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Port And Infrastructure News

13 Mar 2024

MARAD Announces $500 Million in Funding for Port Infrastructure

© trekandphoto / Adobe Stock

As a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $500 million in Federal Fiscal Year 2024 funding through MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).Investments made under the PIDP focus on modernizing the Nation’s coastal and inland waterway ports as well as strengthening its supply chains and economic security for generations to come.

28 Dec 2023

Maersk Signs Methanol Bunkering MoU with City of Yokohama

Kohei Yamamoto, Head of Public Affairs-Japan, Maersk, Dr. Takeharu Yamanaka, Mayor of Yokohama and Masashi Fujii, President of Mitsubishi Gas Chemical signed the MOU. (Source: Maersk)

A.P. Moller-Maersk has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City of Yokohama and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. The agreement will focus on the development of green methanol bunkering infrastructure in Yokohama as Maersk’s 16,000 TEU green methanol-powered container vessels will be delivered since 2024.Maersk has a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 throughout its entire business. For shipping, it will equip its 25 container vessels with dual-fuel engines capable of sailing on green methanol.

17 Nov 2023

Bringing the Capital Construction Fund Program Ashore

© William A. Morgan / Adobe Stock

On May 5, 2023, the White House announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was “taking the next step to invest $3 billion in its Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission port equipment and technology and to help ports develop climate action plans to reduce air pollutants, improve air quality and public health in neighboring communities, and advance environmental justice.” That “next step” was the issuance of a Request for Information to inform EPA of the availability…

22 Sep 2022

At Least Two Investors to Submit Binding Bids for Alexandroupolis Port

© giannis / Adobe Stock

At least two investors are expected to submit binding bids on Thursday for a majority stake in Greece's northern port of Alexandroupolis, sources close to the process told Reuters.Near the borders with Bulgaria and Turkey, and with rail links and a floating gas regasification unit in the pipeline, Alexandroupolis has potential as a transport and energy hub for central Europe.Four investors were shortlisted last year for a 67% stake in the port: Quintana Infrastructure and Development…

02 Sep 2022

Hapag-Lloyd Spending Big Money on Fleet, Eyes Port Invest

German container shipper Hapag-Lloyd is spending billions on expanding and renewing its fleet and looking at investing in more port infrastructure to extend its edge in the post-COVID 19 world economy, chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen told Reuters.The Hamburg-based company, the world's fifth-biggest container line, is armed with a huge war chest after reporting record earnings during the coronavirus crisis, which dislodged shipping capacity, clogged up ports and drove up freight rates."We have currently ordered 22 ships, twelve of them with 24,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent units) and ten with

16 May 2022

Brittany Ferries Inks Bunkering Deal with Titan LNG

Artist rendering of Brittany Ferries' newbuild ferries (Image: Brittany Ferries)

Brittany Ferries and Titan LNG have signed a long-term agreement for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquified bio methane (LBM) to two new LNG-fueled hybrid Ro-Pax vessels that Brittany Ferries will operate between England and France from 2025.The ferries will serve established routes connecting Portsmouth with Saint-Malo, and Portsmouth with Ouistreham. Titan said it will aim to supply fuel to both vessels during usual cargo operations alongside (SIMOPS) to avoid delays to sailing schedules.The two 194.7 meter…

13 May 2022

Romanian Port Races Against Clock to Move Ukrainian Grain to Global Markets

© Sergey Zhmurchak / Adobe Stock

Pressed into emergency service by the blockade of Ukraine's seaports by Russian invaders, neighboring Romania is racing against time to move Ukrainian grain to global markets before the next harvest triggers bottlenecks.Ukraine, the world's fourth largest grain exporter, has been forced by Russia's invasion to re-route shipments by train via its western border into neighboring Poland, Slovakia and Romania or on barges through its small Danube river ports.But Ukraine needs to move…

29 Apr 2022

First Ukrainian Corn Cargo Leaves Romanian Black Sea Port

A cargo carrying over 71,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn finished loading in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Thursday, the first since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the manager of port operator Comvex said.With Ukraine's sea ports blocked since the war started more than two months ago, the world's fourth-largest grain exporter has been forced to send shipments by train via its western border or through its small Danube river ports into Romania."This is the first panamax vessel with Ukrainian corn to leave the port," Comvex President Viorel Panait told Reuters.The ship taking the cargo is the Unity N, according to a Reuters witness."Supporting Ukrainian grain exports means preventing a colossal wave of global hunger triggered by the blocking of Ukrainian ports…

10 Nov 2021

INSIDE THE DATA BARGE: Silicon Valley Meets Maritime in the Making of NDT's Barge-based Data Center

Photo courtesy Nautilus Data Technologies

Nautilus Data Technologies (NDT) and Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) provide an interesting new twist to the maritime digitalization discussion, with the design, manufacture and delivery of an innovative 7MW data center housed on a refurbished 240-ft. deck barge. Jim Connaughton, CEO, NDT & Michael Complita, PE – VP Strategic Expansion, EBDG, discuss the strategic and environmental advantages as well as the future of housing massive computer banks on barges.When one says “Silicon Valley”, the first image to come to mind likely is not a barge.

