Centerline Logistics Acquires Tugs and Barges from JMB Shipping
Seattle-based maritime transportation provider Centerline Logistics announced it has acquired a fleet of four liquid tank barges and four tugboats from maritime asset holding company JMB Shipping.The deal closed on February 23, and its terms were not disclosed. Prior to the acquisition, JMB Shipping was owned by JMB Capital Partners Lending, an investment firm that bid $115 million in 2021 to purchase a portion of Bouchard Transportation's tug and barge fleet after the New York-based marine transport company went bankrupt.
QatarEnergy Selects Nakilat to Own and Operate 25 LNG Vessels
QatarEnergy has selected Qatar Gas Transport Company Limited (Nakilat) to be the owner and operator of up to 25 conventional-size LNG carriers pursuant to Time Charter Parties (TCP).The 25 vessels, each with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, will be owned 100% by Nakilat and chartered out to affiliates of QatarEnergy. They are scheduled for construction at South Korean shipyards.This constitutes the first award in the second batch of long-term TCPs under QatarEnergy’s LNG fleet expansion project.
Accelleron Helps KMTC Save Over $500M with Digital Optimization Tool
Korea Marine Transport Company Ship Management (KMTC SM) has reported annual fuel savings worth approximately $540,000 in total, after installing Accelleron’s digital engine optimization solution Tekomar XPERT on 12 Panamax vessels.Tekomar XPERT delivers engine optimization recommendations based on thermodynamic insights that aim to bring engines back to operating performance achieved at ‘new’ condition.The solution can be applied to any engine and turbocharger make. KMTC SM followed the advisory from Tekomar XPERT…
AMPTC Chooses StormGeo's Fleet Performance Management for Sustainable Tanker Operations
Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC) has implemented StormGeo's environmental performance management solution across its entire tanker fleet to manage the environmental performance of its fleet and adhere to evolving GHG regulations. AMPTC recently solidified a three-year agreement to use StormGeo’s Environmental Performance module in s-Insight on all tanker vessels at AMPTC’s disposal."At AMPTC, we perform intensive market research on the solutions available before we reach a decision on whom we will partner with.
Orange Finance Head Fernandez to Join CMA CGM
French telecoms group Orange's deputy chief executive and head of finance, Ramon Fernandez, is leaving the company to join shipping and transport company CMA CGM as finance director.Fernandez will Orange at the end of the first quarter of 2023, the company said on Tuesday, adding that a successor will be named soon.French transport group CMA CGM said in a separate statement that Fernandez would start his new role at the start of the second quarter next year."I would like to thank Ramon for his unfailing commitment to the group," Orange CEO Christel Heydemann said in statement.
French Shipping Firm CMA CGM to Buy Stake in Air France-KLM
French shipping firm CMA CGM will take a stake in Air France-KLM as part of an air cargo partnership, betting on growing demand for flying goods around the world as supply chains remain snarled in the wake of the pandemic.CMA CGM will take up to 9% of Air France-KLM, worth about 240 million euros ($252 million) based on Tuesday's closing price, part of a possible capital increase by the airline group for the duration of their partnership that is initially set to run for 10 years…
CMA CGM to Buy Auto Logistics Firm Gefco
Shipping group CMA CGM is set to buy auto transport company Gefco, French paper Les Echos reported on Friday, citing sources close to the matter.CMA CGM declined to comment.Gefco, in which French-Italian carmaker Stellantis holds a 25% stake, will be valued at 450 to 500 million euros in the deal, the paper said.Auto transport company Gefco, co-owned by French-Italian carmaker Stellantis, said on Friday it will buy back the 75% of its shares that are held by Russian Railways (RZD) after it was placed under western sanctions.(Reuters - Reporting by Tassilo HummelEditing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
ABB Technology Ensures Fast Charging for Amsterdam’s New Electric Ferries
ABB power conversion technology ensures a stable power supply for the fast-charging units serving five new electric ferries on the round-the-clock services crossing Amsterdam’s North Sea Canal. The new ferries have been ordered by the city’s public transport company, Gemeentelijk vervoerbedrijf (GVB), as an important step in its strategy to become a sustainable, emission-free transportation company. By 2023 they will completely replace the existing diesel-powered fleet that dates…
TOWT Orders Sailing Cargo Ship from PIRIOU
