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Tuesday 29 January 2013

Time for openness on ship registries, says Liberia

THE Liberian Registry says it is time to put an end to the outdated thinking which results in all open registers, irrespective of their safety record, being referred to pejoratively as ‘flags of convenience.’

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (ISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Liberia is one of thirteen flags which have just been given a clean bill of health by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in its flag state performance table.  This means it has earned positive indicators from the ICS with regard to its performance in relation to port state control, convention ratification, recognised organisations, age of vessel, IMO attendance, and completion of STCW and ILO reports.

“The ICS itself says,There is nothing inherently unusual in an international ship registry system in which the owner of a ship may be located in a country other than the state whose flag the ship flies.” It also points out, quite rightly, that ‘a balance has to be struck between the commercial advantages of selecting a particular flag and the need to discourage the use of flags that do not meet their international obligations.’

“Liberia fully agrees with this, and endorses the ICS performance table as an effective way to encourage shipowners and operators to examine whether a flag state has sufficient substance, and to put pressure on flag administrations to effect any necessary improvements, especially in relation to safety of life at sea, protection of the environment, and the provision of decent working and living conditions for seafarers.

“There is no longer any need in shipping for the term ‘flag of convenience’. It has purely negative connotations, which is especially perverse in light of the positive indicators accorded to Liberia and to certain other open registries by the ICS. It would be more meaningful to refer instead - as does the ICS - to open registers, in order to distinguish them from national registers, many of which perform well below the level of the best open registries and yet enjoy an undeserved reputation for excellence. It would be more meaningful still – and more accurate – to refer simply to ship registries, and to judge those registries on how they rate under independent performance monitoring guidelines, such as those produced by the ICS.

“The monitoring and policing of ship safety on an international basis is now tighter than ever before, and the book on registering ships under the flags of their domiciled owners has long been rewritten. It is time the language of the industry was changed to reflect this.”


The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records, with a registered fleet of approximately 4,000 ships, aggregating more than 131m gross tons. www.liscr.com

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Monday 21 January 2013

Brittany Ferries first for Bureau Veritas energy-saving notation

LEADING international classification society Bureau Veritas has issued the first of its new voluntary SEEMP notations to the 1,500-passenger and 500-car cruise ferry Cap Finistère, operated by France’s Brittany Ferries. Higher efficiency, lower costs and less environmental impact are all benefits for Brittany Ferries and for everyone in the transport chain.
“Proactive ship owners like Brittany Ferries are voluntarily investing in eco-friendly technologies and operational practices,” says Martial Claudepierre, Marine Environmental Leader, Bureau Veritas. “Recognising those efforts and investments in the market place is vital to encouraging more widespread adoption of energy saving and CO2 emission reduction practices.
“The ability of passengers and freight operators to choose the best environmentally performing ship for any voyage, and the ability of owners to operate their ships at the maximum possible environmental efficiency, will redefine the shipping industry’s environmental landscape. From research and development through to procurement and retrofitting, industry experts are focusing their minds on finding the most effective technologies for saving energy, reducing emissions and mitigating fuel bills.”
Claudepierre adds, “To help transport operators choose the right ship, and to help owners operate effectively, there has to be a clear standard. That is why we at Bureau Veritas have developed a voluntary SEEMP Additional Notation. It builds on the IMO Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan. The SEEMP Additional Notation provides ship users, charterers and regulators with a tool to optimise and also make visible the environmental performance improvement of ships in terms of emissions of GHG and NOx and SOx, and will help owners to assess the potential impact of environmental investments. In this way, it will be possible to make a clearer estimate of the payback period for green investments such as trim and hull optimisation, new propeller systems, optimised maintenance periods for hull and propeller cleanings, and general fuel consumption reduction measures.”
Bureau Veritas introduced the SEEMP Notation scheme in July 2012. It covers a wide variety of ship types and is a powerful tool for creating meaningful energy management measures on new or existing ships, as well as helping owners target green investment effectively. “This notation demonstrates to authorities, Port Sate Control and other stakeholders that the development and implementation of the Ship Efficiency Management Plan complies with the requirements of the IMO Guidelines,” notes Claudepierre.
Bureau Veritas deploys sophisticated software tools to back the notation. “Realistic goals for energy consumption reduction can be determined or planned using BV’s SEECAT energy transfer simulation model of the energy usage on board the ship,” explains Claudepierre.
Frederic Pouget, a member of the board of Brittany Ferries, says, “Brittany Ferries has always been proactive on environmental issues. As a leading ferry company we believe that the SEEMP notation will contribute towards saving energy and reducing emissions. For us, the SEEMP notation is a further positive step in our energy management policy and a good way to certify all the efforts we have been making in this regard for a number of years.”
For a photo of the Cap Finistère go to: http://bit.ly/o4oUp8  or email chris@merlinco.com

