Bulk Handling News

Uruguayan company Corporación Navios replaced a Liebherr long duty cycle crane with a permanently installed harbor crane type FCC 300. The recently erected harbor crane will be used for dry bulk handling of barges in hoppers at the terminal in Nueva Palmira, Uruguay. The now total of three harbor cranes is expected to increase the terminal's handling rates and generate operating synergies, as the crane operators will work with the same type of crane on all operations.Corporación Navios has been working with Liebherr cranes for 30 years.

Dutch-based geo-data specialist Fugro said its supervisory board has nominated Barbara Geelen for appointment as member of the board of management and chief financial officer. She will succeed Paul Verhagen, who is slated to step down as Fugro CFO at the upcoming general meeting of shareholders.Geelen's nomination as member of the board of management in the role of CFO for a period of four years until the general meeting of shareholders in 2025, will be submitted to shareholders for approval at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to be convened on May 12.

In the first quarter of 2021, Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd. ordered two eco-efficient Konecranes Gottwald Model 8 Cranes on Barge. The cranes will be operated by Cosco Shipping Bulk Co. Ltd. (Cosco Bulk) off the coast of Guinea, Africa.Home to the world’s largest reserves of bauxite, the Guinean mining industry has been expanding. Cosco Bulk, a subsidiary of a world-leading shipping company, China Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited, found they needed more cranes to cope with the volume.

More than $220 million in discretionary grant funding has been awarded to improve U.S. port facilities in 16 states and territories through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced Thursday.“This $220 million in federal grants will improve America’s ports with nearly half the projects are located in Opportunity Zones, which were established to revitalize economically distressed communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L.

Dry bulk operator Clipper Bulk announced it will reduce onshore staff in an effort to narrow costs amid historically low freight markets dragged down by the coronavirus pandemic.“The dry cargo market has struggled with unsustainably low freight rates for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse and caused a steep downturn in demand and freight rates. We need to adapt to this new reality, and we are making these changes to stay ahead of the situation,” said Clipper Group CEO Peter Norborg.The company said Thursday it will cut 24 out of 91 jobs ashore by the end of April…

Danish dry bulk specialist Clipper Bulk announced that it would acquire the Bulkhandling shipping pool of Supramax and Ultramax vessels, from Norwegian shipowner Klaveness.The Bulkhandling pool dates back to 1963 and was the first pool operated in shipping.All current members of the Bulkhandling pool have been offered to join the new Clipper Bulkhandling pool, and the new pool management will jointly with the members agree on a strategy for further growth and expansion. Following this, Clipper Bulk will manage one of the leading pools for supramax and ultramax dry bulk tonnage in the world. Lasse Kristoffersen, CEO Torvald Klaveness said:  “The Bulkhandling pool is seen as market leading and have significant potential for growth.

Norwegian shipping company Torvald Klaveness will scale down its dry bulk shipping activity in the Supramax segment and focus on the Panamax to Post-Panamax units.Klaveness Combination Carriers has dry bulk as one of its target markets, and Klaveness Digital, through its CargoValue platform, offer a unique solution for companies sourcing and shipping dry and wet raw materials at sea.Through Klaveness Chartering, Torvald Klaveness is a leading dry bulk operator serving charterers and owners all over the world. Klaveness Chartering has had a particular stronghold in the Panamax, Kamsarmax and Post-Panamax segments and there are significant synergies with the rest of the group in this activity.In order to grow and develop this business further…

The launch of Europort 2019 at the Rotterdam Ahoy yesterday (November 05) saw well-known journalist Geert Maarse bring four of the leading owners in Europe’s special ship segments to grips with the key challenges facing the maritime industries today and tomorrow. Now in its 39th edition, Europort continues to hold its own as one of the most significant events in the maritime calendar, with registered visitors this year reaching 27,000. In 2020, a new convention center will open alongside the existing site, expanding overall space by 50%.

