Oldendorff and MIT Find Fuel Degradation in Study of Advanced Biofuel

Oldendorff and MIT studied biofuel stability and degradation using the bulker Edwine Oldendorff (Oldendorff Carriers)

PUBLISHED NOV 7, 2023 6:20 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

With an increasing exploration of biofuel across many sectors of the shipping industry and the emergence of new second-generation advanced biofuels, Oldendorff Carriers, one of the world’s leading dry bulk owners and operators, commissioned a study looking at the stability and potential for degradation of biofuel. Working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) they launched a study of the long-term stability of advanced biofuel (B20 blend) as a follow-on to a previous study of using biofuels to reduce emissions. They are now reporting that exposure to air, water, and light contributed significantly to fuel degradation in the advanced blends.

Results of the study were presented yesterday, November 6, at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting. Oldendorff highlights in its summary of the results concerns identified regarding microbial contamination and oxidative degradation. The study looked at the fuels over a one-year timeframe and highlights steps to be taken as the use of the fuel expands to address the degradation as well as positive issues such as no sediment formation or water increase over time.

 Oldendorff highlights that a biofuel blend is more complex than a homogenous product. Specifically, they point out as the industry moves to second-generation products that the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, which are inherent in the vegetable oils and animal fats from which the new biofuel is derived, is more prone to oxidative degradation. The concern is the potential for degradation of biofuel blends with conventional marine fuels over time when stored in vessels’ bunker tanks.

“There is a limited body of research on the degradation of biofuel blends, with existing studies primarily focusing on first-generation biofuels (derived from food crops) and/or distillate biofuel blends rather than advanced residual biofuel blends,” comments Oldendorff. The study with MIT sought to address this lack of information by monitoring eight chemical parameters over an extended period of time, under a variety of storage conditions and temperatures.

The Edwine Oldendorff was used for the study, a 38,600 dwt bulker built in 2016. The vessel was fueled in January 2022 with an advanced B20 biofuel, consisting of 20 percent bio-oil derived from used cooking oil and blended with very low sulfur fuel. Three storage groups were set up for the study using different containers and temperatures. The selected storage conditions closely replicate typical onboard fuel storage conditions and investigate the impact of storage temperature, air, light, and water on the fuel quality over time.

The findings show that fuel degradation was observed with levels of microbial contamination increasing over time. Emerging after the first month, the highest levels of contamination increased over time in samples exposed to light. Warning that microbial contamination could lead to operational problems, including fouling of tanks, pipes, and filters, tank corrosion, and fuel injection equipment damage, the report highly recommends a biocide addition to preserve blended biofuel for an extended period.

Similarly, oxidative degradation was observed starting between three and six months, with the report concluding that the addition of antioxidants is recommended. They are also calling for regular monitoring of fuel quality for long-term onboard storage, especially with higher biofuel blends. However, the study did not find sediment was generated after thermal aging, but says that the impact of storage temperature on degradation remains unclear. 

“The results of our study will be valuable for both biofuel producers and users, assisting them in planning their bunker storage and maintenance systems accordingly over time,” concludes the team from MIT and Oldendorff.

Japan Conducts Test of Biofuel Using Non-Chemical Treated Vegetable Oil

Tetsuun Maru No.1 representative of small coastal vessels operated for a month on the new form of biofuel (MOL)

PUBLISHED NOV 3, 2023 7:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Japan has conducted its first tests of a form of biofuel that further reduces emissions and will be less costly to supply to the maritime industry. The project is part of a government-sponsored effort testing different fuels to reduce emissions from the domestic shipping industry and mirrors similar test projects taking part in other parts of the world also looking at the viability of different forms of biofuel.

Until now, the main raw material for biofuels has been Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME), which is produced by chemical processing of waste cooking oil and methanol. In this project, used cooking oil was mixed with heavy oil with a ratio of one-quarter of biomaterial. The bio component is in almost its original form, straight vegetable oil (SVO), as the component of the mix. Since the vegetable oil undergoes no methyl esterification or hydrogenation process, it is likely to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions more than other biofuels and can be supplied at a lower cost.

The fuel was supplied by Japan’s Hanwha Co. as part of the research project sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It marked Japan's first initiative to use this kind of biofuel to power marine vessels.

The fuel was loaded on a small, general-purpose coastal vessel, the 499 gross ton Tetsuun Maru No.1, owned by Tetsuun Kisen KK. The vessel is operated by MOL Coastal Shipping, part of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. The research program on the marine applications of biofuels was also conducted with the cooperation of Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co., the cargo shipper. 

The vessel operated on the biofuel mixture for about a month, plying a route between Mikawa Bay and Tokyo Bay. They are reporting that it was successfully operated using biofuel made by mixing waste cooking oil directly with heavy fuel oil. They reported no flammability problems or other issues.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism highlights the significance of the test noting that vessels of 499 GT or less account for 62 percent of all the vessels of 100 or more gross tons in coastal operations in Japan.

This initiative on coastal vessels also followed a sea trial for the use of liquefied biomethane fuel conducted in June. In that test, a domestic LNG-fueled vessel, Ise Mirai (7,800 dwt) was tested using liquefied bio-methane (LBM). The fuel was derived from cattle manure resulting in a carbon-neutral LBM derived from biomass. The fuel was produced by the dairy industry which has biogas plants and experience using the carbon-neutral methane-based fuel.

