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On August 25, A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and China International Marine Containers Ltd. (CIMC) announced the termination of the previously announced transaction whereby CIMC would acquire Maersk Container Industry (MCI), a leading manufacturer of refrigerated containers, from Maersk. The parties agreed to terminate the agreement because of significant regulatory challenges preventing the closing of the transaction.

The intended divestment was announced on 28 September 2021 and was expected to close in 2022. As a part of the closing process, the transaction was subject to regulatory approvals.

“It is unfortunate that the transaction will not happen despite efforts of all parties involved. Throughout the process MCI has performed very well thanks to the dedication of all its employees. Maersk will continue to be a proud owner of MCI for the foreseeable future, and we will now assess the best structural set-up for MCI to ensure the long-term development of the business.” says Patrick Jany, CFO at A.P. Moller – Maersk.

Founded by Maersk in 1991, MCI has been a part of the company for more than 30 years. Over the years, it has transformed into a business focusing entirely on manufacturing refrigerated containers. Today, MCI employs 2,300 people in China and Denmark.

Source: Maersk

Rescuers in San Vicente recovered the bodies of two children who were believed to have drowned on Saturday, August 20, while swimming in the waters off Barangay New Canipo in San Vicente town, northern Palawan.

The victims were a 4-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl from the said barangay, according to a report released by the Palawan Police Provincial Office (PPO) on Sunday.

The boy was found on the same day by rescue personnel of the municipal police, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of San Vicente, and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

He was rushed to the district hospital by barangay officials, but was reportedly declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The body of the girl, on the hand, was retrieved around 10:15 a.m., the next day, August 21, some 100 meters from the shoreline.

Investigation by the municipal police said they left their homes with their playmates on Saturday around 5:30 p.m. Around six o’clock, however, their friends went to the victims’ parents for assistance and told them about what had happened.

SOURCE: https://palawan-news.com/2-children-drown-in-san-vicente-town/

August 25 2022,“It was very clear that young thought leaders in the maritime industry have strong visions of what it takes to attract a broad pool of talent. Their message is clear, the maritime industry needs to improve the overall approach to human sustainability, human wellbeing, and work conditions at sea,” says Chair of the selection committee, Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The top 30 competition participants and nine previous winners of the essay competition attended a virtual seminar in August 2022 to elaborate on their vision for the maritime industry. Their discussions resulted in a clear call on industry leaders to collectively improve on diversity and inclusion, flexibility, purpose and values, decent work conditions and safety, and overall better career opportunities spanning sea and shore.

“It gives me great hope for the future of the maritime sector to experience the passion and insightfulness from young thought leaders with strong aspirations for making human sustainability a strategic priority across the industry. We will continue to engage with the next generation of maritime leaders to amplify their voices and perspectives on how the maritime industry can improve,” says Susanne Justesen, Project Director, Human Sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum.

The essay competition aims to give students and young professionals aged 18-30 a voice in the debate about how the maritime industry can sustainably address maritime challenges and opportunities – and to give the industry a chance to listen. This year three winners from India, England, and the Philippines highlighted ways in which the maritime industry can significantly improve its approach to human sustainability.

Shaharaj Ahmed, a 22-year-old Economics Student at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, from the Philippines. In his essay entitled: “Cultivating humane labour practices in the maritime industry,” Shararaj argues that enforcing humane labour practices is the maritime industry’s most critical human sustainability issue. Many seafarers work longer hours and receive lower pay than stipulated in regulations or contracts. Shaharaj proposes to address these problems through stronger enforcement as well as the use of digital technology such as blockchain to give seafarers control of their data.

Apurva Chaubal, a 24-year-old Associate Voyage Manager with Maersk Tankers from Mumbai, India. In her essays, entitled: “Mental Health & Inclusion: Prioritizing the Need for Awareness & Training,” she discusses how seafaring can be restored as one of the most prestigious careers worldwide by addressing the concerns raised by existing seafarers, including long work hours, low pay, loneliness, and mental health, for example by providing tools such as a global mental health hotline.

