Transport communications

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Archives for February 2014

Geodis Wilson Sponsors Automotive Logistics Event in Bonn

The global multimodal service provider Geodis Wilson will be a gold sponsor at this year’s Automotive Logistics Conference in Bonn, Germany, which takes place at the Kameha Grand Hotel from 11-13 March 2014.  Mark Ellis, the Global Industry Director for Automotive, will be addressing the conference and will be joined by several representatives of Geodis Wilson.  

Now at its 12th year, the conference is part of the worldwide Automotive Logistics series and will be host to some 300 senior executive participants from the industry. It is the premier meeting place for OEMs and Tier suppliers to meet logistics service providers, while the supply chains across the greater continent have undergone radical re-shaping over the past five years, to reflect both the shifting to eastern Europe of production locations and as a response to the prolonged downturn in demand.

Speaking prior to this key event, Mark Ellis said, “Geodis Wilson understands that the automotive industry brings its own set of challenges. We stand behind our company slogan “Expect More”. This goes beyond a brand promise; it is our commitment to the industry. We help to drive the automotive business forward with an innovative approach to analyze supply chains and understand logistics needs for our customers.”

Ellis will speak during Session 2B on Wednesday, 12th March from 11.00-12.15 on Globalisation.  With the debate of Global vs Local in Europe still being highly contentious, this session will assess what tier suppliers are doing in accordance to this change, why they are doing it and what can be expected for the future.

For more information on the Conference go to – www.automotivelogisticsmagazine.com/events/europe-conference

About Geodis Wilson and the Geodis Group

Geodis Wilson is a leading, global freight management company. With around 8,000 employees in more than 61 countries the company delivers tailor-made, integrated logistics solutions to customers enabling them to operate as ‘best in class.’ Geodis Wilson – with a revenue of 2,64bn€ in 2012 – is the freight forwarding arm of Geodis Group which became part of the French rail and freight group SNCF in 2008. SNCF Geodis ranks among the top 7 companies in its field in the world.

For further information about Geodis, please visit www.geodiswilson.com

 

Delivery of ‘Corona’ Series Coal Carrier “CORONA SPLENDOR”

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Tokyo, (hereafter called “K” Line) is proud to announce the delivery of “CORONA SPLENDOR”, an 88,000 DWT-type special coal carrier at Marugame Shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Japan on February 25th, 2014.

CORONA SPLENDOR is the same type as “K” Line’s specialized fleet for the transport of thermal coal known as the “Corona-series”. The Corona-series, which “K” Line originated and continues to develop, consists of epoch-making coal carriers equipped with wide beam and shallow draft, which are the most suitable type to enter ports of domestic Thermal Power Stations to discharge cargo.

With this new latest deployment, the Corona-series has consisted of 17 carriers.

“K” Line takes pride that its Corona-series has been so favourably evaluated for always ensuring customers steady and reliable thermal coal transport service with maximum safety.

 

Vessel’s Specifications:

LOA:     229.98M

Beam:     38.00M

Depth :    19.90M

Full Draft :     13.904M

Deadweight Tons :     89,006MT

Gross Tons :      49,720T

Net Tons :      28,533T

Hold/Hatch :     5/5

 

 

New Insurance Cover from The Shipowners’ Club to Protect Super Yacht Owners and their Crews

London, 24 February 2014

In its latest response to specific market demand for insurance cover not formerly available, the Shipowners’ Club has launched a policy for its high net worth super yacht client base to indemnify them against Seafarers Unpaid Wages Following Abandonment (SUWFA).

Although some 80% of the world’s gross tonnage of shipping has been signed up to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), there are still many owners and managers unsure as to the extent and applicability of some of the provisions.  Crucially, this uncertainty includes the Convention’s requirement for ‘financial security’ (in practice, compulsory insurance) to be guaranteed by the vessel owner, leaving them liable for any unpaid wages owed to the crew.

Ian Ferns

Ian Ferns, Business Development Manager, explains the Club’s reasoning in introducing the cover, “We have noted that the issue of whether unpaid wages need cover continues to divide opinion. While we agree with our fellow International Group* members that such cover is yet to be mandatory , we have been inundated with requests to provide cover. Our yacht-owningMembers are faced with the request for a guarantee of “financial security” as a contractual condition on a daily basis.  We have therefore decided to assist.”

Importantly the Shipowners’ product responds specifically to abandonment.  Once more Ferns explains, “Rather than being triggered by insolvency, which is the norm used by other products, as soon as the crew detect that their employer may be failing in its duty to meet their agreed wage payments, the Club can be called upon to act. The declaration of the employer’s insolvency may, of course follow long after the crew has been abandoned.  Their need is for immediate help.”

The SUWFA policy is the latest initiative taken by Shipowners’ to respond to the particular demands of the super yacht sector and follows the Club’s first move to distil P&I Club liability cover into a neat, jargon free policy document; that ‘all risks’, plain language yacht policy, launched in 2011, has proved a great success.

Ferns concludes, “Our abandonment insurance, reducing uncertainty at a stroke and demonstrating our commitment to total crew welfare, is the latest manifestation of the Club’s policy of adapting its services in accordance with members’ requirements.”

Further details of the SUWFA policy and cover are available from Ian Ferns – ian.ferns@shipownersclub.com or from the Shipowners’ website –    www.shipownersclub.com

*The Shipowners’ Club is a member of the International Group of P&I clubs. Its 13 members uniquely share their claims losses via a Pooling Agreement, which is backed by a joint reinsurance programme.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The Shipowners’ Club is a mutual marine liability insurer, providing Protection & Indemnity insurance to smaller and specialist vessels since 1855. The Club currently insurers over 33,000 vessels from more than 6,200 Members worldwide and is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs.

The Club has offices located in Luxembourg, London, Singapore and Vancouver.

CKYHE Alliance to be established: Evergreen to join existing partners

COSCO, K LINE, YANGMING, HANJIN and EVERGREEN LINE are pleased to announce that the five parties have agreed in principle to establish a shipping alliance.  To be operational only on the trades between Asia and Europe, including the Mediterranean region, it will be called the CKYHE Alliance.

The lines intend to formally begin the new Alliance as of 1st March 2014 subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The CKYHE will commence operations in mid April with six joint services operating between Asia and Northern Europe and four loops dedicated to the Asia-Mediterranean route.

The members of CKYHE have agreed to continuously review services on the Asia-Northern Europe and Asia-Mediterranean trades in order to optimize their efficiency and to enhance their service quality in terms of network coverage. The lines’ customers will benefit from a better quality of service in terms of transit times and service frequency.

Operational efficiencies will also strengthen the Alliance members’ effective environmental stewardship.  The lines have a commitment to cleaner shipping, which they understand their customers value highly.  The Alliance will continue to pursue measures to minimize bunker consumption via ‘eco-slow steaming’ and to reduce CO2 emissions.