Project cargo

News and analysis of project cargo rates, carriers, services, technology, strategy, ports, forwarders

The latest Project cargo News & Analysis

Intermarine, JSA target Chilean metals, energy markets with new subsidiary

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Sep 20, 2023, 11:45 AM EDT

Affiliated carriers Intermarine and Jumbo-SAL-Alliance are poised to reap new cargo from the expected growth boom in South American mining, green fuels and wind.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Lack of cargoes holding down MPV rates in near-term: analysts

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, and Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo | Sep 18, 2023, 9:00 AM EDT

Despite having fewer cargoes for which to compete, some bulk operators are beefing up their staff of project cargo specialists, implying that those carriers are sensing opportunities ahead.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Turbulence hampers US wind energy even as development picks up speed

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Aug 25, 2023, 10:26 AM EDT

The wind energy industry must resolve a number of supply chain issues or it has little chance of reaching the US’ 2030 goal for energy generation from onshore and offshore wind.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Chartering slump keeps MPV sector in August ‘doldrums’

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Aug 7, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT

Although the multipurpose vessel market is expected to further soften on weak charter activity in the third quarter, firmer demand is expected by the end of the year, keeping certain sectors of the market — mainly, project carriers — optimistic, analysts said.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Cosco to control largest semi-submersible fleet after deal with Guangzhou Salvage

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Aug 4, 2023, 8:00 AM EDT

The joint venture will increase Cosco’s fleet to 18 heavy-lift semi-submersible vessels by the end of 2023.
Project cargoEnergy projects

Summer doldrums pressure MPV sector, but long-term view positive

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Jun 12, 2023, 9:49 AM EDT

Sentiment is more positive in the longer term, with industry observers predicting a rebound in rates from 2024 onwards due to stronger cargo volumes and tight tonnage supply.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargoRo/ro cargo

Diverse players eyeing project forwarding space

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Jun 9, 2023, 9:00 AM EDT

Changes at Maersk and Combi-Lift reveal interest in capturing a larger share of the project forwarding market.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Norden aims to diversify cargo base with MPV acquisition

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Jun 1, 2023, 4:03 PM EDT

Norden is looking to capitalize on an expected strong project and breakbulk market with the purchase of Denmark-based multipurpose vessel (MPV) operator Thorco Projects.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Shipping icon Bertram Rickmers, 71, succumbs to injuries from fall

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor | May 25, 2023, 4:13 PM EDT

Visionary shipping legend Bertram Rickmers created the Pearl String, the only round-the-world breakbulk liner service, which operated from 2003 until the fall of Zeamarine in 2020.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Hopeful wind OEMs look for rebound after emerging from pandemic

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | May 18, 2023, 9:00 AM EDT

Quarterly earnings reports reveal that wind turbine manufacturers are slowly recovering from a pandemic market battering as orders and revenues ramp up.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Softer rates, long-term confidence provide mixed signals for MPV carriers

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, and Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo | May 10, 2023, 3:54 PM EDT

Multipurpose and heavy-lift carriers expect short-term rate pain but a rising market further out, analysts say.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Changing of the guard in the works at BBC Chartering USA

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Apr 27, 2023, 3:36 PM EDT

Tim Kopfensteiner will become president of MPV carrier BBC Chartering’s US operations following Per Petersen’s retirement later this year.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Breakbulk23: Disruptive ‘trilemma’ shaping global energy investment

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Apr 25, 2023, 12:08 PM EDT

As funding opportunities expand, energy security concerns force investors to reevaluate their priorities, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference were told.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Breakbulk23: Methanol has head start in MPV green fuel race

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Apr 24, 2023, 4:04 PM EDT

Breakbulk and project cargo carriers are likely to take their cue from container carriers before committing to building alternative fuel ships to meet aggressive carbon reduction mandates, experts say.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

MPV sentiment improves even as short-term demand softens

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, and Susan Oatway, Research Analyst for Breakbulk and Project Cargo | Apr 17, 2023, 1:05 PM EDT

Multipurpose carrier analysts report short-term rate softening and a looser spot market, but there is confidence in longer-term energy and renewables demand.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Breakbulk volumes down sharply at Port Houston after 2022 ‘anomaly’

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Apr 10, 2023, 8:00 AM EDT

Breakbulk volumes are normalizing at Houston after the market surge of 2022, while “spillover” containers have disappeared.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoPorts

MPV carrier Swire Projects eyes growth in Australian project market

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Mar 22, 2023, 10:46 AM EDT

New operator Swire is growing its fleet and gearing up to move cargo for the busy Australian minerals and energy markets.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

New IMO rules muddying vessel strategy for MPV, heavy-lift owners

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Mar 21, 2023, 11:20 AM EDT

MPV and heavy-lift vessel owners need clarity on emissions, alternative fuels, and regulations before committing to new vessel schemes.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Heavy-deck demand faltering, but long-term outlook remains strong

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Mar 20, 2023, 10:40 AM EDT

Despite a temporary lull, heavy-deck carriers and industry analysts see a “mind-boggling” outlook for global offshore wind demand.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargoEnergy projects

EPCs look beyond traditional oil and gas for growth opportunities

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent  | Mar 1, 2023, 1:50 PM EST

EPC projects drive much of the global demand for project and breakbulk logistics services from carriers, forwarders, and other suppliers.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projectsHeavy-haul transport

