Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Ports Corporation News

21 Mar 2024

Fiji to Sign Ports Deal with Australia in Shipbuilding Boost

© yorkzel / Adobe Stock

Fiji will strike a deal with Australia to upgrade ports and shipbuilding infrastructure, months after its prime minister said it was likely to partner with China on the project, the government of the Pacific Islands nation said on Thursday.Fiji's government said its cabinet had agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Australia for the project, after Australia committed to financing."The revival of the shipbuilding industry in Fiji has been articulated as a key priority


19 Apr 2023

Maintenance Dredging at the Port of Weipa to Begin in May

(Photo: North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation)

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) will soon begin maintenance dredging at the Port of Weipa. NQBP Acting Chief Executive Officer Belinda Kenny said the dredge vessel TSHD Brisbane is due to begin work from early May 2023.“Maintenance dredging works are an integral part of port operations,” Kenny said. “In the same way we maintain roads and rail lines for freight transport, we need to look after our port infrastructure to keep trade flowing. Regular maintenance dredging ensures efficient


26 Feb 2023

Containership is First in Years to Docks at Yemen's Hodeidah Port

A containership carrying general commercial goods docked at Yemen's main port of Hodeidah for the first time since at least 2016 on Saturday as parties in Yemen's eight-year war are in talks to reinstate an expired U.N.-brokered truce deal.The conflict, which pits a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia against the Iran-aligned Houthi group, has divided Yemen and caused a humanitarian crisis that has left 80% of the 30 million population needing help.Goods arriving at Hodeidah have to be vetted by a U.N. body established to prevent arms shipments from entering Yemen.

03 May 2022

Weipa Maintenance Dredging Underway

(File photo: NQBP)

Maintenance dredging operations have commenced at the Port of Weipa in Australia, North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) announced.The trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) Brisbane began work in late April for a dredging program that is expected to last about eight weeks.“Maintenance dredging works are an integral part of port operations,”  said NQBP CEO Nicolas Fertin. “In the same way we maintain roads and rail lines for freight transport, we need to look after our port infrastructure to keep trade flowing.

07 May 2021

Engage Marine Orders Three Tugs from Damen

(Image: Damen)

Damen Shipyards Group said it has been awarded a contract by Australia-based Engage Marine for the delivery of three new tugs.Engage Marine will operate the three tugs to provide towage services for the Port of Abbot Point. The company has recently been awarded a Non-Exclusive Towage Licence by North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation.According to Damen, its  ASD Tug 3212 will bring to the contract excellent seakeeping behavior, superb maneuverability and outstanding towing characteristics – with 85 tonnes bollard pull.As a vessel from Damen’s standardized portfolio


25 Feb 2020

Orsted Inks Taichung Lease for OWF

Orsted Taiwan Ltd announced that it has signed a 20-year wharf lease with Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) for the development of its offshore wind farms (OWF) off Changhua County.The global offshore wind leader announced the signing of a wharf lease and a 20-year operations and maintenance (O&M) lease with the Port of Taichung, managed by Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) and TIPC Marine Construction, respectively.The Ørsted leased wharfs at the Port of Taichung will be upgraded and utilized for the construction of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms, and the O&M site will serve as the O&M base for Ørsted‘s Changhua offshore wind farms from 2022 onwards.Ørsted’s Greater Changhua wind farms are located approximately 35-60 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County.

17 Sep 2019

SGRE Confirms Taiwan Offshore Wind Factory

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a nacelle assembly facility in the Port of Taichung in Taiwan that will be its first offshore  assembly facility outside Europe.Construction is due to begin in 2020 at the site located in the port of Taichung. This represents an important milestone for the company in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region. Siemens Gamesa currently has offshore nacelle assembly and manufacturing facilities in Germany and Denmark.The parcel of land being developed in Taiwan measures over 30,000 square meters, and will be used for nacelle assembly, testing, warehousing, office buildings, and outdoor storage.

