News

..in Aliaga, sailed from Rostock on Oct 16, 2018, with an ETA as of Oct 30.

After weeks of preparations, the demolition of the former PSD ferry "Prinses Margriet", now the "Kartanegra", has started in Indonesia. In the second week of October 2018 the cutting burners were taken aboard. In 2002 the former "Princess Margriet" was sold to Indonesia. It was given the name KMP "Kartanegara" and sailed between Merak and Bakauheni. In August 2017 the ferry was put up for sale. At the beginning of July 2018, the ship was taken out of service and shortly afterwards it became known that it would be demolished. The owner of the ship could no longer pay the repair costs. She arrived at Bojonegara Port on Sep 22. During the recent days useful items such as lifesaving equipment and life jackets have been removed from the ship. Now the demolition has begun. Dutch report with photos and video: https://www.omroepzeeland.nl/nieuws/108835/Sloop-PSD-boot-in-Indonesie-begonnen-Vaarwel-mijn-geliefde-schip

APM Terminals has reached a sales agreement with current partner SOCAR to divest its container terminal in Izmir, Turkey. The Aliağa facility, to be named Petlim Container Terminal, is the largest container terminal in Turkey’s Aegean region, and the third largest in Turkey with a capacity of 1.3 million TEU per year. As part of the deal, APM Terminals will continue managing the terminal, ensuring that both its shipping line and landside customers are looked after. The new structure of the terminal means that operating company Petlim will be fully owned by SOCAR Turkey and managed by APM Terminals.

Liebherr Container Cranes will deliver 10 electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes (ERTGs) to Montréal Gateway Terminals Partnership’s (MGT) Cast Terminal and Racine Terminal next year. In a release, Liebherr said that the electrically-operated, environmentally-friendly machines — of which five are destined for Cast Terminal and five are destined for Racine Terminal — offer lots of benefits regarding less noise and emissions and allow MGT to keep offering its customers an exceptionally-efficient and productive service. The cranes have a safe working load of 40.6 tonnes and can handle six containers, plus a truck lane’s width, while stacking 1-over-5 high.

The "Yuan Hai 9" suffered a fire in the superstructure in the morning of Oct 17, 2018, in the Qiongzhou Strait, while en route from Guangzhou to Haikou upon Hainan island. Several SAR ships were sent to assist, and the fire was soon put under control by activating the ship's own CO2 system. Seven non-essentail crew were evacuated, eight more remained on board. The ship was to be taken to Haikou.

The "Austera" ran aground off Løperen on Oct 17, 2018, at 2 p.m. due to poor visibility. No one was injured, and there was no danger of an oil spillage. The ship got stuck between Tjellholmen and Møren on the way from Øra at Løperen sailing in the direction of Rødshue. It suffered holes in a ballast tank. The ship grounded during high tide. Two tugs, the "Bebe" and "Bebecoaster" were on their way to the accident site. Also the NSSR lifeboat "Horn Rescue" attended after the grounding. Norwegian reports with photos: http://www.demokraten.no/nyheter/austera-grunnstotte-i-loperen-1.2510001 https://www.f-b.no/nyheter/loperen/skipsfart/skip-pa-grunn-i-loperen/s/5-59-1278269

The Freeport of Riga has announced that it is testing the suitability of its Spilve Meadows territory for construction and development projects. During the geodetic investigation, 3D visual modelling was performed to demonstrate the future development of the port, promoting the competitiveness of Riga for investors. Possible projects that could take place in the Spilve Meadows territory, as part of a proposed development programme, include a road network connection with the Daugavgrīva road and the construction of a new railway line. In addition to this, eight warehouses or manufacturing buildings, each with an area of 10,000 square metres, could also be built.

Lifting equipment firm Konecranes has netted a 54-crane deal for construction of the Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT), plus an order for the Mediterranean’s largest-ever mobile harbour crane. In a release, the Finnish company said that it had been chosen by KPCT operator Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) in the UAE to supply an automated stacking crane system for the second stage of the building of the Khalifa Port facility. The 54 automated rail mounted gantry (ARMG) cranes will have a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes, stacking 1-over-6 containers high, with 30 of the cranes set to be nine-wide and 24 set to be eleven-wide. They will come with automation controls and Konecranes’ Active Load Control system.

In the evening of Oct 16, 2018, the "Marinoe" ran aground a few hundred meters off the port of Cotinière on the island of Oléron. The trawler had left the channel and passed too close to a beacon and slammed into the marker. A strong swell then pushed it onto the beach. Due to the ​​low coefficient, the ship may remain grounded for a few days. Another boat already in vain tried to refloat it. Also an SNSM-lifeboat tried to help him without success. The recovery will have to wait until the tidal coefficients rises again. French report with photo and video: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/charente-maritime/ile-d-oleron/chalutier-echoue-devant-porte-cotiniere-oleron-1560454.html

On Oct 15, 2018, the distress beacon of the "Mestre Silva" was activated off Esmoriz. The ship had five crew members on board. Only one fisherman was rescued alive, the master of the boat, Rafael Silva, 54, from Vila do Conde, who was taken to the Santa Maria da Feira hospital. A 54-year-old fisherman from Póvoa de Varzim was recovered dead, and a 64-year-old fisherman from Vila do Conde and two Indonesians, aged 26 and 33, were missing. An SAR operation for the missing fishermen was launched. The buoy transmitting the emergency signal was detected by an P-3C Orion aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force and collected by the Navy Corvette 'Jacinto Cândido'. On the second day of operation, the corvette "Jacinto Cândido", a vessel of the Leixões Maritime Police, a vessel from the Salva-Vidas do Douro station and two craft of the Air Force were involved in the search. Most of them suspended their operations at sunset because of the reduced visibility, but the "Jacinto Cândido" remained in the area at night. On Oct 17, the Navy planned to continue with the SAr operation, involving the "Jacinto Cândido", a vessel of the Maritime Police of Leixões, a vessel of the Captaincy of Aveiro, a vessel of the Station Salva-Vidas do Douro and an Air Force aircraft. The "Mestre Silva" was registered in Póvoa de Varzim but operating from the port of Matosinhos. She sank about ten miles off Esmoriz in the Espinho district of Aveiro.

Jordan’s Aqaba New Port will see all ship and goods movements, warehouse management and logistics fully digitised in a project with a contract volume worth millions of euros. German company INPLAN Software Solutions (INPLAN), which provides software solutions for ports, terminals and maritime logistics firms, has won a tender for the venture, which will be realised in several phases and is anticipated to last two years. “INPLAN has been able to fully demonstrate its strong performance and succeeds in an 18-month bidding process against some 50 international competitors,” INPLAN chief executive Mohamad Itani said.

South Korea’s oceans ministry said it will look into the feasibility of developing a port in Russia’s Far East to help local companies take advantage of its strategic location. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it will carry out the feasibility study until September 2019 on the Port of Slavyanka, which borders North Korea and China. The ministry said the project is aimed at providing essential investment information to Korean companies, which have shown interest in development of the region.