China Shipping (Group) Company will expect to ship 40 million tons of coal for Shenhua Group in 2010, Li Shaode, the company's president said today.

 

"We will intensify our cooperation with Shenhua Group to improve the freight capacity for coal", Li, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told China Daily on the sidelines of the ongoing conference.

 

"The first two months have already seen seven million tons of coal shipped," he said, "and we estimate that it will rise to 40 million tons for the whole year."

 

As the second largest sea-cargo group in China, China Shipping (Group) Company transported less than 10 million tons of coal for Shenhua Group in 2009, while Shenhua Group, China's largest coal producer, had 159 million tons of its coal shipped in total that year.

 

According to data from the National Coal Association, 2010 coal demand is likely to rise by 4 to 6 percent over last year to some 3.36 billion tons, and production will increase by nearly 300 million tons.

 

 

However, Li also expressed his concern about the slow recovery of the global economy and its effect on China's exports, and said the company will not adjust its container business this year.

 

Instead, it will concentrate its efforts on improving the freight capacity of oil tankers and bulk carriers.

 

The shipping capacity of oil tankers will rise by 30 percent to 7 to 7.5 million tons in 2010, and that of bulk carriers will increase by 15 percent to 30 percent to 8 to 8 million tons, he said. Data show that the freight capacity of the company's bulk carriers rose by 10% in 2009 over the previous year.

 

"By the end of this year, 12 oil tankers each with a carrying capacity of 3 million tons will be put into operation," he said.

 

The company has also ordered 16 VLOCs (Very Large Ore Carriers), half with a freight capacity of 230,000 tons and half 3 million tons. "Four of the 230,000 ton-capacity VLOCs will be put into use this year," Li added.

 

 

When asked about the company's overseas merger and acquisition plans for 2010, Li Shaode replied that although there are ample opportunities, right now is not the best time for major investments. "We will have to wait till the next year, when we will pour our money into port construction and logistics," he said.

 

However, Li did reveal that talks on liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation between the company and China's two oil giants, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), will yield an agreement soon.

 

As for the global shipping market in 2010, Li said he expects the cargo rates to "rise in the first few months and drop in the last few months," as indicated by the current supply and demand. "So we will try to attract as many as customers as possible in the first half of the year," he said.

 

 

China Shipping Development, a listed subsidiary of China Shipping (Group) Company, concluded a strategic cooperation agreement with China Datang Corporation (CDT) while China Shipping Container Lines, another listed subsidiary signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Grain Reserves Corporation (Sinograin) a day later.

 

(Source from China Daily)