Port Of Cape Town News

The Baltic Exchange has appointed former RightShip Chief Executive Martin Crawford-Brunt as a Strategic Carbon Lead. The Baltic Exchange recently introduced carbon assessments alongside its spot dry bulk charter rate assessments and is expanding its role to support market mechanisms aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from the shipping sector.Baltic Exchange Chief Executive Mark Jackson said, “The Baltic Exchange is laying the foundations for consistency in the way in which carbon is priced into seaborne freight.

A cyber attack has disrupted container operations at the South African port of Cape Town, an email seen by Reuters on Thursday said.Durban, the busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa, was also affected, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.Cape Town Harbour Carriers Association said in an email to members, seen by Reuters: "Please note that the port operating systems have been cyber-attacked and there will be no movement of cargo until the system is restored."Transnet's official website was down on Thursday showing an error message.Transnet…

Veecraft Marine, subsidiary of Paramount Maritime, said it has been awarded a tender from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to design and build two twin-screw, diesel powered workboats.The 100% South African-developed, 19.5-meter (LOA) vessels, manufactured with 60% local content, will feature a 7.25-meter beam, fixed-pitched propellers and twin rudders, offering 15-ton bollard pull (short tons-force).

Test results from the individuals suspected to be the first cases of COVID-19 in any South African seaport have all come back negative, Transnet National Ports Authority has confirmed.Earlier this week two vessels, the general cargo vessel MV Corona and the cruise ship AIDAmira, were held off port limits outside the Port of Cape Town. The cruise liner was later allowed to dock but its roughly 1,700 passengers and crew remained onboard pending test results from one suspected COVID-19 case and seven others who had possible contact with him.Captain Dennis Mqadi…

Transnet National Ports Authority has redeployed a new tug to the Port of Cape Town, as Tug UMBILO went into service recently after being redeployed from the Port of Durban.Built in 2017, UMBILO was the sixth of nine new vessels to roll off the production line as part of $95 million tug construction contract being executed by Durban ship builder Southern African Shipyards. The Port of Cape Town also took delivery of tug USIBA last year, originally intended for the Port of Richards…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will secure two new workboats by 2022 to boost marine operations at the Port of Cape Town and ensure it is recognized internationally for excellence.The more powerful workboats are expected to improve the port’s ability to maintain marine operations during challenging weather conditions. The engines will be approximately 20% more powerful on the new workboats and the bollard pull will be 80% greater as a result of advanced propeller and rudder designs.The Port of Cape Town presently has two workboats…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken the decision to introduce a helicopter service at its Port of Cape Town to transfer marine pilots onto and off visiting vessels. This would make the port one of three within the South African port landlord’s complementary port system that offer the service, the others being Durban and Richards Bay.TNPA expects to commission the helicopter in Cape Town in 2021, according to GM: Infrastructure and Port Planning, Hamilton Nxumalo.In…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)’s Dredging Services division will soon embark on a maintenance dredging campaign at the Port of Cape Town to restore the design depths at certain berths inside Duncan Dock.The maintenance campaign, which is set to start in early April 2019, is scheduled for completion by the end of May 2019. The main objective of the dredging campaign is to ensure the Port of Cape Town provides safe navigational channels and berthing facilities for shipping.TNPA…

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) operated Ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Elizabeth have been nominated for the Africa & Indian Ocean segment of the 25th annual World Travel Awards in the category of “Africa’s Leading Cruise Port 2018”.Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards seek to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Global travel and tourism industry leaders will be recognized at the various World Travel Awards gala ceremonies, with Durban hosting the Africa and Indian Ocean segment for the third time.

India's INSV Tarini entered Cape Town (South Africa) today during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, defence minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 17. The vessel has covered 17500 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on 25 September 17, Cape Leeuwin on 09 November 17 and Cape Horn on 19 January 18.

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)’s Dredging Services division has embarked on a $ 1.1 million maintenance dredging campaign at the Port of Cape Town to restore the design depths inside Duncan dock. The maintenance campaign, which began on March 8, 2017, is scheduled for completion by the end April 2017. The main objective of the dredging campaign is to ensure the Port of Cape Town provides safe navigational channels and berthing facilities for shipping by restoring the original design depths.

The South African 2016/17 cruise season kicked off this morning with the arrival of the first international cruise liner, MSC SINFONIA, at the Port of Durban. Carrying a full capacity of 2600 European and South African passengers, the vessel arrived from Venice in Italy and was greeted by the traditional welcome including a tug water spraying drill, as well as marimba bands and traditional dancers. The ship also received a warm Durban welcome from senior officials including KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle Zikalala, Her Worship the Mayor of eThekwini, Councillor Zandile Gumede, representatives of the maritime and tourism industries and Transnet National Ports Authority’s leadership team.

South Africa’s ports are ramping up for another busy cruise season with at least14 luxury cruise lines and 20 vessels of varying sizesset to ferry international and domestic tourists across the country’s port cities. The 2016/17 South African cruise season kicks off on 1 November.MSC SINFONIA – the largest and most popular cruise ship in the local cruise calendar –will be a highlight when she arrives in her homeport of Durban in the early hours of Tuesday, 1 November on a journey from Venice, Italy, carrying 2600 European and South African passengers. The ship has been accommodated at the Port of Durban’s longer M berth since last year after being lengthened by 24 metres and undergoing a multi-million Euro revamp.

