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African Port News

30 Nov 2022

Venezuelan Oil Exports Flow Using False Documents, Ships Linked to Iran

When the supertanker Young Yong sailed to the Chinese port of Qingdao in September last year, it had quality certificates for its cargo stating it was transporting Malaysian crude oil, according to the documents reviewed by Reuters.But satellite images and photos show the Chinese-owned ship had loaded the oil four months earlier in Venezuela, an OPEC nation in South America under U.S. oil sanctions.The Young Yong is one of three vessels identified by Reuters that were chartered by little-known companies to export Venezuelan oil and used false documents to conceal its origin, according to shipping documents and 11 sources with knowledge of the trade.Two of those tankers, including the Young Yong, were designated this month by U.S.

15 Jun 2022

Wärtsilä Acquires PortLink Global

Port of Dover, a PortLink Global customer. Courtesy of Port of Dover and PortLink.

Wärtsilä Voyage acquired PortLink Global, a global port solutions company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The move is intended to speed Wärtsilä Voyage along its path towards creating an end-to-end connected maritime ecosystem.The transaction was signed and closed in June 2022.PortLink and Wärtsilä Voyage have partnered in the past – collaborating on projects including the co-development of a Port Management Information System (PMIS) for the largest Mediterranean and African port…

26 Jul 2021

South Africa's Transnet Identifies Source of IT Disruption that Hit Container Terminals

Cape Town port - Credit: Chris/AdobeStock

South Africa's state-owned firm Transnet said on Friday it had identified and isolated the source of disruption to its IT systems that impacted its container terminals.The freight logistics firm was hit by a suspected cyber attack, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday.Transnet, which operates major ports and a huge railway network, said it was prioritising the export of reefer containers, used mainly to transport perishable cargo at a controlled temperature, primarily through the port of Durban as this was the peak of the citrus season.Miner Barrick Gold s

22 Jul 2021

Cyber Attack Disrupts Operations at South African Port

Cape Town port - Credit: Chris/AdobeStock

A cyber attack has disrupted container operations at the South African port of Cape Town, an email seen by Reuters on Thursday said.Durban, the busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, was also affected, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.Cape Town Harbour Carriers Association said in an email to members, seen by Reuters: "Please note that the port operating systems have been cyber-attacked and there will be no movement of cargo until the system is restored."Transnet's official website was down on Thursday showing an error message.Transnet…

11 Jul 2019

Go-slow at Port Hits South African Car and Commodity Exports

A go-slow by workers at a major South African port is hitting exports of cars and other commodities, the country's Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Thursday.State-owned rail operator Transnet said it had suspended a number of employees at its Ngqura Container Terminal for engaging in what it said was an illegal industrial action."We are getting reports of a go-slow at some of our ports which is beginning to (have an) impact on the export of vehicles from South Africa in particular but perhaps other commodities as well," Gordhan, whose portfolio includes Transnet, said.Carmakers including Ford, BMW and Nissan have invested billions of dollars to upgrade assembly plants and boost exports from Africa's top automotive hub.The action was also beginning to hit other sectors…

28 Jun 2019

MedPort Tangier Opened

APM Terminals Medport Tangier container terminal has officially opened its doors in Morocco.Part of the Tanger Med Port complex, it has an annual capacity of 5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalents)."With this new capacity, Morocco is establishing itself as one of the most important transshipment locations in the world. Tanger Med Port is already ranked as the leading African port and is amongst the world’s top 50 container ports due to its prime location along key trade lanes and increasing cargo flows, to and from Africa," said a press release from the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.The construction of APM Terminals MedPort Tangier facility took two years and a total investment of USD 800m.

04 Jun 2019

Durban-built Survey Craft Boosts Transnet Dredging Fleet

Photo: TNPA

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of a new survey craft as the latest acquisition in its Dredging Services division’s ongoing fleet replacement program in excess of $28 million. The vessel, valued at approximately $220,000 was built by a local company in Durban.Carl Gabriel, Executive Manager for TNPA’s Dredging Services division, said the new vessel is replacing the South African port landlord’s existing Survey Craft, Swift, which is 32 years old and…

24 May 2019

Cape Town to Employ Helo Pilotage Transfers

Photo: TNPA

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken the decision to introduce a helicopter service at its Port of Cape Town to transfer marine pilots onto and off visiting vessels. This would make the port one of three within the South African port landlord’s complementary port system that offer the service, the others being Durban and Richards Bay.TNPA expects to commission the helicopter in Cape Town in 2021, according to GM: Infrastructure and Port Planning, Hamilton Nxumalo.In…

