Community Development News

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded nearly $39 million in grants to 12 marine highway projects across the Nation under the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The funding will help expand marine highway services on the United States’ navigable waterways to reduce congestion, alleviate supply chain bottlenecks, and move goods more quickly from ships to shelves.“At a time of record demand for goods, it’s more important than ever to…

Core Group Resources is hosting a charity golf event in support of Mercy Ships' volunteer crew fund, on March 29, in Katy, Texas, west of the Houston Energy Corridor.The hosts are currently seeking additional teams, sponsors and donations to support the golf outing at the Falcon Point Golf Club, which will also include a barbecue, auction and raffles for golfers and non-golfers alike.Mercy Ships is an international charity operating the world's largest nongovernmental hospital…

“…We have built our reputation job by job, boat by boat, and tow by tow, and we intend to continue to do so.”The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) and the Great Lakes Shipyard are core businesses within The Great Lakes Group of Companies, based in Cleveland, on the Old River, a shipping channel that runs west from where the Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie. Company towing operations extend from Buffalo, N.Y. in the east to Duluth, Minn. in the west. Great Lakes Towing owns and operates the largest U.S.-flagged tugboat fleet on the Great Lakes, serving more than 35 ports in all eight U.S.

Climate Fund Managers (CFM), the manager of the Climate Investor One facility (CI1), have announced that construction has begun of its 48MW near-shore wind farm in Tra Vinh province Vietnam.CI1’s Construction Equity Fund has committed USD 71 million to the project company, “Tra Vinh Wind Power Company”, which is jointly funded by Korean energy firm ST International. Vestas, the pioneering global supplier of wind turbines will act as EPC for the project.The collaboration makes use of ST International’s extensive knowledge of the Asian energy market, Vestas’s expertise in developing, constructing and operating wind power facilities, and CI1’s innovative end to end financing solution.As one of the fastest-growing Asian economies…

The government of India has allocated a budgetary support of USD 266mln to shipping sector in the interim budget presented by Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.The government has pitched for development of India’s Blue Economy with the Finance Ministry proposing an impressive USD 77mln under Sagarmala. This allocation was up from USD 53 mln (revised estimates) allocated during 2018-19.Underlining importance of developing India’s 7,500 km long coastline and converting them into industrial hubs, India launched its flagship programme for port development and modernisation, Sagarmala, in 2015.Sagarmala aims at promoting “port-led direct and indirect development” and augmenting infrastructure facilities to “transport goods to and from ports quickly…

Area 4 co-venture participants -ExxonMobil, Eni, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, Kogas and Galp - have secured liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake commitments from affiliated buyer entities of the partnersA press release from ExxonMobil hailed this as a key milestone enabling the participants to rapidly move toward a final investment decision in 2019 on the first phase of the Rovuma LNG projectThose commitments are subject to the conclusion of fully-termed agreements, which will be finalized and initialed in the next weeks, and the approval of the government of Mozambique.“The Rovuma LNG marketing team has worked at an accelerated pace to reach this important milestone…

Indian Ministry of Shipping’s flagship program for port-led-prosperity ‘Sagarmala’ received the ‘Gold Award’ in infrastructure sector in the recently concluded 52nd Skoch Summit 2018 in New Delhi, recognizing the programmes’s contribution to India’s socio-economic transformation and it's role in propelling fast-track growth and infrastructure development. The Sagarmala Programme also received the ‘Order of Merit’ at the Summit. The Secretary (Shipping) Gopal Krishna shared the award with Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari. The Skoch Awards recognize leadership and excellence in accelerating socio-economic changes. These awards have become a benchmark of best practices in India in the fields of governance…

The flagship programme of Indian Ministry of Shipping – Sagarmala, has moved from the conceptualization and planning to the implementation stage. The Sagarmala project is introduces to harness India's 7,500-km coastline will promote port-led development in the country. As a part of the programme, more than 400 projects have been identified across the areas of port modernization and new port development, connectivity enhancement, portlinked industrialization and coastal community development. To create awareness about the Sagarmala programme among the stake holders and to engage with them, the Ministry is organising a series of workshops over the next 6 – 8 months under the aegis of the Sagarmala Programme.

