Port Wings Maritime Exim Weekly Newspaper 17 Feb 2021 Issue

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24 Countries Participate in 2nd MARITIME INDIA SUMMIT- 2021; PM Modi To Inaugurate the Summit New Delhi Port Wings News Network round 20,000 delegates will participate, 24 partner countries will join and more than 400 Projects are set to be showcased in the 2nd edition of Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2021 to be held virtually from 2-4 March.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Maritime India Summit-2021 on 2 March. The

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event is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) jointly with FICCI as Industrial Partner andEY as Knowledge Partner.

Addressing a Curtain Raiser press-conference on 11 February at the National Media Centre, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping

and Waterways, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Maritime India Summit (MIS) is going to provide a powerful platform for international collaboration and bring in partner countries for mutual exchange of knowledge and opportunities. Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and senior officials also launched a brochure and the website

www.maritimeindiasummit.in for the MIS-2021 during the press conference.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation, the entire summit will be held on virtual platform www.maritimeindiasummit.in.

The registration for the visitors and exhibitors will start from 12 February with the launch.

Dr. Sanjiv Ranjan, Secretary of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways briefly explained the Budget 2021-22 announcements related to Ports, Shipping and Maritime sector and termed them as pathbreaking initiatives to promote Aatmirbhar Bharat. A whole new range of opportunities will be opening up with the passing of Major Ports Authorities Bill 2020 in the parliament on 10 February, Dr. Rajan added.

The MIS 2021 will provide a unique platform which will have physical and virtual presence of prominent shipping and transport ministers/ dignitaries from across the world. Maritime States of India will participate in the Summit through dedicated sessions. The Summit will also include an exclusive CEOs’ forum and various thematic/ breakout sessions.

For further information, the MIS20021 website can be accessed :www.maritimeindiasummit.in

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Parliament Passes Landmark Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 New Delhi Port Wings News Network arliament on 10 February passed the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020. Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) for Ports, Shipping &Waterways moved the bill in Rajya Sabha and it was passed. Now, the Bill will go to the President of India for his assent.

With a view to promote the expansion of port infrastructure and facilitate trade and commerce, the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 bill aims at decentralizing decision making and to infuse professionalism in governance of major ports. It imparts faster and transparent decision making benefiting the stakeholders and better project execution capability. The Bill is aimed at reorienting the governance model in central ports to landlord port model in line with the successful global practice. This will also help in bringing transparency in operations of Major Ports. This will empower the Major Ports to perform with greater efficiency on account of full autonomy in decision making and by modernizing the institutional framework of Major Ports.

The salient features of the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 are as under: • The Bill is more compact in comparison to the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as the number of sections has been reduced to 76 from 134 by eliminating overlapping and obsolete Sections.

• The new Bill has proposed a simplified composition of the Board of Port Authority which will comprise of 11 to 13 Members from the present 17 to 19 Members representing various

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interests. A compact Board with professional independent Members will strengthen decision making and strategic planning. Provision has been made for inclusion of representatives of State Government in which the Major Port is situated, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Defence and Customs, Department of Revenue as Members in the Board apart from a Government Nominee Member and a Member representing the employees of the Major Port Authority.

• The role of Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) has been redefined.

Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariff which will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects.

PPP operators will be free to fix tariff- based on market conditions. The Board of Port Authority has been delegated the power to fix the scale of rates for other port services and assets including land.

• An Adjudicatory Board has been proposed to be created to carry out the residual function of the erstwhile TAMP for Major Ports, to look into disputes between ports and PPP concessionaires, to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to revive such projects and to look into complaints regarding services rendered by the ports/ private operators operating within the ports.

• The Boards of Port Authority have been delegated full powers to enter into contracts, planning and development, fixing of tariff except in national interest, security and emergency arising out of inaction and default. In the present MPT Act, 1963 prior approval of the Central Government was required in 22 instances.

• The Board of each Major Port shall be entitled to create specific master plan in respect of any development or infrastructure.

• Provisions of CSR & Contd. on page -2

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Inside Pg-2 The ports of Antwerp and...

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates... Pg-3 Container Priority-Loading... Pg-4 TEA Requests FM To Reconsider... Pg-5

Vessel Position at Terminals and Ports... Pg-6 Latest Customs Exchange Rates... Pg-7 New Cargo Terminal Future-Proofs... Pg-7 A.P. Moller - Maersk Delivers... Pg-8

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Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

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Parliament Passes Landmark Major Port...

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

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The Bill is Not to Sell

he Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 was passed through ballot votes in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with 84 votes in its favour and 44 against it.

The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on September 23 last year.

Allaying fears that the Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 aims at privatisation of the country’s top 12 major ports, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said it seeks to provide autonomy to these ports and boost their decision-making powers in order to compete with private ports.

The Bill aims to provide for the regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports in India and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the Boards of Major Port Authorities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Minister of State for Ports Mansukh L. Mandaviya had said that the Bill was moved so that India’s major ports can compete with major world-class ports.

Taking a strong objection to some members’ remarks that it is intended to benefit big corporate houses and would result in the ruining of the ports and their plunder, Mandaviya, in his reply to the debate on the bill, said rather, it would turn these ports into world-class ports and enable their boards to take decisions on their own.

Various opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, RJD, DMK, AAP, CPI(M) and CPI raised objections on the Bill in the Upper House of Parliament and alleged that it is aimed at privatising the ports and diluting the powers of the states on land use.

However, the BJD, JD(U), YSRCP supported it, saying it is a welcome move to expand the port development infrastructure. Mandaviya questioned: “Have Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra governments not given ports to private companies for development? Did that happen in the tenure of Narendra Modi?” He said the government, led by Prime Minister Modi, believes in the federal structure of the states Taking a dig at the Opposition for opposing the Bill, Mandaviya said “the sky has not fallen” and the Bill was introduced after taking into account the major recommendations of the standing committee. Assuring the House to protect the interests of labourers, he said earlier, in the name of labourers, such people were made trustees who had nothing to do with labourers.

The Bill was passed through ballot votes after Deputy Chairman Harivansh ordered the lobbies to be cleared for a division vote. Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha Desh Deepak Verma explained to the members the changed procedure of voting, owing to the change in the seating arrangements in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will be curtains down for the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP); every port will now be governed by a Port Authority (board) which will have the powers to fix reference tariffs for various port services.

The major-port sector hasn’t seen the required level of fixed assets creation to pare the country’s high logistic costs owing to legacy issues, including the TAMP’s archaic regulatory grip.

State-run ports in the country, termed ‘major ports’, will get to determine the tariffs for various port-related services as well as the terms for private developers who team up with them, with Parliament on Wednesday passing the Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020.

The major-port sector hasn’t seen the required level of fixed assets creation to pare the country’s high logistic costs owing to legacy issues, including the TAMP’s archaic regulatory grip.

In January 2018, the Cabinet took a slew of steps to spur private investments via the PPP route in state-run ports. It allowed investors to share royalty with the port authorities on discounted tariffs, rather than as a percentage of gross revenue based on tariff ceiling fixed by the regulator at the time of bidding.

Sample Other stepsTEXT announced then included easier exit akin to what investors in highway projects enjoy, immunity from post-model concession agreement threat to project viability from regulatory orders and changes in environmental and labour laws and imposition of or hikes in indirect taxes.

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India has 12 major ports — Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

These together had handled 705 million tonnes (MT) of cargo in 2019-20.

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Continued from page -1 development of infrastructure by Port Authority have been introduced.

• Provision has been made for safeguarding the pay & allowances and service conditions including pensionary benefits of the employees of major ports Reacting to the development, Mr. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO & MD, Essar Ports, commented: “The Major Ports Authorities Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha is indeed a revolutionary move in the Indian Ports Sector.

The bill will provide regulation, flexibility and self-governance to the Major Ports of the country. It will develop a faster and transparent decision making process, which will

help in the growth and development of Major Ports thereby enabling them to compete in the evolving market environment.”

“Also, the move will certainly pave way for driving the country’s vision towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and making India – A Global Manufacturing Hub,” Mr Agarwal added.

On the passing of the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 by Rajya Sabha, Mr. Ankit Patel, Vice President and Co-Head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said: “The enactment of the Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 has been a long-awaited reform. The bill envisions creation of a Board for each of the Major Ports replacing

the existing Port Trusts. The Board will have the power to take decisions on tariff setting, land usage, dispute resolution, capex planning, fund raising and several other strategic issues at the Major Ports. The new autonomous structure should enable faster decision-making, infusion of professionalism and improvement in efficiency levels ensuring better usage of port assets, hence benefitting all the stakeholders. According to ICRA, this is also positive in terms of attracting more private sector investments in Major ports under PPP regime, as the budget outlay for the sector is limited and capex requirements are large under the Sagar Mala initiative.”

