CMA CGM Innovation

 The French container line CMA CGM is one of the leaders in alternate fuel development and has published its goal of net-zero by 2050. One of its many dual fuel ships arrived in Halifax on November 5. Named CMA CGM Innovation it is unusual in appearance. (Receiving some uncomplimentary comments as a result.) 

The ship was built in 2023 by Samsung Heavy Industry in Geoje, South Korea and is deceptive in size. Its profile is similar to the Ultra class ships of 10,000 TEU and up, with a split superstructure. The bridge and accommodation are forward of midships while the engine, funnel, and minimal support structure are set aft of midships. The ship measures a more modest 73,133 gt, 85,558 dwt with a nominal capacity of 7327 TEU (4951 TEU at 14 tonnes) and 900 reefer points.

Space is found somewhere in the hull for LNG storage tank(s) which normally means the sacrifice of some cargo capacity.

The ship is on CMA CGM's Med-America service with COSCO, ONE, OOCL, Yang Ming and ZIM. Its last port of call was Algeçiras. The new service made its inaugural call here November 25 with sister ship CMA CGM Ambition. Schedules indicate that there will be six ships on the service, called "Amerigo" by CMA CGM. COSCO, OOCL and ONE will each be using one ship and CMA CGM three.

CMA CGM Innovation appears to be carrying the usual mix of containers on deck, but is reported to be heavy on temperature controlled cargo. Reefer boxes are likely stowed below deck where external temperatures are less extreme.

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Tanker Twins

 

When Irving Oil contracted with Algoma Tankers to provide two products tankers on long term charter, it was inevitable that both ships would eventually appear in Halifax at the same time. Today, December 5 was the first time, according to my records.

The ships essentially identical, at 23,451 gt, 37,242 dwt and were built by Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan. They replaced two chartered ships named East Coast and Acadian and were given the names Algoma East Coast and Algoma Acadian. Since the end of the charters to Irving Oil the older ships, owned by the Dutch company Vroon, are operating in Europe without change of name.

The new ships work on a fairly tight loop out of Saint John, NB where Irving Oil's refinery turns out refined products for eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Since delivery in the spring of this year both ships have been frequent callers at Irving Oil's distribution terminal in Halifax harbour. Located in the Woodside area on the Dartmouth side of the harbour, the terminal stores various grades of fuel until it is transferred to trucks for delivery to outlets mostly in mainland Nova Scotia. The ships go on to ports such as Charlottetown and St. John's, with occasional runs to Portland, ME or other US ports and as far west as Montreal (they are too large for the St.Lawrence Seaway.)
The Algoma Acadian (left in photo above) arrived yesterday from Saint John and sailed this afternoon for Charlottetown. The Algoma East Coast arrived from Saint John, picking up  dusting of frozen spray en route. 

 At Imperial Oil (background in photo above) the tanker Success is offloading refined products from Houston. It is 29,335 gt, 46,803 dwt ship, built in 2004 by Hyundai Mipo. Originally named British Security it sailed for BP until 2016 when it was renamed Security. In 2019 it was renamed Success under the flag of India.

 

 Algoma Tankers also has tankers contracted to Imperial Oil. They are wider ranging, with trips to Great Lakes ports, such as Sarnia and Nanticoke where Imperial has refineries. They bring fule to Halifax bit also carry fuel from their Woodside storage facility to regional ports such as Sydney.

Today the Algoscotia arrived in ballast from Sydney and tied up at Pier 26. (The Success is occupying the only operational berth at Imperial Oil.)

 While alongside the ship may be able to carry out some maintenance work that can't be done at the oil dock. Built in 2004 by the Jiangnan Shipyard Group at the Qiuxin yard in Shanghai, the 13,352 grt, 18,610 dwt double hulled tanker normally runs year round with a few weeks respite during mid-winter when the St.Lawrence Seaway is closed.

Follow Ups

There is additional information to publish on some recent callers and and notification on a first time caller.

