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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 083

Distribution : daily to 28875+ active addresses 24-03-2014

Number 083 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 24-03-2014

News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

The 1981 built NIS flag semi-submersible FALCON approaching Bunkering Area 1

,Malta on Saturday 22nd March, 2014 loaded with the 1977 built drillship PETROSAUDI DISCOVERER to offload her at Malta from Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com ©

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The CARLO MAGNO passing the STENA ARCTICA at the Westerschelde – Photo : Henk Nagelhout ©

MAERSK INTREPID NAMED IN SINGAPORE

In a ceremony held at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore, Karen Tiffen, wife of Martin Tiffen, managing director of Total E&P Norge, had the honor of naming the ultra harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Intrepid in the presence of the Guest of Honour Mr Lui Tuck Yew, minister for transport in Singapore.

Maersk Intrepid is the first in a series of four ultra harsh environment jack-up rigs to enter Maersk Drilling’s rig fleet. The four jack-up rigs represent a total investment of USD 2.6bn. The first three jack-up rigs, including Maersk Intrepid, will be delivered from the Keppel FELS shipyard in 2014-2015, and the fourth will be delivered from the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in South Korea in 2016.

After delivery from the yard, Maersk Intrepid will mobilize to the North Sea and commence a four year firm contract with Total E&P Norge for drilling the demanding and complex wells on the Martin Linge field development in the

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Norwegian North Sea. The contract includes four one-year options. The estimated contract value for the firm contract is USD 550 million.

“With the naming of the Maersk Intrepid, we are opening a new chapter in Maersk Drilling’s Norwegian history. We have invested in the Maersk Intrepid and its three sister rigs in order to continue to grow and leverage our market leading position in Norway. The Maersk Intrepid is the first of the four rigs being delivered and I am very pleased that it is going to Norway to work for one of our key customers, Total E&P Norge AS,” says Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling and member of the executive board of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group.

With a leg length of 206.8 m (678 ft) the rigs are the world’s largest jack-up rigs and are designed for year round operation in the North Sea, in water depths up to 150 m (492 ft).Uptime and drilling efficiency are maximized through dual pipe handling. While one string is working in the well bore, a second string of e.g. casing, drill pipe or bottom hole assembly can be assembled/disassembled and stored in the set-back area, ready for subsequent transfer for use in the well bore thus reducing the non-productive time. The drill floor features Multi Machine Control - a fully remote operated pipe handling system allowing all standard operations such as stand building and tripping to be conducted without personnel on the drill floor thus ensuring a high level of consistency across crews and an improved efficiency. Source : MAREX

Avra’s NORTHWIND moored at repair jetty Walvisbay shortly before departure

Photo: Capt. Radboud Polee - Master tug Northwind ©

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$3000 a night in sick bay: Cruise ship passengers not always covered by Medicare

Passengers travelling on cruise ships between Australian ports have been warned that Medicare might not cover medical treatments required on board. Big cruise line operators, including Carnival Australia, claim Medicare ''does not apply'' on domestic voyages and the ship's doctors, many of whom are foreign, are not required to have provider numbers. ''There has never been an expectation that only Australian doctors with Medicare provider numbers would be employed on cruises between Australian ports,'' said a spokesman for Carnival, which owns P&O and Princess. ''We take every reasonable step to ensure our guests are aware of the arrangements that apply to on-board medical services and strongly recommend passengers obtain travel insurance.'' Doctors are contracted on a global basis, he said, not depending on which countries the ship is visiting. Despite this, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel website - which warns all cruise passengers to take out travel insurance - says Medicare benefits are payable for people ''travelling between two Australian ports''. When Sandra Barrett consulted a doctor during an overnight P&O cruise from Sydney to Melbourne last year, she was shocked to be hit with a $1700 bill. The doctor was not registered as a Medicare provider, meaning she was among thousands of passengers on board not covered by the national health scheme. ''I had no idea that if you get sick on a cruise in Australia then you could be up for a massive medical bill,'' says the 64-year-old, who received 20 minutes of treatment for heat exhaustion. ''It doesn't matter if it's something fleeting, once you get ill you have to pay. I was told that without travel insurance it would cost me $3000 a night to stay in the ship's sick bay.'' Western Sydney MP Laurie Ferguson raised Mrs Barrett's case in federal parliament on Monday. He said the government website gave ''no clue'' that passengers were not insured by the health system. ''The DFAT website advises that people are covered,'' he said. ''But they fail to qualify that by the reality that many of these doctors aren't registered for Medicare. ''I would not think it unusual that Australians travelling to the Melbourne Cup or some cricket event by ship would decide not to take out travel insurance for such a short journey. People would be astounded this could happen.'' Mrs Barrett, of Campbelltown, said while she had ''always'' taken out travel insurance for cruises to New Zealand, ''like many Australians I view the fact that if you are on a ship travelling between Australian ports then you are covered.'' Mr Ferguson said the government should ensure all ship operators running cruises between Australian ports have Medicare-accredited doctors. A spokesman for the Department of Health said medical arrangements on cruise ships are matters for the ship's operator and they are under ''no obligation'' to employ Medicare-eligible doctors. Source: smh.com.au

The GRANDE CONGO off Pointe Noire - Photo : Capt. Neil Johnston – Master TERASEA HAWK ©

Most Imminent Threat To African Trade Comes From The Sea…Piracy

Africa’s largest privately owned defence and aerospace business, Paramount Group has called for African solution for maritime insecurity across West Africa countries. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Paramount Naval System, James Fisher, through regional in-country integration and strong Africa shipbuilding industry, West Africa can



address the safety of its shores and support economy growth. He however singled out Ghana as the leading way to bolster its naval capabilities to benefit the West Africa countries.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) say piracy, including illegal fishing, off the West African coastline has amplified, costing the shipping and offshore industry more than $1 billion per year. This has led to an immediate need for African navies to join forces and restructure their strategies to include modernization and development of multi-purpose vessels for high risk zones.