The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge to join forces Chennai Port Wings News Network he City of Antwerp and the City of Bruges have reached an agreement to merge their respective ports. The two-city agreement marks the start of a unification process that is expected to take a year to finalise.

Once completed, the ports will operate under the name ‘Port of Antwerp-Bruges’. As a result of the merger, the ports will be able to strengthen their position within the global supply chain and continue their course towards sustainable growth. Furthermore, the unified port will be more resilient to the challenges of the future and will take a lead in the transition towards a lowcarbon economy. The ambition is for Port of Antwerp-Bruges to become the world’s first port to reconcile economy, people and climate.Port of Antwerp source says.

WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD THE WORLD PORT OF THE FUTURE The shared position of the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge within the global supply chain will receive a significant boost. The merged port will become the most important container port (157 million tonnes/ year), one of the largest break bulk ports and the largest port for the throughput of vehicles in Europe.

Furthermore, the port will account for more than 15% of Europe’s liquid natural gas transited and it will of course remain Europe’s most important chemical hub. Finally, it will be the largest port for cruise ships in the Benelux. With a total throughput of 278 million tonnes per year, the unified port will be able to consolidate its leading position in the world.

Unifying a port is more than a story of tonnes and volumes. The ambition is to become the world’s first port that reconciles economy, people and climate. The unification project is all about creating added value for the surrounding areas of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, for customers and stakeholders, as well as for the rest of Flanders. As part of a joint plan, the two ports have defined three strategic priorities – sustainable growth, resilience and leadership in the energy and digital transition.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH: “TOGETHER, WE CAN DO MORE” Port of Antwerp-Bruges will combine the best of both worlds and will focus on the strengths of each site.

The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge are largely complementary. For example, Antwerp specialises in the handling and storage of containers, break bulk and chemical products, while Zeebrugge is a major port for RoRo traffic, container handling and the transhipment of liquid natural gas. Working more closely together

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will make it possible to consolidate sustainable growth, not only of each port’s individual market share, but also of the joint market share of both ports together.

In order to maximise the added value of a unified port, Port of Antwerp-Bruges will seek to develop and make optimum use of the interconnectivity between the two ports. The transportation of goods by rail between the two sites will be bundled, estuary traffic (by inland vessels on the North Sea) will be optimised and pipeline connections will also be on the list of priorities.

Committed strategic investments, such as the new sea lock in Zeebrugge and the additional container capacity in Antwerp, will go ahead. Future investments will be evaluated from a unified operational perspective, so that both port platforms will benefit, and the port continues to meet its customers’ expectations.

RESILIENCE: “TOGETHER, WE WILL STAND STRONGER” By joining forces, the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge will be more resilient to the challenges of the future. That resilience is essential to secure the prosperity and well-being of our society and the future of our economy.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges will draw upon the resources, expertise and talent of its teams in Zeebrugge and Antwerp.

In the near future, a unified organisational structure and way of working will be developed, while respecting one another’s DNA and corporate culture.

Transparent, long-term agreements will be made with regard to the leadership and management of Port of AntwerpBruges.

Mayor Dirk De fauw and alderman Annick De Ridder after signing the charter The port intends to identify as many synergies as possible, to continue to build on the extensive support within society for this driver of Flanders’ economy and to reinforce its position as a logistical, maritime and industrial centre. Not only within Flanders and Belgium, but on a European level and worldwide.

Leadership in the energy and digital transition: “Together, we can do it better” The unified port will be able to respond more rapidly and more effectively to social and technological developments, such as energy transition, innovation and digitalisation.

Sustainability already formed a central part of the strategic direction in Antwerp and in Zeebrugge, but Port of Antwerp-Bruges will set the bar higher. Combining the industrial cluster in Antwerp and Zeebrugge’s location on the coast will create a unique opportunity to address the future energy challenges in Flanders and the wider region. As such, Port

of Antwerp-Bruges will take up a leading position as an import hub for green hydrogen and will play an active and pioneering role in the hydrogen economy. In addition, the port, in collaboration with its industrial and maritime customers, will continue its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and will examine methods of applying CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage) in order to contribute to the transition towards a low-carbon port.

Finally, Port of Antwerp-Bruges will offer a number of significant advantages in terms of innovation and digitalisation, making it possible to make the supply chain not only more efficient, but also safer and more reliable.

The transaction is subject to a number of customary suspensive conditions, including approval from the Belgian Competition Authorities.

Both parties aim to finalise the transaction in the course of 2021.

Annick De Ridder, port alderman and chair of the board of directors of the Antwerp Port Authority: “We are proud of this historic agreement, which seals a long-awaited unification. By joining forces, we are on the way to becoming Europe’s global port, while at the same time reinforcing our position as the most important container port in terms of tonnage, a solid RoRo port and one of the largest break bulk ports in Europe. This will make us even more attractive to our existing customers, to new investors and to all other potential stakeholders, and we will undisputedly be the main driver of Flanders’ economy. Our ambition to bring the two ports together is about much more than simply tonnage and TEUs, however. It will enable us to focus even more firmly on the transition towards a low-carbon economy and to continue our efforts regarding the digitalisation of the supply chain. The ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp are to a large extent complementary and working together will make us more resilient to external challenges.”

Dirk De fauw, mayor of Bruges and chair of Zeebrugge Port Authority: “We are looking forward to join forces with the port of Antwerp and, by doing so, to strengthen our position as the most important gateway to Europe.

Zeebrugge is the world’s largest automotive hub, a leading RoRo port and an experienced, state-of-theart natural gas hub. By combining our own strengths with the qualities offered by Antwerp, we will be able to do more and do it better. We will achieve this in the interests of and in consideration of our shared port operations, our city and our region. We will strengthen our joint economic and international position, while simultaneously creating added value for society in general.”

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

Importers Face Massive Hike In Ocean Contract Costs

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates, Lays Foundation Stones of Key Projects in Tamil Nadu

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Chennai

Port Wings News Network he Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 14 February inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several key projects and handed over the Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Army, in Chennai.

Speaking in the occasion, the Prime Minister said: “These projects are symbols of innovation and Indigenous development.

These projects will further the growth of Tamil Nadu.”

He said Thanjavur and Pudukkottai will be specially benefitted as the foundation to modernise the 636 kilometres long Grand Anicut C a n a l System was laid today. The impact of this is going to be very big. It will improve irrigation facilities for 2.27 lakh acres of land.

Shri Modi lauded the farmers of Tamil Nadu for record food grain production and good use of water resources. He said that “the Grand Anicut is a living testimony to our glorious past.It is also an inspiration to our Nation’s ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ goals.”

Quoting Tamil poet Avvaiyar, the Prime

Minister stressed the need to conserve water as it is not just national issue but a global subject. He emphasized the need to remember mantra of Per Drop More Crop, Speaking about the nine kilometre stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail Phase One, the Prime Minister informed that the project has been completed on schedule despite the pandemic. The project is in line with the boost to Aatmnirbhar Bharat as the rolling stock has been procured locally and civil construction activities were done by Indian Contractors.

Shri Modi mentioned that in this year’s budget, over Rs 63,000 Cr have been set aside for a 119 km of Phase two of the project. This is one of the largest projects sanctioned for any city in one-go. The focus on urban transport will boost ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens here, Shri Modi pointed out.

The Prime Minister said that improved connectivity brings convenience. It also helps commerce. The Chennai Beach, Ennore Attipattus tretch of Golden Quadrilateral is a high traffic density route. He said there is a need to ensure faster freight movement between Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port and expressed the confidence that the fourth line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu will help in this respect. He also noted that the electrification of

Villupuram Thanjavur Thiruvarur project will be a great boon to the delta districts.

AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING HUB OF INDIA The Prime Minister noted that Tamil Nadu is already the leading automobile manufacturing hub of India. Now, The Prime Minister saw Tamil Nadu evolving as the Tank manufacturing hub of India. On MBT Arjun Mark 1A, the Prime Minister declared “I am proud to handover the indigenously designed and manufactured “Main Battle Tank Arjun Mark 1A”. It also uses indigenous ammunition. A tank made in Tamil Nadu will be used in our northern borders to keep the nation safe. This showcases India’s united spirit – Bharat’s Ekta Darshan” DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA’S COASTAL AREAS Shri Modi said that this year’s Budget has once again showcased the reform commitment of the Government. The Budget gives special importance to the development of India’s coastal areas. Extra credit mechanisms for fishermen communities, upgradation of Infrastructure relating to fishing with modern fishing harbours in five centres including Chennai and seaweed farming. will improve lives of coastal communities. He also informed that for seaweed cultivation, a multi-purpose sea-weed park will come up in Tamil Nadu.

TAMIL BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SRI LANKA Prime Minister asserted that the Government has always taken care of the welfare and aspirations of our Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka.