Japan is continuing its research to identify viable carbon-neutral fuel sources for the maritime industry.

 

Merchant Ship Rescues Half-Destroyed Yacht in North Atlantic Storm

The merchant ship Green Azure approaches the yacht to attempt a rescue (Courtesy RAF)

PUBLISHED NOV 7, 2023 6:17 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Last week, the crew of a good samaritan merchant ship rescued a sailor from a badly-damaged yacht in severe conditions off Cornwall. It was one of the first casualties caused by Storm Ciaran, which brought extreme winds to the North Atlantic, Bay of Biscay and English Channel over the weekend.

On Thursday, a sailor aboard a Norwegian-flagged sailing yacht put out a distress signal at a position about 700 miles off the coast of Cornwall. The Royal Air Force was tasked with the response, as its fixed-wing search aircraft have greater range than coastal rescue helicopters. 

A French Navy FA50 Falcon maritime patrol plane found the stricken sailing vessel first and confirmed that its skipper was still alive. In the early hours of November 3, a RAF Atlas A400 search plane took off to take over the response mission, followed by a larger P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. 

A crude tanker, the Green Azure, responded to the yacht's request for assistance and diverted to the scene. While it was under way, the Poseidon held station near the stricken yacht to monitor the situation and guide the ship in.

Images courtesy RAF

The Poseidon can carry an air search and rescue survival package, the Uni-Pac III, which was designed to fit in the P-8's ample weapons bay. If the yacht's skipper had been forced to abandon ship, the Poseidon would have deployed a rescue package, but this did not prove necessary, and the crew of the Green Azure successfully rescued the survivor. 

"Poseidon aircraft and crews are on constant standby to respond to incidents such as this. The duty crew reacted quickly and professionally to help support the successful rescue of the sailor. The success of the mission is a testament to their professionalism and excellent training," said Wing Commander Adam Smolak of the RAF 201 Squadron. 

UK Cruise Ship Battered with 100 Passengers Injured in Bay of Biscay Storm

Saga's 58,250 GT cruise ship Spirit of Discovery was battered in a Bay of Biscay storm (Saga file photo)

PUBLISHED NOV 7, 2023 3:58 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

A British cruise ship, Saga’s Spirit of Discovery was forced to cut short a cruise returning to the UK on Monday with reports of as many as 15 percent of the passengers aboard having been injured and five taken as a precaution to hospitals. The 58,250 gross ton cruise ship was caught in a fierce Bay of Biscay storm taking the unusual step of going “hove to” in the storm to reduce further injuries and danger for the passengers.

The 774-foot cruise ship, which was built in 2019, was on a two-week trip from Portsmouth, England to the Canary Islands. Reports are that she was carrying 980 passengers. Saga operates cruises for adults only with a minimum age of 50 and reports were that the average age of the passengers aboard this cruise was 75.

The ship had completed most of its trip, although it was forced to forgo a stop at Las Palmas due to the worsening weather. The cruise ship had planned to make a port call in La Corona in northwest Spain on November 5, but it was forces to skip that stop as well when the port closed due to the bad weather. Saturday night, Spanish authorities are reporting they recorded the highest wave determined by an average of a 30-minute period as opposed to a single rogue wave. They set the height at approximately 45 feet along the coast saying it was the highest in 27 years of recording at the Estaca de Bares buoy.

 

 

The cruise ship turned north toward the UK, but became caught in a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay. By some reports, the waves were running between 30 and 45 feet with winds up to 70 mph. Passengers recounting their frightening ordeal said at the height of the storm the captain had asked them to remain seated or to lay down as the cruise ship was being tossed about.

As the storm intensified on Saturday, November 4, passengers reported that the cruise ship took a sudden turn which some described as a “safety maneuver.” It was at that time that most of the injuries occurred with passengers saying that the medical staff was so overwhelmed that they turned a portion of the dining room into an emergency clinic. 

Saga is reporting that most of the injuries were minor but there were reports of lacerations with some people requiring stitches and broken bones. Many passengers reported falling and according to some reports, at least one passenger suffered a broken hip. Between 100 and 150 passengers were reportedly injured.

The passengers told the British media that the captain and crew were “absolutely fantastic,” during the ordeal with the ship remaining mostly stationary with its bow into the storm for 15 hours and making little forward movement. The passengers said they were repeatedly reassured and given regular updates while Saga in its statement emphasized that while the situation was uncomfortable the ship remained safe at all times.

The Spirit of Discovery returned to Portsmouth on Monday evening, November 6, about 12 hours ahead of schedule, and five passengers were transferred to a hospital as a precaution according to the company. The ship also suffered broken windows while passengers posted images online of overturned furniture, broken dishes, and general disarray in areas as the ship was tossed in the seas.

The cruise ship departed as scheduled on November 7 heading to Ponta Delgada in the Azores as the first stop on a month-long cruise to the Caribbean.

 

History Repeats: An Old East-West Economic Corridor Re-emerges

History repeats: A new (old) economic corridor emerges

Courtesy ANKASAM

PUBLISHED NOV 5, 2023 12:52 PM BY THE LOWY INTERPRETER

 

[By Ved Shinde]

The newly announced India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) seeks to reimagine the natural connectivity of eras past. Historic trading links between the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Eurasia show that long distances are no barrier to shared interests. Indeed, geographical connectivity is what channels trade. However, the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 ruptured India’s historic corridors to the Middle East and Eurasia. Now, Delhi’s strategic impetus is to rejig and rekindle those linkages.

