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French Port News

21 Nov 2022

Walrus Spotted in Normandy Port, Miles from Polar Circle Habitat

©amheruko/AdobeStock

A walrus was spotted in the northern French port of Dieppe in Normandy, miles away from its natural habitat around the arctic circle, local French authorities said on Saturday.The sea mammal, usually found in Greenland, Russia or Alaska, did not show any sign of ill health, the local prefecture said in a statement. Local authorities cordonned off the area on Friday evening to protect the tusked animal, which was resting onshore, according to a picture tweeted by the prefecture. It dived down on Saturday morning and disappeared.

25 Jul 2022

More Long Delays at UK's Port of Dover

© Eddie Cloud / Adobe Stock

Long queues of holidaymakers and lorries built up on Saturday outside the Port of Dover, Britain's main gateway to Europe, and officials said the disruption could be worse than the logjam seen on Friday.Travelers setting out at the start of the British school summer holidays, as well as the usual flow of goods lorries, have faced long delays because of slow border checks.The Kent Resilience Forum, which brings together local councils and emergency services, declared a "major incident"…

17 Mar 2022

Sovcomflot Tanker Carrying US LNG Arrives in France

A Russian-owned tanker carrying U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived on Monday at anchorage outside the French port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire, according to vessel tracking data from Refinitiv.The Sovcomflot vessel SCF La Perouse was carrying LNG from Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG facility in the United States. France has not barred Russian vessels from arriving at its ports.The Elengy terminal in Montoir, where the tanker is scheduled to unload, is operating normally and has not changed its plan to handle the gas, a spokeswoman said. The LNG terminal is owned by energy and services firm Engie.The United States in February blacklisted Sovcomflot vessels over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

09 Feb 2022

Japan to Divert LNG to Europe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

Japan will divert some liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to Europe after requests from the United States and the European Union, the industry minister said on Wednesday, a step that aligns the country with the West as tensions flare with Russia.Concern has mounted over the possible disruption of supplies from Russia, Europe's biggest gas provider, following the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine and heightened tensions between Moscow and the West.The extra shipments are expected to arrive next month, minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters."We have decided to respond to requests from the United States and EU for sending LNG to Europe, where gas supply is tight," Hagiuda said after separately meeting with the U.S.

03 Nov 2021

French Court Frees Impounded British Trawler

A French court ruled on Wednesday that a British trawler impounded by French authorities could sail for home, overturning an earlier demand that its captain pay a 150,000 euro ($174,000) bond, a lawyer for the captain told Reuters.The Cornelis Gert Jan was seized last week, with French authorities saying it had been caught fishing for scallops in French territorial waters without a proper license.The lawyer for the Irish captain, Jondy Ward, said earlier the vessel was a pawn in a wider political row between Paris and London over fishing rights after Britain's departure from the European Union. read moreShip tracking website marinetraffic.com showed the vessel was still moored on Wednesday evening in the French port of Le Havre, where it was impounded.

26 Oct 2021

France’s First LNG Bunker Vessel Named

Credit: MOL

The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been named “Gas Vitality”, at a ceremony held today at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China. The 18,600-m³ newbuild bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. Classed by Bureau Veritas and operated by V.Ships France under the French flag, the Gas Vitality will enter operational service in December 2021 and be based in the Port of Marseille- Fos…

12 Jul 2021

LNG Bunker Vessel Marseille Completes Sea Trials Ahead of Deployment in France

Credit: MOL

The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has successfully completed sea and gas trials, marking another step towards the delivery and operational start-up.The new vessel, named Marseille, is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MOL signed a long-term charter contract in November 2019 and construction started in April 2020. The 18,600-m³ capacity vessel was first launched from the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China at the end of April 2021.

