Beached at Aliaga 30.05.24
News
BIRGER JARL
The 'Baltic Star' may remain at the quayside in Lunde in Kramfors for some more time. The Land and Environmental Court in Östersund has upheld the County Administrative Board's decision to freeze Kramfors municipality's relocation claim until the matter has been investigated. In November 2023, the Kramfors municipality decided on a fine of SEK 200,000 for each month that the ship was left in the privately owned port in Lunde. The municipality believed that the ship is serving as a residence, and therefore requires a building permit to be allowed to lie at the quay. The owner Leif-Ivan Karlsson, on the other hand, claims that the ship is a leisure boat, and that the municipality cannot therefore require a building permit. In addition, it is located in Lunde for repair and maintenance. The matter has not yet been decided, and therefore the County Administrative Board in Västernorrland decided to approve the owner's request for inhibition of the municipality's fine decision until further notice. This means that enforcement is postponed until the matter is settled and that no fines can be exacted if the ship is not moved. The municipality appealed, but now the Land and Environmental Court has upheld the County Administrative Board's decision. The 'Baltic Star' - which according to a previous decision was to be moved no later than June 1, will most likely remain in Lunde for the time being.
Beirut
The Port of Beirut (PoB) resumed partial operations on Aug 10 with the first two container ships berthing in the container terminal after the explosion which killed at least 160 persons, injured thousands and made hundred thousands homeless. Out of 16 cranes at the container terminal, 12 were currently operational. The port was gradually resuming operations to ensure the supply of all kinds of goods to citizens. Bassem Al Kaissi, the new Director of the PoB, said that the container terminal will be fully operational by Aug 14. Al Kaissi said that 420 containers were unloaded on Aug 10. The container terminal storage area has been cleaned up and restored to its state before the blast. The container terminal represents 80 percent of the overall cargo movement at the PoB. It is located one kilometer away from the blast epicenter. Container vessels can dock at quay number 16. Shipping movement at the PoB had already plunged by 75 percent due to the economic crisis and has reached 15 percent following the blast. Customs have opened offices in the PoB’s warehouse number 14 which was partially damaged. The customs have become able to carry out the inspection of merchandise- Customs duties are being temporarily paid at the Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tthe PoB is now handling only full containers as groupage consignment requires warehouses which don’t exist now. Amer Al Kaissi said groupage, which represents 15 percent of shipments at the PoB, will be diverted to the Port of Tripoli until the rebuilding of warehouses at the PoB is completed. The first two containerships to berth at the PoB after the blast were the 'Electra' (Gezairi Transport) and the 'Nicolas Delmas' (CMA CGM). The 'Electra', which was carrying 400 containers, was diverted to Tripoli where there was a license to operate but the company insisted to unload it in Beirut when it was told that the PoB has resumed operation. The CMA CGM Group and CEVA Logistics said they are fully operational and ensuring business continuity to serve their customers. The Group has redeployed its employees in its two back-up sites in Beirut Digital District and reinforced its presence in Tripoli. Part of CMA CGM’s vessels has been temporarily directed to Tripoli. Few shipping companies are authorized to operate in other ports such as Tripoli or Saida. BCTC, the Customs and the PoB’s authorities did their best to handle the clearing formalities despite the difficult working conditions. The general cargo area was fully operational on Aug 12 both for imports and exports. This includes wheat and other grains as well as construction steel bars. The cost of rebuilding the port is estimated at around $1 billion.
