DNV GL opens AI research centre in Shanghai

PostTime:2019-03-20 08:39:59 View:380

DNV GL has opened an artificial intelligence (AI) research centre in Shanghai, China to seek new solutions to enhance its audit, inspection and survey services. DNV GL considers AI as a general-purpose technology that will have implications on every aspect of future operations for the classification society. DNV GL aims to develop new solutions based on AI technology, such as computer vision (whereby a computer can carry out tasks that require high levels of visual recognition), at the same time as creating future assurance schemes for the complex algorithms associated with AI. “DNV GL is continuously investing in research, development and innovation and we are directing 5% of our global revenues to this. Our ambition is to be a technology leader, exploring new solutions for the benefit of our customers. I look forward to see new projects building AI-based solutions with our customers,” said Remi Eriksen, group president and ceo at DNV GL. The AI research centre in Shanghai recognises China’s position as a world leader in the technology, and the proximity to a leading AI innovation hub will allow DNV GL to collaborate with partners at the forefront of the technology. Dr. Pierre C Sames, group technology and research director at DNV GL, commented: “Establishing a dedicated AI research centre in Shanghai enables us to engage with and benefit from leading edge AI technology developments. We also look to close cooperation with leading Chinese companies willing to implement advanced services based on AI.” The classification society is already utilising disruptive technology to challenge operations that have remained largely unchanged for decades. Read more: DNV GL launches remote surveys for all vessels The company, for example, recently undertook the first set of remote surveys whereby inspections on board ships are carried out virtually using cameras, rather than in person. Blockchain has also become an integral technology to the company’s assurance operations.

Charcoal load catches fire twice on ship from Haiphong to Shanghai

PostTime:2019-03-20 08:35:24 View:450

THE 5,700-TEU 2001-built ER Kobe that suffered a fire when three containers on deck loaded with charcoal caught fire while the boxship was heading from Haiphong to Qingdao and later became engulfed in flames again. It is believed that the fire first broke out in the containers on the upper deck on February 14. The vessel was re-directed to Hong Kong, where the fire was thought to be extinguished but restarted on February 24.  The crew were reported to have reacted quickly to bring the fire under control and all the containers were safely unloaded in Hong Kong under the close supervision of a salvage company, local authorities and fire experts. The ship then continued its journey to Qingdao, but a further three containers caught on fire while approaching the port of Shanghai. Again, the fire was extinguished by the crew, reported Kiev's Maritime Bulletin. The ER Kobe is now at the Luhuashan anchorage where all remaining 43 containers loaded with charcoal have been safely discharged. The vessel was then shifted from Yuanyuansha anchorage to Waigaqiao terminal. A detailed investigation of the cargo damage and the claims handling is ongoing. All actions are being taken in coordination with charterer, agents, P&I and port authorities. ER Kobe is expected to later continue on her way with an adjusted schedule. She is under the management of manager ER Schiffahrt GmbH & Cie KG and deployed on the ICC service on a rotation of: China, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and back to Sri Lanka.  

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding launches offshore engineering arm

PostTime:2019-03-11 08:55:23 View:343

Chinese state-owned Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) has officially launched its offshore engineering arm, Waigaoqiao Qingdong Offshore Engineering Company, located at Qidong ship industrial park, Jiangsu.  Waigaoqiao Qidong Offshore Engineering is to focus on ship equipment and non-shipbuilding businesses. The company will be the platform for SWS to develop ocean economy and marine science and technology. At the beginning of this year, SWS announced its 2019 operation plans, and emphasized that the company will strengthen the business development of commercial ships, offshore engineering and cruise ships. The main business of SWS covers design, construction and repair of marine vessels and offshore products. SWS currently owns Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Offshore, and controls Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry,Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Design, Shanghai CSSC Marine Boiler, CSSC Shenghui Equipment, which also owns the shares of Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding.

Shanghai and Ningbo team up to boost throughput to and from Yangtze

PostTime:2019-02-25 08:37:20 View:813

THE Port of Shanghai, the world's biggest container port, has announced it will cooperate with the Port of Ningbo, the world's largest port by cargo turnover, in the development, operation and management of the northern part of Xiao Yangshan port area. According to the agreement, Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) and Zhejiang Seaport Investment & Operation Group will invest CNY5 billion (US$744.5 million) in Shanghai Shengdong International Container Terminals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIPG.  Following the investment, SIPG will hold 80 per cent of the joint venture with Zhejiang Seaport Group retaining the remaining 20 per cent. Up to 70 per cent of Shanghai port's throughput comes from the Yangtze River Delta region, and nearly half of the goods in Yangshan require additional transportation by water, reported the China Daily. In the operational southern side of Yangshan port, no berths are set aside for feeder vessels, which has hampered its efficiency and economic performance, said Liu Ming, a deputy general manager with a logistics company under SIPG. "Feeder ships for regional transportation have to wait for a berth to reach their destinations, which is a waste of time and money," said Zhou Dequan, a research director from the Shanghai International Shipping Institute. The northern side of Xiao Yangshan, though not as deep as the southern side, could well be developed into an international transportation hub for transition between rivers across the region, said Fang Huaijin, vice-president of Shanghai International Port Group.  

