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Archives for February 2017

“K” Line (India) Shipping Pvt. Ltd. Becomes Member of Indian National Shipowner’s Association

February 21, 2017 by

 

“K” Line (India) Shipping Private Ltd (KLISP), affiliated company of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., joined Indian National Shipowner’s  Association(INSA) at the end of January 2017.

KLISP was established in 2014 and actively participates in Indian Coastal Trade as well as International Trade business as an Indian Shipping company. In the same year, KLISP successfully entered into a long-term CVC contract with an Indian Charterer. From December 2016, KLISP acquired ownership of an Indian flag vessel, “GANGA K” (58,000DWT Bulk Carrier) for this contract, and by acquisition of this Indian flag vessel, KLISP was officially entitled to join INSA.

By becoming an INSA member, we anticipate this will enable us to become more actively engaged in the Indian Shipping industry as well as become even more deeply rooted in activities of the local market.

The long-term goal of the “K” Line Group is to consistently render the best and most reliable service possible that will also contribute to the quality of life of the people in India, and at the same time allow us to more actively participate in the local and continuously growing infrastructure and transportation system in India.

Filed Under: "K" Line

TT Club Once More Urges Care with Coiled Cargoes

February 15, 2017 by

London, 17 January 2017

As part of its on-going campaign to improve standards of the safe packing of unit loads, including shipping containers, specialist freight transport insurer, TT Club has issued specific guidelines on packing and securing coiled materials in containers. In general, investigations into incidents along the international supply chain – whether on roads, rail, inland waterway or at sea – can often be attributed to poor practices in the packing of cargo transport units (CTUs) and coiled materials are a particular hazard.

As a leading insurer of international container transport TT Club has dealt with many incidents where coils, mostly of steel, have been improperly packed and insufficiently secured in the container, leading to the cargo shifting inside the unit and usually breaking out, resulting in injuries or damage to property.  The packing process is critical given the forces exerted on the freight during a typical journey, such as braking or turning of a road vehicle, variable handling techniques at port terminals and significant, sometimes violent motions of a ship at sea.  The consequences of these types of forces on poorly packed cargo will, of course, vary from over-turned trucks, to train derailment and damaged cranes to containers lost overboard and damage to the ship.  Coils have even been known to break through the floor of a carrying unit and escaped into traffic. In short, improperly secured coil materials can have significant and fatal consequences.

“Such experiences led us to collaborate with the CINS Organisation  – a significant safety-based initiative set up by major container shipping lines,” explains TT Club’s Peregrine Storrs-Fox, “In order to update and expand our earlier ‘Stop Loss’ briefing guide, which addressed carriage of metal coils.”

The freely available revised guidelines, ‘Transport of Coiled Materials in Containers’[1], focus attention on how a container packer can understand the risks involved through the supply chain in order to ensure that the coils are packed and secured successfully. Equally, while recognising that there are a number of proprietary solutions available, these guidelines specifically support less sophisticated operations reliant primarily on timber for load distribution and bracing, where the greatest risk exposure has been seen.

“A convergence of interests between TT Club and maritime carriers involved in the CINS Organisation in relation to incidents involving coiled materials has led to this collaboration and we are keen to extend the knowledge it contains, as well as engender further training of cargo packers throughout the global shipper and forwarder community,” comments Patrick Hicks, CINS General Secretary.

Nor do the pleas of TT Club and CINS relating to proper cargo packing end with coiled materials.  Both organisations are anxious to promote adherence to the CTU Code. General concerns about packing failures led to the development of the CTU Code[2] (‘IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units’), a publication sponsored by the three relevant UN agencies, being the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Despite all the available information, it is inevitable that specific good practice will develop in relation to certain cargo types. The transport of coiled materials falls into such a category. This particular initiative displays how the CTU Code can be applied in practice. The nature of the international supply chain is such that there are many instances where packers may require additional guidance for the specific cargo that is to be packed in a container, a trailer or a railcar.

TT Club is planning a seminar[3], together with Global Shippers Forum, ICHCA and World Shipping Council, at the outset of the European Shipping Week in Brussels at the end of February, to give prominence internationally and within individual jurisdictions to the CTU Code.

