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Supply chain risk company Everstream Analytics said carriers have avoided Felixstowe during the strike, with ship calls dropping by 82% from 29 in the week of August 15 to just five in the following strike week.

“The large-scale vessel diversions have led to higher congestion levels, especially at German ports that have battled labor actions on their own in the last few weeks,” said Everstream.

Waiting times at Hamburg hit a peak for the year of 42 hours last week and at Bremerhaven, 18 vessels per day waited at anchor to berth, another 2022 high and around 63% above the annual average.

The strike at Felixstowe has ended, but the underlying issue of pay is yet to be resolved.

“The ball is now firmly back in Felixstowe’s court. The employer has the opportunity to make a greatly improved offer which will end this dispute. If the employer declines this opportunity, then further strike action is expected to be announced in the coming weeks,” said a spokesperson for Unite the union.

Unions have proposed September 19 as a potential date for more strike action, potentially with fellow dockworkers at the Port of Liverpool striking alongside workers at Felixstowe.

“Knock-on congestion and delays on other European ports are therefore likely to occur in the coming weeks as well as we head into the beginning of Q4 and the holiday season,” said Everstream.

Port owner Hutchison said it offered a “very fair” 7% pay rise to workers along with a one-off £500 bonus.

The threat of further industrial action comes at a time of widespread strikes in the UK, including by rail workers, barristers, council workers, and postal workers. The most prominent reason for strikes is insufficient pay increases in the face of high inflation.

Unite, the union behind the Felixstowe strike, has had recent success in the UK maritime sector. Workers at ferry operator Red Funnel voted to accept a two-year pay deal of between 13.4% and 18.3% covering members including ratings, shunters and customer service staff.

The strikes are the latest in a series of disruptions to the UK supply chain, adding to complications from Brexit regulatory changes, pandemic impacts, and the loss of ferry capacity during the P&O Ferries debacle.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/european-ports-feel-strain-after-felixstowe-strike

The U.S. Navy said it thwarted an Iranian attempt to capture one if its unmanned surface vessels (USV) in the Arabian Gulf.

While transiting international waters around 11 p.m. (local time), Aug. 29, U.S. 5th Fleet observed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) support ship Shahid Baziar towing a Saildrone Explorer USV in an attempt to detain it. U.S. Navy patrol coastal ship USS Thunderbolt (PC 12) was operating nearby and immediately responded. U.S. 5th Fleet also launched an MH-60S Sea Hawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, based in Bahrain.

The actions taken by U.S. naval forces in response resulted in the IRGCN vessel disconnecting the towing line to the USV and departing the area approximately four hours later. The U.S. Navy resumed operations without further incident.

“IRGCN’s actions were flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behavior of a professional maritime force,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “U.S. naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region.”

The Saildrone Explorer USV the IRGCN attempted to confiscate is U.S. government property and equipped with sensors, radars and cameras for navigation and data collection, the Navy said. This technology is available commercially and does not store sensitive or classified information, it added..

U.S. 5th Fleet operates a network of manned and unmanned systems in accordance with international law. The integration of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into fleet operations enhances maritime vigilance for U.S. forces and international partners in waters across the Middle East.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/iran-caught-trying-capture-us-navy-sea-499117

Intelligent Cargo Systems, the world leader in providing unique real-time port call visibility to ocean carriers, has extended its agreement with Hapag-Lloyd to provide the carrier’s complete managed ﬂeet with the CargoMate platform.

CargoMate enables Hapag-Lloyd’s crews and shore-based teams to monitor cargo operations more efﬁciently and safely, while capturing data to further improve route optimization and vessel performance.

“By bringing unprecedented port call data to more vessels, crews and shore-based decision-makers, we’re able to create opportunities for reducing fuel expenditure and emissions across the Hapag-Lloyd ﬂeet,” says Chris Jones, CEO of Intelligent Cargo Systems. “As a committed development partner since 2017, Hapag-Lloyd’s operational experience has been invaluable in the continuous improvement of the CargoMate platform for the beneﬁt of all users.”

“This new agreement with Intelligent Cargo Systems underlines our commitment to optimise every port call for the beneﬁt of our customers,” adds Rajiv Ghose, Senior Director of Network Operations at Hapag-Lloyd. “The CargoMate platform gives our operations teams digitalised insight that is challenging to collect by traditional means. We are looking forward to further optimizing our port stays using the data generated by CargoMate and will continue to work closely with Intelligent Cargo Systems to develop more innovative solutions within the port call optimization space.”

