ACL renews at Liverpool until 2035

Atlantic Container Line has agreed a new 15-year contract extension for container and ro-ro operations at the Port of Liverpool, until 2035

ACL, part of Grimaldi Group, is already the largest ocean carrier operating at Liverpool’s Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (RSCT) and the port’s longest serving container carrier.

Peel Ports Group is making a significant investment at RSCT to accommodate ACL’s new fleet of G4 vessels, which are registered in the UK and fly the Red Ensign. The passage entrance into the Seaforth Basin has been widened by 28m to allow safe access for the large G4 vessels into the terminal.

In addition, Peel Ports is investing in two STS cranes with increased height and reach, adding capacity to the dedicated vehicle storage area to handle ACL’s growing cargo requirements. The overall project expected to be completed during 2021.

G4 con-ro ATLANTIC STAR in Liverpool; ACL is the port's longest-standing container customer

ACL ships over 125,000 units of containers, cars and ro-ro machinery per annum over Liverppol. ACL ships call at Liverpool twice each week, its fastest import and export transatlantic service. Liverpool connects ACL’s customers in the British industrial heartland, Scotland and Ireland with North America.

Gianluca Grimaldi, President of the Grimaldi Group commented: “It gives me great pleasure to make this extended Agreement with Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. This agreement signifies the long-standing partnership with our daughter company, ACL. Grimaldi Group applauds the major improvements to Royal Seaforth Terminal and recognises it as a renewed commitment of our strong relationship with the Port of Liverpool, Mersey Maritime, and the customers and suppliers who have been supportive of ACL’s operation for so many years.”

Mark Whitworth, Chief Executive of Peel Ports, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence in us as a port and a company, and we’re delighted to be continuing our commercial partnership with ACL into the longer term. Liverpool’s strategic position makes it a prime gateway for transatlantic trade and will continue to be instrumental as confidence in North American trade grows. The investment we’ll be making in the new STS cranes will help other customers as well as ACL.”

As far as WorldCargo News knows, the supplier of the two STS cranes for RSCT has not been disclosed. Peel Ports’ Liverpool2 is equipped with ZPMC STS cranes and cantilever RMGs, but the existing cranes at RSCT are from Liebherr.

Source: WorldCargo News

Dalian Huarui STS cranes arrive in Gioia Tauro

Three giant cranes with a waterside oureach capability of 24 rows acorss have arrived fully-erect in the TIL-operated transhipment port in Reggio Calabria

Following our earlier speculation the July 2019 STS crane survey, WorldCargo News was able to confirm in Ocober that the cranes were built by a complete outsider for this size of STS container crane, Dalian Huarui Heavy Industries Ltd, although neither TIL nor Contship Italia - the latter was still involved as a 50% partner of MSC Group in MedCenter Container Terminal when the cranes were ordered - has ever made any comment on this.

We have been unable to ascertain whether and, if so, which third party firms were engaged in the project either in the design and/or construction supervision.

The first three cranes, out of an order for six, were shipped from Dalian Quanshi port fully erect on board ZHI XIAN ZHI XING and have now arrived in Gioia Tauro, having travelled by the Cape of Good Hope rather than via Suez, because of their hight.

The cranes are 87m tall, or 132m when the booms are in the stowed position. They have an SWL in twin 20 mode of 65 tons.

The unloading at MCT will take one week, which wll be followed by a testing period. The second shipment of three cranes will be made early next year.

In order to maintain the port channel at a depth of 18m, the port authority has begun a triennial dredging programme to smooth two underwater sand dunes in the channel that have been created by the propellors when ships are carrying out berth arrival and departure manoeuvres. Meanwhile, the terminal surface and roadways have been repaved.

MSC’s strategy to relaunch MCT was kicked off a few months ago with the acquisition of 32 new straddle carriers from Kalmar. Completion of deliveries is due by the end of this year.

MSC wants to insert Gioia Tauro into the schedules of 2M. Between April this year, when the purchase of Contship Italia’s stake was completed, and October, 65 calls by ≥ 19,000 TEU ships were made at MCT. In that 6-month period, throughput increased by 15.5% compared to the same period of 2018.

Three more cranes will be delivered next year. (Photos: AP di Gioia Tauro e della Calabria)

Source: WorldCargo News

Malaysia bans open-loop scrubbers

Ocean carriers calling at Malaysian ports from January 1, 2020, will have no other choice than to stock up with low sulphur fuel oil (less than 0.5% sulphur content), LNG or use closed-loop scrubbers.

The ban will affect Tanjung Pelepas, Klang and Penang (pictured)

This will have certain operational and cost issues for lines and particularly those, including Mediterranean Shipping Company, that have fitted, and continue to install open-loop scrubbers on many of their vessels.

It follows the Malaysian Government’s decision to ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its territorial waters. Jabatan Laut Malaysia, the nation’s maritime regulator, posted on its website the following statement: “Malaysia prohibits the discharge of washwater from open-loop scrubbers while in our territorial waters (12 nautical miles from the nearest land).

It added: “Ships calling at Malaysian ports are advised to change over to compliance [sic] fuel oil or change over to closed-loop system (if hybrid system) before entering Malaysian waters and ports.”

Obviously, the decision affects the country’s main container ports, including Port Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang and Penang. The former two ports are large transhipment hubs and the decision could have an impact on their traffic volumes if carriers decide to limit the number of services calling in Malaysia.

Other countries that ban the use of open-loop scrubbers include China, Singapore, Fujairah, (United Arab Emirates), Panama and some US states, including California, with over 80 ports believed to be affected. Interestingly, of those container vessels fitted with scrubbers and undergoing their installation, an estimated 80% of the designs are open-loop.

Source: WorldCargo News