Improved Services News

Corvus Energy, a Norway-based provider of battery energy storage solutions and fuel cell systems for the marine sector, has been awarded a Type Approval from DNV for its Cyber Security Notation on the Control and Monitoring System of Corvus Energy's Orca Energy Storage System (ESS).The Type Approval certificate signifies that Corvus Energy's control and monitoring system, along with its data collection through Lighthouse, has successfully met all the stringent safety, quality…

The Compagnie Abidjanaise de Réparation Navale et de maintenance industrielle (CARENA), subsidiary of the Bolloré Group and the SOFIA Group, just acquired a 3rd dock, enhancing the operational capacity of West Africa’s biggest shipyard. With this new dock, CARENA is increasing its hosting capacity by over 40 %. With this 175-metre-long and 26-metre-wide piece of equipment – a nearly 5 billion CFA Franc investment – CARENA’s teams now have more space to accommodate larger ships and receive new clients. CARENA, with its 450 linear metres of docks, is today modernising by investing in new equipment: two new tower cranes, one new floating crane with greater lifting capacity…

It has now been decided that Ulstein Verft will be constructing Color Line’s new hybrid vessel. The environmentally sound ship will be servicing Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019. Ulstein won the contract in competition with several other yards. “It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proven its competitiveness internationally, and that Color Line contributes to the further development of the Norwegian maritime industry,” says CEO Trond Kleivdal at Color Line. “We are very pleased that Color Line decided to proceed from a Letter of Intent to a firm contract on the construction of this hybrid vessel. This is an important milestone for us, and we are looking forward to the further cooperation with Color Line”, states CEO Gunvor Ulstein at Ulstein Group.

Color Line and Ulstein sign a firm contract on construction of the world’s largest plug-in hybrid vessel. Ulstein said it has won a contract to build Color Line’s new hybrid passenger vessel to service Sandefjord – Strømstad from summer 2019. The ship will be constructed at Ulstein Verft in Norway. “It is very gratifying that the Norwegian shipbuilding industry has proven its competitiveness internationally, and that Color Line contributes to the further development of the Norwegian maritime industry,” said CEO Trond Kleivdal at Color Line.

Spanish shipping line Baleària said it has reached an agreement with the Italian shipyard Cantiere Navale Visentini to build two dual-fuel sister ferries, measuring 186.5 meters in length and a capacity for 810 people, 2,180 linear meters of cargo and 150 cars. The total investment in these vessels is some 200 million euros (approximately $215 million USD); they are expected to be operational by the end of 2018. The ships will reach speeds of 24 knots thanks to two dual engines with a total power of 20,600 KW.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced revisions to its five services operating between Asia and USA West Coast/Canada. In an effort to provide improved services to our customers, MSC is pleased to announce revisions to its five services operating between Asia and USA West Coast/Canada. All changes will come into effect from the middle of December, with departures from Asia. MSC’s Pearl and Jaguar services will remain unchanged. ‘New Orient’ and ‘New Eagle’ services will be respectively renamed ‘Orient’ and ‘Eagle’. Eagle trade will offer a direct service to Vancouver and Seattle, while Orient will offer a dedicated service to Long Beach. Maple, our committed trade to Canada, will call Prince Rupert and Vancouver. Highlights of the service changes can be found below.

In time for the start of the cruise season in May, Ports of Stockholm’s most recent and exciting pier construction was inaugurated at the Port of Nynäshamn. It is a seawalk, a 260 metre-long extendible pier that, in a similar way to an extendible measuring ruler, can be extended out to the vessel. Using the Seawalk, passengers and luggage can be embarked and disembarked to and from the vessel without having to use tenderboats. When there is no cruise ship in port the pier is retracted. “Currently there are only three similar constructions in the entire world and we have improved services and flexibility for the cruise ships significantly by investing in the seawalk,” explains Henrik Ahlqvist, Head of Cruise Marketing at Ports of Stockholm.

Abu Dhabi Ports─ the master developer, operator and manager of ports and industrial zones in the emirate─ informs it has received the International Standard for Maritime Pilot Organizations (IPSO) certifications for its marine pilotage service. Abu Dhabi Ports Marine Services has received the plaudits for the pilots working at Khalifa Port― the first semi-automated port in the region, and Zayed Port― a premier regional hub for cruise industry, and general and bulk cargo. These…

The Israeli ocean carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Services is upgrading its Asia-Mediterranean service network, comprising the East Med-Black Sea Express, or EMX, and the Asia-India Subcontinent East Med, or AME, by adding new port calls and upsizing tonnage deployment. The upgraded its Asia-Med Services  due to commence in mid-October 2015. The improved rotation will include extended port coverage, two weekly calls in Haifa and Ashdod and other improvements suited to the needs of the Asia-Med market. Rafael Ben-Ari, ZIM’s VP of Shipping, commented, “We are pleased to upgrade our Asia-Med Services with faster transit times and greater port coverage.

ClassNK has opened a new exclusive survey office in Cadiz, Spain with operations beginning today. Cadiz is a port city located in south-western Spain home to well-established shipyard facilities. The Cadiz Office joins an existing network of five survey offices throughout Spain in Bilbao, Algeciras, Barcelona, Ferrol, and Las Palmas. Through the opening of the Cadiz Office, ClassNK will respond swiftly to its clients in the region and provide shipowners with further improved services.

