Port Kembla News

Thousands of people rallied on Saturday against a future nuclear-powered submarine base at Port Kembla in eastern Australia as part of the A$368 billion ($244.1 billion) AUKUS defense pact with the United States and Britain.The second-largest coal export port in New South Wales state is the Defense Department’s preferred site for a new east-coast submarine base, according to state broadcaster ABC.Protesters carrying trade union banners and flags marched down the main street to voice their opposition to a base in the town of around 5…

A bulk carrier that lost power in bad weather off Australia's east coast has been towed into Botany Bay, near Sydney, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.The Hong Kong-registered Portland Bay left Port Kembla on Sunday and experienced engine failure with 21 people on board, about 1.2 kilometers east of Garie Beach, NSW on Monday morning.The vessel had been anchored off Cronulla Beach since early Monday evening after breaking free from towing cables attached to smaller tugs which had been attempting to move the vessel away from the shore.AMSA…

Europe's race to replace Russian gas supply has threatened Australia's plans for five gas import terminals as they compete for key infrastructure, raising the risk of a supply shortfall in Australia's populous southeast in the next two years.France, Germany, and the Netherlands among others will need to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace pipelined gas from Russia, which has been hit by sanctions during the Ukraine conflict.European users are grabbing floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) needed to convert LNG to gas…

Squadron Energy, the private company building Australia's first LNG import terminal, expects its Port Kembla facility in New South Wales to be ready to take its first gas shipment by the end of 2023, its commercial director said on Tuesday.Squadron Energy, owned by Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, is vying against four other proposed LNG import projects looking to fill a shortfall in gas supplies expected in southeastern Australia from as early as 2024, and across eastern Australia from 2027.Earthworks at the Port Kembla site about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Sydney have bee

MV Mito, a general cargo vessel owned by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. and managed by Hachiuma Steamship Co. Ltd., rescued two people in an inflatable rubber boat in distress off the coast of Guam on July 30.While sailing from Port Kembla in Australia to Naoshima in Kagawa prefecture, Japan, the ship discovered two people in an inflatable boat in distress due to engine failure about 80 nautical miles north of Guam and immediately rescued them. The two were in good health and handed over to the United States Coast Guard off the coast of Saipan on July 31. MV Mito.

Australia's national transport safety investigator is calling out inadequate international vessel fire safety standards and regulations in the wake of a 2018 bulk carrier fire that took five days to contain and extinguish.The 202 meter, Australian flagged self-unloading bulk carrier Iron Chieftain was discharging its cargo of dolomite at Port Kembla, New South Wales in the early hours of June 18, 2018 when friction, probably from a failed bearing, generated enough heat to ignite a rubber conveyor belt in the C-Loop internal cargo handling space.

A Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier has been banned from Australian ports over "appalling" working and living conditions on board, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.The 235-meter Movers 3, operated by Qatari-based Aswan Shipping, was detained at anchor off Weipa in far north Queensland on March 4, 2021 due to several mechanical and survey issues, and for the poor conditions on board. Outstanding issues, namely the replacement of poorly maintained ballast tank head vents and the updated ship surveys…

Australia's southern states will need to import natural gas to fill a looming shortfall by 2024, as last year's COVID-19 induced oil and gas price slump has slowed investment in new fields, the country's competition watchdog said on Tuesday.Regulators have warned of a potential gas shortfall since 2016 as the market's mainstay gas source off the south coast is drying up, but the supply crunch is now rapidly approaching, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said."It is concerning that the risk of a gas supply shortfall in Australia's southern states continues…

Carnival Corp’s troubled Ruby Princess cruise liner, the biggest single source of coronavirus infections in Australia, docked south of Sydney on Monday to get help for sick crew members requiring urgent medical treatment.The Ruby Princess, now the target of a criminal investigation led by the homicide squad in the state of New South Wales (NSW), has more than 1,000 crew still on board, after passengers disembarked in mid-March without health checks.There have been at least 360 COVID-19 cases…

