Regular Services News

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels…" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow…

The world’s largest containership powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) began its first gas bunkering operation in Rotterdam on Thursday, French shipping company the CMA CGM Group said.The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, which has an 18,600 cubic meter tank, will be refueled with LNG while port handling operations are underway, marking the largest LNG bunkering operation ever undertaken for a containership.Once bunkering is complete, CMA CGM’s flagship will continue its maiden voyage…

The Croatian subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) at the Port of Rijeka, Adriatic Gate Container Terminal (AGCT) is set to realize a comprehensive expansion plan in the period up to mid-2020.AGCT, in cooperation with the Rijeka Port Authority,  has drawn up plans for a two-phase dredging scheme with the first phase fully-approved, entailing the dredging of 130 meters of quay over its Berths 1 and 2. This will facilitate the berthing of vessels with a length overall (LOA) of up to 400 meters. The work will be completed by mid-2020, and will provide 438 meters of berth with a depth alongside of 15 meters.Financing for the infrastructure works has been provided by the EU and PRA…

UK Chamber of Shipping said that no deal could limit the opportunities for UK seafarers. A no-deal Brexit would also potentially inconvenience operators of UK-flagged ships, the UK Chamber says.On Thursday, the UK Government published another 28 technical notices, which advise on how potential disruption from a no-deal exit from the European Union can be minimised. The latest batch includes two important shipping-related notices: one on seafarer certification and one on maritime security.The UK Chamber’s immediate concerns are focused on how seafarer employment would be affected by a no-deal Brexit.The technical notice on seafarer certification identifies the basis for seafarer employment in STCW…

Ro-ro operations at the Port of Gothenburg are looking bright, with sustained growth three years in succession. There has been an increase of 10 per cent over the past year alone, with the number of units currently standing at 593,000. But there is still potential to raise the bar even further by switching a higher proportion of freight from Norway to Gothenburg from land to sea. It is hoped that closer collaboration between the ports in Hirtshals, Kristiansand, Larvik, Grenland, Risavika, Bergen and Zeebrugge will help reinforce intra-Nordic shipping, and at the same time reduce carbon emissions. Intra-European ro-ro traffic to and from the Port of Gothenburg is looking healthy…

The largest ever containership to call at the port on the Elbe berthed in Hamburg early on Thursday morning, March 15. The oceangoing giant CMA CGM Antoine de Saint Exupery made its maiden call at the Port of Hamburg's HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) where it will discharge approximately 7,000 TEU and load 4,000. The 400-meter-long CMA CGM Antoine de Saint Exupery, delivered to French owner CMA CGM earlier this year, has a capacity of 20,776 TEU. End-to-end, those containers would cover a distance of over 125 kilometers. The mega ship sails on the FAL 1 service (French Asia Line 1), which connects Asia to Northern Europe. With one heave, gantry cranes at Burchardkai can lift two 40-foot or four 20-foot containers, with a total weight of 110 tons.

After evaluating performance in 2017, the German shipping line serving sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry and the technology sector in Mexico expects maritime shipping volumes to experience double-digit growth in 2018 and foresees a continuous increase in cargo volumes. On holding its annual meeting with Latin American leaders in Mexico, the shipping line Hapag-Lloyd pointed to significant growth in infrastructure and operational capacities in the country on reporting its year-end closing for 2017. This positive development is thanks to the favorable outlook in maritime transport in Mexico and worldwide. During the current year…

Eimskip has entered into an agreement to acquire the Norwegian shipping and logistics company Nor Lines. The business, with about 200 employees and an estimated annual turnover of approximately EUR 110 million, will be restructured in order to be aligned with Eimskip’s current operations in Norway. Ingvald Løyning, CEO of DSD, said, “DSD started the process of finding a strategic solution for Nor Lines early this year. We believe that further consolidation is needed in the logistics industry…

Sima Marine, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Simatech Shipping, one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships, has launched coastal container shipping services in India. The coastal container shipping service will operate from Kochi connecting Mangalore in Karnataka, Goa and Mundra in Gujarat. Simatech Shipping is one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships with partners, including 15 of its own. For the exclusive coastal service operations in the country, the Indian subsidiary has also acquired two 1,500-TEU container vessels, Sima Godavari and Sima Narmada, which have already started their operations now. These ships are now sailing with Indian flag to work within the cabotage law.

Port Bronka investor Fenix LLC and shipping company CMA СGM last month signed a long-term agreement for handling and storage of container cargo. CMA CGM is the third largest container shipping company with a total fleet capacity of 1,807,298 TEU. The company serves more than 400 ports over the world and is one of the largest container shipping operators in St. Petersburg, including reefer containers. Today CMA CGM calls at St. Petersburg under four regular services, connecting St. Petersburg through the European hub ports with all international routes. The calls at Port Bronka will be performed in accordance with a regular schedule with actually operated vessels with capacity up to 1,800 TEU.

