The 'Sagamore' left Larnaca to a new makeshift port off the Gaza Strip on May 9, 2024. The aim was to deliver as much aid as possible via the maritime corridor. About two months ago, US President Biden commissioned the American armed forces to build a floating pier, which was recently completed. The platform is located a few kilometers from the coast of the Gaza Strip and is intended to become a hub for humanitarian aid. There is no port in the Palestinian territory deep enough for larger cargo ships.
News
OHSHU MARU
The Philippines authorities have seized the Oushu Maru' after loitering for two weeks. On May 1, the Philippines Custom Intelligence and Investigation Service, the Philippines Navy, the Philippines Coast Guard, and the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency boarded the vessel. On the suspicion of drug smuggling, they searched it. However, no illegal goods were discovered on the vessel, and all the paperwork was found in order. Later the Captain of the ship informed the Philippines authorities stating that the vessel was bound for the Port of Kunuura, but the charterer of the vessel ordered to delay the vessel's arrival in port. Following this, on May 3, the Philippines authorities issued a seizure warrant and detention of the vessel. The authorities asserted that a review of the Vessel Tracking System indicated the ship's AIS transmission was turned off when it was in Malaysia. The authorities also alleged the vessel was in a dark operating mood without a signal for more than 24 hours before entering the Philippines. The Philippines Bureau of Customs has ordered the vessel to anchor on the northern side of Mindanao, where it will be continued to be monitored by Navy and Coast Guards. On May 11, it anchored in pos. 08° 36.88' N 124° 44.68' E.
Walvis Bay
NAMPORT’s new container terminal will be officially inaugurated on 2 August, and normal operations are expected to start on it on 24 August. The new terminal, constructed at a cost of N$4 billion, is expected to increase container handling capacity from the current 355 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to up to 1 005 000 TEUs. Firstly, there will be a shutdown on 17 August of container operations in the port to start relocations to the new terminal. The equipment to be relocated include rubber-tired gantries and mobile harbour cranes, while reach stackers, haulers and forklifts will move the containers.
Hanjin Subic Shipyard
The 300-hectare shipyard of Hanjin Philippines may be taken over by several shipping companies that would transform it into a major global port, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a chance interview recently. He said the shipyard could be a sprawling multipurpose mixed-use port facility that would be jointly operated by several players. This, he said, is one of the proposals received by Hanjin creditors for the development of the shipyard after Hanjin Philippines declared bankruptcy early this year. “It’s a good masterplan that has been proposed and it is targeted to be implemented this year,” Lopez said. He declined to name the companies but hinted that these include foreign players. Another source said creditors are in negotiations with an American and a Japanese company. Officially, Hanjin has fully shut down just this month, ending the last of its remaining maintenance operations, sources said. As of this writing, the creditors have not made any official announcement yet regarding the final plans for the shipyard.
CARNIVAL VENEZIA
A US Air Force rescue team airlifted a passenger needing urgent medical care from the 'Carnival Venezia' on May 4, 2024. The operation involved three helicopter air-to-air refuelings to reach the vessel, which was returning to port in New York City after stops in the Bahamas and Caribbean, which was sailing about 350 nautical miles from the US mainland. Called into action from Patrick Space Force Base in Florida were two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen, the release said. The mission was carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of rescuers. The eight-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. The mission was carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of rescuers. The eight-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. Because of the distance that had to be covered, the 920th Rescue Wing had to employ the helicopter air-to-air refuelings. When the aircraft arrived, rescuers were hoisted down from the helicopters and began preparing the patient for transport. The patient and his mother were taken up into the helicopter, and he received medical attention en route to a hospital on the mainland. The cruise line worked with Air Force and US Coast Guard officials to adjust Venezia’s course to meet the helicopter. The ship continued towards New York after the airlift and arrived as scheduled on May 6. Report with photos: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/us-air-force-medical-airlift-carnival-cruise-ship/index.html
MSC VITTORIA
On May 9, 2024, Houthi militants continued targeting the MSC Mediterranean Shipping company vessels, asserting them as ‘Israeli Ships’. The militants claimed to have attacked the 'MSC Gina', 'MSC Diego' and the 'MSC Vittoria'. However, a statement of the Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree did not provide any details nor any of the international security agencies have confirmed the attack. The military tracking operations have also not identified any new attacks on vessels or received information from ships operating in that region. The last report provided by UKMTO about the explosion near a merchant vessel came on May 7, when missiles were launched from Yemen that might have targeted the 'MSC Gina', which had departed from Sri Lanka, amd the 'MSC Diego', which had sailed from Oman, in the Gulf of Oman. Currently both vessels were providing extra assistance in the region to Djibouti. The Houthis had also claimed to have fired twice on the 'MSC Vittoria' in the Indian Ocean and laer in the Arabian Sea. This attack was also not recognized by the military tracking operation nor any information was received from the vessel.
