A consortium led by CMA CGM (67%) and the Banque des Territoires (23%) and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Lyon and Marseille (4% each) has been awarded a 30-year subconcession to manage the Edouard Herriot container terminal at the Port of Lyon. The decision was taken by Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR).
CMA CGM has announced the launch of its new Bora Med Service (BMS), which will commence operations on 23 December 2024. The service will connect Turkey, the Adriatic, Malta and the Eastern Mediterranean. The route will be served by six 2,500 TEU vessels, providing efficient and sustainable shipping links via key ports such as Antalya, Izmir, Malta, Trieste and Alexandria.
In December 2024, the Freeport of Riga transport infrastructure modernization project was completed, aimed at improving the commercial competitiveness of the port and strengthening Latvia’s military mobility. The key stage was the completion of dredging works for the expanded berth of SIA Baltic Container Terminal, implemented as part of a joint project with CINEA. The total investment amounted to EUR 12.51 million, half of which was provided by the European Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment.
Kazakhstan has shown interest in using the Aqaba port in Jordan to supply its goods to the local market and the markets of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In 2023, trade turnover between the countries increased by 4.2 times, reaching $6 million, which confirms the potential for further growth.
The WS1 hybrid police boat “Bürgermeister Brauer” was ceremonially welcomed in the Port of Hamburg. After almost two years of construction at the Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats AS, the vessel was delivered by sea to Germany. The new boat will begin service in the Hamburg Water Police next year.
The Latvian Cabinet of Ministers has approved an investment of €64.57 million for the development of infrastructure at the Free Port of Riga. The main goal is to create a “green” industrial area to attract offshore and onshore wind energy technology manufacturers, strengthening Latvia’s role in the European supply chain.
From January to November 2024, the cargo throughput of the Port of Shanghai reached 534.1 million tons, up 4.6% from the same period in 2023. Container throughput increased by 6.7%, reaching 47.38 million TEU, the port authority said.
Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) held a naming ceremony for its new 16,828 TEU container ship OOCL Bauhinia at the Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS) shipyard. The ship is the first of ten new-generation vessels ordered by OOCL and marks a new milestone for the company, which has commissioned its first NeoPanamax container ship in a decade.
Over the past decade, China has significantly strengthened its position in the global shipbuilding market. The total order book for shipbuilding by Chinese companies has grown by 170%, and China’s share in global shipbuilding orders has reached 65%. This result is achieved through government support and large-scale investments in the national shipbuilding ecosystem, according to the Intermodal report.
The Kołobrzeg seaport on the Baltic Sea is planning large-scale dredging and widening of the main channel, which will allow it to receive ships up to 130 meters long instead of the current 100 meters. The project includes reconstruction of infrastructure, including 250 meters of the embankment, and updating access to the port channel, which is managed by the Szczecin Maritime Authority.
