Belgium News

Ineos to Invest $3.4 bln in Antwerp Port

Europe’s largest petrochemicals company Ineos has chosen the Port of Antwerp as the location for a mega-investment of three billion euros ($3.4 billion).The British chemical company's investment will be the biggest in the European chemical industry in two decades.Belgium port will be the location for iIneos' project for an ethane gas cracker and world-scale PDH unit in Europe. The two new factories will employ a total of 500 people.Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO and Chairman of Ineos…

Maersk Offers Street Turn Services in the US, Canada

Avantida, an E2Open company, has announced that Maersk, has started to offer street turn services on their platform in the United States and Canada. This represents Avantida’s first step into the US and Canadian markets.Empty container triangulation, or the interchange of an intermodal container outside of a marine terminal or yard (street turns), is a well-known activity in the US. By offering this on Avantida’s online platform, transporter and logistics companies are freed from the administrative hassle of having to request and process street turns manually.

MHI Vestas Expands at Ostende

Danish manufacturer of wind turbines MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has opened a new office in the Port of Ostend to expand its offshore wind operations at the Belgian port.“Because we will be servicing no fewer than 244 wind turbines at sea from the Port of Oostende by 2020, we were in urgent need of expansion. This new location offers room for our new employees. Meanwhile, we now have over 100 employees in our Belgian branch,” says Aart Bark, Regional Director, MHI Vestas Belgium.MHI Vestas Offshore Wind is already an established company in the offshore wind industry at the port facility.

UK Defends Brexit Ferry Contract to Inexperienced Ferry Operator

Britain's transport minister has defended awarding a 14 million-pound ($18 million) contract for shipping goods after Brexit to a new ferry company that owns no ships.The government last week awarded three contracts to charter extra ferries to ease congestion if the United Kingdom fails to secure a trade deal before leaving the European Union in March.The smallest contract was won by Seaborne Freight, a British business that has never previously operated a ferry route, raising concern about whether the new service would be ready."I make no apologies for supporting a new British business…

No Turning Back

A multidisciplinary Rolls-Royce man is helping LNG’s rise on the water and ashore. For LNG, the future is now.At the heart of Europe’s growing marine supply chain for liquefied natural gas is a man with a degree in anthropology but steeped in engineering and business. Oscar Kallerdahl is Rolls-Royce Marine’s vice-president of LNG systems, and he’s the company’s production, purchasing, engineering and finance lead for getting gas engines aboard vessels.Kallerdahl has 10 years of experience overseeing LNG propulsion projects in Norway and four in Korea.

Tango FLNG En Route to Argentina

Belgium based EXMAR announced Thursday that its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility has left China for a 45-day voyage to the destination of its liquefaction operations at the Port of Bahia Blanca in Argentina.The barge-based Tango FLNG (previously named Caribbean FLNG) is on the move just one month after a contract was signed for a firm, 10-year deployment.Upon its arrival, the facility will be put in operation for EXMAR’s customer YPF S.A. and is expected to start up LNG production in the second quarter of 2019.

SOL Adds Finnish Port of Pietarsaari

Swedish shipping company Swedish Orient Lines (SOL) announced  that it will add the port of Pietarsaari/Jakobstad (Finland) to its liner network with one weekly call using its vessels Thuleland and Tundraland.The service will offer direct port calls to Lübeck (Germany), Zeebrugge (Belgium) and Tilbury (UK). With its new route SOL supports BillerudKorsnäs export of paper products from its mill in Pietarsaari as well as other import and export cargo to the region.BillerudKorsnäs…

FSRU Suppliers Shift from Emerging Markets, Cut Back New Orders

Political instability and low credit ratings in emerging economies are putting some shipowners off ordering new floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), as they shift focus to more mature gas markets.Liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand from emerging markets in Asia, Africa and South America was expected to be boosted by FSRU technologies that are less expensive and time-consuming than onshore import terminals.But a boom in speculative FSRU orders from shipowners led to an oversupply of units this year as import projects across the world were delayed or cancelled…

Euroports Germany opts for Liebherr at Rostock

Liebherr Maritime Cranes has delivered the first out of two LHM 550 to its neighbors in the Port of Rostock, Germany. Euroports Germany wants to increase its turnover considerably with the new cranes. Liebherr succeeded in finding a tailor-made solution for the requirements of the Euroports.Euroports is one of the largest port infrastructure companies in Europe. Euroports develops, operates and manages global maritime supply-chain solutions for international customers in target industry sectors.