16 Jul 2019

Höegh Trapper Back to Mackay

Roll-on/roll-off  (RO-RO) vessel Höegh Trapper recently returned to the Port of Mackay as part of its Europe US, Mexico and Oceania service.To commemorate the occasion representatives from North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation, traditional owners and council members from Mackay as well as customers and service providers were invited to tour the vessel.Being the largest Pure Car and Truck Carrier in the world, the guests were welcomed to showcase the vessel’s flexibility and wide range of cargoes it can cater to.Captain Nicky Colaco, Höegh Autoliners Sales Manager in Australia says: "Since August 2018, Höegh Autoliners pioneered to


28 Nov 2018

Turbine Brings New Wave of Energy to Gladstone Port

Australia's Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is continuing to progress its renewable energy initiatives, with a tidal turbine deployed at its Barney Point Terminal in Gladstone.It is part of a six month trial aimed at demonstrating how tidal flows at the Port of Gladstone can be harnessed to produce electricity, according to a press release from the Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia.GPC has partnered with MAKO Turbines Pty Ltd for the demonstration, which is the first of its kind in Australian tropical waters using port infrastructure.Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said it is an exciting day to see the turbine in action at one of Queensland’s largest trading ports.“GPC may be best known for facilitating trade, but this is

15 Nov 2018

Taiwan to Begin Shipbuilding at Suao Port

Lung Teh (LT) Shipbuilding Company formally received construction permits for the site at Suao Port, according to Taiwanese government sources.The company will start construction in December and should finish all new facilities on its Suao Port campus in March 2020. LT Shipbuilding operations at Suao Port are expected to create at least 200 new job openings.Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC)’s active recruitment of companies to establish business operations at Suao Port, a branch port of TIPC’s Port of Keelung subsidiary, has begun bearing fruit, said official sources.LT Shipbuilding signed their lease agreement with the Port of Keelung at the end of 2016 to lease land for its shipbuilding operations.

12 Nov 2018

Yang Ming Cuts Losses, Optimizes Fleet

Taiwanese ocean shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation  said that its 3rd quarter net loss after tax for Q3 was USD 30 million, a reduction of 76.16% compared to last quarter, and USD 220 million for the nine-month period.However, in Q3 2018, Yang Ming posted consolidated revenues of USD $1.3 billion, a growth of 15.2% compared to the second quarter of the year.According to a press statement Yang Ming, one of the main reasons for the loss was an “unfavourable supply-demand balance”, with weakening freight rates and escalating bunker prices adding $134 million to the carrier’s operating costs.Meanwhile, the Keelung-based shipper said that it will introduce four 14


04 Jun 2018

UN Aid Boat Attacked off Yemen

Unidentified forces attacked a U.N. aid vessel off the main Yemeni port of Hodeidah at the weekend and started a fire in the engine room, port authorities said on Monday.The United Nations aid chief, Mark Lowcock, confirmed there had been an incident but said it was now over and everyone was safe, without elaborating.The vessel used by the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) was attacked after delivering a shipment at Hodeidah, Yemen's Red Sea Ports Corporation said. The port is held by the Iranian-aligned armed Houthi movement which has taken large parts of the country in a three-year-old war.A WFP spokeswoman said an unidentified armed


10 May 2018

Australia Wants to Recycle Trash from Ships

© joey333 / Adobe Stock

The Port of Hay Point in Queensland, Australia has kicked off a pilot program to investigate the feasibility of recycling garbage from international ships.Currently, ships' crews separate recyclable garbage on board, but have limited opportunity to offload these materials at Australian ports for recycling. Any garbage that is separated on board is combined when offloaded in Australian ports and has to undergo treatment by autoclave or deep-burial to meet Australia’s biosecurity requirements.

06 Jul 2017

IADC’s René Kolman: 'Primus inter pares'

NOUVELLE ROUTE DU LITTORAL, FRANCE (Photo: Société de Dragage International / Jan De Nul Group)

The world of dredging is an ever changing and endlessly fascinating niche of the global marine industry, an indispensable activity essential to keeping world commerce flowing. For insight on recent trends we visited last month with René Kolman, Secretary General, International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC), for his take on a world of dredging challenges and opportunities. In true Dutch fashion René Kolman is refreshingly forthright. Kolman assumed the mantle of leadership at IADC more than seven years ago, coming to the post from the landscape and garden trade association business.

17 Nov 2016

Saab Supplies First Common Operating Picture to Flinders Ports

Photo courtesy of Saab

Defence and security company Saab has deployed its first Common Operating Picture (COP): an extension of Saab’s KleinPort port management information system (PMIS) that makes ports more efficient and competitive. As of November 1st 2016, Flinders Ports in Australia began live utilization of the KleinPort COP. KleinPort COP gives all authorized port stakeholders an easily accessible, map-based overview of their port. The information is layered to allow users to select only the data relevant to their area of responsibility.