James Helliwell, a 27-year-old Project Engineer with Shell in London. In his essay, entitled “Future Fuels must be safe for seafarers,” he underlines the need to put human sustainability and seafarer safety at the forefront before introducing new zero emission fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen which bring new safety risks. James advocates for the urgent need to do more research on how people onboard ships can interact with these fuels safely.

The winners of the essay competition will participate in Global Maritime Forum’s Annual Summit on 22-23 September in New York, representing the generation of maritime talent. The high-level meeting will convene more than 200 leaders from across the maritime spectrum to identify ways in which maritime stakeholders can take action to create the future we want and need.

Read more about the essay competition in this insight article: “Young maritime leaders determined to see the industry improve its approach to human sustainability”

Source: https://www.xindemarinenews.com/m/view.php?aid=41272

Today, the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, in partnership with Infinity Logistics and Transport Ventures Limited (Infinity), flagged-off a weekly Penang-Padang Besar block train service; and officially opened a container depot in the Penang Port.

Up to 100 containers on rail are dedicated for CMA CGM shippers each week

With the launch of the Penang-Padang Besar block train service, CMA CGM is providing a rail and sea multimodal solution to exporters from the southern provinces of Thailand who ship their cargo through the Penang Port.

Each week, up to 100 containers on rail are dedicated for CMA CGM shippers. Laden containers are picked up from Padang Besar, a Malaysian town on the border with the Songkhla province of Thailand. They will then set off for the Penang Port to be loaded on the CMS2 and KCM2 services provided by CNC, the CMA CGM Group’s Intra-Asia specialist. From Penang, the two weekly services will head for Malaysia’s top export destinations in Asia including Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Busan.

Designed to go the extra mile for customers with CMA CGM as a one-stop service provider, the multimodal offering secures them equipment as well as rail and sailing slots; reduces their customs, monitoring and transportation costs; and saves them on scheduling activities with different providers.

A depot with specialised container handling capabilities

The block train service will make its weekly stop in the Penang port, adjacent to the newly opened on- dock depot that occupies over 14,000 sqm in land area. Co managed by CMA CGM and Infinity, the depot is characterised by better connectivity coupled with diverse container handling capabilities and efficiency.

With a monthly operating capacity of 7,500 (TEU) containers, the facility provides more than just container storage, repair, cleaning, washing, handling and pre-trip inspections. It also specializes in handling CONTAINER Grade Selection – a container solution for special goods – as well as Flexitank containers for non-dangerous liquid shipments such as cooking oil that Penang exports.

This new facility in Penang is the CMA CGM Group’s third depot in Malaysia, and complements the Group’s depot footprint in addition to two others in West Port and North Port in Port Klang.

The block train option significantly reduces CO2 emissions, and this new service is part of the CMA CGM Group’s commitment to develop BETTER WAYS to act for more sustainable, efficient, and fluid transport solutions.

YAB Mr. Chow Kon Yew, Chief Minister of Penang said, “Congratulations to both CMA CGM and Infinity on this great partnership, it will certainly further reinforce Penang as a dynamic import and export gateway of Malaysia’s northern region – the Silicon Valley of the East. In line with the Penang2030 plan, I also believe that this partnership will help strengthen Penang Port as a prominent logistics hub, subsequently becoming a preferred destination of investments in ASEAN.”

Ravindra Sahu, Managing Director of CMA CGM Malaysia said,“The CMA CGM Group is delighted to have partnered Infinity in launching a compelling block train service and opening a depot here with strong support from the Penang Port. They are important milestones that enable us to streamline our customers’ logistics needs as we seamlessly relay their cargo from point to point. At CMA CGM, we are continuously identifying BETTER WAYS to enrich and enhance our value proposition to our customers, partners and key stakeholders.”

