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The transporter bridge, which was hit by the 'Evert Prahm', now sailing as 'May B', on Jan 8, 2016, will be transported from the Saatsee shipyard across the Kiel Canal to its new destination in the communal port of Rendsburg on April 10, 2025,. The transporter bridge will be used as an open terrace and seating area for a fish snack bar at the Kiel Canal: The fundraising goal of the crowdfunding campaign by the Schleswig-Holstein municipal utility company (Stadtwerke SH) has been reached. According to the owner Martin Sick, the money will finance the transport of the transporter bridge across the Kiel Canal. The preparations for the transit are scheduled to begin early in the morning so that the pontoon can depart around 12:30 p.m., along with the transporter bridge to the site at Rendsburg's communal harbour. It will first be loaded onto a trailer by mobile cranes and then brought to the quay. From there, the ferry will then be loaded onto the pontoon for transport by a tug about two kilometers south down the canal. On the property by the canal, also owned by Martin Sick, the old landmark is to be renovated. The fish snack bar is scheduled to open by the Rendsburg Canal Cup, which takes place from Aug 8-10, at the latest. The unique vehicle celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013. It is one of the last eight similar structures in the world. Following the accident, a new transporter bridge was planned and built based on the original model. The new transporter bridge began operations in 2022. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/lokales/rendsburg-eckernfoerde/alte-schwebefaehre-rendsburg-wird-zum-fisch-imbiss-transport-am-10-april-UZ5JYRFNAND75HCOI6PQOQQIQQ.html

On March 31, 2025, at around 8.45 p.m. the river cruise ship 'Junker Jörg' (MMSI: 211513910), en route from Wolgast with 97 passengers on board, was in collision with the tank barge 'Argonaut', ballasting in the opposite direction, en route from Szczecin to Świnoujście, on the Szczecin-Świnoujście waterway near the island of Chełminek in the Szczecin Lagoon. Both ships continued to Szczecin after the accident. The "Junker Jörg" docked some time later at Wały Chrobrego (Hook Terrace) in the city's center.Nine people were slightly injured and received emergency medical treatment. According to the Provincial Emergency Department in Szczecin, an 84-year-old woman was taken to a hospital with head and hip injuries. She was expected to be released from the hospital and taken home on the morning of April 2. There were no leaks, but only damage to the side of the tanker above the waterline. The bow of the "Junker Jörg" suffered significant damaged above the waterline too. The crews of both vessels were subjected to a breathalyzer test. All of them tested negative. The Maritime Office in Szczecin started interviewing the crew members of both vessels and collecting evidence, records, etc. All information was then to be forwarded to the State Commission for Maritime Accident Investigation, which is investigating the causes of the accident. The 'Junker Jörg' will be repaired as quickly as possible. After that, the cruise will continue as normal according to the schedule. Passengers on the current cruise, for which the cabin ship departed from Stralsund on March 22, will still be able to take their excursions. Then the voyage will be terminated one day earlier than planned. Reports with photos and video: https://polska-morska.pl/2025/04/02/sa-poszkodowani-w-kolizji-statkow-na-zalewie-szczecinskim/?noamp=mobile https://www.rmf24.pl/regiony/szczecin/news-zderzenie-statkow-na-zalewie-szczecinskim-sa-poszkodowani,nId,7941462 https://szczecin.wyborcza.pl/szczecin/7,34939,31819560,statek-pasazerski-zderzyl-sie-z-barka-tankowcem-na-zalewie-szczecinskim.html https://radioszczecin.pl/1,486018,kolizja-na-torze-wodnym-szczecin-swinoujscie-zdj

Bangladesh has become the top dumping ground for discarded ships in the world with the country dismantling the highest number of vessels in the first half (January-June) of the current year, according to a report of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a leading NGO coalition campaigning for clean and safe ship recycling.

Canada’s arctic port of Churchill is set to resume its first grain shipments since 2015 after a group backed by investor Prem Watsa stepped in last year to buy the facility and a related rail line linking the northern town with the rest of Manitoba. The 88-year-old port on the shores of Hudson’s Bay will resume operations in the next few months, reducing by several days the shipping time to deliver grains to Europe and the Middle East across the Atlantic Ocean.

