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Port Of Marseille News

15 Feb 2023

CMA CGM in Exclusive Talks to Buy Ropax Firm La Méridionale

©Panama/AdobeStock

CMA CGM Group has entered into exclusive talks with STEF Group to buy La Méridionale, a mixed freight and passenger shipping company based in Marseille, France."The completion of this transaction is conditional upon the signature of the share transfer agreements, after information and consultation of the employee representative bodies, and authorizations from the various competition authorities," CMA CGM said."With this acquisition, CMA CGM Group wishes to pursue its development in the Mediterranean while strengthening the position of the port of Marseille and the French shipping industry


04 Oct 2022

Brassavola LNG Bunker Vessel Named in Singapore

Credit: TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has moved closer to starting its LNG bunkering services in  Singapore, following a ship naming ceremony of the Brassavola LNG bunker vessel that was held at Sembcorp Marine’s Tuas Boulevard Yard on Tuesday.Measuring 116.5m in length and 22m in width with a capacity of 12,000m3, the ship will be the largest LNG bunker vessel for use in service in the Port of Singapore. The Brassavola is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2023. Louise Tricoire


24 Jan 2022

First Ship-to-Containership LNG Bunkering Ops in Port of Marseille Fos’

Gas Vitality is 135 meters long and a GTT Mark III membrane vessel. Photo courtesy TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies and CMA CGM launched Marseilles’ inaugural ship-to-containership Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation in the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France.CMA CGM BALI, a 15,000 TEU LNG-powered containership is deployed on the MEX 1service, connecting Asia and South Europe. The ship was refuelled by TotalEnergies’ Gas Vitality, the first LNG bunker vessel based in France, with around 6,000 cu. m. of LNG, by means of a ship-to-ship transfer alongside the Eurofos container terminal, while the containership carried out cargo operations simultaneously.

26 Oct 2021

France’s First LNG Bunker Vessel Named

Credit: MOL

The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has been named “Gas Vitality”, at a ceremony held today at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China. The 18,600-m³ newbuild bunker vessel is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding following the signing of a long-term charter contract in November 2019. Classed by Bureau Veritas and operated by V.Ships France under the French flag, the Gas Vitality will enter operational service in December 2021 and be based in the Port of Marseille- Fos


12 Jul 2021

LNG Bunker Vessel Marseille Completes Sea Trials Ahead of Deployment in France

Credit: MOL

The first LNG bunker vessel to be based in France has successfully completed sea and gas trials, marking another step towards the delivery and operational start-up.The new vessel, named Marseille, is TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ second collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MOL signed a long-term charter contract in November 2019 and construction started in April 2020. The 18,600-m³ capacity vessel was first launched from the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China at the end of April 2021.

18 May 2021

Greek Island Corfu Welcomes First Cruise Ship of New Season

The Greek island of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday, hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020 due to the coronavirus.Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety measures were being adhered to in the port.Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able to travel again."It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better. You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU and other key markets such as the United States


25 Mar 2021

Total to Supply LNG to MSC Cruises' Ships in Marseille

Sistership of Total future LNG bunker vessel in Marseille

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


03 Jun 2020

CMA CGM Aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2050

© Kara / Adobe Stock

French-based CMA CGM, the world’s fourth-largest container shipping group, said on Tuesday it would aim to become carbon neutral by 2050.The company, headquartered in the Mediterranean port of Marseille, also announced in a statement a target for 10% of its energy supplies to be made up of alternative fuels by 2023.CMA CGM, which was citing objectives set out by Chairman and Chief Executive Rodolphe Saade during a United Nations conference, is following market leader Maersk in aiming to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050.The French group


20 Mar 2020

Italy-bound Cruise Ship had 36 COVID-19 Cases During Marseille Stop

© Stefano Garau / Adobe Stock

An Italian cruise ship bound for the Italian harbor of Savona had 36 people on board infected with the coronavirus when tests were undertaken on passengers during a stop in the French port of Marseille, French authorities said on Friday.A Marseille area prefecture official told Reuters that he could not comment on how many of those infected had disembarked and how many were still on the ship, which was due to leave Marseille on Friday evening to sail to Savona.On Thursday and Friday


