Thanks to the previous long professional experience gained by Shi.E.L.D.Services’ experts during their

years working for Coeclerici Logistics,they had the opportunity to manage many projects from the very beginning until their actual implementation. They acquired significant experience in all the different matters necessary to ensure successful outcome of projects,including:technical and financial feasibility studies;the engineering and design of the assets;the contracts with the suppliers and with the final client;and also the technical,crew and operating management of the assets.

Therefore,Shi.E.L.D.Services is able to offer its clients an integrated consultancy activity where the goal is no longer the completion of a single task (the delivery of the results of the feasibility study,for instance),but the complete support from the beginning of the project until the commencement of commercial operations.It is like having a dedicated and experienced technical and operation department without the time and costs needed to set up such a structure for the client. This solution would be beneficial for those companies that want to diversify their business and enter the logistics sector but don’t have the know-how.

To better explain this concept, Luca Condini,Technical Director at Shi.E.L.D.Services,has given details of a project on which the company is currently working.

COMPLETE CONSULTANCY TO EXPAND THE OFFERING OF MARINE SERVICES

The receiving jetty of a newly built coal-fired power plant is located on a riverbank where the navigation is allowed only for shallow-draught shuttle vessels.Therefore,the imported coal must be transshipped offshore from the bulk carriers into the shuttle vessels ,which would then take the cargo to the power plant jetty.

The power plant faces three scopes to have the cargo delivered:

Traditionally,the power plant would keep the shipping and the transshipment contracts separate,awarding them to two different providers. However,another way which has recently become more popular,is to include both the marine services in the same agreement.

Very few and well-known players have the expertise required to provide both these services. Other companies,such as traditional shipping companies,must seek outside for a reliable partner experienced in offshore logistics. Usually,they would outsource to a third company the whole transshipment part,but the costs of such a solution could significantly impact the economics of their proposal. A smarter way to turn the costs for the outsourced transshipment services into a profit is for them to take ownership of the assets by either building new ones or procuring them from the secondhand market,and partnering with a company like Shi.E.L.D.Services that has strong expertise and a solid background in offshore logistics and that will take care of the technical issues and the management of the operations.

Coming back to the project mentioned above,here is what we did to support our client,a shipping company that wanted to participate in the tender,during the entire process.

First,we collected the necessary information — including the characteristics of the jetty and cargo handling equipment,the

metocean condition reports with the indication of wave,wind,and current,and the bathymetry data of the navigational area.

Then we carried out a feasibility study to select the technical solution to be deployed considering different types of transshippers and shuttle vessels,also estimating the capital and operating costs and the fuel consumption. With this information, our client was able to formulate a proposal.

But our involvement was not over yet.

Before issuing the permits to carry out the offshore transhipment operations, the local authorities conducted an in-depth assessment of our client’s capacity to comply with all national and international regulations, mainly concerning safety, the protection of the environment, and emergency procedures. HSE (Health Safety Environment) is an essential point to comply with, because any non-conformities in this respect can lead to the stoppage of the operations with a significant impact on the entire project. We had therefore to provide a vast list of documents, including, among others, the HSE manual, the operational procedures, the risk assessment, the emergency, contingency, and security plans. We also had to attend several meetings with the final customer and the local government to clarify and explain all these matters.

After all this long assessment process,the final tenderers were shortlisted,and after a final consultation round,our client was awarded the contract.

SUCCESSFUL RESULTS

The complete consultancy service that we provide has been welcomed very favourably by our clients. It offers the final customers a wider range of participants with new players who can enter the logistic market. It provides them with the assurance of a solid background and expertise in offshore transshipment. It allows them to participate in tenders that would have been impossible for them otherwise and increases their chances of success.

We believe that our offer is precious and is without a doubt a winning solution for all parties involved.