St. Louis Container on Barge Project Moves Forward
Key stakeholders behind the efforts to launch innovative container-on-vessel (COV) service to the Midwest on Firday announced that Hawtex Development Corporation is signing on as the lead developer for a new COV port facility in Jefferson County, Mo. to be developed in collaboration with Fred Weber/Riverview Commerce Park LLC and integrating a 300+ acre adjacent parcel owned by The Doe Run Company.
US Fishing Industry Teams Up with Oil Lobby to Fight Offshore Wind
Members of the U.S. commercial fishing industry are teaming up with an oil industry-backed lobbying group to fight offshore wind energy development on the East Coast, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with people involved.The unusual alliance reflects the breadth of opposition President Joe Biden faces as his administration pushes to expand offshore wind power and other clean…
ABS Grants AIP for K Shipbuilding’s Methanol-ready Design
A methanol fuel-ready medium range tanker design by K Shipbuilding has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS.The AIP is the culmination of a five-month joint development project between ABS and K Shipbuilding evaluating a range of aspects including storage, bunkering and issues caused by methanol’s corrosive properties.The basic design was reviewed in accordance with the principles of the ABS Guide for Gas and Other Low-Flashpoint Fuel Ready Vessels.
BC Ferries Christens the Fifth Island Class Ferry
BC Ferries revealed the name of its latest Island Class Ferry this week at a naming ceremony at its fleet maintenance facility in Richmond, B.C. Island Kwigwis is the newest vessel to join the fleet and will begin service in the spring of 2022, allowing for two-ship operation on the Nanaimo Harbour – Gabriola Island route.The name Kwigwis, which means "eagle of the sea," was selected with support from…
Car Battery Triggered Fire on Board Höegh Xiamen -NTSB
An electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle led to the fire aboard vehicle carrier Höegh Xiamen that resulted in $40 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.As a result of the investigation, NTSB issued eight safety recommendations to federal regulators and the companies involved in the accident.On June 4, 2020, while the Höegh Xiamen was in Jacksonville…
Rem Offshore Buys PSV Quartet as Axe Falls on K-Line Offshore
Offshore vessel operator Rem Offshore said Friday it had agreed to buy four platform supply vessels from K-Line Offshore AS, which is set to be dissolved and cease to exist.K-Line Offshore, was established in Norway by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K” LINE) in 2007, which wanted to enter the offshore support vessel (OSV) business, expecting stable demand in the oil and gas fields of the North Sea. However…
Master Boat Builders Begins Building Crowley's eWolf Electric Tug
Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders has started building Crowley’s eWolf, the first all-electric ship assist tug in the U.S.“Initiating construction of the first-ever fully electric U.S. tugboat, the eWolf marks a historic moment for Crowley and Master Boat Builders,” said Garrett Rice, president of Master Boat Builders. “Today is also a remarkable milestone for the entire U.S. maritime industry…
Solstad Bags 572-day Charter for Platform Supplier in Australia
Norwegian offshore vessel operator Solstad Offshore has won a contract with Woodside in Australia for the platform supply vessel Normand Tortuga.The vessel will support the activities of the DPS-1 semisubmersible drilling rig on the Enfield P&A and Scarborough projects, starting in late Q1/early Q2 2022.During the period of the contract, the Normand Tortuga will be operating from Dampier, Western Australia.The vessel is on a firm 572-day contract…
RWO's BWMS Earns USCG Type Approval
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said its Marine Safety Center issued type approval to RWO GmbH for its ballast water management system (BWMS) after a detailed review of the manufacturer’s application determined the system met the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.The treatment principle of the CleanBallast-Ocean Barrier System (CB-OBS) BWMS consists of filtration and electrochemical disinfection during ballasting and neutralization of residual active substances during deballasting.
Dockers' Strike Threatens Ivory Coast Cocoa Bean Exports
A week-long strike by dockers in Ivory Coast's two main ports of Abidjan and San Pedro could hurt cocoa bean exports from the world's top cocoa producing nation after workers blocked access to the ports on Friday.The two ports were at a standstill behind closed gates on Friday morning as stevedores and dockers walked away over demands that the government respect a 2019 agreement to pay them three euros ($3.40) per hour…
Carnival Opens New Dubai Cruise Terminal
Cruise ship operator Carnival Corporation has officially opened its new Dubai Harbor Cruise Terminal with Shamal Holding following their strategic partnership signed in 2018 to develop the new cruise port.With the arrivals of Costa Firenze and AIDAbella from the company’s Italy-based Costa Cruises and Germany-based AIDA Cruises brands, the official opening was marked by two passenger cruise ships visiting the Dubai Harbor Cruise Terminal for the first time…
Baltic Dry Index Marks Worst Week in Nearly Three Years
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index declined on Friday, posting its biggest weekly fall since early February 2019, as demand waned across its vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, was down 119 points, or 4.8%, to its lowest level since mid-April at 2,379.The main index lost 27.3% this week.The capesize index shed 167 points, or 5.8%, to an over six-month low of 2,727.
FPSO for Greater Tortue Gas Project Due in Senegal by end-2022
BP's floating, production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project offshore West Africa is expected in Senegal waters for commissioning and testing by the end of 2022, a company executive said on Friday.The FPSO for the project, which straddles Senegal and Mauritania, is being built in China by France's Technip Energies.Massaer Cisse, BP's vice-president, and…
Maritime Training Insights – MarTID 2021 Report Available
As trainers in the maritime industry, we benefit from the sharing of information. Understanding what training trends are emerging, how training budgets are growing (or shrinking), what training models are on the rise or decline, and how the world pandemic has affected training operations is all of great important to us. Having a global understanding of these questions and more allows us to improve based on best practice…
VIDEO: DemoSATH Floater Manufacturing Accelerating in Spain
Manufacturing works on DemoSATH, Saitec Offshore’s & RWE Renewables concrete floating wind platform project, are accelerating in the Spanish Port of Bilbao, with the latest milestone being the handling operation of the prototype, Saitec Offshore said Friday.The SATH Technology floater is based on a twin hull, made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements. It can align itself…
DNV Certifies SimFlex Cloud Simulator Platform
DNV has certified Force Technology’s SimFlex Cloud navigation simulator platform according to DNV’s ST-0033 Maritime Simulator Systems Class D standard requirements, for the approval of simulators used for mandatory simulator-based training or as a means to demonstrate competence. DNV requires that all simulators are DNV certified when used as tools for training and examination in accordance with STCW Regulations I/12…
Israeli Ministry Won't Allow Oil Tankers to Enter Red Sea Resort, Potentially Blocking UAE Pipeline Deal
Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry said on Thursday that it would not allow oil tankers to enter its Red Sea resort of Eilat as planned under a deal with partners from the United Arab Emirates to transport crude from the Gulf to Europe via Israel.The announcement could lead to the cancellation of the deal, one of the biggest to emerge from the normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE last year.
Successful Trial: BP, Maersk Tankers Use Biofuel Blend on Tankers
BP and Maersk Tankers successfully completed trials using marine fuel blended with biofuel on tankers as efforts grow to tackle the shipping sector's greenhouse gas emissions.Global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions. The sector is considered relatively hard to decarbonize because of a lack of alternatives to marine fuel.The trials were completed on two refined oil product carriers chartered to BP from Maersk Tankers - Maersk Cirrus and Maersk Navigator…