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Port Board News

05 Jan 2022

Louisiana Students Take Mississippi River Tour Field Trip

Ky Robillard, 6th grader. Louisiana Key Academy, Baton Rouge; Jamaree Washington, 9th grader, Franklin Senior High School, Franklin, Jordan Savoy, 9th grader, Lafayette High School, Lafayette, Joseph Mitchell, 8th grader, Iberia Middle School, New Iberia, Gabrielle Adams, 8th grader, Louisiana Key Academy, Baton Rouge. (Photo: Jonathan Lopez)

Dozens of South Louisiana middle and high school students eager to learn about careers in the maritime industry enjoyed a cool, windy autumn day on the mighty Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish at the first-of-its-kind Maritime Field Trip.The daylong field trip was organized and coordinated by a group of maritime industry partners and featured Crescent River Port Pilots. The educational trip taught the students the importance of river safety and the dramatic impact mariners…

25 Jul 2019

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy Courses Qualify for MATF Funding

Photo: Lloyd’s Maritime Academy

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy announced that people living and currently working in Hong Kong’s maritime sector can benefit from an 80% refund on nine of its courses as part of the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund (MATF) introduced by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board.The aim of the MATF is to build up a vibrant, diversified and competitive pool of professionals and technical personnel to support Hong Kong’s future development in both the maritime and aviation sectors. May 2019…

18 Nov 2018

Hong Kong Kicks-off Maritime Week 2018

The "Hong Kong Maritime Week 2018" (HKMW 2018), a major annual event of the maritime and port industries in Hong Kong, unveiled on Saturday (November 18) with the "Hong Kong orienteering race.According to a government press release, the  third edition of Hong Kong's Maritime Week oragnised by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB) with co-organisers, the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, runs from 18 to 24 November and features over 50 events comprising both industry and outreach.Officiating at the opening ceremony of the HKMW 2018, the Chairman of the HKMPB and Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan Fan, said, "Maritime, trading and logistics have all along been the pillar industry of Hong Kong.

24 Aug 2018

West Calcasieu Port Barge Basin Dredge Work Completed

(Credit: West Calcasieu Port)

Dredging operations in the West Calcasieu Port’s west barge basin were completed today and that all tenant operations in the basin have returned to full operations, port officials announced today.Coastal Dredging of Hammond, La., was the contractor on the $1.3 million maintenance dredging project that removed more than 140,000 cubic yards of spoils over a 10-week period. The port’s barge basin depth was returned to a minus-10 feet, and the spoils were relocated into the ports…

08 Feb 2018

West Calcasieu Port Awards Dredging Contract

Photo:  West Calcasieu Port

The West Calcasieu Port Board of Commissioners voted this week to award the contract for the dredging of the Louisiana port's west barge basin to Coastal Dredging Company, Inc. of Hammond, La.. The successful base bid of $1,334,020 was the lowest among six bids received by the port during its competitive public bid process. “The West Cal Port Board of Commissioners was encouraged to have received such a large number of bid packets for the project,” said Dick Kennison, board president for the West Calcasieu Port.

24 Sep 2017

PPP Investment in Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay approved a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with four other entities to divvy up who will pay for a $60 million widening and extension of the Big Bend Channel. The strategic partners include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Tampa Electric Co. and Mosaic Co., a global fertilizer company which is one of port's largest tenants along with Tampa Electric. The port's board of commissioners unanimously approved the participation agreement at a monthly meeting on Tuesday. The Big Bend Channel connects to the Tampa Harbor main channel and will be deepened from 34 feet to 43 feet and widened from 200 feet to 250 feet to accommodate larger ships.

12 Sep 2017

Hong Kong and UK Strengthen Maritime Ties

Left: Chan Fan, Frank, JP, Secretary for Transport & Housing, Hong Kong Government; right: Maritime London Chairman,  Lord Mountevans ; back: UK Minister of State for Transport Legislation and Maritime, John Hayes, CBE, MP. (Photo: Maritime London)

Representatives of the British and Hong Kong maritime business sectors have agreed to forge a closer working relationship. Under the terms of a new Memorandum of Understanding, Maritime London and the Hong Kong Maritime & Port Board (HKMPB) will cooperate in a range of areas including promotional activity, training and sharing of best practice for maritime business services. The agreement was signed in London during London International Shipping Week by Chan Fan, Frank, JP, Secretary for Transport & Housing…

31 Jan 2017

Greece Sets Bid Deadline for Thessaloniki Port Sale

Photo: Thessaloniki Port Authority

Greece has given investors until March 24 to submit binding bids for a majority stake in its second biggest port, Thessaloniki Port, two sources close to the matter said on Tuesday. The sale of the 67 percent stake in the port and other privatisations are a key part of the country's current EU/IMF international bailout deal, the third since 2010. But the programme has fallen behind schedule due to political resistance and red tape, and has raised only 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) so far versus an original target of 50 billion euros.

