Coastal and Inland News

Maastricht Maersk, the latest next-generation Triple-E vessel known for improved energy efficiency and environmental performance, has arrived for the first time to Rotterdam on her westbound voyage from Asia.Welcoming  the maiden voyage of the most modern vessel in the fleet to Rotterdam, Bo Lindberg Andersen, Benelux Countries Manager at Maersk said: "The Dutch name of the new vessel is a symbol of our long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with The Netherlands and local customers.

The electrical capacity of the APM Terminals Barcelona has also been improved, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 600 tonnes per annum, said the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague.As part of a broader Port of Barcelona’s programme for alternative fuel use, APM Terminals is also working with LNG services provider HAM, technology provider IDIADA and Naturgy Iberia, on a pilot to convert an existing straddle carrier to natural gas.Natural gas burns a lot more cleanly and efficiently than diesel.

Event heralds new era of world-class supply chain service. Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the U.S.-flag combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship MV Taíno today in San Juan, where the company’s investments have ushered in a new era of world-class supply chain services in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade. Clara Crowley, daughter of Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley and board member Christine Crowley, served as the ship’s sponsor and broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne on the bow of MV Taíno at the company’s Isla Grande Terminal before several hundred employees…

Last week,The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) submitted written testimony to the Hawaii State Senate, in support of Senator Inouye's proposed bill SB1505, as discussed at a joint hearing of the Committee on Transportation and the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Military Affairs.The proposed statute, SB1505, would authorize the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) to make commercial harbor facilities temporarily available as a harbor of safe refuge when the National Weather Service forecasts a tropical storm or hurricane strength cyclones…

Repsol signs supply deal for Brittany Ferries' new LNG ship* Spanish energy company Repsol has signed an agreement with Brittany Ferries to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) to its Spanish operations, it said on Friday.* Under the agreement, Repsol will install a fixed quayside LNG storage and supply system in one of Brittany Ferries’ two Spanish ports - Santander or Bilbao. Repsol will then supply LNG bunker fuel to Brittany Ferries’ new LNG-powered cruise ship Salamanca during…

The Coast Guard rescued a 57-year-old man Thursday 170 miles west of St. Petersburg.Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center watchstanders received a call via satellite phone at 1:24 p.m. from the master of the Mariya Moran, a 120-foot tug, stating a crew member was suffering from chest pains and was in need of medical attention.A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched to assist and arrived at 4 p.m.The…

Jaxport, the port of Jacksonville, Florida, had its best ever January container volumes, with total container movements increasing 16 percent over the same period last year.Nearly 121,400 twenty-foot equivalent units (or TEUs, the industry standard for measuring containers) moved through JAXPORT in January 2019.The port’s Asian container volumes continue to show significant growth, up 17 percent year–to–date with nearly 164,000 TEUs moved so far in Fiscal Year 2019. JAXPORT’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1- Sept. 30.

A report into the RORO passenger ferry, Pride of Kent, striking a jetty and grounding in Calais, France on 10 December 2017 has now been published by UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).It said that the ferry Pride of Kent struck a jetty and then grounded while departing Calais, France, in December 2017 amid loss of control."Control of the ferry during the turn towards the harbour entrance was lost due to the fast rate of turn, strong gale-force winds, use of full rudder and propeller pitch…

The throughput of LNG - liquefied natural gas - as bunker fuel in the Rotterdam bunker port increased considerably from 1,500 to 9,500 tonnes in 2018.Meanwhile, the sale of bunker oil - fuel for shipping - in the bunker port decreased from 9.9 million m3 to 9.5 million m3. The decrease can almost entirely be ascribed to the decline in sales of heavy fuel oil from 8.3 million m3 to 7.9 million m3.The Port of Rotterdam Authority suspects that the decline in bunker volumes in Europe’s largest bunker port is a consequence of the increased scale and use of modern vessels in container shipping.

Deal builds on Auxo’s December 2017 acquisition of leading dry-bulk transportation and logistics company, M/G Transport Services. Private investment firm Auxo Investment Partners announced today that it is partnering with the Andrie family with an investment in Andrie LLC, a Michigan-based Jones Act bulk transporter of specialty products including liquid asphalt, cement, light oil petroleum products, and calcium chloride throughout the Great Lakes. The deal, terms of which were not disclosed…

The world's largest container shipping company, A.P. Moller-Maersk, warned trade headwinds would slow growth this year, sending its shares down 10 percent on Thursday.Maersk is also moving ahead with spinning off Maersk Drilling, announcing it expected its new listing in Copenhagen to begin trading on April 4.Maersk, a bellwether for global trade, warned that growth in the number of containers being moved around the world would deteriorate further this year.It expected global container growth of 1-3 percent in 2019…

Florida's largest port Port Tampa Bay welcome the announcement by the CMA CGM Group, that it will begin serving Port Tampa Bay in late May 2019 on its Pacific Express 3, or PEX3 service.With a presence in 160 countries and a fleet of 506 vessels, CMA CGM serves over 420 ports across the globe and is a member of the Ocean Alliance. The PEX3 port service rotation will be as follows: Singapore – Vung Tau – Hong Kong – Shekou – Ningbo – Shanghai - Busan – Panama Canal - Houston – Mobile – New Orleans – Tampa – Miami – Singapore."We are delighted with this announcement by CMA CGM…

