1. Demetris Chrysostomou to head up Columbia Shipmanagement’s Asia Region
Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) has underlined its commitment to growing its share of the important Asian market by boosting the size and capability of its management team in the region. As part of this positive initiative, Demetris Chrysostomou has been appointed Managing Director of CSM’s Asia Region, working out of the company’s Singapore office. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/02/09/demetris-chrysostomou-to-head-up-columbia-shipmanagements-asia-region/
2. MSC Ends “Anastasia” Cargo Ship Ordeal with Crew Change in Japan
Following months of repeated appeals by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company to allow a change of crew on ANASTASIA, a cargo ship which had been stuck off the coast of China since September, MSC has effectively resolved the matter, avoided a humanitarian crisis onboard and mitigated the related safety risks. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/02/09/msc-ends-anastasia-cargo-ship-ordeal-with-crew-change-in-japan/
3. Venezuela: United States sanctions
This Circular provides information on the recent designation by the Government of the United States of Venezuela’s Maritime Authority (Instituto Nacional de los Espacios Acuaticos – “INEA”). INEA was designated under Executive Order 13850 for operating in the oil sector of Venezuela and providing assistance to Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PdVSA. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/02/09/venezuela-united-states-sanctions/
4. Cyprus has formally proposed a practical, global approach to delivering Covid -19 vaccinations to seafarers in response to the worldwide crew change crisis.
Cyprus Deputy Minister for Shipping, Vassilios Demetriades has written to the EU Transport and Health Commissioners and The IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim, outlining the two strands of the proposed programme and emphasising “the need for a practical, feasible and collective approach to addressing the issue of seafarer inoculations”. https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ship-operations/cyprus-calls-global-approach-seafarer-vaccinations
5. Port worker vaccination and boxship queues highlighted at US Maritime Transportation sub-committee
In the ongoing season of political debuts, the sub-committee within the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, of the US House of Representatives, held its first meeting of the newly inaugurated 117th Congress. https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/opinions-analysis/port-worker-vaccination-and-boxship-queues-highlighted-us-maritime-transportation
6. Total to change name to TotalEnergies as part of renewables transformation
According to Total, the group affirms its plan to transform itself into a broad energy company to meet the dual challenge of energy transition, more energy and less emissions, and the group’s profile will be transformed over the next decade as it focuses its growth on LNG and renewables. Oil products are expected to fall from 55% to 30% of sales. https://splash247.com/total-moves-to-change-name-to-totalenergies-as-part-of-renewables-transformation/
7. Aker Solutions and Siemens Energy selected for Norfolk offshore wind project
Aker Solutions and Siemens Energy have been selected by Vattenfall as preferred bidder for the Norfolk offshore wind project located in the North Sea. Should Vattenfall proceed with the development, the parties will conclude an EPCI contract to deliver HVDC converter platforms for the grid connection infrastructure. https://splash247.com/aker-solutions-and-siemens-energy-selected-for-norfolk-offshore-wind-project/
8. U.S. Aircraft Carriers Conduct Exercise in South China Sea
The dual carrier operations by the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group on Tuesday conducted a “multitude of exercises aimed at increasing interoperability between assets as well as command and control capabilities,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement. The exercises were used to demonstrate the Navy’s ability to operate in challenging environments, it said. https://gcaptain.com/u-s-aircraft-carriers-conduct-exercise-in-south-china-sea/
9. U.S. Coast Guard Offloads $330 Million Worth of Drugs in Florida
Two U.S. Coast Guard cutters offloaded more than $330 million worth of illegal narcotics seized from smugglers in the Eastern Pacific. The drugs were displayed at Port Everglades, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where Coast Guard crews offloaded 7,200 pounds of cocaine the USCGC Campbell and 11,800 pounds of cocaine and marijuana from the USCGC Harriet Lane, worth more than $123 million and $206 million, respectively. https://gcaptain.com/u-s-coast-guard-offloads-330-million-worth-of-drugs-in-florida/
10. Proposal: IMO Needs To Reconsider Draft Sewage Regulation
Together with a number of member states and international organisations, BIMCO has proposed that the IMO should reconsider the direction, in which the amendment of MARPOL Annex IV has taken concerning existing ships. BIMCO has participated in an intersessional correspondence group which has been working on preparing draft amendments to MARPOL Annex IV on sewage. The report has been submitted to the 8th session of IMO’s subcommittee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 8) for debate. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Proposal%3A+IMO+needs+to+reconsider+draft+sewage+regulation
