FERRY

Grimaldi chose Avic Weihai for Finnlines’ two new ferriesThe deliveries are scheduled from 2023 onwards and the price should be around $135 million each

Grimaldi’s newbuilding, first of the G5GG series, launched at sea

Grimaldi Group of Italy has chosen the Chinese shipyard Avic Weihai for ordering a pair of Super Star Class ferries due to be operated by Finnlines. Sources revealed to Ship2Shore that this week the Naples-based ferry company may already have sealed the contract with the mentioned shipyard for a price of roughly $135 million each and delivery scheduled from 2023 onwards.

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to be continued at page 2

As the co-CEO Emanuele Grimaldi, reve-aled at the last Euromed Convention held in Sicily last October, these new ice-class ferries are an evolution of the Fincantieri-built Star-Class vessels. They will have capacity of 5,100 lanemetres and 1,212 passengers who can be accom-modated in 323 cabins, as well as the big-gest battery pack ever mounted on a ship.This is the first time in its history that Gri-

maldi Group will build ro-pax ferries in Asia. Other shipyards shortlisted were Hyun-dai Mipo in South-Korea, Jinling and Guangzhou Shipyard International in China. All European shipyards were left out since the price were up to twice as high. The two newbuildings are to be designed by Knud E. Hansen.

Nicola Capuzzo

wfw.com/maritime

SPECIALISTI IN SHIPPING FINANCE

E DIRITTO MARITTIMO

Being about to sell Marola – one the 6 gas carriers of its midsize and handysize fleet transporting LPG and ammonia - Genoa-based group Carbonfin-Carbo-flotta will probably order a new unit.Carbonfin chairman Enrico Filippi – managing the family group with his cousin Enrico Telesio – explained the company’s strategy to Ship2Shore. The unit Marola (with a capacity of 37,000 cubic meters) could be disposed of in upcoming weeks: “Negotiations are

Carboflotta might order a newbuildingIn order to replace Marola, the unit about to be sold, the Genoese group isevaluating the possibility to order a newbulding featuring hybrid propulsion

GAS 17/12/2019

in progress”, the Genoese shipowner ensured.The unit will be sold for a very simple reason: “Since it was delivered, in 2003 by Fincantieri’s Ancona-based plant, Marola was deployed by the same char-terer, which always used it to transport ammonia. The contract will expire at the end of this year”, Filippi explained. At this point, the company can choose among several options: “Being 16 years old, the unit still has a rather long useful

life, i.e. some 10 years. At present, the product in greatest demand is LPG but, although changing products is techni-cally possible, it requires expensive cleaning operations of both tanks and loading system”.The decision to sell the ship is based on the present state of the market which, as for all shipping segments, is cyclical, thus causing shipowners to operate with

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www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20192

the ongoing negotiation, though keeping its details confidential.As concerns the possible units to replace the ship for sale, Filippi explained: “We are evaluating several options and we might even purchase a modern second hand vessel, though our most likely option is ordering a newbuilding”.It all depends on the market: “Prices of second hand units rapidly adapt to

freight trends, therefore at present they are quite high. This is a good time to sell, but not as good to buy”.On the other hand, as concerns new-buildings “shipyards still have a signifi-cant capacity available, and they need to saturate it in order to bear the costs to manage their plants. For this reason, although the market is growing, it is still possible to obtain good prices for new-buildings”.In this respect, the Genoese company has already made up its mind about the ship-yard and the necessary investment: “At

present, there are not many shipyards which can built midsize gas carriers (with a capacity of 38,000 cubic meters): Hyundai Mipo enjoys the monopoly, therefore I believe that we might place our order with them”. Filippi did not exclude Chinese shipyards, although in this market segment they are penalised by several factors: “Despite the fact that they are not as reliable and efficient as their South Korean competitors, for this kind of ships their prices are not signifi-cantly lower, therefore choosing them would be pointless”.As concerns the price, Filippi revealed

a countercyclical dynamics: “Between 2012 and 2015, freights, and conse-quently the value of second hand units, remained high, achieving 1 million dol-lars per month for 1-year time-charter agreements. After that, they witnessed a drop and in 2018 they achieved their negative record of the past 30 years with less than 450,000 dollars per month”. During that weak market period, “we

managed to conclude a good deal pur-chasing the almost new ship, Enrico Fermi, at a very competitive price”.Now that the market is growing steadily again, “with monthly instalments up to 900,000 dollars and the value of second hand units increasing accordingly, we think it is the right time to sell Marola”.Carbofin already applied for its cancel-lation from the Italian register of ships – “we acted in advance because the appli-cation must be published for 60 days before becoming enforceable” – and Filippi is confident about the outcome of

that “at present, the standard version of this kind of ships costs some 48 million dollars, which might increase to 50 in case of changes”.In fact, Carbonfin will probably require a change: “Since we plan to order a modern ship, we are evaluating the pos-sibility to equip it with a hybrid fuel supply system in order for it to be pow-ered by part of the LPG cargo it carries”. This system works like that of LNG car-riers and it is being used also for LPG carriers: “So far, a similar system was installed on a larger unit, but it is avail-able also for mid-size tonnage”.

This extra option is quite expensive, “around 4-5 million dollars”, but it will definitely imply returns: “A similar fea-ture would have a significant commer-cial appeal because it is not common, and it would allow us to comply with the IMO 2020 regulation at competitive prices because LPG is cheaper than low-sulphur bunker fuel”.“If we place our order, we will do it in the first quarter of 2020, and in said case the newbuilding might be delivered in the first months of 2022”, Carbofin chairman concluded.

Francesco Bottino

continued from the first page

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20193

Genoa-based company Premuda finally completed the sale of its Suezmax oil tanker Four Smile started last autumn. The rumours according to which the ship – built in 2001 with an 81,000 gross tonnage and a capacity of 160,000 dwt – was about to be sold proved right: Pillar-stone Italy’s subsidiary already submit-ted an application to the Coast Guard of Genoa for the cancellation of its unit Four Smile from the Italian register of

Premuda’s former Four Smile was soldThe Suezmax oil tanker built in 2001 belongs to a Cypriot company and it was renamed Metis

ships due to its sale.According to the document, the tanker was supposed to be registered in the Maltese register, but at present inter-national databases evidence a different situation: in fact, Premuda’s former Four Smile was renamed Metis and it flies the Cypriot flag, while its new registered owner is the Cypriot company Vanore Ltd, although several market sources referred to a Middle Eastern group as it

TANKER

beneficial owner.As concerns its sale price, according to rumours it amounted to some 17 million dollars, while according to the specia-lized web site VesselsValue the market value of this ship amounts to 16 million dollars.According to MarineTraffic, at present the unit Matis is sailing in the Far East, between Southern Korea and Singapore.

Francesco Bottino

Rimorchiatori Riuniti group added a new unit to its fleet of bulk carriers. The vessel was not purchased, as several shipping brokers erroneously reported, rather it was chartered for 5 year from the Japanese group Mitsubishi dealing with several shipping sectors, including ship-owning and shipbuilding.The transaction was confirmed by Crys-tal Pool CEO Filippo Gavarone, the ship management company within Rimorchia-tori Riuniti group.“The ship Andromeda Ocean is a Kam-sarmax bulk carrier built in 2017, which the Japanese group Mitsubishi offered us under a 5-year time charter agreement,

Gavarone & Co. added a modern Kamsarmax unit to their dry fleetThe vessel Andromeda Ocean was chartered for 5 years by Crystal Maritime

Trading and it will be managed through Crystal Maritime Services UK

and we decided to seize this opportunity. Its daily instalment amounts to some 11,7000 dollars, and there are no options provided for at the end of the agree-ment”, explained Gavarone, adding that “the transaction was carried out by our company in Malta, while the commercial management of the ship was entrusted to London-based Crystal Maritime Service UK, which is already dealing with bulk carriers, both belonging to the group and to third parties”.Crystal Maritime Holding – within Rimor-chiatori Riuniti Group – is the Maltese parent company controlling a fleet of three modern dry bulkers (RR Australia built in

2011, Hampton Bridge built in 2013 and Hampton Bay built in 2009), while Crys-tal Maritime Trading (Malta) Limited is the commercial branch active in the dry shipping market and focusing on charters of Kamsarmax and Panamax class ships. London-based company Crystal Maritime Services (UK) provides full commercial management of ships belonging to various investors, including also banks and finan-cial entities. Since several years, these three companies represent the dry bulk branch of the activities carried out by the Gavarone and Delle Piane families within the shipping sector.

