Container Ships News

A Singapore-registered containership allided with an iconic training tall ship at berth in Australia's Port of Fremantle on Friday, causing damage to both vessels.The 332-meter box ship Maersk Shekou was proceeding into the harbor under pilotage, assisted by four tugs when it struck the STS Leeuwin II, which was at berth.Two night watch crew members on board the 55-meter tall ship were taken to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, while the 26 crew members on board…

A U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadet was airlifted to safety after suffering an injury on board a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.The U.S. Coast Guard said it medevaced the a 20-year-old female cadet who sustained an arm injury aboard the U.S. registered Maersk Ohio. USMMA cadets sail aboard commercial vessels as part of their training to gain practical, hands-on experience in the maritime industry.The ship captain requested the medevac to Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston at 5 p.m.

Hong Kong headquartered ocean carrier Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) said it is running its ships biofuel as a means to reduce emissions from its operations.The company, which has been using biofuel on some of its vessels since 2023, said it has partnered with customers IKEA and Kyocera for the most recent trial voyage, which commenced in early August. The fuel used on the voyage is a B24 biofuel blend, with ISCC certified Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester as a component in the VLSFO.By substituting fossil fuels with biofuels…

The Alette Maersk was the first container vessel powered by low-carbon methanol fuel to cross the Pacific Ocean - a milestone in the shipping industry's effort to reduce its climate impact.But when the 1,148-foot (350-meter) vessel arrived at the Port of Los Angeles from China last week, there was nowhere in the U.S. to buy more of the green fuel, forcing it to rely heavily on petroleum-based maritime fuel for the return trip.At a day-long ship naming event on Tuesday, A.P. Moller…

Orient Overseas Container Line Co., Ltd. (OOCL) today celebrated the naming of the company's twelfth 24,188 TEU newbuilding at a ceremony held at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) shipyard. The new vessel, named OOCL Portugal, is the last in the 24,188 TEU eco-friendly mega vessel series.Michael Xu, Director and Member of Executive Committee of OOCL, said, “The naming of our last 24,188 TEU new vessel marks an important milestone in the development of OOCL.

German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd announced it has taken delivery of a new ultra-large container vessel from South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.The 399-meter-long, 23,660 TEU Hamburg Express is the seventh newbuild in a series of 12 "Hamburg Express" class containerships—the largest to ever sail under the German flag. The series' first vessel, Berlin Express, was delivered in 2023, and the remaining ships will be delivered through the end of 2025.Each ship features MAN B&W11G95ME-C10.5-GI dual fuel main engines…

“The enormity of this disaster is hard to imagine without seeing it in person…It may sound dramatic but given the wreckage field created by the collapsed bridge, the environment divers are working in, and the dangers posed to them, is like cleaning the site of 9/11 with blinders on.” - Rick Benoit, Emergency Management specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) North Atlantic Division (NAD), from USACE news report.Col. Estee Pinchasin is commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District.

The containership CMA CGM Belem has arrived safely at anchorage in the Port of Ngqurha after losing nearly 100 containers in heavy seas off the coast of South Africa.The Maltese-flagged vessel suffered a significant stow collapse and a loss of 99 containers overboard while encountering severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay on the night of August 15, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The 336-meter-long vessel had initially sought refuge at Maputo Bay but was redirected to Gqeberha…

Danish shipping group Maersk has agreed to join a study by maritime services firm Lloyd's Register (LR) and UK-based Core Power, that will assess the potential for nuclear-powered container shipping in Europe, LR said on Thursday.The maritime industry has been exploring whether nuclear fuel can be used to power commercial ships as technological advancements have opened up such options, but industry officials last year said nuclear fuel solutions for ships were at least a decade away.Maersk, LR and Core Power will assess the regulatory feasibility and frameworks that would be needed for a conta

A potential strike at U.S. seaports on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico could back up cargo there for weeks or even months, shipping experts said on Wednesday.Retailers like Walmart and other importers have been rushing goods in ahead of the Sept. 30 expiration of the union contract covering some 45,000 dockworkers at three dozen seaports from Texas to Maine.Their goal? To land cargo in the U.S. before Oct. 1, when the International Longshoremen's Association representing those workers has vowed to strike if a new contract is not in place.Analysts at Sea-Intelligence…

The global ship order book, representing 18% of the world fleet, is expected to increase, but within plausible levels, the head of German container liner Hapag-Lloyd told analysts on Wednesday."I expect the 18%, which as such is not worrying, to nudge up a bit, but delivery windows are long and so it does not have to be a problem," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of the company, which is the fifth-biggest worldwide in terms of operating tonnage.The company reported lower net profit in the first half of 2024 but expected a good performance going forward amid high demand and spot freight rates, whi

