Page 30 - Logistics News - March_April 2023

C O MPANY NE W S

DP World and Caspian BP to exit SA jet
Containers partner to help fuel market

digitise international trade British Petroleum (BP) has announced that

it’s withdrawing from serving airports in
South Africa. Airports Company South
Africa (ACSA) comments: “We can confirm
Mike Bhaskaran, Group that BP started officially engaging ACSA
Chief Technology Officer, more than a year ago in February 2022
Digital Technology, with respect to its change in global strategy.
DP World and Murat At the time, BP indicated its intention to
Seitpesinov, Chairman exit the current arrangements.”
of the Integral Petroleum
Group.
In April 2022, the oil company
DP World has signed a cooperation agreement with the Caspian informed ACSA that it would resign as
Containers Company SA (CCCSA), a subsidiary of the Integral Petroleum the managing participant of the consortia
Group, to help digitise trade across the Greater Caspian Region and at OR Tambo International Airport and
parts of Africa by using innovative technology to enable the booking and Cape Town International and terminate
tracking of shipments. its lease agreements for the operations of
the fuel facilities at King Phalo and George
Through the implementation of DP World’s SeaRates, a digital Airports. “This, in our understanding,
platform that allows the process of identifying and booking cargo routes had nothing to do with Russia or Ukraine
to take place in seconds, cargo owners will be able to compare quotes from (nor the non-refuelling incident in South
multiple providers and make informed decisions on the optimal route Africa), but BP’s global strategy which was
for their shipments. Serving as a ‘digital freight forwarder’, the SeaRates communicated to ACSA in early 2022,”
platform will enable CCCSA’s customers to monitor the status and reports ACSA.
movement details of a container at any point during its journey, allowing
full visibility as well as the efficient movement of items from A to B. As BP continues to wind down its
operations, it has collaborated with and
Customers input the place of loading and required destination. assisted ACSA and the Fuel Consortium
SeaRates then offers the most streamlined way of making that delivery to transition to new jet fuel suppliers.
from its network of freight forwarders. It provides multiple shipment This will be done across ASCA’s airports to
options to customers to enable them to check vessel schedules and track ensure business continuity.
their shipments once the booking is made. If rates are not immediately
available, SeaRates connects to Cargoes Logistics, a digital solution Current fuel suppliers and airlines have
providing access to instant online cargo booking, to work on a tailor-made been notified.
quote based on DP World-owned assets being used to ship a container.
ACSA said in a statement that its
In addition to supporting the digitising of trade, the partnership will legislative mandate is to ensure the
further strengthen ties in the two growing markets of the Greater Caspian availability of jet fuel at its airports; this
Region and Africa. The particular focus will seek to attract customers is done through licence agreements with
for project cargo shipments in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, oil companies. The relevant oil companies
Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, as well as Mozambique, DRC, Nigeria, South that have concluded their agreements are
bound by regulation (NERSA licenses)
L O GI S T I CS NEWS in many Greater Caspian and African countries when it comes to to ensure business continuity through
Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Kenya. The lack of standardisation
the transition to incoming suppliers and
transportation and logistics has made it difficult for customers to compare
operators. ACSA and oil companies are
prices and services from different providers. As a result of the partnership
progressing with implementing these
with DP World’s SeaRates, CCCSA’s customers will be able to compare
transitionary arrangements. •
quotes from multiple providers and make informed decisions in minutes. •

28 M A RC H/A P R IL 2023 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a