Samskip’s UK Investments Transcend Brexit Disruption

Two years of pre-Brexit investment in North Sea container shipping services is proving decisive in winning shippers away from cross-Channel ferry routes at a critical time for UK-EU relations, according to leading multimodal operator Samskip.With many questions remaining over the exact nature of the future EU-UK trading relationship, Samskip says that regular, reliable and cost competitive container services are a key element in planning for the future.“The months ahead will see…

Gothenburg-Belgium RORO Traffic Goes Up

Ro/Ro traffic between Sweden and the continent are increasing, as volumes between Gothenburg and Belgium have risen for the ninth consecutive year. During this period volumes between Belgium during have doubled, and the number of departures has risen from 12 to 16.Shipping companies are also in the process of expanding their networks from Gothenburg across large parts of Europe – often via the Belgian ports in Ghent and Zeebrugge, which act as hubs for intra-European ro-ro traffic.During 2017…

Exmar Bags FLNG Contract from YPF

Belgium's Exmar and YPF of Argentina announced the signing of a firm, ten-year agreement to deploy Exmar’s barge-based floating LNG liquefaction unit (FLNG) currently known as Caribbean FLNG to produce and export LNG from the Vaca Muerta source at the Neuquén Basin in Argentina.The project marks the entry of Argentina to the select club of global LNG exporting nations, with an initial plan to export 500,000 tons of LNG per year to overseas markets.Exmar’s FLNG barge will be named Tango FLNG and be deployed to the port of Bahia Blanca.

Bomin Sells Belgium Bunker Ops

Bomin Group, a supplier of marine fuels, has agreed to sell its Belgium operations to certain individuals of the Somers family, controlling the tanker shipping company Somtrans.Bomin announced in September 2018 that it was exiting the bunker market in Antwerp, said a press release from the company.The purchasers will acquire 100 percent of the shares in Bomin Belgium, located in Antwerp. Subject to merger clearance, the deal is expected to be formally concluded on December 31, 2018.

Bomin Sells Belgium Bunker Ops

The Bomin Group has agreed to sell its Belgium operations to certain individuals of the Somers family, controlling the tanker shipping company Somtrans. Bomin announced in September 2018 that it was exiting the bunker market in Antwerp.The purchasers will acquire 100 percent of the shares in Bomin Belgium, located in Antwerp. Subject to merger clearance, the deal is expected to be formally concluded on December 31, 2018. As from January 2019 the company will be rebranded.The Bomin…

Port Police Regulation in Force in Antwerp

The modification of the Municipal Port Police Regulation, the Port Instructions and related forms come into force on the 12th of November 2018 said a press release from the Antwerp Port Authority.The port and the social context in which it operates are in a constant state of flux. It is therefore essential for the Police Regulation to take account of the changing situation and requirements.In modification 3 of the Port Police Regulation various articles were modified, and various…

BREAKING: Tanker, Frigate Collision Shuts Down Norwegian Oil, Gas to Europe

Norway has been forced to close the Sture Oil Terminal near Bergen and has started closing down the nearby Kollsness gas-and-condensate terminal — a lifeline of heating gas to Europe — after an early morning collision between a $440-million frigate and an oil tanker.The frigate Helge Ingstad, now listing heavily to its port side, is loaded with torpedoes and weapons systems said to be unstable as a result of the collision. Eight navy personnel are said to be injured, including two flown to regional hospital…

Shanghai Lingang Invests in Zeebrugge Port

Chinese investment by the Shanghai Lingang Overseas Development  in the port of Zeebrugge was officially signed in Brussels by Liu Jiaping, Chairman of Lingang, and Coens Joachim, CEO of Port of Zeebrugge.The agreement was signed in the presence of the prime minister of the People’s Republic of China, Ki Keqiang, and the prime minister of Belgium, Charles Michel.Port of Zeebrugge already announced the investment by the Chinese group Lingang in the Maritime Logistic Zone to establish a service and distribution park.

