A new container and breakbulk shipping line from Marmara to the Caspian Sea, via the Russian inland waterways, saw the completion of its trial voyage at the end of last month, connecting Turkey to the strategically-important region of Central Asia.
The new shipping route, called the Turkey – Caspian line, to be jointly launched by P&O Maritime Logistics with the support of DP World Yarimca and several other DP World group companies, will provide regular container based shipping between these markets for the first time.
The Turkey – Caspian line provides speed and cost advantages, while also reducing carbon emissions by 17% compared to road-based transportation. Efficient door to door delivery will be offered through select third-party logistics partnerships for onward carriage into the landlocked areas of Central Asia – providing customers with a streamlined, hassle-free service.
In 2020, approximately US$31.2billion in trade took place between Turkey, Russia and Central Asia1. The region accounts for 6% of Turkey’s exports and 9.6% of Turkey’s imports. In the same year, US$17.8 billion of imports and US$4.5 billion of exports were made with Russia, one of Turkey’s largest trade partners.
With these markets being some of Turkey’s most important trading partners, P&O Maritime Logistics is well-placed to facilitate even closer trade connections between Turkish businesses and the region through DP World Yarimca with direct shipping via the Russian river systems into Aktau & Turkmenbashi ports in the Caspian Sea.
The new line utilising P&O Maritime Logistics’ Multi Carrying Vessel (MCV) will mainly transport containerised products such as industrial machines, construction materials, textiles, cosmetics, white goods, and marble, while additionally offering a convenient service for breakbulk & project cargo.
MCV type vessels are ideally suited to navigate the Russian rivers and it is expected that at least two more vessels will be outfitted and classed for container carriage for the new line’s launch in the coming months.
The state-of-the-art container terminal at DP World Yarimca, is now one of the largest in the İzmit Gulf and Turkey, with a capacity of 1.3 million TEUs and offering specialised solutions such as super-post panamax quay cranes and electrified rubber tyred gantry cranes (e-RTG). During the trial voyage, these modern facilities enabled an extremely fast vessel turnaround, contributing greatly to the efficiency of the service.
Kris Adams, CEO of DP World Yarımca, said: “The new Turkey – Caspian line between Turkey and the Caspian Sea makes the movement of goods more streamlined and less costly. With our knowledge of the trade networks between these countries, we are aiming to support our customers to be more competitive in these markets.
“With trade booming between these regions, the opening of a new sea route will undoubtedly be a boon to firms operating in these markets.”
Martin Helweg, CEO of P&O Maritime Logistics, said: “There is immense potential for increasing the efficiency of trade between Turkey, Russia and Central Asia. P&O Maritime Logistics were selected because of the ability to carry both breakbulk and container cargo, which fits with the type of goods that move on this route.
“With land transport making up 95% of total carbon emissions for the transport sector, this new river-sea based route is more cost effective and environmentally-friendly than cargo transport.
“With this solution we can reduce carbon emissions by 17% or 0.5 tonnes per container, saving the customer on average 10-20% of the cost compared with trucking and bring the cargo to the destination 15% faster compared with rail, enabling our customers a range of benefits.”
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.
World's Largest Container Ship, MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI. Image: MSC
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More than 800 guests gathered in a custom-made tent at the MSC Gate Terminal in Bremerhaven to witness the naming ceremony of the latest edition to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s fleet, MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI, with the ship as the backdrop. Prior to the naming ceremony, MSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg and their ports, agreeing on the use of shore power for MSC’s vessels in both ports.
MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI is one of the world’s largest and most fuel-efficient container ships by design. At 400 metres in length and with a 61.5 metre beam, it has a capacity of up to 24,346 TEUs. Despite her magnificent size, her design and technical specifications enable the shipment of more cargo at the lowest carbon footprint per container carried.
The vessel employs a small bulbous bow, large diameter propellers and energy-saving ducts, which will help to further reduce fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI and her sister ships are also built with an air lubrication system to reduce drag on the hull, as well as shaft generators to yield additional power.
In his welcome speech, MSC CEO Soren Toft highlighted the importance of Bremerhaven to MSC as a European cargo hub: “The ports in Bremen are such an important cargo hub for us in Germany and in Northwest Europe. It is truly a strategic location for MSC, and home to over 370 of our colleagues. However, our connection with Germany goes deeper than trade. This is the third naming ceremony of an MSC vessel since 2015, and the second in Bremerhaven. It is therefore by no surprise that we continue to grow with our customers in Germany.”
Soren continued: “Efficiency and innovation are two drivers that led to the development of the MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI. Through innovation we seek to shift the boundaries of what is possible and surpass our own industry-breaking milestones, a process of continuous evolution. Both, as a family company and as the leader of our industry, we are very mindful of MSC’s key role in decarbonizing the logistics value chain, and the benchmark we set for others in our industry.”
MSC Germany Managing Director Nils Kahn also highlighted the importance of the ports of Bremen as an MSC location: “We handle more than 1 Mio TEU per year here and run dedicated trains to and from many domestic locations. We are connecting the world from exactly this location with a weekly service to the Eastern Mediterranean, two weekly services to the Far East, three weekly services to South America and Mexico and an impressive five weekly services to North America.”