Speaking at the inaugural Maritime and Surveillance Conference in Accra, Mr. Fisher however said “bearing in mind that 90% of trade in Africa is seaborne; the most imminent threat comes from the sea in the form of piracy. As a result, we need to establish closer regional cooperation including sharing of intelligence and streamlining operations”.

He added that, “Whiles mush emphasis is placed on the necessity to protect shores, there is also a need to ensure the navy is adequately equipped at carry out other key roles including surveillance and patrol, disaster and humanitarian relief operation, monitoring of fishing activities and assisting civil authorities such as the Ghana police and port and habour authority effort. Here, collaboration within each country and its various departments is essential”

Following Paramount Group’s recent acquisition of Nautic Africa and its recent launch of Paramount Nava Systems, the business is set to double its workforce by 2015 and deliver the ultimate vessel in the most cost effective manner.

This according James Fisher can serve as a the driver long term economic development, boosting industry, creating thousands of jobs and bring million dollars of foreign investment which will assist West Africa fast track its effort to meet the millennium development goal. Source : peacefmonline

DAMEN IN IJMUIDEN Last week some Damen build vessels visited IJmuiden and were shown to the public, Left seen the Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier FCS2008 Photo : Joop Marechal © and below the 2 Damen built units moored alongside Iskes HERCULES

Photo’s : Kees Torn ©



ENSCO 121 OFFLOADED IN ROTTERDAM

the Chinese semi-submersible transport vessel HUA HAI LONG arrived last week Sunday March 16th after a trip of 51 days from Singapore in Rotterdam Caland canal where the vessel was moored in preparations for the offloading of the Jack up rig ENSCO 121

Photo left : Hans van der Linden www.aerolin.nl @AerolinPhoto BV ©

After

ballasting the vessel the ENSO 121 was offloaded by several SMIT tugs which tugs , the SMIT CHEETAH, UNION GRIZZLY, SMIT PANTHER

and SMIT EBRO towed in continuation of the offloading operation the Rig to the Keppel Verolme shipyard in

Rotterdam-Botlek photo top right : Jan Oosterboer © photo right : Photo : Willem Holtkamp -

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The HUA HAI LONG deballasting after the offloading operation Photo top : Kees Schotel © and the ENSCO 121 enroute

Rotterdam Botlek Photo : Gerrit Jan Postma www.aerolin.nl AerolinPhoto BV

Ship owners invest $15 billion for newbuildings and secondhand vessels

during February Ship owners have kept on their aggressive stance in the investment scene both for newbuildings, as well as for secondhand vessels globally during the month of February, pouring more than $14.7 billion in total. Number are higher on the year, but lower when compared with a record-setting month of January. According to figures compiled by shipbroker Golden Destiny, this monthly fall could be attributed to the Chinese Lunar New Year.

According to the Piraeus-based shipbroker's latest monthly report, there were 205 vessels ordered during February for a total purchasing price of $11 billion, while an additional 92 orders were contracted at a undisclosed price. These numbers represent an increase of 33% on the year, but a decrease of 27% on the month. Meanwhile, in terms of secondhand vessel purchases, the shipbroker reported deals for 149 ships for an invested capital of more than $3.71 billion, which represents a fall of 13% on the month, but an increase of 26% on the year.

In its commentary, Golden Destiny said that "February ended with firmness in secondhand purchasing and ordering appetite of shipping players, but with a declining trend from the record highs of the first month of the year. The Chinese Lunar New Year may have impacted negatively the investment trends with shipping players waiting to see the direction of asset prices and freight rates during March. Expectations remain firm for the current outlook of freight rates with rosy picture of dry bulk segment, uncertainties for the steady recovery of crude freight rates and sharp downward pressure in boxship rates".

It added that "overall, S&P activity in the secondhand market for February 2014 ended on firmer levels than last year and even sharper levels than 2012. The upward incline of secondhand purchasing appetite is being led mainly by 45% year-onyear stronger vessel purchases for bulkers. During January-February 2014, the average number of weekly reported S&P transactions is 38 vessels, up by 58% year-on-year compared with 24 vessel purchases in the first two months of 2013 and up by 111% from 2012 levels (18 vessel purchases)". Meanwhile, "the highest level of investment continues

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to be centered on the newbuilding business as shipping players follow now more aggressive approach towards the construction of newbuilding units with the construction of LNG floating storage and regacification units emerging to be of high demand. Compared with the investments in the secondhand market, in terms of number of vessels, the ordering appetite for the construction of new vessels is 108% higher than the number of vessels purchased by shipping players worldwide. For February 2014, the hot pace of new orders seems to have faded from the accelerated levels of January and December 2012, but it remains at much stronger levels than the activity of the first two months of 2013 and 2012. During the first two months of 2014, the average number of weekly reported new orders was 79, up by 139% yearon-year(33 new orders on average reported per week in January-February 2013) and up by 295% from 2012 levels. (18 new orders on average reported per week in January-February 2012)", said Golden Destiny.

Finally, "in the demolition market, the scrapping appetite of shipping players firmed during February with higher scrapping momentum in all main conventional vessel segments (bulk carriers, tankers, liners and containers). Remarkable monthly increases in the number of disposals for liners and containers, 333% and 130% respectively, led scrapping activity to 70% month-on-month increase. During February, the average number of reported demolitions per week increased to 18 vessels, up by 80% from previous month, but it still remains at lower levels than last year. During January-February 2014, the average number of weekly reported demolitions represents 26% year-on-year decline with 14 vessels reported on average per week in 2014 compared with 19 vessels disposals per week in 2013 and 18 vessel disposals in 2012", the shipbroker concluded. Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Fednav brings new icebreaker to the Canadian Arctic

Photo: Mac Mackay – Shipfax ©

Fednav announces the arrival in Canada of its latest, highly specialized icebreaker, the MV NUNAVIK. Built at JMU's Tsu Shipyard in Japan, the ship will be used to export the concentrates produced at the Canadian Royalties owned Nunavik Nickel mine at Deception Bay in northern Quebec. The vessel will also supply the mine with equipment and fuel, year round. Rated Polar Class 4, the NUNAVIK.is the most powerful bulk-carrying icebreaker in the world. It is similar in design to the Umiak I, the Fednav ship servicing Vale's Voisey's Bay operation in Northern Labrador. The Nunavik will sail unescorted in Arctic regions and will operate in the extreme winter conditions of the Canadian Arctic. It is capable of maintaining continuous progress of 3 knots in 1.5 m of ice. The vessel was designed by Fednav and

