Bunker and Lubricants News Round up – Issue 05

World News – bunker fuels

Ocean shipping shrinks as pandemic pummels retailers 

The $1 trillion container shipping industry is in a slowdown. Literally. Some shipping lines, whose retail customers are being hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, are reducing sailing speeds and taking longer routes around Africa, avoiding Suez canal passage fees, according to the companies and ship-tracking specialists. Read more: Business Insider

Bunker Holding’s Zederkof Warns of Coronavirus Impact on Bunker Credit

The bunker industry should expect a worsening impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on credit availability and the financial stability of counterparties, according to one of its most senior executives. Henrik Zederkof, senior director of Bunker Holding and the new chairman of IBIA, told a Ship & Bunker  webinar last week that credit was becoming more scarce since the recent instability in Singapore. Read more: Ship & Bunker

Singapore VLSFO Price Jumps to 10-Week High

The price of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, jumped to a 10-week high at the start of the month on signs of improving demand. Read more: Ship & Bunker

Canden becomes part of Glander International Bunkering  

Canden Marine Fuel Services is rebranded as Glander International Bunkering (Montreal) from 1 June and becomes the ninth office in the group’s global network. Elza Adamyan, Sales Manager of the new Canadian office commented: ‘Moving into Glander International Bunkering will position us even stronger to meet demands and provide even higher levels of service for our clients. We are thrilled to integrate with Glander International Bunkering’s global teams of experts and long-term vision. Read more: Bunkerspot

World’s Largest Megaship Arrives in Europe

The 24,000 TEU-class HMM Algeciras arrived in Rotterdam today setting a new record as the largest ship to enter a European port. The ship arrived at Rotterdam’s Amaliahaven to transfer containers at the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) terminal after traveling from the Chinese port of Yantian on its maiden voyage. Read more: G Captain

Korean Shipyards Draw $20 Billion of Work From Qatar

Qatar has signed a deal worth around $20 billion with South Korean shipbuilders to help cement its position as the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas. Read more: Bloomberg

World News – marine lubricants 

Fuel blends: ensuring proper cylinder maintenance

Speaking at a recent Riviera Maritime Media webinar on two-stroke engines and very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), Shell Marine Products’ global marine product app specialist John Schakel explained the importance of cylinder condition monitoring, which he described as being “more important than ever”. Read more: Rivieramm

Climate Change/Future Fuels

Rodolphe Saadé vows to make CMA CGM carbon neutral by 2050

Rodolphe Saadé was among a high-level Zoom panel speaking yesterday at the United Nations Global Compact gathering during which he vowed to make the French liner carbon neutral by 2050, treading a similar path to Maersk, which became the first carrier 18 months ago to set out a carbon neutral policy. Read more: Splash247

LNG fails to answer shipping’s big energy transition question 

LNG has the shipping industry’s attention as the next step to meeting climate change goals. It’s already being used, investment is being poured in and LNG prices are likely to stay low for some time encouraging its use. However, its credentials as a clean alternative on the sea may not hold up. Read more: SP Global 

Digital transformation 

DNV GL: Covid-19 ‘turbo charging’ maritime digitalisation and innovation

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, the CEO of DNV GL – Maritime, believes that, in rising to the meet the challenge of COVID-19, shipping has ‘turbo-charged’ its drive for innovation and ‘accelerated maritime digitalisation by half a decade’. The turbo-charge on technology will in turn speed up the maritime energy transition and the journey towards cleaner fuels. Read more: Bunkerspot

Port of Houston to trial PortXchange data sharing platform 

The Greater Houston Port Bureau reports that it is set to launch a trial of the PortXchange port planning software system, first developed at the Port of Rotterdam, involving more than 20 maritime stakeholder companies. Read more: Smart Maritime Network  

Number of shipping cyber attacks leaps 400% since February

Israeli maritime cyber security experts Naval Dome claim there has been a 400% spike in shipping-targeted hacks since February this year with the coronavirus pandemic leaving the sector very vulnerable. Read more: Splash24

Wärtsilä to supply Europe’s most modern simulator for inland shipping training

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted by the City of Duisburg, Germany, to provide the latest in simulator technology for inland waterway navigation. The simulator will consist of seven full mission bridges in two locations within Duisburg; six at the Schiffer-Berufskolleg Rhein vocational college, and one at the DST Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems. This will form the most modern inland simulator training facility in Europe. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in the first quarter of 2020. Read more: SeaNews

Accelerating Digitalisation of Maritime Trade and Logistics

Seaports are critical infrastructures to keep supply chains moving and economies across the world functioning. This becomes especially visible in times of global crisis. A great variety of business and government actors interact in port communities to ensure multimodal flows of vital medical and food supplies, critical agricultural products, energy streams and other goods and services reach their intended destinations in time. Read more: Sea News

Maritime Events and Initiatives 

The Maritime Hybrid, Electric and Fuel Cells Webinar Week – concludes this week  

The business case for fuel cells is gaining momentum. Understanding the key operational challenges is the key to driving wider uptake. This webinar will assess hydrogen fuel cells’ maritime potential and enable operators to plan and understand the options available and how to achieve a return on investment. Register for webinars: Rivieramm

Interested in last week’s News Roundup? Read all now – w/c 25th May 2020

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