GAC Forwarding & Shipping (Shanghai) renamed GAC (Shanghai).

PostTime:2019-02-01 08:59:59 View:353

DUBAI's GAC Forwarding & Shipping (Shanghai) Ltd has changed its name to GAC (Shanghai) Ltd after more than a decade since it first opened in the city. Shanghai managing director Simon Xu said renaming comes after the company has established a firm foothold in the country's competitive shipping and logistics sectors.  The name change is timely, riding the wave of a rising demand for ship agency and logistics services.  "Over the years, our range of services has evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers," he said. "Our new name better reflects the extensive scope of services we offer today, which extends beyond shipping and forwarding.  Established in 2006, GAC China is part of the GAC Group, a global shipping, logistics, marine and related services provider with over 300 offices worldwide.  From the main office in Shanghai, it has extended its reach to other cities by setting up branch offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Chengdu and Xiamen. .

Qingdao Port lists on Shanghai Stock Exchange

PostTime:2019-01-22 12:51:04 View:1636

Qingdao Port International Co Ltd, operator of the world’s seventh busiest port by shipping volume, was officially listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company’s stock price surged by 44.03 percent to reach 6.64 yuan ($0.98) per share shortly after the stock market opened and remained at the upper limit for IPO share price growth for the rest of the trading time. “The listing will give a new impetus to the company’s development as it is both on A-share and H-share markets,” Li Fengli, chairman of the board of the Qingdao Port Group. The company has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since June 6, 2014. “Qingdao port will make greater efforts to bring interests to its employees and shareholders,” said Li, adding that the port aims to contribute more to China’s opening-up and the society. With a history of more than 100 years, Qingdao port is currently connected with over 700 ports in 180 countries and regions. The port recorded an operation revenue of 8.6 billion yuan from January to September in 2018, a 13.54 percent increase from the same period in 2017.

Shanghai still world's busiest box port, followed by Singapore

PostTime:2019-01-17 08:36:29 View:303

CHINA's Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) retained its top position as the world's busiest container port for the ninth consecutive year. The port recorded 42.01 million TEU throughput in 2018, an increase of 4 per cent compared to 40.23 million TEU posted in the previous year, reaching a record high. The port achieved CNY10.28 billion (US$1.52 billion) net profit last year, reports Seatrade Maritime News, Colchester, UK. The port's improved performance was attributed to the recovery in the global economy, the nation's increasing import and export business coupled with improving service capability and efficiency, SIPG stated in its 2018 performance brief report. The world's second largest container port Singapore reported an 8.7 per cent growth in container volumes to reach 36.6 million TEU last year. Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Lam Pin Min, said 2018 had been a "year of uncertainty", but, "Thankfully, Maritime Singapore fared not too badly." Total cargo throughput was up slightly at 630 million tonnes last year compared to 627.7 million tonnes a year earlier. The Lion City remained the world's largest bunkering port in 2018 although the volumes sold in the port slipped to 49.8 million tonnes compared to 50.6 million tonnes a year earlier. The Singapore Registry of Ships also enjoyed a good year with the total tonnage of ships under the Singapore flag climbing 2.4 per cent to reach 90.9 million gross tonnes in 2018. Mr Lam noted that Singapore continued to attract top players with Thenamaris setting up a commercial ship management office and the World Shipping Council announcing it would be setting up its Asia office in the Lion City. Looking ahead on the container port front Singapore made positive strides in ensuring future volumes last year with Ocean Network Express (ONE) committing to a 4 million TEU joint venture terminal with PSA and Cosco Shipping Ports adding 2 million TEU to its joint venture terminal with PSA to bring its annual capacity to 5 million TEU.  

Shanghai retains crown of world’s busiest container port

PostTime:2019-01-16 08:59:29 View:282

China’s Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) retained its top position as the world’s busiest container port for the ninth consecutive year. The port recorded 42.01m teu container throughput in the year of 2018, an increase of 4% year-on-year compared to 40.23m teu posted in the previous year, reaching a record high. The port achieved RMB10.28bn net profit in 2018. The port’s improved performance was due to the contribution a recovery in the global economy, China’s import and export business keeps increasing. The port has also been improving service capability and efficiency to achieve continued stable growth, SIPG sated in its 2018 performance brief report. Shanghai port container terminals, equipped with most advanced facilities, located in Yangshan, Waigaoqiao and Wusong areas, have 46 container berths, and over 6m square metres container yards. Staying as the world’s second largest container port Singapore reported an 8.7% growth in container volumes to hit 36.6m teu last year.

