Launches First News

Uzmar Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey has launched a first-of-its-kind tractor tug for Turkish operator BOTAS.The vessel, named the Sultanhani, was launched on February 27 as the world’s first Voith propelled tractor tug with liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual fuel propulsion. It is the first of two hulls being built for BOTAS to Robert Allan Ltd.’s TRAktor V3900-DF design.The TRAktor V3900-DF builds on Robert Allan Ltd.’s experience designing both Voith tractor tugs and LNG dual fuel tugs.

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar has launched electric battery-powered ElectRA tug for its own fleet, which will provide towage, ship assistance and escorting services at six ports around Turkiye.ElectRA will be the seventh electric battery tug delivered from Sanmar Shipyards within a year, five of which are already operating in Vancouver in Canada, while the sixth is currently being delivered to Norway.Based on the ElectRA 2300SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd…

The lead ship in the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, USCGC Argus (WMSM-915), was launched and christened during a ceremony at Eastern Shipbuilding Group's Nelson St. Shipyard in Panama City, Fla.Attended by more than 3,000 guests, the event featured a keynote address delivered by Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.“The Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) is one of the service’s highest acquisition priorities and is absolutely…

Marine Specialised Technology Group has launched the first in a series of new Police Patrol Craft being built for the UK Ministry of Defense Police (MDP) and the Gibraltar Ministry of Defense Police (GDP)Awarded in March 2021, The Police Patrol Craft (PPC) contract is a six-year program that will see delivery of 18 patrol craft to various Police units around the UK and Gibraltar. The Patrol Craft will be used to ensure protection of major Royal Naval Assets, including capital ships and submarines…

The first in a series of new training ships being built for the United States' state maritime academies was launched at Philly Shipyard on Saturday.The newbuild, Empire State VII, is the first of five new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies.The newly launched vessel is slated to undergo final outfitting, testing, commissioning and trials prior to delivery to SUNY Maritime College in 2023.

Maritime classification society The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) on Monday launched detailed requirements for greener offshore operations in what it said was the first sustainability guide to target the offshore industry."Developed by working with major offshore industry clients, ABS today launches a revised sustainability guide expanded with offshore asset compliance requirements.The updated ABS Guide for Sustainability Notations addresses topside functions on offshore assets such as emissions and discharge based on feedback from ABS clients…

Finnish shipbuilder Helsinki Shipyard said it has launched the fist of three new luxury expedition cruise ships it is building for Swan Hellenic.At the same time, the hull of the second ship, which already has a ship shape, was floated in the dry dock, while the production of the third vessel in the series started earlier this month.The first of the ships under construction is scheduled to be handed over to its owner in Fall 2021, followed by the second in Spring 2022 and the third in Fall 2022, the shipbuilder said..“The vessel, which has now been launched, is a forerunner in many respects.

The first of 40 inland waterway barges that are being built by Concordia Damen has been launched at the casco yard in Serbia. Concordia Damen signed the contract for the environmentally friendly vessels late last year.The vessels, known as the Parsifal Tankers, will be chartered by Shell and operated by the VT Group/Marlow. They will carry mineral oils between Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Rhine network.The vessels will be 110 meters by 11.45 meters and will feature liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and extreme shallow draft capabilities.

U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO launched the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the first of six vessels in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program designed to support the U.S. Navy.Construction of the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) began in the fall of 2018. The 742- foot long vessel is designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the oilers will feature the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity…

Shipbuilder Austal Australia has launched the first of two Cape-class Patrol Boats for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG), under construction at the company’s Henderson, Western Australia shipyard.Under a A$126 million contract awarded by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), Austal is constructing two 58 meter Cape-class Patrol Boats for the TTCG, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2021.“With 10 vessels already in operation with the Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy…

Caterpillar Marine has announced the ceremonial launch of Sanmar’s new hydraulic hybrid tug,  BOĞAÇAY XXXVIII (38), completely equipped with a Cat Marine Advanced Variable Drive (AVD). The BOĞAÇAY 38 enters the industry as the world’s first AVD vessel. The ceremony took place in January 2020 at the Sanmar shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey, and the tug is scheduled to soon join the Sanmar towage fleet.BOĞAÇAY XXXVIII  is a Robert Allan Ltd. designed Ramparts 2400SX harbor tug, including an integrated Caterpillar AVD system of 3512 main engines…

Italian shipbuilding and Boat building company Benetti has launched the 44.06-meter superyacht Ink as their first addition to the Diamond 145 range at the Viareggio’s Benetti slipway.The 44-meter-long Class category flagship was given its baptism in the sea at an impressive ceremony in front of hundreds of spectators.Welcoming the Authorities, the public, suppliers and all the company’s workers and office staff, Azimut|Benetti Group President Paolo Vitelli spoke of a spectacular launch."Slipway launches are part of the history of Benetti shipyards. We have a great tradition and hundreds of yacht launches to our name, but the revolutionary features of the Class category today promise to bring Benetti new success.

Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, has successfully launched its first offshore pipeline integrity management system (PIMS) in the Iranian oil industry.According to IOOC, the system was launched in order to comply with international and national requirements for the standard, safe and continuous operation of the Salman Oilfield’s gas pipelines with a Norwegian company and the Pipeline Technology Company.The project is dubbed as the first of such projects in the Iranian offshore oil industry, said a report in Iran News.A Pipelines Management System (PMS) provides a clear process, with tasks and responsibilities…

After reopening its idle barge manufacturing operations earlier this year, Arcosa Marine’s Madisonville, LA, facility launched its first barge on July 25 to a welcoming crowd from the banks of the Tchefuncte River.The tank barge, E2MS 314, constructed for the family owned and operated E Squared Marine Service, LLC (E Squared), was christened by Kevin Morley of Frost Bank, after which Arcosa Inc. president, Thomas Faherty, addressed the crowd. “We are honored by E Squared’s continued trust in Arcosa Marine to deliver the highest quality inland barges to their fleet,” said Faherty.

China successfully launched a rocket from a ship at sea for the first time on Wednesday, state media reported, the latest step forward in its ambitious space programme.The Long March 11 rocket blasted off from a platform on a large semi-submersible barge in the Yellow Sea just after midday (0400 GMT), state media said.The small rocket, designed to be deployed quickly and from mobile launch sites such as a ship, carried seven satellites, including one that measures sea-surface winds to forecast typhoons.The rocket also carried two communications satellites belonging to China 125…

The first Russian satellite for weather forecasting and monitoring climate and environment in the Arctic region, Arktika-M, is planned to be sent to near-earth orbit in June 2019.Sputnik quoted Russian space industry source saying: "The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle from the Baikonur cosmodrome with Fregat booster and the first hydrometeorological satellite Arktika-M is scheduled for June 2019."According to sources, the equipment installed on Arktika-M satellite will be similar to the geostationary meteorological satellites of the Elektro-L series.Arktika-M will be placed in a highly elliptical orbit, which will allow it to collect meteorological and hydrological information about the state of the Earth's polar regions that are poorly covered by Electro-L…

Spanish offshore industry player Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has unveiled a giant new 10+ MW wind turbine it claims will boost yields by 30 per cent, paving the way for a new generation of super-charged offshore wind farms.The turbine maker said in a press release that the new SG 10.0-193 DD is set to hit the market in 2022.Based on the experience of its previous generations, the newest wind turbine in the SGRE offshore product portfolio builds on proven technology for maximum energy yield at all wind speeds. It offers the same reliability while improving profitability and reducing risk for customers.“The new SG 10.0-193 DD combines experiences and knowledge from five generations of proven direct drive technology in one 10 MW turbine.

Japan's largest power company group Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) announced  that the company’s first commercial offshore wind power facility will launch on January 1, 2019.According to a press release from the utility giant, since 2013, Tepco has been conducting Japan’s first demonstration test of offshore wind power facility (rated output: 2,400 kW; bottom-fixed foundation turbine), which is located south of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.During the demonstration, Tepco continuously monitored test data with the aim of confirming technologies necessary to introduce and expand offshore wind power facilities. The demonstration provided Tepco with valuable experience in operating and maintaining the facility in harsh weather and marine conditions…

Since 2015 BIMCO has been collecting feedback on the performance of port terminals in order to be able to report the results to members and, ultimately, to give further guidance to ships. BIMCO has received over 400 feedback reports from bulk carriers on the performance of dry bulk terminals around the world. The data has been collected, evaluated and presented in this first annual report. The map shows that 74 countries had terminals, which were included in the vetting scheme. Aron F. Sørensen, Head of Maritime Technology and Regulation at BIMCO explains: The dry bulk vetting scheme makes it possible for companies to compare terminal performances by using actual experiences provided by the crew of the bulk carrier.

Iridium Communications announced the successful launch of its first ten Iridium NEXT satellites. The satellites were delivered into low-Earth orbit approximately one hour after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:54:39 a.m. PST. Iridium NEXT is the company’s next-generation satellite constellation, replacing and enhancing its existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites spanning the entire globe – the largest commercial satellite constellation in space.

Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd (SLNG) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) jointly launched the nation’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Truck Loading Facility during a ceremony held on 12 April 2017, at the SLNG Terminal. The launch, which was officiated by Chief Executive Officer of SLNG, Mr John Ng, and Chief Executive of MPA, Mr Andrew Tan, marks the readiness of the facility for operations. SLNG and MPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2016 to collaborate on the construction of this facility. Located within the SLNG Terminal on Jurong Island…

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier on Wednesday amid rising tension over North Korea and worries about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea. State media has quoted military experts as saying the carrier, China's second and built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been kitted out and armed. Foreign military analysts and Chinese media have for months published satellite images, photographs and news stories about the second carrier's development. China confirmed its existence in late 2015.

The first of four new catamaran ferries being constructed by Gondan for owner Baleària has been launched by the shipyard's GRP Division. The four ferries, which are due to be delivered between the end of this year and the middle of 2018, are designed to operate on short distance trips in the Balearic Islands. According to the builder, the 28-meter-long GRP ecofast ferries have capacity for 350 passengers and are designed focusing on eco-efficiency, comfort and speed during navigation.