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Port Services News

21 Feb 2024

ARC Keeps the Cargo Rolling

Flags on M/V ARC Defender.
Image courtesy ARC

With a fleet of nine U.S.-flag RoRo ships, American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group (ARC), is the U.S.’ premier commercial RoRo carrier of U.S. government and military cargo. As the world becomes an increasingly contentious place, Eric P. Ebeling, President & CEO, ARC, discusses the vast capabilities of the ARC fleet and logistics network, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead for U.S.-flag ships in the international trade.By the numbers’ is a simplistic means to gauge the size and shape of any shipping company…

08 Nov 2023

Gladding-Hearn Delivers New Pilot Boat to Bermuda

(Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation)

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has delivered a Chesapeake Class pilot boat to the Bermuda Government, Department of Marine and Port Services. It follows delivery of a 61’ pilot/rescue vessel to the port services in 2011.The new all-aluminum launch is certified to Lloyd’s Register class and replaces a 10-knot steel pilot boat built by the Somerset, Mass. shipyard in 1980. With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new boat measures 52.11’ overall, with a 15.10’ beam and a 4.8’ draft.

19 Sep 2023

Ports of Indiana Names Operations Managers at Ohio River Ports

Ashley Blocker and Michael Graves (Photos: Ports of Indiana)

Ports of Indiana has filled two key leadership roles at its Ohio River ports, naming Ashley Blocker and Michael Graves as Operations Managers in Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville, respectively.Blocker, a southwest Indiana native, was promoted to the new role after serving as Operations Analyst for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon since 2022. She previously worked in multiple roles with Squaw Creek Southern Railroad and has more than 15 years’ experience in port and rail operations, customer relations and data analysis.

22 Feb 2023

Wilhelmsen Completes Vopak Agencies Acquisition

Huib ten Cate, Territory Manager Benelux and Germany, with Simon Edsall, Vice President Northern Europe and Americas (Photo: Wilhelmsen)

Wilhelmsen Port Services has completed its acquisition of Vopak Agencies first announced in October 2022.Vopak Agencies, which has now become a Wilhelmsen group company, is a specialist within both hub services and port agency in the tanker segments in Europe and has extensive experience within their field. As part of the transaction, Wilhelmsen has also acquired 50% of diize, a Vopak developed digital software company aimed at the future of port orchestration.“This opportunity…

06 Feb 2023

Ports & Logistics: Building A New Energy Industry

Sorting out infrastructure, ports and logistics issues will be key as the offshore wind industry scales up to meet the United States’ ambitious targets. (© Solosupremoira / Adobe Stock)

2022 closed with significant developments to advance offshore wind (OSW) and the necessary, related work required at U.S. ports – on the east and west coasts and the Great Lakes. Some of these developments included:Funding – MARAD’s Port Improvement Development Project (PIDP) grants provided over $100 million for wind at four ports.Corporate leadership – Marine giants Foss and Crowley stepped up to lead development projects in California and Massachusetts.New industry focus – The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) started a program called POWERS – “Port Opportunities With Energy…

03 Jan 2023

Gladding-Hearn Refitting Ferry for Government of Bermuda

(Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding)

The Government of Bermuda’s Marine and Port Services has chosen Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, to undertake a major refit of the 700-passenger ferry Bermudian. Built in 1988, the 118’ steel vessel completed the 635-mile crossing of the North Atlantic, arriving at the Somerset, Mass. shipyard, this week. With engineering and project management by Gladding-Hearn and Propulsion Data Services, and Class oversight by Lloyd’s Register, the refit is scheduled for completion in mid-2023.Among the myriad items to be removed…

08 Dec 2022

Global Port Services Supports Construction of Scotland's Largest Offshore Wind Farm

©Global Port Services

Global Port Services, owned by Global Energy Group alongside the Port of Nigg, has said it has secured multiple contracts to support its client Seagreen Wind Energy Limited (SWEL), with site enabling works for the pre-assembly construction of wind turbine components (WTGs) at its Port of Nigg facility. The news comes as the final turbine foundations for Seagreen arrive at Nigg to be prepared for installation at Seagreen offshore wind farm site, 27km off the coast of Angus.Seagreen…

30 Nov 2022

Venezuelan Oil Exports Flow Using False Documents, Ships Linked to Iran

When the supertanker Young Yong sailed to the Chinese port of Qingdao in September last year, it had quality certificates for its cargo stating it was transporting Malaysian crude oil, according to the documents reviewed by Reuters.But satellite images and photos show the Chinese-owned ship had loaded the oil four months earlier in Venezuela, an OPEC nation in South America under U.S. oil sanctions.The Young Yong is one of three vessels identified by Reuters that were chartered by little-known companies to export Venezuelan oil and used false documents to conceal its origin, according to shipping documents and 11 sources with knowledge of the trade.Two of those tankers, including the Young Yong, were designated this month by U.S.

