France News

Strict EU enforcement of competition rules prevents the development of the global champions necessary to compete with Chinese and U.S. companies, the head of shipping company Maersk warned in an interview."Is it really a good idea that we don't allow the creation of a European global champion? In doing so, we risk being outperformed by a Chinese company, over which the European Union has no influence," Maersk CEO Soren Skou told Danish business daily Finans.A Maersk spokeswoman confirmed his comments to Reuters.Skou is a member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT)…

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

Germany has awarded Dutch shipyard Damen a contract to construct at least four new multi-role warships worth nearly 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in an alliance with its Bremen-based partner Luerssen, the armed forces and budget lawmakers said on Tuesday.The ship tender is one of Germany's biggest arms projects, along with a contract for the MEADS missile defence system and the new Franco-German fighter jet (FCAS), underlining Berlin's efforts to increase its military capabilities.The first warship is expected to be delivered in 2027…

The first steel sheet of the electrical substation for the offshore wind farm (OWF) of Saint-Nazaire (west of France) was cut at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.Ordered in August 2019 by Parc du Banc de Guérande, held jointly by EDF Renouvelables and Enbridge Inc, the substation will leave the shipyard in the summer of 2021, to be connected  with the wind farm in 2022. The substation will collect and transform the electricity produced by wind turbines and transfer it to the shore network…

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

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

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

French coastguards rescued 31 migrants trying to cross the English Channel overnight after the engine of one small boat cut out and the other dinghy began to take in water, local authorities in France said on Sunday.Border and coast guards in Britain and France have recently intercepted several attempted crossings, including on Dec. 26 when 49 suspected migrants were escorted to British shores after a rescue and search operation.In the early hours of Sunday, French coast guards picked up 11 migrants, including two young children, in one boat off the coast near the port city of Calais.Another 20, including a pregnant woman, were later rescued by the same patrol boat further along the French coast near Dunkirk, the local authorities said in a statement.

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

China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China's defence ministry said on Thursday, amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States.China will send the Xining, a guided missile destroyer, to the drills, which will last until Monday, and are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries' navies, ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a monthly news briefing.The drill was a "normal military exchange" between the three armed forces and was in line with international law and practices…

French marine services group Bourbon Corporation, which has been in a court restructuring process after its business was hit by volatile energy markets, said its assets would be taken over by its creditor banks.Bourbon said the Marseille commercial court had ruled that Bourbon's assets would be transferred to Société Phocéenne de Participations (SPP) from Jan. 2, 2020.SPP is owned by BNP Paribas, Caisse Régionale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel Alpes Provence, Caisse Régionale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel de Paris et d'Ile de France…

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

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

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply its Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) solution to two of France’s leading ports, Calais and Boulogne. The Wärtsilä VTS will effectively manage vessel traffic in these busy harbors to deliver greater operational efficiency and safety. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in October 2019 by Région Hauts-de-France, the government entity responsible for this tender.The system optimizes planning and traffic monitoring to reduce waiting time for vessels and allow just-in-time pilotage.

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MOD) has selected France's Naval Group to enter the next phase in the selection process for the Submarine Replacement program."Naval Group looks forward to entering an in-depth technical cooperation with DMO to conduct this joint-design phase in close association with the involved stakeholders. The Group strongly believes that the envisaged operational profile is very much in line with the mission capabilities of the conventionally powered Barracuda family submarine…

The international container terminal operating company APM Terminals (APMT) said it has opened a new container terminal in Vado Ligure, on the Italian Riviera, which will be capable of handling 900,000 TEUs of containerized cargo.APMT has a 50.1% share in the “Vado Gateway,” while Cosco Shipping Ports has a 40% share and Qingdao Port International has a 9.9% share. APMT said the project is part of the “New Silk Road.” Chinese firms have invested in more than a dozen European ports…

Wison Offshore & Marine (WOM), the upstream oil and gas division of Chinese conglomerate Wison Group Holding, announced the fabrication of Arctic LNG 2 Project (ALNG2 Project) commenced in Zhoushan Yard.The module fabrication contract was awarded by Technip France S.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TechnipFMC.Novatek, client of ALNG2 project, is the largest independent natural gas producer in Russia. ALNG2 project comprises three LNG trains at 6.6 million tons per annum each.

Global logistics software group, WiseTech Global has announced the acquisition of Ready Korea, a customs, bonded warehouse and trade compliance solutions provider in South Korea.Headquartered in Seoul, Ready Korea offers a cross-border compliance solution, which facilitates the lodgement of electronic transactions to the Korean Customs Service, including customs brokerage and refunds and Free Trade Agreement verification, along with bonded warehouse management.Ready Korea also…

Norwegian energy company Equinor has contracted Italian cable manufacturer Prysmian to supply the submarine inter-array cable system for the 816-MW Empire Wind project off the coast of New York.Prysmian will provide the 66kV insulated array cables and ancillaries that will transmit power from the wind turbines which will have a capacity in the range of 10-15MW.The cable system will undergo continuous fabrication at Prysmian’s centres of excellence in Montereau (France) and Nordenham…

Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS) and , Ltd. (MOL) have signed a long-term charter contract for a second large LNG bunker vessel, to be delivered in 2021. She will be positioned in the Marseille-Fos area in France.This bunker vessel will be built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China. She will have a capacity of 18,600 m³ for a length of about 135 meters and will be fitted with the Mark III membrane containment system provided by French company GTT.This vessel has been specifically designed to supply LNG bunker in the Mediterranean area to a wide range of vessels…

American/British-owned German cruise line AIDA Cruises announced that model and TV host Franziska Knuppe christened  AIDAmira in Palma de Mallorca.AIDAmira is the fourth ship in the AIDA Selection program, sailing longer itineraries to exotic locales, similar to her function for Costa.After a debut cruise in the Mediterranean until December 4, 2019,  the cruise line will take the new Selection ship to Sète in the south of France, the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona, and back to…

The Netherlands will contribute a ship to a French-led naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz for a six-month period starting in January, Dutch news agency ANP said on Monday, citing government sources.On Saturday, the Dutch parliament said the initiative could start early next year and around 10 European and non-European governments would join, pending parliamentary approvals.France has pushed for a European security alternative in the Strait of Hormuz after ruling out joining a U.S.-led coalition protecting oil tankers and cargo ships from threats posed by Iran in the strategic waterway. (Reporting by Bart Meijer Editing by Mark Heinrich

The infrastructure fund manager DIF Capital Partners has signed final documentation alongside ship-owner Geogas Maritime and Access Capital Partners for the acquisition of a 50% stake in a French incorporated company that will own and operate a fleet of five to-be-built LNG carriers.The remaining 50% will be held by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), a leading Japanese shipping and logistics company.The five 174,000 cbm vessels will be built by leading South Korean shipyards and equipped with state-of-the-art LNG fuelled propulsion technology…