be sustainable, with its role to process large capacities of oil underpinned by a system which would minimise greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate routine flaring throughout the operations. The project is expected to start production in 2028 and deliver a plateau of 70,000 barrels of oil per day from the oil fields onboard the FPSO.
However, the development of the Kaminho project will do so much more than just deliver significant oil potential for the region, instead, it will bring with it significant employment with over 10 million man-hours of construction and development needed to get the project running. This will provide significant employment and business opportunities to local people and yards across the country and add economic benefits to those in Angola in the process.
Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, highlighted in the press release that “Building on our pioneering spirit and our longterm partnership with Angola, we are pleased to launch the Kaminho project along with our strategic partners, Sonangol and Petronas, and with the strong support and confidence of the Angolan authorities. This project, which leverages innovation to fit our investment criteria - breakeven under 30 $/b and carbon intensity of 16kg CO2 –will become our seventh FPSO in the country and the first to ever develop in the Kwanza Basin”. Pouyanné’s comments here highlight the vast and expansive role the project will play in Angola, and the first of its kind to develop in this rich deposit basin. Its strategic partnerships with these other giant energy companies signify a joint commitment to developing the energy industry towards a future of accessible and reliable energy access.
However, Pouyanné continues “We look forward to joining forces with Sonangol in technology to promote innovation and low-carbon technology for the energy industry in Angola, in particular to slash methane emission and contribute to the diversification of Angola’s energy mix”. Here Pouyanné highlights the push towards sustainability that underpins all operations facilitated by TotalEnergies. Throughout every operation, the company is focused on delivering energy facilities in the most sustainable way possible, and here in Angola, this is the same with the strategic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Sonangol EP. Sonangol will share its expertise in research and technology in order to deliver the FPSO for the project that focuses on decarbonizing the oil and gas industry. In particular, the pair will focus on reducing methane emissions and developing renewable energies to continue to develop the Kaminho project and Angola’s energy industry towards a sustainable future.
TotalEnergies EP Angola has spent the last 70 years developing Angola’s energy industry towards a sustainable and economically viable future thanks to its work to develop the upstream oil and gas industry. With multiple key offshore licenses across the coast of Angola, TotalEnergies has formed itself as a leading offshore operator in the country and along the African coastline. As it continues to work towards a future where sustainability and energy security can go hand in hand, TotalEnergies continues to expand Angola’s oil and gas industry with the help of strategic partners and its teams of employees across the country.
Repsol is an international multienergy company that has operations spanning all corners of the world. From developing new and innovative solutions for its customers to delivering vital oil and gas products to market, Repsol is committed to being the first energy company set on achieving net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2050. This goal, whilst a big challenge in a sector where it has long been dominated by fossil fuels, is a task that is present across every aspect of Repsol’s operations as it works to evolve the energy industry towards a new, more sustainable way of energy development.
To understand the origins of Repsol we must go back to 1927, when CAMPSA (Compañía Arrendataria del Monopolio del Petróleo, S.A.) was born as a joint venture aimed at overseeing the oil market that was rapidly expanding in Spain. Over the following years, the Spanish oil industry continued to rapidly expand, and by 1951 REPESA (Refinería de Petróleos de Escombreras S.A) was formed and launched a range of premium lubricants. It is from the name of one of REPESA’s premium lubricant brands, that the ‘Repsol’ name and subsequent brand was formed. However, the Repsol Group officially emerged during Spain’s negotiations to join the European Union, and today is a brand that is recognisable across the globe for oil and gas development innovation. Over the years, the Repsol brand continued to grow and began diversifying its offerings to span the exploration, production, transportation, and refining offshore market. Then, through vital acquisitions of international oil companies such as YPF, an Argentinian oil company,
Energising the Low-Emission Enery Market
Repsol cemented its position as a leading multienergy company operating across the world via its 4 major business lines.
A key aspect of Repsol’s operation today is in the production, development and exploration of oil fields across the world. This includes the drilling of wells, building of collection systems and processing systems, as well as evacuation and transport systems. Each of these operations are carried out following Repsol’s values of efficiency, respect, foresight and value. Under these values, and its policies to support the sustainable development of the sector, Repsol is committed to developing the oil and gas sector for the future. Each development must first go through an exploration stage which carries out geological and geophysical work, environmental impact studies and various exploratory drilling projects to understand the potential of deposits. Once a valuable deposit is found, wells are developed and Repsol begins extracting hydrocarbons from the relevant oil field.
A recent example of this kind of development was in Guyana where Repsol applied for a new license for the Kanuku Block. In recent years, Repsol began an environmental study within the Kanuku Block in Guyana, following its drilling project for two non-commercial exploration wells. The exploration sought good-quality reservoirs in primary and secondary drilling targets, however, initial exploration proved both were water-bearing. However, in January 2020, Repsol announced that it had discovered four metres of net oil pay at the Carapa-1 Well, and so would continue its exploration. The environmental study covers the Beeberi-1 exploration well and was carried out by Atlantic Spirit. Under the spent license, Repsol holds a 37.5% ownership with working interest within the Kanuku Block, alongside Tallow Oil at 37.5%. The remaining 25% shares are given to TOQAP which is a joint venture between the French energy company TotalEnergies and Qatar Petroleum. However, the license for the block expired in May 2023, and so
in August 2023, Repsol applied for a new license. The project highlighted Repsol’s vital role in South America’s offshore exploration market, and its vital role in bringing together government figures, local stakeholders and the communities in which they are operating, to discover and deliver vital projects across a growing global portfolio.
Once oil is retrieved from its exploration, development and production projects, Repsol carries out the refining, selling and trading of oil and gas products to both local and international markets. In addition to the marketing and sale of these products, Repsol also oversees the maintenance, control and transport activities associated with these offshore developments whilst still adhering
to the same safety and sustainability policies that are present across all aspects of its operations. In fact, this focus on sustainability is a vital focus for Repsol as many of its operations include the development of new and more sustainable forms of energy development.
Renewable hydrogen is one of the leading developments for many companies looking towards the future of sustainable energy development, and for Repsol, this is the case. In recent years, Repsol has set its priorities on producing renewable hydrogen which is vital for delivering its carbonzero future. This strive towards decarbonization of the energy industry is vital for Repsol’s role in leading the energy transition. Repsol is striving to
be a leading driver towards a decarbonized energy model for the energy industry, and so with this mission in mind, it has set its targets on becoming net zero by 2050. To help support this transition, Repsol is focused on low-carbon power generation projects such as hydroelectric plants, combined cycle plants, and cogeneration plants, as well as building new renewable assets to increase its energy sustainable energy delivery capacity.
To achieve its vital mission of being an energy company committed to a sustainable world, Repsol is passionate about harnessing technology and digitalisation to make a decarbonized future possible. This was outlined in the company’s Strategic Plan (2018-2022) launched in 2018 as a cross-company initiative supported by senior management to harness digitalisation and vital technology implementations to lead the energy transition. The Strategic Plan is working towards building Repsol as a customer-centric, multienergy company that is committed to digitalization, innovating, and strategic talent management. By harnessing these aspects, Repsol can find new ways of working that bring together cutting-edge
technology and innovation to seek sustainable solutions in reducing carbon in the energy sector.
Across Repsol’s operations, it is committed to developing vital energy projects that are working towards a renewable energy future. As Repsol expands its portfolio across the world, each and every development is working towards its vision to be a global energy company that creates value in a sustainable manner by harnessing technology and digitalisation to push towards a future where energy does not rely on fossil fuels alone. We look forward to seeing how Repsol will continue to strive towards its ambitious target of net zero by 2050.
The Port of Casablanca provides a vital gateway to Morocco, handling more than 21.3 million tons of traffic annually, which accounts for roughly 38% of all maritime traffic travelling to Morocco. For this reason, the Port plays a vital role in supporting Morocco’s economy through its work across the country’s commercial, cargo and fishing industries. Thanks to its vital location close to the Strait of Gibraltar, the port is vital in enhancing global supply chains, with a key part of its trade relations going to Spain, Portugal, France, the UK and other various Nordic countries. Therefore, the Port of Casablanca is a vital hub for shipping and logistics, with global shipping companies such as Maersk and CMA CGM utilising the port to carry out efficient maritime, inland, and logistics operations.
The Port of Casablanca has long played a vital role in Morocco’s economic development spanning back to the 19th century when the population of Casablanca began to grow. As it grew, the Port became a key supplier of wool to the booming textile industry, particularly in Britain, and so shipping traffic rapidly increased. As its role expanded, the Moroccan administration entrusted the Compagnie Morocaine with the construction of a small port in 1906. The port would consist of 2 small piers and a wet dock. By 1938 the port spanned to 125 hectares and included the vital infrastructure to meet the needs of trading ships. However, with the continued expansion of shipping between Morocco and the rest of the world, there was a need for a more sophisticated and established port that could meet the growing needs of Morocco’s import and export industry. With the addition of a large dock, water plane, embankment, harbour and container terminal by 1996, the port is now able to accommodate 35 ships simultaneously.
Today, the Port of Casablanca is operated by Marsa Maro and provides essential shipping with containers, steel products, wood and wood products, coal, petroleum coke, cereals, animal feed, vehicles and even machinery. These products are vital to the Moroccan economy and are served by 4 terminals helping maintain the efficient importing and exporting of these products. Across these terminals, the port has a 700,000 twentyequivalent units (TEUs) capacity for handling domestic container traffic. In addition to this, the port is home to a large covered multistory area spanning 100,000 meters squared, that is dedicated to vehicles and offers a range of value-added services for operators.
The port’s vital role in global shipping lines is largely thanks to its strategic location close to the Strait of Gibraltar. For this reason, many major shipping lines use the Port of Casablanca as a vital stopping point. These shipping lines include Maersk who has 3 vital offices across Morocco, including its Moroccan head office in the Port of Casablanca. Maersk currently runs weekly departures from the Port of Casablanca, as well as from Agadir and Tangier. Across these shipping operations, Maersk is helping connect Morrocco to the world.
CMA CGM is also a key shipping company that serves the Port of Casablanca. CMA CGM offers
Port of Casablanca
a wide range of shipping services to the ports of Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir. Across these solutions, CMA CGM is committed to providing smarter and more efficient services across its 27 vessel lines operating between Morocco and the rest of the world. The Port of Casablanca therefore makes up a vital part of CMA CGM’s global network to help make shipping across the globe more seamless. For this, CMA CGM runs weekly departures from Agadir, Casablanca and Tangier via its global fleet. Across both Maersk and CMA CGM’s operations, they help enhance Morocco’s position within global supply chains and in turn, enhance Morocco’s economic development.
As the port looks towards the future, Global Ports Holding (GPH) announced in April that it was awarded preferred bidder status for the cruise terminal at the Port of Casablanca. The Port has long been a vital stopover for cruises spanning the Canary Islands and West Mediterranean Cruises, as well as many operating between Europe and the Caribbean. GPH is the world’s largest independent cruise port operator, and so the announcement following a public tender process outlines that in April 2024, the majority-owned consortium between GPH (51% ownership) and local shareholder Steya (40%) and Ocean Infrastructure Management (9%) were awarded a preferred bidder status for a 15year concession agreement with Agence Nationale des Ports (ANP) which will operate the Port of Casablanca’s cruise terminals. The consortium and
ANP, are therefore set on enhancing the cruise port for the continued expansion of Morocco’s tourism sector.
The cruise port recently underwent a 60-millioneuro investment to develop its restructure, with the investment led by ANP. This infrastructural development included the construction of a new cruise pier, cruise terminal and maritime station so the port can now handle ships of up to 350 meters long. Consequently, the cruise port is set on enhancing the Port of Casablanca’s economic stability and further extending Morocco’s position as a vital stopping point for international travel.
Ultimately, the Port of Casablanca plays a vital role in connecting Morrocco to the world. Its vital location is at the heart of many shipping lines traversing the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting European shipping lines with a vital gateway into Africa. With all of these operations spanning Morocco’s cargo, fishing and tourism sectors, the port remains committed to ensuring that all of its operations are for the benefit of Morocco and support its economy as a primary mission. As we have seen, the port has continued to develop with the help of local and international stakeholders, and so we look forward to seeing how the Port of Casablanca will continue to support the development of Morocco and transform it into a vital hub for global shipping operations.
Connecting Morocco to the
PT Pertamina International Shipping
Providing comprehensive shipping, logistics and marine services to its customers, PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) is a global shipping company that is set on its mission to be a reliable maritime partner. By developing its role across the international shipping sphere, PIS aims to be an agent of Indonesian economic development. This economic development largely hinges on the distribution of energy across Indonesia’s waters, and so has grown its expertise in the shipping and logistics of energy resources within the petrochemical market to position it as a leading global shipping and marine logistics company that supports the international distribution of vital energy resources needed to fuel life.
Established in 2016, PIS began its operations as an offshoot of PT Pertamina (Persero) which was Indonesia’s state-owned company responsible for oil and gas development and distribution. Once PIS was formed, it acquired a sub-holding of the shipping, marine services, and logistical business Integrated Marine Logistics (IML). These two aspects of PIS are evident in its operations today as it utilises its expertise in the shipping and logistics sector with IML and delivers this to the energy sector for the global development of energy distribution. Today, PIS own more than 400 vessels, 6 fuel and LPG storage terminals, and is in operation across 140 ports worldwide. Since it began operations almost 10 years ago, the company has continued to expand its operations, particularly in the Asia Pacific and Middle East Regions, to serve a growing portfolio of international clients with its vessels that currently sail 50 international shipping routes every year.
As a vital shipping and logistics company, it is no surprise that a large part of PIS’ daily operations spans the shipping sector supporting its 101 owned vessels, and 360 owned PTK vessels. Across these vessels, PIS is committed to providing the best possible services ensuring that its extensive fleet, managed by a team of industry experts, meets the needs of its customers every day. Across its fleet network, PIS operates product carriers responsible for distributing refined fuel products and processed commodities across Indonesia’s islands. The fleet spearheads PIS’ energy delivery efforts, supported by its trusted and reliable shipping expertise.
