News

The 'Independence of the Seas' had to skip the call at Alesund on July 1, 2025, during the current Norway voyage from June 29 to July 6, due to ongoing maintenance work, making the ship currently unable to reach the necessary cruising speed to dock in the western Norwegian coastal town on time at 4 p.m. The ship required a second day at sea en route from Southampton to Norway. The first Norwegian port of call will therefore be Molde, which will be reached on July 2. Calls in Olden and Haugesund are then planned, before returning to Southampton for a third day at sea on the North Sea. Already in recent weeks, there have been slight itinerary changes due to maintenance work on the 'Independence of the Seas'. Royal Caribbean International is was working hard to complete the maintenance so that the ship can return to full cruising speed and operate its upcoming cruises as scheduled. Original itinerary for the Independence of the Seas from June 29 to July 6, 2025: Southampton – Sea Day – Sea Day & Ålesund – Molde – Olden – Haugesund – Sea Day – Southampton Adjusted itinerary for the Independence of the Seas from June 29 to July 6, 2025: Southampton – Sea Day – Sea Day – Molde – Olden – Haugesund – Sea Day – Southampton

The danger of an environmental destaster caused by the 'MSC Baltic III' has decreased, as more than 70 percent of the fuel oil on board has been removed. The ship was difficult to reach for a long time due to winter weather. The snow has melted and there are no more storms, making the ship accessible by both water and land. There were 473 containers on board, 283 of which were empty. Some of the containers contained cargo that could be harmful to the environment. The 'Eems Dublin' has removed 43 containers from the ship. A total of 172 containers have been removed. Four frac tanks have been placed on the deck of the 'MSC Baltic III'. The oil in the tanks is heated, pumped over and then the frac tanks are removed. Four of the six main tanks have now been emptied. Oil booms have been placed around the ship, but small oil observations, such as tar spots and small tar balls, have been observed in Cedar Cove and the nearby coastline.

NSW Ports and Patrick Terminals have commenced work on a A$190 million project to double on-dock rail infrastructure capacity at Port Botany’s Patrick Terminals - Sydney AutoStrad in Australia. The project includes investment of A$120 million from NSW Ports to deliver on-dock rail infrastructure and A$70 million from Patrick Terminals to deliver automated rail operating equipment at the container terminal. The project will deliver capacity to handle one million TEUs on rail and improve train turn-around times by 33 percent. It will be opened in stages to allow existing rail operations at the terminal to continue throughout the construction period. Once fully operational in 2023, the project will increase rail capacity of the Patrick Terminals – Sydney AutoStrad from 250,000 to one million TEU. It is anticipated to reduce the truck kilometers travelled in Sydney by at least 10 million per year, saving over two million liters of diesel per year – the equivalent of a net reduction of more than 5,400 in CO2 emissions tonnes per year.

The Sri Lankan government on Friday said it has begun a massive development project to further modernize its ports across the country in order to transform Sri Lanka into a maritime hub in the region. The government information department said in a statement that under this mega development project, the Port of Colombo will continue to develop its facilities for container handling by continuous addition of capacity, advanced handling and processing technology. “The development of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Port of Colombo will be followed by the West Container Terminal (WCT 1 and 2) ahead of demand. The ECT and the South Asia Gateway Terminal will be expanded to create an ultra large container terminal, expanding the total capacity to 35 million TEUs in the coming years,” Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and Western Development said. Last year, the Port of Colombo handled a record breaking seven million TEUs(twenty-foot equivalent units).

The 'Trondenes', serving on the route Nesna - Nesna Islands, had to cancel the scheduled departures from Tomma starting on July 1, 2025, at 08.45 a.m., and until further notice, The ferry had suffered technical issues.

