Transportation Networks News

The transportation of CO2 is taking to the seas as emitters look for flexible ways to move captured carbon to offshore storage projects, with a fleet of 55 carriers required by 2030, according to Rystad Energy research.Based on planned carbon capture projects, Rystad predicts that more than 90 million tonnes per annum (tpa) of CO2 will be shipped by the end of the decade, volumes requiring 48 terminals to handle the import and export of the gas.As the global carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) market expands…

A first-of-its-kind ammonia-powered, zero-emission tugboat will be put to the test by Brooklyn, N.Y-based startup Amogy in late 2023.Having already successfully demonstrated its technology on an aerial drone, tractor and semi-truck, the ammonia power solutions company revealed in early March that it is retrofitting a scaled up 1-megawatt (MW) version of its ammonia-to-power system onto a tug at Feeney Shipyard in Kingston, N.Y. as a test run for its emissions-slashing power and propulsion technology in the commercial maritime sector.Once installed…

U.S. inland marine transportation and logistics solutions company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announce it has hired Joel Gard as senior vice president of its newly established Interchange & Logistics business unit.With the associated realignment, ACBL is now comprised of three uniquely integrated strategic business units (SBU): Dry Cargo, Liquid Cargo and Interchange & Logistics.A veteran of the transportation and supply chain sector, Gard brings extensive experience in building and deploying technology to enhance traditional transportation models.

Swiss headquartered container shipping company MSC said on Friday it was implementing contingency plans to re-route container ships away from French ports when necessary due to strikes in the country."MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is closely monitoring the situation in France where industrial action by labour unions is impacting maritime ports and overland transportation networks around the country," an MSC spokesman said.MSC said it would resume normal services to France as soon as possible. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Gus Trompiz; Writing by Maya Nikolaeva; Editing by David Clarke)

Dennis Wilmsmeyer was appointed Executive Director at America’s Central Port on July 1, 2010, prior to which he served 11 years with the Port District, six as General Manager.With over 30 years of experience, Dennis brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table in the areas of transportation, planning, and economic development. His responsibilities include developing the Port’s 1,200-acre industrial park and business campus, redeveloping a former military logistics center…

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl L. Schultz has issued the Coast Guard's 40-paged document that outlines their "VISION for Enabling Maritime Commerce." He introduces the new paper in an open letter to industry, as shown below:America is a maritime Nation. It is a Nation shaped by seafarers who recognized the tremendous economic potential derived from unrestricted access to the oceans, internal waterways, deep-water ports and protected straits and bays. This geostrategic advantage favorably shapes our Nation’s security…

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed by DP World, Egypt’s Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport and the Suez Canal Authority is aiming to develop a new Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Egypt’s 6th of October City, a satellite town in the Giza Governorate and part of the urban area of Cairo. The three partners will bid for the government contract for the project later this year. The proposed ICD will increase the flow of cargo between ships and major land transportation networks in the country, creating a central distribution point. Under the MoU, DP World will lead and represent the alliance in the bidding process and become the ICD operator if the tender is won.

The infrastructure works for Berth 5 and Berth 6 are about to be finished in a few weeks, King Abdullah Port announced. The two berths are part of the port’s strategic expansion plan, which aims to significantly uprate the port’s capacity, thus boosting its standing in the maritime industry, both regionally and internationally. “With the two new berths, the port’s annual capacity will rise to four million TEU as of the beginning of the first quarter of 2017,” said Eng. Abdullah Hameedadin, Managing Director of the Ports Development Company, the owner and developer of King Abdullah Port. Last year, King Abdullah Port’s annual throughput rose to 1.27 million TEU, making it the fastest growing port in the world according to a study recently conducted on over 120 container ports worldwide.

The newly released 2016 Indiana Logistics Directory reports that Indiana ranks high nationally in its ability to move freight via truck, rail, water and air. The state is ranked in the top five states in more than 25 logistics-related categories and in the top 10 in 109. The Directory, published by the Ports of Indiana, showcases Indiana's vast transportation infrastructure and includes national logistics rankings, maps and freight statistics. According to the Directory, Indiana ranks first among all states in pass-through interstates, is home to the country's largest producer of truck trailers and is ranked third in truck tractor registrations.

Turkey is strategically located, straddling both Europe and Asia with substantial number of Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea ports, thus making maritime trade and shipping of great importance to the country’s economy. Its extensive coastline running for 8,483 km, (1,067 km of which is island shores) has greatly contributed to the growth of Turkey’s maritime sector. Turkish shipyards have a tradition spanning eight centuries. At the time of the Ottoman Empire, shipyards were able to build large, powerful naval vessels, and yards continued their modernization following the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Today, the industry boasts modern quality certified shipyards that build ships, yachts, megayachts, and sailing boats, as well as undertake extensive repairs and conversion works.

North America’s largest mining, manufacturing and agricultural companies have helped identify four top priorities to improve the competitiveness of Great Lakes shipping, and as a result, the prosperity of the entire region. These priorities will be the Chamber of Marine Commerce’s focus in the coming year. “Our customers are critical to the viability of Great Lakes-Seaway shipping and the underlying economy. As one of our large industrial customers put it: No customer = no ships, no ports, no Seaway,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “Tough global economic conditions mean that our manufacturing, food, mining and construction sectors are under more pressure than ever to be competitive.

The federal government is now taking steps to reverse its 2010 decision to terminate the nation’s LORAN program. The LORAN program was initiated during World War II, when US and Allied forces fighting in the Pacific Theater needed a good means of navigation in that vast ocean. The US Coast Guard was charged with establishing and operating chains of Loran-A stations throughout the Pacific. With war’s end, the program was extended to coastal areas of the United States and elsewhere. Over time, Loran-A was replaced by Loran-C, which provided both greater coverage and improved accuracy.

