• 2008 October 30 13:33

    Rotterdam ups container throughput by 6% to 82.4 million tonnes in Jan-Sept 2008

    In the first nine months of 2008, container throughput in Rotterdam was 6% up, from 77.8 to 82.4 million tonnes. Incoming trade rose slightly more sharply than outgoing, by 6.9% to 40.8 million tonnes and 5.2% to 41.7 million tonnes respectively.
    Expressed in TEU (20-foot container units), throughput was 8.2 million units, an increase of 2%. The difference between units and weight is a consequence of the regulation of empty containers by the big terminals.
    Throughput from January to the end of September, in thousands of TEU, was:
                 2007    2008     Difference
    Laden    6 257    6 563    +5%
    Empty    1 768    1 662     -6%
    Total     8 025    8 225    +2%
    Of the main trades, North America performed best in the first three quarters (+12%), followed by South America (+5%), Asia (+2% to 3.9 million TEU) and Europe (+1% to 2.7 million TEU). Together, the Americas accounted for 1.4 million TEU (+9%).
    Within Europe, there was evidence of shrinkage on the ‘short sea’ routes. The main countries involved here are the U.K. and Ireland, where the economic decline already started early this year. In 2007, the two countries still accounted for around 2 million TEU. This was 52% of Rotterdam’s ‘European’ container throughput and almost 20% of its total container throughput. In scale, they are followed by the Iberian Peninsula, where Spain – accounting for 280,000 TEU in 2007 – was hit in the course of the year. In the north, Sweden, Norway and Iceland bore up relatively well until September. The ‘feeder market’ grew by close on 5% until the end of this month. This market again covers the U.K., but mainly the Baltic area and more specifically Russia, with around 500,000 TEU in 2007. Theoretically, the growth of the Russian market should remain intact the best/longest. European traffic actually declined more strongly towards the end of the quarter. Traffic with Asia, on the other hand, improved slightly. This is related to the traditional level of imports prior to the festive season and the build-up of volume by the CKYH alliance for the Euromax terminal.
    FEFC, other ports
    Just before it was folded up, the Far Eastern Freight Conference (FEFC) announced that the members (accounting for three quarters of the total Far East-Europe volume) achieved 1.9% growth in the first nine months. Although this refers to the westbound traffic and there are differences between Rotterdam’s “Asia” and the area the FEFC used to cover, the Rotterdam picture coincides well with the general one. Hamburg, also with a lot of Asia cargo, is expected to come close to this. Antwerp and Bremerhaven, both strong on the North America trade, could/should be able to record higher growth figures.
    In comparison with the situation/development in 2007 (total throughput 10.8 million TEU) in Rotterdam:
                   TEUx1000    +/- 2006          Share of total  
    Asia         4 855                17%               45%
    Europe     3 985                10%                37%
    America    1 683                14%               16%   
    Consequences of decline
    One way in which the shipping lines are responding to the current malaise is by restricting capacity. Maersk Line and the New World Alliance (APL, Hyundai, MOL) will shortly be abandoning a complete Asia service. Together with the ZIM service that has already been halted, this removes 18,000 TEU (-6.5%) capacity a week from container shipping between northern Europe and Asia. The CKYH Alliance is deploying smaller ships on a service between North America and Europe (-15,000 TEU on an annual basis). It can be expected that other shipping lines/services will follow suit. On the other hand, UASC and Hanjin are persevering with the start of a new service between China and northern Europe and CMA CGM has actually doubled its capacity on the South America trade.
    Generally speaking, Rotterdam will continue to be included in the modified sailing schedules. The loss of cargo can then be limited by transferring cargo to other services operated by a shipping line/alliance or by ‘slot sharing’. Termination of a service does have a direct impact on turnover from bunker oil. A (large) ship on an Asian trade easily bunkers 7000 tonnes in Rotterdam. Termination of a service makes an annual difference of some 350,000 tonnes and costs the bunker sector, given a price of around $325 a barrel (on 23 October), about $110 million in turnover.
    A lot of bunker oil is brought in by boat from Russia and that is also why revenues from port dues are declining. This trend comes on top of the attempts by shipping lines to save fuel, by sailing more slowly, introduced earlier this year. As they are also sailing more slowly in Asia and services are being dropped, the export eastwards of bunker oil via Rotterdam is also falling.

2024 May 17

18:10 Bunker fuel sales at the Middle Eastern hub of Fujairah drop on a monthly basis in April 2024
17:52 Lloyd’s Register and Shandong Marine Group sign MoU
16:43 China reveals cooperation methods to protect and restore the Yangtze River
16:03 APM Terminals Barcelona holds the commissioning of 17 Konecranes NSC 644 EHY hybrid straddle carriers
15:13 Marine fuel demand in Panama declined in April 2024
14:43 MITSUI E&S and PACECO commence commercial operations of world's first hydrogen fuel cell zero emission RTG crane at Port of Los Angeles
14:23 ILWU Canada agrees to delay serving 72-hour strike notice on employer DP World Canada
13:31 Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
13:10 Container shipping costs on EU-S. Korea route surge over 30 pct amid Red Sea crisis
12:43 DP World invests €130m in Romania
12:21 Astrakhan hosts Russia-Iran talks on shipping cooperation on International North-South corridor
11:41 Seatrium awarded repeat FPSO integration contract from SBM Offshore
11:04 Bureau Veritas report highlights the potential of carbon capture technologies and the development of carbon value chains for shipping
10:41 Electramar christened in Helsinki
10:07 IMO Secretary-General spotlights seafarer safety amidst ongoing Red Sea attacks and resurging piracy
09:58 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 20, 2024

