Coastal and Inland News

APM Terminals have reached agreement to divest its container terminal in Izmir, Turkey to its current partner SOCAR.As part of the sales agreement, APM Terminals will continue managing the terminal, ensuring that needs from both shipping lines and landside customers are catered for, said a press release from the company.The sale is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to finalize in the coming months. In the new structure, operating company Petlim will be fully owned by SOCAR Turkey…

Reducing the amount of time ships spend waiting outside port and at anchor could significantly reduce ship emissions, according to studies carried out by members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) GloMEEP Global Industry Alliance (GIA).Ships can spend hours or days waiting at anchor outside ports, but providing ships with regular updates about the availability of berths, especially in the last twelve hours prior to port arrival, can support significant reductions…

Will your vessel be honored as a “Great Workboat of 2018” in the December 2018 edition of Marine News?Every year, Marine News profiles the most outstanding vessels built in shipyards in North America, recognizing builders, owners and designers as leaders in their field. This edition — the much anticipated end-of-the-year edition — generates much excitement, as your work is profiled and delivered to the largest audited b2b maritime industry audience in this genre.The only way to…

Interferry, the trade association representing the worldwide ferry industry, has announced that the new chairman of its board of directors is John Steen-Mikkelsen, CEO of Danish ferry operator Danske Faerger.Steen-Mikkelsen was elected together with three new board members at the annual general meeting held last week in Cancun, Mexico, during the association’s 43rd annual conference.The Interferry board is drawn from all types of large and small ferry operations - including ro-pax, ro-ro, cruise ferries, fast ferries and passenger-only ferries - as well as industry suppliers.

Wärtsilä has opened its purpose-built Acceleration Center in Singapore to promote innovation and collaboration with industry, academia and local partners to strengthen and develop Singapore’s maritime ecosystem. The opening follows an agreement signed between Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Wärtsilä in April 2018 to collaborate in areas of intelligent vessels, connected smart port operations, cyber-physical security, and digital acceleration with start-ups.

Interceptors and Active Ride Control supplied by Humphree USA will help deliver a smooth and stable ride for the newest addition to the Seastreak ferry fleet.Seastreak Commodore, which was put into service this summer, is the biggest and fastest passenger ferry in the Seastreak fleet. The 150-foot catamaran can carry up to 600 passengers. The high-speed vessel makes daily commuter runs between Sandy Hook, N.J., and the East 35th Street terminal in New York City, with transit times of about 45 minutes.

An offshore supply vessel is partially submerged and taking on water near Cameron, La.U.S. Coast Guard crews were dispatched to the scene to investigate and respond to fuel discharge around the partially submerged vessel, the 145-foot OSV Candy Store, which reported it was taking on water early Monday morning.Once on scene, a Coast Guard Station Lake Charles 29-foot Response Boat-Small boat crew passed two dewatering pumps to the vessel.

A CMA CGM containership plowed head-on into a pier at India's largest container port on Saturday, causing visible damage to the dock.The 336-meter, 10,000 TEU CMA CGM Mumbai reportedly lost steering while attempting to berth at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port,on the west coast of India. Officials said damage to the pier is only minor, and the damage to the ship is unkonwn. No injuries were reported.The Hong-Kong flagged vessel, owned by CMA CGM and operated by Seaspan, was delivered in May this year from Chinese yard Yangzijiang Shipbuilding.

Diesel power specialist Royston said it will showcase new developments for 2018, including Vessel Energy Monitoring (VEM), at the International Workboat Show.VEM technology, which provides information about a vessel’s architecture and energy levels, as well as efficiency improvement recommendations, is part of Royston’s enginei product, which delivers cost savings and operational efficiencies for offshore vessel and workboat operators.The system records fuel consumption data from bunkers and individual engines, with data provided onboard and onshore.

Wärtsilä’s 31DF dual-fuel engine, which emphasizes outstanding efficiency, extremely economical fuel consumption and minimal emissions, has been selected to power a new polar ice-class luxury cruise vessel is being built for the France-based operator Ponant at Vard Søviknes, a part of VARD shipbuilding group in Norway.Because the 150-meter-long ship will operate in environmentally sensitive Arctic and Antarctic waters, it will operate primarily on LNG. Wärtsilä’s advanced technologies…

Ship repairer and marine engineering services provider SMS said it has completed its second major high-speed craft refit in France.SMS, which is based in Southampton in the U.K., has undocked Brittany Ferries’ Normandie Express in Cherbourg on the Ports of Normandy Authority’s (PNA) ship lift. Over a three-week period, SMS undertook the docking on the Rolls-Royce syncrolift in the Port of Cherbourg. The lift is 90m x 32m and offers a 3,000T lift capacity.Located just 75 miles from the Solent…

Abu Dhabi Ports and Emirates Telecommunication Group Company(Etisalat) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focused on advancing technological capabilities and business opportunities in support of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.The partnership focuses on building shared electronic projects and networks, exchanging knowledge, simplifying procedures, securing fixed and wireless telecommunications coverage, and managing operational risk.Etisalat will also help Abu Dhabi Ports to adapt to the latest telecommunications technologies, business models, and customer behaviours.

