France News

The decarbonization drive is gearing up to be the defining issue faced by the shipping sector in the coming decades and the industry is searching for low carbon and zero emissions technologies that will deliver on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) initial strategy of reducing emissions by at least 50% by 2050. One family of technologies that is seeing an upsurge of interest in the industry is wind-assist and primary wind propulsion solutions. Today the Paris headquartered…

Water levels along the Rhine river, a key waterway for transporting commodities and other products from coastal areas to inland locations in France, Germany and Switzerland, fell to their lowest since May 21, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.Levels at the Kaub <WL-KAUB> location in Germany hit 201 centimetres and have been steadily declining since late June, the data showed.Oil barge brokers said the low water levels meant barges were leaving the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp refining and storage hub to inland locations not fully laden.Water levels along the river hit a record low of 25 cm in October

Reflecting its now dominant role in the international tug bulding market, Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey has taken the decision to significantly strengthen its team of executive directors with the appointment of two widely experienced men to bolster the existing board's range of experience and expertise. Although recruited independently, by some strange coincidence, the two new appointees first met as eleven year old boys. They had both been selected for a special training program…

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

Three Iranian vessels tried to block a BP-operated tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz but backed off when confronted by a Royal Navy warship, the UK government said on Thursday.Britain urged Iran to "de-escalate the situation in the region" after the British Heritage, a Suezmax oil tanker operated by BP under an Isle of Man flag, was approached."HMS Montrose was forced to position herself between the Iranian vessels and British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to the Iranian vessels…

Tensions between Iran and the West have escalated since U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports took full effect and British naval forces seized an Iranian supertanker.Below is a timeline of recent incidents:May 2 - The United States, which withdrew from an international nuclear accord between Iran and global powers in 2018, ends waivers that had allowed some mainly Asian importers to continue buying Iranian crudeMay 5 - The United States says it is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East…

APM Terminals has confirmed that its new Vado Gateway terminal, located in the Vado Ligure Port Complex, North Western Italy, will be inaugurated on 12 December this year.With the placement of the terminal’s last caisson this week - an important milestone in the build - the commercial team have been actively engaging with the market. The launch commenced with an event at the Genoa Aquarium last month.Future services offered by the terminal were presented to key managers from the main Maritime Companies and Shipping Houses operating in the Italian market.Once operational…

More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of professions within the industry, said International Maritime Organization (IMO).To encourage this trend, IMO supported a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities.According to the UN body, 25 women from 17 developing countries took part in the two-week "Women in Port Management" course, hosted in Le Havre, France (24 June - 5 July).The course covered lectures on port management, port security, marine environment, facilitation of maritime traffic, marketing, port logistics and other topics.

France's defense ministry said on Wednesday that defense firm Naval Group had won a 1.2 billion euro ($1.35 billion) contract to build four Gowind navy corvettes for Romania, as it looks to ensure security in the Black Sea.The deal, which will also see Naval Group renovate two existing Romanian frigates, ensures the delivery of the first ships in 2022."Romania becomes the first European country, but also the first NATO country, to acquire this type of warship," the French defense ministry said in a statement."The Godwin has the ideal capacity to ensure security in the Black Sea…

Germany has agreed to take in about a dozen of the 41 migrants who arrived in Italy last month on board German charity rescue ship Sea-Watch, an Italian government source said on Tuesday.The compromise to diffuse tensions with the Italian government, which had ordered the ship not to enter Italian waters, also includes France, Portugal, Finland, and Luxemburg, which have agreed to share the burden of hosting the migrants.There was no immediate official reaction from Germany or Italy about the accord which was first reported by Spiegel magazine.The German captain of the ship, Carola Rackete, appeared before a court in Sicily on Monday…

The CMA CGM Group will support the financial and industrial development of Notilo Plus, a Marseilles-based start-up specialized in autonomous underwater solutions, in order to help them launch their industrialization.Notilo Plus develops autonomous underwater dronesFounded in 2016 and based in Marseilles and Lyon, Notilo Plus develops autonomous underwater systems featuring artificial intelligence and data enhancement capabilities. It develops “made in France” autonomous solutions targeting the fields of maritime transportation, leisure and infrastructure.Last December, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, presented the Jacques Saadé Award to Notilo Plus on the occasion of the Trophées de l’Economie 2018.

“Consistent Compliance” : The Paris MoU has published its 2018 Annual Report on July 1, 2019, which can be found on the website. This report contains the details of the activities of the Paris MoU during 2018. In 2018 there were 24 Refusal of Access Orders (referred to as “bannings”) issued. This shows a decrease from 32 in 2017. Refusal of access (banning) has been used 77 times since 2016.The detention percentage decreased to 3.15% (from 3.87%) and the number of detainable deficiencies also decreased to 3,171 (from 3,883 in 2017).