18 May 2021

Greek Island Corfu Welcomes First Cruise Ship of New Season

The Greek island of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday, hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020 due to the coronavirus.Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety measures were being adhered to in the port.Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able to travel again."It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better. You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU and other key markets such as the United States…

22 Jan 2021

After Brexit, Ireland and France cut Out the Middleman: Britain

© Andy Chisholm / Adobe Stock

From his office overlooking Cherbourg docks, general manager Yannick Millet points to trailers destined for Ireland that belong to Amazon and FedEx, new customers and a signal of a potential big shift in post-Brexit trade.Confronted by red tape and delays after Britain’s messy exit from the European Union, Irish traders are shipping goods directly to and from European ports, shunning the once-speedier route through Britain.“You see the shift in supply chains right here,” he said.All five operators connecting Ireland to mainland Europe have increased ferry services in the past nine months…

21 Dec 2020

Stena Line Considering Doubling Ireland-France Freight Services

© penofoto.de / Adobe Stock

Ferry firm Stena Line has brought forward a planned doubling of its direct Ireland to France freight service in response to “huge demand” from Irish hauliers hit by the closure of the French border to arrivals from Britain.While freight services were exempt from Ireland’s ban on Sunday on travel to Britain over fears of a new coronavirus strain, around 3,000 lorries take the shorter route to mainland Europe via the so-called British “land-bridge” each week.Stena had planned to add a second ship to its service from Ireland’s Rosslare harbor to the French port of Cherbourg from Jan.

20 Mar 2020

Italy-bound Cruise Ship had 36 COVID-19 Cases During Marseille Stop

© Stefano Garau / Adobe Stock

An Italian cruise ship bound for the Italian harbor of Savona had 36 people on board infected with the coronavirus when tests were undertaken on passengers during a stop in the French port of Marseille, French authorities said on Friday.A Marseille area prefecture official told Reuters that he could not comment on how many of those infected had disembarked and how many were still on the ship, which was due to leave Marseille on Friday evening to sail to Savona.On Thursday and Friday…

10 Mar 2020

No Coronavirus Found on Marseille Cruise Ship Passengers

Photo courtesy of AIDA Cruises

Tests carried out on two passengers from a cruise ship currently near the French port city of Marseille showed a negative result for the coronavirus, said a spokesman for the Marseille port authority.The passengers had been tested after falling ill with flu-like symptoms, which in turn had led to the other passengers being kept on board the German-owned AIDAsol cruise ship.(Reporting by Marc Leras Writing by Sudip Kar-Gupta Editing by GV De Clercq)

03 Dec 2019

CMA CGM Initiates Global Energy Coalition

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the French container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM Group recommended that French President Emmanuel Macron initiate an international coalition for the energy transition of the transportation sector whose priority will be to develop a more competitive and less carbon-intensive energy source.Rodolphe Saadé stressed the need to improve the cooperation of all those working on near-term solutions to replace fossil fuels in the transportation and logistics sectors.The French President accepted to actively support this initiative, whose first forum could be held on the occasion…

10 Nov 2019

DP World JV Wins French Port Gig

Generale de Manutention Portuaire (GMP), a joint venture between Dubai-based trade enabler DP World and French shipping line CMA CGM, has been awarded the service concession for the construction and operation of berths 11 and 12 at Port 2000 in Le Havre.According to a press release from the French port, the terminals of Port 2000 In Le Havre are trade-enabling gateways for cargo entering the French consumer markets. Recognizing the strategic importance of Port 2000, GMP has been an early supporter of port development and looks to grow its partnership with the Port of Le Havre by developing the terminal further."The addition of the two new berths will enable us to secure more volume and provide high-efficiency services," said Louis Jonquiere, managing director of GMP.

31 Oct 2019

Boskalis Consortium to Develop French Port

A consortium led by Boskalis Nederland and Bouygues Travaux Publics has won a contract from the Occitanie/Pyrenees-Mediterranee region of France for the expansion of Port-La-Nouvelle in the south west of the country that will lead to offshore wind development.The expansion will enable the port to accommodate the construction and assembly of pilot floating wind farms planned off the coast of Occitanie, Bouygues Travaux Publics said.The total value of the project amounts to EUR 199 million, for an overall project cost of EUR 237 million, forming part of the Region’s programs for construction and coastline development.When completed, the port of Port-La-Nouvelle will provide a draft of 14.5 meters…

15 Oct 2019

France Conducts Training on Port Management

An intensive training on port management and operational efficiency was delivered to high-level officials and decision-makers from maritime and port authorities around the world.The annual five-week course, delivered by the Institut Portuaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche (IPER), concluded on 11 October in le Havre, France.The 33rd Advanced Course on Port Operations and Management welcomed 19 participants from 19 countries. Seven of these participants were women. The participating countries were Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania and Togo.The course includes class-based training and site visits.

