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nverclyde Council plans to build a new £15 million (US$19.4 million) berthing facility and visitor centre at Greenock Ocean Terminal in Inverclyde, Scotland. To be funded by the Glasgow City Region Deal, the new berthing facility will boost Greenock’s capacity to handle cruise ships and enable operator Peel Ports to handle more than 150,000 cruise passengers per year. Forecasts suggest that this could generate an additional £26 million in annual revenue for the Scottish economy.

South African iron ore miner Kumba Iron Ore will start Saldanha port maintenance in September, according to contractual buyers of Kumba Monday. A company spokeswoman said Monday maintenance has already been scheduled early this year, the exact date was not yet certain but maintenance work would take a couple of weeks. “We have been informed by the miner that there will be port maintenance this month and shipments could be delayed,” a source at a large steelmaker in northern China which is a contractual buyer of Kumba. The expected tightness in supply from the maintenance could potentially push up lump premiums in China, as Kumba’s lump is used heavily by Chinese steel mills due to its high iron and low alumina content, according to an international trader. Lump demand in China has been strong recently because of the government’s strict controls over iron ore sintering on top of high iron ore pellet prices. Lump inventories at major ports in China had seen a sharp drawdown in August, according to market sources. Anglo American’s Kumba sold 21.2 million mt of iron ore in the first half of 2018, and 66.34% of Kumba’s total production is lump.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec has signed a contract for supplying two Kalmar Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, including related spare parts, to Curaçao Port Services B.V. The Panamax size cranes will be used for modernising the customer’s container handling operations at the Willemstad Container Terminal in Curaçao.

Tema LNG Terminal Company Ltd. on Sunday, September 2, 2018, signed an agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company, for the construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal to be sited in Tema. Tema LNG Terminal Company Ltd. is an entity controlled by Helios Investment Partners, the world’s largest Africa-focused private equity fund.

Workers of Croatia’s largest shipyards halt their strike after receiving delayed wages for July, Croatian television N1 reported. The workers of two shipyards, “Uljanik” in Pula and “3. Maj” in Rijeka, both affiliated to the same Uljanik Group, went on strike on Aug. 22 over unpaid wages and bad management in the company. For almost ten days workers were staging a protest in coastal city Pula with many citizens joining them. On Aug. 27, hundreds of workers came to the capital Zagreb where they protested in front of the government building. On Thursday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that the government had found a model to help workers and pay them salaries for July and August. One of the union leaders Djino Sverko told reporters on Friday that the workers will be back at their workplaces on Monday.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has been awarded a contract to heighten four ZPMC ship-to-shore (STS) cranes operated by Generale de Manutention Portuaire (GMP), a joint venture between DP World and Terminal Link (CMA-CGM), located in the port of Le Havre.

Due to continued strong growth in loaded containerized cargo, Port Houston has surged higher in the rankings of the top container ports in the United States. Port Houston, which has been expanding rapidly in recent years, has climbed to become the fifth largest container port in the U.S., according to JOC Piers data covering the second quarter of 2018. Port Houston handled 1,057,964 twenty-foot-equivalent-units (TEUs) during that period and catapulted up from the sixth spot. Port Houston is outpacing trade for the U.S. as a whole this year, led by strong imports, the data also shows. For example, during the first six months of 2018, Port Houston imports from the Trans-Pacific region jumped by 24 percent, a significant hike compared to overall U.S. Trans-Pacific imports, which increased by 5 percent.

The Port of Felixstowe's Trinity Quay remains congested with a backlog of cargo built up in August, following problems with the port's terminal operating system (TOS). Landguard is gradually returning to normal said the port, while quayside productivity continues to recover with corresponding improvement in container throughput, although the pace of progress is “slower than we would have liked,” said the port. “The first of the services that diverted temporarily to other ports, the jointly-operated Seago, Hamburg Sud and CMA CGM Levant service, returned to Felixstowe on 23rd August, and we are discussing with our shipping line customers welcoming back more services in the coming weeks,” the port reported. http://www.portstrategy.com/news101/world/europe/felixstowe-stable-but-backlog-remains

An Ethiopian commercial ship docked in an Eritrean port for the first time in two decades on Wednesday, state-affiliated media said, in a concrete sign of a stunning rapprochement between the neighbors and former foes. The Mekele entered the Red Sea port of Massawa and was due to carry 11,000 tonnes of Eritrean zinc to China, Ethiopian broadcaster Fana Broadcasting reported. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed offered to make peace with Eritrea after taking office in April – part of a series of reforms that has turned politics on its head in his country and the region. Landlocked Ethiopia has said it wants to make the re-opening of two roads connecting it to two of Eritrea’s ports a priority in the reconciliation process. Eritrea’s information minister, Yemane Ghebremeskel, said on Twitter that Abiy had arrived in Eritrea on a two-day working visit. The premier would visit Massawa and the capital Asmara, he added. Abiy first visited Eritrea in July as the countries agreed to end a two-decade old military standoff over their border and other issues. Source: Reuters

A $144m set of investment plans for port infrastructure has been unveiled for ports in Tasmania to futureproof the Australian state for the next 15 years. The TasPorts’ Port Master Plans focus on three major projects and several smaller investments. The three principal targets are the expansion of container berths at Burnie, the reconfiguration and expansion of Devonport east and the development of a new Antarctic logistics facility in Hobart. Other projects include investment at Bell Bay to enable forestry and mining exports from multiple berths and increased capacity for fuel storage; an international container terminal at Burnie plus increased terminal capacity; extended berthing facilities for passenger ships, cargo and freight at Devonport; and a reorganised cruise precinct at Macquarie Wharf in Hobart. Tasmanian Ports Corporation (TasPorts) chair Stephen Bradford said the plans and associated major projects would help the company meet customer demand and attract new business. Development work will start later this year. Source: Port Strategy

Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s largest cruise operator, has reached an agreement in principle with the Canaveral Port Authority on a new state-of-the-art terminal able to accommodate its new 180,000-ton ship, the largest ever constructed for the line, set to debut in 2020. The terms of the agreement are expected to be included on the agenda of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. If approved, the agreement will clear the way for Carnival Cruise Line’s plans to homeport the as-yet-unnamed 5,286-lower berth ship at Port Canaveral, further bolstering the line’s position as the port’s number one cruise operator. The vessel will offer an array of groundbreaking, never-before-seen features and attractions while also being the first North American-based cruise ship to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), part of Carnival Corporation’s “green cruising” design platform.

Greek assets body TAIPED plans to launch the third privatisation phase of 10 ports across Greece in autumn, with priority on four in Northern Greece, three in Attica as well as ports in Patra, Volos and Heraklio. The third phase follows the sale of the Thessaloniki Port Authority to South Europe Gateway Thessaloniki Limited (SEGT) for €231,926m earlier this year, reported GTP Headlines. Next in line for immediate development are the ports of Alexandroupolis, Kavala, Igoumenitsa, Corfu and Volos. So far, the ports of Alexandroupolis and Corfu have attracted the most interest, said GTP. Unlike the previous two ports – those of Thessaloniki and Piraeus – the government will not proceed with the full sale but will instead enter PPP contracts to “encourage the advent of investors who have specific knowhow and experience, while at the same time ensuring the public’s best interests.” According to Naftemporiki, said GTP, cruise travel activity is the point of interest for Corfu and Heraklio, freight services for Alexandroupolis, connecting ports in the Black Sea for Kavala, and serving the Adriatic for the port of Igoumenitsa. The ports of Lavrio, Rafina and Elefsina, according to Naftemporiki, have been put on the back burner for now as there has been limited investor interest. Source: Port Strategy

The Chennai Port saw berthing of a very large crude carrier (VLCC) on Friday, the first time for an Indian port in an enclosed harbour. The vessel, MT New Diamond, with 1,60,079 gross registered tonnage (the ship’s internal volume), arrived from the Basra oil terminal in Iraq, carrying 1,33,719 tonnes of light crude oil on Thursday night. The vessel berthed in the oil docks of the Chennai Port on Friday. Port officials said the vessel had been chartered by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), which will refine the crude into products and supply them to the oil company. CPCL has its refinery at Manali, from which petro products are supplied to the three State-run oil companies. Officials said it would be a challenge to handle such a huge vessel. High-powered tugs and pilots would be used to safely navigate and berth the vessel. At present, the Chennai Port handles Suezmax oil tankers (mid-sized cargo vessels), with a capacity of 1,50,000 dead weight tonnage (DWT).

At APM Terminals’ inland services facilities in San Antonio and Santiago, Chile, safety supervisors previously monitored activities on the ground. Now the latest technology is enabling their work to be done more effectively and safely. APM Terminals is amongst the first to use drones for security and to drive operational efficiency. The drones are clearly visible in the air above the facilities, moving about their various tasks. “Our safety supervisors are the ones tasked with keeping the people and activities at our facilities safe, but by doing their jobs next to container stacks, trucks and other machinery, they were exposed to the highest risks,” said Hector Espinoza, director for Latin America at APM Terminals’ subsidiary Container Operators S.A..

Fridenson Logistics of Israel, a logistic services provider based in Israel, has purchased two Konecranes BOXHUNTER RTGs for its inland container terminal near the port of Ashdod. The cranes will be delivered in autumn 2019. The BOXHUNTER RTG is becoming popular in Israel, with two units already delivered to another inland container terminal.

Protesters continued on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018 to block the entrance to Iraq’s Umm Qasr commodities port near Basra, port employees and local officials said. Demonstrations spread to the port on Wednesday night, raising the stakes in some of the worst unrest in southern Iraqi cities in months. Umm Qasr receives Iraqi imports of grain, vegetable oils and sugar shipments. So far it is not clear if the unrest will have a serious impact on the port’s operations. Source: Reuters

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The Port of Kiel said goodbye to the Italian cruise shipping company Costa Crociere cruise vessel Costa Pacifica for this year’s season on Sept 2, 2018. To mark the over 40 years of partnership between the shipping company, the city and the port, Hans-Werner Tovar, City President, Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director Port of Kiel, Captain Paolo Viscafè and Dr Jörg Rudolph, General Manager Costa Germany, unveiled a bronze plate on Kiel’s Walk of Cruise Ships at the Ostseekai Terminal. City President Tovar: “With this plate on the Walk of Cruise Ships, we commemorate the particular importance of Costa Crociere for Kiel as a cruise location. For more than 40 years the ships of Costa have been calling at our port. Hence, the Italian shipping company has contributed significantly to Kiel’s development into one of the most important cruise ports in Northern Europe.” The first ship to visit the Capital City of Schleswig-Holstein was the Frederico C in June 1976. The passenger turnaround at the Bollhörnkai Terminal amounted to 1,724 guests back then. Today’s call of Costa Pacifica saw more than 3,300 travelers debark in the morning while the equal number of guests is booked for the following cruise around Western Europe which is going to start in the evening. "More than 40 years ago, Costa was one of the first international shipping companies who acknowledged and utilized the potential of Kiel, the Baltic port. We feel at home here. For decades, we have had a reliable and flexible partner by our side: the Port of Kiel. Our crew, our guests and we – Europe’s largest cruise company - appreciate Kiel as an attractive location with a sound and modern infrastructure”, Jörg Rudolph explained. Jörg added: “Next year already, Costa will expand its presence in Kiel and thereby foster this successful partnership.” This year, the Costa Pacifica set off from Kiel’s Ostseekai Terminal to five cruises to the metropolises on the Baltic Sea. In 2019, the range will be expanded by five cruises to northern waters alternating with the Baltic cruise itinerary. This makes ten journeys to start in Kiel. Costa’s season opening 2019 will be on 7th June when the ship is expected back in Kiel after a transit journey from the Mediterranean. After the inaugural call of Frederico C, seven more Costa ships have been guests in the Port of Kiel: Columbus C, Costa Marina, Costa Victoria, Costa Classica, Costa Magica, Costa Pacifica and Costa Favolosa. To date, more than 700,000 Costa guests started or finished their cruise on the Fjord. Since 2011, Kiel has been the homeport for the Costa Pacifica (290 m, 114,500 GT) during the summer season. “Costa has been with us since our beginnings as a cruise port. At the end of the 1970s, cruise ships were a rarity in our port. Today, there are more than 160 calls per season”, says Port Chief Dirk Claus. In order to further strengthen our market position and to keep offering first-class service to the shipping companies and passengers also in the future, the Port of Kiel is currently starting to build a second terminal building at Ostseekai, which will be taken into operation with the beginning of the season 2019.”

As part of its commitment to maximizing the efficiency, flexibility and reliability of its service to all customers, the Panama Canal announced changes to the Transit Reservation (booking) System for Neopanamax vessels, effective October 1, 2018. The modifications are a step in a positive direction for the Neopanamax Locks and take into consideration the lifting of certain navigation rules for liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels and ongoing customer feedback, as well as routine analysis of the utilization and fair market value of the Expanded Canal. “We are fully committed to understanding and meeting the ever-changing needs of the global shipping community,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. “These changes, guided by input from our customers, strategic planning and years of experience, are an essential next step in ensuring the continued availability of the Expanded Canal for all.”

Since the initial agreement to build the port at Kribi was signed in 2009, 10 Chinese firms, including CHEC and its holding company, China Communications Construction Co., have obtained concessions to mine bauxite, iron ore and other minerals. Other Chinese companies are constructing office towers in the capital, Yaounde, and stadiums for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament. The Kribi project also highlights CHEC’s rapid expansion on the continent, where it’s won dozens of contracts and is expanding ports from Guinea in West Africa to Tanzania in the east. In Cameroon, CHEC has the country’s largest projects: the first and second stages of the Kribi complex will cost $1.3 billion, while it’s also building a $453 million highway linked to the port, holds a contract to dredge the port of Douala and has signed an accord for a railway to the Mbalam iron-ore deposit. After a slow start, the port shipped almost 3,000 logs of timber from the Central African Republic by June and handled about 80 vessels by mid-July.