Nicola Capuzzo

BULKER

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www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20194

Copyright: Stirling Design International

In the context of the agreement announced last November for 2 new-generation luxury expedition cruise vessels, Ponant and Vard, Fin-cantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary, signed the related contract.In the past, Fincantieri has already built for the French cruise company 4 ships in Ancona, Le Boréal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial, delivered respec-tively in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Fincantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary, active in the design and shipbuilding of expedition cruise vessels, has built in 2018 and 2019 four units of the Ponant Explorers class and will deliver the last two of the series in 2020. Vard will also deliver Le Commandant Charcot, the

Fincantieri books a double order from Paul GauguinVard signed the contract for the 2 new cruise ships for Ponant

first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel powered with LNG, to Ponant in 2021.The new units, due for delivery both in 2022, will represent an evolution of the Ponant Explorers class vessels. They will be operated in the South Pacific areas for Paul Gauguin Cruises brand as well as the eponymous ship acquired recently by the French Group thus bringing the number of ships under this brand to 3. They will be built by Vard group’s production network and will be 11.000 GT tons with the capacity to accommodate 230 passengers on board.They will be hybrid electric and equipped with cutting-edge technology in terms of environment and population

SHIPYARDS

protection, featuring the most exten-sive battery package application in the market, allowing smokeless operation at anchor, in ports and in environmen-tally sensitive areas. In order for the ships to have as minimal an impact as possible on the environ-ment, their eco-design will be guided by three objectives: energy optimization to ensure minimal consumption, compre-hensive of the hydrodynamic optimiza-tion of the hull, more energy-efficient equipment, and an innovative energy recovery system; reduction of underwa-ter noise; improvement of waste treat-ment with the Cleanship Super label from Bureau Veritas, an independent certification body.

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www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20195

Palermo – The granting of the 30-years concession related to cruise traffic man-agement in Western Sicily Port Autority’s ports – Palermo, Trapani, Porto Empedo-cle and Termini Imerese – to the joint part-nership between Costa Crociere and MSC Crociere was recently formalized.This is not the only transaction of the two terminal operators concerning ter-

Costa and MSC booked WesternSicily’s 1.5 million cruise passengers

Deals with the Port Authorities of La Spezia and Palermo were signedalmost simultaneously, while the questioning from Italian Anti-Corruption

authority seem to be a problem only for Genoa. In the latter port, the Italian company bets on Zena Terminal, the Swiss one slows down for Hennebique

minals since, together with RCCL, they will soon sign the last document with the Port Authority of La Spezia to create and manage as concessionaires the new Marine Terminal of the Ligurian port.In La Spezia, MSC and Costa will make direct investments in the construction of the structure, while in Palermo – where they undertook to achieve 1.5 million pas-

PORTS

sengers per year within 5 years – this task (30 million euro for restyling operations and works throughout 2020) is entrusted to the Port Authority. Moreover, in Sicily the procedures started recently, while in La Spezia they are almost completed.“In Palermo the details are to be defined, while in La Spezia we got also the green light of the Competition and Market Authority (concerning concentration, ed.)”, MSC Crociere Chairman Pierfran-cesco Vago explained.As concerns the investigation of the Anti-corruption Authority, being competent for the revolving doors case related to the hiring of former Genoa port president Luigi Merlo by MSC, Vago believes that we must “refer to the Port Authority”. In fact, its president Pasqualino Monti explained that the issue has “already been solved” in La Spezia: “Even if MSC is forbidden to ‘negotiate with public admin-istrations’ for three years as provided for by law, said prohibition applies only to the Port Authority of Genoa”.Said construction was shared by La Spezia port secretary general Francesco Di Sar-cina, who added that “the body did not ask for a specific legal opinion about this issue, but maybe MSC did. We believe we are not subject to any prohibition provided for by the regulation”. On its part, the Italian Anti-Corruption Authority ANAC which, as decreed by the Council of State, must launch a sanctioning procedure for Maltese (Costa), Monti (AdSP Palermo), Vago (MSC)

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the case, explained that it will do so “after the holidays”, but it did not provide an answer about the possible interlocution with La Spezia and Palermo Port Authori-ties for their respective cases.In fact, the two companies are (separately) credited with expansion projects in Genoa. MSC, being already Stazione Marittima’s majority shareholder, was regarded as a possible interested party for the creation of a new area for cruises in Hennebique’s former premises. However, Vago pointed out that “the company did not submit any expression of interest for the project

launched by the Port Authority”. As concerns Costa Crociere which – as anticipated by Ship2Shore – submitted an application to the local Port Author-ity for the creation of a special terminal in the area currently used for naval repairs through a joint venture (Zena Cruise Ter-minal) with San Giorgio del Porto and Costa Edutainment, deputy chairman Beniamino Maltese declared to be “con-fident. Genoa wants a terminal for Costa, and we believe it is not only in our interest to find a solution”.

Andrea Moizo

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20196

The first call at the port of Savona marked the official entry into service of Costa Smeralda, Costa Crociere’s new flagship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).She is the first ship in the Costa fleet to be powered both in port and at sea by LNG, meaning improved air quality and protect-ing the environment with the virtual elim-ination of sulphur dioxide emissions (zero emissions) and particulate matter (95-100% reduction); use of LNG will greatly lessen emissions of nitrogen oxides (85%

Savona welcomed Costa Crociere’s new flagshipThe debut of Costa Smeralda, first Italian ship powered by LNG,at its homeport happened. First refueling occurred in Barcelona

direct reduction) and CO2 (reduction of up to 20%) too. Costa Smeralda is part of the Costa Group’s fleet expansion plan, with a total of 7 new ships slated for delivery by 2023 and an overall investment worth over €6 billion. Of these new additions 5 (including Costa Smeralda and sister ship Costa Toscana scheduled to enter service in 2021) will be fueled by LNG. Costa was the first cruise operator in the

CRUISE

world to introduce this ground-breaking innovation which is set to substantially reduce the whole fleet’s environmen-tal impact. The Italian cruise company intends to achieve a 40% reduction in its fleet’s CO2 emissions by 2020, some 10 years ahead of the target laid down by IMO (International Maritime Organiza-tion). On account of her outstanding envi-ronmental performance, far beyond cur-rent regulatory requirements, Costa Smer-alda has been awarded the Green Plus, the

highest additional voluntary notation assigned by RINA (international certification body) to ships that are envi-ronmentally compliant.The new 180,000 GT vessel was built in the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and will be sailing tomor-row from Savona on her maiden cruise in the Med-iterranean; its 1-week itin-erary includes calls in Mar-seille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.Costa Smeralda is the result of a one-off creative pro-ject designed by Adam D. Tihany, the central idea being to convey and cel-ebrate Italy’s finest all in one location. Tihany led an international team com-prising four prestigious architectural firms – Dor-doni Architetti, Rockwell Group, Jeffrey Beers Inter-

20/12/2019

national and Partner Ship Design – who were called on to design the various areas on board. The arrival of Costa Smeralda brings to 29 the number of the Costa Group’s ships currently in service, confirming its lead-ership in Europe and China. All the fleet members fly the Italian flag.After leaving the Turku shipyard on December 6, the new flagship made its first LNG refueling in Barcelona: the Coral Methane tanker ship filled Costa Smeralda’s 3 tanks with a total of 3,200 cubic meters of LNG. Two of these tanks

measure around 35 meters in length and 8 meters in diameter, each with a capacity of 1,525 cubic meters. A third tank, measur-ing 5 meters in diameter, is 28 meters long and has a capacity of 520 cubic meters. All three are built with particular steel called cryogenic covered with special insulating materials and installed in specific pro-tected spaces. With one complete LNG tank filling, which will always be done in Barcelona, even once the ship has started her regular cruises, Costa Smeralda can be powered for at least two weeks.

