The technology group Wärtsilä will provide an integrated cargo handling and fuel gas system for two new gas carrier vessels for Exmar, the Belgium-based fleet owner. The ships, which will transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are being built at HHIC-Philippines (Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Philippines) in Subic Bay. The design of these ships focuses on high efficiency and a more sustainable operational profile. In achieving this, these 80,000m³ Very Large Gas Carriers will be the first vessels capable of running on LPG. This valuable order with Wärtsilä was booked in July, 2018.

Wärtsilä has more than 50 years of experience in the gas carrier business, and the company’s latest technologies have been utilised to offer ‘LPG as fuel’ as a fully integrated part of the cargo handling system. The system is controlled by the state-of-the-art Wärtsilä Nacos Platinum integrated automation system in combination with the company’s remote process analytics software, which ensures optimised operability and safety.

Exmar’s new Very Large Gas Carriers will feature Wärtsilä technology that enables them to operate on LPG fuel. Photo: Exmar.

Exmar’s new Very Large Gas Carriers will feature Wärtsilä technology that enables them to operate on LPG fuel. Photo: Exmar.

The Wärtsilä Nacos Platinum automation platform combines and visualises data from the bridge navigation and communication controls, the engine room, and the cargo control centre. This integrated solution enables high energy efficiency with lower carbon emissions, providing a positive Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for the vessels. The integrated automation notably reduces both building and operating risks.

Wärtsilä will also deliver its Airguard anti-pollution shaft sealing system, which provides extra security against oil leaking into the sea. The propeller shaft mounted additional ‘air barrier’ ensures complete separation of the stern tube oil from the seawater.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in mid-2019, and the vessels are expected to be delivered during the latter part of 2020.

“Wärtsilä has worked closely with Exmar Group for many years, and we are proud they have selected such a broad scope of our products, which have been combined into a smart marine solution for this new generation of LPG carriers. Wärtsilä’s integrated solutions are designed to promote sustainable shipping and a lower total cost of ownership with lifecycle optimisation,” says Timo Koponen, Vice President, Processing Solutions, Wärtsilä.

“These are ‘game-changing’ gas carriers and our aim has been to achieve the best possible operational and economic performance, while at the same time, ensuring the lowest possible environmental footprint. Wärtsilä’s systems and solutions will help us meet these targets,” says Pierre Dincq, Managing Director Shipping, Exmar. “Exmar has extensive experience with a variety of fuel systems, including HFO, MDO and LNG fuelled steam turbines. Adding LPG as a fuel to this array of fuel systems will be beneficial to Exmar’s reputation as a gas transportation expert.”

Source: hellenicshippingnews.com

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Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the suspicious construction of a P200-million worth nickel mining project in Candelaria, Zambales that would be heavily funded by Chinese investors.

Senator Leila de Lima (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN)x

De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said the indiscriminate mining operations in Zambales continue to wreak havoc on the country’s environment, thus, the government should carefully assess the environmental, social, and economic impact of another mining project with China.

“Our mountains are stripped of top soil and our river waters are turning all red due to heavy mud. But what’s worse, the government, particularly Mr. Duterte, is obviously willing to allow unscrupulous Chinese contractors rape our environment at the detriment of our natural resources as well as the livelihood of our local residents,” De Lima said.

Citing news reports, De Lima said Fujian Hengrun Investment Co., Ltd. of China and Filipino firms Westchinamin Corp. and Easternreach Mining Group, Inc. have agreed to put up Ferro-Nickel Plant in Candelaria, Zambales.

The deal was sealed despite strong opposition of Zambales residents who called for an immediate halt to the indiscriminate mining operations in their province.

Though detained, De Lima said she was able to obtain documents showing actual photographs of how the river in Zambales had alarmingly turned red due to the risky mining business.
She said there is a need to scrutinize all government transactions with regards to mining operations, especially the construction of a Ferro-Nickel Plant in Zambales, to be fully aware of their effect to the residents and impact to the generations to come.

