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Pearl River News

22 Feb 2024

Five Killed After Barge Hits Bridge Near China's Guangzhou

(Photo: social media)

Five people were killed after a barge collided with a bridge over a waterway in China's Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou city, causing part of the bridge to break off, plunging vehicles into the water, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.The barge was travelling from Foshan city to a southern district of Guangzhou when it crashed into the bridge at 5:30 a.m. (2130 GMT) on the Hongqili Waterway, the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement.Images on state…

22 Jan 2024

Red Sea Shipping Attacks Pressure China's Exporters

© ABCDstock / Adobe Stock

For Chinese businessman Han Changming, disruptions to Red Sea freight are threatening the survival of his trading company in the eastern province of Fujian.Han, who exports Chinese-made cars to Africa and imports off-road vehicles from Europe, told Reuters the cost of shipping a container to Europe had surged to roughly $7,000 from $3,000 in December, when Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement escalated attacks on shipping."The disruptions have wiped out our already thin profits…

21 Aug 2023

CCS Grants AiP for Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Supply System

Source: CCS

China Classification Society (CCS) has issued a first Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate for the marine liquid hydrogen fuel supply system developed by Weishi Energy Technology Hebei.The system design includes a marine liquid hydrogen tank and cold box, supercooled hydrogen storage technology, heat exchange technology, regulated hydrogen supply technology and subcooled hydrogenation technology. Dual-boost functionality ensures rapid system startup, says CCS, and the system…

11 Jun 2021

Congestion at Container Shipping Ports in Southern China Worsens on Anti-COVID-19 Measures

Yantian - Credit;  Weiming/AdobeStock

Congestion at container shipping ports in southern China is worsening as authorities step up disinfection measures amid a flare-up in COVID-19 cases, causing the biggest backlog since at least 2019.More than 150 coronavirus cases have been reported in Guangdong province, a key manufacturing and exporting hub in southern China, since the latest wave of cases struck in late May, triggering local governments to step up prevention and control efforts that have curbed port processing capacity.Ports in Guangdong…

30 Mar 2021

CNOOC to Fuel 50 New Gas-powered River Vessels

Image credit: Eagle/AdobeStock

China National Offshore Oil Company, or CNOOC, said on Tuesday its gas and power unit would fuel 50 gas-powered vessels to be built by a state-run shipping group as part of the country's gasification push.The vessels, all for dry bulk shipments and scaled at 2,000 - 3,000 dead-weight tonnages, will be powered purely by liquefied natural gas, CNOOC said.CNOOC, China's top importer of the super-chilled fuel, has also been a leader in pushing for its use as ship fuel.In a separate pact, China State Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd agreed to build the 50 vessels for Guangdong Province Navigation Holdi

16 Mar 2021

China Seizes 11 Ships in $770 Million Oil Smuggling Bust

© Em / Adobe Stock

China foiled criminals seeking to smuggle nearly 1 million tonnes of refined oil worth 5 billion yuan ($770 million), with officials seizing 11 ships and detaining 171 suspects in a sprawling swoop on Tuesday, customs authorities said.The operation, which saw customs officers from the port city of Ningbo join forces with local law enforcement and maritime police, spanned eight Chinese regions, including the coastal provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Fujian, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement.A total of 14 gangs were busted on Tuesday, the agency added.

10 Feb 2021

Two New Vessels Launched for Zhuhai Fast Ferry

(Photo: Incat Crowther)

Zhuhai Fast Ferry Company has taken delivery of two new fast ferries for operations in the Pearl River Delta region.Designed by Incat Crowther and built by AFAI Southern Shipyard, the 140.5-foot newbuilds Xin Hai Yun and Xin Hai Jun were handed over in December 2020.The Incat Crowther 40s are powered by twin MTU 12V2000 M72 main engines, driving Rolls Royce Kamewa S71-4 waterjets. According to the designer, the vessels are sleek, fast and offer low fuel consumption.The vessel…

23 Sep 2020

Two New Chinese Fast Ferries Taking Shape

(Image: Incat Crowther)

Construction is well progressed on a pair of 40-meter catamaran passenger ferries at AFAI Southern Shipyard, in the Peoples Republic of China, designer Incat Crowther said on Wednesday.To be operated by the Zhuhai Fast Ferry Company, the vessels will form the next generation of sleek, fast, low fuel consumption ferries operating in the Pearl River Delta region.The Incat Crowther-designed vessels will accommodate 199 economy passengers on a single deck with VIP passengers having a dedicated cabin on the upper deck.

