Some of the Freight and Logistics News You Might Have Missed This Week

GERMANY – Ceva Logistics has been awarded a five year contract to manage spare parts and components for Airbus at the aircraft manufacturer's 21,000 m² site in Hamburg. Effective immediately Ceva will become responsible for consolidating spare parts and components at the site from other locations across Europe, including Germany, France, Spain and the UK.

The supply chain group plans to put in place 20 improvement projects to transform and improve the efficiency of the site over the next five years. The intention is that service performance for Airbus will be improved across the board with new KPIs introduced year on year.

WORLDWIDE – Marine fuels service and solutions providers KPI Bridge Oil and OceanConnect Marine are to merge after the former agreed to acquire the latter, subject to regulatory approval, and spawn a new brand and entity, KPI OceanConnect.

The pair say the merger will create one of the largest, most experienced independent marine fuels service and solutions providers in the world. With a 170-strong team operating across 15 locations globally, KPI OceanConnect will have an established foothold in every major maritime hub and time zone.

AUSTRALIA – To cater for an increasing demand from its Oceania customers, B&H Worldwide, the award-winning aerospace logistics provider, has expanded its warehouse and offices in Melbourne. From the new larger facility its specialist teams will now be able store, handle and process an ever expanding number of customers' aerospace inventories including large-scale items such as aero engines and tyres.

The new facility is just 10 minutes' drive from Tullamarine airport and is ideally positioned for handling the growing number of AOG (aircraft-on-ground) shipments the company is now carrying. Additional warehouse staff have been employed to provide round-the-clock coverage within the facility and the expanded B&H team in Melbourne will also offer specialist Dangerous Goods services.

SINGAPORE – The Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) has appointed Panahon Marine Surveys Services Pte Ltd in Singapore as one of its new Deputy Registrars in the Far East. PISR says it has been recruiting the brightest, best and most respected Deputy Registrars in the shipping world for the past two years as its fleet grows and ship owners look for a stronger global presence.

Panahon Marine Surveys Services Pte Ltd is an established consultancy service provider in the maritime world operating from Singapore with worldwide services and offering registration solutions and compliance services to ship owners. With an increasing reputation in world shipping, Panahon has joined a growing list of global Deputy Registrars working with PISR.

UK – Chiltern Distribution, which specialises in innovative transport solutions for frozen, chilled and ambient distribution, has just ordered the 100th trailer for its fleet from Gray & Adams, whom it has worked with since its inception in 1993.

The newly designed body builds on Chiltern’s exacting specifications for their fleet and adds several new features, including steel flooring, additional pallet protection, a rear buffer bar, aerodynamic features and cappings, a special ‘100th’ livery and many other additional aesthetic features to make this trailer extra special.

UK – Retail supply chain specialist, Noatum Logistics (formerly MIQ Logistics in the UK) which numbers French Connection, Phase 8 and GANT amongst its clients, has agreed terms on a new 150,000 square foot facility at London Medway, to develop a dedicated retail and eCommerce facility. The facility, which is due for completion at the end of 2020, will incorporate multiple mezzanines to add a further 225,000 square feet of capacity, primarily for automation, eCommerce order picking and fulfilment.

Noatum Logistics is making the move to support the growing number of retailers and brands expanding their online activity. Contracts have been exchanged and construction commenced last month on the development which is due for completion in ten months. London Medway Commercial Park is strategically located in north Kent with quick access to the M2, M25 and national motorway network.

UK – The government’s rejection of a charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Coventry is the right decision for the local economy and the city’s long-term air quality prospects, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA) whose Policy Manager for the Midlands, Chris Yarsley, commented:

“A charging CAZ would have been the very worst option for Coventry; it would have damaged the local economy while failing to deliver long-term improvements to the city’s air quality. Other solutions can deliver quicker, more sustainable improvements to air quality without penalising hard-working local businesses. Vehicles operating in the city will reach the emission standards required to enter a CAZ within a few years due to the natural fleet replacement cycles.”

UK – The arrival of the Baltic Mantis bulk cargo ship and her load of over 30,000 tonnes of animal feed from Argentina confirmed the Scottish Port of Rosyth as the country’s principal agri-hub, handling an extensive range of agricultural products for the Scottish animal feed, food and drink and farming industries using a new Liebherr mobile harbour crane and a new SAMSON ecological hopper to manage dust emissions, a first for the UK.

Part of a long-term partnership with Forth Ports and Cefetra Ltd, the Fife Port of Rosyth has been deepened to provide a true deep-water port capable of taking vessels carrying up to 50,000 tonnes of cargo. Its existing storage facilities have been significantly extended with the addition of a new, 200,000 square foot purpose built agricultural products terminal, increasing the port’s storage capacity to around 100,000 tonnes.

Photo: Ceva Logistics will be working with Airbus at the aircraft maker’s Hamburg site.