Category: Shipping

Detained ship allowed to leave German harbour

Detained ship allowed to leave German harbour

Posted by | 8 May 2024 | , , , | 0

A Russian cargo ship coming from Saint Petersburg has been detained by German customs since 4 March on suspicion of violating European sanctions against Russia. After weeks of checks, the ship was allowed to leave the port of Rostock in mid-April. The 193 metre long "Atlantic Navigator II" is managed by a Canadian shipping company and sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands. The ship was carrying 251 containers of birch wood for the USA. Although timber is subject to EU sanctions, it is not subject to US sanctions, according to the public prosecutor's office. It was also carrying enriched uranium for US customers, which is also subject to US and EU sanctions.

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Kiel Canal: Expansion progressing

Kiel Canal: Expansion progressing

Posted by | 8 May 2024 | , , , | 0

The eastern section of the Kiel Canal (NOK) is currently being widened, as large ships cannot pass each other in this section in some areas, resulting in waiting times and sometimes damage to the banks. Freighters are getting bigger and bigger and the NOK is being prepared by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) for the shipping traffic of the future. On the stretch between Großkönigsförde (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district) and Kiel-Holtenau, the canal is being widened in several sections to a minimum bed width of 70 metres, including increasing the radii of tight bends. The first section between Großkönigsförde and Schinkel - construction began in January 2020 - is currently...

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Denmark tightens environmental rules

Denmark tightens environmental rules

Posted by | 6 May 2024 | , , , | 0

The Danish government has announced a regulation that will ban the discharge of ship wastewater from open exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) into Danish territorial waters from 1 July 2025. Scrubbers are used to comply with the limit value for the sulphur content of exhaust gases set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2020. Such exhaust gas cleaning systems use a chemical solution (seawater and caustic soda) to "wash" sulphur out of the flue gases. The wash water then contains heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, etc.), nitrates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and sulphur: a toxic mixture that changes the pH value and makes the water acidic! Because there is no further purification step in open systems,...

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Maritime trade: two bottlenecks with influence

Maritime trade: two bottlenecks with influence

Posted by | 3 May 2024 | , , , | 0

International trade drives the global economy and is responsible for around 80 % of global goods transport by sea. Access to the two most important canals, the Panama and Suez Canals, is fundamental for uninterrupted supply chains and therefore also for economic growth. Current disruptions show the vulnerability of these important shipping routes. Suez Canal The French Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez completed this shipping link in 1869. It connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and became the fastest and most economical route between Europe and Asia. Around 30 % of global container traffic, i.e. up to 15 % of global trade, passes through this waterway and generates...

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Russian warships in the Red Sea

Russian warships in the Red Sea

Posted by | 22 Apr 2024 | , , , | 0

The Russian state news agency Tass reported that warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet entered the Red Sea from Bab-el-Mandeb at the end of March. These are the missile cruiser "Varyag" (Hull No. 011, 186 metres, Slava class) and the destroyer "Marshal Shaposhnikov" (Hull No. 543, 163 metres, Udaloy class). The tasks assigned to both ships and the final destination of the formation were not mentioned in the report, nor was the reason for the deployment. Both ships have since met up with the landing ships sent from the Northern and Baltic fleets to the eastern Mediterranean and have resupplied in Tarus/Syria. Allegedly, both combat ships are in...

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