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Norway’s Kleven Verft shipyard has signed a memorandum of understanding to build a third hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship for Norwegian operator Hurtigruten. Set to debut in the second quarter of 2021, the newbuild will be based on Hurtigurten’s first two hybrids expedition ships – Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen – which are currently under construction at Kleven. The 530-guest ship will have an ice-strengthened hull and advanced technologies that enable her to sail in extreme weather and sea conditions in remote regions of the world. The newbuild will also have some innovative features, such as substantially larger battery packs. “This groundbreaking vessel will take our guests to some of the most spectacular areas of our planet, in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way than ever seen before,” said Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten CEO.

In September 2018, Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) in New Zealand signed a software service level agreement (SLA) with Konecranes for the new automated straddle carriers soon to arrive at their terminal. The SLA includes 24/7 software technical support once the new equipment goes live. The equipment covered by the software service level agreement was ordered in 2017. The order included 27 new Konecranes Noell Automated Straddle Carriers (A-STRADs) and 21 retrofits to manually operated Konecranes Noell straddle carriers that would make them fully automated.

New cruise ship visitors and longer homeporting seasons from operators who regularly call at PortMiami helped the Florida port break passenger records in 2018. Almost 5.6 million cruise passengers passed through PortMiami this year – a 4.7% rise from 2017. The growth has been largely attributed to the fact that Oceania Cruises and Disney Cruise Line both extended their winter seasons, while Royal Caribbean International added extra sailings Empress of the Seas’ schedule and also began offering Miami departures on Mariner of the Seas. Three operators – Viking Ocean Cruises, Victory Cruise Lines and Seabourn – also called at the port for the first time.

Fosen Yard, together with the investment group around Deutsche Industrieanlagen and Patrick Hennings-Huep, the previous owner of Nordseewerke Emden Shipyard, has entered into an agreement to establish Fosen Nordseewerke GmbH and jointly take over the ongoing business in Emden.

Chinese gas distributor ENN Energy Holdings has begun operations at the first phase of its Zhoushan liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, Vice President Ma Shenyuan said, speaking at a commencement ceremony for the terminal on Friday. As ENN aims to ramp up winter supplies in eastern China, the tanker ‘Asia Integrity’ docked at the Zhoushan terminal on the same day, bringing 145,000 cubic meters of LNG from Australia supplies to mark the launch of China’s first privately-owned LNG facility. ENN has signed long-term deals including sales and purchase agreements with Chevron Corp and Australia’s Origin Energy and also has an agreement to buy LNG from Total . The deals total about 1.5 million tonnes per year of LNG.

Cargo transshipment from the Aktau port (Kazakhstan) to Azerbaijan increased by 32 percent in the first eight months of 2018, compared to the same period last year, the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan told Trend. “For the eight months of 2018, about 1.3 million tons of cargo were transshipped through the ports of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, including 202,000 tons from the Aktau port or 32 percent compared to the same period in 2017 (624,000 tons); 1.141 million tons from the Kuryk port, which is 66 percent more than in the same period last year (756,000 tons),” the ministry said. The ministry noted that in 2017, 740,500 tons of cargo (266,800 tons of oil, 19,700 tons of dry cargo, 454,000 tons of ferry cargo) were transshipped from the Aktau port to the Baku port, which ensured an increase of 76,900 tons compared to 2016 (663,600 tons).

Estonia-based shipping company Tallink Grupp has ordered an environmentally friendly car and passenger ferry from Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC). To be delivered in December 2021, the €250 million (US$288 million) Tallink Shuttle ferry will accommodate 2,800 people and will provide services between Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. The vessel will be equipped with the latest technology and systems to ensure she is as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. RMC, which has previously worked on six Tallink Grupp ferries, will begin planning the newbuild in spring 2019 and commence construction in 2020.