HudsonTrident, which offers security services for the maritime sector, and Fundación Tito Mella have received the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) technical assistance grant to develop a national port cyber security assessment platform in the Dominican Republic.HudsonTrident’s HACyberLogix-informed assessment approach will enable four Dominican ports to cost-effectively assess their entire organizational cybersecurity capabilities and identify cybersecurity capability vulnerabilities.The assessments will support HudsonTrident…

Notwithstanding the tragic incidents of the Morandi Bridge collapse and October’s violent sea storm, cargo throughput remains stable at the Ports of Genoa, Italy.Now a key priority is the implementation of the emergency measures mobilised by Parliament to return to growth, said the busiest port of Italy by cargo tonnage.The collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa on 14 August 2018 and the damage wreaked by the violent sea storm on 29 October in the Port of Savona have had severe…

New Zealand's Port Nelson chief executive Martin Byrne has announced he will stand down from his position at the end of September.Byrne commenced the role in January 2004 and has led the organisation through the last 15 years.Over that period cargo volumes have grown from 2.45 million Revenue Tonnes (RT) in 2003 to 3.6 million RT in 2018, container volumes from 44,632 to 121,483 TEU and revenue from $25.4 million to $67.2 million.During the period from 2004-2018 total funds returned to shareholders by way of annual dividends…

Norway's largest container terminal Yilport Oslo handled a total of 238,000 containers (TEU) in 2018, an increase of 14% from the previous year.The Norwegian container port operator said that as the cargo from Europe are growing, Oslo has become the logistics hub in Norway."About 80% of the goods that come in containers, everything from bicycles, books to electronics, curbstones and foodstuffs is destined to Oslo and the neighboring areas. Norway's most modern container terminal is close to a large and growing market.

The provider of lifting solutions Kalmar has agreed a deal to supply seven terminal tractors and six forklift trucks to the Rio Estiba terminal in Nueva Palmira, Uruguay.The Cargotec group company said that the order was booked in Cargotec's 2018 Q4 order intake with delivery scheduled to take place in Q2 of 2019.Rio Estiba provides port logistics services, including loading and unloading of cargo, coordination of intra-port operations, in-terminal transport, and administration and cargo handling in port warehouses.

Mike Monahan was elected to Blue Danube Incorporated’s Board of Directors on February 8, 2019. Blue Danube Incorporated is the holding company of Campbell Transportation Company Inc. Michael J. Monahan joined Campbell Transportation Company (“Campbell”) as President in October of 2011. Campbell is a privately held company which is based in Houston, PA. Campbell and its subsidiaries employ approximately 300 employees, owns and manages over 1,100 barges and 40 to 50 towboats, 3 major shipyards…

The United Arab Emirates has eased a ban on the shipping of goods between it and Qatar enforced under a political and economic boycott of Doha, according to port circulars and an industry source.The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations it supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies.An Abu Dhabi Ports circular dated Feb. 12 cancelled previous directives that banned cargoes of Qatar origin from UAE waters and ports and those of UAE origin from Qatar.It maintained a ban on vessels flying the Qatar flag…

Recently, Radio Holland received the order to renew the complete IT infrastructure for the JB-115 barge of Jack-Up Barge. The order includes design, installation and commissioning of an IT network. The JB-115 is an existing platform which has an IT structure on board, that is no longer Future Proof.Segmented networkThe JB-115 operates as a “hotel-at-sea” with fixed accommodation up to 110 Persons on Board and is often stationed at wind energy projects. Next to providing hotel accommodation the JB-115 also provides operational support at sea…

Network Innovations and its inland waterways connectivity solution eliminates “dead spot” coverage woes. And, not a moment too soon.The bane of inland operators – or at least one of many – has always been the dearth of reliable and economical vessel-to-shore communications. Even in America’s heartland where cellular coverage is routinely billed as seamless, so-called ‘dead spots’ persist. Sometimes, this happens at the worst possible moment for an operator who has myriad far flung assets on dozens of remote inland waterways.

DP World has bought back British ferry and shipping freight operator P&O Ferries for 322 million pounds ($421 million), more than a decade after it sold it.DP World acquired the British shipping and logistics company in 2006 but soon sold off some assets, including P&O Ferries to its major shareholder, state holding company Dubai World.DP World announced on Wednesday it was buying the company, and a spokeswoman later told Reuters it had bought it back from Dubai World.Dubai World was at the heart of the emirate’s financial crisis at the turn of the decade and was forced to restructure around $

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) just gave confirmation of an order for Chantiers de l’Atlantique, according to a previous option agreement, to build a new Oasis-class cruise ship, due for delivery in the fall of 2023.“At her delivery, she will be the twenty third cruise ship built by our yard for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and we are especially proud of it”, said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique."With her outstanding dimensions, the new 2857-cabin ship (hull A35) will belong…

Marine LNG Zeebrugge, a joint venture of the Gas4Sea partners - ENGIE, Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK - has signed an agreement with the Norwegian multinational energy group Equinor.Under the agreement, Marine LNG Zeebrugge will supply liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel to Equinor’s four crude shuttle tankers in the Dutch port of Rotterdam.The four planned dual fuel vessels are to come into service in early 2020; they will be operated by Equinor in Northern European seas.Marine LNG Zeebrugge will supply LNG using the LNG bunkering vessel ENGIE Zeebrugge which started operations in 2017.

SSA Terminals, the operator of Oakland International Container Terminal, submitted last week a $30 million order for three 300-foot-tall gantry cranes, which are expected to be delivered in 18 months.The cranes will go to Oakland International Terminal on Oakland Estuary and will become the tallest on the West Coast, port officials said.The project aims to prepare the port to handle the world's largest container ships, which can be up to 1,300 feet long and carry nearly 23,000 cargo containers.

