News

Waypoint Port Services Singapore Poised for Sustained Growth
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Waypoint Port Services Singapore Pte Ltd (Waypoint Singapore), an integrated shipping agency, celebrated the opening of its new office premises with an inauguration event last week.

The guest of honor for the event was Schulte Group CEO, Ian Beveridge, COO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, David Furnival, and CFO of Bernhard Schulte, Tobias Pinker, who cut the ribbon at the ceremony. Other guests included customers and partners of Waypoint Singapore, representatives from port operators PSA Singapore and Jurong Port, and officials from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Velu Ramoo, Country Manager of Waypoint Singapore, said: “The relocation of our Singapore office premises comes on the back of a better-than-expected operational performance in 2018, in which we handled over 400 port calls and catered to over 100 crew changes every week.”

Angelo Cachia, Managing Director of Waypoint Port Services, said: “Operating from a new and larger office in closer proximity to our stakeholders, Waypoint Singapore is now better positioned to deliver first-class, end-to-end quality services at international standards; standards that our customers have come to expect from us.”

Waypoint Singapore’s new office premises is situated in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, minutes away from the Tanjong Pagar and Keppel container terminals. The full address is 70 Shenton Way, #13-13/14/15, EON Shenton, Singapore 079118.

French Ferry Operator Saves With Wärtsilä’s Eniram Technology
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Eniram, a Wärtsilä company and French ferry operator La Méridionale, have taken notable steps on digitalizing La Méridionale’s fleet with the help of the latest energy management technology. This partnership is in line with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine vision, which through the extensive use of digitalization, will enable the efficient use of resources with the least possible impact on the environment.

The Piana, a ro-pax ferry that travels between Marseille and Corsica, was equipped with Eniram Trim and Speed solutions in April 2017. The evaluation period, which ended in summer 2018, resulted in annualized fuel savings of around two percent. These savings enable payback on the investment in just two years. The savings analysis showed a clear relationship between the rate of usage of the optimization tools and the savings achieved. The reduction in fuel consumption also delivers a corresponding reduction in exhaust emissions.

“Performance is one of our core values. To develop our technological capability, we chose Wärtsilä’s Eniram energy management and optimization technology. Together with Wärtsilä, we were able to achieve tangible and sustainable savings, which have been accessed thanks to their advanced products, support and training. We will definitely scale these great results to our entire fleet while discovering new possibilities for utilizing the data,” comments Christophe Seguinot, Technical Director, La Méridionale.

“This is an excellent case of successful cooperation between Wärtsilä and the customer. By working closely with La Méridionale, we have been able to evolve our products to meet the specific needs of ferry operations, and we appreciate La Méridionale’s positive support throughout this process. We look forward to applying the experience to the rest of their fleet,” comments Andrew Rayner, Senior Sales Manager, Eniram.

La Méridionale operates from Marseille for more than 80 years and is one of the port’s oldest ship-owners. Its activities have developed considerably since it was founded. It now runs a daily service to Corsica, as well as a once-weekly service to Sardinia for both passengers and freight.

Eniram was acquired by Wärtsilä Corporation in July 2016. The company was established in 2005, and today provides the marine industry with leading insights for asset, operations, and commercial shipping management. The Eniram Insight Factory provides decision-making support for its partners based on real time data collection, statistical modeling, and predictive simulations. The company’s mission is to maximize the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and overall profitability of its customers’ operations, while cutting harmful emissions.

May’s Brexit Deal Suffers Stinging Defeat in Parliament
by Reuters
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
By William James, Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) – British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit divorce deal by a crushing margin on Tuesday, triggering political chaos that could lead to a disorderly exit from the EU or even to a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave. After parliament […]

Shipping Industry Not Prepared for IMO2020: Total
by Ship Bunker
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Says it plans to supply VLSFO with a range of different qualities including "premium" versions.

Total: Shipping is Not Ready for IMO 2020
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

The head of Total Marine Fuels is concerned that the shipping industry is not ready to implement the IMO 2020 sulfur rule next January, despite years of warnings. 

