German Green Group Seeks to Cut Wilhelmshaven FSRU License by 10 Years
A German environmental group has lodged a complaint calling for the operating licence of a new floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Wilhelmshaven to be shortened by a decade citing its discharging of chlorine and risks to Germany's climate targets.Germany plans to use so-called Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRUs) to import LNG as it weans itself off of piped Russian gas. The group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), said in a complaint to the commercial regulator in the state of Lower Saxony that the licence for the unit at Wilhelmshaven should end in 2032, not 2042.
Rhine Traffic Further Hindered After Vessel's Engine Failure
Around 20 ships are stuck in traffic along Germany's river Rhine, where low water levels have already impeded shipping this summer, after a vessel's engine failure closed part of the waterway, authorities said on Wednesday.A vessel with a 1,660-ton load was forced to drop anchor due to an engine failure, closing traffic between St Goar and Oberwesel, river police said."It's backing up," a spokesperson for the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration told Reuters. "The berths are full all the way to Mainz." Mainz is about 50 kilometres south-east of Oberwesel.Downstream was affected more.
Union Calls 24-hour Warning Strike in German Ports
German trade union ver.di called on several thousand employees at German ports to take part in a 24-hour warning strike from Thursday morning, potentially further increasing difficulties at already strained ports.Workers in Emden, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Brake, Wihelmshaven and Hamburg were called on to take part, after a fourth round of wage negotiations fell through.
Russian Billionaire's Yacht Stuck in Hamburg Shipyard
A luxury yacht linked to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who faces EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is sitting in a shipyard in the German port of Hamburg and local authorities said there were no plans to deliver it to its owner.Hamburg authorities denied that they had seized the more-than-500-foot (150 meter) Dilbar superyacht, which boasts a 25-meter swimming pool and is worth nearly $600 million. Forbes had reported on Wednesday that it had been undergoing…
Germany's Chancellor Scholz Halts Nord Stream 2 as Ukraine Crisis Deepens
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz halted the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project designed to bring more Russian gas to Germany on Tuesday after Russia formally recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.Europe's most divisive energy project was finished in September but has remained idle since then pending certification by Germany and the European Union.The project is designed to double the amount of gas flowing from Russia straight to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing…
Germany Working with U.S. on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal
Germany said on Sunday it was continuing to work closely with the United States on implementing a deal on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea and carries gas from Russia to Germany.Germany's foreign ministry said it continued to coordinate closely with the U.S. administration on implementing a joint declaration on the $11 billion pipeline.The Biden administration has waived sanctions on the pipeline operator and made a deal with Germany in July, although…
Port of Hamburg Sees Volatile Transport Chains for Rest of Year
Europe's third largest harbor, the German Port of Hamburg, reported a 2.9% hike in sea cargo in the first nine months of 2021 on Tuesday but warned that global transport chains would remain volatile for the rest of the year.Global trade has been marred by logjams in container ports caused by disruptions from unexpected demand spurts, labour shortages and traffic snarl-ups amid the coronavirus pandemic.The crisis has weighed particularly heavily on Germany, which is Europe's largest…
Hapag-Lloyd Plans More Capacity Investments
German container liner Hapag-Lloyd will make more investments in vessel capacity this year to grow in line with the global market, where it is the number five operator, Chief Finance Officer Mark Frese told analysts on Wednesday.Apart from the unspecified further investments in containers, there would also be selected second hand tonnage purchases, he added in a call as the company published first quarter results.Last December, Hapag-Lloyd ordered six ultra-large-container-vessels (ULCCs) in a $1 billion investment and last month, it ordered standard and reefer containers worth $550 million.(R
Merkel Ally Calls for Moratorium on Nord Stream 2 Construction
Germany's coordinator for transatlantic relations called on Wednesday for a moratorium on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, breaking ranks with many in Chancellor Angela Merkel's government.The United States is opposed to the project, saying it increases Europe's reliance on Russian energy and U.S. President Joe Biden is dangling the threat of sanctions."The project is a serious obstacle for a new start in transatlantic relations…
Divers Find Nazi Enigma Device while Searching for Fishing Nets in Baltic Sea
German divers searching the Baltic Sea for discarded fishing nets have stumbled upon a rare Enigma cipher machine used by the Nazi military during World War Two which they believe was thrown overboard from a scuttled submarine.Thinking they had discovered a typewriter entangled in a net on the seabed of Gelting Bay, underwater archaeologist Florian Huber quickly realized the historical significance of the find.“I’ve made many exciting and strange discoveries in the past 20 years.
