T Ward Freight Forwarding Service

Freight forwarding involves moving goods from one part of the world to another in the most efficient and economical way possible. We believe it’s an essential service which helps to promote international trade and stimulate the economy, so providing cost effective and reliable freight forwarding services is a vital part of our repertoire at T Ward.



We can offer extremely competitive quotes for;

• Sea freight forwarding
• Air freight forwarding
• Road freight forwarding

...speak to us and we can advise you about the most effective option for your own particular needs.

Freight Forwarding By Sea

We are happy to transport any type of goods, to and from any destination, and we will ship anything from 15kgs to 150,000 tonnes.
Our sea freight forwarders are quite used to being able to handle different sizes and types of cargo, so we can ship anything from personal and household goods as part of a move overseas to industrial and construction machinery and equipment. We use a large range of vessels, which can be anything from a container or bulk carrier to a tanker or project cargo ship.

We ship Full Container Loads(FCL) and Part Container Loads (LCL) so if you’re not sure about whether your cargo is suitable, speak to one of our advisers and we’ll soon find the best option for you.

Air Freight Forwarding Service

We also offer a top quality air freight forwarding service which includes guaranteed daily distribution to and from all major airports, along with specialist customs clearance, on-site attendance and even hand carry and courier services.

Road Freight Forwarding Service

If your items don’t need to be shipped overseas, we can also move cargo by road to whatever destination you require, with a range of driver accompanied full load and groupage freight forwarding services which can transport your items from door to door, quickly and at very competitive rates, too.

Freight Forwarding throughout the world

We work with some of the best partners in the world, which gives us access to the most flexible freight network in Europe. On top of this, we are also represented all over the world by independent agents who offer similar services.

This means that we are able to make the most of sea, air and road transport and arrange reliable delivery and collection of your goods, as well as being able to clear them through customs on your behalf.

For more information or a quote, please contact us.

The History of Leith Corn Exchange

As you stroll around Leith, you will see many imposing buildings, some of which have an illustrious history. One fine example of Victorian Scottish architecture is the famous Corn Exchange, in Baltic Street, which was built in the 1860s and is said to have cost the princely sum of £7000.

The Corn Exchange is built in a Roman style, with a corn-hall that measures 110 feet long by 70 feet broad. The building also features an octagonal tower.

The former Corn Exchange building is popular with architects and well known locally for its attractive frieze, which shows ‘putti’ at all stages of the grain; figures are also depicted milling grapes to make wine and processing wool; sowing and harvesting; reaping and threshing; celebrating the harvest; shearing sheep; counting woolpacks and importing cereals.

The frieze was created in 1863 by a Scottish sculptor called John Rhind, who was based in Edinburgh. He was born in Banff the son of a master mason.

In recent years, the Corn Exchange has been converted into 8,000 square feet of high quality studio space where several design companies are currently housed. The building also includes exhibition gallery space at the entrance level, and forms the Eastern gateway to the historic centre of Leith on Constitution Street. This conversion project has been praised widely, and even received the “Best Re-Use of a Listed Building” commendation at the 2006 Scottish Design Awards.

IDEA•2 – the go-to shop for Marine Contracts

Have you ever needed to arrange a BIMCO contract but been at a loss about how to make sure that your contracts are authentic and comply with all the right legislation? It’s worth taking a look at IDEA•2, an online portal that lets you download standard maritime contracts with all the potential clauses you could possibly need. IDEA•2.

It’s a really useful web based portal that you can use to get access to the whole range of BIMCO’s standard contracts and clauses, all based around IDEA•2 is built a secure online version of Microsoft Word 2010.

All you have to do to create a BIMCO standard contract is create a company account and log into it, find the template you want to use and type into it. Although it’s not essential to be a member to use the contract templates, you can save a lot of money if you do set up an account so we recommend it. It’s compatible with Windows and Apple computers and you can access your documents from any computer and anywhere that has Internet access.

The files are stored on BIMCO’s highly secure web servers, and they even make sure that they are regularly backed up, and that the latest versions of all templates are always available. The whole point of a service like this is to give businesses secure and authentic copies of BIMCO contracts, saving time on having to proof check them all. You can edit the contracts to your needs but any changes will show up on the final agreed document so that all parties know where they stand, and whether there have been any changes to the standard wording.

It’s a great idea (see what we did there) and it makes life so much easier and less complicated for any business that wants to draft a contract securely and in the knowledge that they will be including all the relevant clauses. Why not give it a try?

For more information about the product, check out the website: https://www.bimco.org/Products/idea_2.aspx

The Pros and Cons of using LNG in Shipping

There has been a lot of discussion about Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a viable fuel option for the shipping industry, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the pros and cons. More than 100 vessels in merchant, offshore and ferry applications already operate on gas, and it’s likely to become more popular with new regulations and environmental legislation coming into force.

