Port News

The United Kingdom Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Marine Accident Investigation Branch issued an investigation report on the allision of the UK-registered containership CMA CGM Centaurus with the quay in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates,that resulted in collapse of a shore crane and subsequent injury of 10 persons.At 1137 on 4 May 2017, Centaurus made heavy contact with the quay and two shore cranes while under pilotage.The accident occurred because the ship was unable to attain a sufficiently high rate of turn into a basin in preparation for berthing.

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…

The world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker supply vessel began its voyage from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in South Korea to the ship’s primary area of operation in Northwest Europe, on Wednesday.The 7,500 m³ capacity Kairos is the world’s largest LNG bunker supply vessel. It will be ready for operations before the end of 2018.Mahinde Abeynaike, CEO of Nauticor, which holds 90 percent of the joint venture that charters the vessel, said, “The arrival of the Kairos in the Baltic Sea will set a milestone for LNG as a ship fuel.

If seagoing vessels were better informed about the availability of berths and adapted their speed accordingly, substantial savings could be made in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions. This conclusion is based on a study that was recently commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and research institute TNO.The study pointed out that if sea-going vessels are regularly kept informed – particularly during the last twelve hours before arrival – about exactly when their berth will become available…

European multimodal company Samskip Multimodal has launched Netherlands-Italy rail service that would bring multimodal benefits to Amsterdam.Officially launched on October 17, the connection sees trains depart from Melzo east of Milan three times a week, to be ready for unloading along 750m intermodal rail tracks inside TMA Logistics' Holland Cargo Terminal (HCT), Amsterdam 24 hours later.As well as avoiding the driver delays increasingly affecting European road transport, arrivals in Amsterdam coincide with Samskip shortsea departures to Hull…

A new set of toolkits to assess and address emissions from ships and ports is now available from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global regulatory body for shipping.The Ship Emissions Toolkit and Port Emissions Toolkit have been developed under the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, in collaboration with its strategic partners, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)."To reduce emissions across the maritime sector…

Spanish ferry companies Fred. Olsen Express and Baleària, through its alliance Canary Bridge Seaways (CBS), will launch the new route between the Canary Islands and Huelva on November 11.According to a press release from Baleària, there will be three weekly rotations with two vessels that will guarantee a comprehensive, reliable and quality service.The route will be triangular between the ports of Huelva, La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Departures from the Peninsula will be Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 8 p.m.

Egypt will reduce the tariffs on container ships and ferries coming from foreign ports to East Port Said for a period of one year, the Suez Canal Authority said in a statement on Thursday.A 30 percent discount on port, docking and guiding fees will apply for vessels carrying less than 80,000 tonnes while those carrying more than that will receive a 40 percent discount, the statement said.Vessels carrying more than 50 containers will be eligible for a discount of up to 60 percent, but both rates cannot be applied at the same time, it said.The Suez Canal is the fastest shipping route between Eur

Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Abu Dhabi Ports and its subsidiary Abu Dhabi Marine Services (Safeen) for the supply of two new Damen ASD Tugs 2411.The contract was signed by Captain Adil Ahmed Banihammad, the Acting Chief Marine Services Officer at Safeen, and Pascal Slingerland, Regional Sales Director for Damen Shipyards Group. Delivery of both vessels is due within three months.Abu Dhabi Ports owns and operates 11 ports and managing over 55,000 vessel calls each year. The ASD Tugs 2411 will bring additional vessel handling capabilities to the group.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has released its annual Environmental Report which includes member ports' top 10 environmental priorities for 2018.Air quality has remained the top priority of the European ports since 2013. The increased interest in the relationship with local community in position four of the list is relevant as air quality has been increasingly a concern for citizens of port cities and urban areas.Climate change is becoming of high relevance for European ports. It made it in the Top 10 for the first time in 2017 and climbed to the position seven in 2018.

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.

