News

Sri Lanka's state-run investment body has approved a $500 million liquefied natural gas plant by China Machinery Engineering Corp near a Chinese-controlled port and industrial zone, the development strategies minister said on Friday. The state-run Board of Investment has approved investment projects worth $1 billion in the first quarter, Malik Samarawickrama said, the largest of which was the LNG project in Hambantota, where China Merchants Port Holdings controls a Chinese-built port on a 99-year lease. The port, which is leased for $1.12 billion, is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe and likely to play a major role in China’s "belt and road" initiative

Efforts to save endangered right whale continues to knock cruise ships off course. Cruise ship companies have cancelled another dozen stops to Quebec ports of call, despite efforts by tourist operators in the region to allay their concerns about the reduced nautical speed limit meant to protect the right whale. Last year, about a third of the ships that were set to dock at the port in Gaspé cancelled planned visits after Transport Canada announced all ships would have to slow down to 10 knots when travelling through the Gulf of St. Lawrence. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/cruise-ship-cancellations-deal-economic-blow-to-gaspé-sept-îles-1.4644757

Europe’s busiest ferry port warned U.K. businesses it needs to do more to prepare for possible delivery delays post-Brexit, as it emerged one in three haven’t made plans to cope with customs changes when the U.K. leaves the European Union next year. A survey from the Port of Dover and British Chambers of Commerce published Monday found that while more than a third of traders relied on the so-called just-in-time delivery of goods, 33 percent of all businesses still haven’t made plans for possible changes to checks and declarations between the U.K. and EU. The survey consulted 835 businesses across the U.K. “For the sake of U.K. plc, it is vital that fluidity at Dover and throughout the supply chain is maintained,” said Richard Christian, head of policy and communications at the Port of Dover. “There is no substitutable capacity elsewhere that can handle the type and volume of goods.”

Workers at Ashdod Port began an “Italian strike” on May 1, 2018 in protest at the ports reform taking shape, sources inform “Globes”. Internal figures on shift output indicate that loading and unloading of ships were at about half target rates. “The workers are anxious about their livelihoods. Unless they talk to us on operating the two ports, the situation will only deteriorate,” a source at Ashdod Port told “Globes” today. “I fear that the workers will take the law into their hands and we will lose control because they are fed up that they have been toyed with for four years. They don’t want to end up like the Broadcasting Authority.” According to the source, the workers started to work “according to the safety rules”, and thereby deliberately caused a fall in the port’s output. “For example, a ‘Stop’ sign means ‘stop’. You can’t tell the workers to work faster,” he explained. Nevertheless, the source, who is close to the Ashdod Port management, said that “if anyone takes industrial action in connection with the reform, they are in contempt of the National Labor Court.” In hearings over the past three years, the court has refused to allow labor sanctions over the ports reform. The background to the go-slow at Ashdod Port is growing fear of competition from the new ports to be constructed as part of the ports reform, which will not only be more modern, but will be privately-owned and much leaner as far as manpower is concerned. The committee of the mechanical equipment workers at Ashdod Port sent a letter to Ministry of Transport director general Keren Terner last week demanding that they should operate the new port due to open in three years’ time.

Port Canaveral in Florida, US has started to demolish its oldest cruise terminal to make way for a new passenger terminal with an upgraded berth for large cruise ships and a parking garage. The demolition of Cruise Terminal 3, which was previously used for single-day cruise calls, is expected to be completed in July 2018 at a cost of US$210,000. It marks the start of a multi-phase, 20-month construction project that will be the largest in the port’s history.

During the ceremony for the inaugurational call at Hamburg of MSC MERAVIGLIA, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, announced to have MSC GRANDIOSA christened at port of Hamburg on 2nd November 2019. http://cruisedeck.de/erstanlauf-der-msc-meraviglia-in-hamburg/

South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has outlined an Island View Precinct Strategy, concerning the country’s Port of Durban, that “aims to facilitate greater participation of historically-disadvantaged persons in terminal operations”. According to a release, the plan, which sets out to address lease consideration within the major petrochemical hub in the port while encouraging new market entrants, also aims to enhance South Africa’s supply of strategic liquid bulk commodities. http://www.portstrategy.com/news101/world/africa/tnpa-lays-out-plan-for-durbans-liquid-bulk-hub