Shri Modi is the only Indian Prime Minister to visit Jaffna. The resources provided by this Government for Tamils have been much more than in the past. The projects include: Fifty thousand houses for displaced Tamils in North-Eastern Sri Lanka.

Four thousand houses in the plantation areas.

RIGHTFUL INTERESTS OF FISHERMEN The Prime Minister also assured that the Government will always protect the rightful interests of fishermen and has always ensured early release whenever fishermen are apprehended in Sri Lanka. More than sixteen hundred fishermen have been released during the tenure of the current Government and there is no Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody. Similarly, three hundred and thirteen boats have also been released, informed the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu, Railway Electrification of single line section in Villupuram Cuddalore - Mayiladuthurai - Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur. Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernization of the Grand Anicut Canal Systemand Discovery Campus of IIT Madras.

Governor of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly Industries Minister of Tamil Nadu were present on the occasion.

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New Delhi Port Wings News Network emember when people thought container shipping spot rates would peak around Chinese Golden Week last October? They weren’t even close. Then they thought year-end. Wrong again. Then they pointed to Chinese New Year, which starts next week.

That’s not going to happen either. Spot rates remain stratospheric. California port congestion keeps breaking records (there were 40 container ships at anchor in San Pedro Bay on Monday — a fresh all-time high). Liners are canceling voyages this month due to the port crunch, pushing even more volume to the months after Chinese New Year.

It now appears spot rates will remain strong all the way through the second quarter. They may ebb from current highs, but they almost certainly won’t crash.

This is exactly the scenario U.S. importers feared. They will have to negotiate their annual contracts — which generally expire by May 1 — in the midst of a spot-rate boom.

“The spot market has been insane … [and] timing is in carriers’ favor to negotiate contract rates, because spot rates are so high,” said Nerijus Poskus, Flexport’s global head of ocean freight, during a webinar presented by Flexport last week.

“The industry experts and veterans we talk with think that the first half might be a squeeze for the entire period,” said Patrik Berglund, CEO of Xeneta, a company that collects and analyzes contract-rate data, during his company’s latest market presentation.

“This is a historically strong seller’s market at the moment. We see that for the first half in total,” said Berglund, who added: “The high spot rates … have cascaded down into contract agreements, putting the squeeze on shippers worldwide.”

CONTRACT RATES COULD JUMP BY HIGH DOUBLE DIGITS Xeneta’s XSI index tracks ocean contract rates. It rose 5.9% in January versus December, one of its largest ever month-to-month gains.

According to Thorsten Diephaus, Xeneta’s strategic accounts director, “If your contract is expiring May 1 and you’re asking whether you should go to tender or not, I can only recommend you go to tender.

“Because what we have seen with companies not going to tender when their old prices expired in December [when European contracts renewed] is that they are more or less close to the spot market with all of the volumes they’re moving.”

Those that pushed ahead with long-term contract tenders are seeing “an increase of 30-50% or sometimes probably even more on certain trades,” said Diephaus.

That sounds like a lot, but it pales in comparison to spot rates, which in many cases are quadruple contract rates. According to the Freightos Baltic Daily Index, China-West Coast rates (SONAR: FBXD.CNAW) spot

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rates — excluding thousands in extra charges — were $4,262 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) on Friday. China-East Coast spot rates were $5,651 per FEU. SeaIntelligence Consulting CEO Lars Jensen said during the Flexport webinar, “We haven’t seen contract rates explode to the same degree as spot rates, but they have been coming up rapidly over the last few weeks.

“Most contract rates took a nosedive back in 2016 when the market crashed,” Jensen recalled. “The carriers have tried but failed to increase contract rates ever since. It seems highly likely that 2021 will be the year when they actually succeed in doing that.

“And if they do bring contract rates to normal pre-2016-market-crash levels, in very round numbers, what you’re looking at is a 70% increase on the trans-Pacific and a 50% increase in Asia-Europe,” said Jensen.

HOW SHIPPERS COULD MINIMIZE SPOT EXPOSURE Today’s spread between long-term contract rates and spot rates “is unprecedented,” said Berglund. “If you are pushed onto the spot market, you’re not talking about a 30-40% cost increase. You’re talking about a transportation budget that goes through the roof.”

One way shippers can limit the damage is to more accurately predict volumes — an even taller order than usual in 2021 due to COVIDdriven demand uncertainties.

“Predicting the volumes you are going to ship has never been as important as it is this year,” stressed Poskus. “MQC [minimum quantity commitment] divided by 50 or 52 [weeks] is just not going to cut it anymore. If you cannot predict [quantity] well, you will end up paying more.” Diephaus warned, “In this kind of market, if you award a carrier or supplier five boxes a week and you only bring three boxes a week, I bet the carrier will cut your allocation to three boxes only. For the remaining boxes, they will charge you on top.

This is something we already see.”

How carriers could hike spot exposure “With these rate levels, I would also be very surprised if carriers did not reduce their longterm [contract] market share on some major trades and add more on the spot market,” Diephaus continued.

What that means, in practice, is that shippers must further diversify their ocean freight suppliers this year.

“If you’ve used one carrier for a lane in the past, you may need to split it between three. The carrier from the past may not accept the rate levels you ask for and reduce your [contract] capacity. We already see this happening.

Customers need to nominate more suppliers for the same volumes they had in the past.”

According to Jensen, “There is going to be quite a bit of tension between carriers and shippers in contract negotiations in 2021. Carriers want to maximize their own profitability, which is perfectly fair in any market. But that comes at a price: more tension in their relationships with their customers.

Russian Railways, Maersk Launch First Transit Container Train Carrying Cargo from Japan on Trans-Siberian

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Chennai

Port Wings News Network he first container train carrying Japanese cargo by Maersk was sent along the Trans-Siberian Railway from the Nakhodka-Vostochnaya station.

This train includes forty 40-foot containers (FEU) shipping sportswear and equipment.

They were transported by sea from the Port of Yokohama in Japan to Vostochny Port, where they were loaded onto rail.

The train will travel through the Russian Railways network to the Port of St. Petersburg for subsequent shipment by sea to the Port of Felixstowe in Great Britain.

The total transit time from Japan to the United Kingdom will be about 42 days, including 11 days on the Russian Railways network. It will travel 10,000 km by rail.

The delivery of containers between the ports of Vostochny and St. Petersburg through the territory of Russia is carried out as part of the regular AE19 Maersk service operated jointly with the Modul company. AE19 began in August 2019, and shipments are made up to three times a week.

The transit transportation of containers from Japan to Nordic countries through the Trans-Siberian may become a regular service in 2021.

Since 2018, Russian Railways and the Ministry of Lands, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan have been implementing a joint project to organize railway transportation to Europe along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Together with Maersk, significant work was carried out among Japanese shippers in 2020 to develop container transit through Russia.

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

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Container Priority-Loading Premium the New Normal In Asia As Shippers Struggle For Space Chennai

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Port Wings News Network o premium or go home is the new motto in the Asian container markets, with shippers struggling to get hold of ships and carriers assuring availability only when customers pay a premium over the Freight All Kind, or FAK, Platts quoting market sources said.

The premium can range from 50% to 70% over the FAK rate, or between $2,000/forty-foot equivalent unit and $3,500/FEU for Southeast Asia to US and Europe routes, according to market sources.

These premiums come on top of the recent runup in container spot freight rates, where prices to North America from Asia have risen nearly three-fold over the last six months to a record high of $5,300/FEU on Feb. 8. Container rates to Europe from Asia are also at an all-time high of $8,500/FEU Feb. 8 compared with $1,700/FEU in September 2020.

The S&P Global Platts Container Index freight stood at $4,264.53/ FEU as of Feb. 8, against $1,642.33 in September 2020.

“The shipping liners are collecting the premium rate for saving the equipment, you cannot get the space without it as it will be impossible to gate,” said Dave Li, branch manager, THI Logistics, Chongqing. “The probability of you going through is very low without the premium,” he added.

“If you pay the premium, you may get space within 10-15 days but if you don’t, you may have to wait really long and nobody can guarantee you a space,” said Neal Huang, general manager, South China sales, Bollore Logistics.

“Some customers have been waiting for over five weeks.”

Another logistics manager looking to ship to New York from Hong Kong said the final cost including priority-loading premium is about $8,000/FEU, compared with the FAK rate of $5,000/FEU. Premium rates, which are typically seen in long-term contracts, have shifted into the spot market of late due to challenging market conditions. The premium is meant to ensure a fast-track loading, however, that is not the case anymore.

The concept of premium payment has become a necessity to get space on the container to a level where one pays it as a ticket to get into the queue.

“If you aren’t in the queue, your chance of getting space and equipment is very slim,” Sundara said.

