Italian Port News

Italian authorities have impounded a vessel operated by a Spanish charity, the group said on Thursday, after it carried out multiple rescues of migrants stranded in the Mediterranean.The Open Arms group said in a statement it had completed three rescues on Saturday picking up 176 people at sea, which included more than 90 unaccompanied minors. The boat docked on Wednesday in the central Italian port of Carrara to disembark the migrants.The vessel was placed under detention for 20 days after the authorities questioned the captain and the head of mission over what happened, Open Arms said, adding they expected to receive a fine worth between 3…

The European Union's full embargo of Russian oil products came into effect on Feb. 5, but data from traders and Refinitiv show that the bulk of Russia's fuel oil and vacuum gasoil (VGO) is already being shipped to other regions, mostly in Asia.In January, less than 5% of Russian fuel oil and VGO was shipped to EU countries, including some 100,000 tonnes to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece, about 80,000 tonnes to the Latvian port of Ventspils and 30,000 tonnes - to the Italian port of Augusta."No need to say…

The Italian government ordered police on Friday to impound a luxury yacht worth some $700 million that has been linked in the media to Russian President Vladimir Putin.The sleek, six-deck Scheherazade had been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara since September, but recent activity at the dockside suggested that the crew might be preparing to put to sea.A source with direct knowledge of a weeks-long investigation into the vessel said police believed the owner was Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft who is not currently a target of EU sanctions.In a statement announcing the seizure order…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Italy on Tuesday to seize a mystery yacht worth some $700 million that has been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.In an address to the Italian parliament, Zelenskiy said Putin and his wealthy backers often went to Italy on holiday and should have all their assets frozen to put pressure on them to end the invasion of Ukraine."Don't be a resort for murderers. Block all their real estate, accounts and yachts - from the Scheherazade to the smallest ones," he said, referring to a superyacht that is moored in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara.The sleek, six-deck vessel has two helicopter landing pads and can host up 18 guests and 40 crew.

Firefighters battling for a third day a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy recovered on Sunday the body of a passenger listed as missing, Greek authorities said.It is the first reported fatality after rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety from a blaze which broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday.The ferry had been on its way to the Italian port of Brindisi from Igoumenitsa in Greece when it was engulfed…

Two people are trapped on a ferry that was engulfed in a blaze as it sailed from Greece to Italy early on Friday, the coastguard said, after scores of others passengers and crew members were rescued.A total of 239 passengers and 51 crew were onboard the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia when the fire broke out and rescue vessels had taken most of them to the island of Corfu where ambulances were waiting, the Greek coastguard added."We were woken up around 4:20 a.m. Within an hour we had left the ship ...

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has received an order of 12 diesel-electric straddle carriers from Medcenter Container Terminal (MCT) in Italy.Located in the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro, MCT,  owned and operated by Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), is a mega port able to handle the largest container vessels deployed on Asia-Mediterranean routes.The terminal has handled more than 56 million TEUs since it opened in September 1995. In January 2020, Kalmar delivered the 200th Kalmar straddle carrier to the terminal.

French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Monday an MSF vessel that rescued hundreds of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean last month has been detained in Italy, suggesting the seizure was politically motivated.Thousands of migrants embark each year on the crossing, often departing in small, inflatable boats from Libya with hopes of reaching Europe.So far this year, 866 migrant deaths have been recorded in the Mediterranean, according to the U.N. migration agency. Most of them, 723, died on the central Mediterranean route where the MSF vessel was operating.MSF’s research ship, the Geo Barents, was seized on July 2 in Augusta…

Italian authorities have seized a boat operated by a German NGO that last month rescued more than 200 people stranded at sea, because it did not comply with safety rules, the Coast Guard said on Thursday.In April, Italy banned migrant rescue ships from docking in its ports until July 31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dozens of seaports across Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Americas have pledged to remain open to merchant vessels to ensure the flow of essential goods throughout the coronavirus pandemic.To date, more than 50 port authorities have signed on to support the Port Authorities Roundtable (PAR) COVID-19 declaration, initiated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for ports to commit to staying open to merchant vessels and work together to share best practices in ensuring that port operations can remain undisrupted.“Now is the time…

