CMA CGM Orders Biogas-Powered Ships to Serve French West Indies

CMA CGM Orders Biogas-Powered Ships to Serve French West Indies

During a recent trip to Martinique and Guadeloupe, CMA CGM Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rodolphe Saadé announced the rollout of seven new container ships powered by biogas to enhance and modernize services to the French West Indies.  Set for delivery in 2024, the seven new container ships—four 7,300 TEU vessels and three 7,900 TEU vessels, each with 1,385 reefer plugs—will serve Guadeloupe and Martinique, significantly increasing services to the two islands, while also maintaining the same service standards, reliability and regularity, according to the French container shipping company. The vessels are slated to replace smaller ships that sail…
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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels Bunkers Containership with Sustainable Biofuel in Singapore

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels Bunkers Containership with Sustainable Biofuel in Singapore

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has successfully completed the refueling of a CMA CGM containership in Singapore with sustainable marine biofuel, marking a milestone in the company’s ambition to become a key biofuel bunker supplier across strategic hubs by 2030, officials said in a Sept. 20 announcement. In late July, the 4,294 TEU CMA CGM MONTOIR container vessel was bunkered via ship-to-ship transfer with TotalEnergies-supplied biofuel. The biofuel is made of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) blended with 24% second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME). “We are delighted to continue our partnership with CMA CGM, a global…
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Panama Canal Expecting a Record Setting 2022-2023 Cruise Season

On Oct. 4, the Panama Canal announced the transit of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Spirit, marking the start of the waterway’s 2022-2023 cruise season, during which the Canal is expected to facilitate more than 200 cruise ship transits over the next few months. Forty-four of the transits are expected to involve Neopanamax passenger vessels, which is 17 more than it anticipated in the 2019-2020 season that was cut short by the pandemic, and includes two transits by the Norwegian Encore, the sister ship of the Norwegian Bliss, the largest cruise ship to traverse the waterway. “We anticipate a record number…
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New TT Club CFO Takes Over

New TT Club CFO Takes Over

EeLain Ong has taken over as chief financial officer for international freight transport and logistics insurer TT Club, the London-based firm confirmed in August. Ong’s appointment was announced in April. She then shadowed outgoing CFO Julian Chowdhury for the months prior to his retirement. As CFO of the specialist mutual insurer, Ong’s challenges, according to the company, will include achieving business plan profit targets via operational efficiencies focused on simplifying and automating processes along the insurance value chain.  “TT is fortunate to have in EeLain someone of vast and varied experience so suited to the Club’s structure and nature of…
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Asia-Pacific Countries Prepare to Tackle Marine Plastic Litter

Asia-Pacific Countries Prepare to Tackle Marine Plastic Litter

The International Maritime Organization announced Sept. 20 that the first regional task force meeting for Asia-Pacific countries in a major international project to help reduce marine plastic litter from maritime transport and the fishing sector has been held in Busan, South Korea.  The meeting brought together 20 participants from 10 countries, according to the IMO. The countries discussed potential joint regional activities where lead partner and partnering countries would establish bilateral and multilateral twinning activities based on the problems and commonalities identified to address the global issue of sea-based marine plastic litter.  The Regional Task Force meeting was sponsored by the…
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Passenger Ferries: Becoming Cleaner, More Sustainable

Passenger Ferries: Becoming Cleaner, More Sustainable

Those in charge of passenger-only ferry design, construction and operations continues to march toward cleaner, more sustainable models and practices. Whether it’s ferries that get commuters to and from work or catamarans that carry researchers to their oceanic missions, West Coast vessel builders and operators are moving people in a way that produces less pollution. That move toward zero emissions is expected to quicken with President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Passed in November, it includes “historic levels of funding,” almost $300 million, to enhance access to ferry service and build greener ferries, according to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).…
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Baja California Seaports: An Overview

Baja California Seaports: An Overview

The seaports along Mexico’s Pacific coast generally don’t receive a lot of attention north of the border in the United States, but although they’re typically smaller and not as high profile, some of them are as bustling as their counterparts elsewhere in North America. Part of the reason why is the country’s blossoming manufacturing industry. Mexico has 16 international seaports allowing for the expedited arrival and departure of goods. Baja California, a Mexican state south of California, is home to five of those international seaports—Ensenada, Isla de Cedros, Rosarito, Sauzal de Rodriguez and San Felipe—all of which except Isla de…
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A.P. Moller-Maersk Acquires LF Logistics

A.P. Moller-Maersk Acquires LF Logistics

Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk on Aug. 31 announced its $3.6 billion acquisition of Hong Kong-based contract logistics company LF Logistics. As a result of the acquisition, LF Logistics is being rebranded as Maersk. The newly named Maersk is expected to add 223 warehouses to its existing portfolio, bringing the total number of facilities to 549 globally, spread across a total of 9.5 million square meters. “Maersk in Asia has historically been primarily focused on ocean transportation out of Asia and related logistics services,” A.P. Moller-Maersk Regional Managing Director of Asia Pacific Ditlev Blicher said. “With the addition of LF…
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Commercial Fishing Vessel Sinks off Washington’s San Juan Islands

Commercial Fishing Vessel Sinks off Washington’s San Juan Islands

The commercial fishing vessel Aleutian Isle sank off the San Juan Islands in Washington state on Aug. 13. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, all five crewmembers were rescued by a Good Samaritan as the vessel sank. The vessel was reported by the USCG to have about 2,600 gallons of diesel fuel onboard, as well as 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricant oil. After the vessel sank, responders observed a sheen spanning about three miles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Response and Restoration. OR&R provided trajectory assistance for the spilled oil, as well as…
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White House Port Envoy and Oakland Officials Meet, Discuss Solutions for Supply Chain

White House Port Envoy and Oakland Officials Meet, Discuss Solutions for Supply Chain

The White House’s Port and Supply Chain Envoy, retired U.S. Army General Stephen R. Lyons, toured the Port of Oakland on Aug. 29 and met with port officials and stakeholders. Lyons has been visiting U.S. ports to address on-going supply-chain issues in America. He toured the Oakland Seaport to take a first-hand look at the maritime operations and learn more about Oakland’s port-terminal activities. Lyons met with Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan and Maritime Director Bryan Brandes to discuss the challenges Oakland maritime officials are facing and continue the federal dialogue to support solutions to goods movement at the port. “I am committed to looking for ways to stabilize the entire…
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