a new element of risk for shipowners and insurers is constituted by gigantism of the portacontainer



During the last few years the number of total losses of ships is being reduced, but new elements of risk place unknown challenges to the industry of the shipping and the insurance field. Between the new dangers there is the increase of the dimensions and the ability to the ships portacontenitori that have succeeded in to exceed the 400 meters of length and a cargo ability of 18.000 teu, ability that over 4-5 years will increase ulteriorly of 30% about with the insertion in the world-wide fleet of portacontainer from 24.000 teu around 2018. It supports the insurance agency Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) of the German group Allianz in its second annual report "Safety and Shipping Review 2014" that it analyzes to the type and importance of the loss total of ships of beyond 100 tons of tonnage.

Last year - the relationship finds - the irrecoverable declared ships have been 94, with a decrease of 20% regarding 117 in 2012, and 2013 have turned out to be according to year in last the 12 in which the number of the total losses it is come down under one hundred units (last year has been the 2011 with the loss total of 89 ships). The analysis evidences as the data of 2013 represents a remarkable reduction of the incidents that have determined the irrecuperabilità of ships, with a bending of 45% regarding 2003.

In the 2013 greater number of total losses (69) it is constituted by the sinking of ships, since it represents an increment of +47% regarding 55 sinkings in 2012 and of +44% regarding 2002.

The relationship explains moreover that more than two third party of the total losses recorded last year has happened in Asia, with 18 ships (the quota more consisting on the total) declared irrecoverable in the regions of southern China, Indo-china, Indonesia and Filippine and 17 ships in the region constituted from Japan, Korea and northern China. The AGCS analysis observes also as, to beyond two years from the incident to the Costa Concordia cruise ship in the Mediterranean, the improvement of safety of continuous the fleeting ships to being a priority and as Asia remains an area in which serious incidents to fleeting ships, in particular to those of smaller dimensions and to the ferries happen, as it is demonstrated by the sinking of the St ferry. Thomas of Aquinas because of a collision with another ship to the wide one of Cebu, in the Philippines, happened in August 2013, that he has involved the dead women at least 116 people. "We must wonder - Jarek Klimczak has commented, senior AGCS navy risk consultant - as some Asian shipowners hold account of safety and the quality, in particular when speaks itself about local marine transports in the Asian south-east. The respect of the quality and the standards - it has emphasized - sometimes seems to be behind 50-year-old and perhaps more regarding Europe".

The relationship of 2013 of AGCS includes moreover, for the first time, the total number of marine incidents (included the total losses) subdivided for geographic area: last year 2,596 have happened some altogether, of which greater number (464) in the Mediterranean oriental and the Black Sea.

The analysis finds also as piracy constitutes still a danger for the marine transport, even if in 2013 - as announced from the International Maritime Bureau - the number of attacks to the ships is diminished of the -11% coming down to 264 incidents of which it has been date news all over the world ( on 16 January 2014).

With respect to the new risks to which the marine industry must tackle, second the correlated AGCS that to the increase of the dimension of the portacontainer is particularly meaningful: "the lefts caused from marine emergencies of these mega ships - Sven Gerhard, global has explained product Hull leader & Marine Liabilities of AGCS - can be enormous. Pack-saddles to think for example to the interruption of the activity of the ports and the terminals if an incident determines the block of their accesses. Moreover the rescue could demand efforts and complex operations unprecedented, perhaps and in some cases they could want many months to us or more than a year in order to remove all the container, above all if the incident had to happen in a remote area. The potential one of important losses is increased for events that are not extraordinary on these great ships".

An other new element of risk - for AGCS - is constituted by the use of the which liquified natural gas which combustible for the ships, I use of which is previewed a remarkable increase within 2020. For the insurance company, in fact, sussistono safety problems since it will be assisted to multiplying itself of cases of ports that have not never managed previously GNL that will be equipped of stations of refueling which placed on the docks. "We must wonder - it has observed Rahul Khanna, senior consultant risk Marine of AGCS - which risks will represent the ships fed to GNL for the industry. The worry consists on board in storage of the which liquified natural gas as fuel and in its employment. Competences on the use of the GNL are not easy available and this needs a change of mentality and formation".