Irish Port and Shipping News

RoRo volumes on ROI – GB routes fell significantly, by 31%, with a surge in ROI – EU traffic, which rose by 74%.

RoRo Volumes on ROI – GB Routes Fall By 31% in Q1 Unitised Traffic Report 2021

22nd April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In its first post-Brexit quarterly review of port volumes, the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) offers an overview of maritime traffic on an all-island basis. Commenting on key points in the report, Liam Lacey, Director of the IMDO said that…

Cutting Emissions: In the UK, radical new climate change commitments will set the country on course to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, the announced was made by the British Government. Above AFLOAT's photo of a containership in UK waters including wind-farm turbines on the hazy horizon.

UK to Speed Up Target to Cut Carbon Emissions Among Them from Shipping

21st April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In the UK, radical new climate change commitments will set the country on course to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, the British government has announced. According to BBC News, hitting the targets would require more electric cars, low-carbon…

Evergreen blocked from offloading cargo from Ever Given

Suez Canal: Evergreen Blocked from Offloading Containership's Cargo

21st April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In efforts by Evergreen, the operator of Ever Given, to have the containership’s cargo separated from the vessel in any legal action have failed. The 20,000TEU Ever Given was arrested by Egyptian authorities, pending settlement of the Suez Canal Authority’s…

Europe’s ports at the crossroads of transitions. This is the theme of the ESPO Conference Regatta 2021. From recovery, greening, TEN-T, the changing role of ports, hydrogen to zero pollution ports: there is so much to talk about. Join us 25-28 May!

Europe’s Ports Conference Regatta (25-28 May) At the Crossroads of Transitions

19th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

Next month the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Conference (25-26 May) will be sailing towards you from the south to the north of Europe. The ESPO Conference Regatta 2021 will be starting in the Port of Valencia on 25 May,…

The UK's Transport Secretary has appointed a new Chair to HM Maritime & Coastguard Agency which will see Christopher Rodrigues, formally take up the role this month, following a recent role as chairman of the Port of London Authority. Above a shipping scene from the PLA which AFLOAT adds shows berthed at Tilbury Cruise Terminal, Magellan that served the Irish market (but was scrapped earlier this year), the tug Switzer London and a tanker underway on the Thames estuary.

UK Transport Secretary Appoints New Chair to HM Maritime & Coastguard Agency

19th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In the UK, the Secretary of State for Transport has appointed Christopher Rodrigues CBE as the new Non-Executive Chair of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The government agency charged with further enhancing the UK’s position at the forefront of…

Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) closes in on Maersk as largest operator of containership tonnage. With a larger orderbook, MSC could soon overtake its 2M partner as the world’s largest box line

Operator MSC Closes in On Maersk With Containership Capacity

19th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

Containership giant, Mediterranean Shipping Co is on track to overtake 2M alliance partner Maersk as the world’s largest container line by capacity deployed if it continues with its aggressive acquisition policy. MSC operates a fleet of 587 boxships comprising 3.9m…

Online Workshops on Smart & Sustainable Maritime Transport Next Week

13th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

The European TEN-T Coordinators for the Motorways of the Sea and the Atlantic and North Sea-Mediterranean Corridors have organised an online joint workshop on smart and sustainable maritime transport in the Atlantic and North Sea region post-Brexit over two days…

In the UK, the Peel Ports group, successfully completed a first trial of an autonomous survey vessel. This was the first Port group in Britain to take delivery of such a vessel, which completed its first successful trial at Crosby Marina.

Ports Group in UK Successfully Completes First Trial of Autonomous Unmanned Survey Vessel

12th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In the UK, Peel Ports is the first Port group in the country to take delivery of an autonomous unmanned survey vessel, which completed its first successful trial at Crosby Marine Lake, north of Liverpool. Peel Ports offered Sefton Council…

Ever Given freed: European Shippers’ Council says cargo owners need carriers to provide better information and greater consideration to their customers to help minimise supply chain delays, as Maersk reopens for short-term bookings after being ‘successful with a number of mitigation efforts’

Demand From Shippers for Further Detail On 'Post-Suez Blockage' Service Disruptions