07 Mar 2019

Mossel Bay Port Ready to Serve Total

South Africa’s smallest commercial port, the Port of Mossel Bay is well equipped to provide value following global energy giant Total’s significant gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa, announced Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).The authority has dispelled criticism that it may not be ready to answer the call for capacity necessitated by the recent discovery of vast amounts of gas condensate about 175 kilometres south of Mossel Bay.Mossel Bay Port Manager Shadrack Tshikalange said the port’s role in the drilling expedition involved providing land and quay space for the logistics base operations…

02 Sep 2016

Africa’s First Dredging Simulator Unveiled

Photo courtesy of TNPA

Africa’s first ever dredging simulator was launched in the port city of Durban, South Africa – another positive spin-off of ongoing collaboration between Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the Transnet Maritime School of Excellence (MSoE), Netherlands based Royal IHC and its world-renowned Training Institute. The high-tech simulator – based at the MSoE’s Langeberg Road premises – will aid in building dredging capability in South Africa. Dredging is specialized underwater excavation that helps to keep ports and harbours safe and navigable and is a critical aspect of port development.

06 May 2016

Two New Tugs Built for TNPA

TNPA’s new tugs, Qunu and Cormorant, were launched and named at the Southern African Shipyards in Durban Linda Mabaso, Chair of Transnet SOC Limited, named the vessels, flanked by Trishna Misra, Chief Financial Officer of Southern African Shipyards. (Photo by Philip Wilson – Logico Creative Solutions)

The South African government’s Operation Phakisa: Oceans Economy initiative has yielded more results with the ceremonial launch of two more tugboats built for Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). The two tugs – named Qunu and Cormorant – form part of TNPA’s R1.4 billion contract awarded to Durban ship builder, Southern African Shipyards. It is the largest single contract TNPA has ever given to a South African company for the building of harbor craft and will see a total of nine new tugs built for the South African port landlord over three and a half years.

24 Apr 2015

Port of Ngqura’s New Automated Mooring System

Photo: Port of Ngqura

The automated mooring system at the Port of Ngqura in South Africa’s east coast is poised to improve port efficiency and safety, cementing the deep water port’s position as a leading transshipment hub for the Sub-Saharan region. The system comprises 26 mooring units, the last of which arrived at the port in March 2015. “Procured from global engineering group, Cavotec, the mooring units were designed, custom manufactured and installed to meet the specific environmental conditions of the Port of Ngqura.

20 Apr 2015

African, Chinese Shipbuilders Form Partnership

Prasheen Maharaj (left), CEO of Southern Africa Shipyards, seals the deal with Ye Fengsheng of China Shipbuilding Trading Company. (Photo courtesy of SAS)

Southern African Shipyards (SAS) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, in a union between the largest shipyard in Southern Africa and the largest shipbuilding group in the world. Operation Phakisa was launched by President Jacob Zuma in 2014. One of its two key focus areas is to develop South Africa’s maritime economy in sectors such as marine transport and manufacturing and offshore oil and gas.

15 Apr 2015

Resolving A Contamination Claim In West Africa

Photo courtesy of BMT Surveys

Dennis de Bruin, Marine Director at BMT Surveys, describes what a surveyor can do to turn an apparent total loss of high quality fuel into the acceptance of a sound product. Shipping is a global business and the obstacles and challenges faced are often demanding. Hence knowledge, experience and personal contacts are essential to resolve problems. These challenges can be due to geography, e.g. the remoteness of places, the complexity of cargo, local politics and lack of equipment or, misunderstandings that arise from different languages, jurisdictions and cultures.

14 Apr 2015

Vallihu Named Chief Executive of S. African Ports

Richard Vallihu (Photo: Transnet National Ports Authority)

South African port authority, Transnet National Ports Authority, has appointed Richard Vallihu as its new Chief Executive, following the retirement of Tau Morwe. Richard Vallihu took up the reins as Chief Executive of South African port authority, Transnet National Ports Authority, on April 1, 2015. He succeeds Tau Morwe, who led the company for a number of years before opting for retirement in March 2015. Vallihu is no stranger to Transnet SOC Ltd, the custodian of South Africa’s freight and logistics sector.

