United Kingdom News

To keep traffic flowing around the ferry terminal in IJmuiden Seaport, Netherlands, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, preparations are underway for a temporary lorry parking location.According to a press release from the Port of Amsterdam Authority, a plan is also being drawn up to ensure that traffic flows smoothly. The measures are intended to minimise delays caused by additional customs formalities at the ferry terminal and to secure the transit of goods to and from the UK.The…

Shipping services provider Boluda Corporación Marítima has signed a letter of intent to acquire all the shares, worth 300 million euros, of Kotug Smit Towage.The Netherlands-based towage services provider Kotug Smit Towage is operating in North Sea countries (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany).Boluda Corporación Marítima is now in talks to acquire 100% of the towage company Kotug Smit Towage created in 2016. The shares are owned equally by the two companies Kotug International BV and Royal Boskalis Westminster NV…

The Round Table of international shipping associations plus the OCIMF representing the global shipping and oil industry have announced the geographic boundaries of the ‘High Risk Area’ for piracy in the Indian Ocean have been reduced, with new advice issued to merchant ship operators.The High Risk Area reflects the area where the threat from piracy exists, whilst recognizing the ongoing containment of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean. The industry group of shipping and oil industry organisations BIMCO…

The World Bank Group announced a new program to advance the adoption of offshore wind energy in developing countries and emerging markets.The World Bank and  International Finance Corporation (IFC) will help these markets evaluate their offshore wind potential and provide technical assistance to develop a growing pipeline of projects that are ready for investment by renewable energy developers, said a release from the  international financial institution.The offshore wind industry has grown nearly five-fold since 2011…

The supplier of Machine Learning based vessel performance solutions GreenSteam  announced significant progress towards its stated objective of enabling its clients to achieve doubledigit fuel savings as substantial MARPOL driven fuel price rises, loom large, for the Shipping Industry.A press release from GreenSteam, which is majority owned by BP/Castrol, said that currently, working with over 30 shipping owners, operators and marine organisations across all shipping sectors, globally…

The barriers and incentives relating to the uptake of alternative fuels in the shipping industry were in the spotlight at a roundtable meeting of International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Global Industry Alliance (GIA) to Support Low Carbon Shipping at IMO Headquarters, London.Experts from across the maritime industry were brought together to discuss successful incentives in other transport sectors and how they might be applied to shipping and ports, said a press note from the UN body.The group discussed economic…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest State to accede to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)instrument providing rules for the prevention of air pollution from ships and energy efficiency requirements.This brings the total number of ratifications of MARPOL Annex VI to 93, representing 96.6% of world merchant shipping tonnage, said the UN body in a release.MARPOL Annex VI limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas, including sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides, and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances.

Norwegian energy company Equinor has announced its 2018 sales of natural gas totalled $26bn, an increase of 29% from 2017.Equinor sold a total of 100 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas worldwide in 2018. The company is the second-largest gas supplier to Europe, as well as the largest producer of natural gas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS)."As more countries prepare for the energy transition, Equinor sees strong market opportunities for gas and expects global demand to grow by around 10% towards 2030…

The ferry business, unlike more industrial parts of the shipping business, touches wide swaths of the world’s population across continents. The membership of Interferry, the leading trade group for the industry, with non-Governmental organization (NGO) status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) includes 200+ members from all parts of the ferry spectrum. These include passenger ferries (including fast ferries), Ro/Pax and cruise ferries operating globally. In selecting “the best” we looked beyond the league tables of “the most” (passengers) and “the biggest” (fleet size).

Maritime law enforcement officials from Kenya are taking part in a two week training course on best practices for visit, board, search and seizure of vessels, in Mombasa, Kenya (11-22 February).The multi-agency course brings together 30 officials to learn skills for effective coordination in combating maritime crimes and procedures used to successfully board and search a vessel of interest.The training is part of International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s support for implementing the Jeddah Amendment to Djibouti Code of Conduct 2017…

For the first time in Spain's history the ports have welcomed over 10 million cruise ship passengers, reaching a higher level within the global cruise tourism context.According to State-owned Spanish Port System Puertos del Estado, this figure places Spain second in Europe for the number of cruise passengers, with several Spanish ports leading the European ranking and even listed among the world's top 50 ports, as is the case of the ports of Barcelona, the Balearic and Canary Islands…

Spain has become the latest country to accede to the International Maritime Organization’s Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety, significantly boosting the number of vessels needed for entry into force.The entry into force of the 2012 Cape Town Agreement will result in benefits for the fishing industry, including fewer accidents, fewer lives lost and a more effective infrastructure for monitoring and targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.“With Spain’s accession we are approaching half way to reaching the entry into force criteria for this vital treaty.