Under India's prestigious Sagarmala Programme,  415 projects, at an estimated investment of approximately  INR 8 Lac Crore (USD 120 Bln) , have been identified across port modernization & new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-linked industrialization and coastal community development for phase wise implementation over the period 2015 to 2035. As per the approved implementation plan of Sagarmala Programme, these projects are to be taken up by the relevant Central Ministries/Agencies and State Governments preferably through private or public-private partnership (PPP) mode. As part of the Sagarmala Programme, 6 new port locations have been identified, namely - Vadhavan, Enayam, Sagar Island, Paradip Outer Harbour, Sirkazhi and Belekeri.

SAFE Boats International has promoted Janice Willis to the position of Vice President Program Management. Willis joined SAFE Boats in December 2010 as a member of the Business Development team, and in 2014 became the Director of Program Management, leading the teams responsible for managing SBI’s fed-eral government program business in Bremerton including the USCG CB-OTH and USCBP CIV Programs. Willis has over 25 years’ experience in program management and contract administration. The past 10 years have been in the marine industry in the Pacific Northwest.

India's Shipping Minister of State  Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the state- of -the -art exhibition display of Sagarmala, Ministry of Shipping at Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit, 2017, yesterday (Jan 11). Gujarat has been at the forefront of the maritime development in India. A) Port modernization:  Projects have been identified for capacity augmentation at existing ports especially Kandla to meet the future growth in cargo volumes. These include mechanization of cargo handling process, development of multi-purpose berth and setting up of barge and coastal jetty to name a few. b) Port connectivity: For enhancing port-connectivity to hinterland and creating optimal mode of evacuation to/from ports connectivity projects have been identified.

Sagarmala Programme, an ambitious port-led infrastructure development programme of the government to harness India’s 7,500-km, is now moving from the conceptualization and planning to the implementation stage. The National Perspective Plan (NPP), for the comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector, has been prepared and was released at the maiden Maritime India Summit 2016, on 14th April, 2016, by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. As part of Sagarmala, more than 400 projects, at an estimated infrastructure investment of more than Rs. 7 lack crore, have been identified across the areas of port modernization & new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-linked industrialization and coastal community development.

The Ministry of Shipping, India has prepared a Vision Document for “Coastal Shipping, Tourism and Regional Development” for optimum utilization of the shipping sector and coastal resources. The document envisages increasing the share of Coastal/Inland water transportation, development of coastal shipping as part of an end to end logistics supply chain, integration of inland waterways with the coastal routes and development of regional centers to generate cargo for coastal traffic. Further, a National Perspective Plan for comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector has also been prepared under the Sagarmala Programme. The development of National Waterways will also take place in a phased manner.

The Shipping and Road Transport sectors in India have together spent a total of about Rs 4 lakh crores ($60billion) in the past two and a half years as they work towards building world class highways and shipping infrastructure in the country, says the Cabinet Minister Nitin Gadkari. While the Road Transport & Highways Ministry has spent about Rs 3 lakh 17 thousand crores to build a total of 14,594 Km and award 21,247 Km of National Highways, the Shipping Ministry has spent about Rs 80,000 Crores for various projects aimed at modernizing and mechanizing the shipping sector and making it more efficient. Talking about the ambitious Sagarmala programme of the Shipping Ministry Shri Gadkari said that it will bring about a major reduction of  logistics cost for EXIM and domestic trade.

As part of its Coastal Community Development Program under Sagarmala, the Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned Rupees 10 Crore ($1.5 mln) as part of the first instalment to the Gujarat Maritime Board for capacity building and safety training of 20,000 workers involved in the ship recycling activities at Alanag- Sosiya recycling yard in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. The total project cost is estimated to be Rupees 30 Crore over a period of 3 years. The initiative has been identified in the National Perspective Plan (NPP) of Sagarmala for the upliftment of the coastal community and aims to provide health and safety training to the skilled and semi-skilled workers which is required while performing their work at ship recycling yards.

