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Expansion of Bunker Survey Capabilities in Singapore by Inchcape

Through a press release in January 2020, Inchcape announced the expansion of its bunker survey capabilities in Singapore. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has granted a bunker survey license to Inchcape. The license is to commence from February 2020. Bunker survey services are delivered through the Marine Survey and Inspection team of Inchcape. With an stablished reputation as one of the leading maritime service providers in the region, this expansion in services will further enhance their capabilities in the Asia region.

Inchcape is one of the premier shipping agencies in the world. A shipping agent is the representative of the shipowner and principal in port. As a shipping agent, the responsibility of Inchcape is to handle all transactions, duties and obligations of the ship at the port. It assists in booking the ship’s entry and exit through the port, refueling arrangements, loading and discharging of cargo, providing supplies for the crew, and more. The shipping agent provides other services such as arrangements for crew change, vessel repairs, inspections and vendor coordination. The liner agency services are also part of the responsibilities of a shipping agent. These can include the sales and marketing of the shipping line, vessel operation and asset management, procurement, customer services, and management of local accounts and financial reporting for the principal in the location.

The added capabilities of the bunker survey services are in line with the vision and commitment of the company to applying new technology. The CEO of Inchcape, Frank Olsen, has been a big supporter of using technology to enhance services for its clients and make the maritime industry safer. Frank believes in cultivating a long-term relationship with clients on the foundation of trust and honesty. Inchcape has made a reputation for itself through decades of delivering success while maintaining unparalleled integrity.

The maritime industry has been historically dominated by smaller shipping agents. Inchcape is a large global player that uses its vast resources, expertise and global network to support its local teams. According to Frank, being a global player provides Inchcape with a unique advantage over its smaller competitors. A large global maritime service provider such as Inchcape has the capability to leverage its global network of professionals and other vast resources delivering both global scope and scale, and the benefits of local knowledge, experience and connections from local port offices. Combined with global QHSSE process, this provides a consistent level of service to any port in the world supported by industry leading governance and compliance.

Inchcape delivers marine survey and inspection services using the global network of highly skilled individuals. A marine surveyor delivers a range of services, to assess, monitor and report on the condition of vessel, cargo and marine operations, working to minimise risk to vessel, crew, cargo and interested parties. Inchcape provides a broad range of survey services including cargo survey, port captaincy, pre-purchase and onhire survey, stockpile survey, hatch cover integrity, loadmaster bulk operations, and more. The services of a marine surveyor are critical to the operations and safety of the maritime industry.

One of the goals of the Inchcape Marine and Survey Inspection team is to mitigate the risk for its client. It can do this by identifying risks and then using a combination of innovative technology, a global network of marine surveyors, decades of experience and regional expertise to deliver solutions designed to reduce the risk for its clients and add value to the operational process. Some of the technology used includes underwater rov, drones and other patented technology. Each region has been assigned a leader, who is responsible to ensure the same level of excellence is delivered across all ports in the region. Captain Peter Valles is in charge of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and ISC. David Pratt is the leader of the Americas and Captain Chris Brown has Asia and Australasia region.