• 2018 September 7 13:50

    Financing and port investments on the agenda at the Baltic Ports Conference 2018

    Over 150 participants gathered for the first day of this year’s Baltic Ports Conference, held on 6-7 September, 2018, in Szczecin. The event, hosted by the Seaports of Szczecin-Świnoujście Authority, has once again provided the participants with an up to date review of some of the most pressing matters currently relevant to the maritime industry.

    Among the topics discussed were a thorough market overview and its impact on maritime transport and a closer look at various financial instruments supporting the development of port infrastructure.

    After a set of opening speeches, featuring representatives of the Baltic Ports Organization, Szczecin-Świnoujście Seaports Authority, the Polish Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, as well as BPO’s new member – Polskie LNG, the speakers dived straight into the thick of things.

    Bjarne Mathiesen, Senior Port Advisor at Mathiports, took on the role of the moderator, guiding the delegates throughout the day. Among the points made in his greeting speech, he underlined the need for the ports to focus on regional economy and trading conditions in order to remain competitive.

    The event kicked off with a session dedicated to economy and trade in Central Europe and the Baltic region. An overview of the current state of the market, along an analysis of its impact on the European maritime transport sector, was delivered by a duo of speakers from Ramboll Management Consulting, providing an analysis of the megatrends currently driving global economy and port development. A positive trend in economic growth remains to be observed, with heavy investment in ports present. The speakers also mentioned a shift from outsourcing to insourcing and the highly relevant green agenda. Digitalization was mentioned for the first time during the day, as an important driver in global economy.

    The audience’s attention was then shifted to a very intensely discussed topic, the Brexit. Mark Simmonds, speaking on behalf of the British Ports Association, gave a couple examples for challenges faced by the British ports on the way to Britain’s departure from the European Union, including possible difficulty in negotiating trade agreements and loss of EU funding (e.g. CEF). As for reasons for the decision to leave the Union, greater focus on port policy and revocation of some negatively received regulations were stated among other examples.

    The session ended with a presentation by the General Sponsor of the Conference, Police Seaport, describing their function as a strategic base for the chemical industry in the region.

    Economy remained one of the topics after the coffee break, specifically the role of ports in national economic development. Guided by Prof. Maciej Matczak, representing the Gdynia Maritime University, the delegates explored the significant influence of investments in seaports on the development of national economy, as well as growth in regions and cities the ports are located in. Differences in distribution of investment effects between national, regional and local socio-economic systems were also considered.

    The session featured presentations by Kalmar and Actemium, respectively describing the impact of automation on port development and on-shore power supply technology as a key point on the agenda of an environmentally conscious port. An experts’ panel, including representatives from BCT Gdynia, DCT Gdańsk, as well as the Szczecin-Świnoujście Seaports Authority and the Port Authority of Centre-North Tyrrhenian Sea rounded-up the session.

    The day’s last session covered one of the key topics for the transport sector in Europe – the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) II proposal for the period of 2021 – 2027. The EU budget for the upcoming period and the surrounding discussion is of great importance for many ports, as it presents an opportunity to start many projects essential to their continuous development. 

    This highly interesting topic was tackled by Prof. Kurt Bodewig, European Coordinator for the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor. He emphasized that the goal is to have a system aligned to political priorities, based on simplification, transparency and flexibility, as over 30 million Euros of proposed allocation will be available to the transport sector, for the period of 2021-2027. Development of the core network, as well as its modernization are among the specific objectives. Prof. Bodewig also touched upon the Vision Zero concept, underscoring its importance. With digitalization being one of the award criteria, it was presented along environmental projects as a chance for comprehensive ports to get access to funding. Still, the core network remains the priority.

    Mark Clintworth of the European Investment Bank explored incentives for cleaner EU shipping. He gave an example of one of the initiatives the EIB runs, the Green Shipping Guarantee Programme. The Programme was designed to support investments in greener shipping. In terms of eligibility criteria, sustainability remains one of the top of the list items. He also mentioned that digitalization is gaining increasingly more importance. In the end, it remains crucial to be careful about the projects chosen for investment, as they might become obsolete very fast.

    The last presentation of the day was delivered by a representative of VRT Finland, further citing digitalization as a competitive advantage. According to the presentation, 3d data in maintenance brings with it a lot of benefits, including cost savings, budget facilitation and being proactive about possible damages. 

    Before everyone headed out for a wonderful evening dinner, representatives of the European Commission, ESPO, the Finnish Ports Association and the Ports of Turku, Trelleborg, Rostock and Riga offered their insights during a very active discussion panel. The conclusions from the panel will be presented in a future newsletter.


