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New York: Amelia Maritime, unable to locate Integr8 Fuels assets, dismisses alleged wrongful arrest lawsuit

Integr8 in November 2021 arrested “M/V Auzonia” in Rotterdam to recover an unpaid bunker claim; local court ruled arrest was wrongful and Integr8 was found liable to reimburse shipowner Amelia for legal fees.

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Amelia Maritime Group (Amelia) on Friday (28 July) dropped its lawsuit against Integr8 Fuels (Integr8), the bunker trading and brokerage arm of Navig8, in the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York for the alleged wrongful arrest of bulk carrier M/V Auzonia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

On 20 April 2023, Amelia filed a complaint against Integr8 seeking damages of USD 862,735 following the alleged wrongful arrest of its vessel in the UAE, according to court documents sighted by Manifold Times.

The U.S. court on 27 April issued a Writ of Maritime Attachment and Garnishment against Integr8 which was sent to the New York office of Navig8 on 8 May.

On 1 June, Amelia received a letter from Navig8 which stated that “at the time of service of the documents, and through the present, none of the Garnishees held or hold any tangible or intangible property belonging to or being held for the Defendant.”

Amelia’s Writ of Maritime Attachment and Garnishment against Integr8 expired on 26 June leading to it requesting an extension of the court order from the U.S. court.

U.S. District Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke replied ordering Amelia to file a letter by 31 July showing good cause for a 60-day extension of the previous court order and to show cause as to why the court may exercise personal jurisdiction over Integr8 notwithstanding Amelia Maritime’s ability to locate any of Integr8’s funds in the district. 

Ultimately, Amelia sent a notice of voluntary dismissal of the case on 28 July. 

Background

The chain of events started on 20 August 2018 when Harmony Innovation shipping Ltd (Harmony), the then charterers of the vessel, which was named M/V Golden Destiny, entered a contract with Integr8 for the bunker supply of approximately 430 metric tonnes (mt) of bunkers (marine fuel oil) for a total of US 209,410.

In accordance with the contract between Harmony and Integr8, bunkers were provided to M/V Golden Destiny in Thailand on 20 August 2018. At the time of the bunker delivery, the owner of M/V Golden Destiny was Golden Star Marine. On 24 August 2018, Integr8 sent an invoice to Harmony for the bunkers. Harmony allegedly failed to pay for the bunkers. 

On 26 February 2020, 18 months after the bunkers were supplied, Amelia purchased M/V Golden Destiny from Golden Star Marine and was renamed to M/V Auzonia

On 14 September 2020, nearly two years after the delivery of the bunkers to Harmony, Integr8 emailed Overseas Marine Enterprises Inc, the current operators of the vessel, alleging Harmony never paid for the bunkers supplied to the vessel and demanded payment for the bunkers from Amelia.

On 30 November 2020, Integr8 sent a second email to Overseas Marine demanding payment from Amelia for the sum of USD 209,410, plus interest in the amount of USD 143,823.93.

On November 28, 2021, Integr8 arrested the vessel in Rotterdam to recover its claim regarding the unpaid bunkers.

The Court in Rotterdam ruled the arrest was wrongful and Integr8 was found liable to reimburse Amelia for its legal fees incurred in defending the arrest.

On November 19, 2022, Integr8 then arrested the vessel in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while it was undergoing repairs. Thereafter, Amelia asserted a wrongful arrest claim against Integr8 and is challenging the merits of the arrest in the UAE.

On November 25, 2022, Integr8 demanded arbitration in New York against Amelia claiming, despite the Rotterdam ruling, that Amelia was responsible for the payment of bunkers. However, it withdrew its demand for arbitration against Amelia on 9 December 2022. 

As a result of Integr8’s wrongful arrest of Amelia’s vessel in the UAE, Amelia claimed it has incurred damages in the amount of USD 862,735, which is the amount of the claims for which Amelia was seeking in its lawsuit against Integr8. 

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Eduard Legkii
Published: 7 August, 2023

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Milestone

Singapore retains titles as Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia

Port of Singapore has been named the “Best Global Seaport” for the third consecutive year and the “Best Seaport in Asia” for the 35th time at the 2023 AFLAS Awards.

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Singapore retains titles as Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on Friday (29 September) said the Port of Singapore has been named the “Best Global Seaport” for the third consecutive year and the “Best Seaport in Asia” for the 35th time at the 2023 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards.

