Seafarer vaccine prioritisation
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has welcomed the World Health Organization’s decision to name seafarers as one of the groups of transportation workers that should be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccination in instances of limited supplies. This was reported on 22 July.
Cargo tank explosion and fire on chemical tanker Stolt Groenland Ulsan, Republic of Korea, September 2019
On 28 September 2019, a cargo tank containing styrene monomer on board the Cayman Islands registered chemical tanker Stolt Groenland ruptured causing an explosion and fire. The tanker was moored alongside a general cargo berth in Ulsan, Republic of Korea and the Singapore registered chemical tanker Bow Dalian was moored outboard. Ignition of the styrene monomer vapour resulted in a fireball, which reached the road bridge above. Both vessels were damaged, and two crew suffered minor injuries.
IMO updates Maritime Administrators in the Caribbean
According to news from the excellent IMO media service on 23 July senior maritime administrators in the Caribbean participated in the latest Regional Workshop, which was held virtually on 19 & 20 July.
Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy Columbia Shipmanagement Training programmes intro
It was announced from Abu Dhabi, UAE, early in July that Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy (ADMA), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, had signed an MoU with Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) for the development of training programmes, as well as the provision of consultancy services focused on the applications of alternative fuels, efficiency enhancement and artificial intelligence (AI) within maritime operations.
NAMPORT container donation
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) in collaboration with shipping company Maersk and TransNamib, the country’s rail unit, recently donated six 40 foot fitted-out refrigerated containers to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in that country.
SA service levels slowly improving, says Transnet.
At the end of last week, 16 July at 1700 Transnet issued the following update on the situation regarding the ports of Durban and Richards Bay, and including the Natcor rail between the port of Durban and Gauteng:
Service levels in the ports of Durban and Richards Bay have improved slightly since the start of Thursday (15 July) working shifts, as the country begins mop-up operations after protest action over the past few days.
Pilot transfer arrangements
On 20 July Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) once again demonstrated its commitment to seafarer safety by being the first registry to instigate a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) for pilot transfer arrangements. It is understood that this effort will continue to the end of 2021.
Cutting GHG emission from shipping
The year 2021 marks a decade of action since IMO adopted the first set of mandatory energy efficiency measures for ships.
ESPO welcomes Fit for 55-package
On 14 July, the European Commission published its so-called Fit for 55 package, a set of proposals which should help deliver on the European Climate Law target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by at least 55% by 2030, and enable climate neutrality by 2050.
The PIANC De Paepe-Willems Award 2022
Contestants for the prize should not have reached the age of forty and they are required to submit a paper on subjects in the fields of design, construction, improvement, maintenance of operation of inland and maritime waterways (rivers, estuaries, canals, port approaches), of inland and maritime ports and of coastal areas.
Latest News & Events
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has welcomed the World Health Organization’s decision to name seafarers as one of the groups of transportation workers that should be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccination in instances of limited supplies. This was reported on 22 July.
Updated guidance for Stage II of its vaccine roadmap from the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) states: ‘Seafarers and air crews who work on vessels that carry goods and no passengers, with special attention to seafarers who are stranded at sea and prevented from crossing international borders for crew change due to travel restrictions.’
IMO Secretary General Lim commented: ‘I am glad to see that the WHO recognises the importance of vaccinating seafarers on cargo ships.
‘These individuals are responsible for transporting over 80% of all goods around the world, including food, medicine and vaccine supplies – and have continued to do so despite extremely challenging circumstances. Seafarers will play a key role in the global recovery, and barriers to international travel and crew change must be removed.’
On 28 September 2019, a cargo tank containing styrene monomer on board the Cayman Islands registered chemical tanker Stolt Groenland ruptured causing an explosion and fire. The tanker was moored alongside a general cargo berth in Ulsan, Republic of Korea and the Singapore registered chemical tanker Bow Dalian was moored outboard. Ignition of the styrene monomer vapour resulted in a fireball, which reached the road bridge above. Both vessels were damaged, and two crew suffered minor injuries. Fifteen emergency responders were injured during the fire-fighting, which lasted for over six hours.
Rupture of the styrene monomer tank resulted from a runaway polymerisation that was initiated by elevated temperatures caused by heat transfer from other chemical cargoes. Elevated temperatures caused the inhibitor, added to prevent the chemical’s polymerisation during the voyage, to deplete more rapidly than expected. Although the styrene monomer had not been stowed directly adjacent to heated cargo, the potential for heat transfer through intermediate tanks was not fully appreciated or assessed.
