Port Of Melbourne News

Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), ICTSI’s operations at the Port of Melbourne in Australia, recently completed Phase 3A of its expansion project.VICT can now accommodate neo-Panamax container ships, the largest container vessels calling Australia. The ships can now sail directly into Port Phillip and dock at VICT – the only terminal in Melbourne capable of receiving them. It is also the only fully-automated container terminal in the southern hemisphere.The AUD235 million expansion project is being carried out in two phases.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is warning criminals that their attempts to hide illicit drugs in the hull of cargo ships continues to be disrupted by law enforcement after another import was seized by authorities in Melbourne.Packages of cocaine concealed inside the sea chest of a cargo ship was seized after the vessel docked in Melbourne, the second attempted import of its kind in two months.Australian Border Force (ABF) used an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) at Melbourne's Appleton Dock to search a vessel…

Australia’s Victorian Government is backing a new feasibility study that could see Portland become home to one of Australia’s first green shipping fuel production hubs.Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing announced the new study for a renewable fuel manufacturing hub in the portside city, with A$500,000 invested through the Labor Government’s Portland Diversification Fund.The feasibility study will be led by Portland H2 – a subsidiary of HAMR Energy – towards establishing a plant converting plantation forestry residue to green methanol.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Australia’s Port of Melbourne and Maersk, ANL (a subsidiary of CMA-CGM), Svitzer, Stolthaven Terminals, HAMR Energy and ABEL Energy to explore the commercial feasibility of establishing a green methanol bunkering hub at the port.The collaboration will examine a potential project involving the transportation of green methanol from production sites in Bell Bay, Tasmania (ABEL Energy) and Portland, Victoria (HAMR Energy)…

Toll Group’s new freighter, the Tasmanian Achiever II, has berthed in Burnie ahead of its official naming ceremony.Tasmanian Achiever II is the largest general cargo ship to fly the Australian flag and is set to enter service on 1 March, carrying goods between the Port of Melbourne and the Tasmanian Port of Burnie, said Toll Group, part of Japan Post Holdings, is a transportation and logistics company with operations in road, rail, sea, air and warehousing.The 210-metre vessel is the first of two new ships commissioned by Toll to carry freight between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, increasing Toll’s Bass Strait cargo capacity…

The provider of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, Kalmar has signed a maintenance and support agreement with International Container Terminal Services, Inc (ICTSI) covering the automated container handling solution operating at Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT).The order was booked in Cargotec's Q4 2018 order intake with the agreement coming into effect in November 2018, said a press release. Australia's first fully automated container terminal, VICT, welcomed its first vessel in March 2017. Located at Webb Dock East in the Port of Melbourne, the terminal's unique location on the bay side of the port means a faster turnaround time for imports and exports as well as easier berthing for ships.

Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI)  has announced a 6% decrease in income in its consolidated financial results for the first half of 2018.However, the port operator saw overall throughput rise 4% to 4.7m teu in the first half compared to 4.5m teu handled in the previous corresponding period in 2017, mainly on robust trade in the emerging markets and contributions from new terminals in Lae and Motukea in Papua New Guinea and the Australian port of Melbourne.The decrease in net income was due primarily to the start-up costs of the new terminals in Papua New Guinea and Australia; and the US$7.5 Million non-recurring gain on the termination of the sub-concession agreement in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2017…

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.

Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) recently celebrated the completion of its terminal in Webb Dock in Melbourne, Australia ahead of schedule. The celebration was headed by Enrique K. Razon Jr., International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Chairman and President, along with His Honor Luke Donnellan, Victoria State Minister of Ports; Councillor Bernadene Voss, Port Phillip City Mayor; and Brendan Bourke, Port of Melbourne CEO. “This is an achievement that everyone who have helped build the terminal and are invested in the success of the State of Victoria should celebrate,” said Mr. Razon as he addressed VICT employees, VIPs and guests. “Once we start operations in January, VICT will be the most technologically advanced container terminal in the world,” he adds.

