Port News

German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd said on Tuesday its business in Asia was "overall stable," although the coronavirus outbreak had extended the traditionally slack period around China's Lunar New Year holiday.China's efforts to control the virus had extended the normal factory shutdowns for the New Year festivities to anywhere between Feb. 8 and Feb. 14, depending on the region, a spokesman for the world's fifth largest container carrier told Reuters.However, Hapag-Lloyd's fleet was operating largely as normal…

An American passenger from a cruise ship that docked in Cambodia has tested positive for the new coronavirus a second time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia said on Sunday, after the cruise firm and Cambodian authorities sought further tests.The 83-year-old woman was the first passenger from the MS Westerdam, operated by Carnival Corp unit Holland America Inc, to test positive for the virus. She tested positive in the Malaysian capital where she arrived on Friday from the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville.But the cruise ship operator had sought more tests, saying the first result was preliminary.

Australia will evacuate more than 200 of its citizens onboard a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.Morrison said the passengers will depart on Wednesday and will be taken to Australia's tropical north, where they will be required to be quarantined for another 14 days.The Diamond Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp , has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on Feb.

Inland Dredging Company helps keep commerce flowing on America’s inland waterway system.Dyersburg, Tenn. based Inland Dredging Company completed dredging projects spanning eight states and across four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts. Beginning in July and finishing in December (2019), Inland Dredging crews dredged ports and harbors along the Mighty Mississippi River, Ouachita River, Red River, Black Warrior River, Atchafalaya River, Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway, and the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway from Apalachicola to Morgan City.Richard Jackson…

Vessels including fuel tankers docked at the sea port of the Libyan capital were evacuated on Tuesday after an attack, two port officials said.Eastern Libyan forces, which have been trying to take the capital since April, said they had attacked a Turkish vessel discharging weapons, an eastern military official said. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Alex Richardson)

On February 12 Albwardy Damen entered into an agreement with SOHAR for the opening of a workshop. For the signing, which took place at SOHAR Port and Freezone Head Office in Oman, SOHAR was represented by Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of SOHAR Port and Albwardy Damen was represented by Ibrahim Mohamed Al Shidi. The agreement will see the installation of a 40-foot workshop container at a service jetty in the Port, in collaboration with Albwardy Damen’s Omani partner, Sawahel Sohar Al Almya…

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a SEK 445 million ($45.6 million) loan agreement with the Municipality of Ystad to expand harbor facilities so that new, larger liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels on the Swinoujscie-Ystad line can access the harbor.The port in the southern-Swedish town is a busy connection point to the Polish Port of Swinoujscie and the Danish island of Bornholm. The project aims at increasing the capacity and upgrading the Port of Ystad facilities in order to accommodate larger ro-pax vessels over 240 meters in length…

DP World, one of the world’s largest port operators, is delisting from the Nasdaq Dubai and returning to fully private ownership.According to a press release, the  UAE-owned port behemoth’s parent company, Port and Free Zone World, has offered to buy the 19.55% of DP World’s shares traded on the Nasdaq Dubai for $16.75 a share, representing a 29% premium on its closing price of $13 per share on Sunday.DP World's parent company will pay Dubai World $5.15 billion to help the government-owned conglomerate with its outstanding commitments to banks.DP World remains financially strong…

German energy company E.ON, Rotterdam Port Authority and DeltaPort Niederrheinhäfen are partnering up to create conditions conducive to switching inland shipping in Germany and Europe from diesel to battery and/or hydrogen drives.The companies agreed in Essen to develop an infrastructure so that freight and passenger ships with climate-neutral propulsion can exchange battery containers or refuel hydrogen in the ports.The partners' goals include climate protection, improved air…

The Port of Kiel commissioned Siemens to build Germany’s largest shore power system to date which is capable of supplying two ships simultaneously.With a power of 16 megavolt amperes (MVA), the Siharbor solution will supply two ships simultaneously with certified eco-power, for the first time. This will reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than 8,000 tons.The system is expected to go into test operation within the 2020 cruise ship season. Maritime shipping plays a special role in Kiel. The port is the point of departure for cruises and has ferry connections to the Baltic states and Scandinavia.

