Transport communications

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The American Club’s Loss Prevention Initiative ‘Good Catch’ gathers momentum

November 2, 2021 by

Robust culture supports seafarers’ situational awareness and personal responsibility in campaign to improve safety at sea for all

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 2, 2021: The American Club has recently launched an important new loss prevention initiative entitled Good Catch. As it gains increasing momentum, five safety advisories having been issued in the two months since the campaign was launched, Good Catch is aimed directly at seafarers themselves.  It combines alerts and animations on safety-related issues in a focused format.  Good Catch is currently available for download in English and in both new and traditional Mandarin.

Good Catch recognizes that, although there may be differences in detail between individual safety management systems, they all have a common purpose in ensuring seafarers’ situational awareness and their personal responsibility for their own safety, that of their shipmates, the marine environment, and the many other interests involved in their service at sea. The initiative emphasizes the importance of a strong safety culture which identifies, assesses and reports unsafe conditions, unsafe acts and near misses using case study examples.

Elements of the campaign already released include: reduction of CO2 emissions; dangers of over reliance on ECDIS²; engine room egress in case of fire and questionable risk assessments of various situations.  A number more are planned over the coming months.

Dr. William Moore, Head of Global Loss Prevention, Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., the Club’s Managers, said:

“We have over the recent past issued animations on bunkering and the handling of steel and rice cargoes; a library of safety, environmental and cargo handling e-Learning modules; safety comics and posters, but the focus of Good Catch is on informing seafarers themselves. We look to help them to become more situationally aware of their surroundings as well as make them aware that they are most responsible for their own safety and the safety of those who work beside them, in conjunction with the company and safety management system procedures under which they operate.

“As Managers of the Club, we meet with the Club Board’s Safety and Environmental Protection Committee, comprised of Club Directors, every quarter to discuss loss prevention and survey related activities.  Earlier this year, the Committee requested the Managers to maintain an undiminished focus on seafarer and ship safety in parallel with initiatives to inhibit environmental exposure, given the Club’s especially valuable insights to both areas of concern to the safe and environmentally friendly operation of ships.”

Joe Hughes, Chairman & CEO of Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., the Club’s Managers, said:

“It was a combination of events that brought Good Catch to fruition, but the initiative was primarily a result of reaching out to our members for their feedback on the loss prevention products and services the Club provides. The response was very positive.  There was a clear message that the Club should promote safety related guidance directed at seafarers which was short, simple and focused.  I am very pleased that this important initiative has now been launched.”

New alerts and animations will be posted periodically at the Club’s website at:

¹https://www.american-club.com/page/good_catch

²Electronic Chart Display and Information System

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, Piraeus, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Houston, 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.

The American Club also operates a fixed premium facility, Eagle Ocean Marine (EOM), aimed at the operators of smaller vessels in local and regional trades.  Since it commenced underwriting in 2011 with its coventurers at Lloyd’s, EOM has enjoyed considerable success in building a growing footprint in this specialist market and generating strong profitability for both the Club and its co-insuring partners.

American Hellenic Hull Insurance Company, Ltd. (AHHIC) is a wholly-owned, Solvency-II accredited hull and war risk subsidiary of the Club, based in Cyprus.  Since it began operating in mid-2016, AHHIC has enjoyed an increasing market presence throughout the world.

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

Filed Under: The American Club

“South Baltic Transport Loops” project yields positive results

November 2, 2021 by

The EU-co-funded project creates new connections for freight and passenger transport and optimises hinterland connections in the southern Baltic Sea region

Hamburg, 2 November 2021 – The transnational project “South Baltic Transport Loops” (SBTL), supported by the European Union and initially developed by Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) recently held its closing conference in Copenhagen. Aimed at assisting in the development of smaller and medium-sized ports in the region, a number of significant new sea connections have resulted.

The main focus of the partners in the project, the ports of Elblag, Karlshamn, Mukran and Roenne, and the Klaipeda Shipping Research Centre is developing and implementing new regular services and ship connections for container, bulk and general cargo transport, and ferry services. Attention is also being placed on improving the intermodal hinterland connections of the ports. Representatives of the project partners presented their results at the closing conference in Copenhagen on 28 September.

HPC developed the project in 2016, applied for funding and has been coordinating it since 2018. Dr Olaf Zeike, Senior Consultant at HPC and the project manager in charge, takes positive stock: “With the activities promoted by the SBTL project, the course has been set for sustainable development of the partner ports in the southern Baltic Sea region. Despite Corona-related delays, we can be proud of the team effort that has been achieved across the countries involved in the project.” The list of innovations and improvements is impressive.

