Just a Quick One. A Look at Some Smaller Items from the World of Logistics You Might Have Missed

SINGAPORE – FRANCE – Worldwide – Much is claimed regarding the environmental benefits gained by using the new breed of ultra large container ships, however the improved performance figures claimed usually rely on estimates based on the vessels being fully freighted. Now the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, the world’s first LNG-powered containership with a capacity of 23,000 TEU has set a world record for the number of full containers loaded on a single vessel.

After joining the Group’s fleet on September 22 and sailing from Singapore on October 12 the ship carried a record 20,723 full containers on her maiden voyage serving the French Asia Line (FAL 1) rotation connecting Asia with Europe. CMA CGM said that LNG is currently the industry’s best available technology for preserving air quality, and also provides an initial response to the challenge of tackling climate change.

SINGAPORE – UK – Strategic Marine (S) Pte Ltd, a Singapore based shipbuilder and part of Strategic Marine Holdings Pte Ltd, has clinched a new build contract for two 27 metre Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), complete with comprehensive financing solution for UK based offshore support vessel provider Wind Energy Marine (WEM).

The contract includes an arrangement with financial investors providing WEM with an end-to-end package from shipbuilding construction financing to post-delivery financing. The new financing solutions offered to WEM include construction finance, leasing option arrangements and investor equity funding with flexible purchase options.

UK – Having just last week announced it was taking a stake in robotics start-up Magazino the Jungheirich group has announced it will consolidate its business operations in North West England into one central hub. The new warehouse and office complex will be located at Mountpark Warrington Omega, north of Warrington, and is set to complete in July/August 2021.

The 185,000 square foot facility will bring together Jungheinrich’s four existing sites in the North West, providing additional training facilities for servicing, maintenance and sales, as well as the opportunity to scale for further growth in future years. The building is part of the 575-acre mixed-use Omega scheme at junction 8 of the M62 north of Warrington. Existing customers include Royal Mail, The Delivery Group and Gousto. Other occupiers at Omega include Brakes, Hermes, Travis Perkins, Asda, The Hut Group, Dominos and Amazon.

UK – News that the HGV scrappage scheme, which helps road haulage operators replace their ageing fleets with new EURO VI vehicles, had seen all funds committed, brought an immediate reaction from Denise Beedell, Policy Manager Vans and Urban at Logistics UK, who said:

”The fact that allocated funding for the scheme has run out so soon after its launch due to high demand demonstrates the real determination from logistics businesses to transition to cleaner vehicles and upgrade their fleets in time.

”We hope that government will support Transport for London with additional funding to extend the scheme or consider alternative options to help those due to be hit hardest by the air quality scheme, including businesses based within the London-wide Low Emission Zone area and operators of specialist vehicles.”

ECUADOR – Contecon Guayaquil S.A. (CGSA), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) subsidiary in Ecuador, has signed an investment contract with the Ecuadorian state to further strengthen and develop the Port of Guayaquil.

CGSA is investing $18 million to boost the port’s capacity to handle neopanamax vessels, to be carried out in three stages. Stage one will raise the height of quay cranes 5 and 6 from 42 metres to 52 metres, and extend their boom lengths from 50 metres to 56 metres (20 rows). The second stage involves works to reinforce the docks, while stage three will further deepen Pier 1’s draft to 13.5 metres.

BRAZIL – CEVA Logistics has won a three-year contract to provide warehousing, logistics and eCommerce services to Brazil’s largest toy retailer, Ri-Happy Group. Effective immediately, CEVA will be in charge of operating Ri-Happy Group’s 21,000m² national distribution centre in the city of Araçariguama, north west of Sao Paulo, from which the company distributes a range of toys including exclusive items as well as its own brand’s products mainly focused on the south eastern region.

CROATIA – It seems the pervasive home delivery market is what, at least in part, is fuelling the growth of logistics in the country, certainly for Gebrüder Weiss which says it has seen a substantial increase in the volume of shipments carried by land transport in Croatia in the first half of 2020, despite the effects of the virus.

The company recorded a 15% uptick in shipments against the 2019 figure and says thanks are also due to the new terminal near Zagreb which was completed and put into operation this year. Home deliveries in the country have grown 30% in the same time frame. In 20 years GW has seen its staff grow from just 15 to 175 working at three locations and available square metres rise from 1,000 to the current 20,400.

BALTIC SEA – Stena Line has announced an expansion and strengthening of their operations across the region. Next year the current vessels on the Nynäshamn-Ventspils route will be replaced with two modern and lengthened RoPax ferries Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey, which will add a further 30% freight capacity. The two ships were built at the Italian shipyard Visentini in 2005 and have been operating on Stena Line’s Irish Sea route between Belfast and Liverpool for the last 10 years.

To create a more standardised and modern flexible fleet the two vessels will be upgraded, modified and lengthened before returning to service. The conversion is being conducted by Stena RoRo and Sedef Shipyard in Turkey. The two ships will be lengthened with a 36 metres mid-section to reach 222 metres overall and have a capacity of 200 cabins, 970 passengers and 2,875 freight lane metres plus the additional car deck. To increase loading efficiency they will also be modified with drive through capabilities on two levels, and additionally will also be fitted with hybrid scrubbers.

AUSTRIA – WORLDWIDE – A new phenomena which all urban drivers are now familiar with is the ‘Smombie’, these are the ‘smart phone zombies’ who roam city streets completely absorbed by their cell phone screens. They make vulnerable road users into potential hospital cases and nothing it seems will deter them from their ridiculous habit. Until now that is.

Austrian traffic technology group Swarco now produces an addition to its Combia traffic light system in the form of a SafeLight. When the ‘Don’t Walk’ red lights are on, the device shines a broad red beam onto the surrounding pavement which interferes with the offenders screen to the extent it ‘wakes them up’.

Photo: The container ship CMA CGM Jacques Saade broke the record for numbers of loaded containers carried.