Advantages

• Natural gas is mainly made up from methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Using LNG as shipping fuel could reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by up to 95 per cent. The lower carbon content of LNG compared to traditional ship fuels gives a 20 – 25 per cent reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
• LNG is likely to cost less than marine gas oil. Lower LNG prices in Europe and the USA suggest that the price is likely to be price below heavy fuel oil even when taking the small-scale distribution of LNG into account.
• LNG is readily available - carriers move the natural gas from liquefaction terminals to re-gasification terminals at locations all over the world, making the fuel easily available from shore-based facilities. 
• There are Marine LNG import and export terminals everywhere, which means that LNG is available anywhere in the world. In addition to this, there are more terminals planned for the future.

Disadvantages

• LNG does need more storage space, and specific bunkering arrangements also have to be provided. 
• LNG is pumped from one location to another through pipelines in gaseous form or transported by sea as a liquid, and during the transformation phase from gas to liquid it requires cryogenic temperatures.
• The infrastructure can make things harder with LNG, and the ability to transfer it from terminals and into the vessels that need it. On the plus side, though, availability of LNG bunkering is spreading, especially in regions with a strong environmental awareness or where it’s more economical than other fuels.

What do you think about using LNG? Is it a viable option for your business?

Further Developments at Cockenzie

As we’ve mentioned previously on our blog, the future looks bright for the offshore renewables industry, which is expected to play a crucial role in Scotland’s energy mix in years to come. With this in mind, Scottish Enterprise is seriously looking at plans for the development of an Energy Park at Cockenzie. They believe that the site would be the perfect location for companies involved in the offshore wind supply chain.

The idea has been on the cards for some time now, since the announcement of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan (N-RIP) and the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund (N-RIF) in 2010.

Cockenzie is seen as an ideal location for many reasons, including its location close to major offshore wind sites, its history and potential for deep water berthing. In the long term, it’s also seen a good place for investment into jobs and economic development, with potential for further development in the future.

The project

Experts think developing an Energy Park at Cockenzie will help to establish Scotland as a European hub for the offshore wind industry.

The main plans for the site include:
• New marine infrastructure
• A new quayside
• Serviced plots and associated infrastructure
• Aggregate extraction.

At the moment there’s no timescale for the plan, as so many aspects of it are yet to be agreed, and the planning consents needed to take the project further haven’t been obtained. The Energy Park could accommodate a wide range of end-users, and because they haven’t yet been identified, plans for the development have to stay very flexible.

The proposed development requires a number of consents before it can go ahead;
• Application for Planning Permission in Principle
• Application for Marine Licence (under the Marine Works
• Application for Harbour Empowerment Order.
(A Proposal of Application Notice, relating to the application for Planning Permission in Principle, was submitted to East Lothian Council on 2 June 2014.)

Consultations

If you want to have your say on the proposals, or just want to know what’s going on, there are consultation events at every stage of the development.The first consultation events have already been held - on 16 June 2014 in Prestonpans Library and 18 June 2014 in Port Seton Community Centre. There will be a second round of consultation events in early 2015, before the planning applications are made. At these events, anyone interested will be given information about how to view the formal documents.

After the applications have been submitted there will be another round of consultations and ongoing consultations will happen at milestones in the development process.

We’ll keep you up to date with any developments as the news comes through.

The Forth Crossings

With the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing due to be completed in 2016, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the history of the Forth crossings – and look at how things are coming along for the newest stage in that history.

There was great news at the beginning of October – the cost of building the crossing is going to be a hefty £50m lower than previously thought. How often does that happen? The revised budget has been reduced to a top limit of £1.4bn from the previous £1.45bn, according to Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on her recent site visit. Ms Sturgeon said that the progress made since construction started in June 2011 meat that there would be £195m worth of savings, and she praised the “sound management and delivery of the scheme.”

The crossing will be the centre piece of a major upgrade to the cross-Forth transport corridor. It will be 1.7 miles across, making it the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world. The current Forth Bridge celebrated its 50th were seen off in style with a ‘river of fire’ made up of 2,014 torchbearers and a stunning firework display. The Forth Bridges Festival was a ten-day festival which also commemorated three centuries of world-class bridge engineering on the Forth.

History of the Bridge

The Firth of Forth was first bridged in 1890, but research didn’t begin on a road bridge until 1929. At the time, a tunnel was mooted as an option too. It wasn’t until 1958 that the green light was given for the Forth Bridge as we know it now, and construction started in 1960. People flocked to see the bridge while it was under construction in the early sixties. It was opened by HRH Queen Elizabeth on 4th September 1964 to a 21 gun salute, and 16,000 people attended the opening ceremony (not including all the members of the public who turned out.)

It was the fourth longest suspension bridge for 78 days, until the opening of New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge on 21 November knocked it back down a place. During the 1990s repairs were needed – due to the increasing volume and weight of traffic over the bridge, the structure had to be strengthened, and there were problems with corrosion and repairs needed to the cables.

In March 2001 the Forth Road Bridge was designated a Category A listed structure.Plans for a new crossing were made public in 2007, and construction started on the new crossing in 2011.