In Singapore, even the customers paying a premium may have to wait four-five weeks to get a confirmed space.

Priority-loading premiums While premium bookings seem to have become the norm, Nick Coverdale, founder of Agree Freight, takes it with a pinch of salt. Agree Freight is an online aggregator

between carriers and forwarders that offers container rates directly linked to a ship’s sailing.

Even if a client gets it loaded, the cargo may still get stuck for days after reaching the heavily congested ports in the US and Europe, Coverdale said.

“Premium originates from Sea Air mode of transport and the most crucial point is the containers are top stowed, so when they arrive at the discharge port, they are unloaded within 45 minutes from when the vessel starts working. So, getting on board at Shanghai, great, sailing to Long Beach in 12 days, great, then sitting four or five days outside the discharge, not so great and thus a pointless ‘Premium Service,’” Coverdale added.

New challenges The uncertainty around getting a container has given rise to duplicity of bookings.

“Some shippers approach different forwarders, all these forwarders will go to the carriers and carriers will get a lot of bookings.

The carriers are also not able to gauge the actual volumes, 10%15% of total bookings the carriers get may be the fake bookings,” according to Rajput.

As a result, the carriers have started imposing a cancelation fee.

“If you cancel a booking after you have a confirmed space you need to pay a cancelation fee which could be around $1,000-$2,000, depending on the carrier,” Rajput said.

War Of Words Escalates As Exporters Scramble For Scarce Containers Chennai

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Port Wings News Network war of words is heating up over U.S. exports, particularly food exports — and the outcome of that clash could affect U.S. containerized imports as well, says a Bloomberg report.

Reports first surfaced in late October that carriers were rushing containers back empty from California to Asia to serve lucrative headhaul trades instead of loading U.S. export cargoes.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Michael Khouri warned in December: “We are looking into all potential responsive actions, including a review of whether ocean carriers’ actions are in full compliance with the Shipping Act.” California government officials informed the FMC last Thursday that “the operations of our agricultural sector, which relies heavily on export markets, are being heavily affected.” They blamed carrier practices “related to detention and demurrage charges, export container availability and container-return practices.”

California officials asked the FMC to compel carriers to suspend or reduce detention and demurrage charges, cancel congestion surcharges, and enhance notifications on empty-container receiving locations.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) countered that the proposed cure is worse than the disease.

In response to California’s letter to the FMC, the shipping groups responded on Tuesday that “the adoption of these proposals would

make congestion and intermodal equipment availability worse, not better.”

Exporters face ‘terrible’ situation “Imports into the U.S. are at an all-time high but exports are dropping like a rock,” said Flexport Vice President Anders Schulze during a webinar last week. “The ratio of U.S. imports to exports is increasing to a level we’ve never seen before — it’s now more than 3 to 1.”

Consultant John McCown recently analyzed import and export flows through the top 10 U.S. ports. He found that the yearon-year change in the three-month trailing average as of December was up 22% for imports and down 4% for exports. The divergence is “striking,” said McCown.

Bloomberg reported that the global food trade is being “upended by the container crisis.”

It said that the competition for scarce containers is not only impairing food exports from America, but also from Thailand, Canada, India and Vietnam.

American Shipper asked Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) Executive Director Peter Friedmann about the current situation for exporters during an interview on Wednesday.

“It’s terrible,” he responded.

“Terrible as in losing sales, losing customers and losing profits after you pay significant penalties when you don’t deliver on time.

“A number of members [of Congress] are set to take action,” asserted Friedmann, who said that the crisis has led to “upset [FMC] commissioners, upset exporters, upset governors and upset congressmen.”

Carriers: Cutting fees equals more congestion According to the WSC, which represents carriers, and PMSA, which represents terminal operators, congestion and equipment shortfalls are driven by COVID changes to consumer behavior, not carrier and terminal practices.

The groups also cited statistics showing that December exports of California almonds, walnuts and pistachios actually increased substantially year-on-year.

They argued that this would reduce container availability for both importers and exporters — and create even more port congestion.

Friedmann lambasted the WSC and PMSA rebuttal as “old and tired.”

“It’s a little easy for ocean carriers and terminals to blame everything on COVID,” he said, adding, “This notion that carriers need to charge fees as an incentive is an old song you’ve heard for decades.” California data on imports, exports, empties To gauge changes in container flows, American Shipper analyzed the combined monthly throughput at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach during the past two years.

During H2 2020, monthly loaded inbound containers to Los Angeles/ Long Beach averaged 869,130 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 3.4 times average monthly loaded outbound volumes of 254,161 TEUs. Outbound empties averaged 544,833 TEUs, 2.1 times exports.

In July-December, combined Los Angeles/Long Beach loaded inbound TEUs rose 19% versus the same period in 2019. Empty outbound container volumes rose in parallel, by 23%. Outbound loaded volumes fell 4% year-on-year.

Stevedores Face Crisis As Major Port Trusts-Run Berths Head For Privatisation Mumbai

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Port Wings News Network acing a threat to their existence, stevedores and shore handling agents have urged the Ministry of ports, shipping and waterways to re-consider the policy to privatise the cargo terminals at Centre-owned port trusts, that are run by the State, says a BusinessLine report.

Stevedores and shore handling agents load and unload bulk cargo from and onto ships from the major port trusts run non-mechanised, common user facilities after buying licenses from the port authorities by paying an annual fee of ₹4,000 to ₹1 lakh depending on the port.

These entities are engaged directly by the exporters and importers based on competitive quotations to load and unload cargo.

New rules, new ways The cargo berths/terminals run by the port trusts would be privatised when they are converted inti authorities under a new law currently awaiting Rajya Sabha approval.

This is because the ‘port authority’ formed under the proposed Major Port Authorities Bill will play the role of a landlord – a model widely followed globally wherein the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body and as landlord while private firms carry out port operations, mainly cargo handling activities. The landlord port, in return, gets a share of the revenue from the private entity.

“Major ports will be moving from managing their operational services on their own to a model where a private partner will manage it for them,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech on February 1.

“For the purpose, 7 projects worth more than ₹2,000 crores will be offered by the major ports on Public Private Partnership mode in

FY21-22,” she added.

“This push appears to provide an easy platform for private port operating companies to make an entry into major ports,” says Ishwar Achanta, President, Federation of Association of Stevedores.

Cause and effect “This move will ensure loss of livelihood for the licensed stevedores at major ports and leave thousands of workers jobless and hand over precious assets to private companies, who would have no qualms about setting tariffs to suit their commercial interests,” Achanta stated.

“It is the stevedores who have marketed and brought the cargo to the major ports, promoted door to door logistics, bonded facilities for stock and sale, invested in cargo handling equipment and systems and established hinterland connectivity,” he stated.

The stevedores body feels that outdated and antiquated policies and tariff regimes have created inefficiencies at major ports while improper implementation of existing policies have led to higher costs.

“Major ports insist on charging for services which are not provided, leading to unwarranted higher tariffs and escalated last mile costs,” Achanta added.

Separately, most of the major port trusts have notified new regulations on licensing of stevedoring and shore handling agents that sets out the terms for issuing permits including fees and rates for handling different types of cargo.

The stevedores’ body has urged the ministry to “revise” the stevedoring and shore handling regulations arguing that they were “detrimental” to their interests, “impractical and stringent”.

It is understood that the changes suggested by the stevedores’ body are being considered by the ministry.

Maersk Appoints Vikash Agarwal as MD - South Asia Chennai

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Port Wings News Network ntegrated container logistics firm Maersk has appointed Vikash Agarwal as its new Managing Director for South Asia, according to a company release.

Agarwal, who moves to Maersk from CEVA Logistics, will join the company on March 1 and work closely with Steve Felder who will step down at the end of March to explore new opportunities within AP Moller – Maersk, it said.

He will take full charge of the business for the company in South Asia, covering India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives, from April 1, the release said.

“I am delighted to welcome Vikash to Maersk West and Central Asia. His experience will be of great benefit to our regional leadership team.”

“We see notable opportunities for growth in South Asia and having such an experienced executive with a strong track record will be invaluable in delivering on our

ambitions in the area”, said Richard Morgan, Managing Director, for West & Central Asia at Maersk.

Agarwal has had a track record of leading country-level operations with wide-ranging regional roles in the logistics industry, said the release, adding his recent employment was with CEVA Logistics - Indian subcontinent as their Managing Director since 2014.

“Maersk is driving transformation in the logistics sector and it is an absolute pleasure to have gotten the opportunity to participate in this journey. I look forward to working with the dynamic team in Maersk South Asia and contributing to the team’s success,” said Agarwal.

In a career spanning over two decades, he has held responsibilities for managing finance, business advisory, procurement, and general management, leading large teams in the Asia Pacific region, Middle East and Africa, including holding operational responsibility for the Indian subcontinent and Malaysia, the release added.