APM Terminals opened the most advanced container terminal in Mexico. Adidas has since moved the bulk of its inbound goods flow to the terminal in Lazaro Cardenas, where automated gates, an efficient on-dock rail facility and a secure gateway to Mexico City support faster cargo delivery.Adidas Mexico imports about 90% of its products from Asia, mainly Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, and Pakistan. With plans to deliver 50% of its products to store shelves within 45 days of being manufactured by 2020…

The issue of expanding the activities of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ACSC) in foreign waters commissioned by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in order to eliminate dependence on a single market, while maintaining the leading positions of the Shipping Company in the Caspian Sea, is in the center of constant attention.Consistent measures are being taken in this direction. Expanding the activities of the Shipping Company in international waters is of great importance in terms of opening new jobs on a permanent basis…

Belgian port Antwerp said that throughput continues to register growth in the port. After record semi-annual figures, the total throughput after nine months stands at 177,026,550 tonnes – a sharp 6% increase compared with the same period last year.With these results, the port seems to be on track for the sixth record year in a row. The recent wave of investments moreover confirms the port’s appeal and reaffirms its role as a world player.Maritime throughput continues to grow.

American trucking company Saia announced the recent completion of its new Saia LTL Freight cross-dock facility in Strafford, Missouri. Strafford is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area and is situated approximately 14 miles northeast of the city."This new terminal is double the size of our previous Springfield-area facility and will allow us to meet the needs of our shippers not only today, but for years to come," said Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Ray Ramu.

Tunisian roll-on/roll-off ferry Ulysse has separated from the Cyprus flagged containership CSL Virginia on Thursday following a collision earlier this week in the Mediterranean Sea.CSL Virginia was at anchor approximately 17 miles off the island of Corsica when it was struck broadside by cargo and passenger ferry Ulysse early Sunday morning. The ferry's bow penetrated the hull of the containership, causing the two vessels to become stuck together and resulting in a major oil spill.No deaths or injuries were reported…

The Captain of the Port for Hampton Roads has reopened the port without restrictions Friday morning.The COTP for North Carolina reopened the Ports of Wilmington and Morehead City Friday morning. Mariners in North Carolina are advised to exercise extreme caution when transiting due to possible shoaling, debris, and aids to navigation that may be off station or unreliable.North Carolina ports have been impacted twice within the past two months; first by hurricane Florence and this week, by the remnants of hurricane Michael.

This week, PVA submitted comments in support of the Coast Guard's proposal to reduce the size of the current Navy Pier Southeast Safety Zone within the Chicago Harbor.PVA's Chicago members requested the association's support of this proposal, which would reduce the size of the Safety Zone and provide relief to local operators. Coast Guard proposed this change to allow the Chicago Harbor Lock to remain in full operation during regularly scheduled periodic fireworks displays. As…

A naming ceremony was held for two custom tugs built by Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld for De Boer Remorquage SARL, a joint venture between Dutch Dredging and Iskes Towage and Salvage. The ceremony took place in the port of Cayenne in French Guyana.According to the shipbuilder, both vessels represent innovative solutions and one of them has additional modifications that enable it to undertake dredging and other associated activities.Present at the event where representatives from a number of French government agencies and the port authorities…

The newest auto/passenger vessel to serve the United States' largest ferry system has made its debut on the U.S. West Coast.Washington State Ferries (WSF) began carrying passengers aboard the newest state ferry, Suquamish, sailing from Clinton, Wash. on October 4.The 1,500 passenger and 144 vehicle capacity Suquamish, constructed by U.S. shipbuilder Vigor and christened earlier this year, is the fourth and last of the funded Olympic Class ferries, built to replace the midcentury-era Evergreen State Class vessels.

China's coal imports dropped sharply in August from the month before, customs data showed on Friday, after cooler weather crimped demand from utilities and as a typhoon disrupted supply.Total arrivals last month fell 12 percent from August to the lowest since May at 25.14 million tonnes, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl L. Schultz has issued the Coast Guard's 40-paged document that outlines their "VISION for Enabling Maritime Commerce." He introduces the new paper in an open letter to industry, as shown below:America is a maritime Nation. It is a Nation shaped by seafarers who recognized the tremendous economic potential derived from unrestricted access to the oceans, internal waterways, deep-water ports and protected straits and bays. This geostrategic advantage favorably shapes our Nation’s security…

The Transport Committee of the European Parliament adopted earlier this week the final report on the Port Reception Facilities and gave a mandate to the Rapporteur Ms Gesine Meissner to start negotiations with the Council and the EU Commission to finalise the text of the new directive.The European Community of Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) supports the polluter pays principle in return for the safe and environmentally sound management of the ship generated waste. Ships will be allowed to deliver all garbage when paying a fixed waste fee…

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is launching a new rail service to bring agricultural cargoes from Spain closer to the international markets.The transportation and logistics company said that the new service runs will improve links between Seville and Cordoba (Spain) and destinations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Far East, beginning in October 2018. It is expected to run at least twice a week from both Seville’s inland maritime port – Puerto de Sevilla – and Cordoba’s cargo rail terminal and the port of Valencia…

The major ports in India have recorded a growth of 5.12% and together handled 343.26 Million Tonnes of cargo during the period April to September, 2018 as against 326.54 Million Tonnes handled during the corresponding period of previous year.According to the government of India, for the period from April ‘17- September 2018, Nine Ports (Kolkata (incl.Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar, Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, JNPT and Deendayal have registered positive growth in traffic.The highest growth was registered by Kamarajar Port (19.66%)…

Dubai state-owned port operator DP World launched on Thursday a $101 million project to expand a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland.Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 and has acted as a de-facto independent state since then but is not internationally recognized. The United Arab Emirate's Dubai government owns DP World.The port in Berbera exports camels to the Middle East and imports food and other items, but Somaliland hopes it will provide an alternative for neighboring Ethiopia - a landlocked country of 100 million which relies on Djibouti for its trade.On Thursday…