12 Jun 2020

The Emerging U.S. Offshore Wind Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World

Join a webinar on June 17, 2020 for the global release of a major new market study on the depth, breadth and growth prospects of the Offshore Wind Market -- https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UR5uY1boTOKdAAcAXDbR4g
© zozulinskyi/AdobeStock

Join a webinar on June 17, 2020 for the global release of a major new market study on the depth, breadth and growth prospects of the Offshore Wind Market --  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UR5uY1boTOKdAAcAXDbR4gJust when it was looking like the offshore wind industry was finally about to take off in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced one more significant layer of uncertainty upon an already very complicated playing field. There are currently 15 active offshore wind projects in the planning stages which…

27 Mar 2020

Transnet to Cut Transport of Non-Essential Cargo During Lockdown

© OscarDiMalva /Adobe Stock

South Africa's logistics firm Transnet said it would reduce transport services and non-essential cargo operations during a nationwide lockdown that began at midnight on Thursday to contain the coronavirus.The state-owned company said shipments of metals and minerals would depend on demand and government approval. It was unclear if these exports would be affected.The transport of coal to state-run utility Eskom's power stations would continue, Transnet said.Transnet operates nearly three quarters of the African rail network…

18 Dec 2019

Jan De Nul Completes Liepaja Port Dredging

Luxembourg-headquartered dredging and construction engineering company Jan De Nul Group completed the capital dredging works for the improvement of Liepaja Port in Latvia ahead of schedule.In order to allow larger vessels to enter and leave the port of Liepaja fully loaded, the access channel to the port needed to be adapted. As part of the Liepaja Port Water Infrastructure Works, Jan De Nul Group was awarded the dredging works.The scope for Jan De Nul Group entailed the removal of 2.7 million m³ of sediments to deepen the port access channel from 12.5 m to 14.5 m, and to create a new navigation channel of -14 m towards one of the main bulk terminals within the port area.Jan De Nul Group faced challenging weather and soil conditions during the execution of the project.

22 Nov 2019

Offshore Wind: Lindø port of Odense Invests in Cranes

Representatives from Lindø port of Odense and Liebherr Rostock From left to right: Roman Chopyk (Sales Manager, Liebherr Rostock); Andreas Müller (Sales Director, Liebherr Mobile Harbour Cranes); Christian Kruse Trillingsgaard (Technical Manager, Lindø port of Odense); Carsten Aa (CEO, Lindø port of Odense); Leopold Berthold (Managing Director, Liebherr Rostock); Aron Boysen (Sales Manager, Liebherr Denmark), Sara Glasewald (Project Manager, Liebherr Rostock). Photo: Liebherr

The growth of offshore wind renewable power continues to push investment in marine, port and infrastructure project, the latest an announcement ffrom the Lindø port of Odense which placed an order for an LHM 800 heavy lift unit, a machine with a lifting capacity of up to 308 tonnes at a height of 96.7 meters above quay to cope with the huge offshore wind turbines of the future.“With the purchase of the new mega crane, LINDØ port of ODENSE is cementing its key role as one of the…

20 Nov 2019

PROPULSION: LNG as a Fuel

The first shore-to-ship LNG bunkering of the offshore supply vessel Harvey Energy by Harvey Gulf International Marine at the company’s dedicated shoreside facility at Port Fourchon, La. (CREDIT: © Harvey Gulf)

Some forecasts expect 10% of the global fleet to be powered by LNG by 2030, a proportion that could rise to just under a quarter of the fleet by 2050. Will your vessels be among them?The year-end sulfur cap on marine fuels and recent industry commitments to reduce its collective carbon footprint are behind a surge of interest in LNG as fuel; widespread adoption, however, still faces strong headwinds on several fronts.After a period where the costs of transitioning to LNG as fuel – at the operational and capital expenditure (Capex) levels – had appeared to constrain demand…

01 Nov 2019

AAPA Says Senate Cuts Key Port Grant Program

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is very concerned with the U.S. Senate’s approval of a fiscal 2020 appropriations bill that cuts funding by more than two-thirds to a U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) program that provides critical grants for port infrastructure projects nationwide.MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, initiated last year and funded at $292.73 million, would be slashed to $91.6 million if the Senate’s appropriation mark is upheld in the final bill.Not only would funding for the program be severely cut, the Senate bill requires deep-draft coastal ports and shallow-draft inland waterways ports share those funds, which wasn’t the case last year.

