This week's round up of news from the world of heavy lift and project forwarding.
Yesterday saw Höegh Autoliners' car carrier Höegh Osaka safely towed to the Port of Southampton, much to the relief of the shipping company and perhaps disappointment of the residents of the UK's south coast, who have enjoyed watching the incident unfold over the past few weeks.
The vessel deliberately ran aground on Bramble Bank off the south coast of the UK on January 3, after developing a list as it left Southampton port on its way to Germany.
The ship's cargo included 1,400 cars, including Jaguars, Land Rovers and Minis, as well as around 105 pieces of construction equipment.
Now that the vessel has been refloated and towed to shore, it will be inspected and once the necessary surveys have taken place, the unloading of the ship's cargo will begin.
Only then will we know the full extent of the damage to the Höegh Osaka's cargo, which is thought to be worth as much as GBP60m (USD89.9m). HLPFI will be keeping a close eye on the operation.
In business
Two bidders vie for Fremantle terminal
Australian Amalgamated Terminals (AAT) and Victoria Quay International RoRo Terminal have been shortlisted as bidders to operate the Port of Fremantle's ro-ro and automotive terminal.
ACS invests in charter technology
Air Charter Service (ACS) plans to spend around GBP10m (USD15.15m) over the next five years on advancing the company's charter booking technologies and online presence.
MGS Logistics and its sister company, MGS Oil & Gas, have gained ISO 9001:2008 certification.
Liebherr mobile harbour cranes top charts
Liebherr supplied 112 mobile harbour cranes to six continents in 2014, breaking its existing delivery record by almost 10 percent.
Capacity developments
Pacific first for lock gates installation
The first gate for the new locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal has been installed.
Crowley celebrates keel laying
The keel for the first two LNG-powered con-ro ships for Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner services group has been laid during a ceremony at VT Halter Marine's facility in Mississippi.
Höegh Autoliners has signed a ten-year contract to call at Port Freeport in Texas.
Second NileDutch newbuild named
The naming ceremony for the second of four NileDutch newbuild vessels - NileDutch Dordrecht - has taken place today at PSA Singapore Terminals.
Shipment of the week
Mammoet USA was contracted to recover the largest tunnel boring machine in the world, Bertha, from the ground in Seattle, Washington.
On the move
Thomas W. Herwig, managing partner of Bremen-headquartered logistics company Röhlig, has handed over the reins to his son, Philip W. Herwig.
Modulift's Spivey joins lifting association board
Modulift UK's managing director, Sarah Spivey, has been elected a member of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association's (LEEA) board.
Faymonville sets up shop in Paris
Belgian trailer manufacturer Faymonville has established a new branch in the French town of Villeron, just outside of the country's capital.
Network and association developments
The global industry body for port equipment and technology, Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA), has welcomed four new member companies, including Chinese crane manufacturer ZPMC; Nantong Rainbow Heavy Machineries; Spohn + Burkhardt; and INTERCON Technical Information Systems.
The CLC Projects network added Freja Transport & Logistics in Sweden and Gespros & Services in Cameroon to its roster.
The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) gained nine new members, including: Associated Technologies Weld Mount; BigFoot Crane Company; Dees Pilot Cars; Hampton Crane Service; Roadmaster Specialized; Specialized Freight Solutions; Tecmaco Integral; Timmerman, Beaulieu, Hinkle & Esworthy; and WHC Energy Service.
All about Evie
Evie had a great time at the British International Freight Association's (BIFA) Freight Service Awards 2014 this week, and was quite star-struck among some of the UK's most talented freight professionals.
She extends congratulations to all the winners of awards (pictured below) at the event but special mention goes to Panalpina World Transport, which scooped the Project Forwarding Award for an impressive logistics undertaking.
And it seems that congratulations are in order for another project forwarder, as Globalink was recognised as the best service provider in Kazakhstan and presented with the Altyn Sapa Presidential Prize.