New Sulphur rules a worry for the shipping industry

 

New legislation designed to help reduce CO2 emissions comes into force next year, and it looks like causing a headache for the shipping industry. The 0.1 percent sulphur in fuel requirements in Emission Control Areas regulation will come into effect on 1 January 2015.

The maximum sulphur content in bunker fuel permitted in ECA zones will reduce from 1 per cent to 0.1 per cent, which means that ship operators will be forced to switch to tanks of distillate fuel, which is around 50 per cent more expensive.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) estimates that total greenhouse gas emissions from global maritime transport have already reduced by around 20 per cent between 2007 and 2012, but the sector is still looking at the implementation of mandatory global regulations for CO2 emissions, which are targeted at reducing CO2 in the future.

International Chamber of Shipping Secretary general Peter Hinchliffe said,

"The shipping industry fully recognises that governments expect even greater CO2 efficiency improvements in the future. Given the very high cost of fuel which is soon set to increase by around 50% due to separate new rules on sulphur the industry already has every incentive to deliver this,"

The introduction of these strict regulations is problematic for the shipping industry, with regulations banning ships from burning sulphur port in due to the environmental impact. This is likely to have an even greater effect on large vessels with more 4000 containers.

 Some ships are finding fuelling to be a big problem already; there have been reports of vessels actually plugging into power sources when arrive at shore – this also proves to be an expensive option so it’s not a viable solution. Other ships have been turning to LPG instead of diesel in order to cut costs, or other fuels, but this is only possible when a ship runs on a line - there is no guarantee that alternative fuels will be available at all ports.

On top of this, there are even greater worries ahead about availability of fuel, and the impact of legislation on the cost, with a  0.5 percent global cap on sulphur due to take effect in 2020. Experts believe that an increase from the shipping industry in the demand for diesel grade fuel could even have an impact on land based industry .

MV Windsor Castle now in Leith

We're excited to be shipping agents for the iconic ship MV Windsor Castle, which has recently been bought by the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The beautiful ship came to Leith all the way from Falmouth and the RYB has some exciting plans for the ship – the company has said that they plan to invest almost £1 million to turn the classically designed ship into a 25 bedroom floating luxury hotel which will sit alongside Britannia and will be permanently berthed in Edinburgh's historic port of Leith.

The 239 feet long vessel is almost two-thirds of the size of Britannia, which has been Scotland’s top visitor attraction for nine years, and the UK’s No.1 attraction (according to TripAdvisor 2014.)

The MV Windsor Castle was previously berthed in the River Fal.

Launched in August 1963, she was the last ship to have been built by Glasgow’s Blythswood Shipbuilding Company and was previously the Northern Lighthouse Board's (NLB) tender Fingal.

The ship spent 30 years working out of Oban for NLB, and was then moved to Stromness, Orkney, where she stayed for six years.  The vessel was then sold to Tamahine Shipping and has been very well maintained at her berth on the River Fal ever since.

The ship arrived in Leith at the end of August where she will now undergo an 18-month conversion, and the ‘boatique’ style hotel scheduled to open in spring 2016.

Britannia's chief executive Bob Downie said,

 "After many years of searching for the right ship, we are delighted that we have been able to acquire this iconic vessel and look forward to opening Scotland's first 'boatique' hotel. As a youngster growing up in Oban I have very fond memories of seeing the Fingal and I am delighted that the long-term future of another much-loved classic vessel has been secured."

Railway sleepers for raised flower beds

If you’re looking for an attractive and inexpensive way to spruce up your garden, have you thought about creating raised flower and plant beds using railway sleepers? We have a stock of used railway sleepers that could well be ideal for your gardening projects.

Creating a raised bed out of railways sleepers is becoming popular – probably due to the fact that a well-made bed made from sleepers is strong, will last you a long time, and looks lovely and natural in any sized garden.

Our sleepers are Sleepers are 8'6" x 10" x 6" and weigh about 80kgs each, and they can be used horizontally, or cut them lengthways and lay them as if they were timber posts. Either way they’ll be ideal.

When you’re building your raised beds, remember that railway sleepers are wide, so you will have to reach across them to get to the soil in your beds. For this reason, some people also lay them on their edge. They are easy to use and will only cost you £22 + VAT per sleeper.

Some of the advantages of using railway sleepers are:

• They look great
• They last a long time – sometimes up to 15 years.
• The extra width gives you somewhere else to sit!

You do need to remember that:
If you use them lengthways, you can only make square or rectangular beds
They can be heavy – ask a friend to help!
If you’re interested in getting hold of some sleepers, we can deliver (costs vary depending on your location). If you prefer, you can also collect them from our storage facility in Cowdenbeath, Fife.

Creosote
Our treated sleepers are treated with creosote which means that they shouldn’t be used anywhere there is risk of constant skin contact. Don’t use them inside buildings on playgrounds, or to make toys, garden furniture or picnic tables.
This video is really helpful if you want ideas about how to make your own raised flower beds with railway sleepers.

