Crew Mirror Digest 10-2023

Sonowal makes strong pitch for ‘India Growth Story’ at Global Investor Summit in Andhra Pradesh

05 Mar 2023
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal made a strong pitch for the India Growth Story at the Andhra Pradesh Global Investor Summit in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory session of the Global Investor Summit, the Union Shipping Minister stressed the innovative schemes laid out by the Narendra Modi Government in order to propel growth in manufacturing.

“In Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, the country is moving fast on the path of development with the goal of a developed India through the creation of modern infrastructure. Our Prime Minister’s vision is to ensure inclusive development and growth by developing our ports, railways and highways to enhance the supply chain and reduce logistics costs. Prime Minister Gati Shakti plan has not only accelerated the pace of infrastructure development but has also reduced the cost of projects. Multi-Modal Transport System is the future of every city. Andhra Pradesh and the coastal regions of India will move ahead in this race for development with new momentum,” Sonowal said.

Talking about the marine economy of the country, India’s Shipping Minister said that the Indian ports have to gear up for the raising demand for port services due to various schemes implemented by visionary PM Narendra Modi.

“The sea has been a source of wealth and prosperity for India for centuries, and our coasts have served as gateways to this prosperity. Today, projects worth thousands of crores of rupees are underway in the country for port-led development. They will expand further in future,” said Sonowal.

He said that today, India of the 21st century is implementing the idea of holistic development of coastal districts. Reference

Orca brings autopilot control to the Apple Watch

04 Mar 2023
Orca, the Norwegian marine tech startup, is turning the Apple Watch into a powerful tool for boaters. Orca’s brand-new Apple Watch app lets users control their boat’s autopilot and view instruments from the wrist.

Orca is the first company to deliver autopilot controls on the Apple Watch. Traditional wireless autopilot controllers are costly and resemble a remote control for a television. With the new app for Apple Watch, Orca is pioneering a new approach in the boating industry: Building innovative solutions on top of consumer day-to-day devices instead of inventing yet another device to buy for the boat.

Why are wireless autopilot controllers such a big deal? When boating you’ll often find yourself away from the helm. Maybe you need to prepare for a port entry, find that chart folio, or get the sprayhood up before a rainfall. If you need to change course during situations like that, being able to do it quickly makes life at sea easier and safer.

With Orca for the Apple Watch, you can now turn on and off your boat’s autopilot and change your boat’s course. On a sailboat, the app allows you to direct the boat to keep a steady angle toward the wind.

Orca is available in Europe, New Zealand, and North America. To use the Apple Watch’s autopilot control you need an Orca Core (€449) to connect your watch to your boat’s instruments and autopilot. Reference

MOL’s Smallest Ship Collects Marine Debris off Bali

04 Mar 2023
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has launched possibly its smallest and most unique vessel. The vessel is designed to collect debris from the waters and is part of the company’s environmental efforts. Named Arika, MOL conducted a demonstration of its marine debris collection vessel off the coast of Bali in Indonesia on March 1.

The marine debris collection ship and coastal debris collection device both feature conveyor belts that collect debris from the water and along the shore.

Starting with a demonstration of marine debris collection in Bali, Indonesia, MOL aims to commercialize the technology and started a feasibility study of the business model for the introduction of a marine debris collection ship in Vietnam.

Plastic debris floating in the oceans is also thought to contribute to the increase in microplastic particles which are of increasing concern to scientists and environmentalists. Reference

MV Ganga Vilas Makes History In India’s River Cruise Sector; Completes Maiden Trip

04 Mar 2023
50 days cruise was flagged from Varanasi by PM Shri Narendra Modi on Jan 13 Pioneering display of an Atmanirbhar Bharat; Ganga Vilas unlocks huge potential in South Asia From Varanasi to Dibrugarh; world’s longest river cruise passed 27 river systems with more than 50 tourist stops in India & Bangladesh.

