Physical Infrastructure News

Australia said a security review of a 99-year lease held by Chinese company Landbridge on the northern port of Darwin, a key focus of its defense strategy, found it was "not necessary to vary or cancel the lease".In a statement, the prime minister's department said: "Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised, while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment".It added that monitoring of security arrangements would continue around the northern port…

Construction on the U.K. Royal Navy's future HMS Birmingham has officially commenced at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Glasgow.Work on the first three Type 26 ships is well under way with HMS Glasgow now at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard to have her complex systems installed, HMS Cardiff currently being assembled and HMS Belfast in its early construction phase. HMS Birmingham is the first ship to be constructed under a £4.2 billion contract for the remaining five ships secured in November…

The Port of Rotterdam has blazed a path for ports globally in terms of automation, digitalization and decarbonization. As he enters the final year of his tenure, Allard Castelein, CEO, Port of Rotterdam, says there is still much work to do.While many global organizations are adept at ‘talking the talk’, the Port of Rotterdam stands out as ‘walking the walk’ in regards to real investment and innovation in robotics, digitalization and infrastructure improvements to facilitate the efficient, effective transfer of ship’s cargo for distribution globally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday issued a framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship operations after a no-sail order issued in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic expires on Saturday.The CDC said it was requiring testing and additional safeguards for crew members. A U.S. House of Representatives committee is investigating if the White House blocked the CDC from extending the no-sail order through mid-February.The no-sail order issued in March came amid a rising number of coronavirus cases on cruise ships.

The shipping companies and terminals in and around Amsterdam port are launching a range of initiatives for using rail more extensively for the transport of cargo, including containers and liquid bulk cargo.Recently Port of Amsterdam organised a rail freight transport breakfast session for clients and stakeholders who have an interest in rail freight transport. This is because the accessibility of rail freight transport in the Amsterdam port area is not a given and faces a clear challenge through the intensification of passenger train travel.A delegation representing ProRail attended the session in order to give a presentation on the plans to expand the rail infrastructure…

Europe's largest port, the Port of Rotterdam ended 2018 with a total container throughput at 469.0 million tonnes (MT) which slightly higher than in 2017,  which was itself a record year (467.4 MT).Container transhipment was the engine of growth again, with a 4.5% increase in tonnage. Measured in TEUs, the standard unit for containers, the increase was 5.7% and the annual total was 14.5 million TEUs – also a record.This strengthens the position of Europe’s largest container port in this strategically important market segment. Significant underlying shifts were observable in the goods segments.Whereas container transhipment continued to grow at a healthy pace, that of crude oil, mineral oil products and agribulk fell.

Delegates from the world’s leading ports have come together to examine their role in the rapidly evolving maritime logistics landscape and in particular to coordinate their contribution to the establishment of an interconnected maritime supply chain at the Port of Barcelona.The multilateral partnership of the world leading ports, ChainPORT, has just concluded its 4th Annual Meeting which was hosted last week by the Port of Barcelona.ChainPORT was initiated in 2016 by the Port Authorities of Hamburg and Los Angeles in collaboration with the Global Institute of Logistics with the goal of raising awareness of the key role that Port Authorities…

The US Coast Guard has published its Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook. This forward-facing document should be read by everyone in the Coast Guard and by those associated with the US maritime sector. It is intended to guide the Service’s efforts in securing the strategically critical maritime transportation system (MTS) and the marine environment. To accomplish this, the Coast Guard must be Semper Paratus – Always Ready, as it has been for most of its 228 years. The Coast Guard must also be relevant – ready and able to accomplish the tasks important to the MTS and marine environment.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced a five-point aid plan for Yemen's Hodeidah port and surrounding areas on Wednesday, after a Saudi-led alliance of Arab states launched an attack on Yemen's Houthi-held main port city.As part of the plan, the two coalition states aim to establish a shipping lane to Hodeidah from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and Jizan, a city in southern Saudi Arabia, officials told a news conference in Riyadh.They will also distribute food, provide medical supplies, equipment and staff to hospitals, sustain electrical stations and provide economic support, they

NCE Maritime CleanTech business cluster is establishing a new Norwegian catapult center to build up expertise and testing facilities for its partner organizations. The center aims to be at the forefront in making the Norwegian marine industry greener, smarter and more innovative.NCE Maritime CleanTech’s initiative Sustainable Maritime Norwegian Catapult Center was announced as one of the three winners among the 15 business clusters that applied to Siva, the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway, to fund a new catapult arrangement.

Vesper Marine designed its Virtual AIS Beacon in 2010 and installed the first solution in 2011. Developed to address the need to make hazards at sea visible when costly physical infrastructure is not appropriate or is impossible to deploy, the Virtual Aid to Navigation technology that Vesper Marine has created is based on the international standardized AIS, which all large ships must use and many yachts and smaller vessels are now choosing to install due to the safety and collision avoidance benefits it provides.