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

RoDTEP Scheme: Low Outlay To Hurt Revival of Exports New Delhi Port Wings News Network he government has budgeted only Rs 13,000 crore for a scheme that is supposed to reimburse embedded levies paid on inputs consumed in exports in FY22, drawing a sharp reaction from exporters who warn of a delay in recovery in outbound shipments in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to a news report in Financial Express.

The outlay for the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme is way below the annual allocation of Rs 50,000 crore that the government had initially envisaged. Also, it’s only a third of the Rs 39,097 crore the government approved for exporters in FY20 under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) that the RoDTEP has replaced.

Following a Covid-induced plunge in revenue mop-up, the government had drastically cut MEIS allocation to Rs 15,555 crore in the first three quarters of the current fiscal, much to the consternation of exporters.

Similarly, exporters said the latest finance Bill has proposed to amend the IGST Act, which would scrap an existing “seamless” refund facility for exporters (other than the designated ones) against their IGST payment on shipments. Any such change will force them to claim the IGST refund through the more timeconsuming ITC (input tax credit) route. Exporters say while they currently get the refund as quickly as in 15 days, under the ITC route, it would take well beyond six months, in addition to a surge in paperwork

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for them. Moreover, their working capital, to that extent, will remain blocked for a longer period.

Commenting on the sharp cut in the RoDTEP outlay for FY22, Federation of India Export Organisations (FIEO) president Sharad Kumar Saraf said it is impossible to offset the blow of all the embedded levies within an annual outlay of just Rs 13,000 crore (about $1.8 billion) when exports

are typically above $300 billion a year. Also, since these are mere reimbursements of various taxes that exporters are not supposed to pay in the first place, these are not “benefits” or “incentives” as touted to be. Some exporters said they fear the government would effect a steep cut in the RoDTEP rates to rein in the outgo within the stipulated amount.

Also, they asked the government to firm up the RoDTEP rates for the export of different products at the earliest. Since exporters typically factor in the “incentives” they get under key schemes while firming up deals, the absence of clarity on RoDTEP rates is hurting their prospects, they said. While the government has rolled out the scheme from January 1, it is yet to

announce the rates.

A committee set up under former commerce secretary GK Pillai in late July last year is yet to finalise the RoDTEP rates for all products, as it’s a humongous exercise.

The RoDTEP scheme is proposed to cover levies that are not subsumed by the GST (petroleum and electricity are still outside the GST ambit, while other imposts like mandi tax, stamp duty, embedded central GST and compensation cess, etc, remain unrebated).

In a media interaction, FIEO director general Ajay Sahai said the Budget has also announced a confiscation of goods under wrongful claim of refund/remission.

This is particularly “harsh, as confiscation of goods will not only hurt the exporters but will also affect the country’s exports as well as its image”. Moreover, the word “wrongful claim” is subject to various interpretations and will put exporters at the mercy of field formations, bringing back the fear of ‘inspector raj’.

According to a FIEO estimate, after a Covid-induced contraction this fiscal, India’s exports could rise to $340-350 billion in FY22 as the advanced economies are expected to recover from the shock of the pandemic. However, much depends on how the government implements the RoDTEP and remove other irritants, they say. Exports are expected to drop by about 8%, year on year, to $290 billion in FY21.

DCIL Launches Beach Nourishment Work for Visakhapatnam Port Visakhapatnam Port Wings News Network hri K. Rama Mohana Rao, Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust and Dredging Corporation of India Ltd inaugurated the 2020-21 year beach nourishment work by DCI dredger Dredge XX at RK Beach on 10 February.

Speaking on this occasion

at beach gets eroded affecting the Kursura area and also adjoining roads. To protect the beach from erosion and for beach nourishment work, VPT has a three years contract agreement with DCIL upto 2022 at an annual cost of around Rs 15 crores.

To commence this year’s dredging DCI has deployed DR XX

Chairman, VPT & DCIL conveyed the message that every citizen has to respect and protect nature otherwise it reacts badly. Elaborating on the beach nourishment work taken up by DCIL he informed that during monsoon season the sand material

to dredge at the VPT sand trap area and the dredged material will be pumped through floating pipelines to Kursura area situated at a distance of 4 kms from the sand trap area.

The quantity to be dredged is about 2.10 Lakh cum and work will be completed within 30 to 40 days.

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Chairman further added that the work of beach nourishment is being taking up by VPT under Corporate Social Responsibility along with other works such as sprinkling polymer on coal to form a cohesive layer so that coal dust does not spread out due to wind.

Speaking about DCIL he said that with the present fleet, DCI is catering to about 60million cum of maintenance dredging requirement of our ports annually.

It is felt that DCI will be requiring more number of dredgers to tackle about 160 million cum of annual maintenance dredging requirement in coming 10 years as projected.

To meet this requirement various options are under consideration for procurement of new 12000 cum hopper capacity dredger at a cost of around Rs.600-800 Crores and also for augmentation of hopper capacities of existing dredgers.

He commended DCIL’s team for successful completion of dredging projects.

Sri Rajesh Tripathi, MD&CEO, Prof Dr.G.Y.V.Victor, MD & CEO designate, Shri J. Pradeep Kumar, CVO , Cap. S.Divakar, CGM and other senior officials from DCIL attended the event.

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Sterling PlanB, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Sign MoU for Hybrid and Fully Electric Propulsion & Power Solutions Port Wings News Network ndustrial energy storage experts, Sterling PlanB (SPBES), and Government of India company Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) have announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies. The MOU is intended to facilitate an increase in access to hybrid and

Brent Perry, Sterling PlanB CEO, said: “We are very pleased to be selected by such a respected and important organization. Their shipbuilding expertise in India is second to none. We look forward to working with GRSE to provide their team with strategic expertise in the practical application of energy storage solutions.”

Rear Admiral V K Saxena,

fully electric propulsion and power solutions expertise throughout India.

The MOU comes at a time when increasing pressure from international regulators to achieve emission reduction targets means that all facets of industry must rapidly adjust their operations. The growing economy and development of heavy industries in India, mean that many government and non-government operators in the region are looking to zero emissions and low carbon solutions.

Under the MOU, GRSE and SPBES have desired “to explore avenues to collaborate to effectively leverage each other’s competence and strengths in adopting ‘Electric/ Hybrid Propulsion’ in ships by way of undertaking new design development to offer state of the art environment friendly ships to customers”.

Indian Navy (retd), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE, said: “Ships transport about 80 percent of the world’s commodities and maritime transport is responsible for almost 2.5 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge today is therefore to find effective solutions to move away from the use of fossil fuels.

Energy storage devices are now finding effective utilization in ferries and inland water transport.

As a leading shipbuilder in the country, GRSE looks forward to working with SPBES, which is a leader in providing niche energy storage technology to bring viable solutions for environmentalfriendly transportation across the vast inland waterways of the country.”

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Chennai

TEA Requests FM To Reconsider Budget Amendments Made In Related With Import Of Accessories Chennai

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Port Wings News Network hri. Raja. M. Shanmugham, President, Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) on 12 February said that he has made a representation to Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance to reconsider the amendments made in the Budget and other issues.

Shri. Raja. M. Shanmugham said the items like tags, labels, sticker, belt, button or hanger, printed bags were being imported without payment of duty and the only requirement is the importer has to produce the member certificate from AEPC. In the Union Budget 2021-22, the amendment has been made in the procedure for import of the above mentioned items and thereby, the importing units have to execute a bond with Customs for import without payment of Customs Duty and the issue is that even after 10 days over since Budget, the Customs Department has not given any clarification on how to execute the bond and for urgency, the units are paying Customs Duty and clearing it. He requested to reconsider the amendment and restore the status quo.

Shri. Raja. M. Shanmugham further said the items like Fasteners including buttons, Zip Fasteners including Zippers in roll, sliders / pullers, eyelets, rivets, laces, Badges, Stones, Velcro tape, beads for embroidery, stud etc., were imported without payment of

duty using Export Performance Certificate (EPC) obtained from AEPC. But in the budget, amendment has been made and thereby, these products will attract Customs duty with effect from 1.4.2021. As the competitiveness will be eroded, he requests to reconsider the amendment and restore the status quo.

On pointing out the delay in announcement of Remission Of Duties And Taxes On Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme rates, he said the rates have to be announced quickly with additional benefits for a shorter duration.

Shri. Raja. M. Shanmugham requested to extend Interest Equalisation Scheme on Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit for another three years.

He also requested to help the units removed from the Risky Exporters status.

The representation has also been sent to Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Textiles, Shri. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Shri. U. P. Singh IAS., Textiles Secretary, Shri.

Anup Wadhawan IAS, Commerce Secretary and Shri. B. B. Swain IAS., MSME Secretary.

