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Hot Port News from GAC

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Hot Port News from GAC

20-Jan-2020

MARINE SURVEYS AT CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION, TUEN MUN
Hong Kong

RECONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT BEACON
Hong Kong

SEA CARGO MANIFEST AND TRANSHIPMENT REGULATIONS UPDATE
Mumbai, India

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY UPDATE
Calaca, Philippines

PORT ANNUAL NAUTICAL FIGURES 2019
Rotterdam, Netherlands

DRAFT RESTRICTION FOR VESSELS 38 FEET AND OVER
New Orleans, United States

Marine surveys at Castle Peak Power Station, Tuen Mun
Monday, January 20, 2020, Hong Kong

For approximately 3 months, marine surveys involving fender pile thickness measurement will be carried out within the area bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (D) and the adjacent shoreline:
(A) 22 deg. 22.235’N / 113 deg. 55.224’E
(B) 22 deg. 22.158’N / 113 deg. 55.131’E
(C) 22 deg. 22.363’N / 113 deg. 54.902’E
(D) 22 deg. 22.418’N / 113 deg. 55.008’E

The works are being carried out by one derrick barge. One work boat, one tugboat and four floating pontoons provide assistance.

A working area of approximately 50 metres around the derrick barge is established. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights are laid to mark the positions of the anchors extending from the derrick barge.

The hours of work are from 0800 to 1800 hours. No works are carried out on Sundays and public holidays. Vessels employed for the works stay in the works area outside the hours of work.

Diving operations are carried out from time to time during the hours of work.

Vessels engaged in the operations will display signals as prescribed in international and local regulations.

Vessels navigating in the vicinity should proceed with caution and keep clear of the works area at slow speed, bearing in mind there are divers working in the works area.

(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)

Source: Government of the Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.9/2020

Reconstruction of light beacon
Monday, January 20, 2020, Hong Kong

For approximately 3 months, marine works for reconstruction of a light beacon [off Tsim Bei Tsui, Deep Bay] are being carried out within the area bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (D):
(A) 22 deg. 30.010’N / 114 deg. 00.647’E
(B) 22 deg. 29.992’N / 114 deg. 00.702’E
(C) 22 deg. 29.941’N / 114 deg. 00.683’E
(D) 22 deg. 29.958’N / 114 deg. 00.628’E

The works are being carried out by one derrick lighter. One tugboat is providing assistance.

A working area of approximately 15 metres around the derrick lighter is established. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights are laid to mark the positions of the anchors extending from the lighter.

A silt curtain, extending from the sea surface to the seabed, is established within the works area. The silt curtain is a large piece of netting used to contain mud and sediments. Yellow flashing lights are laid to mark the extent of the silt curtain.

The hours of work are from 0700 to 1900 hours. No works are being carried out on Sundays and public holidays. Vessels employed for the works stay in the works area outside the hours of work.

Diving operations are being carried out from time to time during the hours of work.

Vessels engaged in the operations display signals as prescribed in international and local regulations.

Vessels navigating in the vicinity should proceed with caution and keep clear of the works area at slow speed, bearing in mind there are divers working in the area.

(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)

Source: Government of the Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.8/2020

Sea Cargo Manifest and Transhipment regulations update
Monday, January 20, 2020, Mumbai, India

The Commissioner of Customs at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, has advised that all stakeholders that have already registered successfully to start sending/filing their sea cargo manifests in the new format, on a trial basis to ensure a smooth switchover to the new format in February.

This will be in addition to filing in existing formats which the authorities want all stakeholders to continue.

The date of implementation of the new regulations has been fixed as 16 February 2020.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations at Indian ports, contact GAC India at india@gac.com

Volcanic activity update
Monday, January 20, 2020, Calaca, Philippines

TAAL VOLCANO is still at Alert Level 4. According to PHIVOLCS on its 8:00am bulletin today (20 January) “Activity in the Main Crater in the past 24 hours has been characterized by steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions that generated ash plumes 500 to 1000 meters tall and dispersed ash southwest of the Main Crater. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at an average of 4353 tonnes/day”.

The Quick Response Team of PHIVOLCS has documented fissures in different areas around Taal Volcano particularly in the towns of Talisay, Agoncillo, Taal and Lemery. During our team’s inspections along the Calaca- Lemery National Highway, large fissures were observed along Sinisian East in Lemery and along Diversion Road in Taal. However, the DPWH- Region 4-A is active in cleaning and clearing these areas covered with ashes and exerting all efforts to make the roads passable.

As of this hour, despite the presence of these fissures, Calaca- Lemery-Bauan National Highway is still passable to all kinds of vehicles. In case of a total road closure along this stretch, the Calaca- Balayan- Nasugbu route is an alternative route option.

Calaca Seaport is continually monitoring this volcanic activity and will update all locators of further developments.

(For information about operations in the Philippines, contact GAC Philippines at philippines@gac.com)

Source: Calaca Industrial Seaport Corp. Port Advisory No.2020-004 issued at 1200 hours local time on 20 January 2020

Port annual nautical figures 2019
Monday, January 20, 2020, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2019 was a relatively safe year for shipping in the port of Rotterdam. Over the past year, the number of sea-going vessels arriving was about the same as in 2018: 29,491 compared to 29,476 last year. The number of accidents also remained virtually the same: 113 compared to 112, which involved mainly ‘parking damage’.

As there was one very serious accident, the NSI (Nautical Safety Index) – a reflection of nautical safety – was slightly below the norm (6.56 instead of 7). This was due to a collision between a RHIB and a sloop, which resulted in one fatality. Three of the four serious accidents and ten per cent of all accidents involved passenger shipping…

…A new development in the port is the increase in LNG bunkering (liquefied natural gas) during loading and unloading of sea-going vessels. There are now three permanent LNG bunker vessels in the port and a further four LNG bunker specialists have a licence to bunker LNG in the port. Two additional bunker specialists will start operating this year.

For the first time and led by the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, eleven sea ports have developed the same Port By-Laws. The port authorities are also cooperating in other areas. For instance, they are already using the same port management and information system: HaMIS.

The harbour master is also making preparations for the opportunities that digitisation offers the port. For instance, drones are already used during incidents, in cooperation with the Safety Region Rotterdam. New tests were also conducted using a floating lab to research what is required to enable autonomous shipping in the port.

The Port Authority is working closely with other ports including the Port of Antwerp to introduce a bunker permit for bunker fuel suppliers, starting 1 January 2021. A similar permit is already in place for LNG. The intention is for this permit to designate, for the first time, which substances are not permitted in bunkers. It is anticipated that the permit will considerably improve both transparency in the bunker market as well as bunker quantity and quality. More information will be published in mid-2020.

(For information about operations in the Netherlands, contact GAC Netherlands at agency.netherlands@gac.com)

Source: Port of Rotterdam (www.portofrotterdam.com) press release dated 17 January 2020

Draft restriction for vessels 38 feet and over
Monday, January 20, 2020, New Orleans, United States

The New Orleans Board of Trade has advised that due to severe flocculation in the Southwest Pass, inbound vessels with a draft of 38 feet and more will be restricted to transiting between 6 hours before and 2 hours after high tide.

This restriction will come into effect at 10:00a.m. tomorrow morning (21 January).

For information about operations in the United States, contact GAC North America at usa@gac.com

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