Portuguese Government News

The Portuguese cluster Forum Oceano and Norwegian Offshore Wind have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between the supply chains in the two countries.The MoU aims to lay the ground work for new contracts between companies from the two countries.The agreement was signed at a reception this week, during a visit to Portugal organized by Norwegian Offshore Wind and The Norwegian Embassy in Portugal.Forum Oceano and Norwegian Offshore Wind both focus on developing a strong supply chain in floating offshore wind.

The Portuguese government has issued a an international public  tender for the development of the Vasco da Gama container terminal at the Port of Sines, seeking a concessionaire who would invest in the project.According to the government sources, public tender will for a concession period of 50 years with an investment of 642 million euros, adding that the specifications include the construction and operation project, with a deadline of nine months for the submission of proposals.The Minister of the Sea Ana Paula Vitorino said that the tender will be awarded in the last quarter of 2020 and the terminal should be completed in 2024. The new terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 3.5 million TEU.The terminal facility would be capable of hosting 24…

Port of Sines, the first largest artificial port of Portugal, said that its Terminal XXI received, on July 21, the call of “Milan Maersk”, one of the world’s largest container ships, with capacity for 20.568 TEU (20 feet containers)."This is a sister-ship of “Madrid Maersk” that has been received several times in the recent past, is part of the largest category/class of container ships ever operated in Sines," said a statement from the Ports of Sines and the Algarve Authority.Property of the Danish giant Maersk, the ship has 399 meters in length and 58.6 meters width. After the operation in Sines, the “Milan Maersk” went to the Far East…

The provider of global mobile satellite communications Inmarsat has joined forces with two start-up programmes including Rainmaking’s Trade and Transport Impact (T&TI) and Bluetech Accelerator.The purpose is to create initiatives that directly support start-ups focused on IoT and big data innovation for improved safety, efficiency and sustainability in the maritime, ports and logistics supply chain.The programmes will fund, support and mentor start-up’s developing applications that aim to harness the power of IoT and big data to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability. Inmarsat will collaborate with those start-ups to find a route to market via its global…

The business portfolio internationalization and the development of river operations are two of ETE Group’s strategic focus, as referred last Friday on the 80th birthday ceremonies at Naval Rocha shipyard (in Lisbon) with the presence of the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Minister for the Sea Affairs, Ana Paula Vitorino and the Minister for Environment, Matos Fernandes. According to Luis Nagy, the CEO, “at ETE Group we are  starting the ninth decade with a strong focus on the internationalization of our operations, which have been growing and, we hope, will represent, in 5 years’ time, 30 to 40% of our turnover, against the present 10%.

Although a small nation on the Atlantic shores, Portugal in the 16th century was credited with discovering most of the “New World” previously unknown to Europe. In the process it became the richest nation in the West. The names of Bartolomeu Dias (Africa), Vasco da Gama (India) and Fernão de Magalhães – Magellan, who led the first circumnavigation of the globe but was killed in the attempt – echo down the centuries. Over the years the country underwent a transformation and saw the hard won glory fade. In fact until 1974, strong public protection dominated the national shipping sector, especially regarding merchant shipping to Portugal’s overseas territories.

Dockers meeting at the ITF Maritime Roundtable in Casablanca issue 'Port Package Three' warning. Leaders of dockers’ unions affiliated to the ETF (European Transport’ Workers’ Federation and the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) met at the ITF Maritime Roundtable in Casablanca to explore the future of dock work in Europe. Their meeting followed an action and information day on 25th September 2012 that was intended to send a strong signal to the European Commission (EC) on the day it held a European ports policy review conference in Brussels. On the same day, members of the Oficiaismar union in Portugal took part in a second national strike in protest at government proposals to relax employment regulations in the ports there.

The Portuguese government may start a tender to sell state-controlled shipyard Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo SA within 45 days, an official at the Defense Ministry said today. A final decision may take place two months after the offers are received, said the official, who declined to be named, in line with his ministry’s policy. The government has received three written expressions of interest and three requests for information about the shipbuilder, the official said, adding that the Finance Ministry will decide on the final terms of the sale. Portugal is selling assets to comply with the terms of a $103 billion bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

1919-First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy's flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, landed in the Tagus River estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword. 1936-Public Law 622 reorganized and changed the name of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection Service to Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (49 Stat. L., 1380). The Bureau remained under Commerce Department control. 1943- Douglas Munro's posthumous Medal of Honor was given to Douglas Munro's parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Munro of South Cle Elum, Washington, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, May 27, 1943.

1919-First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy's flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, landed in the Tagus River estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword. 1936:  Public Law 622 reorganized and changed the name of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection Service to Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (49 Stat. L., 1380). The Bureau remained under Commerce Department control. 1943- Douglas Munro's posthumous Medal of Honor was given to Douglas Munro's parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Munro of South Cle Elum, Washington, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, May 27, 1943.

Dutch Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster NV bought fellow dredger Dragapor from the Portuguese government. The unit, which was put up for sale in December, will be merged with Boskalis' local subsidiary Sociedade Portuguesa de Dragagens Lda. No financial details of the deal were disclosed. Dragapor has about 20 employees and a fleet consisting of two dredgers, some barges, a cutter suction dredger, a hopper dredger and a lift barge. Boskalis, the world's largest dredger, said the acquisition would be of economic importance to its position in southern Europe and fitted its policy of home market positioning. Earlier this year, Boskalis launched a 643 million euro ($620 million) hostile bid for Dutch construction and dredging firm Hollandsche Beton Groep (HBG).