Port Of Fos News

Three crewmembers were injured by an explosion in the engine room aboard a containership off the coast of France on Tuesday.The blast on board the Panama-flagged MSC Rachele occurred while the vessel was about 20 nautical miles south of Cape Cépet, en route from from Napoli, Italy to the port of Fos-sur-Mer.The three injured crewmembers were medevaced by the French Navy for immediate medical treatment aboard the amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre. The mariners, including two reportedly in serious condition…

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the French container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM Group recommended that French President Emmanuel Macron initiate an international coalition for the energy transition of the transportation sector whose priority will be to develop a more competitive and less carbon-intensive energy source.Rodolphe Saadé stressed the need to improve the cooperation of all those working on near-term solutions to replace fossil fuels in the transportation and logistics sectors.The French President accepted to actively support this initiative, whose first forum could be held on the occasion…

Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend $22 million over the next six years to extend shoreside electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbor.Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the shiprepair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero…

Christine Cabau Woehrel is leaving her post as CEO of the Marseille Fos port authority effective March 12, rejoining shipping giant CMA CGM to become director of assets, with main responsibility for the management of more than 500 vessels, newbuildings, the container fleet, intermodal assets and the group’s terminals.  She began her varied career with the company in 1987, leaving in 2011 to work as a transport consultant.  She was appointed CEO of the port of Dunkirk the following year before moving to leading French port Marseille Fos in 2014.

French cargo and cruise port Marseille Fos had a relatively stable year in 2018 with traffic of more than 81 million tonnes, up 1%.The performances included a seventh consecutive year of growth in container traffic, which rose 2% for 1.4 million teu, and a 12% increase in dry bulks at 15.2MT. Meanwhile cruise numbers leapt 15% to 1.7 million passengers.Infrastructure development and maintenance spending of €60 million featured further logistics park expansion. Alongside this, agreements were reached on major industrial implantations. The 2019 capex budget of €85m has earmarked €58m for development projects. These include ongoing work to link the two Fos container terminals via a quay extension, which is due for handover in April 2020.

In contrast to an international downturn, French port Marseille Fos has reported exceptional results for July with 7.8 million metric tons of cargo and 387,000 passengers – up by 18.6 percent and 13 percent respectively on the same month last year. General cargo totaled 1.64 million metric tons (up 8 percent) after growth in all three sectors – containers, ro-ro and conventional. Box throughput rose 11 percent to more than 1 million metric tons, representing a 12 percent unit increase to 112,768 teu. Traffic through the Fos deep sea container terminals is now 4 percent ahead on the first seven months of last year, while the Terminal de Mediterranee in Marseille set a July record for its container activity. Liquid bulks were 26 percent better at 5.11 million metric tons.

The two main construction projects in the Marseille harbor area of leading French port Marseille Fos are nearing completion following a decisive stage in works costing almost €64 million ($70.6 mln) that will cater for mega-ships by enlarging the Passe Nord port entrance and recommissioning the giant No.10 drydock. The drydock has been flooded for the first time since work started in January 2014 to enable flotation of a new 9,100 tonne dock gate and three 4,500 tonne caissons – under construction there since March - that will form the remodelled ends of sea walls guarding the harbor entrance.

French port Marseille Fos handled 20.17 million metric tons of cargo from January to March in a near identical repeat of last year’s first-quarter result. General cargo rose 1 percent to 4.49MT led by container growth at Fos, which gained 3 percent for 263,038 teu. However, total box volumes slipped 3 percent to 304,664 teu – and by 1 percent to 2.93MT in tonnage terms - after a difficult start to the year at Marseille, where container traffic fell 27 percent to 41,626 teu. Added to conventional trades dropping 8 percent on 0.56MT…

France is an attractive investment location for DP World’s projects related to infrastructure development, port centric development, distribution and export hubs, rail freight, customs, and other logistics topics, said DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. He has recently met the President of France, Francois Hollande and senior government and business leaders at a major investment summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris. Bin Sulayem outlined DP World's contribution to global trade, investment opportunities in France and the potential for further collaboration in the trade, transport and logistics sector. He said: "France is an important partner in DP World's European operations.

DP World Group Chairman and CEO HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem recently met the President of France, Francois Hollande and senior government and business leaders at a major investment summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris. France’s attractiveness as an investment location and DP World’s projects in the country were highlights of the discussions which also covered infrastructure development, port centric development, distribution and export hubs, rail freight, customs, and other logistics topics. HE Bin Sulayem outlined DP World’s contribution to global trade, investment opportunities in France and the potential for further collaboration in the trade, transport and logistics sector.

CMA CGM is offering more Reunion Island services as it positions the French department to be its hub in the Indian Ocean. CMA CGM presented its new strengthened services offer linking the Reunion Island during the inauguration of the Group’s new offices, on Tuesday 26th January. The event took place the day before the inauguration of the New Port Reunion. The Reunion Island now becomes CMA CGM Group’s maritime hub in the Indian Ocean. CMA CGM positions the Reunion Island as a strategic hub in the Indian Ocean: by offering 5 weekly calls compared to 3 previously, the Group links Reunion Island with Europe, Australia, Asia, India, East Africa, West Africa and South Africa. The weekly NEMO service now allows direct links between Europe, the Reunion Island and Australia.