Australia's NSW Ports launched its new Sustainability Hub and 2019 Sustainability Plan, detailing its performance across environmental, social, economic and governance measures and outlining its proactive strategy and actions for the next three years.NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas welcomed the launch, and reiterated the company’s commitment to embedding a Port-wide culture of sustainability: “At NSW Ports, we manage the key trade gateways that connect the people and businesses of NSW to global markets. Our vision is to be a world class port and logistics manager, driving sustainable growth.“Sustainability is integral not only to our business but to the long-term success of the supply chains in which we operate.

Norway-based floating LNG giant Höegh LNG has signed a time charter contract for a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Höegh Galleon with Cheniere Marketing International.The time charter commences in September 2019 after the delivery of the unit, Höegh LNG’s tenth, from Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.The terms of the time charter ensure the Höegh Galleon’s availability to serve the AIE project in Port Kembla, Australia, where Höegh LNG is the FSRU provider on a back-to-back basis. AIE recently announced a contract to supply gas to its foundation customer from 1 January 2021.Under the contract with Cheniere, Höegh Galleon will earn a fixed daily charter rate.Sveinung J.S.

Australian Industrial Energy (AIE) said it has reached a preliminary agreement with EnergyAustralia to provide 15PJs of natural gas per annum, from its Port Kembla gas terminal (PKGT).PKGT is one of five proposed LNG import terminals that could help meet a looming gas shortage in southeastern Australia, even as the country is set to become the world’s top LNG exporter.Commencing 1 January 2021, the five-year contract will supply gas for EnergyAustralia’s residential and industrial customers as well as for electricity generation.This announcement follows the NSW Government’s decision in April 2019 to award development consent to AIE’s PKGT…

Svitzer Australia has welcome two new vessels to its fleet in 2019, as two UZMAR-built RAstar 3200 series tugboats begin the journey from Turkey to their respective home ports.A delivery ceremony was hosted by UZMAR on 12 March 2019 for the two tugboats, Svitzer Ruby and Svitzer Redhead.The 85-tonne bollard pull tug, Svitzer Ruby, will join Port Kembla in May 2019, and the 80-tonne bollard pull tug, Svitzer Redhead, will join the team in Fremantle in late April 2019.The vessels were designed by the reputable Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd.The two escort towage capable vessels feature render recovery winches, FiFi1 class notation for firefighting…

Wage theft aboard a BlueScope chartered foreign-flagged ship in Port Kembla has been exposed after intervention from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).Inspections by ITF inspectors in Western Port and Port Kembla of the Panamanian registered vessel KEN EI, in January, led to $38,384 in coastal wages being paid immediately in cash to the 20 Filipino seafarers crewing the ship.“Upon arriving in Western Port, the crew on the KEN EI immediately asked our inspector about claims for payment for two coastal voyages and requested that the ITF contact the shipowner as they had no correspondence or indication that they would be paid by either the shipowner or charterers BlueScope and Rio Tinto…

Hoegh LNG said on Thursday it had let agreements lapse in Chile that tied one of its floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) import vessels to a project there because approvals for the initiative were likely to be delayed again.The Norwegian company was due to provide a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) to GNL Penco for 20 years under a 2015 deal, with an original start date of the second quarter of 2018, but regulatory permits were slow in coming.Hoegh said it had been "made aware that the planned approval process for the GNL Penco FSRU project is likely to be further delayed…

Norway's Hoegh LNG has won a tender to supply a floating LNG import terminal for a consortium aiming to import liquefied natural gas to Australia's east coast from 2020 in a push to boost local supply.Australian Industrial Energy, a consortium that includes Japan's JERA and Marubeni Corp, said on Monday it signed an agreement giving it the right to lease one of Hoegh LNG's floating storage and regasification units (FSRU), to be docked at Port Kembla.The project needs approvals from the state of New South Wales, which is evaluating the proposal on a fast track as "critical state significant inf

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a new ASD Tug 3212, Svitzer Glenrock, as the second part of a two-vessel order placed by Svitzer Australia.The tug sailed on its own keel from Damen Song Cam Shipyard, Vietnam to Newcastle, NSW, where it will work in the world’s busiest coal port, handling Cape-class bulk carriers and petroleum tankers as they enter and leave the confines of the harbor.Svitzer operates one of Australia’s largest fleets of tugs, comprised of more than 85 vessels.