French shipyard PIRIOU said it has been award a contract for the design studies and construction of an 81-meter sailing cargo ship for sailing freight transport company TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT). Wind-powered sailing cargo ships are gaining interest across the maritime industry as shipping companies seek ways to limit their environmental impact.Guillaume Le Grand, chairman of TOWT-Transport wind transport, said, "Today, TOWT is going further by ordering a ship from Piriou that will make it possible to massify its environmental impact by transporting up to 20…
Algoma Fined for US Dumping Violations
Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation was fined $500,000 in the U.S. after pleading guilty to dumping wastewater into Lake Ontario.One of the Great Lakes operator's dry bulk carriers, the Algoma Strongfield, was built in China and delivered to Canada on May 30, 2017, by a crew from Redwise Maritime Services, B.V., a vessel transport company based in the Netherlands.During the delivery voyage, while manned by a Redwise crew, the oily water separator and oil content monitor malfunctioned or failed on multiple occasions, which resulted in an accumulation of unprocessed oily bilge water. On May 5, 2017, an Algoma employee…
Israel Says It Tracked Down the Ship Linked to Recent Oil Spill
Israel accused Iran on Wednesday of being linked to a recent oil spill off its shores that caused major ecological damage, calling the incident environmental terrorism.The spill was caused by an oil tanker that was carrying pirated cargo from Iran to Syria last month, Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said.The vessel sailed through the Gulf and the Red Sea without radio contact, switching its tracking devices back on before passing through Egypt's Suez Canal, Gamliel told reporters.It turned the devices off again before entering Israeli waters in the eastern Mediterranean, and dropped oil into the sea between Feb.
New Italian Tourist Ferry Fit with IMO III Solution from Volvo Penta
A new tourist ferry serving the Amalfi coastline is equipped with a Volvo Penta quad IPS installation with IMO III compliant after-treatment package, offering not only excellent maneuverability, fuel economy and emissions benefits.The 36-meter ferry Vega can transport up to 540 passengers each sailing on visits to the towns of Salerno, Maiori, Positano, Amalfi and the islands south of Naples. The vessel is the first vessel in the region to combine Volvo Penta IPS with the company’s latest SCR aftertreatment system that complies with the new IMO III emissions regulations.The ferry…
Nakilat Posts Record Net Profit of $270M
Doha-listed LNG and LPG carrier owner Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat) reported a consolidated net profit of QR1,003m (USD $270 million) in 2019, an increase of 12.4 percent, as compared to QR892m posted for the same period in 2018.The 2019 net profit is Nakilat’s highest profit recorded since its inception, said the Qatari shipping and maritime company.Nakilat's robust financial performance is primarily attributed to operational excellence in the management of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessels, as well as realizing additional revenues from the two additional LNG carriers, one Floating…
Red and White and Green All Over
INSIGHTS: Thomas C. Escher, Chairman, Red and White FleetIn 1960, Tom Escher, the grandson of the founder and now the current owner, started working as a sweeper and a mechanics helper on the Red and White vessels. In 1997, Escher purchased the Red and White Fleet, becoming the third generation of the family to own and operate the business. In September 2018, Red and White Fleet welcomed Enhydra, the newest and largest addition to the fleet. Enhydra is the first 600-passenger hybrid-drive vessel operating in the United States.
Bourbon Mobility Adds Onboard Entertainment
Offshore passenger transportation provider Bourbon Mobility has partnered with Moment to provide an entertainment offer on board its vessels.In an effort to enhance its transport service of staff to oil platforms in West Africa, Bourbon Mobility has opted to have its fleet of Surfers outfitted with portable streaming servers, which enables passengers to access movies, documentaries and games on their mobile devices throughout their journey. So far 15 vessels have been equipped with the Moment digital entertainment solution.Aboard Bourbon Mobility’s ships…
MOL Upgrades VR-based Safety Education Tool
Japanese transport company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced the development of new content for its virtual reality (VR)-based marine safety education program, allowing trainees to virtually capture the sensations of "falling", "hand being caught between something", and experiencing "an incinerator explosion incident".The program uses VR goggles and VR technology created by Tsumiki Seisaku. With the VR tool, trainees can experience onboard operations, with computer graphic simulations of moving around on the ship, in conjunction with their own movements, allowing them to pinpoint dangerous areas and situation.If a crew works without recognizing a danger, there is a higher likelihood of an accident or problem.