Inland shipping is essential for the transportation of containers on the Amsterdam-Utrecht-Rotterdam route. 250,000 containers are transported annually via this routeTMA Logistics, CTU and VCL join forces to establish the North West Central Corridor. This cargo consolidation will result in a more reliable barge product, more sustainable transport and fewer handling delays at the terminals.The initiative is supported by the deep sea container terminals in Rotterdam, Port of Amsterdam…

A salvage dive team located a two-inch diameter hole on the port side of the engine room and applied a temporary patch. The vessel is no longer taking on water. Any pollution from the incident has been recovered or dissipated. Containment booms will remain in place, and a watchstander will stay on the vessel to monitor the situation. A long term plan for the ship is in development.“The safety of residents and responders is our priority, and while no one wants something like this to happen, thankfully it occurred at the pier where they swiftly addressed the issue,” said Lt. Erica Brewton, Sector Honolulu Incident Management Division.

Venezuelan authorities have closed the maritime border with the Dutch Antilles, a regional navy chief told Reuters on Tuesday, preventing boats and aircraft from arriving from the islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.Vice Admiral Quintero Martinez did not give a reason for the closure, though Venezuela's opposition have said they plan to bring humanitarian aid into the country from Curacao on Saturday, which President Nicolas Maduro's government has pledged to block.Reporting by Mircely Guanipa

On February 12th and 13th, the Missouri River Stakeholders converged on Kansas City, Missouri to discuss current challenges and opportunities for growth. The main message echoed repeatedly, is the Missouri River is open for business, and business is booming.Over the course of the two-day event, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard worked with the river’s commercial navigators to address areas of concerns as well as plan for the future growth of transportation on one of the nation’s most vital freight corridors.Record attendance was seen at the Annual U.S. Army Corps/U.S.

Bringing the world of containerized cargo to young readers.This rhyming children’s book follows Casey the Container, a new shipping container, along her journey on her first day in port. Casey meets new friends, experiences the workings of the waterfront, and learns the important role containers play in our world. The story, as told from Casey’s perspective, provides operational insight about the movement of containerized cargo. Eighty-five percent of goods used within the world are transported in shipping containers arriving on container ships.In sharing Casey’s journey…

Metal Shark has arguably been one of the more active and successful boat builders in the U.S. over the last 12 to 24 months, boasting a strong order book and expanding facilities and portfolio. In particular, the company has been able to capitalize on the burgeoning ferry market, today accounting for about a quarter of its business, as Chris Allard, CEO, explains.When you look at the ferry business today in relation to Metal Shark’s business, what do you see?Metal Shark has delivered…

The prospects of dry bulk shippers carrying iron ore from mines to smelters have worsened due to the accident at Vale's Brumadinho dam in Brazil, Golden Ocean said on Tuesday as it presented forecast-beating quarterly earnings.The dam in the town of Brumadinho, which contained tailings, the mud-like byproducts of iron ore mining, burst on Jan. 25, killing at least 166 people and with almost 200 more still missing.Brazil's Vale, the world's largest iron ore mining company, has…

Handling 135.1 million tons of seaborne cargoes (down one percent), Germany’s largest universal port can report a respectable result for 2018.Hamburg successfully asserted itself in a difficult environment, achieving a distinct advance on railborne seaport-hinterland transport. In 2018, this category accounted for totals of 46.8 million tons – up 2.7 percent – and 2.44 million TEU – up 4.7 percent.More than 60,000 cargo trains with around 1.6 million freight cars were handled during 2018 on the Port Railway network alone.

To address rapid increases in volumes APM Terminals Inland Services Ecuador introduced an accurate and reliable Truck Appointment System (TAS).This approach has already proved itself at other APM Terminals’ facilities, including neighbouring Peru. The system allows for much better co-ordination of arrivals and departures leading to significantly shorter wait times for trucks.The system now allows truck arrivals at the facility to be spread evenly throughout the day with a truck turnaround time of just 45 minutes.

Two Bangladeshi workers were killed Monday in a fire that started in the engine room of an end-of-life tanker being dismantled at a shipbreaking yard in Chittagong, Bangladesh, the NGO Shipbreaking PlatformMd Jamil, 23 years old cutter man, and Bipul lost their lives while scrapping the ship GREEK WARRIOR (IMO 9191412) at Shagorika Ship Breaking Yard. According to local media, Jamil was burned and rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. He died before reaching the hospital.

Stena RoRo has purchased the ferry Yamato from the Japanese shipping company Hankyu Ferry. The vessel will be rebuilt at a shipyard in Europe and be fully adapted to European standards, after which it will be chartered out. This process will begin in spring 2020 and the ferry is estimated to be in traffic by the summer.“This is a typical Stena RoRo project. Through adaptation and flexibility, we design and rebuild vessels to meet our customers’ specific requirements.