The ship’s blessing was conducted by Provost Dr. Bernhard Stecker, who has led the Catholic Community Association Bremen since 2019 and is the head of the Catholic Office in Bremen, the liaison office of the Catholic Church to the Bremen Senate and the Bremen Parliament in the state. After the blessing, Godmother Cindy-Jo Cappellini performed the christening of the ship by cutting the ribbon and smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull.
Yellow confetti streamed down, the ship’s horns sounded and MSC MICHEL CAPPELLINI can now travel the world’s oceans.
Memorandum of Understanding on Shore Power Infrastructure
Shortly before the naming ceremony started, Kai Stuehrenberg, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Andreas Dressel, Senator for Finance of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and MSC CEO Soren Toft met for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing on the use of shore power for MSC container vessels in both ports.
Soren Toft said: “I am particularly proud that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding between MSC, the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg, and their port administrations, to partner and collaborate on the implementation of shore power taking us one step closer to ensuring a decarbonized supply chain for global trade.”
MSC Germany Managing Director Nils Kahn also called on German authorities in Berlin to ensure closer collaboration between German ports on the topic of infrastructure development, citing the MoU signed between MSC and the port authorities as an example of what private-public partnership means for MSC.
Additional speeches were given by Kai Stuehrenberg, State Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Andreas Dressel, Senator for Finance of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
The Naming Ceremony
The ceremony was a celebration, highlighting MSC’s commitment to sustainability, sports and the arts. It was moderated by German TV presenter, Jule Gölsdorf. She introduced Boris Herrmann, Germany’s leading yachtsman, world record holder and skipper of sailing team Team Malizia. Boris Herrmann shared his experience from the recent Ocean Race. MSC is a sponsor of Team Malizia and one of the six Official Founding Partners. In front of the 800-guest crowd Boris expressed his gratitude for MSC’s sponsorship and dedication to net zero commitments.
Guests included representatives of local authorities and businesses, customers and journalists. They enjoyed a spectacular performance by Andrea Casta, the famous Italian crossover electric violinist, and Sarah Voss, Germany’s artistic gymnast, all-around national champion and bronze medal winner in the team competition at the 2022 European Championships. The live music and the acrobatic gymnastic performance expressed the very concept of balance between progress and sustainability, humans and nature, present and past.
MSC CEO Soren Toft concluded: “Global trade is crucial for maintaining peace, economic development and growth, and we are serving as a neutral force in the face of the political and diplomatic adversity we see today. Our new 24,000 TEUs-class ships, some of the world’s largest currently on the water, are essential for facilitating and enabling effective global trade. Ultimately connecting cultures, people and continents.“
ONE announces FLX, a new service for South American reefer shipments. Image: ONE
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Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. announces FLX, a new service connecting the West Coast of South America to the East Coast of North America. The service is set to launch in September 2023. With an emphasis on innovative and efficient transportation solutions, FLX caters to customers looking for reliable South American reefer container shipments.
Flavorful South American Delights Reach New Shores
Many Latin American fruits, vegetables and seafood, such as mangoes, asparagus, shrimp, have been gaining popularity worldwide. As a result, Latin American reefer container transportation has seen a remarkable growth, nearly doubling over the past few years.
Strengthening Our Commitment to South America and Reefer Services
With our reefer services, we have established ourselves as a significant player on the Latin America-Asia route, for which we have earned praise from our customers over the years. To further improve the quality of our transportation services, we are redoubling our efforts by investing in state-of-the-art equipment, including Control Atmosphere (CA) containers and telematics devices.
Unveiling FLX: Expanding New Horizons for Shipments
FLX provides exclusive service, connecting the South America West Coast to the North America East Coast (Florida) with our own dedicated fleet of vessels. The service aims to offer fresh options to our valued customers, including those previously engaged in Asia-bound shipments, while expanding shipping possibilities and streamlining supply chain processes. FLX will launch in September 2023 in preparation for the harvest and shipping season.
Service Details
The FLX service will deploy four vessels in order to ensure schedule stability. This service will connect Callao and Paita (Peru), and Guayaquil (Ecuador) to South Florida with one of the fastest transit times on the market. With excellent options for the transportation of refrigerated cargo, the direct routes include Callao-South Florida in 11 days, Paita-South Florida in 9 days, and Guayaquil-South Florida in 8 days.
Furthermore, FLX provides a direct connection from South Florida to Honduras, in addition to destinations in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With hub ports like Cartagena (Colombia) and Callao (Peru), ONE services can be seamlessly connected with other services to/from the United States, East Coast South America, Europe, Caribbean and Asia.
Chilean exporters can also conveniently connect their cargoes via Callao, adding to the route’s accessibility. In summary, the FLX route offers multiple connection options:
Callao – Paita – Guayaquil – Cartagena – South Florida – Puerto Cortés – Cartagena – Callao.
Yu Kurimoto, Managing Director of ONE said, “We aim to share South America’s distinctive flavors with people across the globe. With our FLX and LUX services, we are excited to open new doors for businesses and individuals, enabling them to enjoy the authentic tastes of this vibrant region.”