The 'Jason' was among the assets mobilized for the wreck removal of the 'Show Boat', 337 gt (IMO 8822909) west of Capicciola Point, in the commune of Zonza, northeast of the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, where it is resting on a rocky bottom at a water depth of nine meters. The Maritime Prefect of the Mediterranean had sent two formal notices to the owner in recent months, which were followed by several reminders from the Corsican Sea and Coastal Directorate (DMLC), requesting him to take the necessary measures to stop the damage to the marine environment and restore maritime safety, before the Maritime Prefect decided to act ex officio using state resources, at the owner's expense and risk. The first phase of this operation, which will take place from July 2 to 10, 2025, aims to eliminate the danger posed by the wreck at the start of the summer season. Coordinated by the DMLC (French Maritime and Coastal Clearance Commission), under the authority of the Maritime Prefecture, the Mediterranean Mine Clearance Diving Group (GPD) and the Aspretto Naval Base Anti-Pollution Unit were mobilized along with the 'Jason'. During the operation, all activities will be prohibited within a 50-meter radius of the wreck; Swimming and diving will be prohibited within a 500-meter radius of the wreck. The work will involve the installation of blanking plates and cutting operations. These operations will require the use of low-explosive charges from sunrise to 9:00 a.m. Specific measures will be taken to ensure that this work is carried out with strict respect for the marine environment. The 35,5-meter-long 'Showboat', which was being dismantled in the port of Porto-Vecchio, had run aground on the night of Oct 23, 2024, due to a strong swell. The vessel was built in Paimboeuf in Loire-Atlantique at the Chauvet shipyard as a gastronomic and cruise ship in the Gulf of Morbihan and could accommodate 200 passengers. The shipowner obtained approval from the municipality and maritime affairs for its operation and thus in April 1986 the 'Georges-Cadoudal', as it was named, was delivered and docked at Port Saint Goustan. The ship only operated for one season in the Gulf of Morbihan. Later, the concept and the ship were adopted on the French Riviera, renamed the "Ville de Cannes' and moored in the old port of Cannes in front of the Palais des Festivals. It provided restaurant cruises in the Bay of Cannes in the early 2000s. It was later transferred to Porto Vecchio for karaoke restaurant evenings and renamed 'Show Boat'. 2016 its operation ended due to health issues, particularly related to the presence of asbestos in its structure. It was then squatted for a while before dismantled started.

Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Penn Terminals, located on the Delaware River in the US, from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. According to PSA, Penn Terminals is one of the best equipped, privately owned multipurpose marine terminals on the Eastern Coast of the US. The deal marks PSA’s first acquisition in the US. Penn has recently undergone a significant capacity upgrade with the addition of two new post-panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cranes in late 2018.

The Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) is the only container port in Jordan and the primary trade gateway for the Jordanian market, bordering five countries and three continents. The port handles capacities of 1.2 million TEUs and 1km of berthing. Under a joint Development Agreement between APM Terminals and the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), BAM International, a subsidiary of the European BAM Group, built the container terminal in 2013 and the Aqaba New Port in 2014. APM Terminals has invested USD 284 million in developing the terminal’s infrastructure and expanding its capacity.

The 'Isle of Islay' has reached an advance state of completion and on course to be finished by the Cemre shipyard before the end of September, provided all goes well with installing her battery system, the last haul of installation and most importantly endurance testing activities. The other three ships being built at the same yard, the 'Loch Indaal', 'Lochmor' and 'Claymore', were anticipated to follow a delivery schedule of six-month intervals from the handover of the 'Isle of Islay', which was due to be delivered in October 2024 and is running about nine months behind schedule. The Russian war in Ukraine impacting steel supplies, Houthi terrorist attacks on vessels heading for the Suez Canal through the Red Sea, and the earthquake in Turkey have contributed to the delay. Last minute hitches cannot be ruled out and engineering, mechanical and performance issues may emerge during a second series of endurance sea trials in a few weeks, which will take place a few miles off Yalova in the southern waters of the inland Marmara Sea, The first set of sea trials - called builders’ trials - over nine days at the end of May were successful. The vessel is still owned by the shipyard but representatives from CMAL and CalMac attended. This involved the set-up of the propulsion systems, generators, thrusters, stabilisers and associated electrical systems. These were then tested, trialled and measured with Lloyd’s Register and the Marine Coastguard Agency (MCA) in attendance. The vessel’s performance at full load was evaluated, including speed, stability, manoeuvrability, anchor deployment/recovery and endurance. The ship achieved the specified speed requirements. The trials also established the effectiveness of the vessel’s propulsion plant, automation and navigational systems.