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) reports it has completed its first ever survey by drone, carried out in the holds of a bulk carrier in an Italian port.The scope was an intermediate survey on a bulk carrier and consisted of close-up inspections and ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM) conducted by the drone in two cargo hold spaces. The required prior agreement from the flag authority was confirmed – all the more necessary as the ship is subject to the IMO Code for the Enhanced Survey Program (ESP).Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) were reflected in BV’s rules in 2019.

APM Terminals said that its new deep-sea container terminal, Vado Gateway terminal, located in Vado Ligure, Italy, received its first commercial service on 11 February 2020.The ship, M/V Maersk Kota, was the first of seven ships from Maersk’s weekly ME2 service, connecting the Mediterranean with the Middle East and India.According to a company release, the call by M/V Maersk Kota marked the start of operations for the new deep-sea Vado Gateway container terminal in northern Italy.With a total investment of 450 million euros, it is one the most important port infrastructures to be built in Italy in recent decades.Managed by APM Terminals Vado Ligure…

Kalmar, a provider of cargo-handling solutions and services to ports and terminals, and Italy's Medcenter Container Terminal (MCT), are celebrating the delivery of the terminal's 200th straddle carrier.Both companies participated in a joint event on 15 January in recognition of their long-standing partnership.Located in the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro, MCT is a megaport able to handle the largest vessels deployed on Asia-Mediterranean routes. The terminal has handled more than 50 million TEUs since it opened in September 1995.Antonio Davide Testi, CEO, MCT: “MCT has relied heavily on Kalmar straddle carrier technology right from day one of operations and the great majority of our straddle carriers are from Kalmar, so we are pleased to continue this highly successful partnership.

The international container terminal operating company APM Terminals (APMT) said it has opened a new container terminal in Vado Ligure, on the Italian Riviera, which will be capable of handling 900,000 TEUs of containerized cargo.APMT has a 50.1% share in the “Vado Gateway,” while Cosco Shipping Ports has a 40% share and Qingdao Port International has a 9.9% share. APMT said the project is part of the “New Silk Road.” Chinese firms have invested in more than a dozen European ports in recent years.Vado Gateway is the most important port infrastructure development in Italy over the last decades and the result of a 450-million-euro investment.The terminal was commissioned by Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Occidentale (Western Ligurian Sea System Port Authority)…

French shipbuilders Naval Group and Italy's Fincantieri announced the name of the 50/50  joint venture NAVIRIS.The name was presented during the recent Steering Committee held in Genoa (it meets every quarter alternatively in France and Italy) and is a new step in the strong collaboration between Fincantieri and Naval Group.The Alliance between Fincantieri and Naval Group represents a great opportunity for both groups and their ecosystems to enhance their ability to better serve the French and Italian navies, to capture new export contracts, to develop new technologies and, ultimately, to improve the competitiveness of the naval sectors of both countries.

German-based  cargo container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd AG is splitting its Region Europe into northern and southern parts. In doing so, the world’s fifth-largest liner shipping company will remain close to global markets and serve customers from a total of six regions effective immediately.The new Region South Europe, which will have its headquarters in the Italian port city of Genoa, aims to bolster Hapag-Lloyd’s competitive position in the Mediterranean region. It will include Area Italy, Area Iberia, Area Turkey, Area Egypt and Area Med Agents, which manages the company’s 15 agents in the region.The new head and senior managing director of Region South Europe will be Juan Pablo Richards…

Italy's Transport Minister has welcomed Spain's decision to send its navy to pick up migrants on board the Open Arms charity ship and take them to Spanish shores."I hope that Spain answers our appeal and commits to stopping Open Arms in the future with the means and in the ways it deems right," Toninelli said in a statement.The Open Arms, at sea for 19 days with almost 100 migrants onboard, has been waiting just off the Italian port of Lampedusa asking to bring the migrants ashore despite an Italian ban on private rescue ships docking.Reporting by Stephen Jewkes

Italy's Transport Minister has welcomed Spain's decision to send its navy to pick up migrants on board the Open Arms charity ship and take them to Spanish shores."I hope that Spain answers our appeal and commits to stopping Open Arms in the future with the means and in the ways it deems right," Toninelli said in a statement.The Open Arms, at sea for 19 days with almost 100 migrants onboard, has been waiting just off the Italian port of Lampedusa asking to bring the migrants ashore despite an Italian ban on private rescue ships docking.(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; editing by Pamela Barbaglia)

Malta said on Friday it would take in 54 migrants rescued by an Italian charity boat off Libya this week, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock at one of its ports as it labours to shut down sea migration routes.However, in a convoluted game of cat-and-mouse that is pitting EU governments against each other and against the non-governmental rescue boats, Malta said it would dispatch to Italy a similar number of migrants already on its territory.Malta and Italy have frequently been at loggerheads over who should receive migrants rescued in the Mediterranean and both have closed their ports to NGO rescue ship unless agreement is reached for those on board to be transferred to other countries.A German charity ship…

Italian infrastructure investment fund F2i announced its entry into the ports sector with the acquisition of the Porto di Carrara Spa (PDC Spa) Group, which owns port terminals at Carrara, Marghera and Chioggia.The Group, which each year handles around 5 million tons of solid bulk cargoes, is one of the main Italian port hubs and operates in the strategic sector of supplying some of the key Italian industrial segments, said a press release from the biggest Italian infrastructure fund with around 5 billion euro in assets under management.Most of the steel supplies for the districts of Brescia, Verona and Vicenza pass through the terminals of the PDC Group…

Dozens of migrants trying to reach Europe drowned in the Mediterranean on Friday and 100 more were sent back to Libya, the United Nations said, while Italian authorities signalling opposition to more migration from Africa seized a rescue ship.The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said 65 people drowned when their boat capsized off Tunisia, and 101 others who had been picked up at sea were returned to Libya, despite repeated warnings that it is not a safe country to send people back to.It was one the deadliest shipwrecks involving migrants trying to reach Europe via north Africa this year.Tripoli, a hub for migrants and refugees hoping to sail to Europe after a perilous trek through the Sahara…

Medcenter Container Terminal SpA (MCT), which operates a major transshipment hub for the Mediterranean region, has placed an order for 32 diesel-electric straddle carriers. The delivery of all machines scheduled to be completed by the end of Q4 2019. MCT is located in the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro, a mega-port able to handle the largest vessels deployed on the Asia-Mediterranean routes.The terminal has handled more than 50 million TEU since it began operations in September 1995, with an annual handling capacity of 4.2 million TEU. In total, Kalmar has delivered 164 straddle carriers to MCT since the terminal was opened. The Kalmar Straddle Carrier is driven by a highly efficient diesel-electric power unit and offers excellent manoeuvrability…

Contship Italia SpA has sold its 50 percent share in the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro, which includes the Medcenter Container Terminal (MCT).A press release said: "Contship, a fully controlled subsidiary of Terminal Investment Ltd (TIL) have executed a share purchase agreement concerning the sale of 50% of CSM Italia Gate S.p.A., the company which owns 100% of MCT."MCT is the concessionaire of the container terminal activities in the port of Gioia Tauro and TIL already owned 50% of CSM Italia Gate S.p.A.The parties involved are not disclosing terms. Regulatory approvals are still pending.At closing, TIL will own 100% of CSM Italia Gate S.p.A. and will indirectly control all the shares of MCT.Contship Italia S.p.A.