Visakhapatnam
With further development to its existing solid European products, Ocean Network Express (ONE) has announced the launch of a new direct service, the Indian Ocean Service 3 (IO3), which covers South East India, Mediterranean, and North Europe. The new product will offer new port coverage and boost reliability to a wider range of direct port call options to ONE’s valued customers. It will also further expand ONE’s already comprehensive service offerings and allow its clients to enjoy greater choice while bringing efficiency and additional values to the supply chain. The first sailing of the loop is now expected to start from 26th October 2019. IO3: Indian Ocean Service 3 Rotation: Visakhapatnam – Krishnapatnam – Chennai – Tuticorin – Colombo – Cochin – Damietta – Piraeus – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Damietta – Jeddah – Colombo – Visakhapatnam (Fixed day weekly service, 63-day rotation)
Callao
APM Terminals has become the first Peruvian port to introduce a customer platform that logs, streamlines and coordinate General Cargo operations in the port of Callao. During the pilot phase, the platform, which was developed together with maritime and customs agents, enabled users to complete transactions 67% faster and operations were completed 12% faster. APM Terminals Callao invested nearly USD 1 million in the implementation of MOST, a new state-of-the-art platform that can be used by maritime agents, customs agencies and carriers, among others. MOST can be used to register cargo and view real-time information, make online payments and generate authorizations for the loading and unloading of all types of General Cargo, from anywhere, anytime. The platform is a clear milestone in the efficient management of port logistics using world-class technology.
GUARDAMAR CALIOPE
On May 10 a distress call by telephone was issued by a boat 50 nautical miles away from Lanzarote. The merchant ships 'World Prize' and 'Kalahari Express' thereuppon diverted, each one sighting a different boat. The RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Las Palmas mobilized the 'Guardamar Calíope', which rescues 68 people on board the first and 61 on the second boat. All 129 migrants were disembarked at Arrecife. Report with photos: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1789201851474198674
MSC DIEGO
On May 9, 2024, Houthi militants continued targeting the MSC Mediterranean Shipping company vessels, asserting them as ‘Israeli Ships’. The militants claimed to have attacked the 'MSC Gina', 'MSC Diego' and the 'MSC Vittoria'. However, a statement of the Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree did not provide any details nor any of the international security agencies have confirmed the attack. The military tracking operations have also not identified any new attacks on vessels or received information from ships operating in that region. The last report provided by UKMTO about the explosion near a merchant vessel came on May 7, when missiles were launched from Yemen that might have targeted the 'MSC Gina', which had departed from Sri Lanka, amd the 'MSC Diego', which had sailed from Oman, in the Gulf of Oman. Currently both vessels were providing extra assistance in the region to Djibouti. The Houthis had also claimed to have fired twice on the 'MSC Vittoria' in the Indian Ocean and laer in the Arabian Sea. This attack was also not recognized by the military tracking operation nor any information was received from the vessel.
Rio de Janeiro
ICTSI subsidiary ICTSI Americas BV has acquired 100% of the shares of Libra Terminal Rio S.A. (Libra Rio) to run the Terminal de Contêineres 1 (T1Rio) container terminal in the Port of Rio, Brazil. Libra Rio holds the concession rights to operate, manage and develop T1Rio and was acquired by ICTSI from Boreal Empreendimentos e Participações SA. The deal to take over the port container terminal concession was disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange, reported Manila Standard. ICTSI said: “The parties will work to sign a share purchase agreement in due course.” Concession until 2048
Limassol
Two and a half years after taking over the operations of the Multi-Purpose and the New Cruise Terminals at the Limassol port, DP World Limassol on Wednesday presented the upgrades and investments in infrastructure and equipment. The company said that it had acquired brand-new equipment in January 2019 as part of an ongoing upgrade of the Limassol port infrastructure. The new machinery was put into operation in March 2019, following intensive training of staff and has contributed to speeding up operations at the Multi-purpose port terminal. More specifically, the new equipment includes: A new, high-tech LHM 420 mobile harbour crane, with maximum lifting capacity of 144 tons and radius of 54 metres enhancing the efficient handling and transportation of bulk cargo, general cargo, containers, oil and gas.