India's Ministry of Shipping has formulated a revised Central Sector Scheme to provide financial support to Major and Non-Major Ports as well as State Governments for creation of infrastructure for movement of cargo and passenger by sea or National Waterways. This is in line with the Ministry’s port-led- development program-Sagarmala (India's maritime initiative) for creating better infrastructure and promoting costal shipping for saving logistic costs. Under the Scheme, projects for construction and up-gradation of exclusive coastal berths for coastal cargo and berths/jetties for passenger ferries; mechanization of coastal berths; capital dredging for operating non-major ports…

To exploit the potential of India’s approximately 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500km of potentially navigable waterways the Sagarmala Programme aims to promote port-led development in the country, says the government of India. Sagarmala is a long term programme. The objectives of the Sagarmala Programme are Port modernization & new port development, enhancing port connectivity to hinterland, port led Industrialization and coastal community development. The programme involves drawing up a National Perspective Plan(NPP) for Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-Led Industrial Development and Coastal Community Development as a first step for an integrated approach to port led development.

The Canadian Government has committed $51.9 million to support Atlantic Canada ferry services, announced Canada’s Transport Minister Marc Garneau. The funding, announced as part of Budget 2016, will support operations, maintain and repair ferry assets and dispose of the MV Princess of Acadia, which was taken out of service in July 2015 and replaced by the MV Fundy Rose. The funding has enabled the one year extension of contracts for interprovincial ferry services in Atlantic Canada…

Crowley Maritime Corporation recently awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to four seniors studying at the University of Washington’s (UW) Michael G. Foster School of Business. The students, Joshua Banks, Kainen Bell, Maninder Grewal and Xuan Liao, were each chosen to receive a $2,500 scholarship for the 2015-2016 academic year based on their demonstrated financial need, community involvement and leadership skills. Joshua Banks, a two-time Crowley scholarship recipient is currently studying finance and entrepreneurship at UW.

As a global manufacturer with the resources, technologies and expertise to make a positive impact in the world, Pentair is pleased has announced that its Project Safewater efforts have provided over 1 million people with sustainable, safe water services around the world. Through Project Safewater, the company's holistic approach to providing safe water solutions to people in need, Pentair collaborates with a range of partners with innovative approaches - combining technology, micro-enterprise business models, and scientific research - to provide sustainable access to safe water. One such innovative collaboration is the Nairobi Water Fund, Africa's first water fund to combat rising threats to food security, water and energy supplies.

On-site workers acted quickly to contain an oil leak during the final stages of removing the wreck of the MV Miner off Scaterie Island, says the government of Canada’s Nova Scotia province. About 800 litres of oil was collected after a leak occurred during demolition of the wreckage of the MV Miner off Cape Breton's Scaterie Island. “Thankfully, the contractor already had preventative actions in place and contained the spill immediately,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Geoff MacLellan. “No heavy oil got past the containment oil booms and the lobster fishery is not affected. He said no heavy oil got past containment booms that were close to the wreck and the lobster fishery in the area was not affected.

For northern communities and economies, the expected growth of Arctic shipping has the potential to bring new jobs and industries, lower cost of living, and new infrastructure and investment. But with these exciting opportunities come certain risks that must be managed. This week, a draft international agreement — the Polar Code — was reached for new shipping regulations in the Arctic at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s environment committee. For the first time, binding rules for ship operations will be in place. This is welcome news as ice melts and development pressures ratchet up in the Arctic. It is encouraging…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed his natural resources minister to "modernize" Canada's independent pipeline regulator, said a letter released on Friday that gave details on the newly elected leader's environmental plans. Trudeau asked Natural Resources Minister James Carr to ensure the Calgary-based National Energy Board (NEB) has a balanced representation from across the country, as well as sufficient expertise in environmental science, community development and indigenous traditional knowledge. The Liberal prime minister on Friday published all of the mandate letters sent to his cabinet ministers, which instructed several of them to restore environmental legislation that was changed by the previous Conservative government.