Port Authority News

Offshore wind caught a favorable gust with the 2020 election of Joe Biden, and the following breeze from the early 2021 reconfiguration of the U.S. Senate toward Democrats. Though widely touted as a growth engine for maritime businesses (as well as shoreside trades), the latter years of the Trump administration seemed to see delay after delay.The class society DNV has been involved in offshore wind since its outset in the early 1990s, and now has 2,000 energy experts working in its efforts supporting this power source.

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts.

Shipbuilding group Damen said it has renewed and expanded its lineup of trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD), now offering a range covering hopper volumes from 650 m3 to 5,000 m3. The updated portfolio includes both hopper dredgers for port maintenance and multi-purpose dredgers.All designs have a number of core values in common. Damen said the starting point for the designs were that the dredger be both practical in operation and in maintenance, and have a sustainable future-proof design.

As part of his Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (EO 14008)—issued on the first day he took office—President Biden made significant commitments to renewable energy. These commitments include collaborating with multiple federal agencies in the United States and promoting critical industry support for the acquisition of electric vehicles for the federal fleet, as well as rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, the landmark international agreement signed in 2015 to limit global warming.

French oil and gas major Total has struck a deal with cruise line MSC Cruises to supply around 45,000 tons per year of LNG to MSC Cruises’ upcoming LNG-powered cruise ships to make calls in the port of Marseille (France).According to the statement on Thursday, MSC Cruises’ LNG-powered vessels will be amongst the most technologically advanced cruise ships in the world, bringing a range of environmental innovations to the market, including a 50-kilowatt, LNG-powered solid oxide…

Asia's first ship-to-containership liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation was undertaken in Singapore on Wednesday as vessel owner and operators continue to turn to the cleaner burning fuel to reduce their emissions and Singapore ramps up its efforts to become an LNG bunkering hub.French shipping company CMA CGM, a large adopter of LNG fuel for its containerships, said its vessel CMA CGM Scandola was fueled with 7,100 cubic meters (m3) of LNG from FueLNG Bellina, Singapore’s first LNG bunkering vessel.

It is widely expected that cuts in defense and security budgets are coming as governments across the world grapple with the fiscal fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. To ensure that these cuts do not undermine global security, policymakers should approach their defense budgets with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.In navigating the tough choices that lay ahead, government decision-makers should pursue spending reforms that enable states to operate both leaner and smarter, without sacrificing their vital security interests.The maritime security domain offers an exemplary case study.

Pacific International Lines (PIL) appointed Goh Chung Hun as General Manager, Fleet Division, effective from February 1, 2021, succeeding Captain R.S. Minhas from 15th February 2021. Goh will be overseeing the management of PIL's fleet, including technical, marine operations, safety and crewing at PIL.Goh brings nearly 30 years of fleet management, technical, marine operations and seafaring experience. Prior to joining PIL, he was Director (Shipping) / Director (Marine) at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)…

A Valaris drillship went adrift on Tuesday evening, breaking free from moorings near the port at Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland.According to BBC, which was the first to report on the incident on Wednesday, "a major rescue operation has been ongoing overnight," when the 228 meters drillship, Valaris DS4, broke free and started drifting without power.According to the news agency, coastguard rescue teams, vessels, and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene, and no injuries have been reported.Offshore Engineer has reached out to Valaris and Maritime and Coastguard Agency…

ABB said it has secured a contract with Haemin Heavy Industries shipyard to provide a complete power and propulsion solution for Busan Port Authority’s first all-electric passenger ferry.Due for delivery in 2022, the new ferry represents the first commitment by South Korean authorities to a plan which will see 140 state-owned conventionally powered vessels replaced with those operating on cleaner alternatives by 2030, in line with South Korea’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.As the first system integrator chosen to support this initiative…

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid tug—said to be the world's first—will be equipped with two mtu 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines from manufacturer Rolls-Royce.The harbor tug will be built by Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard and operated in Singapore by Jurong Marine Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine. The new LNG-hybrid tug is the first of 12 tugs that Sembcorp Marine plans to design and build to replace the existing diesel-powered ones between now and 2025.LNG as a fuel virtually eliminates sulphur oxide emissions…

More than 10,000 frontline maritime personnel to receive COVID-19 vaccinations by end of January.In the global seafarer crisis created by COVID-19, Sinagapore has emerged as a world leader in the treatment of seafarers and frontline maritime personnel. That streak continues as Singapore became one of the first countries to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for frontline maritime workers. The vaccination exercise is part of the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy to protect frontline personnel and their family members…

Firefighters have brought a large fire at the southern Irish port of Cork under control and no casualties were reported, the port authority, which recently started offering more "Brexit-proof" direct sailings to mainland Europe, said on Saturday.The blaze began in a grain store at a deepwater berth used for freight services, the port authority said shortly after 0930 GMT, urging local residents to keep all doors and windows shut and remain indoors.It said just over an hour later that the fire was under control."Emergency services remain on site to monitor the area.