ENDS

 

[1] The ‘Transport of Coiled Materials in Containers’ guidelines are available on www.ttclub.com/loss-prevention/publications/stop-loss/article/stop-loss-13-carriage-of-metal-coils-608/

2  http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Cargoes/CargoSecuring/Pages/CTU-Code.aspx

3  https://www.europeanshippingweek.com/event/wsc-safety-in-the-intermodal-supply-chain-promoting-the-imoilounece-code-of-practice-for-the-safe-packing-of-cargo-transport/

 

Notes to editors

TT Club

TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.

TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller

www.ttclub.com

Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

 

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self- employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Managing general agents

www.thomasmiller.com

 

Filed Under: TT Club

“K”Line’s CO2 Reduction Target Certified as “Science Based Target (SBT)” ~ Evaluated as the Goal to Contribute to the Paris Agreement ~

February 14, 2017 by

 

“K” Line’s CO2 reduction targets were approved to be scientifically consistent with the level achieving to the “Paris Agreement” set binding 2℃ goal *1 for rise of global temperature and obtained certification from an international initiative, Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)*2.

In March 2015, we introduced our long-term environmental vision,“K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050 “Securing Blue Seas for Tomorrow”*3 and set an environmental target to reduce CO2 emissions from our operating ships by half before 2050 as one of our counter-measures against global warming. (see below diagram)

At this juncture, we set the interim target to reduce CO2 emissions by 10% for 2019 and successfully accomplished ahead of schedule the target in 2015 and set a new interim target to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% for 2030. At this time, this milestone has been certified with SBTi.

SBTi is a joint initiative established by CDP*4 and other organizations in order to promote the achievement of science-based emission-reduction targets for greenhouse gases, and the existence of SBT is adopted as a part of evaluation item in CDP.

As of 13 Feb, 2017, 211 of the majour companies around the world have declared to set SBT, in their companies, including ”K” Line, of which 35 companies’ targets have already been certified by SBTi.

As a world–leading marine transport operator, “K” Line continues to aim at providing more environmentally-friendly and efficient transportation services for more people all over the world and is making every effort to improve its corporate value.

*1 the “Paris Agreement” set binding 2℃ goal

Paris agreement is a framework against global climate change which came into force on  4 Nov 2016, its achievement of “2℃ goal” for holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, placed as the international issue.

*2 Science Based Target Initiative（SBTi）

It is an initiative about Science Based Target for greenhouse gas reduction and a joint initiative between CDP, UNGC (United Nations Global Compact), WRI (World Resources Institute) and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), which checks whether the compaines’ medium-term reduction targets (5-15 years) for green house gases are consistent with the level of necessary decarbonization for achieving the long-term “2℃ goal” based on their own science-based CO2 emission standard.

*3 “K” Line Environmental Vision 2050

http://www.kline.co.jp/en/csr/environment/index.htm

*4 CDP

CDP is an international non-profit organization (NPO) that surveys, evaluates and discloses companies’ environmental initiatives, and they disclose the evaluation results as global common indicators to measure corporate value. We have been selected for top assessment “A” list in “CDP 2016 Climate” and also selected for “Supplier engagement leader board” as an excellect company in CDP supply chain program.

 

ENDS

Filed Under: "K" Line

The American Club celebrates its Centenary

February 8, 2017 by

International P&I insurer publishes book to mark this milestone and its place in the global maritime industry

 

NEW YORK, JANUARY 3, 2017:

The American P&I Club was founded in New York nearly a century ago. To celebrate its first 100 years, a book entitled The American Club: A Centennial History has just been published.

The book tells the story of the Club across ten decades of maritime and marine insurance history both within the United States and across the world. Its author is Richard Blodgett, a former Wall Street Journal reporter whose previous credits include histories of the New York Stock Exchange, Kohler and Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Club’s Chairman, Arnold Witte of Donjon Marine Co., Inc., commented:

 “P&I clubs are one of the least known, yet significant, niches of the maritime world. The American Club: A Centennial History reveals the rich traditions of the clubs through the spyglass of the only P&I club in the Americas. I am delighted that we have been able to record for posterity the challenges the American Club has faced over the years, and we are very proud of all the achievements and benefits it has brought those who work in the global shipping industry and to marine insurance in general.”

The American Club was founded in February, 1917. War was raging in Europe when the Club began. At that time, P&I insurance was available primarily from clubs in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. In consequence of UK government trade-related sanctions which had been imposed on certain US shipowners in 1916, the American Club was established to provide a reliable source of coverage in the United States.

The Club was the brainchild of W. H. LaBoyteaux, President of Johnson & Higgins, the leading US marine insurance broker in the United States at that time. The Club was an immediate success, enjoying the support of many of the foremost US steamship companies.