Port of Mukran

A total of three new connections in cargo transport have been established so far: to build the “Baltic Sea Bridge” for container transport between Europe and China, a regular connection was set up to run several times a week between the port of Mukran (Saßnitz) on the island of Rügen and Baltysk. The latter belongs to the Russian Kaliningrad region and allows for a connection to the New Silk Road by rail from and to Xi’an, China.

The creation of a new connection between Mukran and Karlshamn in February 2021 also provided the southern Swedish port with access to the New Silk Road. “Large investments are being made to strengthen and expand the transport corridor between Sweden and Eastern Europe/CIS/China via Karlshamn,” says Ulf Sandevärn, Marketing Manager, Port of Karlshamn.

New ferry connections have been established between the southern Swedish ports of Ystad and Mukran, which will serve in responding to an expected increase in tourism with up to two departures daily in the summer, bearing particular relevance for passenger traffic and tourism.

Between Roenne on the island of Bornholm and Mukran, it was possible to switch to a year-round ferry service and increase the number of weekly departures. “The connection to Mukran has strengthened the central importance of the Port of Roenne as Bornholm’s supply port,” says Maja Felicia Bendtsen, Chief Business Officer – Bulk, Port of Roenne.

As regards the ferry service between Karlshamn and Klaipeda, Lithuania, in addition to an increase in frequency, port capacity has also been extended and prepared for the use of larger ferries.

“At the Port of Elblag, extensive preparatory work was carried out for the future development of the port upon completion of the new canal between the Baltic Sea and the Vistula Lagoon,” explains Arkadiusz Zglinski, Director of the Port of Elblag. 

“The southern Baltic Sea region is developing very quickly, and it is important that the forecast of passenger and cargo flows is as accurate as possible,” says Prof. Vytautas Paulauskas of the Klaipeda Shipping Research Centre, who has been analysing traffic flows in the region.

In terms of improving hinterland connections, bus lines to the ports of Karlshamn and Mukran have been optimised. The railway hinterland connection for container transport to and from the ports of Karlshamn and Mukran has also been improved.

“Mukran is the closest German port to Sweden, Bornholm, Finland, Russia and the Baltic States and serves as a gateway to Western Europe,” says Helmut Seilert, Senior Manager Business Development & Logistics, Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH. “Thanks to the project, the improved hinterland connection for freight transport enables green transport by rail from the Baltic Sea to numerous destinations in Germany and to Rotterdam.”

The South Baltic Transport Loops project has been funded by the Interreg South Baltic programme, which utilises funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Interreg is one of the European Union’s (EU) main instruments for promoting cross-border cooperation through project funding. The programme aims to find common solutions in the areas of transport and sustainability, among others. For example, projects funded under the heading “Blue Growth” address the economic potential of the Baltic Sea for economic growth and employment along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.

“The SBTL project has vividly filled the Interreg programme priorities with life,” Olaf Zeike concludes. “Together, the project partners have worked towards sustainable, innovative solutions that are attractive for business and tourism in the region and promote cooperation.”   

For more information, visit www.southbaltictransportloops.EU

About HPC

Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered approximately 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, break bulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Filed Under: HPC Hamburg Port Consulting

Initiated Co-Development of Marine Machinery Operation Support System utilizing AI

November 1, 2021 by

~ For the Future with Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships ~

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) announced that they have concluded a co-development contract for “AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based Marine Machinery Operation Support System” (hereinafter referred to as “the System”) that is expected to be part of the core technology to achieve autonomous vessel operation in the future.  The System will have such functions as failure prediction/ diagnostics, CBM (Condition-Based Maintenance), and optimum operation support, based on the data analytics of marine machinery operation data using AI. 

In view of safer operations at sea, improvement of working environment for seafarers, and higher pressure for industrial competitiveness, the expectations for autonomous operations for ships is increasingly growing these days. Through this co-development project, they aim to complete the System by combining “K” Line’s extensive data on vessel operation and marine machinery operation collected from Kawasaki-Integrated Marine Solutions*1 and its years of experiences in operation and maintenance of onboard machinery, and KHI’s technology and expertise in building ships and propulsion plants, and by having AI learn these data and knowledge.

