Project cargo

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

EPC projects drive much of the global demand for project and breakbulk logistics services from carriers, forwarders, and other suppliers.

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.

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.

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.

The acquisition of Avondale by the port comes just as the state of Louisiana readies to auction its first round of offshore wind leases.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.