04 Dec 2019

CMA CGM and Total to Develop LNG Ship Refueling in Marseille

© saiko3p / Adobe Stock

Container shipping firm CMA CGM will use the French Mediterranean port of Marseille for refueling some of its planned gas-powered vessels, backed by a supply partnership with energy group Total.Total will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a refueling barge to enable CMA CGM to refuel LNG-powered vessels at the Marseille-Fos hub starting in 2021, the companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday.The initiative covers five vessels with a capacity of 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent


10 Nov 2019

Marseille Port Completes Blockchain Trial

The Port of Marseille Fos (Grand Port Maritime de Marseille; GPMM) has just completed a blockchain pilot scheme to enhanced efficiencies at France’s largest seaport.The focus of the project for freight transportation on the  Mediterranean-Rhone-Saone (MeRS) corridor is to run a trial to evaluate the security of the digital transport chain. It will involve applying blockchain technology to supply chain logistics and freight forwarding, particularly where goods are transported in multiple ways such as sea and road.Results from trials held over recent months have now been reviewed at a meeting hosted by the port and demonstrated that harmonization of the digital transport chain improved fluidity


12 Sep 2019

ABB Enables Emission-free Port Visits

French ferry operator Corsica Linea is fitting out its ferries calling Port of Marseille with equipment necessary to use electricity for power at berth using  ABB’s shore connection technology.Instead of running diesel-fueled auxiliary engines, Paglia Orba, Jean Nicoli and Pascal Paoli ferrieswill use electricity for power at berth. Each of the three vessels is being modified to feature ABB’s power compensation solution Dynacomp, which allows electricity available from the local grid in Marseille to be stepped down to 11KV in order to take care of ship power needs while in port.“ABB shore connection technology enables the type of emissions-free ship power that regulators, ports and local residents increasingly demand.

04 Sep 2019

Marseille Fos to be 1st Electric Port in Med

The the main trade seaport of France, the Port of Marseille Fos has unveiled a new eco-friendly initiative that supports the port's goal of becoming the Mediterranean's first fully electric port by 2025.Marseille Fos CEO Hervé Martel said: “We are convinced that ecological transition is the springboard to economic growth. That’s why we are investing heavily to become the Mediterranean’s first 100% electric port by 2025."Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend EUR 20 million over the next six years to extend shore-side electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbour.Already available on the Corsica ferry quays


20 Nov 2018

Port of Marseille Fos Focus on Emission Cut

The port of Marseille Fos has set up a working group bringing together actors from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector to reflect on the development of LNG as a marine fuel with a view to reducing the impact of ships in the port of Marseille Fos.At the end of 2017, the Port of Marseille Fos set up a working group that brought together players from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector to reflect on developing LNG as a marine fuel with a view to reducing the impact of ships in the Port of Marseille Fos.The working group’s task was to study and ensure the relevance of the logistics options for LNG bunkering in the Port of Marseille Fos.Economically very competitive


05 Jan 2018

French SMART PORT in Med Soon

The members of the SMART PORT steering committee adopted a first series of projects designed to take advantage of the digital transition with a view to affirming and consolidating the importance of the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis as a seaport. The steering committee also supported the creation of a program focusing on research and innovation: the Brain Port Community. This partnership will be based on a multi-party agreement between Aix-Marseille Université, the Port of Marseille Fos, the CCIMP, Métropole Aix-Marseille, and the PACA region. The aim of the Brain Port Community project is to create a partnership between the academic community


07 Dec 2017

Costa Group's New Gen Ships Will Call Marseille

Costa Group – part of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company – announced that its new generation ships, the first LNG powered at sea, will call Marseille in 2019. The Costa Group, the leading tourism group, the No. 1 cruiser in Europe has renovated its commitment to Port of Marseille through different initiatives that began in 1996 when the new cruise called “La Dolce Vita” started its weekly operations from Marseille to offer the French guests every Saturday a brand new and unique experience in the best places of the Mediterranean onboard its ship Costa Romantica. This new offer launched by Costa contributed to the French people being more and more interested in experiencing a cruise vacation.