Welcoming ‘MV Ganga Vilas’, the world’s longest river cruise at its culminating destination in Dibrugarh, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) hailed it as a historic and path-breaking event to be witnessed in the Inland Waterways sector since India’s Independence 75 years ago.

MV Ganga Vilas arrived at Bogibeel at 02:30 PM today; as the dignitaries led by the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal accorded a warm welcome to all the 28 foreign tourists travelling onboard. With the successful end of its maiden journey covering a distance of over 3200 kms, the MV Ganga Vilas opens up a new vista of opportunity in the river tourism potential in the entire South Asia region.

Shri Sarbanda Sonowal congratulated everyone who has contributed in the success of the world’s longest river cruise journey by MV Ganga Vilas’s and encouraged all other private sector operators to identify the river cruise circuits of their choice on various waterways and to enter this nascent sector and be a part of river cruise tourism ecosystem in the country for the wider prosperity of the country specially North Eastern Region. He appeal to all entrepreneurs and trade leaders to work together for reaping benefit from waterways. Reference

India: Cabinet Okays The Signing Of Contract For Three Cadet Training Vessels

03 Mar 2023
On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved signing a deal with Larsen and Toubro (L&T) to acquire three advanced cadet training vessels for Rs. 3,108.09 crores in the Buy label. The shipping delivery is scheduled to commence in 2026.

The vessels will facilitate training officer cadets, including women, after the initial and basic training to satisfy the future needs of the Indian Navy, per the official statement from the ministry of defence.

The vessels would extend training to cadets from friendly countries to strengthen diplomatic relations. Ships and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) can also be deployed to evacuate the people.

The vessels will be designed indigenously, constructed, and developed at L&T’s shipyard based in Chennai’s Kattupalli. Reference

Cruise Ships Return to Japan Three Years After Global Pandemic

03 Mar 2023
International cruise ships are returning to Japan, three years after the Diamond Princess became the world’s first luxury ship to face a major Covid outbreak. 

Amadea, operated by Germany-based Phoenix Reisen, is now docked in Tokyo Bay after earlier arriving at a port in Shizuoka prefecture in western Japan, according to shipping data tracked by Bloomberg.

The outbreak on Carnival Corp.’s Diamond Princess, which docked on the country’s shores in February 2020, drew global attention to the risks of infection aboard sea vessels. At one point, the ship had the most cases outside mainland China, where the virus originated. 

The nation has geared up to welcome back cruise ships, which brought more than 2 million people to Japan in 2019.

In an indication of changed attitudes, there was much fanfare for the crew members and the mostly German passengers on board the Amadea. Local authorities organized a drum performance to entertain guests, and rolled out the local mascot, a blue dinosaur called “Shizulla” to greet them. Reference 

Seafarers’ human rights: Geneva Declaration is a major milestone

03 Mar 2023
Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has continued to support the development of a new Geneva Declaration designed to define and defend the human rights of the global maritime population and those crossing the world’s oceans and seas.

HFW  carried out a joint review of the Declaration on behalf of UK-based NGO Human Rights at Sea (HRAS), which produced the proposed international convention in 2022 following three years of research and drafting by a team of experts in public, international, humanitarian and refugee law.

With the war in Ukraine now entering its second year, HRAS is discreetly supporting in-conflict and post-conflict activities to obtain justice for victims of human rights abuses, in particular the coastal communities in The Black Sea and Sea of Azov.”

The Declaration targets human rights abuses stemming from piracy, criminal violence, breaches of maritime labour rights, seafarer abandonment, slavery, trafficking, child labour, and failures in equality and inclusion. Reference

India: Govt. gives environmental clearance to Machilipatnam port project

02 Mar 2023
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on March 1 (Tuesday) accorded environmental clearance to the non-major port proposed at Machilipatnam in Krishna district at a cost of ₹11,464 crore (₹5,155.73 crore in the first phase and ₹6,308.16 crore in the second).

The port has been planned to be constructed in two phases with a cargo handling capacity of 35 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) at four berths in the first phase and 80.97 MMTPA in the later phase comprising 12 berths. 

