Florida-based ship owner and operator Crowley Maritime Corp. has signed a contract with satellite communications provider Inmarsat to install high-speed broadband service Fleet Xpress on a majority of its vessels. The deal was signed following successful trials in Alaska on Aframax tanker, Californi
Gulf Agency Company (GAC) has partnered with Singapore-based start-up F-drones to develop large-scale drones that can deliver up to 100kg of supplies over 100km to vessels and offshore platforms. The international ship agency said that testing was underway on F-drones’ 3rd prototype that is capable
Danish consultancy Sea-Intelligence believes that the container shipping market has reached the peak impact of the pandemic in terms of blank sailings. Voiding of sailings has been a dominating technique adopted by liners to adapt to the drop in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to cut costs a
Twenty port authorities from different parts of the world have signed a declaration calling for collaboration and sharing of best practices in ensuring port operations remain open to trade as part of the global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Ports across the globe have been declared essenti
Two new deep-sea quay cranes arrived at Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG). They will be commissioned in the coming months and are expected to be operational in the second half of 2020. The new cranes, the largest of their kind, were built by ZPMC in China. They have a lifting height of 56 meters and are
Abu Dhabi Ports is offering a three-month rent deferment for the second quarter of the year for its customers as part of the relief measures aimed at curbing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their operations. The package also includes a freeze on late payment penalties and an exemption from
BMT has released details of its next generation ‘Pentamaran’ platform for autonomous applications. These vessels will be capable of performing commercial and defence missions including ISR, ASW and hydrographic surveying. The Pentamaran design aims to reduce drag as much as possible. BMT said that t
Dubai-based terminal operator DP World has launched a plethora of online logistics tools and services enabling businesses to book shipments of cargo by any combination of sea, land, and air. The company said the roll-out of the platforms was sped up by the ongoing challenges arising from the COVID-1
Danish ferry and logistics company DFDS has put 12 out of its 50 ferries in layups as a response to a drop in demand prompted by the COVID-19 lockdown measures which have slashed passenger volumes. Since mid-March, DFDS has suspended two passenger routes, Copenhagen-Oslo and Amsterdam-Newcastle, whi
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world functions as governments and leaders across the globe have implemented unprecedented measures to curb the spreading of the virus. The life as we know it changed completely with factory lockdowns, closures of unessential services and stay at home or
By Hanane Becha, TRAXENS & UN/CEFACT, Mikael Lind, RISE (Research institutes of Sweden), André Simha, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company SA), and Francois Bottin, CMA CGM Ports are taking significant strides with digital transformation and starting to declare themselves as “smart”. Processes are di
The Port of Antwerp is teaming up with the tech company Rombit to prevent corona infections by using a digital bracelet that ensures social distancing. The digital solution is being revealed as the port remains fully operational during the pandemic, with freight handling and industrial production co
The agreement of the members of OPEC and its allies to cut oil production by 9.7 million barrels of crude per day is not believed to be enough to offset the massive demand drop and will certainly have dire implications for the oil tanker shipping market. “The first quarter of 2020 has been one of [&
The container carriers have blanked a total of 435 sailings on various deep-sea trades, equaling a demand decline of 7 million TEU in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on global economies. The figures were revealed by Danish consultancy Sea-Intelligence, which said the push has served as