Dato’ Sasedharan Vasudevan, Chief Executive Officer of Penang Port Sdn Bhd said “Being a multipurpose port, Penang Port Sdn Bhd certainly has multiple advantages that can support the vision of CMA CGM Group and Infinity’s block train service and container depot. After the launching, the container depots in Penang Port will be one of the busiest places to come across. The design of our layout and area provides sufficient space for storage and it also promotes high-level security which will be crucial for both CMA CGM and Infinity. That is not all, as part of Penang Port’s masterplan, our current phase of expansion within the NBCT put emphasis on land reclamation, among those are focused on expanding our logistics warehousing efforts. Moreover, plans for the new gates will allow for our future volume growth – coupled with our berth expansion that allows us to cater about 2.2 million TEUs in our container yard in the coming years. This will surely provide a significant space to support CMA CGM Group and Infinity’s block train service and container depot, as well as all of our key partners within the terminal. Penang Port is delighted to begin this exciting new venture with CMA CGM & Infinity.”

Lithuanian ship designer Western Baltic Engineering (WBE) is unveiling new designs for what it believes is the first ever electric pusher vessel for use on Europe’s inland waterways called the Electric Eel.

Klaipeda headquartered WBE said the first electric pusher is due to be built next year for the Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority, a public body operating under Lithuanian Government Ministry of Transport and Communications.

WBE’s Head of Sales & Marketing Eglė Mikalauskienė, said the new groundbreaking vessel is designed to replace diesel pushers which presently dominate the market for ‘pushing’ non-propelled barges around Europe’s inland waterways. WBE is producing the concept just as the European Union is ramping up pressure to shift freight to Europe’s Inland Waterways via more green powered vessels.

“We are so excited to unveil this electric pusher design,” Egle said. “The Electric Eel has huge potential to help cut carbon emissions on inland waterways across Europe and worldwide. The idea came after we were approached by the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster to see if we could help the Lithuanian Inland Waterways authority create an eco-efficient pusher. The authority has big plans to ramp up use of the 450-kilometer stretch of waterway between Klaipeda on the Baltic Sea to Kaunas to switch cargo from the road network in line with EU policy. It is brilliant to be supporting this bold vision and work on a sustainable clean fuel solution right here on our own doorstep. As a measure of the impact the authority estimates the pusher can help remove 10,000 trucks a year from Lithuania’s roads.”

In terms of the wider market Mikalauskienė said massive pressure is now coming on governments and transport firms from the European Commission to reduce CO2 emissions and shift road freight, which accounts for 75% of EU inland freight, to zero emission vessels operating on inland waterway transport (IWT) which accounts for just 6%.

“The market is huge,” she said. “According to figures there is a fleet of 332 diesel pushers on the Danube alone pushing more than 2000 non propelled barges. We estimate each of these vessels is emitting 196,317 KGs Tank To Wheel (TTW) of CO2, per navigation, while our electric pusher design slashes this at a stroke as it emits zero CO2. The beauty of our design is also in its ease of use, it can be bought and then built at a local shipyard near the customer or we can built it in Lithuania. We believe our electric pusher is a first mover in the market and can play a critical role in the drive to transform the IWT of Lithuania as well as the Danube and Rhine.”

Mikalauskienė said the pusher design is pending class Approval in Principle with Bureau Veritas and can operate at a range of 300 kilometers before needing to stop. The 26m long vessel is powered by three DNV approved batteries with a combined weight of 74 tonnes, two held in TEU containers on deck which can be replaced via crane at harbor, and one permanent battery below deck which can be charged at quayside. The vessel has a pushing capacity of 2,000 tonnes and a top speed of 22km/h downstream at 85% engine load. The electric batteries create an engine power of 500 HP/400 KW compared to a diesel equivalent which has 1,000 HP/800 KW.

