The maritime agency business at the Port of Las Palmas recorded a marked divide in August, as expected, between the captive operations of shipping lines—intended for their own liner vessels or service fleets—and pure commercial activity focused on attracting clients in the open market. Excluding corporate self-consumption reshapes the activity table and puts agencies focused on providing services to third parties in roadsteads, shipyards and at berths at the forefront. Among operators without a shipping line, the ranking is led by Romeu, Alfaship, MH Bland and Intercop. That does not necessarily mean the number of operations is profitable, since selling services at anchor is not the same as selling them alongside.
The weight of self-consumption in the overall figures
Major corporations in the sector move a significant number of vessels through their own structures. MSC España handled six calls from its international network at the Cristóbal Colón and León y Castillo berths with the vessels MSC Madrid, MSC Gianna, MSC Wave F, MSC Nora III, MSC Alabama III and MSC Lena F. In passenger and roll-on/roll-off cargo traffic, Naviera Armas handled its own ferries Sicilia (Nelson Mandela dock) and Volcán de Tamadaba (Ramp 2), accounting for 400 tonnes of cargo and passengers, while Bonheur, which operates under the Canarian brand Fred. Olsen, operated the Barlovento Express at the Grande Poniente berth. The Boluda Group, through Miller y Cía., recorded two captive calls for the port tug fleet with the VB Doramas and VB Sahel. In agency work linked to shipowner networks, the Wilhelmsen Ships Service division handled five vessels—Vindonissa, Parana, HAM 311, Skoul Louet and Topaz Captain—to which the Port Authority’s service to the official vessel Lovica must be added.
Romeu leads the offshore industry
Without the distortion caused by captive fleets, Romeu Group (Canarship) leads the open market through Canarship, with seven calls for third parties. The company focused its operations on the offshore industry and the maintenance of units at the Reina Sofía berth, involving the drilling vessels and platforms Ensco DS-11, Borgland Dolphin, Atwood Archer and Atwood Admiral, as well as the transshipment of 100 tonnes of containers with the Helena and work involving the Astra G and Fulmar Explorer.
Fuel and anchorage services
Alfaship Shipping Agency ranks second commercially, with six calls in the bunkering and technical services sector. It handled the bulk cargo operation of the Karpathos at Nelson Mandela dock—5,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 4,000 tonnes of gas oil—the 675 tonnes of the Admiral Jimmu at anchor, and services for the Minneapolis Miyo and Novaya Zemlya, together with calls by the Mistral and Lowlands Freedom.
Tied for third place with five independent calls are Mh.Bland and Intertransport Canary Operators (INTERCOP). Mh.Bland handled 455 tonnes of fuel oil and 30 tonnes of gas oil at the southern roadstead with the Port Kyushu, kept the African SJB at anchor and provided services to the vessels Thousand Spring, Swordfish and Rockfish. INTERCOP, for its part, coordinated the collection of nautical waste and operational support at the berth for the vessels Arguin, Al-Awam, Irene, Proteus and Orange Ice.
Large discharges and bulk services
The Boluda Group (Miller y Cía.) recorded four commercial calls for third parties. The company handled the month’s largest concentrated discharge, with 30,000 tonnes of fuel oil moved by the Stromboli M at Cambulloneros and 2,500 tonnes of soybeans unloaded by the Maran at the Elder berth. It also handled the transshipment of 370 tonnes of gas oil with the Rosalia at the southern anchorage and provided services to the Diana B.
In the middle tier of the open market, with three calls each, are Agmar, S.A.; Hamilton y Compañía; and A. Pérez y Cía., S.L. Agmar handled the Green Crystal, Savanna Breeze and Orange Ice and specializes in treating bilge water and sludge at anchor. Hamilton y Compañía handled the Star Peace, SW Empress and Saipem FDS, with offshore operations, shipyard assistance and 1,100 tonnes of fuel at anchor. A. Pérez y Cía., S.L. handled the Balticmar, Thor Future and Pacific Venture, focusing on bulk transshipments, 900 tonnes of fuel and work involving Alimia, Laskaridis Group.
The fragmentation of the independent market
With two calls for third parties, the list includes J.A. Arocha (Wrist Group), with general operations involving the Maria Immaculata and Al Rahma at Santa Catalina Poniente; Andrés Perdomo, S.L., assisting the Ocean Zephyr and Ocean Sky at the Sanapu berth and Alimia, Laskaridis Group; Equinox Ship Agents, with roadstead services for the Belbek and Alma; and Vapores Suardíaz Sur-Atlántico, providing berth assistance to the Heroínas de Sálvora and Suar Vigo.
The open-market map is completed by ten operators that recorded one independent call during the period: CMA CGM Ibérica handled the CMA CGM Visby (110 tonnes of gas oil); GAC Shipping Spain operated the Seven Arctic (650 tonnes of gas oil and sludge removal); W.E.C. Lines España handled the Trouper; Consignaciones Ortiz handled the Clean Raider (460 tonnes of fuel oil and 230 tonnes of gas oil); and Inchcape Shipping Services provided services to the Zoran Djindjic.
Rounding out this single-call group are Gibraltar-based Gibunco Ship Agency with the Vema Harmony (4,500 tonnes of fuel at the Elder berth); Smart Seaways Solutions with the Rangiroa; the Canarian company Grupo Stier XXI with the Zwerver I at Alimia, Laskaridis Group, the so-called Astican Norte; Chilean company Agunsa Europa with the Konta I; and Cristian Orto, which provided direct service to the vessel Lucciolo IV.
The article Shipping agencies at the Port of Las Palmas in August: Romeu, Alfaship, MH Bland and Intercop lead the open market was first published on canarymaritime.com.
