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Issue 3 2013


Wallenius lends power to ALS’ elbow


The acquisition of out-of-gauge transport specialist Abnormal Load Services by shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics last October opens up a whole raſt of opportunities for the third- and fourth-party logistics provider, but the market for abnormal load transport remains very soſt. Andy Civil – general manager


at the combined company, WWL ALS – says that the market has slowed significantly in the past few months. Construction equipment, once of the company’s staples, “has definitely dropped off” he told FBJ. While there has been “some pick-up in bids for 2014/15,” the rate at which projects bid on 2-3 years ago are coming to fruition has also slowed. “It’s frustrating, but we do still have a certain expectation and we have kept in touch with our clients.” Big projects are being put back


either because governments have cut back their spending or because bank finance is hard to


come by. And even when the latter is forthcoming, it is taking longer to put finance packages together. The two bright spots in the


market are renewable energy schemes like windmills


and


mining, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Prospects in other parts of the world like the Americas are seen as much more long-term. That said, most customers


do still seem reasonably bullish, despite a slow start to 2013. WWL’s purchase of a 60% stake in ALS - Netherlands owned but with a head office in Hull – does at least open up more opportunity. “Through the takeover, we are seeing more of a strategic focus on the project and heavy-liſt sector. The ALS component of the combined company will provide a door-to-door element to WWL, which traditionally has been primarily a shipping line. “Being part of a bigger company


(Wallenius has over 5,000 employees and a turnover of around $3.2bn) has opened more


doors through WWL’s office


network in, for example, Australia, the America and the Middle and Far East. It has helped WWL ALS gain a foothold in the Chinese market; the shipping line’s brand is widely recognised throughout the world. But at only four months, this is still at the early stage of development.” WWL is not bound to use ALS


for its land movements, nor is ALS tied to WWL for its shipping; there are places where alternative operators are better placed. Andy Civil has seen other shiſts in the market too. “A lot of


companies have altered


the way they look at logistics, taking a more procurement- or supply chain managed-based approach and they’ve broadened the number of companies they approach, which has made the market much more competitive. Price is a much bigger factor.” In the UK and Europe, Mr Civil


has seen something of a shiſt away from road to sea or inland water


transport. “It is featuring more, and interestingly it’s not because of government action.” Rather, the driver has been companies’ own green transport policies; UK firms are also much more aware of the coastal shipping option than before and better facilities at some ports have also helped. “Certainly, we use coastal shipping or inland waterway where we can” says Mr Civil – although usable options for the latter are limited in the UK. Land transport can be quite


difficult in parts of Europe, either because there are genuine physical constraints or because of the plethora of different regulations. Crossing France is particularly hard, not least because of its weekend truck bans and also the authorities’ insistence that outsize loads use the Routes Nationales rather than the Autoroute network. As a result, the preferred solution for reach Spain or Portugal is to put the load on a coastal ship in one of the Benelux countries.


New agency deal for Safmarine’s project arm


Safmarine owners AP Moller- Maersk is to set up a separate agency network for the line’s West African project arm, Safmarine MPV. From April,


Safmarine MPV


will appoint Socopao South Africa to provide a complete shipping agency service in the South African market and main ports, and to handle the MPV vessels. Socopao is part of Bolloré Africa Logistics, one of the leading integrated logistics networks in Africa. Socopoa’s appointment is also in


line with Safmarine owner, Danish- based AP Moller-Maersk Group’s ambition to establish Antwerp- based Safmarine MPV as an independent business unit with its own, separate agency network. As a result, Safmarine MPV is leaving the Maersk Line/Safmarine agency network, which will continue to represent the AP Moller-Maersk Group’s container business. Managing director of Safmarine


MPV, Jorg Knuttel, said the combination of Safmarine MPV and Socopao’s complementary skills would create a trustworthy


///HEAVY LIFT In pictures


London-bound: Peel Ports’ Chatham docks has been despatching pre- cast concrete tunnel segments for the London Crossrail rail scheme on a modified barge bound to Canning Town, East London. The segments, manufactured by Dragados Sisk JV at its Chatham Manufacturing and Transhipment facility, weigh 3.5 tonnes each. Some 340 barge movements will shiſt 108,000 segments from Chatham, saving 13,000 lorry movements by the end of 2015.


DP World London Gateway took delivery of what it says are the largest cranes ever to arrive in the UK on 1 March. The giant quay cranes, at 138 metres tall two and a half times the height of Nelson’s column, were delivered into the Thames Estuary, aſter a two month voyage from China. A further 21 of the 1,848-tonne cranes will be delivered once construction on the six main berths is completed. The cranes arrived on board the Zhen Hua 26, one of a fleet of specialist vessels operated by Shanghai Zhenhua Shipping Semi- Submersible. The company specialises in moving port machinery and other-super heavy liſt cargoes.


product and help South African businesses take advantage of the many opportunities in the West African project cargo market in which Safmarine MPV specialises. He said: “From a project


cargo perspective, South African companies have the technology, the infrastructure and the connections they need to maximise the opportunities


and we see enormous potential for increasing business between South Africa and West Africa on the back of the new Safmarine MPV-Socopao South Africa partnership.” “The decision to establish a


separate agency network has the advantage of allowing the Maersk Line and Safmarine liner agencies to continue focusing


on the container business, while Safmarine MPV focuses on project and break bulk cargoes,” explains Knuttel. Deploying a dedicated fleet


of multi-purpose vessels, which can carry project, break bulk and containerised cargoes, Safmarine MPV connects the US, Europe and South Africa with the main oil and gas ports in West Africa.


Ruslan International – which manages and markets the combined Antonov An-124 fleets of its shareholders Antonov Airlines and Volga Dnepr Airlines – moved a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter


International Airport in New York State to Stavanger in Norway, where it will be used for flying to and from offshore oil rigs in the North Sea. Ruslan International operated the flight on behalf of Danish charter broker AirContact, who arranged the charter for its customer Norsk Helikopterservice.


from Stewart


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