Mediterranean News

Contship Italia Group has been pulling all the stops to increase its intermodal offering during the past months.Italy’s leading service provider for integrated global supply chains said that its Rail Hub Milano (RHM) and its gateway ports La Spezia and Ravenna serve as backbone of the Group’s growing intermodal network.La Spezia is geographically located within a range of 320 km from the key economic regions in Italy, accounting for over 47% of the total Italian GDP. RHM is located in Melzo, just outside the city of Milan at the heart of consumer and industrial regions.

The container shipping and logistics giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is increasingly introducing smart container solutions for customers at many locations around the world, using IoT solutions developed by its partner TRAXENS.MSC is committed to equipping 50,000 dry cargo containers in the coming months to meet the growing demand from shippers for TRAXENS solutions, said a press release from the company."MSC’s partnership with TRAXENS will enhance supply chain management for shippers through unprecedented visibility of dry cargo flow from door-to-door…

HullWiper, the hull cleaning solution provider, in partnership with global provider of ship fuel conservation and underwater services SCAMP, is offering an affordable, safe and eco-friendly hull cleaning solution for vessels transiting the Strait of Gibraltar.The agreement marks the latest expansion under HullWiper’s global leasing program, introduced in 2017, to work with partners worldwide to offer ship owners and operators a cost-efficient, brush- and diver-free alternative…

A Turkish energy exploration ship will continue to operate in the Mediterranean Sea, the energy minister said on Friday, after Ankara said the navy stopped a Greek frigate from harassing the ship due to territorial disputes.Turkey, Greece and Cyprus's internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government have long disputed their overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in the Mediterranean."Turkish Petroleum's exploration ship will continue its activities in line with Turkey's rights," Energy Minister Fatih Donmez told reporters in the western coastal province of Izmi

The shipping line Baleària, a pioneer in the application of liquefied natural gas in sea transportation, has marked another milestone with the construction of the world's first passenger and cargo fast ferry powered by dual LNG engines. The fast ferry is being built at the Armon shipyard in Gijón, as announced yesterday by Baleària President Adolfo Utor at the inaugural conference of the 57th Naval Engineering and Maritime Industry Congress currently being held in Valencia.Capacity and investmentWith a length of 125 meters and a beam of 28 meters…

European Commission’s competition regulators has approved CMA CGM acquisition of Container Finance, the holding company that controls regional container operator Containerships.CMA CGM, the world’s fourth largest carrier by capacity, agreed in June to acquire Finland-based Containerships and its logistics operations."A combination agreement between Container Finance Ltd Oy and CMA CGM, signed on 20th June 2018, has been accepted unconditionally by all relevant competition authorities meaning CMA CGM is free to take over short sea carrier Containerships…

Port of Mombasa of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) pilots has received Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container vessel MSC Maxine  master one of largest container vessel to dock at the facility.The port has registered a new performance record of 1450 moves within an eight-hour shift in the container operations, said a press release."The record was set by MSC Maxine in her maiden call at the Port of Mombasa on Wednesday beating the previous record of container carrier Livorno of 1265 moves registered late June this year…

Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, and Yang Ming announced the strategic cooperation with CMA-CGM, COSCO, OOCL to enhance their Mediterranean-U.S. East Coast service AL6 (Atlantic 6) to deliver a more efficient and comprehensive service quality.The improved service is consolidating the AL6 service (operated by Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, and Yang Ming), and the Amerigo service (operated by COSCO, CMA-CGM, OOCL) into one larger loop with a deployment of six 8,000-TEU vessels (three by Hapag-Lloyd…

A Turkish drilling ship will start operating in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday, 100 km (62 miles) off the coast of Antalya province, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said, adding it would aim to open two drill holes annually.Donmez made the comments on Tuesday during a ceremony to mark the launch of the ship and added that Turkey is very close to buying another drilling ship.(Reporting by Can Sezer; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Daren Butler)

Russia's only aircraft carrier was damaged while undergoing repairs in the north of the country after the floating dock holding it sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning and a crane crashed onto its deck.The Admiral Kuznetsov has seen action in Russia's military campaign in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad with its planes carrying out air strikes against rebel forces.It was being overhauled on one of the world's biggest floating docks in the icy waters of the Kola Bay near Murmansk close to where Russia's Northern Fleet is based and was due to go back into service in 2021.Maria Kovtun, Murmansk's governor, said in a statement that a rescue operation had been launched and 71 people evacuated after the floating dock holding the ship had begun to sink.The warship had been suc

Abu Dhabi Ports subsidiary Maqta Gateway said that it is to carry out its first testing of international blockchain solution Silsal with a maritime operator in partnership with MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, a global leader in shipping and logistics.Silsal provides a seamless and secure link between stakeholders across the trade community using the electronic ledger system.As a major carrier, MSC will provide vital information and feedback on the international pilot project…

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said on Thursday that the navy had stopped a Greek frigate from harassing a Turkish ship in the Mediterranean. It did not give further details.Turkey, Greece and Cyprus's internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government have long disputed their overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in the Mediterranean.The ship Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa was carrying out seismic research activity, the foreign ministry said earlier.It…

When talk turns to the digital revolution sweeping through the maritime industry, one need look no further than Wärtsilä, which has evolved from a shipbuilding company to an engine manufacturer, and is now embarked on a historic digital transformation led by Marco Ryan, Chief Digital Officer & EVP. We met with Ryan recently in Hamburg, Germany, to discuss the path and pace forward.To start, please lay out the scope of your responsibilities.At a high-level my job is to architect and deliver the transformation (of Wärtsilä) to a smart technology company.

