NYK Establishes Logistics Company for Finished Cars in Kenya
NYK has signed a joint-venture agreement with Bolloré Transport & Logistics Kenya Limited (Bolloré) and Toyota Tsusho Corporation to establish Bolloré NYK Auto Logistics Limited,* a logistics company for finished cars. In late August, a signing ceremony was held in Kenya, and attended by Eric Melet, Managing Director of Bolloré, Takashi Hattori, Senior Managing Director of Toyota Tsusho Corp., Koichi Chikaraishi, senior managing corporate officer of NYK at which time they attended the ceremony to commemorate MOUs in TICAD VI**.
Kenya, a country currently experiencing strong economic growth, is expected to see a rise in finished car imports and become a gate port for countries in East Africa. At the port of Mombasa, Kenya, this new company will offer a variety of services, such as inland transport, and PDI** as well as car storage and customs clearance within this year.
Making use of a strategic partnership combining the knowledge and the expertise that Bolloré and Toyota Tsusho have accumulated through their business activities, together with NYK???s extensive experience with finished-car logistics solutions around the world, Bolloré NYK Auto Logistics Limited will be well positioned to provide widespread customers with high quality services for East Africa.
* Bolloré Transport & Logistics Kenya Limited: A subsidiary company of Bolloré Transport & Logistics, headquartered in France and offering comprehensive logistics services.
** The ceremony of MOUs in TICAD VI is the ceremony to commemorate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) signed between Japanese companies and African countries on the occasion of the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI). TICAD VI was held by Japanese government in the Republic of Kenya on August 27 and 28. In this ceremony, Bolloré NYK Auto Logistics Limited was introduced as an investment project of Africa by Japanese and French companies. The ceremony included Prime Minister Abe, H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and other dignitaries.
*** PDI (pre-delivery inspection)
Services for finished vehicles ??? such as final inspections, repairs, and parts application ??? before delivery to a car dealer.
NYK Crew Members Promote Seafaring Life to Elementary School Children
On August 17 and 20, a shipyard tour was held at the Kure Shipyard (Kure, Hiroshima prefecture) of Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) for teachers and students from elementary schools in Kure. During the tour, NYK crew members gave a presentation on maritime transport, focusing on vessel operations. The presentation was conducted in cooperation with the Japanese Shipowners??? Association, a general incorporated association.
The tour was organized by JMU as part of a company program for the public to recognize Marine Day, a national holiday in Japan celebrated on the third Monday of July. Three NYK crew members ??? a captain, chief engineer, and navigating officer ???explained the kinds of cargo the ship under construction will carry and the services it will provide. The staff also explained that vessels such as very large containerships, crude oil tankers, and other specialized vessels have important roles and responsibilities in mass transportation in Japan, a country surrounded by seas and oceans. The presentation was conducted using photos and anecdotes on navigation to stimulate participants??? understanding.
The shipyard tour was a good opportunity for participants to become familiar with and gain a greater awareness of maritime affairs and seafaring life, which is related to the NYK Mirai Project.*
NYK will continue its efforts to familiarize people with and develop interest in oceangoing vessels and the maritime industry.
Outline of Shipyard Tours
Dates: August 17 (Wednesday) and 20 (Saturday), 2016
Organizer: Japan Marine United Corporation
Collaborator: The Japanese Shipowners??? Association, a general incorporated association
Participants: Teachers (social studies) and fifth grade elementary school children in Kure; a total of 140 participants
Venue: Kure Shipyard, Japan Marine United Corporation
* NYK Mirai Project
Started at the end of 2014, the project is a series of activities to help the young generation, who shoulder the future of Japan, become familiar with and gain greater awareness of maritime affairs and the seafaring life, as well as the marine industry, with an aim to increase the number of young people who choose seafaring careers.
NYK Jointly Develops Innovative Anti-rust Agent - Reduces Maintenance Costs and Crew Workload
NYK and Agua Japan Co. Ltd. (head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Motoki Toyama; website: http://www.aguajapan.co.jp) have jointly developed an innovative anti-rust agent to prevent iron and steel rust on vessels. The new agent, Marine Guard 100 (MG 100), has rust conversion properties, and paint containing the agent can be applied to metal surfaces.