10th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

Operators of shipping companies are failing to provide Europe’s shippers with enough information about service disruptions and port rotations following the Suez Canal closure, according to Jordi Espin, strategic relations manager at the European Shippers’ Council. Europe’s container terminals have…

The Eemslift Hendrika moments before a number of its crew jumped from its deck as it listed dangerously to starboard

Ship With Cargo of Boats Adrift Off Norwegian Coast

6th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

The crew of a Dutch cargo vessel were rescued by helicopter as their ship developed a heavy list in the Norwegian Sea late on Monday (5 April). Now there are concerns that the Eemslift Hendrika, which remains adrift with its…

Egypt's Suez Canal Authority says a shipping traffic jam caused by a giant container vessel getting stuck on the crucial waterway for almost a week has been cleared

Egypt: Suez Canal Authority Says Backlog Cleared

4th April 2021 Ports & Shipping

In Egypt, the Suez Canal Authority has said that a shipping traffic jam caused by a giant container vessel getting stuck on the crucial waterway for almost a week has been cleared. Traffic on the canal, a conduit for over…

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has called on Member States and the EU to take port projects on board in the recovery and resilience plans. Above Afloat adds a shipping scene at the Port of Rotterdam where an inland waterway container-feeder barge is underway while and a deep-sea containership is berthed at Europe's largest port.

ESPO Calls On Member States & EU to Take Port Projects On Board In Recovery & Resilience Plans

1st April 2021 Ports & Shipping

European ports in recent months have been playing a critical role in the supply and distribution of essential goods and in keeping the economy running. As gateways to the world, being at the crossroads of supply chains, hubs of energy,…

GLOBAL SHIFT: Søren Skou (CEO of A.P. Møller-Maersk) believes further exposure of the fragility of just-in-time models adds additional momentum to the move towards just-in-case stockholding and diversification of suppliers. Above AFLOAT adds, the stricken Suez vessel, Ever Green, of the 20,000 (TEU) 'Golden' class, is one of the largest containerships in the world, based on the capacity of TEU (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers. Above AFLOAT's photo of a previous title holder, Mette Maersk of the Triple E-class (18,000 TEU) berthed at the UK's biggest 'box-boat' Port of Felixstowe. The Danish flagged containership, had transitted the Suez, is currently off Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and according to AIS, is scheduled to arrive in Singapore on 3rd April (this Saturday).

Blockage of the Suez Will Hasten Global Supply Chain Shift, Says Maersk CEO

30th March 2021 Ports & Shipping

Blockage of the Suez Canal that had been caused by Evergreen's containership ‘Ever Given’ since 23 March, will hasten the global shift away from just-in-time supply chains after further exposing their fragility, according to A.P. Møller-Maersk CEO Søren Skou. The…

Onshore Power Supply (OPS): Calls by Europe’s ports for more onshorepower where it makes sense. Read about the Europen Sea Ports Organisation's (ESPO) proposal for an intelligent approach towards OPS.

Call by Europe’s Ports For More Onshore Power Supply (OPS) Where it Makes Sense

30th March 2021 Ports & Shipping

The Onshore Power Supply (OPS) is part of the solution to greening the shipping sector. It is an important tool for reducing CO2 emissions and air pollution at berth and in ports. The greening of the shipping sector is a…

Over the moon…..the huge Ever Given (beam is 200 metres, length 1400 metres) is finally back in line this (Monday) afternoon in the Suez Canal, thanks to a a useful combination of wind and tide and tugs and dredgers and salvage skills

Suez Ship is Freed at Last

29th March 2021 Ports & Shipping

The enormous container ship Ever Given was finally freed this (Monday) afternoon from her global trade-wrecking blockage of the Suez Canal. After days of struggle, salvage crews freed the giant container ship. Human error is considered in the cause of…

This proposal for a solution of the problem of mega-load of containers on the Ever Given has taken thoughtful account of local sensitivities and an ancient culture

Suez Canal Blockage? New Container Pyramid Would Add to Egypt’s Historic Tourist Attractions

29th March 2021 Ports & Shipping

As the old business school saying has it, there are no problems - there are only fresh opportunities. The acute problem of the relatively rare blockage of the Suez Canal, with the salvors of the 400m Ever Given faced with…