Published by The Maritime Executive

Published by The Maritime Executive

Published by The Maritime Executive

Published by The Maritime Executive

Published Aug 25, 2022 10:46 PM by The Maritime Executive

P&O's logistics and feedering branch is opening up a new specialty business in the Red Sea, running small "micro feeder" vessels back and forth between Port Sudan and Port of Jeddah. The house-forward, OSV-sized vessels were built for a shallow-draft application, and they happen to be perfect for reaching underutilized parts of a seaport.

P&O's extra-small feeders are handy for accessing port areas that cannot be reached by conventional container ships, and this allows them to bypass congestion, the line says. Like converting bulkers to carry boxes, it is a unique adaptation to the pressures of the modern containerized supply chain. 

The first test vessel was the Topaz Lena, a heavy load carrier built in 2018. She was one of 17 built for Topaz - now part of P&O - to carry process modules for the Tengiz oil field on the Caspian Sea. At 400 feet in length and 2,600 dwt, she is small for a feeder ship, but her "micro" fully laden draft of less than 12 feet gives her exceptional access to shallow water quaysides.

In trials, P&O found that it could deliver much faster turnaround times by using Topaz Lena to bypass congested terminals, speeding up a port call by up to 70-80 percent when compared to a conventional feeder. The line has also modified a sister ship, Topaz Volga, to serve on the same route. 

"Seeing such niche feeders operating successfully forms a blueprint for further expansion with new and existing clients," said Martin Helweg, the CEO of P&O Maritime Logistics. 

P&O is modifying another two vessels and says that it could put as many as 10 in service upon request. 

Top image: The converted module carrier Topaz Lena in Hamburg, 2022 (Wolfgang Fricke / CC BY SA 3.0)

Published Aug 26, 2022 9:23 PM by The Maritime Executive

The strike at the Port of Felixstowe is creating challenges for UK importers and exporters, and it has also delayed several vessels within the port complex. For at least one crew, this meant an opportunity for shore leave, with help from the seafarers’ charity Stella Maris. Felixstowe port chaplain Julian Wong went on board the container vessel George Washington Bridge before the start of the strike to meet the crew, and he left them his contact details in case they...

Published Aug 26, 2022 7:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

The shipping industry is discussing slow steaming as a means of reducing emissions and beginning to meet CO2 reduction targets for long-distance ocean routes. Now comes word from A.P. Moller-Maersk’s tugboat operations, Svitzer, that it has been able to achieve similar results for its tugboats during a trial program that they are rolling out across the global fleet. The company launched a pilot program in late 2021 across Svitzer’s UK operations. Tug crews were told to navigate at a maximum...

Published Aug 26, 2022 7:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Turkish government has decided to deny permission for the scrapping of the decommissioned Brazilian Navy carrier NAe São Paulo. Environmentalists believe that the former French Navy vessel (ex name Foch) contains a substantial amount of asbestos, and after the scrapper declined to carry out a new hazardous materials inventory, Turkey's environment ministry said that it would not grant permission for the vessel to enter Turkish waters.  "Due to the fact that the 'Hazardous Goods Inventory Report', which should be prepared by showing...

Published Aug 26, 2022 6:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

A design project underway in Norway that seeks to develop the first hydrogen ferries operating long distances and exposed to the harsh environment in the northern region has received initial design approval. Lloyd’s Register presented the Approval in Principle which is considered to be a major milestone in the effort by Norwegian shipping company Torghatten Nord to introduce the ferries by 2025. “We are very satisfied with the approval and we are proud to work together with the leading experts...

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