“The biggest challenge we faced was weight and draft,” she said. “The Lithuanian inland waterway is presently very shallow so we had to design a vessel that was as light as possible, no more than 195 DWT, with a draft not greater than 1.2 meters. So we have created a super-efficient hull design which will operate brilliantly on shallow waters in Europe and around the world. Through trial and error using rigorous computerized fluid dynamic (CFD) testing we have produced the smoothest possible hull resistance. We’re also using thin lighter steel, approved by class, to reduce weight while at the same time keeping safety of paramount importance. In addition, we have innovated the wheelhouse, using a jack up design made of aluminum, again to spread and reduce weight.

Mikalauskienė said another innovation on board is the use of a wind turbine to generate 5kw of additional electricity for lighting, the galley and crew facilities.

“All the WBE team are incredibly proud of the design and we would like to thank all the parties involved,” she said. “Over time as green energy becomes cheaper the cost of charging the batteries will also significantly reduce giving big future savings over diesel.”

SOURCE: https://www.marinelink.com/news/electric-eel-electric-pusher-vessel-498915

The UK’s position as a world-leading maritime nation is secured by a new strategy that will enhance capabilities in technology, innovation and cyber security.

Unveiling the five-year strategy, the Secretary of State for Transport has August 15 set out the guiding principles for the UK government’s approach to managing threats and risks at home and around the world, including leveraging the UK’s world-leading seabed mapping community and tackling illegal fishing and polluting activities at sea.

The new strategy redefines maritime security as upholding laws, regulations and norms to deliver a free, fair and open maritime domain. With this new approach, the government rightly recognizes any illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and environmental damage to the seas as a maritime security concern.

In addition, to enhance the UK’s maritime security knowledge, the government has established the UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM), which seeks to enable the UK’s world-leading seabed mapping sector to collaborate to collect more and better data.

Seabed mapping provides the foundation dataset that underpins almost every sector in the maritime domain, including maritime trade, environmental and resource management, shipping operations and national security and infrastructure within the industry.

The UK CSM has also been registered as a UK government voluntary commitment to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

By working with the newly established UK CSM, administered by the UK Hydrographic Office, government will have better quantity, quality and availability of seabed mapping data, which as a key component of our infrastructure, underpins the UK’s maritime security, prosperity and environment objectives.

Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said: “Mankind has better maps of the surface of the moon and Mars than of our own ocean. To ensure the UK’s maritime security is based on informed and evidence-based decisions, we must build our knowledge of this dynamic ocean frontier.

“Our new maritime security strategy paves the way for both government and industry to provide the support needed to tackle new and emerging threats and further cement the UK’s position as a world leader in maritime security.”

Working with industry and academia, Secretaries of State from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Transport (DfT), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Home Office and the Ministry of Defense (MOD) will focus on five strategic objectives:

Protecting our homeland: delivering the world’s most effective maritime security framework for our borders, ports and infrastructure.
Responding to threats: taking a whole system approach to bring world-leading capabilities and expertise to bear to respond to new, emerging threats.
Ensuring prosperity: ensuring the security of international shipping, the unimpeded transmission of goods, information and energy to support continued global development and our economic prosperity.
Championing values: championing global maritime security underpinned by freedom of navigation and the international order.
Supporting a secure, resilient ocean: tackling security threats and breaches of regulations that impact on a clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically-diverse maritime environment.

UK Chamber of Shipping CEO, Sarah Treseder said: “A proactive maritime security strategy is essential to keeping trade routes and energy supplies secure, especially for an island nation. Today’s welcome commitments to improve collaboration, both with industry and governments across the world, will help deliver a more secure maritime environment and help provide confidence to the shipping community.”

Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy and External Affairs, British Ports Association said: “UK ports work closely with government and law enforcement to facilitate nearly half a billion tons of trade and tens of millions of passengers every year, whilst at the same time bearing down on threats to our collective safety and security. We look forward to strengthening that relationship as we help to deliver on these strategic objectives.

“The new Centre for Seabed Mapping is a huge step forward for the maritime sector. It will help everyone better understand the UK seabed and be the foundation for numerous benefits, including more informed management of the marine environment.”