2024 March 28

18:05 Jan De Nul, ENGIE and Equans launch a pilot project centred around the use of Vanadium Redox Flow batteries
17:35 Latvian port equipment manufacturer Bleste introduces new bulk handling ‘bucket’
17:05 Investors upgrade Navios Maritime Partners
16:25 DEME reports 22% increase in the orderbook and a record-high turnover of 3.3 billion euros in 2023
16:14 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 13, 2024
15:41 AD Ports Group announced the opening of Saadiyat Marina & Ferry Terminal and Rabdan Marina
15:11 Sydney invests $11.5 million in two new operational vessels designed by Incat Crowther
14:55 China’s Jinzhao wins Peru $405m port construction contract
14:13 APM Terminals Moín handled six million TEU
13:48 ClassNK grants Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to two innovative initiatives by MOL
13:37 Konecranes launches its flagship Konecranes X-series industrial crane
12:53 United European Car Carriers UECC spearheads collaboration with industry leaders to advance CNSL as a sustainable marine fuel
12:26 Ocean Network Express announces Transpacific service
11:48 Yang Ming announces 2025 Trans-Pacific service network
11:24 Fincantieri signs contract for the supply of two PPAs to Indonesia
10:42 Maersk transported more than 660,000 TEU using clean fuel in 2023
10:23 Documentation delays push industry costs to $3bn
09:48 PONANT and FARWIND Energy partner to develop green hydrogen refueling solutions

2024 March 27

18:22 Bureau Veritas awards world’s first prototype certification for SolarDuck’s floating offshore solar solution
17:58 The recently converted Allseas's shallow water pipelay barge starts preparations for its first commercial project
17:38 The Port of Rotterdam calls on the European Commission and Parliament to focus on actively promoting green energy
15:23 SEFE to become sole shareholder of WIGA
14:53 Ocean Installer secures yet another SLM contract with Equinor
14:23 Cadeler signs offshore wind turbine installation contract for the vessel Wind Scylla
13:42 Carnival Cruise Line orders 5th Excel-class cruise ship
13:11 Maersk and MSC overcharging cargo owners for EU ETS, says T&E
12:52 The Port Authority of Valencia launches the ZAL project in the Port of Valencia
12:11 Clarkson Port Services and Peak Group collaborate to deliver Port Agency services across the North Sea
11:42 Wan Hai Lines holds ship naming ceremony for new vessels
11:24 Consolidated shipping lines EBIT loss was $1.44 billion in Q4 2023: Sea-Intelligence
10:49 Seaspan Shipyards receives long-term contracts for the pre-construction work of the the Canadian Coast Guard's first six multi-mission vessels
10:14 Woodside completes sale of 10% scarborough interest

2024 March 26

18:02 COSCO Shipping Lines introduces new Americas service
17:30 Davie awarded first contract for design of icebreaker fleet under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy
17:04 Sanctions complicate Arctic LNG ship sales, Hanwha Ocean says - Bloomberg
16:57 Terntank places an order for 1+1 additional wind/ methanol-ready hybrid tanker
16:28 BW LNG completes acquisition of two TFDE vessels from Stena Bulk
15:50 Hanwha Ocean develops VR-based special vehicle simulator
15:20 TotalEnergies and SINOPEC join forces to produce sustainable jet fuel at a SINOPEC's refinery
14:52 Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreement to guarantee operational reliability of new wind farm installation vessel
14:23 Hudong-Zhonghua launches two LNG carriers
13:51 Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge
13:12 Final sanctioned tanker with Russian Sokol oil to reach China port - Reuters
12:42 Adani Ports acquires 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port from SP Group for $162 million
12:21 IHI and Yara Clean Ammonia agree to jointly assess clean ammonia business collaboration
11:41 Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane granted safety permit to build world's first low emission ammonia bunkering terminal
11:16 Wartsila and Royal Caribbean Group celebrate 15 years of collaboration on digital transformation
10:46 A global carbon tax on shipping is coming, says ABS Chairman and CEO
10:21 Eni, Fincantieri and RINA establish partnership for maritime transport decarbonization

2024 March 25

18:07 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore continues to investigate reports of oil spills off the port of Tuas
17:31 “K” Line, NIPPON HAKUYO and OPT Gate sign an agreement for a new fire detection system for car carriers
17:07 Greek merchant fleet recorded slight decline in January 2024
16:47 Hanwha Ocean Plans to develop green technology and naval ships
16:25 U-Ming Singapore and ITOCHU sign milestone MoU for the joint development of ammonia dual-fuel and de-carbonized vessels
15:34 Svitzer targets methanol-fuelled MAN 175DF-M engine for tug application
15:04 Wallenius Wilhelmsen signs contracts for four 9,300 CEU vessels with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard
14:40 Taiwan International Port to upgrade terminal facility at Kaohsiung
13:59 Сruise ship Carnival Freedom catches fire near Bahamas
12:59 Hanwha Ocean wins 2.4 tln-won order for 8 LNG ships
11:16 Inland Ports meet in Paris to talk about the innovation potential of inland ports
10:50 IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”
10:24 Hapag-Lloyd to continue to avoid the Red Sea route
09:58 QatarEnergy enters time charter agreements with Nakilat for the operation of 25 LNG vessels

2024 March 24

16:18 Inchgreen Marine Park upgraded as part of £11m investment
15:14 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Solent Rail Terminal Rail was held at the Port of Southampton
14:08 ESNA and Strategic Marine join forces to offer Surface Effect Ship (“SES”) Crew Transfer Vessels (“CTV”) to the market
13:07 First LNG powered vessel calls at HIP
12:49 Inter-array cable installation completed at Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm
11:32 Equinor ASA posts net income at USD 11.9 billion in 2023
09:25 Edda Wind announces the sale of Edda Passat