Virgin Hyperloop to Add $4Bln to S. Arabia
Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) is anticipated to pile in a potential US$4 billion into Saudi Arabia as it strives to make hyperloop transportation a reality.A 35-kilometer test and certification track will be built 100 kilometers north of the Red Sea port of Jeddah, in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) by US tech transport company VHO, which commissioned the study.The study said that a Center of Excellence, if approved, would drive domestic growth by adding to the creation of more than 124,000 high-tech local jobs, supporting the technology sector by incorporating advances in robotics and ArtificiaI Intelligence, and driving an estimated $4 billion increase in Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030.Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem…
Duisburg to Open New Trimodal Terminal
The largest trimodal container terminal in the European hinterland is being developed in the Port of Duisburg.Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport) is set to build a US$111.2mln new 220,000 m² trimodal container terminal on the site of its current coal island in response to a sharp decline in coal handling as a result of the energy transformation.The trimodal terminal is to be developed with duisport’s intermodal partners COSCO Shipping Logistics, Hupac SA and HTS Group and aims to handle the port’s booming trade with China in particular.This is duisport's response to the sharp decline in coal handling resulting from the energy transformation. In the future, duisport will instead use the coal island in particular to handle the booming trade with China.
Nakilat Posts 10.5% Surge in 9 Month's Net Profit
Qatari shipping and maritime company Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) reported a 10.5% year-on-year increase in net profit to QR728mn (USD 200 million) in the first nine months of this year.Nakilat, which has the largest LNG shipping fleet in the world, comprising 69 vessels, said in a press note that its positive financial performance can be primarily attributed to better operational performance in managing its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels.The company also realized higher revenues on additional income from the acquisition of two additional LNG carriers and one Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in 2018…
Shipbuilding: Norway’s Fjellstrand Rewrites the Book
As maritime digests a number of historical changes, Norway’s Fjellstrand shipyard wants to put aside the rule book and look at the whole process in a new way, reducing engineering costs up to 70% and production costs up to 20%.The process of designing and building a ship, even in today’s highly standardized mass manufacturing environment, remains largely a one-off, one-of-a-kind design and build. Ships are most often built to a shipowner’s or operator’s specific requirements, which are often based on fixed parameters such as speed…
Götheborg to Sail Again
The Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg will sail again with support from the shipping agency Greencarrier Group, which has announced that it will take the full operational and financial responsibility for the ship for the next two years.The Nordic's largest privately-owned transport company said in a press release that it is underwriting the sailing of the East Indiaman Götheborg replica from its home at the Port of Gothenburg.According to the sources, the ship is a copy of the East Indiaman that ran aground in 1745 and sank at Hunnebådan at the entrance to the port. In 1986, a team of marine archaeologists began excavating the original…
Pacific Basin Hopeful on Dry Bulkers
The dry bulk freight market is expected to benefit in the second half of 2019 and early 2020 from many larger ships being taken out of service for several weeks for scrubber installation, said Hong Kong-based Pacific Basin Shipping Limited.The maritime transport company engaged in international dry bulk shipping through the operation of a fleet of vessels to carry diverse cargoes for many of the world's leading commodity groups said: "We believe the market for smaller dry bulk ships like ours will benefit also over the longer term, as they will consume more expensive low-sulphur fuel and therefore be incentivized to operate at slower…
MOL to Renovate Nippon Maru
Japanese transport company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced that its group company Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line, Ltd. (MOPAS) has scheduled a major renovation of its operated cruise ship, the Nippon Maru.According to a press release from MOL Group, the project will take about 50 days from mid-February through early April 2020.The Nippon Maru was renovated in 2010 when the ship marked its 20th anniversary. Additional cabins were constructed on the sixth floor, while the new Horizon Lounge and Spa & Salon were added. The hull was also repainted with the new royal blue color and round windows were installed.And, the ship will undergo…