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Piraeus News

06 Mar 2024

Posidonia 2024 Exhibitors Anticipate Paradigm Shift as AI Gains Traction

Source: Posidonia Exhibitions

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…

26 Feb 2024

Greek Frigate Departs to Join EU Red Sea Mission

(File photo: Hellenic Navy)

Greece's frigate Hydra departed for the Red Sea on Monday to participate in a mission to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, a defense ministry official said.Earlier on Monday, the Greek government approved the country's participation in the European Union naval mission dubbed Eunavfor Aspides in the Red Sea.Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels following attacks by the Houthis who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza.Greece's security council approved a proposal by

22 Sep 2023

Singapore Reigns Supreme in International Shipping Center Development Index

Credit: anekoho/AdobeStock

For the 10th year in a row, Singapore ranks first in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index (ISCDI) Report.Published jointly by the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua and global maritime data provider Baltic Exchange, the report lists Singapore as the global leading maritime center, followed by London and Shanghai.The island nation scored 95.32 out of a possible 100 points, while London scored 83.35 points and Shanghai took third place with 81.58 points.Singapore has held the top position since the index began a decade ago.

11 Sep 2023

Greek Shipping Minister Resigns Following Comments over Ferry Death

Miltiadis Varvitsiotis - Credit: Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy

Greece's shipping minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis has resigned following a controversy over his comments about the death last Tuesday of a 36-year-old man who had fallen into the sea after being pushed back by crew members of a ship he was trying to board.Varvitsiotis announced his resignation on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. Video footage released on social media after the incident showed crew members appearing to argue with the man on the stern…

06 Sep 2023

Man Drowns After Being Pushed off Ferry Departing Piraeus

A 36-year-old man who tried to board a passenger ship as it sailed from Greece's Piraeus port on Tuesday drowned after being pushed back by crew members off the vessel's stern ramp, the country's shipping minister said on Wednesday.The incident has shocked the country. Video footage released on social media showed crew members arguing with the man on the stern ramp just as the ferry Blue Horizon was leaving Piraeus for the island of Crete.Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said on Wednesday that the man, who had bought a ticket, had boarded the ship before disembarking for unknown reasons and then tried to board again, which was when he was pushed back by crew members and fell into the sea just as the ship departed."I feel shock and horror for what has happened…

05 Sep 2023

NAVTOR Hellas Launched

Tor Svanes, CEO, NAVTOR and Vangelis Linardatos, Managing Director, NAVTOR Hellas. Image courtesy NAVTOR

NAVTOR opened its 11th office with the arrival of NAVTOR Hellas. The Athens-based operation, situated at the Port of Piraeus, is an evolution of an existing, long-standing partnership with distributor Space Electronics. CEO Tor Svanes says the move demonstrates the importance of this key shipping market to his ambitious maritime technology firm.Space Electronics has represented NAVTOR in the local market for over a decade. Key offerings now include: fleet management and performance platform NavFleet…

09 Aug 2023

OOCL Adds Another Ultra-Large Container Ship to Fleet

Source: OOCL

OOCL’s 24,188 TEU ultra-large container ship OOCL Felixstowe has been officially named at COSCO Dalian Kawasaki shipyard.The Oriental Felixstowe is the fourth of 12 ultra-large container ships which are among the world’s largest. They are being built by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry for OOCL, and the third, OOCL Piraeus, entered operation on May 30.Yang Zhijian, Chief Executive Officer of OOCL, said: “We ordered this series of ultra large container vessels not only to provide better services to our customers…

08 Jun 2023

OOCL Adds Third 24,188 TEU Containership

OOCL Turkiye (Photo: OOCL Turkiye)

Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) announced it has taken delivery of another 24,188 TEU mega ship.The OOCL Turkiye, recently named during a ceremony at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) shipyard, is the third 24,188TEU vessel to be received by OOCL in a series of12.Being a part of OOCL’s strategic plan for further growth in Asia -Europe trade, OOCL Turkiye will join her sister vessels OOCL Spain and OOCL Piraeus in serving OOCL’s Asia-Europe LL3 service loop.

