Panama Canal, Port of New Orleans Sign Deal

The alliance between the Panama Canal Authority and the Port of New Orleans has been renewed.

It has recently adopted a 2020 growth Master Plan of $1.04 billion, partially driven by the Canal’s expansion, which will help spur investment, increase trade and promote the “All-Water-Route” (the route from Asia to the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts via the Panama Canal). During an official ceremony yesterday in Panama, ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta reaffirmed the ACP’s commitment to mutual growth and cooperation with Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange and members of the Port’s Board of Commissioners, by renewing a Memorandum of Understanding. Renewable on a three-year basis, the agreement further enforces the strategic alliance between the two entities, which was first initiated in 2003. “Today’s renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of New Orleans underscores our strong economic and commercial bonds. Our common vision informs our strategy and creates new value based on information sharing and collaboration. As we embark on the next phases of the Panama Canal expansion project, we remain committed to providing solutions to the long-term needs of the shipping and maritime community,” said Mr. Alemán Zubieta. The Port of New Orleans, the only deepwater port in the United States served by six “Class One” railroads (the largest category of freight railroads), has been steadily moving past the Katrina recovery stage and is now looking toward future growth opportunities. Both the ACP and the Port of New Orleans are dedicated to further increasing capacity and fostering growth.

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Total bags CNOOC gas deal

French oil and gas group Total has signed a deal to sell up to one million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year from 2010 to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

"Under the terms of this agreement, up to one million tonnes of LNG will be delivered annually to the Chinese oil group starting in 2010," Total said in a statement. "The gas will be sourced from Total's global LNG portfolio," it added. The deal is part of a wider MOU signed between the two companies to boost cooperation in upstream and downstream areas and new energies, Total said. CNOOC has a 45 percent stake in the Akpo oil project in Nigeria, operated by Total.

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Mitsubishi Heavy close to cruise return

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced it is in the hunt for large cruise ship orders, four years after it delivered its last cruise pair.

MHI told this week that it expects to snag a deal this year. It has opened negotiations with Carnival, though pricing remains an issue. Carnival is likely to order two more ships, as follow ons from the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess that were delivered in 2004, late due to an enormous in dock fire. The new pair under discussion will be larger than the 116,000 grt pair delivered four years ago. The ships would be delivered in spring 2013 and early 2014. MHI met with Carnival in Tokyo in May, following stalled discussions last year. The Japanese yard's return to cruise shipbuilding comes as the Koreans eye the sector, which has been the last bastion of European yard dominance. Daewoo, Samsung and STX are all in discussions with cruise lines for deliveries from 2013 onwards.

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Mitsubishi Heavy close to cruise return

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced it is in the hunt for large cruise ship orders, four years after it delivered its last cruise pair.

MHI told this week that it expects to snag a deal this year. It has opened negotiations with Carnival, though pricing remains an issue. Carnival is likely to order two more ships, as follow ons from the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess that were delivered in 2004, late due to an enormous in dock fire. The new pair under discussion will be larger than the 116,000 grt pair delivered four years ago. The ships would be delivered in spring 2013 and early 2014. MHI met with Carnival in Tokyo in May, following stalled discussions last year. The Japanese yard's return to cruise shipbuilding comes as the Koreans eye the sector, which has been the last bastion of European yard dominance. Daewoo, Samsung and STX are all in discussions with cruise lines for deliveries from 2013 onwards.

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18 Foss vessels awarded Jones F Delvin safety awards

The Chamber of Shipping of America has presented 18 Foss vessels with Jones F Devlin Awards at the Annual Safety Awards Luncheon in Houston, Texas.

Jones F Devlin Awards are awarded to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. Altogether, the winning Foss ships have achieved the equivalent total of 82 years without a lost-time injury. "Safety is the keystone of our company's culture and the Chamber of Shipping of America awards certainly recognize that," said Gary Faber, Foss president and COO.
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Four mobile harbour cranes for the Port of Salalah

The Port of Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, has recently ordered four Generation 5 G HMK 6407 Mobile Harbour Cranes from Gottwald Port Technology for its container terminal.

The order was as a part of its port expansion program. The Port of Salalah is one of the world's largest container terminals. The first two units will be delivered at the end of June, and the remaining two at the end of July. With lifting capacities of up to 100 tonnes each and equipped with twinlift spreaders, the cranes will be used for serving container ships up to the Post-Panamax class. The four G HMK 6407 cranes will be the first Gottwald cranes to be delivered to Oman. In the course of the port development, Salalah Port Services initially intends to increase its annual capacity to approximately 4.5 million TEU. "With the G HMK 6407 cranes from Gottwald, we are ideally equipped for the ambitious development plans for our container terminal," said Gary Lemke, CEO of Salalah Port Services.

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