Ports News

Saronic has selected Brownsville, Texas, as the site for Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard the company plans to build to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity.The company said it plans to invest more than $3 billion in the facility, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and operations scheduled to start in 2028.Initially spanning 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, the site could eventually expand to nearly 4,400 acres. The shipyard will be capable of building vessels up to 850 feet long…

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts, and operational disruptions, context handled 133.9 million tons of maritime goods in the first half of 2026, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. While RoRo grew (+5.9%) and bulk remained virtually stable (-1.3%), the decrease was primarily situated in the general cargo segment, with container handling being the main factor. At the same time, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges maintained its market share in container handling and continued to invest in additional capacity…

Ukraine will do everything possible to protect its seaports and guarantee grain exports at no less than last season's level,its deputy economy minister, Taras Vysotskiy, told Reuters on Wednesday.Russia has sharply stepped up attacks in recent weeks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports' infrastructure and on cargo vessels entering Odesa ports to export grain and other agricultural goods.Brokers say shipowners are refusing to enter Ukrainian ports because of sharply increased war risks…

“Global grain shipments have increased 13% y/y so far this year, supported by strong wheat, maize and soya bean exports from the Americas and Europe. Improved harvests across most major exporters have boosted their export surpluses, driving higher shipments to Asia, the Middle East and North Africa,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Grain shipments to China have jumped 15% y/y, supported by stronger soya bean, sorghum and barley imports. An improvement in trade relations between the US and China has led to a 137% increase in US grain shipments to the country…

UK port and logistics business PD Ports has appointed current chief operating officer (COO) Paul Foreman as chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Frans Calje who will step down from the position.Foreman was appointed following a competitive recruitment process, and will take up the new position from September 1, while Calje is set to step down after almost 10 years as CEO and more than 18 years with the company.The leadership change comes as PD Ports plans to accelerate growth…

Ports of Indiana has been awarded a $25 million federal “BUILD” grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to support a $32 million expansion of its Jeffersonville port. This grant is the largest federal award in Ports of Indiana’s 65-year history.The BUILD program (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) is administered by USDOT to provide grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. This week…

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) has decided to move forward with issuing a deepwater port license to Delfin LNG after a federal appeals court denied review of a legal challenge by environmental groups.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied the review, allowing MARAD to continue work toward issuing the license for the Delfin LNG deepwater port.Delfin FLNG 1 is planned as the first offshore LNG export project in the United States…

In the first half of 2026, Terminal Portuario de Guayaquil (TPG), a Hanseatic Global Terminals port, has already accumulated more than 1,000 hours of training for reachstacker operators and more than 1,200 hours for STS and RTG crane operators through its simulators.These training sessions have been implemented across different strategic stages, including induction, training, recertification, and skills reinforcement-consolidating the success of TPG's new virtual simulation system.The…

The Port of Valencia is strengthening its position as a proving ground for maritime technology innovation, with the sixth edition of the Valenciaport Hackathon bringing together international startups to develop solutions aimed at real-world deployment within the port's operational environment.Organized by Opentop, the Port of Valencia's open innovation hub, this year's competition attracted more than 40 startup and scale-up applicants from around the world, making it the event's most international edition to date.

Russia's second city of St Petersburg and the surrounding region came under a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Saturday, with a local port and oil infrastructure hit, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said, as Kyiv's drone strikes continue to deepen fuel shortages in Russia.St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city of 6 million had been subjected to a "large-scale" drone attack, with the city's oil terminal struck. He said there were no casualties and that the aftermath of the attack had been dealt with.Alexander Drozdenko…

Boskalis and Van Oord have been awarded a dredging contract worth approximately $570 million (€500 million) for the expansion of the Port of Luleå in Sweden.The contract was awarded by the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Port of Luleå and will be executed by a joint venture between the two companies, with the contract value split equally.Under the contract, the joint venture will deepen the port's fairway and harbor basin to accommodate vessels with a draft of up to 14.7 meters and a cargo capacity of up to 85…

“In June 2026, global coal shipments jumped 14% y/y, driven by a 41% y/y increase in coal shipments to China, as the country looked to offset weaker domestic supply and to meet higher demand from electricity generation. Since the start of the year, global coal shipments have risen 3% y/y, a reversal of last year’s trend, when they fell 4% y/y,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.So far this year, coal shipments to China have fallen 3% y/y, only accelerating from May 2026.