The UK will continue to engage heavily with industry, academia, international partners and allies in the delivery of this outward-focused strategy through increased information sharing partnerships, to increase visibility of threats to the global maritime domain.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/uk-launches-new-maritime-security-strategy-to-target-latest-threats/

Six Cuban migrants adrift at sea on a makeshift raft were rescued by a cruise ship last week, video shared with CNN shows.

The video captured the impromptu encounter Friday as the Carnival Cruise liner, Carnival Paradise, sailed from Tampa, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico.

The clip shows passengers clapping and cheering as the migrants neared the ship.

“They didn’t have paddles,” said passenger Cintia Zingoni, who filmed the video. “It wasn’t really a boat. It was a piece of furniture, maybe a cabinet and they made it as a boat.”

Zingoni, a real estate agent from Orlando, Florida, was on the ship with her family and friends when they witnessed the event.

Her video shows what appears to be a small piece of fabric the migrants were using as a sail and styrofoam attached to the sides of their vessel for flotation. Zingoni said it also appeared the migrants were using a pot lid to paddle.

A screenshot of the video shows the dramatic rescue.

The migrants were welcomed on board the ship where they received a medical check-up, food and clothes, according to Carnival Cruise Lines spokesman Matt Lupoli. When the boat reached Cozumel, they were turned over to Mexican officials, he said.

According to Zingoni, the ship’s captain announced to passengers that the migrants were dehydrated but otherwise fine.

“I felt sad. Everyone on the boat was dancing and having fun and they were dying,” Zingoni said. “That was almost a suicide mission to go inside that piece of wood.”

Fellow passenger Lee Smith said the weather that evening took a turn for the worse.

“As we headed toward Mexico we were going fast to make up for lost time, but there was a thunderstorm and lightning behind us in the area where we had left,” he said. “Good thing we picked up the people in the raft.”

A screenshot from the video shows the migrants’ makeshift raft.

The dramatic rescue comes as US officials report a spike in Cubans trying to leave the communist-run island, where ruling officials blame US sanctions for a cratering economy.

Cubans who reach the United States and ask for asylum are typically able to gain permanent residency under a special status granted by the 1962 Cuban Adjustment Act. Cubans picked up at sea by the US Coast Guard are usually returned to the island.

As Cuba deals with growing power outages and food shortages, a record number of Cubans have left the island either by crossing into the US from the southern border with Mexico or by taking to the seas in small boats and rafts that US officials say are often pushed off course by ocean currents.

According to US Customs and Border Protection, more than 175,000 Cubans have arrived in the US from Mexico since July last year. In the same period, more than 4,500 Cubans intercepted at sea have been returned to Cuba, the Coast Guard said in a statement Tuesday.

It’s not unusual for cruise ships to assist in maritime rescues. On June 4, Carnival Cruise ship Mardi Gras rescued 16 stranded Cubans about 60 nautical miles from Key West, Florida.

SOURCE: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/americas/carnival-cruise-ship-rescues-cuban-migrants-at-sea/index.html

The U.S. Navy has added a third vessel to its fleet of medium-sized uncrewed workboats, which were first developed and unveiled by the Pentagon-run “Operation Overlord” program. The newly-christened Mariner is the first newbuild in this adapted flotilla: all are crewboat designs, and the first two – Nomad and Ranger – began their lives working in the Gulf oil patch.

Mariner is a modern 200-foot crewboat built at Gulf Craft and adapted to the Navy’s needs before delivery. The vessel was built to a commercial series design with a high degree of automation, lending itself well to further upgrades for uncrewed operation. It has eight TEU of container capacity on the back deck and two more forward for modular payloads.

Mariner was christened in a ceremony Tuesday at the U.S. Naval Academy, where she is on display to introduce the concept of uncrewed operations to cadets and more senior personnel alike. She will soon join the Navy’s other USVs in San Diego, under the supervision of Surface Development Squadron One.

