Irish Port and Shipping News

Stressed Supply Chains: Fear of shortages, both real and rumoured, is driving consumers to over-buy once again, new report highlights, with an average 70 days currently required to book a container, have it shipped overseas and received by ground transport for final delivery. Above Felixstowe port with containers stacked on board Mette Maersk, operated by Danish shipping giant Maersk whose CEO commented that the UK port was among those globally encountering congestion due to lack of truckers to remove containers away and the inability to also discharge as many containers as we would like, as fast as we would like.

Stressed Supply Chains Globally Become the ‘New Normal’

6th November 2021 Ports & Shipping

The continued high consumer demand is among the main drivers of congestion along international supply chains, as a “new normal” for logistics settles in for the long term, a report claims. “Fear of shortages, both real and rumoured, is driving…

Glenn Murphy - Chairman, Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

Ireland's Glenn Murphy Appointed Chairman of International Shipping Body

5th November 2021 Ports & Shipping

The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, the professional body for the commercial shipping industry 'worldwide', officially welcomed its new executive leadership team at the Controlling Council meeting in October, writes Jehan Ashmore. Glenn Murphy FICS will take up the role as…

This is not a Set Proposal for the next James Bond movie…On the contrary, the Stad Ship Tunnel in Norway is for real, and construction starts next year.

Norway's Pioneering Ship Tunnel – Can It Be On Time And In Budget?

4th November 2021 Ports & Shipping

Alex Blackwell of Clew Bay is always buzzing with ideas, and his latest notion is that the destination for a future Cruise-in-Company by some seagoing club or other (he's involved in several) should be the pioneering Ship Tunnel that the…

Group acquires stake in the Peel Ports Group which includes the Port of Liverpool with its modern Liverpool2 terminal on the banks of the Mersey, noting in the background the traditional docks of the north-west English port. Afloat adds the Irish Sea port is the only 'Freeport' located on the UK west coast.

UK Ports Deal Agreed to Acquire Stake in Peel Ports Group

4th November 2021 Ports & Shipping

According to InsiderMedia, APG, Global Infrastructure Partners and AustralianSuper have agreed to acquire a 37.4% holding in Peel Ports Group from DWS. Peel Ports (the UK's second largest ports group) is behind the likes of Liverpool2 and Manchester Ship Canal.…

Impact of Brexit: Some individual sectors have experienced large falls in exports says the ERSI. Afloat adds in the foreground an Irish Sea ropax ferry serving Dublin-Liverpool and in the distance another freight ferry (blue hull) operating direct links between Ireland and mainland Europe.

Impact of Brexit on Goods Trade ERSI Sets Out to Seanad Committee

3rd November 2021 Ports & Shipping

It is estimated that Brexit has led to a 45% reduction in goods imports coming from the UK to Ireland according to the Economic and Social Research Institute. As RTE News reports, in its opening statement to the Seanad Brexit…

Supply-Chain Container Bottlenecks: Frontloading and an extended peak season will only exacerbate delays. Above Afloat's photo of the 2,207 TEU containership Nicolas Delmas operated by French carrier CMA-CGM as referred in the story below.

Global Supply Chain Congestion Pushes Schedule Reliability to Record Low

2nd November 2021 Ports & Shipping

Major bottlenecks in the containerised supply chain around the world have pushed container line schedule reliability to its lowest level yet, and there are few signs of any rapid improvement. The latest figures from Sea-Intelligence’s global container line performance database…

MaritimeUK @ COP26: From the 1-12 November during COP26 the Interntional Maritime Hub is open to the public and industry. Alongside the numerous events there is also an exhibition featuring and more. Maritime UK is the umbrella body for the maritime sector which champions and enables a thriving maritime and shipping sector.

Maritime UK Announces Events at COP26 to Showcase Sector’s Green Leadership to the World

27th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

Maritime UK has announced a COP26 programme, in partnership with the City of Glasgow College, to showcase the country’s global leadership in the shipping industry’s transition to Net Zero. IMO Secretary-General, Ministers and a VVIP to speak at flagship reception…

ESPO has urged the EU Parliament and Council to fully align the maritime pillar of the proposal for an AFIR with the FuelEU Maritime proposal.