AXA XL's North America marine insurance business is expanding its reach in the marine insurance market with a new policy specifically designed and delivered to address workboat risks.“Our new workboat policy represents the continued extension of our risk appetite and underwriting expertise to address a wider array of marine risks,” said Anne Marie Elder, AXA XL Chief Underwriting Officer for Marine in the North America. “Workboats represent many different types and sizes of vessels that are used for a wide range of tasks…

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has nominated Carlo van Noort to be appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Boskalis at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) in May 2019. The term of the current CFO, Hans Kamps, expires on the date of that same AGM.van Noort is currently financial director of Boskalis Nederland. He has held various finance positions within the three divisions of the Group over the last 12 years and is currently financial director of Boskalis Nederland. Following his accounting and auditing degree from Nyenrode Business University, van Noort worked as an auditor with EY followed by finance positions at among others ING Real Estate and DHL Express.

The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Panama Canal Authority reports.With this tonnage, the Panama Canal surpasses the cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017."The Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations, reinforcing every day the importance of the waterway's expansion and its impact on global maritime trade," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.

American Harmony’s lower bow section has moved from Fabrication Building #4 at Chesapeake Shipbuilding to the Assembly Launchways. The second new ship in American Cruise Lines five-ship, modern riverboat series is well on its way to completion.American Harmony, like American Song (which just made its inaugural sailing earlier this month), will be equipped with every technical advancement and offer the best in contemporary design including a magnificent five-story glass atrium.

Galileo Maritime Academy has this month announced the completion of its new architect designed professional crew training center and crew residence in Phuket, Thailand.The “T” shaped buildings comprise state-of-the-art training and recreation rooms, a seafarer medical center, a culinary arts and hospitality school, a three meter deep survival training pool and first class accommodation for 30 students.This central complex is located just above Yacht Haven Marina, the largest superyacht marina in Asia…

The Captain of the Port for North Carolina set Port Condition Zulu for the Ports of Morehead City and Wilmington at 3 a.m., Thursday, due to winds from Hurricane Michael.Port Condition Zulu is a dangerous condition in which tropical storm force winds are possible within 12 hours. In Port Condition Zulu the port is closed, and all port operations are suspended. In the messy wake of Florence, North Carolina's two deep draft ports are bracing for their second major storm event in less than two months.The U.S.

Hurricane Michael, the third most powerful storm ever to strike the U.S. mainland, headed northeast on Thursday, weakened but still set to soak Georgia and the Carolinas after devastating the Florida Panhandle.By 6 AM on Thursday, heavy rain and wind had reached as far north as Charlotte, North Carolina and the Western North Carolina mountains. The center of the storm was located over Augusta, Georgia, moving north rapidly at more than 20 MPH in a north / northeast heading. Charlotte…

The EPA has provided updated advice on the reissuance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP).The 2013 VGP will not be reissued prior to its December 18, 2018 expiration date, but will be administratively continued and remain in effect until a new permit is issued. Owners/operators of vessels operating under the administratively continued permit are expected to comply with the terms and conditions of that permit.

Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), the state-owned marine transporter, won approval recently to build two large container terminals at Lach Huyen Port in northern Hai Phong City in a 7 trillion dong ($302 million) project.According to Nguyen Canh Tinh, director of the state-run Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), said its subsidiary, Haiphong Port JSC, would build terminals No.3 and No.4 at the port.He said the Haiphong Port JSC used to work mainly at Hoang Dieu terminal…

Saam Smit Towage Canada (SST Canada) has purchased two new RAstar 3200 escort tugs from Hong Kong’s Cheoy Lee Shipyards.SST Grizzly and SST Orca, which are designed by Robert Allan Ltd, has departed Cheoy Lee’s Hin Lee shipyard, will arrive Vancouver in early November of this year.The two new escort-rated tugs will join SST Canada’s fleet and begin operations in the southern waters of British Columbia. SST Canada is a joint venture partnership between Boskalis of the Netherlands and Saam S.A of Chile.According to a press release from Robert Allan…

The U.S. Coast Guard picked up 10 crewmembers who had been stranded at sea for nearly three weeks after their cargo ship became disabled approximately 1,380 miles southeast of Bermuda."We were conducting a law enforcement patrol near Puerto Rico when we were assigned to assist the crew of the motor vessel Alta,” said Cmdr. Travis Emge, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence. “We traveled over 1,300 nautical miles to get to the disabled ship ahead of Hurricane…

Bill now heads to White House for President Trump’s signature.Today, the Senate voted 99-1 in favor of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018/Water Resources Development Act, otherwise known as WRDA 2018. The Bill passed in the U.S. House by unanimous voice vote (435-0) in August.“The passage of WRDA 2018 is a win for the Nation’s towboat operators, freight shippers, ports and labor and conservation groups that rely on an efficient inland waterways system,” said Mike Toohey, President and CEO of the Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI).

Spain's Baleària will convert three ferries from diesel to LNG dual fuel using Caterpillar and MaK solutions.Incorporating the MaK DF engines will virtually eliminate the sulfur and particulate matter in the exhaust gases, while also cutting down NOx, resulting in even lower CO2 emissions. The three ferries to be converted are Abel Matutes, Bahama Mama, and Martin i Soler, each currently equipped with a pair of MaK 9 M 43 C main engines. After the conversion, the vessels will operate on two MaK 9 M 46 DF engines, which has a rated engine output of 8,685kW.

Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering Corporation, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm specializing in AT/B or Articulated Tug/Barge design announced that it is now a member of the Hyperion Marine Engineering Group headquartered in Portland, Maine with offices in India, Dubai, Norway and the Netherlands.CT Marine & Buoyancy Consultants formed Hyperion three years ago recognizing a need for an integrated naval architectural & marine engineering firm to serve the inland and…

Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland terminal rose 5.3 percent in September from a month earlier, port data released on Wednesday showed.Iron ore shipments to China from the world's biggest iron ore port totaled 37.4 million tonnes in September, up from August's 35.5 million metric tons, according to the Pilbara Ports Authority.Total September iron ore shipments from the port totaled 43.5 million metric tons, up from 42.4 million metric tons in August.Port Hedland is used by three of Australia's top four iron ore miners, BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rineha

Maersk Oil Trading has leased oil storage space in Singapore, signalling a push by one of the world's biggest ship fuel buyers into the Asian bunkering hub ahead of changes to global fuel standards from 2020, trade sources said.Maersk Oil has taken storage at the Tankstore oil terminal in Singapore, a spokesman for parent A.P. Moller-Maersk told Reuters, without giving further details.The firm has leased 120,000 cubic meters of space for fuel oil for six months, said three trade sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Excessive rains across the central United States over the past week have slowed the harvest of corn and soybeans, while rising water levels closed at least three locks on the Upper Mississippi River, a key artery for shipping Midwest grain to U.S. Gulf exporters.Cash bids for corn shipped by barge to the Gulf firmed on Tuesday, reflecting exporter demand and dwindling pipeline supplies as rising river levels slowed barge traffic.The United States is the world's top corn supplier, and sales of the yellow grain represent one U.S.

A harbor tug is aground, partially submerged and taking on water on the Upper Mississippi River near Cairo, Ill.The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report at 2 p.m. Tuesday stating that the vessel, Totem Kole II, was taking on water at mile marker 59.7. The vessel is grounded at a nearby embankment on the left descending bank of the river.All crewmembers were able to safely disembark the vessel.Coast Guard crews are responding to the incident and an oil spill response organization has deployed containment boom around the vessel to prevent the spread of pollution after an unknown amount of product is reported to have gone into the water.

The Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC), recently published two Mission Management System (MMS) Work Instructions (WI):1. CVC-WI-013(2), Initial Towing Vessel COI Inspections Under TSMS Option2. CVC-WI-010(1), OCMI Guidance on Special Consideration for 46 CFR Subchapter M VesselsThese instructions provide guidance to both Coast Guard field offices and the maritime industry on the Coast Guard’s interpretations regarding the application and implementation of regulations…

Chevron Corp wants to build or buy a refinery along the U.S. Gulf Coast to process crude oil from its rapidly growing Permian Basin operations, a senior executive said on Tuesday.The company would like to have refining operations on the Houston Ship Channel, in the western part of the U.S. Gulf, to complement an existing eastern Gulf refinery in Mississippi that makes lubricants and other materials, Pierre Breber, Chevron's head of downstream and chemicals, said."Something on the ship channel side could make a lot of sense for our company…

A new hybrid-electric icebreaking escort tug for Sweden's Port of Luleå was launched on Monday at GONDAN Shipyard in Figueras, Spain.The new Robert Allan Ltd designed tug, Vilja, is a RAL TundRA 3600-H class icebreaking design fully customized for the Port of Luleå operational requirements. The vessel is designed to perform icebreaking – it is capable of breaking 1 meter of ice at a speed of up to 3 knots – ice management, escort, ship assist, coastal towing, firefighting and…

Hurricane Michael is expected to strengthen today in the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida panhandle directly in its dangerous path.Thousands of local residents in Wakulla, Gulf and Bay counties have been ordered to leave. Forecasters now say that Michael could be a Category 3 storm when it makes landfall on Wednesday. That prediction, if true, would make the storm the strongest to hit this area in at least a decade.As of 3 AM CDT on Tuesday, Michael was a Category 1 storm, with sustained winds of up to 90 miles per hour.

Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV (DEME)'s Board of Directors announced that with effect from January 1, 2019 Luc Vandenbulcke will succeed Alain Bernard as the company’s CEO.Bernard started working for the group in 1980 and has been CEO of DEME since 2006. Over the past 12 years he transformed the group from a purely dredging organization into a diversified marine engineering group with operations worldwide.Under his leadership sales figures increased from €1.1 billion to €2.4 billion (2017)…

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) and Silversea Cruises announced agreements to build three new ships for Silversea Cruises, including two luxury vessels as well as a single expedition ship for the Galapagos.Silversea, the luxury and expedition cruise brand that recently joined the RCL family, signed a memorandum of understanding with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build two new vessels in its new Evolution Class. The first Evolution Class ship is expected to deliver in 2022.Silversea also signed a contract with Dutch shipbuilder Shipyard De Hoop to construct a new expedition vessel…

The latest stage of a GBP 50 million (USD 65.44 mln) expansion of automotive trade at the ABP-owned Port of Southampton has begun, said a press release from the port.Work on the latest  GBP 15 million multi-deck storage facility in the Eastern Dock will take 9 months and will create 3,000 additional spaces for vehicles to be stored. This is the eighth multi-deck at the port and this significant investment will further strengthen the port’s position as a global hub for automotive trade.Representatives from BMW Group…

