Port Of Gladstone News

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier KMAX Leader from entering Australian ports for 12 months, effective February 15, 2024.The ban was instigated as a result of serious safety violations and breaches of Australian legislation committed by the ship’s master and owner while in Gladstone Harbour.KMAX Leader first experienced mechanical issues on October 26, 2023, reporting unidentified engine room vibrations.On October 28, the ship’s agent advised work had commenced on the mechanical issues and would take eight to 10 days to complete.

Australia's maritime safety agency has banned a Liberian-flagged oil tanker for six months for the underpayment of seafarers and onboard welfare issues.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it inspected the AG Neptune in the Port of Gladstone, in central Queensland, on June 17 ,2022 after receiving a complaint about multiple breaches of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC).During the inspection, AMSA found evidence the employment agreement with 21 seafarers on board the ship had not been met and the crew members were collectively owed approximately AUD $123,000. Inspectors also found evidence the food and drinking water were not of appropriate quality, quantity and nutritional value for seafarers.

Japan's biggest hydrogen supplier Iwatani Corp and five other firms said on Wednesday they will study the feasibility of building a green liquefied hydrogen supply chain between Japan and Australia that could produce 100 tonnes a day by around 2026.Green hydrogen is a zero-carbon fuel made by using renewable power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Australian shipbuilder Norman R. Wright & Sons recently launched Reef Resilience, an Incat Crowther 24 patrol boat that will join Reef Ranger in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.Reef Resilience will service the southern region of the Reef from her home port in Gladstone, while Reef Ranger will continue to service the northern region from Cairns, meaning the entire reef will now benefit from the capability and operability this class of vessel offers. The vessel’s remit includes compliance monitoring, marine park and island national park management, diving and research operations.

Australia's Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is continuing to progress its renewable energy initiatives, with a tidal turbine deployed at its Barney Point Terminal in Gladstone.It is part of a six month trial aimed at demonstrating how tidal flows at the Port of Gladstone can be harnessed to produce electricity, according to a press release from the Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia.GPC has partnered with MAKO Turbines Pty Ltd for the demonstration, which is the first of its kind in Australian tropical waters using port infrastructure.Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said it is an exciting day to see the turbine in action at one of Queensland’s largest trading ports.“GPC may be best known for facilitating trade, but this is

The owners of Five Stars Fujian have at last paid for much-needed supplies to the Hong Kong vessel, which has been detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority since August 12, reports local media. The Five Stars Fujian has been detained off the port of Gladstone in  by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority after inspectors found the company had breached the Maritime Labour Convention over the insufficient food and unpaid wages for the Chinese crew. Local Australian media and Great Britain's Guardian newspaper reported earlier this week that the capsesize class coal carrier, has been sitting in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef for the past month with supplies diminishing and salaries going unpaid.

The Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) on Thursday called on the city's authorities to provide assistance to the crew of a Hong Kong-flagged coal ship off the east coast of Australia that is running out of food and fuel. Local Australian media and Great Britain's Guardian newspaper reported this week that the Five Stars Fujian, a 180,000 deadweight tonne capsesize class coal carrier, has been sitting in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef for the past month with supplies diminishing and salaries going unpaid. The HKSOA said in a statement that the ship was under detention by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), off the port of Gladstone, for breaches of the Maritime Labour Convention relating to lack of provisions and unpaid wages.

Two partners in port project have entered administration means that port charges are now higher for other backers. Glencore and five other miners backing the world's most expensive coal port in Australia face extra annual charges of A$150 million after the restructuring of one of their partners this month, the latest to buckle under slumping commodity prices. The additional charge will deal a blow to the remaining backers of the A$2.6 billion ($2 billion) Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) in east Australia at a time when they are grappling with floundering coal markets. Mining and trading giant Glencore and seven partners began negotiations to build WICET in 2008 near the height of a coal boom…

The Robert Allan Ltd. RAstar Series tugs are well proven LNG terminal support/escort tugs, in operation at major LNG facilities worldwide, including terminals in the United Kingdom, Yemen, Mexico, Indonesia, Norway, and the United States. Now Smit Lamalco has introduced five new RAstar 3400 escort tugs to the Port of Gladstone in Australia for LNG terminal support with the fifth and final vessel having just safely arrived in the Port. The five tugs SL Curtis Island, SL Quoin Island, SL Boyne Island, SL Heron Island, and SL Wiggins Island are named after local islands and will serve LNG export terminals in the Port. The tugs will be required to escort LNG carriers through an exposed channel which can be subject to adverse environmental conditions, and then assist them safely to the berths.

Towage and marine services provider Smit Lamnalco has taken delivery of the SL Wiggins Island, the fifth and final tug purpose-built at Sanmar Shipyard in Turkey. The tugboats will service three LNG export terminals in the Port of Gladstone on Australia's east coast. The 80 metric tons bollard pull terminal support escort tug, will now make her way to Australian waters where she will join her sister vessels at the beginning of July. The first of the five-ship Robert Allan RAstar 3400 series - with modifications…

The dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will be completely banned under draft laws proposed by the Federal Environment Minister. Greg Hunt said the regulation would forever end the disposal of capital dredge spoil within the marine park - an area 345,000 square kilometres in size. Capital dredging is the removal of an undisturbed area of the seabed. The reef, home to a huge array of life, is under threat from massive industrial development to enlarge port facilities. Hunt said the dumping of capital dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park would be completely banned under draft legislation drawn up by the federal government.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has successfully completed the sale of its Australian harbor towage business to its strategic partner Smit Lamnalco. The sale is part of a strategic realignment of the company's towage activities. Boskalis received US$ 55-million in cash for all the outstanding shares in Smit Marine Australia Pty Ltd, the legal entity holding the exclusive harbor towage license in the port of Gladstone, Australia with 6 tug boats included. The transaction was at book value and will not have a material impact on Boskalis earnings. Shipping activity out of the Port of Gladstone is primarily commodity related with various LNG terminals currently under construction. The nature of these activities fits well within the Oil and Gas industry focus of Smit Lamnalco.

The Gladstone Ports Corporation has awarded a five year exclusive license to SMIT for the provision of harbour towage services in the Port of Gladstone. The operation will start on the 1st of January 2011. Part of the agreement will include the provision of five new powerful 70 ton bollard pull harbour tugs for the duration of the license. The harbour towage services will be provided to all users of the port. Australia is a strategic growth market for SMIT for its harbour towage and terminals activities.