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20197

COMPANY NEWS

Besiktas Shipyard is standing out as the most preferred ship repair yard in Europe for last decade. Since its establishment in Yalova Turkey, Besiktas Shipyard proves popular with more than 200 projects for lea-ding shipping companies of Italy. Besiktas Shipyard is ranked No.8 out of the 20 most active repairs shipyards in the World; and the leader ship repair yard of Europe in 2018 according to Clarkson’s report. It is no doubt that Besiktas Shipyard’s organizational efficiency, state-art facilities and the impor-tance that has been assigned for innovation stands behind this suc-cess. 2019 was one of the most active years of Besiktas - Italy collabo-ration with 27 projects from lea-ding shipping companies such as Grimaldi Group, D’Amico Societa, Cosiarma Trading, Marnavi SPA, Saipem, Augustea Due, Montanari Di Navigazione, Motia Compania.Grimaldi Group and Besiktas Shipyard reached an agreement for the installation of the Alfa Laval scrubber system on 10 Eurocargo-class Ro-Ro vessels and Wartsilla Scrubber systems on 7 Deep-Sea vessels starting from April 2019 and ending in 2020. 6 Eurocargo projects have already been completed.World’s first Wartsila EnergoFlow Installation was also performed by Besiktas. Wartsila EnergoFlow is an innovative and cost-effective

pre-swirl stator that increases fuel efficiency by up to 10%. Grimal-di’s 12,594 dwt Grande Portogallo was the first project for the Wartsila EnergoFlow installation.Besiktas welcomed Scarabeo 9 at the end of August; one of the last-

generation semisubmersible mobile offshore drilling units. 17 meters draft with cranage and safe moo-ring service are key advantages for berthing of Scarabeo 9 while Besik-tas Shipyard can serve up to 36 meters draft.

17 SCRUBBER AND 50 BWTS INSTALLATIONS IN 2019

Together with retrofitting works, as expected, 2019 was one of the busiest years in terms of ship repair activities. Besiktas Shipyard has secured more than 150 projects from various shipowners for diffe-rent vessel types and sizes such as dredger vessels, tankers, LPG ves-sels, reefer vessels, bulk Carriers and offshore vessels. Retrofitting projects had also kept them busy with 17 Scrubber and 50 BWTS installations with various makers and clients.

Other Notable Projects

Besiktas accommodated Norden A/S’s MR tankers for 7 scrubbers and ballast water treatment system installation by an agreement signed at October 2018. NaOH tank fabrication and funnel extension jobs were performed by the yard after having received the Scrubber tower fabricated by ME Production and Langtech.Gram Car Carrier’s 4.900 cars pure vehicles carrier vessels Arabian Sea and Mediterranean Sea were in the yard for retrofits of Ermafirst Ballast Water Treatment System installation and CR Ocean Scrubber installa-tion.Besiktas welcomed 20 vessels from Maersk Group’s from Line and Tan-kers Offices since the beginning of the year, thanks to the proven trust and longlasting cooperation.

Besiktas has recently performed cargo tank surface treatment on three tankers; Caroline Essber-ger owned by John T. Essberger, Horizon Thetis and Horizon Theoni owned by Horizon Tankers.Besiktas Shipyard continues to maintain leadership in the German Market. And also, recorded that 16 German vessels were repaired in 2019.Beşiktaş welcomed Marine Trust’s (Centrofin) Suezmax two vessels from Greece within one month. 158.033 DWT George S was in the yard for main Hyundai HiBallast BWTS retrofitting work and moo-ring modification for Panama Canal. The other Marine Trust’s project is 46.851 dwt chemical/oil products tanker Sundoro has mainly deck tre-atment work scope. Those projects were the first collaboration between two companies.

Upgrading Yard Facilities

Besiktas Shipyard expands and upgrades in-house facilities to serve with higher standards.Green Workshop: Designated 2750 sqm green mechanical workshopsPipe Workshop: 14.000 sqm closed full-equipped new workshop nowa-days dedicated to ballast water tre-atment projects piping worksSuperintended Offices: Fully refur-bished, designed offices and new recreation roomsSafety House with positioned at center of production activities and easy access to safety team

BESIKTAS SHIPYARD PROVES POPULAR IN ITALIAN MARKET

Logo

Yatay logo

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20198

Unlike what was publicly announced during the recent opening of the ter-minal, we will not have to wait until February to see Maersk’s first ships moored at Vado Gateway.In fact, on December the 17th the con-tainer ship AS Palina – a 2,500 TEUs unit deployed by Maersk Line in its Carmed service connecting the Italian ports of Vado Ligure, Livorno, Civi-tavecchia, Naples and Salerno with

Maersk’s first ship already moored at Vado GatewayFull containers were loaded on a container ship deployed in the Carmed service

Central America (Cartagena, Puerto Moin and Manzanillo) – moored at the terminal.It was a test call for a service which usually called at the nearby Reefer Terminal (belonging to the same group APM Terminals Vado Ligure), and during which they loaded and unloaded mainly reefer containers full of fruits imported by Central-South America.

CONTAINER

The other two regular services which from next February Maersk Line will transfer to Vado Ligure (from Genoa SECH and La Spezia Container Ter-minal respectively) are its ME2 ser-vice, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Middle East and India, and the regular service renamed MMX, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with Canada.

Nicola Capuzzo

Also Antonino Repaci and Calogero Famiani - Caronte&Tourist Chairman of the Board of Directors and managing director respectively – were subject to the pre-trial detention measures (house arrest) implemented by Reggio Calabria police within an investigation concern-ing several supposed briberies at the Municipality of Villa San Giovanni, involving mayor Giovanni Siclari and several officers. The investigation focuses on Fran-cesco Morabito in his capacity as man-ager of the technical/urban planning

Caronte&Tourist top managers under arrestFamiani and Repaci are involved in the supposed bribery of the mayor and of an officer of the Municipality of Villa San Giovanni in order to favour works strengthening the ticketing system

sector of the Municipality. As concerns Repaci and Famiani, the assumption is that Morabito, together with others, favoured (through the lack of controls of the unlawful occupation of Anas’ areas and of the lack of adequate build-ing permits) the “project for the reor-ganization of the Villa Agip area with the creation of a new ticketing system with its related automation” carried out

by Caronte&Tourist, in exchange for “hiring of persons and financial contri-butions”. In its note, the shipping company informed that “Caronte&Tourist is con-fident in the judiciary’s work, hoping that the interested managers will have the chance to explain their contested conduct as soon as possible. The Group’s activity continues regularly”.

FERRY

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18/12/2019

Phone: (39) 010 587492, Fax: (39) 010 593230, e-mail: academy.italy@dnvgl.com

MARITIME ACADEMY ITALYYOUR TRUSTED PARTNER FOR MARITIME TRAINING

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 20199

Santo Stefano di Magra (La Spezia) – the slight decrease in containers was offset by an increase in total traffics and by a significant increase in passengers.On top of that, the new Santo Stefano di Magra Centro Unico Servizi (CUS) [Single Service Centre] to check goods

La Spezia and Marina di Carrara closed the year with positive figures2019 end-of-year report of the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority: slight decrease in containers due to transhipment, offset by an increase of total traffics and cruise passengers. Opening of the Santo Stefano di Magra CUS in an area belonging to the Italian Railway Network (RFI); imminent disposal of 20% participation in LSSR

will allow to clear port areas and to speed up container verification and clearance procedures.These are the most significant data included in the end-of-year report (based on data consolidated in Novem-ber, with projections as of 31 December)

PORTS

of the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Author-ity, including the ports of La Spezia and Marina di Massa.“We recorded positive results. The slight decrease in containers handled is due to a drop in transhipment, though this is a marginal activity for the port

Francesco Di Sarcina and Carla Roncallo, respectively Secretary Generaland President of the AdSP Port System Authority of Ligurian Western Sea

