Coastal and Inland News

Dubai-based global ports operator DP World has taken a 44% stake in Frenkendorf-headquartered Swissterminal Holding, the container terminal operator in Switzerland.The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.Swissterminal, which is headquartered in Frenkendorf close to Basel, operates additional locations in Zurich-Niederglatt, Basel-Birsfelden, Basel-Kleinhueningen and Liestal. The terminals are well connected to Europe’s leading container ports in Rotterdam and Antwerp as well as the ports of La Spezia…

After nine months of dredging, Jan De Nul Group has reached an important first milestone by completing the deepening of the 95 km long access channel to the port in record time.The Municipality of Guayaquil (Ecuador) officially inaugurated its newly deepened maritime access channel last weekend, by welcoming the first Neo-Panamax vessel APL Esplanade in the port.Jan De Nul Group will now operate and maintain the channel under this 25-year concession contract. The total investment…

U.S.-flag lakers idled for the winter season will undergo more than $97 million in maintenance and modernization work at multiple Great Lakes shipyards before returning to service in March. The $97 million figure is an increase from $70 million in 2019, according to the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA).After working around the clock for 10 months hauling cargo over more than 70,000 miles per vessel, the ships and their crews are given a brief rest to recoup before the Soo Locks reopen and the next season starts in March…

The world’s largest LNG bunker vessel ‘Kairos’, operated by Nauticor, has supplied DEME’s next generation offshore installation vessel Orion, this first such ship-to-ship bunker transfer at the Port of Rostock.Orion is currently at the Liebherr construction yard in the Port of Rostock, where it is being outfitted with a 5,000-ton crane. The new offshore installation vessel is the fifth dual fuel addition to the DEME fleet, following three trailing suction hopper dredgers (Minerva…

Ports of Stockholm said that 2020 cruise season is expected to be another record year in terms of passenger numbers and almost 290 cruise calls, with as many as 13 maiden visits.The  Baltic Sea cruise port said that the list of the 2020 season’s cruise ship calls has been published and presents no fewer than 13 vessels calling at Ports of Stockholm for the first time.The international cruise ship season begins on 17th April at the Port of Nynäshamn with the arrival of the vessel Magellan, and on 26th April in Stockholm with the arrival of the Viking Star.

Dutch salvage and towage company Kotug said that its two tugs have helped to rescue a containership hit by fire while sailing off the coast of East Africa.The 2,503-teu Oinousses (built 2000) was sailing sailing from Maputo to Mombasa, off the coast of Mozambique after the vessel sustained an engine room fire.On the night of January 20, two Rotortugs of KOTUG International picked up the Mayday signal of the container vessel EM-Oinousses having a devastating fire in the engine room.Although the vessel’s crew adequately extinguished the fire…

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan describes a distinctly upbeat period in the worldwide ferry community – and explains how the global trade association plans to take its support to far-reaching new levels.There are times when the phrase “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” seems all too true, but here’s an honest number for you – ferries carry a global total of more than 2 billion passengers a year, which is almost on a par with airlines.Hard to believe? Not for those of us in the industry, but almost certainly for many citizens and politicians.

A containership lost steering off the coast of Mozambique on Monday after its crew put out an engine room fire on board the 680-foot vessel.Towage operator KOTUG International said two of its vessels responded after picking up a mayday call from the Marshall-Islands-flagged Em Oinousses, approximately 50 miles off the coast of Nacala, Mozambique, while en route from Maputo, Mozambique to Mombasa, Kenya.KOTUG said its Rotortugs RT Spirit and RT Magic carried out the salvage in high seas, making quick connections to the disabled vessel for tow into Nacala.

The FSUE “Rosmorport” icebreaker fleet provides continual navigation in several freezing Russian seaports.The icebreakers of the Arkhangelsk Branch, including the Captain Yevdokimov, the Captain Kosolapov and the Captain Chadaev, provide support for vessels in the seaport of Arkhangelsk.The icebreakers have provided support for 53 vessels since November 26, 2019. The icebreakers – the Tor and the Moskva provided support for 56 vessels in the seaport of Sabetta near the Utrenniy terminal.Since November 26 under control of the linear icebreakers – the Captain Demidov and the Captain Moshkin…

The harbor towage company in Finland and Estonia Alfons Håkans has successfully refloated the barge Trias on late Sunday evening 19 January 2020. The barge was aground on protected Natura 2000 area on Latvian shore.Estonian Raduga Shipping’s barge Trias (overall length 101 m. & breadth 19 m.) was under tow when the towline parted during poor weather on 31 December 2019. Consequently, the barge drifted aground near Ventspils, Latvia.Preparations for salvage, led by Salvage Master Pekka Arasola, started immediately on 5 January 2020 after Alfons Håkans was contracted to salve the barge.

A dredge barge that was taking on water has been intentionally grounded in the Matagorda Ship Channel near Port Lavaca, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi were notified on Monday evening that the dredge barge Everett Fisher began taking on water. The towing vessel Dana Robyn pushed the bareg aground and recovered the four crewmembers aboard.No injuries or pollution have been reported.Coast Guard air and boat crews are on scene.

Global Marine Travel, a Florida-based travel management company to the maritime industry, has partnered with the Greek travel firm Argo Travel Group to enhance its travel offering, particularly in terms of service delivery and driving growth in the Greek and international markets."In Argo, Global Marine Travel, gains a marine partner with an experienced team and a strong reputation for service delivery, that will drive the growth of the business in Greece and other international locations…

Brasco, a part of the Brazil's provider of integrated port and maritime logistics and supply chain solutions Wilson Sons Group company, has partnered with APM Terminals Pecém to set up a temporary logistics base at the Pecém Industrial and Port Complex.It will be the first offshore port support operation to take place in Ceará, said a press note from APM Terminals, an international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.Scheduled to start in the first half of 2020…

Northern European growth equity investor  Verdane Capital has taken a majority stake in the Denmark-based maritime hardware and software company Danelec Marine.Under the agreement, which was signed December 31, 2019, Verdane assumes a majority shareholder position in the privately held corporation. Danelec’s existing shareholders will continue to own shares in the company, and the management team, including CEO Hans Ottosen and COO Casper Jensen, will continue in their positions.Headquartered in Birkeroed…

As the demand for goods continues to rise, the need to move a higher number of containers quicker and more efficiently is also increasing with this. As a result, port operators are proactively seeking new ways to boost productivity, all while reducing costs to meet this demand.The emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a significant factor in convincing ports to adopt new technologies to help them overcome the day-to-day complexities they face and not miss a beat in a fast-paced industry.

As domestic traffic from coast-to-coast continues to worsen, ferry operators are seeing a steady growth in passenger demand. As passenger demand grows, so does the demand for efficiency and hybrid technology to be incorporated into fleets. But what innovations support a fleet’s number one priority – safety? Will efficiency and the latest green technologies support these critically important vessels in an emergency situation? Is the crew aware of how much time they have to evacuate all passengers?Traditional ferry evacuation systems require passengers to be loaded onto lifeboats on deck…

The container ship facility located in the San Francisco Bay, Port of Oakland 2019 container volume decreased 1.8 percent from 2018. The Port attributed the decline to fewer empty containers but said loaded import and export containers were at a record high.Oakland handled the equivalent of 2.5 million 20-foot containers (TEUs) in 2019 versus 2.55 million in 2018. The Port attributed the dip to a 13 percent drop in empty container handling.On the other hand, export volume increased 3.7 percent last year, the Port said. Imports were up 1 percent.

2019 was a relatively safe year for shipping in the port of Rotterdam. Over the past year, the number of sea-going vessels arriving was about the same as in 2018: 29,491 compared to 29,476 last year.According to the port authority, the number of accidents also remained virtually the same: 113 compared to 112, which involved mainly ‘parking damage’. As there was one very serious accident, the NSI (Nautical Safety Index) – a reflection of nautical safety – was slightly below the norm (6.56 instead of 7).

Louisiana’s only international container port Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2019 than at any time in its history, totaling 648,538 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 10% compared to one year ago.The multimodal gateway for global trade said in a press release that the record marks the sixth consecutive year the Port surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America.“Port NOLA has now seen double-digit growth in total container volumes for two consecutive years…

Responders have called off a search for two fisherman missing following a fatal ship collision near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.One crew member has been rescued, one is deceased and two remain missing at the conclusion of a three-day search involving the Coast Guard and local responders that covered more than 49 square miles by aerial flights, shore patrols and maritime searches.“It is never an easy decision to suspend a search," said Cmdr. Jordan Baldueza, Sector Houston-Galveston search and rescue mission coordinator.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. has delivered the first of two 80’ 5,100 HP Z-Drive tugs for Bisso Offshore, LLC, a division of E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc.The M/V C.D. White, handed over on January 8, 2020, is a RAL RApport 2400 Z-drive ship-handling tug design provided by Robert Allan Ltd.The vessel has completed its bollard pull testing witnessed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and received its USCG Subchapter M Certificate of Inspection (COI).C.D. White and sister vessel M/V A.

A tanker captain has been convicted and fined for failing to immediately alert Australian authorities of a main engine breakdown in 2019.On January 31, 2019, the tanker Asphalt Spirit suffered a main engine breakdown and began drifting 30 kilometers northeast of Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island while carrying 14,000 tonnes of asphalt from from Korea to Australia.The ship’s master reported the incident via email to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) just after 10 p.m.

Maersk's towage operator arm Svitzer announced on Thursday it has appointed Arjen Van Dijk as its new Regional Managing Director (MD) for the Americas region, effective February 1, 2020.Van Dijk is taking over from Marc Niederer, who has decided to step down due to personal reasons and is currently considering various options for his future role, the company said.Van Dijk joined Svitzer in July 2019 as regional CCO and is now advancing to Regional MD. With more than 15 years in global shipping and transportation…

Three people were rescued from the water after their fishing vessel caught fire near Dauphin Island, Ala., on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard watchstanders in Mobile were alerted at 5:55 p.m. of three people aboard a 36-foot sport fisher Beach S that caught fire in Dauphin Island Bay, approximately a half a mile north of Dauphin Island.The Coast Guard directed the launch of a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island to assist the people.The boatcrew arrived on scene at 6:35 p.m.…

The beneficial use of dredge material sets a record in FY 2019. And, we’re just getting started. Funding will be the key.In mid-November 2018, concerns began to rise about an unseasonably high river stages on the Upper Mississippi River Basin generated by significant precipitation events. As a navigation representative on the Lower Mississippi River, I have unfortunately learned that the river system is changing and that precipitation around the world has been increasing for decades.

Singapore’s troubled liftboat operator Ezion Holdings has signed a memorandum of agreement to sell its offshore vessel Teras Genesis to the offshore and maritime chartering and brokerage company Astro Offshore.Ezion, in an attempt to reduce cash burn and shift focus to liftboats, has agreed to sell the vessel for cash consideration of US$2.25 million.The sale is expected to generate a gain of US$858,000 for Ezion, based on the vessel's US$1.39 million carrying value as at end-September.Ezion will use the sale proceeds to repay its secured bank loans.

US-based Crowley Maritime Corp. announced on Wednesday that it has realigned its marine services organization and introduced new leadership.In a move that aims to provide better support to customers, Crowley Marine Services, part of the company’s shipping arm, will now be comprised of three distinct, yet interrelated business segments: offshore services, ship assist and tanker escort and engineering services – those provided by Crowley and subsidiary Jensen Maritime Consultants.Jeff Andreini…

A new plan is being formulated to preserve and improve one of the world's most historic and well-known vessels.The record-setting superliner Queen Mary has been sitting permanently moored in Long beach, Calif. since its removal from transatlantic service in 1967. A 2015 survey revealed the once glorified liner has been in an escalating state of disrepair, but estimates detailing the extent of work needed have varied.Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in his State of the City…

U.S. crude exports from Corpus Christi, Texas, have surged to a record in recent weeks, often surpassing hubs such as Houston and Beaumont, Texas, thanks to faster-than-expected infrastructure additions.The infrastructure boom at Corpus Christi helped push crude exports there to a weekly record of 1.59 million barrels per day (bpd) in late December, more than doubling levels that held for the first eight months of last year, and above Houston's 2019 peak of 1.36 million bpd, according to vessel-tracking firm ClipperData.The heavy flows suggest that fears of a bottleneck that would impede U.S.

The end of 2019 promises to be a busy, and potentially discordant, legislative and regulatory period for the United States maritime industry as both Congress and the Executive Branch look to take decisive action, with both positive and negative potential impacts depending on your perspective. With appropriation and authorization bills still pending, and various open regulatory actions, there are significant opportunities for maritime stakeholders to influence policy outcomes.Funding Fights Continue in CongressOn October 31…

Lake Geneva General Navigation Company (CGN), a Swiss company operating ships on Lake Geneva connecting towns in both France and Switzerland, has awarded the contract to build two new passenger ferries to Shiptec AG.According to a press release from the Switzerland-based shipbuilder, the order for the two passenger ferries amounts to a total of CHF 57 million (USD 59 million).The new passenger ferries with a capacity of 700 people each will connect Evian-les-Bains to Lausanne from early 2022 and the link between Thonon-les- To serve Bains and Lausanne.

Nor-Shipping has appointed Sidsel Norvik to the new role of Commercial Director. Norvik joins following a stint as CEO of Energy Show Norway, two decades as Commercial Director for Upstream, and 10 years with Recharge, a news platform for renewable energy. Norvik will now be charged with working on exhibition sales and spearheading Nor-Shipping’s ground-breaking Blue Economy Hall, promoting the ‘Blue Talks’ and showcasing firms and ideas that accelerate innovation, competency and sustainable business opportunities.Nor-Shipping 2021 takes place at the 22,500 sq.

A London arbitration court has ordered Djibouti to restore DP World's right to operate the Doraleh Container Terminal as detailed under a 2006 concession deal within two months or pay damages, the state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.The government of Djibouti seized the terminal from Dubai government-controlled DP World in February 2018 over a dispute dating back to at least 2012.An independent expert has estimated the losses to DP World at more than $1 billion, WAM reported. (Reporting by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Dutch outfit TMA Logistics has been commissioned by Siemens Gamesa Renewables Energy (SGRE) to provide the transhipment and transhipment of wind turbines for Windpark Fryslân.Wind farm Fryslan comprises 89 wind turbines that will be realised in the Frisian part of the IJsselmeer, near Breezanddijk. The project is expected to start in August 2020 and the wind farm will supply electricity to ± 500,000 households.SGRE is carrying out the project in close cooperation with Van Oord Offshore Wind BV. Van Oord is laying the foundations and laying the cables and monopiles.

The provider of maritime construction services Jan De Nul said that a new lock complex along the Lys river in Harelbeke, Belgium is inaugurated.The Joint Venture ‘Leieland’, a partnership between contractors Jan De Nul nv, Herbosch Kiere nv, Engie Fabricom nv and Aelterman bvba, was responsible for the design and execution of the works.In the past five years, the Joint Venture ‘Leieland’ worked by order of ‘De Vlaamse Waterweg’ (the Flemish Waterway Authority) on the renovation and modernization of the weir lock…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index declined to its lowest in nine months on Monday, weighed down by shrinking demand across all vessel categories.*The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels that ferry dry bulk commodities, decreased 9 points, or 1.2%, to 765 points.* The Baltic index has fallen for 22 out of the previous 23 sessions, declining to its lowest since mid-April.* The capesize index fell 62 points, or 5.8%, to 1,004 - its lowest since April 29.* Average daily earnings for capesizes…

The Memphis District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has several missions associated with the Mississippi River. One of the most important is to keep the river channel at a depth that allows the river barge industry to dependably transport goods up and down the river.To deliver on this charge, the Memphis District awarded a contract/task order in the amount of $7,987,200 to the Inland Dredging Company in April of 2019. On Dec. 23, 2019, Inland Dredging Co. completed all work with a total of 1…

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) has placed an order for a newbuild ASD (Z-drive) harbor tug to be delivered by Washburn & Doughty Associates, Inc. of East Boothbay, Maine.Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the SLSDC, said, “This new vessel will be used to carry out a variety of construction and maintenance duties for the US portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, including routine maintenance of lock gates, maintenance and positioning of aids to navigation…

Kalmar, the provider of cargo-handling solutions and services to ports and terminals, has concluded a comprehensive software maintenance and support agreement with Australian terminal operator Patrick Terminals.The agreement, which covers the equipment automation systems at the company’s Brisbane and Sydney AutoStrad terminals, was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q4 order intake, with the agreement coming into effect from November 2019, said the Cargotec unit.Patrick Terminals is Australia's leading container terminal operator, handling over three million TEU annually.

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has ordered two more fire-fighting vessels following the delivery of modern fireboat, the "Branddirektor Westphal".As with the previous order, both vessels will be fitted with Schottel thrusters – in this case, two Schottel Rudderpropellers and one Schottel Transverse Thruster. These will enable maximum maneuverability in the restricted fairway of the Port of Hamburg.This mobility is also guaranteed in situations that require fast response times.

Georgia has ended an investment agreement with an international consortium for one of the biggest projects in the former Soviet country, the construction of a major deep sea port on the Black Sea coast, its infrastructure minister said on Thursday.The nine-phase project to improve access to Central Asia and the Middle East had received support from Georgia's strategic partner, the United States, as well as the European Union, which had labelled the planned port at Anaklia a priority project."The government discussed this issue and decided that further postponement does not make sense…

Corvus Energy, the large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) provider for marine industry, has been awarded a contract to supply batteries for new fuel-efficient hybrid port cranes to be used by a US port authority to reduce emissions, fuel costs and noise.The contract to supply Corvus Orca Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for 25 new battery-hybrid Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) cranes is with CCCC Shanghai Equipment Engineering (CCCCSEE) and ZPMC.The battery-hybrid RTG cranes will be deployed by the South Carolina Port Authority (SCPA)…

Finnlines signed an order for two RoPax vessels with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), previously known as AVIC Weihai.In 2018, Finnlines ordered three hybrid StoRo ultra large green vessels at Jinling Shipyard, which is also now part of China Merchants Group.The two new "Superstar" 5,100 lm RoPax vessels ordered are expected to be delivered by 2023, informed Grimaldi’s roro and passenger company. They will be larger than the existing Star class vessels and will be Finnlines’ flagships both in terms of size and technology.With a length of about 230 meters…

The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has will invest $7.5 million in nine Marine Highway projects as it looks to make the movement of cargo and people at sea and on land more efficient.The funding, provided by MARAD’s America’s Marine Highway Program, will go towards enhancing existing services in Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.“This $7.5 million investment will improve our country’s vital fuel-efficient waterway transportation system…

French container line CMA CGM announced that its ship APL Singapura has inaugurated the cold ironing facilities of the Terminal des Flandres in the Port of Dunkirk.By plugging into an onshore electricity supply (also known as "cold ironing"), container ships calling at port can shut down their auxiliary engines while still getting the power they need, particularly in order to maintain controlled temperatures in refrigerated containers (Reefers).This innovative technology has significant environmental benefits…

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has chosen SCHOTTEL for two more fire-fighting vessels. Each of the fireboats features two rudderpropellers type SRP 150 L FP (380 kW each) with a propeller diameter of 1.10 m and a transverse thruster type STT 60 FP (100 kW). Each of these is driven by an electric motor. The rudderpropellers type SRP 150 are equipped with SCHOTTEL’s new highly efficient SDC40 nozzle. This thruster configuration achieves a free running speed of 12 knots.The two…

Spanish shipping company and ferry operator Baleària has established a natural gas supply in the port of Valencia using a so-called multi truck to ship (MTTS) bunkering system in which several tanks operate simultaneously to supply fuel to the ship.Baleària will use this new system daily, after the approval of Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia (APV – Valenciaport, Port Authority of Valencia), which guarantees the complete operation of ships operating with natural gas in that port.The…

International container terminal operating company APM Terminals said that its  Mumbai terminal handled more than 2 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) throughput in 2019, for the second consecutive year.The terminal, commissioned in 2006, remains the only Indian container terminal to have achieved this record in a calendar year.“As a team, we are proud to have achieved the milestone of 2 million TEUs once again. On behalf of the management, I would like to thank our customers for this achievement, without whose collaboration this would not have been possible.

The Association of Maryland Pilots has ordered a new class of pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. Called the Baltimore Class after the pilots’ base of operations at the Port of Baltimore, the vessel’s delivery is scheduled for April 2021. With a length overall of 48.5’, beam of 15.6’, and draft of 4’, the all-aluminum pilot boat features the Ray Hunt Design deep V hull. It will be powered by twin Volvo Penta D13, EPA Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 600 hp at 1,900 rpm with a top speed of 29 knots.

U.S.-based autonomous marine systems developer Sea Machines announced on Tuesday that it has received class and regulatory approval to install its commercial wireless helm system aboard a class of U.S.-flag tugboats that support articulated tug-barge (ATB) sets, marking an industry first in wireless vessel control.The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approval for Sea Machines’ SM200 follows a review of the Boston-based company’s technology and the system’s applications aboard ATB tugs, deeming the system satisfactory for shipboard installation and trials.

In May 2017, MOL decided to build an LNG-fueled tugboat that would be operated by Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd. It was built by Kanagawa Dockyard Co., Ltd., has dual-fueled engines from Yanmar Co., Ltd., and runs on LNG supplied by Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. The LNG-fueled tugboat, called Ishin, was delivered in February of 2019, and was featured in the December 2019 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News as a Great Ships of 2019.Ishin is Japan’s first tugboat built to conform to the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).

The Coast Guard is responding to a 6.5 magnitude earthquake and seismic activity off the south and southwest coasts of Puerto Rico.All the ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands remain open until further notice. Currently, there is no ongoing maritime search and rescue as a result of the registered seismic activity.Coast Guard Sector San Juan and Air Station Borinquen have activated their Incident Management Teams, which remain in close communication with local and federal…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell for the 19th straight session to an over eight-month low on lower demand across all vessel segments.* The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels that ferry dry bulk commodities, declined 53 points, or 6.3%, to 791 points, its lowest level since April 18, 2019.* The capesize index fell 117 points, or 8.4%, to 1,271 - its lowest since May 9.* Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170…

Workers at France's Port Jerome and Fos refineries, which are run by Exxon, have decided to go on strike, the CGT union wrote on a union blog page on Tuesday.Officials at Exxon in France could not be immediately reached for a comment.France's Prime Minister said earlier on Tuesday that the country was not at risk of a fuel shortage, despite the wave of protests against government plans to change the country's pensions system. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, editing by Louise Heavens)

European providers of transportation and logistics services P&O Ferrymasters has announced plans to open five new offices across Turkey over the next two years as it continues the expansion of its pan-European logistics services into Asia.In addition to its existing base in Istanbul, P&O Ferrymasters will develop a comprehensive network across the strategically vital country by opening offices in Izmir on the Aegean coast, the capital city Ankara, Mersin on the south coast, Bursa in the Marmara region and Gaziantep near the border with Syria.Murat Bog…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Monday announced more than $7.5 million in grants to nine Marine Highway projects. The funding, provided by MARAD’s America’s Marine Highway Program, will go toward enhancing existing services in Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington“This $7.5 million investment will improve our country’s vital fuel-efficient waterway transportation system, which makes an important contribution to exports and economic growth,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L.

Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, was awarded an $8,396,000 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging of the Mississippi River. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Plaquemines, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 12, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance-Recovery Act and civil works funds in the amount of $8,396,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0010).

Suez Canal revenues increased slightly to $5.8 billion in 2019 compared with $5.7 billion in 2018, its authority said in a statement on Saturday.The canal kept its transit toll unchanged in 2020 for all types of vessels except dry bulk vessels and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers which will increase by 5% compared with 2019, it added.The canal is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and one of the Egyptian government's main sources of foreign currency.(Reporting by Omar Fahmy, writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Egypt on Saturday reopened the harbors of two of its Mediterranean ports, Alexandria and Dekheila, which had been shut due to bad weather, the Alexandria Port Authority said.The harbors were shut on Friday due to high waves and wind speeds, preventing ships from entering or leaving the ports, though loading and unloading within the ports was continuing normally, the authority said in a statement.The port authorities on Saturday ordered moored ships to enter the harbors according to their mooring order, it added.(Reporting by Ahmed Salem in Alexandria, writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by Toby

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel capsized on Saturday with four crew members aboard near Pier 39 in Astoria, Ore.Four Coast Guardsmen were aboard the 26-foot Coast Guard Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat conducting routine operations when the vessel reportedly encountered a series of heavy wakes that came over the bow, which resulted in an unrecoverable starboard list that capsized the vessel, the Coast Guard said.At 11:39 a.m., watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District command…

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest private sector port operator, has agreed to buy a 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port Co. Ltd (KPCL) at an enterprise value of INR 13,572 crore (US $1.9 billion). KPCL is located in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, the state with the second largest coastline of in India, and is a multi-cargo facility which handled 54 MMT in FY19.This acquisition will accelerate APSEZ’s stride towards 400 MMT by 2025.Acquisition value of KPCL is approximately Rs.13,500 cr.

These days, cost-conscious municipalities across the fruited plain, from sea to shining sea, are ordering new waterborne assets to cover their many local responsibilities. When they do, they want ‘more bang for their buck,’ combining multiple missions – and the equipment that makes it all possible – onto one hull. That’s a tall order on the typically compact patrol boat style hulls that tend to be big on performance, but short on space for equipment that can demand a significant physical footprint.

Egypt on Friday closed the harbors of two of its Mediterranean ports, Alexandria and Dekheila, due to bad weather, the Alexandria Port Authority said.The harbors were shut due to high waves and wind speeds, preventing ships from entering or leaving the ports, though loading and unloading within the ports was continuing normally, the authority said in a statement. (Reporting by Ahmed Salem in Alexandria Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by David Evans)

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) said on Friday it would buy a 75% stake in Krishnapatnam Port Co Ltd (KPCL) for an enterprise value of 135.72 billion rupees ($1.89 billion).The deal will take its domestic market share to 27% from 22% on a pan-India basis, the company said in a filing to exchanges.The port, located in the south eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, is the second-largest private sector port in India and handled 54 MMT of cargo in 2019."APSEZ will target…

