Category Archives: Shipping

To accelerate digital transformation of global maritime industry, Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) has become the first Indian IT firm to join the International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH). “Kale will add its expertise to the voices of 280 ports and port-related businesses counted among the membership of the Tokyo-based trade association, which represents the interests of port authorities and operators at regulatory level,” as per a release issued by Kale. High on Kale’s agenda, IAPH members and the global maritime industry is the standardisation and harmonisation of electronic ship-to-shore communication. “In May this year, the IMO’s Facilitation Committee announced amendments to the Facilitation Convention that will make single window for data exchange mandatory in ports around the world from January 2024, marking a crucial step in the acceleration of digitalisation in shipping,” the statement added.

Approval has been granted by Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry to launch a cargo ferry service between Kankesanthurai (KKS) and Tamil Nadu. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said in a statement that permission was granted for the commencement of a cargo ferry service between KKS and the Karaikal Port, and Port of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. He said a cargo boat service will commence thereafter. Devananda added the service will allow Sri Lankans access to fuel, fertilizer, milk power, and other essentials including medicines, at a low cost.

The government is planning to focus on completion of port connectivity projects in 2022 with a record 50 Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) lined up for finalization in FY23. As part of the PM’s Gati Shakti plan, port projects have been accorded top priority given their importance in facilitating trade and augmenting support to multi-modal transport. An official of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, the government has prioritised 65 road projects (2,041 km) to improve road link to ports. He said that out of these, nine projects with a total length of 161 km have been completed, five with a length of 105 km have been awarded under port connectivity component and four projects (992 km) are being developed under other components of Bharatmala.

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India flagged off the world’s first double-stack long-haul container train virtually, while inaugurating the Rewari-Madar leg of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. The dedicated freight corridor will aid India’s rapid progress and enhance growth in all areas since modern rail infrastructure offers a basis for employment in all sectors across states, said Modi.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the first carrier to provide in-house liquid cargo solutions, directly supplying and fitting flexibags for customers worldwide. According to an official company statement, “MSC experts fit carefully selected flexibags at its depots prior to cargo pick-up, which removes the requirement for haulage to third-party fitting locations, reducing road miles, saving time and money, and helping customers to meet their sustainability needs. MSC liquid cargo solutions are already available at depot facilities in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas,” The statement added that MSC works with dedicated suppliers of high-quality flexibags and with its customers to ensure each flexibag is tailored, selecting the right size and specifications according to the cargo’s needs. The statement added, “Flexibags allow customers to fill dry containers with up to 24,000 litres of non-hazardous liquid cargo—such as edible oils, wine, petroleum products, and chemicals—offering a safe and cost-effective alternative to other liquid bulk transportation methods, with less packaging than conventional ISO tanks.”

RightShip announced a new tie-up for its recently launched Maritime Emissions Portal (MEP) with port data-sharing platform, NxtPort International (NxtPort Int’l), a marketplace for port communities, that originated in the Port of Antwerp, and deploys to 3000+ public and private entities, says an official release. With the new arrangement, port communities around the world will be introduced to RightShip’s MEP. It’s the first in a suite of products designed to support ports and terminals to better understand and manage ship-based emissions within set zones around their local geography. Gurpreet Singh, CCO for RightShip, said in a statement, “Nxtport Int’l brings wonderful experience and understanding of the port business, curating products with high impact potential for ports and terminals. We are pleased to see them place their trust in MEP for emissions reduction, by highlighting this product to their customers. We’re confident that we’ll support many new customers to embark on a journey to zero harm in the maritime industry.” Alexander Dorhout Mees, CCO for NxtPort Int’l, said, “We hope that this partnership with RightShip will not only attract organisations who want to use the Maritime Emissions Portal in its current form, but also lead to new partners coming forward who might be able to offer data and collaborate with MEP.”

Maersk has completed the acquisition of global freight forwarding company, Senator International. According to a company statement, “Senator brings with it a strong organisation and a well-developed airfreight network comprising own controlled flights and long-term partnerships with best-in-class airlines, a well-established full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL) network and specialised services such packaging, warehousing and distribution across five continents.” The acquisition will enable Maersk to offer an even wider range of products and the ability to provide flexible and integrated logistics solutions to customers, allowing them to speed up or slow down cargo depending on their changing supply chain needs, the statement added. Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics, A.P. Moller-Maersk said, “We are delighted to welcome the Senator team to our Maersk family. As a global provider of integrated logistics, we are improving our ability to provide end-to-end solutions to our customers. With Senator on board, we are ramping up our air freight capacity, network, and know-how significantly to cater even better for our customers.”

Port-led development in the country has taken place under Sagarmala project in a big way, said Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Port and Shipping, while addressing the media recently. Sonowal added that the project will be the growth engine for the ports, especially major ports in the country. The project was taken up for fast development in the country. The minister said the government has spent Rs 99,000 crore for the project and took up 215 projects under Sagarmala. He said the projects are likely to be completed by 2035. “All the major ports have been performing well and the cargo handling has reached to 105 million tonnes at present, Modernization had been taken up in all the major ports and using latest technology to provide best facilities for the port users,” Sonowal said.

According to a recent survey titled xChange Industry Pulse Survey released by the Container xChange, a marketplace and technology infrastructure provider for container logistics companies, 51 per cent of freight forwarders, traders and shippers expect chaos in the coming peak season in summer as compared to that in 2021. The survey found that this year’s summer peak season cargo surge will be worse, exceeding the disruptions caused in the peak season of 2021. Twenty-six per cent predicted this year’s peak season would be less chaotic than in 2021, while 22 per cent expected the level of chaos to be the same, stated the survey.

In line with the objective of Port-led industrialization, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) organized ‘JNPA SEZ Investor Conclave 2022’ in association with the CII in Mumbai on 27 May 2022, to propose ample opportunities to investors to invest in the India’s growth story and be a part of country’s growing port-led economy. This multi-product SEZ project is being developed on 277.38 hectares of freehold land by JN port, incorporating the Land Use Plan of the Port. This industrial hub is India’s first port-based multi-product operational SEZ. Sanjay Sethi, chairman, JNPA, said, “JNPA is set to strengthen its growth aspects in the port-led business with this SEZ project that offers varied facilities from single-window clearances to multi-modal connectivity and state of the art infrastructure, making it an ideal choice to establish businesses and boost export-oriented industries in India.”