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JMU, and will sail between Deception Bay and Northern Europe on a year-round basis. The engine produces 29,600 hp, three times the power of a conventional bulk carrier of the same size. The Nunavik will be supported by Enfotec Technical Services, a Fednav subsidiary to provide up to date information on ice conditions as well as technical support to the inhouse IceNav navigation system. The Nunavik is equipped with the latest environmental technologies, such as a Tier II engine that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 20%, and the first ballast treatment system installed on a Canadian-owned vessel. "Fednav is particularly proud of the arrival of this new ship," says Paul Pathy, President and Co-CEO of Fednav Limited. "It represents Fednav's commitment to mining development in the Arctic, as well as our dedication to technological development and energy efficiency." In naming this new ship Nunavik, Fednav wanted to recognize the inhabitants and the region in which it will operate as well as its project partner, Nunavik Nickel. Source : Fednav Limited

Suez Canal revenues forecast to hit record $5.5 bln this year

Revenues from Egypt's Suez Canal, one of the country's main sources of foreign currency, are expected to reach $5.5 billion in the current fiscal year, the head of the authority that manages the waterway said. Suez Canal Authority chief Mohab Memish said this would be a record high. Revenues from the canal rose 8.5 percent in November from a year earlier to $442.4 million, according to the latest statistics. Source: Reuters (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Maersk keen to enter delayed Brazilian port auctions

Container shipper Maersk Line, a unit of Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk, wants to compete in auctions to run port terminals in northern Brazil, if they ever occur, an executive said.

Legal hurdles have kept private operators from bidding on new port concessions, a step considered essential to improving the efficiency of South America's largest economy.

"There are projects in Suape, near Recife, and in Manaus but the concessions have been delayed," said Peter Gyde, president of Maersk Line in Brazil. "We are interested in participating as a group, but we need the concessions to happen." He told Reuters the northern and northeastern regions have the most potential to grow in Brazil, but that they also have the worst infrastructure. Ports are proving to be one of the most challenging pieces in Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's $100 billion plan to upgrade infrastructure with private capital. After some initial problems, auctions to operate roads and airports have gained momentum and were hotly contested last year.

Ports Minister Antonio Henrique Silveira told Reuters in February that auctions would start in the first half of 2014, despite objections from a federal audit court. Gyde said the benefits of private investment were already seen at Brazil's largest port, Santos, with the inauguration of private terminals BTP and Embraport. But he said access to the port needed to be improved. Long lines of trucks hauling bulk grains routinely form on the highways outside of Santos



despite new holding lots meant to smooth over the transfer process. Grain trading firms in Brazil, the world's top exporter of soybeans, also have their eyes on new shipping routes through the northeast that would cut freight costs from central Brazil to Santos in the southeast. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Roberta Vilas Boas; Additional reporting and writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Paul Simao)

Eastern ice latest obstacle to clearing Canada grain backlog

Thick ice on Eastern Canada waterways will hamper efforts to clear a massive crop backlog, with Port of Thunder Bay, Ontario, likely to open at least a week later than usual this spring, its chief executive said.

Ice in the port's harbor on Lake Superior is about four feet (1.2 meters) thick, one foot thicker than usual, and it also covers key stretches of shipping routes to the Atlantic Ocean, Port of Thunder Bay CEO Tim Heney said in an interview.

Heney said he was optimistic that the port will open during the first week of April after a brutally cold Canadian winter, about a week behind the usual March 25 opening.

That's "quite late for us," Heney said from his office in Thunder Bay, a city in northwestern Ontario of more than 100,000 people. "It's going to be a challenge." The port had its latest opening ever, April 12, in 1994 and 1982.

Thunder Bay, where companies like Richardson International Limited, Viterra, Cargill Ltd and Parrish & Heimbecker store grain for export, connects western crops with the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, destined for Europe, north Africa and Latin America.

Frigid weather and snow have slowed Canadian National Railway Co and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, trains leaving country elevators and farm bins stuffed with grain after a record-large wheat and canola harvest.

The Canadian government ordered the railways March 7 to more than double weekly grain shipments to 1 million tonnes or face penalties of up to C$100,000 ($89,000) per day.

Opening the Great Lakes to grain shipping in the coming weeks will be a much-needed outlet for Canadian grain, but even so, CN Chief Executive Claude Mongeau sees the grain backlog stretching into 2015.

"I think you're going to see a lot more attention on Thunder Bay than normal in terms of its capacity and role in solving the problem," Heney said. "It will be busier this spring certainly than last year." But first ice-breaking equipment and warmer temperatures have to go to work.

Lake Superior froze over completely this winter, something that doesn't usually happen, and there is also thick ice on the other Great Lakes, Heney said. The Welland Canal, a ship canal that connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, is scheduled to open on March 28, while the opening of the Seaway between Lake Ontario and Montreal was pushed back to March 31 due to heavy ice, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

After those openings, ships that spent the winter in Montreal can begin the trip to Thunder Bay to load grain, Heney said. The Canadian Shipowners Association, which represents companies like Algoma Central Corp and Canada Steamship Lines, said this week that it was "extremely concerned" that Canadian Coast Guard ice-breakers would not be able to create and maintain the routes needed to move cargo to Canadian and American industries.

It may not help to ease the grain backlog that Thunder Bay terminals are mostly empty, after the railways focused their winter grain shipments on the British Columbia coast, a gateway to Asian buyers. Thunder Bay has 1.2 million tonnes of storage capacity for grain, the most in North America, tracing back to busier times shipping to the former Soviet Union.

