NEWS
Shipbuilding
Te Council of European Shipbuilders’ Associations did not pull its punches in remarking “Driven by ill-informed speculation, massive overcapacities have built up in global shipping and shipbuilding” in a statement issued in June. “All three main markets for standard ships, container- ships, bulk carriers and tankers, are substantially oversup- plied,” said CESA. “While shrinking cargo volumes cannot fill existing
ships, the orders for new ships placed over the recent years trigger a global fleet growth of nearly 50% by 2012. Now buyers and their bankers challenge signed contracts and urging shipyards to accept delays and cancellations or face prolonged order drought. Naturally yards are reluctant to follow such requests, but oſten have no choice as many orders lack financing and oſten buyers face illiquidity.” CESA said that, as long ago as 2006, its experts had
warned that a massive supply and demand imbalance of at least 50% was building up. However, the expansion course mainly in Asia further accelerated, stimulated by a distinct absence of globally applicable trade rules. “Since September 2008, demand for new ships declined by 92%. During first quarter 2009 a global production volume of 11.5 million cgt was contrasted by new orders of only 1.1 million cgt. In this situation, substantial parts of the global shipping and shipbuilding community will face bankruptcies.” Despite the gloom, CESA said European builders
could find some succour in having concentrated on niche markets with high technology requirements. “Te financial crunch is currently causing substantial difficul- ties also in these markets but a relatively fast recovery is expected once financial resources are obtainable again,” CESA said. “However, with significant lead time needed to launch new innovative shipbuilding projects, also many high tech yards in Europe will need new orders in the coming months in order to avoid or at least limit temporary or permanent lay-offs. It is not acceptable that the absence of a global level playing field should cause irreparable damage to this skill base.” CESA said it anticipated that the current demand
and financing gap would lead to structural damage in the European maritime industry. Particularly SMEs and technologically less advanced companies would face severe, in some cases fatal challenges. “A united approach of European producers is needed to ensure that feasible and competitive companies do not become victims of ill-advised business practices elsewhere. Comprehensive government interventions in some parts of the world are likely to aggravate the situation.” CESA called for concerted European action “to facili-
tate a decisive push for the application of green maritime technologies. Europe must take leadership for a green – blue revolution.”
8
Heavylift CESA has the blues New Heavyweight
club A new International Council of Heavy Liſt and Project Cargo Carriers has been formed, also referred to as the Heavy Liſt Club, to promote education, technological innovation, environmental concerns, security and the awareness of considerations involved with the marine transport of heavyliſt and project cargoes. Jan Steffens, of Rickmers-Linie, has been selected as
chairman of the group. He said: “Heavyliſt and project cargo carriers are crucial to world infrastructure, which affects everyone. The work of heavylift and project cargo carriers is not only important, it is specialised. There are technical, operational and safety consid- erations in the heavyliſt and project cargo sector and important challenges, which are not always considered or understood. Te Heavy Liſt Club provides a forum for exchanging ideas on industry matters that are of interest and concern to heavyliſt and project carriers.” HLC membership is open to ocean carriers who
are routinely engaged in the international transport of heavyliſt and project cargoes through the use of a long-term controlled fleet of self-sustained heavylift vessels. The Heavy Lift Club has a non-rate discussion
agreement filed with the Federal Maritime Commission. All of the following carriers are or will be members of the Heavy Liſt Club following Federal Maritime Commission approval: Australia Asia Line; BigLiſt Shipping BV; Beluga Chartering Gmbh; BBC Chartering & Logistic GmbH & Co KG; Chipolbrok; Clipper Projects A/S; Conti-Lines; Hyundai Merchant Marine; Intermarine, LLC, represent- ing Industrial Maritime Carriers, LLC; K/S Combi Liſt; Nordana; Rickmers-Linie GmbH & Cie KG; Scan-Scott; Scan-Trans; and Universal Africa Lines Ltd.
Environment BIMCO’s index
thinking BIMCO has thrown its weight behind the proposals for an Energy Efficient Design Index for new ships as a mechanism for emission reduction. Te shipowner association said it supported the tool as a
broad measure of energy efficiency, although it recognised that there may be issues with ship types designed specifi- cally to cater for particular transport needs. Nevertheless such a scheme provided a direct incentive for technical advances in fuel and thus ship efficiency. Te organisation, however, said it could not support
any form of mandatory application of the proposed International Maritime Organization (IMO) operational
The Naval Architect July/August 2009
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