Kiel closed its latest cruise shipping season on Oct 28, 2018, with the visit of the “AIDAbella”. This year the port has been visited 166 times by 33 different cruise ships with a combined gross tonnage of more than 11 million. For the first time close to 600,000 cruise ship passengers, 16.4% more than last year, have passed through the port’s terminal facilities to end or embark on cruises. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the PORT OF KIEL (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) declared: “We have posted a good result and continue to invest in the expansion of our infrastructures for passenger and baggage handling as well as in the protection of the environment.” Already this season a new hall for baggage handling has been completed in the Ostuferhafen and work is now in full swing at the Ostseekai Terminal on the construction of a second passenger handling terminal. Kiel has set itself an ambitious time-table and will take the new nine million Euro terminal building into operation as early as 2019. Following that, construction will begin on the first DIN-certified, shore-based power supply facility for cruise ships. The investment, totalling more than 20 million Euros overall, will further increase the attractiveness of the Port of Kiel. “We will continue to grow”, said Dirk Claus.”Cruises in northern Europe are in much demand and always attract top passenger numbers.” The 2018 cruise shipping season in Kiel was marked by numerous highlights. One of them was the visit of TUI Cruises’ latest new building the “Mein Schiff 1”, which visited the fiord and ended her maiden voyage at the Ostseekai Terminal. The biggest ship to call was the 139,000 GT “MSC Preziosa”, which undertook 20 Baltic and Nordic cruises from Kiel. The Fiord’s most frequent visitors were the ships of AIDA Cruises, five of which were based in Kiel for the first time. Unique to date were this season’s nine maiden visits – seven of them by ships which were visiting Kiel as part of ongoing cruises. Dirk Claus said: “In addition to its function as a base port, Kiel is also being increasingly utilised as a stepping off point for day trips ashore. International cruise ship travellers have this year discovered Schleswig-Holstein as a holiday destination.” Among visitors to Kiel have been the shipping companies Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Holland America Line, Ponant, P&O and Saga, as well as new customers Pullmantur and Viking Ocean Cruises. From a port operations point of view, attention was focussed particularly on the twelve occasions when three, sometimes even more, ocean-going cruise ships were berthed in the port in additiion to the regular Baltic ferries. The high point of the season was on August 11th when five ocean-going ships - “AIDAaura”, “AIDAluna”, “Astor”, “Costa Pacifica” and the “MSC Preziosa” - all berthed. As far as the coming season is concerned, further growth in the size of ships is expected. AIDA Cruises’ 124,000 GT “AIDAprima” will be stationed in Kiel and can now be supplied with environmentally friendly LNG fuel during her berth time. An even bigger ship is the 171,600 GT “MSC Meraviglia” which has accommodation for up to 5,700 passengers and will set a new tonnage record for Kiel. “We are entering a new dimension as far as size is concerned”, said Dirk Claus “and we will expand our position as the leading turn-around port on the German Baltic coast”. Next year’s season will be inaugurated on March 31st by the “Viking Sky”. The most frequent callers will once again be the ships of AIDA, TUI Cruises, MSC and Costa – with the latter’s “Costa Pacifica” doubling the number of cruises from Kiel. New to Kiel among others will be the “Nieuw Statendam” of Holland America Line. The complete list of callers in 2019 will be published by the PORT OF KIEL at the turn of the year.

As part of its modernization and expansion project, YILPORT Puerto Bolívar has ordered 6 ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 18 electrified rubber-tired gantry (E-RTG) cranes from Mitsui E&S Machinery Co. to boost capabilities of the terminal and meet customer expectations by YILPORT Holding’s global standards. The cranes will be delivered in three shipments to support increasing volumes and modernization plans of YILPORT Puerto Bolívar. In the first phase, 2 STS cranes and 6 RTG cranes are expected to be delivered in the last quarter of 2019. The second and third deliveries to include 4 STS and 12 RTG cranes will be shipped in the first half of 2020. The first 2 STS cranes will have 62 meters 22 rows out-reach capacity, designed to serve 14,000 TEU vessels. Remaining 4 STS cranes will have 67 meters 24 rows out-reach capacity

The long-awaited newbuilding contract for what will become the largest ro-pax ever in the history of Naviera Armas has now been officially signed with Hijos de J. Barreras, the Vigo-based shipbuilder with whom the Canaries-headquartered ferry operator has a longstanding relationship.

Production has now started with the first steel cut of the first two Norled double-enders at Poland’s Remontowa Shipbuilding (yard number 619/1 and 619/2). The two diesel-electric hybrid double-enders will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Egypt will reduce the tariffs on container ships and ferries coming from foreign ports to East Port Said for a period of one year, the Suez Canal Authority said in a statement. A 30 percent discount on port, docking and guiding fees will apply for vessels carrying less than 80,000 tonnes while those carrying more than that will receive a 40 percent discount, the statement said. Vessels carrying more than 50 containers will be eligible for a discount of up to 60 percent, but both rates cannot be applied at the same time, it said. The Suez Canal is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and one of the Egyptian government’s main sources of foreign currency. Source: Reuters

