News Freight All Kinds


n The Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association (HKLSA) has an- nounced a new green initiative in which shipping lines agree a switch to using low-sulphur fuel while at berth at the port. The Fair Winds Charter will come into effect on 1 January 2011 and run until 31 December 2012. By signing up, lines com- mit to switching to a fuel containing 0.50% sulphur content or less while at berth in Hong Kong. They also commit to collaborating within the industry and


with the Hong Kong government and Guangdong govern- ments to introduce regulation on ship emissions, consistent with international standards, as well as encouraging the con- tainer terminals to support this initiative by offering advan- tages to participating vessels. The HKLSA has urged the Hong Kong authorities to expedite discussions with the Guangdong government to introduce regulations on ship emissions in both Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region by 31 December 2012.


n Oceanbridge and Atlantic Pacific have entered into a new partnership providing ocean services both north and south- bound between the UK and New Zealand. The new service will depart weekly from Tilbury and arrive 35 days later in Aukland.


n Manchester-based forwarder CBI Global Freight Manage- ment has been acquired by Globelink China Logistics, as part of its expansion into the UK and will be re-branded as Uni Lo- gistics, based at the World Freight Terminal at Manchester Air- port. Nigel Sleigh, MD of CBI Global, said: “The acquisition of our company by one of the world’s foremost logistics compa- nies will not only ensure we maintain our growth in the Far East but also worldwide due to Globelink China’s extensive agency network.”


n Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has opened a new main han- dling operation in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. It follows the recent opening of its hub in Istanbul. Bielefeld boasts a han- dling area of 4,300sq metres and a warehouse space of 5,000sq metres. Every Wednesday and Friday goods will depart Istanbul for the new hub.


n Dutch intermodal specialist Van Dieren Maritime has launched a rail service between Herne, in Germany, and Nässjö, in Sweden. Three departures a week in each direction also pro- vide a connection to Turkey, using a regular rail service be- tween Herne and Istanbul. The combi-train will cater for 45ft palletwide containers.


SeaFrance eyes extension in administration


SNCF-owned SeaFrance is set to be granted a three-month exten- sion to its period in administra- tion which expired on 15 September, following a request by its receivers to a commercial court in Paris on 16 September. “The court has given verbal


agreement to prolonging this pe- riod until 15 December, with an official decision coming next week,” a senior SeaFrance offi- cial told Lloyd’s Loading List. The court was considering


SeaFrance’s recovery plan, drawn up with the receivers ear- lier this summer – currently the only solution on the table to take the struggling cross-Channel ferry operator out of administra- tion. However, it couldn’t render a


verdict, as the plan depends on long-term financing from SNCF, for which European Commission approval must be obtained. “The reasoning behind the re-


quest for three additional months in administration is to allow the restructuring and re- dundancy programme to con- tinue, and for which ‘rescue’ funding, totalling €50 million


(US$65m), has been obtained from SNCF and approved by Brussels,” the official said. It follows €70 million of finan-


cial support granted by SNCF al- ready this year. The two amounts, totalling


€120 million, form part of SeaFrance’s global funding re- quirements estimated at €190 million. The recovery plan makes pro-


vision for 725 redundancies, out of a total workforce of around 1,600. Around 300 personnel have already quit the company and, by 15 December, a further 300-350 will follow, the official added. “SeaFrance’s restructuring


and re-organisation measures also entail a new system of work- ing patterns aboard our vessels and talks on this will begin soon with staff representatives”. The task for the French state


and SNCF, as SeaFrance’s share- holder, will be to make out a case for its long-term financing, and present it to the EC before 15 De- cember, so the recovery plan can examined by the court,” the offi- cial said.


Maersk cuts back on reefers


Maersk Line is to reduce its reefer service dramatically after a heavy market shift from 20ft reefer boxes to 40ft and 40ft high-cube reefer containers. It told cus- tomers that from 1 October it will no longer offer teu reefer services


F4 | Freighting Update | September 27, 2010


from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific islands to Bul- garia, Ivory Coast, Congo, Croatia, Guinea, Georgia, Ghana, Thessa- loniki, Heraklion, Kenya, Latvia, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen.


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