But only 230,000 tonnes of grain is currently in storage, well below average, and just one-fifth of capacity. "There's lots of room," Heney said. Port of Thunder Bay is also a conduit for coal, potash, forest products and manufactured goods. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Editing by Tom Brown)

ESPO welcomes first reading agreement on Clean Fuel Strategy

Last week , the negotiators for the European Parliament and the Council reached an informal first reading agreement on the Clean Fuel Strategy. If confirmed by EP’s Transport Committee and Plenary, the Directive could still be adopted



before the EU elections and finalised under the Greek Presidency. fidanza picture“We would like to congratulate the negotiators for reaching this agreement. European ports and stakeholders now have a clear view of what is expected from them and can start or continue working towards that goal. The obligations foreseen in this Directive imply quite some investments and planning for the port authorities and port industry. We are convinced that this Directive together with the funding opportunities that will be offered under the forthcoming TEN-T calls will enhance the use of cleaner fuels in maritime transport in a realistic way. We also believe that a lot of ports will not wait for 2025 to meet the obligations of this Directive”, says ESPO’s Secretary-General Isabelle Ryckbost.

The two issues of importance to ports in this Directive are the framework for the supply of shore side electricity and the obligations as regards the provision of refuelling points for LNG in ports. On shore side, Member States must ensure that the need for shore-side electricity supply for inland waterway vessels and sea-going ships in maritime ports is assessed in their national policy frameworks. Such shore-side electricity supply shall be installed, as a priority in ports of the TEN-T Core Network, and in other ports, by 31 December 2025, unless there is no demand, the costs are disproportionate to the benefits, including environmental benefits. As regards the LNG refuelling points, Member States must ensure that an appropriate number of refuelling points for LNG are put in place at maritime ports to enable LNG inland waterway vessels or sea-going ships to circulate throughout the TEN-T Core Network by 31 December 2025 at the latest. Member States must cooperate with neighbouring Member States where necessary to ensure adequate coverage of the network. Source: ESPO

21-03-2014 : The Port Villa registered SOUTHERN STAR moored in Malta Photo : Michael Cassar ©

Pemex says platform fire at its Cantarell oil field controlled

Mexico's state-run oil company Pemex said on Saturday a fire on an offshore platform at its Cantarell field injured three people but has been "totally controlled." In a post on its Twitter page, Pemex said the fire occurred on the Akal

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TD platform, part of the sprawling Cantarell shallow water oil field located along the southern rim of the Gulf of Mexico.

Akal is the most productive field within Cantarell, but output last year declined by 90 percent compared to peak production of 2.04 million barrels per day in 2004. Cantarell was the world's third-biggest oil deposit when it was discovered in the mid-1970s. Source : Reuters (Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Editing by David Gregorio)

Mat-Su fields new offers to buy its unused ferry

The Mat-Su Borough's port director is quietly negotiating two new offers to buy the idled ferry M/V Susitna even as other officials plan to try to convince the federal government to let them off the hook for $12 million in ferry-linked grant obligations.

Originally intended to carry up to 130 passengers and 20 cars between Anchorage and the borough's Port MacKenzie, the borough's 195-foot ferry -- the world's first catamaran with ice-breaking capability -- has instead spent the last two years parked at

a Ward Cove dock.

The borough got the unique $78 million U.S. Navy prototype that converts to a barge for free thanks to the largesse of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens but funding hurdles and other roadblocks stymied plans to run the Cook Inlet ferry route. The ferry's been for sale since 2012. It's specialized and considered relatively underpowered, making it a tough sell outside the Inlet.

Both offers currently on the table are "in the vicinity" of $6 million, according to port director Marc Van Dongen. Neither are formal yet, with no contracts signed, and both have requested confidentiality. Van Dongen said the priority is from a California-based group of businessmen who plan to run the ferry in Alaskan waters. The borough would require a $500,000 deposit and the potential buyer would have 90 days to inspect the ferry, he said. They could withdraw their offer at any time.

The other potential buyer is an East Coast ship broker working with a client from South America, he said.

That's all Van Dongen would say.

He's been disappointed before: a $6 million offer last year fell through and the borough passed on several lower offers.

"I'm cautiously optimistic we'll be able to sell it but we've been trying for almost two years now," the port director said Friday afternoon. The offers surfaced publicly during a Mat-su port commission meeting Monday.

Struggling to rein in $70,000 monthly storage bills in Ward Cove, the Assembly leaned toward bringing the Susitna up to Port MacKenzie to attract buyers but decided last fall to put it into "wet layup" status -- starting the motors once a month but no trips off the dock -- to save money on fuel, staffing, insurance and utilities.

If the borough or another public entity can't put the ferry into service, then the Mat-Su is on the hook to the Federal Transit Administration for $12 million: $6 million to turn the Navy vessel into a ferry; another $4 million for a Mat-Su ferry terminal currently serving as port offices; and $2 million for design work on ferry landings in Mat-Su and Anchorage. That's something the borough hopes to change.

The Mat-Su Assembly on Tuesday night emerged from a closed-door session on the ferry to direct Borough Manager John Moosey to "engage in serious discussions with the FTA on the disposition of this boat," Moosey said Friday.

The manager, along with the borough attorney, plan to ask the agency for "total absolution" of the borough's obligation, Moosey said. With federal earmarks drying up and a different spending climate in Congress -- not to mention the loss of Stevens -- there's no federal funding for the ferry landings, Moosey said. The pair will argue that



it's financially irresponsible for a borough with a $48 million budget to move forward with ferry service, he said. "We're going to be asking for something that's pretty unique." Asked if the borough is also considering legal action against the federal government, Moosey said he couldn't comment. Source : anchorage Daily News

The RESOLVE EARL arriving in Vlissingen Sloehaven

Photo : Richard Wisse – www.richard-photography.nl (c)

PCG allows vessels to leave Cebu’s port THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) allowed Saturday vessels to resume serving their routes from Cebu to other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, after Caloy weakened from a tropical depression into a low-pressure area.