The Stellar Daisy, a massive South Korean tanker that sank in March 2017, was spotted on the floor of the South Atlantic Ocean nearly two years later.Exploration company Ocean Infinity said that it has located the wreck of the lost South Korean tanker, Stellar Daisy, at a depth of 3,461 meters in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1,800 nautical miles due west of Cape Town.Stellar Daisy sank on 31 March 2017, transporting iron ore from Brazil to China. Tragically, 22 of the 24 crew were lost.Working from Seabed Constructor…

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has extended discounts concerning dry bulk vessels operating between American and Asian ports after considering “new changes in the global shipping market and the world economy”."SCA pays more attention to its users best interest, and has recently taken steps towards being the safest, most secure, most reliable and most competitive compared to other routes," said a press release.It said that the rebate granted to (Laden/Ballast) Dry Bulk Vessels operating between Americas' ports and Asian ports…

Piraeus Port Authority S.A welcomed newly built cruise ship of Norwegian Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Jupiter and handed an honorary plaque to the Cruise Director Mark Andrew Brignone and books for the ship's library.However, the Norwegian cruiser got into a minor accident while docking at a pier in the port.According to media reports, the cruiser with 607 passengers and 483 crew members on board was at the process of arrival when it crashed with the right side due to the stormy winds.Stormy winds were the cause of the cruise accident…

The Dutch tank storage company Royal Vopak,  Groningen Seaports and Whitehelm Capital announce their intention to jointly invest in a 27 MW solar park. The solar photovoltaic field will be one of the largest currently in the Netherlands.The new solar park will be situated on 19 ha of land adjacent to Vopak Terminal Eemshaven, land which is currently already leased by the terminal. The produced green electricity will be made available for local use in Groningen and Vopak terminals.Based on the available energy infrastructure…

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent…

The major maritime hub in Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour handled a record 24.6 million tonnes of cargo in 2018, up 3.8% on the previous year thanks to a major increase in the number of freight vehicles passing through the port, which rose to a high of 532,000, latest figures show."Growth was led by a strong increase in freight vehicle carryings on Stena Line’s services to Great Britain, rising by 3% to a record 532,000 freight vehicles and for the second consecutive year more than 1.5m passengers passed through the Port…

On February 12, 2019, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) received Waterways Council, Inc.'s (WCI) 18th Annual Leadership Service Award for her continual championing of ports and inland waterways. She was presented the award by Wade Beasley, Business Representative, Carpenters Local 174, Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters. WCI President & CEO Mike Toohey said, “Senator Duckworth is an American hero, and a stalwart advocate for the inland waterways in her state of Illinois, and throughout the United States.

The keel laying ceremony of “Silver Moon”, the second of three new ultra-luxury cruise ships that Fincantieri is building for Silversea Cruises took place yesterday at the Ancona yard. The vessel will enter the ship owner’s fleet in 2020.“Silver Moon” will be a sister ship of “Silver Muse”, which took the sea in 2017, and of “Silver Dawn” due to delivery in 2021. At 40,700 gross tons and with a capacity to accommodate 596 passengers on board, she will maintain the small-ship intimacy…

Philippines-based port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has inaugurated the newly-expanded Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Georgia.The expansion encompasses both the waterside and landside areas of the multipurpose terminal, intended to optimize the processing of existing cargo flows and install additional capacity to accommodate new business.Marking the importance of the occasion, the inauguration was attended by Giorgi Kobulia…

Europe's largest port, the Port of Rotterdam ended 2018 with a total container throughput at 469.0 million tonnes (MT) which slightly higher than in 2017,  which was itself a record year (467.4 MT).Container transhipment was the engine of growth again, with a 4.5% increase in tonnage. Measured in TEUs, the standard unit for containers, the increase was 5.7% and the annual total was 14.5 million TEUs – also a record.This strengthens the position of Europe’s largest container port in this strategically important market segment.

Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the King Abdullah Port in Rabigh.The Saudi Arabia’s State News Agency (SPA) reported that Saudi Arabia moved one step closer to its goal of becoming a global logistics hub with launch of the King Abdullah Port.The port, part of King Abdullah Economic City, will make the Kingdom “a linking point of three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa,” the crown prince said at the launch.Minister of Transport Nabil Al Amoudi said the port…

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the agreement reached on 7 February between the Parliament and the Council on the new regulation establishing a European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe).It said that with the new framework, which will repeal the current Reporting Formalities Directive, important steps are made towards reducing administrative burden and increasing the attractiveness of maritime transport. It provides for the creation of a EMSWe dataset…

MAN Energy Solutions won the contract to supply the engines for a new harbor tug in Spain, unique in that it is reportedly the first IMO Tier III compliant tug operating in the Mediterranean.P&O Reyser will operate the 27-m, 75T bollard-pull-rated Asymmetric Tractor Tug (ATT) in the Port of Barcelona, which is expected to enter service from mid-2020.The tug will feature 2 × MAN 12V175D MM, IMO Tier III engines, each rated at 2,220 kWm. The engines will be connected to FPP azimuth thrusters for propulsion…

Transporting a 112MT transformer across the world is no simple task. The stakes are even higher when the sophisticated cargo is destined for an oil and gas plant and time is of utmost importance.Global Freight Forwarder Kintetsu World Express (KWE) and CG Holdings Belgium NV Systems Division chose Höegh Autoliners, with its direct RoRo service, global agency network and breakbulk competence, to transport its 112 MT Transformer trailer from Antwerp to Dammam."With the customer’s tight deadline…

Despite the persistently challenging market environment, German terminal operator Eurogate managed to close the 2018 financial year with stable container handling volumes.In 2018, the Bremen-based group managed to handle a total of 14.1 million TEUs at its twelve locations in and around Europe.The volume of intermodal container transports increased by 2.8 per cent to around 1.05 million TEUs.At the Eurogate Group’s five German terminals, the previous year’s handling figures were confirmed.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) informed that crew members aboard a ship at a BHP terminal in Queensland are being neglected and underpaid."Crew aboard a ship at a BHP terminal in Queensland claim they are being starved and underpaid, in yet another instance of the coal giant’s veil of secrecy over its operations in Australian waters," said an ITF release.A seafarer aboard an 80,000-tonne bulk carrier, the Villa Deste, contacted ITF pleading for help. The starving crew claims to have no food and no onboard wages…

