Harbor Board News

U.K. based vessel owner and operator Bibby Marine announced it has appointed Howard Woodcock as non-executive director.Howard has more than 35 years’ experience across the maritime and offshore energies sectors, having held senior executive roles with United Offshore Support (GmbH) and Bibby Offshore Holdings Limited, in addition to non-executive directorships with Aberdeen Harbor Board, Costcutter Supermarkets Group, IndoChina ShipManagement UK Ltd and AWSR Shipping Limited.In his most recent role…

CMR Group delivered an alarm monitoring and engine control system for use onboard the tug DHB Doughty. Built in 2000, Doughty is part of the fleet of Dover Harbor Board, which administers and maintains the Port of Dover UK, the busiest ferry port in Europe.The engine control system of the two engines of the 19-year-old, 304-gt tug needed to be retro-fitted, and CMR was specified to deliver its E-Pulse system, an engine control system based around a touch-screen local operating…

As the first 6,000 tonne concrete “foundation” for Aberdeen Harbor’s $466m expansion has arrived from Cromarty Firth, the harbor expansion project has reached a new landmark stage.The 50m long, 15m wide and 16m deep caisson is the first of 22 that will form the foundations for Castlegate and Dunnottar Quays, which will be 540m and 400m long respectively. In order to transport the caisson safely, it will travel the 180-nautical mile journey at two nautical miles per hour, escorted by ‘The Strathdee’ towage vessel.Once the caisson has safely arrived in South Harbor, GPS equipment will be used to position it into its designated location with an accuracy of +/- 20mm. It will then be filled with water to sink it to the sea bed.

Construction of a 30-meter-long, purpose-built floating crew transfer pontoon in Aberdeen Harbor’s Albert Basin has been completed by Swedish energy firm Vattenfall – supporting a new gateway for renewables in the center of the country’s energy industry. The 180m² pontoon, which is the only one of its kind at Aberdeen Harbor, has been specially built on Commercial Quay West as part of a 24-year agreement with the Harbor Board and can accommodate up to three crew transfer vessels at any one time. It will initially be used to support construction of Vattenfall’s European Offshore Wind Deployment Center (EOWDC) and then as a marine support base for its on-going operations and maintenance(O&M) program.

Michelle Handforth has taken over the role of chief executive at Aberdeen Harbor Board, the U.K. offshore oil and gas port. This comes after an extensive recruitment process, when Handforth, who has 20 years of board and leadership experience in global, multi-site businesses, was recruited to succeed Colin Parker as Chief Executive. Alistair Mackenzie, Chairman of Aberdeen Harbor Board, said, “Michelle is joining Aberdeen Harbor at an incredibly important time for the organisation. Construction works are well under way at the Aberdeen South Harbor site, whilst we continue to focus on providing second-to-none services and facilities for our customers in the existing harbor.

Aberdeen Harbor Board said it has completed the restructuring of its Marine Operations Department with the internal appointment of Captain Jeff Gaskin as new Harbor Master and Alexandra McIntosh as Marine Manager. Gaskin, formerly the Harbor’s Marine Superintendent, has been appointed Harbor Master following the retirement of Captain Ray Shaw. Gaskin has 26 years’ experience within the maritime sector. He started his career as a cadet with Louis Dreyfus Shipping in 1990 and enjoyed spells with both PNTL and Cunard before ending his seagoing career with Vector Offshore in Aberdeen.

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointments of Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum and former City Councilman Doug Drummond to second terms on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Mayor Robert Garcia announced the reappointments last month. Both Bynum, the Harbor Board Vice President, and Drummond, a former Board President, were originally appointed by Garcia’s predecessor, Mayor Bob Foster. “These commissioners have done outstanding jobs helping to lead the Harbor Department,” Garcia said. “Their commitment to continuing public service will provide stability and consistency to the decisions governing Long Beach’s most important economic engine.

The Los Angeles City Council apprises that it has unanimously confirmed veteran shipping industry leader Gene Seroka as the new Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. Earlier in June, the Harbor Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve Seroka for the executive director’s position. Mayor Garcetti’s May 27 announcement that he had chosen Seroka for the job concluded a global search to fill the Port’s top management post. As the Port’s Executive Director, Seroka will be responsible for managing a US$938.8-million budget, advancing major capital projects, growing trade volumes and promoting innovation and sustainable practices that strengthen the region’s economy.