These accolades recognise the contributions by the Port of Singapore serving as a key node in the global supply chain, and Singapore’s leadership in driving maritime decarbonisation and transformation.

The annual AFLAS Awards is organised by freight and logistics publication, Asia Cargo News, to honour leading service providers in the supply chain community for demonstrating leadership as well as consistency in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability. Winners were determined by votes cast by readers of the publication.

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Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, said: “Singapore is honoured to be named the Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia. These awards are the result of the shared effort and strong collaboration between the Government, industry, unions and workers. We will continue to grow our port as an efficient, sustainable, and trusted node in global supply chains.”

Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “These awards are testament to the partnership and collaboration between Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) with industry and international partners, the research and enterprise community, as well as unions. MPA remains committed to fostering an environment that encourages enterprise, innovation, and talent development.”

“We will continue to work with our partners to enhance Singapore’s connectivity, advance digitalisation efforts, and accelerate the decarbonisation of international shipping in line with the 2023 IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.”

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 
Published: 29 September, 2023

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Employment

Melvin Lum appointed as KPI OceanConnect Global Accounts Commercial Director in Singapore 

Lum will take on the position of Commercial Director from Thomas Lee who was recently promoted to Head of APAC in a management restructure within KPI OceanConnect.

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Melvin Lum appointed as KPI OceanConnect Global Account Commercial Director in Singapore

Global marine energy solutions provider KPI OceanConnect on Thursday (28 September) announced the appointment of Melvin Lum as Commercial Director for its Global Accounts team in Singapore.

Lum will take on the position of Commercial Director from Thomas Lee who was recently promoted to Head of APAC in a management restructure within KPI OceanConnect. 

The Global Accounts team is an expert unit within KPI OceanConnect, specialised in providing long-term, tailored fuel strategy solutions to a portfolio of Key Accounts on a global scale. Dedicated regional teams located in London, Houston and Singapore work seamlessly across the world and around the clock to support their clients.

Lum joined KPI OceanConnect in 2021 as Senior Key Account manager and has made a significant contribution to the development of the team and optimisation of the daily operations of the unit in Singapore. Lum has vast experience across the supply chain and previously worked with TotalEnergies, Glencore and Global Energy Group prior to joining KPI OceanConnect.

Henrik Zederkof, Head of Global Accounts at KPI OceanConnect, said: "It is always a pleasure to witness the growth of our team members, and Melvin's progression is no exception. I have full confidence in Melvin's expertise, ability to lead the unit and dedication to his team. I look forward to seeing the progress of Melvin and his team, which will undoubtedly bring significant value to our numerous partners and the wider organisation.”

"Melvin will assume a pivotal role within the Global Accounts management team, leveraging his extensive experience in supply chain management and profound insight into emerging technologies. In his new role, Melvin will further enhance our team's skill set, aligning them with our ongoing objectives of supporting our partners in their green transition and digitalisation endeavours."

Melvin Lum, Commercial Director of KPI OceanConnect Global Accounts in Singapore, said: "I am very appreciative of the support and confidence from our management team as I take on this exciting new role. I am enthusiastic to work with the team as we continue to deliver an exceptional experience to our partners and stakeholders with dedication, innovation and passion."

Photo credit: KPI OceanConnect 
Published: 29 September, 2023

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Biofuel

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels renews ISCC EU certification for bio bunker fuel  

Firm’s operations teams in Singapore and Geneva successfully renewed its ISCC EU sustainability certification for the supply of biofuel bunkers, says Louise Tricoire, Vice President.

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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels renews ISCC EU certification for bio bunker fuel

Louise Tricoire, Vice President of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels recently said the firm’s operations teams in Singapore and Geneva successfully renewed its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) EU sustainability certification for the supply of biofuel bunkers.

“This means that TotalEnergies Marine Fuels can continue sourcing and supplying marine biofuels in accordance with EU renewable energy regulations ensuring the highest sustainability standards,” she said in a social media. 

“It's the third year in a row that we have successfully renewed this certification, after a deep and comprehensive audit which showed zero non-conformity.”

She added marine biofuels have grown in demand among shipping companies that want to cut greenhouse gas emissions immediately. 

“TotalEnergies Marine Fuels offers marine biofuels commercially in Singapore and we are starting in Europe. This certification enables us to accompany our customers in their decarbonisation journey with the best standard solutions available today.”

Photo credit: TotalEnergies Marine Fuels
Published: 29 September, 2023

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