A fire in the hold of a bulker ship on Monday briefly closed Australia's Port Kembla, the second-largest coal export port in New South Wales state, stopping shipping for eight hours.The port was shut soon after the blaze began before dawn on the MV Iron Chieftain as it unloaded dolomite, a mineral used in steelmaking which was destined for BlueScope Steel Ltd's nearby blast furnace. No injuries were reported."Shipping recommenced and the port reopened at 1130 (0130 GMT) and is expected to be back on schedule by around 1700…

A consortium including Japan's JERA Co and Marubeni Corp aiming to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Australia's east coast has chosen a site south of Sydney at Port Kembla for an import terminal, it said on Monday.The project will allow access to a new gas supply for local industries in New South Wales state by 2020, the consortium, Australian Industrial Energy (AIE), said in a statement.AIE also includes iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy. Top global LNG buyer…

The Harbour Master at Port Kembla has issued a notification of potential severe weather forecast for the next 72 hours (18-21 June). The port remains open and conditions will be monitored closely. It is likely that the Harbour Master will order the anchorage to be cleared this evening as a precaution. A low pressure system is expected to develop over southern Queensland or the northern inland of New South Wales during Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. The low will move to the southeast and intensify into an East Coast Low system as it crosses the central or southern New South Wales coast. Heavy rainfall and damaging winds are likely across parts of the coast, central and northern ranges, central west slopes and plains.

NSW Ports has successfully deployed Advent’s eModal wharfage module for Port Botany in Sydney and Port Kembla in Wollongong, says Advent Intermodal Solutions, a leading provider of IT-based intermodal solutions. The wharfage solution is part of eModal’s Port Community System (PCS) solutions suite. The SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) implementation is part of NSW Ports’ comprehensive plan to transition port operations from legacy IT systems to a new IT environment where Advent’s plug ‘n play, SaaS-based, eModal wharfage module complements NSW Ports’ plan. NSW Ports is a privately owned company that developed the plan when in 2013 it acquired through public tender a 99-year lease to manage and develop Port Botany and the Port Kembla port assets from the NSW Government.

Sydney Ports advises that all pilotage services have been suspended at Port Botany from 0630 hours local time September 23, and at Sydney (Port Jackson) from 0730, due strong winds and high swells of up to 7 meters. Sydney Ports advises that all pilotage services have been suspended at Port Botany from 0630 September 23 , and at Sydney (Port Jackson) from 0730  September 23 due to strong winds and high swells, up to 7 meters. The ports will remain closed until further assessment Early September 24. Newcastle shipping movements are currently restricted pending assessments of conditions. The port remains under “Heavy Harbor Entrance”. All movements are being assessed consecutively, vessels have been able to sail out during today, but some inwards movements have been delayed.

NSW Ports have advised that from 1 July, there will be 2.38% increase to the Navigation Service Charge (Port Tonnage) and 3% increase to other charges (site occupancy, utilities, cargo wharfage, etc) at Port Kembla. The Navigation Service Charge (Port Tonnage) will increase from A$0.77 per GT to A$0.79 per GT for vessels calling at both the Coal Terminal and BlueScope Berths. For general berths, the increase will be from A$0.46 per GT to A$0.47 per GT for vessels up to 50,000 GT. The new site occupancy charged by NSW Ports at BlueScope Berths will increase from A$350.66 per hour to A$361.18 per hour. For further details and information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at [email protected]