New Suez Canal News

A Kremlin aide urged the Russian government on Thursday to adopt legislation allowing foreign-flagged vessels to use the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which Moscow wants to turn into a new Suez Canal.The NSR runs from Murmansk near Russia's border with Norway eastwards to the Bering Strait near Alaska.Although the route is physically challenging, it could cut sea transport times between Europe and Asia at a time when Russia's trade with Western countries is at post-Cold War lows following Moscow's decision to send troops into Ukraine."We have been left without transit routes.

The world's largest containership, HMM Algeciras, passed through the Suez Canal on Monday as the record-setting 24,000 TEU class vessel makes its maiden voyage from Asia to Europe.Built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s (DMSE) Okpo shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, the 399.9-meter HMM Algeciras has a capacity of 23,964 TEU and is the first of 12 vessels of the same class, design and size contracted to be built by DSME and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).Delivered in April…

A cruise ship with at least reported 65 cases of coronavirus on board was piloted remotely through the Sueaz Canal.On March 23, a pilotage team aboard two escort tugs remotely piloted Italian passenger ship Costa Diadema during a northbound convoy through the new Suez Canal, while the ship was sailing without passengers from from the United Arab Emirates to Italy. In addition to four senior pilots to guide the vessel on two escorting tugs, one in the front and one astern, radar…

Admiral Mohab Mameesh, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority and Suez Canal Economic Zone, announced the successful transit of MSC GULSUN, the world’s largest container vessel, on its first trip through the New Suez Canal. The Panamanian ship transited the Canal with the northbound convoy, heading to North Western Europe from the Port of XINGANG.As per protocol in the Suez Canal Authority on receiving mega vessels transiting for the first time, Admiral Mameesh, presented the ship’s master with a bouquet of flowers and the Suez Canal Authority’s shield…

DP World, has formed a joint venture (JV) company with Egypt’s General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The new venture will see the global terminal operator assist in developing projects in the SCZone, the main trade route between Europe and Asia, serving more than 8% of annual global trade. The new venture will develop projects in the Suez Canal Zone, one of the most promising trade zones given the calibre of its logistics facilities and its strategic location. The announcement of the joint company came during Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's meeting today with DP World Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Mohab Mamish.

Egypt is in talks with global shipping firms to change the way it charges vessels to pass through the Suez Canal, offering discounts for advance payments as it seeks to raise much-needed hard currency from a struggling industry. Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk, which runs the world's biggest container shipping line, said on Tuesday it was considering proposals from the Suez Canal Authority for a new toll system. "They have proposed a new payment method and presented it to us, and we are looking at it now…

Suez Canal traffic data showed that 284 ships transited the canal, with a total load of 14.34m tonnes, from 19 to 24 August 2016, reports Daily News Egypt. Compared to July 2015, before the inauguration of the New Suez Canal, the average daily number of transiting vessels totaled 47 vessels, with an average load of 2.76 million tonnes per day. The number of vessels that passed through the new canal coming from the west through the northern entrance was 135, with a daily average of 27 vessels, and a total load of 7.65m tonnes, recording a daily average of 1.27m tonnes. Meanwhile, 149 ships transited the canal coming from the south, with a daily average of 25 vessels, and a total load of 9.26m tonnes, recording a daily average of 1.54m tonnes.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is moving to ensure that its customers’ vessels pass through the new Panama and Suez Canals with the optimum efficiency, speed and safety thanks to a fresh Ships Agency ‘canal transit’ solution. The service, which will be run by dedicated local teams, has already picked up its first contract, securing an agreement with leading very large gas carrier (VLGC) owner and operator Avance Gas for the Panama Canal transit of its neo-panamax ships Passat and Breeze. WSS, the leading global provider of products and services to the shipping industry, has created 24/7 Transit Desks in both Panama and Egypt. These combine local knowledge with global support and service standards…

Suez Canal traffic data revealed that 210 ships transited the canal, with a total load of 12.8m tonnes, from 19 to 23 June. An average of 42 ships transited the canal per day during that period, with an average load of 2.56m tonnes per day. The average load per ship was about 61,000 tonnes. In comparision over the last week, from 11-16 June, 279 ships passed through the Suez Canal carrying a total of 16.5m tonnes of cargo. The average number of ships transiting the canal per day is 46.5, with an average of 2.75m total tonnes of cargo. Compared to July 2015, before the inauguration of the new Suez Canal, the average daily number of transiting vessels totaled 47 vessels, with an average load of 2.758m tonnes per day.

