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Displaying items by tag: Scotline

Scot Explorer became the latest launch for a UK shipping forests products operator, following a christening ceremony that was held at a Dutch shipyard yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The launch (footage) of newbuild (NB 747) at the Royal Bodewes yard in Hoogezand marked the second of a three-ship order confirmed from Scotline which has its headquarters based in Romford, Kent.

Unlike leadship Scot Carrier launched last year, the latest newbuild of the trio of 4,800dwt sisters, differs having enclosed bridge wings, in order to make manoeuvring easier. The newbuild is due to be completed next month.

As for the final timber products carrier, this newbuild to be named Scot Ranger is scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2020.

Scotline primarily runs liner services throughout northern Europe with regular routes between Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Norway and the Baltic States. In addition to those serving the UK, Netherlands and France.

Published in Ports & Shipping

A UK forest-products specialist which has operations including services to Irish Ports have ordered a third newbuild of the same design from a Dutch shipyard, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Scotline Marine Holdings Ltd confirmed the order from Royal Bodewes Shipyard of Hoogezand from where newbuilding (yard no.750) is to be named Scot Ranger. This is the same name used previously following the sale earlier last year of Scot Ranger which had seen this older tonnage discharge cargoes in Wicklow Port. 

Scot Ranger follows the 4,800dwt Scot Carrier launched last year and Scot Explorer (pictured above) which is due to be completed in November 2019. The third newbuild has a delivery scheduled for the end of 2020.

According to Scotline although of the same design, Scot Ranger will be certified to ice class 1A, enabling passage within Swedish and Finnish waters. This makes the new addition to the fleet of 14 vessels ideal for the operator's liner services out of the Baltic.

The Romford in Kent based operator primarily runs liner services throughout northern Europe with regular routes between Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Baltic States and those serving the UK, Netherlands and France. 

Also in Kent, the forest-products operater exclusively has terminals and an office in Rochester on the river Medway and another site located at Inverness, Scotland.

Published in Ports & Shipping

#Ports&Shipping - Forest products operator Scotline Ltd whose vessels are regular callers to Irish east and south coast ports, have announced in partnership with a Dutch yard to exercise an option for a second newbuild of the 4785dwat Bodewes Trader design.

The newbuild's in-house design is from the yard of Royal Bodewes Group BV in Hoogezand where the cargoship is to be named MV Scot Explorer and launched in third quarter of 2019.

As previously reported on Afloat, the first newbuild MV Scot Carrier is currently under construction in Hoogezand with a launch expected to be in July and delivery in October 2018.

MV Scot Explorer will have a length of 89.98 meters and a beam of 15.20 meter and a maximum sailing draft of 5.68 meters. The newbuild will be powered by a MAK engine whilst being fully container fitted, with Swedish ice class 1B. When entering service the new ship will sail under the British Flag and classed under Lloyds Register.

The second newbuild will be a near-identical sister to MV Scot Carrier. Throughout the build of this first newbuild, both parties have had regular and open dialogue, looking at different ideas and concepts in order for the partnership to work well for both family-owned companies.

The MV Scot Explorer will be the next addition to Scotline’s fleet of 9 owned vessels, where we are looking to renew some of our older tonnage. Currently, Scotline has 15 ships in a fleet ranging from 1300dwcc to 4500dwcc, which gives a wide verity of scope for meeting customers’ varying needs.

Royal Bodewes Group which Afloat adds is located inland in the north-east of the Netherlands, employs 200 and has launched 450 ships since 1812. In modern times, Arklow Shipping have had numerous short-sea traders built at this waterway canal-side yard. Most recently, Arklow Villa launched a month ago was the final of 10 ships ordered that began in 2015 with the in-house 5,150dwat Eco-Traders series. 

Since the shipyard began more than 200 years there have been many developments and this continues with innovation in their designs as well as being dynamic in workflow and building processes which the group is constantly striving for efficiency. To accomplish this, in 2014, a new production hall was built alongside the existing hall at the shipyard in Hoogezand, which was completed in January 2015, providing additional capacity.

Now Royal Bodewes Group is developing the yard by extending the two production halls to the waterfront and thus creating two construction sites meaning two ships can be built side by side. The infrastructure outside will also be improved. This is all done to enable Royal Bodewes to minimize congestion and provide the best service to their clients, both now and in the future. Construction of the production halls is expected to be completed in autumn 2019.