Global port operator DP World has signed agreements with the government of Senegal to develop a deep-water port at Ndayane worth a total of $1.127 billion, its biggest investment in Africa to date, the company said on Wednesday.DP World Dakar, a joint venture between the Dubai-based logistics provider and the Port Authority of Dakar (PAD), will finance, design and develop land and maritime infrastructure for the new 600-hectare (1483 acres) port about 50 km from the existing port.The agreement to build the port was reached after talks between President Mack Sall and DP World Chairman Sultan bi

The European Commission will co-finance the construction of the first vessel to be fully dedicated to liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering at the Port of Algeciras, Spain.The grant agreement was signed with Enagás and the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay on Tuesday.Enagás said the project is "boosted" by the Enagás start-up that specializes in small-scale LNG supply infrastructure, Scale Gas, and the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay (APBA).The initiative, coordinated by Enagás…

The Duluth Seaway Port Authority last week finalized acquisition of the Duluth Lake Port dock on Rice’s Point.Located immediately northwest of the Port Authority’s First Clure Terminal Expansion, but separated from it by the Azcon Metals recycling property, the 7.5-acre Duluth Lake Port dock and 3.5-acre slip date back to the 1880s, when Duluth Imperial Mill built the site’s initial flour mill and grain elevators. The facility was last used for grain in 2015. TN LLC purchased the site in 2017. The Port Authority acquired it from TN LLC in a $950,000 deal that closed Dec. 1, 2020.

The Port of Gdynia Authority (PGA) in Poland has recently launched a formal procedure to select a private partner for the construction of the outer port in the Port of Gdynia.The project is a strategic investment of the Port of Gdynia Authority S.A., and is enlisted in the Polish government’s Seaports Development Program. The outer port development project, which is being prepared as a public-private partnership, consists of the construction of a new deep-water container terminal with an annual transshipment capacity of 2.5 million TEU.

A ship carrying 30,500 tonnes of U.S. soybeans was unloading its rare cargo on Friday after getting all regulatory permissions and docking at one of Paranaguá’s berths, according to a spokeswoman for the port authority.Brazil, a net food exporter, sold so much of its soybeans to China, that little was left to process internally during the inter-harvest period. A weak exchange rate contributed to this year’s export bonanza.“Brazil is a giant in the production of soybeans, but the price of the product in the international market…

As the maritime community collectively fights to reduce emissions, RightShip and Pilbara Ports Authority have developed a pilot program that allows ports around the world to review their emissions profiles and develop management strategies. After partnering with The Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA), and winning a $250,000 Google Impact grant in 2016, RightShip and AUSMEPA have developed a Maritime Emissions Portal (MEP), which will provide leading emissions inventory data to ports around the world.Available now for commercial use…

The Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) is considering using oil storage sites in Singapore owned by PetroChina Co as a delivery point for its low-sulphur fuel oil futures contract, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The INE’s move would be the first time a Chinese futures contract would be deliverable outside of China and could boost liquidity for the contract, as well as help to influence pricing for shipping fuel.Low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) is required as ship fuel to meet new maritime emissions regulations that went into effect this year.

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) announced Monday that retired United States Coast Guard (USCG) Captain Dwight Collins has joined the port as Director of Public Safety and Security.Captain Collins directs all law enforcement, physical security, safety, and emergency management and preparedness services in support of more than 200,000 port employees, tenants and customers. He is also responsible for ensuring enforcement of seaport security initiatives in compliance with all federal…

A new roadmap developed by leading maritime research institutes in Norway and Singapore examines the path ahead for smart and autonomous sea transport systems.Unveiled at the SMI Forum in Singapore on October 22, by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs, Chee Hong Tat, and the Ambassador of Norway to Singapore, Anita Nergaard, the roadmap has been developed by SINTEF Ocean in Norway and Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), with input from Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI)…

Greece on Friday received nine non-binding bids for a 67% stake in Igoumenitsa port, its privatization agency said on Friday.Bids were submitted by Aegean Oil, Attica Holdings and a consortium of Archirodon Group and ANEK & Trident Hellas Group.The other bidders were a consortium of Grimaldi Euromed and Minoan Lines, Danthia Shipping, MRG Ltd, Portek International, Quintana Infrastructure and Thessaloniki Port Authority , the agency said.The deadline for bidding expired at 1500 GMT on Friday.Greece embarked on an ambitious privatization plan in 2010, at the start of a decade-long financial cri