National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) of Abu Dhabi, a dredging contractor in the Middle East and key player in the creation of the new Suez Canal, has granted Royal IHC an order to upgrade the automation of three heavy-duty cutter suction dredgers (CSDs). The Al Sadr, Al Mirfa and Kattouf were built by Royal IHC between 1999-2001, and were equipped with the then latest versions of IHC DPM (dredge profile monitor) and ACC (automatic cutter controller). Royal IHC has continued to develop these presentation and automation tools…

The Suez Canal traffic data reported that 341 ships traverse the Suez Canal with a total cargo load of 18.88m tonnes from from 4 to 10 March 2016, as per a report in the Daily News Egypt. An average of 48.7 ships transited the canal per day during the past week, with an average load of 2.7m tonnes per day. The average load per ship was about 55,360 tonnes during that period. Prior to the inauguration of the New Suez Canal in July 2015, there was a daily average of 47 vessels transiting the canal, with an average load of 2.758m tonnes per day. Last week, three Danish container ships – Marstal Maersk, Mette Maersk and Matz Maersk – transited the canal with 200,360 tonnes each.

United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and Ahli United Bank, Egypt marked the passing of 18,800 TEU Vessel M.V. Al Zubara ultra-large container vessel through the new Suez Canal this week. The event is one of the first in a series of activities being organized by UASC to celebrate 40 years in business and was attended by senior dignitaries and officials including Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Minister of Environment (Egypt), Admiral Mohab Mameesh, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Basil Al-Zaid…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a decree establishing an economic zone for Egypt’s Suez Canal, reports Reuters. The decree establishes a 460-square-kilometer economic zone around the canal the government says will be used to develop an international industrial and logistics hub that will attract foreign investment. Egypt inaugurated a major extension of the Suez Canal last week which President Sisi hopes will power an economic turnaround in the Arab world’s most populous country. Many world leaders were out in force August 6 to commemorate the completion of Egypt's 21st century mega-project, the upgrading of the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal earns Egypt around 5 billion US dollars a year.

About 10 countries, including Egypt, are interested in buying two French helicopter carriers whose planned sale to Russia has been cancelled due to the Ukraine crisis, a source familiar with the situation said. A second source, a French diplomatic source, said that other countries interested include Brazil, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Canada, which could be the most suitable candidate for the ships because they were designed for cold waters. France, whose navy already operates three of the Mistral helicopter carrier warships, has no use for the two ships and will have to pay Russia nearly 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for cancelling the contract. The first source also said that Egypt is negotiating the possible exercise of its option to buy two Gowind corvettes.

Egypt staged a show of international support on Thursday as it inaugurated a major extension of the Suez Canal which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will power an economic turnaround in the Arab world's most populous country. The former armed forces chief, who led a military takeover two years ago but ran for president as a civilian last year, told a ceremony attended by leaders of France, Russia, Arab and African states that Egypt would defeat terrorism. The $8 billion New Suez Canal project was completed in just one year instead of three on Sisi's orders…

