Tag: Shipping

President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurates the first berth of new 32-berth Lamu Port

Frank

KENYA – President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has launched the operationalization of the first berth of the new Lamu Port, marking a major milestone for the regional US$23 billion Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor project (LAPSSET) launched in 2012. When complete, the US$3 billion port will have 32 berths, 29 of which will be financed by the private sector, making it the largest deep-water port in Sub-Saharan Africa. MV Cap Carmel, a Singaporean container ship, docked at Lamu on its way from the Port of Dar es Salam in Tanzania…

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German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd enters East African market

Frank

EAST AFRICA- Hapag-Lloyd AG, a German international shipping and container transportation company, has entered the East African market with weekly sailings between China, South-East Asia, Kenya and Tanzania. In a statement, the company says it will deploy seven 2,800 TEU vessels to the service, which will arrive in Kenya and Tanzania next week and offer connections to Hapag-Lloyd’s global network. “The new East Africa Service 3 (EAS3) will offer direct weekly sailings between China, South-East Asia, Kenya and Tanzania with very competitive transit times. In addition, the EAS3 will offer…

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Hapag-Lloyd acquires Dutch shipping company NileDutch

Frank

WORLD – German international shipping and container transportation company Hapag-Lloyd and NileDutch, a leading provider of container services to West Africa. have signed a sale and purchase agreement where Hapag-Lloyd acquires all shares of the Dutch container shipping company. “Africa is an important strategic growth market for Hapag-Lloyd. The acquisition of NileDutch strengthens our position in West Africa and will be an excellent addition to our existing activities on the continent. Our combined customer base will benefit from a denser network from and to Africa as well as from a…

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German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd opens new office in Kenya

Frank

KENYA – Hapag-Lloyd AG, a German international shipping and container transportation company, has opened a new office in Kenya as it continues to grow in Africa. While the shipping giant’s main business will be managed from the port city of Mombasa, the company will also have an office in Nairobi, the country’s capital. Hapag-Lloyd mainly transports agricultural goods out of Kenya, especially tea, coffee, fruits, and textiles with imports primarily consisting of chemicals, foodstuffs and a wide range of goods made of plastic or rubber.The new office will be headed…

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Angola enlists DP World to operate its Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Luanda

Frank

ANGOLA – DP World, global provider of smart logistics solutions, has entered a 20-year concession agreement with the Angolan government to operate the multi-purpose terminal at the Port of Luanda.  The agreement was signed by chairman of Porto de Luanda, António Bengue, and group chairman and CEO of DP World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. The agreement follows an international process during which an evaluation committee selected DP World as the preferred bidder for the concession. The Multipurpose Terminal will be DP World’s first operational seaport terminal on the western coast of southern Africa.  DP World will…

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Mombasa port registers increase in number of ships and cargo

Frank

KENYA – The Port of Mombasa has recorded a rise in the number of ships docking at the facility signifying steady growth following the challenges related to Covid-19 pandemic. The port has witnessed ten ships docking in one day this month. According to the port marine schedule, January 21 registered the highest number of ships arriving at the port since March last year. With the rising number of vessels, the port management, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is optimistic business will bounce back strongly this year. The positive outlook started…

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Maputo port records 13% decline in cargo handled in 2020

Frank

MOZAMBIQUE – The port of Maputo, Mozambique has recorded a 13 percent decline in the amount of cargo handled in 2020 in comparison with the 2019 figure. According to a press release from the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), 18.3 million tonnes of cargo was handled by the port in 2020, against 21 million tonnes the previous year. MPDC attributed the decline to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the measures taken to halt the spread of the disease, notably the closure of the borders and the first South…

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Grindrod Shipping rumps up capacity with Swift Engineering acquisition

Frank

SOUTH AFRICA – NovaTech, a subsidiary of Grindrond Limited, which trades as Hesper Engineering, a ship repair and general engineering company based in Cape Town, has purchased a 51 percent shareholding in Swift Engineering. Swift Engineering, which will in future trade as SwiftNova Engineering, is a fabrication company servicing the marine, energy and oil and gas sectors in the Mossel Bay area and nationally, a statement from Grindrod has said. Grindrod said the acquisition was expected to strengthen the capabilities of Sturrock Grindrod Maritime’s (SGM) Technical Division, which comprises Hesper…

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Djibouti launches port regeneration project

Frank

DJIBOUTI – The government of Djibouti through the Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority (DPFZA) has launched the Port of Djibouti regeneration project to turn the Historical Port of Djibouti into an international business district dubbed the East Africa International Special Business Zone. In a statement, the DPFZA noted that the regeneration project will take place in six phases. The first will see the creation of the International Demonstration Area, a 220,500m2 area that will include an exhibition center and a center of excellence for maritime studies as well as conference…

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Maersk to lay off 2,000 in business shake-up

Frank

WORLD – The world’s biggest container shipping line Maersk has announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs as it streamlines to cut costs while also reporting that demand was recovering faster than expected and lifted its earnings outlook. Maersk, which handles about one in five containers shipped worldwide said in a statement that though cargo volumes were still down on last year, they had picked up more than forecast after falling sharply at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic a few months ago. A.P. Moller – Maersk is on track to…

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