New calculations indicate that last year's trade agreement between the EU and Canada, the CETA agreement, has had a positive impact on trade between the continents and significantly increased exports from the EU to Canada. Shipping companies feel the effect of this.Last year's abolition of virtually all tariffs has improved the business climate between Canada and the EU and led to significantly increased EU-Atlantic exports to Canada. Canada is Denmark's 13th largest trading partner…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Rotterdam Polymer Hub (RPH) signed an allocation agreement regarding a site for two halls for the storage and distribution of polymers.RPH will be the first logistics node in the Rotterdam port area to focus exclusively on the storage of polymers. The project is a joint initiative of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Euro-Rhine Group and entrepreneur Geert Van De Ven.The two halls, with a combined floor area of 35,000 m² (storage capacity 550,000 tonnes) will be erected at Maasvlakte.

Four people have been rescued from a passenger vessel that caught fire in Chandeleur Sound, La., Monday.U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in New Orleans received a report at 2:36 a.m. that the vessel Grand Sun was on fire near the Chandeleur Islands.The Coast Guard directed the launch of a helicopter crew from New Orleans to assist.The aircrew arrived on scene at 3:52 a.m. and recovered the four people from the boat and transported them to emergency medical services at Air Station New Orleans.The Coast Guard also directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Venice, La.

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group’s (LDA) first service operation vessel dedicated to the maintenance of offshore wind farms for the Danish giant Ørsted was launched in Turkey at the CEMRE shipyard, where the vessel has now entered the final construction phase.The new vessel, Wind of Change, is scheduled for final delivery early next year.

On September 5, 2018, Weeks Marine, Inc. (WMI) was presented with the first issued Certificates of Inspection (COIs) for achieving full compliance with new USCG “Subchapter M” regulations on the 2,000 HP Tug Elizabeth and the 3,000 HP Tug Katherine. Commander Jacob Hobson from Coast Guard Sector New York Waterways Branch presented the COIs to Ronnie Clifford, WMI Towing Compliance Officer, and Shaun O’Brian, WMI Towing Sr. Port Engineer.The new Subchapter M mandates, part of the US Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act…

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in September, an increase of 3.7 percent compared to a year ago, the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) reported. Limestone cargos also bettered the month’s five-year average by 8 percent.According to the LCA, Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of 1.8 percent, or 54,000 tons compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 685,000 tons, an increase of 12.4 percent, or 76…

China's CNOOC plans to expand its LNG project in eastern Jiangsu province to meet rising demand from more regions, state-media China News reported citing a project manager from CNOOC.CNOOC will lift the storage tank facility of each of the four tanks linked to the Jiangsu Binhai LNG receiving terminal to 220,000 cubic meters, up from 160,000 cubic meters, China News said.Total investment in the project rose to 17 billion yuan ($2.46 billion), up from 14.4 billion yuan, China News said.The terminal and its storage tanks will be able to serve a broader region including the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Shandong, where the government is switching winter heating fuel to gas from coal.The first phase of the project, with a supply capacity of 3 million tonnes, will be completed in Septe

The National Hurricane Center has announced a Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio. A Hurricane Watch is also in effect for the Alabama-Florida border to Suwannee River Florida.A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Suwannee River to Anna Maria Island Florida, including Tampa Bay and for the Alabama-Florida border to the Mississippi-Alabama borderAt 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Michael was located near latitude 20.9 North, longitude 85.1 West. Michael is moving toward the north near 7 mph (11 km/h).

Issued at the National Quality Steering Committee (NQSC) meeting on July 31, 2018, the American Waterway Operators (AWO) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued their annual report that benchmarks and further serves as the annual safety report card for the domestic towing industry. This year, it comes at a particularly timely moment, just on the heels of the deadline for the so-called ‘subchapter M’ towboat rules.The NQSC uses three measures to track overall trends in safety and environmental protection.

Gulf Island Shipyards (GIS) has sued Hornbeck Offshore over what it says is the wrongful termination of two shipyard construction contracts for the final two vessels in the company's fifth offshore support vessel (OSV) newbuild program earlier this year.Hornbeck, supplier of offshore transport services, including supply vessels, tankers and barges, primarily to support offshore, said in an SEC filing: "During the first quarter of 2018, the company terminated the two contracts because of GIS’s performance issues.

APM Terminals Maasvlakte II has set up a new rail shuttle to the Cabooter Terminal in Venlo. Under the new schedule, a total of three trains will be loading and unloading at this terminal every week.The trains will carry both import and export cargo. The new initiative doubles the number of rail connections between Rotterdam and Venlo’s Cabooter Terminal.“The shuttle to Venlo will help us to move containers more quickly from Rotterdam to the hinterland,” says Roy de Haan, APM’s Head of Commerce Management. “Venlo is an important logistics hub.

PSA’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) has achieved a new vessel productivity benchmark of 155 moves per hour on COSCO Shipping Lines Co Ltd’s vessel M.V. Xin Hong Kong, which departed BMCT on 30 September 2018.Together with sister vessels from service partners CMA-CGM and Hapag-Lloyd, M.V. Xin Hong Kong operates the India Ocean / EPIC 2 weekly service, linking India and the Middle East directly with the North European Ports of Antwerp, Hamburg and London.A total of 2…

The Panama Canal announced that it expects to receive approximately 234 cruise ships through the Panamax and Neopanamax Locks during the upcoming 2018-2019 cruise season.The first transit was on Oct. 5 with the Seven Seas Mariner, on a northbound transit travelling from the U.S. West Coast to the U.S. East Coast."As the second full cruise season with the Expanded Canal, we aim to build off our recent milestones and success," said Panama Canal's Senior International Trade Specialist Albano G. Aguilar.