Worldwide shipping group CMA CGM informs that two of its containerships are leading a vessel procession that celebrates the inauguration of the newly expanded Suez Canal on Thursday, August 6. The two vessels at the head of the procession, CMA CGM Laperouse and CMA CGM Titan, sail as part of 11 of CMACGM’s main shipping lines transiting by the Suez Canal. Eight percent of the world’s commercial maritime traffic goes through the Suez Canal, which represents an average of one CMA CGM vessel transiting in each direction daily, the shipper said.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, the largest provider of dredging services in the United States and a major provider of environmental and remediation services, announced today that it will participate in the events planned to celebrate the recent completion of the New Suez Canal Project in Egypt, which will allow two way traffic by creating a parallel channel alongside 70 kilometers of the existing Canal. The inauguration ceremony is scheduled today August 6, 2015. Great Lakes, along with its Consortium partner Dredging International NV, was responsible for dredging approximately 40 million cubic meters to -24m depth along a 29.5 kilometer stretch of the Canal for a contract value of US$600 million.

Egypt has finished building its New Suez Canal, its overseer said on Wednesday, a project President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sees as a symbol of national pride and a major chance to stimulate an economy suffering double-digit unemployment. The army led work 11 months ago on the $8-billion canal, flanking the existing, 145-year-old waterway and part of a larger undertaking to expand trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia. The Suez Canal is a vital source of hard currency for Egypt, particularly since the 2011 uprising that scared off tourists and foreign investment.

UAE dredging and marine construction firm National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) has announced the completion of the New Suez Canal project. The $8bn (£5bn) project had been projected to take three years but on the orders of the president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the former military chief who led the overthrow of an elected Islamist government in 2013, was completed after one year. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of the UAE-backed Coordination Office of Development Projects in Egypt, said that a new Suez Canal channel would cement Egypt’s role as a keystone in the world economy. “We are proud that the UAE National Marine Dredging Company was heavily involved in this project…

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Mohab Mamish officially called on international maritime navigation lines to use the New Suez Canal, scheduled to be inaugurated August 6. Dubbed the Suez Canal Axis, the new 72-kilometre (45-mile) section built by the Egyptian army is aimed at speeding up traffic along the existing waterway by reducing the waiting period, as well as boosting revenues. Mamish assured the new canal is safe and well-prepared to receive the crossing ships. He added that with the new Suez Canal project inaugurated in August 6, vessels traffic in the waterway will be the fastest all over the world. Preparations for the inaugural ceremony were in full swing in Ismailiya amid a widespread campaign to clean the city, an AFP correspondent reported.

Egypt plans to allow smaller vessels in the Mediterranean direct access to East Port Said around the clock instead of just eight hours a day by building a side channel near the Suez Canal, which will speed up shipping movements in the area. Klaus Holm Laursen, managing director of Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT), the company partially financing the project, told Reuters on Tuesday the project would allow vessels to enter and exit East Port Said, and divert traffic from the canal's entrance. SCCT is 55 percent owned by APM Terminals, part of the Maersk group, and is paying $15 million into the project which a senior Suez Canal Authority source said would cost $60 million to build. "The waterway will benefit the entire east port, not just SCCT.

National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC), the UAE's leading dredging and marine construction company, has announced the completion of the New Suez Canal project following its successful trial run on Saturday (July 25). A total of six container ships from around the world navigated the canal as part of the trial run toward ensuring its readiness for full-fledged operations. Three ships navigated the canal from Suez in the south and moved to the north, while three ships sailed from Port Said in the north toward the Mediterranean Sea in the south. The trial run is an important step in achieving the objectives of the massive expansion project that aims to enhance the operational capabilities of Suez Canal to cope with the increasing traffic.

The first cargo ships passed through Egypt's New Suez Canal on Saturday in a test-run before it opens next month, state media reported, 11 months after the army began constructing the $8 billion canal alongside the existing 145-year-old Suez Canal. The new waterway, which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will help expand trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and give a boost to Egypt's economy, will be formally inaugurated on Aug. Sisi wants the canal to become a symbol of national pride and to help combat Egypt's double-digit unemployment. The old Suez Canal is already a vital source of hard currency for Egypt, which has seen tourism and foreign investment drain away in the years of turmoil since a 2011 uprising.