PORTS-

#1- AD Ports taps TW Steel for maintenance services at Khalifa Port: AD Ports Group inked a 10-year lease agreement with Dutch containerized fabrications solutions provider TW Steel to offer maintenance and repair services at Khalifa Port, according to a statement. Under the lease agreement, TW Steel will support shipping lines and container operators active at the port. The firm will also offer its advanced container fabrication and modification services, which include building and maintaining office containers, retail spaces, living areas, storage units, workshops, event spaces, and medical and educational facilities.

#2- DP World debuts Vancouver Island terminal expansion: UAE’s DP World broke ground this week on the expansion project of its Duke Point terminal at Canada’s Nanaimo Port, according to a statement released last week. The expansion aims to boost the port’s cargo handling capacity to 280k TEUs annually and extend the terminal’s berth length to 325 meters. Once completed, the terminal will be able to host larger international vessels. The project will also develop a short-sea shipping link between Nanaimo Island and mainland Vancouver.

And that’s not all: Additional storage facilities will be integrated at the terminal, including a 26k sqft covered storage area for pulp products. The firm will also add two fully electric cranes, phasing out the existing diesel-powered quay cranes.

SHIPPING + MARITIME-

#1- Folk Maritime expands its fleet: PIF-owned regional shipping solutions firm Folk Maritime has added a new vessel to its fleet to boost regional maritime connectivity, according to a statement. The M/V Folk Jazan vessel — to be registered at Jeddah Islamic Port — has a carrying capacity of just over 2k TEUs and was built by China’s Zhejiang Shipbuilding Company in 2008.

Expansion plans: The move comes in line with the firm’s multi-mnUSD fleet expansion plan over the next five years to expand further to reduce its reliance on chartered vessels and improve operational flexibility. The plans will see the firm buy at least 10 container ships in the next three to five years to increase access for KSA’s smaller ports and alleviate demand for road transportation. Folk Maritime boasts a total of six vessels in its fleet after it debuted its first Saudi-flagged vessel — Folk Jeddah — back in September.

#2- Qatar’s Hamad Port adds MSC service: Qatari port operator QTerminals has added the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) Clanga service to Hamad Port, providing a direct route to Shanghai, according to a statement. The new service will improve trade links between China, Singapore, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, the statement added.

ICYMI: Qatar received its first dual-fuel methanol container vessel — the CMA CGM Iron — at QTerminal last month. The vessel has a 13k TEU capacity and is one of 12 new dual-fuel methanol vessels operated by French logistics firm CMA CGM.

LOGISTICS HANDLING-

Maersk + OCP partner up on sustainable logistics: Shipping giant Maersk has inked a global MoU with Morocco’s state-owned phosphate miner and fertilizer producer OCP Group to deliver sustainable logistics solutions and services, according to a statement. The MoU — which covers ocean and inland transport and logistics services — aims to enhance ocean freight capacity as well as storage and distribution networks in Morocco and in global transit operations. It also covers digitalized supply chain management, educational programs, and sustainability initiatives for decarbonization and sustainable fuel solutions.

TRADE-

Chinese Chint Group’s solar unit Astroenergy will build a USD 500 mn export-oriented solar cell factory in Turkey, according to a statement issued late March. The facility will produce TOPCon 4.0 solar cells, the company’s latest version of the more energy-efficient tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cells. About 80% of the output is earmarked for exports.

Part of a bigger initiative: The project would fall under Turkey’s USD 30 bn High-TechIncentive Program (HIT-30), which was launched in July 2024. The program covers electric vehicles, battery production, semiconductor manufacturing, and energy, and aims to establish Turkey as a regional battery production hub, with a USD 4.5 bn incentive package up for grabs.

Not the company’s first investment in the country: Astroenergy had previously invested in a PV module factory in Turkey, which reached 850 MW of production capacity last month, a company spokesperson told PV Magazine earlier this month.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Algeria + Mali ban bilateral flights: Algeria and Mali have banned flights to and from each other’s airspace amid heightened diplomatic tensions. Neither country has disclosed a timeline for the bans. (Reuters)
  • Qatar + Algeria partner up on air transportation: Qatar has inked an air transportation services agreement with Algeria that will allow airlines in both countries to operate unlimited and unrestricted passenger and cargo flights. (Statement)
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