03 Nov 2022

More Than 60% of Port of Aberdeen's South Harbour Expansion Project Operational

Port of Aberdeen - Subsea 7’s Seaway Phoenix and Norman Subsea vessels berthed on Dunnottar Quay - ©Port of Aberdeen

More than 60% of the Port of Aberdeen's £400 million South Harbour development is now operational, marking the project's penultimate construction milestone, the port said in a statement on Thursday.The handover from construction to operations for Dunnottar, Crathes, and Castlegate (East) Quays was completed this week. Castlegate (West) is scheduled to open in December 2022, and the remaining Balmoral Quay will be brought into service in Q2 2023, making Aberdeen the largest berthage port in Scotland…

17 Oct 2022

Rosneft Moves Into Tanker Chartering as EU Ban Looms

© vladimir18 / Adobe Stock

Russia's biggest oil exporter Rosneft has expanded its tanker chartering business to ease oil shipments for buyers amid looming Western sanctions on insurance of Russian oil shipments, three sources familiar with the matter said.Previously, state-controlled Rosneft, which produces more than 40% of Russian oil, would sell its oil at the port of loading, meaning the buyer would have to find tankers and handle freight and insurance costs for the voyage.But with new, tighter Western sanctions looming…

13 Oct 2022

Wilhelmsen to Buy Vopak Agencies

©Wilhelmsen

Wilhelmsen Port Services has entered into an agreement with Vopak to acquire 100% of maritime services provider Vopak Agencies and 50% of Diize. "Vopak Agencies and Diize are highly complementary and a perfect match for the global reach of Wilhelmsen Port Services’ maritime network of 2 200 ports," Wilhelmsen Port Services said.Wilhelmsen said that Vopak Agencies had a strong track record within both hub services and port agency within the tanker segments in Europe and extensive experience within their field.

09 Oct 2022

US Sanctions Firms Transferring Oil to North Korean Ships at Sea

The United States on Friday imposed new sanctions following North Korea's latest missile launches this week, targeting a fuel procurement network that Washington said supports Pyongyang's weapons programs and its military.Friday's action targeted two Singapore-registered companies and a Marshall Islands-registered firm, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement, as Washington seeks to hold North Korea accountable for ship-to-ship transfers that circumvent United Nations sanctions on the country."By designating these entities and individuals, the United States is sending a clear message that we will continue to take actions against those who support the development and sustainment of the DPRK’s military and weapons arsenal," U.S.

15 Jun 2022

Wärtsilä Acquires PortLink Global

Port of Dover, a PortLink Global customer. Courtesy of Port of Dover and PortLink.

Wärtsilä Voyage acquired PortLink Global, a global port solutions company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The move is intended to speed Wärtsilä Voyage along its path towards creating an end-to-end connected maritime ecosystem.The transaction was signed and closed in June 2022.PortLink and Wärtsilä Voyage have partnered in the past – collaborating on projects including the co-development of a Port Management Information System (PMIS) for the largest Mediterranean and African port…

26 Apr 2022

Ukrainian Grains Reach Romanian Black Sea Port

© Photosebia / Adobe Stock

Ukraine has sent around 80,000 tones of grains to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta so far, with more expected to arrive, the port's manager said on Tuesday.Ukraine's sea ports have been blocked since a Russian invasion two months ago and the country, a major agricultural producer, has been forced to export by train via its western border or via its small Danube river ports into Romania.European Union member Romania shares borders of the Black Sea - a major shipping artery for grain and oil - with Bulgaria…

18 Oct 2023

Alt-fueled Workboats: Building the Business Case

Crowley Maritime Corp will take delivery in 2023 of an electric tug, dubbed eWolf, built by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala. (Image: Crowley)

There’s no energy shortage when it comes to projects promoting the viability of alternatively fueled marine vessels (alt-fueled vessels).Consider just a few examples:Crowley Maritime Corp will take delivery in 2023 of an electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf, built by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala.The Hydrogen One towboat, using methanol-to-hydrogen technology, is being developed by its owner Maritime Partners.Master Boat Builders and Robert Allan Ltd. announced last fall the creation of a new battery hybrid, the ElectRA 3000-H, designed for U.S.