Japanese shipping line Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) conducted a crisis-response drill based on the scenario of a serious fire occurring on a containership operated by Ocean Network Express  (ONE), an integrated global container shipping company headquartered in Singapore.The drill scenario had a fire breaking out inside a containership while the ship was at Tokyo’s Oi Container Terminal.The drill continued with an assumed explosion followed by fire-fighting, rescue of the injured, and evacuation of neighborhoods. The drill had the vessel managed by NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said talks with China went well on Wednesday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an agreement to resolve their trade dispute."So far, so good," he said when asked by reporters on how the meetings in Beijing went. He did not say who he met.Mnuchin said earlier he hoped for "productive" trade meetings as the two countries seek to end a festering dispute that has seen both sides level tariffs at one other.U.S. tariffs on $200…

A keel laying ceremony was held today for Viking Sun, the fourth of six cruise ships ordered by Viking Ocean Cruises to be built by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard. The first building block of the ship, about 11 meters long, 28.8 meters wide and weighing about 280 tons, is part of the central section of Viking Sun, due to delivery in 2017. Viking Sun, as its sister ships, will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. With a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, it will have 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers, with a total capacity of over 1,400 people, including the crew.

Japanese energy company INPEX Corporation announced that the LNG Tanker Oceanic Breeze called for the first time at INPEX’s Naoetsu LNG Terminal located in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.The tanker has delivered a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG project in Australia.Oceanic Breeze is owned by Oceanic Breeze LNG Transport S. A. (OBLT), a joint venture between INPEX Shipping Co., Ltd. (INPEX Shipping) (30%) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd.

Eneco and Vattenfall have completed repowering of the Slufterdam wind farm in the Netherlands, boosting output to 50MW from around 25MW.The 17 existing wind turbines in the farm, which has been supplying renewable energy since 2002, have been replaced by 14 wind turbines that are much more efficient. As a result, the power has nearly doubled from 25.5 MW to 50.4 MW. The 14 wind turbines generate 180 GWh of electricity every year, enough to cover the annual consumption of around 60,000 households.The energy companies started preparations to replace the wind turbines in mid-2017.

The world's largest container shipping company Maersk Line began moving 16 containers on the Ganga river from Varanasi to Kolkata, the Shipping Ministry of India said.It will be Maersk's first container movement in the 1390-km inland waterway in the River Ganga from Haldia to Varanasi."Maersk Line will move 16 containers on river Ganga (National Waterway-1) from Varanasi to Kolkata tomorrow. The firm is onboard India's inland waterways for the first time," the ministry said in…

Major ports in India together handled 578.86 Million Tonnes (MT) of cargo during April-January 2019, representing a growth of 3.11 per cent, an official statement said.The major ports had handled 561.39 MT cargo in the corresponding period of previous fiscal, the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement."The major ports in India have recorded a growth of 3.11 per cent and together handled 578.86 MT of cargo during the period April to January, 2019 as against 561.39 MT handled during the corresponding period of previous year…

Costa Rica is the latest country to ratify the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention).The International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty enhances communication between ships and ports to help shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently.Rafael Ortiz Fábrega, Ambassador of Costa Rica, met IMO Secretary-General at IMO Headquarters, London (12 February) to deposit the instrument of accession.FAL matters because, if it goes smoothly, shipments move more quickly, more easily and more efficiently.

A state-of-the-art propulsion system helps to maek Branddirektor Westphal as one of the most high-tech fireboats in Europe.The vessel, operated by Flotte Hamburg GmbH & Co. KG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), and built at the Fassmer shipyard in Lower Saxony, is scheduled to enter service in the Port of Hamburg shortly.The new vessel is fitted with SCHOTTEL thrusters: two SCHOTTEL Rudderpropellers and two SCHOTTEL Transverse Thrusters.The Branddirektor Westphal is powered by two Caterpillar C18 engines, each with an output of 500 kW.

Signing a supply agreement with Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science (Hitachi High-Tech), Wilhelmsen will supply Hitachi High-Tech’s industry-leading handheld XRF analyzers to the maritime market, enabling vessel crews to accurately and efficiently test the sulphur content of their fuel, on the spot.With the International Maritime Organization’s 0.50% global sulphur cap on marine fuels set to come into force on January 1, 2020 and discussions on enforcement strategies and potential penalties for non-compliance gathering pace…

CMA CGM is aiming for Ceva Logistics to break even this year, its finance chief said on Tuesday, as the French shipping group opened a share offer to cement its control of the Swiss freight specialist.CMA CGM's public tender will offer other shareholders 30 Swiss francs ($29.75) per share, valuing Ceva at 1.67 billion francs, a price agreed after Ceva rejected a takeover bid in October from Danish freight firm DSV.Marseille-based CMA CGM, one of the world's largest container shipping lines, became Ceva's core shareholder when the Swiss company floated on the Zurich stock market last year, as p

Port of Rotterdam Authority, Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company  Gasunie and Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) are preparing a CCUS (Carbon Capture Usage and Storage) project, in which CO₂ from industry will be transported to storage sites in depleted gas fields deep beneath the North Sea seabed.The three companies are working together on the preparation of this project under the name Porthos: Port of Rotterdam CO₂ Transport Hub & Offshore Storage.The Porthos…

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday said it had commenced clampdown on vessels that do not comply with the provisions of the Cabotage Compliance Strategy introduced last year to ease the implementation of the Cabotage Act 2003 in Nigeria.The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that the clampdown became necessary after several warnings.He has said the Agency will no longer encourage the application of any form of waivers under the Cabotage Act…

The Maritime Connectivity Platform Consortium has been established and a Platform launched last Friday during the conference e-Navigation Underway 2019.The Maritime Connectivity Platform (MCP) is an open source technology a digital maritime domain. It brings common internet standards to maritime navigation and transportation systems.MCP enables infrastructures for efficient, secure, reliable and seamless electronic information exchange among maritime stakeholders using available communication systems.

