DP World has signed a cooperation agreement with the Caspian Containers Company SA (CCCSA) to help digitalise trade across the Greater Caspian Region and parts of Africa, by using innovative technology to enable the booking and tracking of shipments at the click of a button.

CCCSA is a subsidiary of the Integral Petroleum Group.

Through the implementation of DP World’s SeaRates, a digital platform that allows the process of identifying and booking cargo routes to take place in seconds, cargo owners will be able to compare quotes from multiple providers and make informed decisions on the optimal route for their shipments. Serving as a ‘digital freight forwarder’, the SeaRates platform will enable CCCSA’s customers to monitor the status and movement details of a container at any point during its journey, allowing full visibility as well as the efficient movement of items from A to B.

In addition to supporting the digitalising of trade, the partnership will further strengthen ties in the two growing markets of the Greater Caspian Region and Africa. The particular focus will seek to attract customers for project cargo shipments in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, as well as Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Kenya in Africa.

The lack of standardisation in many Greater Caspian and African countries when it comes to transportation and logistics has made it difficult for customers to compare prices and services from different providers. As a result of the partnership with DP World’s SeaRates, CCCSA’s customers will be able to compare quotes from multiple providers and make informed decisions in minutes.

Mike Bhaskaran, Group Chief Technology Officer, Digital Technology, DP World, commented: “There is a great opportunity to enable further development of the Greater Caspian Region and Africa’s trade routes to unlock more economic benefits. The digitalising of the supply chain will help us do this, with innovative technology such as SeaRates enabling cargo owners to find the most efficient routes to transport their goods via an online platform. As a technology leader in the supply chain and logistics space, we are proud of the role that we can play when it comes to providing digital products for all stakeholders in the value chain, and we look forward to building on the relationship we have with the Caspian Containers Company to facilitate the flow of trade”.

Murat Seitpesinov, Chairman of the Integral Petroleum Group, commented: “As one of the leading players in commodity trading, logistics and related digital projects in the Greater Caspian Region, Integral Group is excited to partner with DP World, the leading global port operator and logistics integrator. This cooperation will drive adoption of innovative logistics solutions and digital technologies as well as facilitate trade in two regions with the highest growth potential in the World — the Greater Caspian Region and Africa”.

Customers simply input the place of loading and required destination. SeaRates then offers the most streamlined way of making that delivery from its network of freight forwarders. It provides multiple shipment options to customers to enable them to check vessel schedules and track their shipments once the booking is made, all in one digital platform. If rates are not immediately available, SeaRates connects to CARGOES Logistics, a digital solution, providing access to instant online cargo booking, to work on a tailormade quote based on DP World-owned assets being used to ship a container.

DB Schenker is expanding its green ocean freight services and has secured an arrangement to use 12,000 metric tons of biofuel component for all of its own consolidated cargo, less-than-container load, full-container-load and refrigerated containers, from MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s largest container line.

The amount of biofuel purchased is enough to save an additional 35,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents along the entire production chain in the market. The equivalent of around 30,000 standard containers may be shipped with net-zero CO2 emissions, depending on how the fuel is used during navigation.

The purchase agreement signed this month represents one of the largest carbon insetting biofuel deals between a freight forwarder and a shipping company. It sets out the use of certified sustainable, second-generation biofuels – derived from used cooking oil – instead of conventional fossil-based marine fuel. The 12,000 metric tons of biofuel component will be blended between 20 and 30%, resulting in approximately 50,000 metric tons of blended biofuel to be used in MSC’s container ships. The agreement allows DB Schenker to offer its customers an off-the-shelf product that enables net-zero ocean transport.

Certified emission reduction for customers’ carbon footprint

This partnership is the latest impressive example of DB Schenker’s commitment to clean logistics and is another solid contribution to increasing the demand for alternative fuels in the industry. Similar to net-zero flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), customers can now book regular net-zero ocean transport and receive an annual certificate of their emission reduction for their carbon footprint. The latter means that every metric ton of biofuel is bunkered in addition to any legal mandate and carrier’s set fuel purchase orders.

