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DEME, through its Taiwanese joint venture CDWE, has been awarded a substantial1 contract by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners for the transport and installation of foundations and the offshore substation for the Fengmiao 1 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

CDWE is responsible for the transport and installation of 33 jacket foundations, the pin piles anchoring them to the seabed, and the offshore substation. CDWE is Taiwan’s leading offshore wind contractor, formed through a partnership between CSBC, the largest shipbuilder in Taiwan, and DEME.

For the Fengmiao 1 project, CDWE will deploy its offshore installation vessel ‘Green Jade’. The installation works are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026. This will be the third foundation installation project for CDWE and ‘Green Jade’, following the successful completion of the 300 MW Zhong Neng and the excellent progress on the 1 GW Hai Long 2 offshore wind farms. Fengmiao 1, developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is located 35 km off the coast of Taichung and has a capacity of 500 MW, providing renewable energy to Taiwanese businesses.

Javier Magro, CEO of CDWE said: “CDWE has been at the forefront of Taiwan’s offshore wind development, leveraging DEME’s extensive global offshore wind expertise and innovative technologies, and those applied to our other offshore wind projects in the Taiwan Strait. This contract with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners represents another step forward in our shared commitment to delivering sustainable energy infrastructure.”

Manfred Härzschel, the founder of the Cloppenburg-based crane rental company of the same name, recently saw one of his childhood dreams come true: “I’ve wanted a powerful 220-tonne machine with five axles for over 30 years now – and now I’ve finally got one in the form of a Tadano AC 5.220-1,” he reports.

Tadano Sales Manager Thorsten Dietzel was the proverbial genie in this scenario, as he handed over the crane to Manfred Härzschel, Härzschel Managing Director Sylvia Fredeweß, and crane operators Andreas Füßmann and Maximilian Fredeweß in Lauf.

Needless to say, the company did not just order the crane with the optional load view camera to make a childhood dream come true, but instead looked at a series of concrete factors that made it a cost-effective choice: To date, Härzschel has been primarily using its ATF 130G-5 for larger-scale projects – a top-of-the-line machine, Manfred Härzschel is quick to point out. However, the 130-tonne unit has sometimes been unable to lift heavy loads unless used in a tandem lift. “These are the jobs that the powerful AC 5.220-1 can take care of all by itself without issue, and that means that we’ll now be able to offer our customers a particularly cost-effective solution with this crane. To put it simply, we’re ready to take on bigger things with the AC 5.220-1,” Manfred Härzschel explains before going on to highlight how excited he is about the model’s cost-effective two-engine design. In addition, the AC 5.220-1 features a long reach thanks to a 68-meter-long main boom, which makes it ideal for erecting large cranes on rough terrain, with an example consisting of wind farm projects: “There are some very big opportunities for our company there. In fact, the AC 5.220-1 means that we’re now perfectly prepared to take care of the needs of our regular customers in the energy industry in this segment,” Sylvia Fredeweß explains. It is also worth mentioning that Härzschel is not about to remove its ATF130G-5 from service: Despite its being 15 years old at this point, the tried-and-true machine is slated to undergo a full overhaul so that it can continue to dependably do its job for many more years to come.

Just a few days after the handover, the AC 5.220-1 took care of its first job in Cloppenburg by unloading and positioning a 50-tonne substation. Immediately after that, it had to load a 58-tonne tube bender and set a concrete manhole in place. “The AC 5.220-1 made quick work of all these projects, just like we’d expected based on the numerous positive reports from the market,” Manfred Härzschel says, more than happy with his dream crane.

Svitzer, a leading global towage provider, and Höegh Autoliners, a leading global provider of ocean transportation services in the Roll-on, Roll-off segment, have partnered to deliver Svitzer’s first ever EcoTow solution in Australia, servicing the largest and most environmentally friendly car-carrier vessel class in the world on its call to four ports ‘Down Under’.

EcoTow is Svitzer’s proprietary carbon insetting solution, and it has provided a near 100% reduction in CO2 emissions relating to the towage operations of Höegh Aurora’s port calls during her maiden voyage to Australia. With the EcoTow solution, the carbon emissions from towage jobs are mass balanced by carbon credits generated by Svitzer’s use of biofuel across its international towage operations. The neutralisation effect is established by an external auditor and documented through certification and assurance reporting.

Towage is one of the largest carbon emitters in port operations in Australia, and Svitzer has a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy targeting its reduction, including via biofuel and battery powered tugs.

The Höegh Aurora is a multi-fuel capable vessel – cutting carbon emissions per car transported by 58 per cent compared to the current industry standard.

The uptake of EcoTow by Höegh Autoliners in Australia highlights the significant progress in maritime decarbonisation and potential net zero operations possible in the future.

In September, Svitzer also contracted the build of the world’s first battery electric-methanol hybrid TRAnsverse tug – which will offer carbon neutral towage for the majority of the tug’s operations. The tug design offers Port authorities and shipping line companies a towage solution able to support sustainable ‘Green Port’ and ‘Green Shipping Corridor’ ambitions.

Sebjørn Dahl, Chief Operations Officer at Höegh Autoliners, said: “Höegh Autoliners is whole-heartedly set on achieving our 2040 net-zero emissions goal, and the EcoTow agreement with Svitzer on the Höegh Aurora’s visit to Australia illustrates our ongoing commitment in meeting these goals. We are proud to have secured the first-ever, low-carbon towage service in Australia and it is only appropriate that our innovative, world-leading Aurora Class vessel delivers this first, providing the opportunity to further reduce the carbon footprint of our customers’ value chains.”