The Greek port of Piraeus signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italy’s port authorities from the cities of Venice and Chioggia.The agreement seeks to develop port services and promote increased trade flow between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East.The MoU was signed during a meeting between the chairman and CEO of Piraeus port Fu Chengqiu and the president of the Northern Adriatic Sea Port Authority (Venice and Chioggia) Pino Musolino.The MoU envisages cooperation in improving the exchange of best practices and knowhow in port management…

Kalmar, the provider of eco-efficient cargo handling equipment and automated terminal solutions, , has signed a deal to supply six Kalmar Zero Emission Rubber-tired Gantry cranes (RTGs) to South Florida Container Terminal, LLC.The cranes will be equipped with a busbar energy system and operator assist features like auto steering and container stack profiling, said a press statement from Kalmar, part of Cargotec.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q1 order intake with delivery scheduled to be completed in early 2020.

For the first time in Spain's history the ports have welcomed over 10 million cruise ship passengers, reaching a higher level within the global cruise tourism context.According to State-owned Spanish Port System Puertos del Estado, this figure places Spain second in Europe for the number of cruise passengers, with several Spanish ports leading the European ranking and even listed among the world's top 50 ports, as is the case of the ports of Barcelona, the Balearic and Canary Islands…

The Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) engaged Jan De Nul Group to dredge the channel to the Port of Port Hedland. The project forms part of stage two of the Channel Risk and Optimization Project (CROP), a PPA initiative to sustain the long-term operation, development and future growth of the port of Port Hedland.Over the past several years, Jan De Nul Group has been the lead contractor on the majority of the capital dredging works as well as the maintenance dredging works within the port precinct of Port Hedland.

All American Marine, Inc. (AAM) built and launched a 150-passenger hybrid electric vessel for Kitsap Transit.The aluminum catamaran was designed by Glosten, Seattle, WA, and will operate during peak times on Kitsap’s Bremerton-Port Orchard or Bremerton- Annapolis routes.The 70 x 26 ft. USCG certified passenger ferry features an efficient aluminum catamaran hull, ADA access throughout the main deck, and twin BAE Systems HybriDrive propulsion systems driving fixed pitch propellers.

The Port of Indiana Burns-Harbor has extended its partnership with its longtime stevedore and marine terminal operating company, Federal Marine Terminals.A press note from the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, said that the deal will run through at least 2023."FMT has been a vital collaborator with the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor since 1999," said Port Director Ian Hirt, "and this consolidated operating agreement…

“Scarlet Lady”, the first of four ships which Virgin Voyages ordered to Fincantieri, touched the water for the first time for Virgin Voyages on Friday at the shipyard in Genoa Sestri Ponente.The first ship from the new cruise brand of Virgin Group  starts revenue service from the Port of Miami in April 2020.Interior fittings will now begin, leading the ship to its delivery, scheduled at the beginning of 2020, said a press release from the shipyard.The event was attended, among others…

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) launched its second extra-luxury cruise ship Seven Seas Splendor at the Ancona plant of Fincantieri. RSSC is brand of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH) group.According to a press note from the Italian shipbuilding company, the delivery of Seven Seas Splendor, the sister ship to Seven Seas Explorer,  is scheduled for 2020.Like her sister ship Seven Seas Explorer, delivered by Fincantieri at the Sestri Ponente (Genova) shipyard in 2016, “Seven Seas Splendor” will be 55,000 gross tonnes with accommodation for 750 passengers.

The seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced that its vessel, Seabed Constructor, sets sail from Cape Town to begin the search for the lost South Korean ship, Stellar Daisy.Stellar Daisy sank on 31 March 2017, with the tragic loss of 22 of its 24 crew. The ship, which was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China, is believed to have gone down in the South Atlantic Ocean approximately 1800 nautical miles due west of Cape Town.The Ocean Infinity team is expected to be on site and commencing search operations by mid-February 2019.

Malaysia government (Marine Department Malaysia) vessel Polaris and Greece-registered bulk carrier Pireas collided in territorial waters within Singapore port limits off Tuas on Feb 9, 2019.Pireas was on its way from Singapore to its next port of call at Tanjung Pelepas when the collision took place.After refuelling at Singapore’s eastern bunkering anchorage south of Bedok, Pireas declared to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) that its next port of call was to be Tanjung Pelepas. At 1355 hrs, Pireas entered Singapore Port Limits off Tuas (“the area”).

At the end of 2018, Gulf Island Shipyards completed the first of ten Z-Tech 30-80 tugs, five of which were ordered by Bay Houston Towing Company through its operator G & H Towing Company in Galveston, Texas. The Z-Tech 30-80 tug Mark E. Kuebler evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design for the same owner. Once again, the design team and client worked seamlessly addressing operational challenges the vessel will face. A main feature of this latest Z-Tech is incorporating Robert Allan Ltd.’s unique RAstar series sponsoned hull form into the existing Z-Tech design.

Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg (CTSP), a company of UCL Port, stevedoring division of the international transportation group UCL Holding, handled 7.7 million tonnes of cargo showing a 12-pct increase versus the result of 2017.The increase of cargo traffic is attributed the development of yards dedicated for transshipment of cast iron, metal scrap, ore, mineral fertilizers and containers, said a release from the operator providing dry cargo transshipment in Saint-Petersburg port…

State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has awarded a contract worth Dh5 billion (USD1.36bln) to a UAE-based company for dredging, land reclamation and marine construction for artificial islands being developed as part of its offshore ultra sour Ghasha concession.The contract awarded to the UAE’s National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) is valued at AED 5 billion (US 1.36 billion) and will achieve substantial In-Country Value of over 70 percent. The Ghasha Concession consists of the Hail…

Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard has delivered Viking Jupiter, the sixth in a series of 930-passenger ships for Viking Cruises.The delivery ceremony took place this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona, Italy.On February 16, Viking Jupiter will be the first in Viking's fleet to sail the Journey to Antiquities itinerary, a new itinerary sailing between Athens and Rome offering guests the chance to experience the Mediterranean during the quiet season.During its maiden season, Viking Jupiter will sail itineraries throughout the Mediterranean and then Scandinavia.

The Dutch Princess Beatrix, in the presence of the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, officially opened the 3rd lock chamber Princess Beatrix Lock. The Princess rang a ship’s bell, giving the go-ahead for the first official passage of ships through the new lock.The official opening of the lock closes a construction period of 2.5 years. The two lock heads are each 30 x 60 meters. Each lock head contains two lock gates, each weighing 490…

World’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) icebreaker Polaris refueled for the first time at the Nordic countries’ largest LNG terminal in Tornio in the icy Röyttä Harbour.As of yet, LNG is the world’s most environmentally friendly ship fuel. It does not contain sulphur, and its combustion generates approximately 87% less nitrogen oxides in comparison to regularly used Marine Diesel Oil (MDO). Furthermore, LNG’s particulate matter emissions are nearly non-existent.From the outset…

Publishing data about the emissions of all ships calling at EU ports, as proposed by the European Commission, will incentivise shipping companies to cut their CO2 while also better informing regulations to reduce emissions, green NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has said in a press release.The EU, under pressure from industry and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to harmonise its monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system with the IMO’s system, should still require ships registered outside the EU to report their data…

German port operator Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) increased its Group revenue by 3 percent to EUR 1.29 billion in the 2018 financial year (previous year: EUR 1.25 billion). The Group’s operating result (EBIT) of EUR 204 million (previous year: EUR 173 million) represents an increase of 18 percent.In total, 7.3 million standard containers (TEU) were handled at HHLA’s container terminals in the 2018 financial year. Compared to 7.2 million TEU in the previous year, this…

Dutch dredging and heavylift company Royal Boskalis Westminster has been awarded a contract for the transportation of a large number of modules for a North American LNG export facility.The contract value amounts to approximately USD 55 million with additional options for extensions, worth up to USD 30 million, a press release said.The scope of work includes the logistical management and transportation of various large modules from a fabrication yard in China to the facility in North America.

Kitsap Transit’s early test of a passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle has proved successful enough that the agency is adding two new fast ferries to its fleet.The passenger-only ships will expand the marine highway being developed to help ease congestion in the Puget Sound area. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland, Washington, was hired to build the two ferries, with an option to build a third ship.Each of the 140-foot-long aluminum catamarans are powered by two MTU 16V4000 M65L engines and two Rolls-Royce S71 water jets, all being provided by Pacific Power Group.

Damen Shiprepair Oskarshamnsvarvet (DSO) has won a public tender for the contract to undertake a lifetime extension project on the passenger ferry Waxholm II.Built in 1983, the 35.5 meter ferry carries up to 350 passengers and is operated by Waxholms Ångfartygs AB (Waxholmsbolaget), the public body responsible for public transport by boat in the Greater Stockholm region. She is owned by Region Stockholm, the regional authority.Waxholm II is scheduled to arrive at DSO on April 1st 2019 and will spend three months there before returning to service on July 3rd 2019.

UK-based construction services provider S. Walsh & Sons has ordered a Multi Cat 1908 from Damen Shipyards Group. After finalizing a number of modifications, Damen will deliver the 19-meter long vessel ten weeks after receiving the order.Part of the GRS Group, S. Walsh & Sons is London’s premier construction partners, delivering end-to-end materials handling services to the UK civil engineering and construction industries. This comprises excavation, freight (marine, rail and road), materials processing, environmental management, and land remediation.

