Panama Canal lock will be under repairs

As per Panama Canal Authority (ACP), starting on July 31 and up until August 10,  the east lane of Miraflores Locks will be out of service due to the repair work. It is reported that on August 10 the Gatun Locks lane will be out of service for bulkhead removal, and is scheduled to be returned to normal operations on August 11.  The booking slot available during the auction process, and the slots for Neopanamax ships, will continue to be offered during this period, according to ACP.

Hapag-Lloyd Expanding Turkey Business

Germany's Hapag-Lloyd will boost its Turkish operations once the integration of the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) is complete.

Hapag-Lloyd Turkey recently became the third biggest carrier in the Turkish market. The company expects to grow its annual TEU from 230,000 to 500,000. This rise in volume was marked with the recent arrival of a 13,200 TEU Hamburg Express-class vessel, the Leverkusen Express, at the Istanbul Kumport terminal.

“The arrival of the Leverkusen Express is an important milestone for Area Turkey. The new THE Alliance service MD3 service provides us with many opportunities, since it connects Piraeus, Istanbul, Aliaga and Mersin directly with Asia. Istanbul is the main port in the Turkish rotation, especially discharging Far East Westbound cargo,” Area Manager Danny Smolders said.

​Valencia Port Expecting for Mega Ships

As per the port authorities, three port's terminals are being extensively invested for modernization, which is going to enable the port to operate vessels with over 20 000 TEU capacity. PAV's (The Port Authority of Valencia) plans are to complete upgrades by next summer. The maximum depth will be increased up to 18 meters, also the berth should become 1900 meters long allowing 4 mega ships being operated simultaneously. Moreover, Spanish logistic company Noatum will deliver new cranes to raise Valencia's port capabilities even more.

NY & NJ Port welcomed the first vessel over 13 000 TEU

On July 17 the Port of New York and New Jersey welcomed the largest container vessel of Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), Hong Kong-based container carrier. 

The length of 13 000 TEU OOCL Berlin is more than 1 200 feet or the equivalent of 4 football fields​​. It is the biggest ship to transit ​ ​under​ ​the​​ Bayonne Bridge roadway.​ ​T​he containership was constructed in 2013 at South Korean Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard​ and it will be ​joined by the OOCL Malaysia​, ​a sister ship of identical size​, later this summer. ​Three other vessels of the same group - the OOCL France​, the OOCL Korea, ​the OOCL Chongqing​ - will be considered for ​for future rotation to ​NJ and N​Y, ​ ​based on market conditions in the second half of 2017.

The European Commission has approved the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Northern Germany.

Gasunie LNG Holding, Oiltanking GmbH and Vopak LNG Holding will set up a joint venture to own and operate the facility.

The multi-service LNG terminal is planned to be built in Brunsbüttel, close to the city of Hamburg.

The feasibility study is underway. The level of financial investment has not been determined yet.