ICTSI’s office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates covers regional operations and business development in EMEIS while the office in Cape Town, South Africa covers regional operations and business development in continental Africa. ICTSI’s existing terminals in Poland, Georgia, Croatia, Syria and India including ongoing bids in EMEIS are under the jurisdiction of the Dubai office, while the company’s Madagascar terminal and ongoing bids in Africa are overseen by the Cape Town office. Ms Lacanienta-McDonald joined ICTSI’s Manila head office as finance officer in 2010.  The following year, she moved to the Dubai office to oversee finance and administration.   “I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity by ICTSI as it continues to expand its horizons and make a mark in this fast growing industry.  I look forward to the challenge to set forth new goals for our growth and development, “she said Prior to ICTSI, Lacanienta-McDonald was with accounting firm Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV) for 10 years, serving as Senior Director for Assurance and Professional Practice.  She was also seconded to New York to work with SGV affiliate, Ernst & Young. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Business Administration and Accountancy.  She placed fourth in the Philippine Certified Public Accountant Board Examinations.

Meanwhile, Mr Seksaria was an Associate Director with KPMG International where he was responsible for Transportation and Logistics before joining ICTSI.  He was founding member of Tuscan Ventures, a private equity fund involved in transport and logistics, and had spent six years with APM Terminals and Maersk Line in various management roles.

“Africa is one of the world’s fastest growing regions with a high rate of trade growth leading to significant opportunities in the port infrastructure sector.  ICTSI has a strong focus on investing in the region on the back of its demonstrated expertise in emerging markets. I am glad to be a part of this effort,” says Mr. Seksaria.

 Mr Seksaria holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Mumbai.

 ICTSI is a leading port management company involved in the operations and development of 22 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries worldwide.  The company was among the first international terminal operators to take its expertise overseas. 

Ocean’s companies, the shipbuilder and future dredging contractor, have opted for a proven design, fitted out with a Damen trailing pipe and other Damen dredging gear.

The self propelled 62 m long 1.180 m3 split hopper dredger will be fitted out with a 500 mm trailing pipe for dredging at max – 305 m. The vessel, built under Germanischer Lloyd and provided with a Transport Canada certificate, has a Damen dredge pump doing some 5.500 m3/h requiring 1.300 HP. Other elements of the Damen delivery are the overflows, the jetwater monitors, the dredging instrumentation and the bow coupling unit. As an exception to the rule Damen Dredging also supplies the steel package for the hull.

The vessel is currently under construction at the Groupe Ocean yard at Isle-aux-Coudres. The yard, located on an island in the St Lawrence Seaway north-east of Québec City, has started the job mid July and the hopper dredger will be launched in July next year : a fairly short delivery time taking into account that the yard has not built hopper dredgers before. The short delivery time is possible as the vessel is a sister vessel of the “Omvac Diez”, recently built in Spain to the design of the naval architect Carceller. The construction of the vessel is a close cooperation of Carceller, Damen and Ocean.

 In August 2012 the newly built hopper dredger will begin a 7-year dredging contract for the maintenance dredging of two ship channels in the St Lawrence Seaway. The total annual dredged volume is estimated at 70.000 m3 of sediments. The dredging is essential to re-establish the depth of the waterway, which is the main maritime route in Canada with over 6.000 ship passages every year. As the St Lawrence job is done in only 3 months a year, the trailing dredger will do other dredging jobs. These jobs are located more to the south, due to the heavy local winter conditions.

Damen is convinced that the Canadian hopper dredger will be as successful as its Spanish sister vessel. It will be a valuable addition to the Canadian dredging fleet and an essential enhancement in the safety of the commercial navigation on the St Lawrence. The construction of the first sections is well on its way, which is of vital importance as they have to be on the slipway before winter comes – as it comes in this part of the world with 3 m of snow…

The seven year contract was awarded by MBZ (Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeevaartinrichtingen NV/Port of Zeebrugge) to URS, part of SMIT Towage Northwest Europe. The concession represents, based on expected traffic volumes, a total turnover of approximately EUR 90 million.

Through URS, SMIT Towage Northwest Europe has a traditionally strong position in the sea ports of Belgium. Zeebrugge mainly handles large seagoing container vessels, RORO carriers and LNG tankers. To accommodate an increase in the number of vessel movements and to be able to assist increasingly larger vessels, SMIT will deploy more powerful tugs. SMIT will station six tugs and a fire fighting vessel in the Port of Zeebrugge.

Joachim Coens, CEO MBZ “The quality of the offer and the technical capabilities of URS were decisive in the award of the concession. We are extremely satisfied with how the tender procedure was conducted and look forward to a good and efficient cooperation with URS.”

The Boskalis strategy is designed to benefit from the key macro-economic drivers that fuel global demand in our selected markets: global trade, increasing energy consumption, expanding population pressures and the challenges of changing climate conditions. This concession is closely related to the growth of global trade and the need to assist large seagoing vessels.

Bangkok Ship Agents’ Association has issued a circular on Wednesday, advising that there is a severe shortage of space in the marshalling yard for inbound containers due to the fact that importers are keeping their inbound cargo at the port. The marshalling yard at Terminal No 2 is already reported to be full.

It is also understood that discharging operations for dry bulk cargoes in Koh Si Chang Anchorage are being affected due to slow turnaround times of the barges.

Further, some receivers are reported to be refusing to accept or discharge cargo as their warehouses are not accessible due to the flooding.