French floating foundations developer Ideol and Japanese renewable specialist Shizen Energy have signed an agreement to jointly develop a commercial-scale floating offshore wind project (OWF) off the coasts of Kyushu in Japan.The agreement was signed in Tokyo today by Paul de la Guérivière, CEO of Ideol, and Masaya Hasegawa, Representative Director of Shizen Energy, during the state visit of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy…

Russian natural gas producer Novatek announced that Yamal LNG shipped the first LNG cargo to Japan in accordance with the long-term off-take agreement with TOTAL.It was unloaded at the Tobata LNG Terminal in accordance with the delivery schedule, said a release from Russia's largest private gas producer.“Commencing LNG shipments to the Japanese market represents an important milestone for the Company as Japan is an important LNG market and one of the priority destinations in our LNG marketing strategy…

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has signed off on the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO), and which is powered by MAN 35/44DF engines.The conversion of the ‘Samuel de Champlain’ is the first of its kind in Europe and is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.The 117m, 8,500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.

The American supplier of rotor blades to the wind industry LM Wind Power, part of GE Renewable Energy, has displayed its first 107-meter blade, for GE’s Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbine, which has made its first trip outside its factory in Cherbourg, France.The LM 107.0 P is the first ever wind turbine blade to surpass 100 meters in length, said a press release from the wind turbine blades manufacturer.Final preparations for shipment of the blade are now underway.GE Renewable Energy…

Singapore-based LNG company Pavilion Energy said its wholly owned subsidiary Pavilion Energy Trading & Supply has agreed to buy Spanish energy company Iberdrola's portfolio of liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets.The portfolio comprises about 4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of Iberdrola's long-term LNG sale and supply contracts.It also includes long-term regasification of approximately 2 mtpa at the Grain LNG terminal (UK), regasification access in Spain and the Spanish-France border pipeline capacity, as well as the time-charter of a newbuild MEGI LNG vessel.

Italian multinational corporation Prysmian Group  has been awarded a major grid connection project worth in region of EUR 140 million by the Dutch-German grid operator TenneT which will enable the connection of multiple offshore wind farms to the German grid.“The Dolwin5 project continues our valued long relationship with the major TSO TenneT and demonstrates our ability to provide tailor-made submarine cable solutions for challenging projects, providing the offshore infrastructure needed to support the growth of clean energy in Northern Europe.” stated Hakan Ozmen…

Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease. It is so contagious that 90% of non-immune persons will become infected if an infected person is in the immediate vacinity. It is an airborne disease spread through coughs, sneezes, and contact with saliva or nasal secretions. The virus can live for up to two hours in infected airspace or on infected surfaces. Individuals are infectious from four days before symptoms appear until four days after the patient is symptom-free. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, and a red, flat rash.

Fincantieri and Naval Group signed the Alliance Cooperation Agreement, which sets out the operational terms for the incorporation of a 50/50 owned joint venture.The agreement embodies the contents of the “Poseidon” project” and paves the way towards a broader alliance aimed at reinforcing their military naval cooperation as well as creating a more efficient European shipbuilding industry.The agreement was signed by the CEOs of the two companies, Giuseppe Bono and Hervé Guillou, on board of the frigate “Federico Martinengo”, moored at the Naval Base of the Italian Navy in La Spezia.

The United States and its allies may need to to start escorting commercial vessels to prevent further attacks in Gulf oil shipping lanes, Gulf sources and experts said.Even then, the conventional naval and air capabilities of Western and Gulf powers tasked with policing vital commercial waters may be of limited use against the asymmetric warfare tactics suspected in recent operations, including naval mines.Six tankers have been hit in the past month in two attacks near the Strait of Hormuz…

France and Italy forged a military shipbuilding alliance on Friday, as state-controlled Naval Group and Fincantieri signed off on a 50-50 joint venture that will bid for Franco-Italian warship projects and sell to the world market.The alliance reflects the two countries' desire to fend off competition in naval shipbuilding from the likes of China, the United States and Russia.It is targeting orders worth up to 5 billion euros ($5.63 billion) over the next decade. Naval Group said the joint venture aims to build 10-15 warships in that period…

Brazilian state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has concluded the sale of gas pipeline system Transportadora Associada de Gás S.A. (TAG) to a group led by France'sEngie SA and Canada'sCaisse De Depot Et Placement Du Quebec (CDPQ).According to a stock exchange annoucement, Petrobras received a total of 33.5 billion reais ($8.69 billion) from buyers on Thursday for the 90 percent stake it had in TAG.Petrobras will continue to use natural gas transportation services rendered by TAG…