17/12/2019

of La Spezia”, Port Authority president Carla Roncallo observed.“The creation of the Santo Stefano di Magra CUS, being one of its kind in Italy, allowed us not to loose ‘fresh’ traf-fics thanks to our latest generation cold rooms complying with the strict regula-tion in force; and in the first months of 2020 it will probably help us attracting new traffics, also to the detriment of those ports which are not yet compli-ant”.In Santo Stefano Magra they will check 11,000 containers per year, which will be transferred from the port to the area through a single logistic corridor moni-tored by satellite thanks to a collabora-tion with Uirnet. In fact, since contain-ers in transit are not yet cleared, they must be kept under constant control across the few kilometres separating quays from the yard.“All the necessary checks – by Cus-toms Agency, Finance Police, Maritime Health office, Forestry Carabinieri, Border Police, Age Control – are carried

out in a single place through a latest gen-eration molecular scanner. This allows to speed up procedures significantly, and to clear port areas. We opened the first centre of this kind in Italy in order to provide a more competitive service” Roncallo warned.Therefore, it is no coincidence that the end-of-year report was drawn up inside the CUS area, which is under a long-term lease from the Italian Railway Net-work (RFI).The two ports will achieve a container traffic of 1.485 million TEUs (1.42 mil-lion in La Spezia, -1.4% compared to 2018; and 65,000 in Marina di Carrara, +8.6%) and 18.7 million tons (+2.2%), with 15.7 million tons for La Spezia (almost unvaried compared to 2018) and 3 million tons for Marina di Carrara (recording a 20% growth). In 2020, the Port Authority can spend over 2 million euro for the Tuscan port – thanks to EU fund related to the ‘MARi-

to be continued at page 10

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 201910

time port Bridging Landside infrastruc-ture (MARBLE)’ project – to improve port accessibility, with special reference to the connection with road and railway transport networks.Moreover, in January the Port Author-ity will be able to dispose of its shares (20%) in the company La Spezia Shunt-ing Railways (LSSR), amounting to 180,000 euro.The shares had been offered through a public tender and, if the other share-holders do not exercise their pre-emp-tion right to purchase them, in the next 20 days the purchase proposal recently submitted will be accepted.The final System Strategic Planning Document (DPSS), outlining the port system’s strategies and goals to be applied to the regulating plans of single

ports, must be approved shortly.“The document was implemented in July by the Management Committee following the green light received by the four municipal councils involved. We are waiting for the completion of the related agreement between Ital-ian Ministry of Infrastructures, Liguria Region and Tuscany Region. Deadlines are very tight and we set March as our goal because afterwards both Liguria and Tuscany will vote to renew their regional councils, and this might cause significant delays. This further confirms how difficult it is for us to operate in two different regions”, Port Authority Secretary General Francesco Di Sarcina explained.In January, they will also apply the Energy and Environmental Planning

Document (DPEA), aiming at imple-menting liquefied natural gas in the port.As concerns passengers, figures recorded an increase: La Spezia achieved 622,000 (+32% compared to 2018) and Marina di Carrara achieved 26,000 (+ 12.6%).Said figures were definitely boosted by cruises. In fact, the agreements with MSC, Costa and Royal Caribbean for their joint management of the terminal and for the project related to the new marine terminal of La Spezia were signed recently.Finally, from May 2021 the ship Val-iant Lady – under construction by Fin-cantieri on behalf of Virgin Voyages, belonging to the British multimillion-aire Sir Richard Branson – will call at Marina di Carrara on a regular basis.

gate

continued from page 11

www.ship2shore.it Monday 23 December 201911

Following the favourable opinion issued in July 2018 by the Manage-ment Committee of the Sardinian Sea Port Authority, Edison was finally granted the maritime state concession to create a quay to welcome the ships which will supply its LNG depot. The news was disclosed through a joint note by Edison and the port authority. As it is well known, the energy com-pany is planning to create a structure along the Southern navigable channel of the industrial port to storage up to 10,000 meters of liquefied natural gas. According to the Committee’s provisions, for its project it can use “a land surface with its related stretch of water (11,140.24 and 7.857.46 square

Edison to become a terminal operator in OristanoThe granting of the (50 years) concession to the energy

company will allow for the creation of a mooring for ships which will supply the future LNG depot

meters respectively)” to provide moo-ring for gas carriers. The concession has a duration of fifty years starting from January the 1st 2020.Edison’s project is not the only one of this kind in the port of Oristano. In fact, the project launched in 2015 by Higas, providing for the creation of an LNG depot with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters, is already under way. The company, which, like Edison, last September was granted a mari-time state concession (though with a duration of 25 years), declared to be ready to receive its first supply by ship in August 2020.

F.M.

GAS

CMA CGM Group announced a partner-ship with Shell to supply marine biofuel to its fleet and thus allow its ships to travel nearly 1 million kilometers, equivalent to 80 round-trips between Rotterdam and New York. Firmly committed in the search for more eco-respon-sible solutions to power its vessels, the French liner company became in 2019 the first shipowner in the world to successfully test the use of a marine bio-fuel aboard containerships CMA CGM White Shark and CMA CGM Alexander Von Humboldt. Now CMA CGM accelerates and expands in the shipping industry the use of a fuel composed 80% of low sulphur fuel oil and 20% of a biofuel made of used cooking oil that in the end reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80% and virtually elimi-nates sulphur oxides emissions. “This new partnership follows on the Group’s initiatives for environmental protection and confirms its pioneer-ing role in the energy transition of the

Also CMA CGM to run in the environmental raceFollowing MSC’s announcement, the French liner company selected

Shell to supply second-generation biofuel derived from used cooking oil

BUNKER

shipping industry” stated CMA CGM, the first shipping company in the world to develop LNG for ultra-large container vessels by ordering 9 units of 23,000 TEUs capacity powered by LNG that reduce sulphur oxides and fine particles emissions by 99%, nitro-gen oxides emissions by up to 85% and CO2 emissions by around 20%. “Beyond technical solutions to limit

greenhouse gas emissions, we want to unite all maritime transport actors in an international high-level coali-tion, initiated by Rodolphe Saadé, our President and CEO, supported by French Republic President Emmanuel Macron, which will work towards the emergence of tomorrow’s clean energy for de-carbonized transport” the state-ment ended.

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Giuseppe Rocco

Fabrizio Bonfanti.Our logistics offer consists of: 1 55,000 tons port silo built in 1969, whose load-bearing walls were completely rebuilt in 2014, following the full automation intro-duced in 2012, being the newest and most modern port facility in Italy; 7 refrigerate metallic warehouses with a capacity of over 40,000 tons to store cereals, veg-etable flours, perishable goods and pellet; 2 uncovered areas with a total surface of 10,000 sqm connected to the Levante and Crocelle quays, both fenced and video-surveilled h24/7.Solacem uses latest generation equip-ment: bucket hopper mechanical shov-els, with 10 loading points from silos and 3 loading points from warehouses to speed up operations. We have a large trailer fleet to unload and handle general freights, and we manage both customs operations and land transport on behalf of final consignees”, Rocco continued.

Torre Annunziata strengthened its lifting equipmentWith the purchase of a Reggiane mobile crane, Rocco (Solacem) strengthened its leadership

in Central-Southern Italy in handling cereals and flours, dreaming also of ro-ros

TERMINAL OPERATOR

“Solacem aims at stabilizing maritime traffics and at building customers’ loy-alty.We also focus on a wide diversification for different sectors and on efficiency in terms of unloading speed thanks to our perfect organization and punctuality.Our customers are the leading European importers of cereals, together with mul-tinational companies that chose our port.Also in the general freights segment, we have both Italian and multinational lead-ing companies”.In planning its investments, Solacem is aware of its role as a distributor of goods to firms in Central and Southern Italy.“We evaluated the important role of bulk goods ports compared to container ports. We focus on the development of the man-ufacturing industry, allowing it to com-pete in the global market.

