Spear Power Systems Promotes Kostos
Spear Power Systems, a U.S.-based manufacturer of lithium-ion energy storage systems, announced it has promoted Ryan Kostos to Applications Engineering Manager.Kostos will lead a team of applications engineers and product managers to drive Spear's roadmap, shape its products, and build on Spear's information exchange with customers and partners.Kostos returns to the U.S. after spending two years forming the nucleus of the Spear BV team in Brussels.
AMP President Slams Jones Act Waiver
The president of a U.S. maritime trade group has slammed a decision by the Biden administration to approve a temporary Jones Act waiver for vessels shipping oil and other essential commodities to Puerto Rico in the wake of hurricane Fiona.“Granting of this waiver rewards calculated and predatory behavior that undermines a dedicated American supply chain for Puerto Rico, and it is a harmful precedent that invites similar cynical stunts by foreign oil traders…
Maersk Training, NaMICPA to Set Up GWO Training Center in Nagasaki
Maersk Training and Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association (NaMICPA) have signed a consultancy agreement, in which Maersk Training provides support to NaMICPA, establishing a training center in Nagasaki, Japan. The preparations for the training center in Nagasaki are funded by the Nippon Foundation. The collaboration is the next step in securing NaMICPA as the region’s leader in Basic…
NAT Sells 19-year-old Suezmax Tanker
Nordic American Tankers (NAT) announced it has sold a 2003-built suezmax tanker for $21 million net. The buyer is a major international energy company, NAT said…
Container Rates: Slide Begins as Long-term Shipping Rates Fall -Xeneta
Long-term contracted rates fell by 1.1% in September, marking the first drop since January and one of only three declines in the past 21 months, recent data from the Xeneta Shipping Index (XSI) reveals. However, analysts at Oslo-based Xeneta, which aggregates data from leading global shippers and freight forwarders, expect “it won’t be the last”, with market fundamentals suggesting the “halcyon days”…
Rain Lifts Rhine Water Levels, Helps Cool Off Cargo Rates
Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have risen sharply after rain this week, approaching normal levels and helping cool off cargo shipping rates, vessel brokers and commodity traders said on Thursday.Prices for cargo shipping are falling as vessels are able to load more freight, they said.Spot prices for a liquid tanker barge from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe south of Kaub were at about 55 euros a tonne on Thursday…
CBO Taps Wärtsilä for Offshore Vessel Fleet Decarbonization
Finland-based marine enginer maker and maritime technology provider Wärtsilä and Brazil-based offshore vessel owner Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO) have signed an agreement for decarbonisation modelling. The objective is to support and accelerate CBO´s journey towards decarbonised operations for its fleet of offshore support vessels, which is one of the largest in its segment in Brazil, Wärtsilä…
PTT, AET Pen MoU to Build Zero-emission Aframaxes
Thai national energy company PTT and tanker operator AET have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development and construction of two zero-emission Aframaxes to be powered by green ammonia.Jointly, PTT and AET working to encourage the use of green ammonia as a main propulsion fuel. AET will select a suitable shipyard and the two zero-emission dual-fuel tankers are to be delivered to PTT for long-term charters in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 respectively.Disathat Panyarachun…
Subsea 7 Charters Otto Candies, Bordelon Marine Vessels for GOM Ops
Subsea 7 has signed four long-term vessel charter agreements in the Gulf of Mexico with Otto Candies and Bordelon Marine to boost offshore construction, inspection, maintenance, and repair (IRM), ROV survey, and pipe/umbilical laying support activities. in the Gulf of Mexico. Grant Candies, Wyatt Candies, and Ross Candies are IRM, survey, and light construction vessels under charter with Otto Candies LLC. The Connor Bordelon is a multipurpose supply vessel under charter with Bordelon Marine LLC.
