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Albania News

22 Feb 2023

Albania Seizes Tanker Carrying Oil Suspected of Coming from Russia

©Albanian Police

Albania has seized an oil tanker carrying 22,500 tonnes of oil suspected of coming from Russia and arrested the crew for breaching a Western embargo, Albanian police said on Monday. The Liberian-registered oil and chemical tanker was seized in the coastal town of Durres. "From the first steps of investigation it is suspected that this oil shipment is coming from countries under an oil embargo, especially from Russia," police said in the statement. "The tanker departed from Azerbaijan and was allegedly loaded with oil at Greece's Kalamata port…

30 Nov 2022

Greek LNG Terminals in the Pipeline

(Photo: Gastrade)

As demand grows for liquefied natural gas in Europe in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Greece has relied heavily on its sole LNG terminal off Athens to replace Russian gas imports.Now it is looking to build new floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) that could be operational by 2024.Here is information on the Revithoussa terminal and other planned projects:REVITHOUSSAGreece's sole operational LNG regasification and storage terminal on the Revithoussa islet off Athens…

19 May 2022

Three Die, Two Missing After Tugboat Sinks off Southern Italy

Three people died and two were still missing after a tugboat sank off the southern Italian coast while pulling a pontoon on a route between Italy and Albania, the coastguard said on Thursday.The Franco P tugboat sent an alarm signal on Wednesday evening, while sailing some 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) off the city of Bari, an Italian coastguard statement said.The coastguard initially said four bodies had been recovered and another had been spotted at sea.However, in a statement issued later in the afternoon, it said three bodies were being transported ashore while two were still missing."The search continues for two more bodies whose discovery was initially reported by units in the area but did not prove to be true," it said.The tug's captain was saved by a Croatian vessel during rescue ope

24 Jan 2022

Police Smash Ring Smuggling Migrants from Turkey to Italy in Yachts

© Downunderphoto / Adobe Stock

European police have dismantled a criminal network that made hundreds of millions of euros smuggling migrants from Turkey to Italy mainly on yachts, Greek police said.Greece and Italy have been on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis since it began in 2015. While most migrants and refugees typically cross from Turkey to nearby Greek islands, a growing number of people have reached Italy from Turkey by sea since 2020, according to the United Nations refugee agency.Twenty-nine people were arrested in raids in Albania, Greece and Italy on Jan. 19, Greek police said late on Thursday.

26 Aug 2020

Greece Plans to Extend its Western Territorial Waters

© Sergey / Adobe Stock

Greece plans to extend the western limit of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 miles, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.Italy and Albania, who also have Ionian coasts, have been officially informed about Greece’s plans and a bill on the matter will be submitted to parliament soon, Mitsotakis said.“Greece will extend its western territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from six,” Mitsotakis told lawmakers during a debate on whether to approve an accord…

14 Aug 2020

IMSC Issues Statement on Iran Boarding Liberian-flagged Tanker

Wila, a merchant vessel in international waters en-route to the UAE port of Khor Fakkan, in the Gulf of Oman, was boarded by armed Iranian personnel from both an Iranian Sea King helicopter and the Iranian auxiliary vessel Hendijan (1401). (U.S. Navy photo)

The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) has issued a statement on Wednesday's boarding of the commercial tanker Wila by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman, calling the incident a "blatant violation of international law"."Iran's use of its military forces to conduct an armed boarding of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce," said IMSC, a partnership…

15 Nov 2019

IMO Training on Fouling

Mediterranean countries underwent International Maritime Organization (IMO)  training on the impacts of anti-fouling systems and ships’ biofouling on the marine environment at a workshop in Valletta, Malta (12-14 November).The event raised awareness of IMO’s Anti-Fouling Systems (AFS) Convention and Biofouling Guidelines – what it means to implement them, and, in the case of the AFS Convention, the requirements and benefits of ratification and enforcement.Biofouling is the build-up of aquatic organisms on a ship’s underwater hull and structures. It can be responsible for introducing potentially invasive non-native aquatic species to…

12 Nov 2019

EU Invests in Border Security, Coast Guard

Copyright: Konstantin/Adobe Stock

The European Union Council officially adopted the Commission's proposal to reinforce the European Border and Coast Guard, an agency that will acquire its own equipment, such as vessels, planes and vehicles, a will have a standing corps of 10,000 border guards. The move was announced to respond to the challenges facing Europe in managing migration and its external borders.“Today the European Union has achieved an ambitious task of transforming the EU border agency, Frontex, into a fully-fledged European Border and Coast Guard.