In an unexpected reversal, it has been reported that the Houston Pilots yesterday notified Chairman Janiece Longoria of the Port of Houston Authority that they had withdrawn their latest application for a change in pilotage rates. Beyond this, the pilots requested in their letter dated October 18 that the application be removed from the agenda for the upcoming October 30 Board of Commissioners meeting.Upon being notified of the rate change application in September, no less than 15 shipping companies…

Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam have joined together to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster in the Amsterdam region.According to a press release, the three parties consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy, for example by combining it with emissions from steel manufacture to make new products.As a first step, the parties will study the feasibility of a 100 megawatt water electrolysis facility to produce up to 15…

A new mentorship scheme to encourage the next generation of women into the maritime sector has been launched at the annual conference of the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC), which is being held in Belize City, Belize (16-19 October).This type of scheme is consistent with  International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Women in Maritime programme, which supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts, in line with the goals outlined under…

Paul Smits, Chief Financial Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, will be leaving the Port of Rotterdam Authority within the course of next year upon the expiry of his term.A press release from the port quoted Paul Smits as saying: "In addition to professionalising the financial position further, over the past seven and a half years I focused on digitisation and innovation within the company and the port. It is a wonderful challenge to contribute to guiding a company that…

Dutch flag Heavy Transport Vessel BigLift Barentsz arrived in Port of Rotterdam from China by way of the Northern Searoute.The vessel is specially designed and built for polar waters. The route, when open, considerably reduces the distance between China and Europe compared to sailing round Asia and through the Suez Canal.BigLift Barentsz carried parts of the new 5,000 t crane for Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit. The parts had been loaded at the Huisman terminal at Zhangzhou, China…

The consortium Boskalis, Van Hattum en Blankevoort and Mobilis is constructing a deep-sea quay, inland navigation quay and jetty for the new HES Hartel Tank Terminal on the Hartelstrook (Maasvlakte 1), on behalf of Port of Rotterdam Authority.To enable the tank terminal to accommodate large oil tankers and inland vessels, the consortium is constructing a 1,200-metre quay wall for sea-going vessels, an 1,100-metre quay wall and a 350-metre jetty with four berths for inland vessels…

The Stena Jutlandica has  completed its first month of operation as a battery hybrid vessel. Experiences from these first weeks have exceeded expectations.“It's really exciting to be running with electrical power on the Stena Jutlandica. This project is an important part of our focused efforts to find ways of reducing our impact on the environment. As both the size and cost of batteries decrease, battery operation is becoming a very attractive alternative to traditional fuel for shipping since emissions should be possible to completely eliminate in the future…

Tilbury Port and the people that work there will play a major role in helping the UK to increase international trade after we leave the European Union.International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox visited Tilbury Port  to meet with port workers and management, as well as members of the Tilbury on the Thames Trust.Tilbury is the fastest growing port in the UK and a £1 billion investment programme will see the port employing 9,000 people by 2020, 3 times more than it did in 2012. One…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, Samsung SDS and ABN AMRO are preparing to launch a container logistics blockchain pilot.The pilot will seek to use blockchain technology to build a platform for efficient and paperless administration processes for the international finance and logistics surrounding container transport. The result should make it just as easy to transport, track and finance goods and services as it is to order a book online.Currently payments, administration and…

Longtime business and civic leader Yui Hay Lee has joined the Port of Oakland’s Board of Port Commissioners. Lee was sworn in yesterday to a seat on the seven-member Board.Lee, President and CEO of Oakland-based YHLA Architects, was nominated by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and appointed by the City Council. He replaces eight-year Board veteran Alan Yee, whose latest term expired.“We’re delighted to welcome Yui Hay Lee to our Board,” said President Ces Butner. “He brings a strong business background…

JFD, the world leading underwater capability provider serving the commercial and defence markets, and part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has successfully completed the sea trials of the deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV) for the first of two 3rd Generation Submarine Rescue Systems being delivered to the Indian Navy, the company has announced.The DSRV carried out underwater mating with a bottomed submarine at a depth of over 300 feet, followed by a target mating and hatch opening at 45 degrees.On successful mating with the bottomed submarine…

POTAC (Pin Oak) announced the execution of a ten year exclusive use agreement for Suezmax vessels at Public Oil Dock 14 with the Port of Corpus Christi, including extension options, exercisable by the Company, which could extend the agreement for up to an additional ten years.In addition to Suezmax vessels, Pin Oak will be able to efficiently load / unload Aframax, Panamax, and other smaller vessels and barges. This agreement follows the commencement of construction on Pin Oak's nine pipelines crossing under the Corpus Christi Ship Channel…