At APM Terminals Mumbai it is now possible to submit Additional Service Requests (ASR) via its online Customer Service Portal. Replacing a manual process, this new automated process is quicker, simpler and more transparent for customers.Around 20 import and 20 export services can now be requested online, ranging from priority delivery, seal fixing, and inter-terminals transfers to early or late gate-ins, empty container storage and break-bulk handling.Requests for additional services are activated immediately, removing the need to allow for 24 hours processing. Payments for services are automatically added to the customer’s account.Reaching out to the broader local shipping community last week…

Over recent years the United Arab Emirates has emerged as an important maritime hub with grand ambitions. Mark Venables visited the region to discover what is driving that growth.When the UAE was elected to the IMO Council as a Category B member, it immediately raised its profile within the maritime community. The Emirates have taken a significant step forward in the maritime world.Despite this success, the region remains a challenging market for shipping and logistics. One of…

A Liebherr LHM 420 Crane is at the heart of a rapidly expanding shortsea shipping success story. Reliability is the key for a port that’s turned the corner, with nowhere to go but ‘up.’Way back in January of 1996, I moved to Richmond, Virginia from Houston, Texas. Still very much in the maritime business as a cargo surveyor and ship expeditor, the Port of Richmond intrigued me, every time I drove past it on I-95. Eventually, I got a tour of the struggling port, courtesy of then port director and retired USCG Captain Marty Moynihan. Moynihan, an energetic executive, was keen to expand the port’s horizons.Back then, as much as half of the port’s meager business was tobacco shipping to and from Philip Morris, just across the street.

Philippines-based port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has inaugurated the newly-expanded Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Georgia.The expansion encompasses both the waterside and landside areas of the multipurpose terminal, intended to optimize the processing of existing cargo flows and install additional capacity to accommodate new business.Marking the importance of the occasion, the inauguration was attended by Giorgi Kobulia, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; Tornike Rizhvadze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara; senior executives from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)–the terminal’s principal container customer–and Hans-Ole Madsen…

NACC Alicudi is reported to be the world’s first cement carrier equipped with IMO Tier III compliant diesel engines driving the bulk handling system. Converted in 2017 with a Van Aalst dry bulk handling system, the vessel became a unique and state-of-the-art 120m self-discharging cement carrier, with a cement handling system is based on compressors and vacuum pumps, driven by Tier III Scania engines. Together they form the heart of the unique vacuum-pressure system for pneumatic conveyance of cement…

At this year's SMM exhibition, MacGregor, part of Cargotec, plans to unveil a new digital solution it says is set to change the face of breakbulk stowage. Alongside this, the company has developed other elements of its digital portfolio, MacGregor Smart, and will showcase these capabilities during daily presentations at the exhibition held September 4-7 in Hamburg, Germany.OnWatch Scout: building on years of remote-equipment access with offshore cranes, MacGregor will now offer a new intelligent prediction service for equipment on merchant vessels. MacGregor OnWatch Scout can predict and monitor upcoming critical issues and communicate them to customers, reducing unplanned downtime and giving back more cost control to the operator or owner of the equipment.

American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) named Mark K. Knoy as its president and chief executive officer in August 2011. Prior to joining ACBL, he was vice president of American Electric Power’s (AEP) Fuel, Emissions and Logistics Group and president of AEP River Operations, having joined AEP with its 2001 purchase of MEMCO Barge Line. From 1984 to 1994, he was owner/operator of The Mark Twain Towing Company and Delmar Marine, Inc., Pekin, Illinois. He began his career in 1973 working aboard towboats on the inland waterways as a deck hand and then as a captain.

Cargotec has signed an agreement with JCE Invest AB to establish a joint venture, Bruks Siwertell Group, specialised in dry bulk handling. The new joint venture will own Siwertell AB (previously part of Kalmar Business Area within Cargotec) and BRUKS Holding AB (previously part of JCE Group). Both companies are world-leading suppliers of bulk materials handling solutions. Cargotec will own 48% of the shares in Bruks Siwertell Group, and JCE Invest AB will own the rest, 52%. The ownerships are included to venturers' consolidated financial statements in accordance with the applicable regulation. The transaction has been signed and closed on 9 May 2018. "This joint venture supports Cargotec's strategy to focus on container ports, heavy industrial segment and logistics.