10 Nov 2019

Global Coalition Launches Operation Sentinel

The US Central Command announced the opening of operations from its Bahrain headquarters to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a string of attacks that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran.The new mission, dubbed Operation Sentinel, is designed to “ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waters” throughout the Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Oman, US Central Command said in a release“Today, we reach two significant milestones in the standing up of the CTF Sentinel headquarters under the International Maritime Security Construct and the introduction of the CTF’s first appointed commander, Rear Adm. Alvin Holsey,” said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S.

06 Nov 2019

Italy Police Search Shipbuilding Firms Linked to Fincantieri

File Image: Fincantieri

Italian finance police searched offices of several companies working for state-controlled shipbuilder Fincantieri, as part of an investigation into suspected corruption, fraud and worker exploitation, the prosecutor's office in Venice said on Wednesday.The prosecutor added in a statement that 34 people were under investigation for alleged "systematic exploitation" of foreign workers - mainly from Bangladesh and Albania - in shipyards in the port city of Marghera, close to Venice, working on orders for Fincantieri.The searches involved 19 different companies in seven different Italian regions a

30 Oct 2019

Med Countries Address Pollution

Pollution response can be faster and more effective when there is an established emergency communications and emergency system.Mediterranean Countries recently met at a regional workshop held in Brussels, Belgium (22-23 October), to explore the set-up of a common emergency communication system for marine pollution incidents that connects the entire Mediterranean region. During the event, representatives from 12 Mediterranean countries - Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, France, Israel, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey - received training in the European Union's Common Emergency Communication and Information System for Marine Pollution from ships and off-shore units (CECIS).The participants…

24 Jul 2019

Durres Port H1 Cargo Traffic Up 11%

Albania's largest sea port of Durres handled 11% more goods during January-June this year  (H1 2019), than the same period of 2018, said Durres Port Authority (DPA).The DPA Statistics Sector noticed that over the first six months of 2019, more than 2 million tons of different goods have been handled, a figure 11% higher than last year.From port statistics it is also learned that most of the goods are transported by commercial vessels, 1,559,017 tons of total goods; while the rest, about 460 thousand tons of import-export have been transported by ferries boats and RO&RO vessel that enter and exit at the largest port of our country.During this 6-month period in the four Durres Port Terminals, nearly 193 thousand tons of goods were discharged / loaded more than in January-June 2018.

18 Jun 2019

Paris MoU Publishes Performance Lists

Paris MoU Committee approved the 2018 inspection results and adopted new performance lists for flags and Recognized Organizations (ROs) at its 52nd meeting last month."These lists will take effect from 1 July 2019," said a release from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (PMoU) on Port State Control (PSC).The “White, Grey and Black (WGB) List” presents the full spectrum, from quality flags to flags with a poor performance that are considered high or very high risk. The list is based on the total number of inspections and detentions over a 3-year rolling period for flags with at least 30 inspections in that period.Regarding the “White, Grey and Black list” for 2018, a total number of 73 flags are listed: 41 on the “White List”, 18 on the “Grey List” and 14 on the “Black List”.

03 Jun 2019

Oil Spill Conference Held in Adriatic

International Maritime Organization (IMO)-supported 4th edition of the Adriatic Oil Spill Conference (ADRIASPILLCON 2019), was held in Opatija, Croatia (28-30 May)."Planning for any marine pollution incident requires ongoing communication, collaboration and cooperation. Regional and sub-regional contingency planning is an effective way to share resources and expertise," said the UN body in a press release.The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), the IMO-administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, shared its extensive experience and expertise in building capacity…

31 May 2019

Adriatic Oil Spill Event Held in Croatia

Planning for any marine pollution incident requires ongoing communication, collaboration and cooperation, points out the International Maritime Organization (IMO).Regional and sub-regional contingency planning is an effective way to share resources and expertise. This was in evidence at the IMO-supported 4th edition of the Adriatic Oil Spill Conference (ADRIASPILLCON 2019), held in Opatija, Croatia (28-30 May), said the UN body.Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), the IMO-administered pollution emergency response centre in the Mediterranean, shared its extensive experience and expertise…

30 Jan 2018

Syrian Migrants Picked up from Italian Trawler

A group of migrants, including 11 Syrians, were rescued on Tuesday from an Italian fishing trawler in the Adriatic Sea and taken to Montenegro, police said. Montenegro's coastal security sent out a rescue team after Erica, a 15 metre-long (50 feet) vessel, put out a distress signal 17 nautical miles (31 km) off the coast, said Safet Kocan, director of maritime safety. The Italian ship with migrants on board was finally moored in the Montenegrin port of Zelenika, inside the Boka Kotorska bay. Police said there were 11 Syrian nationals on the vessel, two people from Morocco and two from Yemen, one person from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan. The group included four children. "The distress call was sent this morning ...

