Draft U.N. Plan on Ship Fuel Ban in Arctic Seen as Lax
Draft U.N. proposals to ban the use and transport of heavy fuel oil by ships in the Arctic contain waivers that will allow many vessels to keep sailing without enough regulatory control over their emissions, a study released on Thursday found.Antarctic waters are protected by stringent regulations, including a ban on heavy oil fuel (HFO) adopted in 2011, even though no cargo moves through the turbulent southern waters.
Japan Trio Begins Work on an Ammonia-Fueled Tugboat
As the marine industry works to find the ‘fuel of the future’ to address increasingly stringent emission regulations, an interesting development from a trio of marine powers in Japan seeks to develop the world’s first ammonia-fueled tugboat. The joint research and development agreement was signed by NYK, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., and ClassNK recently to put the world's first ammonia-fueled tugboat into practical use.With the entry into force of the Paris Agreement in 2016…
DP World, Canadian Fund Ponder $4.5 bln Investment in Port Terminals
Global port operator DP World and Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec are nearing a deal to invest an additional $4.5 billion in their global portfolio of port terminals, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.DP World and the Canadian pension fund manager could announce the injection of funds as early as this week, the report added.DP World…
Fully Loaded Oil Tanker Catches Fire Off Sri Lanka
A fully loaded oil tanker has caught fire off the east coast of Sri Lanka, which has dispatched an aircraft and two navy ships to help in the rescue, a Sri Lankan…
Future USS Savannah (LCS 28) Christened
Austal announced that the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has been christened at Austal USA’s manufacturing facility in Mobile, Ala. The future USS Savannah is the 14th of 19 Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Austal USA has under contract with the United States Navy.Austal Limited Chief Executive David Singleton said the continued success of the Independence-class LCS shipbuilding program demonstrated the extensive capabilities of the high-caliber Austal USA team.
Livestock Carrier Capsized in Storm off Japan, Rescued Crewman says
A ship carrying 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle from New Zealand to China capsized after losing an engine in stormy weather in the East China Sea, the only crew…
Australia Bans Another Bulker Over Unpaid Wages
A Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier has been banned from Australian ports for six months over the operation of several sets of wage accounts and multiple conflicting seafarer employment agreements…
Winter Sea Ice in Bering Sea Reached Lowest Levels in Millennia
The Bering Sea ice cover during the winters of 2018 and 2019 hit new lows not seen in thousands of years, scientists reported on Wednesday, adding to concerns about the accelerating impact of climate change in the Arctic.Satellite data provides a clear picture of how sea ice has changed over the last four decades in the region between the Arctic and northern Pacific oceans. Beyond that, the only ice…
MAN's PrimeServLab Expands Engine Fluid Analyses
PrimeServ Lab, a department of MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division MAN PrimeServ, is introducing fuel-stability analysis of new fuel types introduced in 2020 and their compatibility with other fuels.The lab performs analyses of fluids such as fuel oil, lube oil, cooling water, lube-oil separator control samples and fuel-oil separator control samples for both stationary and marine four-stroke engines.Now…
Foreship Appoints Sward to Head US Operations
Naval architecture and marine engineering company Foreship Ltd has appointed Benjamin Sward as President of Foreship LLC to take responsibility for the company’s U.S. activities. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sward will also oversee Foreship’s Seattle operation.The appointment sees a return to Foreship for Sward, who served the company as a Naval Architect and Project Manager between 2015-2018 and led a variety of upgrade projects for high-profile cruise clients such as Royal Caribbean…
OCIMF Extends Remote Inspection Option for Offshore Vessels
From today, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is including a remote vessel inspection option as a temporary tool within its Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID), the inspection protocol for offshore vessels. The option to use remote inspections within OCIMF’s Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) program was rolled-out in August 2020, following a robust management of change process.Supporting…