Three European Commission co-funded initiatives – Poseidon Med II, CYnergy and Elemed – are driving forward the uptake of alternative fuels in the Eastern Mediterranean region.Poseidon Med II: Creating a comprehensive and sustainable supply chain for LNG bunkeringThe Poseidon Med II project is a practical roadmap that aims to promote wide adoption of LNG as a safe, environmentally efficient and viable alternative fuel for shipping and help the East Mediterranean marine transportation propel towards a low carbon future.The project…

Arkas Bunkering have signed a protocol with Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation for the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunker fuel in Turkish and nearby seas. As environmentally-friendly buildings, vessels and fuels have become more popular than ever, new applications acting as reminders for both states and civil initiatives of their environmental responsibilities continue to emerge. With International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) global sulphur cap set to enter into force in 2020, the maximum amount of sulphur allowed to be contained in bunker fuel will be reduced worldwide.

At least 17 migrants died in the space of 24 hours while trying to cross the sea from North Africa to Spain, and rescuers picked up more than 100 others, the Spanish coast guard said on Monday.Two rafts were found in the Western Mediterranean between the Iberian peninsula and Morocco and Algeria with 80 people aboard, and 13 dead. They were taken to the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla, the coast guard said.The coast guard also found four bodies and rescued 22 men in the Atlantic off the southern Spanish city of Cadiz.Spain has now become the main destination for undocumented migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East trying to reach Europe.More than 47,000 people made the treacherous journey to Spain, often on flimsy dinghies and rafts, between Jan. 1 and Oct.

Italian refiner Saras is constructing a ship-refueling terminal at its Sardinia plant and will market a new, cleaner marine fuel ahead of a major regulatory change in 2020, its chief executive told Reuters.From January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will ban ships from using fuels with a sulphur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, in one of the biggest changes in the oil market in decades.Refineries around the world have been gearing up for the switch by reducing output of high-sulphur fuel and upgrading plants to maximize production of the cleaner…

Spanish shipbuilder Freire is constructing a new oceanographic research vessel for Belgium. The IMO polar code compliant vessel will be designed to carry out research and survey tasks in the North Sea and its adjacent sea areas, but also in the Mediterranean and more northern areas.The research vessel will cater for the requirements of the Belgian marine scientific community when performing advanced marine research and education at sea – today and in the coming years. This will include research within the fields of geology and sedimentology…

Rhine water levels hit record lows in October; river is a key fuel transport hub for Europe.Low water levels on the Rhine river have caused a fuel supply deficit in parts of Europe's industrial heartlands that is sucking up cargoes from more than 10,000 km away in Singapore.Following a long, scorching summer, water levels on the Rhine - a key commodity shipping lane connecting industrial centres in Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands to major seaports - fell to record lows…

Shiosai, a bulk carrier operated by NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) NV., rescued a distressed yachtsman on October 23 (local time) off the coast of Western Australia.While Shiosai was navigating in the southern Indian Ocean, the vessel received a call from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) of Australia to cooperate with a search and rescue operation for a distressed yacht.The ship immediately headed to the instructed area, and in bad weather and heavy swells rescued a man in…

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, is to deliver two rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) to EUROGATE, Europe's leading shipping line-independent container terminal operator, for use in their Tanger S.A. terminal in Morocco.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2018 Q3 order intake, with delivery scheduled to take place during Q3 of 2019. The EUROGATE Tanger container terminal is conveniently located on the Strait of Gibraltar in Morocco, making it the ideal transhipment hub for the western Mediterranean…

Hutchison Ports London Thamesport’s growing reputation as a short-sea container hub has been further enhanced by Helsinki-based Containerships plc’s introduction of a second weekly service from Gdynia, Poland.Containerships has chosen the Kent based port for its second direct service to and from the southern part of the UK. The service offers regular and fast connections with Poland, with improved service and transit times from Gdynia of 3-4 days and 4-6 days for the return journey.Mark Taylor…

Oil and gas industry company TechnipFMC has signed a major Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract by Middle East Oil Refinery (MIDOR) for the modernization and expansion of their existing complex near Alexandria, Egypt.Middle East Oil Refinery (Midor), considered to be Africa's most advanced refinery, is a unit of Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.This EPC contract covers the debottlenecking of existing units as well as the delivery of new units including a Crude Distillation Unit…