China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) plans to launch regular services through the Arctic Ocean to Europe, as global warming makes the route viable and Beijing steps up its northern ambitions, says a report in AFP. Cosco’s Yong Sheng vessel completed its second round trip Arctic voyage between China and Europe in October. It sailed nearly 20,000 nautical miles during the 55-day voyage. The company managers consider the possibilities of normalizing the Arctic shipping route of Yong Sheng, which will decreased the transportation costs and will increase the speed of the loop. “The company is considering increasing the number of ships sailing via the new path,” said Cai Meijiang, general manager of the safety and technical supervision department at Cosco.

The CMA CGM Group has announced that the CMA CGM KERGUELEN, the group’s largest vessel, crossed the Suez Canal for the first time on May 2, 2015. On this occasion, the Suez Canal Authority Chairman, the Admiral Mohab Mameesh, boarded the CMA CGM KERGUELEN and completed a section of the Canal crossing. The Suez Canal, at the crossroads between the Asian, African and European continents, has beyond its geostrategic positioning, a particular importance for CMA CGM, one of the world’s leaders in container shipping.

The Port of Hamburg, along with the other German seaports, is calling for appropriate recognition in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. “When the new Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan is agreed this year, the forecast growth in freight traffic makes it essential that maintenance and expansion of routes to the seaports is given top priority,” said Ingo Egloff of Port of Hamburg Marketing’s Executive Board. To ensure accessibility from the North Sea, a decision by the…

Two 47 metre high speed catamaran ferries departed Austal’s Henderson shipyard this week bound for Guadeloupe, where they will shortly commence operations for long-standing Austal customer L’Express des Iles. Austal was selected by L’Express des Iles in June 2010 for the design and construction of the two vessels – one vehicle-passenger ferry and one passenger ferry, marking the company’s third contract with Austal since 1997. L’Express des Iles previously operated the Austal-built fast ferries “Opale Express” and “Jade Express”…

The CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container shipping company and first in France, is pleased to announce that the CMA CGM TITAN, an 11,400 teu* vessel, was christened at the Dunkirk Terminal in the presence of her godmother, Mrs Laurence Parisot, President of the French employers federation, MEDEF. CMA CGM TITAN’s christening at Dunkirk Port, one of ten ports serviced by CMA CGM on Europe’s Atlantic front, confirms the Group’s determination to see France and its port terminals regain their position in the international shipping arena.

CMA CGM, Maruba and Hapag-Lloyd are collaborating in a regular weekly service between Northern Europe and the east coast of South America. On 11 August 2009, the CMA CGM Volet became the first ship of the new joint service to visit the Port of Hamburg. Built in 2006 at South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo dockyard, the container ship of the French shipping company CMA CGM is 222 metres long, 98.4 ft wide and has a slot capacity of 2,800 TEUs as well as 590 refrigerated container connections. When fully loaded (39,400 dwt) the ship has a maximum draught of 39.4 ft.

Last month saw the encounter of two Chinese ships of a very special kind at the Port of Hamburg. On 19 November 2008 the recently built 10,000 TEU vessel Cosco Indian Ocean, belonging to the Cosco Container Lines shipping company, docked at the HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort. Measuring some 1,148 ft in length, the Cosco Indian Ocean was on its maiden voyage. This was its first visit to Hamburg. The container giant is the third of four identical ships built for Cosco at Hyundai's Ulsan shipyard in South Korea. With a draught of 47.5 ft, the ship has a deadweight of 111,414 tons.

The European Commission welcomes today's positive second-reading vote by the European Parliament on a new marine fuel Directive. With this vote, the EU has finalised important legislation to cut sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particle emissions from seagoing ships. SO2 is an air pollutant which acidifies lake and forest ecosystems and harms human health. Particles can cause serious breathing problems and premature death. Ships have become the single biggest source of SO2 in the EU because the maritime sector has lagged behind land-based industry in environmental improvement. Today’s agreement will reduce ship SO2 in the EU by over 500,000 tonnes a year from 2006.

For the third year running MarineNews was able to tap the minds of six prominent industry leaders in an attempt to deliver exclusive insights as to the direction of the workboat and shallow draft market for the coming years. • Al Anderson, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, CHS Inc. • Rick Calhoun, President and Chairman, Cargill Marine and Terminal, Inc. • Steve Golding, President, Golding Barge Line, Inc. • Paul E. Mauer, President, Trinity Marine Products, Inc. MN: What is the most important message about the inland waterways industry that needs to be conveyed to the media and policymakers? Anderson: The most important…