French Republic News

France-based clean hydrogen producer Lhyfe has launched the world’s first offshore renewable green hydrogen production demonstrator.The pilot was launched yesterday (September 22) in Saint-Nazaire, France, which will now begin an 18-month wind-powered pilot, as part its drive towards large-scale carbon reduction.It involves Lhyfe's new Sealhyfe 400 kg/day (1MW equivalent) green hydrogen producing electrolyser platform, which has been installed on the WAVEGEM wave energy platform developed by Geps Techno.

Boluda Corporación Marítima CEO Vicente Boluda Fos will receive the Knight of the Legion of Honour medal in Paris on June 16, in recognition of outstanding services rendered to France by the Valencian businessman. The distinction will be awarded by former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy.Boluda France was created in 2007 after the purchase of the French company Les Abeilles, a company whose activity dates back to 1864.“It is with great pride that I accept this award from the French Republic: I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards the country.

In 1765, a young, peasant woman left a remote corner of rural France where her impoverished family had scraped a living for generations. She set out on a journey that would take her around the world from the South American jungles and Magellan Strait to the tropical islands of the Indo-Pacific.Jeanne Barret (also Baret or Baré) was the first woman known to have circumnavigated the world. Abandoning her bonnet and apron for men’s trousers and coats, she disguised herself as a man and signed on as assistant to the naturalist…

French naval defence and marine renewable energy company Naval Group launched the Suffren, the first of six nuclear submarines of the latest generation in Cherbourg, in a  ceremony presided over by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macro.The industrial group said in a press note that this event is a key step for the Barracuda program for the benefit of the French Navy.The Suffren is the first of the Barracuda-class series, designed to replace the Rubis-class generation. Naval Group is in charge of the construction of this submarines series, including the design and construction of the ship and information systems as well as the manufacturing of the main components of nuclear boiler rooms.Hervé Guillou…

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, attended the signing ceremony.The wind farm will use Ideol's damping pool technology by, and Shizen will offer its local project development experience.While the companies are currently examining the implementation of floating offshore wind power projects in Kyushu…

Mr. Jacques R. Saade, founding president of the CMA CGM Group, died on June 24, 2018 at the age of 81, according to the company. Jacques R. Saadé dedicated his life to CMA CGM. An extraordinary visionary and entrepreneur, he made the group into a world leader in the maritime transport of containers, developing the company in more than 160 countries, while maintaining the family dimension with its values. After having left Lebanon to protect his family for Civil War, Jacques R Saadé founded the Compagnie Maritime d’Affretement (CMA) 40 years ago…

In the presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, Total has signed an agreement with Novatek outlining the terms upon which Total shall acquire a direct working interest of 10% in Arctic LNG 2, a giant liquefied natural gas project lead by Novatek on the Gydan Peninsula in the north of Siberia. Taking account of Total’s approximate 19% stake in Novatek and Novatek’s intention to retain 60% of the project, the Group's overall economic interest in this new LNG project will be approximately 21.5%. Should Novatek decide to reduce its participation below 60%, Total will have the possibility to increase its direct share up to 15%.

Damen Shipyards said it has won an open tender for the supply of a tug to Port Autonome de Papeete on the Pacific island of Tahiti. Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of the French Republic. The tug will be Damen’s popular ASD 2810 model, a rugged, versatile vessel capable of delivering 60 tonnes of bollard pull. Pape’ete is the capital of French Polynesia and the economic hub of the archipelago. Port Autonome de Papeete serves a wide range of vessels including local ferries…

Ship owner MSC Cruises and shipbuilder STX France signed a new memorandum of understanding firming up the order of two 200,000 GRT, LNG-powered mega cruise ships, with options for two additional vessels. The four ships will become MSC Cruises’ World Class. The signing took place at the MSC Meraviglia delivery ceremony in the presence of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, and Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy. In connection with the signing, MSC Cruises and STX France today also unveiled several key features of the World Class.

LOUIS DREYFUS ARMATEURS Group (LDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with palm oil plantation company Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) to develop maritime logistics business opportunities in Indonesia. The MOU signed between GAR and LDA focuses on developing logistics in Indonesia for the next five years with planned acquisitions and investments amounting to around $100 million. In 2014, LDA and GAR established a joint venture company dedicated to transport LDA and GAR cargoes within Indonesian waters. In 2016, this JV transported 4,500,000 metric tons of various cargoes. “This new step in our partnership with GAR confirms LDA’s strategy to keep strong links with Indonesia where our Group has been active for more than 25 years…

The CMA CGM Group and PSA  have kicked off the second phase of their container terminal joint venture in Singapore. Officiating the event were François Hollande, President of the French Republic, and Khaw Boon Wan, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Singapore. The CMA CGM - PSA Lion Terminal (CPLT) started operations with two mega container berths at PSA Singapore’s Pasir Panjang Terminal 5 (PPT 5) that had an initial annual capacity of 2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in July 2016. With the addition of two more berths under Phase 2 of its development, CPLT is now equipped with a total operating capacity of 4 million TEUs.

