Dike to house ‘blue energy’ plant

RNW, 23 December 2011

Afsluitdijk, The Netherlands

The cabinet has approved funding totalling 20 million euros for sustainable energy projects on the Afsluitdijk, the 32-kilometre barrier that closed off the Zuiderzee from the open sea to create what is now the freshwater IJsselmeer lake.

The dike will house an innovative osmotic power plant, or ‘blue energy’ plant, which exploits pressure created when salt water passes through a membrane to mix with fresh water. Solar panels will also be mounted on the dike.

The sustainable energy funding comes as part of a renovation package to increase the safety of the Afsluitdijk, which was completed in 1932. In its present state the barrier can no longer guarantee protection against high water, the Infrastructure Ministry says.

The surface of the dike is to be reinforced along its entire length, and the sluices that drain excess water from the IJsselmeer into the sea will be given a 200-million euro overhaul.

The regional authorities have also investigated opportunities to use the dike for recreational purposes. The renovation project may also include the construction of a marina. At present the dike serves as a road link between the west and north of the country.

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  (Photo: RNW)

Govt. regulation to ease entry of foreign yachts to RI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/09/2011

The government will facilitate the entry of foreign yachts to Indonesia with the publication of the Presidential Regulation on foreign passenger ships to Indonesia.

“The regulation is intended to provide facilities for foreign yachts to visit Indonesia,” Deputy to the Coordinating Economic Minister for Trade and Industry Edy Putra Irawadi said Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.

He said that the regulation would become the legal basis that guaranteed ease of entry for foreign yachts coming to Indonesia.

Edy said he hoped that the regulation could help encourage investment in Indonesia, especially in the tourism field.

He said that he hoped visits by foreign yachts to 18 harbors in Indonesia would increase to 1,000 yachts in 2012 and to 2,000 yachts in 2013, from about 400 yachts this year.

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Govt relaxes regulations on foreign yacht calls

Indonesia receives more cruise ship calls

Antara News, Thu, May 26 2011

According the ministry`s statistical data, Indonesia received 140 calls with 135,608 passengers in 2009; and 213 calls with 127,674 passengers in 2010.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The number of international cruise ship calls at Indonesia`s harbors has increased significantly over the past three years, an official said.

"Indonesia has become a favorite of world cruise operators, as indicated by the number of cruise ship calls which has gone up over the past three years," the tourism and culture ministry`s marketing director general, Sapta Nirwandar, said here Wednesday.

According the ministry`s statistical data, Indonesia received 140 calls with 135,608 passengers in 2009; and 213 calls with 127,674 passengers in 2010.

In 2011, the country received 189 calls, a decrease, but the number of the passengers was significantly up to 135,608 passengers.

"World cruise operators have shifted to the latest generation cruise ships, namely mega cruise such as `Oasis of the Seas` which can carry 6,360 passengers and 2.165 crew members on board," Sapta said.

Another mega cruise, "Rhapsody of The Seas" belonging to Royal Caribbean International and having a capacity to accommodate 2,435 passengers and 765 crew members, once called at the Lombok harbor recently.

He believed that Indonesia has a better chance to become a world cruise destination with the usage of mega cruise ships.

"However, it is also a challenge for us to prepare adequate facilities and infrastructure," he said.

For that purpose, the ministry will organize a seminar on "Cruise Development of Indonesia: How to Meet The Challenge of The Increasing Tonnage and Capacity of The Cruise Ships" at Sapta Pesona building, here on May 30, 2011.

Speakers of the seminar will include foreign and domestic cruise management consultants, operators and practitioners as well as seaport administrators in Indonesia.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has set itself the target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals this year.

The number of domestic tourists this year was also expected to increase to 237 million from 234 million in 2010.

Editor: Heru

Dutch girl missing after thwarted global sail trip

Reuters, AMSTERDAM, Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:20am EST

Laura Dekker (Photo: ANP)

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch teenager who was stopped by welfare authorities from trying to become the youngest person to solo sail the globe has gone missing from her father's home, police said on Sunday.

Police spokesman Bernhard Jens said relatives in the city of Utrecht had reported Laura Dekker, 14, missing on Friday and authorities in nearby countries had been alerted to her disappearance and asked to monitor airports.

Jens added Dekker's boat was believed to be still moored at its usual place, but Dekker has left her father's home.

"We are concerned because she is 14-years-old and she has to come home," Jens said.

Laura, who was born on her parents' boat in New Zealand and spent the first four years of her life at sea, had intended to start a two-year solo voyage on September 1 when she was still 13.

Her plans had captured media attention around the world, but a court blocked her departure and placed her under state supervision, saying the trip posed risks to Dekker's safety.

(Reporting by Aaron Gray-Block)

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1st Asia Superyacht Conference announces more keynote speakers

Marine Business News

'ONE015 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove will host the 1st Asia Superyacht Conference, featuring top calibre speakers from around the world.'

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Superyacht Singapore Association (SSA), organisers of the 1st Asia Superyacht Conference to be held 13-15 October in Singapore, has announced further enhancements to the conference.

Dr Aji Sularso, Director General of Marine & Fisheries Surveillance of Indonesia, is a new keynote speaker who will be discussing both the opportunities for cruising superyachts in Indonesia and also how the Indonesian Government can expand the opportunity through marine tourism investment and deregulation.

Simon Turner of the SSA commented, 'We are delighted to welcome Dr Sularso to the conference for what will be a critical presentation that the industry across the whole region is keen to hear.'

Danielle Mass will also be adding her international superyacht insurance experience to the programme and will be delivering a presentation on behalf of Chartis Insurance covering transport, operation and maintenance insurance considerations for superyachts in Asia.