Stena Oil has signed an agreement to create a new marine fuel terminal in the Port of Frederikshavn. The facility will be fully adapted for the new Sulphur Directive 2020 and its location will reduce the distances travelled by bunkering vessels.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018, Port Kembla, Australia - Svitzer has advised that its Volume Based Surcharge (VBS) at Port Kembla will increase to 11.2% from the current 5%, effective from 1 June. The surcharge was introduced in May 2014 to cater for volume fluctuation. The tug volume for the 12 months ending 30 April 2018 was 3,485 tug jobs – a decrease from the last measurement point in October 2017 (3,621 tug jobs). The next review period will be for the 12 months ending 31 October 2018, with the new VBS to be introduced 1 December 2018. Source: GAC

The Sudanese Port of Suakin recently received container cranes and tugboats from Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) as part of the implementation of the first phase of the MoU the company had signed with the Port of Sudan.

Maersk Tankers has place an order for six tanker newbuildings in China, kicking off a newbuild program that could grow to include more vessels. Maersk Product Tankers’ board of directors has approved the order of six of ten LR2 newbuildings that are on contract with Dalian Shipyard. The plan is to deliver the six vessels over a period of two years with the first vessels entering the fleet in 2020.

Carnival Australia has renewed its commitment to help Cairns grow as a cruise hub by booking multiple calls at the Australian city’s cruise terminal, which is managed by Ports North. Between May 2018 and the end of 2019, Cairns will host 90 ship calls, the majority of which will be made by ships in Carnival Australia’s Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn brands. Two ships from its P&O Cruises Australia brand – Pacific Dawn and Pacific Jewel – will make a total of seven two-day alongside calls to Cairns in 2019, anchoring off Yorkeys Knob. In future, Ports North hopes to secure calls from the brands’ larger cruise ships, thanks to the completion of the Cairns Shipping Development Project. This involved Ports North dredging the Trinity Inlet channel to improve access for large cruise vessels of up to 300 metres in length to make alongside calls.

APM Terminals Elizabeth took delivery of four of the newest generation gantry cranes to better serve liner customers deploying larger ships. The cranes reach 23 containers across the vessel beam – equivalent to two thirds the width of a football field – and are part of the facility’s USD $200 million infrastructure investment plan scheduled for completion this year.

Turkey’s Yildirim Group has announced that its subsidiary Yilport Holding (Yilport) has started the first stage of channel dredging works at Puerto Bolívar in Ecuador — just over a year after it took over the facility.

TT-Line has signed a contract worth more than $688 million with FSG for the construction of two new Spirit of Tasmania vessels. The company whittled down a shortlist of 16 international shipyards to three late last year before settling with shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft. The new ships, each measuring 212 metres, would be able to carry 1800 passengers, 600 passenger vehicles, and would have more capacity for over-height vehicles. They had been designed with a 25 to 30-year lifespan for passenger and freight capacity; powered by liquefied natural gas and marine gasoil to meet new international environmental regulations set to be enacted in 2020. The $688 million cost would make the ships ready to sail from 2021. The cost would be funded out of business reserves, the vessel replacement fund which holds the company’s annual dividends, and additional borrowings. The new vessels signified the single largest infrastructure investment in the state's history and highlighted a growth in passenger numbers of more than 30 per cent and a drop in fares by 15 per cent in real terms.

The Panama Canal Authority announces an increase in the number of booking slots available for Neopanamax vessels. Effective May 7, 2018, one (1) additional booking slot will be offered to interested vessels (except LNG carriers), provided that the vessel to be awarded a booking slot for a particular date, meets the following criteria: Full container vessel with a length overall (LOA) of less than 320.0 meters (1,050 feet), beam less than 41.15 meters (135 feet), and deep draft less than 13.72 meters (45 feet) Tropical Fresh Water (TFW); Any vessel assigned a precaution designator of PD-1 or PD-2 (excluding full container vessels) with a beam of 36.58 meters (120 feet) or less, or with a length overall (LOA) of 259.08 meters (850 feet) or less. Any other vessel type with a length overall (LOA) of less than 304.8 meters (1,000 feet), a beam of less than 41.15 meters (135 feet), and a deep draft of less than 13.72 meters (45 feet) Tropical Fresh Water (TFW). This additional slot will be made available during the second booking period… Source: GAC