Commander Rodolfo Villajuan, chief of the Cebu CG Station, said that around 5 p.m., the agency lifted its order that had kept vessels from leaving Cebu the other day. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) had placed Cebu under signal number one last Friday, with Caloy on track to hit Dumaguete City supposedly today. But at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, the bureau said that after hitting in Surigao del Sur, the tropical depression weakened. It is, however, expected to cause cloudy weather in Eastern Visayas and Caraga Region, with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms. Villajuan said among the routes where vessels were not allowed to sail were Cebu-Bantayan Island, Cebu-Camotes Island, Cebu-Dumaguete City and Cebu-Bohol. He said he had alerted all available personnel to respond to any emergency once the depression passed over Cebu and Dumaguete. Last Friday night, an Oslob-bound motorized banca got damaged in the waters off Cauayan, Negros

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Occidental, after one of its outriggers broke. According to a report over dyLA, no one was injured after the 21 passengers, including 14 foreign nationals, were rescued by authorities. Eleven of the foreigners were ferried by a rescue ship to Iloilo City early yesterday morning. The other passengers, together with seven Filipino crew members, stayed on the boat. They disembarked in Guimaras Island. The radio report said the boat was heading to Antique Province before going to Oslob in Cebu Province, when the accident happened. Source : Sun-Star

Maersk Line, Rickmers-Linie Discontinue JV

Maersk Line and Rickmers-Linie (Americas) have mutually agreed to discontinue their joint venture, Maersk-Rickmers U.S. Flag Project Carrier. The companies expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to work with our many customers and partners and wished them fair winds and following seas. No reason for the move has been given yet. Maersk Line offers U.S. flag project services using its containerships and roll-on/roll-off vessels. The company welcomed Russ Bruner as president and CEO in February, 2014. With more than 175 years to its name, Rickmers-Linie operates global project and heavy-lift liner services. In February, the company announced an expansion of its break bulk services to Puerto Rico with a partnership with National Shipping of America. Source : MAREX

A busy afternoon at the COOEC supplybase in Shekou with the Hua Kun mooring a/s Hua Cai. And the MK Aries manoeuvring assisted by a harbour tug. On the back ground the Volantis from Deepocean and a few other Chinese flagged supply vessels. Picture taken from the SapuraKencana 1200. Photo : Herman de Kuijer – De Kuijer - IOE B.V. ©

Finnish ship owners can be subsidized for conversion of ships to meet SECA

and NECA requirements Finnish ship owners will be probably subsidized by the state for conversion of the ships to meet SECA and NECA requirements, IAA PortNews journalist cites General Director of the Finnish Transport Agency Juhani Tervala as saying Thursday at St. Petersburg Logistics Days conference.

The conference was organized by the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Hamburg and media group IAA PortNews. According to him, Finland is in a very difficult situation amid the introduction of NECA requirements from 2016 and SECA requirements from 2015. “I believe, the Finnish Shipowners' Association and our logistics



specialist will find a solution. Ship owners could be subsidized by the state for conversion of the ships to meet the requirements on SOx and NOx emissions,” Mr. Tervala said. As from January 1, 2015, the sulphur content of a ship’s bunkers must be 0.1% (down from the present 1.0%) in SECA (including the Baltic Sea and the North Sea). Source : PortNews

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CASUALTY REPORTING

Barge leaked oil after collision A barge carrying 924,000 gallons of fuel oil collided with another ship in the Houston Ship Channel and was leaking oil Saturday, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement that at about 12:35 p.m. Saturday the Coast Guard received a call from the captain of a 585-foot ship reporting its collision with a barge. The barge was being towed from Texas City to Bolivar at the time. Kirby Inland Marine, owner of the tow vessel and the barges, is working with the Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office at the scene. A sheen of oil has been reported on the water, but it is unknown how much has leaked. Six crew members of the tow vessel are all in stable condition. Source : The Statesman

NAVY NEWS

Missing MH370: 6 RMN ships in Indian Ocean search

The Royal Malaysian Navy has deployed six ships in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean.

Speaking to reporters after seeing off the two ships at the Lumut Naval Base on Wednesday night, Vice-Admiral Datuk Abd Hadi A. Rashid said they would be joining KD Selangor, KD Kelantan, KD Terengganu and KD Pahang to search the waters south of Christmas Island. "Our naval assets will join those from other countries involved in the search and rescue effort.

"We anticipate challenging times ahead due to the weather and vast oceans in the southern corridor, aside from the Indian Ocean reaching 7,000 metres deep," he said. Abdul Hadi added that as the southern corridor was not a popular or strategic route for trade vessels compared to the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea information would be quite limited.

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"There are a total of 560 navy personnel on board all six ships, which are being assisted by one Super Lynx and one Fennec helicopter," he said.

In a related development, India has declined China's request for permission to allow four of its warships near the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, even as it is now dispatching two aircraft to Malaysia to join the international search force that is scanning the southern Indian Ocean off Australia. Officials on Thursday said China's request to allow its four warships, including two frigates and a salvage vessel, to enter Indian territorial waters has been "politely turned down" since Indian warships and aircraft are already searching the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea around the 572-island cluster, The Times of India reported.

An Indian P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance plane and a C-130J special operations aircraft with electro-optic and infra-red sensors joined the SAR effort yesterday.

"The Indian Navy already has four warships (INS Satpura, Sahyadari, Saryu and Batti Malv) deployed in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in continuation of the search for the jetliner. Extensive air searches are also being conducted with three aircraft (P-8I, C-130J and Dornier-228) in the area," said an officer.

United Kingdom's multi-role survey vessel HMS Echo is on its way to the southern Indian Ocean to assist in the search and rescue operation. The British High Commission in a statement said deployment of the vessel, which can support submarine and amphibious operations, fol-lowed an offer of assistance from British Prime Minister David Came-ron to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during a telephone conversation on Tuesday.

"The UK has remained in close touch with the Malaysian and Australian authorities since the disappearance of Flight MH370 on March 8 and has offered an additional package of support," a UK foreign office spokesman said in the statement. To date, the UK had sent two Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) representatives supported by Rolls Royce and Inmarsat advisers.

