DPRK and ROK reopen maritime communication channel

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) reopened a maritime communication channel on Sunday, with vessels from the two countries making radio contact for the first time in a decade, the ROK's Defense Ministry said in a statement. 

Performance lists Paris MoU

At its 51st meeting last month, the Paris MoU Committee approved the 2017 inspection results and adopted new performance lists for flags and Recognized Organizations (ROs).

'Sulphur Cap Chaos in 2020' Warn World’s Shipowners

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) fears ‘chaos and confusion’ unless the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) urgently resolves some serious issues concerning the successful implementation of the 0.5 percent sulphur in marine fuel cap, which is scheduled to come into effect globally overnight on 1 January 2020. 

Angelicoussis Shipping Group Selects the Ecochlor BWTS for Retrofit in 36 Vessels

USA-based ballast water treatment system (BWTS) manufacturer, Ecochlor, Inc. announced today the completion of a contract to retrofit 36 vessels, including Suezmaxes, Aframaxes, VLCCs, Minicapes and Capes for Angelicoussis Shipping Group Limited (ASGL). Installations are expected between 2018 – 2020 in Singapore, Dubai, Qatar and China.

Greek-owned company ASGL has a well-established track record in shipping dating back to 1947. The Angelicoussis Group fleet is comprised of bulk carriers, tankers and LNG vessels. Maran Tankers Management (MTM) manages the Oil Tanker Shipping unit and in 2001 Anangel Maritime Services Inc. (AMSI) was appointed to manage the Bulk Carrier fleet of ASGL.

Maran Tankers Management provides world-class ship management services and aims to adhere to the highest health, safety, and environmental standards. The safety of their crew, cargo loss prevention and reduction in emissions is of paramount importance as they pursue these goals. Choosing a BWTS with low power consumption and a minimal environmental footprint, along with providing a safe, easy-to-operate option for their crew were critical factors in reaching this decision.

There are many things Anangel considered when selecting the BWTS for their fleet. After a thorough review, the features and benefits of the Ecochlor BWTS, along with a commitment to customer service and ensuring the compliance of Anangel vessels were important factors in their choice. With this decision, Anangel has taken important steps necessary to move forward in their commitment to comply with the BWM Convention for their fleet of vessels, thus reinforcing their continued environmental responsibilities in keeping the oceans and coastal waterways clean.

“We look forward to working with both Maran and Angangel to retrofit their fleet of vessels and continuing to support their efforts in satisfying regulatory compliance. Our BWTS are setting the standard in the ballast water treatment industry for operational performance and reliability,” said Tom Perlich, President of Ecochlor.

Ecochlor CEO Steve Candito remarked, “Having both IMO and USCG Type Approval were very important factors in the selection process by ASGL. Our expertise as well as the system’s ease of use and reliability are critical issues to shipowners as they look for manufacturers that are absolutely committed to making sure their vessels are in compliance with BWT regulations now, and for the life of the vessel.”

Over the past two years, the Ecochlor® Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) has been installed on dozens of tankers with ballast water flow rates ranging from 750 to 6,000 m3/hr. These installations were on Product Tankers, Aframax Tankers and Suezmax Tankers at shipyards in China, Croatia, Romania, Portugal and Turkey. Currently, there are two Bulk Carrier New Builds installations in process in China and four tanker retrofits scheduled over the next few months.

«On Bulk Carrier Casualties & Incidents»

INTERCARGO’s latest Bulk Carrier Casualty Report, which provides an analysis of bulk carrier total losses between 2008 to 2017 (see https://www.intercargo.org/bulk-carrier-casualty-report-2017/), has been submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the consideration of the Member States, Non-Governmental Organisations and other interested parties.

Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee: Greek controlled shipping

For the 31st consecutive year the GSCC presents statistical data, in the form of 11 tables, attached hereto, on Greek controlled ships over 1,000 GT, registered under the Greek and other flags. The data has been provided by IHS Markit. The following is a short analysis, prepared by the Secretariat, of the data provided.