Learn more about maritime business services in the Rotterdam region.
NNPC Correspondents
NNPC has also set up NNPC Correspondents with Niels van der Noll as manager. Both men work from the office in Rotterdam. NNPC Correspondents provides services to third parties, not only other P&I Clubs, but also shipping companies, captains or ship's agents who can call upon its expertise. 'A captain or shipowner can also call us the moment an incident occurs.’ For example, in the event of cargo damage, such as contamination of liquid cargoes, damage to bulk cargoes or to containers. The P&I Correspondent arranges for the cause and extent of the damage to be investigated and maintains contact with other parties.
Keeping the client properly informed also plays an important role. In addition to cargo damage, P&I insurance also covers crew issues, oil spills, stowaways on board and other issues where the liability of the insured is at stake. According to Van der Noll, the damage can be so extensive that the cargo receiver will require a guarantee for it. 'Those guarantees are arranged through P&I clubs. They can be arranged within half an hour to a day, in contrast to a bank guarantee, which can take up to 14 days. This can be done so quickly because the club knows its members.’ And because these clubs jointly insure 80% of the world fleet, they have a high degree of reliability, notes Van der Noll.
4 reasons to invest
According to Jansen, there are four important reasons why the NNPC has chosen Rotterdam for its second office.
The first being that the club has traditionally had a large number of members and therefore already had a strong network in Rotterdam. 'We want to further strengthen and expand that network by having our own place in the city. The maritime insurance market is strongly represented, from the maritime lawyers and marine surveyors to insurance brokers who play an essential role in arranging the insurance package on behalf of the shipping company. If necessary, you can be sitting around the table with them within an hour. People who are experts in their field and for whom collaborating with chain partners comes as second nature.’
As second reason, Jansen mentions Rotterdam's European profile. Being located in the largest port in Europe gives us a boost for further growth in Europe.’
Thirdly, Jansen mentions the collaborations that are stimulated by and in the city. A good example is the Rotterdam Maritime Services Community (RMSC), the industry association for maritime business services in the city. It brings together bankers, ship- and insurance brokers, lawyers, governments, classification societies, educational institutions, arbitrators, and insurers. You talk to each other and share and develop professional knowledge together.