The French State has implemented new provisions regarding tax exemptions on commercial vessels of at least 15 meters in length, including yachts. The provisions came into force on the 1st January 2016. These provisions can be found in the Official Bulletin of the Tax-Public Finance of the French Republic (BOI). New procedure: According to the BOI, merchant vessels are subject to VAT on port rights and some other services. The vessel needs to have a permanent crew on board; The vessel is assigned to the needs of a commercial activity; and The vessel should carry out at least 70% of her trading outside the French  territorial waters during the previous year (from the 1st January to 31st December).

CMA CGM Bougainville is billed as the first containership in the world to be equipped with TRAXENS technology, which transforms containers into smart, connected objects. Newly built CMA CGM Bougainville, the 18,000 teu flagship of French container shipping company the CMA CGM Group, has become the first ship in the world using TRAXENS technology, which essentially transforms standard containers into smart, connected objects. Introducing the multimodal transportation system into the Big Data era…

The CMA CGM Group is pleased to announce that the French President François Hollande has decorated Mr Jacques R. Saadé, the CMA CGM Group Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. Mr Saadé was decorated by Mr François Hollande during a ceremony on April 14th, attended by Mr Saadé’s family. Several Ministers and corporate executives were also present. During his speech President François Hollande recognized Jacques Saadé’s outstanding achievement in building one of the world’s leading container shipping companies in just a few decades. He also expressed the nation’s pride in having CMA CGM as an ambassador of France to the world. The title of Commander of the Legion of Honor is one of the French Republic’s highest distinctions.

The CMA CGM Group announced Rodolphe Saadé, Vice-Chairman, was with President Hollande to Reunion Island to lay the cornerstone for the future Port of Reunion Island. During the ceremony, Rodolphe Saadé signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at making Port Réunion the CMA CGM Group maritime hub in the Indian Ocean within 12 to 18 months. By choosing Port Réunion for its new hub, CMA CGM gives the port a new dimension, not only as a strategic center, where maritime lines from Europe, Africa and Asia intersect, but also as a key element in the CMA CGM Group’s development in Africa, where it already has a strong presence. Cargo from all over the world will be unloaded on the island, before being loaded towards new destinations.

The CMA CGM Group announced the CMA CGM Jules Verne (16,000 containers twenty-foot equivalent), sailing under the French flag, will be inauguratedJune 4. The CMA CGM Jules Verne, among the largest container ships in the world, will begin its first rotation Friday, May 3rd, in Pusan, South Korea. Operated on the emblematic line of the Group, the French Asia Line , the CMA CGM Jules Verne will call at Pusan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Chiwan, Yantian, Port Kelang, Suez, Malta…

1822- Congress authorized the Revenue Cutter Service to protect the natural environment by preventing "scoundrels" from cutting live oak, needed for cutters and Navy vessels, on Florida public lands. 1837-Congress called for an inspection of the coast from Chesapeake Bay to the Sabine River "with regard to the location of additional light-houses, beacons, and buoys."  Captain Napoleon L. Coste, commanding the Revenue cutter Campbell, was dispatched. He reported that the first addition to aids to navigation on this entire coast should be at Egmont Key, Tampa Bay. A lighthouse was authorized immediately and built the next year. 1877-First Lieutenant Dorr F.

STX Europe has, through its subsidiary STX France Cruise SA, signed a contract to build a third Projection and Command Vessel (BPC) for the French Navy. STX France Cruise SA, in which STX Europe holds a majority stake, is jointly owned by STX Europe, Alstom and the French Republic. STX Europe will build the platform and outfit the ship at its yard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and DCNS, its co-contractor, will produce its combat system. STX Europe, in charge of the overall coordination of the project for the industrial part, will build the whole of the propelled platform including the fitting out of equipment onboard. Once trials are completed…

The French Republic became a 33.34 percent shareholder in STX France and its shipyards in Saint-Nazaire and Lorient. STX Europe is a builder of cruise ships and ferries, with a market share of 35 - 40 percent. The company builds cruise ships at its yards in France and Finland. The French yards also have experience with navy vessels. Other shipyards in STX Europe are build specialized offshore vessels. The new agreement between STX Europe and the French Republic is a realization of the memorandum of understanding announced by the two parties on June 12, 2008. The French Republic will acquire the 33.34 percent interest in STX France via an equity investment of $139.7m which is expected to be made on November 7, 2008.