Trump Administration's Infrastructure Plan Taking Shape
The Trump administration is finalizing its long-awaited infrastructure plan, which would push most of the financing of projects to private investment and state and local taxpayers…
Maersk Supply Service Wins Contract With Quadrant Energy
Maersk Master and Maersk Mariner, Maersk Supply Service’s two first Starfish-class anchor handling vessels built in 2017, will be on contract with Quadrant Energy in Western Australia…
Rolls-Royce Mulls Sale of Commercial Marine Unit
Industrial conglomerate Rolls-Royce is considering selling the bulk of its struggling marine business as the company embarks on another restructuring which aims to further slash costs.
FSL Trust Sells Vessel to Trim Debt
FSL Trust Management, as trusteemanager of First Ship Lease Trust (FSL Trust), announces that the Trust has sold its chemical tanker, FSL Tokyo, for a cash consideration of US$13.8 million.
LME Certification for Port of Amsterdam
Port of Amsterdam was awarded an LME certification this week by the London Metal Exchange (LME). From now on, Amsterdam is listed as a goods delivery point for aluminium…
PSA's Port Inks Solar Deal with Sunseap
PSA Corporation and Sunseap Group Pte Ltd have signed a 21-year solar power purchase agreement that will enhance the eco-friendliness of the container port and ancillary…
Chevron Shipping Awards Oil, LNG Contract to GAC
US-based Chevron Shipping Company (CSC) has awarded the Dubai-based GAC Group a global three-year ship agency contract for both crude and LNG vessels. The new agreement…
Fifth Consecutive Record Year for Antwerp
The port of Antwerp has achieved a record freight volume for the fifth straight year in a row. In 2017 the port handled 223,606,610 tonnes of freight, an increase…
Washington State Ferries Ridership at a 15-year High
![(Photo: Washington State Dept of Transportation)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-washington-state-dept-of-81546.jpg)
Washington State Ferries, the nation’s largest ferry system, carried nearly 24.5 million passengers in 2017, its highest ridership since 2002. Ridership increased for the ninth consecutive year and was up by more than 250,000 over 2016. “We expect our ridership to continue to grow as more people move to Western Washington,” said WSF head Amy Scarton. “As part of the state highway network, the ferry…
Seacor Announces JV with Cosco Shipping Affiliates
![File photo: SEACOR Marine](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/file-photo-seacor-marine-81544.jpg)
Offshore services vessel operator SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. said it has formed a jointly owned company with affiliates of the world’s largest ship owner, COSCO Shipping Group. The Marshall Islands company, SEACOSCO Offshore LLC, entered into contracts for the purchase of eight Rolls-Royce designed new construction platform supply vessels (PSV) from COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.
MAN's Part-Load Optimization a Fuel Saver
![close-up on engine (Image: MAN Diesel & Turbo)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/closeup-on-engine-image-man-81543.jpg)
MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Part-Load Optimization is a tuning method designed to optimize fuel-oil consumption during the part-load operation of four-stroke, small-bore MAN auxiliary engines. “Part-Load Optimization works on the principle that fuel consumption is reduced at low and part load at the expense of a higher fuel consumption in the high-load range, without exceeding the IMO NOx limit,” explained Finn Fjeldhøj – Head of Small-Bore, Four-Stroke Engineering – MAN Diesel & Turbo.
Baltic Index Drops to 5-month Low on Sinking Capesize Rates
![© Aleksey Stemmer / Adobe STock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/aleksey-stemmer-adobe-stock-81527.jpg)
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell nearly 5 percent on Wednesday to its lowest in over five months due to tumbling capesize rates. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, slid 57 points, or 4.7 percent, to close at 1,164 points, the lowest since Aug. 14. The capesize index fell 267 points, or 13.28 percent to 1,743 points, its lowest level since Aug.
Santos Port to Suspend Shipments of Live Animals
![© Stockninja / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/stockninja-adobe-stock-81525.jpg)
The company that operates Latin America’s largest port in the Brazilian city of Santos said on Friday it will suspend shipments of live animals. The company detailed its decision in a letter seen by Reuters that was sent by state-run Companhia Docas do Estado de São Paulo to a congressman. A press officer at Codesp, as the state-run operator is known, said the letter was authentic. Later, the company sent a statement confirming the suspension.
