Heavylift/Project Review DHL on a growth plateau


Major projects shelved during recession will soon be available to industrial projects division


The dynamic growth rates recorded by industrial logistics suppliers before the global re- cession are expected to return next year, as major infrastruc- ture projects win the green light to proceed, according to DHL’s forwarding arm, writes Mike King “Many major projects were


shelved during the recession. Now, a lot of them are being taken off the shelf and we’re getting a lot of enquiries,” said Ronald Foster, head of Industrial Projects for Africa & South Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding. DHL’s industrial projects divi-


sion has grown into a major charterer of project and heavylift shipping services over the last decade, Foster (pic- tured) told Lloyd’s Loading List. It was now operating a variety


of specialist shipping services, ranging from securing deck- space on general or breakbulk vessels for outsized cargo, through to chartering major heavylift and semi-submersible vessels.


Since 2005, the Africa and


South Asia region of the division has seen “tremendous growth”, with the number of employees trebling, said Foster. “We are on a plateau after re-


“This is a big activity for us,”


he explained. “The availability of ships is good, but rates de- pend on the location and the type of ship and spec required. Generally speaking, prices are the same as they were a year ago.” The chartering side of the


business goes hand in hand with DHL’s logistics service portfolio, aimed at heavy industrial proj- ects and encompassing every- thing from energy to mining, infrastructure to petrochemical support. “Last year, for example, we


moved a chemical splitter col- umn which was 108 metres long and weighed 1,500 tonnes. We moved it by barge to the refin- ery,” he said.


cession,” he explained. “We’re just waiting for it [growth] to restart, and this will probably happen in the second half of next year. “We were quite lucky, as we


had four major projects to work on through the recession, so that took us through that pe- riod. “This year, we’ve picked up


major contracts for an ore pro- cessing plant in Malaysia and a desalination plant in Australia. Australia, Papua New Guinea,


Malaysia, Thailand and Malaysia are forecast to feature heavily in DHL’s future in the sector, and Foster said the company was also looking to expand its pres- ence in the Indonesian mining sector. “We’ll be back to where we


were by the second half of next year,” he added.


Deals by the dozen for Dockwise


Dockwise has been awarded 12 heavylift shipping and engineering contracts worth US$37 million. Among the new contracts this quarter,


the company will transport the accommo- dation/ work barge, Acergy Antares, from Singapore to Port Gentil, Gabon for Acergy Shipping. The semi-submersible heavylift shipping


specialist will also transport two crane barges and a tug from New Orleans to Santa Marta and a lift-boat from Chaguara- mas to Galveston in early 2011, and several jack-up rigs to various locations around the world. “Dockwise has also been selected as the


contractor of choice by Keppel Fels for the transport, loading, and discharge of a float-


over barge that includes both living quar- ters and a topside,” said the company. “This combined cargo, weighing more


than 10,000 metric tonnes, is scheduled for shipping in Q3-Q4 2011.” André Goedée, CEO added: “We are see-


ing encouraging signs across our markets, with prices stabilising. Tendering activity for larger projects also continues.”


Freighting Update | September 27, 2010 | F11


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