After experimenting with socialist policies of self-sufficiency and import substitution, the pragmatism of economic reform in the 1990s compelled Delhi to look for connectivity linkages to the West, particularly to markets in Europe. Such efforts were held prisoner to the whims of its neighbour, Pakistan. Islamabad routinely refused India’s demands to gain geographical access to the Middle East and Eurasia.

To escape the obstacle, India reached out to Iran. The idea was that Delhi could use Iran’s Chabahar Port as a means of entry into Afghanistan. From there, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) could allow India to reach Central Asia, Russia and Europe. The plan looked perfect on paper. However, Iran’s frosty relations with the United States – India’s most important trade partner – punctured Delhi’s desire to engage Iran as a conduit to Eurasia.

The new IMEC multimodal corridor allows India to bypass Islamabad and Tehran in its quest for connectivity to the Middle East and Europe.

Delhi’s bang for its buck will come from strategically reconnecting with the Arabian Peninsula. Making its way into a regional coalition of like-minded powers to infuse stability and keep China out motivates such a reconnection. A strategic reconnection will have natural spillovers on the security front – a fact that all the participant countries implicitly acknowledge.

How Delhi looks at the Arabian Peninsula has fundamentally changed in the last few years. India is slowly discarding its traditional post-independence reticence for engaging the Peninsula on strategic issues. During the Cold War, Washington’s close relations with Pakistan to promote security arrangements in the Middle East caused much concern in India. Security groupings such as the Central Treaty Organisation were a strict no-no in Delhi.

In the last few decades, India’s growing partnership with the United States, and Washington’s diminishing value for Islamabad, has altered the regional landscape. Greater trust between India and the United States is helping Delhi shed its historic inhibitions about strategic engagement with the Gulf. Set against this landscape, Delhi’s ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have grown.

Moreover, India also appreciates that the centre of gravity in the Middle East itself has changed. The Gulf countries have accumulated gargantuan petrodollar reserves – looking for new avenues to pour money into.

The IMEC project envisages the construction of massive trans-Arabian railway lines across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The two ends of the Middle East will be joined by shipping lanes, connecting Mumbai with Jebel Ali in the UAE, and Haifa in Israel with Piraeus in Greece.

The project also suits the Biden administration’s enthusiasm for working with Delhi in the Middle East, aligning with Washington’s changed regional outlook. Under Biden, the United States is recalibrating its Middle East policy. Since its costly adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington has been dispensing with the idea of onshore interventions for offshore balancing. Avoiding boots on the ground and relying on maritime power is now the mantra. The US Fifth Fleet patrols the waters of the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the western Indian Ocean – with the goal of maintaining regional stability.

A key element of Washington’s offshore balancing is engaging local heavyweights, and it is here that India fits into the puzzle. Active Indian engagement in the Middle East through commercial corridors will inject a dose of economic pragmatism into a region rife with conflict. Washington’s facilitation of normalisation of relations between Israel and several Arab states is part of the same manual. All these measures lower the “political temperature” in the region. However, the fresh tensions in Gaza could become an unexpected speed bump for the IMEC.

Given Washington’s new restraint in the region, Delhi’s growing footprint will have a balancing effect in the Middle East. The India–Israel–UAE–US minilateral arrangement is another example of this emerging trend. The expanding Indian role in the Middle East also offers the Gulf Arabs a new partner for strategic diversification.

Ved Shinde is a researcher at Asia Society Policy Institute, New Delhi.

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here. 

 

The Royal Charter Storm of 1859 and the Roots of the Marine Forecast

Wreck of the Royal Charter (Public Domain / John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)

PUBLISHED NOV 5, 2023 6:51 PM BY CERYS JONES

 

In British weather history, one storm stands out as a catalyst for change – the Royal Charter Storm of 1859. This devastating tempest off the west coast of Britain played a pivotal role in the founding of the shipping forecast and has had an enduring impact on weather forecasting in the UK and beyond.

Winds gusted at 100 miles per hour between October 25 and 26 that year – higher than any previously recorded in the Mersey, in north-west England. And it’s considered to be the most severe Irish Sea storm of the 19th century. More than 800 lives were lost and the storm sank or badly damaged more than 200 ships. But it also paved the way for the creation of the shipping forecast.

The storm is named after the most famous of the ships lost to the waves, a steam and sailing ship called the Royal Charter. After a two-month journey from Melbourne in Australia, the Royal Charter was heading towards Liverpool with its valuable cargo of gold. The ship was caught in the full fury of the storm off the coast of Anglesey, Wales.

Despite the crew’s valiant efforts to anchor the ship and cut its sails, the Royal Charter was driven onto the rocks in the early hours of October 26. With the help of villagers onshore, they succeeded in saving around 40 passengers. Other passengers had tried to swim to shore but were weighed down by the gold in their pockets and drowned. The ship eventually split in two and the waves claimed the lives of more than 450 passengers and crew members, including all the women and children aboard.

The tragic loss of life and property made the storm headline news. It even came to the attention of Charles Dickens, who was working as a journalist in London at the time and visited the site of the wreck soon after the storm.

The shipping forecast and the Met Office

Weather observations had been collected from around the British coast since 1854 by a part of the UK Met Office known then as the Meteorological Department of the Board of Trade. The Royal Charter Storm, however, highlighted a need for more accurate weather forecasting and a national storm warning system.

Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy, founder of the Met Office, had been lobbying for the creation of such a storm warning system since the summer of 1859. Following the Royal Charter storm, Fitzroy was able to demonstrate that it could have been predicted.

In December of that year, the new storm warning system was approved and the first warning was issued in February 1861. This was delivered by telegraph to harbor towns, who then hoisted cones and drums on a mast to warn vessels in harbors and along the coast of the incoming storm.

The UK’s storm warning service – which later became known as the shipping forecast – is the longest running national forecasting service in the world. Today, the Met Office provides the shipping forecast on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and issues a forecast four times a day for the 31 areas of sea around the British Isles.

A lasting legacy

In addition to its meteorological legacy, the effects of the storm can still be seen around the Welsh coastline to this day. On Anglesey, the graves of those who died in the wreck can be found in many churches along the coast. Gold nuggets have also washed ashore in recent years.

Further south, in Cwmyreglwys, Pembrokeshire, stand the remains of Saint Brynach’s church, which was partially destroyed by the storm.

Since 1859, the Met Office has made significant strides in the field of meteorology. In August 1861, the first public weather forecast was printed in The Times, then broadcast on the radio in 1922 and was eventually seen on television for the first time in 1936.

Step by step, the Met Office has pioneered new technologies by launching the world’s first meteorological satellite in 1960 and using the first forecast by a computer in 1965. It has continued to invest in state-of-the-art supercomputers to improve severe weather and climate forecasting since then.

Today, the Met Office is a globally recognized authority in meteorology and climate science. Its expertise is invaluable for numerous sectors, from aviation and agriculture to emergency services and infrastructure planning. The Met Office is now responsible for providing the National Severe Weather Warning Service, which includes warnings for wind, rain, thunderstorms, lightning, ice, fog, snow and extreme heat.

Through the Met Office’s dedication to scientific research and accurate forecasting, the UK and the world have benefited from improved weather predictions and increased preparedness for extreme weather events. The legacy of the Royal Charter Storm lives on in the Met Office’s ongoing mission to provide essential weather and climate services, safeguarding lives and livelihoods in an ever-changing climate.

Cerys Jones has a PhD from Aberystwyth University and is a Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the same institution. Her research focuses on the relationship between people and extreme weather, particularly from a historical perspective.

This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here. 

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

 

Orcas Sink Sailing Yacht off Morocco

File image courtesy MITMA

PUBLISHED NOV 5, 2023 5:25 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A pod of orcas has sunk another yacht off the coast of Spain, this time near the Strait of Gibraltar, according to Polish sail training operator Morksie Mile. 

On October 31, as the yacht was westbound in the Strait just off Morocco, it was "attacked by a herd of killer whales," Morskie Mile reported. The whales repeatedly struck the rudder for 45 minutes, causing "damage and leakage." The crew tried to save the yacht, with assistance from port tugs and the Moroccan Navy, but the flooding was too serious. The crew safely abandoned ship and the yacht went down off the port of Tangier Med.

By AIS data, the sailing yacht can be identified as the Polish-flagged Grazie Mamma. It got under way from Ceuta on the 30th and headed west, and its trackline was steady until the afternoon of the 31st. At 1233, it deviated suddenly from course, veering sharply to the north. It appeared to have difficulty maintaining heading, and its last AIS broadcast was received at about 1500 hours that afternoon. 

Full trackline: Grazie Mamma deviates from course and ceases transmitting off Tangier Med (Courtesy Pole Star)

Grazie Mamma was a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 measuring just over 13 meters in length. This fits the general description of the vessels targeted by orcas off Spain: According to researchers, the attacks always target sailing yachts measuring less than 15 meters long, usually while under way.

Vessels of this type have small props and large rudders, and some scientists who have studied the attack pattern believe that it is a form of play: the whales - identified by their markings as three specific juvenile orcas, all from the same pod - may simply enjoy slamming sailboat rudders to watch the boats spin around. (A competing theory, suggested by biologist Alfredo López Fernández of the University of Alviedo, is that an orca was injured by a vessel at some point in the past and its family is taking revenge.)

Sometimes these encounters off Spain are remarkable but harmless; sometimes they result in real damage, and the Grazie Mamma is not the first boat sunk by the attacks. So far, though, the behavior does not appear to be an attempt to hunt or harm crewmembers. There has never been a documented case of a human dying from an orca attack in the wild.

That may be of little comfort to the owners of lost and damaged yachts like the Grazie Mamma. "This yacht was for us all the best things in sea sailing. Long-standing friendships were formed on board," said Morskie Mile in a statement. "Very good memories will be transferred to Grazie Mamma II."

 

ILA Leadership Warns US East Coast Dockworkers to Prepare for 2024 Strike

Harold Daggett president of the union is telling members to prepare for a 2024 strike as the ILA opposes automation and seeks massive wage increases in its new six-year contract (ILA file photo)

PUBLISHED NOV 6, 2023 12:47 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The leadership of the U.S.’s International Longshoremen’s Association, the union representing dockworkers along the East Coast as well as far west as Houston and the Great Lakes, is working to harden its membership for a potential strike in October 2024. While the master contract for some 45,000 of the ILA’s 70,000 members has 10 months left, union leaders began more than a year in advance to talk about the potential of a job action.