05 Jun 2023

OOCL Takes Delivery of a 24,188 TEU Ultra-large Containership

(Photo: OOCL)

Hong Kong-based shipping line OOCL announced it has taken delivery of another ultra-large containership The 24,188 TEU vessel OOCL Piraeus is the first in the series of six container vessels to be delivered by Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS).OOCL placed an order for a total of twelve 24,188 TEU container vessels in 2020. Of this set of 12, OOCL Piraeus is the second vessel to be delivered following the delivery of the OOCL Spain earlier in the year."Vessels in this series are equipped with advanced smart systems and green designs to reduce carbon emissions…

05 Jun 2023

Greek Police Seize 161 Kilos of Cocaine Hidden in Banana Containers

Credit: Greek Police

Police in northern Greece have seized dozens of packages of cocaine stashed in containers laden with bananas that had been shipped from Latin America, they said on Saturday. Police seized two suspect containers at the port of Piraeus and, after taking them to the port of Thessaloniki, found 100 "bricks" of concealed cocaine, weighing 161 kilos. The drugs, which would have been distributed across Greece and other European countries, are estimated to be worth about 3.2 million euros, police said.

12 Apr 2023

DSME Honors John Angelicoussis

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering CEO Park Doo-seon (front right) and Marangas site manager Panos Nikolaidis (front left) are attending a ceremony to commemorate the late John Angelicoussis.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has held a tree planting ceremony in honor of the late John Angelicoussis who passed away in 2021.The ceremony included the unveiling ceremony of a plaque engraved with the picture of the former of Angelicoussis Group who is held in high regard by the shipyard particularly because he offered support whenever DSME was in need. This included support through the dissolution of Daewoo Group in 1998, the Lehman Brothers financial crisis in 2008, and the liquidity crisis that continued from 2015.Angelicoussis was born in Piraeus in 1948.

05 Dec 2022

Performance Shipping Takes Delivery of Secondhand Aframax Tanker

Greek tanker owner Performance Shipping announced on Monday it has taken delivery of a secondhand Aframax tanker it agreed to purchase in September 2022.The P. Monterey, formerly Phoenix Beacon, is a 105,525 dwt tanker built in 2011. It is equipped with a ballast water treatment system (BWTS), and its next scheduled special survey is not due until 2026.The vessel was acquired for a total purchase price of $35 million and partially financed through the recently announced term loan facility with Piraeus Bank S.A.Following the delivery, P. Monterey will commence a time charter contract with ST Shipping & Transport Pte Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore, at a daily rate of $32,000 per day for a period of 24 months +/- 45 days at the option of the charterer.P.

02 Dec 2022

Iran Oil Cargo Previously Seized by U.S. Unloads in Syria

An Iranian-flagged tanker on Friday delivered an oil shipment to Syria, which the United States had previously confiscated around Greece, ending months of uncertainty about the cargo, a ship tracker said.The seizure from the Lana, formerly the Pegas, prompted Iranian forces in May to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf which were released on Nov. 16. Satellite tracking data showed the Lana had discharged the cargo of around 700,000 barrels in the Syrian port of Banias, said Claire Jungman, chief of staff with U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic through ship and…

19 Oct 2022

ABL Appoints New Country Manager in Greece

Maria Dragoumerli (Photo: ABL Group)

Energy and marine consultancy ABL Group has appointed Maria Dragoumerli to head up the company’s operations in Greece, with specific focus on the country’s maritime industry.Based in Piraeus, Dragoumerli will be in charge of driving the development of ABL’s service offering in the Greek market, in particular provision of support to the country’s extensive shipping and maritime industries.Dragoumerli joins ABL from Helikon Shipping Enterprises Ltd in London, UK, where she held the role of fleet technical superintendent.

04 Oct 2022

Refurbished Oil Spill Response Ship Enters Service

Photo courtesy Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE)

A refurbished high-spec oil spill response vessel for the Aegean Sea has entered service under a four-year contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), a contract with an option for four additional years.Dubbed AKTEA II, the OSRV will be able to reach anywhere in the Aegean within 24 hours and can collect and carry up to 4,500 tonnes of oil.Based in Piraeus, Greece AKTEA II OSRV (IMO 9327516) has onboard capacity of 4,486 cu. m. for recovered oil and is equipped with…

