Crowley shipping line offers new service to Puerto Rico

Crowley Maritime corporation,  based in Florida, set an agreement with Penn Terminals in Eddystone, Pennsylvania for stevedoring and terminal services. 

The aim of the signed contract is to provide Crowley’s weekly container shipping service between the Northeast of the USA and Puerto Rico, San Juan. The company revealed that the new service from Penn Terminals will start operation from January 1, 2018. 

Crowley operations from Penn Terminals will complete its new Lo/Lo (lift-on/lift-off) service out of Florida, Jacksonville port, when it starts later this year with the arrival of Crowley’s first of 2 new LNG-powered container – Ro/Ro ships.

​Spain Port Strikes Were Called off ​

​​As a result of the Spanish royal decree on the port system reform there were strikes scheduled to be held on March, 23 all over the world as a reaction and incitement for its rejection. However, the International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC) decided to call off the strikes to enable new step of negotiations in Spain. IDC is working for some agreement between Spanish dockworkers and parliament, as the earlier presented decree was putting thousands of jobs at risk. The situation got under European Commission consideration and workers' meetings were not opposed. The destiny of Spanish port sector will be decided on March 28-29 at High Level Ministerial Stakeholders Road Safety and Maritime Conference.

Norway's Coastal Administration is finishing a feasibility study of a project which would see the construction of the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel.

Stad Ship Tunnel would span 1.7 kilometres in length, 37 metres in height and 26.5 metres in width, making safer the navigation of the dangerous Stadhavet Sea. The area is known for challenging winds and currents.

The estimated cost of the project is NOK 2.3 billion (USD 267 million). No work will begin before the Norwegian Parliament finances the tunnel, which is expected to be in 2018 at the earliest. 

The completion of the project should take up to four years.

MOL built first 20,000 TEU containership

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has announced that the first of six mega containerships MOL Triumph has been completed. The building of newly projected 20,000 TEU ships was order by MOL shipping line while 4 vessels will be constructed by SHI and 2 other - by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. All of these 6 vessels will go along Asia-Europe route and are scheduled to start delivery in 2017. MOL has also announced that such type of ships will reduce CO2 emission per each container comparing to 8,000 TEU shipboxes. Currently MOL Triumph is at Geoje shipyard that belongs to SHI  and will be delivered to MOL by March, 27.

New terminal in the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia

Manila Port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)  and port operator group PSA International (PSA) opened new terminal Puerto Aguadulce at the Buenaventura port in Colombia. 

New container handling facility can manage large vessels with capacities of up to 18 000 tons and it is equipped with neo post-Panamax quay cranes.  The operation of Puerto Aguadulce is controlled by the joint venture company of ICTSI and PSA,  Sociedad Puerto Industrial de Aguadulce.

The agreement between ICTSI and PSA for the terminal contraction and operation was signed back in September 2013. The new facility was officially opened in November 2016, handling its first container ship the MSC Sasha.