During an educational conference this week for members in the South Atlantic region and the Gulf Coast, ILA leadership plans to say “Members should prepare for the possibility of a coast-wide strike in October 2024,” according to a statement issued by the ILA over the weekend. They are reporting that ILA President Harold Daggett will pledge to hold firm while speaking to the ILA officers and members at the conference.

Daggett made the ILA’s position clear during his keynote address at a conference in July to the membership. He said the ILA’s officers are “hammering home” the ILA’s strong opposition to automation while challenging the United States Maritime Alliance which represents the employers and local employer groups to recognize the ILA’s importance and to treat them as equal partners in the negotiations. 

“We will not take a back seat to anyone,” ILA President Daggett said during his July 2023 speech. “It’s time for foreign companies like Maersk and MSC to realize that you need us as much as we need you.”

Daggett is taking an unusual approach to the negotiations to replace the six-year master agreement that expires on September 30, 2024. He instructed the locals to begin negotiations more than a year before the contract’s end saying the ILA wanted to resolve local issues in advance on the master contract negotiations, unlike the West Coast contract talks where local issues contributed to the talks running 13 months. Daggett has repeatedly said there will be no contract extensions beyond the expiration date and if it goes to the wire, the ILA is ready to take to the picket lines. 

The ILA strongly opposes automation and will make it a central theme of the next contract. In the past, they have been critical of their West Coast counterparts for being too lenient on automation. Daggett has frequently highlighted the need to “halt job-killing automation at ports in the U.S. and globally.” During his July speech, he suggested that the ILA would like to lead a global alliance to target and possibly strike shipping lines that are pushing automation efforts.

“If foreign-owned companies like Maersk and MSC try to replace our jobs with automation, they are going to get a painful reminder that longshore workers brought these companies to where they are today,” said Daggett.

The ILA is also calling for a “generous contract package.” Observers believe they are targeting a similar increase to the more than 30 percent achieved by the West Coast International Longshore Workers Union as well as the generous bonus package in their July 2023 contract. During the conference in July, ILA leadership highlighted that the Great Lakes District of the union had already secured a 40 percent increase in wages and benefits for its new six-year contract. 

The ILA has indicated that it will also tighten language in all future contracts to guarantee the protection of its jurisdictions at all ILA ports, including securing all work from new terminals. At the end of October, a small local with the support of the national organization went on strike at the New London State Pier in Connecticut. They are demanding that its members not the Operating Engineers' union should be operating the equipment to load and unload elements such as wind turbine blades at the port. The local went back to work after a few days but is continuing the jurisdiction dispute insisting it should be an ILA task.

The prospects of an ILA strike are already raising concerns in the shipping communities. Last year’s job actions on the West Coast and by the Canadian union for its West Coast ports had a large impact on trade. The 2024 negotiations come at a time when container carriers are already under strong financial pressures from the collapse in freight rates and volumes. For now, it is a wait-and-watch situation as the ILA and USMX posture for the negotiations ahead of the 2024 contract expiration.

 

Swedish Ports Will Blockade Tesla Vehicles in Support of Labor Strike

Dockworkers will block handling all Tesla cars at four ports in support of a strike against the auto company (Port of Gothenburg file photo)

PUBLISHED NOV 3, 2023 9:38 AM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

The Swedish Transport Workers Union (Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet) is threatening to stop handling Tesla’s electrical vehicles arriving at the country’s four major ports. The union has filed a notice of support for Sweden’s Industrifacket Metall a trade union that went on strike last week against Tesla.

IF Metall is one of the largest trade unions in Sweden with reports of over 240,000 members working in a broad range of industries. Covering everything from building materials to mining and the auto industry and auto repair shops, the union is striking for a collective bargaining agreement with Tesla. As many as 90 percent of Sweden’s workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements. 

The current strike is over the ability of the union to negotiate for members on issues from wages to pensions and insurance. IF Metall's contract secretary Veli-Pekka Säikkälä said a strike is an unusual step but the union says Tesla Sweden has made clear its position that it is not relevant to sign a collective agreement. The walkout began on October 27 and IF Metall has served notice that it plans to expand the strike starting today, November 3, to cover Tesla’s authorized repair shops.

As part of the effort, IF Metall also put out a call for support efforts by other unions and now the Transport Workers served notice that they will begin to honor strike as of November 7. They announced that they will no longer handle shipments of Tesla cars and parts arriving at the ports of Malmö (Copenhagen Malmö Port AB), Södertälje (Södertälje Hamn AB), Gothenburg (Logent Ports & Terminal AB Gothenburg), and Trelleborg (Trelleborg Hamn AB).  

The Transport Workers are saying they will stand with the union and not handle Tesla until it signs a collective agreement with IF Metall. Talks have resumed with Tesla but so far are not showing any signs of an agreement.

The Tesla Model Y is reported by Clean Technica to be the overall bestseller in Sweden. In September, they calculated from registrations that 3,050 Model Y cars were sold nearing the record of 3,202 cars in March 2023. The Tesla Model Y is reported to have sold nearly three times as many cars in Sweden in September as its nearest rival the Volkswagen ID.4. Year-to-date 13,457 Model Y have been registered with Clean Technica highlighting, “That means almost one in every 15 cars sold this year is a Tesla Model Y!”

Based on registration data, electric vehicles account for two-thirds of all cars now sold in Sweden up from just over 55 percent a year ago. In September, fully electric vehicles accounted for 40 percent of the new registrations while plug-in hybrids were a further 20 percent, equal to the percent of gasoline-powered cars registered in the month.