2024 May 16

18:11 Kongsberg and Torghatten to develop self-driving ferry service linking Trondheim and the Fosen peninsula
17:42 “K” Line сonducts first trial use of B100 biofuel for carbon-free operations on car carrier
16:35 Deltamarin and ECOLOG unveil LP LCO2 carrier design
15:40 Seadrill enters agreement to sell its Qatar jack-up fleet
15:24 Scan Global Logistics and Hapag-Lloyd enter into major biofuel agreement in a new Green Collaboration
14:48 Edison Chouest feeder fleet for U.S. offshore wind market to be built to ABS Class
14:03 The Australian Government announces a funding package of $7.1 billion for budgeted programs to be administered by ARENA
13:54 The share of the idle container vessel fleet was 0.9% in April - Sea-Intelligence
13:25 The European Commission grants PCI status to CO2 value chain project developed by MOL with partners
12:14 HHLA's revenue decreased by 0.3 percent to € 363.6 millions in Q1 2024
11:42 MOL and TotalEnergies sign time charter contracts for 2 newbuilding LPG-fueled LPG carriers
10:40 Kalmar and Uniport Livorno agree on new terminal tractor order to enhance reliability, safety and service quality at Italian terminal
10:04 AMSA collaborates on a trial providing more recycling options for visiting foreign ships
09:59 SunGas Renewables and C2X announce strategic partnership

2024 May 15

18:07 MOL holds naming ceremony for newbuilding LNG carrier Greenergy Ocean to serve China National Offshore Oil Corporation
17:30 ClassNK and StormGeo mark significant collaboration to advance maritime decarbonization
17:02 Newly certified methanol valves to improve dual-fuel shipbuilding
16:45 HD KSOE to lease Subic shipyard in Philippines
16:25 Eidsvaag receives two forage carrier vessels designed and equipped by Kongsberg Maritime
15:58 ADNOC delivers first ever bulk shipment of CCS-enabled certified low-carbon ammonia to Japan
15:35 World's 1st wind challenger-equipped coal carrier achieves fuel savings of 17%
14:57 LR to support the retrofit of two Stena Line ferries to methanol
13:52 Port of Los Angeles nets record $58 million for harbor maintenance
13:32 CMA CGM to launch MCX - West Coast Central America
12:51 Port of Long Beach cargo volumes up 14.4% in April
12:21 First Ro-Pax vessel receives DNV Silent notation following successful sea trials with Wartsila propellers
11:41 Hapag-Lloyd transport volumes increased by 6.8 percent to 3 million TEU in Q1 2024
11:10 Cavotec signs two-year service agreement with Port of Salalah
10:41 China overtakes Korea in global shipbuilding competitiveness
09:58 The ports of Rotterdam and Delft join the CLARION project

2024 May 14

18:02 ICTSI to invest in new Southern Luzon gateway
17:31 ACL, BG Freight Line and Peel Ports Group start container service between Ireland and North America
17:10 Port of Hamburg is the first port in Europe to offer shore power for both container and cruise ships
16:31 Port of Gothenburg launches the platform "Digital Port Call"
16:18 NS United, NSY, Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation sign MOU for the construction of Cape-size bulk carriers using dual methanol fuel
15:56 Port of Antwerp-Bruges launches the world's first methanol-powered tugboat
15:29 The Ports of Barcelona and Shanghai will work together on innovation and decarbonisation projects
13:55 AD Ports Group announces Q1 results
12:58 NYK, NBP, TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING and Drax sign MOU to develop ‘bioship’ technology and plans to construct the world’s first biomass-fuelled ship
11:30 Maris Fiducia team up with HAV Hydrogen, Norwegian Hydrogen and Ankerbeer for zero emission bulk shipping
11:05 ABS and HD Hyundai Group sign MOU to advance medium-voltage power systems on ships
10:43 Finnlines’ new freight-passenger Superstar-class vessel Finnsirius awarded by Shippax
10:23 Kongsberg Maritime to design and equip two new salmon farm forage carrier vessels for Norwegian coastal cargo carrier Eidsvaag AS
09:48 Yara International and Kongsberg Digital enter collaboration on digital twin technology

2024 May 13

18:00 Capital dredging commences for Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility
17:06 Berlin’s oldest passenger vessel enters a new green era powered by Torqeedo
16:22 Russia’s seaborne diesel trading partners shifted after Feb 2023 sanctions
16:18 Denis Manturov: Russian shipyards to deliver more than 110 civil ships this year
16:05 CMA CGM and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology plan to set up joint venture
15:39 Yara Clean Ammonia and AM Green sign term sheet for sale of renewable ammonia from India to Yara Clean Ammonia’s global market
15:23 Maersk suspends methanol ship order to Chinese shipbuilder
14:59 Hamad Port сontainer volumes up 30% in 2023
14:04 Hanwha buys S’pore Dyna-Mac’s stake for $73.8 mn from Keppel
13:41 The EU plans to allocate more than $220 million to combat drug trafficking in ports