Aberdeen Harbor has reported its results for 2013, with vessel tonnage exceeding 28 million metric tons for the second year in succession, and nearly 4.9 million metric tons of cargo crossing the quayside. Strong activity across the Harbor’s customer base was reflected in its financial results for the year, with turnover up 1.1% to £27.6 million (2012: £27.3 million), delivering pretax profits of £9.6 million. The port has continued to be buoyed by high levels of activity from the region’s oil and gas industry and from its general cargo customers…

Plans by Aberdeen Harbor Board to create additional berthing facilities at Nigg Bay have received a double boost. An independent report has estimated the economic benefit of the development to the local and national economies to be nearly £1 billion per annum. This report has been published in the same month that the Scottish Government, in their National Planning Process, has named the Nigg Bay Development as one of only 14 projects that they consider to be of national importance to Scotland.

Port Officials and Global Auto Processing Services (GAPS) executed a fifth modification of its 2007 contract extending their agreement for an additional five years through January 31, 2019. The Port welcomed GAPS for the first time in March 2007. Port CEO and Executive Director Kristin Decas noted at the announcement, “In addition to GM and U.S. manufactured Honda exports, GAPS partners with logistics provider Glovis USA, (the logistical arm of Hyundai/Kia), to handle the Hyundai and Kia family of Korean manufactured automobiles. We greatly value this partnership and look forward to many more years as partners”.

Port Officials and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), on the eve of WWL’s 26th anniversary at the Port, executed a fifth modification of its 1991 contract extending its agreement for an additional five years through December 31, 2018. Wallenius Wilhelmsen ships first began calling at the Port of Hueneme in1987. In 1991, WWL established Pacific Ro-Ro Stevedoring (Pac-Ro) to handle autos arriving at the Port and Pacific Vehicle Processors (PVP) as part of a further expansion of the company’s logistics capabilities. WWL has been instrumental in driving the Port’s economic recovery and growth. Harbor Board President Jason Hodge said, “Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is a vital long term community partner and a significant economic engine.

Port Officials and BMW of North America, on the eve of BMW’s 26th anniversary at the Port, executed a fifth modification of its 1987 contract extending  their agreement for an additional five years through December 31, 2018. Said Harbor Board President Jason Hodge, “BMW’s Vehicle Distribution Center is a vital community partner and a significant economic engine. BMW’s Port manager Mark T. Port CEO and Executive Director Kristin Decas noted at the announcement, “26 years represents a lifetime in the maritime community.

Port Officials and Del Monte Fresh produce have celebrated their 34-year partnership by executing a third modification of their 1995 contract. “34 years represents a lifetime in the maritime community. Del Monte arrived at the port in 1979, encouraged by a motivated and sustainable labor force. Having no refrigerated facilities in those days, bananas had to be unloaded box- by-box utilizing an elevated conveyor system connecting directly into the side of the ship. At each end of the conveyor, longshoremen handled 40- pound banana boxes from the ship onto a staged pallet alongside the wharf. Full pallets, consisting of 48 boxes would in turn be loaded by teamsters onto waiting trucks.

Aberdeen Harbor Board’s annual results have revealed record vessel activity in 2012 and record levels of cargo passing through the port. Overall vessel tonnage handled by the port increased by 8%, from 25.91 million tons in 2011, to 28.19 million tons in 2012. The Harbor also saw an 8% increase in cargo handled, increasing from 4.76 million tons in 2011 to 5.14 million tons in 2012 - another record for the Port. As a result, Aberdeen Harbor’s annual turnover increased by 13% to £27.37 million from £24.06 million in 2011, recording a retained profit of £7.46 million.

Aberdeen Harbor has welcomed the largest ever vessel to the port after the completion of a £5.2 million program to improve access and deepen the Navigation Channel. The improvements – designed to open the harbor to larger vessels and new markets – were completed five weeks ahead of schedule. The two recent visits of the diving support vessel, Skandi Arctic, were perfect demonstrations that the harbor has entered a new era. Measuring 27 metres in breadth and 156 metres in length…

The first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment project of Aberdeen Harbor’s Torry Quay has been completed. A project milestone, it was marked by the vessel Skandi Foula, which docked at the quay before loading cargo destined for a North Sea installation. The vessel is the first to have used the new facilities, which include 300 meters of realigned, deep water berths, a stronger quayside for heavier lifts, and a wider channel in the River Dee, designed to facilitate improved vessel navigation. These features are the result of an initial £19million investment by the Aberdeen Harbor Board. “There is a growing trend for increasingly large, deep-drafted vessels.” Said Ken Reilly, engineering director of Aberdeen Harbor.

Aberdeen Harbor attracted increased traffic across the first half of 2011, with both vessel numbers and tonnage on the up. Vessel numbers rose by seven percent on the same period last year to 3,746 while shipping tonnage increased from 11.6 million tonnes to 12.2 million tonnes. Total cargo tonnage also increased over the same period by 4.7 percent from 2.2 to 2.3 million tonnes. The port also recorded 590,563 tons of shipping activity during the second week of July; the highest weekly tonnage ever to be handled.