UK Says Burning Containership is Secured as Response to Collision Continues
11.03.2025
Response efforts continued to Monday’s incident off the east coast of England in which a Portuguese-flagged containership hit a U.S.-flagged tanker that was anchored near Hull, England. The updates from HM Coastguard provided late on Tuesday, March 11, indicate that the containership Solong was still burning but that fears that the vessel would sink were diminished. The fires were greatly reduced with some flames still visible on the main deck and firefighting is focusing on those areas. A tow line has also been attached as a salvage team works to control the vessel.
Earlier in the day, the Coastguard reported the vessel was drifting. Its last position was to the south of where it hit the Stena Immaculate. The containership had also drifted further east into the North Sea away from shore. The tug with the line is reported to be holding the containership in "a safer position."
Briefing Parliament earlier on Tuesday, the UK’s Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, Mike Kane, said “The assessment of HM Coastguard is, however, that it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat.” He had reported, “Modelling suggests that, should the Solong remain afloat, it will remain clear of land for the next few hours.... Tug boats are in the vicinity to ensure the Solong remains away from the coast and to respond as the situation develops."
At 2320 last night local time the Coastguard reports the Solong separated from the Stena Immaculate and began to drift southwards. The Stena vessel was anchored approximately 10 miles off the coast near Hull, England, and remains there while the Coast Guard continues to track the Solong. Daylight images today show multiple fireboats near the containership spraying the fire.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the owners of the vessel Ernst Russ is now denying the reports of dangerous chemicals in some of the containers. “We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board ladened with sodium cyanide...,” they stated. “There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical and these containers will continue to be monitored.”
Images of the Stena Immaculate show the large fire is extinguished. Experts said they are remaining cautious however that there might still be fire below deck and they would be monitoring the vessel. Boskalis confirmed Dutch media reports that it has been retained to oversee the salvage operation for the tanker. The company said the timeline was unclear but that resources were already traveling to the ship.
ONE Ship Hits Docked Maersk Ship Causing Boxes to Fall
03.03.2025
An NYK-owned containership operating for Ocean Network Express (ONE) stuck a Maersk ship as it was maneuvering into Hong Kong on Friday evening, February 28. The allision dislodged three containers from the docked Maersk vessel causing them to fall into Hong Kong harbor but the authorities report there were no injuries.ONE Columba (138,611 dwt) was arriving at Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung Container Terminal from China’s Shenzhen port. In the video of the incident, the bow anchor is down with the chain visible and tugs assisting the Japan-registered vessel. Built in 2018, the ship is (364 meters) in length with a capacity of 14,000 TEU. The vessel appears to overshot and its bow hits amidship the Maersk containership which is docked at a 90-degree angle to the arriving ONE vessel.As the ONE vessel reverses, container stacks on the deck of the Maersk vessel can be seen to teeter and three boxes fall from the deck into Hong Kong harbor. It is unclear if they were empties. The Hong Kong Marine Department reported on Saturday the boxes had been retrieved from the harbor.Clifford Maersk (110,387 dwt) was on dock for container operations after having arrived from South America earlier in the week. Built in 1999, the vessel is registered in Denmark with a capacity of 9,640 TEU. It is 1,138 feet (347 meters) in length. Officials from the Marine Department inspected both vessels and reported minor damage terming it a “minor collision.” There was no pollution and no injuries. One media report is saying the ONE vessel sustained a 2-meter by 2-meter (6.5-foot by 6.5-foot) gash above the waterline on its bow.AIS data shows ONE Columba departed Hong Kong Saturday evening bound for Ningbo, China. The Maersk vessel departed on Sunday bound for Shanghai.
Ocean Alliance rolls out new service network
13.01.2025
Ocean Alliance of CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and OOCL has announced the latest product line-up for 2025.
As the initial cooperation period nears its end, all partners have agreed to extend their collaboration for at least an additional five years, until 2032. This decision will make Ocean Alliance the only container shipping grouping remaining the same after February 2025, when the new structure of the alliances will take effect.
CMA CGM Inaugurates New Terminal at Khalifa
23.12.2024
CMA Terminals has inaugurated a container terminal in Khalifa Port, furthering the UAE’s port expansion plan. The $845 million container terminal is managed as a joint venture between the CMA CGM Group’s subsidiary CMA Terminals (70 percent) and Abu Dhabi Ports (30 percent). The facility adds a capacity of 1.8 million TEU to Khalifa Port.
In 2022, the UAE launched the Khalifa Port expansion plan as a key national project to drive economic growth. Khalifa Port was opened in 2012 and has since grown into a major logistics hub serving more than 25 container shipping lines, with direct links to more than 70 international destinations.
The addition of the CMA Terminals facility increases Khalifa Port’s annual container capacity by 23 percent to almost 10 million TEU. The port has a goal of reaching a handling capacity of 15 million TEU by 2030.
The terminal is ready for railway connectivity and features shore-power infrastructure for vessels. It includes eight Ship to Shore (STS) cranes and 20 Electric Rubber Tyred Gantry (e-RTG) cranes, boosting the efficiency of Khalifa Port.
“The inauguration of our new container terminal is a major step in the development of Khalifa Port, consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a global trade hub. This strategic infrastructure will boost shipping and logistics activities across the region,” said Rodolphe Saadé, CEO of CMA CGM Group.
Meanwhile, CMA CGM and AD Ports signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing maritime education and training in the UAE and the Gulf region. The CMA CGM Group will contribute in the placement of Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy cadets onboard its vessels.
In the past three years, CMA CGM has invested heavily in building up its terminal footprint across major ports. Some of the regions that the ocean carrier has been targeting include the Mediterranean and Americas (Port of New York and New Jersey and Brazil’s Port of Santos).
MSC continues container ship order rally with new major order
17.12.2024
The Swiss container shipping giant MSC continues its strong order streak, placing a new massive order for newbuild container ships.
According to Alphaliner, MSC has placed an order for ten vessels, each with a capacity of 24,000 TEUs, at the Chinese shipyard Hengli Heavy Industry. The delivery of the newbuildings is expected to begin in 2028, with the value of the deal estimated at around US$2.35 billion.
This new order further increases MSC’s orderbook, which now surpasses the 2 million TEU mark, reaching 2.13 million TEUs.
Given that Ocean Network Express (ONE), the sixth-largest container line, has a fleet of 1.96 million TEUs, MSC’s orderbook could be considered the “sixth-largest container fleet” in the world.
It is worth noting that in September last year, MSC placed orders for ten dual-fuel LNG-powered container ships, each with a capacity of 21,000 TEUs, at the same shipyard.