Retailers are fueling a summer rush of imports to the United States this year as companies guard against a potential strike by port workers and ongoing shipping disruptions from attacks in the Red Sea ahead of a shortened holiday shopping season.Container imports and freight rates surged in July, signaling an earlier than usual peak season for an ocean shipping industry that handles about 80% of global trade.July is expected to be the peak for U.S. retailers, which account for about half of that trade…

A fire broke out on board a Madeira-registered containership moored at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka.The MSC Capetown III was berthed at Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) on Sunday when the fire erupted and eventually escalated to an explosion, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said. The incident occurred in the 41/43 hatch area, where a fire initiated in the vicinity of 100 under-deck containers and 60 on-deck containers. All operations staff and crews were safely evacuated from the ship…

A major explosion on board a containership berthed at the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in China raises serious safety concerns, a shipping analyst said.The incident took place Friday, with video footage showing a massive explosion on board Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp's vessel YM Mobility. There are no reports of casualties.The blast follows other major incidents in 2024, including the collapse of Baltimore Bridge in March after it was struck by a containership…

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp said one of its cargo ships caught fire on Friday at China's Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the world's busiest.Earlier, Chinese state media said an explosion was reported at the port and shockwaves were felt a kilometer away.Yang Ming Marine Transport said a fire occurred on board the YM Mobility while it was operating in the port. No casualties or injuries were reported after the blast at around 1:40 p.m. (0540 GMT), China's official Xinhua news agency said."At present…

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Wednesday that it had targeted a ship identified as the Contship Ono in the Red Sea as well as two U.S. destroyers in the adjacent Gulf of Aden.The Houthi air force targeted U.S. destroyer Cole with a number of drones and the U.S.

Maersk expects global container shipping growth to slow from a strong start to the year, when customers soaked up goods to prevent them from being held up by Red Sea attacks and other disruptions, it said on Wednesday.The Danish company, viewed as a barometer of world trade, said global container demand increased about 7% year-on-year in the first half of the year, boosted by robust demand from Europe, emerging markets and strong Chinese exports."That is a lot and we expect the second half of the year to be less strong…

Greek authorities have confiscated cocaine valued at more than 1 million euros ($1.10 million) that was hidden in a sea container for bananas, the coast guard said.The drugs, seized from a vessel in Piraeus port on Monday, were found with the help of the Homeland Security Investigations unit of the U.S.

Shipping group Maersk raised its full-year earnings and market demand forecasts on Thursday, partly due to disruptions to Red Sea trading routes, but also said prospects for the fourth quarter were uncertain.The Danish group, seen as a barometer of world trade, said it now expected global container market volumes to increase 4-6% this year, up from its previous forecast of growth at the upper end of a 2.5-4% range.It added, however, that there was a lack of clarity around supply and demand in the fourth quarter of the year.Maersk's share price initially rose on the news…

Israeli ocean carrier ZIM celebrated the grand opening of its new U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va."We are excited to open our new U.S.A. headquarters in Virginia Beach. This milestone is a testament to our commitment to growth and innovation," said Eli Glickman, ZIM President and CEO. "I extend my deepest gratitude to Governor Glenn Youngkin for creating a business-friendly atmosphere in Virginia and to Mayor Bobby Dyer for his crucial support and dedication."Nissim Yochai, President of ZIM USA, said, "This new campus is a significant milestone for ZIM USA.

A container vessel that was hit by Houthi militants off Yemen on Saturday in the first such attack in two weeks, has arrived safely in Djibouti and the strike caused no injuries or water ingress, its Greek manager said on Monday.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Sunday that they targeted the Liberia-flagged MV Groton in the Gulf of Aden with ballistic missiles, claiming their first attack on shipping lanes since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike in Hodeidah port on July 20.The MV Groton was hit by a missile 60 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen…

The United States' Federal Maritime Commission on Monday published its final rule concerning “Definition of Unreasonable Refusal to Deal or Negotiate with Respect to Vessel Space Accommodations”.The rule establishes the necessary elements for the Commission to apply 46 U.S.C. 41104(a)(3) with respect to refusals of cargo space accommodations when available, and 46 U.S.C. 41104(a)(10) with respect to refusals of vessel space accommodations.Where an alleged refusal by an ocean common carrier takes place during the “negotiation” phase of a transaction, 46 U.S.C. 41104(a)(10) would apply.

The maritime industry is seeing significant fleet growth in the containership sector as the volume of newbuild deliveries eclipses previous highs.“Since the beginning of the year, the capacity of the containership fleet has increased by 1.6 million TEU. Compared to one year ago, the capacity has risen 11% to 29.5 million TEU, the fastest fleet growth in 15 years,” said Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at BIMCO.During the first half of 2024, a total of 264 ships with a combined capacity of 1.6 million TEU have been delivered from shipyards…