The Members of Parliament (MPs) of Iranian Parliament (Majlis) approved the general outlines of a bill on attaching Shahid Kalantari Port and Shahid Beheshti Port to Chabahar Free Trade Zone in southeast of Iran.The attachment of two ports to Chabahar Free Zone has been put on agenda aiming at increasing investment attraction, encouraging production and exports, taking the most advantage of these two ports for increasing Iran’s share of global marine transportation and transit…

Yilport Puerto Bolivar, Ecuador’s first deep-sea terminal, will soon have a new fleet of ship-to-shore (STS) and electrified rubber tired gantry (E-RTG) that set sail from Oita, Japan, on December 30, 2019.Yilport said in a press release that the cranes will arrive on January 27, 2020, and will be part of a fleet comprising 6 STS and 18 ERTG cranes.The cranes forms the first shipment of overall 6 new STS cranes and 18 E-RTG cranes order of the Terminal. These 2 STS cranes will have 62 meters 22 rows out-reach capacity, designed to serve 14,000 TEU vessels.

A foreign cargo ship ran aground in Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Friday, requiring a rescue operation and prompting authorities to temporarily close the picturesque and crowded waterway running through Turkey's largest city.There were no injuries or casualties, the governor's office said, adding that the ship had reported engine failure shortly before its grounding near the shore.There was no damage to the concrete walkway running along the shore, Reuters witnesses said.The Bosphorus, among the world's busiest shipping routes, was temporarily closed to international traffic as boats towed the vessel south towards the Sea of Marmara.The Liberian-flagged Songa Iridum had come from Ukraine's Odessa and was headed for Istanbul's port of Ambarli, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data.

North America's dredging company Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $ 83 million.David Simonelli, President of Dredging said: “Great Lakes is pleased to announce these important deepening, coastal protection and maintenance dredging awards. These projects will enhance our year-end backlog and position us well for 2020. Working on these projects allows Great Lakes to help strengthen the U.S. economy, infrastructure and further support the protection of our U.S.

NCSP Group, Europe's third largest port operator in terms of cargo turnover,  its subsidiary Novorosleseksport (NLE AO) will receive port equipment from Liebherr-Russland OOO.Dmitry Korchnev, General Director at NLE AO, and German Ignatov, Director of the Port Equipment Department at Liebherr-Russland OOO, signed a contract on purchase of two ship-to-shore cranes (STS) with a capacity of 65 tons for loading and offloading of 20, 30, 40 and 45 feet ISO containers from a vessel to shore and back.The SPS cranes delivery is scheduled for 2021…

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO)  welcomes Europe’s ambition as enshrined in the European Green Deal, to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050.European ports are at the crossroads of supply chains. As clusters of transport, energy, industry and blue economy, they add great value and are at the service of the European economy and society. They are a strategic partner in making this ambitious European project happen.In the coming weeks, ESPO and its…

The Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie is seeking input for a Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS) study of the Les Cheneaux Islands.The WAMS study will review the short range Aids to Navigation system that covers the waters surrounding the Les Cheneaux Islands, including: Cedarville East Channel, Les Cheneaux Islands Middle Entrance, Les Cheneaux Islands West Entrance, Mackinac Bay Passage, Muscallonge Bay, and Cedarville West Channel.The purpose of the WAMS is to ensure that surrounding waters of the Les Cheneaux Islands are the safest…

Crude oil smudges have been spotted at some Brazilian beaches in the northeast state of Ceará, the country's navy said on Monday, almost two months after the area was hit by another oil slick.That was part of a broader spill, whose origin remains a mystery, that stained hundreds of beaches on Brazil's northeast coast between September and November, threatening marine life, tourism and fishing.The navy said samples of the new spill were being sent for analysis to a marine studies institute…

Port of Salalah, the largest port in Oman, hit an all-time record container volume of 4-million TEUs in December 2019.Considering all services and volumes that were re-directed to other ports due to the impact of Cyclone Mekunu in 2018, the Port of Salalah has also achieved a 19% year-on-year volume growth, said a press note from the port, which is situated in the Dhofar Governorate, on the Arabian Sea which is on the northern part of the Indian Ocean.The concerted efforts of…

European short-sea and feeder lines challenge legality of Dockers' Clause extension.European short-sea and feeder ship operators are challenging efforts by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to redefine container lashing as a cargo handling activity in order to bring it under the control of unionized dockers. The redefinition, for which ITF is seeking acceptance at a growing number of European ports, will mean that shore-based workers undertake shipboard container lashing under the supervision of the ship master…

Coast Guard responds to deadly New York harbor pilot accident.On December 30, 2019 at approximately 0430, Sandy Hook Pilot Captain Dennis R. Sherwood was involved in an incident while boarding a container vessel inbound to the Port of New York & New Jersey. He sustained injuries after falling from an accommodation ladder and was evacuated to a local hospital where his injuries proved to be fatal. Prior to the incident, Captain Sherwood had been piloting vessels in and out of the Port of New York & New Jersey for over 35 years.The incident is being investigated by the United States Coast Guard.

Choosing the year’s ‘top stories’ is always a difficult task. Many compelling story threads played out, each dramatically impacting the North American waterfront, and in particular, the workboat sector – each in their own unique way.The Infrastructure Battle ContinuesThe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY H.R. 2396, the “Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act”, will ensure that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is used for its intended purpose – maintaining Federally-authorized harbors. The legislation would allow the U.S.

