Connect with us

Maritime

Alibaba joins IPCSA’s ground-breaking Blockchain Bill of Lading initiative 

Published

on

Alibaba joins IPCSA’s ground-breaking Blockchain Bill of Lading initiative. Image: Pixabay
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

Chinese e-commerce and technology group Alibaba has signed up to the International Port Community Systems Association’s (IPCSA) ground-breaking Blockchain Bill of Lading initiative and embarked on a new blockchain project in the organisations’ joint Logistics Visibility Task Force.

The joint work is aiming at standardisation and proof-of-concept (POC) of blockchain application in logistics and e-commerce.

The IPCSA Blockchain Bill of Lading initiative is being led by an IPCSA member, Israel Ports Company, which operates the Israeli Ports Community System (IPCS).

This year, Israel Ports Company ran a number of successful pilots using Blockchain technology for transferring electronic Bills of Lading. Some pilots involved the shipment of a cargo via ZIM Shipping Company from Israel to Ukraine, where IPCSA member PPL 33-35 operates that country’s Port Community System. The exporter was Adama Israel, with shipments to Adama Ukraine, with the help of customs agents Damco (Israel) and Rem-trans (Ukraine).

A Bill of Lading was electronically issued by the shipping company and transferred to the exporter and then to the importer in Ukraine/Spain. The system provides information as to which party holds the electronic Bill of Lading at any time, together with the logistics status of the cargo.

Ms Zhu (Judy) Hongu, Head of the Standardization Department of Alibaba Group, said: “Alibaba and IPCSA have been working closely together for the past two years. In October 2018, in collaboration with LOGINK (China’s national logistics information shared network), we set up a global intelligent logistics network, named the Logistics Visibility Task Force. In its work to develop global smart supply chains, the Task Force has focused on the development of track and trace solutions and the use of ISO standards. Following on from this work, Alibaba has signed up to the IPCSA Blockchain Bill of Lading initiative, effectively making this a second workstream of the Task Force.”

Mr Sun Tengda, General Director of LOGINK, said “Working with Alibaba and IPCSA together, Logistics Visibility Task Force endeavoured to solve the problems in cross border logistics information sharing, trace and track service was the first breakthrough, and the ISO standards we are working on is also part of the mission. Now, with the technical advantage of Blockchain, we are looking forward to explore an innovative route to establish this globally trusted network together.”

Ms Gu Xuemei, Alibaba Cainiao Network CTO, said: “The use of Blockchain in transferring an electronic Bill of Lading is expected to deliver significant savings in time and money to all participants in the supply chain, while maintaining a high level of information security and preventing forgeries. In addition, Alibaba Cainiao Network hopes to cooperate with industry chain partners to build global blockchain application standards for logistics and e-commerce.”

Richard Morton, secretary general of IPCSA, said: “There are numerous strong reasons for using Blockchain technology for Bills of Lading. Blockchain is transferring an asset and there is huge value in linking the consignment to the information that Port Community Systems hold. This can match the Bill of Lading to any ‘event’ during the movement of the cargo – for example, that the cargo has been loaded on the ship, arrived at port, been unloaded, been cleared by customs, or exited the gate. By matching these events to the Bill of Lading, the solution gives much-needed information and flexibility.

“There are multiple parties involved in this process – shippers, shipping lines, importers, banks, forwarders, agents, and so on. By matching information in this way, nodes can be added to the Blockchain relevant to specific partners.”

He added: “Standardised and structured data is the key to making this work. We recognise that this is a journey. Getting people to use structured data – especially small and medium-sized companies – is a challenge. The IPCSA Bill of Lading will also accept adding PDF and JPG documents in the first version, but ultimately it will be entirely based on Blockchain structured data.”

IPCSA also welcomes the recent Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) initiative to help standardise the Bill of Lading, which will help in the acceptance of an eBill of Lading.

Maritime

Alabama U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign Project Partnership Agreement to deepen Port of Mobile 

Published

on

Alabama U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign Project Partnership Agreement to deepen Port of Mobile. Image: Wikimedia/ Adrien Lamarre, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

Alabama’s seaport modernization program reached another critical milestone when the State of Alabama and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered into the Project Partnership Agreement that will deepen and widen the Port of Mobile in late 2024 or early 2025.

Colonel Sebastien P. Joly, Commander of the Mobile District, and John C. Driscoll, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Alabama State Port Authority, signed the agreement, which allows the Corps of Engineers to move into contracting and construction phases to take the Port of Mobile’s federal channel to a depth of 50 feet. Construction is expected to begin on the approximately $365.7 million project by the end of this year. 

Mobile Harbor modernization program received full federal funding in February this year upon passage of the Energy & Water Development and Related Agencies Act. Under the Act, approximately $377.6 million is available to qualifying projects in Alabama and two other U.S. Gulf states. Key features of the program will explore innovative ways of executing dredging in a logical, sequenced manner, unconstrained by more traditional project-specific, account-specific, or single-year work plans. 

