Page 4 - Shipping Ports

Baltimore bridge: US Coast Guard opens temporary channel for vessels

The US Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in the clearing of debris at the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the vital port, officials said. Crews are undertaking the complicated work of removing steel and concrete at the site of the bridge's deadly collapse into the Patapsco River after a container ship lost power and crashed into a supporting column. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in lifts used torches to cut above-water parts of the twisted steel superstructure. Officials said the temporary channel is open only to vessels that are helping with the cleanup effort. Authorities believe four workers plunged to their deaths in the collapse. Recovery of their bodies is a key part of the ongoing salvage operation. Officials earlier said the channel would have a controlling depth of 11 feet (over 3 meter

Baltimore bridge collapse: Focus on removing heavy structure from water

Teams of engineers are now focused on the formidable job of hauling the shattered remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge out of Maryland's Patapsco River, the first step toward reopening the Port of Baltimore and recovering the bodies of four workers who are still missing and presumed dead. A massive cargo go ship felled the span Tuesday after striking one of its main supports. Experts are trying to figure out how to break that bridge up into the right-sized pieces that we can lift, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said Friday at a news conference. The tools that are needed have been coming into place. They include seven floating cranes - one of which is one of the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, capable of lifting 1,000 tons - 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard boats. To go out there and see it up close, you realize just how daunting a task this is, Gov. Wes Moore said Friday afternoon as the massive crane loomed behind him. With a ..

Baltimore bridge collapse: US concerned about impact on immediate region

US officials have expressed concern about the implications rippling beyond the immediate region after a key bridge harbouring America's largest vehicle handling port collapsed in Baltimore when a cargo ship crashed into it, even as experts predicted repercussions to be "modest and mainly localised". The 2.6km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore was destroyed after Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship bound for Sri Lanka, collided against a bridge column in the early hours of Tuesday. The collapse of the bridge has indefinitely halted the flow of ships in and out of Baltimore Port. We are concerned about the local economic impact, with some 8,000 jobs directly associated with port activities," US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters in the White House on Wednesday. "We're concerned about implications that will ripple out beyond the immediate region because of the port's role in our supply chains, he said, describing the Baltimore po

Baltimore bridge collapse: Ships with heavy load need to find new harbour

Manufacturers and shippers are scrambling to figure out where they can load or unload cargo while the main operations of the Port of Baltimore remain shut down due to Tuesday's deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Supply chain experts say other ports up and down the East Coast are likely to absorb much of Baltimore's traffic, avoiding a crisis. But not without some longer shipping times and upheaval. "Ultimately, most trade through Baltimore will find a new home port," Moody's Analytics economist Harry Murphy Cruise wrote in a blog post. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated Wednesday that it was too soon to estimate how long it would take to clear the bridge structure from the 50-foot-deep Patapsco River channel, which leads to the port's main terminal. The port's location makes it a key destination for freight. The Maryland Port Administration says the facility is an overnight drive from two-thirds of the US population, and it's closer to the Midwest t

Traffic handled by major Indian ports hits 5-year high in January

The total traffic for the major ports was 72.5 mn tonnes, the highest since Feb 2019, according to data from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways and the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy

Private, state ports' growth outpaces central counterparts till Q3 FY24

At 604 million metric tonne (mmt), cargo at major ports grew by 5 per cent between April and December, while non-major port cargo traffic grew by 11 per cent at 531 mmt

India outpaced several developed nations in ship-turnaround time: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted that India has outpaced several developed nations in ship-turnaround time, emphasising the country's proven potential and standing in global trade. The prime minister made these remarks while dedicating projects worth Rs 4,000 crore to the nation, including crucial strategic initiatives at Cochin Shipyard Limited. He mentioned that these projects would accelerate the development of the southern region of the country. "The world is recognising India's potential and position in global trade," Modi said, shedding light on the agreements made during India's G20 Presidency regarding the Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. Modi said that the Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will further strengthen the creation of 'Viksit Bharat' by providing a boost to the coastal economy of India. Reflecting on the past, the prime minister recalled that just a decade ago, ships had to wait for a considerable amount of time at the ports, and ...

Kochi poised to become important shipbuilding hub, says Sarbananda Sonowal

The minister said that CSL is the biggest operational ship repair ecosystem infrastructure in South Asia

The Red Sea crisis: Commerce department flags rising import cost

The Red Sea strait is vital for 30 per cent of global container traffic and 12 per cent of global trade

Land Ports in India facilitates trade worth Rs 76,000 cr in 2023: Report

A total of Rs 76,319.2 crore trade was registered in 2022-2023, with a movement of 24,79,180 passengers in the same period, the report mentions

War, weather put global ocean shippers on notice for rough seas in 2024

Maersk on Friday joined other major ocean carriers in rerouting ships away from the Red Sea to avoid missile and drone attacks in an area that leads to the vital Asia-Europe Suez Canal shortcut

Smooth sailing for US-sanctioned vessel carrying Russian crude oil

According to reports, the vessel, NS Century, is one of the three that has regularly been shipping Russian crude oil to India. It is expected to reach India's Vadinar Port in Gujarat on Saturday

NAP for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices, says Jagannathan

The National Action Plan for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices and incentives for low-emission ships, positioning India's maritime sector for a prosperous and environmentally responsible future, Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said on Wednesday. Speaking at the 13th edition of the South Asia's largest maritime exhibition and conference -- INMEX SMM India 2023 -- here, Jagannathan also said that the sector's vision encompasses quadrupling port capacity, clean energy fuel hubs, and cruise tourism growth, among others. The three-day conference, which is being hosted in the city in collaboration with German exhibition organiser Hamburg Messe und Congress, will cover several issues concerning the industry, including green shipping and digitalisation, among others. "The National Action Plan for Green Shipping promotes eco-friendly practices and incentives for low emission ships, positioning India's maritime sector for a prosperous and environmentally responsibl

Traffic in Suez Canal remains unaffected after collision of two tankers

The two tankers were separated after the collision

Ship carrying nearly 3,000 Mercedes, BMW cars on fire near Netherlands

The unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of a crew member's life and raised worries on fuel leaks and harm to the delicate Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site

Sagar Sampark: Made-in-India navigation system for ships inaugurated

The shipping ministry said the navigation system will assist mariners with safe navigation and will reduce the risk of collisions, groundings, and accidents

Centre to come up with policy to extend port lease beyond 30 years

As things stand, there is no provision to extend port operating agreements that were signed in the late 90s and the early 2000s

Centre to finance almost 30% of green shipping projects in the country

Decision taken at shipping ministry's annual chintan shivir

Govt invites EOIs for Rs 41,000 cr port project in Great Nicobar Island

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from interested players for a Rs 41,000 crore international transhipment port project at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal. The ministry in a release on Friday said that the project is expected to be complete with an investment of Rs 41,000 crore (USD 5 billion), including investment from both government and PPP concessionaire. The proposed port in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will have ultimate capacity to handle 16 million containers per year and in the first phase will handle above 4 million containers. Other projects planned around the transhipment port include airport, township and power plant, it added. The project is located on the international trade route, with existing transhipment terminals like Singapore, Klang and Colombo in proximity. According to the statement, the project focuses on three key drivers which can result in making it a leading container transhipment port,

Foreign shipping lines may stop services for cash-strapped Pakistan

The ship agents have forewarned the cash-strapped Pakistani govt that all export cargoes could come to a halt as foreign shipping lines are considering stopping services