Rossiter’s Avalon rowers reach Seychelles in record breaking time

An intrepid British-led crew has broken two world records for the fastest-ever crossing of the Indian Ocean in a rowing boat. The crew of the Rossiter’s Avalon achieved the longest rowing record after arriving in the Seychelles at 14:58 GMT (18:58 local time) on Thursday 7th August.

It was an eventful journey; after setting out from Geraldton, Australia on June 11, the crew, who originated from Britain, Australia, South Africa and Iceland, covered a distance of over 4,200 miles to the Seychelles in just 57 days. They managed this despite capsizing three times, losing equipment, colliding with a whale, and the evacuation of a crewman. They also dealt with hurricanes, broaching, broken oars, auto-helm failure and huge waves…

The way forward for this determined team was old fashioned manual helming for the majority of the voyage, which meant reducing the crew to five - and when a remaining crew member became injured the crew was reduced even further.

The Victoria Port Authority was on hand to welcome the Avalon, and make preparations for landfall. Family & friends of crew members went out on a pilot boat to meet Rossiters’s Avalon.

At the quayside, the crew’s amazing achievement was celebrated with champagne, and the ‘ORE’ team were formally welcomed to the Seychelles by the British High Commissioner, Mrs Lindsay Skoll and Prof Rolph Payet, Minister for Environment in the Seychelles.

The seven rowers raised thousands of pounds for their chosen charities, including Save the Elephants (to help in their ongoing battle against the ivory trade) and Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia.

Naturally, the event called for a few beers, after which everyone was off for a much deserved hot shower and slap up meal.  It was great to hear that the eventful expedition had ended so successfully, and everyone at t ward would like to congratulate the determined skipper and crew!

Shipping the best choice for the Commonwealth Games

Limiting the carbon footprint and being as sustainable as possible was one of the key aims of the organisers of Glasgow 2014, so when the organisers had to decide on the best way to get their furniture, fittings and equipment (FFE) from where it had been in storage at Tilbury, South East England to Grangemouth, they decided to check out the environmental impact of each option before making a decision.

The team used state of the art carbon footprint calculation software to compare the carbon cost of sea, rail and road transportation and estimate the potential CO2 emissions for delivery. The CO2 emission assessment results showed that moving everything by sea would work out almost three times as environmentally friendly than shifting it by rail would have done and a hefty six times more eco-friendly than transporting it via road.

The decision was made! The Organising Committee went ahead and shipped 260,000 items of Furniture, Fittings and Equipment from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games all the way to Scotland for use in the Athlete’s Village. It took a total of 350 shipping containers to move everything from the London Container Terminal in Tilbury to the Port of Grangemouth.

The containers, which were first used in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, were enough to hold all the FFE for the Games, and after a successful, eco-friendly journey, they made their way to the Games ready for the opening ceremony in July.

For more information on shipping, or to find out about our shipping containers for sale, contact t.ward…

Scottish renewable energy figures are impressive!

We have a keen interest in renewable energy at t. ward, so we were really pleased to read that Scotland’s renewable electricity output is looking so impressive – the nation’s overall output hit record levels during the first three months of 2014.

The figures, which were released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the end of June, revealed that Scotland generated a record 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, partly as a result of a record quarter of hydro output. Hydro power output was 9.2 per cent higher than it was at the end of 2011, when we saw the previous record. It’s not just hydro – wind generated power is performing exceptionally well too and output is at record levels, four per cent higher than previous records.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“The record high hydro output shows that we are contributing to a balanced mix of energy generation across Scotland which could see hydro power account for up to a quarter of Scotland’s generating capacity in the next decade.”

The good news was revealed at the same time that the Renewable Energy Association (REA) called on David Cameron and other EU leaders to recognise the importance of national 2030 renewable energy targets in maintaining energy security.

The REA said that putting in place national targets for increasing home-grown renewable energy by 2030 would help reduce the risk of Scotland being affected by any potential volatility in energy markets, and that renewables were also the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Both of these are excellent reasons to keep up the good work with renewable energy and recyclates, something that we’re happy to be a part of at t.ward.

Demolition in progress at Cockenzie Site

ScottishPower carried on with the restructuring of the old Cockenzie Power Station site in June, with the demolition of two more steel ‘Precipitator’ structures by controlled explosion. The demolition was a big project; the 300 tonne structures were 34 metres high with a width of 10 metres by 12.5 metres.

The removal of the steel structures was managed by Brown and Mason, and ScottishPower worked closely with East Lothian Council and Police Scotland to make sure that no road closures were needed during the demolition.

The structures were located on the seaward side of the main building, and members of the public watched the demolition from the Greenhills. This demolition is another chapter in the ongoing story of Cockenzie, which looks likely to be transformed into a vast renewable energy park involved with the construction of offshore wind turbines.

