MSC orders ten LNG/dual fuel ULCVs from Chinese shipyard
30.09.2024
The world’s largest container shipping company MSC has signed a letter of intent (LOI) for ten LNG/dual fuel ships of 21,000 TEU capacity with Hengli Heavy Industries of China, according to a recent DynaLiners report.
The delivery of the container vessels is expected to start in 2027.
The Swiss-Italian box line appears to be continuing its aggressive newbuilding order spree, aiming to further solidify its position as the market leader in terms of TEU capacity. This strategic move comes as the company prepares for its solo journey following the formation of the new container shipping alliances set to take effect in February 2025.
It is important to note that this is the first container ship order of the Chinese shipyard, which stems from the defunct STX Dalian and mainly focusses on dry and wet bulk carriers.
Container crane crashes down on MSC feeder at Yantian port
17.09.2024
On 16 September, an MSC feeder boxship, the 1,730 TEU MSC Riona, was involved in an accident at Yantian Port in southern China, resulting in part of a ship-to-shore crane collapsing onto the vessel.
As a result, a number of boxes from the ship fell into the sea, according to local sources.
MSC Riona was built in 1998 and was deployed on an intra-Asia service.
The accident occurred around 8:40 am, causing the suspension of operations at berth two of the Shenzhen port. At the time of writing, no injuries have been reported.
Super Typhoon Yagi forces suspension of container handling operations in Hong Kong
05.09.2024
Terminals in Hong Kong and southern China have stopped handling containers for today (5 September) as Super Typhoon Yagi approaches.
Hong Kong Observatory has issued the No. 8 signal today and this is expected to be in place until 6 September. The observatory has determined Yagi to be a mature storm. Consequently, schools have been ordered to shut and outdoor activities are discouraged. Several domestic ferry services have also been suspended.
Yagi, the Japanese word for goat and Capricorn, is set to move 300km (186 miles) to the southwest of Hong Kong tonight and tomorrow morning.
The observatory said: “Gales associated with Yagi are set to edge closer to the Pearl River Estuary later today. Local winds will strengthen further and weather will deteriorate.”
Yantian International Container Terminal said in a WeChat notification that handling of empty containers stopped at 3am local time today, although loaded containers will still be accepted.
Hong Kong Container Terminals 4, 6, and 7, as well as COSCO-HIT Terminal and Asia Container Terminals, stopped all container deliveries at 12:00 noon local time today.
CMA CGM-operated ship targeted by Houthis for second time
01.09.2024
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an incident report that on 30 August, around 17:00 UTC, two missiles exploded near the 2002-built 2,500 TEU Groton, 130 nautical miles east of Aden.
UKMTO said, “The master reports all crew members are safe and proceeding to the next port of call. Investigations are ongoing. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”
Groton, which CMA CGM has chartered from Greek owner Conbulk Management, was targeted less than a month, on 3 August. Nobody was hurt in that incident, although the ship had to be repaired.
S&P Global’s vessel-tracking data shows that Groton had been drifting around Djibouti.
Another of CMA CGM’s chartered ships, the 2,078 TEU Lobivia also experienced an onboard fire after a Houthi attack between 18 and 19 July, but no one was hurt.
As the Gaza War continues, the Houthis have been unrelenting in their attacks, even as their 21 August assault on Delta Tankers’ loaded Suezmax tanker Sounion has allegedly resulted in oil spillage.
Floods cripple export-import in Bangladesh as main highway swamps
26.08.2024
Movement of export-import cargo-laden trucks and other vehicles through the Dhaka-Chittagong highway was disrupted severely as a devastating flood in Bangladesh has inundated roads, highways, homes, and farmlands since late last week.
Until now 11 districts in Bangladesh are now underwater where 1.23 million families have been affected totalling 5.7 million people while at least 23 have been killed. The flood situation further worsened on Monday amid huge rainfall.
As the country’s prime trade lifeline, Dhaka-Chittagong highways swamped and stayed underwater in many places, the trucks and other vehicles carrying in and outbound cargoes can move slowly and thus stay idle in traffic jams hours after hours. In some places, traffic congestions of 30 to 40 kilometres have been created.
Port sector officials say delivery of boxes from Chittagong port and inland container depots has fallen drastically while the depots are getting a significantly lesser number of export goods laden trucks during the last couple of days.
Ruhul Amin Sikder (Biplob), secretary general, of Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association said on Monday the 19 depots received only 1,124 export goods laden trucks from Dhaka and elsewhere against receiving some 3,500 trucks in a normal day.
Also on the day only 393 TEUs of import goods laden containers have been delivered from the depots as the importers show reluctance to take delivery of goods amid floods. The depots now house 8,290 TEUs of export goods laden boxes, 8,643 TEUs of import goods laden trucks and 49,924 TEUs of empty containers.
“We are not getting adequate export cargo carrying trucks,” said Biplob and added that presently they are sending cargoes to the port from the previous stock.
On Sunday, only 1,647 import containers were delivered from the Chittagong port, almost one-third then the usual. On the day some 38,000 TEUs of containers had been lying at the port yards while 16 vessels were waiting at the outer anchorage and 11 were loading and unloading boxes at port jetties.
The box delivery situation further fell as the rail authority suspended the movement of trains on Thursday last since the rail lines in many places went down the flood water. The port authority thus allowed the importers to carry train and road-designated boxes from Chittagong port to Pangaon Inland Container Terminal in Dhaka by waterways.
An official of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BFFA) said there is no obstacle in transporting cargoes to and from the port and depots.
“But as the highways swamped, the export cargoes cannot reach to the depots where they are usually stuffed to the boxes for shipment,” he said.
Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, general secretary of, Truck and Covered Van Owners’ Association said some 3,500 trucks and covered vans remained stuck on the way to Dhaka and Chittagong.
Al Nadeem general secretary, of the Chittagong Prime Movers Owners’ Association, also confirmed over 2,000 prime movers remained stranded in different parts of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway carrying boxes.