The System manages not only a specific piece of equipment but marine machinery onboard as a whole, including main engine and power generator.  In developing the System, we will first target those vessels with diesel propulsion plants, and then those with various types of propulsion systems such as steam turbines and electronic propulsion systems in the next phase.  The System will be beneficial for crew onboard as well as ship management personnel on land, providing useful information on failure predictions and failure diagnostics. This not only enables users to prevent major engine troubles from occurring but also assists planning effective maintenance schedule and advises optimum engine operation based on the condition of plants, ultimately to improve fuel consumption and to contribute to the greenhouse gas reduction.

Preferred Networks, Inc.*2 known for their cutting-edge technologies on deep-learning and machine-learning, is joining us in developing the “Marine AI,” the core of the System that executes failure prediction and operation condition diagnostics.

The Marine AI will be implemented both onboard and in the cloud system. The one onboard learns the vessel’s operation data and uses them to diagnose on a real-time basis. The one in the cloud system periodically collects the data accumulated on each vessel, and centrally uses them for further learning, allowing itself to become smarter and offer failure prediction and diagnostics as well as optimum operation support for any type of vessels.  A proof-of-concept has been established for the core technology of the Marine AI for failure prediction and diagnostics.  With abundant data collected from various ships via Kawasaki-Integrated Marine Solutions, as well as such data obtained from the latest sensors that were not available before, “K” Line and KHI will further proceed on developing the Marine AI that is versatile enough to be applied for any types of vessels. 

Marine Machinery Operation Support System (conceptual diagram)

Both “K” Line and KHI are innovators, fully utilizing their expertise in maritime transport and shipbuilding, collaborating with entities from other industries with their special knowledge and technologies to accelerate system development so that they will achieve autonomous vessel operation for the future. “K” Line and KHI will contribute to accomplish safer operations at sea, improved working environment for seafarers, and higher competitiveness in the marine industry.

Notes

*1. Kawasaki-Integrated Marine Solutions is an ICT system for vessels that allows ship operation management, condition monitoring, performance analysis, and others from management office on land, using ship-land communication network.

Released on June 28, 2016: Joint development project of “K-IMS”; Integrated vessel operation and performance management system

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/other/other3295047094663452046.html

Released on December 4, 2019: Completed Additional Development (Phase-2) of “Kawasaki Integrated Maritime Solutions”

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/other/20191204EN/main/0/link/20191204EN.pdf

*2. Preferred Networks, Inc. was founded in March 2014, and has been making progressive advancement to achieve the application of machine learning and deep learning to industry in collaboration with leading companies of many different fields, including transportation system, manufacturing industries, and bio-healthcare since then.  As part of the areas of machine learning/ deep learning application, Preferred Networks has been employing their cutting-edge technology for failure prediction of industrial equipment based on anomaly detection using time-series data and operation optimization of factory plants. 

Filed Under: "K" Line

Dachser switches completely to green electricity

November 1, 2021 by

The logistics provider obtains 100 percent of its electricity worldwide from renewable sources; it will quadruple the amount of green electricity it generates itself using photovoltaic systems.


Kempten, October 28, 2021 – As of January 1, 2022, Dachser will be purchasing only electricity generated from renewable resources. This means that the logistics provider, which operates 387 of its own locations in 42 countries, is increasing its proportion of green power from around 60 percent to 100 percent. In Germany and the Netherlands, the family-owned company had already switched to green power beforehand. In addition, Dachser will significantly step up its in-house generation of renewable energy and, as a first step, is installing and expanding photovoltaic systems on the roofs of its European logistics facilities and office buildings. By 2025, its current capacity will more than quadruple, to over 20,000 kWp of installed capacity.

Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Dachser

“We’re implementing two basic building blocks of our climate protection strategy by switching to purchasing electricity solely from wind, solar, and hydropower worldwide, while also expanding our own production of green electricity,” explains Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Dachser. “These actions are reducing our carbon footprint. At the same time, our demand strengthens the production of green power and contributes to the expansion of capacity in Europe for generating electricity from renewable sources.”

Long-term climate protection strategy

Efficiency, innovation, and inclusive responsibility: these are the cornerstones of Dachser’s long-term climate protection strategy. The family-owned company’s initiatives aim at efficient logistics processes, energy savings, and technological innovation. Dachser believes this is the best way to limit GHG in line with the 2-degree target set by the Paris Agreement as well as the climate protection targets of the European Union and many other countries. To this end, the company works together with customers and partners who are also keen to actively shape how logistics moves to adopt low- and zero-emission technologies. Employees too are closely involved in climate protection activities, with a commitment to society and social issues that goes beyond Dachser’s own direct business interests.


