Material News

Van Oord has finished dredging two new port basins in Ain Sokhna Port, successfully completing a project that forms part of a port expansion program meant to improve and develop the Suez Canal Economic Zone and harness the potential of the Suez Canal as a global hub for maritime transport.The General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Egypt awarded Van Oord the contract to dredge approximately 21 million cubic meters of soil to create two new port basins.

U.S. aluminium maker Alcoa AA.N said on Thursday it had halted bauxite shipments from Brazil's Juruti port due to a stranded vessel in the waterway.This was the latest in a series of disruptions to hit the aluminium raw material supply chain, which have pushed alumina prices to record highs and supported aluminium prices.Alcoa declared force majeure at its bauxite mine in the Juruti region on Wednesday as an inaccessible waterway hindered its ability to supply its customers, an…

R.W. Fernstrum & Company, founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 75 years ago, is a quintessential U.S. manufacturing story. The company was born in the aftermath of WWII, founded on an invention developed during the war by Robert Fernstrum to help solve an engine overheating problem that was plaguing U.S. Navy landing craft. Family owned and operated from day one, today the company includes a fourth generation of family that aims to continue the legacy of its founder, a legacy built on effective…

Hapag-Lloyd’s vessel Colorado Express has bunkered a B25 bio marine fuel blend comprised of ExxonMobil’s bio fuel, which is able to deliver an estimated 20.1% greenhouse gas well-to-wake reduction compared with conventional marine fuel formulations on an energy basis.ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50 fuel consists 0.10% sulphur Emission Control Area (ECA) fuel, and waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME).The ‘drop-in’ blend met the requirements of ISO 8217:2017…

Project will integrate electric assets, charging infrastructure and solar power equipment. Gateway Terminal in New Haven, CT, an Enstructure company, will receive funding to purchase and install electric equipment through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program. The grant allocation includes $34,000,000 to purchase electric gantry cranes, material handlers and yard trucks, replace current diesel assets, and install solar panels as part of Enstructure’s progress towards zero emissions targets.

Almacam is a leader in nesting-CAM software for shipyards. Philippe Rouzeau, Manager of the Shipyard Team, Almacam, explains how it solutions can help shipyards shave production costs and increase efficiency.Almacam is a 45-year-old, employee-owned company created by researchers that were mono-focused on developing nesting algorithms in a laboratory of Grenoble University, France, aiming to bring this nesting algorithm tech to the industry.According to Rouzeau, it is the world's only independent CAD-CAM software publisher offering CAM solutions across industries…

To start, will you please share your personal journey in the shipbuilding industry and what led you to your current role?Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding Inc. was started by Preston Gladding and Richard Hearn in mid-1955. My father, George Duclos, joined them as a minority partner in late 1955, and for $900 owned 20% of the company. Fast forward to 1984, my parents bought out the Gladding and Hearn families and formed Duclos Corporation. Gladding-Hearn was kept as a d/b/a trade name. My brother John joined the company in 1984 with a naval architecture degree from University of Michigan.

Nine Indonesian nationals who pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Australian waters at Darwin Local Court have had their vessel destroyed.On September 19, 2024, Australian authorities apprehended the them as they fished illegally for sea cucumber in the vicinity of Augustus Island, Western Australia.Authorities seized 350 kilograms of sea cucumber worth up to approximately A$30,000 ($20,000 or more than 300 million Indonesian Rupiah) along with 175 kilograms of salt (used for preserving catch) and a large quantity of fishing equipment.

**Austal USA Breaks Ground on New Submarine Module Facility in Mobile, Alabama**Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced the commencement of construction on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility dedicated to submarine modules, known as MMF3. Set to be operational by late 2026, this new building will significantly enhance the company’s capacity to support the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base (SIB).The facility will span 369,600 square feet and is specifically designed for the manufacturing of submarine modules.

In celebration of Clean Energy Month, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has highlighted propane’s role as a clean energy source for material handling applications.Propane produces 52% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent amount of U.S. grid electricity, making it a more environmentally friendly choice, according to PERC.Propane is a clean-burning fuel that emits fewer greenhouse gases compared to gasoline and diesel.Forklifts powered by propane produce significantly lower levels of harmful emissions…

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has issued an update on the HMNZS Manawanui sinking in Samoa saying it is evaluating what is possible to plug the residual diesel engine room leak while planning for the safe removal of containers on the reef and monitoring and assessing the debris field and fuel sheen.The dive and hydrographic ship struck a reef south of Upolu on October 5. All 75 people aboard were successfully rescued.Based on the estimated diesel sheen size, it is likely significantly less diesel has leaked than initially assessed.

The IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee MEPC 82 met from 30 September to 4 October 2024 and discussed a range of environmental matters, including proposed mid-term measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, enhancing energy efficiency of shipping, tackling marine litter, ballast water management and underwater noise reduction.Tackling climate change - cutting GHG emissions from shipsThe Committee made progress on the development of mid-term…

Speed will be of the essence as salvage crews attempt to stop fuel leaking from the sunken New Zealand naval ship off the coast of Samoa.The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground last weekend on a reef about one nautical mile off the south coast of Upolu, Samoa’s most populated island. The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel was on its third deployment, conducting a reef survey, when it caught fire and sank.The ship has come to rest at a depth of up to 150 metres, which means it may be relatively undisturbed even during storms.

Ships trials reportedly confirmed that CM Technologies’ new scuffing sensor can detect early onset cylinder wear in marine diesel engines. Trials onboard a number of large containerships and a two-stroke engine Baltic ferry showed it was possible to measure the friction in the cylinder when the engine is running.CMT noted a trend in cylinder liner scuffing following the widespread use of 0-0.50% low sulphur fuel (LSF). These fuels together with insufficient or over lubrication…

Bronze bearings in the stern roller of the Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) Vessel ES Kestrel have been replaced with grease-free SXL bearings from Thordon Bearings while the vessel remained afloat and operational.The replacement was undertaken in May 2024 by Thordon’s Dubai-based distributor Ocean Power International (OPI) for the AHTS owner Echo Cargo & Shipping of U.A.E.While typically checked during routine drydocking, the vessel’s stern roller was experiencing turning issues during operation.

Provaris Energy and Yinson Production Offshore have agreed to develop storage tank solutions for the bulk storage and marine transportation of CO2.Yinson Production and Provaris will jointly evaluate the technical and economic viability of adapting Provaris’ proprietary tank design for compressed hydrogen to the bulk-scale storage and transport of compressed and liquid CO2.Provaris says that, currently, there is no ship transport of CO2 in a low pressure and temperature range suitable for long sailing distances and large cargo volumes.

Dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has received several dredging awards totaling $342.3 million.The awarded work includes:Sabine-Neches Waterway Channel Improvement, Contract 6 Project (Capital, Texas, $219.1 million)The Sabine-Neches Waterway Channel Improvement, Contract Project 6 involves the deepening of the channel to accommodate larger vessels, reduce transportation costs, enhance channel efficiency and improve safety for local port stakeholders. This project has approximately $16 million of options pending. The client on this project is the U.S.

In January 2023, U.S. federal agents raided the home of a Tucson maintenance worker who had a side hustle hauling packages across the border to Mexico.They estimate that over the previous two years, the gray-bearded courier had ferried about 7,000 kilos of fentanyl-making chemicals to an operative of the Sinaloa Cartel. That’s 15,432 pounds, sufficient to produce 5.3 billion pills – enough to kill every living soul in the United States several times over. The chemicals had traveled by air from China to Los Angeles…

Australia's Macquarie has engaged advisors for a potential sale of its subsidiary Corio Generation, one of the world's largest offshore-wind developers, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.Corio oversees a 30-gigawatt pipeline of offshore wind projects spanning Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. It includes 5 GW of projects across the UK such as West of Orkney in Scotland and Outer Dowsing off the east coast of England.Macquarie plans to gauge interest from a handful of strategic and financial investors later this year for a full or minority stake sale…

Pacific Maritime Group said its harbor towboat S. Bass has recently completed a full repower at Bay Ship in Alameda, Calif. and is back in action in San Diego, Long Beach and the Bay Area.The repower involved installing new EPA Tier 3 Mitsubishi S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, and Twin Disc 540 transmissions which were supplied by Dee Finley Diesel Repair, and installed new exhaust, water coolers, custom critical grade mufflers, aftercooler, reservoir system, propeller shafts and dripless shaft seal system that were designed and manufactured by Bay Ship.The 60-foot S.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District’s New Lock at the Soo project in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich, substantially completed Phase 2 (Upstream Approach Walls) contract on September 17.“Phase 2 work focused on rehabilitating the upstream approach walls to guide vessels into the New Lock and will allow the vessels to moor on the wall,” said Ryan Berkompas, New Lock at the Soo Project Engineer. “The old approach walls in the northern channel were the same age as the Sabin and Davis Locks…

A joint venture between Schoeller Holdings and Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt has ordered four construction commissioning service operation vessels (C-CSOVs) from the Chinese shipyard for offshore wind and wider offshore energy sector.The construction commissioning service operation vessels (C-CSOVs) have been ordered from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, a member of the China State Shipbuilding Group, for delivery beginning in early 2027.The vessels will be able accommodate on board up to 100 technicians…

Mobile, Ala. ship repair yard  Alabama Shipyard has been awarded a contract to repair the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) largest trailing suction hopper dredge, Wheeler.Alabama Shipyard was one of three bidders for the contract, winning the drydock and repair deal with its $11,466,912 bid. The contract was awarded by the Corps' New Orleans District, which owns and operates the dredge to keep waterway channels clear from Key West, Fla., to Brownsville, Texas.The repair work…