Panama Canal News

The provider of marine transportation services Algoma Central Corporation announced that the recently completed Algoma Conveyor, the third Seawaymax Equinox Class 740’ self-unloading dry-bulk carrier, has begun its delivery voyage from China to Canada.The vessel began its two month journey home, departing the Yangzijiang shipyard on February 16, 2019.After taking fuel in the Philippines the vessel will cross the Pacific Ocean, travelling through the Panama Canal and from there will make its way to Canada.

Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) delivered the Shinshu Maru, a 177,000 m3 capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport vessel for use by Trans Pacific Shipping 7 Limited.Trans Pacific Shipping 7 is a joint venture between JERA Co., Inc. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line)."This large-scale LNG carrier is equipped with four independent Moss LNG tanks for a total cargo capacity of 177,277 m3. By increasing the LNG tank diameter to the maximum installable limit and utilizing stretched tanks…

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent…

The demanding conditions of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia are plain sailing for MS Viikki, the world’s first LNG-fueled bulk carrier. The solution, built around WE Tech’s variable frequency drive technology WE Drive and The Switch direct drive permanent magnet shaft generator, helps the vessel achieve Ice Class 1A propulsion, while still slashing fuel consumption, costs and emissions. It is a game-changer for ice-class operations.Demanding high standardsESL Shipping is…

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2018 than at any time in its history, totaling 591,253 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 12.3 percent compared to one year ago.The deep-draft multipurpose port at the center of the world's busiest port system -- Louisiana's Lower Mississippi River said in a press release that the record marks the fifth year in a row Port NOLA has surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which…

Danish bunker group Monjasa has transferred a ship from West Africa to Panama, where it carried out its first fuel supply off the coast of Balboa."As part of a fleet reshuffle, Accra arrived in Panama after forming part of Monjasa’s West Africa bunker operation. The tanker fast received all safety and operational approvals from the Panama Maritime Authorities and completed her first fuel supply at Balboa Anchorage on 18 January," said a statement from the marine fuels supplier.Accra is a 2010-built and 8,800 dwt tanker.

The Swiss-based cruise company MSC Cruises  has waved ‘bon voyage’ to MSC Magnifica as the final guests embarked today in Barcelona for the Company’s first world cruise.For many, the idea of seeing the world is just a dream, but a world cruise is an easy way to make this dream a reality, and the only way to circumnavigate the globe without having to unpack a suitcase more than once! On this first world cruise, MSC Cruises guests will visit 49 different destinations, checking off 32 countries from their bucket lists.From the Mediterranean…

Japanese ship building marine engineering and service company Imabari Shipbuilding, with the cooperation of Marubeni Corporation,has secured a newbuilding order of twelve units of 11,000TEU Container Carriers for Evergreen Line, Taiwan.Having dimensions of about 334m in length with about 48.4m breadth service speed in about 23 knots, loading capacity is over 11,000TEU, said a press release."Like our other Ultra large-size containers with track record, this Vessel is adopted with eco-friendly hull form design and Twin-Islander enhancing more loading capacity to compare with our former design…

BP Shipping took delivery of British Partner, the first of a half dozen new 173,400 cu. m. capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to be delivered through 2018 and 2019 from the DSME shipyard in South Korea. BP Shipping, which launched a fleet rejuvenation program in 2016 that includes 32 new vessels for delivery over a three-year period, said the six new Partnership class ships will increase its ability to transport LNG in emerging new markets, such as Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and Bangladesh, in addition to established markets, such as India, China, the U.S.

The first Sayaringo STaGE type LNG carrierMitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MHIMSB) delivered the first Sayaringo STaGE type liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, named Diamond Gas Orchid in June, 2018. The Sayaringo STaGE, which was developed based on MHIMSB's cutting-edge technology, has a continuous cover over the cargo tanks, a feature inherited from its predecessor the “Sayaendo”, and while keeping this merit, incorporates apple-shaped MOSS-type cargo tanks and a twin-shaft hybrid propulsion system “STaGE” plant, enhancing economic efficiency, environment friendliness, and versatility.

