Ukraine and Montenegro have agreed to introduce a “visa-free transport visa” for freight transport, which will come into force on June 1, 2024. The Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro on the liberalization of all types of cargo transportation between countries.
In March 2024, Batumi Oil Terminal LLC resumed loading dark oil products produced at Kazakh plants onto Aframax tankers for shipment to Europe. It is planned to carry out loadings on a regular basis, which is associated with the expansion of transit routes for cargo transportation.
On March 27, 2024, CRCT Kazakhstan and CRRC went to Altynkol for the first transfer of the Open Top container. Experts inspected the container, ensuring the process was flawless, and staff ensured its safety during transport. Upon arrival, the container was carefully inspected, confirming the successful completion of the project.
DACHSER is fortifying its European food transport and storage network with the acquisition of Brummer, its partner in the European Food Network for temperature-controlled food transport. The acquisition includes Brummer Logistik GmbH in Germany and Brummer Logistic Solutions GmbH & Co KG in Austria, encompassing the entire operational business of the Brummer Group. The deal’s specifics, including the purchase price, remain undisclosed pending approval from German and Austrian competition authorities.
At the end of March 2024, Baltic Hub achieved more than 45% progress in the construction of the T3 container terminal. Favorable weather helped speed up work, allowing construction of the concrete northern embankment to be completed two weeks earlier. Progress can also be seen in other areas such as the main pier (more than 25%) and the element parallel to the pier, the so-called shore beam (15%), which are critical to the entire structure. The planned completion of waste consolidation at the end of April will free up work at four more storage sites. Industrial works such as storm water drainage and electrical wiring installation have also started.
In a groundbreaking event, the port of Rotterdam witnessed its largest-ever delivery of bio LNG, as the container ship Brussels Express, operated by Hapag-Lloyd AG, bunkered an impressive 2,200 tons of bio LNG sourced from Titan Clean Fuels in partnership with STX Group. This milestone not only marks a significant advancement in the use of non-fossil LNG as a ship fuel but also aligns perfectly with the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s commitment to curbing CO2 emissions from maritime transport.
In Istanbul, the official opening and registration of a subsidiary of PTC Holding took place under the name “PTC Nakliye Lojistik Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Şirketi”, which is headed by Abzal Nurman. The move by PTC Holding aims to expand its international presence with a focus on increasing container freight volumes between China and Europe, and vice versa, using multimodal arrangements.
Klaipeda Port, along with five prominent European ports including the Port of Antwerp Bruges, Port of Tallinn, Port of Helsinki, Freeport of Riga, and X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, have inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU). This pivotal agreement signals a collective endeavor to expedite the establishment of green shipping corridors and advance the wider decarbonization of the maritime sector across Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. Through this MOU, X-Press Feeders and the participating ports commit to pooling resources and expertise to foster sustainable practices in maritime operations.
DACHSER’s air and sea freight division is undergoing a significant expansion, introducing new fixed Less than Container Load (LCL) connections between the port of Rotterdam and various Asian ports with scheduled departure times. Since late 2023, DACHSER has been establishing weekly LCL export connections from Rotterdam to ports in Shanghai, Nhava Sheva, and Dubai, alongside LCL import connections from Shanghai and Shenzhen to Rotterdam. The company plans to further augment these LCL connections throughout 2024, utilizing its own consolidated containers for the service.
In a significant development this week, NextGen Demo, an innovation hub within the NextGen District situated at the core of the Antwerp port, welcomed its inaugural concessionaires. Power to Hydrogen and TripleW have opted to leverage the port’s environment for piloting their groundbreaking initiatives in energy transition and circularity. Aligned closely with the ambitious goals of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the demo projects from both entities promise to play a pivotal role in advancing towards a climate-neutral society.