Svitzer’s Managing Director for Australia, Videlina Georgieva, said: “This is an exciting step forward for decarbonising shipping in Australia – and a demonstration of the significant contribution maritime can make toward a Net Zero future. “We commend Höegh Autoliners for the industry leadership they have shown and their commitment to driving a cleaner, more sustainable future. We are thankful for the opportunity to work closely with our customers to reduce emissions while also providing sustainable, safe and reliable marine services.

“Svitzer has ambitious decarbonisation goals to have fully carbon neutral operations by 2040 and to reduce the carbon intensity of its tugboat fleet by 50 per cent by 2030. We hope this initiative provides some further impetus to the policy landscape in Australia where there is a major, but largely unmet, opportunity to accelerate bioenergy and electrification solutions in maritime decarbonisation.”

The Höegh Aurora’s maiden voyage to Australia occurred in late December 2024, departing on 30 December after completing a four-port visit to Australia where it transported cars to the Australian retail automotive market via ports at Fremantle, Melbourne, Port Kembla and Brisbane.

Energy and marine consultancy ABL has been awarded a contract to provide a shipping study to identify and assess navigational risks associated with the Korsnäs offshore wind farm – Finland’s first open-sea offshore wind power project.

The Korsnäs offshore wind farm is located on the west coast of Finland, in the Baltic Sea. The wind farm is a joint project between Vattenfall and Metsähallitus. It has a planned maximum capacity of 2.5 GW and an annual production of 7 TWh – enough capacity to power 350,000 electrically-heated detached houses by renewable energy.

ABL’s scope of work includes a comprehensive navigational risk assessment, including quantitative risk modelling, stakeholder engagement and recommendations for risk mitigation measures. The findings will also include consideration of the risk effects of sea ice in the vicinity of the development site during the winter season.

The contract has been awarded to ABL’s operations based in Hamburg, Germany, and will be carried out by the company’s global Ports and Harbours consultancy team, with specialist support from sister company OWC.

“We are pleased to provide our expertise in navigational risk analysis to support this pivotal step in Finland’s renewable energy development. This follows many years of successful collaboration by our team on similar work for Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency – BSH – to assess shipping risks from offshore wind sites across the North Sea. This project win is therefore, a testament to our established technical reputation in this field.” Tilo Klappenbach, ABL’s Country Manager to Germany.

ABL’s global Ports and Harbours consultancy includes a full-lifecycle service offering for maritime infrastructure projects, from supporting the financing of assets with engineering and technical due diligence, to safety, regulatory and environmental compliance support, operational asset integrity management, fixed object damage assessment, marine casualty management and expert witness support. The team includes maritime and multi-disciplinary engineering expertise and has a track-record of working across assets in more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group ABL Group ASA.

Go Gauge Projects recently demonstrated their expertise by successfully managing the transportation of steel girders from a factory in China to the United Arab Emirates.

Each girder, weighing 25 tons and measuring 13 meters in length, was transported within a challenging 48-hour EXW timeframe.

The scope of work for this project included arranging 29 trailers for local transport from the factory to the port, ensuring meticulous coordination to meet strict timelines.

Despite the shipment occurring over a weekend, Go Gauge’s team efficiently completed customs clearance on Sunday, avoiding any delays.

The cargo was then loaded onto a breakbulk for the journey to Jebel Ali.

This operation highlights Go Gauge’s ability to deliver seamless logistics solutions, from end-to-end project management to vessel chartering for complex shipments. Our commitment to precision and reliability ensures that even the most demanding timelines are met without compromising safety or quality.

In October 2024, the Rhenus Group has acquired an additional 58,5 percent of shares in the Polish port operation company, making Rhenus the majority shareholder with a total of 98,5 percent.

The acquisition will pave the way for Rhenus to continue to develop its activities in Szczecin.

The Bulk Cargo Terminal – Port of Szczecin includes eleven berths, 3.5 kilometers of quay wall and is connected to the hinterland by inland waterways, rail and road. Copyright: Bulk Cargo.

Rhenus had initially acquired the first 40 percent of Bulk Cargo – Port of Szczecin in 2022. The logistics solutions provider has been active in Poland for more than 30 years, as well as 30 years at the Port of Szczecin, and employs around 3,500 people in Poland. “The port of Szczecin, with its significance for European waterways, is also of great importance to the Rhenus network. The potential of this port for environmentally friendly supply chains for the Polish, Czech and East German markets is immense. As Rhenus, we have been supporting Polish customers over the past 30 years and will continue to develop efficient logistics solutions for them,” says Michael de Reese, Head of the Rhenus Port Logistics division. The Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority has previously invested in several improvement measures in the port, such as a deepening of the fairway and the strengthening of the quay walls. “We therefore plan to build upon these previous investments and further develop the port infrastructure as well as future-proof handling equipment and technology at the Port of Szczecin,” continues Micheal de Reese.

As the biggest terminal operator in the Port of Szczecin, Bulk Cargo handles around four million tons of goods a year. The terminal comprises eleven berths and 3.5 kilometres of quay wall. The services provided at the Baltic port include bulk and breakbulk handling with specialized equipment, storage, stevedoring and port forwarding via inland waterway, road and rail. While historically, the port has been most known for handling coal and ore for the local coal mines, steelworks and coking plants, today Szczecin is a multipurpose port, with bulk, breakbulk, general and liquid cargo transshipment capabilities.