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Exclusive Interview: Port Castello President on Maritime Industry

Ahead of the 7th Mediterranean Ports & Shipping 2019 conference in Casablanca, Morocco, FreightComms caught up with Francisco Toledo, President, PortCastelló, to capture his thoughts on the maritime industry.

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Exclusive Interview: Port Castello President on Maritime Industry
Exclusive Interview: Port Castello President on Maritime Industry. Image: Port Castello

Ahead of the 7th Mediterranean Ports & Shipping 2019 conference in Casablanca, Morocco, FreightComms caught up with Francisco Toledo, President, PortCastelló, to capture his thoughts on the maritime industry.

Q: What is most important to you when you prepare to speak at 7th Mediterranean Ports and Shipping 2019 Casablanca?

From the presidency and the direction of the Port Authority we want to make clear the potential of PortCastelló for both the maritime traffic between Morocco and Spain and its function as a hub port thanks to the good regular connections we have within the Mediterranean. PortCastelló is the fifth best-connected seaport in Spain, it is the fourth in solid bulk traffic among the 46 Spanish ports, the seventh in liquid bulk traffic and the fifth in container import / export traffic.

The  growth of traffic between PortCastelló and Morocco has been very remarkable. In two years, from 2017 to 2019, Morocco has gone from being the 21st country in exports from PortCastelló to being number 2 and port traffic has multiplied by 4 (by 5 exports and by 2.8 imports) . Therefore Morocco is an important destination for PortCastelló and with great growth potential.

Q: What are your main concerns about the future of the maritime industry?

The limitation of polluting emissions, the mismatch between the supply of container ships and demand, the race to make bigger and bigger ships, the process of concentration of shipping companies and the introduction of more technology, especially with regard to digitization and process automation.

Q: How do you think the industry can cope in the future with disruptions originating from new technologies?

Adapting as soon as possible to the digital transformation.

Q: Do you think there are interesting opportunities for the maritime industry in the future? Please elaborate.

The process of globalization continues to evolve and this means that there will be more maritime traffic since it is the main means of transport for imports and exports. The two major areas of progress that guarantee its sustainability are the reduction of emissions, both in maritime traffic and in port, and the greater automation of processes, because these developments lead to an improvement in productivity.

Q: What do you think are the most innovative projects in the maritime industry today?

There are interesting projects of robotization, application of Big Data, artificial intelligence and IoT.

Q: Do you think that regulators are doing enough to encourage and facilitate innovation in the maritime industry? Are some regions doing more than others? Please elaborate.

There are territories that are more innovative than others because the culture of innovation has not spread equally in all countries nor are the opportunities to innovate the same. Spanish ports in the hands of Puertos del Estado have set up a fund with contributions of 1% of our revenues to be used for innovative projects in order to promote progress in what we call Ports.

Q: What is your opinion about the availability of talent in the maritime sphere? Do you think we have all the talent we need? If not, how can we attract more talent to this industry?

Maritime professionals are very well prepared, however, it is necessary to give more importance to innovation, in some organizations almost non-existent, to attract personnel with these skills and encourage them in the current staff set up, so that the day to day demands of routine work do not  impede thinking about the  importance of preparing for the future.

Q: Do you think that the maritime industry is at last becoming an attractive option for women as much as it is for men? Please elaborate.

It is excessively masculinized especially at high managerial levels. However, more and more women see the maritime industry as an interesting professional career path and there are groups like WISTA that are trying to help them.

Q: What do you think will be the biggest obstacle in the maritime industry that can be overcome by means of technology.

Technology now permeates the entire maritime world, navigation aid systems and the management of ships are good proof of this. It also extends through ports and therefore more than talking about a specific milestone in the application of technology, we think it will be applied in all areas, in some areas sooner than in others, but finally spreading to all areas where the  application of technology is appropriate.

Q: What are some of the most important things that maritime industry leaders are discussing in the boardroom this year? Please elaborate.

The promotion of the digitalization of the container transport industry to create common standards of information technology and create new opportunities for the customer.

Adapt all the logistic chains to the new consumer habits, with a considerable growth of online purchases and fast deliveries.

And another of the most important debates is the incorporation of new fuels for the sector, and its adaptation to regulations on sulfur limits.

 

For more from Francisco, join Transport Events‘ 7th Mediterranean Ports & Shipping 2019 conference in Casablanca, Morocco this week (25th to 28th June 2019).

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Maritime

The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks

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The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
The Port of Valencia begins electrification of its docks. Image: Port Authority of Valencia
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A new step in the decarbonisation of the Port of Valencia and its firm commitment to be an emission neutral site by 2030. The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) has put out to tender the drafting and execution of the works for the electrical connection to ships for the Transversal Costa-MSC quay. This is the first electrification or Onshore Power Supply (OPS) project to be carried out by Valenciaport in the Valencian precinct.

The APV is thus initiating the procedure for the award of the contract for the drafting and execution of the project for the installation of electrical connections for ships and the maintenance of the same at the Transversal de Costa quay. To this end, Valenciaport has jointly launched the drafting of the construction project, the execution of its works and the maintenance of the installations in the same procedure for an amount of 12,468,626.8 euros (VAT included).

Onshore Power Supply (OPS) electrification infrastructures have been consolidated as a very useful tool for the decarbonisation of ports, as this system avoids the use of auxiliary engines of ships when they are docked in the enclosures. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions – due to the use of electricity that eliminates the consumption of fossil fuels used in these auxiliary engines – and stops the emission of particles and polluting gases.

This OPS initiative in the Port of Valencia will be carried out in parallel with the works on the new electrical substation – a second substation is also planned – which was put out to tender last month with a base budget of around 11 million euros and a completion period of 24 months. This infrastructure will be responsible for supplying green energy to the first OPS electrification project of the Transversal de Costa-MSC quay.

