The Panama Canal Authority launched a process to sanction certain tug captains that refused to transit ships through the expanded canal, thus impacting the traffic through the Neopanamax locks, the authority said. “The decision is based on the fact that these tugboat captains refused to fulfill their duty of assisting the transit of vessels through the Neopanamax locks, which affected the regular operation and caused a negative economic impact on the country as it affected the confidence of our clients and the image of the Panama Canal,” the authority said in a statement. Source: The Medi Telegraph
News
Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam Authority is calling on the Dutch Government to form a coalition with countries in northwest Europe to create a new carbon tax. The port authority’s CEO Allard Castelein has also this week revealed Europe’s largest port is making EUR5m in incentives available to shipowners and charterers who are willing to experiment with low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels.
Kiel
According to WSA all traffic at Kiel-Holtenau is suspended due to strike until abt. 24.00 hrs today - April 12, 2018
Gulfport
Yilport Holding will invest in facilities and equipment upgrades at the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi as part of a lease agreement with the Mississippi State Port Authority.
Teesport
‘Short sea operator acquired an additional container vessel to operate three departures a week from the Broekman Distriport terminal Botlek to PD Ports in Teesport’ ‘A fantastic add on to our Moerdijk services,” says Gerard de Groot managing director of A2B-online. “We are always looking for new opportunities whereby the requirement of our customers and the hinterland connections play a vital role. Both items do apply creating this new short sea service’. ‘The Broekman Distriport terminal is located in the middle of a chemical cluster of companies in the Botlek and as a tri-modal, multipurpose terminal it is ideally suited to cater to the increased demand of multimodality’, according to Rik Pek, Managing Director of Broekman Terminals. ‘Connections with various European destinations such as Norway, Spain and Poland, the availability of a RoRo ramp, quick access to the A15 highways and trains arriving from Italy and Germany make it a strategic hub between deep- and short sea’, he continues, ‘Of course we are very excited about this development and we are very are much looking forward to the cooperation with A2B-online’.
Wismar
60 years ago a series of 19 passengers vessels - the Mikhail Kalinin class - were built between 1958 and 1964 for Soviet shipping companies. More details http://cruisedeck.de/60-jahre-mikhail-kalinin-klasse/
Liverpool
UK ports operator Peel Ports Group and autonomous vessel firm ASV Global recently tested an autonomous shallow-draft survey boat at the Port of Liverpool. According to Peel Ports, it represents the first step in a partnership to explore the use of the technology at its other sites in the UK. For the first test, the ASV-built autonomous boat C-Cat 3 carried out a multibeam echosounder survey near Brocklebank Dock, a terminal on the River Mersey north of Liverpool. The demonstration was successful, and Peel Ports is exploring the possibility of further uses for the survey technology. It has signed a formal MOU with ASV that will give the autonomous systems developer access to other Peel Ports facilities for further testing.
Hamburg
German container terminal operator Eurogate reported positive earnings last year, despite increased throughput volatility because of the liner alliance reshuffle in 2017.
Felixstowe
The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first two remote control ship-to-shore gantry cranes. The two new cranes, the 32nd and 33rd at the UK’s largest container port, were delivered on the Zhen Hua 23 from ZPMC in Shanghai. Commenting on the new cranes, Clemence Cheng, CEO of the Port of Felixstowe and Executive Director, Hutchison Ports, said: “These new cranes are the latest acquisition in our ongoing investment programme to provide the best equipment, infrastructure and systems for our customers. They will further enhance our capability to work multiple mega-vessels simultaneously.
Istanbul
Turkey’s Oyak Group - owner of the country’s biggest steel producer, Erdemir Group - is to invest in a car logistics terminal in Yarimca port near Istanbul in partnership with Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line). According to a Reuters report, the investment will be $110 million.