22 Nov 2017

French Smart Port in Med

The members of the Smart Port  steering committee collectively approved a first series of projects that will take advantage of the digital transition to affirm and consolidate the port-based vocation of the Aix-Marseille-Provence urban area. With this dynamic, Marseille Fos, the French Smart Port in Med is being built! During a steering committee meeting including representatives of the government, Région Provence-AlpesCôte d'Azur, the Conseil Départmental des Bouches-du-Rhône, Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, Ville de Marseille, Etablissement Public Euroméditerranée, Caisse des Dépôts, Agence Régionale pour l’Innovation et l’Internationalisation des Entreprises


15 Aug 2016

Kelvin Hughes bags Marseille VTS Radar Contract

Kelvin Hughes SBS Radar Marseille Fos (Photo: Kelvin Hughes)

Kelvin Hughes has been awarded the contract for the second phase of a radar system installation by the Port of Marseille Fos in Southern France. The Enfield-based company supplied five SBS-700 radar systems earlier this year that were integrated with the port's Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). The second phase has seen two more, identical models installed and commissioned at the port in July. Kelvin Hughes' SBS-700 radar system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system as defined in IALA recommendation V-128.

26 May 2016

Fos Tanker Queue Grows as Strike Impacts Refinery Ops

Nearly two dozen vessels were queued outside the French oil import terminal in Fos, southern France on Thursday, held up by a strike organised by the hardline CGT and FO unions over planned labour reforms. A spokeswoman for the port of Marseille told Reuters that yesterday 29 oil, LNG and chemicals vessels were waiting between the wharf and harbour on Wednesday. This morning, 21 vessels including 12 carrying oil, LNG or chemicals, were waiting. During normal busy operations, about 5 vessels would be waiting, the port authority said. CGT port workers and dockers joined the nationwide rolling strike on Thursday and Friday. The stoppages hitting the power, fuel and transport sectors is aimed at forcing the government to withdraw the planned labour reform bill.

21 Apr 2016

VTS Radar Systems Chosen for Port of Marseille Fos

Photo courtesy of Kelvin Hughes

A world leader in the design and supply of navigation and security surveillance systems, Kelvin Hughes has been contracted by French company AVON Communications to supply five of its SBS-700 radar systems for integration with the Marseille Fos Port Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). The port is made up of two harbours, the ‘Eastern harbour’ with 1,000 hectares, located in the city of Marseille itself, and the ‘Western harbour’ with 12,000 hectares which is located in Fos, 70 km from the town.

04 Feb 2016

MGI is Newest IPCSA Member

Press release- A month after celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Marseille-based Port Community System operator MGI has been welcomed as the newest member of the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA). MGI (Marseille Gyptis International) becomes IPCSA's 28th member and the association's second member based in France. “Nearly 30 ports in France and overseas have implemented the Cargo Community System AP+, MGI‟s and SOGET‟s flagship product since 2005 – including Mauritius, Benin, Togo and New Caledonia. Coinciding with its 30th anniversary in December 2015, MGI launched Ci5 (Cargo intelligence 5), its new flagship software solution designed to succeed and build on AP+.

05 Aug 2015

Research Vessel Refit at Alewijnse

Photo courtesy of Alewijnse

Oceanographic research vessel Marion Dufresne II is celebrating her 20th anniversary in 2015 and has finished a major refit that will extend her life for a further 20 years. Leading electrical system integrator Alewijnse Marine Systems has successfully completed the electrical conversion. During a four month stay at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque from April to July 2015, the French scientific research vessel Marion Dufresne II underwent a major refit that included extensive work on her hull, machinery, public spaces and scientific equipment.

09 Jul 2014

French Govt to End Corsica Ferry Blockades

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday he would take steps "within hours" to end blockades of ports in Marseille and Corsica by workers of the SNCM ferry operator, who are striking over the firm's restructuring plans. Workers at the loss-making company partially owned by Veolia have been on strike since June 24, occupying ferries and blockading access to part of Marseille's port for 16 days over fears they will lose jobs and job privileges. The strike has left the island in part cut off from the mainland at the peak of the tourist season vital to Corsica's economy while holding up the flow of goods. Valls, who has warned repeatedly that the strike could condemn the SNCM "to death"