The Ulysse, ro-ro-cargo ship operated by the Tunisian operator CTN, struck the Cyprus-based  container ship CLS Virgina near the French Mediterranean island of Corsica early Sunday, causing no injuries but causing a 4-kilometer (2.4 mile) fuel spill in the Mediterranean Sea.According to a statement from the regional French maritime authority the collision smashed a hole of several meters (yards) long in the hull of one of the ships, causing the spill.AP reported that the spill created a trail of pollution nearly 2 and a half miles long and several hundred yards wide…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) conducted a multi-agency Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE) yesterday (Friday) to test its abilities to respond to oil spills at sea. A mock collision and oil spill was staged in Singapore waters near Pulau Semakau in a response exercise.More than 250 personnel from 26 agencies participated in JOSE 2018 (please see Annex A for list of agencies), which comprised a table-top exercise at the MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre. During the exercise…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim visited the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate  in a ceremony to commemorate seafarers who lost their lives aboard the Iranian-owned oil tanker Sanchi earlier this year.He visited Iran also to participate in the country's national celebration of World Maritime Day (8 September) and met met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif.Early this year, he issued a statement sympathizing with victims of Iranian vessel collision near China shore.Sanchi…

U.S. based SunStone Ships has exercised an option to order a second expedition cruise vessel to be built in China and scheduled for delivery in August 2020.The new order comes under a design and equipment contract SunStone signed with Ulstein Design & Solutions AS in 2017 that included options for up to nine X-BOW expedition cruise vessels. Ulstein, whose contract is with the China Merchants Group (CMG), is responsible for the delivery of the design and equipment package.Construction of the first vessel…

UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2018 identifies seven key trends that are currently redefining the maritime transport landscape and shaping the sector’s outlook.These trends, presented in no particular order, entail challenges and opportunities which require continued monitoring and assessment for effective and sound policymaking.1) ProtectionismOn the demand side, the uncertainty arising from wide-ranging geopolitical, economic, and trade policy risks as well as some structural shifts, constitutes a drag on maritime trade.

Alabama-based Tug and Barge Solutions (TBS) announced that more than 100 vessels now use  Ivy Marine's Towing Safety Management System and audit services, powered by Helm CONNECT software.Founded in 2012 by tug captain turned ISM/ISO auditor Pat Folan and towing vessel operators Steve Wilson and Patrick Boles, TBS has been helping towing vessel operators achieve compliance with the US Coast Guard (USCG), International Safety Management (ISM), Tanker Management and Self-Assessment…

The former Avondale Shipyard facility in Louisiana will be redeveloped into a logistics and intermodal hub under a joint venture group that took ownership of the shuttered shipyard today.The Avondale site, located just upriver from New Orleans, built and repaired commercial and military vessels for more than 75 years, most recently as part of Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, until the facility ceased operations in December 2014.New development plans announced today will see the 254-acre site repurposed as a multimodal…

Shell delivered its first ship-to-ship bunkering of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from specialized LNG bunker vessel Cardissa in the Port of Rotterdam on Tuesday, marking a number of key milestones as the maritime sector increasingly turns toward cleaner burning LNG fuel.The bunkering of the Sovcomflot's Aframax tanker Gagarin Prospect with LNG is the first operation under a fuel supply agreement between Shell and Sovcomflot signed in 2017, which helped pioneer the expansion of LNG fuel into the tanker industry and…

The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) conducted a successful test burn of oil using the purpose-built burn pan on Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay, Ala. during the week of September 17, 2018.Controlled, pre-planned burns conducted using the Joint Maritime Test Facility allow researchers to gather critical data to help oil spill responders determine best practices for operational use of in-situ burning, develop new equipment with procedures, and to refine training…

Singapore authorities are looking to apply stricter control measures across the marine fuels sector supply chain, a spokeswoman for the government agency Enterprise Singapore said on Thursday, to boost transparency and accountability in a notoriously opaque industry.The Technical Committee for Bunkering has submitted a proposal to the national standards body, Enterprise Singapore, for a new standard on quantity, measurement and sampling requirements for transfer of bunker fuel from oil terminals to bunker tankers using mass flow metering, the spokeswoman said."This proposed standard complement

Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have extended their long-term service agreement to 2028, as the marine and cruise industry is moving more and more toward long-term partnerships.Under the agreement, Wärtsilä is optimizing maintenance efficiency through improved turbocharger maintenance, providing OEM spare parts, workshop services and preferred technical assistance for 46 Royal Caribbean Cruises’ ships. The original agreement, signed in 2013, spanned 10 years.The partnership…

Anthony Veder and Bunker Connect have signed a bunker procurement and management contract for the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) set of ports.Upon successful implementation in the ARA area, Anthony Veder and Bunker Connect will look at further expanding their cooperation.The partnership enables Anthony Veder to transform its fuel trading procedures, using the Bunker Connect platform that offers real-time fuel trading. This innovative online platform facilitates the entire process…

Singapore’s containership operator Pacific International Lines (PIL) collaborates with IBM Singapore in another blockchain trial to design and create an electronic bill of lading which will significantly enhance the documentation process in supply chain management.The PIL-IBM collaboration was supported by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Shipping Association, Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore Customs (National Trade Platform), and Bank of China…

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has allocated about USD 3.64 million under the Green Energy Programme to support the development and use of cleaner alternative marine fuels such as biofuels and methanol. Senior Minister of State, Dr Lam Pin Min announced initiatives by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that companies can use the fund in their research and development in alternative fuels to meet future greenhouse gas emissions regulations.He said…

Shipbuilder Austal said it has commenced construction on the first of two 117-meter high-speed passenger trimaran ferries for Fred. Olsen.Developed in Henderson, Western Australia at Austal’s center of excellence in maritime design, the next-generation vessels will be used by Fred. Olsen Express in the Canary Islands, joining their sister ship, The Benchijigua Express.Capable of transferring over 1,100 passengers and 276 cars at speeds up to 38 knots these vessels will feature…

Island Raider, the newest articulating tug in Island Tug and Barge’s (ITB) fleet, was christened September 28, during an afternoon ceremony at ITB’s headquarters in Burnaby, B.C.The new vessel is first of two in a series built by on-site at ITB’s Annacis Island facility along the Fraser River. The Island Raider, along with its sister the Island Regent (delivery February, 2019), was designed by renown Robert Allan Limited naval architects and marine engineers of Vancouver, B.C. to be paired with ITB’s double-hulled oil tank barge, the ITB Resolution, as an articulated tug and barge (ATB).

A French cruise company and ship’s Master have been fined $70,000 and $30,000 respectively for endangering human life and entering a prohibited zone following a grounding incident in the remote New Zealand Subantarctic islands.French company Compagnie du Ponant and Captain Regis Daumesnil, a French citizen, were sentenced Tuesday in the Wellington District Court after pleading guilty to charges following the January 2017 grounding of the cruise ship L’Austral on an uncharted rock…

The first major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project to be approved globally in five years will be built in Canada, but its underlying philosophy appears to be more closely allied to the Australian concept of "she'll be right, mate."The LNG Canada project was given the green light on Tuesday by Royal Dutch Shell, which is leading the $31 billion venture along with partners Petronas, Mitsubishi, PetroChina and Korea Gas.What makes the first export plant on Canada's west coast different…

SMIT Salvage has acquired two five-year marine salvage contracts to serve as the exclusive marine salvage and engineering support contractor for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the division of the U.S. Navy responsible for engineering, building, buying and maintaining Navy ships and submarines.The Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. subsidiary will provide the U.S. Navy with marine salvage, salvage-related towing, ocean engineering and towage services in the event of an emergency or incident in two of the three geographic zones in the world as defined by the U.S. Navy.SMIT Salvage held a contract for one zone covering the area between the Suez Canal and the international date line for a number of periods totaling more than 30 years, which it was able to renew.

Singapore authorities are taking measures to ensure the availability of low-sulphur marine fuels ahead of upcoming emissions regulations in 2020, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health Lam Pin Min said on Wednesday."(The) MPA is working closely with the industry to ensure that Singapore is ready to supply low-sulphur compliant fuels ahead of 1 January, 2020," said Lam at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition.The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will make available a list of licensed bunker suppliers of low-sulphur fuels by mid-2019

Exxon Mobil Corp is considering a multi-billion dollar investment at its Singapore refinery, the company's largest, ahead of new global shipping fuel regulations starting in 2020, a senior executive said on Wednesday."We are currently assessing a multi-billion project in our integrated manufacturing facility here in Singapore," Matt Bergeron, vice president of Asia Pacific Fuels Business at Exxon, said at a bunkering conference."Should the project proceed, we plan to implement…

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) Jiangsu shipyard has undocked OOS Serooskerke, OOS International's newest semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV)."The undocking operation was complex because of the limited water depth in the dry dock," said a press release from the company.The close comradery between CMHI and OOS proved to be a winning formula to devising an efficient and safe method to undock the vessel, it said. The planning of the undocking operation started as early as…

Traffic flows between the Belgian port of Antwerp and the hinterland market in Hungary and Austria are increasing continuously. In order to meet the growing demand, the Antwerp Port Authority is promoting the expansion of hinterland connections, especially by rail.Two regular rail connections to Hungary have been established since 2015 and rail services to Austria have been expanded from one to currently three.At a port event held near Vienna on 27 September, leading representatives…

Port of Rotterdam Authority has welcome initiatives from companies including BCTN, Kramer and Waalhaven Group for more efficient transportation of containers between the Port of Rotterdam deepsea terminals and the hinterland.BCTN is bundling freight in Alblasserdam from its eight terminals in the Netherlands and Belgium in order to offer point-to-point services to the deepsea terminals on Maasvlakte.Kramer and Waalhaven Group are bundling cargo at their own terminals in Rotterdam…

ENTREC Corporation, a heavy haul transportation and crane solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Capstan Hauling .Based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Capstan is a leading provider of heavy haul transportation services to the oil and natural gas industry in north-west Alberta and north-east B.C. Capstan has approximately 45 employees and lease operators and operates an extensive equipment fleet valued in excess of $9.0 million.Capstan’s fleet consists of mobile cranes…

A ferry heading to Lithuania from Germany was able to continue its journey on Tuesday, hours after it lost power following an engine room incident, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said.The Lithuanian-flagged Regina Seaways, carrying 335 people, restored power to its main engine four hours after it issued a distress call due to a suspected fire in its engine room, the ministry said.No one was reported injured and the ferry was expected to dock in the port of Klaipeda by 2100 GMT, a spokesman for Danish ferry company DFDS said."There was vibration and there was smoke, but no fire was noticed," the

