Liner Services News

WiseTech Global and Tailwind Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of Lidl, one of Europe’s largest retailers, have announced direct data integration to enable freight forwarders to plan, book, confirm and manage shipments in real-time from within the CargoWise logistics execution platform.Tailwind Shipping Lines operates three liner services which connect key regions across the world: the Panda Express Service (PAX) between China and the Mediterranean; the Tiger Express Service (TEX) between Bangladesh…

It’s trite (but true) to say that in the maritime industry’s quest to cut emissions, there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution, rather a series of small step changes that cumulatively add up over time. Maritime Matters: The Marinelink Podcast, recently hosted Giuseppe Gargiulo, Head of Newbuildings, MSC and Daniel Bischofberger, CEO, Accelleron, to specifically discuss the development and delivery of Accelleron’s FITS2 technology, and automation technology built with MSC and premised on Accelleron’s cumulative 100+ years of turbocharger experience.

DNV has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to the joint consortium of MSC, Zhoushan Changhong International, and CIMC ORIC for a new 21,700 TEU ammonia-dual fueled ultra-large container ship design.The AiP is another milestone in the development of next-generation, zero-carbon mainline container shipping.The proposed 21,700 TEU container ship integrates the latest-generation of ammonia dual-fuel main engines alongside oversized C-type ammonia tanks.The hull design, with a new vertical bow…

Telemar, the provider of smart maintenance and remote access technologies, has signed an agreement with Genoa-based shipping company Ignazio Messina to provide safety services to seven of its existing vessels.The Marlink Group company will deploy and manage the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) installation on seven vessels operated by Ignazio Messina.Telemar will manage installations onboard Jolly Argento, Jolly Oro, Jolly Rosa, Jolly Giada, Jolly Clivia, Jolly Verde and Jolly Bianco which joined the Messina fleet between August 2023 and April 2024…

Representatives from Ports of Indiana and Port of Antwerp-Bruges have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance key economic and environmental port initiatives.The agreement formalizes a plan to work together to advance economic development, container shipping, decarbonization, port security and technology integration.The agreement was a result of past collaborations between the ports, a recent trade mission by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to Belgium in June, and an MoU between the State of Indiana and the Government of Flanders signed Dec.

Multipurpose carrier Intermarine and sister company Jumbo-SAL-Alliance (JSA) expand their presence in South America, opening a new office in Santiago.Intermarine and Jumbo-SAL-Alliance are joining Intermarine’s long-time agent, Marval, to form the new subsidiary JSA-Intermarine Chile. The first office to carry the name of both companies will be led by Nelson Matus, a veteran in the South American breakbulk and multipurpose sector with over 25 years of experience. Matus and his…

Hapag-Lloyd announced it has closed its acquisition of the container liner business of German carrier Deutsche Afrika-Linien (DAL), as the German liner shipping company aims to continue its growth in the South African market.Hapag-Lloyd, which signed the framework agreement in March 2022, said the transaction has already been approved antitrust authorities and that full commercial integration is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022.Hamburg-headquartered DAL operates four liner services between Europe, South Africa and the Indian Ocean, and its liner business (including agencies) employs more than 150 people. The company owns a 6…

Hamburger Lloyd is selling the two widebeam containerships, RHL Constantia (IMO-No. 9495765) and RHL Calliditas (IMO-No. 9495777), to Hapag-Lloyd AG. Hamburger Lloyd will remain responsible for the technical management and crewing of the two freighters. With the purchase of the Constantia and the Calliditas, Hapag-Lloyd AG is expanding its fleet to a total of 17 units in the 4000-6000 TEU ship segment. The RHL Calliditas has already been deployed as a charter vessel for Hapag-Lloyd in the Swahili Express / Gulf India Africa service since 2019.