Published in Ports & Shipping

#Newbuild - Scot Line a trader of packaged timber on the Irish Sea have added a 88 metre long newbuild to its fleet that operates an Ireland-UK-Scandinavia liner service, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The newbuild Scot Navigator will become the 10th vessel of the fleet in which such ships are regulars to Irish east coast ports, Dublin and 35 miles to the south Wicklow. The port became the first of five Regional Ports of Significance having been transferred to local authority control under the 2013 National Ports Policy.

Imports of packaged timber are for the construction industry, a 'bread and butter' cargo trade for Wicklow Port. A role potentially involving Scot Navigator which was launched last month in the Dutch yard of GS Yard B.V. in Groningen. Delivery and operational service is scheduled for May.

The modern efficient design of Scot Navigator makes for an ideal addition to the operators expanding fleet, being built with a timber-fitted capacity of about 5,500 cubic metres. The newbuild also complies with all the latest legislation including provisions for ballast water treatment.

Scot Navigator will be powered by a Caterpillar engine. The new ship is to sail under the UK flag like the rest of the fleet among them Scot Leader which was acquired in recent months. This cargoship is also of similar length but with a larger timber-fitted capacity of 6,325 cubic metres.

Published in Ports & Shipping

#ShippingReview - Jehan Ashmore reviews the shipping scene from among the following stories of the past fortnight.

Scotline the short-sea timber products operator has taken a time-charter of Lady Ariane from a Dutch owner. The cargoship sailed from Varberg, Sweden to Wicklow Port.

A pair of 87m newbuild cargoships of the mixed flagged fleet of Arklow Shipping made calls to the Port of London. Irish flagged Arklow Cadet was joined on the Thames by the brand new Dutch flagged Arklow Valour having anchored off the Kent coast: see Port of Dover freight record.

Across the North Sea at Emshaven, the Netherlands is where newbuild Arklow Valour had undergone seatrials. More recently the bitumen tanker Iver Ability docked there and not Delfzijl as expected.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council executive will undertake a full risk assessment into transfer ownership of Dun Laoghaire Harbour to the local authority, it has emerged.

A first batch of tower sections for wind turbine projects arrived at Port of Waterford for GE Wind on board BBC Orion (2007/7,223grt). A further two projects cargoes are due to the port this year.

Published in Ports & Shipping

#Scotline – Scotline the short-sea timber products operator recently took a time-charter of Lady Ariane which berthed in Wicklow Port today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The box shaped singledecker had sailed from the Swedish port of Varberg. The Scandinavian port that firmly established Scotline as an operator from the late 1970’s in the transportation of forest-product cargo of logs from Inverness.

In the present day, the company are responsible for transporting a high percentage of all softwood (packaged timber) into the UK through operating liner services. This includes operations to Ireland.

The time charter of Lady Ariane is from Dutch short-sea operator, Wijnne Barends. Also added to the fleet is Scot Leader which was recently acquired and brings the fleet total to 12 vessels. 

In regards to Wijnne Barends they are based in Delfzijl. The North Sea port is where the asphalt/bitumen tanker Iver Ability is bound to.

The red-hulled ship anchored in Dublin drew much public attention following months spent offshore following a ‘reaction’ during transport of bitumen in Dublin Port last summer.

Iver Ability was monitored yesterday by Afloat while transiting the Strait of Dover. At it’s narrowest point the distance of the Strait is a mere 33.3 kilometres (20.7 miles).

On a daily basis there is around 400 vessels transiting through the Strait, the world’s busiest channel. Asides ships of many types there are ferries criss-crossing between the Port of Dover (see record freight) and the French ports of Calais and Dunkerque.

This afternoon the tanker is at anchorage of the West Frisian Islands. The archipelago lies off the approaches to the Ems Estuary that leads to Delfzijl.

Published in Ports & Shipping

#WhiskeyPlant - A cargoship in Scotland was delayed in loading distillery tanks bound for an Irish whiskey plant due to recent storms hitting the UK coast, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 81m short-sea trader Scot Explorer (1996/2,521dwt) was stuck in Buckie Harbour. The port in north-east Scotland on the Moray Firth, east of Inverness, is from where Scotline made its first shipment in 1979 bringing logs to Germany, before relocating to a port in Sweden.

According to the shipping company the extremely rough weather prevented Scot Explorer in loading whiskey distillery tanks, even in the shelter of the harbour. The project cargo was bound for Jameson's Old Distillery plant in Midleton, Co, Cork.