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in conformity assessment and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 58,000 employees in 940 offices and 340 laboratories located in 140 countries. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

www.bureauveritas.com   for corporate information                             
www.veristar.com    for marine information

l Brittany Ferries is a privately owned French ferry company with 2,500 employees. It annually transports 2.6m passengers, 200,000 freight vehicles and 800,000 cars between France, Great Britain, Ireland and Spain. 


For more information:
Martial Claudepierre                                               
Bureau Veritas Marine Division              
+33 1 55 24 72 43                                       
martial.claudepierre@bureauveritas.com              


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Monday 14 January 2013

RINA Group supports new UAE class society

International classification society RINA Group has been chosen as the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) partner to support the development of Tasneef, a new classification society for the United Arab Emirates. Emirates Classification – Tasneef has been established in Abu Dhabi and plans to expand with future worldwide offices. Working in partnership with RINA, the goal is to develop Tasneef as an international classification society capable of meeting the technical and classification needs of the region's maritime industry, the UAE flag and international commercial shipping.

Andrea di Bella, Area Manager Middle East, RINA Group, says, “We are very excited to have been chosen to assist the development of Tasneef after a tender process that included all the major classification societies. We will work closely with Tasneef on a number of newbuilding projects and ships in service to develop their procedures and technical competence. We expect this to be the beginning of a long partnership as the UAE further expands its maritime interests.”

Mr. Rashed Alhebsi, Head of the Establishment Committee of Tasneef, says, “We selected RINA to help us develop Tasneef because of its proven competence and the good collaboration we experienced with them during our UAE Naval shipbuilding (corvette class) programme. We at Tasneef have carefully and systematically reviewed potential partners and we took our time to decide. This new partnership is built on a successful relationship. The way Tasneef looks at RINA is as a long-term strategic partner where both companies will fulfil the demand for classification services in potential sectors in this region known for fuelling the world with energy, oil and gas. Tasneef and RINA Group will also support this region, which is becoming a world hub for the maritime industry where more than 60 per cent of the world’s shipping either operate or pass, especially after establishing Khalifa Port which increases the shipping capacity of this region. Tasneef and RINA are currently finalizing together a portfolio of up to 44 classification projects in 2013 varying from new construction and ships in service to supporting the UAE Flag administration with thousands of statutory certifications.”

RINA is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, ship classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of around 300 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 140 offices in 49 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org




For more information:

Giulia Faravelli
Media Relations Manager RINA Group
Ph. +39 010 5385505

Susanna Gorni
Media Relations
Ph. +39 010 5385555

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Monday 7 January 2013

LISCR appoints new president and managing executive officer for Japan

THE Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, has appointed Takeshi Okamoto as president and managing executive officer of its dedicated office in Tokyo with effect from January 4, 2013. He succeeds Shigeki Fukuda, who will now assume the role of chairman of LISCR Japan, in which capacity he will continue to be active in the strategic management of the registry. 

Takeshi Okamoto joined the Liberian Registry from ClassNK in 2012 as director of LISCR’s Tokyo office. During his time with ClassNK, one of the world’s largest classification societies, he served as a member of the technical rulemaking team and as a manager handling international issues such as IMO discussion, as well as a field surveyor and auditor for shipbuilding and ship operations in Hiroshima and Piraeus, Greece. Mr Okamoto is a graduate of Kyusyu University, where he earned his master’s degree in naval architecture.  