German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced Wednesday it has reached a deal to acquire NileDutch, based in the Netherlands, strengthening Hapag-Lloyd's position in the African market.The sale and purchase agreement will see Hapag-Lloyd acquire all shares of  Nile Dutch Investments B.V., subject to the approval of antitrust authorities.Rotterdam-headquartered NileDutch is among leading providers of container services from and to West Africa. The company currently offers 10 liner services…

AAL Shipping has acquired two secondhand multipurpose heavy lift vessels, expanding its core fleet to 720,200 total deadweight (DWT).The 2010-built Pacific Action and 2009-built AAL Gladstone have both served in the AAL fleet in the past and are due to rejoin later this month – the former renamed this week, AAL Gibraltar. The G-Class vessels feature a total cargo intake of 35,705 cubic meters, four large cargo holds, three tweendecks and a maximum lift capacity of 240 tonnes.

Crowley Maritime Corporation said senior executive Dan Warner has been promoted to chief financial officer, consolidating company’s enterprise-level financial strategy, resources and services under his leadership. Warner has served as senior vice president and treasurer and member of the company’s senior leadership team since 2005. He began his career with Crowley in 2001 as a senior analyst for the corporate planning group, and later served as finance director for both the company’s…

Finnlines' newbuilding program is progressing as planned despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with first steel cut Wednesday for its second new hybrid ro-ro vessel at the Chinese Nanjing Jinling shipyard.Finnlines’ ongoing €500 million ($593 million) newbuilding program includes three green hybrid ro-ro vessels as well as two eco-friendly Superstar ro-pax vessels. The ro-ro vessels are expected to be delivered during 2021–2022 and the Superstar ro-pax vessels are set to start in traffic…

Neptune Pacific Line, the provider of ocean freight services between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, said that it has acquired Pacific Direct Line(PDL) from its Singapore based parent holding company, Pacific International Lines (PIL).The acquisition makes Neptune the new owners of all of PDL’s regional and Fiji based companies. The combined business will seamlessly link transport, warehousing, depots and customs clearance services and fully integrate customers’ supply chains across 18 South Pacific markets, it said in a press note."This purchase supports our long-term vision of creating the strongest and best regional network of shipping and logistics services in the Pacific Islands…

Port of Hamburg welcomed the ‘AAL Kembla’ on her first call in Germany’s largest universal port. She berthed at C. Steinweg’s multi-purpose Süd-West-Terminal.AAL Shipping is deploying the heavy-lift/project cargo ship on its new monthly liner service connecting ports in Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia. The service is overseen by AAL’s Hamburg office, opened in 2012, which also offers tailormade tramp chartering shipping to all regions in the world. Built in 2011, the ‘AAL Kembla’ is one of the carrier’s second generation A-class multi-purpose, heavy-lift vessels. She is 193.81 meters long and 29.1 meters wide, with a draft of 9.2 meters. The vessel has four shipboard cranes and a maximum lift capacity of 700 tons.

Icelandic container line and a logistics company Eimskip has made an agreement to sell three of its reefer vessels in Norway for USD 12 million (EUR 10.9 million).The vessels, Langfoss, Stigfoss and Vidfoss, are 30 years old and have been operated by Eimskip in Norway for 20 years and owned by the Company for the last 8 years. Eimskip has parallel to the sale agreed to charter one of the divested vessels for the next two years.Eimskip is currently operating six reefer vessels but following the sale it will operate four, of which three are owned by Eimskip. This decrease in number of vessels will not affect the liner services in Norway…

The  global ocean transport operator AAL Shipping has launched a new Europe-Middle East/India-Asia Monthly Liner Service to serve the market’s multipurpose vessels (MPPs) and project heavy lift cargo transport requirements.The new service, which connects main ports between Europe, Middle East/India and Asia, harnesses AAL’s second generation 31,000-dwt mega-size A-Class fleet, renowned for its 40,000-cu m cargo intake capacity 700-tonne lift ability.The new liner service will follow a fixed route, with port call flexibility. Base ports will include Antwerp, Porto Marghera, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Mumbai, Singapore, Shanghai, Tianjin and Masan.