Container shipper CMA CGM has changed the rotation of its WAX service operated with 13 vessels up to 4,350 TEU on the Asia-West and South Africa trade. As from April 11, 2016 when m/v BERMUDA begins her rotation in Pusan, the Pusan port call will be transferred from WAX 3 onto WAX service. According to CMA CGM, the move will allow it to be the unique carrier on the market offering a broad range of direct services from Korea to Benin, Cameroon and Namibia in addition to the current service to Nigeria and South Africa.

The Sturrock Dry Dock in the Port of Cape Town has been a hive of activity recently with a number of interesting vessels berthing at the facility for repairs and maintenance. The mining vessel, mv Debmar Atlantic, owned by De Beers Marine Namibia (Pty) Ltd, recently underwent routine work at the dry dock, carried out by contracting firms. Built in 1978, mv Debmar Atlantic features its own diamond processing plant on board the vessel. During the mining process gravel, bearing diamonds, is airlifted from the seabed to the vessel.

South Africa’s ports are ramping up for a bumper cruise season with at least eight luxury cruise lines and over ten passenger vessels of varying sizes set to ferry international and domestic tourists across the country’s port cities. The South African cruise season kicked off officially in October with a number of smaller vessels already having called at South Africa’s ports. They are en route to and from travel hotspots in Africa, Europe, the Far East, the Mediterranean, South America and more. However the MSC SINFONIA – a cruise ship in the local cruise calendar – marked a highlight in the 2015/16 cruise calendar when she arrived in her homeport of Durban in the early hours of Thursday, November 19. This was her first South African call this season.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that on October 29, 2015, the MOL-operated containership MOL PROFICIENCY safely rescued all two survivors 400 km offshore of Canary Islands. ・ At 09:05 (all times in local time) on October 29, 2015, the MOL PROFICIENCY, sailing from the Port of Cape Town, South Africa, to Port of Algeciras, Spain, received a distress signal from a yacht and immediately changed course to approach the castaways, and started rescue operations. ・ At 12:25 of the same day, the two survivors were safely rescued. ・ At 22:35 on October 31, the two survivors disembarked at Port of Algeciras.

The 90-yer-old Prince Edward Graving Dry Dock in Durban, which is owned and operated by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), will be undergoing a R30 million ($2.4 million USD) repair project on its outer caisson over the next four months. This is the third and final phase of a repair program on the structure, which was deemed unsafe and in need of repair due to the dry dock’s age and general need for maintenance. Earlier this month, TNPA appointed Durban-based engineering…

Transnet National Ports Authority awarded the V&A Waterfront (Pty) Ltd the status of Preferred Bidder for the development of a cruise terminal at the Port of Cape Town, Transnet said on Tuesday. Once all negotiations are concluded, the V&A Waterfront will invest just under R179 million to finance, design, and develop the terminal. In addition, the agreement includes operation, maintenance and transfer of ownership of the facility back to TNPA after a period of 20 years. The facility will remain at E berth, Duncan Dock, in the Port of Cape Town. Once completed, it will be able to accommodate the port‟s current and future passenger vessel fleet. It is also envisaged that the upgraded facility will house value-added retail and hospitality services.

Fairmount Marine’s multipurpose support vessel Fairmount Fuji has assisted drill ship Stena Icemax while making a stop-over at Cape Town. On request of the owner of Stena Icemax the Fairmount Fuji carried out several cargo runs from the port of Cape Town to the anchorage. Stena Icemax was under way from the Far East to French Guiana and required to make a stop-over at Cape Town for crew change and replenishment. Stena Icemax is a 228 meters long new build drill ship designed for deep water operations in harsh environments.

Fairmount Marine’s multipurpose support vessel Fairmount Fuji has assisted drillship Stena Forth, owned by Swedish Stena Drilling, when passing by Cape Town, South Africa. Fairmount Fuji was contracted to perform several cargo runs. Stena Forth anchored offshore Cape Town for crew changes and replenishments. Fairmount Fuji is equipped with a spacious 280 square meters deck. This makes her ideal for the transport of goods. Fairmount Fuji sailed up and down between Cape Town port and Cape Town anchorage for a number of cargo runs.

National Ports Authority (NPA) is monitoring a salvage operation that is underway to pull the Sealand Express, a container vessel, off the Dolphin Beach near Milnerton. The container vessel was driven ashore in high winds and heavy sea conditions. Captain Edward Bremner, spokesperson for NPA at the Port of Cape Town, said NPA had assisted in an earlier attempt to tow the ship off the beach, but it had been unsuccessful. Further attempts to tow the vessel off the beach will be made later and NPA will continue to assist with this operation. Dolphin beach is situated approximately four miles from the Port of Cape Town. The 246m ship is lying parallel to the shore. Bremner said the tide was outgoing at the moment and they stood a better chance to salvage her, once the tide changed.

The bulk carrier 'Cape Africa', under tow by the salvage tug 'Smit Amandla', will enter the Port of Cape Town this afternoon. Yesterday evening, with the 'Cape Africa' cargo lightening operation complete and the specialized lightening vessel 'Bandar' en route to Saldanha Bay to discharge the final load of iron ore cargo removed from the bulk carrier, the convoy of tug and tow, under escort by the SMIT tug 'Pentow Service' and the oil pollution vessel 'Kuswag IV', left False Bay en route to Cape Town.