Mr. Okamoto says, “It is an honour to work for the Liberian Registry. Being part of the LISCR Tokyo staff and promoting the Liberian Registry in Japan is a rewarding challenge. I will strive to ensure that we continue to protect Liberian-flag vessels and their owners.

Commenting on Mr Okamoto’s appointment, LISCR CEO Scott Bergeron says, “Japan is one of the world’s largest shipowning nations, respected internationally for its high standards. It is a very significant and growing market for Liberia, with strong historical origins. We are delighted that Takeshi Okamoto has agreed to lead our Tokyo office, and we are most confident that his skills and experience, in addition to his long-standing ties to the Japanese shipping community through his work with ClassNK, will further strengthen and develop our Japanese team.”

For a photo of Takeshi Okamoto, or of Scott Bergeron, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/LiberianRegistry or email chris@merlinco.com


The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records, with a registered fleet of approximately 4,000 ships, aggregating more than 131m gross tons. www.liscr.com

 

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Moore Stephens says banks will take a firmer grip on shipping in 2013 while vessel values fall


International accountant and shipping consultant Moore Stephens says the banks will exert more control over the shipping industry in 2013. It also expects vessel values to fall further, and the cost of regulatory compliance to increase.

Moore Stephens partner Julian Wilkinson says, “For shipping in 2012, it was not so much a case of ‘Crisis, What Crisis?’ as ‘Crisis, Which Crisis?’ This year will be equally challenging.  Operating costs are going to go up. Like a commuter facing another increase in rail fares, and no extra money coming in, shipping will most likely have to absorb the costs of more expensive fuel, more costly labour, and dearer raw materials on the back of declining freight income. Even Mr Micawber, the Dickens character who always believed that something would turn up, would have taken one look at the shipping industry’s prospects for 2013 and cried, ‘I’m off!’   

“In 2013, the banks will exert more control over the shipping industry as debt-to-equity ratios deteriorate. Restructuring, deferred payment, impairment and provision have become common coinage in shipping. Openness and the avoidance of unnecessary delay will be key elements to successful financial restructuring. Even if there really are cash-rich banks in China prepared to underwrite shipping deals, nobody is waiting for them to start lending before planning their next move.

“This year will see continued efforts to accelerate scrapping, which is only made more attractive by the approach of expensive classification special survey deadlines. Despite record scrapping levels in the past twelve months, there still exists a considerable gap between the volume of newbuilding deliveries coming onto the market and both the amount of tonnage scrapped and the availability of suitable demolition facilities. Newbuilding deliveries have been running at record levels for three years. One major operator said recently, ‘Global tonnage oversupply is irrelevant.’ It isn’t, but the fact remains that now is a good time to build eco-friendly ships at reasonable prices for which there will be strong demand in the future.

“Expect vessel values to fall further in 2013, last year having closed with a VLCC selling for the lowest price since the mid-90s. The danger is that each successive fall creates a new benchmark. Expect also further increases in the cost of regulatory compliance. That will have to include planning for the BWM convention. Ballast water is not sexy, but it is expensive. Once the percentage of worldwide tonnage is met in the near future, the convention will enter force twelve months thereafter. Owners need to be thinking now about where the money for retrofitting – and it is a lot of money – is coming from.

“Remarkably, the Moore Stephens Shipping Confidence Survey shows that the industry closed 2012 more confident than it ended 2011. Now remains a good time to buy for those with cash and a following wind. New investors, or existing stakeholders embarking on new projects, will be putting money into a leaner and greener industry than the one which was making good money before the economic gloom kicked in.”

Moore Stephens LLP is noted for a number of industry specialisations and is widely acknowledged as a leading shipping and insurance adviser. Moore Stephens LLP is a member firm of Moore Stephens International Limited, one of the world's leading accounting and consulting associations, with 636 offices of independent member firms in 100 countries, employing 21,197 people and generating revenues in 2011 of $2.3 billion. www.moorestephens.co.uk
 

For more information:                                                               
Julian Wilkinson                                                                                   
Moore Stephens LLP                                                                
Tel: +44 (0)20 73349191                                                           
julian.wilkinson@moorestephens.com                                         


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