Crowley Maritime Corp. announced today that Ray Fitzgerald, who began his career with Crowley and most recently served as president and chief operating officer of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions, and chairman of American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier (ARC), will rejoin the company March 1 as chief operating officer reporting to Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. He will be based at the company’s headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.Fitzgerald will lead the team of Crowley’s four senior vice presidents and general managers: Rocky Smith…

Germany's largest port, the Port of Hamburg not expecting reduction in container throughput caused by liner service changes announced by Ocean Alliance and Maersk.From April, the Ocean Alliance NEU 5 service handled by EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg – CTH is being transferred to Antwerp, said a press release from the a sea port on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, 110 kilometres from its mouth on the North Sea."This service will be run by the Ocean Alliance Partner, CMA CGM as FAL 3 with an approximate annual volume of 150,000 TEU," it said.Going forward, according to CMA CGM, the entire container volume carried until now to and from Hamburg by this service will be handled by the five Ocean Alliance liner services continuing to call in Hamburg.

German cargo container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd AG, officially opened its headquarter for the new region.CEO Rolf Habben Jansen presented the keys of the office complex in Genoa (Italy) to the new Senior Managing Director Juan Pablo Richards.During the opening event, Habben Jansen explained the motivation to create a new region: “After our merger with UASC in 2017 the Mediterranean region has gained more importance for us. That's why we are eager to bolster our competitive position in this attractive and growing market and exploit further opportunities.”The new region was created by splitting the former Region Europe into northern and southern parts.

In the 2019 first half, 106,000 TEU - 20-ft standard containers - were handled in Hamburg on direct services with Indian ports, a gain of 17 percent. This brought India up into tenth place in Hamburg’s ranking of its trading partners for container transport.With Hapag Lloyd and its partner shipowners ONE, YML and COSCO offering an additional weekly sailing from Hamburg on the IEX - South-East India–Europe Express service from November onwards, the prospects for further growth are good.Ten liner services link the Port of Hamburg with India. Of these, four are container liner services, three are Ro-Ro services transporting vehicles, and three are general cargo services…

German international shipping and container transportation company Hapag-Lloyd AG announced that it is expanding fleet on Atlantic Loop 3 service between the US and Europe."Our Atlantic Loop 3 Service (AL3) fleet is growing with the addition of the 4,248 TEU vessel “Rio Grande Express” sailing between the United States and Europe," the cargo container shipping line said in a statement."Upgrading to a 6 vessel rotation will improve the reliability of the AL3 service for our customers and support our strategy of being number one for quality," it added.The “Rio Grande Express” will be flagged under the United States, completing an entire loop of US Flag vessels…

Germany’s largest universal port, the Port of Hamburg, reported a container throughput of 7 million TEUs for the first three quarters of this year, representing a growth of 6.9 percent year-over-year.The climb in container handling is primarily attributable to the four new transatlantic services, plus four new Baltic feeder services. Since the beginning of the year, the new transatlantic services operated by Hapag-Lloyd and ONE have connected Hamburg with ports in the USA, Canada and Mexico.Hamburg regained market share up of 0.7 percentage points in competition with other major container ports, whose growth averaged 3.4 percent. The excellent container handling trend in the rail segment also boosted seaport-hinterland services.Transporting 2.1 million TEU in the first nine months…

After nine months of dredging, Jan De Nul Group has reached an important first milestone by completing the deepening of the 95 km long access channel to the port in record time.The Municipality of Guayaquil (Ecuador) officially inaugurated its newly deepened maritime access channel last weekend, by welcoming the first Neo-Panamax vessel APL Esplanade in the port.Jan De Nul Group will now operate and maintain the channel under this 25-year concession contract. The total investment of the deepening and maintenance dredging works will be recuperated by collecting a transit fee.The arrival of the giant APL Esplanade marks a historical milestone for the Ecuadorian Port of Guayaquil.