03 Nov 2014

“Intra-Mediterranean Container Trades” Update

Dynamar has published “INTRA-MEDITERRANEAN CONTAINER TRADES”, the latest report in its Container Trades and Markets series. Salient details and interesting findings of the new report are discussed here below. Intra-Mediterranean (2014) Container Trades is all about the 170 services operated by 40 different shipping companies deploying 275 container, Ro/Ro and multipurpose ships with container capacities of 400 to 3,000 TEU that populate the intra and coastal all Mediterranean waters. Through nearly 100 ports in 24 countries, they serve some 700 million people in frequencies of between twice and many times per month, carrying an average of 275,000 full TEU of regional trade and feeder boxes every week.

18 Aug 2014

Ebola Outbreak Delays Mercy Ships Sail to Africa

Africa Mercy (Photo courtesy of Mercy Ships)

Collateral hardship from the Ebola epidemic now includes a delay for Mercy Ships, which operates the world’s largest civilian hospital ship in ports on the West Coast of Africa. Already with one canceled deployment to Guinea, where Ebola first broke out last December, the Mercy Ship now waits in the water with crew and staff, pending an end-of-August decision on field service in Benin. The Mercy Ship was due to sail for the port of Cotonou, Benin, for its 10-month field service…

14 Mar 2014

Stowaways in S. African Port: Authorities Change Policy

Rudder recess stoways: Photo courtesy of West of England P&I Club

There have been changes in the way authorities deal with stowaways in South African ports, now making the ship responsible for preventing unauthorised personnel from boarding in the first place, the UK P&I Club informs. If immigration decide that any person illegally on board is a stowaway then the vessel will be liable for all the costs and consequences of repatriation. Over the past two weeks, three cases have arisen involving stowaways and it appears that the local immigration…

07 Feb 2013

Mercy Ships Expand Reach to Central Africa

Mercy Ships Government Liason: Photo credit Mercy Ships

Protocols have been signed for a Mercy Hospital Ship to dock in Congo-Brazzaville’s western port city of Pointe Noire. Meetings with the Republic of the Congo’s Ministries of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Congo-Brazzaville’s western port city of Pointe Noire this past week culminated in the signing of agreements to confirm that a Mercy Ship will dock in this Central African nation as its next African port of call. An initial protocol was signed in the nation by HE President Denis Sassou Nguesso during a visit by Mercy Ships President/Founder Don Stephens in May 2012.

27 Jun 2013

China Warship Escorts Somali Food Aid Ship

Food ship escort: Photo credit EUNAVFOR

'CNS Mianyang' takes over escort duties of a World Food Programme (WFP) aid ship from Italian warship 'ITS Zeffiro'. The Italian warship had been escorting the WFP vessel since she entered the pirate High Risk Area in the Western Indian Ocean a few days earlier. At an agreed location, CNS Mianyang took over the duty to escort through the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti. The WFP ship being due to arrive in the African port shortly. Speaking about the cooperation between the European Union and the Chinese Navy…

28 Jul 2013

W. African Port Offers Anchorage Piracy Protection

The head of Benin army and navy has issued an official note to express the commitment of Benin Government to secure Benin Waters against sea crime. The protection, security and safety of Benin maritime space is a national priority for the government as it is considered vital in the economic and social development of the country. Apart from some important diplomatic commitments engaged in the sub-region and the writing of a national strategy of maritime protection and safety, the Benin government has adopted concrete and operational measures to maintain his maritime level at its best level. In the harbour of Cotonou port, Benin Government has created some security zones for vessels to anchor.

12 Oct 2012

Court Orders Argentine Tall Ship Detention

ARA Libertad: Photo credit CCL William Murphy

A Ghana court judge rejected plea to release the 'ARA Libertad' training ship, detained through complaint by a US hedge fund creditor. The sail training ship has been detained with more than 200 hundred crew members on board since 2, October 2012 in a port close to the West African port of Accra, reports Bernama. The ARA Libertad is a three-masted tall ship that stopped at Tema while training hundreds of Argentine navy cadets. The seizure of the flagship of Argentina's Navy stems from a complaint from a US hedge fund.

23 Oct 2012

AECOM to Design New South African Port

Transnet awards AECOM a US$3.4-million contract to initiate the design of the Durban Dig Out Port in South Africa. The project is a brownfield redevelopment for a new seaport complex to be built by excavating nearshore vacated land that will serve as a gateway for containers destined for the Greater Durban Area and the Gauteng Industrial Complex. It will also accommodate the region’s liquid bulk and motor vehicle handling. As part of the contract, AECOM will provide concept and pre-feasibility design services for the new port and container terminals, including all associated infrastructure relating to its operation. A critical aspect of the design will be ensuring the sustainability of the port throughout the construction phase as well as all of the operational phases of its development.