The global port operator DP World has been awarded a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), for the management and development of the Jeddah South Container Terminal at the multi-purpose Jeddah Islamic Port.According to a press release from the UAE-based world leader in global supply chain solutions, under the agreement, DP World will invest up to $500 million to improve and modernize the Jeddah Islamic Port, including major infrastructure development to enable the Port to serve the ultra-large container carriers (ULCC’s)…

Four people were rescued from a commercial fishing vessel that sank in Coos Bay, Ore. on Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The 40-foot Darean Rose capsized and sank shortly after leaving the fuel pier at the Charleston Marina with four people aboard who reported sustaining minor injuries.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend were notified at 2:54 p.m. that the vessel had run aground and capsized right after departing the pier.A Coast Guard Station Coos Bay 29-foot Response…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. signed a contract with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to build two LNG-fueled ferries, the first such project in Japan. These vessels will be built at the Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2022 to early 2023. Ferry Sunflower Limited based in Oita, will operate the ferries on its Osaka-Beppu route.The ferries will be about 199.9m long and 28.0m wide, with gross tonnage of approximately 17,300 tons. They will have maximum prescribed capacity for 763 passengers…

Niels Aalund was elected President of the International Propeller Club at their 93rd International Convention and Conference. The prominent maritime industry stakeholder will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, also serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA). WGMA communicates and coordinates with various governmental entities throughout the West Gulf…

The Coast Guard is searching for seven people overdue aboard a tour helicopter on Kauai, Thursday."The weather conditions are challenging. We have trained crews responding and on scene searching for any signs of the helicopter and those aboard," said Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Cox, Coast Guard Joint Rescue Command Center Honolulu.The owner of an overdue tour helicopter contacted watchstanders at JRCC Honolulu at 6:06 p.m. They stated the aircraft was due back at 5:21 p.m. from a tour of Kauai's Napali Coast with one pilot and six passengers. Two of the six passengers are reportedly minors.

Coastal flooding disasters have occurred periodically through history often followed by construction of flood defenses to help ensure it does not happen again. One of the most well known was the 1953 North Sea Flood in the Netherlands when a storm surge occurred on top of astronomical high tides causing thousands of deaths, property and economic damages. The Dutch and UK reacted and increased construction of sea defenses including storm surge barriers, such as the Delta Works and River Thames barriers.

Latest move to Enter El Salvador with Energía del Pacífico will Reinforce SAAM Towage's Presence in Central America.The Managing Director of SAAM Towage, Felipe Rioja, celebrated the company’s upcoming launch in the new market: El Salvador. “We will provide services for the Energía del Pacífico (EDP) project at the Port of Acajutla, which reinforces our presence in Central America and our commitment to the region,” he commented.The long-term agreement with EDP calls for allocating three tugs, two of which are new, to power plant operations.

Seven people died and 64 were rescued when a boat carrying migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sank on Thursday in eastern Turkey's Lake Van, the governor's office in Bitlis province said.The boat sank after capsizing as it approached Adilcevaz district in Bitlis, which is on the northern shores of Lake Van, the office said in a statement. The accident happened at around 3 a.m. (0000 GMT).The lake is near the border with Iran, from where migrants regularly cross into Turkey, heading west towards Europe.

A cargo ship drifted onto a beach in southern Israel on Thursday after heavy winds and stormy weather forced the vessel away from its anchor point near the port of Ashdod.The 90 meter-long Zelek Star was carrying cement and other goods from Greece to Israel when it was swept away and approached Oranim Beach, officials said. The beach's sandy Mediterranean shoreline is popular with residents and tourists.Photos showed locals walking along the beach with the 14 meter-high vessel towering over them in the background…

The St. Louis Regional Freightway has compiled a summary of the major developments over the past year that either elevated the St. Louis region’s global status as a world-class freight hub or will help to advance the region’s position as the country’s freight nexus in the year ahead.“From mega projects breaking ground and global companies choosing to invest here, to newly formed partnerships that strengthen the bi-state region’s role in national and global supply chains, there was much to be excited about in 2019…

Ecuador's environment minister, Raul Ledesma, said on Monday that a situation involving a sunken barge in the Galapagos Islands which was carrying 600 gallons of diesel is under control but added that authorities are "very concerned" about the vessel's recovery.The barge sank on Sunday after a crane at the La Predial dock of San Cristobal - the easternmost island of the Galapagos archipelago - fell while unloading cargo, Ecuador's navy said in a statement on Twitter.Located around 1…

A direct Chabahar-Muscat ferry line between Iran and Oman is planned to resume operation within a month, said Iran's official news agency.Ferries with the capacity of transporting 240 people and 40 vehicles will operate between Iran’s Chabahar port and Oman capital will be operational within a month, according to Hassan Ebrahimi, a deputy with the Ports and Maritime Department of Sistan-Baluchestan Province (where Chabahar port lies).After launching services to Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in Iran in 2016…

Kalmar, the provider of cargo-handling solutions and equipments to ports and terminals, has concluded an agreement to supply a suite of yard crane and mobile equipment to ARISE Mauritania for Nouakchott container terminal.The agreement includes four Kalmar Zero Emission rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs), one reachstacker, one empty container handler and two forklift trucks of the Kalmar Essential Range.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q4 order intake, with the delivery of all machines scheduled to be completed during Q3 of 2020.ARISE Mauritania…

The Port of Antwerp has seen significant growth for the seventh year in a row, with freight volume up 1.3% to 238 million tonnes. Although some segments are under pressure, the port says it is making progress both economically and in sustainability and mobility.Container freight, in particular, gained market share (up from 27.5% to 28.2%), while the dry bulk segment for its part saw its total volume expand by 3.4%.In breakbulk on the other hand, with steel as the main product…

Boatbuilder Armstrong Marine USA has been selected to construct a custom passenger ferry for the community of Hat Island, Washington.The 49-passenger USCG Subchapter T vessel features a galley, head, Northern Lights 9kW generator, Garmin/NMEA electronics package, and PA system. Vessel completion is slated for Fall, 2020.