PortSynergy / Eurofos have purchsed a set of massive quay cranes, reportedly the largest in the world, becoming the first container terminal to operate cranes of this size. Two cranes 54 meters high with a 72 meters outreach manufactured by Paceco España will be mounted in situ on the PortSynergy / Eurofos terminal in Fos-sur-Mer near Marseille. Crane erection will begin in February 2016 with a view to commissioning in September / October 2016. The acquisition of these quay cranes will provide Fos-sur-Mer with the capability to process all types of vessels…

A record month for containers and a revival in crude oil imports boosted first quarter throughput at leading French port Marseille Fos to 20.1 million metric tons – up by 1.3 million metric tons or 6.9 percent on January-March last year. Box traffic rose 8 percent to 312,820 TEU after growth of 9 percent at the deepsea Fos terminals and 5 percent at the largely intra-Mediterranean Marseille facility. The performance was marked by a 15 percent increase in March, when the port handled an all-time high of almost 116,000 TEU.

Container throughput at French port Marseilles Fos reached 876,711 teu for the period January to September, an increase of 6% on the first nine months last year. The performance - driven by a 9% rise at the Fos 2XL deep sea terminals - was two points better than the trend at other French ports, the port authority said. Container tonnage contributed 8.5 million metric tons to the general cargo total of 13.3MT, with the balance coming from 2.8MT of ro-ro traffic – down 7% - and just over 2MT in conventional trades (+2%).

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, is to continue its long-standing relationship with Eurofos, France's largest terminal, with delivery of twelve new electric straddle carriers. The order was booked in Cargotec's 2014 third quarter order intake, with deliveries scheduled for February 2015. Situated in the Port of Fos, close to Marseille, Eurofos is investing heavily in future growth. The new electric straddle carriers were chosen for their excellent reliability, high quality and low environmental impact, and will expand and partly replace the terminal's existing fleet of Kalmar and Sisu equipment. The low-maintenance Kalmar straddle carriers are capable of stacking 40 -ton containers three high and comply with the latest exhaust emission regulations.

First-half container traffic at leading French port Marseilles Fos totalled 583,287 teu – up 7% on the first six months last year - marked by a 10% increase at the deepsea Fos terminals. Dry bulk and cruise passenger volumes also rose significantly, the port announced today, but total cargo throughput fell 6% to 38.23 million metric tons as oil trades continued to decline in line with market trends. The container performance drove a 2% rise in general cargo to 8.88MT. Conventional traffic contributed 1.41MT with a 3% improvement led by incoming project cargo…

Traffic to the end of March at French port Marseilles Fos saw major rises in container, dry bulk and cruise passenger volumes, but total cargo throughput fell 6% to 18.8 million metric tons, down by 1.2MT on the first quarter last year – due to declining oil trades in a changing market. General cargo improved 1% to 4.3MT, led by 2.8MT in container tonnage. In unit terms, box traffic rose 9% to 287,929 teu, with monthly throughput hitting a landmark 100,000 teu in both February and March.

Christine Cabau Woehrel has taken up her new role as CEO of the Marseilles Fos port authority after two years heading the Port of Dunkirk. She succeeds Jean-Claude Terrier following a French transport ministry nomination that was backed by the port’s supervisory board in February and has now been confirmed by government decree. Her move marks a return to the headquarters city of CMA GGM, France’s biggest and the world’s third largest container carrier, where she worked from 1987-2011.

The CMA CGM Group announced the delivery of the CMA CGM LAMARTINE (6,500 TEU) and CMA CGM CALLISTO (11,400 TEU) in . Built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co shipyards, the CMA CGM LAMARTINE (6 500 TEU) is deployed on the Asia-Mediterranean market on the MEX (Mediterranean Express) service. The vessel started its rotation today in Yokohama. Itsrotation will be as follows: , , , Kwanyang, , , , Chiwan, Hong Kong, Port Kelang, , , , , Fos, , , , , Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Chiwan, . The CMA CGM Group also took delivery today in of CMA CGM CALLISTO (11,400 TEU). Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyards, the vessel is the third of a series of 12 vessels of 11,400 TEU ordered by the CMA CGM Group. They will be delivered between 2010 and 2011.

A rolling strike on blocked 14 oil tankers from entering France's biggest oil port of Fos-Lavera, part of the state-run French port of Marseille, according to a Reuters report. The total number of ships is unchanged on the previous day but down four ships compared with May 2. "This includes eight crude oil ships and 6 refined oil tankers," the port said in a statement, adding that one gas tanker and three chemical tankers were also blocked from entering the hub. France's national port union, part of the CGT federation, called on workers last month to stage 24-hour strikes on a weekly basis to protest against government plans to privatise loading activities at state-run ports.

Despite increases in general cargo and liquid bulks, January-September throughput at leading French cargo port Marseilles-Fos slipped to 72.03 million tonnes – down 2.7% on the first nine months last year - due to lower oil and dry bulk volumes. General cargo rose 6% to 13.05MT, led by an 8.4% increase in container tonnage to 7.55MT on the back of Far East imports. Ro-ro traffic contributed 3.3MT (+5.6%) while conventional trades were down 0.9% on 2.2MT. In unit terms, box traffic grew 4.8% to 744,000 teu. Petro-chemicals demand saw liquid bulks throughput improve 10.8% on 2.56MT but reduced steel industry demand prompted a 15.7% fall in dry bulks to 10.35MT. The oil sector experienced contrasting fortunes to finish 2.3% down at 46.07MT.

TOTAL Marine Fuels has doubled its capacity to provide 500 cSt bunker fuel at the French port of Fos-Lavera, near Marseilles. TOTAL began offering the fuel at Fos-Lavera in January of this year, and has now doubled its 500 cSt storage facilities at the port from an initial 10,000 to 20,000 metric tons. Several large bunker stems have already been sold, and Pascal Zoonekyndt, Zone Manager for Total France, says, “We continue to improve our logistics and product offer in line with the needs of our customers. Product can be delivered to ships by two barges operating under charter to TOTAL, carrying between them 5,250 metric tons.