#1. The Lake St.Clair [see November 29] completed off loading re-bar at Pier 9C and sailed on December 2. Its destination is Becancour, QC, near Sorel, QC, a port that takes a variety of imports, including steel. It is likely therefore that the ship has more rebar or structural steel to offload. Its draft was 8.7 meters, indicating substantial cargo still on board.

The cargo it unloaded at Pier 9C may be for local or regional consumption. Some rebar was being transloaded to Sunbury Transport trucks today. (Sunbury is a J.D.Irving owned company, distinguishable from a distance by their bright yellow truck tractors.)

#2 Also at Pier 9C today, while the re-bar was being forklifted onto flatbed trailers - see the yellow truck near the ship's bow in the photo - the auto carrier Brands Hatch was discharging RoRo cargo.

 The Ro Ro cargo included the usual array of agricultural. construction and mining machinery and numerous tarp-top wooden crates with unknown contents.

 A feature of the ship that I did not see previously was the side ramp. Many newer auto carriers do not have a side ramp as they are seldom used. 

#3 At PSA Atlantic Hub yesterday, December 4, there was a first time caller on MSC's Canada Express from northern Europe. It was a relatively small ship, but even so it offloaded cargo to reduce draft for its next destination of Montreal. Unfortunately my timing was off for a clear shot before it tied up at Pier 42. [So far at least my super powers do not included being in two places at once.]

 The MSC Yang R seems to be an exception to MSC's naming schemes (female names or geographic locations, often with a Roman numeral indicating TEU capacity).

The ship was built in 2002 by Samsung Geoje and at 40.085 gt, 51,050 dwt it has a capacity of 3739 TEU and 800 reefer plugs. Its recent naming history perhaps gives a source for its current name.  Built as the Cap San Rafael (a Hamburg-Sud name) it was renamed Cape Doukato in 2012. In 2017 it became Doukato (presumably on completion of a ten year charter and five year extension) and in 2018 it became the Chinese owned Xin Feng Yang Zi Jia. It carried that name until 2021 when it was briefly renamed XingFengYangZiJiang sometimes reported as a single word. [The reliability of this info may be questionable -  sources vary.]

MSC acquired the ship later in 2021 and shortened the name to the more manageable one it has now. 

MSC's schedule shows the ship sailing from Montreal December 9 for Sines, Vigo, Gijon, Bilbao, Felixstowe, Antwerp and arriving on December 29 in Le Havre.

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Brands Hatch for Autoport

 

Zodiac Maritime continues to expand its auto carrier fleet, naming it new ships after race courses. Today, December 3, the latest arrival in Halifax is the newly built Brands Hatch.

 

Named for the British race course which is located in a naturally shaped amphitheater, and derives its name from a Gaelic term for a wooded slope (or so it is said). It is well known in world racing circles and has hosted the British Grand Prix and other notable car and motorcycle races.

Zodiac Maritime is based in London and has a large fleet of about 200 ships of all types - predominantly container ships. 

The Brands Hatch was built by Yantai CMC Raffles Shipyard and delivered in March of this year. It is a 69,250 gt, 19,160 dwt ship with a carrying capacity of 7,000 CEU. It is also fueled by LNG.

 The ship arrived from the usual European ports on the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Atlantic service and after discharging cars at Autoport will move to Pier 9C to offload RoRo cargo.

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Done -loaded pellets

 The Polish ship Szare Szeregi completed loading its cargo of wood pellets and sailed this afternoon, December 2, bound for Liverpool, UK.

Initially I was sure the ship was loading wood pellets from the Halifax Grain Elevators facility. The ship arrived November 25 and after a few delays due to rain - the cargo must be kept dry - loading proceeded. (See previous post November 27.)

Then on November 28 I saw the largest gathering of pigeons that  I have ever seen. Hundreds of the birds gathered in the area of the grain elevator I was than convinced that they could only be interested in spilled grain,

Many of the pigeons gathered on one roof area but others perched on other structures in the facility. I must now concluded that their convention was only coincidental to the ship loading wood pellets.

 The ship sailed this afternoon, just a light rain shower set in and my camera decided to focus on the rain drops.

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