21 Jun 2016

Maersk Fights to Stay on top as Containership Downturn Deepens

Maersk Mc_Kinney Moller (Photo courtesy Maersk)

Denmark's Maersk Line is fighting to remain the world's no.1 container shipping carrier as a wave of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in Asia, creates new challengers trying to grab a bigger share of a depressed market. Maersk itself hasn't made a major acquisition for more than a decade but says it might be open to "the right opportunity", although doubters believe such deals risk accumulating ships without securing enough customers. A unit of oil and shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk , the line has a 15 percent share of the overall container market.

10 Jun 2016

Hong Kong Eyes Shipping Boost from China's New Silk Road, Iran

File photo: Maersk Line

Hong Kong's crucial shipping trade is hoping China's overseas infrastructure plan and closer business ties with Iran will enable the city to tackle the downturn in the seaborne sector and tougher competition, officials said. The global container sector, which transports everything from bananas to iPhones, as well as the dry bulk shipping market hauling commodities including iron ore and coal, is struggling with a glut of ships, a faltering global economy and weaker consumer demand - pressuring freight companies as well as ports that handle the volumes.

20 May 2016

Palm Beach Port Commissioners Stop Funding for ACOE Project

On Thursday, May 19, 2016, the Port of Palm Beach Board of Commissioners agreed to exclude funding for a proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Worth Inlet navigational improvement project from the port’s Master Plan Update. The ACOE project, along with the economic and environmental backup that accompanied the plan, was published for the port’s review in 2005. As global, regional and state markets; the port’s tenant composition; and the environmental and recreational dynamics surrounding the port have changed, the port’s missions and goals continue to evolve. In discussing the 10-year time span between the study and the Thursday evening decision…

04 May 2016

Port of Vancouver CEO Coleman to Step Down

Todd Coleman ((Photo: Port of Vancouver USA)

Todd Coleman, CEO of Port of Vancouver USA, step down from his position May 19, after 15 years with the port.   Coleman, a Professional Engineer, began his career with the port in 2001, when he was hired as Facilities Manager. After three promotions, he earned the position of Deputy Executive Director in 2005. The port’s Board of Commissioners appointed him CEO in 2012.   Coleman plans to spend some time with his family this summer before seeking a new opportunity.   The Board of Commissioners will appoint an interim CEO while the port moves through the hiring process.

13 Apr 2016

Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal Dedicated

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans joined a host of elected officials and industry partners today to dedicate the Port’s new $25 million Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal. The terminal, made possible by a $16.7 million federal transportation TIGER grant, has a capacity of moving 160,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) per year by rail. “This new terminal provides a highly efficient option for our customers moving cargo via rail,” said Gary LaGrange, Port President and CEO. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant provided about 68 percent of the total funding for the terminal.

04 Apr 2016

West Calcasieu Port to Undergo Waterfront Upgrade

West Calcasieu Port officials have awarded a $1.6 million construction contract to Orion Marine Construction, Inc. for the replacement of bulkheading along the port’s waterfront on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. “The West Cal Port Board of Commissioners was impressed with the strong interest and participation in the highly competitive bidding process on the part of the marine construction industry,” said West Calcasieu Port Director Lynn Hohensee. The bids were formally opened during a special port board meeting earlier in March. “Incorporated in the construction project plan is the replacement of aged, deteriorated bulkhead with new steel bulkhead,” Hohensee explained.

07 Mar 2016

Hong Kong Shipping Register Crossing 100 Million Gross Tonnage

The Hong Kong Shipping Register has  crossed of 100 million gross tonnage, informed the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung. To Hong Kong, it’s more than a vote of confidence, Anthony said. Hong Kong’s maritime tradition is almost two centuries old. Hong Kong served as a port of registry under the UK Ship Register since the 1840s until the establishment of the autonomous Hong Kong Shipping Register in 1990 under the administration of the Marine Department. For those who are interested, our first shipping register is now on display at the other side of the hall. Upon its inception in 1990, the Hong Kong Shipping Register had a mere 765 ships with a total gross tonnage of six million.