U.S. shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes increased 4.5 percent from June 2025 to 3 million tons. This June’s U.S. loadings were also above the month’s 5-year average by 6.9 percent.Year-to-date, the Lakes U.S. limestone trade stands at nearly 7 million tons, a decrease of 7.5 percent compared to last year and 7.2 percent below the month’s 5-year average.U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI. Canadian ports: Bruce Mines…

Oman's Asyad Group and France's CMA CGM Group have signed a framework agreement to develop, manage and operate a multipurpose logistics terminal in Sohar, establishing a strategic partnership aimed at boosting maritime connectivity and opening new regional trade corridors.The agreement, signed during the official visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to France, provides the framework for the development of a new $400 million multipurpose logistics terminal in Sohar.The companies said the project would enhance integrated logistics services and supply chain solutions…

AD Ports Group, a global enabler of integrated trade, industry and logistics solutions, and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest premium aluminium producer in the world, have signed an agreement to enhance EGA’s dedicated berth at Khalifa Port.As part of their longstanding strategic partnership, AD Ports Group and EGA will jointly invest USD$22.87 million (AED 84 million) in a multi-phase berth enhancement program to upgrade EGA’s dedicated port infrastructure and accommodate Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels…

Cavotec signed an order worth approximately EUR 1.5 million for shore power equipment for the expansion of a cruise terminal in Southern California.The shore power systems will enable cruise vessels to connect to the local electrical grid while at berth, helping to significantly reduce emissions and noise compared with running onboard engines.The order includes Cavotec's PowerMove, PowerFeed and PowerCover shore power technologies. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.

The Administration has made American manufacturing, shipbuilding, and supply chain resilience national priorities. The Great Lakes region is home to steel, autos, agriculture, energy infrastructure, defense suppliers, and advanced manufacturing. The St. Lawrence Seaway carries maritime commerce into that region.Recent events in the Strait of Hormuz have reminded policymakers and the public that maritime transportation matters. Strategic waterways matter because transportation costs matter.

International Car Operators (ICO), a member of Japan’s NYK Group, has started commercial operations at Belgium’s first shore power facility for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels at the port of Zeebrugge.The facility entered service after a testing phase earlier this month, during which technical specifications were validated. The first vessel connected to the system was an NYK-operated pure car and truck carrier (PCTC).The project marks the first commercial use of shore power for…

A new engineering design and commercial advisory company focused on offshore wind, subsea transmission and marine infrastructure projects has launched in Ireland under the name of Insight Marine, targeting growing demand for specialist support across the global maritime sector.Headquartered in County Wicklow, Insight Marine has been established to provide engineering design, technical advisory and commercial services to offshore wind developers, transmission system operators, port owners…

A group of US regional partners have come together to form the Northern Grain Belt Ports Initiative.The Initiative, several years in the making, is an offshoot of the regional Corn Belt Ports Initiative, which works primarily with rural, regional inland ports to promote competitiveness, sustainability, resiliency, and integrity of inland regional port systems.The group consists of the Joint Board of Harbor Commissioners (Port of La Crosse), the City of Prairie du Chien, the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC)…

Imports to the busiest U.S. container port in Los Angeles hit the second-highest level in history during May, as retailers rushed in products like plastic school supplies before cargo ship owners start recouping higher fuel costs from the Iran war on July 1.The Iran war has snarled shipping in the Middle East and reduced the availability of crude oil and its derivatives used to make plastic and other goods. Marine fuel costs have soared and some retailers and manufacturers are…

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved a $3.4 billion annual budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026/27 for the Port of Los Angeles. The financial blueprint calls for increased investments in Port operational and community public-access infrastructure, as well as support for a range of sustainability and technology programs.The Port’s FY 2026/27 adopted budget is based on predictions of steady, yet slightly lower cargo demand of 9.3 million container units, 7% less than the current forecast for FY 2025/26.

A new joint study using the Port of Rotterdam as a case study “Enabling Nuclear-Powered Feeder Ships: A Joint Development Project on Port Call Feasibility and Regulatory Pathways” has found that existing port safety and risk-management frameworks could provide a credible starting point for assessing nuclear-powered commercial ship calls within a major European port environment.The desktop study, carried out through a joint development project involving Lloyd’s Register, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, CORE POWER and A.P.