WinGD aims 20% increase in technical capacity through new Shanghai set up

PostTime:2018-10-25 08:52:25 View:304

WinGD (Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd) is setting up an engineering centre in Shanghai, China together with a subsidiary of CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited) to increase its technical capacities by 20%. WinGD’s partnership with CSPI (China Shipbuilding Power Engineering Institute) is in response to a receptive market to its X-DF engines and the planned technical advancements to come. The engine developer is looking to further expand its resources and continue its focus on maritime two-stroke engine design. “For nearly three years CSPI and WinGD engineers have been sharing expertise. While initially the cooperation focused on a few areas only, for instance engineering applications, CSPI’s capabilities in developing engine related systems and components has created further, enhanced synergies,” said Dominik Schneiter, vice president of research and development, WinGD. The collaboration comes at a time when the maritime industry is facing unprecedented change – change that is driving ambitious innovations in technology. Klaus Heim, ceo of WinGD, commented: “Our new engineering center, in cooperation with CSPI, is a milestone in our efforts to increase our overall R&D capacities and our global knowledge base. It is one of the cornerstones of our strategy, to further expand our product portfolio and strengthen our market position in both market segments, diesel and dual fuel engines.” The new engineering centre will be located at the CSPI premises in Shanghai. WinGD stated that it will continue to invest in engagement with global engineering services provider L&T Technology Services as part of an ongoing collaboration. “The shipping industry is highly volatile and heavily regulated. It is therefore essential for us to partner with global companies like L&T Technology Services who bring cross domain expertise and can understand our complexities to consistently deliver through high quality engineering work.” Schneiter said.

JD launches parcel delivery in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou

PostTime:2018-10-25 08:46:35 View:1234

CHINA's e-retail giant {非本站网址} is entering the parcel delivery business by opening its logistics network to consumers to send parcels around the country. The company expects the strongest demand will come from urban professionals looking for same-day, intracity delivery. The parcel delivery service enables users of the company's app in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to send items intracity and throughout mainland China using the same delivery service they get when making purchases, reported American Shipper. The company has launched user trials of the parcel delivery service with multiple ways for customers to request pickups. In addition to the {非本站网址} app, shippers can request pickups on a JD Delivery mini programme in WeChat, a social network operated by JD's partner Tencent, and a JD "Delivery Team" WeChat account. JD, which will expand the programme to include high-value items, aims to eventually make residential and business deliveries for shippers from anywhere to anywhere within mainland China, it said. "JD is the only large-scale e-commerce company in the world to operate a nationwide in-house logistics network, down to the last mile. The network, powered by the company's proprietary supply chain management technology, is able to deliver over 90 per cent of orders same or next day and reaches 99 per cent of China's population," the company said in its blog. "Depending on the delivery option chosen, packages may be sent by high-speed rail or air," JD said.     

New project to develop blockchain for ports of Shanghai and Guangdong

PostTime:2018-09-30 09:07:57 View:349

Technology company Ideanomics signed a Joint Venture (JV) for Exclusive APEC Model E-port Network (APMEN), APEC's online port clearance system, across Asia-Pacific with APMEN Trade Tech. The JV will design an electronic port clearance system based on blockchain. The project will launch the first phase of the operations in two of the biggest ports: Shanghai and Guangdong, which account for nearly half of China's import and export and then it will expand into other APEC countries' ports. The JV aims to improve the electronic ports (e-ports) system with AI and blockchain solutions to extend its existing service from port to port, and warehouse to warehouse. The full implementation of connecting e-ports across the region can save up to half of supply financing cost which is currently 16% -25% in China. The total value of import and export goods of Shanghai and Guangdong ports is combined is 10.5 Trillion yuan ($1.532 trillion), up by 13%.

Shanghai steel rebar rises on Chinese infrastructure push

PostTime:2018-09-20 10:39:50 View:331

Prices for Chinese construction steel rebar rose on Wednesday and were on track for their best one-day performance in over a week, buoyed as the government said it would boost spending on infrastructure. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top state planner in the country, said in a news briefing on Tuesday that China would ramp up investment in infrastructure, as well as in agriculture, poverty alleviation and environmental protection. It also said it would speed up construction on infrastructure projects that have already been approved. “(The NDRC statement) helped to shore up the confidence of investors towards steel-demand in the long-term and drove up steel prices,” analysts at CITIC Futures said in a note in Mandarin. Steel consumption from infrastructure projects accounted for nearly 20 percent of total usage of the commodity last year. However, worries over the latest escalation in the tit-for-tat trade dispute between Washington and Beijing could drag on the market. Beijing on Tuesday quickly added $60 billion of U.S. products to its import tariff list in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s planned levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The most-active rebar contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed 1.1 percent to 4,177 yuan ($608.71) a tonne, on course for its biggest one-day gain since Sept. 10. Prices of steelmaking raw materials also rose. Dalian iron ore futures had advanced 1.3 percent to 510 yuan a tonne by 0147 GMT. The most-traded coking coal futures edged up 0.4 percent to 1,298 yuan a tonne, while the coke contract for January delivery rose 1.9 percent to 2,321.5 yuan.