Service Operator News

Abu Dhabi Ports has established a new feeder services company, SAFEEN FEEDERS, to serve the group’s mainliner shipping clients in the Gulf region.SAFEEN FEEDERS will introduce a new feeder service linking Abu Dhabi to ports serving the UAE, the broader Gulf region and Indian Sub-Continent. The service will be executed in partnership with feeder service operator Bengal Tiger Line (BTL) through a vessel sharing agreement.The service will allow for exchange of container cargo between mainliner vessels and the vessels within the rotation calling at nine regional ports located across the UAE…

Niels Aalund was elected President of the International Propeller Club at their 93rd International Convention and Conference. The prominent maritime industry stakeholder will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, also serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA). WGMA communicates and coordinates with various governmental entities throughout the West Gulf…

Arriva Danmark has extended the requirements of its contract with Damen Shipyards Group in order to account for longer ferry routes in the city of Copenhagen. Arriva originally contracted Damen to deliver five fully-electric Damen Ferry 2306 E3 vessels to cover passenger routes in the central metropolitan area of Copenhagen. Since agreement of the contract in July 2018, Danish public transport agency Movia has extended the intended routes of its ferry service to the port area…

Auditor KPMG says that the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Transport sector will supersede the levels seen in 2015 this year. In 2016, mergers and acquisitions (M & A) in the Transport sector will supersede the levels seen in 2015 by exceeding the £ 52 billion mark, according to KPMG's latest Transport Tracker. The analysis found that the value of completed M & A transactions in 2016 will pass the 2015 mark, which rose for the third consecutive year, to a total of £ 48 billion. Further transactions worth approximately £ 66 billion were announced, hitting a record level of M & A activity in the sector in 2015. ASPAC targeted acquisitions contributed to 55% of the announced transaction values ​​in 2015…

The Port of London saw larger ships than ever calling last year as the tonnage of cargo handled at Thames terminals climbed to 45.4 million metric tons (up 2 percent from 2014). PLA chief executive, Robin Mortimer said, “Last year a number of operators introduced new, bigger ships and records were broken. The record breakers included containership, UASC Barzan and cruise ship Viking Star. The 400 -meter-long Barzan set a new benchmark as the biggest-ever ship on the Thames when she called at London Gateway Port in September.

Firefighting led a stream of topical debate at trade association Interferry’s 40th annual conference in Copenhagen last week – but not before a record 342 delegates came under fire from a leading Green politician claiming that ‘shipping is currently one of the unaddressed areas of air pollution’. Michael Cramer, German chair of the European Parliament’s transport and tourism committee, delivered a stinging opening address demanding that the ferry and shipping sectors become more environmentally sustainable. He said ‘most vessels are like hazardous waste incinerators because they burn heavy fuel oil which should be processed as highly toxic waste but is usually exhaled without sufficient filtering’.

U.K. inland container service operator Pentalver opened a new five-acre site at the U.K.’s newest deep sea container port, DP World London Gateway, the London Port Authority announced. Plans for the site – which will be built in two phases – were revealed in January and position Pentalver as the largest container service operator at the port. The new yard, located adjacent to the port’s main gate, can be expanded to nine acres over the coming years. Pentalver has been providing empty storage, dry repair and reefer services at its temporary premises at DP World London Gateway since April 2014.

Marine safety equipment leader VIKING Life-Saving Equipment will appear in force at Nor-Shipping 2015, displaying both innovative products and services that are proving popular with shipowners around the world. Few innovations in the safety equipment servicing arena have caught on as strongly as VIKING’s Shipowner Agreements. Based on the concept of fixed prices and centralized, single-source servicing for multi-brand safety equipment, these agreements have been rapidly adopted by forward-thinking shipowners across the globe. VIKING’s stand at Nor-Shipping will be manned by experts ready to discuss the options available and explain the popularity of this type of servicing contract.

Workboat operators are taking a second look at Dometic’s SeaXchange Reverse Osmosis Systems as missions expand and demands on these vessels increase. It’s no secret that Dometic Group’s products are sold in almost 100 countries, supported by as many as 6,000 employees. Better known on the water for their penetration of the recreational and yacht markets, Dometic’s attention is now focused on the workboat sector as well. Beyond a complete range of air conditioners, engine room ventilation systems, refrigerators, awnings, cookers, sanitation systems, lighting, mobile power equipment, comfort and safety solutions, the need for a clean and reliable source of water is paramount for today’s offshore fleets. That’s where Dometic’s SeaXchange Reverse Osmosis Systems come in.