For gas products, PIS operates the Pertamina Gas Amaryllis VLGC ship. The vessel carries gas products operating on DualFuel technology. The vessel signifies a big shift towards reducing carbon emissions and embracing the cargo diversification of environmentally friendly fuels across the shipping industry. The vessel, designed to lead the way in safeguarding marine ecosystems, highlights PIS’ commitment to carbon reduction throughout every aspect of its operations.
For crude products, PIS’ crude carriers include 3 VLCC, POS Pioneer, Pertamina Prime and Pertamina Pride. These vessels are in operation across global markets, providing crude transportation through spot chartering and free on-board schemes. The
Supporting Indonesia’s Global Shipping Industry
vessels feature an Ecoship Design with IMO Tier III and SIRE standards which feed into PIS’ commitment to moving towards more environmentally conscious operations.
In addition to this, PIS also operates petrochemical carriers, set on enhancing its role in the petrochemical cargo market. The petrochemical market is one that has been rapidly expanding in recent years, and so PIS has introduced a new fleet of vessels to serve this growing market on both a domestic and international scale. The company developed the PIS Mahakam, its first petrochemical ship, which marked a vital milestone for the company in its journey towards a net-zero carbon future.
PIS also operates floating storage vessels, including the Abherka, which provides the necessary storage facilities for the energy market. The vessel highlights PIS’ dedication to fostering offshore business development, and so the vessel plays a valuable role in supporting Indonesia’s energy security for the future of energy storage.
PIS’ development for the future of Indonesia’s energy storage industry was highlighted in October,
PT Pertamina International Shipping
with the announcement that the company would be diversifying its cargo transportation and extending its shipping network to move bitumen cargo. The development aims to draw closer collaboration between Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) and Pertamina Patra Niagra (PPN). The partnership would see bitumen cargo transported by PIS. Bitumen is a valuable hydrocarbon with adhesive properties, often also known as liquid asphalt. By diversifying its transport solutions in this way to extend to bitumen, PIS demonstrates the company’s growing competitiveness in the growing petrochemical cargo market.
Arief Sukmara, Director of Gas, Petrochemical and New Business at PIS highlighted in the press release on PIS’ beginning transportation of bitumen cargo, that “In this collaborative scheme, PIS proves its readiness to grow its business through cargo diversification, particularly in the petrochemical sector. PNN’s trust in us to transport bitumen cargo is an immense honour, further establishing PIS as a reliable strategic shipping partner”. Sukmara’s comments highlight the growing role that PIS is
playing as a global shipping partner driving the future of the energy sector.
Throughout all of PIS’ operations, there is a firm commitment to accelerating its operations towards net zero emissions. This is something that the Indonesian government has been passionate about with the goal to reach net zero by 2060. For PIS, it aims to cut its emissions by 978 kilotons of carbon dioxide by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions across its operations by 2050. This goal would put the company 10 years ahead of the governmental goals and highlight the valuable role shipping companies must play in moving towards carbon reduction.
PIS Business Planning Director, Eka Suhendra, outlines at the 2024 Gastech Exhibition and Conference held in Texas in October, that for PIS, “we recognise that the shipping industry significantly contributes to global carbon emissions, especially from vessel fuel combustion. Therefore, we are committed to reducing this negative impact through innovation and the adoption of the latest technologies, including green fuels like LPG, LNG
Supporting Indonesia’s Global Shipping
and ammonia”. Suhendra’s comments highlight PIS’ commitment to being a leader for change in the shipping industry as it moves towards more sustainable ways of facilitating its shipping operations. Now more than half of PIS’ fleet is equipped to operate on biofuel or other green fuel alternatives which continue to help PIS meet its goals, whilst protecting the planet in the process.
As we have seen, PIS’ mission to be a trusted and reliable maritime partner for Indonesia has been largely successful. Each year the company is growing in size and expanding its shipping offerings across
even more regions through strategic partnerships which are enhancing its overall shipping infrastructure. However, throughout every aspect of its operations, you can see PIS’ commitment to sustainably delivering these results through the adoption of green fuel to take the company into the next generation of shipping operations. We look forward to seeing how the adoption of green fuels expands across its fleets, and how it will continue to play a vital role in the shipping and distribution of Indonesia’s energy and cargo industries.
BP Trinidad and Tobago
BP Trinidad and Tobago (BPTT) are a leading hydrocarbon producer, that has taken its roots from the global BP Group and developed them towards the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s national energy industry. BPTT has long been a vital part of the energy sector in the region, and today its natural gas production accounts for roughly half of the nation’s total gas products. With 17 offshore installations and two onshore processing facilities currently in operation across Trinidad and Tobago, the company remains committed to being a valuable partner for the region set on enhancing the community, economy and planet through every aspect of its operation.
BPTT currently have 17 offshore installations that operate as part of a united system set to enhance the energy sector of Trinidad and Tobago. Across its operations, BPTT currently holds a plethora of exploration and production licences spanning multiple offshore platforms and two onshore processing facilities. With such a vast range of operations currently underway, BPTT remains focused on developing the industry within Trinidad and Tobago towards the future of energy development.
A vital project currently under BPTT’s development is Cypre, which is the company’s third subsea development in Trinidad and Tobago. The project will encompass 7 wells and subsea trees which will be tied back into BPTT’s existing Jupiter platform. In February 2024, drilling began on Cypre and it aims to enhance the existing infrastructure of BPTT’s projects, and bring innovation into the way that BPTT can bring gas to market. It is currently expected that Cypre will help bring gas to market faster. In the press release announcing the starting of the drilling at Cypre, David Campell, President of BPTT outlined, “Following the successful delivery of our small pools drilling programme we are pleased to see the safe and efficient retooling and relocation of the Valaris Joe Douglas rig to the Cypre field. Cypre is a significant investment for BPTT to continue to maintain production and the start of the drilling programme is an important step in the Cypre project”.
Campbell continues, “Our objective is to bring natural gas into production safely and as quickly as possible […] Our teams are fully focused on drilling other aspects of the Cypre development to deliver first gas by 2025”. Campbell’s comments highlight the vital investments BPTT has made in developing this major offshore project to enhance gas delivery to Trinidad and Tobago. As the project sets its sights on the future, we look forward to seeing how Cypre will continue to develop and see its first gas delivered in the next few months.
The other current development for BPTT is the Ocelot Project, consisting of a new 7” onshore liquid pipeline that will connect BPTT’s existing Beachfield facility to the Galeota Terminal Facility. The pipeline will be implemented along the current pipeline corridor used by the 06BECH pipeline, and span 13km. This onshore project will see the pipeline go across both forested, road and river crossing areas where varying depths will be required. To achieve this, BPTT will utilise onshore practices and will be
FUELLING A GREEN FUTURE
Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited, is transforming the Caribbean’s energy landscape. As a key supplier of refined petroleum products and a pioneer in sustainable energy, Paria is dedicated to balancing business success with environmental responsibility.
CORE OPERATIONS:
Trading 45,000 barrels of petroleum products daily, including motor gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, and fuel oil.
Extensive distribution network serving local, regional, and international markets. Also supplying HVO starting early 2025
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP:
Committed to sustainability with initiatives like distributing 100,000 seedlings to schools and reducing carbon emissions through employee workshops.
Proud recipient of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), aligning with European environmental standards and exploring low-carbon marine fuels.
INNOVATIVE METHANOL BUNKERING:
Paria recently achieved a historic milestone in Caribbean energy by launching methanol bunkering services, positioning Trinidad and Tobago as a regional low-carbon bunkering hub by 2026.
Looking Forward, Paria is not only powering today but investing in a sustainable future. With a focus on green energy solutions and community impact.
Paria is shaping a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for the Caribbean.
BP Trinidad and Tobago
completed in manageable segments to mitigate risks and exposure within the local community. Once completed, the pipeline will flush and clean the old 06BECH pipeline of hydrocarbon, disconnect it from the facility connections and plug the end of the old pipeline. The main contractor for this project is Stork Technical Services Limited, which will carry out the bulk of the onshore development. In recent months, BPTT announced that it has been awarded the NCMA 3 block offshore of Trinidad, as part of the Shallow Water 2023/2024 bid. The block is located off Trinidad’s north coast and signifies a new area of exploration for BP in the region. Previous production in the Columbus Basin region was carried out by BPTT off Trinidad’s east coast. The announcement of the expansion of BPTT’s operations into the NCMA 3 Block highlights the company’s strategy to access new basins whilst maximising production across its existing projects.
David Campbell outlined that “Continued exploration activity is crucial for sustaining our industry and I am very pleased that we have secured this block. The NCMA area is new to BP in T&T and I am looking forward to maximising its potential. Although geographically new to use, we will be able to draw on our 50-plus years of exploration experience in Trinidad and Tobago”. Campbell’s comments signify the vital role BPTT continues to play in the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s energy industry, as it is with its expertise gathered over more than 5 decades in the region, that it has the vital skill set to expand its portfolio to deliver new and significant exploration operations within Trinidad and Tobago.
Whilst BPTT continues to expand its portfolio, it recently announced in September that it would be divesting four of its mature gas assets and undeveloped resources to Perenco Trinidad and Tobago (Perenco T&T). The assets in question are the Immortelle, Flamboyant, Amherstia and Cashima offshore gas fields, including the associated production facilities. The fields are all mature fields that have been in production for many years and produce a total of 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (bopd). The agreement between BPTT and Perenco T&T would see the assets divested to Perenco T&T, with BPTT purchasing the gas
Harnessing Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Sector
produced from the fields as it continues to meet its current contractual obligations.
The agreement aims to help BPTT focus on its higher-value assets, whilst it helps Perenco T&T to expand its role across Trinidad and Tobago. This ‘winwin’ agreement was highlighted by David Campbells with, “Divesting these mature assets will high-grade our portfolio in Trinidad and Tobago as we focus on continuing to develop our shallow water gas portfolio and pursuing growth opportunities with both deep water and cross border gas resources. This is part of our mission to accelerate gas production, create value and unlock the energy future of Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, Perenco will be able to apply their mature asset expertise to extend these fields’ producing life and support maximum recovery of resources”. Campbell’s comments here exemplify exactly how BPTT is moving into the next phase of its operations as it aims to focus on its shallow water
developments to accelerate gas production, whilst ensuring that its mature assets continue to bring significant energy development to Trinidad and Tobago under the expertise of mature life assets experts such as Perenco T&T.
What we have seen across all of BPTT’s operations here is a vital shift towards the future of energy development, as it has continued to expand new and vital fields for Trinidad and Tobago to continue pioneering its energy development. However, throughout every aspect of its operations, its commitment to ensuring that its existing portfolio is continually enhanced either under its operation or through strategic partnerships with other energy companies across the region. It is this unification of expertise across the sector, that has positioned BPTT as the leading energy provider in the country for many years.
Written by Carley Fallows
THE WORLD OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Over the last few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of brands and companies which are adopting artificial intelligence (AI).
Now in 2023, it seems every brand is using AI to remain ahead of the curve and keep their apps and services evolving with the current rate of technological advancement. We have seen the rise of chatbots such as ChatGPT and image generators which have been sparking crazes online. However, the topic of artificial intelligence has always come with a surrounding debate on the role that AI is playing in our lives personally and across wider industries. In recent months, we have seen many of the top players in the world of AI step down from roles or speak out on how they think AI has gone too far
So, what is artificial intelligence? Very simply AI is best understood as a machine learning technology where computer programs are given lots of data which the programme will look through for patterns in response to a set of requests or instructions. Sometimes the results aren’t exactly what was requested, and so with this feedback, the computer programme can learn from these responses to
improve future requests. Therefore, AI can be given huge amounts of information and be trained to recognise patterns, which it can adopt into its system to make predictions, solve problems, and even learn from its own mistakes.
In theory, programmes such as these provide great excitement as many can respond almost as if they were human, with programs such as chatbots, or large language models (LLMs) to be exact, putting words and phrases together in learnt combinations to form intelligent responses to questions or requests.
A popular example of this is the development of ChatGPT, which interacts with its users in a conversational way. The programme allows users to refine, and steer conversations towards desired lengths, formats, styles, levels of details and language used. ChatGPT saw great interest on apps such as TikTok where users were using the software
to ask questions to the chatbot or get it to write funny stories for them using details input by the user. However, with the rise of the app allowing users to ask the technology to write at length for them, it was quickly used by students across the world to write homework or essays for them. Whilst the software is not perfect and results in essays being poorly researched and incorrectly referenced, it raised concerns over the use of it in education to plagiarise work.
The possible dangers of AI don’t stop there, as even the UK’s government has established a task force to help build the next generation of safe AI. The software and programs come with concerns over privacy, transparency, discrimination, and job displacement. It is feared that as the data or source material behind these AI models is being taken from somewhere, often from online data, it can result in biases and discrimination being present in the responses which obviously leads to inaccurate and offensive responses.
A big concern is the role that AI will play in the job market if these technologies begin taking over the jobs of humans, and whether it results in a society where human responses can be replaced entirely with AI-generated ones. A key concern is in the arts industries, where AI picture generation models are using images found online and adapting them with other images to produce new pieces of art. However, this has led to people searching artists’ names in the AI system to produce artwork which is in a similar style.
Many artists have noticed how these AI models have made works so similar to their style that some artists have joint lawsuits against AI imagery generators such as Midjourney over copyright claims. If the same is to take over in script writing, who’s to say that the entire arts sector can’t be overrun with AI technology making the necessity for the artist, writer or creative’s input no longer needed?
However, this does seem to be a push - while AI is impressive, it is not without its faults and so the need for the arts sector I believe is well and truly safe.
While AI has become ever present in our daily lives from chatbots, personalised Spotify playlists, Snapchat and maybe a little helping hand whilst writing essays, its role has not yet become so significant that it looks like the AI vs. Human war is going to begin anytime soon. Whilst the speed and breadth of knowledge with which AI can learn compared to a human is remarkable, and will aid in the efficiency of our daily lives and the future of many industries, AI does not seem to have captured the nuance and emotionality of the human experience – and for that reason, AI remains a remarkable and intricate tool, but not one set on destroying all of humankind…well not yet anyway.
