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Port Of London News

30 Jan 2024

Goodchild to Build Pilot Vessel for the Port of London

(Image: Port of London Authority)

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has signed a contract with British family-run company, Goodchild Marine Services Ltd, to build a new pilot vessel.PLA’s Director of Marine Operations, Steven Clapperton, said, “Goodchild has proven over many years that they are at the leading edge of vessel design and build. This new vessel is designed specifically for our current and future operational needs, and will incorporate the latest in technology, reducing fuel consumption, minimising environmental impacts…

19 Dec 2023

Uzmar Delivers Svitzer Estelle

Image courtesy Svitzer

Svitzer announced the delivery of Svitzer Estelle, the second tug built as part of the company’s ongoing partnership with Uzmar Shipyards, based in Turkey.Svitzer Estelle is a Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3200W that will be deployed by Svitzer on the River Thames and the River Medway,bolstering the company’s operations in the busy Port of London. The first tug delivered by Uzmar Shipyards in May 2023, Svitzer Elizabeth, is currently in service in the Port of Liverpool. Svitzer’s partnership with Uzmar Shipyards began with the delivery of two tugs for the company’s fleet in Australia.

11 Sep 2023

SEA-KIT Awarded ZEVI Funding to Build Hydrogen-fueled USV

(Image: SEA-KIT International)

SEA-KIT International has won funding from the U.K.'s Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition to design and manufacture a hydrogen-fueled uncrewed surface vessel (USV). The company will partner with maritime decarbonization disruptor, Marine2o, for the build of land-based infrastructure to produce green hydrogen, via renewable energy and the electrolysis of water, as part of the project.Dubbed ZEPHR - Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refilling Survey Vessel, the project aims to extend vessel operation for port operators and stakeholders through complete energy transferal…

23 May 2023

Port of London Launches Fully-electric Survey Vessel

(Photo: Port of London Authority)

In a first for UK ports, the Port of London Authority (PLA) and University College of London (UCL) have launched a fully electric, remotely operated survey vessel.It will support a MSc Hydrographic Surveying course they have run in partnership since 1999.The state-of-the-art platform, manufactured by Maritime Robotics, was acquired by the partners, following a successful bid and award of an £263,000 grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).The vessel features the most advanced sonar and scanning system from technology manufacturer NORBIT, called a WINGHEAD.

13 Mar 2023

London to Trial Shipping Light Freight on the River Thames

(Photo: Uber Boat by Thames Clippers)

A group of partners aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability for transporting goods in and around London has come together to trial shipping light freight on the River Thames.The non-profit Cross River Partnership (CRP) recently launched the London Light Freight River Trial, London’s first daily, multi-supplier, river freight trial, as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London project. The group has been working with the Port of London Authority (PLA), Lyreco UK & Ireland…

21 Feb 2023

19th Century Anchor Recovered from the Thames to Go on Public Display

(Photo: Port of London Authority)

An anchor, believed to date back to the late 1800s, recovered from the Thames riverbed near Gravesend is being prepped to go on public display.In February 2022, Port of London Authority (PLA) divers hauled the anchor from the river at Northfleet after a hydrographic survey identified it as a risk to navigation.The PLA’s head of marine services, Jim Denby said, “We were surprised by the size of the anchor and the fact that it was still in one piece, completely intact and in good…

10 Feb 2023

HST Marine's Second Hybrid-Electric CTV Welcomed by British Maritime Leaders

HST Frances docked at St Katharine Docks, London ©HST Marine

Offshore crew transfer firm HST Marine has welcomed the arrival of its new UK-built hybrid-electric crew transfer vessel (CTV), HST Frances.The ceremony was attended by Nusrat Ghani MP, UK Minister of State (Dept. for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office) and senior British maritime industry leaders.HST Frances is HST Marine’s second hybrid electric CTV. The 25-meter vessels can carry 12-24 industrial personnel, and its hybrid electric propulsion system cuts fuel consumption by 30% compared to similar CTVs powered by diesel engines, the company, owned by Purus Marine, said Friday.

