Alpine News

Greek shipowner Performance Shipping Inc. announced it has taken delivery of its first LR2 Aframax oil product tanker, a 2010-built 105,304 dwt vessel it purchased in August 2022.As previously announced, the P. Aliki—formerly named Alpine Amalia—was acquired for a total purchase price of $36.5 million and financed with $18.25 million cash on hand and $18.25 million from the recently announced term loan facility with Alpha Bank S.A.The vessel will enter into a time charter contract with Trafigura Maritime Logistics Pte Ltd. commencing in mid-November at a daily rate of $45,000 per day for a period of minimum seven months to a maximum of 10 months at the option of the charterer.Andreas Michalopoulos…

Greek tanker owner Performance Shipping on Wednesday announced it has reached a deal to acquire a secondhand Aframax tanker for $36.5 million.The vessel, a 105,304 dwt LR2 Aframax oil product tanker built by South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2010, will be renamed P. Alik from Alpine Amalia. The ship is fitted with a ballast water treatment system (BWTS) and exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS), and its next scheduled special survey and drydock is in 2025.Performance Shipping said it expects to take delivery if the vessel in November 2022. The tanker will be the seventh in the company’s fleet.The company said it intends to finance…

Compared to the excellent first three quarters of 2015 (+5.4%), cargo throughput in the same period this year fell by 1.9%. The decrease was particularly strong in coal and iron ore. Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: “Each of the different sectors in the port has its own dynamic. The 1.9% decrease is consequently the sum of a number of different developments. Last year, throughput in the port increased by 4.9%, to 466 million tonnes. Castelein: “Throughput figures only tell part of the story. Throughput in liquid bulk fell by 0.4%, to 160.0 million tonnes. The volume of crude oil handled in the port saw a 1.6% decrease. While the refineries’ margins are still positive, they are smaller than last year.

Sometimes being an industry supplier offers interesting insights – your business is touched by the ups and downs of the charter market, but you are never so involved in it that you lose sight of the big picture. Some of our clients have been hit hard by the market’s general downturn; one client I visited last month began 2008 with 41 maritime software licenses for their vessels – just seven remain today. “We just sold another ship yesterday,” he said, and then after a pause: “Please spare me the update costs for this one, it won’t receive any.” Of course, I nodded.

Vessel sales for January 2016 (as of February 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York.

Today the launching ceremony of the frigate Luigi Rizzo took place at the plant in Riva Trigoso (Genova). The sixth of a series of 10 units FREMM - European Multi-Mission Frigates, was commissioned from Fincantieri by the Navy Italian in the framework of international cooperation between Italy and France, with the coordination of OCCAR, the joint organization for European cooperation in armaments. Godmother to the ship was Wilhelmina Maria Rizzo, daughter of Luigi Rizzo, two gold medals for bravery. The ceremony was attended, among others, Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region, the Vice Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, Chief of Staff of the Navy, and am the CEO of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono.

London-listed Goldenport Holdings has sold a 2009-built bulk carrier to Zenith Shipping LP of Majuro, Marshall Islands. The 2009-built Alpine Trader was sold for a gross cash consideration of $9.3m and delivered to its new owners on November 5. Net proceeds from the sale will go towards repayment of debt secured against the vessel, Goldenport said in a statement. Goldenport now owns seven dry bulk vessels, made up of 6 supramaxes and a post panamax, and five containerships ranging between 970 and 5,551 teu. Goldenport Holdings Inc is a holding company. The Company is a shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of container and dry bulk vessels that transport cargo. The Company’s fleet consists of 17 boats, of which eight are containers and nine are dry -bulk carriers.

Vessel sales for October 2015 (as of November 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it is “deeply concerned” in regard to the reported shooting incident on May 14, 2015, involving a Singapore-registered tanker Alpine Eternity in international waters. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it has requested the Iranian maritime authorities to investigate the incident and prevent future recurrences. “The freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce are of critical importance to Singapore and other maritime and trading nations,” MPA said. MPA went on to address the March 22, 2015 collision involving Alpine Eternity and an oil platform located in the Persian Gulf.

Iran is using its sea power in the Gulf to show it will not be cowed by Washington's newly assertive Arab allies, prompting critics to accuse Tehran of destabilising the region. Iranian ships fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker which it said damaged an Iranian oil platform, causing the vessel to flee, and seized a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil route, over a debt row. The incidents coincided with a push by Washington to reassure Gulf Arab monarchies that their interests would not be threatened by a nuclear accord that Tehran and world powers are trying to reach by the end of June. In an escalating confrontation with Saudi Arabia over Yemen…

Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has condemned Iranian forces for firing warning shots in the Gulf at a Singapore-flagged Alpine Eternity which it said was in international waters, calling it a “serious violation of international law”. Five Iranian boats had fired shots across the bow of Alpine Eternity in the international waters off the Gulf, and MPA said it is "deeply concerned with such actions". The Alpine Eternity was attacked by a number of small craft in international waters off the UAE in the latest escalation in the region. MPA also urged Tehran to investigate the incident. “With regard to the reported shooting incident on 14 May 2015…

A Singapore-flagged oil products tanker fired at by Iranian craft on Thursday had previously collided with an Iranian oil drilling platform in March and efforts have since been made to resolve the issue, the owner said on Friday. The Alpine Eternity was attacked by a number of small craft in international waters off the United Arab Emirates. The owner South Maritime Pte Ltd and manager Transpetrol said in a joint statement that the tanker collided with an uncharted object on March 21 in the Middle East Gulf, which was later identified as an Iranian jacket platform causing no pollution or injuries to crew. "Since the March 21 incident…

Iranian patrol boats opened fire on a Singapore-flagged oil tanker as it moved through the Strait of Hormuz in a confrontation, reports Reuters. The Alpine Eternity, a ship flagged to Singapore, fled toward the shore of the United Arab Emirates, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Nobody was injured. The Alpine Eternity issued a radio call for help and the Iranian boats fired a second wave of warning shots, the officials said. The incident reflects rising tensions in the Gulf, fuelled in part by the conflict in Yemen that pits Iranian-backed Shiite rebels against pro-government forces supported by a Saudi-led coalition of Sunni Arab states. There were no U.S. personnel on the vessel, according to CNN.

