China to Clear Path on Mekong River for Large Ships
Thailand is backing Chinese plans to clear parts of the Mekong River to allow large cargo ships to pass through.
The plans call for destroying small islands and rocky areas along the Mekong River as part of a 10-year project.
The project is intended to boost shipping navigation along a 630-kilometer part of the river from China's Yunnan province to Luang Prabang in Laos.
In 2015, an estimated 3,500 commercial ships used the Mekong River to carry goods from China's Yunnan province to Thailand. Most of those ships weighed between 100 and 300 tons. The goal is to make the Mekong River passable for 500-ton cargo ships.
The Mekong River in China is known as the Lancang River. It runs a total length of about 4,300 kilometers through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
China will reportedly provide one and a half billion dollars in loans and $10 billion in credit lines to pay for infrastructure and improve transport networks along the Mekong.
The first phase involves an initial survey of the area and design plans for the project. Environmental and social assessments are also to be conducted.
In the second phase to begin in 2020, navigational improvements will be made over a distance of 259 kilometers. In addition, cargo and passenger ports will be built.
The project is expected to be completed by 2025.
Thai officials have said the changes are needed to improve the safety of transporting goods and people along the river. They say navigation improvements will reduce the risk of accidents and environmental disasters on the Mekong.
Objections from conservationists
Several conservation groups have condemned the plan. They say clearing the islands will have a “disastrous impact” on aquatic wildlife and communities along the Mekong River.
Robert Mather, a conservationist, said "These are areas, very important for fish breeding, fish eating areas, because you have algae growing on the rocks and islets [small islands.] They are important."
The conservationists are especially concerned with a 1.6-kilometer stretch of the river near Thailand's northern province of Chiang Rai. This area includes a collection of small island and rock formations that serve as a border marker between Thailand and Laos at the river's deepest point.
Additionally, they say the Mekong River is already facing harm from dam construction projects. These include three hydropower projects now being built or under consideration by Laos on the lower Mekong River.
Millions of people also depend on the lower Mekong as a major source of food.
A coalition of local environmentalists representing eight Mekong provinces has launched a joint campaign opposing China's development plans.
Source: VOA NewsPosted On:25-Jan-2017
Credits: www.hellenicshippingnews.com |
Idwal Marine launches first online ship inspection platform
Global provider of ship inspection services Idwal Marine has launched the shipping industry's first cloud-based online platform to provide instant quotations and deliver reporting for complete vessel condition, pre-purchase and pre-charter inspection services. The online platform www.inspectmyship.com provides 24-hour access to a global network of ISO-certified ship inspectors worldwide and comprehensive vessel condition reports to help banks, shipowners, brokers, charterers and financial organisations assess the condition of shipping assets.
The UK-based inspection services provider, Idwal Marine (part of the Graig Group), believes that the current low charter rate environment and downward pressure on asset values is driving shipowners, charterers and financial organisations to commission more vessel inspections to accurately assess the value of assets and to analyse and mitigate potential technical risks.
Nick Owens, Director of Idwal Marine, commented: "For our customers, who stake their business interests on the quality and accuracy of a ship inspection survey, it is of paramount importance that we can provide high quality, expertly informed assessments on the condition of their assets. The need for thorough investigation is more important than ever, as we are increasingly witnessing the effects of maintenance decisions where quality has been sacrificed in favour of lower cost for several years now. This puts vessels and those that invest in such vessels at increased risk."
The free-to-use web platform www.inspectmyship.com is fully optimised for use on mobile and tablet devices and provides instant quotes on vessel condition, pre-purchase and pre-charter inspections 24-hours a day to banks, brokers, shipowners, charterers and financial organisations worldwide. Users can track the progress of each inspection, receive photographic and documentary evidence from the vessel and download full condition reports through the online interface. The platform also provides complex technical analysis in reports that are designed to be easy for Idwal Marine’s customers to decipher and benchmark against a new 'at-a-glance' ship grading system.
A representative from the Evaluation Department of prominent shipping bank Nord L/B, which along with its sister-unit, Bremer Landesbank, is a customer of Idwal Marine, commented: "We have a large global shipping portfolio which we manage with critical care and attention and we have appointed Idwal Marine to undertake condition inspections of our vessels in various global locations. Ensuring that we have a very accurate and detailed analysis of each vessel is of significant value to us; but so too is being able to easily manage our portfolio and quickly understand the findings of the inspections. We have always found the Idwal Marine services to be of a high technical standard, prompt and cost effective."
Nick Owens continued: "Inspections are about examining the minutia for clues; understanding causality and effect of complex technical issues and making critical judgements about the practical implications on assets based on the evidence at hand. We know what is important to both technical and non-technical stakeholders alike and through this online platform we are providing easy to interpret reports, alongside detailed technical evidence and critical counsel to help customers mitigate risk and further understand the assets."
Idwal Marine works with prominent shipping banks, brokers, shipowners, charterers and financial organisations to provide comprehensive reports on the technical condition of all vessel types through a network of ISO-9001 certified ship inspectors at hundreds of ports worldwide. The company also provides technical risk management services, project consultancy and flag-administration support services.
Idwal Marine is headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, with a fully-staffed presence in Shanghai, China and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Graig Group of companies, an international shipping, ship owning, and shipping-services provider.
Source: Idwal MarinePosted On:25-Jan-2017
Credits: www.hellenicshippingnews.com |