Sources:
BBC: https://bbc.in/45j1f2u
Forbes: https://bit.ly/3qmwcnq
New Yorker: https://bit.ly/3OwbaL0
AI-generated image
Durres Port Authority
As one of the largest ports in the Adriatic Ionian maritime area, the Port of Durrës is vital to the maritime trade of Albania across local and international waters. The port today, overseen by the Autoriteti Portual Durrës, (Durrës Port Authority) is Albania’s main port of call thanks to its favourable positioning and firm financial situation, and so plays a key role not just in supporting Albania’s economy but the economies of neighbouring countries.
The Port of Durrës has long played a valuable role in the region having been linked to supporting life in the Durrës for close to 3000 years. Its role across the centuries has been vital, and by the 20th century, the Port of Durrës had established its role as a key economic hub, with a rapid development of its seaport in the 1950s to meet the needs of merchant fleet ships travelling from Durrës to ports across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Today, Durrës is a vital gateway for product and cargo movement to the Balkan countries, as well as many across the European Union. The port’s operations today are largely facilitated by the rapid development of its infrastructure and technology, and so it is with this constant development in mind that the Port maintains its role in supporting Albania’s maritime sector. However, the port today wouldn’t be possible without the Durrës Port Authority who are responsible for overseeing the services and operations of the port every day.
The Durrës Port Authority is set on a mission to concretize the Albania Government’s strategy for developing and modernizing the port’s infrastructure and maritime transport. The Durrës Port Authority controls both the Port of Durrës and Porto Romano which means that it has central control over the vital gateways for maritime trade into Albania. Through the development of the port’s
infrastructure under the Durrës Port Authority, it aims to make Albania an attractive location for international companies looking to ship cargo across the region, and so by expanding its role to a global customer base, it drives for establishing vital economic independence for Durrës and Albania in the process.
The Durrës port is home 2 two specialised ports: a cargo port and a tourist port. Together the ports provide a competitive landscape where contractors and operators across the maritime sphere can work together with the Port Authority to facilitate the movement of cargo, tourism, and various maritimerelated operations. The Port Authority is set on leading both public and private entities with interest and activities in the port to create a Single Maritime Window system, which will make port services and procedures across the port more digitalized for both domestic and international carriers. By implementing this digitalization, the Port Authority highlights Durrës as a vital port moving towards the future of maritime development supported by
GLOBAL LOGISTIC SOLUTIONS
Durres Port Authority
top technological advancements to regulate and standardise all operations to meet international standards.
At the heart of the Durrës Port Authority’s operations today is its Centre of Excellent for Maritime Affairs (CEMA). CEMA was founded by the Port of Durrës in 2021 in cooperation with the Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës and the Institute for Cooperation and Development. The cooperating parties, working with the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community and Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, hope that CEMA can provide a reference point from which interested parties in Albania and the southeastern European maritime sector to enhance the regional maritime development.
CEMA aims to provide services related to the building, skills, development, and youth employment within Albania’s maritime industry through the construction of an innovation centre. This centre provides the necessary integrated public and private capacities a platform from which the development of the maritime and logistics sector can thrive with the recent implementation of automation and artificial intelligence within the region’s maritime sector. Today, CEMA serves as an innovation centre where multi-stakeholder, multi-level arrangements that provide tailored research can operate, whilst
also providing a platform for collaboration between governmental institutions, academics, research groups, and other stakeholders vital to the Port of Durrë’s development.
CEMA highlights the innovation that underpins the Durrës Port Authority’s mission to provide the necessary framework from which local and international stakeholders can collaborate in order to develop Albania’s maritime sector towards the future. With this vital space for continual development, the Durrës Port Authority continues to establish Albania as a competitive and attractive location for maritime operations for the economic development of Albania in the process.
The development of Alabania’s maritime sector has been largely successful under the Durrës Port Authority because between January and September 2024, 5.4 million tons of goods were processed through the Durrës-Porto Romano Port Complex. This included a significant increase in both exports and imports. In the export market, the port complex saw a 7% increase primarily in the manufacturing sector with Albanian products being in high demand from international markets. This demand is largely
thought to be due to the diversification of Albania’s export production and the establishment of new trade agreements with neighbouring countries. However, to achieve such high import and export operations, the Durrës Port Authority played a vital role as it continued to expand the Durrë-Porto Romano Port Complex’s facilities to meet the needs of the growing import and export markets of Albania.
Ultimately, the Durrës Port Authority’s mission to responsibly facilitate Albania’s international commerce through the Port of Durrës has been largely successful. With significant growth in the country’s export and import markets, the Durrës Port Authority has established both the Port of Durrës and the Porto Romano as vital gateways into Albania. As the port moves towards the future, we look forward to seeing how digitalization and the adoption of artificial intelligence will play an ongoing role in establishing the Port of Durrës as a modern and thriving port set on harnessing Albania’s maritime sector towards a long and thriving future.
Supporting Albania’s Maritime
Bapco Refining
Bahrain is a vital country in the development of oil across the Arabian Gulf. The country was home to the first oil well developed across the region, and so has long played a strategic role in developing Bahrain’s oil industry on both local and international scales. To oversee this expanding industry, Bapco Refining was established by the government of Bahrain to oversee the country’s oil and gas sector and deliver significant economic benefits for the country for many years to come.
Established in 1929, Bapco Refining began its operations with the discovery of vast oil potential in the region. From this first vital discovery, Bapco Refining, originally owned by the Standard Oil Company of California and now under the ownership of the Government of Bahrain, quickly took the lead in pioneering the country’s oil and gas sector. Today, the company is responsible for refining 267,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil, and through this work, it strategically empowers and ensures the success of Bahrain’s energy industry. Throughout every aspect of its operations, Bapco Refining remains focused on leveraging its best practices to deliver significant value for its shareholders, customers and employees in the process.
Bapco Refining’s operations centre around the refining, storage and marketing of oil, with a 6th of the company’s total oil operations stemming from the rich oil deposits found in Bahrain alone. The rest of the oil refined by Bapco Refining is sourced from Saudi Arabia and is pumped through Bapco Refining’s facilities before it is stored in 170 storage tanks located across Bahrain. All of the oils delivered by Bapco Refining are marketed towards local and international downstream markets in the form of petroleum and exported on behalf of the Government of Bahrain. The entire operation of Bapco Refining aims to support Bahrain’s role in the development of its crude oil markets across the world.
Now almost a century since it began, Bapco Refining has set out on the Bapco Modernisation Programme (BMP) which will see the multi-billion-dollar venture significantly shake up the country’s oil industry to meet the needs of today and set up the foundations so that Bahrain can remain a key oil producer for many years to come. BMP aims firstly to increase Bahrain’s refining capacity to produce more products that can be sold both in and outside of the country. A key part of this is to ensure that Bapco Refining’s operations can meet an increasing oil demand, whilst also improving the energy efficiency of its operations to enhance its oil output. This aims to help maintain Bahrain’s competitive edge in international markets.
The project aims to set up 21 new operating units, 15 new substations as well as hydrocracking units, a new crude and vacuum unit and a sulphur plant. A key part of the development is the construction
Leading Bahrain’s
of the Resid Hydrocracking Unity (1RHCU), which will be powered by a technology license from Chevron Lummus Global. The unit will be among one of the largest on the planet, encompassing a two-train capacity of 65,000 bpd, which will convert 78% of vacuum resid feed into intermediate production which will be processed to produce kerosene and diesel. In addition to the RHCU, a second VGO Hydrocracking Unit is planned which will receive raw feed from the new and existing crude distillation units and covert the product in the higher margin final products.
In addition to the hydrocracking units, the BMP will implement a vital upgrade to Bapco Refining’s facilities including a Crude Distillation Unit and a Vacuum Distillation Unit. These will replace the existing crude and vacuum distillation units that have been in operation for almost 80 years. The new units are designed to provide the required feedstock for further downstream processing supported by their new maximised output capacity that aims to optimise yield performance which
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Bapco Refining
Global Remote Integrated Access Solutions
Global Remote Integrated Access Solutions was founded by current Managing Director Jaison Pullikottil in 2007, and today has a global client base consisting of state-owned entities, private companies and large-scale multi-nationals. The company offers world class services to the world’s energy, geotechnical, marine and civil engineering sectors, with key expertise in areas such as engineering, rope access, underwater services, inspection and tank services. Global Remote are strategically placed to assist with commercial and civil projects of all sizes and have a strong track record of project delivery in the Americas, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
With a growing customer base in the world’s oil & gas Industry, Global Remote’s expertise is utilised both onshore and offshore, in both downstream and upstream sectors. The company offers multiple critical services from working at heights to deep underwater. Global Remote can offer energy companies key services such as:
• Underwater inspections in lieu of dry docking (UWILD)
Global Remote Integrated Access Solutions is a company with a very bright future and has many key skills, values and standards but none more important than health, safety and quality. In a world of increasing regulation around workplace safety, Global Remote have the highest standards in place. Nothing is more important to the staff, management and directors of Global Remote than public, worker, site & project safety. To manage the company’s high expectations in this critical area the company has implemented an Integrated Management System (IMS) which addresses all aspects of quality, environment and safety of its service provision. By implementing this system across their entire global project portfolio, they have ensured all related safety and quality issues are addressed and safely managed for all clients. These systems and procedures assist in offering client’s essential assurances that all projects and services are carried out to the highest standards. An example of the effectiveness of Global Remotes safety systems and standards came when Global Remote were recognised by Bahrain’s state energy supplier BAPCO Refining for completing over 1000 dives with no lost time or injuries. Global Remote proudly offer excellence, safety and quality!
Bapco Refining
reduces the amount of energy used to operate. The units will transform crude oil into valuable petroleum products such as LPG, naphtha, kerosene and diesel. The remaining oil not used to produce the petroleum products, will then be fed into the hydrocracking units for further processing.
The final vital part of the BP is the development of the #3 Sulphur Plant, which will treat sulphur recovery, amine and sour water. It will encompass 11 separate integrated process units and will recover hydrogen sulphide from the BMP Units’ process and turn it into liquid sulphur. This liquid sulphur is then converted into solid pastilles which can then be exported to other countries. The plant will cover three Sulphur Recovery Units (SRUs), two Tail Gas Treating Units (TGTUs), two Bulk Acid Gas Removal Units (BAGRUs), two Amine Regeneration Units (ARUs) and two Sour Water Stripping Units (SWSs), leading
to a total sulphur production installed capacity of 1,535 metric tons a day.
As we have seen, the BMP aims to significantly step up Bahrain’s oil production capacity to bring vital petroleum products to market and solidify its place within the international energy marketplace. This vital investment into the country’s energy industry underlines the government of Bahrain’s commitment to delivering vital economic development across the Kingdom, whilst establishing itself as a key contributor towards the country’s GDP for the benefit of all those living in Bahrain.
This commitment to developing the future of global energy industries was reinforced with the announcement of a vital partnership between Bapco Refining and TotalEnergies in July. The global Bapco Energies recently signed an agreement with
TotalEnergies announcing a strategic partnership agreement between the two companies for the trading of petroleum products. The agreement marks a vital milestone between the two companies, as well as with the Kingdom of Bahrain, and aims to cement Bapco Refining’s place within the international energy markets.
The partnerships hope to create substantial value for both companies, bringing together Bapco Refining’s oil networks, with TotalEnergies’ expertise in the petroleum trading market. Together, both companies aim to utilise each other’s networks to expand their reach and influence across the global market. Furthermore, the partnership will also aim to bring social and economic development across the partnership to deliver significant economic benefits for locals in the process.
This agreement comes following the two companies announcing in March that TotalEnergies would support Bapco Energies in the optimisation of its Sitra refinery. The refinery is currently undergoing an expansive upgrading project, and once completed will be future optimized across the partnership for the trading of its petroleum products. TotalEnergies will utilise its global oil and feedstock networks, as well as expertise across the refining and trading oil market to help Bapco Refining maximise its value from the Sitra refinery for Bahrain.
Mark Thomas, Group CEO of Bapco Energies outlined that the collaboration between the two companies will “bring incremental value to the Kingdom of Bahrain and Bapco energies through the application of TotalEnergies’ global expertise in product trading and feedstock optimization.”. Thomas continues, “We are looking forward to
Leading Bahrain’s Oil Industry
partnering with TotalEnergies to building the Bapco Energies brand as a reliable and trusted global supplier of quality products”. We can see from Thomas’ comments that this strategic partnership is one that aims to deliver significant value for Bahrain’s oil industry, and so meets the commitments laid out by Bapco Refining in positioning Bahrain’s oil as a key player in the global oil and energy markets. Overall, we have seen how Bapco Refining remains a vital company set on delivering significant economic and social value for the Kingdom of Bahrain through its strategic partnership with global players in the energy industry such as TotalEnergies, as well as in its current modernisation programme which looks set on bringing the vital infrastructure needed to supper the country’s energy demand of today, whilst actively working to protect the world of tomorrow.
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited (SPC) is a premium integrated oil and gas company operating across the Asia-Pacific region. The company is a member of PetroChina, one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, and under its umbrella, SPC has continued to expand its offerings across the oil and gas market. Now as the company moves towards the future, it has grown its presence in the global exploration and production (E&P) sector, having acquired numerous vital assets over the last few years. However, what underpins every operation of SPC is its foundation in marketing, trading, and distribution across the crude oil and refined petroleum product markets.
SPC was founded in 1969 with vital interests in the oil and gas exploration sector, which quickly began marketing oil and gas products. Today, SPC is a household name owning the third largest island-wide retail network of service stations in Singapore which provides downstream petrol for the everyday transportation used by people across Singapore. However, SPC has built a growing presence in the exploration and production (E&P) sector since 2000 and now has a significant portfolio of assets within the upstream oil and gas industry.