Another new speaker on the programme is Nick Coombes of Asia Pacific Superyachts. Nick has 16 years experience as a Superyacht captain and is also a regional expert on maintenance and refit. In addition to the presentation, Asia Pacific Superyachts will be hosting a networking drinks reception on the floating bar at ONE°15 Marina Club on Monday evening, 12th October.

A formal dinner has also now been added to the programme on Tuesday 13th October which will be hosted by the Official Conference Hotel, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. The dinner will follow the networking drinks reception sponsored by Sevenstar Yacht Transport.

The conference continues to book well with delegates attending from over 30 countries from around the world. 'It’s exciting to see so many companies that are new to us booking for the conference. Delegates from within and outside the region will have an unprecedented opportunity to make new business contacts and learn about the business in Asia,' commented SSA Executive Director, Jean-Jacques Lavigne.

About The Conference

The 1st Asia Superyacht Conference will take place on 13-14 October at ONE°15 Marina Club (one of the sponsors) on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The two day conference will be followed by a day of marina visits in Singapore on the 15th to view Superyacht facilities.

The main conference, lead sponsored by MTU, aims to set an agenda for the Asian superyacht industry by understanding the opportunities and limitations for both superyacht cruising and building in the region. The conference includes over 25 speakers from 15 different countries with a focus from China to Australia.

For more information, please contact Ms Priscilla Tang at marketing@superyacht.sg or download the latest programme brochure at http://www.superyacht.sg/images/stories/gallery/1stASCbrochure/1stasiasuperyachtconferencev5.pdf

Businessman to develop Islamic resorts

Indra Harsaputra and Achmad Faisal, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Tue, 09/01/2009 5:45 PM

A Sumenep legislative council member confirmed reports that two islands off Madura had been sold to a businessman who intends to develop them into resorts.

Councilor Badrul Aini said Tuesday that businessman Zainal Seniya bought the islands and had leased them to Canadian and Singaporean investors.

“Both Sitabok and Seradeng islands will be developed into maritime resorts equaling Bunaken [North Sulawesi],” Badrul said.

Local cleric Dailami Abu Hurairah, who is close to the businessman, said the two islands would be Islamic resorts and target Middle East tourists.

“We have been involved in the project and will help operate the maritime resorts, which will follow an Islamic concept,” Dailami said.

He said many Middle East tourists felt uncomfortable with major tourist destinations like Bali, which do not promote Islamic values.

Deputy Sumenep Regent Mochammad Dahlan said the two islands belonged to the state and had not been sold to anyone.

The Rhapsody Docks in Lombok

Wednesday, 11 February, 2009 | 18:44 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, Mataram:Around 1.200 international tourists sailing on the cruise ship Rhapsody of The Seas will dock in Lombok next Tuesday. They will have a day visit to the handicraft center in Rungkang Jangkuk, Senggigi, and the Putri Mandalika site. 

This will be their first stop in Indonesia before going on to the Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Semarang in Central Java. "This can raise the image of Lombok after the recent security issues and the economic crisis," said West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Culture and Tourism Office chief, Lalu Gita Ariyadi, meeting with NTB governor Muhammad Zainul Madjdi yesterday. 

SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID

Portugal interested to build fishermen`s settlement in Pangkalpinang

Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - A Portuguese investor, Aunda, is interested to deal with a fishermen`s settlement project which will raise 400 houses for 400 families in Selindung, Pangkalpinang city, Bangka-Belitung province, a mayor has said.

"The expected fishermen`s settlement will be completed with fishery product processing facilities like an ice bloc factory and shops to make the area lively," Pangkalpinang Mayor H Zulkarnain Karim said here Monday.

The presentation on the fishermen`s settlement project has been made to a number of investors from different countries since 2006 but only Aunda (Aliga) from Portugal consistently expressed interest to invest in the project.

Aunda expressed agreement on the project in March 2007 to the Pangkalpinang city administration. On June 19, Aunda followed up on the agreement by observing the location where the fishermen`s settlement would be raised.

The project is expected to start this year.

At the initial stage, Aunda would only sink capital in the fishermen`s settlement project whose land would be provided by the city administration, and the Portuguese investor would likely extend the business by building a seaport in support of an integrated area project (Waterfront City) in Pasir Padi area.

Aunda had also successfully built such a project in Southeast Sulawesi province and thus Pangkalpinang would follow suit in an effort to improve local people`s welfare, Zulkarnain said.

Netherlands to build infrastructure in Balikpapan

Balikpapan (ANTARA News) - The Netherlands is interested in building infrastructure in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province.

"The Netherlands Ambassador to Indonesia along witht five to 10 Dutch investors, are soon coming to the Balikpapan," mayor of the oil city Imdaad Hamid said here on Monday.

The infrastructure project will cover clearn water, a port, electricity and public transportation.

With regard to the infrastructure project, the Netherlands, Imdaad said, would serve as an information center for countries in Europe.

Imdaad said this would be the first time that the Netherlands is building infrastructure projects in East Kalimantan, as they had built on the oil and gas sector in the past.

The Indonesian-Netherlands Association (INA), which has set up the Indonesian-Benelux Chamber Of Commerce (IBCC), will be seeking the Dutch government`s technical support to the project.

The technical support will include licensing from the Balikpapan city administration.

Emaar to set up $600m project in Indonesia

MENAFN - 01/05/2007

(MENAFN) Emaar Properties, one of the world's largest real estate firms, is planning to build a $600 million mixed-use project in Indonesia's Central Lombok Island on an area of more than 1,200 hectares, Gulf News reported.

The project will include seven-kilometer natural waterfront which will support a marina, residential clusters and resorts managed by five-star hospitality chains, as well as a golf course and retail facilities.

It is worth mentioning that Emaar currently has an overseas development portfolio of over $60 billion and a significant presence in the emerging markets in Middle East and North Africa, India, the US and Europe.