The 'Wan Hai 503' continued to be towed on June 28, exiting the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). At noon the vessel was located in pos 08° 34.86'N, 074° 22.43'E, approximately 129 nautical miles from the Indian coastline, proceeding on a southerly course at a speed of 2.9 knots. The 'Offshore Warrior' remained engaged in towing the vessel with approximately 54 nautical miles remaining to exit the Indian EEZ. The vessel continued to experience moderate to rough sea conditions with winds ranging from 25 to 28 knots, gusting up to 42 knots during squalls. On-board conditions remained challenging. The cargo hold No. 4 continued to emit mixed smoke, with intermittent flare-ups observed. Thermal imaging conducted by the 'Saksham' indicated persistent elevated temperatures within hold No. 4, particularly in areas affected by collapsed containers and compromised deck hatches. Direct access to the casualty by salvage personnel remains limited due to heavy rolling, pitching, and prevailing swells. A salvage team transfer attempt by the 'Saksham' was aborted earlier the dday due to unsafe conditions. Firefighting operations were ongoing with the 'Saroja Blessing's maintaining boundary cooling and fire watch. The salvage team has confirmed that approximately 500 to 800 cubic metres of water have been pumped out of the flooded engine room using portable equipment. Further dewatering was subject to improved weather and safe boarding conditions. Two soft towlines remained in place for the casualty, with replacement by wire towlines pending a suitable weather window. The vessel’s draft remained largely unchanged, with portions of the port midship markings obscured, likely due to paint peeling in the fire-affected areas. The salvage team on site remainedequipped with FiFi systems, portable pumps, and firefighting resources. The 'Atlantis Virgo', carrying Pyrocool fire suppressant, was expected to arrive on site by June 30 to support targeted firefighting efforts. The 'Water Lily' has been tasked with logistical runs for fresh water, bunkers, and was also transporting the ship’s VDR to port for handover to the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) Kochi. The Indian Coast Guard has been actively supporting the operation with aerial surveillance from Kochi and has mobilised the ICGS 'Sujit' to assist with medical evacuation for salvage divers suffering from seasickness and exhaustion. The salvage logistics base was being shifted to Trivandrum to facilitate easier support as the vessel progressed southward. The vessel remained in a structurally compromised but stable condition, with primary risks stemming from the persistent smouldering fire in cargo hold No. 4, the residual flooding within the engine room, and unpredictable weather patterns. High winds and swells have severely limited boarding operations, complicating firefighting and dewatering efforts. The exposed opening on the forward section of cargo hold No. 4 continued to channel airflow into the hold, exacerbating flare-ups and making containment difficult. The ongoing boundary cooling remained the primary fire mitigation strategy, with additional efforts to initiate dewatering of the engine room using available portable equipment. CO₂ has been release in hold No. 5 using 126 cylinders from the CO2 Bank. Efforts were underway to secure a Port of Refuge, pending formal clearance. The vessel was expected to exit the Indian EEZ within the next 24 hours, after which only routine updates to MPA Singapore will continue unless further Indian support is requested. The priority actions were focusing on continued towage beyond the EEZ, enhanced fire suppression upon the 'Virgo’s arrival, safe dewatering of the engine room, and securing approval for port shelter. All agencies remained on high alert to ensure the situation did not escalate further. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/wan-hai-503-is-structurally-compromised-and-moved-out-of-indian-eez

Two workers were killed and three others injured after a cable attached to a ship collapsed on them at a shipbreaking yard at Sitakunda in Bangladesh on Saturday evening. The accident happened at the Ziri Subedar shipbreaking yard and is the latest in a series of deaths at Bangladeshi yards this year. On July 31, three workers died after inhaling toxic fumes from a gas leak while dismantling a tanker in the same shipbreaking yard.

The implementation of a range of simple measures to streamline shift changes at APM Terminals Pipavav has reduced vessel idle times, added capacity and reduced impact on crane moves per hour due to shift change by around 16%. At the same time, it has also improved trailer driver and crane operator safety. The Pipavav team has introduced clearly marked parking bays for terminal trailers, which provide a safe distance between each trailer. This provides drivers with a safe area to conduct pre-operation checks and protects them from other vehicles when exiting their trailers.