The launch of a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project in Canada has finally fired the starting gun on a wave of plan approvals around the world, needed to avoid a supply crunch after 2020.Royal Dutch Shell said it would export LNG from Western Canada by 2025 after approving a $14 billion project, hot on the heels of Qatar's commitment last week to expand its facilities.The two announcements, adding 37 million tonnes a year (mtpa) to the 290 million tonnes traded in 2017…

Babcock Australasia announced it has been awarded a further contract for helicopter marine pilot transfer services at the Newcastle Port, following a competitive tender process.Under the contract, Babcock will provide aircraft, pilots, engineering personnel and maintenance staff to ensure the safe transportation of marine pilots to ships located 3 to 8 nautical miles offshore. This continues the services that Babcock has provided at the Port since 1999.“This new contract reinforces…

A Lithuanian-flagged ferry carrying 335 people is powerless in the Baltic Sea but no one is reported injured, a spokesman for Danish ferry company DFDS told Reuters."There was vibration and there was smoke, but no fire was noticed," the spokesman said, contradicting earlier reports from the Lithuanian military of a fire on board the vessel.He could not say whether the passengers and crew were in any danger and said the ferry would have to be towed to port.The company said the ferry would be towed to the Lithuanian port town of Klaipeda, where it was heading from Kiel in Germany when it experie

Singapore's port authority has so far invested S$26 million ($19 million) into developing cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel at the city-state, the world's largest marine refueling hub, an executive at the port authority said."We've been working to develop LNG-bunkering in Singapore since about late-2015," said Alan Lim, deputy director at the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, told Reuters at the sidelines of the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition on Tuesday.The bulk of the investments, totaling about S$18 million, were directed

XL Lifts, specializing in zero and low emissions forklifts and a Wiggins Lift dealer, announced it is working with SSA Marine to launch a 36,000 lb. capacity zero-emissions electric forklift suitable for marine terminal and rail yard operations.SSA Pacific, a subsidiary of SSA Marine, has committed to deploying the newly announced Wiggins Yard eBull for its operations at The Port of Stockton facility.Featuring a quick charge lithium battery, the innovative Wiggins Yard eBull offers high-performance and energy efficiency, features never possible in a large capacity forklift.

Commodity trading company Trafigura has terminated a time charter contract for chemical/product tanker Dalmacija with Croatian shipping company Tankerska Next Generation (TNG). "After nearly three years from delivery, TNG and Trafigura have mutually agreed to conclude an almost fully utilized time charter employment contract for the eco-designed MR product tanker Dalmacija," said a press release from the Croatian tanker owner.The vessel has been redelivered with compensation for early re-delivery…

Samskip is launching a new shortsea service connecting Antwerp and Hull, in an expansion of its continent-UK multimodal network that also sees it debut at Belgium’s largest port.The intermodal logistics company  said in a press release that the initial schedule offers a twice weekly short sea container service, with its first departure from Antwerp on the 12th October.The service will be operated by a 508TEU capacity vessel, sailing from ATO's multimodal terminal on Tuesday and…

The EU Commissioner for transport, Violeta Bulc, visited the Port of Los Angeles as part of a longer mission to the US and Costa Rica on Thursday 27 September.The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) was invited to support the visit and contribute to the roundtable discussion  with Violeta Bulc, Gene Seroka (CEO of the Port of Los Angeles), Santiago Garcia Mila, (Deputy Director General, Port of Barcelona), Jens Meier (President of the Port of Hamburg), Victor Schoenmakers (Director Corporate Strategy, Port of Rotterdam).

A major modernization contract for the deepening and widening of a 62 km section of the Świnoujście – Szczecin fairway in Poland has been awarded to Van Oord and DEME Group subsidiary Dredging International.The investment by the Maritime Office in Szczecin will improve access to the Szczecin seaport and increase the port capacity to handle a growing volume of cargo.The project is a design and build contract to deepen and widen the fairway along a section of approximately 62 km from -10.5 to -12.5 m. The dredged materials will be used to build two artificial islands in the Szczecin lagoon.

Naval architecture, design and marine engineering specialist Foreship has transferred a senior member of its management team in Finland to head its Seattle operation, in a move aiming to expand West Coast activities and provide a new focus for its U.S. cruise ship customer base.Marcus Höglund, Foreship Senior Vice President Engineering Services, will take up a position as Head of Operations North America, Foreship LLC with effect from October 8 to lead a team including existing staff in Seattle and in the company’s Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A Saudi-led military coalition fighting against Yemen's Houthi movement foiled an attack by two explosives-laden remote controlled boats deployed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia's Jizan port, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.“The Royal Saudi Navy Forces detected the movement of two remote control explosive boats headed to the port of Jizan. They were intercepted and destroyed... which has led to minimal damage," the coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said in a statement carried by SPA.

Paraguay’s Tsuneishi Shipyard, a subsidiary of the Japanese firm of the same name, recently delivered the powerful towboat Tebicuary 3 to her owners Navegación del Sur S.A. (Navesur) in June of 2018. The new vessel is a near sister-ship to the 2015-delivered Ceasar Primo for a different owner. The newer vessel will also work on the Paraguay-Paraná River system that provides marine access to large parts of central South America.“The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway is a regional agreement between Argentina…