12 Sep 2022

Iran to Release Crew of Two Seized Greek Tankers

Iran has agreed to release the crews of two Greek tankers it seized in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the United States from an Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece, a Greek seafarers union said.The months-long diplomatic impasse has strained relations between Athens and Tehran as tensions grow between Iran and the United States.The crews will be replaced, allowing their return to their countries of origin soon, the PENEN union for seafarers on commercial ships said on its website on Sunday. It was not clear whether the two Greek tankers, the MT Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, would be released, it said.On Monday, the Greek shipping minister confirmed that one Delta Poseidon crew member was returning to Greece."A Greek sailor from the vessel Delta Poseidon…

23 Aug 2022

Thordon’s SXL Bearings Installed on History-making Ferry Daleela

Thordon Bearings’ Egyptian distributor and integrated services provider Nefertiti Marine has commissioned the water lubricated Thordon SXL propeller shaft bearings installed aboard the 24,112gt ferry Daleela.The 1991-built, 400-passenger capacity RoPax, owned by El-Etehad International and chartered to Scandro Holdings, began operations on the revived Piraeus–Limassol route in June 2022 following an extensive refit in the floating dock operated by the Suez Shipyard in Egypt.Nefertiti Marine supplied a total of 14 Thordon SXL forward…

05 Jul 2022

Seized Iranian-flagged Tanker Taken to Piraeus Port

© milangonda / Adobe Stock

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Greece in April, part of whose cargo was confiscated by the United States, was being towed to the port of Piraeus on Saturday, Greek coast guard officials said, after Greek authorities approved its release.For over two months the Iranian-flagged Lana has been anchored off the Greek island of Evia in a diplomatic impasse which strained Athens' relations with Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States."It left Karystos at 06:30 am (0330 GMT) and is expected to reach Piraeus around 10:00 pm…

27 Jul 2022

Greek High Court Rules to Return Confiscated Oil Cargo

Copyright PX Media/AdobeStock

An Iranian-flagged tanker anchored off Piraeus port is expected this week to retrieve part of its cargo which was confiscated by the United States and sail back to Iran, following a Greek top court ruling, government sources said on Wednesday. The case has strained relations between Athens and Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States.The removal of oil from the Lana, formerly Pegas, prompted Iranian forces to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf which have not yet been released. "The (Greek) Supreme Court's ruling...

11 Jul 2022

C-Job Naval Architects to Design First Fully-electric Ro-Pax Ferry in Greece

Credit: C-Jobs Naval Architects

Greek ferry operator Saronic Ferries has partnered with the ship design company C-Job Naval Architects, to develop the design of the first fully-electric Ro-Pax ferry in Greece.Saronic Ferries, the largest ferry operator for the Saronic islands, plans to operate a purely emissions-free fleet by 2040 to all destinations.C-Job delivered an initial design to Saronic Ferries following an extensive sustainable fuel feasibility study.The zero-emission passenger Ro-Ro ferry has a capacity of 800 passengers. The ferry will recharge in the port of Piraeus.

12 Jul 2022

Singapore Maintains Rank as World's Top Maritime Hub

© Adwo / Adobe Stock

Singapore has held onto its status as the world's top maritime hub for the ninth consecutive year, according to a recent index report.The Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, jointly published annually by Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, and global maritime data provider, the Baltic Exchange, has ranked Singapore as the global leading maritime center every year since the report's inception.The city state scored 94.88 out of a possible 100 points, while second on the list was maritime professional services stronghold, London, with 83.04 points.

12 Aug 2022

Iranian Tanker Reloading Oil in Greece that was Confiscated by US

© Wirestock / Adobe Stock

An Iranian-flagged tanker is reloading oil that was confiscated by the United States earlier this year after Greek authorities approved the release of the cargo, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.The case has strained relations between Athens and Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States after Washington hired a tanker in April to impound the oil onboard the Lana tanker, which had been anchored off Greece.The removal of oil from the Lana, formerly the Pegas…

15 Aug 2022

Iran Tanker Retrieves Oil Seized by U.S.

An Iranian-flagged tanker has retrieved an oil cargo which the United States had confiscated and is set to leave Greece, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The seizure from the Lana, formerly the Pegas, prompted Iranian forces in May to seize two Greek tankers in the Middle East Gulf, which have not yet been released. The United States had hired a tanker in April to impound the oil onboard the Lana tanker, which had been anchored off Greece. The oil was then partly removed and placed aboard the Ice Energy tanker, which had been chartered by Washington and had been expected to sail to United States before Greece's supreme court ruled that the cargo should be returned to Iran. "The reloading process is complete," one of the sources said.