The insurance issued to dozens of aging oil tankers used by Russia to skirt international sanctions was bogus, according to Norwegian authorities, which are now investigating the Norway-registered Romarine AS, which is behind the forged documents and is fully owned by Andrey Mochalin, a Russian citizen and former employee of the Norwegian insurer Hydor AS. The company was not registered as an insurance provider by Norway’s Financial Supervisory Authority Finanstilsynet (FSA). The firm made an effort to show the tankers involved had Western insurance coverage in the event of pollution or sinking. The FSA sent a warning to Romarine in January of this year, but the company failed to respond, prompting the FSA to issue an order on March 4, 2025, instructing the firm to halt operations. Romarine stated it was aware of the FSA’s order and that it had replied “with some delay through our lawyers.” Romarine said it operated in line with applicable regulations, but that it had decided to stop taking new business until there is a positive feedback from the authority. The FSA, however, has in fact not received a reply from Romarine. Norway’s official company registry shows that Romarine’s website is located in Russia with an IP address in St Petersburg. Romarine’s website as of early March listed at least 30 tankers subject to U.S., EU or UK sanctions, including the 'Captain Kostichev', which is operated by United Arab Emirates-based Stream Ship Management, and the 'Ionia' (IMO: 9312505), owned and operated by Seychelles-based Narus Maritime Corporation and since renamed 'Oilstar', A certificate of insurance provided by the 'Ionia' to Russian port authorities in Primorsk on Feb 2 and dated Jan 9, listed Romarine as its insurance provider. Another presented to port authorities in De Kastri by the 'Captain Kostichev' was dated March 24 and also listed Romarine as its insurer. Although that certificate said it was valid until April 24, the vessel has since been deleted from Romarine’s website, while the 'Ionia' was remaining. Regarding vessels that are subject to Western sanctions, Romarine said on March 12 that they appeared on its website by mistake due to a technical glitch. These vessels cannot access Western insurance markets because of sanctions, and have turned to Russian and Indian insurers to plug the gap. The FSA became concerned about Romarine after it received an emailed inquiry last September from overseas asking about a document carrying FSA’s letterhead which certified Romarine as a vessel’s insurer and immediately saw that it was false, The letterhead had possibly been copied and pasted into the forged document. It cited non-existent Norwegian law. The person who signed it never worked at the FSA, and the stamp was false. The FSA on March 25 posted a warning on its website against using the services of Romarine. The Oslo police have also launched an investigation into Romarine’s business activities after receiving a complaint from the FSA. They were investigating four people, two Norwegian nationals, one Bulgarian and one Russian, on suspicion of creating and using falsified documents and performing insurance mediation activities without a license. They said a search of the residence of one of the suspects was conducted in late March. The two Norwegians denied knowledge of any wrongdoing; The Russian resident of St. Petersburg owns and manages the business. He was not in custody, and despite the instructions from Norwegian authorities, the company's website remained online. As of March 25, the FSA was unable to reach the brokerage and warned against entering into agreements with the Romarine AS and against using the services offered through the company's websites. The new insurance inspection regime in the Baltic Sea turned up seven tankers that claimed to be covered by Romarine. The false coverage documents passed muster at the time, given the Norwegian address and connections of Romarine, but had no actual insurance behind them. This left the tankers dangerously uncovered in the event of a casualty or a spill.

On March 31, 2025, at around 8.45 p.m. the 'Junker Jörg', while on a river cruise from Wolgast with 97 passengers on board, was in collision with the tank barge 'Argonaut' (MMSI: 205527390), ballasting in the opposite direction, en route from Szczecin to Świnoujście, on the Szczecin-Świnoujście waterway near the island of Chełminek in the Szczecin Lagoon. Both ships continued to Szczecin after the accident. The "Junker Jörg" docked some time later at Wały Chrobrego (Hook Terrace) in the city's center.Nine people were slightly injured and received emergency medical treatment. According to the Provincial Emergency Department in Szczecin, an 84-year-old woman was taken to a hospital with head and hip injuries. She was expected to be released from the hospital and taken home on the morning of April 2. There were no leaks, but only damage to the side of the tanker above the waterline. The bow of the "Junker Jörg" suffered significant damaged above the waterline too. The crews of both vessels were subjected to a breathalyzer test. All of them tested negative. The Maritime Office in Szczecin started interviewing the crew members of both vessels and collecting evidence, records, etc. All information was then to be forwarded to the State Commission for Maritime Accident Investigation, which is investigating the causes of the accident. The 'Junker Jörg' will be repaired as quickly as possible. After that, the cruise will continue as normal according to the schedule. Passengers on the current cruise, for which the cabin ship departed from Stralsund on March 22, will still be able to take their excursions. Then the voyage will be terminated one day earlier than planned. Reports with photos and video: https://polska-morska.pl/2025/04/02/sa-poszkodowani-w-kolizji-statkow-na-zalewie-szczecinskim/?noamp=mobile https://www.rmf24.pl/regiony/szczecin/news-zderzenie-statkow-na-zalewie-szczecinskim-sa-poszkodowani,nId,7941462 https://szczecin.wyborcza.pl/szczecin/7,34939,31819560,statek-pasazerski-zderzyl-sie-z-barka-tankowcem-na-zalewie-szczecinskim.html https://radioszczecin.pl/1,486018,kolizja-na-torze-wodnym-szczecin-swinoujscie-zdj

The Portuguese government announced an investment of 547 million euros in the expansion of the Port of Sines in the southwest of the country and an agreement to extend its concession from 2029 to 2049. The agreement was reached last week between Portugal and PSA Singapore for the completion of the 3rd phase of expansion of Terminal XXI, so as to greatly increase its capacity and give another 20 years of operations in Portugal to PSA Singapore. The Sines port, 58 nautical miles south of Lisbon, is one of the major European ports and the great hub port of the Iberian-Atlantic front.

