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Northern France News

16 Mar 2023

Strike at Dunkirk LNG Terminal Extended

© Pixavril / Adobe Stock

A strike at Fluxys' liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Dunkirk, northern France, has been extended to Monday, a union official told Reuters.The strike, part of action against the government's plan to increase the state pension age, was most recently due to end on Friday.France's three other LNG terminals, operated by Engie subsidiary Elengy, are expected to be blocked until March 21.(Reuters - Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Mark Potter)

22 Feb 2023

RWE, CapeOmega, Neptune Energy to Explore Shipping CO2 to Offshore Storage

©Eemshaven/Neptune Energy

CapeOmega and Neptune Energy on Wednesday announced NoordKaap, a project concept for a cross-border CO₂ storage solution for industrial emitters across Europe. According to Neptune Energy, NoordKaap would involve transporting CO2 via vessels suitable for directly injecting the CO₂ at offshore locations and for terminal offloading. The two companies have signed a letter of intent with RWE to assess the possibility of shipping "green CO2" from RWE's biomass Eemshaven facility for offshore storage in the Dutch North Sea…

28 Feb 2022

Ship Seized in France, Suspected of Violating Russia Sanctions

France on Saturday seized a car cargo ship in the English Channel that Washington says was linked to the son of a former Russian spy chief, in one of the first visible displays of the West enforcing sanctions on Moscow over its Ukraine invasion.The "Baltic Leader" was headed to St. Petersburg but was diverted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. (0200-0300 GMT), Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture told Reuters.The vessel was "strongly suspected of being linked to Russian interests targeted by the sanctions," she said.The United States Treasury Department has issued blocking sanctions against the vessel because…

29 Nov 2020

UK, France Sign Deal to Stop Illegal Migration Across Channel

© Roman Babakin / Adobe Stock

Britain and France signed a new agreement to try to stop illegal migration across the Channel on Saturday, upping patrols and technology in the hope of closing off a dangerous route used by migrants to try to reach the UK on small boats.UK interior minister Priti Patel said that under the deal, the number of officers patrolling French beaches would double, and new equipment including drones and radar would be employed.This year, hundreds of people, including some children, have…

27 Nov 2020

DFDS Launches New Freight Ferry Route Between Ireland and France

Illustration only - A DFDS vessel/Credit: penofoto.de/AdobeStock

Danish international shipping and logistics firm DFDS is setting up a new freight ferry route between Ireland and France, "to facilitate trade between Ireland and continental Europe."From January 2, 2021, the new freight ferry route between Rosslare in Ireland and Dunkirk in Northern France will offer trucks and their drivers direct and paperless transport between EU countries, avoiding the paperwork hassle that Brexit may bring.The port of Dunkirk is a gateway to Ireland’s top export markets – France, Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands – and a host of secondary markets.

10 May 2019

Saudi Ship Leaves France Without Arms Cargo

A Saudi vessel that had been due to load arms in France left the country's Le Havre port without its cargo of weapons and is now sailing towards Santander in Spain, according to ship tracking data, a local official and a lawyer.Two French human rights groups on Thursday sought to block the loading of weapons onto the ship through a legal filing, arguing the cargo contravened an international arms treaty.A French judge threw out their complaint but the Bahri-Yanbu moved off the coast of Le Havre shortly after. It had been at anchor 25 kilometres off the Le Havre, northern France, since Wednesday evening."The boat has left and without its cargo," Laurence Greig, a lawyer representing the ACAT rights group told Reuters.

21 Nov 2018

Northern French Ports Ready to Ease Congestion from Brexit Fallout

The port of la Havre (CREDIT: Adobestock / © Sergey Novikov

Smaller ports in northern France are ready to absorb more shipping traffic from Britain if congestion builds up due to any fallout from Brexit, a top French official said on Wednesday.The Ports of Normandy Authority (PNA) currently owns and operates Cherbourg and Caen-Ouistreham terminals and will take on operating Dieppe nearby in 2019."We can accept more (traffic) and we would like to accept more if there is congestion on the east side of the UK," Philippe Deiss, managing director of the PNA told Reuters during a trade visit to London.Over 1 million passengers and over 100…

03 Jul 2018

Monjasa Expands into Northern Europe and France

MT Skaw Provider

Monjasa expands its reach to Northern France and goes from two to three supply vessels in Northwest Europe. Providing a niche market alternative to the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) bunker hub has proven relevant for a growing number of customers and volumes are increasing. Steadily growing demand in the English Channel allows Monjasa to expand its services to cover Northern France as well. Monjasa is able to cover port areas from Dunkerque, Calais, Dieppe, Le Havre and all the way to Brest.

