Departments

Port of Cork Company appoints new Chief Executive

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 18 September 2020 18 September 2020

The Port of Cork Company has appointed Eoin McGettigan to the role of Chief Executive of the company. Eoin replaces Brendan Keating who retired recently after 18 years of service as CEO.

The Chairman of the Port of Cork Company, John Mullins stated that ‘Brendan Keating made an outstanding contribution to the Port as Chief Executive since 2002. Brendan has seen the Port’s Strategic Development Plan fully recognised: the acquisition of Belvelly Port Facility (formerly Marino Point), the Inner Harbour Development at Bantry Bay Port Company, the marked increase in cruise business and the commencement of construction of the €86 million Cork Container Terminal in Ringaskiddy which will future proof the port. I have no doubt that Eoin will now take these projects and the business forward to further enable our growing economy.’

Eoin has spent the last decade providing strategic advice to a wide variety of companies. He has thirty years’ experience as a Senior Executive in Retail, Wholesale and Property businesses. He has held senior board positions in Musgrave PLC as Chief Executive of Supervalu Centra, Director of Dunnes Stores and Director of Reox Holdings PLC. Eoin and his family have lived in Cork for over 30 years.

John Mullins said: ‘Eoin brings with him a wealth of Senior Executive experience, excellent leadership skills and an integral knowledge of modern supply chains and logistics. He joins the Port at a strategic and exciting time for the company and the Southern region. The board and all in the Port company wish him every success.’

He added “Eoin will steward the company from the River to the Sea through the commissioning of key infrastructure in the lower harbour whilst making available former assets for critical residential and commercial development. Eoin’s property experience will be instrumental in ensuring that Tivoli will be one of the most exciting projects in the future for the company and for the City of Cork.’

Eoin McGettigan takes up the position as Chief Executive on 1st October 2020 for a term of five years.

Southampton’s fifth cruise terminal gets public funding

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 12 August 2020 12 August 2020

Fifth cruise terminal in Southampton is among the projects that has received public funding from a UK government programme to stimulate the constrction industry in the aftermath of the Civid-19 pandemic.

“In Southampton, one of Europe's leading cruise markets, investment is being made in the development of a new fifth cruise terminal that will deliver an iconic wave inspired building with solar generation and shore power ensuring a world leading zero emissions facility for cruise vessels in port,” Solent Local Enterprise Partnership said in a statement.

The organisation said that a total of £15.9 million of the £900 million that the government has earmarked for shovel ready projects are located in the areas in and around Southampton.

Regional Director Alastair Welch from Associated British Ports that owns the Port of Southampton commented: “We are pleased to hear of the announcement by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) today confirming the government’s continued support for the cruise sector, which is crucial to our economy.’

“We look forward to confirming the details linked to this announcement to ensure we are able to support the resumption and future growth of cruise as soon as possible,” he said in a statement.

Southampton is the most important cruise port in the UK and handles roughly 2.0 million passengers per year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

First ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Columbus Cruise Center

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 28 July 2020 28 July 2020

On June 18, 2020 there was a premiere at Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven. The tanker Kairo belonging to the Hamburg-based company Nauticor, conducted the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in a Bremerhaven The bunker vessel had transported the liquid gas to the Columbus Quay from Bremerhaven’s twin-town Pori in Finland. The total volume was about 1,300 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas. For fifteen hours it was pumped from the Kairo to P&O Cruises' Iona using a cryogenic hose capable of withstanding temperatures as low as minus 160 degrees Celsius.

The cruise vessel Iona was built by the Meyer yard in Papenburg and is currently undergoing its final outfitting at Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven. It is one of the first cruise vessels worldwide to be equipped with LNG engines. During the bunkering operation at CCCB, the LNG-tanks on board the Iona were filled for the first time, allowing the LNG propelling system to commence.

Over €2m invested in revamping the outdoor area at Valletta Waterfront

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 09 July 2020 09 July 2020

The months during which Valletta Waterfront was devoid of any business due to COVID-19 served as a time for Valletta Cruise Port to further invest in projects with the aim of further enhancing the appearance of this iconic Maltese destination.