Tommy Wreeth, Transport's union chairman said “In Sweden and in the Swedish labor market, we have collective agreements. Transport will always stand up for that. Tesla employees must of course also be covered by safe and decent conditions.” 

Transport promises a blockade against all loading and unloading of Tesla cars in the four ports until the company reaches an agreement with its workers.

In Chile, a Palestinian diaspora makes its voice heard on Gaza

2023/11/07


By Alexander Villegas

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's Palestinian community, the largest outside the Middle East, is a strong force in the Andean nation, involved in local politics, culture and soccer. Now it's making Chile one of the loudest regional voices criticizing Israel over its military action in Gaza.

Chile's President Gabriel Boric, a moderate figure in the Latin American left, recalled the country's ambassador in Tel Aviv last week and said Israel was not abiding by international law.

On a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Boric added that the Israeli military operation "at this stage acts as a collective punishment to the civilian population in Gaza." He brought up the issue with President Joe Biden during a bilateral meeting last Thursday in Washington.

"There's no doubt we can say the response has been disproportionate and is violating international humanitarian law," Boric told reporters after the meeting at the White House.

The Israeli embassy in Santiago said it would not comment on its relationship with Boric's government.

The Palestinian community's roots run deep in Chile, with immigration starting in the late 19th century when Christians fled the faltering Ottoman Empire.

Chile is now estimated to have more than half a million Palestinians, many third, fourth or even fifth generation, a substantial minority in a country of under 20 million people.

The community has been galvanized, holding rallies outside the presidential palace, organizing charity concerts, clamoring for a ceasefire and pushing for boycotts. Members of the community have met with the minister of foreign affairs to lobby the government to push for a ceasefire from Israel.

"The Palestinian community here is as diverse as any other community, we live in every city and territory in Chile," said Claudia Yarur, who says her great-grandparents carried passports from the Ottoman Empire when they immigrated to Chile.

Yarur supports a boycott of Israel and wants the Chilean government to sever diplomatic ties with the country.

"We want the persecution of the Palestinian people to end," Yarur said. "What we have to do is focus on pressuring Israel to stop these crimes of persecution, and Chile's government has that responsibility, like all the governments around the world."

There's a vibrant Palestinian Social Club in a wealthy sector of Santiago with state-of-the-art facilities, a Chilean-Palestinian group in congress and a century-old first division soccer team, Palestino FC.

"Our community lives peacefully here," said Georges Abed, the Syrian-born parish priest of San Jorge Cathedral in the Patronato neighborhood in central Santiago, the original landing zone for Palestinians in Chile.

"They're in the right, the left, the government, universities, industry, commerce, banks, the army and the Carabineros (police force)."

In a recent mass, Abed invited members from Chile's Muslim community and the Palestinian ambassador; keffiyehs, hijabs and Palestinian flags were sprinkled throughout the pews.

"Though we are completely separated geographically, you feel their presence, their connection to the land," said Vera Baboun, Palestinian ambassador to Chile and former mayor of Bethlehem, who attended Abed's mass.

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants in Gaza breached the barrier to Israel, killing civilians at a music festival and in nearby communities and taking hostages back to Gaza. Israel said Hamas killed 1,400 people and captured more than 240. Israel responded with a bombardment of Gaza it said was meant to wipe out Hamas, which is designated a terrorist movement by the U.S. and the EU.

Palestinian health authorities in Gaza say more than 10,000 people have been killed. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields and has rebuffed mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, saying the hostages should be released first.

While much smaller in size, Chile's Jewish community numbers about 16,000, the third largest in South America, after Argentina and Brazil. In a press release, the Jewish community said it rejected Boric's decision to recall the ambassador and said the Chilean government's actions "end up validating the actions of the terrorist group Hamas."

Despite widespread support, many Palestinian community members and business owners did not wish to speak to Reuters out of fear of reprisal or not being allowed back into the West Bank or Gaza.

Many said they didn't condone the October Hamas attack that was recorded in gruesome detail on videos posted to social media, but said it was important to see the wider context.

The prominence of the Palestinian community has sparked strong support from other groups in Chile. Rafael Torres, a member of Chile's indigenous Mapuche community, is an avid Palestino FC fan who was at a recent rally in support of Gaza.

"I'm proud of this jersey and happy that it's in Chile and not any other country," said Torres, who said the club's mere existence has become a political statement. "These are strong symbols that even without wanting to, make Palestino a political club at the global level."

Felipe Barria says his grandparents came from Bethlehem and he has several family members there. His aunt, a dentist, travels there often to help children in the West Bank.

"There are lots of family ties even though a lot of years have gone by," Barria said at a recent pro-Palestinian rally. "The Palestinian community (here) activates whenever there's aggressions."

Since the military offensive began in October, the community has organized protests, a charity concert and fundraising events to raise awareness and funds to send humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

The state of Israel was formed with the backing of major world powers in 1948 after the Nazi Holocaust, but Arab states refused to accept the displacement of some 700,000 Palestinians - an event Palestinians lament as the Nakba, or catastrophe.

Parish priest Abed said Gaza has suffered nearly a century of injustice and the Oct. 7 attack needs to be seen in that context.

"If you want to ask me about Gaza and ask about the (Hamas) massacre, the blood, the killings, it's like looking at a painting from a few inches away," Abed said.