At t. ward we’re very much looking forward to finding out about the plans for the proposed development – if they go ahead they will create a modern industrial landscape between Prestonpans and Port Seton, complete with giant turbines being manufactured 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This can only be an advantage for the area, not simply because of the possibility of job creation, but also because the generation and consumption of renewable energy is something Scotland should be rightly proud of; Figures published last month showed that Scotland generated a very impressive 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, which represents an increase of over 50 per cent on the same quarter in 2013 and is also 10.4 per cent higher than the previous record.

A deep water port in the area is also likely to encourage additional investment to the area, and there are even rumours that a cruise ship terminal is being proposed for the site.

We’ll keep you up to date on any news about the development.

Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ – and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!

We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by  offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with – with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.

It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!

The shipping industry inspires imagination!

We can certainly tell a tale or two here at t.ward shipping, but although we have always thought that the shipping industry is fascinating, it’s not the sort of industry that we imagined being a setting for a suspense novel! All that has changed since we found out about the latest novel by Matthew McCleery, though.

Matthew, who knows his subject extremely well as he is also president of Marine Money International, which publishes Marine Money magazine and other ship finance publications, has written the exciting sounding Viking Raid: A Robert Fairchild Novel. The book tells the tale of ex-hedge fund manager Robert Fairchild and a Norwegian shipping tycoon as they attempt a $500 million initial public offering "but end up wedged between an American shale gas wildcatter and the energy-hungry People's Republic of China."

If that – ahem – floats your boat, then you’ll also be pleased to hear that Viking Raid isn’t McCleery’s first shipping industry themed novel. His first foray into the world of shipping fiction was called ‘The Shipping Man’ and this story explored the complex and potentially problematic connections between Wall Street and the maritime world. It did well; Forbes gave the book a good review and it garnered praise from some influential shipping industry executives. Both books are available through Amazon.

Matthew McCleery isn’t the only fiction writer who has gained inspiration from the world of shipping, either. Back in 2012, CNBC.com Managing Editor Allen R. Wastler, who covered the maritime industry for The Journal of Commerce for many years, self-published a novel called “Cargo Kills.”

The novel, which is available for download on Amazon.com sounds intriguing, that’s for sure; "Dark docks, gritty shipyards, diesel-stained trains and trucks ... cargo is a dirty business ... and a deadly business. When ocean liners mysteriously sink and a dead body floats up under a cargo pier, a young reporter finds the story of his life. Problem is, can he keep his life long enough to tell it?"

Perhaps we’re looking at a completely new genre here? You read it here first…

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment – so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year,  said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment â€" so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year, said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ â€" and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!
We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with â€" with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.
It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!

Confidence in Shipping Industry at a six year high

The Moore Stephens Shipping Confidence Survey report is certainly encouraging; the results showed that confidence in the industry rose to the highest level in six years. There was more good news for freight; rates are set to improve or at the very least maintain their existing levels over the year, and an increase in private equity funding is very likely to have a significant impact.

On a scale of one to 10, respondents to the survey reported that their confidence in the markets in which they operate averaged 6.5 in February 2014, the highest score since 2008 when the survey was first launched.

Probably due to this increased confidence, respondents also reported that they were just as likely to make a major investment in their business or a significant development over the next year as in the previous year. Other issues that had an impact included tonnage supply, operating and supplanted fuel costs –no surprises there!

There was more good news from the freight sector with a higher level of optimism about rate increases reported in the dry bulk and container ship sectors.  In the dry bulk sector there was a two per cent increase in the overall numbers of those anticipating rate increases - the highest figure recorded since the survey was started.

34 per cent of respondents from the container ship market think that rates will increase over the next year, more than last year.

The conclusions of the survey are mostly encouraging for shipping companies.  Although it might be a little too early to talk about the downward cycle of recent years being over, it does look as though things are beginning to improve, and the next 12 to 18 months are looking optimistic.

The future of the freight markets is looking brighter than it has done for some years, partly due to worries about over-tonnaging being allayed by increased scrapping and a practical approach to expanding businesses.

In the world of shipping finance, there has been and continues to be a significant level of interest and investment from the private equity sector, which replaces the more traditional bank finance which has been harder to source in recent years. Although some respondents were pleased about this, others did feel that it could depress rates in the long run, potentially delaying recovery, or in some cases enabling people to put expansion plans into place without thinking them through.

One respondent said, “The over-supply of tonnage, together with private equity investment, will continue to depress rates and delay recovery.” Another noted, “The flood of private equity funding, which must be spent before it reaches its sell-by date, persuades previously sensible operators to ignore basic economic principles. It’s happened before.”

The cost of impending regulation didn’t seem to impact on the respondents too much – maybe because the cost of complying with legislation like the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention and the proposed new regulations governing emissions control aren’t yet quantifiable.

One leading ship owner has recently estimated that the industry as a whole will have to find US$80 billion to achieve BWM compliance – so it will be interesting to see whether respondents are feeling so positive in the next survey.