Of note is the inauguration of a €2m investment in bespoke canopy structures respecting the historic fabric of the Valletta Waterfront promenade with its nineteen historical 270-year-old warehouses, built by Grand Master Pinto at the height of Malta’s baroque period where the Knights of St John and European merchants used to unload their wares.

Minister Farrugia Portelli accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority Johann Buttigieg, visited the businesses along the Valletta Waterfront which like other outlets have started operating again in the last weeks with new systems and protocols in place. The Minister praised the way in which the management of the destination has turned a period of downtime into one which further strengthens the same business, whilst further improving the tourism product.

“The determination shown in the situation created by COVID-19 has prompted everyone involved to take up this challenge. A determination which is not new in nature as regards the Valletta Waterfront: suffice to say that since the location passed into the hands of Valletta Cruise Port in 2002, around € 30 million has been invested so that today the destination, together with the fantastic appearance of the Grand Harbour, offers a welcoming first impression to the thousands of tourists who visit us on cruise ships. This €2 million investment will surely have an impact on tourists as soon as they arrive here and find this new look. We hope that we will welcome cruise ship visits again during August,” commented Minister Farrugia Portelli.

The canopy project enhances the atmosphere and comfort of the outdoor areas of this iconic destination. The new structures present an interplay between old and new, between function and context, with positive feedback about the simple lines and lightness that the new canopies afford in the venue’s historical setting, whilst being practical for the everyday activities of a multipurpose destination.

Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding, commented, “Over the last years, together with our projects team, our architects and our catering tenants, we have worked on developing a solution which addresses the practical needs of an outdoor destination, whilst respecting the historic and aesthetic values of our destination. Our focus remains to deliver a quality experience for all our patrons.”

2019 was a record year for the local cruise industry with 900,000 passenger movements and a growth of 27% over the previous year. The cruise industry has been hard-hit by COVID-19 but Valletta Cruise Port is expecting cruise calls starting in the next weeks.

Málaga Cruise Port accredited as safe infrastructure preventing Covid-19 at the international level

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 07 July 2020 07 July 2020

Málaga Cruise Port has obtained the 'Safe Travels' Stamp, as safe infrastructures preventing COVID-19, granted by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the leading global association in the sector.

Although cruise traffic has been one of the most affected during the health crisis, Malaga Cruise Port has worked in collaboration with the Malaga Port Authority to implement the sanitary measures that guarantee the safety of ships, crew and passengers. In this way, Málaga port has become, along with Barcelona, pioneering ports in the world in obtaining this international recognition.

This distinction will position Malaga very positively by regaining the confidence of cruise lines when operations of cruise ships resume in the coming future.

The Chairman of Málaga Cruise Port, Emre Sayin declares that “we have been working hard to identify and implement new health safety measures in all our ports across the world. As the world’s largest cruise port operator, our global reach and experience helps us determine the safest and most efficient protocols working together with Port Authorities. Naturally, we were delighted to hear that both Barcelona and Malaga have been one of the first ports to obtain the 'Safe Travels' World Travel Tourism Council stamp. As we implement these measures, we look forward to the day we will be welcoming cruise guests into our terminals once again."

On the other hand, the President of the Port Authority, Carlos Rubio, highlights “the joint effort of the terminal, which is part of our Port Community, to protect the safety and trust of shipping companies, to take the initiative in the face of the possible resumption of cruise tourism, which requires the controls established by the competent authorities and which we will be especially attentive to."

Málaga Cruise Port has also obtained the 'Responsible Tourism' quality stamp, granted by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Government of Spain, which recognizes the application of the guidelines and recommendations contained in the measurement guides for the contagion reduction approved by the Ministry of Health. This includes service specifications, sanitation and disinfection, maintenance and risk management for different subsectors of the tourism market.

This certification, which must be renewed every year, recognizes the responsibility and the effort of the company to create a safe environment to generate trust and security for companies related to the tourism sector and their clients.