The statement said a British fisheries patrol vessel had been involved in search operations in the waters around the British Indian Ocean Territory, while UK police and relevant authorities had also helped with routine checks on the manifest of those recorded as travelling on MH370. Source : AsiaOne

The French AOR 608 VAR arriving in Malta – Photo : Malta Maritime Pilots www.maritimepilots.com .mt, www.mmrtc.com.mt

S. Korea strives in naval build-up following Cheonan sinking

The South Korean Navy has beefed up the combat capabilities of its warships to counter rising threats from North Korea in the wake of a deadly torpedo attack that sank a corvette four years ago, military officials said Sunday.

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The 1,200-ton navy ship called the Cheonan exploded and sank in the Yellow Sea on the night of March 26, 2010, killing 46 sailors. A South Korean-led international investigation found that North Korea torpedoed the ship, though Pyongyang denied its involvement.

The deadly incident made South Koreans realize the dangers of North Korean attacks, especially after the North shelled the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong in November 2010, killing two Marines and two civilians.

The Research Institute for National Security Affairs at Korea National Defense University pointed to a potential North Korean provocation near the western maritime border as one of the three biggest security threats to South Korea this year. The maritime border, called the Northern Limit Line, is a flash point between the two Koreas where two deadly skirmishes took place -- once in 1999, and again in 2002. "North Korea may launch an unprovoked attack on the South Korean warship south of the NLL to seek revenge for the naval clashes, making the NLL a hot issue," the institute said in a recent security report.

In response to the escalating risk of North Korean provocations, South Korea has upgraded its defense capacities along the western sea border, deploying more submarines and anti-torpedo weapons as well as an increased number of artillery shells on front-line islands.

"Following the Cheonan incident, the South Korean Navy has deployed the advanced escort vessels and guided-missile high-speed ships and additionally acquired maritime patrol aircraft for improved combat capabilities," R. Adm. Choi Yang-sun, who oversees the Navy's weapons program, told reporters during his visit to the Second Fleet Headquarters in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul.

In the past years, South Korea has armed its warships and submarines with cruise missiles that have a range of over 1,000 kilometer and additionally deployed 2,300-ton naval escort ships.

About 20 more naval ships will replace the existing fleet of patrol ships in the next 10 years, while 15 guided-missile destroyers with advanced sonar systems capable of detecting submarines have been deployed in the east and western seas.

In response, the North has increased the operations of its submarine fleets and the training of coastal artillery units, conducting amphibious landing operations targeting the South in the past years. Most recently, North Korea has been building a new high-speed, wave piercing craft called Very Slender Vessel (VSV), which Seoul officials believe is aimed at infiltrating the inter-Korean sea boundary to quickly occupy South Korean border islands in case of war.

The communist state has already deployed about 70 air-cushion vehicles on its west coast and 60 of the amphibious vehicles in the east at its four hovercraft bases.

Pyongyang has also put in place 200-ton new combatant ships with guns of longer ranges, while adding one or two submarine midgets every year to the fleet of 70 submarines.

The need to strengthen naval capabilities has grown even larger in light of China's increasing assertiveness and Japan's military buildup, as they are locked in an ongoing territorial conflict over disputed islands in the East China Sea. In response to the potential arms race in Northeast Asia, Seoul's defense ministry recently announced plans to expand naval task groups with Aegis destroyers in the next decade.

South Korea currently operates one naval task group with three Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyers. Envisaging the deployment of three more 7,400-ton Aegis destroyers from 2023 to 2027, the defense reform plan for 2014-2030 calls for the reorganization of naval task groups.

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan, South Korea's Navy on Wednesday carried out a large-scale drill in waters off the Yellow Sea under a scenario in which a North Korean submarine crosses the maritime border.

The 7,700-ton Aegis destroyer, King Sejong the Great, destroyers and patrol escort ship as well as seven other naval vessels and a Lynx helicopter participated in the exercise. The naval drill occurred during a time of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang fired off several missiles and rockets from its eastern coast between late February and early March in a show of force against ongoing joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. Source : Yonhap News



SHIPYARD NEWS

Handling Tug Meets the Sea at Uzmar On February 21, 2014, Uzmar Shipyard, also known as “Workboat and Tug Factory” of Turkey, held a launching ceremony for the KOC MUSANED-2, the second of total 6 line handling tugs being built for Kuwait Oil Company’s tug fleet. These 20 m compact boats are reputed to be the smartest tug of its class by the designer Robert Allan Ltd.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Sami Al-Sawagh as the KOC Team Leader, Tariq Usmani as the KOC Marine Maintenance and Technical Service Team Leader Advisor and KOC Project Representatives Shamroz Khan and Anatoly Shepilboth are DNV officials for KOC.

Capt. Kaan ALTUG, Board Member of Uzmar during his speech stated, ‘’We are proud to build such smart Line Handling Tugs to assist tankers in nearshore loading terminals and at the new KOC single point mooring system further offshore”. He added that “We call them Smart Tugs because these 20 m compact boats are equipped with various machinery and systems that have never designed or build before. Thanks to the designer Robert Allan Ltd. who was able to integrate a very complex list of equipment to such size of a compact boat but those were necessary for the required duties.”

Sami Al-Sawagh, KOC Marine Maintenance and Technical Service Team Leader during his speech stated: ‘’ ..It gives me great pleasure to share my joy, that the process of construction of six Mooring Boats are proceeding smoothly.

We appreciate the hard work, commitment, and professional approach of Uzmar for the continuous successful progress of KOC projects at Uzmar and look forward to see ‘Musaned –II’ honored as one of the most outstanding vessel built at Uzmar. After the successful completion of this project, which shall satisfy the high expectations of KOC, we shall feel fully content with the excellent quality of work done by KOC and Uzmar, and hope that same spirit and hard work will continue during the construction of remaining vessels of the series’’.

Robert Allan designed, Lloyd’s register certificated, DNV site surveyed tug has conventional twin screw propellers in nozzles, 20.4m in length, with a breadth of 8.5m and a draft of 2.5m. The boat is classed by Lloyds Register with 100A1 Tug, WDL, LMC, UMS notation. All the required machinery and equipment installation in a 20 m boat was a challenge for the UZMAR’s in-house engineering. Nevertheless, the fully equipped vessel is modeled at a 3D platform to optimize the tight spaces available for future maintenance and servicing.