US flatbed trucking activity sees early regional revival: DAT

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Feb 15, 2023, 5:06 PM EST

Demand for flatbed tractor-trailers is rising along the Gulf Coast and Southeast, buoyed by project cargo, shifting freight patterns, and a warmer-than-normal winter, DAT Freight & Analytics says.
SurfaceProject cargoTruckingFlatbed

MPV sector slows as rebalancing under way after ‘rush’ of pandemic market

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Feb 13, 2023, 4:37 PM EST

Short-term uncertainty and longer-term confidence are the multipurpose sector’s new normal, analysts say, after the extreme volatility of the COVID-driven market.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargo

Project cargo outlook brightening for Port of New Orleans

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Jan 27, 2023, 10:49 AM EST

Even as breakbulk volumes ebb from their pandemic highs, several mega-projects planned for South Louisiana are expected to keep project cargo moving at the Port of New Orleans.
North American portsBreakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Port of South Louisiana buys Avondale terminal as wind cargo boost looms

Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Special Correspondent | Jan 18, 2023, 2:46 PM EST

The acquisition of Avondale by the port comes just as the state of Louisiana readies to auction its first round of offshore wind leases.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projectsNorth American portsBreakbulk ports

Plenty of work in the pipeline for breakbulk carriers, but rates uncertain

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Jan 3, 2023, 3:38 PM EST

Project and breakbulk carriers and logistics service providers have a healthy to-do list of energy-related cargo projects ahead of them; now the question is whether rates and availability will return to pre-pandemic levels.
Breakbulk shippingBreakbulk carriersProject cargoEnergy projects

Drought-stricken Mississippi disrupts northbound breakbulk cargo

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Nov 22, 2022, 12:18 PM EST

Drought is keeping the Mississippi River at historically low water levels, tying up barge capacity and extending the southbound grain season.
Project cargo

Pent-up demand to fuel project logistics volumes into 2024

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Nov 14, 2022, 9:40 AM EST

Two years of pandemic-related oil and gas project delays and cutbacks in global supply due to the Russia-Ukraine war are driving demand for project logistics services in the short and long term.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Lack of infrastructure could stymie global, US wind energy targets

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Nov 11, 2022, 9:30 AM EST

Bottlenecks and a lack of needed infrastructure may put the “aspirational” global offshore wind installation schedule out of reach, an analyst says.
Breakbulk shippingEnergy projectsProject cargo

Policy, pandemic disruption slowing US wind energy development

Chris Barnett | Aug 24, 2022, 3:48 PM EDT

Developers have installed a total of 139 gigawatts of onshore wind energy production across the US, with another 23 GW under construction or in advanced development as of the second quarter of 2022.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargoEnergy projects

Super-heavy carriers see war-driven energy boom

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Aug 22, 2022, 2:26 PM EDT

The global super-heavy carrier fleet is at 91 percent utilization as governments accelerate energy investments amid the rush to cut ties with Russia.
Project cargo

Maersk targets project cargo with latest acquisition

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Aug 5, 2022, 12:02 AM EDT

Maersk is expanding its footprint in the heavy-lift sector with the acquisition of specialist logistics provider Martin Bencher that will be central to its new Maersk Project Logistics product.
Project cargo

Breakbulk demand heating up as spillover market plateaus

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Jun 24, 2022, 11:41 AM EDT

Millions of tons of project cargo freight will be moving soon as energy projects, including Qatar’s massive LNG facility, gather steam, logistics executives say.
Project cargoEnergy projects

‘Spillover’ cargo market shows signs of waning

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Jun 17, 2022, 4:57 PM EDT

Softening container rates are expected to pull “spillover” cargo back from the breakbulk sector, but the just-ended COVID lockdowns in China may slow a market normalization.
Project cargo

Higher oil prices, Russian sanctions may not drive long-term project investment

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | May 13, 2022, 5:44 PM EDT

As the global energy transition gains momentum, a “mismatched” market will become more complex, partitioned, and costly, according to Jim Burkhard, head of oil market research at S&P Global.
Project cargo

Offshore wind plans driving investment in installation vessels

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Apr 25, 2022, 10:23 AM EDT

Massive investment in offshore wind energy projects planned for Asia and the US is fueling orders for installation vessels, but at least one analyst expects an equipment shortfall by the end of the decade.
Project cargo

Recovering EPC forecast complicated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Mar 21, 2022, 1:45 PM EDT

Burned by losses, key engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms continue to shift away from lump-sum contracting and toward more risk-averse strategies in the oil and gas space.
Breakbulk shippingProject cargo

‘Trickle-down’ expectations pressuring MPV operators

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Feb 11, 2022, 11:32 AM EST

While a rate "plateau" may be looming, container congestion and equipment supply shortages will continue to push spillover cargo into the MPV sector, analysts say
Breakbulk carriersProject cargo

No slowdown in MPV demand amid wind growth: Toepfer

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Dec 9, 2021, 9:30 AM EST

Ambitious global plans to increase wind energy capacity, ongoing spillover demand from the container market, and a scant orderbook are poised to drive a capacity shortage in the multipurpose vessel market.
Project cargo

Digital bulk, breakbulk marine management startup raises $8.4 million

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Dec 2, 2021, 12:17 PM EST

Low-code digital platform Voyager Portal is focused on reducing complexity and cost in non-containerized global shipping operations.
Project cargoLogistics technology

Siemens Gamesa to build first US offshore wind blade plant

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Oct 26, 2021, 9:31 AM EDT

Investments in the US' budding offshore wind industry are gaining momentum along the eastern seaboard, with Siemens Gamesa building the first US offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing facility in Virginia.
Project cargo