A new crane was recently delivered to the port of Torre Annunziata by Naples-based shipping agents and project cargo logistics Marimed Srl, in its capacity as agent of the ship Atlantic belonging to the Danish shipowner Ocean 7 Proj-ects, as confirmed by General Manager Antonino Russo.The Fantuzzi Reggiane 115 HT crane, with a capacity of 63 tons, was purchased by Solacem Spa, belonging to the entre-preneur Giuseppe Rocco, dealing with marketing and transport of several types of solid bulk cargoes.“The purchase of the port crane forms part of the development project for the port of Torre Annunziata. We are already leaders in the cereals and flours business in Central-Southern Italy, handling over 400,000 tons per year. For 2020, thanks to the crane and the self-loading dedusted hopper recently ordered, we aim at an additional 100,000 tons increase of cereals”, Solacem General Manager explained to Ship2Shore. “The crane will also allow us to strengthen our presence in the break-bulk segment, where we already handle T-bars, alumin-ium ingots and billets, steel products and general freights with a 100/150,000 tons per year target”.The lifting unit was purchased from an operator of the port of Ravenna, there-fore it was overhauled and guaranteed by Ambivere-based (Bergamo) Italgru Srl of

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Our medium-term goal, besides strength-ening our ongoing activities, is adding a flow of unloading/loading operations by implementing ro-ro traffic”, the owner of the company explained.The port of Torre Annunziata is under the jurisdiction of the Campania Region, from which in 2013 it received funds to create the direct road connection with the highway network and to complete seabed

dredging operations in January 2019.“The two important public works allowed the port to overcome a possible crisis”, Rocco pointed out. “We need the permanent presence of tugboat operators, as well as the authorization to open the port both day and night to support the local economy”, the General Manager concluded.

Angelo Scorza

Svitzer has formally acquired Port Towage Amsterdam (PTA), which was formed in 2014 as a joint venture with Iskes Towage and Salvage, and expects to take complete ownership in January 2020.As part of the agreement the Danish company acquires the shares and 30 employees, including crew from Iskes Towage and Salvage; 9 shore based staff from PTA and 7 tugs will join Svitzer too.“This acquisition marks the next step in Svitzer Europe’s 2025 strategy, which will see the organ-isation bolster its marine services offering and con-nect sea and shore through efficient and innovative towage oper-ations” stated Kasper Nilaus, Manag-ing Director, Svitzer Europe: “We are committed to improving and strength-ening our service offering, particularly for our customers in the busy ports of Amsterdam and Ijmuiden. The full acquisition of PTA is a sensible move as we continue to serve this dynamic and important market. “With a total infrastructure solution spanning ves-sels, crew and shoreside staff already in place in Amsterdam, customers should

Danish smash into Amsterdam’s Port Towage businessSvitzer acquires full ownership of joint venture with Iskes including crew and 7 tugs

TOWAGE

anticipate no disruption to their service since we look forward to continuing the same flawless service delivered by PTA over last six years”Fred Jeeninga, Cluster Managing Director of Svitzer Continental Europe, will head the new operation in Amster-dam.“This acquisition resolves concerns raised by the ACM (Authority for Con-sumers & Markets) in the Netherlands regarding the full-functional nature of PTA. The ACM did not establish the

existence of any infringement; as a values driven company with a strong culture and commitment towards com-petition compliance, Svitzer has always worked closely and cooperatively with the ACM to address its concerns and this acquisition is consistent with the ACM’s guidance” Svitzer concluded.Founded in 1833 and part of A.P. Moller Maersk, with 4,000 staff, 430 ves-sels and operations all over the world, Svitzer is a global market leader within towage and marine related services.

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With the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel in December 2020, another piece of the puzzle has been completed for an efficient north-south link through Switzerland: the ʻʻNew Rail Link through the Alpsʼʼ (NRLA) will be officially completed.However, the expansion of the interna-tional freight corridor is delayed by at least a decade; productivity increases in interna-tional combined transport are therefore only half as high as originally planned, Hupac stated. The Federal Council recognises the delayed implementation in principle and is presenting a “Package of measures to strengthen modal shift” in the modal shift report of 13.11.2019. For the Swiss freight transport industry, however, the proposed measures are not sufficient and in order to maintain the com-petitiveness of UCT (Unaccompanied Com-bined Transport) in transalpine transport and to continue the modal shift, the industry calls for additional measures.Many factors contribute to the fact that the productivity of the resources used - loco-motives, personnel, rail wagons - cannot be increased to the extent and within the time frame originally planned: delayed upgrad-ing of the access routes in the north makes it impossible to operate 740 m trains; frequent and internationally uncoordinated construc-tion sites with diversions and temporary capacity bottlenecks prevent the expected reduction in travel time and lead to con-stantly increasing quality deficits; due to the non-coordinated international planning of train paths, travel time savings in Switzer-land are lost at the borders for the time being; remaining gradients of the line and the oper-

Swiss transport operators to plea for support againHupac says additional measures are necessary to compensate for temporary

corridor deficits in order to continue successful relocation in Alpine transit

ating concept of the Gotthard Base Tunnel continue to require the use of a second loco-motive for heavy trains.In order to maintain the current volume in transalpine combined transport and to gain additional traffic volumes in the medium term with a view to achieving the modal shift target, the Swiss freight transport industry is proposing a longer-term modal shift policy up to 2030 with some additional measures.Extension of the term of the payment frame-work for the promotion of UCT transalpine until 2030.In order not to jeopardize the positive results of the current modal shift policy, the promo-tion of transalpine combined transport must not be suspended prematurely. From the point of view of the market, it is necessary to extend the term of the support measures until 2030. Further productivity effects are

INTERMODAL

not expected to be realized until 2030.Furthermore, the quality deficits of inter-modal trains have continuously increased according to the monitoring of the Federal Office of Transport; quality deficits, driven by the expansion of the corridor infrastruc-ture with numerous construction sites and capacity restrictions, will continue to place a heavy burden on productivity until at least 2030. Transport companies will invest in contain-ers and craneable trailers, operators in rail wagons and terminals, railway companies in locomotives, if a longer-term use of these capital goods is ensured. Operating subsidies for UCT in the amount of CHF 55 million per year from 2024 onwards An efficient railway infrastructure in com-bination with train path prices at the level

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of the neighbouring countries Germany and Italy enables combined transport to be oper-ated self-sufficiently through Switzerland - this guiding principle remains valid. However, the operational and infrastruc-tural conditions on the north-south corri-dor through Switzerland do not meet these requirements either now or in the coming years. During this period, combined trans-port operators and railway companies will be able to increase productivity by a maximum of half of the originally planned value on completion of the NRLA. The revision of the Swiss train path prices in 2021 - which lowers the basic price for freight traffic and introduces discounts for long trains - makes a significant contribu-tion to supporting unaccompanied combined transport. Nevertheless, there remains a gap of about half of the operating compensation of CHF 110 million of the reference year 2018. Based on this analysis of the situation, the freight transport industry demands that Unaccompanied Combined Transport is pro-moted until 2030 with operating contribu-tions of CHF 55 million per year to enable combined transport to maintain the current volume of modal shifts and, if possible, to largely absorb traffic growth. Should the framework conditions improve more rapidly than expected - for example through a significant improvement in quality or a sustainable optimisation of international timetables - additional traffic volumes could continue to be gained for combined trans-port. With the expected further growth of com-bined transport by 2030, the reduction path of subsidies per consignment would again be considerably improved; whereas in 2011 an average of CHF 173 in operating contribu-tions was paid per truck load shifted, in 2018 the figure was just CHF 116 and this amount would fall further to CHF 40-45 per truck shifted by 2030.Extension of the access routes in the north: conclusion of state treaties with Belgium and France and implementation of the measures of the state treaty with Germany.

