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Marseilles News

22 Sep 2023

Pope Says Impeding Migrant Rescues at Sea is 'Gesture of Hate'

© Boris V. / Adobe Stock

Pope Francis said on Friday that migrants who risk drowning at sea "must be rescued" because doing so was "a duty of humanity" and that those who impede rescues commit "a gesture of hate".Francis, 86, spoke at an inter-religious prayer service before a monument dedicated to those lost at sea. Earlier, the city's archbishop, Cardinal Jean Marc Aveline, an Algerian-born Frenchman, criticized politicians who block NGOs and their ships from saving drowning people."We cannot be resigned to seeing human beings treated as bargaining chips, imprisoned and tortured in atrocious ways," Francis said.

24 Jan 2022

First Ship-to-Containership LNG Bunkering Ops in Port of Marseille Fos’

Gas Vitality is 135 meters long and a GTT Mark III membrane vessel. Photo courtesy TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies and CMA CGM launched Marseilles’ inaugural ship-to-containership Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation in the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France.CMA CGM BALI, a 15,000 TEU LNG-powered containership is deployed on the MEX 1service, connecting Asia and South Europe. The ship was refuelled by TotalEnergies’ Gas Vitality, the first LNG bunker vessel based in France, with around 6,000 cu. m. of LNG, by means of a ship-to-ship transfer alongside the Eurofos container terminal, while the containership carried out cargo operations simultaneously.

30 Jan 2020

Coronavirus Test Negative on Board Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda (File photo: Costa Cruises)

A test carried out on Thursday on a passenger from Macau aboard a cruise ship in Italy proved she did not have the new coronavirus, an Italian health ministry spokesman said.The Costa Crociere company’s ship Costa Smeralda docked in Civitavecchia, north of Rome, with about 6,000 people aboard. The mayor of the town had asked authorities to prevent passengers from disembarking until it had been confirmed the virus was not present.The 54-year-old woman, who boarded the ship on January 25 in the port of Savona, had come down with a fever and flu-like symptoms.

22 Nov 2019

Court Reviewing Bourbon Takeover Bids

(Photo: Bourbon)

Takeover offers for the assets and activities of French offshore services company Bourbon will be reviewed by the Marseilles Commercial Court next month, Bourbon said in a a company update.Four candidates have submitted an offer concerning assets and activities of BOURBON Corporation and/or BOURBON Maritime, Bourbon said.As part of the reorganization proceedings opened since August 7, 2019 to the benefit of the holding BOURBON Corporation and its sub-holding BOURBON Maritime,…

09 Oct 2019

Bourbon Receives Takeover Offer

A bourbon offshore support vessel underway (File image: CREDIT Bourbon)

French marine services group Bourbon Corporation, which has been in a court restructuring process after its business was impacted by volatile energy markets, said it had received a takeover offer for its assets."As part of the reorganization proceedings opened since August 7, 2019 by the Marseilles Commercial Court to the benefit of Bourbon Corporation and its affiliate Bourbon Maritime, Court Administrators have received a takeover offer," Bourbon said in a statement on Wednesday."This offer - made by a company owned by a group of French banks - concerns assets and activities of Bourbon Corpo

09 Oct 2019

Illinois Waterway Closures: Look for the Workaround

Starved Rock Lock, ACE Rock Island District (Credit: USACE)

A set of complicated lock-and-dam projects on the Illinois Waterway, from Chicago to the Mississippi, has yellow lights flashing throughout the Midwest freight industry. In effect, the entire Waterway will be shut down next summer as the Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island Division, starts some hefty replacement and maintenance projects, from LaGrange to Brandon Road locks and dams.Officials advise maritime, freight and agricultural businesses to look ahead now, to prepare a logistics scenario that will be ready by July 1, 2020.

26 Sep 2019

Bourbon Vessel Taking on Water Near Hurricane Lorenzo

Satellite image of Hurricane Lorenzo in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean on September 25 (Photo: NASA/NRL)

Bourbon said a mission has been launched to rescue 14 crew from one of its vessels taking on water in heavy seas near a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.The French offshore vessels owner said water is entering the stern of the 49.5-meter tug supply vessel Bourbon Rhode, about 60 nautical miles south-southeast from the eye of hurricane Lorenzo.The US National Hurricane Center said on Thursday morning the category 4 storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour and moving west-northwest at 13 miles per hour.As of Thursday afternoon…

02 Aug 2019

CEVA Logistics Implements Turnaround Plan

Following the friendly takeover bid for CEVA Logistics, the CMA CGM Group has implemented a turnaround plan which includes a new governance, a new brand identity and priorities reset. CEVA’s new operations center opened in Marseilles.The CMA CGM Group now holds 99.6% of CEVA's equity. Structural decisions have been made during the second quarter of 2019 to enable CEVA’s financial recovery and create the conditions of a solid and successful turnaround.Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of CEVA Logistics at the Annual General Shareholders Meeting held on 29 April 2019.A new, stronger governance structure has been put in place.

