Wave Point Consulting’s ocean shipping sector case studies show how to enhance maritime transportation performance and policy.

Marine Transportation Market & Feasibility Analysis

Mercy Ships Canada Executive Leadership (Current)

Mercy Ships CanadaMercy Ships Canada was named one of Circle Act’s Absolute Top 99.5% Charities in Canada who bring high-impact positive change and is Imagine Canada certified. Darryl Anderson was retained as the senior executive with P&L responsibilities who developed and implemented the charity’s strategic priorities. Mr. Anderson’s team improved the organization’s cost structure and cash flow management, expanded the donor base, strengthened the balance sheet and increased program funding. Darryl was accountable for volunteer crew recruitment, fundraising, donor relations, operations, finance, communications, Canadian Revenue Agency compliance requirements, risk management, and staff supervision. He provided spiritual leadership, ministerial and pastoral care to Mercy Ships Canada employees, and volunteers.

Founded in 1989, Mercy Ships Canada is a medium-sized charity that mobilizes Canadian volunteers and raises funds to provide projects in healthcare. Mercy Ships exists to eradicate diseases of poverty, tackling the surgical crisis in West Africa through direct medical intervention, capacity building and infrastructure development using a state of the art fleet of hospital ships.

Port Services Market Analysis (2018-2019)

A confidential client intends to maintain its status of leader of port services throughout North America and continue its development on the international scene. The client requested assistance from Wave Point Consulting. The company’s services are targeted towards vessel owners and operators and marine pilotage authorities. We benchmarked their services on a global and local scale to see where the company stands in comparison to other companies offering similar services in comparable ports. The objective was to determine if the client’s services are sufficiently competitive to retain existing traffic volume and to attract new customers.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Bunkering Study (2016)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingWave Point Consulting was part of the Lloyd’s Register maritime transportation consulting team engaged by a confidential North American port authority to complete a market assessment on the commercialization of LNG bunkering for ocean shipping. The project scope included a vessel study, financial analysis, regulatory scan and the creation of recommendations for the client. Team members were involved in survey design, implementation, and data analysis from the international shipowners in bulk (dry and liquid), break-bulk, container, cruise and roll-on roll-off segments of the market. The work also included a literature review of LNG bunkering implementation best practices, commercial and economic analysis related to the implementation recommendations.

Research On Feasibility And Constraints For Expanded Short Sea Shipping (2014)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingPhil Davies led a consulting team to research the feasibility and constraints for expanded short sea shipping in the Lower Mainland. The consultants conducted research, collected and compiled data, and completed interviews to prepare the content on the Short Sea Shipping potential in the Metro Vancouver region. Darryl Anderson was retained to assist in the maritime transport research to gather information to understand current short-sea shipping dynamics within the overall regional goods movement system, and the prospects for future maritime transportation expansion, with consideration about opportunities, challenges, feasibility, benefits, and adverse impacts. The Short Sea Shipping in Metro Vancouver – Facts in Focus publication can be accessed through this web link.

Barge Service and Liquid Bulk Terminal (2013)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingAn independent Western Canadian investment dealer engaged Wave Point Consulting to conduct pre-feasibility economic and operational analysis to determine ways to enhance the performance of a potential liquid bulk freght river barge service in a South American country. Maritime transportation insights and analysis led to a specific recommendation on ways to strengthen the business case for the maritime transportation energy investment opportunity and thereby reducing the project risks and decreasing the time to market for this new transportation service. Thus making it a more attractive business opportunity for equity investors and more secure for issuers of corporate loans during the construction and operating phase.