SPC’s diversification aimed to create and deliver sustainable future growth for the company utilising its expertise in the downstream markets and bringing this to the upstream sector. Within SPC’s portfolio, there are currently 9 assets in the Asia-Pacific region, 8 of which are Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and one exploration permit. Across its entire E&P portfolio, SPC’s operations span across Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. This expansive role highlights its growing presence in the E&P sector within the Asia-Pacific Region.
In addition to this, SPC also has two gas pipelines across the region. The first is the West Natuna Transportation System spanning 654 kilometres from the West Natuna Sea to Singapore. This is the first cross-border sub-sea pipeline for SPC. The second pipeline transmits gas from Indonesia to Singapore across the 468-kilometre Grissik-BatamSingapore Pipeline. The pipeline has significantly developed SPC’s gas development since 2003 when it first commenced operations as part of a 20-year contract between Singapore and Indonesia. This pipeline works alongside the Grissik-Duri pipeline project operated by PT Transportasi Gas Indonesia. These pipelines make up part of the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipelines (TAGP) network which has continued to be vital in strengthening the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries’ role in maintaining and developing its role within the energy growth market across the Asia-Pacific region. With the continued development of its pipeline projects, SPC aims to strengthen its alliance across the region and establish itself as a key driver for energy development.
In addition to its E&P assets, SPC is still a key downstream fuel supplier to both domestic and
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Singapore Petroleum Company Limited
commercial markets. Every day SPC supplies bulk automotive diesel oil, marine gas, gasoline, liquid petroleum gas, and asphalt/bitumen to the Singapore market. These fuels are used across the country primarily to power transportation and to supply power stations. However, their application can also be seen across the industrial, construction and manufacturing sectors for both plant and machinery operations. SPC also provides marine gas oil on an ex-wharf basis to barging companies, and on a delivered basis to offshore islands, and also provides asphalt/bitumen to the road building industry.
Currently, SPA is a reputable supplier of bunker fuel to international shipping companies at the Singapore port, and with jet fuel across several
international airports in the Asia-Pacific. In fact, SPC has been selling and marketing fuel to the aviation industry in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 40 years. An airport that SPC serves is the Singapore Changi Airport, which is one of the world’s leading air hubs, and so SPC plays a key role in supplying topquality aviation fuels at a competitive rate across the region. Outside of Singapore, SPC also serves jet fuel to more than 30 airlines across Taiwan, Thailand, and Cambodia which take advantage of SPC’s strategically located sales network that can serve international customers well with fuels that meet the necessary fuel specifications.
Across these, the company facilitates downstream petroleum and oil products that provide its customers with ready-to-use products
Fuelling Exploration and Production in Singapore
highlighting its reputation and role in the everyday functioning of Singapore’s transportation and aviation industry. However, it also plays a vital role in the refining industry, which has further positioned SPC within the global downstream market. SPC holds a 50% interest in the Singapore Refining Company Private Limited (SRC) which has a capacity of 290,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The refined fuels produced by SRC are traded by SPC throughout its network on both a regional and international scale.
One of the key goals of SPC’s refining operations is to achieve long-term competitiveness. The company aims to achieve this through a range of strategic projects which aim to sustain SRC’s operations. A key project for SRC was the Gasoline Clean Fuels and Cogeneration Plant in 2017, which enhanced the refinery’s capability to produce higher-quality gasoline production whilst achieving energy self-sufficiency.
This focus on sustainability is fundamental to SPC’s operations. It believes that every business decision and operation should always positively contribute to the long-term well-being of the
business and the community where SPC operates. These values are something that the company have continued to expand upon, and currently, it is working on implementing cleaner fuels and ensuring that it is caring for the community throughout its operations. With environmental, philanthropic and cultural causes behind its operations, SPC is establishing itself as a leading integrated oil and gas company that is committed to giving back to the environment and its communities to deliver multi-layer economic and social benefits.
Overall, SPC is a vital oil and gas company that is serving both the local and international markets with downstream markets. However, with increasing developments over the last 20 years towards its exploration and production division, the company now has a plethora of vital assets that are delivering significant oil and gas production across the entire Asia-Pacific region. With natural gas playing an increasingly vital role in the region’s energy mix, SPC is continuing to position its operations at the heart of the industry to be a leading integrated oil and gas company for the Asia-Pacific region.
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For over 50 years, MODEC has been the leading provider of floating offshore solutions for the oil and gas industry. MODEC provides top-quality floating solutions designed to meet the unique requirements of its customers’ needs. Throughout its operations, MODEC remains committed to supporting humanity towards the future of energy development by harnessing the ocean in an environmentally sustainable way. With recent expansions in Malaysia and India, MODEC continues to leverage its talented workforce to sustain the steady growth of the offshore oil and gas industry.
Founded in 1968, MODEC has spent the last 50 years providing floating solutions to the offshore oil and gas industry. These include Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessels which are the primary methods used across the oil and gas industry to deliver these products to market. FPSOs work by receiving fluid which includes crude oil, water and other things, which it then separates to produce crude oil, natural gas, water and impurities within the topside of the vessel. The crude oil is stored in tanks which can then be shuttled off to tankers for further refining on shore. These vessels are vital to the energy industry, however, often oil and gas deposits are located in locations and at depths that are difficult to access. Therefore, through the development of its FPSO and FSO vessels, MODEC is committed to developing and implementing these structures to meet the unique and often harsh conditions of the deposits to deliver customer satisfaction through every project.
MODEC currently has 20 FPSOs and FSOs in operation at offshore fields in places such as West Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Gulf Coast of Mexico, South America, Brazil and the North Sea. Across these projects, MODEC delivers the best services possible
through turnkey solutions that harness the energy potential across the world. By ensuring that its vessels are equipped to manage the often-harsh conditions, MODEC ensures that each project’s life cycle is maximised to deliver significant returns for the customer and the global energy industry in the process.
As MODEC has continued to develop its FPSO and FSO delivery, it has developed two new types of hulls that are designed for the future of energy development. These vessels bring together the best in design and construction technology to deliver top-of-the-line FPSO and FSO projects that will see the next generation of energy production. In recent years, MODEC has developed the M350™ and the MODEC NOAH™ which will help it take its energy development potential to the next level through their innovative hull designs. However, aside from its development of new hull designs, MODEC also has a key role in converting oil tankers into FPSOs and FSOs. It has been re-developing oil tankers for over 40 years, and so has built a strong reputation within the global market as a leading oil tanker conversion company.
To achieve its delivery of new and redeveloped FPSO and FSO vessels, MODEC relies on its network of shipbuilders and shipyards around the world to fully implement its EPCI works on its projects. Across its global network, MODEC has more than 6000 employees across 15 countries worldwide who help it to achieve its project visions. In addition to this, MODEC also relies on outsourced shipyards and companies that help it achieve its projects using local knowledge and expertise. Through this network, MODEC can maintain its competitive lowprice points, and achieve greater flexibility across
Delivering Offshore Solutions
its operations by building, and developing FPSO and FSO vessels utilising its connections on both a local and international scale.
MODEC continues to expand its network, in order to bring its floating production solutions to the oil and gas industry across even more of the globe. In May 2024, MODEC announced that it was opening a new office in Malaysia in order to expand its workforce and provide even greater services to Malaysia’s energy industry. The office would provide more than 200 new roles, spanning across the engineering and corporate side of operations which it aims to have filled by early 2025. The new office in Kuala Lumpur would become part of the Offshore Frontier Solutions Pte. Ltd., (OFS) a joint venture company formed by MODEC Inc. and Toyo Engineering Corporation in 2022. The company works across the EPCI of FPSO vessels.
The new office highlights MODEC’s investment in expansion to help it better service its customers on a global scale. President and CEO of OFS, Soichi Ide, outlined in the press release that “this expansion signifies our commitment to growth, innovation, and leveraging the diverse talent pool in the region”. Ide continues, “We are excited about this significant milestone in MODEC’s growth journey. The new office will be part of a strategic hub in this region that will provide high-quality and high-value support for our EPCI execution.” Ide’s comments highlight MODEC’s commitment to expansion and
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development by harnessing expertise across the world for the benefit of the global energy market.
The opening of the Malaysian office was followed only 5 months later by the partnership of OFS with Toyo Engineering India Private Limited to establish a global capability centre in Bengaluru, India. With this development, the joint venture company Toyo MODEC OFS India Private Limited will be formed which will execute Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) service and will provide vital procurement support for the topsides of FPSO projects. Soichi Ide comments on this announcement that “OFS India and OFS Malaysia allow us to adapt quickly to changing business needs and market demands. They also provide access to a diverse pool of skilled professionals that we can tap on to boost
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our expertise and innovation”. What we have seen across both of these developments is MODEC’s commitment to expanding its network and leveraging local expertise to build a global company at the forefront of floating offshore oil and gas development.
In addition to FPSOs and FSOs, MODEC also provides Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs), Production Semi-Submersible Platforms, FLNG and Floating Offshore Wind vessels. These make up the expansive role of MODEC in the oil and gas industry for developing projects and vessels that meet the specific needs of its customers. In fact, with the development of facilities for LNG (liquefied natural gas), MODEC is shaping its role as a key player in the future of more sustainable energy. LNG has already been marked as a vital energy source for the future due to its lower carbon emissions profile, than other fossil fuels. Therefore, its adoption across the energy sector will be a vital part of the future of energy development, and so implementing floating production facilities that can take natural
gas from subsea reservoirs and convert it into liquid hydrocarbons provides a more practical means for storage transport. With the development of its projects towards the future of FLNG technologies, MODEC looks set on playing a valuable role in the future of sustainable energy development.
What underpins every operation by MODEC is a commitment to excellence, whether this is across its project development, network, or development of sustainable energy facilities for the future. Throughout every operation, MODEC is committed to delivering results for its customers that are priced competitively and supported by leading technology. As MODEC moves towards the future we look forward to seeing how it will continue to implement one of its current strategies towards digitalization and the adoption of AI. Through this development alongside its existing work, we look forward to seeing how MODEC will continue to help harness the energy potential of the world in a safer and more efficient way.
Vale is an international mining company that focuses on producing iron ore, pellets, and nickel. The company works every day to take the natural resources available to us and develop them into prosperous resources; all whilst still working to promote environmental protection. This drive towards sustainable development underpins everything that Vale does, as it believes the safety of people and the planet must always take priority.
As one of the largest mining companies in the world, Vale has operations across roughly 30 countries all over the globe. The company began in 1942 under the name Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, where it first extracted ore in Itabira in Minas Gerais. Over the years, the name was shortened, and the company began to take on a larger role across the country’s mining industry by also providing logistical solutions via the country’s railroads, ports, and terminals. It even began operations within the energy industry to promote sustainable electrical production, and now is responsible for producing 54% of its own energy consumption.
The heart of Vale’s operations centre around iron ore. Iron pellets are vital to the construction and manufacturing industry, as they are used in the production of many products, and across multiple services we use every single day. For this reason, Value knows how valuable iron is for the development of society and human development, especially when these products are used to construct houses and medical facilities, as well as many of the technology product and household appliances that are fundamental to human life today. Brazil is home to a rich deposit of iron and so Vale’s operations centre around the mining and production of these iron products, to deliver vital products for the development of society.
Vale has multiple mine sites across Brazil where it is based, which are involved in the mining, processing, and then logistical movement of the mined products to the steel industries in which it sells the iron. To understand Vale’s valuable role in the mining industry in Brazil, we first must look at the birthplace of the company in Minas Gerais. The state accounts for over 50% of Vale’s iron ore production, with 20 mines currently in operation. Mining in Minas Gerais takes advantage of Vale’s railroad connections between Vitória and Minas. Vale has invested more the 1.3 billion dollars in the acquisition of trains and freight cars, which it primarily uses for transporting iron ore as well as other cargo. The logistics sector of Vale’s operations allows it to play a more well-rounded role in the mining industry and the distribution of its mined products to the ports and steel-making marketplace. Therefore, the mining operations at Minas Gerais highlight how the mining and logistical
operations of Vale work so closely together to deliver the rich ore to end markets for the betterment of a future planet.
In Minas Gerais, Vale is working alongside the city of Itabira to use its efforts within the mining industry to positively impact the city and build a plan for a more sustainable city. The plan, devised in conjunction with the municipal administration, aims to develop the region with projects which concern the environment, education, and security – all of which are developed with innovation in mind. These projects include the Little Seed of Sport Project, Judo Classes and the Bright Minds Chess Project which is bringing key development to kids across the region all thanks to Vale’s commitment to putting people and the environment at the forefront of its operations.
Pará, the largest mining complex in Brazil, is owned by Vale and represents one of the largest private investments in the country in recent years. The S11D mine complex in Pará encompasses the mines, a processing plant, and rail and port logistic services, which have continued to drive the region’s
Brazilian Mining for the Future
economic development for many years. The mines are responsible for mining iron, manganese, copper, and nickel across a vast array of mines which span the complex. However, much like in Minas Gerais, Vale also has a vast array of environmental projects in Pará which ensure that the rich biodiversity of the nearby Carajás National Forest is protected.
In Espírito Santo, mining extends back more than 50 years and highlights the vital role the state’s railway and port systems can play in the mining industry. In Espírito Santo, Vale developed a fully integrated strategy for mining logistics which continues to be used every day. Vale’s operations in Espírito Santo highlighted the company for its production of iron pellets, and now the production of pellets by Vale in the region is globally recognised.
Espírito Santo is also home to the largest environmental investment by Vale towards the
development of the Tubarão Environmental Master Plan (PDA). PDA aims to control atmospheric emissions and covers 160 projects which are implementing new equipment, improving the environmental controls of its operations, and researching new technologies to reduce environmental impacts. The vast project which encapsulated Vale’s core values, has been successful in its efforts to make vital developments towards the future, whilst remaining clear in its aim to respect the planet, the local communities and the people who live and work across their sites of operation.
