Mining News

Beirut Blast a Wake-up Call on Dangers of Ammonium Nitrate

The devastating explosion in Beirut should be a wake-up call for countries on the dangers of ammonium nitrate, which caused the blast, experts say.Lebanese authorities said 2,750 tonnes of the industrial chemical had been stored for six years at Beirut port without safety measures. That stockpile exploded on Tuesday, killing more than 150 people, injuring thousands and leaving about a quarter of a million people homeless.Commonly used in fertilizers and as an industrial explosive…

Port of Rotterdam to Trial PIN-free Container Handling

This week, various parties in Rotterdam will be launching a new pilot project, in which containers are handled and released without a PIN code: a widely used verification method in this transport segment. The project revolves around a new application, Secure Container Release, which replaces the PIN code with a digital signal: a solution that is significantly less susceptible to fraud. It is not only intended to make container handling more efficient, but also safer. Participants in the three-month trial include CMA CGM…

Port of Mobile to be Deepened to 50 Feet

The State of Alabama and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered into the Project Partnership Agreement twio deepen and widen the Port of Mobile to 50 feet in late 2024 or early 2025.Colonel Sebastien P. Joly, Commander of the Mobile District, and John C. Driscoll, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Alabama State Port Authority, signed the agreement, which allows the Corps of Engineers will move into contracting and construction phases of the approximately $365.7 million project…

COVID-19 Weighs on Great Lakes-Seaway Shipping

While St. Lawrence Seaway cargo volumes decreased during the past two months due to economic shifts related to COVID-19, industry leaders said the binational trade and transportation corridor is ready to play its part in the economic recovery efforts in the coming months. Meanwhile, with an increased focus on commodity diversification through project cargo, international shipments of wind energy components in the Great Lakes region are taking off.Overall St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage from March 15 through May 31 totaled 7.7 million metric tons, down 10% compared to the same time period in 2019.

Japan Exports Slump as Coronavirus Hits Demand

Japan's exports slumped the most in nearly four years in March as U.S.-bound shipments, including cars, fell at the fastest rate since 2011, highlighting the damage the coronavirus pandemic has inflicted on global trade.Monday's bleak data underscored the challenges Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government faces in dealing with a collapse in activity that is expected to send the global economy into its deepest slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s.After a jump in virus cases…

Retreating Chinese Steel Stockpiles a Positive for Iron Ore Demand -EastGate

Chinese steel stockpiles reached record highs amid the coronavirus outbreak, but are now steadily easing. This paints the picture of an increased construction activity and a growing seaborne demand for the key dry bulk commodity of iron ore, says EastGate Shipping Inc. Demand returning to normal levelsSteel inventories in China have been showing a steady downward trend following the all-time highs recorded in mid-March. The virus crisis triggered a nationwide lockdown halting most manufacturing and industrial activities. Subsequently, demand for steel products was negatively affected.

Transnet to Cut Transport of Non-Essential Cargo During Lockdown

South Africa's logistics firm Transnet said it would reduce transport services and non-essential cargo operations during a nationwide lockdown that began at midnight on Thursday to contain the coronavirus.The state-owned company said shipments of metals and minerals would depend on demand and government approval. It was unclear if these exports would be affected.The transport of coal to state-run utility Eskom's power stations would continue, Transnet said.Transnet operates nearly three quarters of the African rail network…

More Bad News for Bulkers, as South African Ports Close for Mineral Exports

South Africa's main export terminals will be closed to mineral exports from midnight on Thursday when a nationwide 21-day lockdown over coronavirus begins, disrupting copper supply chains linking major producer Zambia to Asian consumers.Miners in the Zambian copper belt typically transport copper overland to South Africa's ports, where it is exported mainly to China, the world's biggest consumer of the metal."All bulk terminals (mineral mining commodities) will be closed," a note from Transnet Port Terminals read, according to a shipping agent.

