Houston Harbor News

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a notice to cruise passengers affected by the Houston ship channel oil spill stating that several cruise voyages have been altered or rescheduled. Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas seven-night Western Caribbean March 23 sailing was originally cancelled because of an oil spill in Houston harbor, but has decided to go ahead with a shortened four-night cruise. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Magic departed March 25 from Galveston to begin a new cruise after being delayed as a result of the oil spill.

Saft contracted by MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems to supply leading-edge lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for four new hybrid-powered mobile RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) cranes serving Houston Harbor, Texas. The contract is an important breakthrough for Saft in the US hybrid RTG crane market that is set for growth as operators seek to drive down their fuel costs while reducing emissions. There are up to 600 existing RTG cranes in US harbors that could potentially be retrofitted with hybrid power systems, while around 150 new cranes are built every year for the global market. RTGs play an important logistics role in ports and harbors, where they are used to transport and stack shipping containers during ship loading and unloading.