Wight Shipyard Co delivered its first multi-million pound export order for a 250-passenger river catamaran to operate for Central Danube Region Marketing & Development GmbH’s Twin City Liner – a tourist service running on the River Danube between Vienna and Bratislava, joining two European capital cities.The passenger river catamaran was handed over to its new owners in an event hosted by Peter Morton, CEO of Wight Shipyard. In attendance were His Excellency Michael Zimmermann…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) work to preventing accidents when ships are being moored at their berth in a port continues this week.According to the UN body,  a draft SOLAS regulation aimed at better protecting seafarers and shore-based mooring personnel from injuries during mooring operations is set to be finalized by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 6).The meeting (4-8 February) also aims to complete draft guidelines on the design of mooring arrangements…

United Kingdom's Port of Felixstowe and Danish ferry operator, DFDS, have agreed to increase roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) capacity at the UK port by over 40%.The decision has come about after investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities.As part of the investments, terminal operator Hutchison Ports has planned to replace one of the existing ro-ro bridges with a floating linkspan which is capable of handling the latest generation of ro-ro vessels.Additionally…

The rail freight company in the United Kingdom, GB Railfreight has launched a new intermodal rail freight service connecting the Port of Felixstowe with the Birch Coppice terminal in the Midlands.The first locomotive on the service left Birch Coppice at 14:14 on 23 January 2019 and arrived at Felixstowe at 20:14, having passed through Hams Hall, Leicester, Peterborough and Ipswich along the way. Made up of 33 platforms, the service transports a mixture of intermodal containers…

The cooperating sector organisations in Dutch ports together with PortBase launched the campaign website www.getreadyforbrexit.eu that guides companies quickly through Dutch ports.According to a release from the Port of Rotterdam Authority, this enables exporters, importers and their logistics service providers to see at a glance what they need to do to transport their cargo quickly to the United Kingdom after Brexit.The website focuses on informing and activating parties in the logistic chain, such as importers, exporters, carriers and freight forwarders.

Associated British Ports Holdings (ABP), which owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, has announced a GBP 2.2 million investment in a new state-of-the-art warehouse at the Port of Ayr which will improve its customer offering.According to a press release from the port company, Work on the new 4,000 sqm agribulk terminal began in 2018 to support South West Scotland's growing agricultural sector.

The Surface Navy Association will hold its 31st National Symposium January 15-17, 2019 at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Va.The symposium will feature senior Navy leaders delivering keynote remarks, focused on the theme of “Ready, Agile, Focused: Own the Fight!”Featured speakers include Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran; Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, USN; Director, Surface Warfare (N96) Rear Adm. Ronald A. Boxall; and Director, Expeditionary Warfare (N95) Maj. Gen.

International search and rescue plans are crucial, so that, no matter where an accident occurs, the rescue of persons in distress at sea can be coordinated successfully.The worldwide ratification and implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention) is a key component in efforts to ensure the safety of international shipping.Costa Rica is the 112th State to accede to the treaty, whose signatories now represent more than 80% of world merchant shipping tonnage.Rafael Ortiz Fábrega, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Kingdom, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters…

The logistics and service provider to the offshore energy industry Peterson UK Limited has concluded a new long-term agreement with Associated British Ports Holdings (ABP) to establish a new operational and logistics base to the Port of Lowestoft.ABP, which owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, said that the new agreement will see Peterson operate a wide range of warehouse, cargo and logistic services from the port, including fuel bunkering to support the oil & gas and renewable energy sectors being supplied from their Lowestoft Supply Base.Paul Smith…

Britain's opposition Labour Party on Monday criticized the government for awarding a 14 million pound ($18 million) contract to a ferry company with no ships to provide backup freight cover in the event of a no-deal Brexit.Labour's transport spokesman, Andy McDonald, said the transport ministry had failed to carry out proper checks on the company, Seaborne Freight."The Department for Transport's claim that it carried out due diligence is increasingly incredible given the mounting evidence of a lack of relevant expertise or experience," McDonald said."Our economy depends on these trading routes continuing to function yet [Transport Secretary] Chris Grayling is prepared to rely on amateurs in the event of a no deal…

Accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens says shipping will continue to attract investors in 2019 if it fulfills its ESG (environmental, social and governance) responsibilities.In the latest issue of Bottom Line, the Moore Stephens shipping sector newsletter, Richard Greiner, a partner in the firm’s Shipping & Transport team, says, “It has been suggested that the future is very much like the present, only longer. Should that prove to be the case for the shipping industry…