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VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August.

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VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI
VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI
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The Valencia Containerised Freight index for August has grown again, albeit more timidly than the previous month, at a rate of 2.51%, making a total of thirteen months of upward trend in freight exports from Valenciaport. Thus, in August it stands at 3,513.54 points and accumulates an increase since the beginning of the historical series in January 2018 of 251.74%.

The increase in the VCFI is a generalised trend and all the areas under study are experiencing an increase, albeit a more moderate one, except for the Baltic States and Atlantic Europe, which remain constant. The strong demand for maritime transport, together with the persistent problems of co-determination and the possible decrease in labour in the summer period in some ports, set the tone for the increase in freight rates.

According to the RWI/ISL index, which is compiled by the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, the volume of TEUs handled by the 91 main ports – which account for 60% of total container traffic – has increased again in August, evidencing the strength of demand for container transport. In the same vein, the latest data published by the Good Trade Barometer of the World Trade Organization has obtained its highest value since its first publication in 2016, a fact that evidences the dynamism of international trade.

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

On the other hand, according to Alphaliner’s data, the fleet idle for strictly commercial reasons remains at minimal levels due to the increase in demand. Thus, 48 vessels are idle, with a total of 174,588 TEU, representing 0.7% of the total active fleet and showing an almost imperceptible increase compared to the level of the idle fleet at the end of July with 161,821 TEU.

As far as fuel prices are concerned, mixed trends can be observed. The average price of a barrel of European Brent crude oil fell by 6.07% in August compared with the previous month, from $75.17 in July to $70.16 in August. About the price of bunkering – the refuelling of ships at sea – in the 20 main ports of the world and according to the data offered by Ship&Bunker, the average price of IFO 380 (Intermediate Fuel Oil) has gone from $448 in July to $449.50 in August, which represents an increase of 0.34%. Conversely, VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) decreased by 3.13% from $559.50 in July to $542 per tonne in August.

By geographical area, during August the intensity of freight growth has softened in most areas, although upward pressure remains the dominant trend in all of them. Africa East Coast (10.05%) experienced the highest increase, followed by the Indian Subcontinent (8.77%) or Latin America Pacific (5.68%).

Congestion in many ports is a globalising phenomenon. As the shipping market continues to operate at near 100% utilisation levels for much of the year, supply chains are overloaded. As for the United States, ships are again piling up in the Californian ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In the last week of August, the number of container ships waiting in San Pedro Bay reached 28 units compared to the seven ships waiting in San Francisco Bay to berth in Oakland.

The situation in Europe is less evident, although port traffic congestion is also present. Many major ports are congested due to strong cargo demand, the reduced labour force from summer holidays and COVID-19 restrictions, and long container dwell times, affecting overall terminal throughput.

VCFI West Mediterranean

For its part, the Western Mediterranean sub-index for August is once again experiencing intense growth, which began in December 2020. In the month of August, the Western Mediterranean VCFI increased by 4.30%, reaching 2,063.51 points. Following this latest figure, the cumulative growth since January 2018 is 106.35%.

Freight rates have again been influenced by the problems of congestion and the difficulty of getting slots on ships in this area. Although the trend has eased in recent months, the level of exports from Valenciaport to Morocco is much higher than in previous years.

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

VCFI Far East

As for the Far East sub-index, August has now been up for four consecutive months, but this time its growth has eased to a rate of 1.37%, standing at 3,755.64 points and accumulating a growth since the beginning of the series of 275.56%.

One of the factors behind this further increase is port congestion. On the export side, the Yangtze Estuary and Hangzhou Bay ports of Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan are the most affected, while the port of Yantian also has numerous ships waiting to dock. Another trigger may be China’s fear of another COVID-19 spike, which would mean the closure of its factories. In Vietnam, for example, the port of Ho Chi Minh City has prolonged its closure and has caused import cargo to pile up due to factory closures.

 

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

VCFI index shows freight rates continue to rise, up 2.51% in August. Image: VCFI

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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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