Following an almost total halt in exports of soya beans to China in the last quarter of 2018, the new year has brought new hopes for American farmers and the dry bulk shipping sector. The USDA reported that in the first four weeks of 2019 754,609 tonnes of soya beans were ready to be shipped in China, up from only 25,347 tonnes in December.In addition to the ready shipments, on February 5 and 6, the USDA reported sales totaling 3.2 million tonnes of soya beans to China, the majority of which is to be delivered between now and September 1…

Publishing data about the emissions of all ships calling at EU ports, as proposed by the European Commission, will incentivize shipping companies to cut their CO2 while also better informing regulations to reduce emissions, green NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has said.The EU, under pressure from industry and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to harmonize its monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system with the IMO’s system, should still require ships registered outside the EU to report their data…

Incat delivered its latest large fast ferry, a 110-meter catamaran for Virtu Ferries of Malta dubbed Saint John Paul II.Saint John Paul II is the 44th large commercial fast ferry delivered by Incat and the sixth in excess of 5,500gt in the past decade; a decade also shared with 19 other Incat newbuilds of smaller passenger ferries and support vessels.“Using the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and hydrodynamic free-running model test techniques, the well proven Incat Wave Piercing Catamaran hullform has been further developed for Mediterranean winter conditions…

Yanmar has undertaken development of underlying technologies for robotic boats and auto-docking, technologies that are expected to see service in operations in dangerous waters, maritime surveys, or smart fisheries.While development of autonomous vehicles for the road and the farm continues apace, maritime robotics technologies have yet to become established. With long established track record of R&D in various fields of robotics and IT, Yanmar has been working to meld the hardware…

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia has announced the Telluride, its new eight-passenger SUV, will be shipped to the Port of Brunswick for global markets this month.“The launch of the Kia Telluride, our largest and most refined SUV to date, will be a monumental achievement for KMMG,” said Countess. “From the support we receive from GPA with our inbound parts from our global supply chain to supporting our export of finished vehicles to current and future markets, GPA will play an important role.”Through vertical integration – parts in via Savannah…

The Port of Savannah will soon be able to unload six 14,000 TEU vessels at the same time. The plan, which is called “Big Berth, Big Ship”, effectively doubles the port’s capacity to handle mega-boxships. Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Executive Director Griff Lynch unveiled the new program that will allow the Port of Savannah to simultaneously handle six 14,000 TEU vessels by 2024, a press release said.“No other single container terminal in North America has the ability to expand berth capacity at this rate,” said Lynch.

German logistics and transportation company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and its partners began research and development work on the publicly funded FRESH  project at its Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA).FRESH stands for flexibility management and control reserve provision of heavy goods vehicles in the harbour, said the firm which operates three container terminals at the Port of Hamburg: Altenwerder, Burchardkai and Tollerort, as well as cargo handling and transport services by rail…

Hamburg Süd is introducing its future use of Remote Container Management (RCM) with full transparency in real time as well as significantly increased efficiency for refrigerated transport chains.In recent months, all the reefer containers used by Hamburg Süd have been outfitted with RCM technology, said the international logistics service sector.Using satellite and mobile radio technology, RCM makes it possible to monitor the refrigerated container and the condition of the cargo inside it – including its location…

Wight Shipyard Co delivered its first multi-million pound export order for a 250-passenger river catamaran to operate for Central Danube Region Marketing & Development GmbH’s Twin City Liner – a tourist service running on the River Danube between Vienna and Bratislava, joining two European capital cities.The passenger river catamaran was handed over to its new owners in an event hosted by Peter Morton, CEO of Wight Shipyard. In attendance were His Excellency Michael Zimmermann…

Interferry has confirmed locations for the 2021 and 2022 editions of its industry-leading annual conference – held every October - in the latest initiative to extend its reach as the only organization representing the worldwide ferry industry. The global trade association’s 46th annual conference will take place in Santander, Spain, followed in 2022 by a twin-venue event in Marrakesh and Tangier, Morocco, which will mark a first for Interferry on the African continent. Multi-award winner Brittany Ferries will host the Santander conference.

The Statement of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao issued the following statement regarding the President’s State of the Union Address. “Tonight the President issued a bipartisan call to repair and restore America’s aging infrastructure. Over the last two years, due to the President’s policies, our economy has generated historic levels of economic and job growth for Americans and widespread private sector investment. This success is enabled by America’s transportation sector, but aging and insufficient infrastructure threatens to impede future growth.

Stena Line is in the process of launching the smartest chatbot -- "Stina" -- into the ferry market. The tech, which relies on IBM Watson as the technicla platform, is designed to make the customer experience better by providing assistance in booking a trip as well as answering questions 24/7. “This is one of many great examples of how we are using artificial intelligence to increase our efficiency and improve the customer experience. With Stina we are taking another step towards becoming the world’s first cognitive ferry company," says Jari Virtanen, Chief Transformation Officer at Stena Line.

A record number of cruise ship passengers traveled through the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) in 2018.The official tally - 1,182,111 - marked a 2.3 percent increase from 2017 and the fifth consecutive year of hitting the coveted 1 million passenger mark at the port's cruise terminal facilities.A 23 percent surge in guests taking Mississippi River cruises helped buoy the total, with new and larger ships set to sail from New Orleans both in the Caribbean and on the River in 2019.“Port NOLA’s success is due in large part to the hard work of the stevedores…

The M/V Zhen Hua 25 departed Shanghai, China last month with two new super post-Panamax container cranes bound for South Philadelphia.The two behemoths will navigate a lengthy global trek before reaching the Delaware River for an expected mid-March arrival to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, said a press note from the Port of Philadelphia."The arrival will mark another important milestone in the comprehensive modernization project underway at Packer, and highlights a key competitive advantage for shippers looking to improve time to market on the East Coast of the United States…

Swedish Ports of Stockholm summarized 2018 as a record revenue year, with stable freight volumes and a record number of cruise passengers.Sweden’s biggest passenger port saw more than 16 million passengers travelling by ferry, cruise ship or on archipelago services in 2018.“2018 was our best year, both financially and in terms of volumes. We are very happy that we have developed our ports so that we can offer, together with our customers, efficient and sustainable transport solutions for the increasing volumes of goods and passengers…