Dubai: Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) is ready to set up a cold lay-up anchorage for ships which will result in cost savings of over $20,000 per month, officials said Sunday at the Dubai 2010 International Ship Suppliers Association Convention and Exhibition.
"Our industry remains volatile and we all hope for the best and as professionals, we prepare for the worst.
"Jala is for those times when supply and demand for cargo tonnage is at unreasonable returns," said Majed Al Shamsi, senior project manager, Maritime Corporate Development Department.
Al Shamsi said that the authority could set up a cold lay-up near Port Rashid as soon as a client signs up for it.
The anchorages are for ships that are not under contract.
DMCA has set up two lay-up anchorages near Jebel Ali Port, called Jebel Ali Lay Anchorage (Jala), and another near Port Rashid. Both are about 20 nautical miles from the port in 20 metres of water.
Agreement
While the two anchorages were on the charts for many years, they were recently agreed upon by the three maritime entities of DMC, DP World and the UAE coast guards.
When a ship is in hot lay-up it has a certain number of crew on board that could take the ship out of anchorage if necessary. A warm lay-up has fewer crew on board, and a cold lay-up can have just two crew members, cutting costs to a minimum for shipowners. For safety of the ships, DMCA relies on the coast guard and Dubai Police.
"Working with the industry, we continue to identify risks, engage all sectors in search of mitigation solutions and provide responsible and professional service to the shipping community," Al Shamsi said.
He said that the savings for ships in anchorage are significant.
"The numbers are actual and realised by our clients. Conservatively speaking $20,000 per month, is only crew savings," he said.
Jala, the only official lay-up anchorage in the region, is also close to the Middle East's largest port, Jebel Ali, and provides access to Dubai International Airport.
Its geographic location between the east and west is an advantage that the authority can leverage.