Finland Concerned over Rise in Russia's Cargo Ship Inspections
![© Arestov Andrew / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/arestov-andrew-adobe-stock-81523.jpeg)
The Finnish government has voiced concern over surprise inspections on Finnish cargo ships visiting Russian ports in recent weeks, saying delays had been a problem for shipping companies. Neighboring Russia carried out seven thorough inspections in the past two weeks on Finnish ships at St Petersburg and other ports, without giving a specific reason, a government minister said on Friday. Such inspections usually take place for Finnish ships only a few times a year globally.
EU Opens Investigation into Tax Incentives for Polish Shipyards
![© Mariusz Niedzwiedzki / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/mariusz-niedzwiedzki-adobe-stock-81529.jpeg)
The European Commission on Monday opened an investigation into tax incentives for shipyards in Poland, saying it had concerns the scheme would give an unfair advantage to companies. Under the Polish scheme, shipmakers can pay a flat-rate tax on sales from the building and conversion of ships. The Commission said such a measure could be seen as “operating aid”, which is illegal under EU rules. “The Commission will now investigate further to determine whether its initial concerns are confirmed…
Amid Tension, China Carrier Group Sails through Taiwan Strait
![A Chinese naval ship performs a maritime exercise inthe South Shina Sea in November 2017 (Photo: China People's Liberation Army, by Gu Yagen)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/a-chinese-naval-ship-performs-81530.jpg)
A Chinese carrier group has sailed through the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the self-ruled island from its giant neighbor but no unusual activity was detected, Taiwan said on Wednesday, amid heightened tension with Beijing. Beijing has taken an increasingly hostile stance toward Taiwan since the election two years ago of President Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.
Dive Support Vessel Delivered to Stapem Offshore
![Photo: Incat Crowther](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-incat-crowther-81518.jpg)
The first of two new 18-meter catamaran dive support vessels built for Paris-based Stapem Offshore has been delivered by South African shipbuilder Legacy Marine Group. The Marshal Island-flagged vessel, Stapem Beluga, will operate in the coastal waters of Angola in support of oil and gas exploration and production. The vessel, designed by Incat Crowther, has been customized to suit Stapem’s specific operational requirements.
Ex-US Navy Officers Face Negligent Homicide Charges over Ship Collisions
![Significant visible damage to USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21. (U.S. Navy photo by Madailein Abbott)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/significant-visible-damage-to-uss-81517.jpg)
The commanding officers of two U.S. Navy destroyers involved in deadly collisions last year in the Pacific Ocean face courts-martial and military criminal charges including negligent homicide, the U.S. Navy said in a statement on Tuesday. Filing charges against the officers marks the Navy’s latest effort to address the problems that led to collisions involving its warships in Asia, in which 17 sailors were killed.
GE Ships LM2500 Marine Gas Turbine for US Navy
![GE LM2500 GT hanging angle shot (Photo: GE Marine)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/ge-lm2500-gt-hanging-angle-81516.jpg)
GE's Marine Solutions division said it has shipped a LM2500 marine gas turbine propulsion module that will help power the U.S. Navy's 75th DDG Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). Shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division will construct this new destroyer with U.S. Navy Flight III upgrades incorporated. Each DDG destroyer features four GE LM2500 marine gas turbines in a combined gas turbine and gas turbine (COGAG) configuration.
Tug Newbuild Delivered to De Boer
![Photo: Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-damen-shipyards-hardinxveld-81514.jpg)
On January 9, Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld delivered an ASD Tug 2310 SD (shallow draught), named Papillon, to De Boer Remorquage SARL, a subsidiary company of Dutch Dredging (Baggerbedrijf De Boer) and Iskes Towage & Salvage. Damen has customized the ASD for a 12-year contract with Grand Port Maritime de Guyane in the ports of Cayenne and Kourou in French Guiana. The tug’s primary function will be the assistance of vessels entering and leaving the ports.