The 'Abdullah' departed Al-Hamriya Port in the United Arab Emirates for Bangladesh on the afternoon of April 28, after it successfully unloaded 55,000 metric tonnes of coal the previous day. The vessel and its crew of 23 sailors were expected to arrive at Chattogram Port by mid-May. The ship berthed at the Mina Sagr Bulk Terminal on April 28.
News
MSC PASSION III
The Port of Baltimore welcomed the 'MSC Passion III', being the first commercial container ship to enter the port, on April 28, 2024m since the suspension of vessel traffic following the Francis Scot Key Bridge collapse on March 26. The ship berthed at Ports America Chesapeake’s Seagirt Terminal via the newly opened 35-foot-deep alternative channel. Approximately 1,000 containers were handled by around 80 workers from the International Longshoremen Association. The 'MSC Passion III' was preceded by the barge 'Columbia Freedom' at the terminal, which saw loading and discharging of 442 containers. Report with photos: https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2024/04/1st-container-ship-docks-at-baltimores-seagirt-terminal-since-bridge-collapse/?gdpr=accept
Dar es-Salaam
In one of the biggest pushbacks against Chinese president Xi Jinping’s Belt Road Initiative Tanzania has suspended the construction of the $10bn Bagamoyo port project, citing the onerous financial conditions put in place by Beijing. The project, which broke ground four years ago and was set to be run by China Merchants Holding International, would have been the largest port in East Africa. Tanzania’s president John Magufuli has accused the Chinese project backers of presenting “exploitative and awkward” terms in exchange for financing. Chinese financiers set “tough conditions that can only be accepted by mad people,” Magufuli told local media. “They told us once they build the port, there should be no other port to be built all the way from Tanga to Mtwara south,” Magufuli told a delegation of business people at State House in Dar es Salaam earlier this month. “They want us to give them a guarantee of 33 years and a lease of 99 years, and we should not question whoever comes to invest there once the port is operational. They want to take the land as their own but we have to compensate them for drilling construction of that port,” he said. Magufuli also said the new Bagamoyo port risked undermining the ongoing $522m expansion of Dar es Salaam port that would enable it to triple its current capacity when complete by the end of this year. Source : Splash247
Rotterdam
Container throughput continues to grow in Rotterdam. Following a record year in 2018 and a record quarter in 2019, April of this year was the best month ever for the Port of Rotterdam. 13.6 million tonnes of container freight was handled in April 2019. The previous record month was August 2018 (13.2 million tonnes). Measured in TEU, the standard unit for containers, April 2019 was the second-best month ever, with 1.3 million TEU, just a fraction lower than the record month of August 2018.
AKDENIZ
The 'Akzdeniz', aimed to sail from Turkey to Gaza with humanitarian aid have been denied the right to sail. On the afternoon of April 25, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was contacted by the Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), requesting an inspection of the 'Akdenez', altihough the ship had already passed all required inspections. The inspector arrived on the evening. On afternoon of April 26, before the inspection was completed, the GBISR, in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which the cargo ship, already loaded with over 5000 tons of life-saving aid for the Palestinians of Gaza. The 'Akdeniz' remained stationary in Tuzla as of April 29. Report with photo: https://thehill.com/policy/international/4626240-gaza-humanitarian-aid-ships-turkey-denied-right-sail-flags-removed/
MEIN SCHIFF 1
On April 25, 2024, the bridge crew of the 'Mein Schiff 1' discovered a boat with two people in distress during a day at sea between the ports of Málaga and Alicante. The Spanish Coastguard was then immediately alerted. The speed of the cruise ship was reduced and a dinghy was lowered into the water, and the people were successfully rescued. After providing support, the 'Mein Schiff 1' continued the current cruise as scheduled.