28 Jul 2016

DP World Eyes Taiwan Port

Global marine container terminal operator DP World  will help to expand the development of Kaohsiung Port’s Terminal 7, which is owned by the state run Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC), in an effort to increase its Asian portfolio. The Dubai ports operator signed a memorandum of understanding with TIPC to develop the terminal. Financial terms were not disclosed. As the first global operator entering the Taiwan market, DP World will bring to the table its international expertise and experience of over four decades spanning a portfolio of 77 inland and marine terminals and handling more than 170,000 TEU a day. Kaohsiung Port enjoys a key geographical location, is an excellent natural harbor and was once among the world’s top container ports.

16 Jul 2016

Promoting Facilitation in Fiji

A National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic is being held in Suva, Fiji (13-15 July). The event aims to assist Fiji to more effectively implement the Convention of Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) and to advise on the recently-adopted amendments to the Annex to the FAL Convention. The seminar has been organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), and is being attended by 26 participants from ministries with responsibilities in the clearance of ships, cargo, crew and passengers at ports of Fiji, and private stakeholders. IMO is represented by Julian Abril.

07 Nov 2015

ICT for Port of Burnie

Australia’s largest stevedore DP World Australia today confirmed that it had entered into an exclusive agreement with the Tasmanian Ports Corporation, Tasports, under which the two parties will work together to provide an international container terminal at the Port of Burnie in North West Tasmania. Brian Gillespie, Chief Corporate Development Officer at DP World Australia, said: “We believe that the time is right to develop such a facility in Tasmania. “The proposed changes in the Coastal Shipping Act 2015 will make it attractive for international container shipping lines to call at Tasmania if suitable facilities exist,” Mr Gillespie said.

13 Aug 2015

Taiwanese Contract for Van Oord

Van Oord has been awarded the dredging contract for the Kaohsiung Intercontinental Container Center Phase II in Taiwan. The client is the Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC). The contract value amounts to approximately EUR 130 million. The preparations have already started and the execution period runs until January 2018. The project involves the dredging and reclamation of 37 million m3 of sand for the extension of Kaohsiung Port. Van Oord will deploy one of its largest trailing suction hopper dredgers. Kaohsiung, located on the South China Sea, is the largest Taiwanese port and plays an important role in the Taiwanese export-oriented economy.

02 Nov 2014

LNGL Extends Gladstone Lease

* LNGL has signed a non-binding memorandum of intent (MOI) for gas supply with Tri-Star Petroleum Company (Tri-Star). Liquefied Natural Gas Limited yesterday announced that its 100% owned subsidiary, Gladstone LNG Pty Ltd has agreed to a Variation to the Agreement for Lease with the Gladstone Ports Corporation until 31 March 2016 in two phases. The first phase is an extension of the term from 1 November 2014 to 31 March 2015, with the Company paying an Option Fee of $500,000 and the second phase, at the Company’s election, is a further extension to 31 March 2016, with the payment of a further Option Fee of $1 million. The company executed a non-binding MOI for a proposed gas sales agreement (GSA) with Tri-Star.

07 Sep 2012

Australian Port Industries Market Research Report

An updated IBISWorld market research report reveals opportunities for growth in Australian port trades. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Caroline Finch, “IBISWorld forecasts compound annual revenue growth of 2.3% over the five years through 2012-13”. In the current year, the industry is expected to grow 7.0% to reach $3.39 billion. The report indicates that atrong growth in the value of total merchandise trade has been the primary driver behind the Port Operators industry's solid performance over the past five years. The value of merchandise trade exports has grown faster than the value of merchandise trade imports because of high demand for commodity exports. As more cargo moved through Australia's ports, the industry gained more opportunities to charge for its port services.

31 Jul 2012

Australian NSW Ports to be Privatised

The New South Wales State Government plans to privatise Port Kembla & Port Botany to increase funds for infrastructure projects. Of the $500 million expected to be generated from the Port Kembla lease, $100 million will be spent on infrastructure in the Illawarra. The rest will be spent on other projects throughout the state. The port's potential privatisation was announced during last month's state budget. Sydney Ports Corporation will lose responsibility for most of the Port Botany precinct but will retain control of maritime security and emergency responses. The successful bidder should be known by December.

01 May 2012

Middle East Port of Aden Invites Consultancy Bids

The Ministry of Transport and Yemen Gulf of Aden Ports Corporation (Port of Aden) invites  qualified consultants companies/firms to express their interest in participation by putting forward their names with the necessary documents to confirm their competence. Aden is described as “Yemen’s Gateway to the World”. To handle the world’s largest container vessels, the Aden Container Terminal (ACT) at the North Shore of Aden’s Inner Harbour was designed and built. This facility was commissioned in March 1999 and provides the port with world-class container handling facilities. ACT’s throughput reached 500,000 TEU’s/year in 2008 and is forecast to grow significantly in future.