02 Dec 2016

Wärtsilä EnergoProFin for CPP, FPP

Wärtsilä EnergoProFin is a state-of-the-art energy saving solution that increases propeller efficiency and creates fuel savings of up to five percent. The solution is now available for both controllable pitch propellers (CPP) as well as fixed pitch propellers (FPP), yielding the same results in both propeller options. Offering the solution for technologically more challenging CPPs was previously considered impossible in the industry, but is now made possible due to development work by the Wärtsilä hydrodynamics team. The Wärtsilä EnergoProFin is a specially designed propeller cap with hydrofoil section fins on the downstream side of the propeller. It is an innovative energy saving device that can significantly reduce a vessel's fuel consumption as well as its emission levels.

05 Aug 2016

Turkey Sets Import Tax on Thermal Coal

Turkey imposed a tax this week on imports of thermal coal from Colombia, Russia and other major exporters, for use in power generation, to support domestic coal production. The Turkish cabinet decided to impose the tax of $15/tonne on imports from the United States, Colombia, Russia and South Africa on July 18 and announced it in the Official Gazette this week. The tax hits the biggest exporters of thermal coal but does not apply to imports from the European Union, Israel, Macedonia, Bosnia, Morocco, West Bank, Tunisia, Egypt, Georgia, Albania, Jordan, Chile, Serbia, Kosovo, South Korea, Mauritius and Malaysia, the government said. The levy is equal to around a quarter of the current month's physical South African coal price of around $63.65 a tonne.

23 May 2016

Maritime Turkey Set for a Tailwind

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.

04 Oct 2015

USS Porter Hosts Career Day

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) hosted a group of 9th and 10th grade students from the International School of Vlore, Albania for a career day and cultural learning event Sept. 26, 2015. The community relations (COMREL) event was intended to strengthen relationships with the nation of Albania and give the Sailors and students an opportunity to interact and learn more about each other’s cultures. Sailors, all of who volunteered their time to provide service, led the students on a tour of the ship, displayed different gear and uniform items, answered questions from the students and talked about daily life on a U.S. Navy ship and the different jobs in the Navy.

28 Sep 2015

USS Porter Hosts Albanian Dignitaries

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) hosted a reception for senior Albanian defense officials aboard the ship September 26. The reception was an expression of Porter’s appreciation for hosting the ship and its crew in Vlore, and it also served to strengthen the ties between the U.S. and Albania. The guest list included Brigadier General Nazmi Cahani the Director of the General Staff Albanian Armed Forces, the Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. David Muniz, Retired Major General Maksim Malaj the Director of the Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center (IMOC), Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Albania…

31 Dec 2014

Update: Migrants Arrive in Italy on Packed Cargo Ship

Almost 1,000 migrants arrived in Italy on a cargo ship on Wednesday after apparently being abandoned by its crew in the Adriatic Sea, the Italian Red Cross said. The mainly Syrian migrants were bundled off the Blue Sky M when it arrived in Italy in the early hours of the morning after it was first spotted near the coast of Corfu. Greece sent its navy and coastguard with a military helicopter to the scene on Tuesday in response to an alarm call about a possible incident on the Moldovan-flagged ship. Italian officials were airlifted onto the Blue Sky M after it left Greek waters to check it could navigate safely. The coastguard said there were 970 people on board when the ship arrived at the small port city of Gallipoli.

30 Dec 2014

Ferry Fire Death Toll Could Rise, 2 Killed in Salvage

Photo: Italian Navy

Two Albanian seamen were killed on Tuesday during the salvage of a multi-deck car ferry that caught fire off Greece's Adriatic Coast two days ago, killing at least 11 people, with dozens more missing. The men were killed when a cable connecting their tugboat to the smouldering hulk of the Norman Atlantic snapped and hit them, an Albanian port authority official and Italy's navy said. As salvage operations continued, there was confusion over the numbers on the ship, with dozens…

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