Yara Appoints Askeland as New CSO

Yara Marine Technologies has appointed Aleksander Askeland as Chief Sales Officer, effective March 1st. Askeland has worked for the broader Yara group since 2016, starting in the Industrial segment for the Environmental Solutions business unit, then managing the Animal Nutrition Business unit (350 MEUR revenue). He has also worked on strategic projects in Supply Chain and Strategy & Business Development.Prior to joining Yara, Askeland worked four years as Director for Sales & Business Development for the Store Norske mining company in Svalbard.

Pintsch Bubenzer Moves for Zuchowski in Ports, Offshore

Pintsch Bubenzer USA has named Mike Zuchowski regional sales manager for ports in the western region of the states and Canada.The manufacturer of high-performance disc and drum brakes for steel cranes and other severe duty applications is seeing high demand for its products from the ports and offshore market. Zuchowski will focus on the West Coast, Pacific Northwest and West Canada, while Sean Sheridan’s nationwide role has been refocused in line with ongoing growth in the sector.Ports and offshore are two very different markets, however.

Australia Ship Sim Center Opens

The Western Australian Minister for Ports, the Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC opened the expanded facilities of HR Wallingford’s new Australia Ship Simulation Center.HR Wallingford has added two new purpose-built simulators to its center in Fremantle, bringing the total number of simulators that it owns and operates there to six. This makes it one of the largest ship simulation centers in Australia and allows a full maneuvering team (including pilots, tug masters and vessel traffic service (VTS) operators) to conduct integrated and immersive full port scenarios.In her speech…

CSSC, DNV GL Deal for Futuristic Shipping

The largest shipbuilding group in the world, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has entered into a new strategic partnership with DNV GL, the international accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Høvik, Norway.A framework agreement between both parties was signed by Qian Jianping, Vice President of CSSC, and Norbert Kray, Regional Manager for Greater China at DNV GL – Maritime. The ceremony was witnessed by Remi Eriksen, Group President & CEO of DNV GL…

DecarbonICE Project for Green Shipping

A group of world leading shipping companies including NYK, Sovcomflot, Knutsen OAS and Ardmore, ship builders, including DSME and the mining company Vale, have therefore teamed up with Denmark based Maritime Development Center to develop such an on-board carbon capture and storage solution in a project named decarbonICE.DecarbonICE is based on two new main ideas for the capture and storage part, respectively. The CO2 and other GHG's in the ship exhaust are captured on board in…

Bluefield Expands in Americas

UK-based subsea geotechnical specialist Bluefield Geoservices has said that it is expanded into the Americas to meet growing demand in the sector.The subsea geotechnical services provider will initially open two offices in the US, one in the northeast US to serve the immediate demands of the offshore renewable energy market, and one in the southeastern US, to support ongoing operations in the Gulf of Mexico energy markets as well as projects in Central and South America.“This is an exciting time of growth for Bluefield Geoservices,” according to Dr. Peter Allan, Bluefield Director.

Design Complete on Floating Bauxite Terminal

Rocktree Consulting completed the front-end engineering and design (FEED) for a new floating terminal for the Bauxite Hills Mine, operated by Australia’s Metro Mining Limited.Bauxite ore is the world’s primary source of aluminum. Australia, Guinea and Brazil are the largest suppliers of bauxite to the seaborne market, while China is the main buyer.The FEED work forms part of an updated Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Stage 2 expansion of the Bauxite Hills Mine, located approximately 95km north of Weipa, Queensland, Australia.

DP World, Namibia's Nara Namib Sign MoU

Dubai based logistics giant DP World has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a free economic zone for industry and logistics in Namibia.The port operator said the agreement with Namibia’s Nara Namib Free Economic Industrial Zone will support the growth of Namibia as a regional hub for southern Africa.The development will help Namibia grow as a center for industrial operations and logistics, creating opportunities and jobs across multiple sectors including agriculture…

BHP Mulls LNG-Fueled Bulker Freight

Melbourne-headquartered resource company BHP wants to introduce LNG-fuelled iron ore vessels, which could transport up to 10 per cent of its product in the coming years."In July this year, we released the world’s first bulk carrier tender for LNG-fuelled transport for up to 27 million tonnes of iron ore," said Sundeep Singh, Group Procurement Officer.He said that introducing LNG-fuelled ships into BHP’s maritime supply chain will eliminate NOx (nitrogen oxide) and SOx (sulfur…