Harvey Gulf Upgrades PSV to "Tri-fuel" Vessel
U.S.-based offshore vessel owner Harvey Gulf said Wednesday it completed an upgrade of its platform supply vessel Harvey Energy, making it the first "tri-fuel" PSV in the U.S.Harvey completed the installation of a Wartsila battery-power system on the PSV which was already a dual-fuel vessel capable of fully operating on LNG or diesel. At the same time, Harvey said it had started operations at its new diesel bunkering facility in Port Fourchon…
Schottel to Open New Brazil Service Center
SCHOTTEL do Brasil will soon be able to offer more services for marine customers in a new service center located in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. German propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL enabled its Brazilian subsidiary to acquire land in 2019, and the construction work has been making progress. The 10,500m² sized plot will be home to a spacious administration, repair and warehouse location. It is expected to be opened in 2021.“Key aspects for the premises’ design will be a more efficient supply chain…
Equinor's Johan Castberg FPSO Faces Delays as "Weld and Fatigue-analysis Errors" Found
Delivery of the FPSO destined for Equinor's Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea is expected to be delayed after the company found issues with the weld quality and fatigue calculations program.The FPSO hull was ordered by Equinor (then known as Statoil) back in 2017 from Singapore's Sembcorp Marine and it was at the time said that the construction of the hull was "the most time-critical delivery for the completion of the Johan Castberg project…
Theisen Returns to Philly Shipyard as CFO
Philly Shipyard announced Wednesday that Jeffrey Theisen will re-join the company as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 8. Theisen fills the vacancy created by last month's sudden passing of Brian Leathers.Theisen previously served as Philly Shipyard's CFO for eight years, from 2007 - 2015. He was involved in the spin-off of Philly Shipyard from its parent Aker American Shipping and subsequent listing of the company on Oslo Axess…
Scotland Needs to Expand Port Capacity to Accommodate Growing Offshore Wind Needs
A report commissioned by Crown Estate Scotland has found that Scotland has good technical capability to support offshore wind port functions in some, but not all locations and that investments in port capacity will be required to meet the needs of the growing offshore wind industry.Arup, technical consultants tasked with producing the report on the Scottish ports' role in the offshore wind space, said…
Delta Offshore Energy to Use Stena Tech for LNG to Power Project in Vietnam
Delta Offshore Energy (DOE), a company developing an offshore gas to power project in Vietnam, has signed a technology license agreement with Stena Power & LNG Solutions.Under the agreement, Stena will grant DOE a license to use its Jetty-Less LNG receiving and regas technology for the offshore LNG to power project located in the Bac Lieu Province in Southern Vietnam.DOE will employ Stena’s floating…
Huisman to Deliver Crane for First Jones Act Compliant Offshore Wind Installation Vessel
Dutch offshore crane specialist Huisman will build the crane for the United States’ first Jones Act compliant offshore wind installation vessel.Huisman joins a consortium of a Dominion Energy-led offshore wind consortium aim of which is to build a Jones Act compliant vessel, "which is strategically important to the U.S. offshore wind market."The Jones Act is a federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the U.S. and requires goods shipped between U.S.
New Owners, New Name for the Polar King CSV
Oslo-listed offshore vessel owner GC Rieber Shipping last week completed the sale of its Polar King construction support vessel to, at the time, unnamed buyers.It has now been revealed that the 2011-built vessel was sold to the Greek-based Asso Group who took delivery of the vessel last week in Eydehavn, Norway. The vessel, to be renamed Argo, measures 110m in length, 20m in beam, has a Gross Registered Tonnage of 7…
Laborde Products Adds East Coast Sales Rep
In April of 2020, Laborde Products was named the new engine distributor for the East Coast of the United States for Mitsubishi Marine Engines. With the expansion of their territory, Laborde Products recently welcomed Peter Licnikas of Lowell, Mass. to its marine sales team.The Massachusetts Maritime Academy alumnus joins the Laborde team with an extensive resume, including history on both the sales…