SALVAMAR MINTAKA
The sailboat 'Pilona' suffered a breakdown on the afternoon of May 29, 2024, about three nautical miles from Masnou. The 'Salvamar Mintaka' was mobilized by the RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Barcelona. It took the yacht in tow and safely pulled it to the port of Barcelona. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1796105619948122581
SHI ZI FENG
The 'Shi Zi Feng' got stuck in the harbour channel while returning from the deep sea ship to the Chattogram port's jetty in the Karnaphuli river near the boat club on May 28, 2024, at around 1:15 p.m. The propeller was damaged when it allided with the Gupta buoy opposite of the Patenga container terminal due to a steering failure. A salvage vessel tried to refloat the vessel, which was not hampering the movement of ships in the port. Due to the Cyclone Remal, 19 ships, including the 'Shi Zi Feng', had been sent into the deep sea from the port jetty on the morning of May 26 after the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued a distress signal number 9 for the port. As the weather became normal, the ships started returning at the jetty. Report with photo: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/chinese-flagged-vessel-gets-stuck-harbour-channel-while-returning-ctg-port-jetty-862566
MSC KATYA R.
On the afternoon of May 25, 2024, there was an oil spillage in the Panama Canal at the lock gate from the 'MSC Katya R' during its southbound transit, en route from Cristobal to Guayaquil. One of the lanes of the Miraflores locks remained closed for ship traffic following the incident. The facilities of the Miraflores Visitor Center remained closed on May 27 due to the work being carried out in the upper chamber of the locks. The container ship remained in the lock. The Captain and chief engineer were arrested. The ship remained in Balboa from May 26-May 29 at 3 p.m. UTC and moored at Panama Anchorage in pos. 08° 52.89' N 079° 29.91' W. Photos: https://x.com/AyusoValue/status/1795842319603917245/photo/1
ELBEIK
On May 27, 2024, the port of Tarragona has finally been able to close the sale of the'Elbeik', which had caught fire on Aug 6, 2021, on the port's anchorage, for an amount of 88,000 euros to the company Eructa Shipping Inc. After two previous auctions that were successless, the sale puts an end to a process that began in August 2021 when the fire damaged ship was transferred to the extension of the Levante dock. where it has been docked and in a state of abandonment ever since. After the two previous auctions, the port of Tarragona had the option of carrying out a direct sale under special conditions that the ship met, such as the state of deterioration being very great, which poses a risk for its stay in the dock as it could sink, and that a year had passed since the last auction. In the last Board of Directors of the port of Tarragona, the award of the sale for an amount of 88,000 Euros to the Eructa Shipping Inc. was approved. Now the company has 20 days to make the payment and then sign the purchase and sale contract with the Authority. Port. Once this procedure is completed, the company will have one month to remove the ship from the Tarragona docks. Report with photo: https://www.elpuntavui.cat/societat/article/5-societat/2423196-el-port-de-tarragona-ven-l-elbeik-per-88-000-euros.html
Kiel
The PORT OF KIEL has redesigned the port apron in Ostuferhafen, which is the freight and logistics centre on the fjord. Where once stood a grain silo, there is now an expanded pre-stacking and stand-by area of three hectares for trucks, trailers and pas-senger cars.The State Premier of Schleswig- Holstein, Daniel Günther, visited the Ostufer-hafen on 12th August to hand over the grant notice coming from the State Programme Economy for 5.44 million Euros: The project to redesign the port apron included dismantling three hall areas of the former grain silo, excavation and road works as well as drainage, lighting and security measures and the connection of the area to the infrastructure. Through the new and generous port apron it has been possible to merge formerly separated pre-stacking areas, shorten distances and gain more space for trucks, busses, trailers and passenger cars. Furthermore, IT solutions have been developed to accelerate the handling processes at the gate, which also allow truck drivers to reduce personal contact.Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the PORT OF KIEL: “Even under the current circumstances the Ostuferhafen operates in a reliable and safe way. The port of Kiel has proven its systemic importance regarding the transshipment of cross-border freight transport.”In the first seven months of the year 2.1 million tons of cargo have been tran-shipped via the Ostuferhafen (+ 1 %). Additional volumes have been transported by the ferries of the DFDS shipping company to the Baltic States or they have been delivered by the SCA-RoRo-freighters from Scandinavia. Not only general cargo and forest products are unloaded resp. transhipped in Ostuferhafen but also project and heavy cargo, scrap metal and agricul-tural products. The integrated passenger terminal to handle cruise vessels emphasizes the universal character of this port part.