On completion of the two phases, the total cargo capacity will be 115.97 MMTPA with 16 berths in an area of 2,935 acres (including 225 acres for road and rail connectivity and 155 acres for dredging on land side). The total length of the seafront will be 3.5 km. 

A continuous 2,075 metre-long southern breakwater and a 250 metre-long northern one have also been proposed to be constructed for establishing a tranquil harbour basin. The port will have an approach or entrance channel measuring 12.60 km in length and 200 metre in width with a depth of 17.10 metres. During the initial phase, the port will receive 80,000 DWT vessels. Reference

WellAtSea launch an assessment programme to improve seafarer wellness and performance

02 Mar 2023
WellAtSea, acquired by Seably in 2022, a leading health and wellness solutions provider for seafarers and ship owners, has partnered with Vanguard Assessments to bring its highly acclaimed Mental Health Assessment online program to the maritime sector.

The new WellAtSea service is an addition to the WellAtSea current program of activities and will allow companies to gain a complete mental health assessment online. The new service guarantees a reliable and fast testing process for a wide range of mental health concerns, including personality, emotional and behavioural issues. Upon completion, companies will receive a data and interpretation report carefully analysed by a highly experienced psychologist within a week, enabling them to make timely decisions.

The automated process decreases human error and provides the convenience of saving a significant amount of time in doing evaluations and decision-making. The data collected is treated with the utmost confidentiality and adheres to international data protection standards.

In addition to the new assessment service, WellAtSea offers seafarers specialised health education, team and fitness activities, and mental health support. Reference

New Chase Boat Can Dart Through the High Seas at 40 Knots

02 Mar 2023
Wider’s latest yacht is wild by name and wild by nature. Christened the WiLder 60, the “daring, all-aluminum thrill machine” cleverly straddles the line between chase boat and performance cruiser. It also channels a much larger superyacht with a stylish interior that showcases the finest Italian craftsmanship, according to Wider.

The 61-footer is the first model by the Italian yard’s new WiLder brand that is aiming to appeal to the “wilder side” of seafarers. The newcomer also marks quite a departure from the bigger boats and catamarans Wider has historically delivered.

The WiLder 60 has the yard’s signature angular styling and generous layout. The light yet sturdy hull ensures seaworthiness in all conditions, while the shallow draft of three and a bit feet enables cruising in shallow waters. In fact, you can beeline it right to the beach.

The thrill machine can really run, too, with a top speed of 40 knots. The team also plans to build a yacht with a hydrogen fuel cell. Reference

Sembcorp Marine Completes $3.3B Acquisition of Keppel O&M

01 Mar 2023
Keppel Corporation reported that the mergamerger of its shipyard and offshore marine engineering business was completed with Sembcorp Marine on February 28, 2023, acquiring the company and marking Keppel’s exit from the shipbuilding and marine operations.

The deal, which was valued at more than $3.3 billion, creates a combined company focused on the offshore and marine sectors under the management of Sembcorp Marine while Keppel plans to focus on its real estate, utility, data center, telecom, finance, and logistics business lines going forward.

Among the reference projects cited by Sembmarine is the design of the world’s first green ammonia-fueled tanker, the development of a first-of-its-kind ammonia bunkering vessel, integration of a hydrogen fuel cell system onto a Ropax vessel, as well as projects underway including a Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) and platforms.

With improving order visibility, Sembmarine predicted that the enlarged group will be in a stronger position to convert its orders pipeline into further firm contracts.

There had been talk for years in Singapore of a possible combination of the two operations which was accelerated by the downturn in the offshore energy sectors. The companies first publicly acknowledged the merger discussions in the spring of 2021, finally agreeing on terms in April 2022. Reference

UK: RMT calls for a new deal for seafarers

01 Mar 2023
Maritime union RMT, has called on the government to provide a new deal for seafarers after the latest statistics showed a big employment drop in the industry.