"You need to look at it from further back to see the full picture. We're talking about an issue that's more than 75 years old."

Countries across Latin America have ramped up condemnations of Israel's attack on Gaza, with Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Colombia lambasting the attacks. Bolivia took the most dramatic step, severing diplomatic ties with Israel.

Chile is one of at least 138 countries that recognize a Palestinian state.

(Reporting by Alexander Villegas; editing by Claudia Parsons)





















© Reuters

UK’s Sunak makes pre-election pitch in first King’s Speech since 1951

AFP

November 6, 2023

King Charles III deputised for his mother Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament in May last year - Copyright POOL/AFP Ben Stansall

Peter HUTCHISON

Charles III gives the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years Tuesday, formally opening the UK parliament with a run-down of his government’s legislative plans as an election looms.

The 74-year-old head of state will outline Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wish list of new laws that are expected to underline differences with the main opposition Labour Party.

The address from a golden throne in the House of Lords comes as the Tories, in power since 2010, trail Labour by double-digits in most opinion polls before an election widely expected next year.

“The King’s Speech represents one of the last chances for Rishi Sunak to set out his stall,” said Richard Carr, an associate professor in public policy and strategy at Anglia Ruskin University.

“Being a low-polling prime minister, one of the few virtues he currently has is he can set the national agenda, control what his supportive newspapers print, and thereby try and set a series of hurdles for the opposition to jump through,” he told AFP.

The ceremonial address, and the traditions that accompany it, is Charles’s first as monarch, although he had a dry run deputising for his mother Queen Elizabeth II in May last year.

It is also Sunak’s first since succeeding Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson as prime minister just two days before the queen’s death and lasted only 49 days in office.

In the speech, Sunak will reinforce clear dividing lines that he is drawing with Keir Starmer’s centre-left Labour party over the environment and energy.

It will propose a law granting new licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea annually that Sunak says will reduce Britain’s reliance on foreign energy and create jobs.

He had already announced a rollback of green energy policies in September, positioning himself as a champion of motorists in a bid to turn around his party’s fortunes.

Labour has said it will not award any new oil and gas exploration licences and has pledged instead to boost investment in green energy

– Rituals –

Sunak’s proposals may make uncomfortable reading for Charles, who has devoted his life to environmental causes.

The speech, which should last around 10 minutes, is also expected to announce tougher sentencing guidelines around life terms and an end to early release for some violent sexual offenders.

Sunak is likely to include a phased smoking ban, which he announced at last month’s Tory conference, and reforms to home ownership laws.

The King’s Speech signifies the start of a new parliamentary year and was last delivered by a male monarch in 1951 — although not in person as King George VI was unwell.

It indicates the types of laws the government hopes to get through parliament in the next 12 months.

Although a Tory defeat at the next election is far from a foregone conclusion, owing to their sizeable parliamentary majority, a loss would mean much of the legislation never seeing the light of day.

“The problem for Sunak is he’s running out of time, the public are both bored and angry at Conservative governance,” added Carr.

Tuesday’s state opening typically involves the sovereign travelling to the Houses of Parliament by carriage from Buckingham Palace.

An MP is ceremonially held “hostage” to ensure the king’s safe return.

Royal bodyguards ritually search the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives — a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up parliament in 1605.

The monarch leads a procession through the House of Lords, parliament’s unelected upper chamber, before giving the speech there to assembled lords and ladies, plus invited members of the elected lower House of Commons.

King's speech: UK government to focus on crime, economy – and rolling back climate measure

Agence France-Presse
November 7, 2023 

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the state opening of parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London on November 7, 2023.© Leon Neal, AP

Britain's government set out its plans to tackle crime, boost growth and water down climate change measures on Tuesday, an unashamedly political agenda that could offer clues to how Conservatives plan to campaign ahead of elections next year.

In an agenda written by the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but delivered by King Charles III to lawmakers at parliament's ornate House of Lords, Sunak signalled his intent to create a dividing line with the opposition Labour Party before elections that must be called by the end of 2024.

The speech, which lasted just over 10 minutes, set out the government's modest slate of 21 bills, ranging from changes to the way soccer teams are run to a clampdown on unlicensed pedicabs.

The government also announced plans to continue watering down environmental measures, a trend begun by Sunak when he lifted a moratorium on North Sea oil and gas extraction in July. A planned law will require new oil and gas drilling licenses in the North Sea to be awarded every year. The government argues that will protect jobs, cut Britain’s reliance on foreign fuel and increase energy security while environmentalists and opposition parties say it will just make it harder for the UK to make the switch to renewable energy.

With Labour running way ahead in the opinion polls, the prime minister's team is hoping that his agenda will close the gap by reducing the "burden" of Britain's climate targets on households and by toughening sentences for violent offenders.

There was little new in the King's Speech, more a collection of what Sunak has worked on since becoming prime minister last year on a pledge to bring stability after two fellow Conservative leaders were forced from power in a matter of weeks.

Reading some of the government's climate policies might have jarred on Charles, who has campaigned on environmental issues for more than 50 years. But government officials have repeatedly said ministers were not giving up on the overall targets, just being more "pragmatic" in how they get there.

"My government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations," Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown and royal robes, told a hushed audience of lawmakers in the upper house of parliament.

"By taking these long-term decisions, my government will change this country and build a better future," he added.

It was the first time Charles had made the speech as king – though he stood in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II months before her death last year – in a ceremony marked by pomp and pageantry.