About Dachser:

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customised services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,800 employees at 387 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2020. The same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 78.6 million shipments weighing 39.8 million metric tons. Dachser is represented by its own country organisations in 42 countries on five continents. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Filed Under: Dachser UK

“K” LINE and IBM Japan, Field Trial Utilizing IoT and AI Conducted to Improve Safety and Quality of Car Carrier Cargo Handling

October 28, 2021 by

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) and IBM Japan, Ltd. (IBM Japan) have conducted a field trial with the objective of improving work quality by strengthening the safety management of cargo handling. Internet of Things (IoT) devices and artificial intelligence (AI) were utilized to collect and analyze information on driving of vehicles during operation in cargo holds, positional information of vehicles and workers, and vital information of workers.

The field trial verified the restriction of driving speed of vehicles, prevention of contact between vehicles and workers, prevention of collisions of vehicles, and collection of vital information of workers. Specifically, with the cooperation of a stevedoring company, beacons (positional information sensors), surveillance cameras, and speed measurement equipment were installed on the cargo deck to collect data. Furthermore, AI-based image recognition technology (Note*) was used to separate vehicles and workers based on camera images to determine the status of their proximity. In addition, heart rates data were obtained from wearable devices (Note*) and based on analyzed data by algorithm to ascertain trends in driver stress. The aim is to improve work quality by strengthening the safety management of cargo handling by analyzing this diverse and complex data and visualizing the number and condition of speed violations and near-miss incidents in the vessel.

Monitoring by using AI-based Camera on the cargo deck.

IBM Cloud, which is secure and has a track record in many companies as a data platform, was used for data analysis. IBM Japan created IBM®︎ Maximo Monito, a solution for remote monitoring, on IBM Cloud to provide real-time visualization of large data sets, AI-based anomaly detection, and a configurable dashboard. This solution enabled the collection, management, and analysis of sensor information, and data scientists played a central role in supporting tasks such as IoT application design and data analysis.

“K” LINE will conduct further verification aimed at practical implementation based on the results of this field trial.


Acquisition of biometric information obtained as heartbeats of stevedores using wearable devices.  (Wearable IoT solution from Mitsufuji.)

“K” LINE aims to establish a world-leading safe operation system, with contribution to people living well and prosperously under its corporate philosophy as an integrated logistics group. In order to further strengthen safety management in the car carrier business, “K” LINE believes it is important to further utilize digital technologies such as IoT and AI.

“K” LINE has also been engaged in strengthening communication infrastructure. The “CENTURY HIGHWAY GREEN,” a next-generation environmentally friendly car carrier, was delivered to “K” LINE in March 2021, equipped with significantly improved facilities for communication within the vessel and between the vessel and land. By adopting a variety of environmental measures and digital technologies, “K” LINE will remain committed to the improvement of safety, the environment, and quality as a key issue it faces.

Reference

March 12, 2021 release: Delivery of Next-generation Environmentally Friendly Car Carrier Fueled by LNG “CENTURY HIGHWAY GREEN” https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/car/car753727087818379669/main/0/link/210312EN1.pdf

Filed Under: "K" Line

GEODIS Expands Road Network Across Southeast Asia

October 27, 2021 by

GEODIS upgrades road network capabilities, connects Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam

GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, has expanded its road network in Southeast Asia to Vietnam; another step towards its ambition to develop a scheduled road service connecting Singapore to China. GEODIS’ own fleet of vehicles and expanded network of partners enables full and partial loads to be carried by road along the Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand axis, and now Vietnam. The addition of the service to Vietnam will serve businesses driving the manufacturing boom in that country over recent years, helping the region become a vital supply chain node for many high-tech, retail, and FMCG businesses.

Launched in November 2019, the Road Transport service of GEODIS in Southeast Asia was created to meet the needs of companies looking for a day-definite road transportation solution for their cargo, in the range of 30 to 1000 kilos per shipment.

The expanded road network for Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less than Truck Load (LTL) service provide freight management from first to last mile and offers additional options for existing GEODIS customers, in addition to air and ocean transport modes.  The door-to-door road option has the advantage of loading space flexibility, with benefits of lower rates than air freight, shorter transit times than ocean freight, and on-the-ground expertise for customs clearance.

Since March 2021, GEODIS has expanded its road network capabilities by offering both standard and personalized solutions including its RoadDirect, RoadFast, and RoadSave services. With these differing levels of service, GEODIS balances transit time and costs to ensure customers can tailor the solution that best fits their needs; to include door-to-door service, customs brokerage and onward distribution.