ESPO Urges EU Policymakers to Align Discussions on AFIR and FuelEU Maritime

25th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) urges the European Parliament and Council to fully align the maritime pillar of the proposal for an Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) with the FuelEU Maritime proposal. While the discussions on the AFIR proposal…

ESPO’s 2021 #Environmental Report shows a number of positive trends amongst key indicators. The top 5 green priorities of European #ports remain(1 to 5): air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, noise and relationship with the local community.

European Sea Ports Organisation Presents its Environmental Report | EcoPortsinSights 2021

21st October 2021 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) is proud to present the annual ESPO Environmental Report for 2021. The ESPO Environmental Report is part of EcoPorts, the environmental flagship initiative of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). This 6th edition is…

Peel Ports Group, the UK’s second largest port group, calls for the supply-chain to take a rethink by improving logistics in the better use of the nation's port network. The group consists of Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal (above), Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport and Great Yarmouth. In addition, to operating the MTL Terminal in Dublin Port and owns BG Freight Line, a provider of short sea container services between the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe and feeder services between UK and Ireland.

UK's Second Largest Ports Group Calls for Supply-Chain Rethink Across Country's Port Network

18th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

In the UK, the second-largest port operator is calling for the supply chain to rethink its approach by making better use of the entire port network across the country. Peel Ports says that it is essential for logistics firms and…

Ports at full capacity across northern Europe. Compared with the US, vessel delays are less severe but are still adding to schedule disruption that reverberates across networks.

Full Capacity At Ports Across Northern Europe

18th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

Anchored containerships are becoming a regular sight in the English Channel as ports across northern Europe remain heavily congested, reports LloydsLoadingList. The numbers are nowhere near as high as in southern California, where overnight data shows that 56 containerships were…

Britains Biggest 'Box' Port: Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, has diverted some vessels away from the English Port of Felixstowe, which handles 36% of the UK's containerised freight. Above: Mette Maersk an E-class (18,000TEU) containership berthed at the east coast port in Suffolk on the North Sea, where Afloat adds global trade routes include the major Europe-Asia services via the Suez Canal.

No Need to Panic Buy for Christmas, Britain Says after Port Chaos

13th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

The British Government said today that people should buy normally for Christmas and that there would be no shortage of gifts after shipping containers carrying toys and electrical goods were diverted from the UK's biggest port because it was full.…

Export performance is improving at Irish firms, an Enterprise Ireland survey has found

More Than Half of Exporting Businesses Expect Exports to Rise

11th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

A survey has revealed that more than half of exporting businesses here have seen their exports increase this year compared to last year, despite the impact of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the new survey carried out by…

Cadets from Trinity House’s Merchant Navy Scholarship Scheme will join other Merchant Navy trainees on board UK Royal Navy ships as part of a learning exchange. Trinity House Deck Cadet Scarlett Barnett-Smith, currently on transfer to the UK's Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Tamar, is seen on board taking a navigational fix. As AFLOAT reported earlier this year, the Batch 2 River class OPV was deployed to Jersey, Channel Islands during a post-Brexit fishery access rights dispute between British and French fishermen.

Cadets from Trinity House to Join UK Royal Navy Ships in New Merchant Navy Training Link-Up

8th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

Trinity House which is the General Lighthouse Authority responsible for England, Wales and the Channel Islands, is in an exchange scheme between the UK Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy. The Merchant Navy Cadets sponsored by Trinity House as part of…

Global supply-chain chaos: Carriers could earn as much as $150bn this year, and the same again for 2022. The container sector has bottleneck at ports worsened by increasing number of smaller 'box-boat' vessels (as above) on the main trade lanes.

Potential for Further Supply-Chain Chaos to Bolster Carrier Finances through 2022

7th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

Disruption of supply chains could last until the end of next year, keeping freight rates at elevated levels for longer than expected and boosting container line profitability. Analysts at Drewry said the longer-than-anticipated period of disruption had led it to…

Sharon Adams has joined the Port of Milford Haven as Commercial Manager for Pembroke Port. In the background, Afloat adds is the port's ferry client, Irish Ferries which operates the chartered-in ferry Blue Star 1 on the route to Rosslare, Co. Wexford.

New Commercial Manager Joins South Wales Port Team

6th October 2021 Ports & Shipping

In south Wales, the Port of Milford Haven has appointed a new commercial manager for Pembroke Dock. The appointment of Sharon Adams as the port's new Commercial Manager will be a key part to develop growing markets and support existing…