Last month Afloat reported on Scotline’s latest ship acquisition of the 90m Odertal, which was renamed Scot Leader which has a 4,507dwt.

The newcomer joins the Romford, England based fleet which specialise in the transportation of sawn timber products. This involves a network of liner services linking the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Germany.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Port of Cork Information

The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of only two Irish ports which service the requirements of all six shipping modes i.e., Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise. Due to its favourable location on the south coast of Ireland and its modern deep-water facilities, the Port of Cork is ideally positioned for additional European trading as well as for yet unexploited direct deep-sea shipping services.

The Port of Cork is investing €80 million in a container terminal development in Ringaskiddy. The Cork Container Terminal will initially offer a 360-metre quay with 13-metre depth alongside and will enable larger ships to berth in the port. The development also includes the construction of a 13.5-hectare terminal and associated buildings as well as two ship to shore gantry cranes and container handling equipment.

The development of new container handling facilities at Ringaskiddy was identified in the Port of Cork’s Strategic Development Plan in 2010. It will accommodate current and future container shipping which can be serviced by modern and efficient cargo handling equipment with innovative terminal operating and vehicle booking systems. The Port of Cork anticipates that Cork Container Terminal will be operational in 2020.

The Port of Cork is the key seaport in the south of Ireland and is one of just two Irish ports which service the requirements of all shipping modes.

The Port of Cork also controls Bantry Bay Port Company and employs 150 people across all locations.

A European Designated Core Port and a Tier 1 Port of National Significance, Port of Cork’s reputation for quality service, including prompt and efficient vessel turnaround as well as the company’s investment in future growth, ensures its position as a vital link in the global supply chain.

The port has made impressive strides in recent decades, most recently with the construction of the new €80m Cork Container Terminal in Ringaskiddy which will facilitate the natural progression of the move from a river port to a deepwater port in order to future proof the Port
of Cork. This state-of-the-art terminal which will open in 2020 will be capable of berthing the largest container ships currently calling to Ireland.

The Port of Cork Company is a commercial semi-state company responsible for the commercial running of the harbour as well as responsibility for navigation and berthage in the port.  The Port is the main port serving the South of Ireland, County Cork and Cork City. 

Types of Shipping Using Port of Cork

The Port offers all six shipping modes from Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk and Cruise liner traffic.

Port of Cork Growth

The port has made impressive strides in recent decades. Since 2000, the Port of Cork has invested €72 million in improving Port infrastructure and facilities. Due to its favourable location and its modern deepwater facilities, the Port is ideally positioned for additional European trading as well as for yet unexploited direct deep-sea shipping services. A well-developed road infrastructure eases the flow of traffic from and to the port. The Port of Cork’s growing reputation for quality service, including prompt and efficient vessel turnaround, ensures its position as a vital link in the global supply chain. The Port of Cork Company turnover in 2018 amounted to €35.4 million, an increase of €3.9 million from €31.5 million in 2017. The combined traffic of both the Ports of Cork and Bantry increased to 10.66 million tonnes in 2018 up from 10.3 million tonnes in 2017.

History of Port of Cork

Famous at the last port of call of the Titanic, these medieval navigation and port facilities of the city and harbour were historically managed by the Cork Harbour Commissioners. Founded in 1814, the Cork Harbour Commissioners moved to the Custom House in 1904.  Following the implementation of the 1996 Harbours Act, by March 1997 all assets of the Commissioners were transferred to the Port of Cork Company.

Commercial Traffic at Port of Cork

Vessels up to 90,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT) are capable of coming through entrance to Cork Harbour. As the shipping channels get shallower the farther inland one travels, access becomes constricted, and only vessels up to 60,000 DWT can sail above Cobh. The Port of Cork provides pilotage and towage facilities for vessels entering Cork Harbour. All vessels accessing the quays in Cork City must be piloted and all vessels exceeding 130 metres in length must be piloted once they pass within 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) of the harbour entrance.

Berthing Facilities in Cork Harbour

The Port of Cork has berthing facilities at Cork City, Tivoli, Cobh and Ringaskiddy. The facilities in Cork City are primarily used for grain and oil transport. Tivoli provides container handling, facilities for oil, livestock and ore and a roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ramp. Prior to the opening of Ringaskiddy Ferry Port, car ferries sailed from here; now, the Ro-Ro ramp is used by companies importing cars into Ireland. In addition to the ferry terminal, Ringaskiddy has a deep water port.