Novatek, Fluxys to Build German LNG Terminal

Russian gas producer Novatek and Belgium's Fluxys joint venture Rostock LNG GmbH has signed a Land Lease Agreement with the Port of Rostock with a view to building and operating a mid-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage terminal in the port.The envisaged facility is to unlock LNG as a low emission alternative for heavy fuel oil, diesel and LPG in North and Central Europe and the Baltic Sea area.The joint venture (Novatek 49% - Fluxys 51%) intends to build and operate a terminal for receiving and unloading mid-scale LNG carriers…

Abu Dhabi Ports, Etisalat Annouce Partnership

Abu Dhabi Ports and Emirates Telecommunication Group Company(Etisalat) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focused on advancing technological capabilities and business opportunities in support of Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.The partnership focuses on building shared electronic projects and networks, exchanging knowledge, simplifying procedures, securing fixed and wireless telecommunications coverage, and managing operational risk.Etisalat will also help Abu Dhabi Ports to adapt to the latest telecommunications technologies, business models, and customer behaviours.

Singapore Bunkering Hub Ready for IMO 2020

Singapore authorities are taking measures to ensure the availability of low-sulphur marine fuels ahead of upcoming emissions regulations in 2020, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health Lam Pin Min said on Wednesday."(The) MPA is working closely with the industry to ensure that Singapore is ready to supply low-sulphur compliant fuels ahead of 1 January, 2020," said Lam at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition.The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will make available a list of licensed bunker suppliers of low-sulphur fuels by mid-2019

Logistics Firms Bundle Freight in Alblasserdam

Port of Rotterdam Authority has welcome initiatives from companies including BCTN, Kramer and Waalhaven Group for more efficient transportation of containers between the Port of Rotterdam deepsea terminals and the hinterland.BCTN is bundling freight in Alblasserdam from its eight terminals in the Netherlands and Belgium in order to offer point-to-point services to the deepsea terminals on Maasvlakte.Kramer and Waalhaven Group are bundling cargo at their own terminals in Rotterdam…

Samskip Introduces New Shortsea Route to Antwerp,UK.

Samskip is launching a new shortsea service connecting Antwerp and Hull, in an expansion of its continent-UK multimodal network that also sees it debut at Belgium’s largest port.The intermodal logistics company  said in a press release that the initial schedule offers a twice weekly short sea container service, with its first departure from Antwerp on the 12th October.The service will be operated by a 508TEU capacity vessel, sailing from ATO's multimodal terminal on Tuesday and…

Port of Long Beach Joins World Ports Climate Action Program

The Port of Long Beach and six other international seaports recognized for advancing innovative environmental initiatives are combining forces to launch the "World Ports Climate Action Program."Long Beach will join port authorities in Los Angeles; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Hamburg, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; Antwerp, Belgium; and Vancouver, Canada in developing projects to address global warming and meet the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, a United Nations-led effort…

BT Delivers Wireless Solution for DP World Antwerp

BT has announced the completion of an innovative, secure and resilient wireless backbone network on behalf of DP World Antwerp for its Antwerp Gateway in Belgium, one of Europe’s busiest container terminals.The solution is a vital part of DP World’s digital transformation of the terminal, which handles 2.5 million containers every year, 3,000 trucks every day and almost 950 ships annually.It is designed to provide secure and resilient connectivity for not only the 900 people working at Antwerp Gateway but also the growing demands of connected devices.

Port of Antwerp Tests Autonomous Sounding Boat

Port of Antwerp has reached a new milestone with the introduction of a fully automatic sounding boat that employs unique technology. The vessel, named the Echodrone, is a prototype that is currently being developed to supplement the other operational sounding boat, the Echo.Both of these carry out measurements of the water depth everywhere in the port so as to guarantee safe passage for shipping. The cloud-based technology – a first – has been developed in partnership between…

LA, Antwerp Partner to Advance Port Technologies

In an effort to spur technology-based innovation in the port and maritime environment, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Antwerp in Belgium  are hosting an international “Hackathon.” The technology competition will take place October 11-13, 2018 simultaneously in the two cities and involve participants from around the world.The Hackathon has been organized under the chainPORT initiative, a collaboration of 12 ports launched in 2015 to digitally connect ports worldwide, share…