10 Dec 2017

Antwerp Port Focus on Sustainable Modal Shift

The port of Antwerp is to invest 1.4 million euros over the next three years in projects aimed at making port-generated freight traffic smoother and more efficient. The seven projects that have been selected for financial support will together reduce the number of truck trips by up to 250,000 annually. The Flemish government in turn is building on the Call for Proposals by the Port Authority, and in the next few months it will release a further 1.4 million euros for projects to make transport in and around Antwerp more sustainable. “Mobility on the Flemish roads concerns all of us,” declared Antwerp Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren at the sixth Intermodal Event organised by the Port Authority.

25 Nov 2016

Traffic Increase between Gothenburg and Belgium

Belgium is Sweden’s eighth largest export market. The Swedish shipping company SOL is about to expand its departure frequency between the Port of Gothenburg and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. The change will offer greater scope for Swedish import and export companies to ship freight to and from Belgium. Gothenburg-based shipping company Swedish Orient Line, SOL, is about to expand its departure frequency between Gothenburg and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. The company’s vessels will now depart from Gothenburg seven times a week. “We’ve seen an amazing increase in volumes during the past year and we’ve hit the ceiling in terms of capacity.

14 Jul 2016

CMA CGM to Upgrade its EURAF Services

In a continued effort to provide increased reliability and quality service in a challenging environment, CMA CGM Group is strengthening its coverage of Europe to West Africa with the addition of the direct call in Cameroon on its EURAF 5 service and the EURAF 4 service upgrade connecting Europe to West Africa strategic markets. Direct service from North Europe to Douala with a fortnightly frequency combined with a shortened transit time by 7 days. Therefore, it is one of the best transit time on the market with Douala from Antwerp in 28 days and from Le Havre in 29 days. Our exporters in Douala will benefit from a very fast and direct transit time to North Europe: Northern France will be reached in 16 days, Antwerp in 17 days.

15 Jun 2016

CGT Union Calls for French Port Strike

France's CGT union is calling for a nationwide port strike on June 23 and June 28 as part of ongoing protests against the government's labour reform bill, the union said in a statement on Wednesday.   Port workers have participated in rolling nationwide strikes in recent weeks, notably disrupting activity at the oil terminal in Le Havre, northern France, which handles about 40 percent of French crude imports.   Tuesday saw a latest day of nationwide demonstrations against the labour reform, including protests in Paris marked by violent clashes between police and youths.   (Reporting by Valerie Parent, writing by Gus Trompiz)

25 May 2016

New Connections for France, Port of Rotterdam

Photo: Rotterdam Port Promotion Council

With the launch of a new rail shuttle and inland shipping link, connections between Northern France and the port of Rotterdam are now better than ever. Five times a week, a train leaves Rotterdam for Dourges, and the inland shipping schedule also includes a number of departures per week. These connections, which were launched this spring, serve as a hub from and to other destinations in the South of France. France is an industrial center for the automotive, electronics, pharmaceutical and food processing sectors.

23 May 2016

French Oil and Port Workers Vote to Begin New Strikes

Oil sector workers of French CGT and FO unions voted on Monday to begin a strike at Exxon Mobil's 240,000 barrels-per-day Port Jerome refinery in northern France, the unions said in a joint statement. Workers at a port terminal in Le Havre, northern France, which handles large volumes of imported petroleum products, also voted overwhelmingly to strike, the CGT said. The Port Jerome workers will join the rolling nationwide protest that began in March, aimed at forcing the government to withdraw contested labour market reforms. The unions said the strike and blockade of the refinery will begin at 0400 GMT on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Exxon told Reuters earlier on Monday that production had not been affected by the strike, which has hit output at rival Total's refineries.

28 Mar 2016

MSC: Bringing Asia to Northern France

Image: MSC

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) provides a range of shipping services between France and the world’s major trade hubs. Since its foundation in 1993, MSC France has scaled up into a 675,000 TEU per annum business. MSC France now has a team of more than 500 employees across its offices in Paris, Bordeaux, Brest, Dunkerque, Lyon, Marseille, Montoir, Rouen and Le Havre. MSC has operated out of Le Havre since 1993, where the port’s geographical strategic importance for customers has fuelled significant phases of growth and investment from MSC.