19 Aug 2019

France Loading Rare Wheat Shipment for China

© Igor Strukov / Adobe Stock

A vessel was loading wheat for export to China at the northern French port of Dunkirk on Monday, according to shipping sources and data, in what would be the first such shipment since last year.The Sotka bulk carrier was due to load around 57,000 tonnes of grain destined for the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, port data showed.The cereal being loaded was wheat, shipping sources said.France has in recent years exported large volumes of barley to China but wheat shipments to China are rare.The current loading would be the first since late 2018, which was at the time the first French wheat sh

11 Aug 2019

Europe Okays French Port Extension

The European Commission has cleared a French extension project for the Mediterranean port of Port-La-Nouvelle.The project involves the construction of dikes and a platform for the handling of heavy parcels, jointly financed by the Occitanie region, the department of Aude and the agglomeration of Greater Narbonne.The Commission has concluded that the financing of the dikes, amounting to approximately EUR158 million, does not constitute state aid because this infrastructure will not only benefit the economic activities of the port but will protect the entire coastline against hazards climate and tides. As for the wharf, it will initially…

24 Jul 2019

Marseille Fos Accelerates Air Emissions Cuts

File image / AdobeStock / © dbvirago

Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend $22 million over the next six years to extend shoreside electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbor.Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the shiprepair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero…

02 Jul 2019

Hamburg Süd, Maersk Strengthen Portfolio

Hamburg Süd has strengthened its product portfolio on the Europe with new stand-alone service offered in collaboration with Maersk.The trade between Europe and Central America, Caribbean and South America West Coast has always been a key element in Hamburg Süd’s global network of liner services. In cooperation with Maersk, Hamburg Süd will be expanding and enhancing the services it offers on this core trade beginning in June 2019.According to a press release, the serice will have maximum flexibility for tailor-made solutions, better port coverage and competitive transit times and high schedule reliability.“Combining the strengths of Hamburg Süd and Maersk…

10 Jun 2019

SECNAV Names Future Destroyer after USCG Legend

(U.S. Navy photo illustration by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Paul L. Archer/Released)

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, DDG 132, in honor of Coast Guard Capt. Quentin Walsh, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his service during World War II.“Capt. Walsh was a hero whose efforts during World War II continue to inspire, and his leadership in securing the French port of Cherbourg had a profound effect on the success of the amphibious operations associated with Operation Overlord,” Spencer said.“For over two centuries…

09 Jun 2019

NPS Connects Dunkerque and Metz

The Port of Dunkerque, France's biggest harbour on the North Sea in terms of the total traffic throughput, is continuing to develop its combined transport plan with the implementation of the Flandres Express (FLEX) rail service to the East of France.Created in 2013, Nord Port Shuttle (NPS), has gradually developed a network of containerized river services between Dunkerque and the main inland ports of the Hauts-de-France Region.With the setting-up of a rail service between Dunkerque and Metz, the operator has integrated a new mode of high-volume transport into its services accessing a major economic area.The FLEX service will offer a weekly round trip during the start-up phase with Metz…

17 May 2019

Hamburg Süd Expands Service

The trade between Europe and Central America, Caribbean and South America West Coast has always been a key element in the container liner shipping line Hamburg Süd’s global network of liner services.In cooperation with Maersk, Hamburg Süd will be expanding and enhancing the services it offers on this core trade beginning in June 2019.“Combining the strengths of Hamburg Süd and Maersk, we can offer our customers a best in class stand-alone service configuration without having to depend on vessel sharing agreements with other shipping companies,” says Frank Smet, Chief Commercial Officer of Hamburg Süd.“This allows maximum flexibility towards the needs of the trade and our customers because we can design and operate the systems totally independently.