The NRLA concept for the promotion of rail freight transport relies on efficient access lines to the Swiss base tunnels in order to ensure the supply of Europe’s strongest demand economic areas. Once the 4m cor-ridor has been commissioned, the situation is as follows: 3 access lines in Italy via Chi-asso, Luino and Domodossola; 2 lines in Switzerland via Gotthard and Lötschberg base tunnels; 1 access line north of Basel via Karlsruhe – Mannheim – Cologne – BeneluxIt is evident that there is an urgent need to create an alternative for the bottleneck in the north. Only the left bank of the Rhine via France can be considered as an efficient alternative route (flat track). It is ideal for the high-vol-ume Belgium-Italy route. There is also a direct link with the corridor on the right bank of the Rhine, which serves to reduce risk.However, these routes do not yet corre-spond to the corridor parameters of the Swiss transit axis and therefore currently only carry a small volume of traffic. In order to make better use of the capacities on these alternative routes for combined trans-port through Switzerland, the Zeebrugge/Antwerp – Strasbourg – Basel route and the Wörth – Lauterbourg – Strasbourg link must be upgraded to the parameters of 740m train length, 4m corner height, 2000 t with one locomotive, ETCS; this would create a system in the north with 2 access routes and 1 alternative on the left bank of the Rhine. The development of a corridor-compliant alternative route via France is likely to be manageable in terms of costs. It is strongly in Switzerland’s interest and its modal shift policy for transit traffic. To implement it, a political initiative by Switzerland together with France and Belgium is needed, which should lead to a state treaty on infrastructure development. Parliament should call on the Federal Council to take an appropriate initia-tive in the form of a treaty.In addition, the expansion of the Rhine Valley Railway in Germany must be pursued vigorously. The completion of this contrac-tually agreed capacity increase was post-poned to 2040.

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Livio Ambrogio

At the beginning of January 2020 Ambro-gio Trasporti SpA will receive its new intermodal equipment, i.e. a double batch built in Turkey by the German supplier Kässbohrer: 15 light C45 profile swap bodies (3,900 Kg tare) among the lightest on the market; 30 Multimodal chassis with the possibility to load several types of units (swap bodies, box containers, reefers).The double delivery will be added to the MTO’s fleet consisting of some 1,400 swap bodies and 400 chassis.Moreover, the leading company in interna-tional combined transport is about to con-clude another negotiation: ad additional order placed with Kässbohrer.At the beginning of this year they renewed a successful 30-years collaboration. In fact, being Kässbohrer’s partner since 1991, in

Ambrogio to boost intermodalism further onNew investments in equipment focusing of international combined transport for the Italian pioneer

January 2019 Ambrogio added to its fleet 50 K.SHG L fixed light gooseneck chas-sis for light containers and 100 K.SWAU C curtain side swap bodies for eco-friendly intermodal transport.In the past, Ambrogio had always used swap bodies with an external length of 12.5 m, before it invested in 100 Käss-bohrer swap bodies with an external length of 13.6 m, which turned out to imply lower costs for storage and transport operations.The new delivery of specialized equipment favours a virtuous transport cycle allowing for a 60% reduction of harmful emissions by transferring from trucks to trains car-goes travelling along international routes from Italy to Belgium, Holland, Great Britain, France, Spain as well as across Italy where distances are small, allowing

INTERMODAL

While the intermodalism market devel-oped by transferring semi-trailers imply-ing the inefficient and useless transfer of superfluous tare, Ambrogio Trasporti developed swap bodies and railway wagons combinations to increase the payload of its trains and keep the CO2/transported tons ratio at record levels. “The design features of our equipment and the use of 13.60 meters swap bodies allow us to achieve filling rates for our trains at the top of our category, and to record an average 60% reduction of polluting emis-sions compared to full road transport”, Livio Ambrogio concluded.

Angelo Scorza

for scale economies and optimizations of the loading/onloading operating cycle by opting for railways.In 2019, company chairman Livio Ambro-gio celebrated the first 50 years of intermo-dal activities of his company, which dates back to 1957, when Domenico Ambrogio established a road haulage company in Candiolo (Turin). In fact, the company still has an important headquarter in Pied-mont, though its head office is in Gallarate (Varese).“Transports play an essential role in Ital-ian economy, but they are also one of the main sources of pollution, both in Italy and in Europe, increasing both climate change, air pollution and noise pollution. On top of that, transports consume one third of the whole final energy in the EU, which mostly derives from oil. In other words, the transport sector is responsible for over a fourth of the total greenhouse gas emissions and, at least in the near future, this trend will not reverse”, started off Ambrogio Intermodal Chairman, whose group boasts 400 employees (200 in Italy) and a 75 million turnover in 2018.“Cars, vans, trucks and buses produce over 70% of Co2 emissions generated by trans-ports (according to the European Agency data of August 2019). This impressing percentage proves that road transport is becoming increasingly inefficient, from both an environmental and an economic perspective. Our company has always tried to favour railways as its transport mode for longer routes, choosing road transport only to collect and deliver goods locally. This ensured substantial savings in terms of time, as well as a significant pollution reduction”.

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moned all the members of the association of lawyers specialised in maritime law at Cantine Migone.In Genoa historical centre, ICT company Softeco Sismat celebrated both Christmas and its 40th anniversary at Mente Locale

Despite the hardships faced by Liguria and the well-known dramatic weather events occurred in 2019, Genoese trade associa-tions and companies within the port and transports sector did not lose hope in the future.The celebrations organized to take stock of the closing year and to set good resolutions for next year confirm that they will not give up despite the calamities affecting Liguria.

Joyful Christmas parties under the Lighthouse against allGenoese port-maritime cluster organized several events for 2019

irrespective of the troubles caused by local infrastructures collapse

In fact, the Genoese port cluster proved to be ready to roll up its’ sleeves as usual. Ship2Shore provides a brief description of the parties it managed to attend.Freight forwarders started with a great event in Terrazza Colombo: Spediporto heads Alessandro Pitto and Giampaolo Botta, together with Spediservices head, welcomed – among numerous guests – Liguria Region president Toti, Genoa

EVENTS

Fondaco, announcing the merger with its parent company TerniEnergia to enter the Stock Exchange.MSC Group invited its VIP guests within the shipping sector, together with its employees, corporate top management and

Mayor Bucci and Port Authority president Signorini.RINA Chairman and Managing Director Ugo Salerno paid honour to all his guests gathered in the theatre Carlo Felice with parts of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece La Bohème.At the same time, very close to the Genoa opera theatre, they held two other events.AIDIM President Giorgio Berlingieri sum-

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Pitto, Botta, Fasce

RINA

AIDIM

to be continued at page 17

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local authorities to celebrate Christmas at its MSC Towers headquarters to attend the mass celebrated by Genoa Cardinal Arch-bishop Mons. Angelo Bagnasco.Port Authority president Signorini and Coast Guards Commander in-chief Adm. Carlone were the guests of honour of Assa-genti president Alberto Banchero and sec-retary general Massimo Moscatelli at the shipping agents and brokers party held at the Historical State Archive.Before municipal and regional councillors Barbara Grosso, Laura Gaggero and Ilaria Cavo, Musei del Mare Mu.MA. President Nicoletta Viziano and Director Pierangelo Campodonico illustrated the 2019 balance sheet and their future projects for Galata Sea Museum, Commenda di Prè, Pegli Naval Museum and Lanterna.PL Ferrari held its Christmas party at Villa delle Peschiere, celebrating also the first 60 years of activity of the company headed, in Italy, by Federico Deodato and Antonio Talarico. The P&I Club interna-tional brokerage leader seized the opportu-nity to set up an exhibition with important works of art with a view to the opening of a new office in Rome dealing exclusively with Fine Arts.A great party was held at Genoa Aquarium for 300 employees of the turnkey naval supplies group DeWave, a spin-off of Mil-lesimo-based (Savona) Demont devised by G.B. Bozzo and including also the special-ized trademarks of Paolo Passalacqua’s Precetti and Riccardo Pompili’s Spencer Contract, which will start 2020 with a sig-nificant novelty: the all-inclusive brand Seametrica. The dancing party organized at the head-quarters of the ship agency specialized in cruises Cemar Agency Network, headed by its chairman and owner Sergio Senesi – representing, among others, Micky Ari-son’s Carnival – will be held on Monday.