In this regard, Joan Calabuig, president of Valenciaport, stressed that “these are just two examples of real projects in the execution phase that confirm the firm commitment that Valenciaport is making to achieve the goal of being a zero-emissions port by 2030, twenty years ahead of the European Green Pact. It is a commitment to sustainability and to the society of our environment that is supported by initiatives such as the electrification of the docks, the use of hydrogen in port operations, the installation of photovoltaic plants or the commitment to intermodality with the railway. We are committed to sustainable growth that reinforces our position as a port of reference in the Mediterranean”.

Project included in the Next Generation Funds

The joint contracting of the preparation of the project and the execution of the corresponding works in the same procedure is carried out in response to the fact that there are no references in Europe compatible with the ISO/IEC/IEEE 80005 standard and in Spain there is currently no previous experience of OPS projects in operation with the characteristics of the pilot project defined by the Port Authority of Valencia. The combination of the individual components required for this type of installation (transformers, protection cells, disconnectors, frequency converters, etc.) with infrastructures for supplying electricity to ships requires specific projects, with technically complex solutions that have to be designed specifically for each location. In addition, and given that the execution of the construction project is subsidised by the European Union’s Next Generation funds and the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the joint tender is the only way to meet the established deadlines, since if two separate contracts were launched, the one for the execution of the construction project could not be launched until the one for the drafting of the construction project had been awarded, which would mean that the work would be completed beyond the deadline for the execution of the works to meet the target set by Europe.

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Environment

MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation

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MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
MOL joins GCMD as impact partner to accelerate decarbonisation. Image: Pixabay
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The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation GCMD and MOL announced the signing of a five-year Impact Partnership agreement. On the same day, both parties held a signing ceremony at the GCMD office in Singapore.

Decarbonisation in the maritime industry is a challenge that needs to be achieved through accelerating collaboration and increasing investment by shipping companies, their customers, ports, energy suppliers and public sector actors. As an Impact Partner of GCMD, MOL will utilise its expertise developed over their long history and make various contributions and collaborations through its participation in GCMD’s projects, including providing access to vessels, operating data and evaluation reports so that internal learnings can be shared publicly and used for future trials.

MOL is one of the world’s leaders in the maritime industry and has been leading worldwide discussions on achieving decarbonisation. The carbon budget concept imposes a ceiling to the cumulative amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that can be emitted globally in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius by 2050. Intermediate targets to reduce emissions, in addition to a net-zero target, are necessary. While plans are in place to adopt low or zero emissions vessels in the future, it is important to deploy measures to reduce emissions now. Such measures include the use of low-carbon and transition fuels that are available today, and deploying energy savings devices onboard vessels. MOL will bring its extensive capabilities and experience to bear as it joins GCMD and existing partners to accelerate international shipping’s decarbonisation.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “We are proud to have MOL, one of the leading shipowners in Japan, come onboard as an Impact Partner. We are excited to tap on MOL’s track record in developing technical energy efficiency measures to broaden our perspective as we scope an initiative to help increase industry adoption of measures that can increase fuel efficiency of ships.”

Toshiaki Tanaka, Representative Director, Executive Vice President Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of MOL, said: “We are very pleased to be a partner of one of the most important global coalitions. We will make our biggest effort to contribute and accelerate progress towards the net zero future in maritime industry, together with GCMD and all its partners.”

About the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) was set up on 1 August 2021 as a non-profit organisation. Our strategic partners include the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP, BW Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Foundation Det Norske Veritas, Ocean Network Express, Seatrium, bp, Hapag-Lloyd and NYK. Beyond the strategic partners, GCMD has brought on board 15 partners that engage at the centre level, in addition to more than 80 partners that engage at the project level.

Strategically located in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub and second largest container port, GCMD aims to help the industry eliminate GHG emissions by shaping standards for future fuels, piloting low-carbon solutions in an end-to-end manner under real-world operations conditions, financing first-of-a-kind projects, and fostering collaboration across sectors.

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Container Shipping Lines

Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India

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Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
Wan Hai Lines establishes its new office in India. Image: Unsplash
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Aiming to further enhance service quality and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian sub-continent, Wan Hai Lines has established its India new office in Kolkata in July 2023. Contact details for the new office are as follows: WAN HAI LINES (INDIA) PVT. LTD 3rd Floor, Block C, Apeejay House, 15 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700016 TEL: 91-33-4450 4500 According to the 2023 Foreign Trade Policy announced by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s export trade volume will reach 2 trillion US dollars in 2030.

Therefore, benefiting from government policy incentives and the shifting trend of the global supply chain, India’s status in global manufacturing and international trade is increasing, which is conducive to maintaining long-term high economic growth. And the proportion of global exports has increased significantly. In addition, the continuous economic stimulus policy will help revitalize the domestic economy, and domestic demand is expected to increase significantly. Therefore, Wan Hai is optimistic about India’s future import and export situation. And also through the establishment of a new office to improve the overall operating efficiency.

Wan Hai India Kolkata office held a grand opening reception in the evening of 27th July. During the banquet, there were many important customers & guests. The Kolkata Port Authority, Kolkata terminal operators, feeder operators and important local customers were invited to send representatives to attend the meeting to express their blessings to Wan Hai’s opening of the Kolkata market. At present, Wan Hai has six owned offices in India, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, and Vizag, Delhi and the sixth office Kolkata office. In addition to directly providing river port services, it will also simultaneously strengthen service links between India and neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bhutan. It is expected to pursue customer first through continuous expansion in the future and sustainable business philosophy.

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