“The government has the obligation to protect the environment and at the same time ensure the wellbeing of the people. Abandoning the people by disregarding their safety and needs is an outright dereliction of one’s duty,” she said.

Earlier, De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 778, which seeks a Senate inquiry into the apparent gaps in the country’s environmental laws that compound the prevalence of human rights abuses in communities where there are large-scale mining.

The senator said it is imperative that the Senate take an in-depth evaluation of the continuing negative impact of mining operations on the environment and human rights of local communities.

De Lima had also filed Senate Bill No. 960, which seeks to ban black sand mining, which she described as “one form of environmental plunder” resulting to damage on the environment and livelihood of people in the surrounding areas due to floods and landslides.

She said the mining companies and local officials responsible for the destruction of the environment and people’s livelihood in Zambales must not be allowed to go scot-free and should be held accountable for their action.

source: news.mb.com.ph

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Photo Credit: Joan Almazan Conanan

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Set against a backdrop of a lush forest and spectacular beaches, towering manmade structures dotted the landscape around Subic Bay Freeport’s West Ilanin Forest in preparation for the day’s big event.

Despite the inclement weather, thousands of participants from around the world gathered at Camayan Beach for the kick-off. Present during the program were Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chair and Administrator Wilma “Amy” T. Eisma, Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. (SBMEI) co-founder Scott Sharpe, and Spartan Philippines Race Coordinator Mike Reyes.

After the short ceremony, the race proper officially opened. All three races were scheduled for the day: The Spartan Sprint, a 6-plus kilometer and 20-plus obstacle course; the Spartan Super, a 13-plus kilometer plus and 25-plus obstacle route; and the much-awaited and toughest race of the entire Spartan circuit, the Beast course, which is a gruelling 21-plus kilometre long route designed with more than 30 obstacles for racers to overcome.

Spartan Race Participants from Team Kaye

Countless numbers of racers pitted themselves against the obstacle course to test their athleticism. With every pull they had to make to walk up walls and every attempt to recover balance as they pump their legs harder as they climb up steep elevations, the racers were pushed to their limits.

The course was well designed, with the obstacles spread well throughout. Also present, were strategically positioned stretches of trail running where the racers could take in and appreciate the scenic Ilanin Forest.

The day-long obstacle course race finished with the following victors:

The top finishers for the Beast course are qualified to participate in the 2018 Asia Pacific Championships in Johor, Malaysia this December while the top three in both the elite and age group categories will also qualify for the Regional Championships as well as the World Championships in Lake Tahoe at the end of the year.

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EXPORTERS have expressed their support for the clustering of shipping and manufacturing hubs to lower logistics costs and make exports more competitive.

“The Philippines should follow the success of other countries in developing strong export clusters centered near hub seaports in a bid to become a major exporting nation,” the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. said in a statement over the weekend.

The group was citing one of the three policy briefs published by The Arangkada Philippines Project (TAPP) of the Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (JFC).

“A powerful way to drive productivity is for regional governments to work with their private sectors to promote cluster formation by strengthening and building upon existing or emerging clusters, where competitive advantage and product or service differentiation already exists,” according to the recommendation made by the JFC.

The policy brief described clusters as “geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and institutions in a particular field.”

“Clusters encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to competition. They include, for example, suppliers of specialized inputs such as components, machinery, and services, and providers of specialized infrastructure,” it added.

The recommendation, drawn up in the policy brief on Philippine seaports and shipping, cited as an example of a potential cluster in the country the shipbuilding and ship repair industry based in Subic.

The paper noted that Clark-Subic-Tarlac-Pampanga-Zambales region has other potential clusters, such as mango production in Zambales, which could develop into a robust trading hub, bringing more frequent ship visits to the area.

Aside from the Clark-Tarlac-Subic Corridor, the paper cited other ports and airports where the country could build strategic regional clusters — Batangas for food processing and manufacturing hubs; Coron and Aklan for tourism aside from food and fisheries; Davao for banana and pineapple production among others.