A fourth purpose-built Overlord USV is under construction now at the Austal USA yard in Alabama, with oversight from L3Harris. SURFDEVRON One also has two slightly smaller USVs, the trimarans Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk, built by Leidos under a DARPA program.

With its growing uncrewed fleet, the Navy hopes to accelerate up the learning curve with USV operations by operating multiple vessels at once. Rear Adm. Casey Moton told Defense News that Mariner is equipped to allow remote-control testing to proceed without pulling a destroyer off duty to serve as a command platform.

In addition to working out the details of how to make the technology function for months at sea without any service, the testing program is designed to help the Navy figure out how it wants to use medium USVs in the high-end fight – whether as supply boats, scouts, auxiliary magazine ships, and in what size and configuration. Congress has asked for a clearer vision of what these vessels might be used for, and why uncrewed systems are a funding priority (as opposed to simply more crewed hulls). A high-profile uncrewed appearance at the Rim of the Pacific international naval exercise this year was intended to showcase these systems’ capabilities and explore how they could be deployed in a teamed environment, and the Navy says that it will be examining the data and results from those maneuvers carefully.

SOURCE: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-navy-christens-its-third-autonomous-crewboat

The President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Prince Adewale Adeyanju, has berated shipowners for failing to attend the inaugural meeting of the tripartite National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) held in Lagos on Wednesday.

The NJIC was set up to negotiate and review compensation, remuneration and working conditions for Nigerian seafarers.

“If you look very well inside this hall, it is only four or five employers of seafarers that are here,” he said.

Adeyanju regretted that aged seafarers who worked for the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) have been neglected by the Federal Government.

He said the Federal Government is refusing to pay the entitlements of the ex-NNSL seafarers because they did not have employment letters.

“Those aged seafarers have contributed immensely to seafaring in this great country. Where are they today? Where is their right? Who is to pay them?

“But with the coming up of NJIC, those issues will be discussed during the technical session. I want to urge the Director-General of NIMASA, through the office of the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage, services that the privileges of the aged seafarers be considered.

“We have done it in the past and we are still appealing to the DG that those seafarers; because what we are hearing is that they don’t have letters of employment, but letters of employment can be determined by the discharge books if the government has the love of those seafarers in their heart.

“This also includes the ship owners who have used the seafarers in the past and they are still using them now, but NJIC will address this proper,” Adeyanju said.

In his opening remarks, the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, charged the employers of seafarers to prioritise their welfare and adhere strictly to the terms of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

He said, “A review of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is needed for improved wages and living standard for seafarers operating in the Nigerian territorial waters, who undoubtedly are an integral part of the maritime sector.

“The ongoing review by the NJIC is timely because it comes at a time when we are in the process of reviewing both the NIMASA Act and the Merchant Shipping Act with the outcomes of the tripartite negotiation by the NJIC to be inputed into both amendments to ensure that they are binding.

“The importance of this gathering is determined by the need for adequate compensation, remuneration and workplace conditions for Nigerian seafarers, and for employers of labour to ensure responsible conditions of service guiding seafarers employment in line with global best practices.”

Source: https://shipsandports.com.ng/shipowners-shun-njic-meeting-set-up-to-review-seafarers-condition-of-service/

P&O Maritime Logistics and Unifeeder will help debottleneck customer supply chains with the unique MCV vessel in the Middle East region

– By establishing this new route using modified and efficient MCVs, P&O Maritime Logistics will play a crucial role in helping to reduce port congestion

– The MCV “micro” feeder has the unique ability to bypass congestion by calling smaller berths, turning around at least twice faster compared to larger vessels on this shortsea route

– The partnership with Unifeeder marks the first time P&O Maritime Logistics will be trading in the Red Sea with containers on a liner basis between Port of Jeddah and Port Sudan

P&O Maritime Logistics will help debottleneck customer supply chains by ensuring there is a faster cargo turnaround, enabled by the company’s unique and recently modified Multi Carrying Vessels (MCVs) that now can carry containerised cargo. In partnership with Unifeeder, P&O Maritime Logistics will increase connectivity across the Red Sea between Port of Jeddah and Port Sudan.