The anti-rust efficacy of MG 100 was verified during two and half years of testing on the deck, ballast tank,* piping, and other metal surfaces of an oceangoing coal carrier. The coal carrier used for the test is owned by NYK and its ship manager is Hachiuma Steamship Co. Ltd. (head office: Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture; president: Takao Ito).
Conventionally, when crew members engage in paint maintenance on board, rust removal and cleaning is first required before anti-rust paint can be applied. However, removing red rust completely in the moist, saline conditions aboard oceangoing vessels is extremely difficult. MG 100 converts red rust into black rust and prevents corrosion as well as the generation of new rust. Consequently, the once arduous task of rust removal and cleaning by crew members is greatly reduced. Moreover, MG 100 is expected to directly contribute to reducing maintenance costs associated with metal rust.
NYK???s medium-term management plan, ???More Than Shipping 2018,??? encourages the creation of creative solutions such as this, and the NYK Group will continue to promote work efficiency and advance R&D activities in operations across the group to further enhance safety and performance.
* Ballast tank
An onboard compartment containing seawater as ballast to maintain the stability of a vessel.
NYK Welcomes Japanese Teachers to Company's Maritime Academy in the Philippines
On August 3, the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA)* welcomed a visiting study group comprising three teachers from Japanese technical colleges and technical high schools, accompanied by three staff members from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The three teachers were attending a global human resources development course offered by JICA in the Philippines as part of the organization's overseas teacher training program.
Through visits to educational institutions abroad, this training program aims to help teachers to acquire views and knowledge for fostering global human resources, as Japan's technical colleges and high schools are known to produce many engineers who work in technological fields in developing countries.
This is the second time that NTMA has welcomed program participants, following the receipt of teachers during the 2014 program. On this visit, the study group took part in various activities such as an exchange of opinions with the NTMA members, a question and answer session, interviews with the NTMA students, and a tour of the campus. The teachers made the following comments after the program was over: "Observing the politeness and discipline of the NTMA students, I realized that the instruction and training at the academy are reaching all students", "I learned that many seafarers in the world are Filipino and that NTMA plays an important role in seafarer education", and "I am proud that a private Japanese company has been deeply involved in seafarer education in the Philippines."
Through a variety of activities aimed at meeting diversified requests from society, NYK continues to promote its social contribution activities as a good corporate citizen.
* NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA)
A maritime academy jointly run by NYK and the Transnational Diversified Group (TDG) in the Philippines. TDG is a business group established in 1976 by J. Roberto C. Delgado, the group's current chairman. Business activities include vessel agent services, seafarer manning, training, and education, as well as air transportation and logistics.
NYK Initiates New Service Transporting Cars to Hai Phong - Enhances NYK's Presence in Vietnam
NYK has started a new car transport service 'Ruffles Ao Dai RORO Express (REX)' linking Hai Phong in Northern Vietnam with Ho Chi Minh and Laem Chabang (near Bangkok). On October 8, the NYK-operated car carrier Modern Link arrived in Hai Phong for the first call. And the ceremony to commemorate was held attended by the top managements of the Port of Hai Phong, Tan Vu Terminal, among others.
The previous service for Northern Vietnam called at the port of Cai Lan is once a month. Now the new service calls the port of Hai Phong, which is close to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and increases the number of calls to twice a month. NYK will attempt to accommodate demand for the transportation of finished cars to Vietnam, a country experiencing strong economic growth, and to make use of the knowledge and expertise that we have gained through other services in the ASEAN region to provide high quality, competitive services.
Details of the Service
(1) Name of Service |
Ruffles Ao Dai RORO Express (REX) |
(2) Vessels |
Pure car carriers |
(3) Frequency |
Two sailings per month |
(4) Ports and rotation |
Laem Chabang (Sun) Ho Chi Minh (Tue/Wed) - Hai Phong (Sat/Sun) |