MDL Assists Saipem on Gastrade’s LNG Development Off Greece
Maritime Developments (MDL) has assisted Saipem in progressing an LNG project offshore Greece, which included work on the connection of Gastrade’s Alexandroupolis floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to the country’s gas transmission system.The project consisted of a FSRU and a mooring and pipeline system, connecting the floating unit to the Greek National Natural Gas Transmission System (NNGTS).An MDL flex-lay spread was used for the installation of two flexible risers…
Gastrade’s FSRU Alexandroupolis Reaches Greece
Gastrade’s new floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) has arrived to Greece after completing an almost 10-month conversion at the Seatrium shipyard in Singapore.The FSRU, dubbed Alexandroupolis, sailed away from Singapore on November 26, and has now entered the waters of the Thracian Sea. In the following days, the FSRU will be anchored through a spread 12-point mooring system, ahead of connection to the high-pressure subsea and onshore gas transmission pipeline.The pipeline…
Oil Loadings from Black Sea Ports Remain Suspended
Oil loadings from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal have not resumed due to an ongoing storm forcing exporters to look for alternative routes, three sources familiar with exports told Reuters on Wednesday.Novorossiysk and the CPC terminal account for about 2 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) from Russia and Kazakhstan."A storm warning is in effect in Novorossiysk. It is raining, and the wave height is from two to four meters…
EU Does Not Extend Ban on Ukraine Grains Imports to Neighboring EU Countries
The European Commission said on Friday that it would not extend a ban on imports of Ukrainian grains into Ukraine's five EU neighbors due to expire on Friday."It has concluded that thanks to the work of the Coordination Platform and to the temporary measures introduced on 2 May 2023, the market distortions in the 5 Member States bordering Ukraine have disappeared," the European Commission said in a statement.Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria…
Why Does the Black Sea Grain Deal's Expiry Matter?
A deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea will expire at the end of Monday after Russia said it will suspend its participation.The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blocked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict to be exported safely.WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?Ukraine is a major producer of grains and oilseeds and the interruption to its exports at the outbreak of war pushed global food prices to record highs.
What Happens if Black Sea Grain Corridor Deal is Not Extended?
A deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea expires on July 17 and with Moscow saying it sees no grounds for an extension there are fears it may collapse.Why is it important?Ukraine is a major producer of grains and oilseeds and the interruption to its exports at the outbreak of war pushed global food prices to record highs. The current deal, agreed in July 2022 some five months after the war started, helped to bring down prices and ease a global food crisis.Ukraine grain has also played a direct role with 725…
Why the EU is Restricting Grain Imports from Ukraine
The European Commission has announced restrictions on the imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria until June 5.The move led to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria lifting unilateral import bans they had imposed citing the need to protect their farmers. Romania had not banned imports.Here are some of the issues:WHY IS UKRAINE EXPORTING THROUGH EASTERN EUROPE?Ukraine mainly exported agricultural products…
Ukraine's Grain Export Success Placates Market Despite Russia's Threats
Ukraine has shipped significantly more grain over the last several months than originally expected, especially corn, easing worries that were prominent last year over the country’s export program.But Russia now claims it will not support the Black Sea grain deal beyond May 18 due to obstacles on its own food and fertilizer exports. That deal was signed last July to allow shipments from Ukrainian seaports, overseen jointly by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations.Traders…
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Sabotaging Grain Deal with Bribery Scheme
Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of sabotaging the Black Sea grain deal by demanding bribes from ship owners to register new vessels and carry out inspections under the cover of a deal the United Nations hopes could ease a global food crisis.There was no immediate comment on the allegation, levelled by Russia's Foreign Ministry, from Ukraine which has blamed Moscow for problems with the agreement. Moscow did not immediately provide documentary evidence to back its assertion.Russia and Ukraine both say the deal…
Norway Crude Mops Up in Europe as Russia's Urals Heads East
The clear winner in the race to replace Russian oil at Europe's refineries is Norway's Johan Sverdrup crude, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and traders.Johan Sverdrup was launched in 2019, making it a relative newcomer compared to Russia's Urals grade.Initially sold mostly to Asia, an EU ban on Russian seaborne oil imports imposed in December has opened up the European market where the medium sour grade has become a primary feedstock for refiners in countries such as Germany…
Romania and Poland Seek Mechanism to Trace Ukraine Grain Exports
Romania and Poland are in talks with the European Commission over export tracing mechanisms for Ukrainian grains to ensure local farmers are not hurt by a flood of cheap imports, the Polish and Romanian prime ministers said on Tuesday.Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, has seen its Black Sea ports blocked since Russia invaded more than a year ago and has been forced to find alternative shipping routes through European Union states Poland and Romania.But logistical bottlenecks mean that large quantities of Ukrainian grains…
Russia Ramps Up Seaborne Urals Oil Exports to Asia ahead of EU Embargo
Russia ramped up seaborne Urals oil exports to Asia to 50% of the total over the Oct. 1-20 period ahead of a December EU embargo on the state's oil and products, according to traders and Refinitiv Eikon data.EU countries which have been primary consumers of Russian crude oil for decades will stop buying it from Dec. 5 due to the embargo imposed by the bloc.Bulgaria is the only state allowed to continue seaborne imports beyond the date, while Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will continue buying via pipeline.Russian Urals oil shipments to Asia rose to 2.08 million tonnes during Oct.