Exciting times ahead for the shipping industry

The shipping market is as always erratic and uncertain* and in the changing times of power generation the UK coastal ports are needing to think. On the East coast especially, the offshore wind turbine market is emerging and as the necessity to find suitable port facilities to handle the capacity of large vessels and land which this industry requires there is even more thinking going on. Cockenzie (the old coal fired power station) is being looked at as a new facility as an alternative to established ports which lack sufficient capacity to cope with the new vessels which are employed in the manufacture and shipping for the offshore wind farms.

New facilities are being sought and the Humber is an example of where new ports can and are being developed – Cockenzie has the promise of a nascent port for the new industry as well as present oil and gas business and the future of offshore rig and platform decommissioning. It can be developed to ‘go out’ into deeper water to gain the capacity that these emerging trades require. The land where the power station and coal storage area used to be can take some of the manufacturing space to build some of the blades, tower, nacelles, castings and gearboxes that are land hungry. Other options at other potential ports and sites are being considered.

Many thousands of turbines will be built and many hundreds of offshore platforms will be decommissioned over the next 5 to 20 years and the size of the component parts simply mean that ‘nothing’ can move by road. Some of these parts can be manufactured and handled in existing ports but the assembly of the structures need very large facilities to cope. One can look across the Forth from Edinburgh to Methil and see the size of the Samsung turbine, this is in shallow water and they will get larger as the industry develops, we are going deeper and bigger – it is the new oil and gas industry starting all over again. The picture is quite similar, offshore structures producing oil and gas with a pipeline running to the shore as opposed to wind turbines producing electricity with a cable running to the shore.

These are fascinating and exciting times for shipping companies. The evolution of alternative energy is upon us and will change what we know, just as the shale gas industry is turning the US energy market upside down with compounding affects of that knowledge across the globe. The cost of all this generation of power is always part of the discussion, but all energy supply is fiscally adjusted as we are becoming to learn so clearly. Put that into the context of Shale, Nuclear and Wind (and other energy sources) and it gets your spreadsheets combusting.

As a US economist said when asked – ‘How big is shale gas?’ he replied ’About as big as the world wide web.’ Oh if I was only 30 years younger – what fabulous opportunities and what fun!

There is something that is certain* in the shipping industry and that is change. My company, t. ward shipping ltd  have always relished it and being quick on our toes we are reacting.

The Arkutun Dagi Jack Up

We thought you would be interested in the latest video of the record breaking Jack-up of the Arkutun Dagi topside in Korea.

The fascinating video shows exactly how ALE used the innovative Mega Jack to lift the record breaking weight to a height of 24m. The topside was lifted and additional assembly work was carried out which added the additional weight to the structure that on its completion weighed 43,475t.

The design of the Mega Jack keeps working at height and worker / machinery interaction to an absolute minimum, and enables any readings and adjustments to be made via a control hub.

Exxon Neftegas Limited awarded ALE ‘Contractor of the Year' for 'Excellence in Safety Performance’ on the project. The award was presented at the annual Sakhalin 1 Contractor SSHE Forum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia last September.

The piece will become part of the Arkutun Dagi field off the east coast of Russia; the development is expected to be the largest oil and gas production platform in Russia. The first oil is scheduled to be produced later this year.

Kees Claasen said,

“With safety at the core of what we do at ALE, we are honored to have received this award. Gaining recognition for our safe working, particularly on a record breaking project shows the value the team put on safety. As with everything we do at ALE, it is a team effort, and with a strong team we can achieve great things.”

For more information on this project and other projects ALE are involved with please see the website

New North Sea coal could power Britain for centuries

There’s been some good news from the North Sea - scientists have announced that they’ve found enough coal under the sea to potentially power Britain for centuries to come.

Dermot Roddy, former professor of energy at Newcastle University, told the Sunday Times that scientists believe there could be between three trillion and 23 trillion tonnes of coal buried under the North Sea, an amount that’s thousands of times greater than all the oil and gas we have taken out so far.

“If we could extract just a few per cent of that coal it would be enough to power the UK for decades or centuries," he said.

The first exploratory boreholes are expected to be sunk by the end of 2014.

Experts believe that this discovery could be ‘game changing’ – and Richard Selley , Professor of petroleum exploration at Imperial College London is one of them.

"A decade ago the talk was all about peak oil and gas but that has gone out of the window," he said.
"The big game-changer is seismic imaging, which has become so sensitive that we can now pinpoint the 'sweet spots' where shale gas, oil and coal are to be found.

"There have also been huge improvements in horizontal drilling . . . and in hydraulic fracturing [fracking], which lets us get the gas and oil out of rock. If we put aside the green issues, then in perhaps 10 years we could be self-sufficient in gas and possibly oil too."

At T Ward Shipping, we think this is exciting news...watch this space!

Railway Sleepers for your garden

We have a range of treated and untreated railway sleepers available for sale at our facility in Cowdenbeath, Fife which can be collected or delivered all over Scotland. If you’re looking for a few ideas for your garden, come springtime, how about this?