Thorsten Meincke, Global Board Member for Air & Ocean Freight at DB Schenker: “Together with MSC, we are offering our customers a convenient and clean solution using the latest generation of maritime biofuel to help them achieve a real additional reduction in their emissions. We are doing this because we firmly believe it is the right thing to do and are therefore paying for biofuel purchases in advance. One thing is certain: the more customers demand climate neutrality throughout supply chains, the faster we achieve clean container ocean freight.”

Caroline Becquart, Senior Vice President of MSC: “Decarbonizing ocean freight cannot be achieved by a single player and requires collaboration between shipping and logistics companies and their customers. MSC Biofuel Solution is our first certified carbon insetting program that reduces emissions in our customers’ supply chains, accelerating the energy transition by creating demand for net-zero-carbon shipping and delivering direct CO2 savings. We’re delighted to partner with DB Schenker, with whom we share similar climate ambitions along our collective journey to net zero.”

Biofuel can be used for regular ocean freight operations without adjusting a ship’s infrastructure or supply chain, making it a particularly convenient solution. MSC Biofuel Solution is designed to be a win-win approach to move from ambition to action. MSC bunkers sustainable biofuel, and clients benefit from the CO2 savings, passing them on throughout the shipping value chain. This differentiates the program from carbon offsetting initiatives that focus on future emission reductions outside the shipping industry.

Biofuel & carbon insetting: Further information for editors

• Biofuel is eminently well-regarded as a decarbonization transition fuel due to its high quality (according to EU RED II Annex IX, Part A+B) and the principle of additionality. The latter means that every metric ton of biofuel is produced and bunkered “in addition” to the baseline and therefore is an additional reduction in emissions in the overall carbon footprint and an actual avoidance of fossil fuels.
• The entire chain of custody for the carbon insetting process is independently verified, with the carbon savings certified by external certification organizations attesting to the avoided emissions from the carbon footprint of freight transport. The bunker supplier also issues proof of sustainability for the biofuel.
• Second-generation biofuel, also known as advanced biofuel, ensures at least 80% reduction in CO2e emissions (well-to-wake). For DB Schenker’s ocean freight, it is also guaranteed palm oil free, including no palm oil waste and no indirect land use change (ILUC).
• The fuel needed for a 100% reduction in container transport is ensured by over-allocation, which also offsets the emissions generated when the fuel is produced and transported. This allows DB Schenker to achieve net-zero emissions well-to-wake and avoid fossil fuels in ocean freight.

ClassNK has released “Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements (Edition 3.0)” and “Guidelines for Parametric Roll Countermeasures” to achieve safer and more efficient marine transportation of containers.

Responding to rapid increases in the size of container ships and advances in lashing technology, the Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements (Edition 3.0), which have provided evaluation methods for loading and lashing containers, incorporate the latest trends and ClassNK’s R&D outcomes to ensure both safety and economy.

The guidelines reflect the load analysis combined with big data from AIS and oceanographic data conducted during the comprehensive revision of ClassNK ship structural rules (Part C of its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships), and enable optimal stowage operations that take into account not only the route but also seasonal effects.

The Guidelines for Parametric Roll Countermeasures support the consideration of measures against parametric roll*1, which has been referred to as a factor in the recent cargo collapses on large containerships. In addition to evaluation based on Interim Guideline on the Second Generation Intact Stability Criteria (MSC.1/Circ.1627), the guidelines outline the requirements for granting notation of ships with equipment and operational parametric roll measures.

They also cover a wide range of aspects, both in theory and in practice, including the mechanism of parametric roll, its features and precautions, an overview of parametric roll response calculation, and devices and methods for countermeasures such as a practical and reasonable way for creating a polar chart that illustrates the danger of parametric roll. The methods specified in these guidelines are applicable not only to container ships but also to car carriers.