14 Sep 2020

Rare Dolphins Return to Hong Kong as Coronavirus Halts Ferry Traffic

© katiekk2 / Adobe Stock

The number of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins seen around Hong Kong has jumped as the pause in high-speed ferry traffic due to the coronavirus allows the threatened species to make something of a comeback, scientists said.Marine scientist Lindsay Porter of the University of St. Andrews said the mammals - also known as Chinese white dolphins and pink dolphins - were moving back into parts of the Pearl River Delta that they typically avoided due to the ferries that connect Hong Kong and Macau.Dolphin numbers in the area had jumped by up to 30% since March when the ferry traffic was suspended…

12 Aug 2019

Nansha Doubles Direct Sailings to Rotterdam

The deep-water port of Nansha in Guangzhou, a city of 15 million people in the vicinity of Hong Kong, has doubled the number of direct connections with North Europe and West Africa, following the arrival of the Elly Maersk.The Elly Maersk departed from Nansha for Rotterdam on 28 July; the first departure of the new 2M service, doubling the number of direct departures from Nansha to Rotterdam. The Ocean Alliance also already has direct connections with this fastest growing port in the south of China.Nansha port started international departures ten years ago, quickly becoming the most important port for ‘Africa Trades’ from the south of China.Direct departures to and from Europe (NWC and MED) and the west coast of North America were only added in recent years.

02 Aug 2019

Chinese Port Doubles Direct Connection with Europe

The deep water port on the shore of the Pearl river (aka Zhujiang River), in the Nansha District in the Southern China, Port of Nansha doubled direct connection with North Europe and West Africa.The first navigation ceremony was held at the dock site on  July 28, as the first sailing of Elly Maersk in port of Nansha marked a new upgrade of AE7/CONDOR of 2M alliance from Asia to Europe.On this service 2M alliance deploy 12 vessels of 14 to 18 thousand TEU, calling Nansha on every Sunday. The calling list as below: Ningbo -  Shanghai - Nansha - Yantian -Tanjung pelepas – Port Tangier - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp – London - Le Havre – Port Tangier - Salalah - Abu Dhabi - Jebel Ali - Ningbo.Port of Nansha…

11 Jul 2019

National Hurricane Center Miami Issues Hurricane Watch

File Image: AdobeStock / © mode list

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: Mouth of the Pearl River to Intracoastal City. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: Mouth of the Mississippi River to Cameron. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: Mouth of the Mississippi River northward to the Mouth of the Pearl River.A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic available at hurricanes.gov.

11 Nov 2018

Hong Kong, Taiwan to Meet Chinese ECA Requirements

While all eyes are on 2020 and the introduction of the IMO’s global sulphur cap, Hong Kong and Taiwan are aligning their emission regulations with the Chinese Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements and will implement a local 0.50% sulphur cap from 1 January 2019, said Gard.A release from the maritime insurer said that the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee’s 73rd session (MEPC73) has just ended, and with it, so did all speculations about a potential delay of the global 0.50% sulphur cap. The rules apply from 1 January 2020 - and they will be enforced.Hong Kong’s current Fuel at Berth Regulation requiring ships to burn fuel with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.50% while at berth is soon to be replaced by one that will extend the standard to ships operating in Hong Kong waters…

10 Sep 2018

Scrubbers Market to Surpass $8 Bln by 2024 -Report

© bymandesigns / Adobe Stock

The market for marine exhaust gas cleaning systems, also known as scrubbers, is expected to continue generating momentum in the years ahead amid increasing concern toward maritime pollution and new environmental regulations. The global market share for marine scrubbers is predicted to surpass $8 billion by 2024, according to a report by Global Market Insights.As per the latest International Maritime Organization (IMO) legislation, effective from January 1, 2020, the maximum limit of sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships will be 0.5 percent m/m…

05 Jun 2018

OOCL Wins Corporate Environmental Leadership Gold Award

Orient Overseas Container Line is very honored to be the first carrier in the international transportation and logistics industry to receive the Gold Award at the 2017 BOCHK Corporate Environmental Leadership Awards ceremony held at the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre on 31 May, 2018. This distinguished awards program aims to acknowledge outstanding participating organizations for their efforts in promoting environmental and low-carbon best practices in the manufacturing and services sectors in Hong Kong and the Pan Pearl River Delta region following three rounds of assessments by a professional adjudication panel and independent assessors. Reflecting on OOCL’s achievement for this Gold Award, OOCL Group Treasurer Ms. Ms.

05 Feb 2018

HPH Trust Cautiously Optimistic on 2018

Hong Kong's Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPH Trust) saw its fourth-quarter earnings fall 38.4 per cent on weaker revenue and losses from associated companies. The company announced an attributable net profit of HK$237.8 million for the three months to Dec 31 last year - down from HK$385.8 million in the same period a year earlier. The Trustee-Manager remains cautiously optimistic about the expected cargo volume for 2018. Major liners have announced plans to continue to invest and build more megavessels of up to 22,000 TEU and this potential excess capacity will likely put pressure on freight rates, and as a result, keep port tariffs in check.