05 Oct 2022

Multicat Made from Scaffold

(Photo: ScaffFloat)

A self-propelled pontoon made entirely from standard scaffold components and fitted with a crane has been used for a project on the river Thames to install ladders, chains, and wooden fendering.This project sees yet another evolution of the ScaffFloat system that launched in the UK just two years ago. The Cornish-based company has grown across multiple markets and this latest addition of a crane to their self-powered pontoons has some in the industry likening it to the popular multicat style workboats.For the project on the Thames ScaffFloat mobilised an 8m x 6.4m ScaffFloat…

20 Apr 2021

UK: Port of London's Rodrigues Named Chair of Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Christopher Rodrigues - Credit: PLA

The UK Secretary of State for Transport has appointed Christopher Rodrigues CBE as the new Non-Executive Chair of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the government agency responsible for preventing the loss of life on the coast and at sea, as well as producing legislation and guidance on maritime matters.Rodrigues brings extensive international experience as a chair of public, private, and government sector bodies in tourism, the arts, and public diplomacy and since 2016 as chair of the Port of London…

19 Jan 2021

Svitzer Orders New Tug for Port of London

(Image: Damen)

Damen Shipyards Group said it has signed a contract with Svitzer for the delivery of an ASD Tug 3212. The vessel, to be named Svitzer Thames, will operate in the Port of London and will be the fourth Damen ASD Tug 3212 in the company’s U.K. fleet.Damen and Svitzer signed the contract for the vessel in December last year. Thanks to Damen’s practice of building proven, standardized vessels for stock, Svitzer is able to take delivery of its new tug in the first quarter of 2021.Kasper Karlsen…

07 Jan 2021

Svitzer Europe Buys Damen Tugboat for Port of London

Photo: Damen Group

Svitzer Europe signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group for the delivery of Svitzer Thames, an 80-ton bollard pull azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug, to support its operations in the Port of London.Svitzer Thames will arrive in London by the end of the first quarter of 2021, and will start operating immediately upon arrival. At more than 32m long and with a beam of almost 13m, Svitzer Thames will be equipped with both power and manoeuvrability, and in the hands of Svitzer’s capable crew it will be able to handle the very largest of container vessels calling at the Port of London.

14 Jan 2020

Court Orders DP World's Rights Restored for Doraleh Port

A London arbitration court has ordered Djibouti to restore DP World's right to operate the Doraleh Container Terminal as detailed under a 2006 concession deal within two months or pay damages, the state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.The government of Djibouti seized the terminal from Dubai government-controlled DP World in February 2018 over a dispute dating back to at least 2012.An independent expert has estimated the losses to DP World at more than $1 billion, WAM reported. (Reporting by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Jan Harvey)

09 Oct 2019

Gravesend Old West Street Pier to be Removed

Work to dismantle and remove the old West Street Pier in Gravesend is well underway. The pier was used for a number of years by passengers of the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry. But in 2012 the ferry service moved to the renovated Town Pier.The old West Street pier has therefore not been used for a number of years and is now in very poor repair. The structure was further damaged in winter storms last year.The Port of London Authority (PLA) has recently taken ownership of the old pier and begun work to remove the structure. This includes the floating pontoon and the ‘brow’ (the bridge or ‘gangway’) which connects the pontoon to land.Staff from…

07 Oct 2019

Large Humpback Whale spotted in River Thames

© willtu / Adobe Stock

A humpback whale measuring at least 5 meters (16 feet) has been spotted in the River Thames just east of London almost exactly a year since a beluga whale was first sighted in the British capital."We are 99.9999 percent sure it is a humpback whale - there have been multiple sightings," said a spokesman for the Port of London Authority, which oversees the river.A beluga whale named as "Benny the Beluga" spent over three months in the River Thames last year."It is not Benny, it is not a beluga…

30 Sep 2019

New Report on Future for River Thames

The Port of London Authority and Greater London Authority plan a greater role for the River Thames in London’s cultural life. (Photo © Adobe Stock / zgphotography)

A new report jointly produced by the Port of London Authority (PLA) and Greater London Authority (GLA) says a new vision could maximize the contribution the River Thames makes to culture in the UK capital. ‘’ sets out how clear direction could make the most of the river’s cultural attractions for the benefit of the city’s population and visitors alike.The report aligns with GLA’s priorities for promoting the city and the PLA’s wider Thames Vision, which was launched in 2016, setting out six targets for the economic, environmental and social resurgence of the river, to be delivered by 2035.