Summit Power International (SPI), Singapore, announced that its subsidiary, Summit LNG Terminal has awarded a 15-year contract to PSA Marine Bangladesh, a subsidiary of PSA Marine. Under the contract, PSA Marine Bangladesh will provide berthing, mooring, pilot and personnel transfer services to LNG ships calling at Summit LNG FSRU terminal, with its three escort tugboats, one fast crew boat and one offshore supply vessel. The award of this contract marks a significant milestone for PSA Marine and commencement of a long-term partnership with SPI. Together with Summit LNG, PSA Marine Bangladesh targetsto commence operations in early 2019.

The explosive growth of international boxships is challenging not only the physical infrastructure of North American ports, but also the very nature of the existing supply chains that they impact. The recent dialogue on container shipping has been all about so-called “mega-ships;” those vessels that with larger capacity than those that are already in service at any point in time. In the container trades, as in tanker and drybulk arenas, ocean-going vessels are one link, albeit an important component, within broader supply chains.

MOL Group announced its plans to relocate its corporate headquarters by 2021 to MOL Campus, the company’s new 83,000 sqm office, which will be designed by one of the most renowned architectural studios in the world, the UK-based Foster + Partners. The 120-meter high building, which will be the future workspace for up to 2500 employees, will be located on the banks of the Danube in the southern part of Budapest, close to the current HQ building. The modern design mirrors MOL Group’s bold vision of its 2030 strategy to drive changes across CEE over the few next decades and will also play an essential role in redesigning employee experience. Meeting the ambitious targets of the new long-term strategy, MOL 2030, requires smart investments in both physical infrastructure and human capital.

The Bomin Group, a leading global physical supplier and trader of marine fuels, today announced the launch of a new brand identity and website as it positions itself to deliver the company’s next phase of global growth. The shipping industry is experiencing significant change, and the fuel supply chain is becoming increasingly complex. The launch of Bomin’s new brand identity reflects this evolution, and the company’s global position within the market. The new corporate identity also underlines the company’s ethical values, and sustainability as a business, and its commitment to providing fuel supply solutions that are reliable, compliant, and deliver both operational and cost efficiencies.

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

Chinese iron ore imports will continue to be a key driver for the demand growth in the dry bulk shipping industry for 2017, alongside shipping of grains. This is emphasized by an accumulated growth rate for Q1-2017 of 9.5 percent compared to the same quarter of 2016, according to BIMCO. Furthermore, it is the highest imported amount of seaborne iron ore for a first quarter. The growth rate of Chinese imported iron ore was constant throughout 2016, as the annual volume broke into landmark territory.

A five point plan to help tackle Africa’s infrastructure gap is among the findings of a new DP World report to be unveiled at the Africa Global Business Forum this week. Public private partnerships, domestic bond financing, monitoring the life cycle of infrastructure by maintaining and upgrading existing stock, enhanced trade integration and improved trade facilitation are key points raised in the study “Africa At The Crossroads: Bridging The Infrastructure Gap” produced in association with the Economist Intelligence Unit. Over the past decade, investment in African infrastructure has risen sharply and some notable projects have been completed.

A discussion with Bob Koerber, General Manager, BAE Systems Ship Repair, San Diego, Calif. Bob Koerber, general manager of BAE Systems Ship Repair in San Diego, served on active duty as a surface warfare officer from 1981 to 1987, then continued to serve as a Navy Reservist, retiring as a captain in 2007. His last reserve assignment was as the Deputy Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. As a SWO he served aboard USS Hull (DD 945?) and USS Brooke (FFG 1). He has been employed by the San Diego yard for 27 years. What’s new here in San Diego? A lot of good things happening in the yard.

The EU funded EcoHubs R&D project (Environmentally COherent measures and interventions to debottleneck HUBS of the multimodal network favored by seamless flow of goods) has delivered a number of ICT tools which can increase capacity at ports and terminals, and can lead to reductions in carbon footprint. Designed to support “Resource Efficient Europe”, the flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy, EcoHubs has, for the last 30 months, researched and developed the tools required for sustainable freight transport and logistics networks as part of a smart…

“Britannia rules the waves” paid a glowing tribute to the maritime past of the United Kingdom. Over the past three centuries as the sun began to set on the British power, resilient U.K. with its pioneering characteristics began its voyage of transformation to become a world-class maritime services center, with one of the largest clusters of marine insurance, ship finance, law, classification societies, ship broking, education and consultancy organizations. Significantly, two factors were responsible for this change. The first being marine transport, since it was the only point of access to the British Isles, and the second was the maritime trade and naval power that have had a great impact on the maritime sector influencing the country’s economy for several centuries.

The Consortium BulRIS II led by Transas has completed the second phase of the BULRIS project, funded by the Operational Program "Transport" 2007 – 2013. The system was delivered to the Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.) The inauguration ceremony took place at the River Information Center in Ruse in presence of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski. Within the project Transas…

The Port of Palm Beach District announced that Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. upgraded the Port of Palm Beach District senior rating to Baa3 from Ba1, and reported the outlook to be stable. The report, released October 2, 2015, documented the port’s strengths, challenges and recent developments as the agency’s rationale for the ratings upgrade. The upgrade to Baa3 recognizes the port’s sustained financial improvement due to successful contract renewals with its largest customers. The improved margins experienced over the last four fiscal years are expected to continue in the midterm, supported by tenant minimum annual revenue guarantee that improve the port’s cash flow predictability.