Railway Sleepers are really popular in garden landscaping, and they can be used for anything from raised beds for flowers and to steps or garden furniture.

To build a raised bed using railway sleepers…

Firstly lay the sleepers on a level, firm surface. If you are stacking them horizontally on their broadest side, just overlap the joints of the railway sleepers, from layer to layer, then fasten each layer to the layer below with timberlok screws or similar.

If you are stacking the railway sleepers horizontally on their narrowest side, and two or more railway sleepers high, then you will need to support the construction with vertical posts, or else you might find they fall over! Just dig a hole and fix vertical retaining posts (or sleepers) in with concrete. Once you’ve done that, just stack the railway sleepers against the post, and secure them with Timberlok sleeper screws.

Treated Sleepers

Treated railway sleepers are treated with creosote and so they shouldn’t be used inside buildings or playgrounds, to make garden furniture, picnic tables or anything that will be in regular contact with skin.

At T Ward we have sleepers suitable for any purpose - general garden use, cattle courts, fencing, silage clamps, golf courses and road markings/tracks.
We deliver throughout the UK so contact T Ward to discuss placing an order or for more information.

An Energy Park on the old Cockenzie site?

The iconic Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian closed down for the last time in March 2013.

There are plans to redevelop the site into a marine energy park. Scottish Enterprise published a Prior Information Notice (PIN) in February indicating that they were ‘exploring options’ for the potential redevelopment for an energy park which would neatly fit into the wider Forth/Tay renewable energy cluster and could operate alongside other N-RIP (National Renewables Infrastructure Plan) locations to help support the needs of the emerging offshore wind turbine, tidal and wave renewables market, in addition to the oil and gas Industries.

Watch the demolition of the old power station here:

Badly packed and stowed cargo causes most insurance claims

The packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTUs) is high on the agenda for the shipping industry, and correctly stowing your freight is absolutely imperative – you might have thought that was obvious, perhaps, but according to The TT Club, a leading provider of insurance for the international transport and logistics industry, a staggering 65 per cent of damage to freight is simply down to bad loading, packaging and stowing. That’s an awful lot of expense and damage which could be avoided with the correct training or expert assistance.

The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) backs up the statistics, showing that more than 30 per cent of cases investigated through the system were caused by bad stowage and poor packaging.
In an attempt to reduce the amount of claims, the TT Club has developed a brand new online e-learning course which aims to focus attention on the many problems that bad packing can cause, and provide up to date guidance.

The course, which launched in January, is a useful online training tool for anyone who is involved with packing and unpacking cargo transport units (CTU) and the first release of the foundation course has just been launched.

There are modules looking at cargo, transport, packing and arrival and the course also covers relevant issues such as the forces and stresses encountered during transport, and the careful consideration that needs to be taken when packing and securing cargo.

• Cargo – covers the types and physical characteristics of cargo and looks at the problems that badly packed cargo can cause.
• Transport - the main modes of transport, different types of equipment, and the forces and stresses encountered during transport. Also looks at choosing CTU and route considerations.
• Packing - covers preparation for packing, the basic principles and rules which apply to packing and securing, manual and mechanical handling, cargo securing materials, closing the CTU and securing it, in addition to correct documentation.
• Arrival – what precautions to take when opening the CTU at arrival.

T Ward Shipping has a variety of services available to ensure that your cargo loading takes place smoothly, and avoiding unnecessary damage during transit. We can provide clients with a range of equipment,  mobile cranes, fork lifts, special heavy lift equipment, low loaders, MAFI’s, Stevedoring and any other equipment necessary to get the job done professionally and as quickly as possible.

If you think you may need help with cargo lashing and securing, we can organise that on your behalf too, making sure that you have complete peace of mind at all times.

This video gives you an idea about why packing is so important!

The Forth Estuary – perfect for anchorage!

If you need to know why the ports on the Forth Estuary are so popular, it’s hard to pin point just one factor – but their perfect fit for vessels needing laying-up and anchorage are high up on the list of many desirable qualities.

The Forth Estuary ports are ideally located, enjoying a perfect position on Scotland’s east coast, and their easy accessibility to vessels from all over the world along with a spot-on geographical location central to the North Sea and the UK oil fields makes them popular with the 3500 ships that visit every single year.

When it comes to anchorage, there are few ports which offer such favourable conditions for laying-up. Being part of an estuary means that they all benefit from natural shelter, keeping vessels away from harsh prevailing winds.

The Forth Estuary is the perfect location for both long term and short term anchorage, a service that we’re happy to be able to organise for our clients. The ports are all easy to reach, with direct connections to all major UK, European and East Coast US cities and cater for all types of vessel with users ranging from small coasters to project cargoes, naval and very large crude carriers (VLCCs).

All services are laid on to ensure that whether you’re laying up your vessel for a long or short term, you’ll have peace of mind. Deep water ports benefit from full Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and harbour master surveillance, and for larger ships there are twenty-four designated anchorages beyond the main pilotage area, perfect for rigs or semi-submersible vessels. There are more anchorages inside the pilotage area which provide excellent shelter, minimal sea conditions and deep water.