According to the latest figures, the total number of seafarers employed in the UK shipping industry fell by over 21,000. Overall, the number of Ratings jobs fell by 28%, although there was a small increase in the number of UK Ratings. 

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “UK Seafarers need a new deal that puts jobs, good terms and conditions at the heart of the industry, across every sector including ferries, offshore energy and deep-sea work. “There is an unhealthy relationship between shipping bosses and the government that allows a race to the bottom in terms of terms, conditions and super exploitation.

“Maritime labour from outside the European Economic Area is being brought in, under flags of convenience where those workers are super-exploited by low wages and appalling working conditions. 

“The government needs to step in to protect UK Ratings and end exploitation of seafarers from across the world who work in UK waters.” Reference

Alfa Laval Launches PureBilge Compact for All Vessels

01 Mar 2023
Alfa Laval launches PureBilge Compact to extend the benefits of PureBilge technology to vessels of all sizes. With PureBilge Compact, Alfa Laval opens its door to both small and large vessel segments to enjoy the benefits of PureBilge technology for bilge water treatment.

PureBilge Compact is a highly compact and modular solution that provides a great opportunity for small-segment vessels to benefit from the proven oily water separation technology.

PureBilge Compact is designed for 24/7 unmanned operation, which reduces the operation cost, just like PureBilge. The lack of requirement for chemicals, adsorption filters or membranes eliminates the filter replacement cost and lowers maintenance costs.

Its continuous, single-stage operation requires less holding tank volume and provides more payload capacity. Its capacity flow of 600 l/h as compared to 2500 l/h to 5000 l/h for PureBilge, makes it significantly smaller and easy to install.

With its integrated oil content monitor, PureBilge Compact cleans bilge water effectively by removing oil pollution below the 15 ppm IMO requirements and has the potential to reduce oil content even further, reaching below 5 ppm. Reference

Indian Maritime University, IIT Madras to collaborate

28 Feb 2023
The Indian Maritime University (IMU) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Monday signed an agreement for collaboration of faculty members and exchange of students under the initiative Maritime India Vision 2030.

The Central institutions will conduct joint research activities; joint Ph D and online M. Tech programmes besides developing long and short-term programmes. The institutions will conduct programmes to build capacity of industries.

IMU’s in-charge Dean Rajoo Balaji and K. Murali, faculty in the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras, signed the agreement. Senior officials from both the institutions were present, according to a release. Reference

A hydrogen-powered autonomous ship could help decarbonize maritime transport

28 Feb 2023
A consortium of companies in the U.K. has bagged a GBP 5.4 million (US$ 6.46) government grant to build the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered autonomous vessel and its allied infrastructure, a press release said. The grant is aimed at helping decarbonize the maritime sector.

The autonomous vessel is being developed by London, headquartered in Acua Ocean, which specializes in hydrogen-powered uncrewed surface vessels (H-USV). According to its website, the H-USV has a payload capacity of nearly 4.5 tonnes (4,500 kg) and travels at four knots.

While this might sound slow, the ship’s design ensures that its fuel capacity gives it an endurance of at least 40 days. Using hydrogen as fuel means that emissions can be reduced by 99 percent.

The vessel is entirely autonomous and uses its onboard environmental and commercial sensors to make decisions on the edge and in real-time. Since there is no crew for these vessels and systems are monitored 24/7, turnaround times are minimal after a trip, the website claims.

Leceister-based Unitrove will provide the necessary infrastructure for these vessels to develop a green shipping corridor between Aberdeen in Scotland and Orkney and the Shetland Islands, six miles (~9.6 km) off the Scottish mainland. Other consortium members are the Port of Aberdeen, the University of Southampton, and maritime and zero-emission transportation organizations.

The project is scheduled for delivery in the autumn of 2024. However, it will also require other projects to go greener to succeed. Reference

Adani ports beat own milestone; cargo volumes cross 300 MMT

27 Feb 2023
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), the largest integrated transport utility in India and a part of the diversified Adani Group, crossed 300 MMT of cargo handling on February 23, 2023, in just 329 days, beating its own milestone from last year of 354 days.