Port Waratah Coal Services’ two terminals at Newcastle port in eastern Australia had five ships waiting offshore Sunday, compared with 10 a week ago, the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator said it its weekly report. The queue was expected to fall to five vessels at the end of April and less than five at the end of May, HVCCC said. A total of 2.27 million mt of coal was shipped out of the PWCS terminals in the week ended Sunday, up 431,800 mt from a week earlier. Month-to-date exports totaled 8.56 million mt, according to the report.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. broke ground on its new cruise terminal at PortMiami in Florida, US on 26 April. The ceremony was held at PortMiami’s Terminal B and was attended by Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.; Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line; Howard Sherman, Norwegian’s executive vice president of onboard revenue and destination services; Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez; Miami-Dade County commissioner Rebeca Sosa;, PortMiami director and CEO Juan Kuryla; and Florida State representative Cynthia Stafford. Executives from the architecture and construction firms Bermello Ajamil & Partners and the NV2A-Haskell joint venture were also there. To be dedicated to the Norwegian Cruise Line brand, the new terminal is expected to be completed by November 2019. This will be just in time for the line’s newest Breakaway Plus class ship, Norwegian Encore, to make her debut in Miami with seasonal cruises to the Caribbean.

Maldives opens new international seaport. Minister for Economic Development, Hon. Mohamed Saeed has inaugurated Maamigili International Port today which is located on South Ari Atoll,

Daniel Günther, minister-president of the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein, Michael Thamm, ceo of Costa Group & Carnival Asia, Dr. Ulf Kämpfer, mayor of the Federal State capital Kiel, and Dr. Dirk Claus, md of Seehafen Kiel, signed a declaration of intent yesterday onboard AIDAluna on the joint promotion of environmentally-friendly cruise tourism in the port of Kiel. The landmark signing was done in the presence of Federal State minister of economic affairs, Dr. Bernd Buchholz, Federal State secretary of the environment, Tobias Goldschmidt, and AIDA president Felix Eichhorn. The core points of the agreement include the construction of a shoreside power plant by Seehafen Kiel on the Ostseekai (Baltic Quay), the use of low-emission liquefied natural gas(LNG) to operate AIDA Cruises' ships while they are in port, and the use of modern exhaust gas cleaning systems. Minister-president Günther said, 'With this declaration of intent we have taken a big step towards making cruise tourism in the north [of Germany] both more future-proof and environmentally-friendlier.' The Federal State intends to financially support the planned construction of the shoreside power plant on the Ostseekai and will be examining grant options. 'Sustainability, regional value creation and innovation are integral to our activities,' noted Thamm. Making cruise tourism forward-looking and sustainable 'We are very pleased that we are able to support the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein and the City of Kiel in making cruise tourism forward-looking and sustainable. I am firmly convinced that this kind of partnership will have a beacon effect for other ports in Germany and in Europe.' Trial operations on supplying LNG to AIDAprima while berthed at port will begin in Kiel in 2019. AIDA Cruises announced it will be fitting two other ships AIDAbella and AIDAluna with shoreside power connections and will also deploy cruise ships in Kiel that are fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems. Important step for the widespread acceptance of cruise tourism Dr. Buchholz called the development not only, 'an important step for the widespread acceptance of cruise tourism in Kiel, but also for the cruise company itself because the ships’ carbon footprints will increasingly affect guests’ booking behavior.' Goldschmidt added, 'We want to reduce air pollution in ports and their immediate environs by means of various measures. There are already alternatives to conventional on-board power generation with marine diesel, but they are not used on cost grounds. Support measures are required to change that. 'Apart from financial support for the provision of the necessary infrastructure in the ports and the prorated exemption of shoreside power from the levy imposed under the German Renewable Energies Act, these measures most notably also include a port charges structure that favours low-emission alternatives,' he added. Goldschmidt said, 'We have already called on the Federal Government to liaise with the EU Commission on uniform environmental standards - such as maximum values for sulfur content in ship fuels - in the territorial waters of the Member States. 'In addition, the foreseen designation of the Baltic, North Sea and English Channel as a NOx (nitrogen oxides) Emission Control Area (NECA) should be expanded to all EU waters.' Shoreside power in the cruise industry is a challenge Claus commented, 'Shoreside power in the cruise industry is a challenge. However, with AIDA Cruises we have found a viable basis for tackling this issue that complements the powering of ships with LNG. We want to set new standards together.' The shoreside power connection on the Ostseekai will have a connected load of 12 MW and will be able to supply ships whose on-board power supply has a frequency of 50 Hz and 60 Hz. Kiel’s Mayor Kämpfer remarked, 'Ship exhaust is often also mentioned in the debate on air pollutants from diesel vehicles on Kiel’s roads. For cruise ships to be accepted in Kiel it is important that other cruise companies also devote themselves more to the issues of the environment and sustainability.