Maritime Policy, Regulatory & Environmental Analysis

Emergency Tow Capacity Needs Assessment (2018)

The Canadian Coast Guard retained Wave Point Consulting to identify gaps and potential mitigation solutions related to emergency towing in all regions of  Canada, except the Pacific Region. The goal of the assessments was to understand better what emergency towing capability and capacity looks like in Atlantic and Central and Arctic Canada. The screening criteria for the literature review included consideration of the regulatory framework, the jurisdiction and geographic scope of operations, the concept of operations, criteria used to determine the need for emergency tug assistance, human resource competency, incident command system, and financing of emergency tug assistance. Also, existing data on vessel traffic and potential future ship traffic was considered along with insights drawn from an engagement process that included industry stakeholders and Indigenous communities.

Maritime Memorandum of Understanding International Analysis (2018)

Maritime Logistics - Wave Point ConsultingThe federal government has the primary responsibility for developing and maintaining international governance arrangements for maritime transportation and commerce. Traditionally a multilateral approach through international organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the avenue for pursuing policy choices. Some countries have sought bilateral agreements where they further the country’s objectives. The potential benefits of bilateral relationships in the maritime transport sector are the subject of the research led by Darryl Anderson. The ocean shipping study explored whether and how other bilateral agreements might be pursued with other countries to enhance maritime trade between nations. The flow of international goods is essential. Thus, there is a direct linkage between maritime transport, exporting, job creation, and increased productivity.

Marine Pilotage Review International Analysis (2017)

In 2016, the federal government announced the Ocean Protection Plan to improve marine safety and responsible ocean shipping, protect the environment, strengthen partnership with Indigenous communities, and to make investments in science for evidence-based decision-making. As part of this national strategy, the Government committed to reviewing the Pilotage Act to support the delivery of safe, efficient and environmentally sensitive pilotage services into the future. The Aim Group engaged Wave Point Consulting to research and analyze the economic and competitiveness considerations concerning the costs that are borne by users in the provision of pilotage in Canada. The scope of the project included reviewing:

  • The economic impact of pilotage to illustrate the magnitude of these costs with respect to Canadian waterborne trade;
  • The magnitude of pilotage costs in relation to the overall supply chain costs for the movement of goods; and
  • The competitiveness of Canadian pilotage in an international context by comparing various indicators including cost, safety and service delivery.
Maritime Policy and Education (2016)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingClear Seas | Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping and other confidential clients, have engaged the Wave Point Consulting team members to conduct evidenced-based research, information, and analysis critical to the mission of their organization. Independent third-party marine transportation research, fact-checking and policy insights provide an essential quality control mechanism that enhances the research credibility of the private and public sector organizations and assists in the communication of often technical information. The analysis and information performed by our ocean shipping consultants are used by a variety of organizations to help create and develop high-quality branded content that drives traffic and engagement.

Maritime Transport Environmental Response Regime Analysis and Bench-marking (2016)

A confidential client engaged the Wave Point Consulting team to conduct a cross-jurisdictional analysis of the effectiveness of international ocean shipping and domestic marine transportation regimes dealing with ship-sourced pollution. The scope of work included a literature and document review of the processes, market instruments, standards, information-based regulation, and corporate responsibility commitments of a major project involving a marine terminal expansion that will result in increased vessel traffic. The project also included benchmarking various national regimes against predefined criteria. The analysis and information produced by our shipping consultants were used by the client to successfully negotiate the substance and outcome of a maritime policy initiative directed towards enhancing the environmental response on Canada’s Pacific coast.

Assessing Maritime Transport for Canadian Oil Sands (2013)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingHow does tanker safety in Canada compare to other regions? What is the historical track record of moving crude oil by tanker? What safety measures can be taken to prevent and respond to spills? How does Canada compare to other jurisdictions? IHS CERA initiated a research project to assess the performance of the maritime transportation mode for Canadian oil sands products by marine tanker. The Wave Point marine transportation team was retained to develop the research program, analyze data and compare the oil spill prevention and ocean shipping response measures on Canada’s west coast to other jurisdictions in this segment of the energy sector. By identifying and highlighting international best practices a more robust policy discussion on how to enhance Canada’s existing regulatory framework to reduce risk and capture new market opportunities can take place.