The tug is powered by twin CAT C32 marine engines each producing 1,200bHP at 2,000rpm coupled through ZF reversing gear box to Teign bridge propellers in nozzles and the triple hi-efficiency rudder system ensures superior maneuverability. This arrangement gives the tug a maximum bollard power of 19 tons ahead and speed of 10.5kts. Caterpillar 4.4 auxiliary generator, rated 86 ekW-50hz at 1500rpm is installed to meet not only domestic shipboard loads but also to power the electrically driven deck machinery.

An outfit of deck machinery from Kraaijeveld includes a windlass, two anchor capstan, electric capstan, starter boxes, and chain stopper. The wheelhouse has all-around visibility and is equipped with navigation and communication systems including INMARSAT Mini-C, INMARSAT Fleet Broadband with the speed of 128kbps, Ship Security Alert System, Data Recorder, NAVTEX Receiver complete Furuno make. The tug is equipped with dispersant system make

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Ayles Fernie and the main switchboard is supplied by Kongsberg. All accommodation areas and wheelhouse are fully air conditioned. In line with the KOC’s mission and strategy to maintain highest fleet standards, the Fleet New Building Projects Group (FNBPG) is managing and supervising the fleet renewal tasks from planning to vessel deliveries.

Throughout the new building process, from plan approval stage, on site supervision of the construction until delivery, the FNBPG did utmost contribution to ensure highest safety and quality standards are fulfilled as per KOC governing rules and regulations as well as best international shipbuilding standards source : Marinelink

Hyundai Heavy Industries holds 40th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world’s biggest shipbuilder, held its 40th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at Hanmaeum Cultural Center, Ulsan, the company said in its press release.

The meeting agenda included approval for the financial statements, and the ceiling for the Board of Directors’ remuneration as well as appointment of directors, and a new audit committee member.

At the meeting, HHI reported its business performance for 2013. Its revenues for the full year of 2013 reached KRW 24.28 trillion. Its operating profit and net profit stood at KRW 734.7 billion and KRW 451.6 billion respectively with total current assets of KRW 32.13 trillion. HHI also announced cash dividend per share of KRW 2,000 along with 2014 annual sales target of KRW 26.57 trillion and new orders target of USD 29.6 billion. The Board of Directors reappointed Mr. Lee Jai-seong, Chairman & CEO of HHI, as an inside director; and appointed Mr. Kim Jung-rae, President & COO of HHI, as a new inside director. The Board also newly appointed Mr. Lee Jang-yung, President of Korea Banking Institute, and Mr. Kim Jong-seok, the Dean of the College of Business Administration of Hongik University, as external directors. Mr. Lee Jang-yung was also appointed as a member of audit committee. “Despite rather lackluster results of last year, we demonstrated our competitiveness not only by winning an order to build world’s largest 19,000TEU containerships, but also securing a USD 3.3 billion ultra large power plant order, the biggest single order HHI ever won,” Mr. Lee said at the meeting. “We also successfully completed the world’s first newbuilding LNG FSRU, and developed eco-friendly 2-stroke marine engines. We expect to face many difficulties this year as well, but we will stand firm and make all-out efforts to continue our journey to become a great company.” Source : PortNews

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

CMA CGM launches new Asia Southern Red Sea Express service

The CMA CGM Group announces the new Asia Southern Red Sea Express (REX3), a new fixed-day weekly service that will broaden company's market coverage and provide more efficient and high quality services to customers starting on May 8, 2014, the company said in its press release. This new service is in addition to company's existing Asia Northern

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Red Sea Express (REX2) which together will improve port coverage to meet the growing demand and customer requirements in the Red Sea market. This new setup is developed through a Vessel Sharing Agreement with United Arab Shipping Company -UASC and China Shipping Container lines - CSCL. This new deployment will also benefit Red Sea exporters in minimizing their transit time through the improved port coverage. The New REX3 port rotation is as follows: Xiamen – Yantian – Shekou – Port Kelang – Djibouti - Jeddah– Port Sudan – Djibouti – Port Kelang – Xiamen. Source : PortNews

The SVITZER HORMUZ operating in the port of Sohar (Oman) photo : Rik van Marle ©

Oman and Belgium sign 3 agreements to develop Port of Duqm further

Princess Astrid, the Representative of the King Philip of Belgium, visited the Port of Duqm, accompanied by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications and Yahya bin Saeed bin Abdullah al Jabri, Chairman of the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZAD), and her delegation currently visiting the Sultanate. During the visit, three agreements were signed. They are: concession agreement, grant of usufruct agreement and development agreement in the Wilayat of Al Duqm in the Governorate of Al Wusta.

The agreements were signed on behalf of the Sultanate’s Government by Al Jabri and by Dr Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications and Chairman of Board of Directors of Port of Duqm Company, and on behalf of the Port of Antwerp by Marc Vanbelle.

Dr Al Futaisi, said in a statement that “this visit is a major step in the development of Duqm Port as the comprehensive layout of the economic zone in Al Duqm was designed with a total area of about 250 hectares as a first phase focusing on the industries of metallurgy and those associated to mining as the port is close to mines and quarries.

On his part, Al Jabri, pointed out that the agreement on the rights of the concession given to the company, which was founded by the Government of the Sultanate and the Port of Antwerp, which owns 50 per cent, beside the Sultanate, gives the concession rights to operate the port, adding that this is a promising and positive start. He explained that the visit will have positive effects to attract the Belgian investment in the Al Duqm zone.