Port of Cork Development Plans

2020 will be a significant year for the Port of Cork as it prepares to complete and open the €86 million Cork Container Terminal development in Ringaskiddy.

Once operational the new terminal will enable the port to handle up to 450,000 TEU per annum. Port of Cork already possess significant natural depth in Cork harbour, and the work in Ringaskiddy Port will enable the Port of Cork to accommodate vessels of 5500 to 6000 TEU, which will provide a great deal of additional potential for increasing container traffic.

It follows a previous plan hatched in 2006 as the port operated at full capacity the Port drew up plans for a new container facility at Ringaskiddy. This was the subject of major objections and after an Oral Planning Hearing was held in 2008 the Irish planning board Bord Pleanala rejected the plan due to inadequate rail and road links at the location.  

Further notable sustainability projects also include:

  • The Port of Cork have invested in 2 x STS cranes – Type single lift, Model P (148) L, (WS) Super. These cranes contain the most modern and energy-efficient control and monitoring systems currently available on the market and include an LED floodlight system equipped with software to facilitate remote diagnostics, a Crane Management System (CMS) and an energy chain supply on both cranes replacing the previous preferred festoon cabling installation.
  • The Port of Cork has installed High Mast Lighting Voltage Control Units at its two main cargo handling locations – Tivoli Industrial & Dock Estate and Ringaskiddy Deep-water & Ferry Terminals. This investment has led to more efficient energy use and reduced risk of light pollution. The lights can also be controlled remotely.
  • The Port of Cork’s largest electrical consumer at Tivoli Container Terminal is the handling and storage of refrigerated containers. Local data loggers were used to assess energy consumption. This provided timely intervention regarding Power Factor Correction Bank efficiency on our STS (Ship to Shore) Cranes and Substations, allowing for reduced mains demand and reducing wattless energy losses along with excess charges. The information gathered has helped us to design and build a reefer storage facility with energy management and remote monitoring included.

Bantry Port

In 2017 Bantry Bay Port Company completed a significant investment of €8.5 million in the Bantry Inner Harbour development. The development consisted of a leisure marina, widening of the town pier, dredging of the inner harbour and creation of a foreshore amenity space.

Port of Cork Cruise Liner Traffic

2019 was a record cruise season for the Port of Cork with 100 cruise liners visiting. In total over 243,000 passengers and crew visited the region with many passengers visiting Cork for the first time.

Also in 2019, the Port of Cork's Cruise line berth in Cobh was recognised as one of the best cruise destinations in the world, winning in the Top-Rated British Isles & Western Europe Cruise Destination category. 

There has been an increase in cruise ship visits to Cork Harbour in the early 21st century, with 53 such ships visiting the port in 2011, increasing to approximately 100 cruise ship visits by 2019.

These cruise ships berth at the Port of Cork's deepwater quay in Cobh, which is Ireland's only dedicated berth for cruise ships.

Passenger Ferries

Operating since the late 1970s, Brittany Ferries runs a ferry service to Roscoff in France. This operates between April and November from the Ro-Ro facilities at Ringaskiddy. Previous ferry services ran to Swansea in Wales and Santander in Spain. The former, the Swansea Cork ferry, ran initially between 1987 and 2006 and also briefly between 2010 and 2012.

The latter, a Brittany Ferries Cork–Santander service, started in 2018 but was cancelled in early 2020.

Marine Leisure

The Port of Cork has a strategy that aims to promote the harbour also as a leisure amenity. Cork’s superb natural harbour is a great place to enjoy all types of marine leisure pursuits. With lots of sailing and rowing clubs dotted throughout the harbour, excellent fishing and picturesque harbour-side paths for walking, running or cycling, there is something for everyone to enjoy in and around Cork harbour. The Port is actively involved with the promotion of Cork Harbour's annual Festival. The oldest sailing club in the world, founded in 1720, is the Royal Cork Yacht Club is located at Crosshaven in the harbour, proof positive, says the Port, that the people of Cork, and its visitors, have been enjoying this vast natural leisure resource for centuries. 

Port of Cork Executives

  • Chairman: John Mullins
  • Chief Executive: Brendan Keating
  • Secretary/Chief Finance Officer: Donal Crowley
  • Harbour Master and Chief Operations Officer: Capt. Paul O'Regan
  • Port Engineering Manager: Henry Kingston
  • Chief Commercial Officer: Conor Mowlds
  • Head of Human Resources: Peter O'Shaughnessy