Liverpool
Liverpool City Council has approved plans for a new £50 million (US$70 million) cruise terminal facility to be built on the River Mersey, which will enable the UK city to welcome some of the world’s biggest cruise ships. According to the plans, the existing Princes Jetty will be demolished to accommodate a permanent new cruise terminal, which will be built on a suspended deck structure in the river. The passenger and baggage facility will feature passport control services, a lounge, a café, toilets, a taxi rank and a vehicle pick-up point. The terminal will be designed and built in two stages, with UK-based building and civil engineering contractor McLaughlin & Harvey leading the first stage. Consultancy firm Ramboll UK will provide support and help to manage the project on behalf of the council. Liverpool City Council also confirmed that it will invest a further £32 million to upgrade the A565 road to support the new cruise facility. Plus, it will build a £20 million link road to extend Leeds Street to the waterfront to support a new £30 million Isle of Man Ferry terminal.
Genova
31st March 2018 was marking the 70th anniversary of Costa passenger shipping. On 31st March 1948 Costa's first passenger liner ANNA C departed Genova heading for Rio de Janeiro, which was the start to the successful story of Costa Crociere. More details http://cruisedeck.de/costa-crociere-70-jahre-costa-passagierschiffahrt/
King's Lynn
The Port of King’s Lynn has successfully welcomed a 300 tonne gas turbine, one of the heaviest cargoes to be handled as part of the project to breathe new life intorepower Centrica’s power station in Norfolk. The new Siemens gas turbine arrived at the Port of King’s Lynn Arriving aboard the general cargo vessel MV Eastern Vanquish. Due to the port’s close proximity to the power station site it will enable a natural flow of goods from incoming vessels to their ultimate destination, minimising the distance travelled by cargo and reducing transport costs.
Timaru
Five days after a fire broke out aboard the fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the port of Timaru, South Canterbury, responders are still working to extinguish the last of the flames. The Korean-owned Dong Won caught fire at a pier in Timaru on Monday night. All 60 crewmembers on board managed to escape the vessel safely, though several instances of smoke inhalation were reported. As of Tuesday, burning nets and fuel continued to hamper firefighting efforts, and rather than risk impairing the vessel's stability by flooding her with firefighting water, responders opted to let the blaze burn itself out while providing boundary cooling of the hull. One of the harbor's two tugs assisted this effort with its firefighting monitor.
Brunsbuettel
According to WSA all traffic at Brunsbüttel Canal locks is suspended due to strike until abt. 24.00 hrs today - April 12, 2018
Kiel
Kiel opens this year’s cruise shipping season on April 6th with the arrival of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ “Boudicca”, the company said in its press release. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the PORT OF KIEL (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) said: “We are well prepared and expect record passenger figures as well as ship visits.” According to registrations currently to hand, 32 different cruise ships with some 600,000 passengers will make a total of 166 calls in the port. The 205 m long “Boudicca”, of 28,388 GT, sailed through the Kiel Canal during the night and arrived on the Kiel Fiord in the morning. There it was welcomed with a water fountain tribute from one of the port’s tugs and escorted to its berth at the Ostseekai Cruise Terminal. During an onboard reception following its arrival, Kiel City President Hans-Werner Tovar welcomed Captain Juha Sartela and presented him with the port’s traditional maiden visit plaque.
Miami
Through the use of NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®), super-sized ships coming through the recently expanded Panama Canal can now more safely and efficiently enter the Miami seaport. In addition to the improved vessel safety, past NOAA studies have shown that a PORTS system, like the one dedicated by NOAA and PortMiami officials today, can provide considerable economic benefit to the local community. Already one of the busiest ports in the world, Miami’s harbour supports over a hundred thousand jobs while providing billions to the national economy.
Bangkok
APL announced the launch of the China Bangkok Express (CBX) service, a new shortsea service that directly links South China and Thailand each week.Characterised by competitive transit times, the CBX service promises the industry’s fastest connection from Nansha to Bangkok in four days. Also designed to transport special cargo, this service offers reefer and breakbulk solutions to facilitate these shipments.Shippers with cargo that are destined beyond Asia may also tap onto APL's global services network at the trans-shipment hubs of Hong Kong and Chiwan in South China for further connectivity.The CBX service will commence sailing on 18 April 2018 from Hong Kong, and call at the ports of Hong Kong, Shekou, Nansha, Bangkok and Laem Chabang. Source: Transportweekly
Marseille
Marseille based Compagnie du Ponant are celebrating their 30th anniversary in April 2018. Company was founded in 1988 at Nantes. More details http://cruisedeck.de/30-jahre-ponant-luxus-kreuzfahrten-aus-frankreich/