Other key mining sites for Vale include Maranhão and Rio de Janeiro. In Maranhão, Vale works with the state to support the logistical movement of ore production through the Carajás Railway to the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal. The terminal plays a valuable role in distributing the ore to
consumer markets across the globe, including in China which is currently one of the largest buyers of iron ore products. Then, in Rio de Janeiro, Vale operates the Porto Sul Complex in the Costa Verde region. Vale’s headquarters are based in the capital, along with several terminals which are used for the loading of iron ore. The entire site can move more than 75 million tonnes of ore every year through the terminals and towards end markets.
Ultimately, Vale’s existence hinges on a passion for improving life and transforming the future for generations to come. To do this, Vale is carrying out mining operations which are essential to life whilst producing ores, pellets and various metals which help to make this possible. However, it is Vale’s commitment to education, environmental protection and innovative approach to the future that has allowed it to play such a valuable role in Brazil for many years thanks to its constant commitment to developing necessary mining operations whilst putting great investment back into the protection of landscapes to support the rich biodiversity of this part of the world.
Brazilian Mining for the Future
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For many of us, when we want a quick bite to eat, we turn to various fast-food chains. These chains provide us with great tasting food, at an affordable price point which makes each meal an enjoyable experience. This experience is one that Prestige Holding Ltd (PHL) has long been passionate about across the Caribbean, and so it has spent the last 40 years in the restaurant management business providing customers with on-of-a-kind eating experiences.
The origins of PHL extend back to 1972 when the company was first incorporated by business partners of Jaycees. The company began its operations with the acquisition of a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise which opened its doors the following year in 1973. The restaurant, located in St. James in Trinidad, began PHL’s vision to be in the hearts and minds of its customers for every eating experience. It is with this vision that it has grown its KFC franchises, and now has 58 restaurants extending across the whole of Trinidad and Tobago. KFC represents the initial step for PHL commanding the restaurant management business over the last 50 years across the Caribbean.
The development of KFC under PHL spearheaded its drive to grow its business both organically, as well as through the acquisition of other strong international brands that would complement its current portfolio. Consequently, in 1994 PHL acquired a Pizza Hut restaurant which would diversify its portfolio across Trinidad and Tobago from fast food to a more formal restaurant setting. Whilst the opening of its first Pizza Hut restaurant marked a new step for PHL, it remained committed to providing a casual and family-oriented restaurant experience. Today, there are 12 Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide under PHL’s operations, which remains a place where friends and family come to share delicious
slices of pizza. With the development of its Pizza Hut business, PHL set its focus on turning it into one of the most popular, informal restaurant experiences in Trinidad and Tobago, promising top-quality pizzas on every visit.
In 1999 PHL expanded its restaurant management to TGI Fridays, an authentic American-style diner where ‘every day is Friday’. The first of its TGI Friday restaurants was opened in Port of Spain and was quickly followed by a further three openings in Price Plaza, Gulf City and Trincity in the subsequent years. Much like Pizza Hut, the TGI Friday restaurants were designed to provide a relaxed and comfortable environment, where top-quality food underpinned every visit.
PHL’s role has continued to grow across Trinidad and Tobago and marked it as one of the leading restaurant management companies across the Caribbean market. However, in 2011 following the
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acquisition of Subway franchises, PHL was formed as the largest restaurant management company in Trinidad and Tobago, and the English-speaking Caribbean. Subway added to PHL’s fast food-style offerings and was vastly popular. This saw PHL expand and have ownership of multiple locations in east, south and central Trinidad. Over the years, PHL has expanded its subway food range, extending to offer paninis and pizza options, as well as now allowing for pickup deliveries via WhatsApp or its website. Today, PHL has 40 stores and 39 Subway units across the region, and it continues to provide the people of the Caribbean with healthy, delicious and fresh sandwich offerings.
The final vital acquisition for PHL came in 2016 when it opened a Starbucks in San Fernando. The opening of the store signified a milestone partnership between Starbucks and PHL, as PHL are
the exclusive owners and operators of all Starbucks stores in Trinidad and Tobago. This partnership highlights the reputation that PHL has developed for itself as a leading restaurant management company that is focused on delivering the best eating and dining experiences for its customers.
One of the vital aspects of PHL’s partnership with Starbucks is that each of its locations has partnered with a local charity. This means that each location is actively providing significant benefits for those local to its operations, to support initiatives that give back to the local community. This drive to give back has long been a vital part of PHL’s operations, as it strives to bring positive change and experiences with each location, restaurant of food offering. We saw its commitment to the community in 2021 when PHL partnered with the National Agricultural Marketing and Development
Corporation (NAMDEVCO) to help distribute food baskets to families across the nation. Using its refrigerated trucks, PHL helped increase the capacity of NAMDEVCO’s food relief services. The partnership also highlighted the value PHL places on public-private relationships, which bring together vital initiatives and PHL’s operations to deliver positive development across the Caribbean.
Across PHL’s operations, its commitment to delivering excellent eating experiences underpins everything it does. From its gradual expansion across fast food, restaurant chains, and even coffee shops, PHL is driven to provide food experiences that are supported by its top-quality customer service and quality assurance. For this reason, it is not a surprise that PHL is now the leading restaurant management company across the English-speaking Caribbean, operating 128 restaurants served by roughly 3000 employees and about 250 support staff. We look forward to seeing how PHL will continue to expand its restaurant management, and in turn, deliver great eating establishments to the region.
On a mission to be the premier Caribbean basin retailer, Massy Stores provides affordable yet delicious food across the region via its retail locations spanning Barbados, Guyana, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent. With a plethora of retail expertise behind them, Massy Stores is set on ensuring that throughout all of its operations, it is giving back to the community through education, empowerment and charitable initiatives that help support the communities in which it operates every day.
Massy Stores makes up the retail division of the global Massy Group. Massy Group is an investment holding and management company that operates three main investment portfolios. These include gas products, motors and machines, and its integrated retail division with Massy Stores. Under its retail division, Massy Stores has 57 retail locations in different markets across the Caribbean. These retail locations include supercentres, supermarkets, pharmacies, express stores, gourmet locations, home stores and a mega warehouse club in St. Lucia. The main focus of Massy Stores is to deliver affordable but delicious food products across the Caribbean. These food products bring together quality produce at a great value price to help build up its reputation across the region as the chosen retailer for its great food products.
In its retail locations, Massy Stores provides a plethora of foods spanning freshly sourced local produce to ready-to-eat convenience meals. In addition to food products, the stores provide all the essentials you could need to complete your weekly shop. However, what is evident across all of its food products in its retail stores is that each one is made to the highest quality standards. This high standard for food is what has garnered Massy Stores’ reputation as a leading retail brand that has become a household name for many across
One of the ways that Massy Stores has maintained its diverse food offerings and reputation across the Caribbean is by establishing ethical and trustworthy relationships with its suppliers. Across its supplier network, Massy Stores is committed to fostering relationships that thrive on the honesty and trust needed for both supplier and Massy to succeed. By utilising suppliers that are known for their excellence, Massy Stores can provide its customers with products that are top quality which establishes trust not only in Massy but their retail distribution network too. For this reason, Massy Stores is committed to providing value for its suppliers, and in the process providing valuable products to its customers. This careful balance between supplier and customer is one that Massy is passionate about in ensuring that both aspects of this retail network are getting the best deal possible.
BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER
Barbados, Guyana, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent.
Massy Stores
This focus on gaining a great deal is something that Massy Stores continues to promote, particularly when it comes to brand loyalty. The company has established its own loyalty scheme called Massy Card, which rewards its customers for purchasing goods from its stores. The loyalty program represents a continuous building of trust between Massy Stores and its customer base. The cards encourage repeat customers by providing rewards for spending money in-store, and so the cards help to retain brand loyalty whilst helping its customers get a great deal in the process. This mutually beneficial relationship has remained a key milestone for Massy Stores for many years as it continues to see its customer base expand.
Massy commitment to its customers, and more widely its local communities can really be felt throughout its operations through its development of various community-focused initiatives and projects. A recent project developed by Massy Stores is the Protégé Program, which provides mentorship initiatives for young women aged between 6 and 21. The mentorships program aims to inspire these women and girls to take on the role of future leaders, through its supportive network that encourages development towards a future of success.
Taste buds
The program is led by a team of female facilitators who provide sessions on leadership, emotional intelligence and career mapping to provide those in the program with the best possible chance for success in their futures. This investment into the women of the future signifies Massy Store’s commitment to giving back to their communities and it hopes that those who are involved in the programs will have the tools to invest in their futures too. Whilst this is just one of the vital initiatives and programs that Massy Stores invests in, it signifies the company’s commitment to delivering change on a personal and community level outside of its retail work.
Across all aspects of Massy Stores’ operations, there is a passion for community development. This can be seen in its retail stores by providing the best possible produce at an affordable price, to the various projects that support community development. However, it is this passion for community development that really seems to be the backbone of its operations. Therefore, it is no surprise that Massy Stores has now become a key brand name across the Caribbean for its retail and community-related operations.
Written by Carley Fallows
COOLING DOWN THE PLANET: Re-Greening Africa
Justdiggit has set out on a mission to re-green the landscapes of Africa and restore them to their former glory. The organisation has the overarching goal to reverse the effects of climate change on the land and contribute greatly towards cooling down the planet.
Justdiggit believes in the power of nature, and that by helping farmers and their local communities to restore the land they can increase crop potential, bring more vegetation, and establish an impactful legacy for climate change reversal. Having already restored over 300,000 hectares of land and 9 million trees; they are set to hit their goal of making African land green, lush and cool by 2030.
In Africa, 3.9 million hectares of forests are lost every year, with about 65% of the land across the continent being affected by degradation. This continued degradation has resulted in increasingly scarce food, heightened poverty rates and the loss of biodiversity impacting the people, wildlife,
and biodiversity of the land. However, according to Justdiggit, there are 2 billion hectares of land across Africa which they believe can be restored. Therefore, as Africa has the largest potential for restoration across the globe it makes the perfect place for Justdiggit to begin their operations to protect and bring back the biodiversity of some of the world’s most precious ecosystems.
Justdiggit believes in nature-based solutions, as they are deemed to be the most effective and sustainable way to restore the land, whilst contributing towards bringing down the ever-rising global temperature.
Its re-greening techniques include Treecovery, or Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which uses agroforestry techniques to regrow trees whilst supporting the growth of trees that are already naturally growing there. This technique involves pruning and protecting the stumps of cutdown trees that they believe can be regrown into full trees providing they receive the right care. Through this program, Justdiggit, along with farmers across Africa, has restored 14 million trees, with most of the trees being brought back in Central Tanzania, where the Treecovery programme has been promoted the longest.
One of the organisation’s major developments across Africa is in the digging of bunds. Bunds are semi-circular pits which capture rainwater in them
and so give the water more time to enter the soil and restore the water balance of the earth. However, in many African countries, there isn’t enough rainfall, but when it does rain it rains hard. Therefore, these bunds are ready to capture the rainfall from these heavy downpours making the rain as useful to the land as possible. By capturing the water and restoring its water balance in the soil, seeds can begin to sprout to rejuvenate the lands towards a green, lush, and cool future. The organisation focuses on how trees and plants provide natural air conditioning to the planet, so by giving these the best chance of growing across Africa it can contribute to reducing the global temperature that has dramatically increased over the last few decades.
Another key technique established by Justdiggit in Africa is grass seed banks which enrich the land, by providing a haven of greenery to the previously barren landscapes. The hay can be harvested for food for livestock during dry seasons or sold along with the seeds to other organisations, and in local markets, to bring a steady income to the farmers and their local communities.
Through this technique, Justdiggit has been working with Maasai women’s groups who manage and maintain the grass seed banks. Having established another 4 seed banks in 2022, Justdiggit has brought another 100 women into the scheme to invest in women’s entrepreneurship and the development of land restoration. Collectively, the Maasai women harvested 4000 kilograms of grass seed in 2022, contributing to the local economy and working towards cooling down the planet. Justdiggit has implemented a range of other techniques across the continent based on specific
climates, resources, and unique characteristics of the land to ensure that they are helping local farmers and communities to develop the landscapes whilst contributing to their economic success. These include measures to reduce overgrazing of grass and rainwater capture systems on hills to benefit the restoration of the land. Overall, they have worked with 550 villages in FMNR projects, trained close to 2000 farmers, retained 3.75 billion litres of water through the digging on bunds and established 12 seed banks across the continent to develop and restore the land towards a future of climate change stability.
Justdiggit is working across the globe to encourage people to reduce the effects of climate change one step at a time. Their work across Africa exemplifies the key role re-greening and restoration can play in moving towards a cooler global future, whilst implementing techniques which benefit the local communities and economies at the same time. However, Justdiggit is not stopping there – they are continually ramping up their operations to grow a global grassroots regreening movement to boost land restoration projects by continuing to work with other organisations. Furthermore, they are developing a new mobile platform which will make it possible for millions of farmers to re-green their land without the need for NGOs such as Justdiggit to be on site physically. Therefore, it is clear that Justdiggit believes in working with people to inspire change, as only through working, supporting and facilitating the development of landscapes towards the future, can we begin to tackle the vast operation to reduce the temperature of the world on a global scale.
Ghana’s ports play a vital role in supporting the country’s economy through a steady stream of trade moving through the country’s main ports. Currently, 85% of the country’s trade passes through the country’s main ports; the Port of Tema and the Port of Takoradi. These ports, situated on the east coast of Ghana, provide the perfect location for shipping and logistics operations to shipping lines traversing the western coast of Africa, and so the ports today are a thriving hub for trade and logistics in West Africa. Due to its vital positions along the African coastline, many major shipping companies such as Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC and Delmas utilise Ghana’s ports today, to help facilitate a range of vital international trade lines.
The development of Ghana’s shipping industry can be traced back to 1928 with the construction of the Port of Takoradi. The port was established to help facilitate Ghana’s international trade network, aided by the introduction of Ghana’s transportation network. The port played a vital role in the initial regional and international shipping development for Ghana. Following Ghana’s independence in 1957, even more road infrastructure was implemented, and with this, the Port of Tema was constructed.