As a “micro” feeder, the new MCV line has the unique ability to bypass congestion. The shallow draft MCVs utilise less space and can access areas of the port where larger ships cannot fit due to their size and length. This is useful when connecting feeder ports, such as Port Sudan, with hub ports, such as Port of Jeddah.

Using MCVs can advance and bring additional volumes for main line carriers and reduce waiting times. P&O Maritime Logistics began modifying MCVs following the successful trials with the Topaz Lena, where they found they could deliver faster turnaround times to their customers with their cargo, demonstrating agility during industry-wide changes and brought forward innovative solutions for their customers. In this case, the port turnaround time can be reduced by 70-80%.

P&O’s ships first crossed the Red Sea in 1842 after winning the Mail Contract from UK to India, carrying mail, passengers and precious cargo. The new liner service highlights P&O Maritime Logistics’ return to the Red Sea after 180 years and its expansion into the container carrying market as it is the first time the company crosses the Red Sea carrying containers.

Two of P&O Maritime Logistics’ recently modified MCVs, the Topaz Lena and the Topaz Volga, have been contracted for the new route and work has already started for both vessels.

By connecting Port of Jeddah – a key port between Europe and Asia – and Port Sudan, P&O Maritime Logistics delivers a faster-than-anticipated service to Unifeeder, DP World and other customers by offering a liner route between the terminals – helping to reduce port congestion. The MCVs call at different terminals at both Jeddah and Port Sudan, underlining the possibility to export this solution to other port combinations worldwide.

Martin Helweg, CEO of P&O Maritime Logistics said: “P&O Maritime Logistics provides additional capacity and alleviate the already-stretched global supply chains. This is particularly useful on lower-volume, higher-frequency trade routes, such as the Red Sea, where our MCVs can provide a more efficient service to our clients. Seeing such niche feeders operating successfully forms a blueprint for further expansion with new and existing clients.”

The new contract also marks another milestone for Unifeeder’s continued close collaboration between the two maritime companies, following previous successful contracts in Europe. Helweg continued: “As we continue to work closely with our parent company, DP World, on expanding our containerised service, our partnership with Unifeeder, also a DP World company, is an example of our ongoing efforts to respond and adapt to wider industry changes.”

The collaboration between P&O Maritime Logistics and Unifeeder demonstrates DP World’s position as a truly multimodal and end-to-end solutions provider. The businesses can create new routes, modify ships and expand offerings to better serve our customers and to help them combat logistical challenges.

“Having worked together in Europe, we are familiar with P&O Maritime Logistics’ expertise and their modified MCV fleet will be particularly helpful in streamlining our operations.”

P&O Maritime Logistics are modifying a further two vessels and could have as many as ten modified upon request. The company will also leverage the container modified MCVs with other partners worldwide.

Source: https://www.maritimeeconomy.com/post-details.php?post_id=aGlpag==&post_name=PO%20Maritime%20Logistics%20expands%20its%20cargo%20transport%20service%20with%20new%20contract%20for%20containerised%20cargo%20transport%20across%20the%20Red%20Sea&segment_name=6

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CIMC terminates purchase of Maersk Container Industry

2 children drown in San Vicente town

Generations Y and Z urge the maritime industry to make human sustainability a strategic priority

CMA CGM and Infinity Flag-off New Penang- Padang Besar Block Train Service and Open Container Depot in Penang Port

Electric Eel: Electric Pusher Vessel Design Unveiled

UK Launches New Maritime Security Strategy To Target Latest Threats

Cruise ship rescues Cuban migrants stranded at sea

U.S. Navy Christens its Third Autonomous Crewboat

Shipowners shun NJIC meeting set up to review seafarers’ condition of service

P&O Maritime Logistics expands its cargo transport service with new contract for containerised cargo transport across the Red Sea

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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