17 Jul 2019

St. Louis Regional Freightway: Prepare now for Lock Closures

File Image: St. Louis Regional Freightway

Lock Closures Starting on the Illinois Waterway This Summer May Result in  More Freight Flowing Through St. Louis Region.Businesses that move or handle commodities on the Illinois Waterway system are being encouraged to start making alternative plans due the scheduled closure of locks on that inland waterway system. With a two-week closure planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beginning as early as August 2019 and closures of 90 to 120 days expected in the summers of 2020 and 2023…

10 Jul 2019

Robots Paints Hapag-Lloyd Vessel

German cargo container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd AG announced that it is currently testing ship-painting robots with nine of its ships."Traditional manual work is increasingly being replaced by automated processes, such as self-driving Automated Guided Vehicles in container terminals. Thanks to robots, the quality of ship painting can also be improved and the docking time shortened," the transnational transportation company said in a press release.Keeping barnacles, mussels and algae off the hull – the subject of fouling is as old as shipping itself. Fouling dramatically increases drag, which results in high fuel consumption and makes it harder to achieve climate targets.So…

03 Jul 2019

CMA CGM to Support Notilo Plus Rollout

The CMA CGM Group will support the financial and industrial development of Notilo Plus, a Marseilles-based start-up specialized in autonomous underwater solutions, in order to help them launch their industrialization.Notilo Plus develops autonomous underwater dronesFounded in 2016 and based in Marseilles and Lyon, Notilo Plus develops autonomous underwater systems featuring artificial intelligence and data enhancement capabilities. It develops “made in France” autonomous solutions targeting the fields of maritime transportation, leisure and infrastructure.Last December, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, presented the Jacques Saadé Award to Notilo Plus on the occasion of the Trophées de l’Economie 2018.

29 May 2019

CMA CGM's Turnaround Plan for CEVA

Following the friendly takeover bid for the contract logistics and freight management solutions provider CEVA Logistics, the French container transportation and shipping giant CMA CGM Group now holds 99.4% of CEVA's equity.The shipping Group is resolutely committed to CEVA's financial recovery, and has already taken major structural decisions paving the way for CEVA’s rapid return to profitability.Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of CEVA Logistics at the Annual General Shareholders Meeting held on April 29th, 2019.A new, stronger governance structure has been put in place.

18 May 2019

CMA CGM Launches Pharma Cargo Service

French container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM has announced the launch of a Reefer Pharma division that will focus on the temperature-controlled transportation of pharmaceutical products."For more than 40 years, preserving the integrity of shipped goods has been a top priority for the CMA CGM Group, particularly in terms of sensitive products such as medicines that directly impact public health and patients’ quality of life," said a press release from the company.For organising and closely monitoring the shipping of this highly sensitive cargo, CMA CGM provides its customers with a dedicated team of experts who ensure 24/7 monitoring from the Group's head office in Marseilles…

10 Apr 2019

CMA CGM Finalizes Ceva Logistics Tender

French shipping giant CMA CGM has completed its public tender offer to acquire CEVA Logistics.The French carrier has confirmed the acquisition of Ceva Logistics after announcing it holds 97.89 percent of the company’s stock and will therefore de-list it from the Zurich Stock Exchange after April 16."Merging CEVA's operations into the CMA CGM Group will strengthen its position as a worldwide leader in maritime transport and logistics. Present in 160 countries, the Group will be 110,000 people strong with more than $30 billion in revenue," said a statement from the company.The CMA CGM Group will now be able to meet the logistics needs of its customers around the world with a comprehensive range of solutions across the supply chain…

27 Feb 2019

Costa Cruise Gets Her Funnel

Costa Smeralda will enter service in October 2019 and will be the first cruise ship for the world market fuelled by LNG, the “cleanest” fossil fuel in the world.Construction of the Costa Smeralda, the new flagship of the Costa Cruises fleet, is inching closer to completion ahead of her October delivery from Meyer Turku in Finland.The characteristic yellow funnel with the blue “C”, which has identified all the Italian company’s ships for the last 70 years, has now been installed.The funnel will not only be a symbol but is directly connected to one of the main technological innovations in the ship. Costa Smeralda will be the first cruise ship for the world market…

18 Jan 2019

LNG REPORT: LNG Bunkering Vessels Rise to Nine, 30 More to Come

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure is expanding globally and there are increasing numbers of LNG-bunker vessels which are encouraging other operators to adopt LNG.According to SEA\LNG,  the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, from limited availability at select ports, LNG bunkering has grown to encompass 24 out of the world’s top 25 and all but one of the top ten bunker ports globally."The single operational LNG bunker vessel operating at the beginning of 2017 has been joined by a further eight with – we estimate – 30 likely to be in operation within the next four to five years at key bunkering nodes in Asia…