Nordic Maritime, a leading offshore service operator, today announced its MKIII subsea service vessel Mokul Nordic has been renamed Nordic Prince and has started a long term charter for Noble Energy after arriving in Haifa, Israel. Nordic Maritime was awarded a five year charter for the DP2 IMR Subsea vessel, from Noble Energy, the international oil services group, in October. “We are glad to announce that our vessel, Nordic Prince had arrived at Haifa Port and on-hire for the highly reputable international oil company, Noble Energy. This marks a good start to what we believe will be a strong collaboration between Nordic Maritime and Noble Energy. Nordic Prince is now installed with a WROV and all ready for the new project.” said Kjell Gauksheim, Executive Director of Nordic Maritime.

Nordic Maritime, a leading offshore service operator, today announced a five year time charter for its DP2 IMR Subsea vessel, Mokul Nordic, which has been awarded by Noble Energy, the international energy provider. “At Nordic Maritime, we are delighted to have won this long term charter contract directly with a highly reputed international oil company, Noble Energy. This is a major achievement for us and together with our co-owner of this vessel, MDL Energy, we see this as a potential to grow our fleet of medium size IMR Subsea vessels in the years going forward” said Kjell Gauksheim, Executive Director of Nordic Maritime . Mokul Nordic is a DP2 VS470 MKIII subsea service vessel capable of ROV / IMR operations.

New shipping services are being announced as the second berth at DP World London Gateway opens for business. Britain’s newest port doubled its capacity as the second berth began operations in May. Five new shipping routes to North America, South America East Coast and West Coast, the Middle East and Europe are starting. New rail, road and container services are also announced. The G6, one of the world’s largest shipping alliances, will start a new service at DP World London Gateway on Friday, May 16.

Dutch shipping company CFL has chosen Pronautas to implement the proven Ku-Band VSAT connectivity solutions on all vessels in their fleet. Headquartered in Amsterdam and well known for its innovative market approach, CFL owns and operates a fleet of young and flexible eco-friendly multi-purpose vessels. Pronautas was selected to provide the VSAT solution thanks to its experience and competence in connectivity solutions, satellite communications, navigation systems and full service support. The decision for a fleet-wide roll out was made by CFL after a successful three-month trial period.

Viking Life-Saving Equipment said it will take advantage of Nor-Shipping 2013 to help shipowners make safety equipment and servicing a smooth and problem-free experience. Having revolutionized the safety equipment servicing world with far-reaching, customizable agreements that have reduced unpredictable, fluctuating costs, Viking is now focusing its attention on further fine-tuning its workflows and providing even faster response times fromservicing under the company’s highly popular Shipowner Agreements.

CP Ships has signed an agreement with FastShip to assume commercial and marketing management for FastShip's TransAtlantic services. London-based CP Ships is the TransAtlantic's largest container service operator with twelve separate loops, and the seventh largest world-wide. FastShip, headquartered in Philadelphia, is creating a high-speed Transatlantic transport network. allow for pooling opportunities between FastShip and CP Ships. CP Ships is also taking a small equity position in FastShip. "We see FastShip as a complement to our existing range of TransAtlantic services. By including FastShip as another strong brand among our service offerings we will be able to provide a competitive advantage to customers who require high-speed transport that is less costly than air freight…

France Telecom has signed an agreement with Apax Partners to sell 100 percent of the shares of France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications SA (FTMSC). The completion of the transaction is expected in the near future. FTMSC is one of the world’s largest mobile satellite communications providers, marketing and distributing communications solutions for customers based in areas with limited access to terrestrial telecoms infrastructure. Apax Partners is one of the world’s leading private equity investment groups. Its funds invest in specific industries including telecoms, and provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. This deal will enable FTMSC to consolidate its position on the international mobile satellite communications market.

With over 550 vessels in service, Tidewater, Inc., is by far the world's largest offshore oil service operator. Headquartered in New Orleans, La., Tidewater operates wherever offshore oil and gas is found. While the industry has undergone a slow down in 2002-03, Tidewater is confident that current trends indicate business will improve and the company has been upgrading its fleet of vessels to meet customer needs. "We have a very strong balance sheet," said Stephen Dick, Executive Vice President of operations for North America, North Sea and West Africa for the company. "We have been moving aggressively in the area of new vessel construction, especially U.S. flagged supply boats and crew/supply vessels," Dick added.