Spain Detains Oil Tanker Over Mediterranean Fuel Spill
Spain has detained and fined a Maltese-flagged oil tanker it says discharged oil in open waters near the northeastern port city of Tarragona, a transport ministry department said.Spain's Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines have become hubs for shipping activity including the transfer of oil known as ship-to-ship (STS) operations, which industry sources say are becoming an increasing safety concern.Spanish authorities said they had intercepted the Lagertha after a discharge of hydrocarbons was detected by aircraft sensors and satellite radar on Feb.
WindFloat Atlantic Platform Heads Offshore
The second of the three platforms for the WindFloat Atlantic project has left the Port of Ferrol for its final destination 20 kilometers offshore Viana do Castelo, Portugal.Upon arrival to the project site, it will be installed next to the first floating platform, which has the exact same dimensions: 30 meters in height and with a 50-meter distance between each column. The third and final platform, once it arrives to the site, will complete the first floating offshore wind farm in Continental Europe.Transportation of the three WindFloat Atlantic floating structures is a milestone in itself, as it sidesteps the need for towing craft designed specifically for this process and makes it possible for the project to be replicated in other geographies.The structure…
Spanish Port Hosts First LNG Operations
The port of Ferrol hosted its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation recently which saw two ferries filled with LNG by Repsol in the port’s Mugardos terminal.Recently built by Turkish shipyard Tersan, the Samnøy and Huftarøy ferries received 178 cubic metres of fuel from five tanks in total. The Samnøy received about 110 cubic metres of fuel, whereas the Huftarøy was supplied with 68 cubic metres.The two operations were carried out on the outer jetty, which is the dock of the inner dock where small and medium-sized cruise ships usually dock when they visit the city.They were on their way to the Norwegian fjords, where they will be exploited in passenger services by the Torghatten Nord shipping company.
LNG Hub in Galicia Gets EU Funding Boost
The European Union will co-finance with a little over €600,000 from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies to develop a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) hub in the Port of Ferrol, located near the city of La Coruña in the northwest of Spain. The studies, which were selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Annual Programme's priority on new technologies for transport infrastructure, focus on the design of the necessary facilities, infrastructure and procedures in order to supply LNG as fuel along the entire port logistics chain: from the port services to ships. LNG is rapidly emerging as a more environmentally friendly fuel for the shipping sector and its uptake is encouraged by the European Union.
Shippers’ Voice Seminar, Think Outside the Box
One of the conclusions of the Shippers’ Voice seminar discussing Portcentric Logistics Solutions at the Multimodal 2009 exhibition was that now maybe even the best time for shippers to reassess their logistics patterns and structure. Nick Lindsay, General Manager LM Logistics Group, told delegates that “this is the time to think as far outside the box as you want and you’ll find the solution.” His Felixstowe-based company, originally built on container haulage, is now offering direct small parcel deliveries into retailers as well as home delivery of furniture for customers. “The name of the game is to find ways and means to cut costs,” said Vincent De Saedeleer, Vice President of the Port of Zeebrugge Authority.