11 Jul 2019

UK to Insist on Zero Emission Ships from 2025

file Image: AdobeStock / © dbvirago

Britain's government on Thursday said all new ships ordered from 2025 and aimed for its waters must be equipped with zero emission technology, as part of a new plan to cut maritime pollution.Britain last month announced a target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, making it the first among the major G7 countries to set such a goal.As part of a new "Clean Maritime Plan" unveiled on Thursday, the government said ships ordered from 2025 onwards must have zero-emission capabilities.

11 Jun 2019

BareFLEET Monitoring for Red Kestrel

Photo: Red Funnel

Reygar said that cross-Solent ferry operator, Red Funnel, is installing the BareFLEET monitoring system on Red Kestrel - Red Funnel’s first dedicated RoRo freight ferry.BareFLEET, a cloud-based monitoring platform that couples remote data collection technology with vessel performance monitoring software, is designed to enable the ferry operator to better support the Island’s freight requirements by providing data to optimize vessel performance, monitor fuel use, and cut vessel downtime.

22 Mar 2019

Svitzer Christens Latest Tug Meridian

The global towage operator Svitzer held a ceremony on the River Thames  to officially christened Svitzer Meridian as the latest - and tenth - vessel in its Port of London fleet.During a naming ceremony held on the River Thames with guests representing a variety of customers and partners – including vessel builder Sanmar – the 70 tonnes bollard pull Azimuth Tractor Drive (ATD) Svitzer Meridian was officially christened by representatives from multinational electricity and gas utility company National Grid Grain LNG, who are godparenting the vessel.Meridian, whose name was chosen to reflect Maritime Greenwich’s Prime Meridian longitude line – and Svitzer’s longstanding links with the local area – has been in operation at the Port of London since November 2018…

21 Oct 2018

Tilbury Port to Capitalise on Opportunities to Boost Trade

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 in 5 of the employed people in the local area of Thurrock will work at the port.This investment will see the amount of trade passing through the port reach 32 million tonnes each year…

19 Jul 2018

SMS Completes Hat Trick of European Refits

UK ship repairer and marine engineering services provider SMS has completed three refits this month. This has included the refit of the maintenance vessel ‘London Titan’ which returned to the port of Lowestoft for the second time.Southampton-based SMS, has an enviable reputation as specialists in ship repair, marine engineering and major fabrication projects in the commercial marine, defense and Superyachts sectors.It has completed the three major refits across its national and international network.Chris Norman, the Managing Director of SMS, said: “This marks a major milestone for the business as we’ve completed the last of three major ‘live’ refits that have been going on across the recently expanded ship repair group.“In recent months our business has gone from strength-to-strength.

13 Mar 2018

Port of Oakland Targets 2.6 mln 20-foot Containers by 2022

The Port of Oakland released a new 5-year strategic plan today that pairs business expansion with community benefits. Called “Growth with Care,” the plan envisions more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. According to the strategic plan, Oakland cargo volume should reach 2.6 million 20-foot containers by 2022. The Port’s Oakland International Airport is expected to serve 14-to-15 million passengers annually by then. Both would be all-time highs for Oakland. Growing business volume should lead to more hiring, the Port said. The Port added that it would prioritize local residents in filling jobs. “We can grow, but we want our neighbors to grow with us,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle in a preamble to the 21-page strategic document.

22 Oct 2017

TMG Delivers Panama Canal Study

The Maritime Group (TMG)  carried out a pivotal assessment review of the tugboat operations in the new third set of NeoPanamax locks of the $5.25 billion Expanded Panama Canal and made other operational observations. TMG  was intructed by Autoridad del Canal de Panama (Panama Canal Authority – ACP) with a brief to focus on Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) procedures. "ACP accepted our findings in early September 2017 and is now considering any modifications to its procedures and the optimization of its schedules," says a press release. Managing Director, Captain Malcolm W Parrott said: “We were selected after a highly competitive international bidding process for our depth of experience and expertise in all aspects of the study including shipping…

12 Sep 2017

Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery

John Haynes

More than 80 maritime professionals attended two one-day events focused on the sub IMO / sub 80-ft. sector in Southampton, U.K. this Spring. The Man Overboard Prevention & Recovery Workshop brought together an international group of experts armed with the latest knowledge to identify problems that affect the maritime sector worldwide. Workshop lead John Haynes opened the day saying said, “Expectations, requirements and capabilities are changing for many maritime organizations. High profile roles are evolving close to shore and offshore in U.K., European and international waters.