Lydia Oldendorff Sets Record

The largest German bulk carrier company Oldendorff Carriers GmbH, which operates around 700 ships, said that its Lydia Oldendorff (207,562 tdw built 2015) has set a record as the largest vessel to load coal at Puerto Bolivar, Colombia.The Newcastlemax vessel has a length of 300 meters and a breadth of 50 meters and was loaded on a trial cargo draft of 17.5 meters. The cargo loaded is destined for Flushing, in the port of Antwerp in Belgium, where it will again be the largest vessel to enter the port.Oldendorff Carriers currently operates a fleet of about 65 modern eco-Newcastlemax (203-211…

Shipping Executives Push 'Carbon Levies'

Executives at some of the world's top shipping groups are advocating a levy on carbon emissions on shipping in an effort to shape tightening rules on greenhouse gas emissions while providing a means to fund development of cleaner fuel sources."To meet international shipping's decarbonization challenge, the maritime industry needs a carbon levy, it is coming, and we should shape it," said Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chairman of BW Group at the Global Maritime Forum in Singapore this week.The…

Corporates Pledge for Healthy, Productive Ocean

30 companies and institutional investors have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Sustainable Ocean Principles committing to take action to secure a healthy and productive ocean.UNGC is a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact works with companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.The signatories to the principles include the container ship and supply vessel operator A.P.

Dachser Opens Argentina, Chile Offices

Due to the continuous growth of its South American operations, global logistics provider Dachser recently relocated both its Buenos Aires, Argentina regional office as well as its Santiago, Chile regional office to larger facilities.“The business in both Argentina and Chile is expanding and we simply outgrew our offices in these countries. We needed more employees, equipment and space to properly handle the business we have today as well as prepare for the growth we anticipate in these markets,” said Guido Gries, Managing Director Dachser Americas.

AAL Handles Giant 86m Pressure Vessel

Leading project heavy lift carrier AAL has completed the successful handling and transport of an impressive cargo of South Korean-engineered petrochemical plant components, from Pyeongtaek to Map Ta Phut. The units are to be installed at one of Thailand’s largest integrated producers of olefins and polyolefins - for industries like agriculture, automotive, building & infrastructure and medical - and comprised over 15,000cbm of individual items, the largest of which was a pressure…

Shipping Sector Sets Course for Zero Carbon

Leading ports, banks, oil and shipping companies on Monday launched an initiative which aims to have ships and marine fuels with zero carbon emissions on the high seas by 2030, in another step by the maritime sector to reduce CO2.International shipping accounts for 2.2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization (IMO), has a long-term goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.Achieving this target will…

Cleancor's LNG Supply Push Via Mississipi River

Cleancor Energy Solutions, a unit of the the marine services company SEACOR Holdings, launched a joint initiative with the logistics and barge transportation company SCF Marine to increase the use and supply of LNG and CNG natural gas throughout the Mississippi River system.SCF’s in-depth knowledge of the U.S. Inland Waterways and its strategically located ports, terminals, barge fleets, and existing customer relationships provide Cleancor with a robust platform from which to deploy modern and mobile LNG and CNG equipment.

Transhipper Design Flaws Compromise Safety, Production

The world’s only vessels that operate around the clock, 365 days a year need to ensure safety and maintenance are built into the design specifications of each ship, according to Corrado Cuccurullo, CEO of Shi.I.E.L.D.Transhipper vessels are effectively floating ‘production lines’ and the sophisticated machinery on board and continuous operations puts additional pressure on operators to ensure that there are no breakdowns and that the vessels operate safely.“The potential cost…

Iran Builds Mechanized Terminal in Shahid Rajaee Port

Iran is all set to build the country's largest mineral mechanized terminal collaborating with the private sector in Shahid Rajaee port.Mohammad Ali Hassanzadeh, Deputy Director of Ports and economic Affairs of Ports and Maritime Organization said: “A contract will be signed with the private sector to build the country's largest mineral mechanized terminal in Shahid Rajaee Port within the next few days.”The final capacity of the terminal is 50 million tons and is being implemented in three phases.