13 Jun 2019

U.S. DOT Launches Port Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to apply for $292.7 million in discretionary grant funding through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program.“This major investment in the Port Infrastructure Development Program will help strengthen, modernize, and improve our country’s maritime systems and gateway ports,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.As the Administration continues to invest in America’s infrastructure, this new program aims to support public coastal ports by improving the safety, efficiency, or reliability of goods movement into, out of, or within…

16 May 2019

Singapore Opens 24/7 Maritime Cybersecurity Center

Niam Chiang Meng, Chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), opened a new 24/7 Maritime Cybersecurity Operations Centre (MSOC) yesterday (May 16). The MSOC will be operated by ST Engineering in its Hub.According to a press release from MPA, MSOC will conduct 24/7 monitoring and correlate data activities across all maritime Critical Information Infrastructure (CII). It will have the capability to (a) detect and monitor cyber-attacks by analysing activities in the IT environment; (b) detect anomalies and threats; and (c) respond to the cybersecurity incidents using available technology solutions.The objective of MSOC is to strengthen Singapore’s maritime cybersecurity posture through early detection…

09 May 2019

INLAND FINANCE: But I Don’t Need That Much

Credit: St. Louis Regional Freightway

When enough to meet the need is not enough to get the help.From my office window in downtown St. Louis, I can see a dramatic illustration of the inefficiency in how our country moves freight. My office faces east, and I look down on a stretch of Interstate 70, that major east-west highway that runs from Baltimore to Interstate 15 in Utah. It is not unusual to see the traffic on this highway heavily congested, even at a standstill at times. This congested traffic usually includes many tractor-trailer trucks.

13 Dec 2018

Columbia Gets USD 229.23 mln for Port Projects

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced 14 grants, which go to port-related projects, are made through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants program.Port-related projects will receive a total of $229.23 million, said a press release from American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).“BUILD transportation grants are major investments in road, rail, transit, and port projects that serve as a down payment on this administration’s commitment to America’s infrastructure,” said Secretary Chao.Kurt Nagle, president and CEO of  AAPA said the trade association believes it’s important for America’s seaports to be key components of USDOT’s BUILD discretionary grants program because of the critical role ports play in moving goods…

29 Oct 2018

SC Ports State of the Port Emphasizes Infrastructure to Support Growth

Jim Newsome, president and CEO, highlights cooperation and collaboration.South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) president and CEO, Jim Newsome, presented the annual State of the Port to an audience of approximately 600 customers, elected officials and shipping industry representatives at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Jim’s presentation focused on the Port’s successes, strategic infrastructure investments to support continued container volume growth, new initiatives to increase Port productivity and overall industry trends that will impact the Port in the future. The Propeller Club of Charleston hosted the event which marked Newsome’s tenth address since joining SCPA in 2009.SC Ports volumes for the 2018 fiscal year, which ran July 2017 through June 2018, were record-breaking.

11 Jan 2018

AAPA Pushes for $66 bln for Port Upgrades

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has identified $66 billion in potential federal waterside and landside investments over the next decade that will help assure the benefits from an anticipated $155 billion in port-related capital infrastructure investments. AAPA Chairman-Elect William Friedman provided examples of waterside infrastructure needs, and offered recommendations for water resources legislation to enhance the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation program during a senate committee. Friedman presented his case before the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) in a hearing titled ‘America’s Water Infrastructure Needs and Challenges’.

05 Jan 2018

Rotterdam Port Signs Pact for Maintenance of Roads, Greenery

The Port of Rotterdam Authority signed agreements with two contractors relating to what is known as the port’s dry infrastructure. One contract covers maintenance of the roads in the port and the other maintenance of the green spaces. Following a tendering procedure, Van Gelder emerged as the best choice for the road infrastructure. The green spaces will be maintained by BTL. Both contracts run for two years and an express wish has been made for them to be extended by eight years. The combined sum of the contracts comes to over 14 million euros for the first two years. The port of Rotterdam is managed by Port of Rotterdam Authority.

07 Feb 2017

Port of Antwerp Opens New Training Centre in India

Indian port professionals who follow courses given in Mumbai by APEC, the port of Antwerp training centre, can now benefit from a purpose-built training facility. The new facility was officially opened on Monday this week during the annual Port of Antwerp Mission to India, in the presence of Belgian deputy prime minister Alexander De Croo, port alderman Marc Van Peel, APEC principal Kristof Waterschoot, JNPT chairman Shri Neeraj Bansal and Indian Port Association chairman Shri Sanjay Bhatia. Port professionals in India have been able to follow APEC courses since 2015 when the Antwerp training institute signed a five-year agreement with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the largest container port in India.