6

Vessel Position at Terminals - (17.02.2021 To 24.02.2021)

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

7

CCTL - Chennai ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

20/02

21/02

PIC-2

18/02

19/02

19/02

Voy

Agent/Line

CITPL - Chennai

Calling Ports

ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

SSL SSL MUMBAI

CMB/TUT/COK/JEA/IXY

21/02

22/02

TCXNEW

VERMONT TRADER

017W

RCF

CCG

VARADA

SOH/CMB/COK/JEA/JEB/CME

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

20/02

CCG

MESSINI

SOH/CMB/COK/JEA/JEB/CME

17/02

18/02

CI3

COSCO DURBAN

89

CCO

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

18/02

19/02

ECH

SSL KUTCH

KAT/HAL/CGP/PRT/KAT/KRI

18/02

19/02

FME

ZANTE

084W

RCF

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

16/02

17/02

ECC

SSL SABARIMALAI

VTZ/CCU/KRI/KAT

17/02

18/02

ADHOC

DIAPOROS

012

CCO

Nhava Shiva,Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang,Singapore, Shanghai,

17/02

18/02

MD1

TRF KAYA

1707W

BTL

Krishnapatnam, West Port Klang , Singapore, Cailan- Busan, Ulsan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian

16/02

17/02

MARCON

BBC PARANA

1114050

MSP

DAKSHINBHARATH GATEWAY TERMINAL / Tuticorin 16/02

17/02

BOX

MV.XPRESS COTOPAXI 21012S

BTL

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

17/02

18/02

CTS

MV.KAPTIAN MASLOV

106S

FAR SHIPPING

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

18/02

19/02

TUX

MV.OEL SHARVAN

21110

TWF

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

19/02

20/02

BOX

MV.XPRESS COTOPAXI 21013S

BTL

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

20/02

21/02

CTS

MV.KAPTIAN MASLOV

107S

FAR SHIPPING

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

17/02

18/02

KAK>INMYB

TCI SURYA

762-763

BOTHRA

KAK>INIXZ>INMYB

21/02

21/02

CI II

MV.CAPE MAGNUS 0

002E

OMEGA SHIPPING

TUTICORIN, PORT KELANG, QINGDAO, SHANGHAI, NINGBO, SHEKOU

NSICT - Mumbai ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

17/02

18/02

BMM

INTER SYDNEY

EMS

17/02

18/02

BMM

GEMINI

EMS

17/02

18/02

BLUENILE

MERKUR ARCHIPELAGO

MSK

18/02

19/02

CSC

HAYDN

HMM

19/02

20/02

MIDAS

ALDI WAVE

CCA

19/02

20/02

AIM

ARIANA

ONE

19/02

20/02

IEX

XIAMEN

SBG

Colombo,Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

20/02

21/02

IIX

TABAN 1

RIS

Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Port Qasim, Singapore

20/02

21/02

MWE

SPHENE

MSK

21/02

22/02

MECL

UNI FLORIDA

MSK

22/02

AS1

CMA CGM MEDEA

CCA

23/04

ME2

ORCA I

MSK

Pipavav,Hazira,JNPT,Jebel Ali,Salalah,Port Said,Mersin,Ambarli Port,Izmlt Korfezi,Novorosslysk Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport

23/04

MESAWA

MARATHOPOLIS

MSK

24/02

BLUENILE

TIM S

MSK

Calling Ports

Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Port Qasim, Singapore

Colombo,Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

APM Terminal - Mumbai ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

17/02

18/02

ADHOC

16/02

17/02

17/02 16/02

Voy

Kakinada Container Terminal

Kattupalli ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

16/02

17/02

ADHOC

BLPL BLESSING

2013W

BLP

Nhava Shiva,Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang,Singapore, Shanghai,

17/02

18/02

TCX

X PRESS JERSEY

20014

SCA

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

19/02

20/02

ACS

HYUNDAI PRIVILEGE

077E

HMM

Nhava Shiva,Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang,Singapore, Shanghai,

19/02

20/02

CCG

VARADA

033W

SIM

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

20/02

21/02

TCX

VERMONT TRADER

017W

RCP

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

22/02

23/02

TCS

MOL GATEWA

105W

ONE

COLOMBO-TUTICORIN-COLOMBO

24/02

25/02

CCG

MESSINI

111W

EMC

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

VCTPL, Vizag ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

16/02

17/02

CCG

VARADA

33

WHL

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

17/02

18/02

CHX

GH LEVANT

104W

MSK

Ennore, Krishnapatnam, Visakhapatnam ,Tanjung Pelepas, Xingang,Qingdao

17/02

18/02

CVK

MSC JANIS 3

XA106A

MSC

19/02

20/02

MDM

TRF KAYA

1707E

BTL

Colombo

20/02

21/02

IEX

XIN LIANYUNGANG

001W

COS

Colombo,Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

21/02

22/02

CCG

MESSINI

111W

EGI

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

21/02

22/02

ADHOC

FSL KELANG

014S

FOC

Nhava Shiva,Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang,Singapore, Shanghai,

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

MAERSK INNOSHIMA

MSK

Nhava Shiva,Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang,Singapore, Shanghai,

21/02

22/02

FME

ZANTE

084E

RCL

Port Kelang(North port) – Singapore,Shangha

CIX3

OOCL SAN FRANCISCO

OCL

Jebel Ali, Mundra,Hazira,Nhava Sheva

24/02

25/02

CHX

KOTA LATIF

106W

MSK

18/02

CWI

AKINADA BRIDGE

GLD

Pipavav,Port Klang,Singapore, Shangai, Ningbo, Xiamen

Ennore, Krishnapatnam, Visakhapatnam ,Tanjung Pelepas, Xingang, Qingdao

17/02

CIX3

OOCL BELGIUM

OCL

Jebel Ali, Mundra,Hazira,Nhava Sheva

19/02

20/02

FM3

MAERSK BOGOR

MAE

Pipavav,Hazira,JNPT,Jebel Ali,Salalah,Port Said,Mersin,Ambarli Port,Izmlt Korfezi,Novorosslysk

20/02

21/02

ME3

MAERSK KALMAR

MAE

Pipavav,Hazira,JNPT,Jebel Ali,Salalah,Port Said,Mersin,Ambarli Port,Izmlt Korfezi,Novorosslysk

23/02

24/02

CWI

EVER ETHIC

EGI

Pipavav,Port Klang,Singapore, Shangai, Ningbo, Xiamen

19/02

20/02

ASX

NAGOYA TOWER

TWF

Jebel Ali, Mundra,Hazira,Nhava Sheva

23/02

24/02

NMG

CAPE MORETON

SEC

Pipavav,Port Klang,Singapore, Shangai, Ningbo, Xiamen

18/02

19/02

MINA

XIN YAN TIAN

COS

Jebel Ali, Mundra,Hazira,Nhava Sheva

18/02

19/02

CWX

BARBARA

SEC

23/02

24/02

MINA

PAXI

HLI

Jebel Ali, Mundra,Hazira,Nhava Sheva

As the data is received by us, sometimes even at the eleventh hour by telephonic messages from the concerned Steamer Agents, there is every likelihood of last minute changes in the data published for which and also for the printing errors occuring the Management of Port Wings is not responsible or liable.

ICTT - Vallarpadam ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

17/02

18/02

C12

CAPE MAGNUS

002E

WHL

Colombo ,Chennai

18/02

19/02

WCC

SSL VISAKHAPATNAM

119

WCC

19/02

20/02

SMILE

SCI CHENNAI

SM502

SCI

Cochin , Kanda , Mangalore ,Cochin

19/02

20/02

TCI COSTL

TCI ANAND

1502620

TCI

Cochin , Kanda , Mangalore ,Cochin

19/02

20/02

PIC-2 W

SSL KRISHNA

27

SHR

21/02

22/02

CCG-E

SM NEYYAR

0018E

SMI

22/02

23/02

IEX

E R LOS ANGELES

007W

NLS

22/02

23/02

MBOXBTL

MAERSK AVON

2132

BTL

Cochin, Colombo , Tuticorin Cochin

23/02

24/02

CCG-W

VARADA

0033W

SMI

Cochin , Kanda , Mangalore ,Cochin

Colombo ,Chennai

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

New Cargo Terminal Future-Proofs WFS’ Handling Ambitions At ‘Progressive’ Brussels Airport Chennai

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Port Wings News Network orldwide Flight Services (WFS), the world’s largest air cargo handler, has future-proofed its growing handling operation at Brussels Airport with the opening of a modern 250,000-tonne capacity cargo terminal, designed to optimise speed and deliver selfservice and real-time information for airlines and freight forwarders.