The extended agreement will also allow Hapag-Lloyd to add additional vessels under the same contract terms as it expands its ﬂeet to meet increasing customer demand.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/intelligent-cargo-systems-agrees-fleetwide-roll-out-of-cargomate-with-hapag-lloyd/

E1 Marine, a global renewable energy company, announced today that its M-series methanol to hydrogen generator has received Approval in Principle (AiP) for marine applications from the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator on any vessel type.

Quickly following the AiP from Lloyd’s Register in May 2022, the AiP from the RMI Maritime Administrator provides further confirmation that e1 Marine’s technology has the potential to become an important player in developing and delivering low-carbon energy to international maritime markets and is accelerating its development and growth on a global scale in line with demand.

Robert Schluter, Managing Director at e1 Marine, commented: “The M-series methanol to hydrogen generator is making hydrogen a viable fuel option for the maritime industry for vastly different applications. The AiP letter from the RMI Maritime Administrator is one step forward in our efforts to work with flag states to support vessel decarbonization. Our technology emits zero NOx, SOx and PM emissions which is helping to meet regulation but also assist with the potential for a carbon tax. This technology delivers a proven efficiency gain over legacy internal combustion engines with a more reliable, safer, and greener fuel than traditional marine bunkers and we look forward to demonstrating this in the near future.”

Gary Noonan, Director of Innovation at Ardmore Shipping added: “Shipowners are under pressure to reduce emissions in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) measures. For Ardmore, the IMO 2030 and 2050 timelines are targets which we are trying to meet and exceed but this means taking innovative and comprehensive strategies to achieve this. When combined with PEM fuel cell technology, the e1 Marine Methanol Reformer costs are comparable with a Tier III generator set. However, it also shows more than a 25% relative improvement when comparing energy efficiencies in typical operation. This helps vessels to improve Carbon Intensity Indicator ratings and can be maximized further when using green methanol.”

David Wamsley, Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs of the RMI Maritime Administrator said: “It is essential to create the right infrastructure to support sustainable shipping practices and protect marine life and coastal communities. Collaborating on new innovative technologies, like e1Marine’s M-series methanol to hydrogen generator, which will help shipowners explore new options for sustainable shipping, is one way to achieve this goal. Innovative low and zero-carbon energy providers are in a position to transform the shipping industry and we look forward to seeing what progress can be made in the short- and medium-terms.”

Through e1 Marine’s patented hydrogen generation technology, fuel cell-grade hydrogen is safely and cost-effectively generated from methanol and water. It can be delivered on-site, onboard, and on-demand, and it provides an immediately viable pathway to green energy.

The fuel cell grade hydrogen output meets all relevant ISO standards, and it is ideal for use with fuel cells to generate electricity or to supplement the standard fuel of a conventional engine.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/e1-marines-m-series-methanol-to-hydrogen-generator-received-aip-from-marshall-islands-marine-administration/

Norwegian Prima, the lead vessel of Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Prima Class cruise ship series, has been christened in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Built by Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, the newbuild is 965 feet (294 meters) long and more than 143,535 tons with capacity for 3,100 guests at double occupancy.

The ship features a three-level go-kart racetrack, waterslides, expansive pool decks and infinity style pools, and a multimillion dollar outdoor sculpture garden

The first of six in NCL’s Prima Class, Norwegian Prima, along with its sister-ships, will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet. Deliveries are scheduled through 2027.

Norwegian Prima will depart on inaugural voyages to Northern Europe from the Netherlands, Denmark and England beginning September 3, 2022, before making her way to the U.S. She will then sail voyages to the Caribbean from New York City, Galveston, Texas, and Miami in October and November before settling into her homeport of Port Canaveral, Fla., and Galveston, Texas for the 2023 and 2024 cruise season.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/norwegians-first-prima-class-cruise-ship-499086

A ship carrying wheat from Ukraine to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa docked on Tuesday, the United Nations said, the first to make the journey since the Russian invasion six months ago.

The vessel Brave Commander is carrying 23,000 tonnes of grain and will soon be followed by another carrying 7,000 tonnes.

The total shipment, which will be unloaded in Djibouti and transported to Ethiopia, is enough to feed 1.5 million people for a month.

That barely begins to alleviate the problems of Eastern Africa, where the United Nations’ World Food Programme says extreme weather, surging food prices and conflict mean 82 million people need food aid across nine countries – Burundi, Djiouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

“This shipment, the first of many we hope, will allow WFP to deliver this grain to 1.53 million people in Ethiopia and cover their needs for a month. It’s a start but we must continue to keep the food flowing to save lives across the region,” said Michael Dunford, the WFP director for Eastern Africa.

Officials hope the successful voyage will inspire private companies to begin shipping grain from Ukraine to Eastern Africa, where rising global food prices and difficulties raising donor funding have forced the United Nations to cut rations for refugees and displaced people.

Among them are 150,000 Eritrean refugees sheltering in Ethiopia, many of whom have been repeatedly displaced by conflict in the north, whose rations were cut in June to half the recommended amount of food.

“It’s not enough food. People are hungry,” said one Eritrean refugee in Alem-Wach Camp in northern Ethiopia.

“They explained to us the reasons, because of war in Ukraine,” said the man, who declined to give his name. “But it is especially hard because it is so cold now… the situation is so difficult.”

While the shipment will help people displaced by conflict, none of it will be sold commercially, meaning it will not lower food prices for ordinary Ethiopians.

Russia and Ukraine usually supply 90% of wheat imported in East Africa.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict sent fertiliser and food prices soaring as Russia blockaded Ukrainian ports. Energy prices have also surged following Western sanctions on Russia, a major energy exporter.

Last month, the United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock three Black Sea ports, making it possible to send hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Ukrainian grain to buyers.

Ukraine is strengthening the humanitarian part of the grain initiative, officials said. On Tuesday, the bulk carrier Karteria departed, carrying 37,500 tonnes of wheat for Yemen, where 16 million people are hungry.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/un-ships-food-relief-ukraine-499106

An LNG tanker and a bulk carrier have collided off Gibraltar, leaving the latter beached, authorities in the British overseas territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula said on Tuesday.

The collision forced the closure of the port for four hours, but it has fully reopened, authorities said, while booms were being deployed around the beached vessel to prevent any potential fuel spill.

“The Gibraltar Port Authority remains at the scene and is continuously reviewing all aspects of the situation,” the Gibraltar government said in a statement.

The vessel OS 35, loaded with steel bars and carrying over 400 tonnes of fuel, clipped the ADAM LNG as the former was moving to exit the bay. The Marshall Islands-flagged ADAM LNG arrived in Gibraltar after unloading in Malta. It remains at anchor near the place where the collision took place.

The Gibraltar Port Authority directed the OS 35 to the eastside to ensure it could be safely beached to minimize the risk of the vessel sinking.

Its 24-strong crew remain onboard at the request of the captain, but could be evacuated if necessary.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/bulk-carrier-aground-collision-lng-499103

The first-ever container vessel on the first-ever China-Scotland direct sea shipping channel has embarked on a journey back to China. It is carrying Scottish items back to the Chinese market, underscoring the earlier success of the new shipping channel in boosting trade between Scotland and China irrespective of global headwinds.

The route connects Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang Province of East China and Dongguan Port in Guangdong Province of South China — two significant export hubs — with the UK’s Greenock and Liverpool.

The service is expected to reduce the shipping time by one-third of that of more conventional lines, Peel Ports Group, which operates Greenock Ocean Terminal, reported to the Global Times on Monday.

The new channel aims to reduce the journey time to nearly 33 days by eliminating unscheduled port congestions and delays in Rotterdam. The track will be operated by six vessels of approximately 1,600 containers each month.

Container Vessel — Image for representation purpose only

Per the details offered by Peel Ports, the vessel arrived at Greenock port on Saturday and docked for almost 12 hours. It finished loading and unloading goods before they returned to the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Items carried by ship to China included beer, paper, candy, gin, oil, gas, shortbread, water, machinery, and over one million whisky bottles, Peel Ports said.

Chinese products unloaded from the first vessel included packaging materials, textiles, furniture, fitness equipment, beauty supplies, Christmas decorations, bathroom appliances, toys, and footwear.

Jim McSporran, Clydeport Peel Ports’ director, mentioned that it’s great to welcome the vital service to the Greenock Ocean Terminal.

McSporran mentioned that they believe that the collaboration will be a positive development for customers and businesses and boost the wider supply chain. We look forward to working with our partners on the service in the coming months.

It was known that China Xpress (Ningbo-Greenock channel) was a service much needed by several sectors, yet the level of immediate interest is amazing. The direct trading link to China cuts through the immensely frustrating transhipment delays. This acts as a massive boost for Scotland-based businesses and can help consumers in these trying times, commented David Milne, the MD of KC Group Shipping, one of the new shipping route operators.

Meanwhile, several Chinese freight bookers have been closely monitoring the new shipping channel amid massive European port congestions.

