Atlantic Port News

More than 100 firefighters fought a huge blaze at grain silos in the French Atlantic port of La Rochelle on Thursday, disrupting shipping activity at one of France's biggest grain export terminals.The fire started on a conveyor belt at around 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) in a grain silo complex operated by SICA Atlantique, the local prefecture said.Some 120 firefighters brought the blaze under control, helped by the use of a 72-metre (236.22 ft) high lift platform to access the conveyor belt above the grain silos…

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.

Portugal is seeking to expand its deep-water port of Sines to handle greater liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from the United States and elsewhere to offset Europe's shrinking domestic output, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday.Costa, who spoke at a conference on Portugal-U.S. ties, said the port of Sines, which already has an LNG terminal, could be expanded into a larger hub capable of receiving LNG transhipments, with regasification and underground storage facilities and pipeline connections to the rest of Europe.Portugal and Spain…

French shipyard STX has secured an order for up to four more ships from MSC Cruises, in a 3.6 billion-euro ($4.1 billion) deal announced on Wednesday. MSC Cruises, part of privately owned shipping group MSC, has in recent years been the main customer for STX France, which is based at the Atlantic port of Saint-Nazaire. The two companies signed a letter of intent for the order at a ceremony on Wednesday at the Elysee palace in Paris, reflecting the importance placed on the investment for French President Francois Hollande who is struggling to bring down unemployment.

A shipwreck discovered off the coast of North Carolina is likely one of three Confederate blockade runners known to have been lost in the area, archaeologists said on Monday. The remains of the iron-hulled steamer were located on Feb. 27 near Oak Island. It would be the first Civil War-era vessel found in the area in decades, said the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology. Billy Ray Morris, director of the state's underwater archaeology branch, said he expected to be able to positively identify the 225-foot-long (68-metre) vessel when he leads a dive team to examine it on Wednesday. "To turn up a new wreck is a pretty big deal," he said in a telephone interview, adding sonar images showed the vessel to be largely intact.

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) announced today that October volumes were up nearly 17 percent year over year, continuing a growth trend in container traffic well above the organization's financial plan. SCPA handled 164,672 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in October, up from 141,049 TEUs moved during the same month last year. Fiscal year to date, TEU volumes are up 14 percent and nearly 13 percent ahead of plan. As measured in pier containers, October volume increased 19 percent over the same month last year, with 94,470 boxes moved.

Organizers of Jacksonville Port Authority's (JAXPORT) biennial 'Logistics & Intermodal Conference' have released the list of panel topics for discussion at the upcoming 2015 conference. The overall theme for 2015 is "Challenges Facing Shippers in South Atlantic Ports,” and the conference will feature five panel discussions sharing insights, solutions and successes. Panelists will be announced soon and will include senior executives from major ocean carriers, railroads, shippers and service providers. JAXPORT’s conference is designed for senior level executives in logistics and transportation, offering a unique opportunity to network with industry leaders and hear speakers from around the country discussing topics of interest to decision makers.

In the realm of marine casualties and incidents, each case has its own set of facts, cast of mariners and vessels involved and, frequently, sharp differences of opinion regarding same. The one common denominator of most marine casualties, however, is the requirement to report them to the U.S. Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.). While what defines a marine casualty is often in the eyes of the beholder/mariner, it is much more prudent to err on the side of caution and, when in doubt, report it using Form CG-2692.

Marine Travelift Inc. delivered the world’s largest mobile boat hoist to Colonna’s Shipyard in December 2009. The new 1000C, capable of lifting 1,000 tons (2,200,000 pounds), is changing the way this Norfolk, Virginia-based shipyard approaches its business. Colonna’s Shipyard is located on the deep-water, mid-Atlantic Port of Norfolk, it features a 17,200-ton floating drydock, a 2,800-ton floating drydock and two marine railways. Such railways and drydocks have been the standard technology for handling large vessels that need repair, overhaul or conversion work out of the water.

Short-sea shipping, also referred to as the “Marine Highway” and, in some cases, “coastal shipping,” is the subject of more studies than we can list. Whatever the label, the concept refers to an initiative to get freight off our roadways, which are at capacity, and onto our waterways, which have to yet to be tapped to their potential. More than likely you’ve heard about the promises of this mode of transport, including reduced highway congestion, reduced consumption of fuel and fewer emissions per unit shipped. So what’s the hold up?

J. Stanley Payne, Chief Executive Officer of the Canaveral Port Authority, will serve on the 2009-10 Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). He was named to the 10-member board during the annual AAPA meeting held this year in Galveston, Texas. AAPA is an alliance of leading ports in the Western Hemisphere. The mission of the organization is to protect and advance the common interests of its diverse members as they connect their communities with the global transportation system.

Schenker. Inc., an integrated logistics provider is in the process of restructuring its Hanover, Md., office to better service its ocean customers. Schenker offers a complete range of ocean freight services for all types of cargo - consolidated or full-container shipments, full and partial charters, RoRo, and barge cargo transportation. The Port of Baltimore is strategically located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. east coast, making it the closest Atlantic port to major Mid-western locations. Schenker plans to take advantage of its location and has added additional salespeople to concentrate on bringing in new and additional business from existing customers. "It is important to get our ocean freight services known to the general public.