The new 25,000 sq mt facility is in addition to WFS’ 11,000 mt warehouse and office operation at the airport which opened in the Brucargo West development zone in 2019.

Marc Claesen, Senior Vice President Commercial EMEAA

at WFS, said the company’s latest investment is inspired by Brussel Airport’s commitment to air cargo growth. He said: “Brussels Airport and its cargo community are very progressive. WFS is taking the leading role in providing the market with a product and digital tools which meet the requirements of modern-day cargo handling, and which gives us the capacity to grow.

We believe more airlines will choose to partner with us.”

WFS’ clients in Brussels include Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, IAG Group, and United Airlines. Last summer, WFS also signed a five-year contract to provide a total handling solution for Air France KLM Martinair Cargo at the airport covering cargo, mail and trucking as well as services to support special products. Most recently, WFS has also won another new handling contract with cargo carrier Demavia Airlines.

In support of Brussels Airport’s reputation as the pharma centre of Europe for airfreight, the new cargo

terminal incorporates a dedicated pharma zone, which will become both IATA CEIV Pharma and GDP certified in 2021. It also combines a perishables handling facility and will house a new EU Border Inspection Post, and is fully equipped with state-of-the-art security access controls and cargo screening technologies in compliance with WFS’ global commitment to deliver the highest standards of safety and security.

WFS says the operation will intensify the use of IATA e-freight protocols for seamless freight movements from the shipper and all the way through the airfreight chain, helping to reduce time delay obstacles and improve shipment efficiency and visibility. Truck drivers arriving at the building already enjoy kiosk-based, selfservice reception points, enabling them to stay in their vehicles when completing cargo deliveries and collections, and expediting their assignment to one of the terminal’s 40 cargo gates. The new facility is part of a €100 million investment by Brussels Airport in the cargo zone at the airport.

NYK to Build Four New LNG-Fueled PCTCs Chennai

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Port Wings News Network

YK has concluded a shipbuilding contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. for four LNGfueled PCTCs. These four vessels will be delivered from 2022 to 2023 and are planned to be assigned to transport vehicles mainly to/from Europe and/or to the Middle East.

On these vessels, WinGD’s X-DF2.0 iCER, main engine will be utilized for the first time in the world. This engine consumes less gas and reduces GHG by cutting methane emissions from exhaust gas by approximately 50%.

Further, the vessels will be equipped with battery hybrid technology, which will improve fuel efficiency by mitigating main engine and electrical generator load fluctuations through the support of batteries. The use of LNG fuel, together with these new technologies

and other developments such as hull modification, will contribute to a reduction of sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by 99% compared to ships fueled by heavy fuel oil. Likewise, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will be cut by 96%, and CO2 emissions by approximately 40% or more (per unit of transportation).

Concluding this ship-building contract for these four vessels is in line with NYK’s plan to replace current vessels with around 40 newly built LNG-fueled PCTCs over the next decade to achieve NYK’s environment management target,

which is to reduce CO2 emissions per ton-kilometer of transport by 50% by 2050. NYK aims to further advance to zero-emission vessels utilizing low-emission marine fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia from around the mid-2030s.

On 3 February, 2021, NYK announced the NYK Group ESG Story, which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) by providing cleaner transportation services, including the introduction of next-generation eco-friendly ships within the PCTC fleet. To strongly promote ESG management, NYK will encourage new value creation as a sustainable solution provider through a business strategy that responds to climate change.

Green Financings Concluded For Six Large Container Ships On Order Chennai

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Port Wings News Network

apag-Lloyd is breaking new ground in financing by concluding two debut transactions according to the Green Loan Principles of the Loan Market Association (LMA). This has also been verified by an independent expert in the form of a secondary party opinion of the DNV GL. Both transactions are associated with the financing of six ultra-large 23,500 TEU container ships, which were ordered in December 2020.

The syndicated green loan in the amount of USD 417 million has a 12-year maturity and will be used to finance three of the six container ships on order. The credit facility is

being backed by the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE), and the syndicate consists of 11 banks. KfW IPEX-Bank and BNP Paribas were in charge of structuring and coordinating the transaction.

The lease financing for the remaining three newbuildings is in the amount of USD 472 million, has a maturity of 17 years plus construction-phase financing, and has been structured by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Leasing (ICBC Leasing).

“Our first green financings are a major milestone for us, as we are breaking new ground in the container shipping segment by financing newbuilding projects

geared towards sustainability.

The transactions will help us to modernise our fleet while further reducing our CO2 footprint at the same time,” said Mark Frese, Chief Financial Officer of Hapag-Lloyd.

Thanks to their extremely fuelefficient high-pressure dual-fuel engines, the newbuildings will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 15 to 25 percent.

This means that in addition to the requirements of the LMA’s Green Loan Principles, the ships will also satisfy the EU Taxonomy’s technical screening criteria for sea and coastal freight water transport. The stateof-the-art vessels are being built in South Korea and are scheduled to be delivered in 2023.

7

NEWS - BITS PETRONAS And JERA Elevate Partnership To Realise A Decarbonised World

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), that will see both companies collaborate on a wide range of low-carbon energy initiatives, covering Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), ammonia and hydrogen, in enriching lives for a sustainable future.

The collaboration between Japan’s largest power generation company and PETRONAS was formalised virtually by PETRONAS Executive Vice President, Gas & New Energy, Adnan Zainal Abidin, and Corporate Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Business Development Department, JERA, Yukio Kani.

“We are proud to elevate our four-decade long relationship with JERA which will not only see us explore emerging low-carbon energy sources such as ammonia and hydrogen but also to strengthen our LNG partnership.

“Importantly, the scope of collaboration also opens up opportunities across PETRONAS’ integrated value chain and beyond the borders of Japan as we seek to grow the use of low-carbon energy sources globally,” said Adnan.

The signing of the MoU between PETRONAS and JERA is a result of both companies’ shared vision of achieving net zero carbon emissions. In November 2020, PETRONAS announced its aspiration to achieve ‘Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050” as part of its holistic approach to sustainability and to grow the business in ways that contribute positively to society and the environment.

APM Terminals And Maersk Jointly Developed VIA Improving Safety Of Vessel Inspections

New Vessel Inspection App facilitates safer vessel inspections and improves collaboration between APM Terminals and shipping lines during port calls. Learning from previous incidents, compiling inspection reports and escalating defects is of crucial importance for the Operations teams at APM Terminals. To facilitate this, while focusing on user experience and enabling faster and easier exchange of information, APM Terminals and Maersk jointly developed a Vessel Inspection App, taking a further step towards having a closer collaboration on safety standards.

Designing a mobile app with the user in mind means that terminal staff can now conduct vessel inspections using their mobile devices to record critical safety defects, share photos and escalate issues for repair. Once the inspection is complete, the user can download the PDF report and share it with the shipping line or its agent and vessel directly. This new process means that one set of simplified questions is used for all vessel inspections, which creates a standardised way of working across all terminals globally.

Ruth Gallagher, Global Head of HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) for A.P. Moller - Maersk explains: “Across APM Terminals, we deploy thousands of people every day to carry out lashing operations on a wide variety of vessels. These people are subject to risks associated with both the operations they undertake, but also with the environment they work in. APM Terminals and Maersk have worked tirelessly throughout 2020 to improve vessel operations and we are proud to be launching this vessel inspection solution that brings people together to solve immediate problems.”

Throughput of Russian Seaports in January 2021 fell by 7.8% Y-o-Y

In January 2021, Russian seaports handled 63.35 million tonnes of cargo, down 7.8% year-on-year, says the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot).

In the reported period, Russian ports handled 30.05 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo (+4.7%) and 33.3 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo (-16.7%).

According to the statement, the decrease should be mainly attributed to the fall of liquid bulk cargo exports due a long period of storms in the Black Sea. Yevgeny Tuzinkevich, head of the Black Sea Ports Authority, operation at the port of Novorossiysk was suspended for almost three weeks in January, hence the fall of throughput by 22.9%, year-on-year, to 9.968 million tonnes.

Total throughput of seaports in the Azov-Black Sea Basin fell by 15.9% to 17.33 million tonnes including 8 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo (+7.7%) and 9.33 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo (29.3%).

CUSTOMS EXCHANGE RATES Notification No.14/2020 (N.T.) ALL RATES PER UNIT

FOREIGN CURRENCY Australian Dollar Bahraini Dinar Canadian Dollar Chinese Yuan Danish Kroner EURO Hong Kong Dollar Kuwaiti Dinar New Zealand Dollar Norwegian Kroner Pound Sterling Qatari Riyal Saudi Arabian Riyal Singapore Dollar South African Rand Swedish Kroner Swiss Franc Turkish Lira UAE Dirham US Dollar Japanese Yen (100) Korean Won (100)

with effect from 5th Feb. 2021

RATE (INR) Import Export 56.90 199.80 58.05 11.50 12.00 89.30 9.60 248.95 53.85 8.65 101.05 20.70 20.10 55.65 5.05 8.85 82.75 10.50 20.50 73.80 70.75 6.75

54.50 187.50 56.00 11.10 11.55 86.15 9.25 233.15 51.50 8.35 97.65 19.40 18.85 53.70 4.70 8.50 79.45 9.85 19.25 72.10 68.10 6.30

We are not responsible for any mistake. ALL RATES ARE PROVISIONAL. The rates in these column are only meant for guidance.