The new route will be thoroughly inspected. We may try if can keep the present journey time and frequency. So far, there are no bookings for the route as shipments are covered between Germany and China, a Yiwu-based logistics agent reported to the Global Times.

The agent observed that Germany’s maritime ports were suffering from congestion, which increased the sea shipping costs and extended the time to almost 40 to 50 days.

The introduction of the new route reflects that it’s in line with the fundamental interests of firms and that it’s not possible for some Britain-based politicians to intervene in the operations of the economic market, or decouple from China on trade, the deputy chairman with the Expert Committee of the China Association of International Trade, Li Yong, informed the Global Times on Monday.

Li mentioned that the UK sought a trading position in Europe after Brexit. Opening the new direct logistics route will help British ports boost their importance. It is also an ideal solution that firms came up with during massive congestion at the major European ports.

Milne also called for the support of Scottish exporters and importers to safeguard the long-term future of the new service, as it has been a massive success for KC Group Shipping, but this is just one of the first of several journeys.

References: Global Times, BBC

It is official: the former 47,000-ton Horizon is being scrapped in Turkey’s Aliaga.
After two years of languishing in Greece, the vessel departed from Elefsis Bay for the scrap yard last week.

Out of service since 2020, the 1990 vessel will be dismantled with some other classic cruise vessels at the Turkish recycling facility.

During the procedure, the vessel’s fixtures, systems, building materials, and engines will be removed and sold off for reusing or repurposing.

After debuting in the New York-Bermuda route, the 1,450-guest vessel reportedly served the upscale brand in multiple destinations, including Alaska, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Before quitting the firm’s fleet, the Horizon became the first Celebrity vessel homeported in Norfolk and Philadelphia.

Transferred to Island Cruises in 2005, the ship became the Island Star.

Collaboration between First Choice Holidays and Royal Caribbean focused on the UK family market in the summers while targeting Brazil’s younger audiences, especially in winter.

The vessel was transferred three years later to the final operator, Pullmantur Cruceros. The latter is also a Royal Caribbean brand; the Spanish firm used the ship for itineraries in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe.

During its career with Pullmantur that spanned 12 years, the Horizon sailed for Croisières De France – the firm’s French brand.

With the ongoing pandemic bringing the cruise fleet to an unforeseen stop in 2020, the Horizon sailed its last cruise in 2020 (March).

A few weeks later, the ship was used to repatriate the crew members of Pullmantur before reaching Greece’s Elefsis Bay – where it stayed for the last two years.

In 2020 (July), after Pullmantur reportedly filed for insolvency, the vessel was returned to the Royal Caribbean Group with fleet mates Sovereign and Monarch, which were beached for scrapping immediately.

References: Cruise Industry News, Cruise Hive

A massive rescue operation was underway off the coast of Sweden on Monday. Swedish maritime authorities reported that a car ferry with almost 300 individuals on board caught on fire.

Jonas Franzen, the spokesman associated with Swedish Maritime Administration, told AFP that there was a fire on the car’s deck. He added that seven vessels and three helicopters were immediately dispatched, and an evacuation of the vessel had started.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, and the cause of the fire was not yet known.

Ferry — Image for representation purpose only

Another spokeswoman named Lisa Mjorning informed AFP that the fire was in control.

The vessel, the Stena Scandica, was located off the island of Gotska Sandon on Sweden’s southeastern coast.

References: NDTV, Alarabiya News

European ports feel the strain after Felixstowe strike

Iran Caught Trying to Capture US Navy Sea Drone

Intelligent Cargo Systems Agrees Fleetwide Roll Out Of Cargomate With Hapag-Lloyd

E1 Marine’s M-Series Methanol To Hydrogen Generator Received AiP From Marshall Islands Marine Administration

Norwegian’s First Prima Class Cruise Ship Christened

UN Ships Food Relief from Ukraine to Drought-stricken Horn of Africa

Bulk Carrier Aground After Collision with LNG Carrier in Gibraltar

Container Vessel On First China-Scotland Direct Shipping Channel Embarks On Its Return Trip

47,000 Ton Horizon Cruise Ship Arrived In Turkey’s Aliaga For Scrapping

Car Ferry With 300 Onboard Caught Fire Off The Sweden Coast

New Phishing Campaign Targeting Shipping Companies Raises Alarm

IMO Maritime Safety Committee Opens 110th Session – Safety, Technology & Seafarer Protection in Focus

IMO’s ECDIS Cybersecurity Mandate: June 2025 Compliance Status & Enforcement

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