In the following years, the port and harbours industry of Ghana saw a vast overhaul with the construction of these two ports, the introduction of a shipyard complex, the construction of accommodation for port workers, the dredging of turning basins and berths, and the development of quays and buildings dedicated for the container terminals. Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) are vital to the development of Ghana’s ports, as they are the sole party involved in overseeing all projects with a central focus on developing the infrastructure of Ghana’s ports to establish it as a thriving hub for trade and economic development in the region.
The Port of Tema is the largest in the country and covers over 5.5 million square meters (sq m) of land area, just 30 kilometres (km) from the capital of Ghana. Typical calls at the port include those from container vessels, general cargo vessels, tankers, Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, and cruise vessels. The port sees over 1500 vessel calls a year, which are met with the reliable services of GPHA and then passed on through its network of warehouses, transport and haulage companies, freight forwarders, factories, or various related centres.
The Tema Port is also home to GPHA’s Golden Jubilee Terminal (GJT) and Transit Terminal. GJT is an inland clearance depot strategically located on the western end of the Port of Tema. The facility includes a container freight station, state warehouse, car park, an open stuffing/unstuffing area, banking services, customs, security, and container storage/delivery services. This terminal allows vessels travelling into Ghana’s ports to pass through customs clearances efficiently and then on to either storage or delivery methods.
Then, the Transit Terminal is designed to extend the Authority’s services beyond Ghana and into Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger; by providing a onestop procedure for clearance so cargo can pass through ports and towards end markets much more
BAJ Freight and Logistics Limited (BAJ), a fully Ghanaian owned company was registered as a business in 2009. BAJ has grown rapidly to become one of the key companies in the freight forwarding industry and a leader in providing customs brokerage, freight forwarding and logistics support in various sectors including the oil and gas sector.
We are on a mission to provide excellent and swift logistics, freight forwarding, ship agency and allied services by employing safe and best practices with the most modern technology to satisfy our customers and stakeholders.
Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi
quickly. The terminal also supports the port’s Reefer Terminal, which has over 1550 reefer plugging points and caters for the inflow and outflow of cargo which needs temperature regulation such as fresh produce and frozen foods.
Following the rapid expansion of the Port of Tema, the Port of Takoradi pivoted away from more general cargo trade and became the dominant oil and gas hub for West Africa. The port’s new aim was to provide efficient services to its customers in an environmentally sustainable way to stimulate growth in the economy and sub-region.
Much like the Port of Tema, GHPA works across the Port of Takoradi to provide efficient services to customers by delivering efficient pilotage, towage, mooring/unmooring, berthing, stevedoring, fresh water supply, storage, and warehousing services –to name only a few. Therefore, the port continues to play an increasingly important role in the oil and gas sector as it takes vital energy products entering
or leaving the region and aids in their movement to both local and international markets.
Both the Port of Tema and the Port of Takoradi are served by leading global shipping lines. CMA CGM is committed to fostering strong relationships with customers across Ghana, to facilitate the shipping of goods via the country’s main ports. For this, it has developed a range of digital tools, which help customers better track their shipping information, to ensure that it can provide the best transportation and logistics needs for any type of cargo.
Maersk has offices in Tema, Takoradi and Kumasi which are strategically located to help Ghanaian businesses to connect with the world. Maersk is passionate about ensuring that whether shipping standard, refrigerated or oversized cargo, it is ready to provide the best solutions to and from the Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi, supported by its local and global networks of experts. The presence of such global shipping companies operating to and from the Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi signifies their vital role in enhancing the connectedness of Ghana with the world.
The interconnected nature of the Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi with the rest of the world was further enhanced in January 2024, when Meridian Port Services Ltd. (MPS) began utilising the Port of Tema as its first port of call in West Africa. The shipping line under the Maersk-CMA-CGM West African Express (WAX) service line, will add to the existing calls made to the port by the companies. This continued expansion reflects the ongoing relationships that GPHA and the operations at the Port of Tema have built with major shipping lines to support Ghana’s expanding role across the international shipping landscape.
GPHA, along with vital international shipping companies, has cemented Ghana’s place as a vital trade hub along the West African coast. The Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi now play a vital role in enhancing shipping and trade operations, to meet the growing cargo and oil and gas markets that are vital to sustaining Ghana’s economy. We look forward to seeing how GPHA continues to develop both ports in the coming years, as it positions the Port of Tema and the Port of Takoradi as the modern ports of choice in West Africa.
Nordgold
As an international diversified gold producer, Nordgold has spent the last 17 years developing its portfolio of gold assets across the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Nordgold’s assets aim to achieve significant growth and deliver value for the company’s various shareholders and local stakeholders. However, even as such a young company compared to many of its competitors in the global market, Nordgold knows that simply developing these assets is not enough, and instead, its operations must meet the challenges of the mining sector today, whilst delivering significant benefits for the future. For Nordgold this looks like social and economic development projects that ensure that throughout its development of assets, it is providing value in every aspect of its operations.
Established in 2007, Nordgold began under the Russian steel and mining company Severstal which acquired the Suzdal and Toborn mines in Kazakhstan and Russia respectively. Over the next few years, Nordgold began developing significantly, and after a series of successful global merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, the company took over assets including High River Gold and Crew Gold. By 2012, Nordgold had become its own splitoff company from Severstal and began operations as an independent gold producer reaching an attributable gold production of 717koz. However, the company’s expansion has only continued to grow with the launch of three mines between 2013 and 2018, including the Bissa and Bouly mines. Today, the assets under Nordgold have produced over 1 million ounces of gold a year, which includes 4 mines in the Russian Federation, 1 in Kazakhstan, 2 in Burkina Faso and 1 in Guinea.
One of the most significant mine projects under Nordgold is the Bissa-Bouly Mine complex located in Burkina Faso. The complex spans the two mine operations, with Bissa being the company’s first mine site in Africa. The Bissa mine, located 100km north of the capital Ouagadougou, is one of the largest gold mines in Burkina Faso with an estimated gold reserve of 4.9 million ounces. At the mine site, Nordgold carries out modern open pit mine operations, which span drilling and blasting followed by load and haul transportation. One of
the main successes of the Bissa Mine is that the entire complex was delivered in just 15 months, fitting firmly to Nordgold’s construction timelines and budget parameters. With the complex being a big success for Nordgold, the company moved to develop its facilities further and deliver a heap leach facility at the close Bouly deposit.
The Bouly deposit would then become Nordgold’s third operating asset in Burkina Faso, and continue the company’s development with the Bissa greenfield. The mine deposit was first built by Nordgold in 2013, and now delivers 400koz of gold per year. This figure has solidified Nordgold’s position as the second-largest producer of gold in Burkina Faso. Thanks to its close proximity to the Bissa development, Nordgold began the single open-cut operation that represents a large, lowgrade gold mineralisation utilising the existing heap leach treatment plant developed as part of the Bissa development.
Ore taken from both mines undergoes a similar process of being crushers before it is treated at its leaching facility to undergo desorption, electro-
Developing the Bissa and Bouly Mines
winning, and smelting. On average, the Bouly deposit alone has an expected 120koz annual production rate, over its 10-year life of mine (LOM) which would accumulate to almost 20,000 ounces of gold. As the two mine sites are so close in proximity, the Bissa-Bouly mine complex continues to work handin-hand to deliver cutting-edge mine operations, that deliver significant economic benefits for the company and the local region.
Nordgold is committed to giving back to the local community and the economy of Burkina Faso throughout the Bissa-Bouly mine complex, as it believes that its operations can provide significant economic and social development to the country. So far, Nordgold has delivered $1.3 billion in social and economic investment, which included $5,000 million to the government in the form of royalties and taxes. Also, $22 million was given to social development projects that have focused on delivering clean water and sanitation as well as the country’s sustainable development.
However, Nordgold is passionate about ensuring its operations benefit local communities, and so has invested in the infrastructural development at a community level to build houses, schools, roads, and health centres, whilst also working to support farmers and small businesses to thrive. This focused role in helping the community returns to Nordgold’s central strategy to find, develop and streamline its assets while creating value for the local stakeholders and communities in which the mine operations intersect.
As Nordgold moves towards the future it has begun focusing on ensuring the environmental impact of its operations is meeting its ongoing sustainability goals. In 2019, Nordgold implemented a solar power plant in partnership with Total Eren and the Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP). Total Eren is an independent power producer specialising in the development of renewable energies across Africa. Together the partnership began plans to build a 12MV solar photovoltaic power plant that would supply energy to the Bissa and Bouly mines. In addition to the development of the solar field, the partnership also would build a battery energy storage system, aiming to store and conserve energy to reduce the mine’s ongoing fuel
consumption by 6.4 million litres, and in turn, reduce the overall carbon emissions of the Bissa-Bouly mine complex.
CEO of Nordgold, Nikolai Zelenski commented on the development of the solar field stating that “by building this new solar power plant, not only will we improve the efficiency of our mines by creating a more secure power supply at a lower cost, but we are also helping to make our Burkina Faso mines far more sustainable while minimizing our carbon footprint”. Zelenski’s comments here highlight just how valuable the solar field is in reducing the mine’s overall carbon footprint, whilst also delivering more economical solutions for the mine site for energy generation.
Across Nordgold’s operations, its mission to deliver value for every stakeholder, supplier and local community can be felt throughout every development. From the expansion of its mining operations since it began only 17 years ago, to its current development towards a more sustainable future, Nordgold will continue to deliver value through respect, safety, efficiency and collaboration.
Developing the Bissa and Bouly Mines
Hong Kong Shipowners Assocation
Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) is home to one of the world’s largest shipowner associations, on a mission to promote and protect its members’ interests. The Association has spent more than 65 years bringing together vital shipowners and other key players across China and unifying their needs under the Association providing a respected and collective voice to enhance the shipping sector. Through its work with vital shipowners and its related industries, HKSOA has established China as a key global hub that continues to serve both local and international markets with maritime excellence.
Incorporated in 1957, HKSOA began when 11 local shipowners came together with the combined purpose of creating a forum where the shipowners of Hong Kong could work together as one cohesive association for the betterment of the industry. Over the following years, the association has continued to grow and is now one of the largest ship owner associations in the world. For this reason, HKSOA maintains a unifying voice for the shipowners in Hong Kong, which is driven by its chief interest in promoting and protecting the domiciled shipowners and ship managers in the region.
Members under HKSOA are those who own, manage, or operate a fleet of ships with a combined carrying capacity of over 244 million dead-weight tonnes. Furthermore, the Association also includes a range of associate members which are Hong Kong resident companies which supply vital services to the Association’s members and China’s maritime industry as a whole. By bringing together companies, ship owners and key players in the maritime sector, HKSOA are bringing crucial attention to the role that the shipowners and their related companies have in both local and global industries. Consequently, by enhancing shipowner and ship manager representation, HKSOA provides a clear united voice for them, which adds further credibility to the industry and HKSOA’s role within the local communities for the depth of experience
it provides to uphold the industry and China’s role in the global maritime sector.
HKSOA provides a range of services to its members to ensure that they are supported and promoted on a range of local and international levels. To achieve this the Association arranges forums for its members to meet and discuss any issues or concerns that face the shipowner’s industry. In an effort to develop and continually improve the industry, HKSOA provides a range of educational seminars and circulars to inform members of important changes in the shipping environment. Therefore, coinciding with these activities, HKSOA continues to represent all of its members’ interests on a range of different platforms.
In May 2024, HKSOA hosted the Asian Shipowners’ Association’s (ASA) 33rd Annual General Meeting in Hong Kong. The meeting brough together more than 200 representatives from the ASA member
Hong Kong Shipowners Assocation
Purus
Purus, headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore, is a world leader in providing global energy customers with maritime services for gas transport and offshore wind industries. We operate one of the world’s largest, youngest fleets of gas carriers, construction/service operation vessels (C/ SOVs), and crew transfer vessels (CTVs), offering ship management, vessel design, newbuild supervision, contracting, and crewing services worldwide.
www.purus.com
associations, of which HKSOA is a member. The meeting focused on the challenges and constraints currently facing the companies and stakeholders within the Asian shipowner sector. The challenges focused on included safety at sea, manpower on the sea, and the decarbonisation of the sea. These three aspects were discussed at length with the representatives working to provide a way forward to protect and promote the interests of every attendee. One aspect that was particularly of interest was the focus on transitioning towards a greener and smarter shipping world. The meeting outlines that environmental awareness across the shipping sector is, according to the ASA Seafarers Committee (SC) “no longer a conversation but an obligation”. This commitment to ensuring sustainability in the future of the sector development, it’s a vital aspect of how members of HKSOA can shape the future of their operations to protect the planet and remain competitive in international markets.
As part of its Association role, HKSOA is committed to ensuring that the best practices and information
Purus
Enabling The Clean Energy Transition
regarding the shipping industry are provided to its members. A key way it maintains this level of information sharing is through HKSOA’s memberships in the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). HKSOA maintains a close working relationship with ICS, with ICS even selecting Hong Kong as the location for its first overseas office to recognise its role in developing the country’s shipowner sector. The recognition from ICS highlights the notable role that HKSO continues to play in developing Hong Kong’s shipowner and maritime industry for the future.
Promoting Shipowners in Hong Kong
Ultimately, HKSOA is enhancing the region’s shipowners and associated stakeholders to form them as super-connectors between China and the rest of the world. By taking part in international conferences, enhancing its operations towards a more sustainable future, and providing a unified voice that advocates for the region’s shipowners, HKSOA is enhancing the reputation of Hong Kong’s shipowners for both a local and international customer base.
Dall Energy
With carbon emission becoming such a vital part of the conversation surrounding the development of the global energy sector, many companies have been set on harnessing the resources on the earth to deliver a sustainable energy production system that meets the energy demands of today, whilst not harming the planet further in the process. This means that there has been a vital shift away from fossil fuels and a deepening exploration into the world of biomass. This is where cutting-edge biomass energy-technology company Dall Energy comes in, which is on a mission to be recognised as the leading global biomass gasification company using its range of patented technologies set on reducing carbon emissions and playing a role in the future of energy technology development.
