gCaptain - Maritime & Offshore » APL

G6 Alliance Set to Launch Asia-Europe Liner Service

gCaptain Staff — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:38:26 +0000

Image courtesy Orient Overseas Container Line

Members of the G6 Alliance announced today that their groundbreaking cooperation in Asia-Europe container shipping will begin operation in the first week of March – one month ahead of schedule.

“We are eager to roll out our competitive products to benefit customers by offering a comprehensive and increased coverage of 40 ports in the Asia-Europe market with more sailing frequency,” the members said in a statement. “Customer response to the G6 Alliance is strong, the latest economic condition in the trade supports the timing of the launch, and we are ready to meet the market’s expectations.”

The G6 Alliance, serving the Asia-to-Europe-and-Mediterranean market was announced last December. The G6 Alliance members are the carriers in the Grand Alliance and New World Alliance: APL, Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.

The G6 Alliance will launch six services between Asia and North Europe in the first week of March. Those serving Japanese ports will commence after completion of consultations with the Japan Harbor Transportation Association and labor unions.

A seventh service will follow when it can be supported by sustainable trade conditions. The service will provide direct coverage to the Bohai Bay ports in Dalian and Xingang.

The G6 Alliance will continue the existing Asia-Mediterranean Express Service (EUM) and will also launch a new Asia-Black Sea Express service (ABX) in the first week of April.

The base-plan port rotation of the G6 Alliance loops is as follows, subject to the confirmation of berth availability:

Loop 1

Kobe – Nagoya – Shimizu – Tokyo – Hong Kong – Cai Mep – Singapore – Jeddah – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Le Havre – Singapore – Hong Kong – Kobe

Loop 2

To be finalized

Loop 3

Shanghai – Ningbo – South China – Singapore – Tangier – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Gdansk – Gothenburg – Rotterdam – Jeddah – Singapore – South China – Hong Kong – Shanghai

Loop 4

Ningbo – Shanghai – South China – Singapore – Southampton – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Singapore – South China – Ningbo

Loop 5

Kwangyang – Pusan – Shanghai – South China – Singapore – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Thamesport – Singapore – Kwangyang

Loop 6

Kaohsiung – Xiamen – South China – Hong Kong – Singapore – Colombo – Southampton – Antwerp – Hamburg – Rotterdam – Jebel Ali – Singapore – South China – Kaohsiung

Loop 7

Qingdao – Shanghai – Hong Kong – South China – Singapore – Salalah – Le Havre – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Southampton – Tangier – Salalah – Singapore – South China – Qingdao

ABX Service

Ningbo – Shanghai – South China – Hong Kong – Singapore – Port Said – Ashdod – Istanbul – Constanza – Odessa – Istanbul – Ashdod – Port Said – Singapore – Ningbo

EUM Service

Pusan – Shanghai – Ningbo – South China – Hong Kong – Singapore – Port Klang – Jeddah – Damietta – Genoa – FOS Sur Mer – Barcelona – Valencia – Damietta – Jeddah – Singapore – Hong Kong – Pusan

First ship ‘plugs-in’ at Port of Oakland

gCaptain Staff — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:14:46 +0000

APL flipped the switch last week on a clean-air effort that’s part of California’s maritime future.

The Singapore-based container shipping line became the first to shut down, or, “cold-iron,” a vessel’s engines to eliminate exhaust emissions at the Port of Oakland. As others follow suit – and regulators say they must – cold-ironing will become a staple on California’s coast.

“We have brought cold-ironing to the port,” proclaimed APL Americas President Gene Seroka. “When others do as well, we can further reduce vessel emissions and re-enforce that global trade growth is sustainable.”

The 900-foot APL Singapore switched off its auxiliary diesel engines last after berthing at APL’s Global Gateway Central terminal. It was the official launch of an APL program to cold-iron five vessels this year in the Transpacific Trade between Asia and the U.S.

How cold-ironing works

Ships at berth connect via large cables to the landside power grid for electricity.
The vessels then shut down auxiliary engines that have historically been used to power shipboard electrical systems.
With engines switched off, approximately 1,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides emissions – a leading component of smog — 165 pounds of sulfur oxides, and 30 pounds of particulate matter are eliminated in a 24-hour port call.

The state of California has mandated cold-ironing for container ships by 2014. At that time, half of a carrier’s fleet must rely on shore power when berthed in California ports. APL is one of only a handful of carriers currently cold-ironing in California, and the only one in Oakland.

APL has spent $11 million to retrofit the five container vessels and re-wire its terminal for cold-ironing. It was awarded $4.8 million in California Air Resources Board grants by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to complete the project.

“We commend APL’s efforts to move early to upgrade their berths and their ships in order to plug them into the grid when they’re berthed at their Port of Oakland terminal,” said Air Resources Board chairman Mary D. Nichols. “Working with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, APL leveraged ARB’s incentive funding to make this project a reality so the residents of port communities will breathe cleaner air.”

Added Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District: “Diesel emissions from port operations impact the West Oakland community. APL is sparing the air by reducing their emissions and setting an example that other carriers in the Port of Oakland can follow.”

Via APL

First post-quake cargo from Japan cleared by U.S. Customs

gCaptain Staff — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:52:50 +0000

U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave global shipping line APL an all-clear here this week for the first shipment of containerized cargo from post-earthquake Japan.

According to Customs, technicians conducted radiation tests on 355 containers discharged at the Port of Los Angeles from the vessel APL Korea. All containers were cleared for delivery to locations throughout the U.S. It was the first test of Japanese exports since a March 11 earthquake in Japan damaged nuclear reactors and raised radiation exposure concerns.

“Customs and Border Protection implemented proactive measures to screen the first cargo ship to arrive from Japan since the event,” said a statement from the Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport. “No harmful levels of radiation were found.”

The ship arrived March 22 at 5:15 a.m. By 11:45 a.m., technicians had completed their pier-side scanning.

Via APL. Photo: APL Korea via Shipspotting