The size of the American merchant marine fluctuated in the 1920s and 1930s. It grew during World War II, but entered a prolonged period of decline thereafter. In the decades from 1950 onward, the worldwide merchant fleet grew steadily. But nearly all that growth was taking place outside the United States.

Although the Club only admitted its first foreign-flagged member in 1980, it had ambitions of further international growth over the years which followed. These ambitions gained momentum in 1995 when the Club implemented a major strategy for growth and diversification. Entitled Vision 2000, it called for new leadership, the expansion of the Club’s membership internationally, the establishment of overseas offices, the development of new insurance lines and many other initiatives designed to place the Club at the forefront of its industry peers.

In 1998 the American Club became a full member of the International Group of P&I Clubs. This alliance of leading insurers provides outstanding security and technical resources to the maritime community. It also supports the industry’s broader interests as one of shipping’s most influential voices.

Today, the American Club is thoroughly international in scope, offers the broadest range of marine insurance products and is larger and more successful than ever. On the threshold of its centennial year, Members domiciled outside North America account for about 85% of the Club’s insured tonnage.

Joe Hughes, Chairman and CEO of the American Club’s managers, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., also commented:

“Today the American Club is thoroughly international in scope, offers a broad range of marine insurance products and is larger and more successful than ever. At present, members domiciled outside North America account for some 85 percent of the Club’s insured tonnage. What was founded in 1917 as an American Club serving the American steamship industry has successfully recast itself as an American Club serving the global maritime community, building on the enduring values of its long traditions.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The American Club

American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (the American Club) was established in New York in 1917. It is the only mutual Protection and Indemnity Club domiciled in the entire Americas and its headquarters are in New York, USA.

The American Club has been successful in recent years in building on its US heritage to create a truly international insurer with a global reach second-to-none in the industry. Day to day management of the American Club is provided by Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. also headquartered in New York.

The Club is able to provide local service for its members across all time zones, communicating in eleven languages, and has subsidiary offices located in London, Houston, Piraeus, Hong Kong and Shanghai, plus a worldwide network of correspondents.

The Club is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs, a collective of thirteen mutuals which together provide Protection and Indemnity insurance for some 90% of all world shipping.

For more information, please visit the Club’s website http://www.american-club.com/

P&I Insurance

Protection and Indemnity insurance (commonly referred to as “P&I”) provides cover to shipowners and charterers against third-party liabilities encountered in their commercial operations; typical exposures include damage to cargo, pollution, death/injury or illness of passengers or crew or damage to docks and other installations.

Running in parallel with a ship’s hull and machinery cover, traditional P&I cover distinguishes itself from usual forms of marine insurance by being based on the not-for-profit principle of mutuality where Members of the Club are both the insurers and the assureds.

Filed Under: The American Club

Incorrect container packing leads to 65% of damaged cargo

February 7, 2017 by

7 February, 2017

European Shipping Week will take place in Brussels from 27 February to 2 March[1] and there delegates will focus on the correct packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTUs) and the safety issues that result from poor work practices. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Kitack Lim, and Magda Kopczynska from the European Commission’s DG MOVE, which is the directorate responsible for freight transport safety within the EU, will join industry leaders to speak at a seminar on Monday 27 February[2]. The seminar has been arranged by the same alliance of industry organisations that successfully brought compliance with the verified container gross mass requirements to the forefront: shipper association the Global Shippers Forum (GSF); the cargo handling group ICHCA; international freight insurer TT Club and liner shipping organisation World Shipping Council (WSC).

An analysis of TT Club’s insurance claims records suggests that 65% of damages to cargo result from poorly packed, blocked or secured cargo in CTUs, particularly freight containers. “Yet this points to only a fraction of the extent of a significant safety problem surrounding poor packing” states TT Club’s Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox. “TT Club, along with our fellow industry representatives are concerned that preventable incidents, both on land (road and rail) and at sea, arise from badly packed CTUs. The safety of workers, particularly those unloading units at destination, is also at considerable risk. Safe industry packing and securing guidance must be disseminated and followed.”

The seminar, entitled, ‘Safety in the Intermodal Supply Chain: Promoting IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code)’ will endeavour to raise the profile of the issues. “It is now over two years since the three UN bodies that sponsored the CTU Code approved its content,” comments ICHCA’s Captain Richard Brough OBE. “While a non-mandatory Code of Practice, it is now thoroughly referenced in the IMDG Code. The entire freight industry must recognise that this detailed guidance may now be seen as representing industry best practice.”

