Tag: Mediterranean Sea

A total of 200 migrants are believed to have lost their lives attempting to cross the winter waters of the Mediterranean Sea in the first three weeks of 2019 alone, according to data provided by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

A French study started in 2017 by the Cerema, CITEPA and INERIS, reports that air pollution from ship traffic in the Mediterranean Sea can significantly be reduced, because of the introduction of an Emission Control Area . According to the study, an ECA would lead to economic, health and environmental cost-benefits in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Egypt, after shutting down seven of its ports due to bad weather conditions, it reopened five out of seven ports on January 17. As stated by Reuters, the bad weather conditions improved and the wind stabilized as announced by the Red Sea Ports Authority.

Heavy weather combined with inappropriate manipulations may lead to damage of a vessel, threatening the cargo, the environment or, even worst, human life. That's why, for the time being, Egyptian authorities have shut down the most important ports of Alexandria and Dekheila on the Mediterranean Sea and Ain Sokhna and Suez on the Red Sea because of extreme weather conditions, as stated by Reuters.

Ro-pax 'Fior Di Levante' has plugged into the first shore power facility in the eastern Mediterranean at Killini port in an inauguration ceremony on December 20, 2018. The cold ironing facility was developed within a European co-funded programme to allow the port of Killini in Greece to limit air pollution, while paving the way for other Greek ports to become emissions-free hubs in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Spanish ferry operator Baleària announced that one of its two newest LNG-fueled ferries, 'Hypatia of Alejandría', has recently received its first supply of LNG in the Port of Venice. When it starts operations in the beginning of 2019, the ship will be the first LNG-fueled ferry to operate in the Mediterranean.

Greece's Port of Killini, at the west side of the country towards the Ionian Sea, is to see the first shore-to-ship (STS) electrical supply connection in Eastern Mediterranean. The Ro-pax ferry 'Fior Di Levante' will plug into the region's first shore power facility , in a special inauguration ceremony on Thursday, 20th December.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and its partner SOS MEDITERRANEE informed that were forced to terminate operations by the search and rescue vessel Aquarius. Over the last two months, the vessel has remained in port, unable to carry out its work.

Barcelona City Council subscribed to an initiative to create an Emission Control Area in the Mediterranean Sea to limit air pollution produced by ships. The success of the Emission Control Areas that exist in Northern Europe, North America and other areas, indicates that the creation of an ECA in the Mediterranean Sea would also generate significant benefits.

A workshop was organized by the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association and MEP, M. Kyrkos, titled "Short Sea  Shipping: Defining trends-removing bottlenecks" on 6 November 2018. The workshop focused on key parameters affecting the competitiveness of the Greek and Mediterranean shortsea industry.