Kerala News

A Liberia-flagged oil tanker chartered by Chevron Corp had a minor collision with another vessel, the Bueno, in Venezuelan waters on Sunday, according to sources and a shipping report seen by Reuters on Monday. The Bueno has not navigated international waters since the U.S. Treasury Department last year imposed sanctions on it and four other vessels for alleged involvement in moving Iranian-origin shipments, which led to the loss of its Djibouti flag.Chevron-chartered tanker Kerala, which is scheduled to load about 240,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy oil at the Bajo Grande terminal at Lake Maracaibo this week, was near the Amuay ship-to-ship transfer area on Sunday night when it collided with the Bueno.Incidents involving vessels…

Konecranes and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have signed a licensing agreement for the manufacturing and distribution of Konecranes port cranes in India. The first products have been sold under this agreement: two shipyard jib cranes will be delivered to the Cochin Shipyard in Cochin, Kerala province.The agreement between Konecranes and L&T’s Minerals & Metals business unit covers manually operated Ship-to-Shore cranes, Rubber-Tired Gantry cranes and Rail-Mounted Gantry cranes across Konecranes’ brand portfolio. Konecranes shipyard cranes are also included.

A shipping channel snafu is slowing Chevron Corp’s efforts to load tankers at one of its four Venezuelan joint ventures and bring heavy crude to the United States, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.Washington in November authorized the last major U.S. firm still operating in Venezuela to restore lost output and begin exporting oil as a way to encourage talks between Nicolas Maduro’s government and the country’s political opposition.But a plan to move heavy…

Protests were temporarily called off at Adani's Vizhinjam seaport in the southern Indian state of Kerala after more than four months of agitation, a protest leader said on Tuesday, but demands to halt port construction were not met.Work by the Adani Group had been paused at the port because of objections from a mostly Christian fishing community, led by Catholic priests, who said the port would cause coastal erosion and undermine locals' livelihoods, calling for a complete halt to the construction.The Adani conglomerate…

Police in southern India on Tuesday ramped up security around the $900 million transhipment port being built by billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate after scores of people were injured in clashes with protesters from a Christian fishing community.Construction at the mega port project in Vizhinjam on the southern tip of India has been halted for more than three months by the protesters, who have blocked the site's entrance with a makeshift shelter. They blame the port's development for coastal erosion that has hit their livelihoods, an accusation the Adani Group denies.

India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crew," Navy…

Over the past three years, P. Ravindran’s commute from his southern Indian village has been about more than getting to work - the SIM card seller sees his daily trip on India’s first solar-powered ferry as doing his bit for the green revolution.“I am proud to be a frequent traveler on the Aditya... I am being part of cleaning the Earth,” said Ravindran, who uses the boat most days to travel to the town of Vaikom on Lake Vembanad.The Aditya’s green credentials have attracted international…

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, announced the Keel Laying ceremony of Marine Ambulance boats being built for the Department of Fisheries, Government of Kerala.Mrs. J Mercykutty Amma,  Minister of Fisheries, Government of Kerala did the honours in a function held at CSL.The formal start of construction of the first of the series of three marine ambulance boats was carried out in the presence of senior officials from State Fisheries Department, BPCL and Indian Register of Shipping. The directors and employees of CSL were also present during the ceremony. The Minister appreciated…

India's Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has launched two Ro Pax vessels designed and built for Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).The vessels launched at present are the third and fourth vessels in the series of 10 vessels order from IWAI, said the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India.Cochin Shipyard is building a total of 8 Nos. Ro Pax vessels and 2 Nos Ro-Ro vessels for Inland Waterways Authority of India.IWAI nominated CSL for the construction of these vessels, which will be operated in strategic locations in National Waterways 1&2. These vessels can accommodate around 200 passengers and will have 8 crews and can carry 2 trucks and 4 cars.

All crew members of a British-flagged tanker that Iran seized on Friday are safe and still on the vessel, the Iranian embassy in India said on Monday.The seizure of the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz - the world's most important waterway for the oil trade - has deepened a crisis between Tehran and the West that was triggered in May when Washington tightened sanctions, effectively barring all countries from buying Iranian oil."All the crew members including the Indian nationals are in good health, they are still on board the tanker," the embassy told Reuters.Eighteen of the Stena Impero's 23-strong crew are Indian nationals, Iranian authorities said previously.The family of one of them - 26-year-old mess worker Dijo Pappachen…

The Indian Cabinet gave its approval ex post facto to the pact signed between India and the Maldives to start passenger and cargo services through the sea route.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Maldives on June 8, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island country.The MoU will pave the way for ferry services between the Maldives and India, said a statement from the ministry of shipping, India. The proposed ferry service would contribute in a big way to promote people to people contact and to boost bilateral trade.Male, the capital of the Maldives and most populous city and Kulhudhuffushi…

Indian authorities are preparing to evacuate 300,000 people along the western coast as a severe cyclone is expected to make landfall on Thursday morning in the state of Gujarat.Storm Vayu, which formed in the Arabian Sea, is likely to cross the Gujarat coast with gust speeds as high as 135 kmph (84 mph), the India Meteorological Department said in a statement.It also warned the cyclone could further delay the progress of the annual monsoon rains over the rest of India, as the storm was drawing rain clouds from over the sea.The arrival of the monsoons on the southern coast of Kerala was already about a week late this year.Gujarat Chief…

India’s largest private multi-port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) will set up its first container terminal outside India in Myanmar at an estimated cost of US$ 290 million.Adani Group said that all requisite permissions have been received in the form of Myanmar Investment Commission permit, to build and run a container terminal along the Yangon river for 50-years.APSEZ would be the first Indian company to set up a container terminal outside India, CEO Karan Adani said.Construction for phase one of the project will commence next month and will be completed by June 2021. It is a two-phase project. "Total project cost for both phases would be USD 275-290 million.

The largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) announced steel cutting ceremony of three marine ambulance boats  for the Department of Fisheries, government of Kerala State.The minister for fisheries in the state J. Mercykutty Amma expressed happiness at the effort taken by CSL in designing safe & stable vessels for the support of the fishing community in the State.CSL said that she complimented shipyard, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Indian Revenue Service (IRS) & Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Chennai for their participation in ensuring for the first time that a…

A new Cruise Terminal having facilities to handle 5000 tourists will come up at Ernakulum Wharf of Cochin Port, India by February 2020. Cochin Port Trust has issued work order to the contractor today for commencing the construction of the new Cruise Terminal.The facilities inside the Terminal, having 2253sq mtrs area, would include passenger lounge, crew lounge, 30 immigration counters, 8 customs clearance counters, 7 security check counters, Wi-Fi, tourist information counter, duty free shopping, souvenir/artefact/curio shops, medical care, book store, mini conference hall, gaming zone, ATM/bank services, foreign exchange counter, cafeteria…

Cochin Shipyard Ltd. signed an agreement with the government of Kerala for the construction of three marine ambulance boats for the fisheries department.

A blast caused by a fire on a ship under repair at India's Cochin Shipyard Ltd killed five people on Tuesday, and injured around 11, a company spokeswoman said, prompting the government to call for a quick enquiry. The spokeswoman said smoke hampered rescue operations initially and that an investigation would be launched soon. The ship belongs to the country's top energy explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd, she added. An ONGC official said the ship was undergoing maintenance at state-run Cochin Shipyard on the country's southwest coast. The blast took place inside the water tank, said M.P. Dinesh, a senior police official in the southern state of Kerala where the shipyard is located.

For promoting port-led industrialization, 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) covering all the Maritime States and Union Territories have been identified as part of the National Perspective Plan under the Sagarmala Programme. The Perspective Plans for all 14 CEZs have been prepared in consultation with relevant State Governments and Central Ministries. The idea behind developing the zones is to promote 'development of port-proximate industrial clusters'. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal are the other states where potential for coastal economic zones has been identified. Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said that port-led industrialization would provide impetus to the "Make in India" initiative and aid job creation.

DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem met with the Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi at the 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit held in Ahmedabad, India. Discussions highlighted the immense potential of India’s growing economy and the nation’s maritime and inland trade. New opportunities resulting from the Prime Minister’s programmes such as Invest India, Digital India, Skill India and Made in India were also on the agenda, evidence of the new economic direction of the country. Mr. Bin Sulayem also joined a Global CEOs' meeting at the Summit chaired by the Prime Minister. He outlined the importance of the innovation and opportunities for investors in trade, logistics and the maritime sector.

Under India's prestigious Sagarmala Programme,  415 projects, at an estimated investment of approximately  INR 8 Lac Crore (USD 120 Bln) , have been identified across port modernization & new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-linked industrialization and coastal community development for phase wise implementation over the period 2015 to 2035. As per the approved implementation plan of Sagarmala Programme, these projects are to be taken up by the relevant Central Ministries/Agencies and State Governments preferably through private or public-private partnership (PPP) mode. As part of the Sagarmala Programme, 6 new port locations have been identified, namely - Vadhavan, Enayam, Sagar Island, Paradip Outer Harbour, Sirkazhi and Belekeri.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given a ‘go ahead’ to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)’s stalled LPG import terminal project at Puthuvypeen near Kochi in South India. A statement from IOC said that  NGT reaffirmed its previous order dated August 2, 2016, thereby removing the hurdles in resuming its prime infrastructure project in the State. The project work has been stalled since February 15 due to protests, alleging that IOC is violating NGT order. IOC's project was to construct a LPG Import Terminal of six lakh tonne capacity a year at Kochi in Puthuvypeen SEZ of Cochin Port Trust. A report in the Hindu quoted PS Mony, General Manager and State Head…

The Ministry of Shipping in India has taken up projects worth Rs 2,302 crore (USD 356million) for financial assistance under the Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme. The Ministry, after due appraisal in consultation with NITI Aayog and Department of Expenditure, has extended the period of the scheme for three years, upto 31st March, 2020 and expanded its scope to cover capital dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for coastal berth project, in Oct 2017. The projects under Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme are distributed over eight states with the highest number of projects in Maharashtra (12 projects)…

Indian Navy's search and rescue operations continued for the third day over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands in the aftermath of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'OCKHI'. The ships deployed by the Southern Naval Command include IN Ships Sagardhwani, Jamuna, Nireekshak, Kabra and Kalpeni off the Kerala coast and Sharda , Shardul towards Lakshadweep islands. Besides this three air craft viz, Dornier fixed wing aircraft, Seaking Helicopter (SK) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were also deployed throughout the day. A total of 84 personnel have been rescued over the last two days which includes 62 by aircrafts and 22 by ships. Additionally, transfer of two dead bodies was also effected through ALH to Thiruvananthapuram after being picked up by INS Sagardhwani.