Solstad Offshore Wraps Transition of All Fleet Connectivity to Marlink
Maritime satellite communications company Marlink said Thursday that it had secured overall responsibility for the provision of hybrid network connectivity to the Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore. In January 2020, Solstad Offshore renewed its connectivity contract with Marlink, committing 65 offshore vessels to Marlink’s high-throughput Ku-band VSAT service. The remaining 25 ships will now be migrated to Marlink’s smart hybrid network…
Hurricane Ian Shuts 157,706 BPD of Oil Output in U.S. Gulf of Mexico
About 157,706 barrels, or 9%, of oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were shut on Wednesday by Hurricane Ian, said offshore regulator Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.Hurricane Ian was lashing Florida's Gulf Coast with powerful winds and drenching rain, but the Category 5 storm steered clear of the Gulf's richest oil production areas. A total of 16 oil and gas production platforms were evacuated by Ian on Wednesday…
US Approves Temporary Jones Act Waiver for Storm-hit Puerto Rico
The Biden administration on Wednesday approved a waiver of U.S. shipping rules to address Puerto Rico’s immediate energy and other essential needs in the wake of…
Savage Appoints Roberts as COO, Coler as CFO
Savage, a global provider of industry infrastructure and supply chain services, announced the appointments of Jeff Roberts as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Tom Coler as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Both appointments will be effective Oct. 1, 2022.“We’re excited to have Jeff Roberts step into a new role as COO, where his leadership abilities…
Cruise Lines Cancel Sailings as Hurricane Ian Hits
Several cruise lines have announced canceled sailings as hurricane Ian barreled over Florida as a category four storm.Carnival Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled two Thursday sailings from Florida due to port closures while also calling off several stops on certain ships already out at sea.Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled its Disney Wish voyage that was to scheduled to sail from Florida on Friday.Norwegian…
Phoenix Wins $112 Million Navy Contract
Phoenix International Holdings Inc. announced it has been awarded a $112 million cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for worldwide undersea deep ocean search and recovery operations and engineering and technical support to the U.S. Navy Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV). Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed in September 2027.Commenting on the award…
Ulstein Develops High-capacity Foundation Installation Vessel
Norwegian-based shipbuilding and design group Ulstein has unveiled the design for a new foundation installation vessel enabling operators and contractors to efficiently transport and install monopiles or jacket foundations up to 5,000 tons.The new ULSTEIN HX122 vessel features an ULSTEIN X-BOW and an ultra-high-capacity 8,000 mt crane, engineered for the next generation of foundations in the offshore…
Wing Sail-fitted VLCC Newbuild Delivered
A Chinese-built very large crude carrier (VLCC) fitted with fuel-saving and emissions-reducing wing sails has been delivered to China Merchants Group.The New Aden was handed over from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd (DSIC) to China Merchant Energy Shipping Co., Ltd (CMES) on September 24. Built to China Classification Society (CCS) class, the newbuild tanker is equipped with two pairs of new generation rigid wing sails made of carbon fiber composite…
D’Aoust Named President of American Queen Voyages
River cruise operator American Queen Voyages announced on Wednesday that it has named Cynthia “Cindy” D’Aoust as its next president, effective October 3, 2022.An industry veteran, D’Aoust joins AQV with nearly 40 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry including previously serving as the President of Hospitality for Cape Resorts Management Company and Global President & CEO of Cruise…
Mexico Plans $4-$5 Billion LNG Hub at Gulf Port
Mexico plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub worth between $4 billion and $5 billion in the Gulf of Mexico that will help serve European demand, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday.The planned LNG facility in the port of Coatzacoalcos, in the eastern state of Veracruz, would transport gas by boat to Europe, Lopez Obrador said."We're about to promote private sector involvement, it's going to be an investment of $4-5 billion this plant," he told a regular news c
Viking Takes Delivery of New Expedition Cruise Ship
Shipbuilder VARD has delivered Viking Polaris, the second of two ice-strengthened expedition vessels for operator Viking.Built at Vard Søviknes in Ålesund, Norway, Viking Polaris is specifically geared for adventure cruises in polar destinations. The vessel has a length of 205 meters and a beam of 23.5 meters, especially designed and developed for expeditions in Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes.