1. Port of Los Angeles plans fees for empty containers
The Port of Los Angeles plans to begin charging a fee to ocean carriers that allow empty containers to linger on the port’s marine terminals for nine days or longer in the latest bid to ease congestion at American ports. The fee, subject to approval by the Los Angeles Harbor Commission, would take effect on January 30, 2022. https://splash247.com/port-of-los-angeles-plans-fees-for-empty-containers/
2. Ezion to be liquidated
Singaporean liftboat operator Ezion Holdings will be liquidated after failing to come up with a potential investor. Ezion said in a release to the Singapore Exchange yesterday that the company, after speaking to several potential investors, will not continue with its restructuring and recapitalisation efforts given that it does not have continued support from its secured creditors. https://splash247.com/ezion-to-be-liquidated/
3. 2021 review: The Year of the Green Dot
It’s been the year of the green dot for me covering shipping in 2021. Scanning MarineTraffic (other vessel tracking service providers are available) for tales of congestion has become a daily ritual. Said Covid-linked ship queues propelled container shipping to record earnings, while also snaring many thousands of crew in an ongoing work purgatory. LNG shipping also enjoyed new highs in 2021, while dry bulk was able to cash in on its best year since the global financial crisis. https://splash247.com/2021-review-the-year-of-the-green-dot/
4. World’s largest ethane carrier delivered
Jiangnan Shipyard, located just north of Shanghai, has this week delivered the world’s largest ethane carrier to UK firm Ineos. The 60,000 dwt Pacific Ineos Belstaff very large ethane carrier can carry 99,000 cu m of liquified gas. The vessel features a large B-type tank along with a gas containment system developed by the shipyard capable of carrying a variety of liquified gas cargos, including LPG, ethylene and ethane. https://splash247.com/worlds-largest-ethane-carrier-delivered/
5. U.S. Natural Gas Faces High Volatility in 2022
U.S. natural gas is in for another wild year as the insularity that once shielded North American energy consumers from overseas turmoil disintegrates. Benchmark American gas futures climbed almost 45% in 2021 for the strongest annual performance in half a decade after a deadly freeze that crippled output was followed by summer heatwaves that lifted demand and hindered efforts to stow away supplies for winter. https://gcaptain.com/u-s-natural-gas-faces-high-volatility-in-2022/
6. ROV Discovers Italian World War Two Submarine Wreck
Greek divers have discovered the wreckage of an Italian submarine 80 years after it was sunk by the Allied Forces in the Aegean Sea during World War Two. The Jantina, which had sailed from the Greek island of Leros with 48 sailors on board, sank on July 5, 1941, after being hit by torpedoes fired by British submarine HMS Torbay. https://gcaptain.com/rov-discovers-italian-world-war-two-submarine-wreck/
7. New VMS Technology Hopes To Improve Fisheries Monitoring
Biendi Maganga-Moussavou had a problem. As Gabon’s minister of fisheries, agriculture and food security, he helps oversee the African country’s marine protected areas, some of the most extensive in Africa. Covering 27% of Gabon’s Exclusive Economic Zone, these waters are supervised using monitoring technology that tracks larger vessels, which are required to report their catch. But many of Gabon’s fishers run smaller operations that don’t have such systems, or even automated identification. https://gcaptain.com/new-vms-technology-hopes-to-improve-fisheries-monitoring/
8. IKEA Raises Prices Amid Supply Chain Disruptions, Higher Shipping Costs
The world’s biggest furniture brand IKEA is raising prices by an average of 9% as it faces increasing costs in transport and raw materials, the owner of most of its stores worldwide said on Thursday. IKEA had previously said it was leasing more ships, buying containers and re-routing goods between warehouses to mitigate supply chain disruptions but said it was now having to pass the costs onto customers, as it expected the turbulence to continue. https://gcaptain.com/ikea-raises-prices-amid-supply-chain-disruptions-higher-shipping-costs/
9. Repeat Of A Spectacular Year For Dry Bulk Unlikely
While dry bulk freight rates periodically hit multi-year highs in 2021 on the back of an improving global economy after the COVID-19-induced market collapse, a repeat of this extraordinary feat is unlikely in 2022, according to shipping industry executives. In fact, the time charter equivalents, which measures a ship’s daily income, had hit near historic levels. The Platts Cape T4 Index — a trade flow based weighted average of four key Capesize routes — peaked at $78,917/d Oct. 6. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Repeat+of+a+spectacular+year+for+dry+bulk+unlikely
10. Port Of LA Announces Fee On Lingering Empty Containers Amid Backlog
The Port of Los Angeles has announced it will implement a fee on ocean carriers with empty containers that linger for at least nine days on marine terminals. The fee needs to be approved by the Los Angeles Harbor Commission and would take effect on Jan. 30. Similar to a fee on lingering import containers that was implemented at the port but has not taken effect due to progress reducing import containers, the new policy’s fines would begin at $100 per container, increasing by $100 per container each day until the container leaves the terminal. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Port+of+LA+announces+fee+on+lingering+empty+containers+amid+backlog