Container shipping company CMA CGM Group announced its Gulfbridge service upgrade, and its Hispaniola feeder service optimization. To adapt the group’s offer to its clients’ demand, CMA CGM decided to improve its Gulfbridge service by decreasing its transit times to Colombia. The service first rotation will start on April 29, in New Orleans, with the vessel Frisia Loga. 2,500 TEUs capacity vessels will call ports in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and East and West South American coast calls through its Kingston transshipment. To complete its regional coverage, the CMA CGM Group uses feeder services. Those services dispatch the containers transported on the main services via transshipment ports. Calls frequency will be increased. Transit times from Kingston will be reduced.

DNV GL was recognized for its leadership and ability to innovate when it received both the “Classification Society” and the “Innovation Award” at the 2014 Lloyd’s List Asia Awards held on 30 October. This is the second year in a row that DNV GL has won the award for best Classification Society. “We are delighted and proud to receive these awards. They acknowledge the meaningful commitments DNV GL staff around the world have made over the past year. We remain dedicated to expanding our presence in Asia with deep technical competence and innovative solutions that assist our customers to become safer, smarter and greener,” said Steen Lund, Regional Manager for DNV GL Maritime South East Asia & Pacific, who accepted the Classification Award on behalf of DNV GL.

The Global Shippers' Forum has welcomed confirmation that the European Competition Commission will closely monitor the P3 for compliance with EU competition rules. GSF Secretary General, Chris Welsh, said,"The GSF has asked the Commission to closely scrutinise the P3 to ensure the Agreement is in line with the general provisions of the EU competition guidelines. GSF believes the P3 should assist the Commission in monitoring compliance by providing reports on service performance on specific port pairs, vessel withdrawals including short-term withdrawals that might cause disruption to shippers' supply chains, and information about future investment plans including future joint investment strategies that would impact on future capacity availability in the markets in which the P3 will operate.

The surprising surge in cargo volumes from Asia to the East Coast of North America since July remained strong in September, and even appears to have continued in October says a Drewry Maritime Research analysis. Shipments from Asia to the East Coast of North America (ECNA) continued to grow impressively in September, reaching 382,000 teu. It brought the total for the peak season quarter up to 1.14 million teu, a startling 18% increase over the same period last year. In turn, this took the year-to-date increase up to 10%, which was significantly better than the West Coast’s 3%.

Irish Ferries has chartered the Epsilon (built in 2011) to supplement its existing Ireland to Britain services. The ship will provide two additional departures per day in each direction which will result in an increase in the company’s schedule to a maximum of twelve sailings between Dublin and Holyhead each day. The recently built vessel will provide significant vehicle capacity along with modern facilities on board including cabins, bar/cafeteria and self-service restaurant.

Astrium Services, the global provider of satellite enabled telecom solutions, is again expanding its global VSAT coverage following the signing of new separate Ku-band capacity agreements with Eutelsat and SES. the company said new capacity secures more coverage and better performance in existing coverage spots. Enhanced capacity on Eutelsat’s E36B will provide improved services and more bandwidth for Astrium Services customers operating in the Mediterranean and Middle East, in addition to the area North of Norway and Russia (Barents Sea).

Global full service freight forwarder, SBS Worldwide launched a key ocean freight consolidation service through the US West Coast gateway for its customers in the north of the UK through its Manchester office, the first of a series of planned enhancements this year. Chairman, Steve Walker is certain that as the economic chill hardens, exporters and importers in one of the most important commercial, industrial and retail regions of the UK will welcome his company’s improved services. “During January, we introduced a Los Angeles/Liverpool consolidation service with a 17 day depot to depot transit time,” he said.

Italy's Lloyd Triestino (LT) will offer its customers on the transpacific much faster transit times following the re-scheduling of the weekly HTW and TPN services. The changes to these services are expected to take effect in May 2001. The HTW service is operated under a slot-charter agreement with Evergreen. At the present time, it is operated by six 3,428 TEU vessels which round-trip in 42 days. By end May, these ships will have been replaced by one 5,364 TEU and three 4,211 TEU ships, all capable of maintaining a 25-knot service speed. The HTW service will have the following port rotation: Los Angeles - Kaohsiung - Hong Kong - Los Angeles.

Canadian Pacific Limited has agreed to acquire the outstanding 50% of the Americana Ships joint venture from its partner, Transportacion Maritima Mexicana SA de CV of Mexico. CP Ships and TMM formed Americana Ships in January 1999 as an equal partnership. TMM has now decided to narrow its strategic focus to concentrate on its other activities. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected early in the new year. It will confer full ownership of the container shipping services operated under the Lykes Lines, TMM Lines and TMG brands to Canadian Pacific's container shipping subsidiary, CP Ships. The transaction also includes the 27,000 teu container fleet owned by TMM and used by Americana Ships.

Canadian Pacific Limited has agreed to acquire the outstanding 50 percent of the Americana Ships joint venture from its partner, Transportacion Maritima Mexicana SA de CV of Mexico. CP Ships and TMM formed Americana Ships in January 1999 as an equal partnership. TMM has now decided to narrow its strategic focus to concentrate on its other activities. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected early in the new year. It will confer full ownership of the container shipping services operated under the Lykes Lines, TMM Lines and TMG brands to Canadian Pacific's container shipping subsidiary, CP Ships. The transaction also includes the 27,000 teu container fleet owned by TMM and used by Americana Ships.