Dall Energy was founded by Jans Dall Betzen in 2007, who discovered the best way to combust moist biomass and turn it into energy. This development produced energy that was low in emissions, provided great fuel flexibility and would shape the future of green energy development. Whilst still a relatively young company, Dall Energy has seen significant expansion since its first biomass gasification furnace that it put into commercial service at Bogense Fjernvarmevær in 2012, and then its first international application in New Hampshire in 2014. Its development in the United States saw it deliver a biomass furnace for industrial production at the Warwick Mills Factor, which was designed dot reduce air pollution and produce steam for industrial use.
Over the years, Dall Energy has continued to implement more of its technology and products into new and existing planets across the world, whilst winning a plethora of sustainability and design innovation awards in the process. However, a significant milestone for the company came in 2023, when the major French asset manager Eiffel IG invested in Dall Energy which helped to significantly boost Dall Energy’s growth on both a domestic and international scale.
Even before the investment by Eiffel IG, Dall Energy saw funding from various research and development programs including the EU Horizons 2020 Program, the Danish Energy Authority (EUDP), the Danish Environmental Agency, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and ERANET. Across all of this funding, Dall Energy was able to continue to develop its technology to produce a range of products and services which set to reshare the future of energy development.
Across Dall Energy’s product offerings, it has heating plants and cogeneration plants. The heating plants provide sustainable heat for district heating works and aim to reduce local air emissions in the process. This is a patented concept by Dall Energy which allows the heating plants to operate even with low loads without the need for a separate boiler. This aims to reduce costs and provide a reliable supply to local district heating networks. The cogeneration plant (CHP) is utilised to produce sustainable electricity and heat for the local district network using biomass.
The design of the cogeneration plants is valuable as many utility companies prefer Dall’s CHP as they are designed with an Organic Ranking Cycle (ORC) which allows for maximum electricity generation in a single unit. This ensures the best possible return on its investment for companies looking to adopt Dall Energy’s cogeneration plants. Across both of these plants, Dall Energy is committed to making them cheaper and easier than traditional gratefired plants, and a key part of this is through the company’s planning, execution, and supervision of each plant.
However, arguably the most valuable asset to Dall Energy is its biomass gasification furnace and flue gas condensation technologies. These utilise naturally found biomass which can be cheap utilising anything from garden and park waste to wooden pellets. These can be fed into the systems at varying humidities, and when heated using Dall Energy’s biomass gasification furnaces will produce energy that is low in emissions, has little maintenance costs and will provide a stable energy delivery. Plus, Dall Energy’s biomass gasification furnaces emit
very little dust so no bag filters or electrofilters are needed for added emission reduction.
Dall Energy’s technologies and products have been adopted across many sites worldwide. In July, Dall Energy signed a second partnership agreement with Coriance, a French green transition pioneer. The project is part of one the biggest district heating initiatives in modern French history and will expand upon the existing Caen Nord and Hérouville-Saint-Clair heating networks in the Caen la Mer region in northern France. Dall Energy will provide 4 heating plants at 12.5MW with biomass gasification technology. Utilising this technology, the project aims to deliver heating to roughly 40,000 households in Caen and will use the plethora of garden and park waste available locally. It is hoped that the development of the heating network in Caen will reduce carbon emissions by up to 87,000 tons annually. The project here symbolises the vital role Dall Energy has continued to play across the global energy market, especially in France as its technologies are rapidly being adopted to deliver significant energy delivery whilst cutting emissions in the process.
The expansion of Dall Energy’s role in the global energy market is set to continue to expand, as in October 2024 the company acquired Weiss France Énergie and Biomass Services and Maintenance from Groupe Roullier. This acquisition comes largely as Dall Energy has seen a significant surge in the adoption of its technologies among French
The Future of Energy Technology
municipalities and businesses, and so the company is now a leader in biomass process technology in France. The two companies are both set on mitigating climate change and replacing fossil fuels across the energy sector. Therefore, whilst the companies will still operate as separate entities, they will work cohesively together, along with investor Eiffel IG, to minimise climate change and improve energy efficiency.
What stands out about Dall Energy is its new approach to the energy sector, as its operations hinge on the vital shift across many industries away from fossil fuel and towards renewable energy options. Its role across Europe has significantly grown, largely thanks to the investment of Eiffel IG, but also due to the innovative solutions that take easily accessible resources such as biomass and have transformed it into a low-carbon yet high-energy production medium. We look forward to seeing how Dall Energy continues to drive the renewable energy sector as we continue to see its technologies and products implemented across the world.
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, companies across the world are balancing their role in developing operations that access vital resources such as metals that are fundamental to sustainable future development, for example, those used in renewable technologies, whilst also mitigating as much environmental damage in the process as possible. This is a tricky operation to manage, but one that Teck Resources Limited has long been passionate about as a leading Canadian resource company that is focused on the responsible production of metal resources that are essential for the global energy transition.
Teck’s copper mining spans the Americas, with 4 copper mines and a strong pipeline of development projects across both North and South America. A key mine is the Highland Valley Copper Mine which produces both copper and molybdenum in south-central British Columbia. Teck has a 100% interest in the mine, where autogenous and semi-autogenous grinding and flotation operations are carried out. Once mined, the copper concentrates are then exported overseas where the majority is sold under long-term sales contracts to smelters. The contracts with the smelters ensure that none of the resources produced are wasted and ensure that each ounce of mined resource is being delivered towards future development.
In Chile Teck has 2 copper mines; the Quebrada Blanca Mine in the Tarapacá Region of northern Chile and the Carmen de Andacollo mine located in the Coquimbo Region of Central Chile. Quebrada Balance is a newly expanded copper mine comprising an open-cut mine area, a concentrator plant, a tailing facility and various utilities and port facilities. Teck holds a 60% indirect interest in the mine, with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd, and Sumitomo Corporation together having a collective 30% indirect interest in the mine. The final 10% interest is held by the Chilean state-owned, Coldelco, who have a non-funding interest.
The final copper operation for Teck in Chile is the Carmen de Andacollo, which mines both copper and gold. Teck has a 90% interest in the mine, and Empresa Nacional de Minería holds the remaining 10%. The operation is an open pit mine producing copper concentrates in the form of the hypogene portion of the orebody. The mine is served by personnel where the vast majority of them are from the town of Andacolla, or the nearby cities of Coquimbo and La Serena. With a vast majority of its workers being locals, the mine gives back to the local community through vital employment.
The other vital metal for Teck is zinc, as it is one of the world’s largest producers of mined zinc and its operations include one of the world’s largest fully integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining facilities. Zinc is a vital resource for global development as its primary role is for galvanizing steel, and so it is widely used across the industrial sector for the development of infrastructure. In
addition, zinc is also a vital resource utilised in the development of various everyday technologies from electronics to batteries, and also plays a vital role in the agriculture market to help boost crop yield and crop quality. With such a vast role in the development of the world whether for infrastructure, technology or even agriculture, it’s no surprise that as a company passionate about building a more sustainable and greener future, zinc is a vital resource in its mining operations.
A vital zinc operation under Teck is the Antamina mine in Peru, which produces both zinc and copper. The mine is located in the Andes Mountain range, 270km north of Lima. Teck holds a 22.5% interest in the mine, with BHP plc and Glencore plc both having 33.75% interest each, with Mitsubishi Corporation holding the final 10% interest. Mined zinc from the open pit, truck and shovel operations is transported via a 302km slurry concentrate pipeline which takes the copper from the port to smelters and refiners worldwide. The mine has entered into a long-term copper and zinc concentrate off-take agreement with affiliated Antamina shareholders on market
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terms. This helps to ensure the mined ore reaches end markets and will be used for value. Teck itself sells its share of copper and zinc concentrates from the Antamina mine to major smelting and refining companies across the globe.
The other vital zinc operations under Teck are the Red Dog operations in Alaska, USA. The mine is one of the largest zinc mines in the world and is located 170km north of the Arctic Circle. The mine today facilitates open-pit truck and loader operations, which utilise conventional drill and blast mining methods. However, the entire operations have been developed in agreement with the NANA landowner, which is a regional Alaska Native corporation owned by the Iñupiat of northwest Alaska. By working with NANA, Teck is committed to ensuring its operations give back and support the Iñupiat people who own the land. Zinc concentrates produced at Red Dog are shipped to Teck’s Trail Operations in British Columbia, which are then delivered to customers across Asia and Europe.
Teck owns the Trail Operations project one of the world’s largest fully integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes. The project is a fully integrated metallurgical operation which produces refined zinc and lead products. In addition to this, the operation also produces a variety of precious and speciality metals, chemicals and fertilizer products. Plus, the Waneta Dam provides low-cost, clean and renewable power to all of its metallurgical operations.
As Teck moves towards the future it announced in August that it was implementing a new business structure to support its continued growth. The
new business structure will see Teck organised into two regional business units, with the North American business unit spanning the High Valley Copper, Red Dog and Trail Operations, as well as its Galore Creek, Schaft Creek and new range copper growth projects. The second business unit, the Latin American (LATAM) unit, includes the Carmen de Andacollo and Quebranda Balance operations, plus its interests in Antamina and the Zafranal San Nichola and NuevaUnión copper growth projects.
According to Jonathan Price, President and CEO of Teck, “The new structure will ensure Teck is optimally positioned to operate safely, efficiently, and responsibly while capitalizing on profitable growth opportunities and enhancing value for our shareholders and stakeholders”. Price’s comments here signify Teck’s mission to ensure its structure can meet the demands of each operation, by dividing its operations into two strategic units that can work cohesively across each division. This hopes to streamline operations and allow the company to focus on growing its copper and zinc operations more sustainably.
What can be seen across Teck’s operations is a commitment to deliver vital resources, and ensure they are refined or delivered to vital end markets where they can be utilised in the production of technology to help the future development of the planet. By delivering vital resources in a sustainable manner that respects the resources, people and places in which it operates, it’s no surprise Teck Resources Limited is now a leading metal resource company driving towards the future of global sustainable development.
Malaysia Palm Oil Council
For many years palm oil has played a valuable role across industries worldwide and in 2023, palm oil consumption reached 78 metric tons globally. Palm oil is present in many of our favourite food products including chocolate, as well as in many non-food products such as deodorants and biofuels. For this reason, palm oil is now the leading oil in the global vegetable oil market, and with this Malaysia ranks among the top exporters and producers of the products for the world. Due to its global reputation for certified palm oil products, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) was established to advocate, network and promote Malaysian palm oil to a global audience as a rich and valuable oil that will be vital for the future of food security.
Today, Malaysia is responsible for producing more than 80% of the global supply of palm oil and is currently the second leading producer of palm oil in the world behind Indonesia. Its popularity has made its application across the world vast, and so MPOC is on a mission to promote Malaysian palm oil as a healthy, sustainable and ethical choice for consumers. A key part of this mission focuses on working with stakeholders and government officials to make access to the Malaysian palm oil market easier. However, to achieve this MPOC is passionate about ensuring that its production of palm oil is sustainable and ethical. For this reason, MPOC participates in certification schemes, including those from the Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) to encourage the global adoption of Malaysian palm oil products on a wide scale.
In order to promote Malaysian palm oil across the world, MPOC is committed to advocating for it as the optimal choice for consumers worldwide. MPOC focuses a lot of its work on showing the sustainability of palm oil compared to other oil alternatives. According to MPOC, alternative oils such as coconut, soybean and sunflower can require up to 10 times more land than palm oil crops. Palm oil crop utilises only one-tenth of the land required for all other vegetable crops, and so producing palm oil over these requires less agricultural land. This is something that MPOC is passionate about, especially as the global population continues to rise.
Plus, palm oil has zero trans-fats, and so is seen as a healthier alternative to many oils on the market. For this reason, palm oil is thought to be a vital step in reducing global health risks associated with trans-fat overconsumption, while also being a vital source of many essential vitamins and minerals. With all of the benefits of palm oil behind them, MPOC’s central mission is to promote palm oil from Malaysia as a healthy, sustainable, and ethical choice for many consumers worldwide.
The role of MPOC is to position the country’s palm oil as an attractive and vital resource that will serve palm oil demand worldwide. For this reason, MPOC’s role is to constantly look at how the resources can undergo trade expansion across more international markets. To achieve this, MPOC is constantly working to identify and capitalise on the latest market trends and demands from consumers. One demand that is vital as the world moves towards a more sustainable future is the role of carbon reduction and neutrality throughout its operations.
Advocating for Malaysian Palm Oil
In November, MPOC unveiled a study looking at ways to drive Malaysia’s palm oil industry towards carbon neutrality and eventually net zero. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Swinburne University of Technology, will look at pathways for the industry to move towards carbon neutrality and net zero carbon emissions throughout its operations. This move towards sustainability highlights MPOC’s commitment to meeting the demands of its customer base, and, in turn, strengthening the role of MPOC and by association Malaysia palm oil as a leader in climate-smart agriculture.
Furthermore, by ensuring the region’s compliance with international sustainability goals, it solidifies MPOC’s goals within more international markets as it becomes more valuable as a resource for its internationally recognised sustainability standards. Belvinder Sron, CEO of MPOC, outlines in a press release that “The Malaysian palm oil industry has long been a cornerstone of global food security, providing a certified, sustainable source of edible oils and fats. With this study, we can chart a course towards a future where our industry remains both competitive and climate resilient, setting a new standard in climate-friendly palm oil production and exemplifying our commitment to net-zero targets”. Srons comments exemplify exactly how MPOC strives to position Malaysian palm oil as the best option that is both good for you and supported by the infrastructure to protect the planet at the same time.
As MPOC moves towards the future it is looking into ways that it can utilise biomass conversion technologies to further generate positive resources throughout the palm oil production process. By implementing such technologies, MPOC will be able to leverage both its proven operations and development into more sustainable technologies to position Malaysian Palm Oil as a leading and highly in-demand oil across a wide range of international climate-conscious audiences.