07 Dec 2018

The Last Mediterranean Refugee Rescue Ship Ends Operations

The last refugee rescue ship working in the Mediterranean Sea, Aquarius, has ended her operations, French NGO Medecins sans Frontieres said late on Thursday, blaming harassment from Italy and other countries."This is a sombre day," Nelke Mander, Medecins sans Frontieres's general director, said in a statement. "The end of our operations onboard the Aquarius will mean more death in the sea, deaths that are avoidable and without witnesses."The decision to moor the Aquarius is the result of a "constant denigration, smearing and obstruction campaign led" against Medecins sans Frontieres and SOS MEDITERRANEAN by the Italian government and supported by other European countries…

19 Oct 2018

CMA CGM Enters Sustainability Partnership with Panalpina

French ocean carrier CMA CGM and Panalpina, the world’s fourth biggest ocean freight forwarder by transport volumes, have signed a sustainability agreement aimed at reducing their respective carbon emissions by 2025.As of 2020, newbuild LNG-powered mega-vessels with a capacity of 22,000 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) will help achieve the environmental goals.Aiming at responsible development in ocean freight, Panalpina and CMA CGM have signed a sustainability agreement for maritime transport.“Partnering with strategic partners such as CMA CGM that are technology driven and share a similar vision of sustainability, and using them to transport our customers’ cargo will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals…

03 Oct 2018

ExxonMobil Readies IMO 2020 Compliant Fuel

ExxonMobil said that all its International Maritime Organization (IMO) compliant 0.5% sulfur bunker fuels developed to date are residual grades.The oil giant  has also announced specification details and confirmed that the formulations are all compatible with each other, provided that bunkering, storage and handling best practice guidance is followed.All of ExxonMobil’s announced low sulphur compliant fuels will be residual grades and will also be compatible with each other, provided best practice guidance for bunkering, handling and storage is followed, it said.It said the fuel will be available prior to the IMO deadline at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Genoa, Marseilles, Singapore, Hong Kong and Laem Chabang in Thailand.

28 Sep 2018

CMA CGM Inaugurates the Incubator ZeBox

Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of CMA CGM Group  and French minister in charge of transport Elisabeth Borne inaugurated ZeBox, a new start-up incubator and accelerator in Marseilles.Initiated by CMA CGM, ZeBox is a human-sized incubator and accelerator with two objectives: Support start-ups throughout their development by immediately projecting them into an international dimension; and enable large companies to benefit from the innovations developed by these start-ups in their respective business sectors.On the occasion of the inauguration of ZeBox, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group and President of ZeBox, said: "The close relationship between major groups and start-ups creates value.

13 Sep 2018

Eolfi Appoints Vincent Fromont as New CEO

Eolfi , a French developer specialised in floating wind projects, has appointed Vincent Fromont as Chief Executive Officer. Vincent Fromont, 47, is a senior onshore/offshore oil and gas executive with more than 20 years of experience in the industry.Vincent has various business and operational senior leadership roles, working for market’s leaders such as JGC, Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC, both in France and abroad. Vincent holds a Master’s degree of Technologies and Management from Ecole Centrale de Paris, a Bachelor (BA) of International Business Administration from the European Business School (Paris) and Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.

13 Sep 2018

CMA CGM Celebrates 40 Years of Entrepreneurialship

40 years ago, on September 13th, 1978, Jacques R. Saadé launched the first maritime line between Marseilles and Beirut, with only one ship and 4 employees. The day marked the beginning of an extraordinary humane and entrepreneurial adventure, said a press release.According to the statement, 40 years later, CMA CGM has become a recognized world leader, with 34,000 employees and a presence in more than 160 countries. History: It is amid the Lebanese war that Jacques R. Saadé decided to settle in Marseilles to protect his family. As a visionary man, he anticipated the evolutions of international trade and was convinced of the crucial role containerization was about to play.

29 Jun 2018

Exceptional Tribute Paid to Jacques R. Saadé

The death of Jacques R. Saadé, Founding President of the CMA CGM Group, roused an emotional response within the Group, in the entire maritime transportation industry and beyond. An exceptional tribute was paid to him on Friday, June 29, during his funeral. Jacques R. Saadé dedicated his life to CMA CGM. All the Group’s employees based in Marseilles were invited to attend the religious ceremony celebrated at La Major Cathedral. Attendees included Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Transports, and numerous local, national and international officials. Lebanese Minister Michel Pharaon, representing Lebanese President General Michel Aoun, posthumously awarded Jacques R.