15 Sep 2017

Hong Kong Looks to Ride Out Boxship Turmoil

Hong Kong's port expects a slight rise in container shipping volumes this year despite continuing global turmoil in the sector. The global container industry, which transports everything from bananas to iPhones, is showing signs of better returns after a near-decade long slump. Nevertheless, worries over global retail demand and too many ships have continued to put the brakes on a bigger recovery. Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan Fan, said container throughput was expected to increase slightly this year from 19.8 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2016 and 20 million TEUs in 2015. "This year it is going up by a single digit percentage…

23 Aug 2017

Typhoon Batters Hong Kong, China

Destructive winds, waves batter Hong Kong, south China. Typhoon Hato, a maximum category 10 storm, slammed into Hong Kong on Wednesday lashing the Asian financial hub with wind and rain that uprooted trees and forced most businesses to close, while in some places big waves flooded seaside streets. There were reports of 34 people injured in Hong Kong while in the city of Macau, across the Pearl River estuary, three people were killed, authorities there said. In Hong Kong, more than 450 flights were cancelled, financial markets suspended and schools closed as Hato bore down, the first category 10 storm to hit the city since 2012. "I've never seen one like this," Garrett Quigley, a longtime resident of Lantau island to the west of the city, said of the storm.

09 Aug 2017

Hong Kong Continues Cleanup Following Palm Oil Spill

Hong Kong stepped up efforts on Wednesday to clean up a massive palm oil spill, with authorities scooping up more than 90 tonnes of foul-smelling, styrofoam-like clumps in one of the worst environmental disasters to blight the territory's waters. Dead fish, shells, rocks, plastic bottles and other rubbish could still be found coated with globules of palm oil on beaches across the Chinese-controlled territory six days after the spill caused after two vessels collided in the Pearl River estuary. The government said it had scooped up 93 tonnes of oil waste, most of it congealed, and the amount left floating on the sea surface had fallen significantly.

10 Jul 2017

COSCO Shares Climb After OOIL Bid

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co Ltd saw its stock climb on Monday after bidding $6.3 billion for a Hong Kong peer, a deal that would see it become the world's third-biggest container shipper and underline China's supply-chain ambitions. The offer for Orient Overseas International Ltd (OOIL) comes as China's government pushes to raise the country's profile in global shipping, which dovetails with its Belt and Road initiative aimed at increasing China's influence over distribution from Asia to Europe. Beijing merged two shippers last year to form COSCO Shipping which, after the latest deal, will rise from fourth to rank only behind Denmark's Maersk Line and Switzerland's Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC).

26 May 2017

Plenty Ships Wins Chinese Ferry Order

Photo: CoCo Yachts

CoCo Yachts – Plenty Ships has won an order with Zhuhai Fast Ferry Company to build two aluminum high speed ferries. Zhuhai Fast Ferry Company has several fast ferries in its fleet, including two CoCo Yachts designed Coastal Cruiser 288, which are sailing between Zhuhai port and the Chinese Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong. The new designed Coastal Cruisers 356 will start the service between Zhuhai and the islands in the Pearl River delta. The new vessels will be designed and built in accordance with the China Classification Society Rules 2015 and IMO High Speed Code 2000…

06 Oct 2016

APL Increases Port Calls Of Asia Latin America Service

The  ocean carrier APL has announced three additional ports of call for the weekly Asia Latin America Service (ALX). Including Callao, Da Chan Bay and Valparaiso, the expanded ALX service will offer a more comprehensive coverage across Asia, Manzanillo in Mexico, and South America west coast. “Export manufacturers from Asia, in particular those from the Pearl River Delta can expect to exploit a larger market coverage in the Americas via the direct service of ALX from Asia to South America west coast. As the service facilitates access to Central America via Manzanillo in Mexico where transshipment options are available, the extended port calls to Callao in Peru as well as Valparaiso in Chile will enable route to these Latin America markets…

08 Sep 2016

Implementation of ECA Measures at Shenzhen Port

The local authorities at Shenzhen port within the Pearl River Delta have now formally announced that vessels will be required to use fuel oil with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.5% m/m, or equivalent emission reduction measures from 1 October 2016. Standard Club says it is as part of implementation of Emission control area (ECA) measures. This requirement extends to the ports of Yantian, Shekou, Chiwan, Mawan and Dachan Bay. Where equivalent measures are to be used, except when using shore power or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), prior permission will need to be obtained from the Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration and the Human Settlements and Environment Commission of Shenzhen Municipality.