24 Jan 2016

Migrants Storm Port of Calais and Board British Ferry

Around 200 refugees managed to break into the port of Calais in northern France on Saturday after a demonstration of support for migrants living in a slum nearby ended, enabling some of them to board the front deck of a British ferry, an official said. "A demonstration in Calais has drawn around 2,000 people and in the end around 200 people entered the port, with approximately 50 of them boarding a ferry, the 'Spirit of Britain', on an external deck," deputy Calais prefect Denis Gaudin told Reuters. MS Spirit of Britain is a cross-channel ferry operated by P&O Ferries. Gaudin said that some of the refugees had decided to quit the boat voluntarily and that the rest would be removed by police, if necessary by force.

10 Sep 2015

Vitol Supplying Bunker Fuel to Houston, Mississippi River

Press release -- Vitol announced it has begun supplying physical bunker fuel to Houston and the Mississippi River. Bunker grades RMG, RMK and DMA 0.1 percent will be marketed under the V-Marine Fuels brand, on a retail (delivered) basis in Houston. V-Marine Fuels currently supplies physical bunker fuel to ships in the ports of Singapore, Tangjong Pelepas (Malaysia), Fujairah & Khor Fakkan (UAE), Hamburg and Bremerhaven (Germany),  Canaveral (USA), the Thames River, English Channel & Northern France (UK & France) and Rotterdam (Netherlands).

03 Aug 2015

Renovated Research Vessel Sets Sail

Marion Dufresne II (Photo: Damen)

French scientific research vessel completely renovated in life extension project. French research vessel Marion Dufresne II left Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion) in northern France on July 28 having recently undergone sea trials and a complete renovation. Delivered on time, the oceanographic research vessel set sail for the Port of La Réunion where she will resume her logistic and scientific journey to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

03 Aug 2015

Renovated Marion Dufresne II sets sail on time

French scientific research vessel completely renovated in life extension project The renowned French research vessel, Marion Dufresne II left Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion) in northern France on 28 July having recently undergone sea trials and a complete renovation. Delivered on time, the oceanographic research vessel set sail for the Port of La Réunion where she will resume her logistic and scientific journey to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. “The excellent cooperation between the yard and the vessel’s crew was important in this project’s successful planning, coordination and execution. We rebuilt a large part of the vessel within 4 months to extend her life by 20 years.

23 Jul 2015

France: Job-Saving Offer in Bid to End Port Crisis

The French government unveiled proposals on Thursday to save local ferry jobs and end a stand-off in the port of Calais in northern France that has repeatedly disrupted traffic in the Channel Tunnel. Some 500 workers at ferry service MyFerryLink have blocked traffic around the port in a protest aimed at preventing job cuts after their company, previously owned by Eurotunnel , was sold to a Danish company, DFDS. The Transport Ministry proposals include a commitment by Eurotunnel to establish a ferry charter contract that will save 150 jobs. DFDS will also hire 230 MyferryLink workers and the ministry said it would seek employment options for remaining workers within three months.

13 Jul 2015

Port of Barcelona: Leader in Vehicle Shipping

Photo: Port of Barcelona

The automotive industry developed during the 20th century in Barcelona, Spain's principal industrial city and the center of one of Europe's four key development driving regions. The Port of Barcelona claims a leading role in the development of this sector throughout its history, and today it is one of its main factors of competitiveness, both for finished vehicles and containerized part traffic. When the industry began to develop in Catalonia, with manufacturers like Hispano Suiza and Elizalde…

01 Jul 2015

Striking Ferry Workers to Ease Blockade of Calais Port

Striking ferry workers blocking access to Calais port in northern France agreed on Wednesday to let some boats through, partly lifting a blockade in its third day. Workers at ferry service MyFerryLink are trying to prevent job cuts after their company was sold to a Danish company earlier this month. They agreed to let some boats go after their representatives were invited to meet with Transport Ministry officials on Thursday morning, following a threat to disrupt traffic through the Channel Tunnel for 48 hours. "We've accepted to lift the blockade of the port from 20:00 (1800 GMT) to let P&0 boats through one by one," union official Eric Vercoutre told journalists.

08 Apr 2015

Research Vessel Gets 20-year Life Extension

Photo: Damen

French research vessel, Marion Dufresne II arrived at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque on March 14 for a project that aims to extend her life by a further 20 years. The work will span a total of four months. On March 30, the vessel went into drydock for a six-week period, during which the yard will carry out an extensive scope of work. The multipurpose vessel is owned by Les Terres australes et antarctiques français (TAAF) and managed by CMA CGM. Marion Dufresne II carries out oceanographic research under the responsibility of the Institut Polaire Paul-Eimile Victor (IPEV).