APM Terminals said that its new deep-sea container terminal, Vado Gateway terminal, located in Vado Ligure, Italy, received its first commercial service on 11 February 2020.The ship, M/V Maersk Kota, was the first of seven ships from Maersk’s weekly ME2 service, connecting the Mediterranean with the Middle East and India.According to a company release, the call by M/V Maersk Kota marked the start of operations for the new deep-sea Vado Gateway container terminal in northern Italy.With a total investment of 450 million euros…

German logistics and transportation company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) said that it has achieved targets for the year as the revenue and operating result (EBIT) increase with moderate increase in container throughput and significant rise in transport volume.The Group revenue increased by 6.8 percent to € 1.38 billion in the 2019 financial year (previous year: € 1.29 billion). The Group’s operating result (EBIT) of  € 222 million (previous year: € 204 million) grew by 8.8 percent.The listed Port Logistics subgroup said that In total…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that it has awarded more than $280 million in discretionary grant funding through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program. This funding is designed to improve port facilities at or near coastal seaports.The Port Infrastructure Development Program supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure our nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met.

The coronavirus's effect on energy markets is worsening, as the sharp fall in demand in China, the world's largest importer of crude, is stranding oil cargoes off the country's coast and prompting shippers to seek out other Asian destinations.More than 1,360 people have died from the coronavirus in China, which has disrupted the world's second largest economy and shaken energy markets, with international benchmark Brent crude oil down 15% since the beginning of the year.Major international energy forecasters expect demand to fall in this quarter…

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered three of Bouchard Transportation Company's tug and fuel barge units currently anchored in New York Harbor to be moved out of anchorage and moored at a safe berth until additional safety inspections determine they are fit to return to service.The order from the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey is the result of recent safety checks determining that the vessel's present operational condition poses a risk to the safety of local waterways.

Singapore towage and pilotage company PSA Marine has moved into the South American market with the acquisition of Tramarsa Flota, a Peruvian towage company.Tramarsa Flota and its subsidiaries have been acquired from Grupo Romero. Headquartered in Lima, Tramarsa Flota offers towage, pilotage, launch boat and offshore services in 10 major ports along the Peruvian coastline. It owns 45 vessels, including 17 tugs, 23 launches and five support vessels for diving activities and other marine services.The stock purchase agreement was signed in Lima…

Port of Blyth, one of the UK’s leading offshore energy support hubs, and its partner, Energy Central, has supported the announcement from the UK Government of a 10-week consultation on its ‘freeports vision’.The Port of Blyth and businesses working on the estuary could benefit from the establishment of UK Freeports and recognizes the potential benefits of a free trade zone could bring to the region, particularly given the development of Energy Central in Blyth.Designed to create the perfect environment for inward investment from the offshore and renewable energy sector…

International container terminal operating company APM Terminals said that its Poti Seaport Terminal in Georgia has re-initiated the process of obtaining the necessary permits with a firm intention to build the new deep-water multipurpose port in Poti.APM Terminals submitted application to the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency to obtain the permit for land usage for construction of the new deep-water port in Poti. This is initial stage of the three-stage formal procedure…

Marine cargo handling company DP World has agreed to acquire a majority 51% stake in TIS Container Terminal in the Port of Yuzhny, Ukraine, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including regulatory approval."Bringing the TIS Container Terminal into DP World's global network of ports, economic zones, warehousing, and inland logistics solutions will strengthen its position as the market-leading terminal of Ukraine," said a press release from the global supply chain…

The largest seaport in Europe Port of Rotterdam saw a freight throughput of 469.4 million tonnes in 2019, fractionally higher than in 2018 (469 million tonnes).According to a release, investments by the Port of Rotterdam Authority were again at a high level, with gross investments including participation amounting to €338.3 million (2018: €408.1 million). The net result excluding taxes amounted to €241 million (2018: €254.1 million).Significant underlying shifts were observable between the various commodities.

The Panama Canal will begin collecting a freshwater surcharge from ships using the waterway from 15th February, as part of actions to address a scarcity of rainfall after the surrounding area recorded its fifth driest year of the last seven decades in 2019.The charge will be set at $10,000 for any vessel over 125 feet long. There will also be a variable surcharge based on the level of the Gatun Lake at the time of transit.The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) calculate this move will increase costs to ships passing through the Panama Canal by up to 15%.

To encourage More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of professions within the industry and with a view to continuing the momentum to empower women in the maritime community, International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities.Twenty-two women from 10 francophone countries in Africa - Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,  Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Guinea, Madagascar, Senegal, Seychelles and Togo -…

Cambodia has agreed to allow a cruise ship, that has been turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard may have the coronavirus, to dock and disembark its passengers, the Holland America Line said.The MS Westerdam, which has 1,455 passengers and 802 crew on board, docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Thursday, the company said. Guests have been cleared to begin disembarking on Friday.The ship - which HAL says has no sick passengers - has been turned away from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines.