Out of the Box

Port of Southampton sets new records in cruise activity

2024 marked another highly successful year for the cruise industry at Associated British Ports (ABP) Southampton, reinforcing its position as Northern Europe’s top cruise turnaround port and the leading cruise port in the United Kingdom.

The Port of Southampton welcomed three million passengers, exceeding the 2023 record, and contributed over US$1.2 billion to the local and regional economy.

Rebekah Keeler, Cruise Strategy Manager of ABP, mentioned: “We are proud to have the capability,...

https://container-news.com/port-of-southampton-sets-new-records-in-cruise-activity/

NYK establishes ship management firm for offshore wind power projects

In December, NYK jointly established Japan Offshore Support (JOS) together with Akita Eisen KK to provide ship maintenance and management services for offshore wind power projects, as well as training and employment for seafarers.

By actively recruiting local talent, JOS will contribute to the development of offshore wind power projects and the revitalization of the local community in Akita Prefecture.

JOS will be mainly responsible for the maintenance and management of crew transfer vessels...

https://container-news.com/nyk-establishes-ship-management-firm-for-offshore-wind-power-projects/

Two ships sink around Singapore

Two ships encountered distress around Singapore waters over the weekend. In the first incident, a Vietnamese general cargo ship, Dolphin 18, capsized 274 nautical miles off Vung Tau, Vietnam on 11 January.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said that around 7am local time, it was informed by Maersk Line’s container ship, Nicolai Maersk, that the Dolphin 18 had sent a distress call.

Vessel-tracking data shows that Dolphin 18, a 1999-built 7,950 dwt ship owned by Vinh Son Trading & Transport,...

https://container-news.com/two-ships-sink-around-singapore/

Carpenter dies after bulker accident in Kaohsiung

A 26-year-old carpenter working on a cargo hold in a ship anchored in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port died on 8 January, after a cable broke loose and struck his head.

Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC), which oversees all ports on the island, said that the incident took place around 1.40 pm on 8 January on the Savita Naree, a Singapore-flagged 2016-built Ultramax bulk carrier that arrived in Kaohsiung on 7 January.

The carpenter was conveyed unconscious to Yuan’s General Hospital where he was...

https://container-news.com/carpenter-dies-kaohsiung/

DB Schenker opens air cargo route between China and Germany

On 7 January, DB Schenker launched a new Ezhou-Frankfurt regular cargo route with the inaugural flight of a Boeing 777 freighter from the Chinese Ezhou Huahu International Airport to Frankfurt, Germany.

The route, operated by Etihad Cargo, will run weekly with a stopover in Abu Dhabi, transporting diverse goods including e-commerce, high-tech, electronics, and automotive parts. It is also expected to handle an annual cargo volume of 5,200 tons, bolstering Sino-European trade and economic ties.

She...

https://container-news.com/db-schenker-opens-air-cargo-route-between-china-and-germany/

WFS establishes fourth warehouse in Copenhagen

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, is set to open a fourth warehouse at Copenhagen Airport in Denmark to support the growth of its specialised E-commerce & Freight Forwarder Handling (EFFH) services in Scandinavia.

Starting from 1 March 2025, WFS will also assume the existing customer portfolio of Wallenborn Outsourcing in Copenhagen, acquired from Wallenborn Transports, a leading European air-cargo road feeder services (RFS) operator.

Initially, EFFH services will be managed from a...

https://container-news.com/wfs-establishes-fourth-warehouse-in-copenhagen/

Record cruise season for Port of Bilbao

The 2024 cruise season at the Port of Bilbao in Spain commenced on 5 April, marking a record-breaking year with the arrival and departure of 81 cruise ships.

These vessels, ranging from 126 to 348 meters in length, collectively carried approximately 140,000 passengers. This season surpassed the previous year with one additional ship docking at the port.

Passengers hailed predominantly from the United Kingdom (43.5%), the United States (22%), and Germany (19%). Notably, ten cruise ships made their...

https://container-news.com/record-cruise-season-for-port-of-bilbao/

Port of Amsterdam to ban open-loop scrubbers from 1 January

Starting on 1 January 2025, the Port of Amsterdam will enforce a restriction on using open-loop scrubbers for seagoing vessels, contributing to a cleaner aquatic environment.

Open-loop scrubbers discharge polluted wash water directly into the harbour, contaminating water and soil.

A scrubber, or “exhaust gas washer,” is a system installed in ship funnels to reduce sulphur emissions from exhaust gases. However, this process produces polluted wash water as a byproduct. Scrubbers are available in...

https://container-news.com/port-of-amsterdam-to-ban-open-loop-scrubbers-from-1-january/

Shell’s Singapore refinery suffers second oil leak in two months

Yet another oil spill has affected oil major Shell’s refinery in Singapore. A joint statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said that a processing unit that produces diesel at Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery has been shut down to facilitate investigations. The refined oil products in the unit are cooled with water from the sea.

The government agencies noted: “Shell...

https://container-news.com/shells-singapore-refinery-suffers-second-oil-leak-in-two-months/

New multipurpose ship joins Grimaldi fleet

With the delivery of the Great Cotonou on 20 December at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, the Grimaldi Group has completed its fleet of six innovative G5-class ro-ro multipurpose vessels.

Measuring 250 meters in length with a beam of 38 meters and a deadweight of 45,684 tonnes, Great Cotonou and its sister ships were designed to meet the specific requirements of the company and its clients.

Thanks to a fully customized internal configuration, these vessels can...

https://container-news.com/new-multipurpose-ship-joins-grimaldi-fleet/

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