On behalf of Port of Rotterdam Authority, the consortium Boskalis, Van Hattum en Blankevoort and Mobilis is constructing a deep-sea quay, inland navigation quay and jetty for the new HES Hartel Tank Terminal on the Hartelstrook (Maasvlakte 1). To enable the tank terminal to accommodate large oil tankers and inland vessels, the consortium is constructing a 1,200-metre quay wall for sea-going vessels, an 1,100-metre quay wall and a 350-metre jetty with four berths for inland vessels, as well as the necessary bank and seabed protection. ‘Port of Rotterdam Authority started its part of the work in January 2018. The 600 mixed-in-place piles are now in place and the reinforcement work and concrete placements of the quay walls are in full swing. We need to have completed our work by the end of 2019 and we’re on track,’ says Stefanie van der Wee, project manager Port Development Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The harbour board has announced when the wreck of a fishing vessel in Littlehampton Harbour will be recovered. The boat sank at the entrance in the morning of Oct 19, 2018, and six people were rescued. Large commercial vessels could not use the harbour, but none were expected until Oct 22. Mariners were warned of the marked wreck between the Entrance Beacons of Littlehampton Harbour which was resting on the bottom approximately 10 metres to the east of the West Pier Beacon, also known as the Drumhead at the end of the West Works. Wreck position 50o47.89N, 000o32.45W. The 8,5-m fishing vessel was marked by two yellow buoys. The vessel’s antenna was visible at high water. Multicat operations were being mobilised with a 20 m multicat workboat and dive team expected by early afternoon. Small and medium sized vessels could depart or enter the harbour safely by carefully navigating around the marked wreck which is situated on the west side of the channel just before the end of the West Pier. The harbour may be closed during later recovery operations. The timber vessel was departing the harbour when it struck the entrance, causing it to take in water and sink. The six people in the boat were stranded in the water, and two other fishing vessels came to their aid and pulled five of them out of the water. The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent, Littlehampton Coastguard Rescue team, the South East Coast Ambulance Service and Sussex Police were also involved. The volunteer crew of the Atlantic lifeboat rescued the man from the water and took him and a second man, who had been rescued by one of the fishing boats and was believed to be one of the most severely affected by their time in the water, to the lifeboat station. The lifeboat then returned to the harbour entrance and the four remaining men were transferred from the fishing boats to the lifeboat and taken to the lifeboat station to warm up and receive treatment by the ambulance crews. None of the casualties required transferring to hospital. Reports with photos and video: https://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/news/transport/littlehampton-harbour-boat-wreck-set-to-be-recovered-1-8675384 https://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/news/six-rescued-after-boat-sinks-in-littlehampton-harbour-1-8674910

Hurtigruten AS have ordered a further expedition cruise ship with Kleven yard at Ulsteinvik, which is owned by Hurtigruten AS. http://cruisedeck.de/neue-order-noch-ein-expeditionsschiff-fuer-hurtigruten-as/

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) recently welcomed the ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM) 10,070-TEU (container) Tianjin vessel on its maiden call to the port’s Blount Island Marine Terminal, the company said in its press release. JAXPORT offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers and with the addition of ZIM, one of the world’s largest container shipping lines, ten of the world’s top 11 global carriers now offer service through the port.

With no Moroccan operator interested in serving the route between Almeria and Nador, it would appear that the Moroccan ‘Marine Marchande’ authorities have authorised Baleària to continue operating on the route, competing with Trasmediterranea.

The Regional Government of Sardinia has selected Moby to operate the winter ferry service between Santa Teresa di Gallura (Sardinia) and Bonifacio (Corsica).

Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), operator of Greece’s largest port, wants the Greek government to speed up the approval of an investment plan that aims to attract more business to one of Europe’s largest harbours, executives said. PPA, majority owned by China’sCOSCO Shipping, is awaiting the green light from Greece’s shipping ministry to proceed with mandatory investments based on its concession agreement with the Greek state.

Cruise traffic hit an all-time high at Sweden’s Ports of Stockholm in the 2018 season. Between April and October, Ports of Stockholm hosted visits from 267 international cruise ships and 619,000 passengers at its cruise berths in located in Stockholm and Nynäshamn. The Port of Kapellskär also welcomed its first-ever cruise call when MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia arrived with 3,500 guests this September, bringing the total number of cruise ships to 268. This marks a rise from both 2016 and 2017 when the ports welcomed a total of 230 ships and 490,000 guests and 263 vessels and 600,000 passengers respectively.