Accompanying the new expansion of the Road Transport service of GEODIS is a dedicated access to a rate calculator and automated quotation system, which will be available towards the end of 2021.

“Our expanded service aims to give our customers greater flexibility and reliability of service in the context of current supply chain disruptions affecting air and sea cargo flows,” said Lakshmanan Venkateswaran, Sub-Regional Managing Director – South East Asia. “The service refinements come at a pivotal time as ASEAN’s manufacturing productivity and market expansion are gaining momentum due to the confluence of events that is motivating global companies to diversify their supply chain options”.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics services provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France and #7 worldwide. In 2020, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.4 billion in sales.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

TT Club : A picture is worth a thousand words

October 26, 2021 by

TT Club, the insurance provider to the global freight industry remains dedicated to heightening awareness of the risks to security in the supply chain.  It has launched a series of brief informative and instructive animations to highlight specific vulnerabilities.

London, 26th October, 2021

A total of seven animations simply and clearly illustrate in graphic form a variety of theft techniques from driver attacks, false authority personnel and inadequate perimeter fencing to theft from moving vehicles.  They are intended to alert all operatives throughout the supply chain no matter their function, location or level of experience.

“Supply chain security is a vital consideration for all actors in the global supply chain, regardless of where they are operating or the  nature of their contractual obligations,” comments TT Club’s MD of Loss Prevention, Mike Yarwood.  “Cargo loss through theft or criminal damage has always been a concern but the current stresses and strains on supply chains across the world make security an even higher priority for operators and cargo owners alike.  Such conditions as cargo congestion, delays, longer dwell times and shortage of secure storage facilities all mean the opportunities for criminals increase.  Alterations to well established transport procedures or ‘work arounds’ also bring heightened risk.”

A picture containing music Description automatically generated
A toilet with a red box on the tank Description automatically generated with low confidence

TT has evidence that criminals continue to infiltrate the supply chain with increasing ingenuity, accessing cargo with relative ease and impunity. As exemplified by the screenshots taken from one of the animations above.  The means at their disposal, the lengths they are prepared to go and the strategies they employ differ geographically. Where a particular strategy meets with success, it is often used again and in other locations, creating a dynamic risk landscape. Such trends have led TT to design and produce this series of graphic animations, which it is hoped will have universal appeal through their ability to communicate the threats comprehensively and clearly across the world. 

“One certainty within the unpredictable dynamics of our modern cargo environment is that freight crime pays,” stresses Yarwood.  “This motivates criminals to maintain and expand their activities, constantly striving to identify and target low-risk high-value goods to acquire via a diverse variety of methods.  We must ramp up our vigilance and communicate effectively with those at risk.”

The animations along with further insight into supply chain security risks and how to mitigate them are available within the TT Club website HERE

ENDS

About TT Club:

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

www.ttclub.com

Filed Under: TT Club

Joint project on “Development of Ammonia-fueled ship” adopted as Green Innovation Fund

October 26, 2021 by

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), together with ITOCHU Corporation, NS United Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd., Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. and Mitsui E&S Machinery Co., Ltd. have jointly applied for and been selected for the “Green Innovation Fund Project / Development Project for Next-Generation Ships / Development of Ammonia-Fueled Ships,” a project publicly announced by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

In order to achieve the International Maritime Organization’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this project will use ammonia as marine-fuel, which is attracting attention from various fields as a candidate for alternative fuels, to develop, own and operate propulsion systems and hulls ahead of other countries, with the aim of implementing ammonia-fueled ships in society under Japan’s leadership as early as possible by 2028, so that Japan’s maritime industry can maintain its long-term advantage in the field of zero-emission ships.

Role of each company

CompanyRole
Mitsui E&S Machinery1. Development of ammonia fuel tank & fuel supply system
2. Development of technology related to ammonia-fueled engine
3. Development of safety features specific to ammonia-fueled ship
4. Demonstration of related to ammonia-fueled engine & supply system
Nihon Shipyard1. Development of hull equipped with ammonia fuel tanks
2. Ammonia fuel handling system onboard
3. Safety systems onboard
4. Verification of research and development through shipboard demonstration
“K” LINE ITOCHU Corporation NS United KaiunOperational demonstration of ammonia-fueled ship

Through the “Joint Study” framework for studying ammonia as an alternative marine fuel (Note 1) established in June this year, “K” LINE has been studying the use of ammonia as marine-fuel. Together with the four companies involved in this joint project, “K” LINE will continue to work toward the social implementation of ammonia, a promising zero-emission fuel, as a marine-fuel in society.