Toll Group announced it is investing $170 million to build two new ships to support trade between Victoria and Tasmania and to meet the demands of continued growth. The new, purpose-built ships, operating between Burnie, Tasmania and Melbourne, Victoria, will provide 40 per cent more freight capacity, more opportunities to transport refrigerated freight for Tasmania’s growing chilled export market and more flexibility for customer deliveries. The new vessels will be available in late 2018 and will replace Toll’s existing ships, continuing to operate overnight services, six days per week. “This significant investment underscores Toll’s commitment to the Australian market and the integral role that we play in connecting Tasmania to our vast global network…

A consortium of global and domestic funds, backed by investors including China Investment Corp, agreed to buy Australia's busiest port for a higher-than-expected A$9.7 billion ($7.3 billion), a sign that tough equity markets are helping fuel appetite for infrastructure. Australian leaders will also hope the deal shows they still welcome Chinese investment in infrastructure. The federal government last month blocked the sale of the country's biggest power network, Ausgrid, to state-owned State Grid Corp of China and Hong Kong-listed Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings on security concerns.

On July 15, 2016, Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) signed a syndicated loan facility worth AUD 398 million (approximately USD 300 million) with seven leading global financial institutions, namely: Citibank N.A., KFW IPEX-Bank, Standard Chartered Bank as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, Bank of China Limited, DBS Bank Ltd., Investec Bank PLC as Mandated Lead Arrangers, and Cathay United Bank as Lead Arranger. The facility provides significant financial flexibility with long-dated tenors of 7, 10, and 16 years. Finnvera, the Finland based export credit agency, also participated in the transaction by providing a guarantee for a portion of the facility.

Melbourne International RoRo & Automotive Terminal (MIRRAT) will officially open at Webb Dock West in Melbourne on the 10th April, 2016. MIRRAT is dedicated to providing best in class terminal services to the Automotive and RoRo markets in Melbourne by providing efficient, innovative and sustainable solutions to our customers. As part of Port of Melbourne Corporation’s port capacity project, MIRRAT was awarded the rights to design, construct and operate the new RoRo & Automotive Terminal at Webb Dock West. This was a unique opportunity to build a world-class purpose built facility to support the shipping industry and all users of the terminal.

DP World Australia's new 30,000 sqm Melbourne terminal expansion, at the former Bentley Chemplax site, was commissioned on Tuesday (15 March 2016), signalling the start of a suite of capital investment projects in 2016-17. The completion of the Bentley Chemplax site delivers an additional 450 ground slots or 100,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of container capacity per annum, increasing the capacity of the terminal to 1.4m TEU per annum. The development is the terminal’s largest expansion project since 2010, and represents the first in a series of new investments in DP World Australia’s hardstand infrastructure, yard equipment and wharf assets. DP World Australia Chief Financial Officer, Jason Varsamidis, said: “We are investing in the future.

The Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says that critical laws to maximise the value of the lease of the Port of Melbourne are set to finally pass the state parliament this week, reports The Age. The Coalition has used their numbers in the upper house to force a series of amendments to the governments proposed legislation to sell the port. Governments have been considering incentives to tempt the highest possible price from potential buyers of assets, including non-compete clauses that prevent competing infrastructure from being built in the future close to the asset being sold. The sale of the Port of Melbourne has been delayed by debate in the Victorian government over clauses that would force the government to make compensation payments to the eventual buyer if another port is developed.

