Royal IHC Awarded Dredger Contracts
Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC said Thursday it has signed three contracts with the Jordan-based Arab Potash Company (APC) to deliver two cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) and implement a new maintenance agreement. The first contract comprises the delivery of a custom-built CSD, the second is a three-year maintenance contract for the IHC dredgers Jarash and Mutah, and the third involves another dredger, which will be a copy of Jarash.The newly built CSD Alkaramah is based on a modified, innovative IHC Beaver 65 DDSP with three different working depth ranges: up to 18, 25 and 32 metres.
MSC Re-Routes Cargos Due to French Strikes
Swiss headquartered container shipping company MSC said on Friday it was implementing contingency plans to re-route container ships away from French ports when necessary due to strikes in the country."MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is closely monitoring the situation in France where industrial action by labour unions is impacting maritime ports and overland transportation networks around the country," an MSC spokesman said.MSC said it would resume normal services to France as soon as possible. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Gus Trompiz; Writing by Maya Nikolaeva; Editing by David Clarke)
Savannah Handles Imported Grapes
The Port of Savannah is now handling grapes imported from Peru, adding to the list of cold-treated perishables using Savannah as a port of entry. "Savannah currently handles avocados, citrus and sweet onions from Peru," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. The grapes, moved from Andean Sun Produce farms in Ica and Piura, Peru, are part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program, in which citrus, grapes and blueberries are chilled for at least 17 days prior to entry into the U.S. Removing potential pests via cold treatment reduces the need for pesticides. "By landing produce in Savannah, buyers can take advantage of much shorter and faster overland transportation to Atlanta and other major markets across the U.S. Southeast," Foltz said.
APM Terminals Pipavav Receives First Domestic Ro/Ro Service Call
APM Terminals Pipavav welcomed the IDM Symex, which arrived with a cargo of 800 Hyundai cars loaded at the Port of Chennai on February 5th, in a pioneering use of economical and environmentally-friendly coastal transportation of Indian-manufactured automobiles. APM Terminals Pipavav, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, commenced export Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) services in August 2015, after NYK Auto Logistics India (NALI) invested in a state of the art stock yard and PDI [pre delivery inspection] facilities. The new cars destined for Western India dealerships originated at Hyundai Motor India Limited’s (HMIL) automotive manufacturing facility near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu State.
Rickmers-Linie to Charter Additional Heavy Lift MPV
Rickmers-Linie will charter into its fleet the 19,100dwt Pacific Winter, a sister ship of Baltic Winter, originally chartered in by Rickmers in December 2011. Rickmers will also extend the existing charter on Baltic Winter. With her 800-ton lift capacity, the 2011-built Baltic Winter has been a successful addition to the Rickmers-Linie fleet, the company said, and both she and her 2012-built sister will now be given Rickmers names. They will also feature the Rickmers-Linie logo on their hulls and Rickmers funnel colours.
