InterManager Daily News 28.07.2021.

1. Ayia Napa Marina Commercial Village now open to the public
Ayia Napa Marina has entered the pilot phase of operations, having now officially opened its Commercial Village to the public. As the most ambitious development project in Cyprus, Ayia Napa Marina has announced the start of operations of Riva Beachouse, the Crew Lounge, and a four-floor parking lot, at the disposal of both visitors and permanent residents of Marina. It is worth noting that Coffee Berry has been operating since May. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/27/ayia-napa-marina-commercial-village-now-open-to-the-public/

2. MSC, Fincantieri and SNAM to partner for world’s first oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ship
The Cruise Division of MSC Group, Fincantieri and Snam announced the signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly determine the conditions for the design and construction of what would become the world’s first oceangoing hydrogen-powered cruise ship. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/27/msc-fincantieri-and-snam-to-partner-for-worlds-first-oceangoing-hydrogen-powered-cruise-ship/

3. APM Terminals Mobile targets Midwest supply chains
APM Terminals Mobile is targeting Asia to U.S. Midwest import cargo with daily departures using five class 1 railroads that offer further potential to access the U.S. heartland. CN has rail car and locomotive capacity to help speed cargo to Chicago with a 2.5 day direct doublestack service. Northbound refrigerated packs are available for cold chain cargoes as well. Five Asia/US liner services currently call the port to enhance the Midwest supply chain flow.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/27/apm-terminals-mobile-targets-midwest-supply-chains/

4. Belgium now inoculates foreign seafarers via roving vaccination teams on board ships
Following the successful COVID-19 vaccination of Belgian seafarers that started on 2 June, Belgium is going boldly beyond by moving a level up with a proposal by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the North Sea, Mr Vincent van Quickenborne, the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (RBSA) and the Directorate-General of Shipping. The Vaccination Task Force and the Interministerial Conference on Public Health started a vaccination campaign from 26 July onward for all seafarers arriving in a Belgian port, regardless of their nationality. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/07/27/belgium-now-inoculates-foreign-seafarers-via-roving-vaccination-teams-on-board-ships/

5. Scripps Gets $35M From California To Build A Hydrogen-Powered Research Vessel
California has given Scripps Institute of Oceanography $35 million to design and build a new coastal research vessel with a hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system to replace the aging R/V Robert Gordon Sproul. The new vessel, which will be operated by Scripps at UC San Diego, will serve as a platform for research dedicated to understanding the California coast and how climate change impacts the local ecosystem. https://gcaptain.com/scripps-hydrogen-research-vessel/

6. Indian Union Accuses China Of Unofficial Seafarer Ban
Today Indian media reported that Beijing has imposed an unofficial ban on ships crewed by Indian seafarers. The Times of India, which is the largest selling English-language daily newspaper in the world, says the ‘All India Seafarer & General Workers Union’ issued a written letter to the Indian government claiming that China is imposing an unofficial “ban” on Indian seafarers. They claim the ban prevents Indian nationals from entering Chinese ports and, as a result, “21,000 Indian sailors are facing job losses, directly or indirectly”. https://gcaptain.com/indian-union-accuses-china-of-unofficial-seafarer-ban/

7. Parana River Level Drops to 77-year Low. Argentina Declares State of Emergency
The government of Argentina on Monday declared a 180-day “water emergency” for the Parana River, which is suffering a historic bout of shallowness that has affected the amount of grains that can be shipped from the country’s key ports hub of Rosario. The country is a major international food supplier. The Parana, which originates in a drought-hit part of Brazil, carries about 80% of Argentina’s agricultural shipments, which are the country’s main source of export dollars. https://www.marinelink.com/news/parana-river-level-drops-year-low-489447

8. Vietnam ports container volumes up 21% in H1
Export cargo was nearly 4.8m teu, achieving a growth of 20% while import volume grew 21% to total more than 4.7m teu, Hoang said. The volume of freight cargo through Vietnam’s seaports this year reached more than 425m tonnes, an increase of 6%, compared to the same period in 2020, despite the impacts of Covid-19. Export cargoes via this route totalled around 106m tonnes in the same period, increasing 9%, year-on-year. https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports-logistics/vietnam-ports-container-volumes-21-h1

9. IMO 2020 And Beyond: Guidelines For Fuel Oil Sampling And Designated Sampling Points
The club previously published an artice on the ‘sampling of fuel oil used on board (PSC enforcement criteria)’. This article was published based on the outcome of the 74th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC-74).During MEPC-75 meeting, that was held in November-2020, new amendments to MARPOL Annex VI were adopted through Resolution MEPC.324(75). These amendments will enter into force on 1 April 2022. It introduces new requirements for fuel oil sampling points and outline methods for sampling fuel oil to validate its sulphur content. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/IMO+2020+and+beyond%3A+Guidelines+for+fuel+oil+sampling+and+designated+sampling+points

10. Growing Demand Prompts Second GAC Trinidad Office In Chaguaramas
GAC Group has opened a second office in Chaguaramas, west of Port of Spain on Trinidad’s north-west peninsula, to act as a one-stop hub to cater for growing demand for offshore mobilisation. The new base oversees vessels for GAC’s regional projects in Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, providing crew, cargo, bunker and spares services alongside offering procurement, ship agency and logistics support – all under a single roof. This has already included arranging air charters to facilitate crew changes of more than 200 offshore professionals so far this year, all in full compliance with measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Growing+demand+prompts+second+GAC+Trinidad+office+in+Chaguaramas