APSEZ has registered unprecedented growth since it started operations over two decades ago and continues to outperform all India cargo volume growth, with its market share rising rapidly.

“The improvement in cargo volumes is testimony to the faith that our customers have in us,” APSEZ CEO and Whole Time Director Karan Adani said.

Mundra Port shipped 1,501 fertiliser rakes in the current fiscal year with the total cargo dispatch of 4.8 MMT – the highest ever in the port’s history.

This was made possible because of the port’s mechanised infrastructure and operational planning. MundraPort registered a record RO-RO exports – an increase of 18 per cent largely due to long-time customer, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Hazira has been continuously witnessing sustained growth in chemical volumes y-o-y due to its proximity to the chemical hub of India. It has seen a 16 per cent growth this year.

APSEZ’s market leadership in container business has been strengthened because of its strategic partnerships with the world’s largest shipping lines like MSC and CMA- CGM. Reference

MoEI teams up with Marihub to build maritime digital platforms

27 Feb 2023
The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) has launched a strategic partnership with Marihub, a leading e-commerce service provider, to develop value-added services for the maritime sector and UAE’s ports. 

The move, which coincides with the ‘UAE Innovates’ initiative, is part of the Ministry’s endeavour to enhance the competitiveness of the UAE’s maritime sector and consolidate its position as one of the best maritime hubs in the world.

The partnership aims to explore opportunities to enhance the maritime sector through digital tools and solutions, especially after the significant shift the industry has witnessed in terms of adopting digital solutions after the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 27,000 maritime companies work in the UAE. Last year, over 25,000 commercial ships called the UAE’s ports. The country has over 20 leading international seaports and some of the largest oil export ports in the world. The UAE ranks 7th globally in the volume of container handling.

This partnership is complemented by many other quality projects and initiatives MoEI has already launched. Reference

Ex-PH CG commander to head World Maritime University

27 Feb 2023
A former Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) administrator and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commander has been selected as the new president of the World Maritime University (WMU), based in Malmö, Sweden.

Professor Maximo Mejia Jr. was chosen by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Kitack Lim to succeed Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry.

Professor Mejia will take over on June 29, 2023, when Dr. Doumbia-Henry’s term expires.

Mejia is currently director of the PhD Program and Associate Academic Dean at the WMU. He is himself a graduate of WMU, having received a Master of Science in Maritime Safety Administration in 1994.

Mejia served as a Commissioned Officer in the Philippine Navy and the PCG. Mejia also served as MARINA administrator. In 2013, Lloyd’s List included Mejia in its list of the world’s 100 Most Influential Persons in the Shipping Industry. Reference

India’s ancient maritime journey to be recreated by 2025

27 Feb 2023
India’s ancient maritime history of voyages to Southeast Asia will be recreated with age-old stitched ship technology by Kartika Purnima of 2025, said Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

“The Indian Navy is going to help me on building the ship with ancient stitching technology. And we will probably be able to sail to Bali from Odisha by Kartika Purnima in 2025,” the economist and historian said during a session on the concluding day of the three-day-long Kalinga Literary Festival here on Sunday.

The ship will be about 20-metre long, will have no GPS and would be similar to the ships made in ancient days when India had close connections with Southeast Asia via maritime trade, he said.

There will be another attempt to sail from the coast of Gujarat to Oman soon, added Sanyal.

He was speaking about his recently released book Revolutionaries, where he made a case for India’s armed resistance in obtaining freedom from British Rule.

During the three-day-long literary festival, about 20 books were released in English, Hindi and Odia languages in categories spanning from history, fiction, mythology and folk cultures.

Eminent flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia, Chipko movement leader Sekhar Pathak, mythologist Ashwin Sanghi, noted Odissi dancers and media personalities participated in more than 70 sessions held during the three days starting February 24.

Note: All above news items compiled in this digest should be considered as news in brief. For detailed news, please refer to reference link, mentioned with each item.