Arriving at parliament from Buckingham Palace in a grand carriage procession, he then led a ceremony, with some of its traditions traced back to the 16th century, that delivers the government's agenda in line with Britain's unusual constitutional division of executive powers.

Election campaign

What Charles read out suggested Britain has already entered campaign season.

The government signalled it would move ahead with the Sentencing Bill that will bring forward tougher jail sentences for the most serious offenders, and repeated its pledge to boost economic growth and reduce inflation.

But, in a possible sign that calls from some Conservative lawmakers to offer voters tax cuts will go unheeded, the King said: "My ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing."

Sunak also confirmed he would phase out tobacco sales to young people in England and press on with attempts to tackle illegal migration.

In an attempt to win over younger voters, the government also said it would press ahead with reforms to the housing market, outlawing no-fault evictions for renters and amending a system described by a minister as "feudal" which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.

But Sunak faces an uphill struggle to win back voters, with Labour holding an around 20-point lead in the polls. His party is mired in allegations of sex scandals, under scrutiny over its actions during the Covid-19 pandemic and is deeply divided over its strategy before the next election.

He is hopeful his agenda can turn things around.

"We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path," he said in his introduction.

"But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs."

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)

Britain bans 'laughing gas' to curb anti-social behaviour

2023/11/08


LONDON (Reuters) - A ban on the recreational use and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as 'laughing gas', comes into force in Britain on Wednesday, with people caught producing, supplying or selling the drug facing long prison sentences.

The substance, which causes a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality, has grown in popularity, particularly among young people but the government said it fuelled nuisance behaviour and posed a health hazard.

"For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities. We will not accept it," Britain's policing minister Chris Philp said in a statement.

Under the new ban, people who repeatedly misused laughing gas could face fines or up to two years in prison, with a maximum jail punishment for dealing the drug doubled to 14 years.

According to health ministry figures, nitrous oxide is the third most common drug used by 16 to 24-year-olds, and heavy use can result in anaemia, and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.

In September, interior minister Suella Braverman said people were "fed up" with the use of drugs in public spaces, with discarded gas canisters being littered across Britain's streets.

The ban exempts its legitimate use including for healthcare, dentistry, and in other industries. Licences will not be required, but users will need to demonstrate they are "lawfully in possession" of the drug and not intending to inhale it, the government said.

Under the ban, nitrous oxide will be prescribed as a "Class C" drug and classified in "the least harmful" category of drugs under Britain's laws alongside anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and growth hormones.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Michael Holden)

© Reuters

Factbox-The laws British PM Sunak wants to pass before the next election

2023/11/07


LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles set out the British government's plans for legislation over the coming months on Tuesday with a highly political package of measures, including the promise of tougher sentences for serious criminals, before a national election expected next year.

The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament.

This is likely to be the last one before the election, which must be held by January 2025, and many policies were aimed at appealing to voters.

Below are some of the main proposed new laws:

LAW AND ORDER

The government plans to introduce five pieces of legislation intended to toughen sentences and deter crime in a sign that the governing Conservatives hope to make this a key election issue.

The Sentencing Bill will mean murderers who carry out sexually motivated or sadistic attacks will automatically face life in jail without the prospect of parole.

The Criminal Justice Bill will also mean that criminals will be made to appear in the court when they are sentenced so they can hear statements from victims.

This comes after a nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and a man who shot a nine-year-old girl this year refused to attend their sentencing hearings.

The legislation will also give the police powers to enter a property without a warrant to seize goods if they have reasonable proof that a stolen item was at an address.

CIGARETTES AND VAPES

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on Sunak's promise made last month to phase out all tobacco sales in England.

Under the legislation, anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, will never be allowed to legally buy cigarettes.

The government said it was also looking to bring in rules regulating the flavours and descriptions of vapes that critics say are targeted at children.

OIL DRILLING

The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will set up annual licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, in a move the government said would create certainty for the industry during a transition to greener energy.

The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in opinion polls, has said it would stop issuing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, though it will respect any that are granted before an election.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which will give ministers new powers to tackle "drip pricing" where companies advertise a low price online before adding extra fees.

Consumers will also be given powers to make it easier to get out of subscription contracts, which the government said cost people around 1.6 billion pounds ($1.97 billion) a year.

HOUSING

The government will amend the system, described by the housing minister as "feudal", which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.

The Leasehold and Freehold Bill means all new houses in England and Wales will be exempt from having to pay these extra costs.

The Renters' Reform Bill will push ahead with a plan to end no-fault evictions in England, four years after the legislation was first promised.

SOCCER REGULATOR

The government plans to set up an independent football regulator, who will be responsible for scrutinising club owners and their financial resources.

The new legislation will require owners to ensure fans are consulted on changes to club's badges, names and shirt colours.

The regulator will have the power to stop clubs joining breakaway leagues, after six English clubs attempted in 2021 to join a new European Super League.

TRADE

Britain will bring forward a bill to allow it to meet its obligations as it accedes to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Britain in March struck a deal to join the 11-country trans-Pacific trade pact, which includes Australia and Japan, and formally signed the treaty in July.

The bill gives CPTPP parties greater access to the government's procurement market, enhances regulatory co-operation and expands copyright protections, as has been agreed under the terms of Britain's accession to the agreement.

($1 = 0.8130 pounds)

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper, Alex Richardson and Barbara Lewis)

© Reuters