Could the US Ship More LNG to Europe?
The United States, the world's top natural gas producer, wants to send more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe to help its allies break their dependence on Russian gas after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.But U.S. exports are limited by the country's liquefaction capacity and an ongoing outage at Freeport LNG's plant after the second-biggest U.S. LNG export facility was hit by fire in June.Russia, once Europe's biggest gas supplier, has already cut exports for various reasons this year…
How Much Oil Does the EU Import from Russia?
The European Union has agreed to ban the bulk of imports of Russian crude and oil products in its latest round of sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.The ban on seaborne crude imports will be phased in over six months and for seaborne refined products over eight months. It excludes deliveries via the Druzhba oil pipeline which supplies refineries in Eastern Europe and eastern Germany.Yet many European buyers have voluntarily suspended purchases of Russian oil or announced plans to phase it out…
EU Agrees Gradual Russian Oil Embargo, Gives Hungary Exemptions
European Union leaders have agreed an embargo on Russian oil imports that will start kicking in towards the end of the year and which exempts, for now, pipeline imports that Hungary and two other landlocked Central European states rely on.The toughest sanction yet on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, agreed overnight after weeks of wrangling, aims to remove 90% of Russia's crude imports into the 27-nation bloc by year-end, senior officials said."The purpose is to stop Russia's aggressive war…
Poland Could Build Second FSRU Amid Czech, Slovak Interest
Poland could build a second floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) next to an already planned installation because the Czech Republic and Slovakia are interested in buying more liquefied natural gas (LNG), the Polish climate minister said.Czech Republic and Slovakia are seeking alternatives to cut reliance on Russian supplies. Slovakia's state gas firm SPP struck deals to buy enough piped Norwegian gas and LNG to cover about 65% of its demand until the end of next year. Read full storyPoland plans to open an FSRU unit on the Baltic Sea near Gdansk in 2026.
Romanian Port Races Against Clock to Move Ukrainian Grain to Global Markets
Pressed into emergency service by the blockade of Ukraine's seaports by Russian invaders, neighboring Romania is racing against time to move Ukrainian grain to global markets before the next harvest triggers bottlenecks.Ukraine, the world's fourth largest grain exporter, has been forced by Russia's invasion to re-route shipments by train via its western border into neighboring Poland, Slovakia and Romania or on barges through its small Danube river ports.But Ukraine needs to move…
How Much Oil Does the European Union Import from Russia?
The European Commission has proposed new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including a ban on buying Russian coal and on Russian ships entering EU ports. Yet the EU faces an uphill slog to wean itself of energy imports from its Eastern neighbor.Following is a summary of key facts about the EU's use of Russian oil:How much Russian oil does the EU import?Europe is the destination for nearly half of Russia's crude and petroleum product exports, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)…
NATO Leaves Black Sea Exposed as Russia Invades Ukraine
When Russia attacked Ukraine, the nearest naval vessel of a major NATO ally was in the Mediterranean. The last such ship from a major naval member of the Western military alliance left the Black Sea – an area roughly the size of California bordering Russia, Ukraine and NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania – over a month ago.A French warship completed a tour in early January and no major NATO naval ally has patrolled its waters since, according to Turkish maritime website Turkishnavy.net, which tracks the movements of foreign warships.
Timeline: Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline's Difficult Birth
Russia has resumed construction of the politically-charged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, laying pipes after a one-year hiatus prompted by U.S. sanctions, the pipeline operator said on Friday.An alleged nerve agent attack on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in August was the latest political controversy to hit the nearly-completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, as Germany debates whether to halt the project as part of potential sanctions against Russia.Led by Russia's Gazprom with Western partners…
USCG Advises on Minimizing Novel Coronavirus at Sea
The Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy has published an update March 16, 2020 to MSIB: Novel Coronavirus – Update (Change 2)An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect mariners and maritime commerce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their Interim Guidance for Ships on Managing Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 (see https://go.usa.gov/xdfyG) and Cruise Ship Travel (see https://go.usa.gov/xdfVP).Illness…
Cosco Acquires Stake in Greek Intermodal Firm
OceanRail Logistics, part of the Cosco Shipping Group, acquired 60% of the Greek railway company Piraeus Europe Asia Rail Logistics (PEARL) as part of its plan to develop its intermodal transport services network.OceanRail specializes in sea-rail intermodal transport with the Piraeus Port as the hub and related logistics business, while PEARL is a Greece-based company engaged in railway operations.The China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, which starts from the Piraeus Port in Greece and expands to the hinterland of Central and Eastern Europe, covering North Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, is the third new trade corridor from the Far East to Europe and effectively connects the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt.In 2019…
First Metrans Vectron Released
Rail freight operator Metrans received the first Vectron multi-system locomotive at its container terminal in Prague.The vehicle is part of an order of ten multi-system locomotives. They are being manufactured in the Siemens Mobility factory in Munich-Allach and will be delivered in full by spring 2020.Metrans will deploy the new Vectron locomotives in transnational freight traffic across Central and Eastern Europe.“We are very happy to have received the first of ten Vectron locomotives from Siemens Mobility at our location in Prague. The expansion of our locomotive fleet to nearly 100 vehicles highlights our commitment to grow with the transport flows of the future.