21 Feb 2022

Vicente Boluda Fos to Receive France's Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal

Vicente Boluda Fos, CEO of Boluda CorporaciĂłn MarĂ­tima and Boluda Towage. Photo courtesy: Boluda CorporaciĂłn MarĂ­tima

Boluda Corporación Marítima CEO Vicente Boluda Fos will receive the Knight of the Legion of Honour medal in Paris on June 16, in recognition of outstanding services rendered to France by the Valencian businessman. The distinction will be awarded by former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy.Boluda France was created in 2007 after the purchase of the French company Les Abeilles, a company whose activity dates back to 1864.“It is with great pride that I accept this award from the French Republic: I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards the country.

17 Feb 2022

Lebanon Gives CMA CGM Contract to Revamp Beirut Container Terminal

© Björn Wylezich / Adobe Stock

Lebanon has awarded France's CMA CGM CMACG.UL a contract to develop and operate the container terminal in Beirut port for 10 years, including plans to rebuild and expand infrastructure damaged in a massive chemical explosion in 2020.CMA CGM said it would invest $33 million, including $19 million over the first two years to upgrade infrastructure at the terminal and digitalize operations, and that it would target capacity of 1.4 million 20ft equivalent units (TEUs), up from 650,000 currently.The deal expands CMA CMG's presence in the eastern Mediterranean.

08 Jun 2021

Oman's Asyad to Focus on Ports, Shipping

(Photo: Asyad)

Oman's state-owned transport group Asyad plans to restructure its operations in order to focus on logistics, port services, free zones, shipping, drydocks and e-commerce, the state-run Oman News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing a management decision.The transport ministry will take over supervision of the company's land transportation activity, it said.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

05 Jul 2021

Asyad Looking to Sell Stake in Oman Shipping Company

Oman's state-owned transport group Asyad is weighing the sale of a strategic stake in its subsidiary Oman Shipping Company (OSC), three sources familiar with the matter said.Asyad has asked banks to pitch for a mandate to help it review a potential deal in which Asyad could divest up to 40% of its ownership, said two sources, who declined to be named as the matter was not public.Asyad, owned by the Oman Investment Authority, the country's sovereign fund, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Oman Shipping Company also did not respond to a request for comment.OSC focuses on transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to the international market…

15 Jul 2021

Asyad Looks Abroad for Possible Expansion

(Photo: Asyad)

Oman's state-owned Asyad is considering buying ports and terminals abroad and could divest assets outside its core logistics business, such as a college and project management operation, its chief executive said on Thursday.The plans by the company, which is owned by the Oman Investment Authority, align with the small oil producing Gulf state's broader strategy to reduce reliance on crude revenues and expand its non-oil industries.Chief Executive Abdulrahman Salim Al Hatmi told…

17 Jan 2022

Bermuda Pilots Order New Launch from Gladding-Hearn

(Image: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding)

Somerset, Mass shipbuilder Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, said it will build a a new Chesapeake Class pilot boat for the Bermudan Government's Department of Marine and Port Services.The shipyard, which built a 61’ pilot/rescue vessel for the port service in 2011, said the new launch will be built to Lloyd’s Register class for scheduled delivery in early 2023.With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new all-aluminum pilot boat measures 52.11’ overall, with a 15.10’ beam and a 4.8’ draft.

14 Dec 2021

Gladding-Hearn Delivers Completely Refitted Ferry to Bermuda

(Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding)

Resolute, one of two high-speed passenger catamarans delivered by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, to the Government of Bermuda, Ministry on Transport in 2002, has returned to service after a compete refit. In turn, the vessel’s sister ship, Serenity, has been delivered to the shipyard for the same types of upgrades — scheduled for completion by next March.Designed by Incat Design (currently Incat Crowther), Resolute carries 250 passengers. It measures 84 feet (27.7m) long…

23 Jul 2021

Westshore to Provide Port Services for BHP's Jansen Potash Mine

Jansen Mine Shaft - the Jansen Project, located 140 kilometres east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/Credit: BHP

Canadian firm Westshore Terminals said Thursday it had executed a deal with BHP Canada Inc., a subsidiary of BHP Group, to provide port services to BHP’s proposed Jansen Potash Mine in Saskatchewan. The agreement is subject to approval by the Board of BHP and execution by BHP, after which the agreement would still be conditional on BHP making a final investment decision on Stage 1 of the Jansen Project. These decisions are entirely within the discretion of BHP, Westshore said  Thursday.If the Jansen Project does proceed…