Overall, what stands out about MPOC’s operations is its firm commitment to ensuring that Malaysian Palm Oil is the best it can be, and only from this position can it begin to expand its network across the globe. With certifications and regulations in place to ensure that each drop of oil is produced in an ethical way, MPOC then promotes and markets these products to an international audience for wider global adoption. MPOC’s move toward sustainability within the sector is vital as food security and net-zero targets remain a growing concern for customers worldwide. Consequently, in its mission to position palm oil as the healthy, sustainable and ethical oil of choice, it has been largely successful as represented by the growing demand for Malaysian palm oil across the world.
Port of Rijeka Authority
The Port of Rijeka Authority is a non-profit institution on a mission to develop the ports of the Republic of Croatia into one of the most vital transit port areas spanning the northern Adriatic, serving key international markets including many in Europe. With these essential markets in mind, the Port Authority implements strategic development projects to enhance the existing massive port offerings. In this process, the Port Authority aims to deliver the country’s port complex as a modern intermodal shipping centre that plays a significant role in international trade, bringing simultaneous economic development for Croatia in the process.
The Port of Rijeka was declared an international economic interest of the Republic of Croatia in 1996, and so the Government of the Republic of Croatia established the Port of Rijeka Authority which today oversees the Sušak, Bakar, Raša in Istria and Omišalj basins on the island of Krk. The goal of the Port Authority is to manage, develop, and build upon the country’s port infrastructures to make it an attractive and interconnected hub that could serve the country and local hinterland. To this day, this underlying goal of development has been maintained across the Port of Rijeka Authority’s work.
However, following the country joining the European Union (EU) in 2013, the port saw massive development opportunities as it then formed part of one of the core transport networks in the EU, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which comprises railways, inland waterways, shipping routes and interlinking road networks, as well as all inland ports, airports and terminals. In joining this network, the Port of Croatia would have access to a vast network of shipping and logistic lines served by both local and international shipping companies such as COSCO Shipping and Maersk. In April 2024, revisions to the TEN-T expanded the role of the Port of Rijeka area, and it was included in two additional shipping corridors; the Baltic Sea – Adriatic Sea Corridor, and the Western Balkans – Eastern
Mediterranean Corridor. With its role in these two new shipping corridors, the Port of Rijeka Authority now has an even more vital role in supporting the TEN-T network, and with it bringing significant trade and shipping opportunities to Croatia’s shores.
With a new vital role at the heart of one of the largest shipping networks in Europe, the Port of Rijeka Authority set out a 2030 Vision, which aimed to preserve the role of its intermodal centres and as the main entry and exit port for Central and Eastern Europe. By 2030, the Port Authority has set its sights on the expansion of the port to improve its existing infrastructure and ensure its port facilities meet the capacity needs that its newfound infrastructure will demand. A key aspect of this will include the development of current holdup or bottleneck points in port operations, to deliver a more seamless experience across the Port of Rijeka area, In addition, it also aims to develop a new reception area as it looks to expand its facilities to welcome large cruise liners.
The current infrastructure spanning the Port of Rijeka area is vast, with multiple locations, terminals and operations which the Port of Rijeka
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Port of Rijeka Authority
Authority are responsible for promoting, developing and expanding for the continued development of Croatia’s maritime sector. Currently, the port areas span berths, anchorages, a port control centre, passenger port terminals, the Zagreb Deep Sea Container Terminal, Adriatic Gate Container Terminal, liquid cargo terminal, bulk cargo terminal, grain terminals, the Bakar Goranin RO-RO terminal, and finally a livestock terminal.
Many of these vital aspects were developed by the Port of Rijeka Authority as part of its Rijeka Gateway Project. The project saw the Port Authority work with the Government of the Republic of Croatia in cooperation with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the project outlines one of the most comprehensive revitalisation projects ever carried out across the Rijeka Ports area. The first stage of the project, the Rijeka Gateway Project I and II, saw a guarantee agreement signed between the Republic of Croatia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a loan agreement signed between the Port of Rijeka Authority, Croatian Roads
and Croatian Motorways as the borrower and the IBRD. The first phase of the project came to a total value of 187 million euros, of which 144 million was related to the World Bank loan funds, and 43 million was from the domestic share from the Republic of Croatia budget funds. The project, aimed to not only deliver essential modernisation for the port’s infrastructure but to ensure it could support the Croatian economy by making it more competitive as a hub for trade in international markets.
The Rijeka Gateway Project included the building of a passenger terminal, an extension made to the Adriatic Gate Container Terminal, the implementation of a video surveillance system, the construction of the D-404 state road, redevelopment of the Delta and Porto Baros, and the construction of the new Zagreb Deep Sea Container Terminals. The project highlighted the expansive and necessary development needed to help the port remain competitive, something that remains a key priority as it continues to expand its role across new international shipping lines. The development of the Zagreb Deep Sea Container
Terminal was particularly vital, as it was one of the largest capital projects carried out by the Port of Rijeka Authority to vastly increase the port’s ability to handle deep-sea cargo from large vessels travelling along international shipping lines.
Whilst the port’s development is a vital aspect of the Port of Rijeka Authority’s operations, it is just as concerned with ensuring that all operations are carried out following sustainable regulations as set out by Croatian and European laws. This focus on environmental protection and sustainability is a key conversation that has dominated industries worldwide as every company is directing their development towards a carbon-neutral or carbonnegative future. For the Port of Rijeka Authority, this includes an environmental monitoring system to ensure that it can detect the negative impact of port activities on the environment more quickly. By detecting potential threats early, the Port Authority can quickly act, supported by its employees who
are constantly being educated on environmental protection across the shipping industry.
What stands out about the Port of Rijeka Authority is that even with such an expansive range of operations under its management spanning all parts of the Rijeka port area, its commitment to development remains a priority. Across every operation, development and partnership, it is looking for the best way to enhance its infrastructure to deliver better results for its customers in the process. In this, it seems to have been largely successful as it now plays a vital role in TEN-T and other various international shipping lines. Thus, throughout every aspect of its operations, the underpinning mission is to position the port area as a modern intermodal hub that will bring significant trade links, and in the process support the Republic of Croatia’s economy in the process.
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AKF Mining is a state-of-theart mining and geoscience firm that acts as a vital partner in its clientele’s exploration, development, production, and closure.
Situated at the heart of the Canadian Mining Industry, their expertise in the field encompasses a wide range of operations, including, exploration, notice of work, permitting, geological modelling, mineral resource and reserve estimates, as well as mine engineering and operational support. Such a spectrum of knowledge rivals many competitors in the Canadian mining sector.
As expected, the Canadian mining industry is a highly competitive sector, however, AKF Mining can be confident in its extended knowledge and capabilities, evidenced by the 100 years of collective experience that AKF has to offer. AKF’s primary focus can be found in areas such as hard rock, diamonds, gold, base metals and Industrial Minerals. Unlike many of their competitors, which are more focused on development and profit, AKF places greater priority on utilising specialised resources and reserves that best suit their client’s specifications. This means that their clientele can be guaranteed quality service and produce, that is more environmentally conscious. Additionally, their value-added services mean that each project grants long-term solutions and exploration, without the extra costs that can occur in larger engineering entities. From this bonus, AKF can ensure that lower overhead costs do not compromise the project and guarantee unmatched services.
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AKF Mining aid their clients through every step of the project, from equipment selection to geological modelling and resources. This is evidenced by the work conducted with their clients Dakota Gold Corp, as well as US Gold Corp. Both of these well-established gold mining entities have greatly benefitted from AKF Mining services in S-K 1300 reporting, as it has provided a greater picture of their mining resources and consequently optimised profit and success.
AKF Mining provides a diverse range of services in engineering and services that showcase their expertise in mining and geoscience. For example, their software services encompass Vulcan, Leapfrog, Whittle, QPit, ESRI, and AutoCAD, that each provide advantages in the mining exploration capabilities. AKF’s use of Maptek’s ™ Vulcan software provides state-of-the-art 3D geological modelling. Through the use of such technology, alongside their extensive operational experience, it creates the perfect equation for careful and highly detailed exploration.
Overall, AKF prioritises quality geoscience and mining services, putting the clientele’s needs above all else. Subsequently, such attention to detail and use of specialised technology is unmatched in the Canadian Mining sector.
American Samoa Department of Port Administration
On a mission to provide excellent service to its customers and community, the American Samoa Department of Port Administration (DPA) continues to provide complete port and airport operations, across the Pacific Island region. Its operations have established it as the vital gateway into the islands of American Samoa, and so it is vital in establishing the region’s reputation within international markets.
American Samoa encompasses the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago and spans the 5 volcanic islands of Tutuila, Anunu’u, Ofu, Olosega and Ta’u, as well as two coral atolls: Rose and Swains. The port entry to American Samoa is located on Tutuila, the largest island that makes up the region which is part of the unincorporated United States territory of American Samoa. Across the region, the Department of Port Administration (DPA) manages and operates the Port of Pago Pago and Pago Pago International Airport on Tutuila Island, the Anunu’u Harbour on Anunu’u Islands, Ofu Harbour and Ofu Airport on Ofu Island, and the Faleasao harbour, Ta’u harbour and Fituuta Airport on Ta’u Island. These 5 islands are responsible for key trade, tourism and business links between the region and the rest of the world through its key seaports and airports.
The American Samoa DPA is committed to ensuring that all operations and expansions to the Islands’ ports serve the people of American Samoa in the best way. Each development is designed to support the local economy by implementing the necessary services to maintain its firm reputation as a hub for trade in the Pacific Island region. DPA outlines that it is its employees who are vital to maintaining its role within the region, as it is they are on the ground every day delivering excellent customer service across the seaport and airports. Across its workforce, the DPA draws together a team of experts who have the experience, financial understanding and industry connections to ensure that all of its operations serve the people of American Samoa with specialised yet responsive support.
One of the vital ports under the American Samoa DPA is the Port of Pago Pago, which is the entryway into the islands. Located on Tutuila Island, the Port is home to a container terminal where vessels can load and unload containers, and a Multi-use Wharf which serves cruise ship operations, as well as providing berthing operations. In addition to this, the port is also home to a Service Wharf for use by the American Samoa Government’s Fleet, and an Inter-island Terminal which facilitates cargo and ferry transportation between the islands. As the first stopping point for many vessels at the entryway to the American Samoa Islands, the port plays a vital role in providing the necessary clearance and documentation for vessels continuing to further islands. To facilitate this, the port had an administrative building on the port, however, this
was demolished in 2022 with plans to construct a new administration centre in 2024 to meet the needs of the port going forward.
Also vital to Tutuila Island is the Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) which is owned and operated by the DPA of the American Samoa Government. The DPA oversees the 700-acre airport through the overseeing and management of ground handlers who oversee all aircraft that land at the PPG airport. Across the airport, DPA is committed to providing the best possible service making it a popular choice for people flying into the region. This competitive advantage helps to bolster the local economy of American Samoa and establish its reputation as a global connection facilitated with local expertise for an all-around great customer experience.
Between the islands of Tutuila and Aunu’u are the Auasi and Aunu’u harbours which are home to ocean transport between the two islands. This transportation is vital for students, workers and the public to seamlessly move between the islands. These harbours are similar to the Manu’a harbour which serves the islands of Afu, Olesega and Ta’u. Ofu is home to the Ofu Airport which spans 18 acres of pub airport and is overseen and managed by the
DPA of the American Samoa Government. The airport serves the aviation needs of Ofu and Olosega, and connects vitally through the Manu’a harbours with Tau’u. Ta’u is served by the Tau’u and Faleasao Harbours and is home to the Fitiuta Airport. The Fitiuta Airport, also owned and operated by DPA serves the needs of the Tau’u Island and the surrounding islands via the Manu’a harbour. With such a vital network across the Islands, DPA works to enhance their combined role in remaining interconnected to serve both the people of American Samoa and people travelling to or through the region.
One of the main objectives of the Department of Port Administration of American Samoa is to develop the economy of American Samoa in an environmentally conscious way. DPA is committed to raising the standard of living across the Territory, but in a way that protects the environment and protects the best of the ‘fa’a-samoa’, the Samoan way of life. Therefore, with this as a foundation of its operations, DPA continues to develop the region’s sea and airports with the protection of the islands and their surrounding beauty in the process. A key project that was promoting this environmental protection development was established in 2018 with the American Samoa Ocean Plan. The plan was
American Samoa Department of Port Administration
the first spatial plan to be completed by the United States for its jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean, MidAtlantic and Northeast.
The plan acknowledges the natural health of the coastal environment, something that is key to the Samoan way of life and is perpetuated across its culture, and so the project takes this fundamental value and assesses the operations under DPA to ensure that is in keeping with this value of the people of American Samoa. DPA remain aware that with the development of its facilities and the increase in vessels and planes arriving at the islands, however, it is currently in a position where there has not been significant destruction of the environment, particularly in the way of water quality and the thriving coral reef ecosystems that the Islands are home to. However, it knows that these remain under threat if development practices are not put in place, so the American Samoa Ocean Plan was put in place in 2018 and continues to be developed by DPA to conserve ocean resources and maintain the vibrant coastal and ocean environments of American Samoa.
It is due to these protective measures under the plan that American Samoa has not yet reached the point of overexploitation. The plan provides the necessary planning process and tools to guide the region’s growing and evolving coastal and marine waters through tourism, recreational activities, infrastructural development and commerce. A key
part of this is also working with key governmental figures to help guide this development to ensure the sustainable development of the port facilities of American Samoa for the future.
Ultimately, everything the American Samoa Department of Port Administration does is underpinned by its keen commitment to the people of American Samoa. Each operation and development ensures that the people and economy of American Samoa are prioritized in delivering positive results for the port. By bringing together local expertise across its operations, DPA has built its reputation as a major hub in the Pacific Ocean. As DPA continues to expand its offerings and provide even more tourism, commercial and local opportunities, it remains committed to its fundamental mission to provide excellent service to its customers whilst protecting the Samoan way of life in the process.
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