The U.S. and Canadian Seaway Corporations marked the opening of the Seaway's 57th navigation season today, with the transit of the newly-built CWB Marquis through the St. Lambert Lock. The vessel is the first of two Equinox-class lakers ordered by Winnipeg-based grain marketer CWB that are being purpose-built for trade in the Great Lakes Seaway System. In 2014, over 12 million tons of grain moved through the Seaway, the highest volume recorded since the beginning of the 21st century. Ian White, President and CEO of CWB, served as the keynote speaker at the opening.

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the transportation and logistics industry remained steady during the fourth quarter of 2014 according to Intersections, a quarterly analysis of global deal activity in the transportation and logistics industry by PwC US. However activity for the whole year was relatively weak, finishing near 10-year lows. “M&A activity in the fourth quarter remained consistent with the subdued levels we witnessed throughout 2014, however, we are cautiously optimistic regarding 2015 as the recovery in many advanced economies continues,” said Jonathan Kletzel, U.S. transportation and logistics leader for PwC. “The U.S. economy remains strong and a strong U.S. dollar makes acquisitions by U.S. players cheaper for offshore targets.

Trucks, trains, ships and oil rigs are all potential targets for criminal organizations. Organizations that own, use or transport high value assets recognise the need to protect their goods and employees, especially when they are at their most vulnerable - when in remote or isolated situations, at night and when operating alone. By their very nature, trucks, trains, ships and oil rigs are all potential targets for criminal organisations. Furthermore, monitoring systems, early warning and deterrent technology have not been available to address this need at a remotely affordable cost.

A practical demonstration of the ARENA R&D project, part funded by the EU, will be delivered at Sagem’s premises in Massy, Paris on April 16, 2014. ARENA (Architecture for Recognition of thrEats to mobile assets using Networks of Affordable sensors) was developed to enable the automatic detection and recognition of threats against mobile critical assets such as trucks, trains and ships, as well as offshore platforms. ARENA uses multisensory data analysis and will be showcased by the project team using a truck.

The AT/B comes of age: operating coastwise, Jones Act – and beyond the horizon, too. A great deal has been written about the capabilities of the AT/B, or “Articulated Tug/Barge” unit in recent years. Without a doubt, though, the concept is firmly established as a viable ocean and coastwise transportation system in North America. But like any transportation asset, the concept has to not only expand its’ capabilities, but also conform over time to ever-changing rules and regulations. It must also be able to embrace and adapt to changes in technology that hold the promise of reduced emissions as well as savings in fuel and protection of the environment.

At the recent National Governors Association meeting, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) spoke with the nation's governors about strengthening the country’s transportation infrastructure. Shuster highlighted his committee’s plan to consider a bill to reauthorize the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) next month. He describes the legislation as an unprecedented effort to reform water resources policy in a way that is designed to cut federal red tape and bureaucracy…

Drewry’s Global Ocean Container and Air Freight Rate Benchmarks Available to LLamasoft Customers for Use in Supply Chain Modeling. LLamasoft, a global leader in supply chain design software solutions, and Drewry Maritime Research, the leading provider of freight rate benchmarking today announce a partnership to make Drewry’s global ocean container and air freight rate benchmarks available to LLamasoft customers for use in supply chain design. LLamasoft will resell Drewry’s Container Freight Insight (CFRI) and Sea & Air Shipper Insight (SASI) benchmarking products as part of the new LLamasoft Data Services offering. Drewry publishes container…

Peter Stephaich, Chairman of Campbell Transportation Company in Pittsburgh, PA, and Executive Committee member of Waterways Council, Inc. Mr. Stephaich addressed the importance of water resources development legislation, the current broken model for modernizing the nation’s locks and dams, and the need for adoption of the Capital Development Plan (CDP), which is H.R. 1149, Waterways are Vital  to our Economy, Energy, Efficiency and the Environment (WAVE 4) to remedy problems with the current water resources development approach. H.R.

Kirk & Co. were engaged to assess public & stakeholders opinions regarding measures to ameliorate BC Ferries financial operating losses. BC Ferries operates one of the largest integrated marine transportation networks in the world. Despite being comparable in efficiency with the world’s best services, rising costs and declining ridership have created a financial challenge for the corporation. BC Ferries lost more than $16 million in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The independent BC Ferry Commissioner noted in his January 2012 report that, without changes, increasing costs and the ongoing need to replace aging vessels could drive funding shortfalls to $56 million a year within the next five years.

OW Bunker, one of the world’s leading suppliers and traders of marine fuel oil, highlighted today the impact that mass flow meters can have in solving the ‘quantity issue’ and demonstrated the steps that it is taking to ensure product quality in an event attended by key customers including DFDS, Maersk Oil, Odfjell Tankers, U-Sea Bulk, Grieg Star Shipping and Torvald Klaveness Group. The event, which took place in Copenhagen, invited over 100 customers and industry opinion formers to see a live demonstration…

The was joined by two of its rail partners in dedicating the Napoleon Intermodal Rail Yard, a new facility permitting efficient ship to rail transfer of cargo containers at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. The rail yard provides a new link for NAFTA commerce. Its dedication was announced as U.S. President George Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon meet in for the annual North American Leadership Summit. CN, with a rail network spanning the U.S. Midwest and , is the first Class 1 railroad to serve the new rail yard via its switching agent, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. CN is currently hauling about 350 to 400 containers per week using the facility…