Israel, Lebanon Resume Mediterranean Sea Border Talks
Israel and Lebanon resumed U.S.-mediated talks on Wednesday on a dispute about their Mediterranean Sea border that has held up hydrocarbon exploration in the potentially gas-rich area, the Israeli energy minister, and Lebanon’s state news agency said.The longtime foes held three rounds of talks last month hosted by the United Nations at a peacekeeper base in southern Lebanon which the world body and…
Kongsberg Maritime Won $43,7M in Contracts for Shuttle Tanker Concepts in 2020
Norway's Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had during 2020 won contracts for 12 of its Shuttle Tanker concepts, with a value totaling over NOK 400 million (around $43,7 million).Shipyards in South Korea and China are building the vessels, which are destined to operate between offshore installations and onshore plants in Norway, Brazil, Canada, and China."Common to all vessels is the integration of advanced…
"Hundreds of Jobs" - Equinor Picks Port of Albany for Offshore Wind Tower Making Facility
Norwegian energy company Equinor has proposed the Port of Albany, in upstate New York, as the first offshore wind tower manufacturing facility in the U.S."Developed jointly with leading wind industry manufacturers Marmen and Welcon, Equinor stands ready to transform the port for manufacturing offshore wind towers and transition pieces (TPs), creating up to 350 direct jobs in the region," Equinor said.The…
World's Largest LNG-fueled Containership Bunkers In Rotterdam
The world’s largest containership powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) began its first gas bunkering operation in Rotterdam on Thursday, French shipping company the CMA CGM Group said.The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, which has an 18,600 cubic meter tank, will be refueled with LNG while port handling operations are underway, marking the largest LNG bunkering operation ever undertaken for a containership.Once bunkering is complete…
Vineyard Wind Facing More Permit Delays
A federal agency said on Thursday it has again delayed a long-awaited environmental study crucial to permitting the first major U.S. offshore wind project, but final approval of the project is expected by mid-January.The study of the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project planned for the waters off the Massachusetts coast is expected to be released by December 11, according to a government timeline. It…
Weld Failure Led to Barge Allision -NTSB
A failed weld ultimately led to a barge breaking loose from its mooring and heavily damaging a pier, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.Investigators determined a weld on a shackle that connected a construction barge to a mooring chain failed, allowing the deck barge YD71 to break free from its mooring in stormy weather and drift about two miles to the south before it contacted…
CMA CGM to Expand LNG-powered Fleet to 26 Ships
Container shipping group CMA CGM will expand its use of liquified natural gas (LNG) to 26 vessels, it said on Thursday, as part of efforts to reduce pollution in ocean shipping.After announcing three years ago that it would adopt LNG, French-based CMA CGM has made several orders for gas-powered ships and now plans to have 26 such vessels in service by 2022, it said in a statement.Seven of the vessels are already in service…
Fincantieri Preserves Order Backlog; No Order Cancellations
Italy's shipbuilder Fincantieri said on Thursday it had a consistent order backlog and did not get any cancellations from clients, despite a deep crisis of the cruise industry due to the coronavirus pandemic and global travel restrictions.Fincantieri said core earnings were down to 200 million euros ($235.98 million) in the first nine months of the year from 306 million euros last year but that its…
Golden Ray Salvors Brace for Storm Eta
The salvage team working to cut and lift sections of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray in Georgia's St. Simons Sound has suspended operations ahead of a tropical storm that made landfall in neighboring Florida on Thursday.The specialized heavy lift crane vessel VB 10,000 has paused work partway through the first cut, which began Friday, and has been secured inside the environmental protection barrier in advance of the approaching storm Eta, downgraded from a hurricane on Wednesday.
Norwegian Cruise Line Posts Loss for Third Straight Quarter
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd reported its third straight quarterly loss on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the cruise industry to a standstill.Cruise operators have been struggling to make revenue following the no-sail order imposed in mid-March and some of them have been forced to raise billions in debt.Norwegian last week extended its suspension of voyages until December 31 even as the U.S.
