A fair wind is blowing for project cargo specialists the Project Professionals Group in the wind energy sector. TransProject LLC, PPG’s member in the United States, has been awarded the contract for the transportation of wind turbine towers from Korea to Brazil and other renewable energy plant and equipment shipments from Germany, USA, Canada, China, and India.

PPG PSM Member Port of Corpus Christi has announced that Class-I rail services from the three major rail companies can now be offered at the Port to move wind turbine components.  Last year, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Rail Road (UP) began offering rail services to major manufacturers of wind energy components through Port Corpus Christi.   Last week, Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) moved their first wind tower train from Port Corpus Christi. With this move, all three Class-I carriers are now competing for wind component business in the region.

Corpus Christi, TX – On Friday, April 30, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., the United States Navy will host its last ceremony at Naval Station Ingleside to lower its flag forever at the quarterdeck area of the main administration building 100th.  The ceremony signifies the final official event by the United States Navy at Naval Station Ingleside and the official takeover of the property by Port Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi, TX - On April 23, 2010, Port Corpus Christi Police Department launched its first all-weather, multi-purpose patrol boat. This first patrol boat is a 29’ aluminum hull vessel manufactured by SAFEBoat and it is powered by twin 4-stroke Mercury outboard engines. The vessel has a fully enclosed cabin equipped with A/C and heat. State of the art electronics provide the crew the ability to locate and track vessels, as well as to detect certain forms of radiation, gas, and other elements. A Forward-Looking-Infrared (FLIR) system and radar is installed which assists the crew in navigating during times of limited visibility. The FLIR system will assist the crew in detecting people/things in the water that otherwise might not be visible to the naked eye.  An underwater 3-D acoustic imaging device will aid the crew in detecting anomalies such as improvised explosive devices (IED’s). The SAFEBoat has forward and aft mounts capable of supporting light-rifle weapons systems.

PPG members in India, USA and Belgium recently teamed up at the Cargo S.H.O.P. (Specialised, Heavyweight; ODC and Project Cargo) 2010 Exhibition at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai, India. Joining local hosts Express Transport Pvt. Ltd. (ETPL), were Ms. Susan St. Germain, Executive Director of Projects for TransProject USA, who is also the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Project Professionals Group, Mr. Wallace Kai of TransGroup China and Mr. Reginald Van der Hauwaert of Polytra Belgium.

Pictured Left to Right: Mr. Suryakant; and Mr. Dinesh Dhawan of Express Transport India; Ms. Susan St. Germain of TransProject USA; Mr. Kaizad Bathena; Mr. Wallaca Kai of TransGroup China; and Mr. Reginald Van der Hauwaert of Polytra Belgium.

PPG India, Express Transport Pvt. Ltd., has successfully concluded two of three prestigrous Government contracts for Transmission Line Tower Materials from India to Mozambique on a DDU basis, on behalf of Electricidade De Mocambique, EP. (EDM). The consignments, totaling of 1,200 tonnes,  were shipped in 20’ Heavy duty + 40’ GP containers.

Three PPG Members have teamed up to deliver a consignment of transformers to Ghadames, 549 km southwest of Tripoli, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. The joint project to transport 18 high voltage transformers from the Port of Sétubal in Portugal to Lybia involved PPG members for Belgium Polytra N.V., Alship Navegação in Portugal, and Roland Spedition in Lybia. Polytra co-ordinated the project on behalf of Siemens Belgium with Alship Navegação ensuring safe shipment from the Port of Sétubal while Roland Spedition GmbH in Lybia was responsible for the reception, delivery and discharge of the transformers at a number of pumping station sites.

PPG has its own International Project Forwarding Education Program which is also accredited to ISO9001:2008 Standard. The first Course was conducted in Mumbai (January 2009); the second in Bremen (October 2009); and the third in Singapore (January 2010). The PPG Training Course has previously been named as a finalist in the 14th Annual Lloyd’s List DCN Australian Shipping and Transport Education and Training Award; and the Supply Chain & Logistics Association Annual Education and Training Award in 2009.

Project Professionals Group, aims to use 2010 to further target project cargo clients in the renewable energy industry. PPG general manager Kevin Stephens said the network would share a booth with its USA member TransGroup Worldwide Logistics at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Exhibition from May 23-26 at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas.

PPG General Manager, Kevin Stephens; Sun Communications consultant, Rodger Hall; and Robin Ryan of Crux Investigation, have just returned from Singapore where they successfully concluded the third PPG Project Forwarding Education Course. The two-day course was held on Thursday 28^th and Friday 29^th January, 2010, immediately following PPG’s participation in the Breakbulk Asia conference and exhibition. All twenty two students received a Certificate of Achievement in Project Cargo Management at the end of the program. We are delighted to advise that the program was a huge success, with all students advising their complete satisfaction.