It said the PHIVIDEC industrial estate in Cagayan de Oro can house food processing and cold storage facilities.

Leyte can serve a cluster for coconut farming.

Sarangani and General Santos, meanwhile, can serve as a fisheries cluster.

The report also noted that Cebu can serve as a cluster for the furniture industry with the potential for manufacturers to consolidate in a planned area near a modern port.

“Airport, port, and logistics infrastructure in various regional cluster areas should be developed to address the needs of each kind of good and trade traffic,” it said.

“The cluster by its nature must aim to scale up, to lower costs, produce larger volumes, attract larger ships, and lower costs to become competitive in global markets.”

The paper also stressed the need to offer incentives, including fiscal ones, which will attract domestic and foreign exporters to locate in the clusters.

It added that the country can look to Thailand which has established a successful model of industrial clustering.

“The quality of port infrastructure, port efficiency, and hub port connectivity to feeder ports need considerable improvement. The cost to export should be more competitive and excessive fees imposed by foreign shippers should be regulated,” it noted.

“Increasing global trade presents immense opportunity for Philippine ports to scale up to become more significant in intra-regional trade. Intra-Asia trade is growing strongly and becoming more important than TransPacific and Asia-Europe shipping,” it added. By: Janina C. Lim

source: bworldonline.com

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SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) is gearing up with a multi-million rehabilitation program to recapture its lost glory as a major port for international commercial flights.

“The government is set to pour P502 million for various landing instruments and communications systems, with funds from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM-PS), said Wilma Eisma, chairman and administrator of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Eisma said the DBM-PS will also bid out the component projects that will include procurement of Air-Ground VHF radio communication system, Area Navigation (RNAV) design, Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Directional Range (DVOR) for homing aircraft, Airfield Ground Lightings (AGL), Movement Area Ground Signages (MAGS), Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles, Air Passenger Boarding Bridges (APBB), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).

Some P232 million worth of equipment will also be needed for the airport. These include X-ray machines, closed circuit television (CCTV), ambulance, sweeper truck, Flight Information Display System (FIDS), Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS), aerial platform, and pickup trucks and passenger vans, she said.

The SBMA started refurbishing the SBIA with a new P51 million Automated Weather Observation System (Awos), which provides continuous, real-time information on weather conditions. The Awos is not covered by the P502 million funding, Eisma said.

“The AWOS is already installed and operational, which is why Subic is now ready to accommodate planes because its communications and night-time capability are fully functioning. In fact, Subic recently took in flights from Bangkok that were diverted from Clark Airport,” she said.

She added that SBMA is also arranging for other commercial operations at the Subic airport, including maintenance repairs for Gulf Stream, flying school for the Philippine Airlines, Subic-Macau-Subic flights for Royal Air, as well as for China Eastern Airlines.

According to SBIA manager Zharrex Santos, the Subic airfield can accommodate almost all types of modern aircraft at more than 20 movements per hour because of its 2,744-meter runway with effective width of 45 meters. It also has ramps and aprons that could take in 24 wide-body aircraft for parking at one given time.

Meanwhile, the two tubes at the SBIA terminal building can process 700 passengers per hour, Santos said.

Recently, Senator Richard Gordon called for the immediate upgrading and operation of the Subic airport after a runway mishap caused hundreds of flight cancellations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Gordon said the national government has already appropriated P553 million from the 2017 General Appropriations Act for the restoration of facilities and procurement of instruments at the SBIA.

The Subic airport, which was built in 1951 as the US Navy’s Naval Air Station Cubi Point, was converted into a commercial airport under the SBMA and became the Asia One hub of Federal Express until 2009.

Subic proved its capability as a major diversion airport in December 1995 during another problem at the NAIA when it served 1,674 passengers from international liners and 212 passengers from local airlines and in August 2007 when it sheltered 37 various aircraft, 19 of which were passenger planes from Taiwan, because of Typhoon “Sepat.”

source: sunstar.com.ph

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