Turkey Wants French Apology Over Mediterranean Warships Incident
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday Turkey expects France to apologize after an incident between Turkish and French warships in the Mediterranean prompted Paris to request a NATO investigation.Relations between the NATO members have soured over the Libya conflict, where Turkey supports the internationally recognized government and accuses Paris of backing the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar who tried to capture Tripoli.France denies backing Haftar's offensive on the capital…
Germany Will Not Join U.S.-Led Mission
Germany will not participate in a U.S.-led naval mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday.Stressing that Germany wants to avoid a further escalation of tensions in the region, Maas told reporters on a trip to Warsaw that there was no military solution."Germany will not take part in the sea mission presented and planned by the Untied States," said Maas. (Reuters, Reporting by Joanna Plucinska Writing by Madeline Chambers Editing by Michelle Martin)
U.S. Asked Germany to Join Hormuz Mission
The United States has formally asked Germany to join France and Britain in a mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Iran, and to combat Iranian aggression, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin said on Tuesday."We’ve formally asked Germany to join France and the UK to help secure the Straits of Hormuz and combat Iranian aggression. Members of the German government have been clear that freedom of navigation should be protected... Our question is, protected by whom…
US Hits EU, Canada and Mexico with Steel, Aluminum Tariffs
The United States on Thursday said it will impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union, reigniting investor fears of a global trade war as Washington's allies took steps to retaliate against U.S. goods.The move, announced by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in a telephone briefing on Thursday, ended months of uncertainty about potential tariff exemptions and suggested a hardening of the Trump administration's approach to trade negotiations.It also sent a chill through financial markets…
Cyber Threats Prompt Return of Radio for Ship Navigation
The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming by hackers. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea and the stakes are high in increasingly crowded shipping lanes.
Germany Halts Planned Warship Purchase
Germany's federal cartel office upheld on Thursday a complaint brought by German Naval Yards against an order from the defence ministry for five new military corvettes valued at over 1.5 billion euros, after the ministry skipped an open procurement. The ministry had argued that the quickest way to meet the navy's urgent military needs in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas would be to buy more of the ships already produced by a consortium including Luerssen Werft and ThyseenKrupp. However, the cartel office agreed with German Naval Yards that the need for competition took priority, confirming reports on Wednesday by two German newspapers. An appeal may be lodged within two weeks. (Reporting by Anneli Palmen; Writing by Madeline Chambers, Editing by Thomas Escritt)
Alstom Accepts 10 Bln Euro GE Bid For Its Energy Unit
The board of Alstom accepted General Electric's 10 billion euro ($13.82 billion) bid for its energy unit on Tuesday, several sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. Sources said GE is not in exclusive talks with Alstom. The French transport-to-turbines group is also set to receive an offer from its much larger German competitor Siemens AG , which said it had sent a letter to Alstom after its managing and supervisory boards had decided to make an offer. Alstom is expected to make a statement about the two offers early on Wednesday, before its shares, suspended since late last week, resume trading. The rival bids have triggered a fierce national debate about the fate of power turbine and train manufacturing in France - both integral to the country's engineering pedigree.
OSCE Team To Ukraine To Free Detainees
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has dispatched a negotiating team to try to secure the release of observers being held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, a German government source said on Saturday. "A negotiating team from the OSCE is on the way to the region," said the source, declining to give further details, including exactly where they were heading. (Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Victoria Bryan)
Somali Pirate Sentenced to 12 Years by German Court
A German court sentenced a Somali asylum-seeker to 12 years in jail on Thursday, for his involvement in the pirate hijacking of a tanker in the Indian Ocean in 2010. The judge in the Osnabrueck court in northern Germany said the man was guilty of kidnapping and severe extortion. The ship was released for a ransom of $5.5 million after eight months in the hands of Somali pirates. "After four months of extensive evidence gathering, the court is convinced that the 44-year-old Somalian was a leading member of the pirates who kidnapped a chemical tanker," said the court in a statement. The man was not named. German courts do not usually provide the full names of defendants.