25 Jan 2016

Venezuelan ship VMF Alita Sank off near Panama

A ship Venezuelan flag, name VFM Alita sank last week in Caribbean waters of the Panama Canal after colliding with another anchoring vessel, which caused hole above the waterline and water ingress. According to the information revealed on Sunday by a Panamanian official source, the ship increased list to port board to 40-45 degrees and partially is under the water with big danged of capsizing. The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) confirmed on his Twitter account the accident and sinking of the merchant ship, adding that since Monday, when the incident occurred, investigates what happened to the ship. AMP said in a public statement that the ship was not carrying cargo, "as it was being towed into international waters".

15 Jan 2016

Hong Kong Establishes New Maritime Body

Hong Kong is to establish a new government body - Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board - this year that oversees the local maritime sector, in a bid to enhance the city’s shipping sector. Hong Kong's chief executive Leung Chun-ying in his annual policy address for this year announced that the government will merge the existing Maritime Industry Council (MIC) and the Port Development Council (PDC) to form a new Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. The board, to be chaired by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, will promote manpower development, marketing and research on all fronts to develop a high value-added maritime services sector, he said.

05 Dec 2015

Hanran, Heywood Join Townsville Port Board

Port of Townsville Limited (POTL) has welcomed the announcement this morning by Treasurer Curtis Pitt and Minister for Ports and Energy and Water Supply Mark Bailey of the appointment of two new locally-based Directors to its Board. Mr Shane Hanran and Ms Megan Heywood assume their positions on the Board effective today. POTL Chair Renita Garard said that today’s announcement was a real boost to the port’s Board and that the skills and experience of the two appointees would service the business well as it embarks upon long term expansion plans. “Mr Hanran and Ms Heywood bring a vast amount of experience to the table in both the engineering and legal disciplines, which are both very relevant and critical skills to run an efficient port business,” she said.

09 Jun 2015

Port of San Diego Chooses First Female CEO

Randa Coniglio has been named president and CEO of the San Diego Unified Port District. After a nationwide search for a new president and CEO, the Port decided Monday to stay in-house and name Coniglio to the post. Coniglio, who would be the port's first female CEO in its 52-year history, will replace interim chief John Bolduc, the agency's police chief, who took over last year when Wayne Darbeau was fired over a scandal involving a summer job for his son with a port tenant. "Randa is a focused, diligent and highly creative leader who consistently delivers strong outcomes," said port Chairman Dan Malcolm. The 15-year veteran port official…

28 Apr 2015

Long Beach to Decide on Cement Import Facility

Photo courtesy of the Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach has prepared the final environmental impact report for the Mitsubishi (MCC) Cement Facility Modification Project. The port’s Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider the adequacy of the final EIR at its regular meeting May 11, and whether to approve the proposed project. Mitsubishi Cement is proposing modifications to its existing import cement facility located on Pier F at 1150 Pier F Avenue. The facility receives bulk cement and cement-like materials (including Portland cement, blast furnace slag, pozzolans, and fly ash) via bulk cargo vessels at Berth F208.

06 Apr 2015

Port of New Orleans Leads Clean Water Effort

Photo: Port of New Orleans

U.S. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality presented an Environmental Leadership Award to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans at a ceremony held recently at DEQ’s headquarters in Baton Rouge, La. The award recognizes environmental achievement for voluntary pollution prevention efforts, community environmental outreach initiatives and environmental management systems that are above and beyond regulatory compliance. The port received its award March 25 for its Stormwater Management Program…

03 Feb 2015

New Orleans Sets Container Records in 2014

Photo courtesy of the Port of New Orleans

The Port of New Orleans achieved record container volumes in 2014 thanks in part to the addition of new shipping services and an uptick in the national economy contributed. According to year-end totals, 490,526 twenty-foot-equivalent units moved through the Port’s Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal during the 12 months, an 8.8 percent increase over the 2013 total of 451,057. “Strong export markets, primarily for chemical and agriculture products, together with new inbound customers such as Chiquita contributed to record container volumes,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange.

27 Jan 2015

Tauber Oil Opens West Calcasieu Port Operations

Photo: West Calcasieu Port

Tauber Oil Company of Houston has become the West Calcasieu Port’s newest tenant. “Tauber Oil is a service-oriented wholesale energy marketing company with a reputation for reliable performance and untarnished character,” said Lynn Hohensee, port director. Tauber Oil becomes the sixth tenant of the port and is providing ultra-low-sulfur diesel to inland marine vessels. This service enhances vessel stops at the port that already provides the following marine services – barge fleeting, wet-barge cleaning and stripping, dry-barge cleaning, marine construction and diesel engine repair.