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) lauded today’s crucial and final step that allows the Corps to move forward on construction. “Today’s signing of the Mobile Harbor Project agreement is yet another milestone in the process of the deepening and widening the Port of Mobile. The completion of this historic project will transform Alabama, expanding economic opportunities throughout our state and the region. Further, the modernization of Alabama’s primary port will increase the United States’ competitiveness in the global market. I am extremely grateful for the support of the Army Corps of Engineers and the work of the Alabama State Port Authority to ensure that this project, which I have spent years championing, crosses the finish line with ease,” said Shelby. 

The Mobile Harbor Modernization project also received the State of Alabama’s funding commitment in March 2019 when Alabama Legislature passed and Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) signed into law the Rebuild Alabama Act that allocates a portion of state fuel tax proceeds to support approximately $150 million in bonds to meet the federal cost-share requirements for the harbor project.

“Beyond the impact on the local and state levels, the Port of Mobile serves as a catalyst to our nation’s competitive position in the global economy. I have been proud to support The Mobile Harbor Modernization project, and I look forward to watching the growing benefits our Port will have in the years to come,” Gov. Ivey said. “The Port of Mobile is now poised to become a major hub for export activity, and this is yet another giant step forward in supporting our industries in the Americas and beyond. Alabama can be proud of the powerful economic tool that is our own Port of Mobile.” 

The Mobile Harbor deepening and widening project received its Record of Decision in September 2019, following an extensive four-year, environmental impact and economic feasibility study. With both federal funding and the state’s match secured, the project can now leverage ongoing terminal investments in more Alabama’s only seaport to ensure economies of scale and competitive rates for the seaport’s mining, manufacturing, agribusiness and retail/distribution shippers.

Just this past year, the Port Authority completed its $50 million, Phase 3 expansion that added 20 acres of container handling yard and extended the dock to allow simultaneous berth of two Post-Panamax sized ships. The project complements prior investments totaling $450 million in marine and rail container intermodal facilities. “The Mobile Harbor project leverages shore-side port investments that provide shippers cost competitive transportation solutions in an ever changing and increasingly competitive global economy,” said John Driscoll. “I’m deeply appreciative of the groundwork my predecessor, Jimmy Lyons, and the Authority’s team, delivered to realize this important project.” 

The Alabama State Port Authority represents the State of Alabama’s public, deep-water terminals serving general cargo, container, over-dimensional and bulk cargoes. In CY2019, the public seaport terminals generated over 150,000 jobs and $25.4 billion in economic value to the state. The public terminals have immediate access to two interstate systems, five (5) Class 1 railroads, and nearly 15,000 miles of inland waterway connections.

Continue Reading

Maritime

Hydrographic survey vessel Geo Ranger performed successfully her sea trials 

Published

on

Hydrographic survey vessel Geo Ranger performed successfully her sea trials. Image: NIESTERN SANDER
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

From 15-19 June, the hydrographic survey vessel Geo Ranger performed successfully her sea trials on the river Ems. In presence of the client Geo Plus, surveyors of Lloyd’s Register and various commissioning engineers of Kongsberg and Alewijnse, the capabilities of the vessel were tested thoroughly.

YARD NUMER 864

In April 2019, Royal Niestern Sander and Geo Plus BV signed the contract for the construction of the hydrographic research vessel “Geo Ranger”, yard number 864. After the start of construction in September 2019, the ship was transported early February from the construction hall to the quay side to prepare for the launch in March 2020.

The ship was designed together with Conoship International BV and will be rented out by our client to parties that perform research, such as dredging companies and companies that build and maintain offshore wind farms.

Continue Reading

Maritime

Port of Oakland’s largest terminal gets three giant cranes in fall

Published

on

Port of Oakland’s largest terminal gets three giant cranes in fall. Image: Port of Oakland
Listen to the story (FreightComms AudioPost)

Three cranes able to load the world’s largest container ships will soon be headed to the Port of Oakland.  Shanghai-based manufacturer ZPMC said this week that construction of the ship-to-shore behemoths is nearing completion in China.

The cranes are due at Oakland International Container Terminal Sept. 14, according to terminal operator SSA Terminals.  At 300-feet-high, it’s believed they’d be the tallest in North America when they commence operations in January.

“As ships keep getting bigger, SSA and ZPMC continue to help us keep ahead of the industry,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan.  “We’re very excited and grateful for the partnership.”

ZPMC and SSA updated maritime executives on the new cranes this week at a meeting of the Propeller Club.  Here are the vital statistics:

  • The cranes can lift containers 174 feet above the dock, enabling them to stack boxes 12-high on ships.
  • They can reach 125 feet across a ship’s deck, spanning 24 rows of containers.
  • They’ll be delivered by ship and require five days to be transferred from vessel to dock.

SSA operates the largest marine terminal at the Port of Oakland. Terminals are where ships are loaded and unloaded and where freight haulers pick up or drop off containerized cargo. Ultra large container vessels can carry up to 24,000 20-foot containers.  ZPMC and SSA said Oakland’s new cranes were designed to load and unload ships that big.  SSA placed a $30 million order for its new cranes in February 2019. In 2018, it completed a project to raise the height of four other ship-to-shore cranes.

Continue Reading

Popular

Copyright © 2017-18 | FreightComms | Made with ♥ in Singapore