DP World and the Port of Melbourne Corporation have reached an agreement on a new 50-year lease, ending months of negotiation over rental increases at Australia’s biggest port. The Port of Melbourne will forego tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue after abandoning a 750 per cent rent increase for DP World Australia and accepting price rises a tiny fraction of that amount. DP World Australia, in which the Dubai-based ports operator has a 25 per cent stake, will run the West Swanson Terminal in the Port of Melbourne up to 2065, with known fixed increments over 13 years, DP World Australia and Port of Melbourne said. The agreement clears uncertainty surrounding the $6 billion privatisation of the port and enables bidders to put a more accurate value on the port…

Victorian Labor is ramping up the pressure on Matthew Guy's Coalition over its decision to block the sale of the Port of Melbourne, reports The Age. Victoria’s plans to raise $6bn by selling the port of Melbourne are in jeopardy: the opposition refuses to support legislation for its sale. The Andrews Government wants to sell the Port of Melbourne lease for 50 years to raise an estimated $5-6 billion to fund its signature transport projects. The Coalition has decided to use its upper house numbers to block the sale of the port over concerns Labor's proposed deal will create a monopoly and cost taxpayers millions in compensation if another port is built.

Victoria International Container Terminal Ltd (VICT) recently presented Albert Park College with a AUD150,000 grant from VICT’s Community Investment Fund to fit out and resource a new Marine Research Centre at the school’s Environmental Arts Hub in Port Melbourne. The grant will also fund the scholarships of 20 students, as well as the construction of a new sustainable commercial kitchen. Photo shows students of Albert Park College accepting the AUD150,000 check. They are joined by (back row, from left):  Claire Jordan-Whillans, VICT Media & Community Relations Manager; Mark Sheppard, Albert Park College School Council President; Tony Desira…

Victoria International Container Terminal Ltd (VICT) has chosen to implement the wide range of port community solutions that 1-Stop Connections (1-Stop) have to offer. 1-Stop is already the system of choice at the Port of Melbourne, where the terminal and logistics community have benefited over the years from 1-Stop’s port community solutions. This recent signing between 1-Stop and VICT will result in continual productivity improvements and optimised operations for the future. VICT’s CEO, Anders Dømmestrup says, “We wanted an efficient, effective and easy-to-use solution to service the Melbourne port community, which could be implemented seamlessly to match our go-live by the end of 2016. Mr.

Coal mining giant Glencore has now applied to have the competition watchdog oversee pricing in the  newly privatised Port of Newcastle, reports  The Sydney Morning Herald. The NSW port is hiking some shipping charges up to 60 percent after its $1.75 billion privatisation last year. Glencore has made the application to the National Competition Council, describing the shipping channels in the Port of Newcastle as a natural 'bottleneck' monopoly. This pitch for Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) protection comes as management of Victoria's Port of Melbourne stares down a similar threat of declaration under national competition law…

Investors are now shifting their attention to Victoria's port of Melbourne while the observers pondering with the question whether the looming sale of the Port of Melbourne be a bonanza for the state or a burden for business and consumers? A report in the Age says that the selling the port - or more accurately, leasing it out long-term - is a policy both sides of politics took to November's state election, though each had different ideas about how to use the one-off windfall. The port is the key to Melbourne's fortunes. The locus for more than a third of Australia's container trade, the port and the freight industry that it drives makes up 8 per cent of gross state product - or almost one in every $10 Victoria earns.

The Port of Melbourne Corporation has told DP World Australia that it wants to increase rent at the terminal by up by 800 per cent of the current amount, reports local media. It also comes as the Victorian government prepares the Port of Melbourne for sale. The move by the Victorian Government has sparked warnings of job cuts as well as economic damage to the state. The trucking industry fears it may have to carry much of the weight of the possible hefty rent hike. The port currently charges about $40 million dollars a year in rent to DP World and Asciano. It is understood that DP World has previously paid about $16 per square metre and the increase will take it to $120 per square metre.

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has paid $5.8 million for the remaining 10 percent of Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) it doesn’t own that was held by Anglo Ports. ICTSI now fully controls VICT, who in 2014 signed a $509m agreement to design, build, commission, operate, maintain and finance the Port of Melbourne’s new international container terminal. The new container terminal is part of Melbourne’s us$1.5 billion port capacity project, which the port believes is vital for economic growth in the Australian state of Victoria. Meanwhile, Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICTSI Inc., said operations at the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq are now in full swing.