Conflicts of Laws: Blocking Statutes and Antiboycott
This article will focus on conflicts of laws stemming from the EU Blocking Statute and U.S. antiboycott law, both of which are intended to prevent parties from complying with a disfavored sanctions regime. The article will highlight some of the inherent conflicts in dealing with multiple conflicting sanctions regimes. It follows our comprehensive summary of sanctions and shipping, which covered several…
Allsalt Maritime Expands in US and Singapore
Marine shock mitigation technology provider Allsalt Maritime Corporation announced Thursday it has opened new sales and support offices in the U.S. and Singapore in response to market growth in the commercial and recreational boating industries.Victoria, B.C.-based Allsalt Maritime, owner of the Shoxs and Kinetix brands, said its new U.S. office is located in Edgewater, Fla., and will be led by newly appointed brand development and U.S.
Sanctions on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Included in Annual U.S. Defense Bill
Sanctions that could hinder one of Moscow's most important projects in Europe, the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, have been included in the annual U.S. defense policy bill…
French and Japanese Warships Aid Injured Mariner
Two warships came to the aid of an injured seafarer on board the Indian-flagged merchant tanker Lourdes off the coast of Oman in the early hours on Monday.French frigate Jean Bart and Japanese destroyer Ariake were called to conduct the emergency operation, which saw medical personnel from both vessels assist an Indian patient who had a suspected head injury.At 0100Z (0400 local time), a Japanese medic provided immediate assistance on board MV Lourdes…
Aquaculture: Inside the De Maas’ Offshore Fish Farm
As attention increasingly turns to ocean health and sustainability, an innovative new fish farm solution was deployed earlier this year when the De Maas’ Semi-submersible Spar Fish Farm (SSFF) became the world’s first offshore farm installed at an open ocean location exposed to tropical storms. MTR recently visited – virtually – with co-founder Philip Schreven for insight on the design and operation…
Engineering Ethics, Seaworthiness and the Right of Clients to Kill Themselves
I had only been working as a graduate engineer for a few years and was minding my own business working for a yacht designer when my boss asked me to get in touch with a person who was looking for engineering analysis. I called the number and arranged for the person to meet me at the office.A few days later a tall very athletic man walked up the stairs and introduced himself as Ned Gillette. He unfolded a drawing with a design for a rowboat…
Addressing the New IMO Guidelines for Second Generation Intact Stability
The common perception of intact stability has remained largely unchanged over the last few decades, where a vessel’s stability is evaluated using classical and static means: limits on righting arms, residual areas, and determining maximal VCG (or minimal GM) composite curves. These methods are familiar to most naval architects and are taught at a fundamental level in most naval architecture engineering…
Swire Shipping Deploys MV Lae Chief on (NAX) Service
Swire Shipping deployed its first 2,750TEU newbuild, MV Lae Chief, on its upgraded North Asia Express (NAX) service. Launching the new fixed-day fortnightly service with her maiden voyage, the vessel made her first port call in Shanghai on November 5, 2020.The new 2,750-TEU vessel is fitted with three 45mt cranes capable of dual lifts enabling it to carry all cargo types, including breakbulk, out of gauge and reefers.
"Made in India": Indian Shipyard Launches Scorpene Submarine Vagir
INS Vagir is the fifth P75 Scorpene submarine entirely built by the Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) based on technology transfer and partnership with Naval Group.After recent commissioning of INS Khanderi in September 2019 and the launch of the INS Vela in May 2019, Vagir is the fifth of the series of six Kalvari-class submarines ordered by India in 2005, to be launched.The…
Lindblad Expeditions Names Goodman CCO/CMO
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. named David Goodman as its Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, effective November 9, 2020. Goodman spent more than years running divisions of global multi-media organizations, overseeing revenue, marketing, content creation, production, product/technology, distribution and oversight of some of the world’s most recognizable brands and properties. Most recently he served as Executive Vice President…