As tourism increases so will the demand for trained, licensed employees and sea pilots navigating the Inside Passage and a new University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) scholarship endowment was inspired to do just that.The Captain Michael A. Clinkscales Maritime Scholarship has been established to support UAS students enrolled in marine transportation courses. Fellow sea pilots led the cause to raise more than $38,000 in honor of “Clink,” a man who was known to inspire and encourage others in the maritime trades.

Ardent has announced a refocus of its strategy and a relocation of its headquarter.Ardent will refocus its strategy away from decommissioning towards its core business of emergency management and wreck removal. It has a market leading position in these areas which it intends to build further. Ardent will also move its headquarter from Houston, USA, to Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, where the new CEO, Oliver Timofei, and CFO, Jens Jaeger, are based.These moves will continue the positive momentum experienced in emergency management (emergency preparedness & emergency response) and wreck removal over the last 4 years and make Ardent more customer centric. Ardent will continue to provide its Global Preparedness Cover offerings as well as its OPA90 SMFF services for the USA.

HM Coastguard cliff rescue teams rescued a woman from 100 foot cliffs after she was cut off by the tide while exploring caves. HM Coastguard rescue teams from Rhossili, Mumbles and Oxwich, the Coastguard rescue helicopter from St Athan and the Mumbles RNLI all-weather lifeboat were tasked to assist a female from the bottom of cliffs at Culver Hole after becoming cut off by the tide.HM Coastguard received a 999 call just after 1:30pm on Sunday 22nd December from walkers on top of the cliff at Culver Hole on the Gower peninsular…

Steve Felder, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia has outlined the developments in 2019 and what we can expect in 2020:“While the global container demand was lower in 2019 due to weaker growth in the global economy, India witnessed a broad-based slowdown in its import export trade as well after a growth of several years. This is aligned closely with the weaker domestic demand, tight liquidity and working capital as well as a reflection of the overall cyclical weakening of the economic environment in all the main global economies.

US President Donald Trump approved $138 million for the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project as part of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill in the 2020 Budget.According to a statement from South Carolina Ports Authority, both the Senate and the House voted to approve the appropriations bill this week as part of the fiscal year 2020 funding package, and Trump signed it into law Friday."This enormous step forward means the project is fully funded to completion and on track to achieve a 52-foot depth in 2021," it said.S.C.

CMA CGM said on Friday it had finalized an agreement with China Merchants Port Holdings Co.

The crew of the US Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin has finished replacing the summer buoys with seasonal winter buoys on the Chesapeake Bay, Md., Friday.Throughout the month of December the crew replaced 66 summer buoys and removed the Francis Scott Key buoy in preparation for the winter season. The seasonal buoys are kept in until late February or early March.Ice and snow have the potential to damage, displace and submerge the large summer buoys, which would leave the channel unmarked and could create a substantial hazard to mariners.

Two cruise ships collided in a port in the Mexican Caribbean resort of Cozumel on Friday, causing damage to the stern of Carnival Corporation's Carnival Glory and leaving one passenger with a minor injury, Carnival said."Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside," Carnival said in a statement. "We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship."Civil protection authorities…

India’s import and export container trade in Q3 2019 (July-September) remained flat as compared to global growth of 1.5%. The slowdown is aligned closely with the weaker domestic demand, as well as a reflection of the broad-based cyclical weakening of the economic environment in all the main global economies. The negative effects from escalating trade restrictions also weighed on trade growth in the quarter. The trade restrictions have reduced bilateral trade between the United States of America and China…

Swiss headquartered container shipping company MSC said on Friday it was implementing contingency plans to re-route container ships away from French ports when necessary due to strikes in the country."MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is closely monitoring the situation in France where industrial action by labour unions is impacting maritime ports and overland transportation networks around the country," an MSC spokesman said.MSC said it would resume normal services to France as soon as possible. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Gus Trompiz; Writing by Maya Nikolaeva; Editing by David Clarke)

US Offshore Support Vessel Analysis 2018 and 2019. The US GOM Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) market is suffering, utilization remains poor, and many owners are still squeezed financially. However, a poor market forces people to adapt and for those willing to take risks, the upside can be extremely large.US Owners 2018 vs. 2019: Within the US GOM, 2018 saw a period of strategic thinking and tactical business decisions. Tidewater Marine completed their merger with GulfMark Offshore to create the world’s largest OSV player.

Shane Guidry, CEO of Harvey Gulf International Marine, has announced he has purchased Harvey’s 30 percent ownership in Quality Liquefied Natural Gas Transport (QLNG). The CEO previously owned 70 percent of QLNG with Harvey and now controls 100 percent.In connection with the announcement, Mr. Guidry commented: “QLNG didn’t quite fit into Harvey’s core business and future. At Harvey, we are focused on growing globally, which we’ve done over the last 12 months. Today, we have vessels working in Mexico, Trinidad, Peru, Guyana, Suriname, USA and Nigeria.