For semi-submersible vessels there are excellent facilities too, you can ballast down in deep water ports to float off and on large rigs and structures. If you need quayside berthing, Dundee is the ideal choice as there’s also room for jack-up rigs, barges and semi sub rigs to berth alongside.

If you’re an owner or operator of a ship that needs to be laid up for whatever reason, contact T Ward Shipping to discuss our peace of mind laying up services. No matter where you decide to lay up your vessel, if you need anchorage, we’ll be able to help you with all aspects of the process, from documentation, to maintenance and inspections.

Ship and Cargo Surveying

Marine vessels are often subject to surveys, for many reasons. A potential owner will usually want a detailed survey of the ship before a decision is made, or an insurance company might need to assess a claim following an accident. Sometimes, surveys of cargo are even carried out if there’s a suspicion of fraud among the ship’s personnel.

A survey of the ship’s cargo may need to be carried out in order to address safety and liability concerns. There are cargo surveying services in many ports around the world, ready to help customers, owners and anyone else with an interest with their concerns. In some cases, insurance companies and government agencies may also want to have a cargo survey carried out. Cargo surveyors can be independent or employed on behalf of a company.

Marine or Ship Surveyors have a wider remit, which sometimes includes a cargo survey too. A surveyor will board a vessel to assess, monitor and report on its condition, including the cargo if requested. Marine surveyors can also inspect brand new ships’ equipment to make sure that it’s safe for use on a vessel.

A marine survey usually involves a detailed inspection of a ship’s structure, machinery and equipment, along with an assessment of its general condition. Marine Surveyors are highly qualified professionals and have to pass several evaluations before they are qualified to approve vessels to go to sea.

Surveyors are often called in on behalf of insurance companies, because of the specialised area they deal with. Most insurers wouldn’t have the level of skill or training to be able to assess a vessel’s condition, and so independent surveyors are often hired to provide a professional and completely unbiased view.

If cargo is being surveyed, the surveyor will usually take a careful look at all of the ship’s cargo areas, in addition to asking for selected cargo to be opened. They may also want to talk to the ship’s personnel to discuss how it was loaded or is to be unloaded. If the cargo isn’t yet loaded up onto the ship, the surveyor can ask for it to be moved to a suitable place, such as a warehouse, while the loading plan is assessed. You can expect a cargo surveyor to bring a camera and take photographs and notes while they move around the cargo area and ship.

Some of the issues that might arise during a cargo inspection include:

• Correct documentation

• Illegal or questionable items

• The ship’s destination imposes restrictions on incoming cargo

• Safety issues and hazards

Cargo surveyors also want to check that any cargo is properly stowed, securely fastened and evenly distributed. They can ask for cargo to be moved if they have safety concerns.After reviewing a planned cargo a report will be prepared, and any documents that are needed for moving the loads between ports are drawn up. A review of the contents can also be drafted for insurance purposes or in cases where a ship owner suspects fraudulent activity.

What is the Baltic Dry Index?

The Baltic Dry Index, also known as the ‘Dry Bulk Index’ is a way of measuring the cost of transporting raw materials such as metals, grains and fossil fuels by sea. The Baltic Exchange looks at twenty different worldwide shipping routes for various materials every working day and averages them into one index. This Index is made up from three separate sub-indexes which apply to different sized merchant ships, or ‘dry bulk containers’, Capesize, Panamax and Supramax. 

The Baltic Exchange is the official London-based shipping global marketplace used for brokering shipping contracts which was created back in 1744. The Exchange contacts shipping brokers on a daily basis in order to assess the cost of transportation for any specified route, product to transport and the time (speed) to delivery. The index is quoted every working day at 1300 London time. 

These indexes are useful to traders, who use them to settle forward freight agreements, and they are used by investors and economists to find out about the current demand for shipping services contrasted with total shipping capacity.

When the BDI increases, the increase directly increases their margins and revenues, but when it decreases, producers see increased margins, and consumers get lower prices for their goods.The Baltic Dry Index is generally thought to be a good indicator of global trends in supply and demand, and a trustworthy indicator of future economic growth and contraction, because it looks at the value of the type of cargo that isn’t usually speculated on; raw, pre-production materials.Although the BDI has been a reliable way of predicting performance for centuries, the supply of large carriers tends to remain very tight and sometimes long lead times and high production costs can lead to volatility when the global demand for a particular route or cargo increases – or even unexpectedly drops. An example of this was back in 2008, when on June 5th(Capesize) bulk carrier was fixed at a record daily hire rate of $280,000 per day, but within the space of five months, the value of the same ship had plummeted to just $2,800 per day.

Overall, the BDI is considered to be one of the most useful indicators of global raw material and infrastructure demand, as it’s unaffected by consumer spending trends, or speculative players. The trading activity on the BDI is limited to member companies, so it only applies to parties who actually have ships or cargo.