The importance of awareness across the entire supply chain of these dangers is a point emphasised by Chris Welsh MBE, Secretary General of GSF, “The responsibility of all those working in the supply chain, shippers, packers, forwarders, warehouse operators and transport providers of all modes and in all countries is clearly set out in the Code. This responsibility for the safety of cargo loads and those handling them does not cease when the doors of the trailer or container are closed”, he emphasises.

The quartet of seminar sponsors is completed by the participation of the ocean carriers’ organisation, WSC. Its Senior Vice President, Lars Kjaer is keen to highlight the senior level of speakers that have committed to attend the Seminar, “The IMO’s Secretary-General, Kitack Lim has demonstrated his commitment to improving safety in global transport and we are delighted that he is adding weight to our efforts to promote the CTU Code and associated initiatives. In addition to industry leaders, we will also have the key involvement of DG MOVE, whose role in encouraging the Member States to promote the Code and a safety culture and best practices will be important for enhancing safety in the supply chain,” he concludes.

ENDS

[1] https://www.europeanshippingweek.com

[2] https://www.europeanshippingweek.com/event/wsc-safety-in-the-intermodal-supply-chain-promoting-the-imoilounece-code-of-practice-for-the-safe-packing-of-cargo-transport

 

Notes for Editors

The Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) is the world’s leading global trade association representing shippers engaged in international trade moving goods by all modes of transport. Chris Welsh MBE chaired the Expert Working Group charged with drafting IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code). More information is available at: www.globalshippersforum.com

The International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the safety, security, sustainability, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and goods movement by all modes and through all phases of national and international supply chains. ICHCA actively participated in the Expert Working Group and debates leading to the approval of the CTU Code. More information is available at: http://ichca.com

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. The TT Club participated in the Expert Working Group and debates leading to the approval of the CTU Code. More information is available at: www.ttclub.com.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) represents the global liner shipping industry on regulatory, environmental, safety and security policy issues. The WSC has observer status at the IMO and was actively involved in the development of the CTU Code. More information is available at: www.worldshipping.org.

 

Filed Under: TT Club

Evergreen Recognized for Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies

February 7, 2017 by
170206 Santa Barbara award Blue Whales

Photo Caption: On behalf of Evergreen Line, Captain CT Chen (first left) attended the recognition ceremony of 2016 vessel speed reduction incentive program in Santa Barbara Channel Region. Photo courtesy of www.OurAir.org

February 06, 2016 – Evergreen Line has received recognition for its excellent performance in a voluntary environmental and ecological protection program, which started on July 1 last year and ended on November 15. The initiative was aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions of vessels and avoiding whale collisions by encouraging slow sailing speeds in California’s Santa Barbara Channel region. The recognition ceremony took place on January 23, 2017.

Vessels enrolled in this program were required to reduce speeds to 12 knots or less within 95 nautical miles of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. This practice helps to minimize the emissions of greenhouse gases and thus reduce their influence on air quality within the port community. The result was a reduction of more than 1,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and 27 tons of the smog-forming air pollutant, nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The July to November period sees an increase in whale population in the Santa Barbara Channel region; these include blue, humpback and fin whales.  With thousands of vessels sailing through the Channel each year, ship strikes are unfortunately a major threat to the endangered whale population.  Slowing ship speeds has proved to reduce the risk of such fatal strikes.

“When you slow ships down you provide whale conservation and cleaner air for us to breathe here on shore,” said Kristi Birney, marine conservation analyst for the Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center, one of the backers of the initiative.  The institutions that supported this program also include the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and the Volgenau Foundation.

Evergreen Line is committed to safeguarding the environment of both marine ecosystems and port communities within which it operates.  Over the years, the carrier has worked with government agencies, scientific research institutions, cargo owners and other relevant parties in the supply chain on various environmental protection programs. In September 2016 Evergreen Line was honored with an environmental protection award by the Port Authority of Los Angeles in recognition of the carrier’s excellent performance in the 2015 Vessel Speed Reduction Program.

Furthermore, Evergreen has implemented its environmental policy in its fleet renewal programs by adopting the latest shipbuilding technologies to create an eco-friendly fleet and to provide sustainable transportation service.  For instance, the ships that Evergreen enrolled in this program included its award-winning S-type containerships and the more advanced  L-type vessels that have been delivered in the recent years.

Filed Under: Evergreen Line