Princess Astrid and Al Jabri laid the foundation stone of the first phase of the industrial zone in Duqm and inaugurated the logistical services complex at Duqm Port. This inauguration is a real breakthrough for important projects in Duqm that would contribute to the diversification of the national economy and be one of the key drivers for the trade with



the nations of the world, and also contribute to increase the movement of goods to and from the Al Duqm. On the sidelines of her visit to Duqm Port Princess Astrid toured the port, which is one of the important and vital projects in the Sultanate and the main gateway for investment in the region by virtue of its strategic location overlooking the Arabian Sea. At the conclusion of the visit, Princess Astrid granted two medals (Order of Leopold) to Dr Al Futaisi and Al Jabri. Source: ONA

see also : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Hb0S7Ikc#t=101

CNOOC orders Asia’s first gas powered tug

Rolls-Royce has won an order from Chinese state oil company CNOOC, to power Asia's first gas powered tug. The order is for two tugs to be built at the Zhenjiang shipyard in Jiangsu, China, with an option for an additional two. The first tug is planned for delivery by the end of this year.

Each tug features a pair of Rolls-Royce Bergen C26:33L9PG engines fueled purely by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Rolls-Royce power and propulsion systems package for each tug includes a pair of highly reliable Rolls-Royce US 205 CP azimuth thrusters to ensure the tugs have rapid manoeuvring and strong bollard pull capabilities - essential for tug operation.

Neil Gilliver, Rolls-Royce, President - Merchant, said: “This order is highly significant for Rolls-Royce, CNOOC, and Zhenjiang shipyard and marks a new era for tug boat propulsion technology in China, an increasingly important market for the marine industry. Rolls-Royce is proud to be selected to power Asia's first pure gas powered tug and to play a pivotal role in the state's focus on reducing emissions along the coasts and inland waterways. I am convinced that with the growing popularity of LNG as a marine fuel, more operators will soon begin to opt for a cleaner, lower cost and smoke-free fuel solution to power their tugs. This order will be one of many more to come."

This order follows the successful delivery of the world's first gas powered tug, Borgøy, also powered by Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce Bergen engines are the leading pure gas, medium speed engines in the marine market. The company is also world leader in the supply of azimuth thrusters for tugs. Source : sinoship news

Hedland port looks to increase access

The Port Hedland Port Authority has been quietly working on proposals to increase access to port space for iron ore miners, considering proposals for new terminals at Finucane Island and Lumsden Point.

PHPA yesterday confirmed it was considering proposals for both outer and inner-harbour developments aimed at providing precious new space for existing exporters and mining hopefuls. The plans could lift Port Hedland iron ore exports well above the theoretical 500 million-tonne-a-year export cap set by the limitations of the shipping channel.

New facilities, likely to be built and run by specialist infrastructure companies, would also increase third-party access to the harbour, dominated by BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group.

The Qube Ports-run Utah Point facility, capable of exporting 20mtpa to 22mtpa, is the only third-party export terminal at Port Hedland. Even Utah - likely to be sold by the State Government over the next year - is not an option for new players as it is locked into contracts with Atlas Iron, Mineral Resources and Consolidated Minerals.

The only other undeveloped area set aside for juniors, North West Infrastructure's South West Creek berths, is controlled by Atlas and Brockman Iron.

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The bulker PIERRE LD outbound from Port Hedlkand – Photo : Bas ©

A PHPA spokesman confirmed it was considering a number of industry-backed proposals at Lumsden Point, east of Fortescue's Anderson Point berths. Lumsden is also the site of plans for improved general cargo facilities and a Department of Commerce-backed fabrication and services facility. While PHPA would not comment on specific proposals, it is believed one industry-backed plan has pitched a trans-shipping arrangement in which shallow-draft barges would ship ore to bulk carriers offshore. Barges would likely move at low tide, when bigger vessels are stuck at their berths. That would reduce the need for harbour dredging and drastically cut costs. Sources suggest there is demand for a facility capable of shipping at least 15mtpa. PHPA is likely to circulate proposals to stakeholders within the next six to 12 months. The outer harbour plan includes options to build up to eight berths off Finucane Island, next to BHP's mothballed $20 billion outer-harbour development.

The MORITZ OLDENDORFF moored in Port Hedland – Photo : Bas ©

That would likely be more expensive because it would need channel dredging and construction of a long jetty servicing ship berths sitting off the coast. Source: The West Australian

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The Seven Waves left Rotterdam on Saturday the 22nd. Capt. Jan Plug waves the Waves while collegue Capt.

John Rudd 'rules' the Waves enroute Canary Islands. Photo : Joop Marechal ©

Deal to Sign Budget with $35M More for Savannah Port Deepening

The $35 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. Along with previous funding, Georgia has now allocated $266 million, fulfilling the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP).

“Lawmakers across Georgia recognize that improving the Savannah Harbor is critically important to the continued economic health of this state and region,” Deal said. “That unified vision is also evident among our delegation to Washington, which has worked tirelessly to secure the federal portion of the project costs. It is now long overdue for the federal government to fund their portion of this federal project to make U.S. manufactured products more competitive overseas.”

Deepening the Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet will accommodate an increase in the number of super-sized container vessels transiting the Panama Canal after its 2015 expansion. With a deeper channel, larger and more heavily laden ships can arrive and depart with greater scheduling flexibility. These “Post Panamax” vessels will lower shipping costs per container slot. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study has shown that SHEP will reduce shipping costs for private companies by $174 million a year.

The new funding was part of Gov. Deal’s FY2015 budget request, and was included in the final version of the state spending plan passed by the General Assembly Tuesday.

“The leadership from the General Assembly and the governor, pressing forward on the harbor deepening, is a testament to the importance of Georgia’s ports to communities throughout the Southeast,” said GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson. “We appreciate this strong message our state officials have sent in support of efficient global trade – a

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key factor in keeping America competitive on the world stage.” Approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the project is anticipated to cost $652 million. The Corps of Engineers study shows a 5.5-to-1 benefit to cost ratio, meaning that for every dollar spent on the deepening, the nation will reap $5.50 in benefits. “The $266 million in state funding for SHEP is enough to allow significant progress on the project, including environmental improvements such as rerouting freshwater flows, and improvements to the outer harbor,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “Besides deepening the channel, the harbor expansion will also include general navigation improvements, such as wider channel turns and a larger turning basin.” Source: Georgia Ports Authority

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Sunset over Hoek van Holland with the outbound WES GESA – Photo : Kees Torn ©

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