8

RNI No. TNENG/2014/59741 Postal Registration No. TN/CNIGPO/067/2021-2023 Posted at Pathrika Channel, Egmore, RMS, Chennai-8.

Date of Publication - Wednesday, Posted on Tuesday / Wednesday

Feb. 17th - 23rd Issue

A.P. Moller - Maersk Delivers Strong Transformation Progress, Results in 2020 Chennai

2

Port Wings News Network 020 has been another year of solid progress for A.P. Moller - Maersk, both in terms of financial performance and in transforming the company. Despite low volumes during most of 2020, profitability grew throughout the first nine months and ended the year with record Q4 results in Logistics

and Terminals, while Ocean delivered an exceptional quarter driven by the increased volumes and current, temporary supply chain disruptions.

Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk, said “2020 will forever be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic that negatively impacted our lives, jobs, businesses and the global economy. I am proud that we have accelerated our transformation and delivered earnings growth during every quarter of 2020, despite very different market conditions, beginning with negative COVID-19 impact in the first half to a rebound in Q4.”

The company grew underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) 44 pct. to USD 8.2bn and revenue grew to USD 39.7bn in 2020 compared to USD 38.9bn last year. While the demand surge in the second half of year created supply chain bottlenecks, including vessel and container shortages, and led to higher rates that contributed approximately USD 1.5bn to results, Ocean further improved its intrinsic performance by focusing on costs, agile capacity management and launching new digital offerings.

Logistics & Services grew to USD 7bn, compared to USD 6.3bn last year, and EBITDA improved 110 pct. to USD 454m, supported by the acquisition of Performance Team as well as improved performance in intermodal, air freight forwarding and warehousing and distribution.

“Our customers want us to help them build more resilient supply chains and buy more end-to-end services. Consequently, our logistics business more than doubled earnings in 2020. We are today a profitable, growing logistics company with a broad offering of ocean and air transportation, port services and logistical capabilities, including warehousing, custom services and lead logistics,” adds Søren Skou.

Gateway terminals saw a decrease in revenue of 3.9 pct. to USD 3.2bn

in 2020 because of lower volumes due to impact from the pandemic.

EBITDA increased by 8.3 pct. to USD 989m, reflecting an improved EBITDA margin to 31 pct. driven by higher revenue per move and cost reductions in several terminals.

In 2020, free cash flow improved to USD 4.6bn from USD 2.3bn leading to a USD 2.5bn reduction of net debt and USD 1.3bn returns to shareholders. Net result amounted to USD 2.9bn and the Board of Directors will recommend a dividend of DKK 330/share, up from DKK 150/share to the AGM on 23 March 2021.

Søren Skou concludes: “Financially, we left 2020 with a very strong balance sheet and little debt, which will allow us to continue to invest in our transformation and grow profitably. We are well equipped to deal with the ongoing market volatility and also to benefit from a world that hopefully starts to re-open.”

Accelerating the strategy As we look forward to accelerating our strategy in 2021, we will illustrate our path forward and the synergies between Ocean and both Logistics & Services and Terminals at a capital markets day on 11 May 2021.

Guidance for 2021 With the current outlook, there continues to be a high degree of uncertainty related to the impact from COVID-19 on the economic growth and global demand patterns. A.P. Moller - Maersk expects another year

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of earnings growth and transformation progress. We expect the current, exceptional situation to continue into 2021 with Q1 to be stronger than Q4, followed by a normalisation thereafter, and announce a guidance for the fullyear 2021 of an underlying EBITDA in the range of USD 8.5-10.5bn, compared to USD 8.3bn in 2020. This

is equivalent to an underlying EBIT guidance of USD 4.3-6.3bn and a free cash flow of above USD 3.5bn.

Ocean is expected to grow in line with the global container demand at an expected 3-5 pct. in 2021, with the highest growth seen in the first half-year.

CMA CGM Steps up Strategic Development in Logistics, Creates AIR CARGO Division Chennai

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Port Wings News Network he CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, is stepping up its strategic development in logistics by creating a specialised air freight division: CMA CGM AIR CARGO. This move into air freight strengthens the Group’s transport and logistics business, allowing it to offer its customers a new range of comprehensive, agile and customised solutions.

Four modern long-range freighter aircraft To support its expansion into air freight, the CMA CGM Group is buying four 60-tonne-payload Airbus A330-200F freighter aircraft, which came into service between 2014 and 2016. With a range of 4,000 nautical miles, they will connect Europe with the rest of the world. The CMA CGM Group will entrust the operation of its freighter fleet to a European airline.

CMA CGM continues its strategic development in logistics CMA CGM AIR CARGO represents a major new component of the CMA CGM Group in both operational and commercial terms.

This expansion into air freight is a new milestone in the Group’s strategic development, with the aim of providing Group customers with a complementary range of services covering both shipping and logistics.

Commenting on the development, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said: “In response to the growing demand from our customers for agile logistics solutions, we are creating a new division within the CMA CGM Group dedicated to air transport: CMA CGM Air Cargo.

This division will launch with four Airbus A330-200F aircraft and will leverage commercial partnerships with airlines in order to deliver global coverage. This is a major milestone in the development of our logistics services.”

Abu Dhabi Ports Unveils Khalifa Port Coral Relocation Plan

A

Chennai

Port Wings News Network s part of its ongoing effort to sustain Abu Dhabi’s unique maritime environment, whilst developing world-leading maritime infrastructure, Abu Dhabi Ports today announced the launch of a major coral relocation and conservation project, in the waters surrounding Khalifa Port.

Conducted in partnership with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), Khalifa Port’s coral relocation forms part of a series of mitigation measures to lessen the environmental impact from dredging, whilst reclaiming waters that separate the offshore port’s breakwater from the spectacular Ras Ghanada coral reef, which is situated nearby.

The plan is being unveiled ahead of the construction of a heavy rail terminal that will connect Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship, deepwater port to the UAE’s future rail network, Etihad Rail.

Mohamed Eidha Tannaf Al Menhali, Port Director - Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “Championing and protecting Abu Dhabi’s natural aquatic ecosystems have always been key considerations in the ongoing development of Khalifa Port, one of world’s most advanced deep-water ports. Abu Dhabi Ports is committed to driving both local and global initiatives aimed at introducing new technologies and solutions that will protect marine life and limit the impact of port activities on the local environment.

“Mindful of the dangers posed by coral reef degradation, which represents an existential threat to the planet’s biodiversity, Abu Dhabi Ports is leading the effort to implement extensive mitigation measures across its

waters through expert coral relocation.

“We are collaborating with respected expert marine consultants, engineers and academics, in addition to partnering with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) to help conserve the coral colonies at Ras Ghanada, the most unique, diverse, and vibrant coral community in the Arabian Gulf.”

Typically undertaken during dredging and reclamation works, coral reef relocation is a critical exercise in port operations and is deemed essential for protecting local marine wildlife ecosystems.

Ahmed Al Hashmi, Acting Executive Director, Terrestrial & Marine Biodiversity at the, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), said: “The UAE is blessed with some of the world’s most resistant coral reefs. With harsh conditions of extreme heat and high salinity., it is imperative the EAD works closely with all partners to ensure that we preserve and sustain these marine treasures.

“As the region’s largest environmental regulator, we are committed to enhancing the biodiversity of Abu Dhabi’s rich marine and desert ecosystems. Collaborating with entities such as Abu Dhabi Ports, and worldleading marine experts, on Khalifa Port’s coral relocation at Ras Ghanada, will ensure Abu Dhabi’s rich and remarkable ecosystem continues not just to survive but thrive.”

Under the supervision and guidance of the EAD, certain species of coral will be relocated from Khalifa Port’s northern revetment to its environmental breakwater.

Using several methods of transporting and fixing the coral, the results and outputs of the project will be evaluated, with a view to determine the best methods and mechanisms for coral transfer and relocation.

Port Wings - Maritime Exim Weekly Newspaper : Published by K.Sivakumar on behalf of Universal Media Associates, Old No.72, New No.149, 1st Floor, Srinivasa Complex, Linghi Street, Mannady, Chennai - 600 001. And Printed by V.Meganathan at Web Kingdom, No.115, Jani John Khan Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600014. Editor: K.Sivakumar.