Angelo Scorza

continued from page 16

MSC

Moscatelli, Banchero

Softeco

Pompili, Passalacqua, Bozzo

PL Ferrari 60 anni

Viziano, Grosso, Campodonico

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DB Schenker has opened a cutting-edge warehouse strategically located in Stabio, Ticino, southern Switzerland. The new branch boasts several accreditations and a flexible and dynamic structure ideal for handling different products. “The location of the warehouse, paired with its cutting-edge technology, enables DB Schenker to offer competitive ser-vices in the field of fashion logistics” said Hans-Peter Trachsler, CEO of DB Schen-ker Switzerland. “With the new branch, we hope to better serve our customers in Swit-zerland by offering a wide range of cus-tomized logistics and transport solutions.”Stabio is located adjacent to the border with Lombardy, the largest Italian region by GDP, meaning the warehouse is ide-ally positioned to serve customers of the demanding Italian fashion industry. The warehouse is a dedicated free zone area and several major European airports can be reached within half a day, including Paris, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Zurich and Milan.

After over four years since it split, after sev-eral unsuccessful attempts to dialogue and at the end of an exchange which lasted several months, the two Italian nautical association finally reunited.Ucina and Nautica Italiana (established in 2015, when several members of the former trade association left it) recently submitted their brief “road map” to establish a single association by the end of January 2020, within Confindustria. The two end-of-the-year meetings held in Genoa and Milan voted for the dissolution of Nautica Italiana and for the renaming of Ucina (Confindustria Nautica), as well as for new statutes of the association. In fact, since both associations will join Conf-idustria, the statutes of the new entity must be those of the association which already forms part of Confidustria, though integrated with several amendments required by Nau-tica Italiana’s members, which were already accepted by their counterpart. The entire pro-cess must be completed by January the 31st, “at the end of the fulfilment of the condi-tions, also technical, to be implemented, and which must take place in compliance with the Statutes and with Confidustria’s values”. According to their joint note, “by next Janu-ary the 31st at least 45 companies within Nau-tica Italiana complying with the requirements provided for by Confindustria must join the association, according to the methods set out in the ‘Protocol of intents for the reunifica-tion’, in order for the agreement providing for the joining of the representatives of the two associations to be enforced”.Confidustria Nautica will be headed by cur-rent Ucina president Saverio Cecchi, together with Nautica Italiana president Lamberto Tacoli, who will be appointed vice-president.At the end of a transitional period, they will

Italian nautical sector finally reconciledBy the end of January UCINA and Nautica Italiana will merge into Confindustria Nautica

German Railways to expand fashion logistics in Switzerland

DB Schenker opens strategically located warehouse in Stabio, Ticino

appoint a new president and a team of vice-presidents, while Tacoli and Cecchi will both become Confidustria Nautica Past Presi-dents. “My main goals were the completion of the important amendments to our Statutes

ASSOCIATIONS

As a result, the warehouse serves a wide range of customers and products, from fashion to general cargo, high tech, phar-maceuticals, food and beverage. As the main transportation hub for shipments from Italy, the branch is able to offer made-to-measure B2B and B2C delivery solutions for all customers within Switzer-land. Together with air and ocean freight connections, DB Schenker can offer the entire spectrum of current transport solu-tions.The warehouse offers a unit load device and elevated platform, meaning goods can be transported directly from the ware-house via truck to the aircraft, without the need for re-packing. This simplified transfer process not only saves time and increases efficiency, but also offers protec-tion against damage and theft. The Stabio branch additionally has six loading bays and a fully-customizable warehouse man-agement system to fit the unique needs of our customers.

in order to be increasingly inclusive, with special attention to Southern Italy, and espe-cially the reunification of the representatives of the Nautical sector”, observed Cecchi, adding: “I would like to share my joy with my Vice Presidents, who always supported me, with Lamberto Tacoli, who helped me making this possible, and especially with all our Members. We will launch an impor-tant strategic plan for our sector”. Similarly, Tacoli defined the vote that resulted in the dissolution of Nautica Italiana as “the final achievement of a reconciliation process which lasted for nine months”. Tacoli also hopes that the new association “will seize the opportunities provided by the future of the segment, from its internationalization to the development of its internal industry”, setting aside “the self-interests which kept us apart in the past in order to further consolidate our segment”.

LOGISTICS20/12/2019 16/12/2019

Cecchi, Tacoli

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Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation, has entered into an agreement to acquire Jade Logistics, the Christchurch, New Zea-land-based provider of the Master Termi-nal TOS (terminal operation systems) for mixed cargo terminals. The buyer did not disclose the price but said the deal does not have a significant impact on Cargotec financials, and plans to establish a General Cargo Center of Excellence in Christchurch to serve the growing demand for mixed cargo solu-tions globally, to be headed by Jade’s CEO David Lindsay.Jade Logistics was previously part of Jade Software Corporation (JSC), the devel-oper and owner of the Jade language, majority held by Skipton Building Society in the UK until 2017, when it was spun off and sold to a private investor, USA Health Investors LLC. The kiwi company continues to base Master Terminal on the core Jade lan-guage and back end environment, which

Power concentration in IT businessLeading company Navis to acquire Jade Logistics, New Zealand-based

provider of the Master Terminal TOS for mixed cargo terminals

it now uses under license. Being a true multi-cargo TOS has always been its best selling point; rather than being a container terminal product with some general cargo functionality added on, or a warehouse management system adapted for cargo shipping, Master Terminal was designed to handle all types of cargo at a multi-pur-pose port from the outset.Built from the ground up as a general cargo TOS, Master Terminal is designed to handle all cargo types. Master Termi-nal provides a single, real–time view of operations to enable smarter decisions faster. Master Terminal is a highly secure and scalable solution, which facilitates the sharing of cargo information beyond the port “walls” across the supply chain, helping ports grow their business through increased visibility.According to WorldCargo News, in May 2018 Jade Logistics had 128 customer sites using Master Terminal and 20 more implementations in progress; several cus-

IT

tomers use master Terminal at multiple sites, including Abu Dhabi ports (seven terminals), PT Pelabuhan Indonesia I (Pelindo I - 14 terminals), and a customer in Australia with 17 terminals.The provider of operational technologies and services that unlock greater perfor-mance and efficiency for the world’s leading organizations across the shipping supply chain is trusted by over 100 facil-ities globally to manage the transport of mixed cargo such as steel, timber, con-tainers, cars and many other materials, according to an official press release, so may some clients have been lost mean-while.With N4, Octopi and Jade Master Termi-nal will allow Navis to offer small termi-nals three different products to gain flexi-

bility of the right TOS for any prospective customer’s cargo requirements” the buyer noted. “With the addition of Jade Logis-tics Master Terminal to its software port-folio, Navis is better positioned to support hundreds of terminals around the world that need to improve terminal operations for a wide variety of cargo types beyond containers. Jade Logistics customers will benefit from Navis’ industry expertise and innovation, its global reach and its large scale support and services organization resources which provide a customer expe-rience that is second to none.”“We are experiencing growing customer demand for general cargo services, and we feel Jade Logistics is ideally suited to enhance our product portfolio and our reach within this category” stated Benoit de la Tour, President, Navis. “By joining forces we are addressing a key comple-mentary market and growth opportunity and offering the industry the best of breed solution for general cargo. We look for-ward to getting to know Jade’s customers, understand their priorities and support their business needs with world-class technology and global support.”“We are thrilled to be joining the Navis

team, the world leader in terms of global footprint, innovation and combined exper-tise in terminal operating systems and are committed to our growing customer base. Navis will bring additional capabilities and resources to help further optimize and maximize general cargo terminal per-formance” David Lindsay, CEO at Jade Logistics, commented.Founded in 1993 Jade Logistics has been designing, building, and supporting inno-vative software for organizations in the specialist logistics industries, from vehi-cle terminals in Italy to steel terminals in North America. “Our terminal oper-ating system (TOS) Master Terminal is the world’s leading TOS for mixed cargo ports and provides terminals with a single integrated view of their entire operation. Our proven implementation methodology, comprehensive training, and Master Care support service are second to none in the industry. We have offices in New Zealand, Aus-tralia, USA, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. Among notable clients are Messina of Italy, Abu Dhabu Ports, Port Otago, Alabama Steel Terminals, Patriot Ports etc.” Jade stated.