The latest four rope grab crane development of Liebherr´s floating crane segment is going to be installed on a converted handymax bulk carrier (45,000 DWT) with a total length of 185 m and a breadth of 30.5 m. The ship will be retrofitted with the two Liebherr bulk handling cranes at the Turkish shipyard Kuzey Star Shipyard Tuzla / Istanbul. After completion of the conversion in early 2019, the ship will be used as a transshipment solution for grain handling in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.The ordered cranes are designed for high-speed bulk handling and will be installed on 10 m eccentric platforms in order to increase the maximum outreach up to 36 m. The maximum lifting capacity of the high-performance CBG 360´s is 36 tons.

The new LPS 420 E is the latest extension of the Liebherr mobile harbour crane product range. The newly designed machine is a purely electric driven portal crane. All crane movements like luffing, hoisting, slewing and travelling are done by electric motors. As the LPS 420 E is a member of the LHM series, it is also characterised by high modularity. Therefore, it is a universal all-rounder and a key asset for handling every type of cargo, from containers to bulk, general cargo and heavy lifts up to 124 t. The forwardlooking machine is designed for ports and terminals with an electrical infrastructure. Equipped with two winches, each with a powerful 190 kW electric motor, the LPS 420 E provides a maximum load capacity of up to 124 tonnes.

Riverstone Holdings and The Carlyle Group jointly announce that  they intend to sell HES International to a consortium of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) & Goldman Sachs. Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5, which is managed by MIRA, and West Street Infrastructure Partners III (WSIP), which is managed by the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs, have reached an agreement in principle with Riverstone Holdings and The Carlyle Group to acquire HES International. Capital for the original investment by Riverstone and Carlyle came from two funds: (i) Riverstone/Carlyle Global Energy & Power Fund IV, L.P. and (ii) Carlyle International Energy Partners, L.P. (CIEP). HES will now initiate consultations where appropriate with the relevant works councils.

A keel-laying ceremony was held on August 28 at Damen Shipyards Sharjah for a new ASD Tug 2913 for Saqr Ports, part of Rash Al Khaimah (RAK) Ports. Damen will deliver the vessel to RAK Ports next year, in time for the opening of a new bulk terminal at Saqr Port, the main bulk-handling port in the Middle East. RAK Ports required a tug that was both compact and powerful, in order to handle the large carriers that will call at the port. The keel-laying was attended by Captain Brand…

The recent dredging to the Port of Maputo, Mozambique, access channel, early this year, from -11 to 14.3 meters served as an enabler to other infrastructure projects, some already taking place at the Port. According to a press release, Terminal de Carvão da Matola (TCM) will be the port’s first terminal to take full advantage of the dredging initiative with its Berth Deepening and Expansion project  has inaugurated last week. The works include, on the marine side, the deepening of its existing berth, refurbishment work and the extension of the quay by an 8.5 meter offset. Furthermore, the larger TCM ship loader has been modified, with the boom extended to load at this offset.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, and ESL Shipping Oy, part of Aspo Plc, have agreed to jointly develop and test an autonomous discharging feature on MacGregor bulk handling cranes. It is designed to offer safety and efficiency advances. The cranes will be fitted on board ESL Shipping's two new liquefied natural gas-powered handysize bulk carriers. "Autonomous crane operation improves efficiency and safety," says Leif Byström, Senior Vice President, Cargo Handling at MacGregor. "Our new environmental friendly LNG fuelled ships will be operated in very demanding trade with high number of voyages, port calls and crane operation hours annually.

The Utah Point Multi-User Bulk Handling Facility (Utah Facility) at the Port of Port Hedland has marked a milestone with 100 million tonnes (Mt) of exports since its commissioning in September 2010. The achievement took place on 22 November 2016 following the loading and departure of MV Ju Hua Hai. The Utah Facility was established by Pilbara Ports Authority to meet the growth at the port and provide junior miners access to port facilities and export markets. Since its establishment, the Utah Facility has performed well above initial expectations and design capacity, with a record annual throughput of 22Mt achieved for the 2015/16 financial year.