BEST terminal in the Port of Barcelona has recently increased its storage and connection capacity for refrigerated containers, from 1,600 connection points up to 2,750, an increase of 70%, making it one of the terminals with the most connections for refrigerated containers in the whole of the Mediterranean area.

The insurance issued to tankers used by Russia to skirt international sanctions was bogus, according to Norwegian authorities, which are now investigating the Norway-registered Romarine AS, which is behind the forged documents and is fully owned by Andrey Mochalin, a Russian citizen and former employee of the Norwegian insurer Hydor AS. The company was not registered as an insurance provider by Norway’s Financial Supervisory Authority Finanstilsynet (FSA). The firm made an effort to show the tankers involved had Western insurance coverage in the event of pollution or sinking. The FSA sent a warning to Romarine in January of this year, but the company failed to respond, prompting the FSA to issue an order on March 4, 2025, instructing the firm to halt operations. Romarine stated it was aware of the FSA’s March 4 order and that it had replied “with some delay through our lawyers.” Romarine said it operated in line with applicable regulations, but that it had decided to stop taking new business until there is a positive feedback from the authority. The FSA, however, has in fact not received a reply from Romarine. Norway’s official company registry shows that Romarine’s website is located in Russia with an IP address in St Petersburg. Romarine’s website as of early March listed at least 30 tankers subject to U.S., EU or UK sanctions, including the 'Captain Kostichev' (IMO: 9301392), operated by United Arab Emirates-based Stream Ship Management', and the 'Ionia', owned and operated by Seychelles-based Narus Maritime Corporation and since renamed 'Oilstar', A certificate of insurance provided by the 'Ionia' to Russian port authorities in Primorsk on Feb 2 and dated Jan 9, listed Romarine as its insurance provider. Another presented to port authorities in De Kastri by the 'Captain Kostichev' was dated March 24 and also listed Romarine as its insurer. Although that certificate said it was valid until April 24, the vessel has since been deleted from Romarine’s website, while the 'Ionia' was remaining. REgarding vessels that are subject to Western sanctions, Romarine said on March 12 that they appeared on its website by mistake due to a technical glitch. These vessels cannot access Western insurance markets because of sanctions, and have turned to Russian and Indian insurers to plug the gap. The FSA became concerned about Romarine after it received an emailed inquiry last September from overseas asking about a document carrying FSA’s letterhead which certified Romarine as a vessel’s insurer and immediately saw that it was false, The letterhead had possibly been copied and pasted into the forged document. It cited non-existent Norwegian law. The person who signed it never worked at the FSA, and the stamp was false. The FSA on March 25 posted a warning on its website against using the services of Romarine. The Oslo police have also launched an investigation into Romarine’s business activities after receiving a complaint from the FSA. They were investigating four people, two Norwegian nationals, one Bulgarian and one Russian, on suspicion of creating and using falsified documents and performing insurance mediation activities without a license. They said a search of the residence of one of the suspects was conducted in late March. The two Norwegians denied knowledge of any wrongdoing; The Russian resident of St. Petersburg owns and manages the business. He was not in custody, and despite the instructions from Norwegian authorities, the company's website remained online. As of March 25, the FSA was unable to reach the brokerage and warned against entering into agreements with the Romarine AS and against using the services offered through the company's websites. The new insurance inspection regime in the Baltic Sea turned up seven tankers that claimed to be covered by Romarine. The false coverage documents passed muster at the time, given the Norwegian address and connections of Romarine, but had no actual insurance behind them. This left the tankers dangerously uncovered in the event of a casualty or a spill.

The Clansman', saling on the route Uig - Lochmaddy , suffered an issue with its fire fighting system on April 1, which required further investigation and repairs. As a consequence, the scheduled 11:45 a.m. departure fromg Tarbert was delayed. After the issue has been resolved, the vessel finally departed from Tarbert at 04:00 p.m. with an. ETA in Uig as of 5:40 p.m. Due to the ferry being required to manoeuvre in Uig bay to allow for propulsion system calibrations on April 2, the 2:20 p.m. service to Tarbert was at risk to be delayed.

APM Terminals Maasvlakte II’s new rail service between its Rotterdam terminal and Venlo, a key logistics hub on the Dutch-German border is proving popular. Following the success of the initial five-times-per-week service, plans are already in place to scale this up to 14 times per week over the coming weeks.

A 24-hour national labour strike is planned on Jul 24, in all Italian ports and all transportations. The planned strike is subject to confirmation in the coming days.