Steel Tonnage News

Over the last few years, as the design output from Robert Allan Ltd. to the global tugboat community began to border on the prodigious, we were often asked, “How many tugs has your company designed?” Until very recently we really did not have a good handle on that number, so the answer was usually either “a lot” or “many hundreds”, neither of which were particularly illuminating. So a search was begun late in 2016 to review our archives and try to determine the tug tally much more precisely. Would we rival Helen? Where did it all begin?

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled more shipments in 2014 than any year since the port opened in 1970. Total tonnage was up 30 percent over 2013 driven by strong shipments of steel, grain and salt. "It was a terrific year thanks to our port companies, steelmakers and businesses that use our port," said Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana. "Federal Marine Terminals, the port's terminal operator, and its labor force did a tremendous job handling the significant cargo increases that arrived at the port by ship and barge.

Houston’s Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria delivered the 2014 State of the port address in early November. Completing her second year, chairman Longoria reported to a capacity crowd of almost 500 people that the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) is enjoying business success, also stressing PHA’s efforts to carry out its mission of economic development, with continued commitments to safety, maritime education, environmental stewardship and the community. Longoria stated…

The Fiscal Year 2015 Operating and Capital Budget was approved Thursday during a special meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Projections by the Port Authority anticipate increased revenues in 2015, driven in large part by an increase in both import and export container volumes, with an expected pullback in steel tonnage after a banner year in 2014. Overall cargo volumes at the Port Authority continue to grow, with total tonnage in 2014 five percent higher than the previous year. Total revenues are projected to increase by 1.6 percent in 2015. A capital improvement budget of $275 million will be supported by the cash flow from the current year and 2015.

During the past two years Drydocks World (DDW) has suffered from the restraints of a financial problem following the purchase of one shipyard in Singapore and one on the Indonesian island of Batam (both former Pan United shipyards) and two more on Batam (both former Leroy shipyards). This debt has now been restructured and the management of those yards has been taken over by China’s Paxocean, thus leaving DDW is a much better state and looking forward to a better future. The main yard of DDW is Drydocks World – Dubai (DDW-D)…

Naming ceremony held in the presence of senior personnel. Drydocks World, a maritime services provider, after the naming ceremony held yesterday by OLT LNG Offshore Toscana, announced that the FSRU Toscana conversion project at the Dubai based shipyard, is going to be finalized. The Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit is intended for a 20 year design life 12 nautical miles off the shores of north-west Italy, in the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea close to Livorno. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier Golar Frost…

The Port of Houston Authority will partner with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines to offer new services from the Bayport Cruise Terminal, it was announced at the Nov. 15 Port Commission meeting. Princess Cruises will make passenger cruise calls during the 2013-2014 cruise season, while Norwegian Cruise Lines has committed to three years and will begin service in 2014. This will result in a $200 million economic impact to the communities within the greater Houston region over this four-year period.

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority approved and adopted a vision, mission statement and the core values of the Port of Houston Authority, as well as a Memorandum of Friendship and Trade Cooperation between the Port of San Pedro, Cote d'Ivoire, and the Port of Houston Authority, among several matters acted on during the July 26 meeting. Port Commissioners also gave brief updates on recent meetings of the standing task forces organized at the May 24 Port Commission meeting. Commissioner Jim Fonteno said discussions were underway on financial reporting and the other matters that would be the focus of the Audit Task Force, and he expected the group's formal charter to be brought to the Port Commission for consideration next month.

Nordic Tankers has today carried out a directed issue of 1,181,809 new shares to former minority investors in the five stainless steel vessels acquired from Clipper and other investors in January 2010. The issue increases Nordic Tankers’ share capital by 3.1% from DKK 37,764,888, nominal value, to DKK 38,946,697, nominal value, and as the share issue constitutes less than 10% of the outstanding share capital no prospectus is required. The share issue is based on a partial utilization…

More cargo moved across the docks at the Ports of Indiana in September than any other month in the last three years. This follows eight months of strong shipping, which put the Hoosier port system 31% ahead of last year through August. After nearly 700,000 tons of cargo were handled in September, Ports of Indiana shipping is now up 36 percent versus the first three quarters of 2003. The ports have only moved more than 700,000 tons in a month twice since 1998. September was also a landmark month as the Ports of Indiana handled the 150-millionth ton in the statewide port authority's 30-plus year history. Indiana has three public ports which opened on Lake Michigan in 1970 at Burns Harbor, and on the Ohio River in 1976 at Mount Vernon and 1985 at Jeffersonville.