20/12/2019

A venerable Italian shipping company, the roughly one century old Ignazio Messina & Co describes itself as a ‘bridge over the ocean’ and provides ro-ro shipping ser-vices between the main ports in the Med-iterranean and West Africa from home terminal in the heart of Genoa, one of the main Italian ports, located close to the motorway and connected with six inland

terminals in the most strategic indus-trial points of Northern and Central Italy, equipped with dedicated railway sidings and truck gates. Extending over 253,355 sqm, the terminal operation has 7 portainers, 4 transtainers, 63 fork-lifts, up to 45 tons capacity, 23 truck-tractors, 59 semitrailers and 20’/40’ mafi roll trailers, 1 railway tractor and 77

wagons.“What Messina really wanted to achieve was having a single picture of their infor-mation Master Terminal™ at Messina Line: ro-ro and mixed cargo capabilities, every transaction recorded, single inte-grated system with one view of all oper-ations, multi terminal, strong relationship with us” declared Jade Logistics.

Messina case study: Master Terminal supports diversification strategy at the Italian terminal

to be continued at page 20

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The challenge for the company’s terminal operation was finding smarter ways of managing the business. With the Euro-pean economy in a tough space, the ter-minal operation is looking to diversify beyond its owner’s business and service other shipping lines.“We have a very good terminal with a high level of productivity” stated at the time Mario Liguori, Project Manager at Messina Line. “Every terminal has an indicator for benefits; because we have fewer vessels and they are doing ro-ro and mixed cargo, it’s hard to improve the loading average with different decks and cargo simply through the use of a new computer system”What Messina really wanted to achieve was having a single picture of their infor-mation so that they could record and track every transaction through the port, and therefore the information to make smarter decisions faster about their operations. However, finding a terminal operating system (TOS) to suit Messina’s specific requirements wasn’t straightforward. “We wanted to use it to manage general cargo, we are not just a container port. We have all sorts of cargo: cars, trailers, etc. Most products are only able to manage containers.”A specific requirement was the ability to accommodate planning for ro-ro. “This was very important in the choice, as the Messina fleet is composed 90% of ro-ro vessels.”After evaluating all of the main software

vendors, Messina Line selected Master Terminal as their new TOS and began an extensive analysis of requirements to ensure a smooth implementation of a single, integrated system to replace a multi-system environment.“We set up a test-room, in which we rep-licated all aspects of operations in ‘true life’, using physical and emulated hand-helds, tablets, vehicular PCs. We also organized courses for all drivers and workers across the terminal, dividing par-ticipants into appropriate groups: super users taught all users their new duties, including assigning the proper security roles to all offices. “With Jade’s efficient management and developers, it was pos-sible to develop a good system to suit the needs of our terminal, and fully inter-face with the shipping line system” said Messina’s manager.The benefits have not been focussed on rapid tonnage increases, but more on ways of working that are smarter and make them more competitive. “The idea was not a big increase in throughput but to have a better way of working. In the lower decks of a vessel you have to go slowly and the system can’t help you go faster. The main benefit is having one system rather than lots of homemade sys-tems. There were lots of gaps in the old systems and it was quite confusing. They were made by hand and were very com-plex. From an operational point of view, Master Terminal is better for us” Liguori concluded.

The Swiss government will extend its sub-sidising scheme for rail freight operations up till 2026 while these subsidies were expected to be abolished in 2023. Also, track access for freight trains in Switzerland will be lowered starting from 2021 to support the shift from road to rail for transalpine traffic, an ambition which has been an integral part of the national policy since 2000.The Federal Council announced these decisions after it adopted the relocation report 2019 that comes out every two years to evaluate the status of the modal shift policy and analyse expected results. Although existing measures are effective, the report revealed that the targeted reduction to 650,000 truck journeys per year were not accomplished. The Federal Council proposed a package of measures to strengthen the modal shift; extension of the subsidy scheme is an important part of the package; the Federal Council has requested the Parlia-ment to extend the payment framework to 2026. During 2024-2026 additional 90 million francs will be made available to compensate unaccompanied combined transport operators.Although the Swiss rail freight market has been preparing for the loss of subsidies, various parties expressed their concern that it would harm the market.Hupac stated only half of today’s oper-ating subsidies (110 million francs) for the entire transalpine combined transport could be compensated by 2024.The lowering of track access charges, on

Berna to give 6 more years of support to cargo trainsSwitzerland’ state subsidies for rail freight remain in place until 2026; some more 90 million

francs to be distributed as the Federal Council proposed a new package of measures

the agenda for a little longer, has now been confirmed in the package of measures via an amendment to Network Access Ordi-nance adopted by the Federal Council. As from 1st January 2021, charges for using the Swiss railway network will be decreased by 90 million francs every year; a special discount is to be introduced for long freight trains.

Swiss charges are currently relatively low compared to other EU countries; Germany and the Netherlands have also planned similar measures, increasing the pressure on Switzerland.Other measures included in the package are an adjustment in the classification of distance-related heavy goods vehicle charges; lorries of emission classes EURO IV and V should no longer fall into a more favorable category, and this should encourage a shift of heavy-good vehicles to rail.Since 2001 lorries on all Swiss roads pay

RAILWAYS

distance-, weight- and emissions-related charges; two thirds of revenues are allo-cated to the Rail Infrastructure Fund. With-out the latest adjustment, the weighted average would fall from 293 francs (2018) to 275 francs in 2024.A fourth measure is the intensifying of heavy traffic inspections by setting up a control center Gotthard south in Giornico;

this measure is aimed at encourag-ing shift of HVG’s to the railways.The modal shift policy provides that the number of journeys by domestic and foreign lorries and semi-trailers through Swiss Alps must be lowered from 1.4 million in 2000 to 650,000 per year. In 2017 and 2018, 954.000 and 941.000 transalpine journeys of HVG’s were counted respectively; hence, the target was not achieved despite the number of journeys by HVG’s over Swiss roads decreased by 3.5 per cent in the period 2016-2018 and, compared to year 2000, by 33%.

Numbers are not positive for rail freight transport through the Alps that witnessed a drop of 2.6% during 2016-2018; its share in transalpine freight traffic is 70.5%, 0.5% lower than in 2016.The rail freight volumes should be lifted significantly with the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel is 2020; the New Rail-way link through the Alps (NEAT), a pas-sage of tunnels and railroad, is then com-pletely operational. The entire north-south axis is then also accessible for 4-metre height trains, which should have its effect in 2021.

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Lucky couple receive a 2-day break in Malta inclusive of flights andaccommodation to celebrate with authorities record year for cruise business

Valletta Cruise Port, operator of cruise passenger terminals and Valletta Water-front, a subsidiary of Global Ports Holding of Turkey, welcomed a record 906,000 passenger movements aboard 373 calls during 2019, so to enter the top 15 ranking in the Mediterranean. Homeporting calls are on the increase and now comprise 31% in 2019 as com-pared to 22% in 2018.2020 will be an important year for Val-

A record year for cruise business in the islandValletta Cruise Port in Malta closed 2019 with 906,000 cruise passenger movements

letta Cruise Port, with plenty of exciting things in store in terms of improving and sustaining core operations. Maritime works will be starting on Quays Pinto 4-5 in November 2020. With this devel-opment Valletta Cruise Port is looking at a more attractive and secure operation, without the need for the spacer barges currently in use on these quays. Valletta Cruise Port is also in the pro-cess of implementing an Environmental

TERMINAL OPERATOR

Risk Management System (ERMS); the environmental and conservation policy is in compliance with ISO 14001:2015, a baseline requirement for almost all national and international ‘green port’ accreditations. Valletta Cruise Port shall be enhancing Valletta Waterfront destination through an embellishment by investing 2 milion euro to install new outside canopies that will not impact on the visual of the

historical vaults and adding aesthetic touches to give the area the attractive-ness that it merits.“Together with local stakeholders we have worked relentlessly towards achieving this target and to ensure its sustainability in the future. Our focus remains to deliver a quality product and an excellent service coupled with strate-gic planning” Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding, stated.“Malta Tourism Authority is pleased with the results being achieved in the cruise sector that is very important to the economy of Valletta and also to a wide range of tourism service provid-ers. In addition to the direct benefits of spend by cruise visitors in our islands, surveys confirm that a high percentage of those that visit Malta for the first time on a cruise ship, often return for a holiday within two or three years” said Carlo Micallef, Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority.

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