Filed Under: "K" Line

Dachser Erfurt continues along its growth trajectory

October 21, 2021 by

Kempten/Erfurt, October 21, 2021 – Logistics provider Dachser is once again expanding its logistics center in Erfurt, Germany, and adding some 3,200 m2 of transit terminal space to its stock warehouse in the nearby Thörey commercial zone. This means that the Dachser location now has 6,100 m2 of floor space available for industrial goods and a total of about 3,300 m2 for food. Operations at the new addition began on schedule at the start of September.

DACHSER Logistik baute in Thörey einen Anbau an das Bestandsgebäude. Foto: Paul-Philipp Braun

Adding space to the transit terminal creates an extra 49 gates for loading and unloading trucks. “The expansion allows us to make procedures and processes for handling cargo even more efficient,” says Dr. Rimbert J. Kelber, General Manager of Dachser’s Erfurt logistics center. “In addition to being better placed to cope with daily fluctuations and workload peaks, we are also creating ideal conditions for our continued growth.” The expansion of the warehouse creates ten new jobs at the location. In summer 2022, Dachser is also planning to add new offices, complete with sanitation and storage space, as well as a state-of-the-art break room with a total area of 640 m2 for the location’s employees.

A reliable partner even in challenging times

“By investing in the future of this location, we’re ensuring that at all times, we’ll be able to provide our customers in the region with logistics services of the high quality they are used to,” says Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics. “Thanks to the tremendous commitment of our employees during and after the restrictions imposed during the pandemic, we’ve always been able to reliably maintain our delivery capability. We’ve been and we remain a stable partner for our customers and a reliable supplier in the region.”

Dachser opened its first location in the German state of Thuringia in 2004 and provides logistics services for customers from the industrial and food sectors. Only last year, Dachser invested in this location by adding a 20,000 m2 warehouse with office space to the logistics center.

About Dachser:

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 30,800 employees at 387 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.6 billion in 2020. The same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 78.6 million shipments weighing 39.8 million metric tons. Dachser is represented by its own country organizations in 42 countries on five continents. For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

Filed Under: Dachser UK

“K” LINE successfully separated and captured CO2 from exhaust gas in World’s First CO2 Capture Plant on Vessel

October 21, 2021 by

~Captured CO2 has Purity greater than 99.9%, Demonstrating performance in line with Plan~

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) has successfully separated and captured carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas emitted from the vessel, coal carrier “CORONA UTILITY”(operated by “K” LINE for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.), which has been installed the “CC-OCEAN” project for the verification of CO2 capture plant onboard as part of the “Research and Development for advancing marine resources technologies” (Note 1), in cooperation with Mitsubishi shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (“Mitsubishi Shipbuilding”) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (“Class NK”).

As a result of demonstration, the captured CO2 had a purity (Note 2) of more than 99.9%, which is in line with the planned performance.

In early August 2021, after installation of a small-scale CO2 capture plant (Note 1), experts from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding were onboard the vessel to operate, maintain the plant, and instruct the ship’s crew how to operate, as well as measured, analyzed the captured CO2 and evaluated the system performance.

From mid-September, the ship’s crew has been conducting the operation, measurement and maintaining the plant, and will continue to evaluate the safety and operability of the CO2 capture plant in order to sort out the issues to be considered and conduct research and development for future commercialization.

Based on the “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050 (Note 3), we will continue to research, develop, and introduce various environmental load reduction technologies, including the “CC-OCEAN” project, and contribute to activities aimed at achieving GHG reduction targets.

(Note 1)

Announced on 31-Aug 2020: “CC-Ocean” (Carbon Capture on the Ocean) project

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/csr/csr-5587043701830807195/main/0/link/200831EN%20.pdf

Announced on 5-Aug 2021: Launch of the “CC-OCEAN” project demonstration

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/csr/csr7601431474845700352/main/0/link/210805EN.pdf

(Note 2) The purity of the CO2 captured by the CO2 capture plant. When a terrestrial plant captures CO2 with a purity of more than 99.9%, the captured CO2 can be used in a wide range of applications, including chemical processes to enhance production of fertilizer or methanol, general use such as dry ice for cooling, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to increase crude oil production.

(Note 3) “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050, Blue Seas for the Future, which is formulated in 2015.

Based on the revision in June 2020, our milestone target is set to [improve CO2 emission efficiency by 50% over 2008], which is surpassing the IMO target of a 40% improvement.

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/csr/environment/management.html#002

Filed Under: "K" Line
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