· CEO says 2014 World Maritime Day a cause for celebrating progress within the industry
· SOHAR to make announcement of ‘significance to industry’ at global event in Singapore
· CSAV to call at SOHAR as part of existing CMX service, under vessel sharing agreement
SOHAR
Port and Freezone has held a small ceremony to mark World Maritime Day,
and the remarkable achievements that have been made in promoting global
economic growth and technological advancements in supply chains
throughout the world. With this year’s International Maritime
Organisation observance focusing on the effective implementation of its
53 conventions, SOHAR CEO Andre Toet declared that while some of the
instruments put forward by the IMO have yet to be ratified, the timing
is right for worldwide cooperation on issues like the shipping
industries carbon foot print, waste management, and crew safety.
“The
world’s largest ships are now capable of carrying over 18,000
containers. These vessels have a much-reduced carbon footprint when
compared with their predecessors, and hold great promise for the future
of sea trade. But they still account for a very small proportion of the
world’s commercial fleet,” said Mr. Toet.
“At
the same time, we still no very little about how the upcoming mandate
to cut sulphur oxide in fuel to 0.1 percent will be implemented, and the
impact that it will have on commercial shipping. This presents a
challenge, but the technology at our disposal means it is something that
we can overcome” said Mr. Toet.
“Much
time and effort is being put into research and development of
technologies to introduce LNG on a commercially viable scale within the
industry, for example. This will be vital in reducing the weight and
fuel requirements of ships, which will be good for the environment as
vessels numbers continue to grow.”
Continuing
along the theme of global progress, Mr. Toet said that SOHAR was
preparing an announcement of significance to the industry when a
delegation from the Omani port attends an international conference in
Singapore next month. He also said that CSAV – the largest shipping
company of its kind in Latin America – will start to make ship calls at
SOHAR after the Chilean company reached a vessel sharing agreement to
expand existing CMX services. CSAV was founded in 1872 and employs over
4,000 staff on five continents.
