Breakbulk shipping

The drive to decarbonize European inland transport by switching freight from the road to greener alternatives took a step forward this week.

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.

deugro and partners Siemens and Amasus will build and deploy two specialized offshore wind ro/ro vessels able to accommodate increasingly large wind turbine components.

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

Global vehicle manufacturers are still recovering from widespread semiconductor shortages, while domestic automakers and body shops face ongoing delays in components ranging from rear suspensions to front bumpers.

Traditional 3PL provider CEVA plans to lease four new hybrid ro-ro vessels chartered by parent company CMA CGM.

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

Cargoes “unboxed” during the pandemic market are sliding back to container carriers on the hunt for volumes to fill their ships, while excess containers on MPV ships have disappeared.

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

Human intervention is necessary to ensure that AI is adapted into shipping in a measured way, as quality decisions are dependent on quality data, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference were told.

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.

BIMCO’s head of Americas called for changes to the Carbon Intensity Indicator that would make the new regulation from the International Maritime Organization “fit for purpose.”

An advanced sense of “pragmatism” is needed for shippers and nations to cope with changes wrought by war and climate change, attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk & Project Cargo Conference were told.

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.

Vehicle demand is expected to offset declining high-and-heavy volumes in 2023, according to car carriers.

Dutch conglomerate SHV’s planned divestment of Mammoet, the world’s largest heavy-lift and engineered transport company, could have a “very important impact” on the sector, according to one consultant.

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.