Author: Ruth M
Great Yarmouth, UK – September 23, 2025 — The Stena Immaculate, an oil tanker severely damaged in a North Sea collision earlier this year, is preparing to depart Great Yarmouth’s outer harbour this week under controlled tow operations. The move marks a critical phase in the recovery effort following one of the most serious maritime incidents in UK waters in recent years. Background: March Collision On March 10, 2025, the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate was struck by the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong approximately 25 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire. The tanker, laden with aviation fuel destined for the…
Rotterdam, Netherlands – September 23, 2025 — A fatal workplace accident at the C. Steinweg terminal in Rotterdam’s Botlek area has reignited concerns about safety standards at one of Europe’s busiest breakbulk and project cargo facilities. A 21-year-old worker died on Monday morning after being trapped beneath heavy cargo during vessel unloading operations. The Incident According to emergency responders, the victim was working in the hold of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Huangyan Spirit when the accident occurred. Reports indicate that either sheet metal or aluminum blocks being discharged shifted unexpectedly, pinning the young worker beneath. Emergency services — including police,…
Bilbao, Spain – September 23, 2025 — The global project cargo sector is grappling with a new era of uncertainty, where trade wars, fragile investment pipelines, and mega-scale renewable energy projects are reshaping the industry’s landscape. This was the central message from the Project Cargo Summit 2025, held last week in Bilbao, where carriers, ports, and logistics executives debated the pressures and prospects facing the heavy-lift and breakbulk markets. Geopolitics and Trade Tensions Industry leaders warned that geopolitical rivalry has become a permanent feature of global logistics, forcing carriers to reconfigure routes and investment strategies. “The rules of the game…
Charleston, South Carolina – September 23, 2025 — The chief engineer of the MSC Michigan VII, the container ship at the center of the dramatic “runaway” incident in Charleston Harbor last year, has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to failing to report hazardous conditions and obstructing a federal investigation. Federal prosecutors confirmed that Fernando San Diego San Juan, 61, a Filipino national, entered the plea agreement last week, admitting to his role in one of the most serious shipping safety cases in recent U.S. maritime history. The plea follows months of investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and…
AD Ports Group, in partnership with Unicargas and Multiparques, has commenced construction of the new Noatum Ports Luanda Terminal in Angola, an ambitious project that will reshape the country’s maritime landscape. With an initial investment of US$250 million, the development is designed to transform Luanda into a high-capacity logistics hub capable of handling Super Post-Panamax vessels. Strengthening Luanda’s Role as a Regional Gateway Located at Angola’s main seaport, the terminal will expand the port’s throughput capacity and enable it to serve larger vessels that dominate global container trades. Equipped with state-of-the-art cranes, modern yard facilities, and digital management systems, the…
Polaris International, a company best known for its automotive logistics arm Polaris Autoliners, has announced its entry into the dry bulk market through the launch of a new subsidiary, Polaris Bulkers. The move marks a strategic diversification as the group seeks to broaden its shipping portfolio beyond vehicle transport. The new dry bulk unit will be headquartered in Singapore and led by industry veteran Lukasz Ogryczak, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Ogryczak brings extensive experience in dry bulk shipping and outlined an operating model focused on high vessel utilization and optimized scheduling to minimize downtime. “Our business model…
The Port of Mombasa has marked a significant milestone in its green transition journey with the maiden call of MV Grande Shanghai, an ammonia-ready pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) owned by Italy’s Grimaldi Group. The vessel berthed at the Ro-Ro Multipurpose Berth 1, heralding the arrival of a new generation of energy-efficient ships designed in line with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonization goals. The 220-meter-long vessel, with a beam of 38 meters and capacity for 9,000 cars, was maneuvered safely into berth under the guidance of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Marine Pilot Capt. Joshua Musee Nguku, utilizing her…
Date: September 21, 2025 In a significant shift in Spain’s rail freight landscape, DB Cargo AG has reached an agreement to transfer its intermodal and domestic rail freight operations under its Spanish subsidiary Transfesa Logistics, S.A., to Boluda Corporación Marítima. The deal excludes Transfesa’s automotive sector and its international rail freight links. Key Details of the Transaction Motivation Behind the Exit According to DB Cargo, this move forms part of its broader recovery and restructuring programme aimed at streamlining operations and focusing on more profitable and strategic segments of the freight business. The departure from non-core intermodal operations allows DB…
Kocaeli, Turkey – September 20, 2025 — A Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship, Rapid, ran aground off Turkey’s Black Sea coast this week, forcing authorities to launch a helicopter rescue that successfully evacuated all seven crew members. The 81-metre general cargo vessel, built in 1991, had departed Bartın for Chornomorsk, Ukraine, laden with 2,135 tonnes of gypsum. According to Turkish maritime officials, the ship encountered strong winds and heavy seas early on 18 September, which drove it onto the rocky shoreline near Pembe Kayalıklar, close to Kefken in Kocaeli Province. Dramatic Helicopter Rescue The vessel’s crew — six Ukrainians and one Iranian…
The Netherlands is scaling up its ambition to decarbonize inland shipping with the introduction of swappable battery packs, a flexible energy solution designed to accelerate the transition to emission-free waterways. The initiative represents a major step forward in the Dutch government’s broader climate strategy, which seeks to achieve fully sustainable inland navigation by 2050. A Modular Approach to Electrification At the heart of the project is a modular, containerized battery system. These battery packs, roughly the size of standard shipping containers, can be quickly installed and removed from vessels at designated swapping stations. Instead of waiting hours for traditional charging,…