"Globally, I feel that the shipping industry is not prepared . . . . We fear that the lack of clarity around which products are coming onto market is leaving customers a little lost as to how to plan effectively," said Jerome Leprince-Ringuet, the managing director of marine fuels at Total, in a blog post Monday. "Given how soon the IMO 2020 regulation enters into force, it is very surprising to us that we are not receiving more calls from our customers asking for detailed information on how the global cap will impact them."

Beginning January 1, 2020, internationally-trading merchant ships will have to use fuel that contains no more than 0.5 percent sulfur. Carriage of noncompliant HFO - which typically has a sulfur content in the range of 2.5 percent - will be prohibited, unless the vessel is equipped with an exhaust scrubber. The transition process is expected to take several months, and most operators are making plans to begin in the third or fourth quarter of 2019. 

IMO has indicated that it will not support an "experience-building phase," or "soft" rollout, and the limit will take full effect immediately on January 1. However, noncompliance rates in the range of one-fifth of the world's fleet are expected in the first year of implementation, according to Goldman Sachs.

The cost of compliance may be high. Large operators like MSC and Maersk are budgeting for billions of dollars in additional fuel expenses due to the cap, and they are devising new surcharge mechanisms to share these expenses with their customers. 

U.S. Homeland Security Chief Seeks Pay for Coast Guard as Service Members Miss First Paycheck
by Reuters
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Tuesday she was working with the White House and Congress to pass legislation to fund the Coast Guard so that its workers could get paid even amid the partial government shutdown. “Like the other branches of the U.S. military, active duty @USCG […]

Frontline Sees Stake in Feen Marine Scrubbers Increase
by Ship Bunker
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

FMSI also announces more scrubbers orders.

Singapore MPA Steps Up Role With LNG Advocacy Group
by Ship Bunker
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

SEA\LNG appoints new board members, while TOTE's Peter Keller reappointed as Chairman.

Dept. of Homeland Security Seeks Funding for Coast Guard Pay
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advocating within the administration and with Congress for a legislative fix to pay the U.S. Coast Guard. 42,000 active-duty servicemembers missed their paycheck on Tuesday due to the ongoing government shutdown, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen says that she is actively working to secure legislation to renew their pay. 

Since the shutdown began, President Donald Trump has indicated that he will not sign any funding bills for affected government agencies unless Congress appropriates $5.7 billion for the construction of a wall at the southern border. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has passed two bills to fund uncontested budget items and partially reopen the government, but the Senate has not taken them up, citing the president's opposition. 

Active-duty personnel in the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force have not been affected by the shutdown, as their service branches are housed under the Department of Defense, which has already been funded. As the Coast Guard is housed within DHS - the center of the funding dispute - it has not been paid. “Like the other branches of the U.S. military, active duty USCG should be paid for their service and sacrifice to this nation," Nielsen said in a statement Tuesday.

"Many of the employees of the Coast Guard are below the poverty line, and this morning I know that they're angry, they're frustrated, they're said, and they're still on duty," said Rear Adm. Cari Thomas (ret'd), the head of the relief agency Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, speaking to NPR on Tuesday. "And the civilians who have been furloughed feel guilty because their shipmates who are still at work are covering their duties, and they're not being paid either."

Veterans' advocacy groups have called on the government to find a solution to the pay gap, noting its serious effects on Coast Guard families. "Just because a Washington flow chart structures the Coast Guard under Homeland Security does not mean they should not be paid," said Brett P. Reistad, the head of the American Legion, in a statement earlier this month. "Members of the Coast Guard regularly perform heroic and lifesaving tasks on our behalf. They should not have to worry about bills and living expenses just because Congress and the White House cannot agree on a budget.”

Legislation has recently been introduced in both the House and the Senate to provide funding for the Coast Guard, though not for other DHS agencies like Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration. Overall, seventy-three percent of DHS employees are working without pay during the shutdown, including civilian border patrol and airport security agents. 

Singapore 2018 Bunker Volumes Dip, Outlook for this Year Uncertain
by Reuters
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
By Roslan Khasawneh SINGAPORE, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Sales of marine fuels in Singapore, the world’s biggest ship fuelling port by volume, totalled 49.8 million tonnes in 2018, down 2 percent from a record the year before, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Monday. December sales volumes of marine fuels, also […]