The Canadian Senate Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources (2013)

Shipping and Port - Wave Point ConsultingSenators were studying the subject of the safe maritime transportation of hydrocarbons in ocean shipping. Mr. Anderson appeared as an expert witness on the international and domestic maritime regulatory framework for the transportation of energy products. The presentation provided a framework for enhancing the safety performance and reducing the risk from the marine transport of oil and thereby helping to create a policy climate where the export of oil products could more readily be brought to international markets and reducing reliance on Canada’s oil exports to the United States.

The Review of Canada’s Ship-Source Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime (2013)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingMr. Anderson made an independent submission to the expert panel reviewing the capabilities and performance of Canada’s existing system of ship-source oil spill preparedness for maritime transportation. The material provided a framework for reducing the risk from the maritime transport of oil and thereby help to create a climate where the export of oil products could more readily be brought to market. The submission was based on independent research findings our ocean shipping consultant published in the annual proceedings of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum and the Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs.

Liquefied Natural Gas Project (2012)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingA confidential client engaged the Wave Point Consulting shipping consulting team to lead a ocean shipping project as it related to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The scope of the project required a contextual review of the existing ocean freight and shipping governance framework in Canada. The project team analyzed the typical impacts of the mode of maritime transport and performed a risk gap analysis as it related to LNG traffic. The project also involved analysis of the business development opportunities, risk mitigation and strategic options for the client. By identifying and highlighting international and LNG industry best practices a more robust discussion on whether it is necessary to enhance Canada’s existing regulatory framework to reduce risk and capture new LNG market opportunities.

The Maritime Transport of Canadian Crude: Improving Sustainability in the Age of Occupy Wall Street Protests (2012)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingMr. Darryl Anderson, Managing Director Wave Point Consulting, was the lead author who wrote the terms of reference, developed study methodology and co-authored this independent maritime transportation analysis and report with Mr. K. Joseph Spears. The paper provided a review of the performance of the ocean freight mode of moving crude oil energy products to explore the economic, social and environmental perspectives that are influencing the public debate. It identified the type of measures that are legally permitted to deal with concerns and shed insight into the risks and outcomes of the present regulatory framework. The ocean shipping consultants “stress tested” this framework to determine if is adequate to address the magnitude of the current opportunities. Conclusions regarding areas of shipping safety that may need to be enhanced, or adapted to improve transportation sustainability outcomes were provided.

Regulating Oil Tankers in Canadian Waters (2012)

As an independent shipping consultant, Mr. Darryl Anderson co-wrote the terms of reference, developed study methodology and co-authored the report with Mr. K. Joseph Spears, Principal Horseshoe Bay Marine Group.  The ocean shipping paper explored the specific policy commitments that govern deep-sea tanker shipping in Canada and the underlying legal rationale both in international and domestic law. Some of the outcomes of the present safety and environmental framework that govern bulk oil energy shipments were provided concerning the kind of measures legally permitted to deal with those concerned about tanker traffic. The ocean shippigng research concluded by considering how Canada’s existing commitments affect our ability to ban oil tanker traffic and the consequences of our policy choices on our international maritime transportation obligations.

Maritime Regulatory Alignment (2010)

Marine Transportation - Wave Point ConsultingThe objective of the maritime transportation research was to identify and estimate the potential cost impacts of Canada-US regulatory alignment in the ports and shipping sector quantitatively, for regulations, and for congruent industries. The objective of this maritime transportation project was achieved by identifying the direct benefits to regulated firms in both countries through in-depth interviews and consultations. The research contributed to improved efficiency by determining the overall economic gains from Canada-US regulatory cooperation and the identification of critical elements that regulatory agencies and departments may use to assess, consistently and objectively, the potential benefits of pursuing Canada-US alignment in their particular regulatory programs. The Wave Point Consulting team collaborated with the Center for Trade Policy and Law on this project for the Regulatory Cooperation Council.