Iranian naval vessels fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker in the Gulf on Thursday in what appeared to be the country's latest attempt to settle a legal dispute by force with a passing commercial vessel, U.S. officials said. Around noon (0800 GMT) in the Gulf, five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ships approached the Alpine Eternity, prompting the oil products tanker to flee to safety in United Arab Emirates waters, the officials said. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran had attempted to intercept the vessel in international waters because Tehran says it is liable for damage to an Iranian-owned oil platform it hit on March 22.

Singapore-flagged oil products tanker Alpine Eternity has reached the port of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates safely after coming under attack in the Gulf earlier, the vessel's manager said on Thursday.   A spokesman for the vessel's Norwegian manager Transpetrol said the vessel was attacked at sea at 0800 GMT on Thursday on its way to the UAE port of Fujairah.   "The nature of the attack is still unclear," the spokesman said. "She reached UAE waters and she is in the port of Jebel Ali now. The vessel is safe and there are no injuries to crew."   The spokesman said the attack had been reported to Singaporean authorities.     (Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Iranian naval vessels fired what appeared to be warning shots over a Singapore-flagged ship in international waters in the Gulf on Thursday, prompting it to flee to United Arab Emirates waters, U.S. officials said. The Alpine Eternity, a 29,130 gross tonnes oil products tanker, has safely reached the UAE port of Jebel Ali after coming under attack in the Gulf, its manager said. The UAE sent Coast Guard vessels toward the ship once it reached UAE waters and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ships turned away, one U.S. official told Reuters, adding the account was based on preliminary information. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, were unaware of any U.S. Navy involvement.

The Port of Kiel can post positive results for 2014. Both cargo handling and passenger totals continued to rise. The port turned over 6.43 million tons of cargo, 1.6 % more than in the previous year. Stena Line’s Kiel-Gothenburg route recorded the biggest increase in general cargo handling while Color Line’s Kiel-Oslo service posted the strongest growth in passenger transport. During the year a total of 1.98 million passengers started or ended a ferry or cruise ship journey in Kiel - an increase of 1.9 %. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co.

Large cargo barge Iron Lady 1 has been delivered to Allseas in Rotterdam by oceangoing tug Fairmount Alpine.   Barge Iron Lady 1, which measures 200 meters long and 58 meters wide, was delivered after a voyage of 14,800 nautical miles at an average speed of 6.5 knots. Fairmount Alpine departed from Shanghai mid-August with Iron Lady 1 on tow and sailed via Cape of Good Hope to Rotterdam. During the voyage, bunkers were taken at Singapore, Mauritius and along the African coast.

Man-made greenhouse gas emissions have become the dominant cause of melting in glaciers from the Alps to the Andes that is raising world sea levels, a study said on Thursday. Human emissions accounted for an estimated 69 percent of loss of ice from glaciers from 1991-2010, overtaking natural climate variations that had been the main driver of a retreat since the mid-19th century, researchers wrote in the journal Science. Until now, scientists have struggled to quantify the impact of human behaviour on glaciers because the frozen rivers of ice take decades…

Fairmount Marine, a Rotterdam-based marine contractor for ocean towage and heavy lift transportation, announced that its tugs Fairmount Summit and Fairmount Alpine towed rig ENSCO 5006 more than 13,000 miles from Cyprus to Singapore. Before the departure off Limasol, Cyprus, both Fairmount tugs performed anchor handling work for the rig. On request of its owners cargo and crew runs were done during a stop off Las Palmas and a bunker stop was made at Port Nqgura, South Africa. Transit speeds up to 9 knots were reached during part of the voyage.

Rail/ship intermodal handling achieves double-digit growth. The port of Kiel said it successfully maintained a sound handling result in 2013. With a performance of 6.32 million tons the result for the previous year was even slightly surpassed by 12,000 tons resp. 0.2 %. The ferry lines form the backbone of the port’s business, rising up to 5.1 million tons (plus 1.3 %) and thereby making up more than 80 % of the total handling rate. The biggest increase was achieved by Stena Line on its route Kiel-Gothenburg, while DFDS Seaways features the highest transport volume.

Tugs Fairmount Summit and Fairmount Alpine have delivered the very first “floating gas plant” in the world, the FSRU Toscana, safely offshore Livorno, Italy. The Toscana, a one of a kind unit, was towed from Dubai via Malta where final equipment was installed. After delivering the Toscana, both Fairmount tugs assisted in mooring the unit to her six pre installed anchors. The Toscana is a so-called floating, storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) which is now moored 12 miles offshore Livorno and will be used as a terminal and export point for liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Marine Rescue Port Hacking’s new $270,000 offshore rescue vessel commissioned at the unit’s new home base at the Hungry Point Reserve, Cronulla. Emergency Services Minister Michael Gallacher and Federal Member for Cook Scott Morrison joinrf  the MRNSW Board, Commissioner Stacey Tannos and volunteers from the Port Hacking unit for the commissioning ceremony for Port Hacking 30. Commissioner Tannos said the 8.5 metre Kevlacat was able to travel up to 15 nautical miles offshore, making it a valuable addition to marine search and rescue resources in Greater Sydney.