Tanger-Med
Tangier will today celebrate the opening of the largest container port in capacity terms in the whole of the Mediterranean, something that will bring enormous competition to the likes of Algericas just 25 nautical miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar. The $1.6bn expansion of Tanger Med port, located to the east of the Moroccan city of Tangier, due to be unveiled today will create Africa’s largest port with an annual capacity of 9.5m teu. The port is operated by APM Terminals, Eurogate and a local firm.
Ho Chi Minh
Samsung C&T Corp., a construction unit under Samsung Group, said Tuesday it has won a US$179.5 million project to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Vietnam. Under the deal with Petrovietnam Gas Corp., Samsung C&T and Vietnamese firm PTSC will build the Southeast Asian country’s first LNG terminal, in the coastal area 70 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City for 40 months. The project also calls for the construction of LNG tanks and other related facilities, according to Samsung C&T. Samsung C&T has a 61 percent stake in the project. Source: Yonhap
DALI
As of Apri 26, 137 containers of the estimated 180 necessary to access the portion of the bridge atop the 'Dali' have been removed. 171 commercial vessels have transited the four alternate channels, including five of the vessels waiting to depart the Port of Baltimore since March 26. More than 350 uniformed and civilian workers from 53 federal, state, and local agencies across the U.S. have been deployed to Baltimore for the ongoing recovery and salvage efforts. In addition, 553 contract specialists were actively involved in various roles related to dive, crane, and vessel operations. Over 1,000 individuals have contributed to the Key Bridge Response mission over the past month. To address the estimated 50,000 tons of wreckage at the Francis Scott Key Bridge site, the Unified Command has assembled a substantial fleet of diverse vessels and equipment which includes 36 barges, 27 tugs, 22 floating cranes, 10 excavators, one dredger, one skimmer, and three Coast Guard cutters. Progress in the salvage effort has been significant, with over 3,000 tons of wreckage and debris already removed from the site for disposal or recycling. 90 dive missions have been conducted by as many as seven dive teams, each consisting of four to five specialists. This tally does not include the numerous recovery-related dives undertaken within the initial 48 hours by over 60 divers from the Maryland State Police and other federal, state, and local agencies. Survey vessels deployed by the Unified Command have executed more than 60 missions to gather sonar and laser imagery, essential for mapping the wreckage of the 'Dali' and determining safe maritime navigation routes. This data, acquired day and night, is crucial for diver safety, enabling dive supervisors to guide underwater operations amidst the murky depths of the Patapsco River. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey completed nine hydrographic survey assessments to help establish the temporary channels by identifying obstructions for salvage teams to remove. Following obstruction removal, the NOAA hydrographic survey team returned and verified the temporary alternate channels were clear and safe for vessel navigation. Aerial efforts have also played a vital role, with more than 100 pilots and support specialists from over 35 agencies conducting 250 Unmanned Aircraft System missions and 60 manned helicopter and fixed-wing sorties. Serving as the literal eye-in-the-sky, the Air Operations branch has been instrumental from the early search and rescue phase to the ongoing salvage operations, providing essential oversight for Unified Command planners, operators, and leadership. Report with photo: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-16-multimedia-release-unified-command-reflects-on-month-s-progress-during-joint-recovery-and
ABEILLE NORMANDIE
On April 26 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty north of the Hardelot beach through various calls. telephone calls and deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to check the boat and rescue the people in difficulty. Once on scene, the crew of the 'Abeille Normandie' picked up the 54 people on board the boat. After an initial treatment on board, all migrants were dropped off a few hours later at the dock in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by the shore based rescue services and the border police.
Charleston
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), Southeast's deepwater port, said that five rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes arrived at Wando Welch Terminal to further modernize operations. The Port has received 14 of the 24 new cranes ordered for the Wando terminal; the terminal currently has 52 RTGs overall. Meanwhile, SCPA reported its strongest May on record, with 204,457 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) handled last month.
Brownsville
The Port of Brownsville is closer to deepening the Brownsville Ship Channel after receiving a key permit June 6 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to advance the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project (BIH) to its construction phase.