Moody's Investors Service reaffirmed the Panama Canal Authority's (ACP) A2 long-term rating with a stable outlook, based on its distinctive position as an infrastructure asset with a unique geographic advantage and business model, and its strong historical operational and financial performance.According to Moody's, the ACP's strong financial performance has resulted in better than anticipated financial metrics, driven by the successful operations of the Expanded Panama Canal.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co.held a christening ceremony for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier currently under construction for Astomos Energy Corporation. The christening ceremony was held at the Koyagi Plant of MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works for the ship named “Laurel Prime” by Seiya Araki, president of Astomos Energy Corporation.NYK has traditionally given LPG carriers two-word names that begin with the letters “L” and “P” respectively. This ship was named Laurel Prime with the wish that it will represent superior achievement and honor…

The Panama Canal has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Port of Itaqui to promote the shipment of grains and other cargoes in the commercial route from Brazil through the Panama Canal to destinations located in the Pacific Ocean.Itaqui, located in São Luís, Maranhão, is the Brazilian port closest to the Panama Canal. It  has the infrastructure and connectivity necessary to move these exports to markets in Asia."With this agreement, the Panama Canal looks to promote…

The government of Panama gave a US$1.4 billion contract to build a bridge over the Panama Canal to Panama Cuarto Puente, a Chinese consortium.Panama Cuarto Puente consortium or so-called Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium,  composed of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its unit China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), will design and build a bridge over the Panama Canal.According to a report in Reuters, the 6.5-km (4-mile) bridge will have six car lanes and a two-way metro line.

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) warns that a major accident on the Panama Canal could be imminent, highlighting the serious health and safety concerns related to the fatigue of tugboat captains.The new report  takes the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) to task with tiredness, rather than the protocols in place for the physical transfer of vessels as was the case previously.Fatigue of Panama Canal tugboat poses a major threat to safety in the operation of the canal’s Neopanamax locks…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was offered the opportunity to interview Admiral Karl Schultz, the 26th Commandant in the history of the United States Coast Guard, in his office in Washington, DC. Just five months into his tenure, his plate is predictably full with a number of challenges, including: Attracting and retaining future U.S. Coast Guard personnel; addressing a number of assymetric threats, including cyber attacks; and ensuring captial and operating budgets are adequate to safely and efficiently carry out a global mission envelope, to name but a few.

The Christian welfare charity serving merchant crews around the world 'The Mission to Seafarers' has signed an agreement with the Panama Maritime Authority for the provision of seafarer welfare services, making us the first seafarer charity to operate in Panama.A press release from the international seafarer welfare charity said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Mission and Panama was signed yesterday by the Revd Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers…

The world's most eco-friendly bulk carrier m/s Viikki, owned by ESL Shipping, a subsidiary of the Aspo Plc, has started operating on the Baltic Sea.The 25,600-dwt vessel, 160 metres long and fuelled by liquefied natural gas, produces less than half of the carbon dioxide of previous vessel generation, thanks to LNG and many advanced technologies.M/s Viikki was built in China, and after completion first sailed to Japan to load a cargo of raw materials. From there, she arrived to the Baltic Sea through the Northeast Passage…

Matson, Inc. took delivery of the first of two new Aloha Class containerships built for Matson's Hawaii service at Philly Shipyard.Christened 'Daniel K. Inouye' in honor of Hawaii's late senior U.S. Senator, the vessel is the largest containership ever built in the United States. Weighing in at over 51,400 metric tons, the 850-foot long and 3,600 TEU capacity Daniel K. Inouye is Matson's largest ship and also its fastest, with a top speed in excess of 23 knots."This new ship, our fifth delivered by Philly Shipyard…

Jim Newsome, president and CEO, highlights cooperation and collaboration.South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) president and CEO, Jim Newsome, presented the annual State of the Port to an audience of approximately 600 customers, elected officials and shipping industry representatives at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Jim’s presentation focused on the Port’s successes, strategic infrastructure investments to support continued container volume growth, new initiatives to increase Port productivity and overall industry trends that will impact the Port in the future.

HullWiper is meeting growing demand for affordable and eco-friendly hull cleaning in the Panama Canal in partnership with the provider of subsea services Talleres Industriales, said a statement from the marine fouling remover company.It is the latest agreement signed under HullWiper’s global leasing programme introduced in 2017, which works with partners around the world to offer ship owners and operators a cost-efficient, brush- and diver-free alternative to traditional hull…

Extensions, type approvals and next steps were all prominent on the agenda.September’s Ballast Water Management and Technology North America conference saw USCG staff from the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards and the Marine Safety Center giving conference attendees an update on various aspects of the Coast Guard’s ballast water program. Following is a recap of those presentations for our readers who were unable to attend:Ms. Regina Bergner and Mr. Matthew Reudelhuber with the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards, and Lt.

The Panama Canal closed its 2018 fiscal year with a record tonnage of 442.1 million Panama Canal tons (PC/UMS), which represents a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Panama Canal Authority reports.With this tonnage, the Panama Canal surpasses the cargo projections of 429.4 million PC/UMS tons for FY 2018, as well as the 403.8 million PC/UMS tons registered in FY 2017."The Panama Canal continues to exceed our expectations, reinforcing every day the importance of the waterway's expansion and its impact on global maritime trade," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.